New York! What can I say, it stole our hearts and most of our cash.

Two weeks ago John and I traveled across the country to attend TBEX ‘10 (Travel Blogger Exchange’s conference). I’ve seen online that some 800+ posts have been written about all aspects of this conference. But for those who weren’t there or who have no idea what a TBEX is, or just wants to re-hash the good ol’ time had there, let me go over the fun filled weekend highlights!

To get to New York John and I drove 3 hrs north to Birmingham, Alabama. Sure there are smaller regional airlines nearer but we had a plan. We were determined to take the train back! More on that on the following posts. As we stayed at a friend’s house we naturally stayed up too late chatting and catching up over a bottle of wine. Waking up at 4am is never fun, but with only a handful of hours of sleep it gets darn right tough. Little did we know that we were just getting started on this late-night early morning cycle…

Sleeping at the airport

We flew to Chicago and then to Newark Airport. All the while I was trying every position possible to curl up and sleep, but the airline seat engineer seemed to have done everything possible to dissuade such activities. Finally we arrived in Newark, and flying in we were treated to a spectacular vista of the cityscape. From Newark we hopped on the train to Penn Station ( I was a little disappointed as I had confused Penn Station to images from Grand Central Station). From Penn Station we took several wrong metro lines before getting acquainted with the subway system and finally found our selves safely checked into the hostel with a few hours to spare before the pre-party was to start!

Newark Train Station

After a short neighborhood exploration we took a quick nap in our hostel bunk beds. While asleep I sadly managed to kick a hole into my favorite white Panamanian made in Ecuador but bought in Colombia hat while sleeping….the first causality from NY. This was actually our first time sharing a room with strangers in a hostel as well. The hostels we stayed in Colombia offered private rooms. We thought it would not only help shave a few bucks off the trip but thought it would be fun to try it out. Turns out we didn’t have any time to socialize with those in the hostel as TBEX kept us out and about all day and night except for when we crawled straight into bed.

Overall the Jazz Hostel was a friendly, clean, and situated very conveniently to everything. They had a roof top (though only one chair now) and a common room with wi-fi. I would recommend it to any budget oriented traveler, or those who would rather spend their money other than on a bed. That being said I wasn’t a huge fan of the beds…reminded me of a half-deflated air mattress filled with potato/rice sacks. But John didn’t notice this so could just be me.

It’s such a small world, our room-mates were two English guys who had a passion for all types of American sports. When we told them we had just arrived from Alabama they responded by saying “oh yeah? Last time we were here we were at an Auburn game down there!” It’s amazing how small the world can get!

Our Jazz Hostel Room

The TBEX pre-party was to be held in the Omni-Berkshire Hotel. A swanky place a little ways uptown from where we were staying. Luckily I googled the place before getting dressed and opted out of the shorts and t-shirt idea I originally was toying with. In my defense, it was amazingly hot up there!

Who says you need a five star room to look five star!?

The Omni Berkshire Hotel

We got to the hotel and was impressed to see that what we had originally thought would be a rag-tag group of scruffy travelers were in fact, a very clean and swanky looking crowd. There were booths set up with different cocktails from the different resorts a PR firm was handling, an open bar with beer and wine, and most importantly all of our favorite writers, bloggers, and tweeters where milling about! The only awkward thing was that no one knew each others real face, just the little avatar from the blog or twitter. So most of us spent the entire evening trying to casually look at people’s name-tag first, the only problem was that the name-tags were normally on people’s chest!

Cailin O’Neil from TravelYourSelf.com and the Crew!

The Omni Hotel even gave out free hotel stays for those that reviewed their rooms. By the time the last group of us went upstairs, and promptly lounged about their comfy looking bed and couches, I’m supposed to receive an email with the free-room coupon but so far no luck… Oh what a tease, after just a little nap on the beds at the hostel I was ready to upgrade to the deluxe five star suite!

The pre-party was starting to empty out, the next day was the start of the all-day seminars and panels. While most of the mature, responsible people were heading back to their rooms the rest of us headed over to an Irish pub for the pre-party after party. You will begin to see a pattern here…

Finally we were all seated in one place, thought the crowd and music was rather loud we were finally able to sustain a conversation with people. We were able to chat with Cailin, Candice, Abby, Pam, Spencer, Natalie, Eric, Steph, Craig and Linda, Matt, Dave among many others we had met at the Pre-Party. It was buckets of fun, finally getting a chance to talk in depth with people that we had known online for months and years. I think the universal comment that came out of this meeting was that “everyone is pretty much the same personality online as off.”

On the way home we swung by Times Square. It was still packed. Kids, families, youths, adults, in every state of mind where milling around, having dinner, partying, walking…at 2 a.m. We even saw parents taking their kids for a walk in their strollers. Though I’ve heard this area is a nightmare in the daytime so we were glad we stopped by and got it off our list. The sights were amazing and just like in every other film made in N.Y

Times Square

Caitlin, Aly, and Candice Does Times Square

Southern Boys: Spencer and John Representing the South

Fin. Day One

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Qinghai Lake, written as 青海湖 translates literally as ‘blue sea lake’. It is the largest lake in China. The reason it’s often referred to as a “sea” is that this lake, which sits at 10,515 feet elevation, is SALTY! This lake also happens to be the largest body of saline water found in China. The lake is famous for it’s almost surreal turquoise glow. The color of the water is one of the most unique I’ve ever seen, caused by the low oxygen levels in the lake. Or by the nuclear testing done back in the ’50s and ’60s… either way it’s an out of this world view.

Qinghai Lake at 10,500ft

I was fortunate enough to get a chance to travel to this remote “wild west” region of China for a couple of days with my Dad. I was living in Shanghai for a few months at the time and he was in the country on business. Heading west together we got to explore a whole new face of China, a world away from the bustling smog enshrined metropolis of Beijing and Shanghai, together.

Qinghai is the western most (un)official providence in China. To it’s northwest is the  Xianiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and to it’s southwest is the famous Tibet Autonomous Region. There are a few don’t miss places to see while in the area, the Blue Sea Lake and the Kumbum Monastery. Today, let me take you around the lake district.

To get to the lake we rode on a min-van across vibrantly green plateaus for an hour or two, stopping off at a Tibetan Buddhist shrine built on a hill in the middle of no-where to stretch our legs.

A Small Village We Passed By, The Yellow Flowers Are Harvested For It’s Oil

I don’t recall the name of this small shrine, but I do know that it was built for an important female deity. Though there are only a few building that might house people in sight along the horizon, the shrine happens to be right off the two lane highway to the lake. It is a big enough tourist bus stop to ensure roadside vendors, entry ticket salesmen, and locals dressed in traditional clothing either selling the clothing or selling the opportunity to take a picture with them.

Ticket Vendors. The Traditional Coats That The Locals Wore Are Perfect For The Climate, Thick And Warm (Plus Great Style)

It’s definitely worth the stop! Not just to stretch your legs but to walk up the little hill and take in the scenery, colors, and the beautifully ornate temple. There are yaks laying about with their traditional Tibetan outfits on (pay per snap), and several local merchants to buy the ornate jackets from. The air is so much thinner up at those heights that I remember feeling out of breath just from the short hike up. Also it was quite chilly, even during mid-summer, and the strong winds were a never-abating!

After the short lay-over at the temple we headed on ward towards the “Ocean In The Sky.” The pictures really don’t do it justice, as the color of the water seemed to glow, it reminded me of blue kryptonite for some reason….

This used to be an atomic bomb test site back in the ‘50-60s as well, might explain the glow in the water…

A Camel by a salty lake 10,500ft up, not a sight you see everyday

Tibetan Prayer Flags

Tibetan Child “model”

I took that last picture of this amazingly beautiful little child, only to find out that I owed her money…and was then surrounded by another ten kids offering to pose with me. Turns out they are here to pose with tourists, and they can be VERY persistent so either have some change ready or hide your camera.

Once at the lake you can take ferry rides out to exposed sand dunes in scattered throughout the lake. On our ride over we met a very interesting elderly couple, who were both so sharply dressed in their own style in a way I wished I could pull of. Turns out this was their first vacation, and first time leaving their village to the east. They spoke a very strong dialect and even our friend who spoke fluent Chinese had a hard time understanding them. The most amazing thing about meeting them was once again finding out how small the world is. Though they had never left their small village in rural China it turns out that their son is currently living in Seattle…as a computer programmer! Guess which company..? They were planning on visiting him and flying for the first time later that year.

The Coolest Grandparent’s

Loved Her Look!

On the way out of the designated lake viewing area there are display tents from the regional nomadic tribes. Though these are for tourists, we saw communities of nomads who had set up their tents along the waterfront on the way in. The number of nomadic people are dwindling, part economic pressures to migrate to the city and also in part by a concentrated effort by the government who have built cities for the sole purpose of relocating the nomadic people to a permanent location.

Nomadic tribes camped out for spring

Set Up For Tourists To Tour

Another interesting thing to check out while you are in the area is the Tibetan Mastiffs. These are huge, woolly, adorable looking, but at times vicious guard dogs of the region. There are a several pens where the dogs are housed. When I was there there were a few teen pups that made you forget how tough these fighting dogs can get.

They Have Been Bred To Be Strong & Ferocious When Needed

But How Cute Is This?

Next post will be about the Kumbum monastery and temple. If anyone has been to this area or to the monastery please feel free to add any additional information or tips you might have come across. There is not that much accurate info on the web for this region.

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Today, we want to tell you about two really fantastic people who are currently sailing in the south Pacific. Otto and Lili are two very good friends Alyson and I made while traveling through the southern Caribbean. Unlike us, they have their own boat named Vagabond. Its a 46′ Dix sailboat that Otto built himself. They left from South Africa on Vagabond over 3 years ago and have been sailing their way around the world ever since.

Otto, Lili, and Alyson reveling during the Colombian Independence Day Festivals in Cartagena.

Alyson and I last saw Otto and Lili in Cartagena, Colombia where we all spent several weeks enjoying festivals, playing backgammon tournaments and exploring the city. Since then Vagabond has sailed through the San Blas Islands of Panama and on through the canal. Yesterday, we received an email with some fun and amazing photos of their current location, the Galapagos Islands. We thought you guys would enjoy these!

From Lili and Otto:

“Hola amigos & amigas

Yesterday we went on a tour of the island and the attached pictures tell a story. We are incredibly impressed how things are done here – very eco friendly and tastefully laid out. Everywhere you go, there are signs carved out of wood that are very informative and loads of benches to rest ones weary feet from all the walking in the heat. We absolutely love it here – the wildlife is amazing and we are having such fun swimming and frolicking with the sea lions, especially the pups, in the water.

Today and tomorrow we will spend refuelling with diesel and then we are going to go diving in a place that is notorious for its viewing of hammerhead sharks, the following day we will take a ferry to the next island over called Santa Cruz where we will visit the Charles Darwin Scientific Research Centre and then we will just hang around for a few more days to enjoy the wonderful snorkelling and other sites. It’s so nice being a tourist again.”

At the Volcano Crater with our guide Carlos.

Benches in the Park.

Galapagos Land Tortoise.

Galapagos Marine Iguana.

Lil in the Tortoise Sanctuary.

Looking down from the Volcano

Otto, the photographer.

Signs in the Sanctuary.

More Signs.

Sea Lions doing Yoga.

Maureen making friends.

Sea Lion Pup.

More Yoga.

Playtime.

The Scenery.

Crewing with Otto and Lili is a fellow travel blogger, Ursula at Abroad Aboard. Her stories of their trip from Panama to the Galapagos are fun, insightful and hilarious. Here is a short excerpt from her post about dealing with sea lions during their second day in the Galapagos.

“A HUGE male seal stank the whole stern up this morning, and THEN he shit…. the smell was intolerable. Otto fixed a rope, lightly tied, to dangle onto the seal, like a bad itch that won’t go away, and well, he left. Maybe it is that simple to get rid of them? They are ALL OVER the anchorage & the dock & jetty & jetty pathway…. Over coffee this morning, Otto & Lili tell me that they discovered seals snort, fart, cough, whistle, honk etc & smell bad through the night, they are nocturnal! “

To read more about their adventures check out Ursula’s blog at Abroad Aboard.

