When Travel Is Your Obsession...
Baby monkey
We have seen a lot of monkeys in our travels throughout SE Asia. And just when we thought we were tired of seeing monkeys, we went to Monkey Forest in the Balinese town of Ubud. It was here that we saw numerous baby monkeys and I photographed this mother snuggling with her baby. Baby monkeys are adorable!
After drawing the winner at random from a bowl of numbers, the winner is #11, Wendy S. with her great photo of “Hórreo and Roses Along the Camino de Santiago.” Congratulations Wendy!
Time for another Travel Photography Contest with an exciting prize for the winner. Just follow these simple rules and you will have a chance to win $100 in concert or event tickets through ScoreBig.com.
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“Waves of Sand” by Scott C.
The picture is of the afternoon light on the Great Sand Dunes in Southern Colorado. The great sand dunes are the tallest dunes on the North American Continent, rising to 750 feet. The wind drops grains of sand at the base of the Sangre De Cristo Mountain range, which contains six 13,000 ft. peaks in the area. A creek runs at the base of the sand dunes during wet weather and kids have fund building sand castles or sliding down the dunes. The camp grounds contain showers to get the sand off. Bring boots for your dog or plan to carry it, because dogs do not do well on the hot sand.
Waves of Sand
“Like Sunrise on Mars” by Alison C.
The picture is sunrise over Goblin Valley, Utah. The dusty landscape is filled with hoodoos large and small. Since it is a state park, visitors can actually climb around the rocks and hoodoos, and children enjoy games of hide seek. It is off the beaten path, and a real jewel in the natural resources of Utah. A project called the “Mission to Mars” project is kept near the state park. Educators, scientists, students, can go there to experience what life on Mars might feel and look like. The Mission to Mars was created by educator and long time Civil Air Patrol volunteer Col. Barrainca. It can be very hot in the summer at Goblin Valley, with little to no shade, but the star gazing is beyond compare. Spring and Fall visits to Goblin Valley are very pleasant.
Like Sunrise on Mars
“The Bluebell Woods” by Kerry M.
Trying to think of my favorite photo from any traveling I have done proved to tough, so, I tried to think of my favorite place. I love England. I love trees. The woodlands in the South of England are so beautiful, so comforting in a Winnie the Pooh sort of way (quite literally) I ended up with this shot. Near where my family are from in Hampshire, the bluebells explode over the forest floor each Spring. It’s like a Fairyland. It really is this pretty! Amazing on a small island that has been populated for so many hundreds of years, that so much Nature manages to not only survive, but thrive. So, my favorite travel photo is of my Spiritual Home.
The Bluebell Woods
“Phewa Lake” by Becky K.
This photo was taken last year at a lake outside of Pokhara, Nepal.
Phewa Lake
“Surfer’s Paradise” by Tonya Z.
This is a photo of myself at Surfer’s Paradise. That day was awesome!
Surfer’s Paradise
“Dutch Windmill, Alphen aan den Rijn, Netherlands” by Veronica
This photo was taken in Alphen aan den Rijn in The Netherlands in December 2012. We were living there at the time and I was riding around on my bike with my new camera trying to catch pictures of pure Dutch-ness. I think this picture qualifies. I hope you like it too.
Dutch Windmill
“Sand and Salt” by Cassie C.
Sand and Salt
“La Laguna De San Carolos, Panama” by Erin C.
This is a picture of La Laguna De San Carolos, Panama in 2013.
La Laguna De San Carolos, Panama 2013
“Parents in Redwoods” by Kerri C.
Picture of my parents walking hand and hand in the Redwoods at Lady Bird Johnson State Park in CA.
Parents in Redwoods
“Near Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, New Mexico” by Wendy M.
I had never been to New Mexico before. My friend that I was visiting graciously drove me around half the state, so I could take it all in. She stopped at my every whim, so I could take photos and this is probably one of the best from that trip. Absolutely stunning scenery!
Near Ghost Ranch
“Hórreo and Roses Along the Camino de Santiago” by Wendy S.
Very hard to pick a favorite, because so many of my beloved photos are small details that are great because of the stories they tell…but on first glance might not make someone else think “travel.” So, we’ll go with this one. I took it while walking the Camino de Santiago with a group of teenage pilgrims. Hórreos are used for grain storage, and are a common sight in Galicia. What makes this one uncommon are the roses and ivy.
Hórreo and roses along the Camino de Santiago
“Silver Falls, Oregon” by Eli F.
This picture is of Silver Falls in Oregon.
Silver Creek Falls, Oregon
“Sad Hill Cemetery” by Chris D.
This picture shows the area around Carazo, in northern Spain. The final, climactic scene of the movie, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly was filmed here. They converted a cow pasture into a graveyard featuring several thousand burial mounds with a large stone circle in the middle.
Sad Hill Cemetery
“Bourbon St.” by Steven S.
One of the local characters on Bourbon St. having some interactions with some bar staff.
Bourbon St.
Most people that we speak with assume that we are heading back to Portland, Oregon once we finish our “vacation” and that we will go back to life as normal. Whatever “normal” means. I think it’s nearly impossible to go back to life as it was before long-term travel. Being immersed in different cultures and getting out of your comfort zone rewires the brain and makes one more open to change. Long-term travel is the act of embracing change, so why should we go back to the same thing we left behind? Why not continue to seek change and create the future we really want, not the one that feels comfortable and safe?
Whenever long-term travelers meet, the discussion usually ends up with the question, “So, what are your plans after the trip? Have you decided on where you are resettling?” Long-term travelers know that the world offers countless possibilities for places to live and lifestyle options. The hardest part is trying to choose a single location and how to earn a living once you get there.
