My trip around the World

The circumference of the Earth is 40,075 KM

After 104 days, 13 countries, 7 gigs of pictures, lots of new friends and too many amazing memories to list my travels are coming to a close. I decided to do the math and calculate how far my trip has actually taken me. It turns out I have traveled just a bit farther than one circumnavigation of the equator. Below is the list of all the legs of my journey:
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Depart	Arrival	KMs
Vancouver	Seattle	192
Seattle	Reykjavik	5820
Reykjavik	London	1892
London	Helsinki	1820
Helsinki	Talinn	83
Talinn	Tartu	165
Tartu	Talinn	165
Talinn	Helsinki	83
Helsinki	Stockholm	396
Stockholm	Munich	1313
Munich	Florence	488
Florence	Cinque Terre	120
Cinque Terre	Rome	327
Rome	Berlin	1357
Berlin	Dublin	1099
Dublin	London	463
London	Oslo	717
Oslo	Amsterdam	914
Amsterdam	Copenhagen	621
Copenhagen	Dusseldorf	626
Dusseldorf	Phnom Penh	9560
Phnom Penh	Kampot	131
Kampot	Siem Reap	308
Siem Reap	Sihanoukville	306
Sihanoukville	Phuket	637
Phuket	Koh Phi Phi	46
Koh Phi Phi	Krabi	40
Krabi	Koh Phangan	222
Koh Phangan	Koh Samui	30
Koh Samui	Surat Thani	84
Surat Thani	Bangkok	529
Bangkok	Seoul	3720
Seoul	Vancouver	8153
My Trip		42427

10 Things From Asia I’ll Miss When I’m Home

10. Strangers smiling at each other and saying hello

9. Street vendors that sell delicious homemade food not just average street meat/hot dogs

8. Sitting in a bean bag chair on the beach reading my book as the sun sets

7. Cheap t-shirts, massages and hotels

6. 30 degree weather and swimming in warm ocean water

5. Bargaining over the price of something

4. My fresh pineapple shake every morning

3. $2 giant beers ($1 in Cambodia)

2. Amazing beaches, beach parties and fire shows

1. Wearing shorts, a tank top and flip flops every day!

10 Things I Won’t Miss About Asia

10. Throwing TP in a bin instead of the toilet (and I can’t forget squat toilets and the bum hose)

9. Lady boys

8. Seeing 60 year old men walking around with teenage prostitutes

7. Getting bit by mosquitos, ants and other random insects while I sleep

6. Getting on buses/boats that look like they are going to fall apart

5. Hoping I don’t get injured because the hospital looks sketchy at best

4. Open sewer canals and random wafts of sewage

3. Being pestered by vendors (and little kids) to buy a suit, a bracelet or a massage

2. The assortment of cuts and blisters on my feet from shells, rocks and breaking in new flip flops

1.Being 12,000+ KMs away from my family and friends

Where Blogs Go To Die

I haven’t made a post since I left Europe and I think there are several reasons why. First, there isn’t wifi available at the majority of bus and boat terminals in Asia. In Europe I filled my travel down time updating people back home with photos and blog posts. Second, writing regularly started to feel a bit like homework. It’s been 7 years since I finished university and over a decade since I graduated high school, so regular assignments aren’t my idea of a vacation. Third, there are much better things to do on the beach and in 30 degree weather than sit in front of a computer. I will do my best to recount my last stop in Europe and the past month in Cambodia and Thailand. I’m sure by now some of the memories and interesting insights will have faded but I’m sure the ones that remain are the best. Let’s call it the evolution of memories as only the strongest survive.

Old Friends and Good Times

Denmark was a reunion of a couple long lost friends and a second visit with the Halpin brothers. Copenhagen is the home of my roommate from my first year in residence at UBC, Per. He was kind enough to let me stay at his house even though he was out of town the first couple of days. Per and I lived together in Sept. 2001 so a lot has changed in our lives since those days. The significant passing of time didn’t seem to make a difference as we were able to pick up right where we left off. We spent a couple nights out on the town and he took me on a bike tour of the sights of the city. It was great to see him again and I hope it’s not 10 years before our next meeting. Copenhagen was also the location of my bonus visit with Eric and Kevin. They informed me while I was in Berlin that they were heading to the Danish capital to see their friend play his EP release party. I was able to tweak my schedule so that I could meet them there and attend the show. Their friend, known as Rangleklods, put on an excellent high energy show and I would recommend to anyone to check out his music and definitely his live show. Eric has managed to keep in touch with several people from our year of college in Kamloops and Peter was able to make it out for a visit. Two reunions over a decade in the making and an always enjoyable encounter with two of my favorite gentlemen on the planet made for a great final weekend in Europe.