Extra Travel? Extra Memories!

Back in September (2013) a friend of mine, Ryan, and I decided to do a spontaneous weekend trip to South Dakota to see Mount Rushmore and the Badlands.  Only knowing each other for a few months prior, we were off to test whether we could stand each other, travel independently and get to our desitnation and back before the weekend’s end. With just the start of our adventures, he was asked to be our program’s student advisor in China. I was thrilled to have such a cool guy with me on my China adventure.

Mount Rushmore - South Dakota - September 2013

The City from Victoria Peak

Fast forward eight months and you would find yourself two adventurers ready to take on South Asia. Our program ended in late May and Ryan and I planned an extra 18 days for some independent travel. Leaving for Hong Kong on the 25^th, we successfully traveled out of China and to a SAR (Special Administrative Region) of China. Made up of separate islands, we had to take ferries to travel to different places. I am so impressed and proud that within four days, we were able to navigate buses, boats and ferries to see the amazing things Hong Kong had to offer. Beaches, Big Buddha's and amazing hiking trails line the islands all around the area. 

If you travel to Hong Kong, Macau is a must see! 

Knowing that Hong Kong had a sister SAR, we knew we had to travel to Macau. From our previous adventures across China, we often had unplanned and spontaneous travel ideas. However, this was the real deal! Docking at the port, we walked through customs and found ourselves in a completely new culture. We got ourselves a map and walked into the city center, hitting up all the major sites and having a blast along the way. I thought I was proud of ourselves for navigating Hong Kong, but I was amazed at how we got around Macau. Previously a Portugal Port, I felt like I was in Lisbon for the day - definitely my favorite place of our extra 18 day travel. 

Flying out of Taiwan on the 10th, we set aside five days to travel outside "China." Deciding to take a leap of adventure, we flew to Bangkok, Thailand. With the actual temperature about 101 degrees and a humidity feel of 115, Bangkok was rough! However, this place was one of our favorites and we found ourselves jetting around the city riding in Tuk Tuk's (motor-bike type taxi's). If Bangkok is in your next itinerary, make sure to take a ride in one of these. The drivers are super fun, speak amazing English and know how to make your experience worth while. We visited traditional Thai temples, ate the well-know spicy food and bought extremely cheap clothes at night and day markets. However, the best experience we had was riding and washing elephants in the River Kwai. 

 Flying to our last destination, we traveled to Taipei, Taiwan to see Ryan's relatives. His grandmother, originally born in Taiwan, still has brothers and sisters living on this island. We were lucky enough to have a place to stay at Daniel's, Ryan's Uncle, home for the duration of the trip. Cleaner and more organized than China, we both agreed that Taiwan was more sophisticated than the Mainland. Ryan's family took us to see several historical monuments and museums, treated us to traditional Taiwanese restaurants and drove us to see the beautiful landscapes that were used in America's favorite: Jurassic Park.

Volcano near Taipei City 

With our trip coming to a close, we got to meet up with our friend, Jack, who we studied with us at River Falls. Excited to see him, we went to an Adventure Time Museum Display, ate at a restaurant and went shopping at traditional outdoor and underground markets. Our final day of independent travel was one of the best as we got to see a great friend. 

Our Elephant Tour Guides in Bangkok

Without a doubt, I had an amazing experience the last 18 days. I wouldn't have wanted to travel with anyone else and I learned a lot from Ryan. Good luck working in Scotland, my friend! Thanks for all the amazing memories - you've been a great role model, advisor and friend. I wouldn't have had such a great experience without you (: