By Erica and Matt Chua, on Mon Sep 2, 2013 at 1:30 PM ET Charles Darwin may have made the Galapagos famous, but the wildlife is what makes the trip worth it. Giant tortoises more than 100 years old, playful sea lions, blue footed and red footed boobies, marine iguanas and bright colored crabs, there is something for everyone. The highlight of a visit to the Galapagos is seeing animals on their terms.
The grapsus grapsus also known as a red rock crab can be seen on almost every island
With less than 25,000 people living across the archipelago, each island is a true animal kingdom. The birds were just as curious about us as we were about them and the marine iguanas seemed completely unconcerned about our presence unless we were blocking their sun. The only animals that seemed a little skittish were the colorful crabs that coated the volcanic rocks like a red moss.
With the vast number of endemic species and so many of them far from shy it is a photographer’s paradise. Here are just a few of the different animals you can expect to see on a visit to the historic Galapagos Islands:
The most famous inhabitant of the Galapagos Islands are the blue footed booby
Read the rest of…
Erica and Matt Chua: Galapagos Wildlife
By Erica and Matt Chua, on Mon Aug 26, 2013 at 1:30 PM ET Most days on the road we spent the majority of time trying to meet our basic physiological needs. Finding safe food, water and a place to sleep often took the entire day with no time to climb to higher levels of Maslow’s Pyramid. However, some countries made it easy. In Bolivia we had no problem finding a good meal, cheap- we headed to the markets.
Eating local fare is key to understanding a place’s culture and traditions. However, this doesn’t mean you have to dive headfirst into the most exotic dishes or sample something that is sure to make you sick- it just means broadening your horizons a little bit. Ask questions and have fun at the market. Remember this is the perfect opportunity to hang out with the locals.
The markets in Sucre, La Paz and Tarabuco are bustling, bright and spark your curiosity to explore further. They offer a wide variety of fresh and prepared foods at affordable prices along with textiles, juices and plenty of coca leaves. Rarely was I let down by meals at the market because I didn’t have to rely on a complicated game of charades to ask for what I wanted. I could point to the chicken and know that’s what would arrive on my plate.
Bolivian food is basic at best, but it’s hearty. The women that get up early every morning to create pot after pot of bubbling stew, steamed vegetables and heaps of pasta are proud of their food and often have a loyal following of regulars. I often would take a stroll around the tables to see what everyone was eating before I made my decision. I found I could trust the locals taste, so if they were all favoring the mystery stew that’s what I ordered too.
Read the rest of…
Erica and Matt Chua: Bolivian Markets
By Erica and Matt Chua, on Mon Aug 19, 2013 at 1:30 PM ET With several hundred cities around the world under our belt we have experienced many varied forms of architecture. From the swooping roofs of Asia to the domes of the Middle East and castles in Europe. Where have we enjoyed the skyline the most? We each share our opinion.
HE SAID…
During the worst times of rush hour, you can drive around the entire country of Singapore in less than two hours. The country can be described as a long bike ride because it is only 15 miles wide by 20 miles long, yet it is home to more than five million people. Housing, feeding and entertaining the 7,300 people per square mile requires creative architecture. While many cultures would approach the scale of the problem with utilitarian design, Singapore has made design a must, making it the modern architecture capital of the world in both quality and quantity.
This is the underside of a bridge. In the USA design like this is reserved for modern art galleries, but in design-orientated Singapore, even hidden places feature thoughtful design. That’s how it is here, designers run wild, making sure that there is no eyesore, that everywhere you look inside this forest of skyscrapers you will see creativity that leaped from paper into reality.
Read the rest of…
Erica & Matt Chua: He Said/She Said: Best Architecture
By Erica and Matt Chua, on Mon Aug 12, 2013 at 1:30 PM ET The period before time, before we started traveling together, we each did a lot of traveling in different areas. In multiple trips, thinkCHUA spent over a year in South America and LOCAVORista spent almost as long in Europe. This means each of us has “been there, done that”, so what do you do when one partner has “not done that, but wants to”?
.
HE SAID…
South America is the first place on this trip that either of us had spent a considerable amount of time. I did the tourist circuit from Tierra del Fuego to Ecaudor almost 10 years ago. We returned because there are so many awesome things to do, many things I missed, and experiences I wanted to share with my wife. The other side of the coin is that there are many overrated tourist destinations that I have no interest in returning to…but they are considered the “must-dos” by fellow tourists and guide books. South America has made us make more compromises than anywhere else on the trip.
