Travel

Presidential Lobster in Kennebunkport, Maine

Next stop as I slowly inched my way back to Europe was Maine. I flew into Boston and my old colleague Ian was kind enough to drive all the way down and pick me up to visit this quiet area of the east coast.

BBQ and Friends in Houston, Texas

I spent some time with one of my good Purdue friends in Houston. While I was there he whipped up a special treat — six racks of ribs on his smoker!

Sours and Friends in Dripping Springs, Texas

I wasted no time getting out to my favorite brewery in the world, Jester King! It was thankfully not a release day so we enjoyed short lines, stone-fire pizzas, and farmhouse-style sour ales made right in the Texas Hill Country.

Epic sunset in St. Clair, Missouri

We saw a gorgeous sunset while driving back from Illinois to Texas.

Four Kitchens around the World

A tribute to my friends and colleagues at Four Kitchens in honor of their 10th anniversary!

Last beach day on Koh Yao Noi, Thailand

Our final beach day — and last day of our trip — was a lazy day near our bungalow on Koh Yao Noi. It was a wonderful way to wind things down before heading home.

Tonsai beach near Krabi, Thailand

Next stop on our mini beach tour was Tonsai Beach near Krabi. It's a fun little jungle community right next to the more well-known Railay beach.

Circular railway in Yangon, Myanmar

The Yangon circular railway is a local train that makes a large loop around the city. It's great for people-watching and seeing parts of Yangon that aren't polished for tourism.

SkyBridge in Langkawi, Malaysia

We waited until the weekend was over to visit one of the main tourist attractions: SkyBridge, a suspension bridge between two mountain peaks.

Skull beach in Langkawi, Malaysia

Another picture-perfect beach! This time on the north coast of Langkawi called Skull beach.

Scam city at Bromo National Park

We tried going to Bromo to do another sunrise volcano hike, but weather, volcanic activity, and scams got the best of us.

Snorkeling in Blue Lagoon

Returning from Gili Air back to Padang Bay, we went snorkeling again in Blue Lagoon a few times. This time we were armed with our friend's camera and caught some great glimpes of underwater sea life.

Good times in Gili Air, Indonesia

Instead of going to the main island of Lombok, we chose a tiny paradise just off the coast called Gili Air. It is a 1km-wide island with quaint bungalows and charming restaurants.

Tirta Gangga & Pura Lempuyang in Bali, Indonesia

We went to a water palace called Taman Tirta Gangga, and then to a mountain temple called Pura Lempuyang. Both places featured old, impressive stone work.

White sand beach in Padang Bay, Bali

Padang Bay is a "pass-through" town with a beautiful gem of a beach. It's not a secret beach or anything, but both days we went there were max 15 people during the day.

Kuta beach in Kuta, Bali

Our hostel was quite close to a beach that was just down the coast from the main tourist strip. It was empty during the day but swelled with people as the sun set.

Beach time in Bali, Indonesia

Finally after several major changes of plans, we made it to Indonesia! This was our original inspiration for taking the trip and we're excited to spend some lazy days in the sun.

Long layover in Singapore

Due to a minor flight complication we were only in Singapore for 18 hours and did not get to explore as much as we wanted. It was nice to use fast internet, drink tap water, and throw our TP in the toilet for one night though.

Back again in Bangkok, Thailand

We made the best of our two days in Bangkok before flying to Singapore and Indonesia. Star Wars and massage, the good life!

Back again in Ayutthaya, Thailand

Instead of staying in Bangkok we went back to visit Ya in Ayutthaya. We had a nice time singing songs and just relaxing at his wonderful guest house.

Tubing in Vang Vieng, Laos

We did one of the most popular activities on New Years' Eve in Vang Vieng — tubing down the river!

Grill Buffet in Luang Prabang, Laos

We got to Luang Prabang late, but immediately found a great type of food stand that should be everywhere.

Sabaidee in Muang Khua, Laos

After our crazy bus ride into Laos, the first stop was luckily the small, laid-back town of Muang Khua. We stayed here several days to recharge and relax.

Kayaking in Lan Ha Bay, Vietnam

We went kayaking in the ocean around Cat Ba Island! We kayaked around some of the islands, stopped at one of the beaches on Monkey Island, and went through a fishing village.

Stopover in Dong Hoi, Vietnam

We stopped in Dong Hoi because we had the time and wanted to break up the bus ride to Hanoi.

Sandcastles at Longson Mui Ne

We had a sandcastle contest one night. Such a blast! Karin and I were declared the winners based on our excellent teamwork 💗

Longson in Mui Ne, Vietnam

With my leg almost healed, it was finally time to hit the beach! We chose Mui Ne and had a great time at an awesome resort. The people there are great and the staff are dedicated to showing us how to have a good time.

Arriving in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City was quite the change of pace after our slow weeks in Thailand. It's a crazy, pulsing city that is no place for a newbie traveler. We had a blast checking it out and acting young for a few days.

Cooking class in Pai, Thailand

Once of the only things we'd planned for Pai was a cooking class. We picked a good one including a trip to the market, and had lots of fun making common Thai dishes from scratch.

Kayaking at Cave Lodge

We went kayaking twice in a row because it was so much fun! We did a short 2-hour and long 5-hour trip. The long one had a bit of caving thrown in for good measure.

Cave Lodge in Soppong, Thailand

Cave Lodge is an absolutely beautiful place to stay in north Thailand offering more adventures than we thought possible. Anyone passing through should make a stop here for at least a few nights!

City life in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Chiang Mai is the biggest city in the north, offering plenty of sights and activities. We had fun checking it out for a few days.

Wat Pho in Bangkok, Thailand

We accidentally stumbled upon Wat Pho, the most beautiful place we have seen so far in Bangkok. The amount of care and craft put into these temples is truly magnificent.

Arriving in Bangkok, Thailand

Our first stop in Southeast Asia was Bangkok, the bustling capitol of Thailand. Bangkok is a busy, dirty city but it is filled with very friendly people who always greet you with a smile.

Parc Güell in Barcelona, Spain

Parc Güell is an expansive, hilly park in the middle of town offering great views of the city and fun experiences with musicians of all types.

La Mercè in Barcelona, Spain

By coincidence, DrupalCon was exactly the same week as La Mercè, an annual festival in Barcelona. We were treated to extraordinary nightlife almost the entire time we were there.

Buccaneers in Cintsa Bay, South Africa

Our stop at Buccaneers was our last of the trip because it was so great! We stayed several days longer than we planned. It's a beautiful community situated across the entire side of a mountain facing the coast of Cintsa Bay.

Amakhala Game Reserve at Addo Elephant National Park

We enjoyed a luxurious, thrilling safari on the Amakhala Game Reserve. We saw four of the Big 5 in their natural habitats, living freely under the protection of the game park we visited.

Downtown in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

The town of San Pedro is quite small, but full of interesting sights. I expected it to be less modern given how remote it is, but the bustling tourism supports their economy very well.

Bus to San Pedro in Salta, Argentina

The bus ride from Mendoza to San Pedro is long but the scenery is absolutely stunning. We stopped overnight in Salta, Argentina. Otherwise we just enjoyed the earth rolling by, slowly turning from lush green into arid desert as we approached San Pedro.

Don't cry for me in Mendoza, Argentina

We spent an extra day in Mendoza due to bus strikes. We used it well, finding a beautiful hotel and exploring more of the downtown area.

Visiting Karin in Santiago de Chile

After meeting Karin in Freiburg, I decided to visit her in Chile where she was taking time off work to travel. My first destination was Santiago, where she lived at the time.