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The past week has been a crazy busy one for us at Hop & Jaunt! After a fun filled Easter weekend where we got to hang out with family and friends the weeks started in full blast. Since starting our little design firm we’ve been lucky enough to get new clients and projects rolling in. One of our current projects was designing a new site for Nomadic Chick, a travel writer and overall cool chick. It was a fun project and she was brave enough to give a lot of creative freedom. So if you haven’t visited her site yet, now’s the time to do so!

Nomadic Chick

After staying up unitl 4 am. working on a project one night the next day we had to wake up at 5:45 am. as we had been invited on a road trip to the state capital! A week earlier we had met and lunched with a couple of very nice ladies representing the local chamber of commerce and they had invited us to ride along with local businesses as they traveled to the state capital to grill lunch for the state politicians. Never ones to pass up on a chance to visit new places, specially with free food, we hopped on board the bus and joined the group for “Convington County Day At The Capital.”

Covington County Day’s Out

Unfortunately the weather was horrible, it not only rained the entire trip up to the capital but proceeded to pour down raining for the rest of the day! Luckily the tent was big enough to fit everyone and ,as it’s also election year, the politicians made an effort to come by and enjoy their locally made Snowden sausages. We helped up a little with the set up and as everyone was encourage to “meet & greet” we mingled with the crowd. While mingling we ran across Ms. Sue Bass Wilson, a Julia Tutwiler Impersonator who’s on a mission to save the Alabama state song. It turns out the Albama tourist board is thinking of changing the state song “Alabama” from state song to state anthem, using “Stars Fell On Alabama” as the official song instead. For Ms.  Wilson this was too much to bear and she donned the persona and clothes of Ms. Juilia Tutwiler, a poet and reformist from the late 19th century, who had penned the song. As Ms. Tutwiler, M. Wilson spoke to the state representatives urging them to respect her contributions and to preserve the song. Who would have known? She was kind enough to pose with me and was a very sweet lady, both as herself and as Ms. Tutwiler!

Alabama State Capital Building

We got these orange T’s to wear, I never lost sight of John that day…

Ms. Tutwiler

It was a great chance for us to meet people from the area, as we tend to get stuck behind on our computers during the day. We were able to talk to local business owners, government workers, and politicians. Most of the time everyone was so casual and friendly that you didn’t realize how important or not they were unless someone told you later. Which was great for me since I have zero ability to recognize people’s faces unless I’ve already met (at times more than once is needed). It was also nice to be recognized as business owners, a whole new sensation we’re still trying to adjust to! As the afternoon wore on, and there began to appear a dent in the massive pile of sausages and hotdogs, the sun finally began to come out. We managed to meet a wide ranging group of people, snuck off and took a bit of a tour around the capital, and also somehow managed to stuff ourselves with good food all in one day. Success!

The First White House of the Confederacy

The house was simple, yet elegant

We snuck off for a little bit and explored the area surrounding the capital building. We stopped in to tour the first White House of the Confederacy, where Jefferson Davis and his family lived during the first years of the civil war.

That weekend we drove up to Atlanta, a 4 hour trip, to attend our first “tweet-up!” Though sharing the road with spring breakers racing back to Michigan was a little hectic we made it to Atlanta early enough for a little stroll down town. I have only really been to the airport in Atlanta, and the truth is between jet-lag and the airport-yuck I didn’t have the best of impressions of Atlanta. I know, judging a city by it’s airport is not fair, but it happens! So now I must confess that I was very much impressed with how clean, vibrant, and friendly downtown Atlanta was!

After walking around a little we headed up north a bit and found the thai restaurant we were planning on meeting at. We arrived early and decided to walk around the neighborhood, as the entire area seemed so active and adorable. As we made our way around the block we heard a voice yell “Hey!!” we looked around a little confused and saw a blonde girl waving to us, so naturally we started waving back and yelled “Hey!!” back at her and her friends. She then yells out from her balcony “Would you guys like a beer?” Since my mother only advised against getting candy from strangers I yelled back “Sure!” and soon we were sitting on a small apartment porch with a group of friendly young people introducing ourselves. They were on a way to a concert, and we could only stay for one drink but it was a fun and random encounter!

Atlanta’s Friendly Ambassadors:From Left-> Jordan, Michelle, and Olivia!

Thanks for the beer girls!

We got to Surin of Thailand and met up with other traveling bloggers. There was Dwight, aka @insearchofsanuk, who is heading back to Thailand in a month to continue working on his non-profit group that helps teach English to the urban poor in Thailand. Check out his site to learn more about the amazing work he’s doing: In Search Of Sanuk. Dwight had just arrived from conference in town and had brought along Adam (@bruklin), a Brooklyn based theater man. He works for BAM, one of the oldest performing arts center in the U.S. He had also backpacked in different countries around the world and was a fun guy to chat with.

We also met up with Akila and Patrick (@theroadforks), from The Road Forks. They are from Auburn, Alabama and that makes them our closet travel blogging neighbors that we know of! They have a fun site where they talk about travel, food, and more food!!

The entire gang from the Q Family Adventures also showed up. We got to meet not only Amy (theqfamily), but her husband Ronald and their two adorable two kids! Amy writes about traveling with kids, from weekend road-trips and where to stay to planning on international travel with kids.

The Atlanta Tweet Up Group (That’s Akila and Patrick from The Road Forks up in the frame as they had to leave early!)

Thanks everyone for a great dinner. We had a blast! Now we’re looking forward to being in NY this June for the TBEX(travel blogger exchange) conference even more!!

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Just as Easter weekend was starting we found a little visitor all the way from London sitting at the table. This little guy was none other than a vintage postcard that Thom & Sean, from thomandsean.com, had sent us. Thom and Sean are currently packing up and getting ready as they head out on their ‘around the world’ trip this summer.



Here we are with our new little buddy as we welcome this Brit chap to South Alabama. Southern hospitality rules in this region and we did our best to meet this high standard. Here’s Mr. Postcard on his first day in town.

