Hannah was overly excited for her first "washy washy" as we boarded the ship. After roughing it for 9 months, I was uncertain of what to expect from the luxurious lifestyle of a cruise. Truthfully, Hannah and I just wanted good sleep, clean, available bathrooms, and easily obtainable, nutritious food and water. We had moved … Continue reading From Mediterranean Sea to Indian Ocean: Friends and Fun on the High Seas
After the perilous Strait of Hormuz, we safely moored in the bay of Muscat. Hannah’s father once told me that he enjoyed working in Oman during his career in petroleum overseas. He distinctly remembered that the people were down to earth and friendly. During our short experience, both of those remarks rang true and I … Continue reading The Magnificent Mosque of Muscat, Oman
Our route to Aqaba cut through the Red Sea. On either side, the coast lines of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and Saudi Arabia ran parallel to one another, and as we arrived at the coast of Aqaba, we also drew up to the coast of Isreal right next door. This area of the world was so … Continue reading Aqaba, Jordan: Wadi Rum and the Ritcheys of Arabia
“A feat of human ingenuity and determination” is probably my best way of describing the Suez Canal. Built in the late 1800’s, the canal joins the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. These seas and the canal create a shorter route to join the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. During WW1, it became increasingly important for … Continue reading Suez Canal, Egypt: A Feat of Human Ingenuity and Determination
Due to the shallowness around the island of Santorini, we tendered to shore via a small boat from our cruise ship. We later learned that a series of red buoys further down the coast marked the wreck of a cruise ship that sunk years ago. Circular brown and green piles of donkey refuse brought color … Continue reading Santorini, Greece: A Braying Paradise
After 9 months of intensive travel, moving every 3-4 days, Hannah and I elected to treat ourselves with a cruise. Exhausted, we boarded the ship ready for a more permanent home where all our needs would be met for 16 days as we made our way from Rome to Dubai. Sunrise shone on the smoking … Continue reading Sicily, Italy: The Italian Isle
We sat at a tram stop at 3am outside Manchester. Watching a rat chew into a trash bag while listening to the silent city sounds and hoping we would catch our flight on time. London airport. Airbnb cancelled on us after having booked quite some time before. Prices had risen and we reasoned we would … Continue reading The Fragility of Life as a Wanderer
Hannah walks into the Waldorf Astoria hotel in a shimmering, floor-length gown. Her makeup and hair are perfect and she flashes a dazzling smile to the waiter as she states, "Why yes, I'll have a champagne, thank you!" Caught her mid wake-up NOPE. That is so far from any sort of reality on this trip … Continue reading Funny Habits From a Pair of Funny Travelers
Our 7 hour train ride was punctuated by the pleasant conversation of our compartment-mates. They were an older couple from Ann Arbor, Michigan and had spent several weeks in Spain and Morocco. We shared stories and a few laughs as the red clay desert of Morocco rolled along. https://youtu.be/gmVXTndLT8U Fez and Marrakesh are competing cities. … Continue reading Souks and Snake Charmers: Marrakesh, Morocco
"In shāʾ Allāh " roughly translates to "God willing", and was a frequent utterance from our Muslim hosts in Fez. With their (and God's) help and some practice, we avoided getting too lost and enjoyed the culturally immersive experience. Our excitement to visit Morocco was followed by a degree of hesitation. It was still technically … Continue reading Lost then Found (In shāʾ Allāh!) in the Streets of Fez, Morocco
It's A Ritch Life 