2 Years Around the World, an Overview

I return to the States soon, can't say how soon because Mom and Dad still don't know. It is soon enough though that I began writing a summery of how I feel as things come to a close. I was blaming my recent 10 days of monastic silence for my inability to express how much this trip has meant to me. Really though, to sum it up, in a witty interesting way, how a trip around the world - but more sincerely through my heart - has changed my own little world, is completely impossible. I'm going to continue to try. Hopefully, at Bottle Beach (see best beaches bellow) I will find some inspiration. For now though, on my 2 year anniversary, all I leave you with are some figures that mean more to me than you. I won't be offended if you skip it. It will leave us something to talk about when I return shortly :)


:::NUMBERS::: (year1/year2)
# of LP's: 8
# of wounds gone septic: 4 (always thinking of Alan, blek)
journals filled: 4 1/2
continents: 5
countries: 28
largest time zone gap: 18 hours
longest train journey: 3 days, GOA --> DEHLI
Overnight treks: 9
hospital visits: 5 (4/1)
friends to visit: 12
haircuts: 3
CD's burned: 25-30
passport stamps: 95 (46/49)
bus rides: 206 (107/99)
boat journies: 84 (52/32)
plane flights: 26
dancing nights: 52 (39/13)
toilets sat on: 83 (43/40) Year 2...mostly squat but many more Guesthouses where I was more inclined to relax :)
bottles of wine consumed: 257 (191/66)
longest period w/o showering: 4 days

::: EXTREMES :::
Best treks: Cerro Llao Llao, Bariloche, Argentina/Helambu-Langtang, Nepal
Best Sunsets: Serengetti/Jaisalmer Desert/ Helambu trek over the clouds
Best Sunrises: all 10 @ Lucknow Vipassana Centre after already meditating 2 hours- music, mist, love/ Uyuni Salt Flats, Bolivia
Best Book: Shantaram by David Gregory Roberts/ Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Most $$$: England
Least $$$: Nepal

Best Big Cities: Buenos Aires, Kathmandu, Madrid
Worst Big Cities: Lima, Agra
Best Little Places: Shangri-la, Bariloche (too many)

Best Star Gazing: Annapurna Sanctuary Trek, Zambia
Best Beaches: Vilanculos, Mozambique/ Bottle Beach, Thailand (where I am now!)
Best smiles: Tibetans and Thais
Favourite Animal: elephant
new fear: spiders
Best music: British
Worst Music: Thai Pop
Most overplayed music WorldWide: Bob Marley
Craziest Parties: Spain, Laos, Goa
Most Mellow: Nepal
Best Surprise: Bolivia, Romania, Zambia
Biggest Let Down: Peru
Best (and only) work experience: Barmaid at Baobob's Beach
Worst toilet: Bulongshon, China...can still see the maggots
Buddhist precept broke the most: KILLING, I am lethal when it comes to Mozzy Murder

Hottest Local: Jaisalmer, India
Coldest: Uyuni Salt Flats, Bolivia/ ABC Trek, Nepal

Best Food: Greece, China, India, Natasha's Parents
Worst Food: Hungary (oh the irony)
Best Wine: Mendoza, Argentina
Best Beer outside of Europe: BeerLao, Breweries in Bariloche
Best Pastries: Greece
Best Western Food outside of the West: Kathmandu, OR2K Israeli food
Best Cheese: South Africa
Worst Cheese: India, paneer, blek

:::COUNTRIES VISITED:::

Mexico
Argentina
Bolivia
Peru
Uruguay
Brazil
England
Spain
Germany
Hungary
Austria
Romania
Greece
Kenya
Tanzania
Malawi
Zambia
Botswana
Namibia
S. Africa
Mozambique
India
Nepal
Thailand
Cambodia
Laos
China
Indonesia

Places Added to my Must-See List:
Israel
Mongolia
Tibet
Iran
Egypt
Ireland
Colombia
Russia
Cuba
Western Africa
New Zealand

Places I will definitely return to:
Argentina
Brazil
England
Spain
Greece
China
India
Nepal

Players and Participants (# of visits):
Natasha 6X
Jess 2X
Tim 2X
Lynne 2X
Kristen
Eve
Mom and Dad
Brooke and Leann
Paige
Olly G
Beth
and Hernan

The MVP going to Natasha, having visited one another 6 times, not including the 6 weeks we traveled together in Bolivia and Argentina.
Natasha Chatur:
travel style: wherever, whenever
Dance style: Reggaeton
Fashion style: better than mine
Life style: RockandRoll

I could continue to spout off my highs and lows of this adventure in volumes. I have already done so in my journals. I have taken thousands of photos to document landscapes and architecture and toilets. It is the people who I have met though, that need no documentation, they are guarded safely in my heart. The people are more beautiful than any sand dune, any coral reef, any Patagonian glacier. They are the lovely, amazing people I've met and who have let me into their lives that have made this trip what it is too me, literally: a dream come true. Thank you so much.