A Bit Of A Brit In Alabama

Rocking With Sweet Tea

It was such a lovely southern spring day that we ended up sitting on the back porch sipping on sweet tea out of a mason’s jar and watching the humming birds fly around.

Thanks for Thom and Sean for such a fun gift! Check out their blog as they get ready to hit the road and backpack around the world for a year!

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8 years ago today John and I met. Well, technically we were in the same class the entire semester already but I hadn’t noticed. Luckily he had! This could of been a classically romantic tale but the truth is he noticed me, not for my drop-dead gorgeousness (HE better say so!) but because I have a nemesis called gravity. For the entire month, twice a week, I would come to our water-color class, fill my water jug and, like everyone else, placed it on my table so I could paint….well unlike everyone else I would then promptly spill the entire jug of water all over myself, my desk, and the floor! Come on! It’s an art desk, it’s tilted, why was gravity only working on me?? My car was in the shop that day and I was roaming around the room after class trying to bum a free ride home when John picked his opportunity and offered me a ride.  As it turned out not only did I get a ride home but a date for that weekend as well.

When John and I met, I had just moved to his home town in south Alabama from the Caribbean and Argentina. He had never left the country nor flown in an airplane. But we got along like two peas in a pod and soon we were hanging out all the time. About six months after we started dating, my family moved to New Zealand. Yes, I know, but please hold the questions till later. We were only in New Zealand for three months before heading back to Japan where we were going to revisit our “hometown” of Nagayo. My sister and I had spent our childhood growing up in that small town outside of Nagasaki.

As My Mother Frantically Yells “Which One Is Mine?!”

We were the only foreign family in the neighborhood, my dad worked in a Japanese company, and my sister and I went to the local kindergarten and elementary schools (except for the two years where Mom home schooled us in English as we were in danger of forgetting). While there, John decided to make his first overseas trip and visit me. He got his first passport, bought his first plane ticket, flew across his first ocean, and navigated through three Japanese airports on his own.  Not only did this experience open up John to a whole new view on the world but it also allowed me to experience something I had almost forgotten, the absolute thrill of experiencing a new place for the first time!

A Ninja, what more can be said?

Just another normal day in Japan…

Keep going, the top ten tips for staying a happy team/couple coming right up!

After Japan my family moved to Cebu, Philippines for about a year where John came for a visit as well. Hop & Jaunt never would have existed had not the most convenient of coincidences happened! It just so happened that when my family moved back to the States, the town we moved to was only an hour and a half drive from John’s college town. So as history shows we picked up where we left off, not without a few awkward re-introductory conversations. Ever since then, while at university and while toiling away at our first real jobs, we talked about how great it could be if we could go traveling together. And as you can see from this blog, we finally did embark on not only a trip but a whole new lifestyle!

Since last April we traveled together for 8 months, that’s roughly 240 days, or some 5,760 hours within reach, sight and smell of each other! How did we do it? And more importantly would you want to do it? Would we do it again? Yes we would, and here are ten tips for a happy trip before, during, and after with that special someone:

Tips For Traveling Couples (or for people that spend an exorbitant amount of time together)

#10: Make Sure You Actually Like Each Other

Cannot over stress this point, there is nothing more fulfilling than sharing the best time of your life with your significant other while traveling. But there is hardly anything worse than finding out you can’t stand each other three weeks into a sixteen month round the world trip with ticket already purchased. That may be an extreme case, but trust me; you’ll be spending most of your waking (and sleeping) moments within inches of each other. That “cute” habit he/she has better be cute, because your partner’s little tics are going be magnified over and over again. But the same applies about that weird thing you do. So have some patience with each other, and make sure you like to spend time with your partner before heading out into the sunset.

#9: Agree On Your Traveling-Lifestyle Before You Go

Make sure you both have a good understanding of how you’re going to travel. The budget would be a huge factor in this issue but so is each partner’s personality. Are you a couch-surfing, backpack toting, not a hot shower in sight type of traveler? How about your partner? Or are you more into seeing the sites with swank and style with a cocktail at the rooftop club for a night cap?  Is your partner not happy unless their “doing” something every waking moment? Or is chilling at the cafe by the plaza all day suit them fine? Being frank about your expectations for your travel life-style is a biggie. I’ve seen some unhappy spouses either being dragged around or trying to drag around their partners.

Living The Good Life…We Named The Mouse Jenkins

#8: There’s Two Of You: But Not Everything Has To Be Doubled!

One of the not so pleasant aspects of traveling together is that you’re paying for everything twice. Specially if you’re already at the stage where it’s all just one account anyway. Things can add up quickly. So when you get a chance to get two for the price of one, you’ve gotta jump at it. Yes, we can share that American sized dinner! And this fugal planning applies not only to deals on the street but for how you pack as well. While you need to both pack your essentials, you also have more space if you share. You only need one medical kit, one clothesline, one camera, one laptop, and one set of shampoo-conditioner. While if you were alone you would also need the same things with two people you get extra space for some more goodies. But do bring your own toothbrush…

#7: Don’t Forget The Couple Shot!

When traveling with a partner it’s easy to get your picture next to that amazing site. It’ll be my profile pic! However, don’t overlook the obvious; get someone to take your picture together! I know that sounds dumb, but trust us, when we got back from our trip with several thousand photos and we were to be interviewed they requested a photo of the two of us on a boat. Well we did spend 7months of the trip on a boat, and we have several hundred of either one of us on a boat…but did we have a couple shot? No.

One of the few Couples Shots we took together

#6: Make Some Friends!

Meeting new people is one of the best things about going to new places, however many couples have a hard time “meeting” people when they are together. Make an additional effort to open up and talk to new people, and keep your jealous tendencies at bay. The good thing about part of a “couple”  is that it already takes off the whole social pressure between gals and guys. You can start making friends without thinking too deeply about every comment they make. Other couple friends can actually come in handy in places where it may not be wise to roam alone, you just pair off and let the girls go do their thing and the guys their own. We knew of two couples that both traveled with kids and they had it worked out perfectly where they could swap off kids and spouses depending on who needed to get away. Some nights the ladies watched the kids and hung out, other nights the girls would hit the town while the guys watched the kids. Or when a couple needed a night out on their own, voila instant baby-sitters! All I am saying is don’t let the fact that you’re both together keep you two from making new friends. We’ve made some of the best friends in our life while traveling.

