The Road Less Traveled

As promised, here's a look inside the first six months of married life with Brendan and Sarah! The actual dates may vary by a day or two, but that's the beauty of travel.

Late May- Do that whole vow thing

May 30- Fly to Greece's most romantic island (can you guess which one?)

June 8- Take a ferry into Marmaris, along the Mediterranean shores of Turkey. Spend some time exploring the "Turquoise Coast."

June 19- Head into central Turkey via bus to explore Cappodoccia's fairy chimneys.

June 26- Continue busing it north to Istanbul for a couple weeks exploring churches, mosques, bars and bazaars.

July 10- Fly into St. Petersburg, Russia at the tail end of "White Nights". Get used to the sun never setting.

July 17- Splurge on a 1st class train to Moscow. Observe very tall women who can hold their vodka better than Sarah.

July 25- Board the famous Trans-Siberian Express railway on a week-long journey through Russia, Siberia, Mongolia, and China.. finally deboarding in Beijing.

August 8- Fly south to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). Spend the next couple weeks enjoying pho up and down the coast of Vietnam.

August 28- White-knuckle it on a bumpy bus over the border into Laos. Hop on water taxis along the Mekong River to access various cities. Eventually settle in Vientiane.

September 19- Fly from Vientiane into Phnom Phen, Cambodia. Try to avoid landmines, but fail miserably. Just kidding. Glad you're paying attention.

October 3rd- Make our way into Siem Reap, Cambodia, to visit the wonder of the world known as Angkor Wat.

October 10- Fly into Thailand for one night in Bangkok.

October 11- Fly out of Bangkok and into Denpasar, Bali. Spend the next month happily among rice paddy fields. Hop over to neighboring Lombok for a night or two.

November 6- Make an appearance back in the States for a wedding in Wisconsin. Suffer from acute culture shock. Gain back the 10 lbs we each lost.

November 20- INDIA.

I'm going to stop here and continue the second itinerary leg next time so I don't drone on too long in a single post. But here's the deal- neither of us have been anywhere we're about to go, and even though we're dutiful researchers, we're still totally clueless. So if you possess knowledge on any locale I've mentioned above, share the wealth! Email me or comment below.

Our favorite resources thus far:
Airtreks.com - Reliable round-the-world plane ticket agents
Rough Guides - Amazing book series, better info than Lonely Planet
Adventure 16 - Best outdoor/adventure store in SoCal, if not ever

More deets coming soon!

:)
s

Comments

[zoe]

Sounds like so much fun! I'm so happy for you guys, but AOTS just isn't the same without you two.

[Anthony Thomas]

You both will enjoy all the destinations that you have posted. I have been to all of them in my travels.

[Jason A]

Wow Sarah those are some interesting places you are going to visit for the first six months. Have you gone to a Borders or Barnes and noble and looked in the travel section to see if they have any books/info on the locales you are going to visit?

[Zach Sears]

Sound fun!

[Zach Sears]

Sounds fun! ^sorry

[Jen]

My mom went to Cappadochia years ago on a bus, before many westerners went into that area. She has red hair and whenever a man boarded the bus, they'd hit her on the head. Evidently red hair has some special meaning in Turkey and hitting it was good luck. Hopefully it is not the same for blondes...

Your trip sounds really fun. My goal is to do the SE Asia part for myself within the next couple of years.

[Jason]

one night in Bangkok... that's awesome. be sure to post pics of a golden cloister, and visit a bar and let us know how much the pearls are. ;)

[Dylan]

Hey Sarah, good to hear from you finally. Your trip sounds amazing. Hope you have fun and keep safe!! And may you have a wonderful wedding.

[Tom]

Have fun, Sarah. You're truly irreplaceable, and we're all going to miss you so much. It's cliched, but it truly isn't the same without you.

BTW, I don't know if you actually respond to these, but how did Brendan propose?

[coby]

I WANNA GO!!! Does Brendan have some homely cousin that needs to get married? I'm a teacher. I have a house. I'm a great catch and I wanna go! Damn you people are so lucky. Well it ain't luck it;s just that you have the balls to do it. I wanted to quit my job and go to India and South Africa. Oh yeah, being from Alabama, I am blessed with a really strong accent. I always wanted to tell Brendan not to listen to those people that made fun of his. We accented folk should be proud. SInce all this is going on maybe you'll read it and tell him for me. He seems like a nice guy. You can see it in his eyes. I digress...I'm serious now I want yall to be careful and to keep me updated. I'll live through you only without the adventure, beautiful wife, or...damn I'm depressed now. I'll marry anybody. My clock is ticking. Hey if you see like a mail order bride pick one up for me. I'll save on shipping. I am a poor teacher after all. A teacher in Alabama. I am so depressed. I gotta go drink something. I'm still tickled for yall. I'm getting a blue heeler and naming i after yall when I learn if it's a boy or a girl. I just realized how pathetic that is...I'm leaving. Have some cake for me. And stop on by if you ever get near Alabama. I'll fry some maters.
Coby

[Jack O'Neill]

Well being Blonde and hot in some of those locations will get you kidnapped and sold as a Slave whore, but there's only a 50% chance that will happen. Should be a good trip filled with all kinds of interesting things happeneing. And don't forget money talks when in a tight spot and there will be lots of them. Have a great time. should be a great adventure.

