A Birthing Home Found

Our birthing place for our little girl!

(This blog written by Austin.)

Kindra and I finally landed on a place to give birth! 

After lots of research into insurance options, Kindra discovered Canyon Medical Center, a heavenly natural birthing center in Portland’s West Hills.  We set up a time to visit, and what transpired was probably the most mind blowing, amazing experience we have ever had with a health provider.

Kindra with Leslie, right, and Emerald, left.  Leslie is our midwife and doctor, and Emerald is a recent midwife school grad who will be also assisting with our birth.

We met with Dr. Leslie Hamlett, a naturopathic doctor and midwife.  She gave us a tour of the birthing rooms, which felt more like classy hotel rooms, complete with large birthing tubs and comfy beds!  Then we spent the better part of an hour chatting away about our travels, home birth, and nutrition.  It was like she was on our level, and speaking our language!

Leslie was amazing, I have never met such an authentic or down to earth medical practitioner.  At the end of our time, she gave us big hugs and welcomed us to give birth there.  Kindra and I were like, oh yeah!  For sure!

Big, healthy belly!

Our follow up appointments were just as good, and we feel so blessed to be a part of Portland’s natural birthing movement. 

One of the rooms we could give birth in, amazing!

Check out Canyon Medical Center at: http://www.canyonmedcenter.com/

Ten Defining Moments of Our Trip

Croatian waterfall in Plitvice Lakes.

(This blog is written by Austin)

Croatia: Soul Friends Made and Endless Natural Beauty Discovered

In this mystical country, formerly part of communist Yugoslavia, we indulged in the kind of natural beauty you would think to find only in the afterlife.  Picture an abundance of waterfalls, crystal clear lakes, and remote island beaches, all waiting to be explored.  We also met the friends of a lifetime  when we first encountered Esteban and Zihya, a sweet French couple with a sense of playfulness and wanderlust.  I still remember seeing those two sitting near the bus stop on the dreamy Croatian island of Vis, waiting to find another campsite on the other side of the island. We starting chatting them, invited them to camp at our self discovered "oasis" of a wild camping spot, and the rest is history.  We spent weeks exploring Croatia, Montenegro, Albania and Turkey, and now back in the US, we still think of them as people close to our hearts.  You never know where you will find amazing friends.

Our beloved Cosette with Kindra.

Settling in Izmir: Friends, Cats, and Cultural Challenges

Deciding to settle down in Turkey, our old stomping grounds from right after college, impacted the pace and experience of our trip immensely.  We found English teaching jobs, and through an exhausting process were able to rent an apartment and fill it with old furniture and hand drawn murals.  Going from wandering vagabond with little responsibility or care to working full time in a major multicultural melting pot of a school and dealing with Turkey's "in your face" culture was quite the transition, and we only weathered it well through the many special friendships we made.  Relationally, the time with rich, we made our apartment the social hub for a while with a few parties.  My highlight was when my dad and step mom came to visit, and we had all our friends over to help welcome them to Turkey!  Good times.

Beautiful Mt. Robson, one of our favorite backpacking trips.

 Backpacking the Canadian Rockies

Kindra and I had been ready to get our feet wet in backpacking ever since deciding to quit our jobs and undertake this epic adventure, and Mt. Robson in the Canadian Rockies proved to be just the ticket.  We started our four day trip late in the day and raining, always a good way to start :)  Crossing flooded trails, with gushing waterfalls and silky turquoise rivers to keep us company, we made our way thirteen miles to a night fall arrival at Lake Berg.  The next morning, we awoke to snow on the ground, and a tranquil glacial lake nearby.  Over the next few days, we explored this vast, dramatic alpine area, and made friends with James, a British adventurer who joined us on hikes and for meals!  We still dream fondly of this adventure.

One great waterfall of many at Havasupai.

The Grand Canyon's Grand Secret: Havasupai

The mystical turquoise waterfalls of the Grand Canyon's Havasupai region, located on a Native American reservation, had been a place of my heart for years.  Finally, I had the opportunity to go!  Kindra and I hiked eight adventurous miles through narrow passageways of the canyon, finally arriving at Havasupai.  There we jumped into deep, blue green waters, and explored winding rivers like an archeologist looking for the holy grail.  Three nights and two full days were not enough for us to soak in this rare paradise!