#5: Space, Give Me SPACE!!!

There are times in a person’s life when you just need to be alone. These times could be for emotional and mental reasons, or it could be for very practical ones like going to the bathroom. Either way when traveling together, especially in a new area it’s natural that you spend the time together. After all, that’s why you bothered coming together, right? Try adding quality alone time in to your routine. John is a morning person, and to put it extremely light I AM NOT. So many mornings John would have his alone time just because I was “out” sleeping. Or on the nights when the insomniac in me re-surfaces I get hours of alone time when he’s out. The only down side is that John has no problem with waking me up after he is done with his quality time!

When We Had The Balcony This Would Be The "Quiet" Spot

We’d Take Turns!

#4: Learn New Things Together!

The whole fun of traveling with a partner is to share the experiences together. While at home most couples have their own hobbies and things “they do”, while out of your normal habitat learn something new together. Whether it be a new language so you can both navigate the country better or a new sport that you’d never think about trying back home. Not only will you have a shared experience but something you can keep sharing together long after the trip may be done. John and I took windsurfing lessons together and had so much fun laughing at each other just trying to stand up. Eventually we got to where we were trying to race around each other, and that’s more fun when you’ve got friendly competition!

#3: Plan Together Then Delegate!

The planning stage is exciting. You’re researching all the different things you would like to see and do. You’re making plans and saving, you have a million things to take care of before the day. This is where having a partner can be so great. You’ve both got different skills and temperaments, think like a pro-team and start lining up your strongest players for the different tasks (don’t ask me which sport I am referring to here, people it’s a metaphorical metaphor! Just go with it.) I’m more of a “big, over-the-top, the sky is not even close to the limit” type of dreamer and planner, while John actually lives in the real world so he’s just naturally better at planning the more mundane, ahem, detailed tasks.

#2: Don’t Forget To Date!

Sure you’re together 24/7 and you feel like you can hear his/her thoughts in your head, but step back and take the time to be a ‘normal’ couple. Make sure you budget to be able to splurge on date nights once in a while. There’s nothing more refreshing than getting a bit spruced up and dining out at a nice restaurant, or to watch a new movie with air-conditioning, or to just get a room at a swanky hotel that has running hot water to re-kindle the spirit and your relationship.

A Horse Drawn Carriage Ride Is A Good Date Night Option!

Or a Lobster Dinner Right On The Fisherman’s Porch!

#1: Laugh, A Lot, Even At The Worst Of Times!

Traveling, exploring, and experiencing new sights and sounds is supposed to be fun, or why do it? Don’t forget your sense of humor at home. Traveling is not always exciting, it can be downright horrible at times. Things go wrong, it’s difficult at times, and it can become very stressful as well. When your alone you have to deal with these emotions too, but if you’ve got a partner you can share the burden, so do it! Realize that it’ll get better and find something to laugh about, it’ll make the otherwise tedious moments fly by!

John Riding Around On His Red Macho Scooter Still Makes Me Laugh!

I hope that these traveling couples tips will help you and your partner not only weather the hard times but to enjoy the best of times together happily ever after! Happy Belated Valentines!

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What happens to travelers when they finally “go home?” After all the planning, saving, determination, downsizing, chaos and sometimes sheer terror of leaving everything behind. After traveling, backpacking, sailing, or living in another country is done and you find your self back in your hometown. Some may be lucky enough to have a home and job waiting for them but for the most of us we will need to re-build our lives. Many people might find this stage un-nerving enough to not want to leave in the first place. What we have found is that the things we learned about ourselves while traveling and living overseas has shaped us in more ways than we expected, including being mentally ready for this next phase in our lives. In the past year, between getting ready to go and actually being out there we have gained a whole new level of confidence in ourselves and what we are capable of. It also allowed us to meet many people that by sharing their stories and being by them we have learned a lot of valuable lessons that might have otherwise taken years to learn. One of the most important things that we actually might have learned is simply to actually start believing that we could be and do anything we wanted, as long as we were committed and willing to work our butts off. Today I’ll look at what a few of us “travelers” are up to when they find themselves back “home.”

John and I have been back since Christmas and we’re staying at his family home in Andalusia with his parents. We are not sitting around watching TV though, we are starting on phase II of operation Hop & Jaunt world domination via friendly fire! Long name but basically it means we have finally found the cojones to start a project we’ve always dreamed of doing: starting our own design and advertising business. Initially a home business but hoping to take make virtually anywhere with us with the power of the internet! The goal is to be location independent and to try and make money online as much as possible. We’ve always been designers, both of us having been caught doodeling on our notebooks since grammar school. Until recently we just thought we needed to be “grown-ups” and have a regular office job with an actual paycheck, insurance, and a commute, preferably with a cranky boss or two thrown in. It was while we were out that we had a chance to meet other designers , bartered with our work, dabbled in freelance, and slowly but surely realized that our parents were right, we were pretty good at this. Most importantly we realized that we CAN do it. So starting this year we have made concrete steps to open up our own free-lance design shop and on-line business! Our ultimate goal is to become our tagline:
“traveling designers.” Setting up shop where ever our laptops plug in, preferably in tropical climates but we’ll start one step at a time. 2010 the year that shall Hop & Jaunt!

Current Office Of Hop & Jaunt: Aly Planning The Next Adventure During Break! Don’t Ask Why There’s Milk AND Wine On My Desk..

We’re Back In America

For those of you who have been following our blog for a while you might recall that the first sailboat we were on, Quercus, was my parent’s sailboat. We had met up with them in Grenada and sailed together through the Venezuelan Islands to Curacao. While in Curacao they sold Quercus and headed back to the good ‘ol U.S. of A. Once I get a hold of our old photos I will introduce you to my family but let’s just say for now that my parents are one of the original adventurers, having sailed, lived, and traveled around the world for the past 25+ years. My parents bought a small wooden boat in the middle of the Pacific, and in 1986 when I was two and my sister was still in my Mom’s belly they packed their suitcases for the first of a thousand time.

