Our time in Israel has been such a wonderful experience filled with awesome people, amazing history and fresh food.  Tel Aviv is a completely modern and Western-feeling city with tons of young people and a beach town vibe.  We had some days when surfed, sailed or swam and other days packed with sight seeing.  We made two day trips, one to Jerusalem and one to the Dead Sea, that were both indescribable.

After spending two weeks in Israel there are almost too many words to say.  I think this time around, I will let the pictures speak for themselves. I hope you enjoy them.

Dome of the Rock

Market in Jerusalem

Floating the Dead Sea

Sunset and incoming storm on the beach

Overlooking Jerusalem

The Valley of the Shadow of Death

Machete Arab salad

View above Jesus’ tomb

Our journey to Jordan was a long one.  We traveled at 4a.m. through Kuwait into Amman.  We were upgraded to first class for the first time and had a pampered experience which made all the difference. Once in Amman we travelled south by public bus to Petra, Jordan.  Being in the middle east for the first time in my life is truly exceptional.  It feels as if we are being dropped in the desert to fend for ourselves.  Conversely, the people of Jordan are beautiful, genuine, friendly and so welcoming.  When you walk down the street you hear people calling “welcome” or “would you like to have tea with us?”  It’s been wonderful to be around people like this.

(Sunset in Petra)

Arriving in Petra was like a dream. We made it to our hostel in time to sit on the roof and watch the sunset. There were many moments when I couldn’t believe where I was.

We woke up early to beat the crowds and the heat and headed to Petra with our new American friend (who just opened a brewery called Our Mutual Friend in Denver).  As you enter into Petra you are swallowed by a gigantic canon that goes on for 2km.  At the end, you enter into the ruins of Petra.  We spent six unreal hours walking, hiking and smiling through the ancient ruins that were built almost 2,000 years ago.

(The Treasury)

(The Monastery)

Most people spend two or three days in Petra, however we only spent one.  Having come down with a cold and perhaps suffering from heat exhaustion I slept for seven hours after our adventures in the ruins.  Jordan was an a bonus trip for us that started only as a means to save money on getting to Israel.  It ended as an experience of a lifetime.  I feel blessed and honored to have experienced this wonderful country and feel sad to have had to say goodbye so soon.

For all of you that have a love affair with all things food related, here are some of are some of the tastes on our plate from India.  Let me start by saying that most Indian food does not photograph well. The pictures in no way take you on a wild sensory taste explosion, however the food does.

I had no better food in India, than the food that we ate at the ashram.  Because we received whatever food they made that day, we hardly know the names of the dishes, so bare with me.

Breakfast

Chai out the ying yang

Lunch

Veg pastry

Most of the what was served is South Indian food, with a couple of Northern dishes.  Delish!

*Take a look back on the food we’ve eaten around the world:

New Zealand  / Indonesia / Thailand / Cambodia & Vietnam

The Indian sunsets will take your breath away.

Where do I even BEGIN with India?  I could write it a love letter to this country that would last an eternity, and beat it up at the same time. There are moments when I am on the verge of tears from the stress of traveling here; then there are moments when I feel certain I belong, and should stay here forever and ever.

Just some flowers falling from the tree in the most beautiful way possible.

After Vietnam, India opened her arms to us with the warmest embrace and we really needed it.  We were able to stay at our friends apartment in Chennai, and spend what turned into almost 3 weeks at the Babuji Ashram. A typical day at the ashram went like this:

6:30 am – Meditation (Let’s be honest, I skipped some/most)

7:30 am – Breakfast

9:00 am – Meditation

10:00 am -12:30 – Reading in the air conditioned library

12:30 – Lunch

1:30 – 4:30 – Nap or Rest (Definately not burning any calories)

5:00 pm – Meditation

6:30 pm – 7:00 pm – Watch the sunset from the highest point I could find

7:30 pm – Dinner

9:30 pm – Bed

Seems pretty awesome, huh?  Without getting too dramatic, or going into crazy detail, the time we spent at the ashram was amazing.  It was a rest from traveling and the daily experience of searching for our next meal, and we spent time apart.  It was peaceful, empowering, deep and fun.  We loved it and I know I will think fondly on the time we spent there for the rest of my life.

Bay of Bengal

After our 3 weeks stay at the ashram, we headed to Mumbai (Bombay).  This city is insane.  I have heard a lot of numbers, but I think the population is 20 million.  We walked through a market that was offically the craziest and most chaotic place I have ever been in my life.  I would be lying if I told you that we took Mumbai full on, but we didn’t.  We chilled out.  Met awesome travelers.  Saw some sights. Took some train rides.  And saw the ocean.  It took us a couple of days to regain our stamina and now it is off to Jordan.

Everyone swims in ALL their clothes.

I can’t wait.

As I told you on Saturday, we are in India. In Chennai, India to be exact. We have been here at the Babuji Memorial Ashram for 2 weeks and it has been so wonderful for us to stay put somewhere that is so calming.

(via Pinterest)

If any of you have been to India, it can be kind of hilarious. Here are some hilariously awesome things about this place:

• People here always refer to a man as a fellow. So they will say something like, “Don’t do that to me fellow,” or “He is just a young fellow of 18+.”
• Albert has been working out at a gym down the street where the manager gives him ridiculous workouts to do in front of everyone, all while blasting Phil Collins and Ace of Base especially for the American in the gym.
• When you meet someone they will ask you, “What is your good name?” For some reason, I always feel like I am lying when I tell them Farrell.
• The Indian head bobble. Check out this amazing article about each kind of bobble.

Of course with all the hilariousness also comes chaos, frustration and waves of heat insanity, but the hilarious moments can make it all worth it.

It seems like time is moving so fast.  We’ve already been in India for over three weeks but I had to write about all the crazy, awesome (and not so awesome) stuff we ate while we were in Cambodia and Vietnam.

The best thing we ate in Cambodia was Kumer Curry at Khmer Kitchen Restaurant in Siem Reap. It is a coconut based curry with sweet potato, carrots and onions. It was so delicious.  When our Cambodian friend, Sombum, invited us to his village, we spent a day eating all the wonderful local food they made for us. The desserts made from all kinds of rice and potatos were our favorite.

In Vietnam, obviously Pho is where it’s at. Though I haven’t really been eating meat all too much since I have been here, I did get Chicken Pho and it was seriously amazing. The flavors of Vietnam were all in there.  Lime, anise, lemongrass and chilis make for the freshest bites of your life. Al ate a lot of Banh Mi. His favorite was this one from Nha Hang Ngn Restaurant in Ho Chi Minh. I had their amazing spring rolls.

There is no way I could write this post and not mention the Vietnamese coffee. Can I just say, DANG! So good.  Also, when we were on the old junk boat in Halong Bay, we made fried spring rolls. They are so easy to make. Roll up some carrots, onion and mushrooms and wrap em up!

And lastly, there was this…

Yum.