[Steve aka Captain Smee]

Wow, that sounds absolutely amazing, and that's just the first 6 months!! I still can't believe you guys are actually going to do all of that, it's incredible. Only place I've ever visited in my life is Japan for a week and I thought a week was a long time to be away. You two are going to be on the road for 13 months, that's ridiculous. Can't wait to see the photos and videos cause I want to visit some of those places someday as well. What's the second leg of the journey going to be like? I'm quivering in anticipation.

[Sara]

oh my gosh looks like an adventure! You both are sooo lucky!

[Lia]

Awesome itinerary. Wells, you probably have a lot of books to read during your travels but if there's room on the must-read list, check out "Long Way Round" by Ewan McGregor & Charley Boorman.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743499344/sr=8-6/qid=1144905633/ref=pd_bbs_6/103-7665256-1322251?%5Fencoding=UTF8

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316731706/sr=8-4/qid=1144905633/ref=pd_bbs_4/103-7665256-1322251?%5Fencoding=UTF8

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CFWFYW/qid=1144905633/sr=8-3/ref=pd_bbs_3/103-7665256-1322251?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=130

[Sean "Signeon" White]

Curse you for using the name of one of the most overrated poems ever. (Shakes fist at Robert Frost) I hope your travels continue happy and well.

[sarah fan]

wow..a month in bali..that's awesome..i live in malaysia..and have to tell you bali's beautiful..a month might be too long..but when ur in love and at a lovely place like bali..ur just gonna have a lot of fun!! lucky u miss lane..im jealous..

[KevinInChains]

henry rollins told me how scary the trans siberian express can be.

[Brandon]

I don't know much about what you've listed thus far, but concerning oriental countries, be careful with what you say. They can see the difference between North and South Korean/Vietnamese, Chinese, etc. We're not in tune with that, so I would probably say Oriental or Asian, I had a teacher who went and said that several get offended about that stuff. Also, I'm pretty sure they worship cows in India. Have fun! Snap me some pics!

[Megan]

According to my best friend, (a Cambodian, whose planning her visit to phnom pen at the moment) you can ride an elephant to Angkor Wat, and pay a few dollars to have someone carry you up the big stairs of the temple. Have fun!

[Dunno]

Good God, whats that whole trip gonna end up costing?

2 words of advice:

1) Always carry a business card of the hotel (or tiki hut, mud hut, or whatever). That way if you get lost or something you can just show it to a local, since their fluency in English is probably suspect.

2) Always beware of foreigners. (As in anyone non-American).

[Ton]

Sounds awesome. Good luck on the trip and with Brendan. We'll miss you on AOTS!

[s0m31]

Sounds great, but why are you getting married in Wisconsin?

[ed]

..one night in bangkok makes the hard men crumble...

[Amanda]

The trip to Wisconsin is going to be the most exciting, I'll just spoil that surprise for you right now. Hehe Just Kidding I live here and it's just cows. Anyway I'm jealous! Your world tour sounds amazing ^.^

[Darlajo]

Dang thats alot of traveling, I hope you both have a great time.

[NikkiJ]

OMGOMGOMG...i'm soooo happy for you guys...please be careful, have lots of fun, and take many many pictures. Or make a small reality travel show about it?

[NickO]

Sounds like good fun. I can't say I have been to any of these lovely locales, but I have some in-laws that just got back from that part of the world. I'll ask if there are any tips or must do's that they have. Also, where in Wisconsin are you going? That is one locale I know well (as I live there) Hope married life treats you as well as it treats me. Good luck, good love, and happy travels.

[Jedd]

Hey sarah, you guys left the show on my birthday... So thanks for that :)

I was gonna invite you guys to my wedding but you will be "bussing it north to Istanbu" on my big day.

Anyway, sincerly best wishes to both of you.

Jedd

[Norm]

Hi Sarah. I'm very sad to see you leave the show. Congratulations for your wedding. I'm pretty sure you guys are going to Santorini right? That's where I had my honeymoon. It's incredibly beautiful. We stayed at Aressana Hotel (http://www.aressana.gr/). It was very nice.

By the way, I'm from Istanbul, Turkey. You will love the city... It's a clash between old and modern. You will see both extremes of everything. I suggest you also try to visit the Princes' Islands. There's four of them. They're very accessible by boat or the speed boats that you will see.

I wish you good luck and lots of fun. One advice I would have for you is: keep your eyes open in those countries. Watch your surroundings at all times to be safe.

Take care,

Norm A.

[Captain Bob]

Get your shots. Don't get sick. Don't get hurt.
Seriously. Think about evac insurance in case you ignore previous warnings ...

[Jill]

I know it's not exotic, but you should come to Canada! ;) Have fun on your travels!

[Natalie Hirt]

I'm happy you two are getting married, I loved watching AOTS with you guys on it! Big fan of all of you on the show. Hope you have fun on your trip and since you plan on being in India be respectful to the cows! They actually have the right of way on the roads and what not.