In the Micronesian Islands, Carolina Islands, on a small remote island called Yap my sister was born. She was the second white baby to be born there and the first white girl, there was a French missionary boy born there some decades earlier. From there they sailed to Japan, where a short visit turned into a ten years. Argentina, Caribbean, New Zealand, Philippines, and another three sailboats and fifteen years later they find themselves in South Carolina. Mom is an avid and very talented photographer and she’s got some amazing photos from the Caribbean and around the U.S. on her website here.  My father is now beginning another new adventure, where he will combine his business savvy and never ending wealth of knowledge about everything sailing, cruising and boats to become a yacht-broker in Charleston, South Caroline. So all of you future world cruisers, you know where to go to get started on your own adventure on the high seas!

Here’s Donna! Aly’s Mom

Skipper On Watch

s/y Quercus

One Of Our Favorite Pics By My Momma!

All the photos were taken by Donna (except for the one where she’s in the photo of course, but it was taken with her camera!), check out her mouth watering photos from the Caribbean here.

The travel bug is infectous, and once you catch it, it’s in your system for good. Many have become expats after their first taste of the world around them. My family has lived in roughly a half a dozen countries while I was growing up, other travel bloggers I know online have also chose this lifestyle after not being able cure their wonderlust. Abby Tegnelia left Los Angeles to live in a small beach side town in Costa Rica where she is a writer for over 15 magazines as well as for her fun blog, The Jungle “Princess.” Freelance writing is a popular, if not extremely difficult, method to have the freedom to live where and how you like. Many popular travel bloggers and writers never seem to be in the same spot for more than a min. before their off again! Matt,  from Nomadic Matt and Craig and Linda from Indie Travel Podcast come to mind.

Cruisers are a group of travelers in their own category, much like the RV-ers,  as they are able to take their home with them where ever they go. Some are just wondering, others, like our South African friends were sailing for the purpose of looking for land to live on one day. Patrycja and Mikolaj, a Polish couple we met in Curacao had hitch-hiked from Europe to the Caribbean on sailboats and found work until they were able to buy their own little floating home: s/y You-You!

The lesson to be learned is that it’s not really just about the travel, or what you see, it’s about how the combined experiences affect you. You don’t have to cross the Sahara on a camel to change your life (though that would be amazing..), it’s not even about the traveling so much as creating a mindset that opens you to new experiences.

If you are thinking of ,or ever wanted to try, going off into the big blue world for a while, don’t let the doubts about the future put you off. The actions you take to get there will naturally cause the reactions that will open up new doors!

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After our narrow escape from the Colombian Police (see previous blog posting) we boarded our return flight to the United States with much relief.  Colombian prison is no place I would want to spend Christmas.  We never really found out why our bag was the only one set aside to be searched.  The policia never explained, and Alyson and I didn’t want to prolong our detention by asking questions.  We only knew we were free to go, so we got the hell out.

It was hard to relax on the five hour flight back to Houston.  We would have to go through a baggage inspection again once we landed.  My mind kept wandering what reason could the Colombian Police have had for searching our bag?  Had the used suitcase we purchased in a back alley been used to smuggle something before?  Maybe a dog or machine had detected something which warranted a formal search.  I was dreading that the US customs officers would have the same suspicions and we would have to go through the process again.  And customs & immigration officers don’t mess around in Texas.  Suppressed memories of a strip search in a Florida State penitentiary suddenly came back to mind.

We were also dreading the possibility of endlessly long lines and multiple flight delays.  Thats the sort of thing you expect when flying the day before Christmas Eve, right?  Packed airports, delayed and canceled flights, lost luggage.  I always hear people complain about how terrible flying is in the US, and how it’s exponentially worse during the holidays.  We were expecting the worst possible scenario ever …and maybe an arrest.  We only had an hour to make it through immigration, pick up our checked luggage, go through customs, re-check our bags and find our next departure gate.  ”We’re not gonna make it” we agreed.  We were prepared to make a mad dash off the plane once we landed.  

Finally the plane touched down.  The doors opened.  We grabbed our carry-on bags.  And we ran off the plane…right into an empty airport.  It was amazing!!  There was no one there.  It’s like everyone decided to stay home this year.  I’ve never had such great service.  We made our way through all the checkpoints with no lines and no waiting.  Our bags were practically waiting for us at the carousel and no one even glanced at our luggage.  We made it to the next gate with time to spare.  We got out the laptops and surfed the web while we waited for our flight to Atlanta, which was right on time.  I was impressed.  That being said; however, we are soooo happy  we made it back before the whole Amsterdam terrorist fiasco on Christmas Day.    

Alyson, all our luggage, and I made it to Atlanta’s Delta Hub safe and sound.  Now we just had to cross that Alabama state line before Christmas Eve.  Here is where the hero of our story comes in.  No one in my family knew we were returning for Christmas.  No one ‘cept one man.  Twas my taller, funnier, hell raisin’, cadillac drivin’, tattooin’, trailer park residing, ladies man, cousin Griff.  We had let Griffin in on the secret weeks before in an attempt to secure a ride back from Atlanta.  He’s awesome.

Griff Saves Christmas! My cousin Griffin picks us up from the Atlanta airport.

We loaded our bags in Griff’s white Caddy and headed for the land of cotton.  Here are a few interesting facts about our great state (Feel free to post your own interesting facts about Alabama in the comment area below):  Alabama is a Creek Indian word meaning “Tribal Town”.  The state has one of the largest concentrations of caves in the world.  And no, Alabamans aren’t a bunch of tribes living in caves.  In fact the first rocket to put a man on the moon was built right here in Alabama.  And speaking of rockets, the largest fireworks warehouse in the world is located in Alabama at Shelton Fireworks.  We passed by it on the interstate. 

