Day 1: Karakol to Bulak Say Yurt Camp 15.6 kilometers, 6 hours, Elevation Gain: 970 meters, or 3,182 feet. It has been more than two years since we’ve done our last overnight trek in Ecuador, and after concluding one of the most epic and rewarding hikes yet in the Tien Shan mountains of Kyrgyzstan, we keep asking ourselves why are…
From Almaty to Karakol From Almaty, it was time to traverse to our next location in our ‘Stan a Plan, which would be a two-day, 12.5-hour journey to Karakol, pausing overnight in Kyrgyzstan’s capital of Bishkek. Yes, to go east, of course, you gotta go west first. Oh yes, we are indeed moving again… To leave Almaty, we traveled to the…
In Summary... Admittedly, we found that our time in Almaty, Kazakhstan was simply way too brief. In fact, based on how livable, enjoyable and walkable this city is, it seems very likely to sprout as a nomad hub in upcoming years. So, we’re putting it on our growing list of places we’d like to visit again for a month, which we’re…
From barren steppe and deserts, to slicing canyons, to turquoise lakes encompassed by carpets of evergreens, traversing the terrain in southeast Kazakhstan can feel like rolling from the American Southwest to the Pacific Northwest in a matter of moments. Yes, there is SO much to do in and around Almaty for nature lovers. However, since we’re limited on time, we…
From Istanbul to Kazakhstan We Go In 2022, this trip was on the books. But we reluctantly canceled at last minute due to…well, a “foot” problem…Regardless, it happened for a reason, not only because of everything I learned during six months of healing that year, but because we got to explore Türkiye during a very economically beneficial time….which is definitely not…
From Bulgaria to Istanbul...not as simple as it seems! Oh wow! After three months in three different Bulgarian cities, slapping on our backpacks and going full throttle with a 15-hour travel day suddenly felt like….well….travel again! Naturally… it was not supposed to be a 15-hour day relocating from the southeast city of Sliven to Istanbul, but thanks to Bulgarian trains…followed…
Living the High Life Although we’re determining this city is probably not the best fit for us, it is very easy to see why hundreds of digital nomads and expats have flocked to Chiang Mai in recent years. It’s easy. English is everywhere, locals are friendly, prices affordable, terrific services, the best cuisine in the world, trendy districts, decent weather,…
Day One at Wat Pa Tam Wua If you’re looking for true slow…make that meaningful and mindful…travel, consider an extended stay at a Buddhist monastery for a genuinely profound experience. A silent meditation retreat is an item both of us had on our “60 by 60 Lists” which we managed to check off recently at Wat Pa Tam Wua about…