Some places I was excited to go back to. One of these was Madidi National Park in Bolivia and the nearby pampas. Containing a startling 44% of all mammal species, I have found memories of piranha fishing, swimming with dolphins, and watching alligators devour capybaras. Excited to go back we booked a trip (this time taking the 50 minute flight instead of the 20-40 hour bus ride). Arriving, we found rainy season had just ended, the pampas were underwater and the mammals had run off. The things I wanted to see together, weren’t there, letting me down and making me question my fond memories.
Then there are the places I don’t want to return to. The places that the Lonely Planet plays up, but having been there I know it’s just not that cool. Not going is hard, I am only arguing to skip something because I have been there, but if I hadn’t gone, I probably would go. So what to do? There is no easy answer, because compromising isn’t an easy answer. I don’t know for certain that LOCAVORista wouldn’t like something just because I didn’t, but I’m also not about to get on a 17 hour bus to check it out. Sadly I had to put my foot down on a couple places and say, “not this trip”.
There are no easy answers…it is so much easier if we just kept going to new places…
.
SHE SAID…
Our first date was in South America when thinkCHUA was studying in Chile, we traveled through Peru and I fell in love. I fell in love with both my now husband and South America. I couldn’t wait for the day that I would return and see the amazing sights that thinkCHUA described, I wanted to see the grafitti-filled streets of Valparaiso, the rodents of unusual size in Bolivia and venture to the southern most point of Chile. Little did I know my return visit would be with him and that he wouldn’t want to see all of these things again.
I’m glad I saw the hills of Valparaiso, even though thinkCHUA spent months there. I wouldn’t have wanted to miss this view.
Read the rest of…
Erica & Matt Chua: He Said/She Said: When One has “Done That”
By Erica and Matt Chua, on Mon Aug 5, 2013 at 1:30 PM ET As I enjoyed the mountain views and cool breeze off the lake I had to remind myself I was in Argentina, not Switzerland. St. Bernard’s walked along the sidewalk and the A-frame chalet style buildings kept tricking me into thinking that I was in a Swiss ski village with plans to hit the slopes. The surroundings aren’t the only thing in Bariloche that reminded me of Switzerland, the abundance of chocolate shops had me convinced that somehow I had wandered into a portal that had transported me to Europe.
 You could easily be in a small Swiss ski village rather than the Lakes District of Argentina
It seems the European immigrants that brought chocolate to Argentina were not traditionalists. The chocolate on offer at the many shops on Mitre Avenue were not of the Lindt variety, the combinations were creative and distinct. Chocolate bars included fruit, nuts, liqueurs and came in a wide array of shapes and sizes. Just window shopping and drooling over the truffles and bars was enjoyable, the beautiful packaging and delicious looking ice cream were enough to keep me occupied.
However, the real fun began when I used my broken Spanish to request a sample at the first shop I went into. When I was rewarded with a generous taste I decided that chocolate tasting was the best way I could think of to spend an afternoon. I spent hours wandering in and out of chocolate shops trying everything from chocolate fondue to chocolate ice cream. After consuming an entire meals worth of chocolate I finally chose my favorite and purchased a box to eat later when chocolate withdrawal inevitably kicked in.
Read the rest of…
Erica & Matt Chua: Bariloche Chocolate
By Erica and Matt Chua, on Mon Jul 29, 2013 at 1:30 PM ET After 31 months of traveling the world there are still some things we missed, places we failed to see, things we would have done differently and lessons learned. As we reflect on our journey here are a few things we regret from our RTW trip.
HE SAID…
Considering all the things we’ve done it’s hard to fathom I could regret not doing something. We went all out on this trip, discovering and doing more things than I knew existed before we started. There are a few things though that I wish I had done…especially considering I will probably not be there again.
God descended from heaven and spoke to Moses in a literal burning bush. That bush still exists. Seriously. It’s located in Saint Catherine’s Monastery on the Sinai Peninsula. It’s a place that God himself has been, yet I skipped it. I was worn out of religious sites after Israel. I didn’t want to go on the tours which are packaged with a climbing a holy mountain, something of which I’ve overdosed. These reasons for skipping it seem valid, but when will I be so close again? I should have gone.
I regret not walking across these mountains.
Read the rest of…
Erica and Matt Chua: Biggest Regrets?