Our first night back in Alabama we stayed with Griff.  He owns a house trailer at a place called Ridgewood in Auburn.  And guess what?  It’s the largest trailer park in north america (most likely the world)!  The wonders cease to amaze.  We did a lot of catchin’ up over a dinner of fried chicken and sweet tea, but mostly we were kept entertained throughout the night by a little Heaven Hill Party Liquor and Griff’s hilarious stories.  I’ve never met anyone with a more genius sense of humor.  Griff’s an amazing graphic artist, too.  Graphic designers always have plenty to talk about with other graphic designers.  Its like meeting an old friend at a 20 year class reunion.  If he looks familiar it may be that you have seen him on the cinematic screen.  I believe his most recent appearance was in Rob Zombie’s Halloween 2.

Griff in a Pablo Escobar hat we brought him from Colombia.

We arose early the next afternoon.  The long trip from the day before combined with the freezing cold temperature and  a late night put Alyson and I in hibernation mode.  We never knew an air mattress could be so comfortable.  It was the night before Christmas, and before making the drive to Andalusia (my hometown) we stopped by the iHop for a pancake lunch.  It was a blistering cold day with a damp drizzle  falling from the bove.  The IHOP workers were merrily lurching about donning their festive Santa hats.  It was just like a Christmas card.

Merry Christmas from IHOP! Artist Rendering

 We began to discuss ways of making our surprise entrance that evening.  We wanted to wait for the perfect moment when the entire family would be gathered around the Christmas tree.  Many ideas were suggested but in the end we decided to pull the old “giant gift box with people hiding inside trick”.  Griff knew a few places where we could get some big boxes.  He’s a man of many resources.  So we paid our bill and left IHOP to the cheery farewell of, “Finally, they’re gone”.  

Riding home in style in Griff's Cadillac.

The two hour drive home passed by quickly.  Griff kept us laughing nonstop with his Bing Crosby Christmas Special impressions.  I wish we had it on video.  We only had to make one quick stop in Montgomery to grab some big cardboard boxes.  Unfortunately, though the rain hadn’t subsided and we were running a bit behind schedule.  This was going to make it difficult to pull off our surprise plan.  So we quickly devised an alternative.

When we arrived at the house everyone was already there.  They were waiting for Griffin before opening presents, but weren’t expecting Alyson or myself.  We decided that Griff should walk in doing his Bing Crosby impression.  He would get the whole family to sing a Christmas carol while Alyson and I waited outside the front door.  Once they finished singing, we would knock and Griffin would say in his Bing Crosby voice, “Oh! A knock at the door.  You know I love it when friends and family drop by for the holidays”.  Then he would open the door and we would be standing there like the surprise guests on some old Christmas special.  That was the plan.

So Griffin went in.  Its not really that common for people to just walk around singing Christmas carols, so when Griff came in saying in Bing Crosby voice:  ”Merry Christmas Everyone!  Let’s all sing a Christmas Carol.  Oh you know Dasher and Dancer and all of those reindeer…but do you recall the most famous reindeer of all…Frosty the Snowman…was a happy jolly thing…with a corn cobbed pipe (hey whatcha got in that pipe Frosty?) and two eyes made outta coal.  Yeah!”  The family began to exchange worried looks and whispering, “Oh, God.  Griffin has shown up to Christmas drunk.”

While the entire family stared on at Griff questioning his sobriety, Alyson and I waited by the front door for our big entrance.  With all eyes watching Griff threw open the door and all ear drums were shattered by the excited scream of my mama.  The next few minutes were a whirlwind of hugs & Merry Christmases.  I’ve always wanted to make a surprise homecoming on Christmas Eve, and in reality it’s just as nice as I had imagined.

Surprise!

John's sister Mimi can't stop smiling.

My brother Justin opening the Christmas wine.

Cousin Matt and Cousin John sporting the Colombian look.

A Christmas Reunion: Alyson, John, Mimi, Justin, Tamara, and Dave.

John's family

Dave & I a putting together the toys for the kid's.

Griff as BumbleBee, "I should have been a Volkswagen"

We made it!

Christmas Eve turned out great.  We had good food, lots of stories to tell, and great family to share it all with.  We will be staying in Andalusia, Alabama for a little while.  We have some major plans to improve the website and add some very cool new features.  So keep checking back.  We’ll fill you on our continuing adventures.

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Happy New Years from the Crew at Hop & Jaunt Travelouges!  We’re excited about the new adventures and travels that lay ahead in 2010.  But before we jaunt into the last year of the decade, lets hop back and take a look at some of our favorite experiences from the past year.   Its Hop & Jaunt’s Top Ten Favorite Adventures of 2009.

10.)  Beach Bumming at Roger’s Bar on Hog Island, Grenada

Roger's Beach Bar - Hog Island, Grenada

Roger’s Bar on Hog Island was our first Caribbean experience after joining Alyson’s parents on Quercus.  Roger’s ramshackle beach shack not only had the appearance of being thrown together with driftwood, bamboo and palm leaves, but it literally was put together with nothing more than driftwood, bamboo and palm leaves.  Many afternoon ’sundowners’ turned into late night ‘howl at the moon’ sessions underneath the glow of the single 12 Volt powered light bulb.  Live reggae music, sand between your toes and always a cold beer set the perfect mood for mingling and socializing with the  locals and sailors from around the world.  To read more click here.

9.)  Baby Sitting a Whale in Curacao

Giving baby Sully a tummy rub.

While boat sitting in Curacao we decided to try a little baby sitting as well.  We volunteered to watch after a 10 foot baby pilot whale that was being nursed back to health.  Sully the pilot whale was beached by his family after becoming too ill to keep up with the rest of his pod.  Efforts by local marine biologist and volunteers helped to restore the baby whale back to full health.  We spent a few nights lying by Sully’s pen keeping him company as he vied for our attention by requesting several belly rubs.  It was an experience we will always remember.  Unfortunately efforts to integrate Sully back into the wild have failed, and there are talks that he will be moved to a tank in Sea World, San Diego.  For more click here.