Even before leaving to travel long-term we discussed options on where to resettle and what kind of jobs or business options we could have there. Not limiting ourselves to just the United States, we scoured government websites looking at residency requirements in foreign countries and searched for jobs and business options around the world. The more we searched the more we realized that we seriously could live anywhere we wanted, but at a cost. In order to meet residency requirements in many foreign countries we may end up in a job we don’t like. But life in a new country could be worth the cost of not having the dream job, right? But would we end up back in the same situation we were in before? Same rat race, but different country? The pros and cons for each option can be overwhelming and I think most long-term travelers have a hard time finding the right answer.
In our travels we have met the eternal nomads; the ones who can’t choose a place to resettle and keep traveling. Eternally searching, and searching, and searching. The desire to have a permanent home and to be part of a community is strong, but so is the thrill of long-term travel and to explore new places. And then there are those that are location independent, that is, they work online or have found ways to earn a living while traveling full time. But even they can hit travel burnout and miss having a community and a permanent residence. In the end, I think everyone is just searching for a home and a lifestyle that will make them happy. Some just take longer to find what they are looking for than others.
After 20 months of traveling around the world and only 6 months more to go, have we decided on a place to resettle? The answer is yes! After running the full gamut on resettlement options, we have decided on a single location and even ways to earn a living once we get there. We don’t want to spoil the surprise, so we are keeping it a secret until the end of our around the world trip. And no, it’s not back in Portland, Oregon. But just because we are planning to resettle doesn’t mean we plan to stop traveling. In fact, we have been making a list of future adventures, and some of them are going to be pretty amazing.
If you could relocate anywhere in the world, where would you go?
The armed guard
“Slava Ukraini!” (glory to Ukraine!”), growled the bearded guard while pointing a machine gun at us.
The employees at the tourism office in L’viv, Ukraine had recommended a restaurant across the street called Kryjivka (the bunker.) They said we would find it… interesting. Since it was lunchtime we figured we would head over and check it out. The first problem was locating it. There is no sign for the restaurant, but the tourism gave us an address and told us to knock on the door. That was all they told us! The tourism office is located in the center of Rynok Square and the address we were looking for was a short walk to the edge of the square.
14 Rynok Square
We walked down a passageway, typical for the buildings in L’viv, and found an unmarked door at the end. I knocked on the door, as instructed, and a peephole panel slid open.
“We are looking for the café. Is this it?” I asked the person peering though the peephole in the door.
The door swung open and a guard in a military uniform pointed a wicked looking machine gun at us and stated loudly, “Slava Ukraini!”
My wife, not in the mood to be shot, stated, “Sorry, wrong door.” And quickly dragged our daughter back down the passageway and away from the armed guard.
Me, thinking getting shot could make for an interesting article, continued my questioning of the guard, “We are looking for the restaurant. Is this it?”
“Moskal’ee YE?” (“Are there any Russians among you?”), asked the guard while looking suspiciously at my wife and daughter running away.
Not having a clue as to what the Ukrainian guard was saying, I asked again, “Restaurant?”
The guards face turned from a scowl to a huge smile, and he put his arm around me and ushered me into the small room. I called back to my wife and daughter to come back. After the wife and daughter suspiciously entered the room, the guard closed the door and poured me a shot of vodka and handed it to me. I drank the sweet flavored vodka and the guard smiled and opened a hidden panel behind a bookcase that led to a stairwell leading down. Even if this was not the restaurant we were looking for, this would be an interesting adventure!
The stairs led down to an underground bucker filled with weapons, war memorabilia, and a well stocked bar. We had found our restaurant! We wandered around a bit looking for a table and around every corner there was something new to explore. We grabbed a table and the waitress brought us menus. We ordered a cheese plate, pierogies, and a potato with cheese and sausage skillet. The food was simple, but the atmosphere was amazing. During our meal some guerillas came in and fired off a pistol inside the restaurant that left our ears ringing. They went to a table and dragged away one of the customers. He eventually came back unscathed and finished his lunch.
Having lunch at Kryjivka Restaurant
Potato, cheese, and sausage skillet (highly recommend)
Pierogies
Cheese platter
Waiting for lunch
After our meal we wandered around some more and were surprised at how big the place was. We found some stairs heading up and came to an open-air bar in a courtyard with lots of military surplus and a giant art sculpture.
Cool military motorcycle with sidecar
Eery red light passages
Open air bar
Cool sculpture
Kerri and Sydney exploring Kryjivka
Inside the bunker
Inside the bunker
After walking past the bar we came across the guard with the fake machine gun and then made our way out.
The restaurant, Kryjivka, was formerly a bunker for guerilla insurgents during World War II fighting against the Nazis, and later the Poles and Soviets. It is located at 14 Rynok Square and is a must-see if you visit L’viv. And in case you do visit, the password to tell the guard to get into the restaurant is “Geroyam slava!” (“Glory to its heroes!”) or “Slava Ukraini!” (glory to Ukraine!”). The restaurant and bar is open 24/7 and is a great place to grab a bite to eat or a drink while checking out all of the cool stuff that they have on display.
One of the reasons we traveled all the way to Borneo was to see the Proboscis Monkey, also known as the long-nosed monkey. To see these monkeys we had to travel to the Bako National Park, which is only accessible by boat. We spent 3 days at the park and saw them on several occasions. Their noses are very unique and reminded us of the legendary American singer and actor, Jimmy Durante. They made a strange noise that reminded us of Stephen Spielberg’s ET character.
Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: Nikon 180mm f/2.8D ED-IF AF
Post Processing: Adobe Lightroom