Kindra kicks some wood down in Scotland.

Building Bonfires in the Land of My Ancestors

Arriving in Scotland and exploring its countrysides was like stepping into the life of a super great grandfather, since the McRobbies migrated to America almost two hundred years ago.  My worked on a large estate just miles from where my family originated from.  At the estate, we had a blast helping out the Polish groundskeeper, especially when he said it was bonfire day!  On bonfire days, we would collect dead tree branches via tractor or hand, and watched them burn on a HUGE fire!  Often we sweated and worked six hours a day on this, and I would've kept working if someone didn't say it was dinner time!  I have never had so much fun working :)

Our goofy car!

The Death of a Fiat and the Start of a New Adventure

Our beloved Fiat Multipla, a goofy 'Honda Element' style car that we bought in Ireland, finally 'sucked the kumara' (New Zealand slang for died) one day in southern France.  Despite our best efforts to revive our home on wheels, the French mechanics gave the verdict of a broken timing belt, which is a crazy expensive repair.  Our farm hosts in France, Karen and Lee, were kind enough to sell the car for parts for us, while we continued by hitchhiking to Spain.  It was a new beginning, we had little experience in using our thumbs to travel, and it opened a whole world of adventure to us.

The Italian seaside town of Vernazza.

Italian Paradise: Living in the Moment at Vernazza

"What are we doing here?!"  We arrived Vernazza, Cinque Terre, an authentic Italian coastal village with hot temperatures and a buckets of tourists.  At first unappealing due to the crowds, we set up our tent in a vineyard overlooking the ocean, and ended up staying there for three weeks!  The tourists cleared by evening, and the romantic village, full of small shops and gelaterias, lulled us into a near comatose state of relaxation.  We swam in the mornings, cliff jumped in a nearby village in the afternoons, and drank Italian wine with new friends on the beach in the evening.  We still think of Vernazza as paradise on earth.

The valleys of Berner Oberland.

Yoodling in a Dreamscape of Mountains

Berner Oberland, home to the most beautiful mountains and alpine hillsides ever, was another paradise we came across while traveling Europe.  We camped in a valley just feet away from a cliffside waterfall, and then hiked our way up the cliff to an even better campsite, in the Swiss village of Murren.  From there, we daily gazed out to snow capped mountains towering nearby.  Alpine hiking, making friends, and discovering a new meaning to "Swiss cheese" were daily occurrences.  What a heavenly place!

Hiking across history in Turkey.

The Lycian Adventure

Probably an absolute high of our trip was undertaking a three hundred mile trek along Turkey's southern coast.  With only our backpacks and an enthusiasm for the open road, we struggled up steep mountains trails and savored downhill slopes into coastline paradises.  Along the way, we met tons of friendly and sometimes strange villagers, eager to share food or an opinion about world politics.  We also encountered cows, goats, wild boar, scorpions, bugs, and stray dogs.  The trek taught us so much about the resilience of our spirits and relationship; together we overcame multitude of challenges.  We finished the three hundred miles with smiles and a deeper appreciation of journey, along with a deep rooted sense of self confidence, ready for anything.  And anything did happen, as Kindra and I were surprised to discover upon our return to Izmir that she was pregnant! 

This elephant at the Kathmandu zoo was so docile and sweet!

Nepal: Final Stop

After one year and eleven months of unadulterated travel, we finally reached our last destination.  Arriving in the chaotic capital, Kathmandu, we stayed with at a small church run out of the bottom story of a house.  There we befriended the pastor's sister Muna, and her son Yabez, who cooked delicious Nepali for us!  It was also at that church that we decided to say goodbye to traveling: we felt God had brought us to Nepal in one last step of faith, but that the path ahead was ours to decide.  Kindra was three months pregnant, and the roughness of the road was taking its toll on her.  Buying a last minute ticket to LAX, we savored our last weeks exploring more of Nepal.  It was a nostalgic, emotional time; our hearts were so free and flexible from our journeys, and the thought of ending the trip seemed heartbreaking.  But summoning our courage, we moved towards the pain of a trip left unfinished (we always thought New Zealand would be our last stop), and relished in the joy of a baby, a special gift, on its way.  Goodbye travels, but hello new adventures!