[Anil]

If you go to India you will definitly want to go to Mumbai aka Bombay. I am from India and it is probably the best place in India for tourists to visit. You can read up on it on the link at the bottom but im sure you probably already know its the place to visit in India making this post useless. :p

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumbai

[Sosure]

Wisconsin... Beer, cheese, and Harley Davidson. My kinda fun. Good luck on your extended trip and please be careful.

[GM]

If you're going for romantic, the sunsets on Santorini can't be beat. Is you're looking to party the night away it would have to be Mikonos. Have fun and again, congratulations!

[Sujeet]

If you need any India-related travel / culture / tips / tricks whatsoever, send me an email and I'll fill you in. I don't know (yet) about the part(s) of India you plan to visit, but I've lived there for a better part of the last three decades and would probably have a few helpful suggestions for you.

The itinerary so far sounds awesome. The stuff that you'll probably tell your grandchildren, and they theirs. Good stuff. Stay safe, dry and happy throughout, and after!

Later
Sujeet

[Sujeet]

Your mention of "Angkor Wat" in Cambodia had me recollect a few old tales of the place that I'd heard, and a quick search revealed..

"Located in Northwestern Cambodia, Angkor, the Capital of the Ancient Khmer Empire was possibly founded around the Ninth Century AD by King Jayavarman II. However, the city reached its peak glory in the 12th Century under Kings Suryavarman II and Jayavarman VII. The most beautiful and most famous monument in the city, Angkor Wat, lies about one kilometer south of the Royal town of Angkor Thom which was founded by Jayavarman VII.

The Temple of Angkor Wat was dedicated to the Hindu God Vishnu by King Suryavarman II, who reigned between AD 1131 and 1150. The Temple was constructed over a period of 30 years, and illustrates some of the most beautiful examples of Khmer and Hindu art. Covering an area of about 81 hectares, the complex consists of five towers, which are presently shown on the Cambodian national flag. These towers are believed to represent the five peaks of Mount Meru, the Home of Gods and Center of the Hindu Universe. Angkor Wat features the longest continuous bas-relief in the world, which runs along the outer gallery walls, narrating stories from Hindu Mythology."

Excerpted from http://ce.eng.usf.edu/pharos/wonders/Forgotten/angkor.html

Didn't know about the Hindu influence in Cambodia, but it sure sounds interesting. I hope you can take and post pictures / other media from there!

Later,
Sujeet

[Gabe]

Sarah, congrats on your marriage. I have been a long time fan (since TSS) never actually post it a comment. But just wanted to wish you and Brendan a great life together. Enjoy your year off. Let us know if you ever go back to TV. We will miss you.

late,
gabe

[Kate Kate]

Sarah.. ;--; Good luck with the whole marriage thing. You broke my heart by leaving the show. [And well.. So did Brendan, I suppose.] I shall miss you forever and you are indeed 594549594850840584 times better than Olivia.

~Kate
<33

[Nick]

Sounds like a blast!! I've been all up and down Vietnam, and Bangkok, Thailand, as well as Bali (you gotta go to Kuta Beach!!). But why come all the way back just to go to a wedding in Wisconsin? I'm from Minnesota, and your not going to be missing much if you just stay over seas. Take that time and go to Singapore, or Kuala Lumpur instead. Congrats and have fun!!!!

[Jim]

FYI: "I would probably say Oriental or Asian"...
Rugs are Oriental, people are Asian. "Oriental," is a racial slur when used for people.

[Jacob]

wow AOTS will never be the same without you two. Sarah will you ever make another TV appearance? I hope I loved watching you ever since back in the day.

[Jordan Williams]

Hey sarah,

I am glad to hear about your wedding and stuff. I am bummed though that you left AOTS.. i didnt even found out till i came back to from my own trip to the gulf coast to do some relief work. i was wondering what are you planing on doing in india.. are you planing on seeing the taj mahal?

-jordan williams

[Thomas]

Since you're going to Thailand, why don't you stop by at Myanmar as well? I can guaranteed you that it's interesting place to visit. I grown up there.

[Mark]

the island of lesbos?

[Jonn]

Sounds like one hell of a honeymoon. Hope I can do that when I get married

[ZenBro]

*WHOA* ... [;)

[Mike]

Start getting your immunizations now and stocking up on good stuff for dealing with bad food and water.

Oh yeah... make plenty of backups of all your pictures.

[Matt]

When I traveled to S. Korea last year, I was surprised to find out that the whole calling-people-oriental-is-a-racial-slur thing is actually unique to the Western world - a lot of english-speaking natives of the Pacific Rim actually refer to themselves as "oriental" all the time. And not in the way that African-Americans have reclaimed the 'N' word, either - they have no problems w/ foreigners calling them "oriental". In fact, they find it odd that people would refer to them as "asian" instead. Go figure.

[Ben]

This may help you on some of the parts of your leg: http://www.2600.com/travel/
Emmanuel from the 2600 did a 'round the world without leaving the ground' travel log that covers some of the places that you appear to be going. Some of the archived episodes of the Off the Wall and Off the Hook podcasts have phone ins from him in these various places with tons of information as well.