8.)  Oil Down in the Jungle

Hiking into the Jungle for an Oil Down Party

One of the most authentically local island days we’ve had. We joined a young group of locals and sailors for a cook out by the jungle rivers up in the mountains of Grenada. The dish we cooked was a local delicacy called an “oil down” because the different oils sink to the bottom of the pot.  As Grenada is one of the famed ’spice isles’ we drove through the island picking up our fresh ingredients from along the road, people’s yards, and in the trees.  After a hike through the jungle with our pots pots, herbs, and breadfruit we jumped in the river to cool down before building a fire and cooking our very own “oil down” in the jungle. Click here to read more.

Cooking Oil Down in the Jungle

7.)  Windsurfing in Curacao

Windsurf Curacao

While anchored in Spanish Waters in Curacao, we were constantly watching windsurfers whizz by us.  So when we were given the opportunity to learn ourselves, we jumped all over it! Though I would not say we were exactly graceful during our first lessons we did manage to pick up the basics and enjoyed surfing past our friends on the sailboats.  To read more click here.

6.)  Scootering Around Bonaire

Our Macho Scooter from Bonaire

One of our most favorite days was just riding around the small Dutch island of Bonaire on our rented scooter.  Speeding on the curvy roads alongside breathtaking cliffs that plunge down into the blue-green sea was an incredible way to see the island.  We spotted ponds of flamingos, scattering iguanas, and the occasional wild donkey.  Nothing like having the salty sea wind whip by your face as you race full speed through the desert.  We also enjoyed Bonaire for the unbelievable snorkeling.  The underwater wildlife was other-worldly yet beautiful.  Its definitely somewhere we would like to visit again.  For more photos and video click here.

5.)  Scuba Diving in Curacao

Spotted Eagle Ray

Speaking of breathtaking sea life we can’t forget to mention our scuba excursions off the coast of Curacao.  Thanks to our good friend and dive instructor Andy along with some money earned by cleaning boat bottoms, we were able to obtain our Scuba certifications.  The sensation of being 65 feet below the sea’s surface is both tranquil and intense.  The imagery we saw would be difficult to explain in words.  I can only recommend that you do it for yourself.  The fish and coral are like living works of art.  One moment in particular that stands out for us was our very first time diving together.  It was just Alyson and I…and one curious Spotted Eagle Ray.  The sight of that giant ray gracefully flying through the water as he circled us was awesome.  For more Curacao adventures click here.

4.)  Festivals in Cartagena

Festival Parade in Cartagena

Everyone loves a good party, and no one does it quite like Cartagena.  The beautiful old world city is the perfect setting for the week long celebration of parades, fireworks, and concerts.  We had a blast hanging out with our good friends as we all joined in the fun.  The festivities were filled with amazing costumes and dances with plenty of good food and beer, not to mention the all out foam wars.  A not to miss for those energetic enough to last the never ending fiestas.  Plenty of photos and videos here.

3.)  Sailing the Seas

Alyson tanning on deck.

The only way to travel, there is nothing like coming into port by sailboat.  While we have been to some amazing places and done some pretty cool things, one of our favorite parts was just getting from point  A to B.  At times it was relaxing and easy going.  Other times we were wet, tired, and struggling to keep wind in the sails.  Still we love it.  The splashing of dolphins on the bow.  Catching fish underway.  And being alone in the cockpit on a late night watch with just the millions of brilliant stars above.  If you ever want to have an experience of a lifetime…then go to sea.

Click here for more tales of the Spanish Main.

2.)  Turtle Watching in Los Testigos

Watching the Turtles Lay Eggs

We will always remember that dark night on the east coast of Testigos when we watched the giant, dinosaur-like sea turtles emerge from the crashing sea waves.  Their immense size and prehistoric appearance reminded us of how enormous and old the world really is.  Its important to have moments like that every once in a while.  We were also surprised by the gentle nature and careful precision of such an odd and slow animal.  These turtle mothers plan their nests with the most patient manner.  They are actually quite capable of digging with incredible accuracy.  Not to mention the delicate care they treat each egg with.  The whole experience was in a word…beautiful.

Click here to read more.

1.)  Our Secret Cove

Alyson Drinking Coconut Milk at Secret Cove

Everyone out traveling and sailing is looking for that one paradise spot.  The one isolated, remote, and private place that makes you say, “this will always be our spot”, and from then on when you think of paradise its the image that comes to mind.  Ours was secret cove.  Sailing along the Colombian coast and through the morning mist we were awed by the landscape before us:  Beaches, rainforests, water falls, and snow capped mountains.  We spent nearly a week in Secret Cove enjoying the snorkeling, dinghy sailing, beach BBQs, midnight rows, and being away from the rest of the world. You know, this spot actually has it’s own name, but it will always be our secret cove.

See more amazing photos and video of ‘Our Secret Cove’ here.

Beach BBQ at Secret Cove

If you would like to go back and read the blogs about each of these places just click on the link after each paragraph.  Thanks to all our readers who have followed us this year and to all our good friends we’ve made along the way.  We hope you all have a Happy New Years and look forward to seeing you again soon in 2010.

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We arrived in Cartagena by sailing over a sunken wall and passing by a statue of the Virgin Mary overlooking the bay.

As it turned out, we had arrived right at the start of festival time. Starting in November with the Independence Day celebrations with weeks of parades and parties, the holiday season of Cartagena continues on until New Years. On one of our first days out exploring the city with Lilly and Otto from Vagabond we happened to come across the Children’s Parade. Every day for a week there were parades around the city, ending with several large parades, parties, and the selection of Miss Colombia. Cartagena is the holiday destination for Colombians with it’s beaches but more importantly with it’s colonial heritage still intact within the city itself. Cartagena is one of the most quaint and beautiful cities I’ve ever wandered around in.

We will once again do a virtual tour of the city in upcoming blogs but for today, please enjoy the sights and sounds of the Children’s Parade from Cartagena.

Hot Colombian...Day

Out and About

Parade Princesses

Parade Jokers

Death Dance

Snow Cone Man

Little Dancer

Traditional Musicians

Rehearsal

Front Row

The Little Man

The Vagabonds

Born Stars

Dressing Up

Click on the thumbnail to view the slideshow!

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