Isn't She Lovely?

Icicles galore in Portland!

(This blog written by Austin.)

It's been two weeks since we moved to Portland, and now with rose colored glasses, we are loving it up here.  Yesterday, the weather was predicted to be snow (oh boy!), but instead it was coold rain, with precipitation quickly turning into frozen icicles!  This morning, the sun was back out shining (yah!), and I wandered our local suburb, where the shadows still hid a number of frozen water droplets hanging from trees and mail boxes.

A beautiful mama.

Ok, so mainly this blog is to share this lovely photo of Kindra, one of many that I captured Wednesday.  She is absolutely gorgeous, with a fast growing belly!  The end of the second trimester has been relatively easy for her.  No morning sickness or acid reflux, just an excitement to nest and get baby stuff together!  Maybe the only thing is Kindra can't move as fast during our house NERF battles, but everything said I think that's ok.

'Selling out' to the man.

Today I will continue my job hunt; I have been focusing on jobs related to helping universities fundraise.  I bought a suit for any potential interviews coming up, and Kindra gave me a sad face at seeing me look so professional.  What's worse is I even may have to get a haircut!  The vagabond days appear to be ending, at least externally.  But I still hope to keep the flames of freedom and adventure alive inside!  :)

New Projects

Spanish Spice Cake, our of the many recipes we are testing for our travel cookbook we hope to self publish.  I (Austin) have been working on the food photography side of things.

(This blog written by Austin.)

Well, as you may well know, Kindra and I are now living in Portland!  We made the road trip up through California, stopping to camp near Mt. Shasta for a few nights.  Now we are staying with my Aunt Chris and Uncle Jim, as the hunt for a job and housing begins.  Kindra had been in full baby nesting mode, figuring out health insurance and birthing options.  I have been job hunting, primarily looking for work in higher education; I love the atmosphere of universities, and working alongside or near students would be incredible! 

I gotta let you in on a little secret: Portland is seriously one of the coolest places to live.   Of course, it is cool literally (yesterday was in the fifties during the day with crazy wind).  But it is also full of down to earth, kind people and TONS of nature and trees.  I feel more like we are living in a forest that happens to have some buildings than living in a city.  Totally secluded hiking trails are only minutes away. 

Along with being an urban forest, there is so much amazing stuff to do!  Theater, endless international food carts, nature reserves, a rad zoo, delicious restaurants, and fun neighborhoods to explore.  We honestly haven't found something we don't like about Portland.  Even the weather is great; it is so nice to live somewhere with SEASONS (cough...not SoCal), where the leaves turn yellow and red and fall off the trees.  Who knows, it might even snow once in a while!

Of course we do miss our close friends and family from California, and just an fyi, we are saving a spot for you up here if you ever get "Oregon fever."

One project we are working on while in job and housing limbo is the making of a travel cookbook from our two year journey.  This book will be chock full of delicious recipes we found while traveling, along with stories and pictures of our journeys.   Right now it is simply a fun project, but we may end up making hard copies and putting the book up on kickstarter. 

I'll be posting on here and facebook updates of the process, so keep an eye out! 

Until next time, have a great November!

Kisir, a delicious Turkish salad that Kindra makes wonderfully.

Turkish lentil soup, a real delight on a cold day.

The Journey into Fatherhood

So it's Austin back again with some updates and reflections in this latest stage of our adventurous journey.  Since arriving two months ago from Nepal "barefoot and pregnant," we have had a whirlwind of a time seeing family and friends, and figuring out our lives.  After choosing Portland as our settling point for the next year or two, we made the road trip back down to SoCal, back to our roots and where all our stuff was packed away.  Weathering many fun and engaging yet ultimately tiring (because of volume) social engagements with family and friends that we absolutely love and are getting to know better, we packed up a truck full of stuff and set north.  During the packing phase, Kindra managed to figure out the complicated Medical system through her awesomeness and score us our first prenatal check up in the states, complete with finding out the gender!  Our cool, openly socialist OBGYN simply assumed we were having a birth with a midwife (which we hopefully are), and as she gently assessed Kindra, mentioned that we looked like the type that would live on a farm somewhere in Oregon (maybe someday!).  At the super fancy ultrasound, in which everything looked great for our baby to be, the technician led us to discover a wonderful surprise: we are having a girl!

