Day 12 — The Nile Gave Us Blankets, a Singing Paddleboarder, and Crocodile Mummies
After several days of alarms that felt personally hostile, the morning in Aswan began with something gentler. We were still…
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Day 11 — Abu Simbel Was Worth the 3:45 A.M. Wakeup, But the Driver’s Phone Was Not
There are wakeup times that feel adventurous. There are wakeup times that feel unpleasant. And then there is 3:45 a.m.,…
Day 10 — Aswan Welcomed Us With Island Temples, Market Haggling, and a Man Who Remembered My Name
There is something disorienting about waking up on a sleeper train and realizing the day has already started without asking…
Day 9 — Cairo Gave Us Pyramids, Police Whistles, and a Sleeper Train With Character
There are mornings when a 6:15 a.m. alarm feels like a suggestion. This was not one of those mornings. This…
Day 8 — Grandma Got Into the Balloon, and Morocco Looked Better From the Sky
There are certain moments when you look at your elderly mother, look at the side of a hot air balloon…
Day 7 — Marrakech Gave Us Tombs, Markets, and the Great Moroccan Laundry Mission
There is a point in every long family trip when clean laundry becomes more exciting than historic monuments. I am…
Day 6 — Ait Ben Haddou Looked Like a Movie Set Because It Basically Was
There are some places that feel ancient. There are some places that feel cinematic. And then there is Ait Ben…
Day 5 — Sunrise in the Sahara, Dune Bashing, and the Hotel Pool Nobody Asked For
There are few things that will get me out of bed early on vacation. A flight, unfortunately. A buffet breakfast…
Day 4 — The Sahara Was Supposed to Give Us a Sunset. It Gave Us Camels and Rain Instead
There are many ways to prepare for an eight-hour drive through the Atlas Mountains. Sleep well. Pack snacks. Use the…
Day 3 — Fes Tried to Lose Us in 9,000 Streets and Then Handed Us Mint
There is a special kind of confidence you feel before entering a medieval medina with more than 9,000 winding streets.…
Day 2 — The Road to Fes Started With Romans, Couscous, and Children Being Volunteered for Things
There is something wonderfully dangerous about waking up on the second day of a trip and believing you have adjusted.…
Day 1 — Casablanca Tried to Welcome Us With Trains, Tiny Taxis, and a Police Escort
There is a dangerous moment at the beginning of every family trip when everyone is still optimistic. The bags have…
The Day I Went to Kiribati Without Actually Going to Kiribati
There are many ways to visit a country. Some people arrive with hiking boots, guidebooks, and a responsible plan. I…
Bora Bora Sea Scooter
First thing after breakfast we went on an excursion in Bora Bora with Bora Ocean Adventures. It was the perfect…
Teahupoo Tour Family Adventure
We rented a car in Papeete and took a full-day boat trip along the Teahupoo Coast. Traveling with an 11…
Day 11: Scammed for a Coconut, Saigon Walking Tour
Day 11 – Disembark cruise, Saigon Walking tour of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Scammed for a Coconut, A O…
Day 10: Coconut Candy and Vietnamese Traditional Music
Day 10 – Ship Tour, Fruit Carving, Afternoon Canal Paddle, Coconut Toffee, Palm Tree Spoons, Evening Vietnam Traditional Music Following…
Day 9: Gao Giong, Vietnam
Day 9 – Relaxing down the Mekong, Gao Giong We lifted anchor at 7 am, and once again, I was…
Day 8: Pandaw Cruise Phnom Penh to Tan Chau
Day 8 – Morning Departure, Cruise to 10:30 am, 3.5 hours for customs, 3 pm Excursion This was our first…
Day 7: The Killing Fields & Pandaw Cruise
Day 7 – S21 Jail – Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, Killing Fields, Museum, Cruise Port, Lunch, Starting River Cruise Phnom…
Day 6: A Flat Tire in Cambodia and a Google Maps Wrong Turn
Day 6 – Drive to Phnom Penh, Flat Tire, Stop at Pottery Maker, $3 Lunch, Phreah Reach Traop Mountain, monkeys,…
Southeast Asia Day 5: Battambang Bat Cave
Southeast Asia Day 5: – Church, Traditional Cambodian Home, Battambang Resort, Bat Cave Sunday was a down day for us.…
Southeast Asia Day 4: Underprivileged Kids Circus
Southeast Asia Day 4: – Market, Sandstone Statue Carvers, Vanna’s Family Farm & Lunch, Battambang Hotel Search, Bamboo Train, Kids…
Southeast Asia Day 3: Angkor Wat Sunrise
Southeast Asia Day 3: Angkor Wat Sunrise, 2 other temples, Lunch with Vanna’s family, 3-hour break, Boat ride to stilt…
Southeast Asia Day 2: Frog Dinner
Southeast Asia Day 2: Our second day in Bangkok was very short. We got up early and walked around the…
Southeast Asia Day 1: A Day in Bangkok: Floating Market and Railway Market
Southeast Asia Day 1: After a very long trip to Bangkok, it was hard to sleep in. My internal clock…
Amman, Jordan
Day 7 – May 19, 2022 Our final full day of the tour involved a 4-hour drive back to Amman…
Wadi Rum Camel Ride and Aqaba
Day 6 – May 18, 2022 Camel Ride We woke up at 5 am as it was still dark outside.…
Little Petra and Wadi Rum, Bedouin Camp
Day 5 – May 17, 2022 Little Petra Only 15 kilometers from Petra is “Little Petra,” an old caravan stop…
Petra – More than a Full Day of Exploring
Day 4 – May 16, 2022 Petra – A Full Day of Exploring I don’t really know what I expected…