By Erica and Matt Chua, on Mon Jul 22, 2013 at 1:30 PM ET Contemporary artists are professional instigators. Their art challenges the status quo and cultural assumptions. Since culture is localized to each country and region, contemporary art gives a glimpse into their daily life and struggles, things which a traveler may struggle to discover through any other means. For this reason we’ve sought out contemporary art exhibitions while traveling the world.
In seeking out exhibits I’ve been especially drawn to installations that combine art and space to create experiences. One such place that stood out from description alone was Brazil’s Inhotim which the Telegraph called a “Versailles for the 21st century”. My hopes were high as my last visit to a meglomanic funded triumph over all things normal, Tasmania’s MONA, blew me away. Since the MONA was the best museum I’ve ever visited, Inhotim had a lot to live up to. Let me show you how it did and why Inhotim is one of the world’s best contemporary art destinations.
Out-of-the-way is the only way to explain Inhotim’s location. The benefit of the rural location outside Brazil’s third largest city is a space. Instead of building a museum, the billionaire creator, Bernardo Paz, chose to build a collection of art installations surrounded by one of the world’s best botanical gardens. City locations may have made it more accessible, but being able to do away with space constraint in this location makes it special. From entrance to exit, the meticulous gardens are a joy to explore between seeing works from today’s hottest contemporary artists such as Matthew Barney and Yayoi Kusama. Without the gardens it would be just another museum, instead of an amazing, all-day, experience.
Read the rest of…
Erica & Matt Chua: Inhotim
By Erica and Matt Chua, on Mon Jul 15, 2013 at 12:30 PM ET Answering the questions we’re most often asked, every three weeks we’ll answer a FAQ to share what people want to know when they find out we’ve been traveling for over two years… LAST MONTH’S QUESTION: Will it be hard going home? NEXT MONTH’S QUESTION (on July 17): What are your biggest regrets of the trip? .
WHAT’S THE STRANGEST THING YOU’VE EATEN?
.
HE SAID…
Food and strange don’t really mix any more. I’ve made it this far is because I’ve eaten whatever is available, by committing myself to eating whatever is served wherever I find myself hungry. For the most part I have known what I was eating, but when I’m hungry there isn’t much difference between chicken liver and hot pink pizza…it’s what’s for dinner. So…what is strange to eat? Dog? Not strange for some people, and yes, I’ve eaten dog. Raw horse meat? I can’t tell you enough wonderful things about horse sashimi (Basashi), it’s deee-licious! Raw bull testicles? Had it, but I’d prefer Rocky Mountain Oysters, thanks. Have a foot fetish? Well I sure don’t, I’ll pass the pig trotters and chicken feet to my cousins…they seem to like them. Are these things strange?
Japanese people and I look at animals very similarly…
Read the rest of…
Erica and Matt Chua: World’s Strangest Foods
By Erica and Matt Chua, on Mon Jul 8, 2013 at 1:30 PM ET What did I most want to eat after almost eight months in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka? Some old-fashioned American fast food. OK, it’s not that I wanted fast food, it’s that the UAE offers such a wide selection of the stuff that got me. In the rush to “modernize” the UAE seems to have lost all sense of itself in a wash of North American craptacular foods. While we in the West try to limit our consumption with public health campaigns, taxes and regulations, the Middle East rejects such beliefs with each trans-fat filling station they build in the desert. Sadly, after so long on the “sub-continent” of Asia I too fell victim of, “taste over common sense”. Let’s take a food tour of the UAE…
It started with Tim Horton’s. Not really American, it’s a staple of our Northern Territories (AKA Canada), offering the cliche police staples of donuts and coffee. For me it was a welcome change from dosas for breakfast.
Read the rest of…
Erica & Matt Chua: Eat Like An American
By Erica and Matt Chua, on Mon Jul 1, 2013 at 10:00 AM ET After two and a half years on the road we are finally heading back to the U.S. for the first time, but the adventures aren’t over. I’ll be returning home to bike across my home state of Minnesota with my family for a great cause: helping families with members suffering from multiple sclerosis. We’ll be putting on our spandex for The Ride Across Minnesota (TRAM), something I’ve wanted to do for years. Best of all, I’ll get to do this year’s ride with my family, that I haven’t seen in 18 months, to help support other families that are struggling with this debilitating disease.
I haven’t done much training for TRAM unless you count my time in the saddle on top of this ostrich
Read the rest of…
Erica & Matt Chua: Riding for a Cause
|
|