A baby girl.  A sweet lady.  Daddy's princess.  Wow, what a beautiful surprise!  Kindra and I were convinced a boy would be coming, so we are adjusting pleasantly to the idea of a girl.  :)

Following our discovery of the sex, we packed up our boxes in our beloved, borrowed Tacoma until it resembled a covered wagon, and then hit the 'Oregon Trail' going north!  Along the way, we had a great visit with Kindra's dad and step mom Yolie, and their three amazing youngsters, who absolutely couldn't wait to play with us!  The excitement and enthusiasm a kid carries at all times to play, laughter and run around has helped re-awaken my inner child.  I suppose as a kid myself I had plenty of opportunities to play, but I perhaps also carried a burden of performance in school and relationships, which prevented me from fully letting go and just running like wind or being recklessly silly.  Through our journey across the globe, and some beautiful inward discoveries, I have learned to understand and care for my inner child, and give myself permission to play and adventure without being so concerned with what others think (I mean, how many truly playful adults do you know?).  I see this journey into fatherhood being a continuation of my self discovery, and I feel it an honor to get to LEARN from my child, learn how to be whole hearted, present, and aware.  I look forward to charging the hills with this daughter to be, and caring for her with my presence and playfulness.

Right now, I feel myself almost tearing up at the idea of having a child, what a wonderful gift, for Kindra and I to create something out of our love, and to give this girl a chance to experience a safe place of affection, care, and exploration.  Our journey through the world was almost a time of preparation for this fantastic new journey, one that I am certain will take us deeper down a road of joy, love, and self discovery.  Little McRobbie girl, we have a place in our hearts ready for you!

Portland

Kindra, my brother Gavin, his fiancee Caitlynne, and I on our drive to Portland.

Hello, fellow companions of the human race!  It’s been a (long) while since our last post, I (Austin) hope to give you a catch up on our journeys, especially while my lovely, definitively pregnant better half swims laps at the Rose Bowl (yes, we are in Pasadena now). 

Since arriving in Amehrrica nearly two months ago, our lives have been crazy.  Seriously, we bounced back and forth between a good number of family and friends in the first few weeks, making an appearance at the always epic McRobbie reunion, which celebrated my Grandpa Mac’s 95th birthday and the 65th wedding anniversary of him and his ever youthful ninety year old wife, my Grandma Mary.  We also in elegant fashion surprised Kindra’s mom Kathy, and step dad Mike, all at a synagogue party for Mike’s mom’s seventy fifth birthday.  The back story of that second surprise is pretty great; Kindra and I showed up at the WRONG synagogue to surprise her step-gma, and so there we were, Friday evening at 7 pm, at a synagogue in Fountain Valley with no family to be seen.  Texts to the family to discreetly discover their location proved unfruitful (they didn’t know we were back in the states, let alone prego!).  Kindra was on the verge of throwing in the towel and revealing the plan via a phone call, but I intervened and instead sent a “911 text” to them saying Kindra was really sick in India (where they thought we were!).  They called back, and I bemoaned Kindra’s food poisoning, all while asking where they were; the Westminster synagogue!  We hung up without too much explanation, and gunned our borrowed pick up truck ten minutes up the freeway, to utterly shock Kindra’s family; Kindra’s mom was on the verge of tears and ready to hold a prayer circle for Kindra’s “deathly sickness.”  Classic adventure on our road back to American living. 

Visits to Kindra’s dad’s family and my mom’s family were way more mellowed out, although by family visit number four I was beyond feeling the effects of severe reverse culture shock. (Don’t ever get divorced, by the way, or, if you do, don’t allow your kids to marry someone else who has divorced parents; four families to balance is what we have to do and it is crazy.)  At one point in the second week of our return, I had a full out bawling on the floor emotional breakdown from opening my dad’s refrigerator; I couldn’t even make lunch!  So many choices; in Nepal, we didn’t even have a fridge for half the time, let alone consistent electricity!

Other significant culture “shocks” for us: big cars, orderly driven freeways, packed to the gills with random ish grocery stores, overly friendly waiters, dogs with poop picked up, everyone being pretty opinionated and liking to talk a lot and be super outgoing, etc.  Yeah, it’s been an adjustment.  Sure, America has a NUMBER of awesome traits, and a lot of stuff we are thankful for: fast internet, Trader Joe’s, conveniences galore, and perfect weather (in socal).  We simply just don’t feel as American, at least in the first month or so.  I guess a year and a half overseas can change us quite a bit. 

So, you’re probably wondering, now what?  You guys are “pregnant and barefoot,” get some medical insurance, a smart phone, and a job already.  Well, we have the medical insurance part, if California’s perhaps horrendous Medical counts.  Job….coming soon?  After some stressful soul searching in Santa Barbara and Oregon, we decided that we are moving to Portland!  Yes Portland, Oregon; the land of hipsters, trees, and less drought and expensive rent than SoCal.  So in the next two weeks, we will be packing our few belongings into a gratefully borrowed pick up truck (Sig and Christina, you guys rock!), and heading into frontier land.  There we hope to find jobs, and more importantly, a lasting nest for the little loved one growing forcefully in Kindra’s belly. 

Stay tuned for more ramblings of late twenty something hippies trying to find their way in a fast paced world!

Baby's First Check Up at the Doctor - Nepali Style!

So as you already know, we are PREGNANT!! We prepared this blog in advance together so you can hear one of the greatest stories of our pregnancy overseas: going to a hospital in Nepal. Kindra was having some lasting diarrhea, which apparently is not a good sign if you’re pregnant. So wanting to take the best care of our baby as possible, but being in Pokhara, Nepal, we nervously looked up the best hospital for foreigners and made our way there via scooter.

We pulled up to Manipal Teaching Hospital, and it was unlike anything we could imagine…..inside was more like a theme park than a hospital. There were lines everywhere with people, and the paint was peeling off the walls. After wading through the chaos, we discovered you had to pay for all the services you wanted before you received them, and finding our way to a crowded billing window we waited in line to pay the measly $30 for an ultrasound and several lab tests. But this line, we found, was more like waiting in line in Turkey, because people were pushing and crowding and often cutting in line. Fortunately for us, Kindra and I are good foot taller than the average Nepali, and quite a bit bigger too. So it was fairly easy to block the pesky line cutters. 

We ended up staying there most of the day, hopping from one place to another to another, the whole time dealing with pushy miniature Nepali people.  After a urine test, blood test, and stool test (providing the stool sample was easily one of the most interesting experiences of Kindra’s life :), we finally got what we were ultimately looking for: the ultrasound. 

We waiting for the attendants to call our name for the ultrasound, and then entered the small, people packed sardine like room, and went behind the curtain that provides a slim layer of privacy from the waiting crowds.  The whole process of the ultrasound lasted about five minutes, and it was a far cry from the glamorous, American experience one would expect for the same procedure in America.  The on duty technician had a crowd of people vocally waiting for their turn while he was giving me (Kindra) the ultrasound.  So, it was more of the get in, get out mentality.  Nonetheless, it was an unforgettable and wonderful experience.  We got to hear the heartbeat and watch our baby move!  I unexpectedly even had a single tear roll down my face when the technician finally turned the screen towards me, and I saw our baby for the first time. 

So, despite the frequent power cuts, which thankfully were supported by back up generators, and the suspicious looking hospital cafeteria, we received pictures of our little one and a bigger picture and understanding of how blessed we are, and how much we have as Americans and as individuals.  Next to the billing section, there was a box labeled: donations for poor patients.  We saw many people fully camped out in the hospital, and overall it was a very humbling and heart string pulling experience.  I (Austin) almost ran into a stretcher carrying a teenage boy outside the ultrasound room, and his sickly condition still stands with me today.  His stretcher was sitting almost carelessly in the hall room, with no privacy; his foot was bandaged and bloody, as was his face.  A mostly full catheter bag dangled from his legs; it all was such a sight of woundedness, on display for anyone walking by.  My thoughts in that moment and in the coming moments afterwards were: how can I help?  I wanted desperately a way, a way to heal him, or encourage him or help him.  Nothing tangible came to mind, but the experience still sticks with me.  Just as we are blessed to carry a life with us now, a child on the way, so it is an even further blessing to give life to those already living who need it the most.  Nepal is a poor, yet beautiful country, with poor and beautiful people, who could use a hand from those of us who can.  I will remember this.

So, one hospital adventure ends, and what an experience it was!

All Great Journeys Must Come to an End

It is with great reluctance and nostalgia that I, Austin, share with you the finish of a magnificent, life transforming journey. We have traveled uninterrupted for two years, traversing three continents and seventeen countries; all the while drinking deeply of adventure, culture, and self discovery. I can’t even describe the sensation that pours from my heart across my body as I attempt to reflect on the enormity and depth of impact this trip has left in my spirit and psyche. We have seen it all; mountains, lakes, caves, gushing waterfalls, crowded cities, quiet campsites. We have tasted abundantly; Swiss chocolate in the Alps, haggis in the Scottish countryside, crepes piping hot off a Parisian pan, Turkish kebab by the kilo, Georgian dumplings tastily burning our lips. And, most importantly, through the many paths we walked, drove, paddled, or flew; we have found two priceless treasures. 

The first is the precious gems we were looking for all along: ourselves. Ecstatic, unparalleled joys and absolute downer difficulties molded and shaped us, and we discovered hidden alleys of our hearts rich with identity and purpose. I found the faith in myself that I had always been looking for, and from that inward fountain burst forth enthusiasm, confidence, and a deep resilience. I am more myself than ever before, and I’m not going back to a life of fear or self doubt. Speaking for Kindra, I have seen immense courage unearth a voice that is her own, from which she is able to confidently represent her beliefs and desires, and I feel even more blossoming in her spirit is ahead. Together, all these developments and discoveries now make us stronger and more able to weather the many seasons of life.

The second treasure is one as unexpected at it is valuable: the gift of a child growing in Kindra! We unwittingly got pregnant while trekking the Lycian Way in Turkey, and this wonderful surprise became a major game changer in our journey. It all started with Kindra throwing up her breakfast after a night of celebrating the finish of our 30 day trek. Flash forward five days, and Kindra was still losing her morning cereal. Our dear Turkish friend Burcu offered to spot the low cost of a pregnancy test, so we agreed, and lo and behold: we’re pregnant! Reactions ranged from disbelief to excitement, but we remained skeptical whether the pregnancy would last (1 in 4 early pregnancies miscarriage). So Kindra and I kept at the road, and our tough baby (now seventeen weeks and healthy!), survived Indiana Jones ride-esque bus rides, high elevation hikes, and probably a million other things you’re not supposed to do while pregnant! So this whole time since Turkey we have been deceiving family, friends and blog readers alike, as we prayed to God and tried to find our direction for the future. In Nepal, we finally and tearfully made the call to pull the plug early on our journey of a lifetime, by flying back to California at the end of August.  (So yeah, we didn't go to India, that was all a farse.)

It was a difficult but wise decision; Kindra was struggling to handle the physicalities of our low budget style of travel, and so the baby and Kindra received due priority. We told almost no one of our return back home, save but a friend to pick us up from LAX.

As our thirteen hour flight landed without incidence on the LAX tarmac and we trudged our way towards customs, the shimmering, clearly printed words “Welcome to the United States” alongside a picture of President Barack Obama appeared overhead. We looked at each other and grasped hands for comfort. America, the land of our birth and certainly in many ways an amazing country, had nonetheless lost its place as home in our hearts. Our home was nowhere and everywhere at the same time, and as we made our way back into the "land of the free, and the home of the brave," we wondered whether it was a mistake to have come back. 

Thanks for following along! Keep an eye on our blog for more this next week, as we post more stories, including the aftermath of being back for three weeks, the great adventure of getting an ultrasound in Nepal, and a highlight reel of our favorite photos from the trip.

Also, if you feel moved in any way to help us out during this huge transition in our lives, there’s a few things you could do. We are looking for a reliable used car for sale cheap/free, and any leads on work opportunities for me. I have a background in medicine and chemistry, but a passion to work closely with people and be outdoors. Also prayer, thoughts and inspiration or ideas for where we should settle down are appreciated! 

You can contact us at: amcrobbie@gmail.com.  Thanks again!

Our baby at twelve weeks in Nepal!

A few pics that didn't make it...

Apparently a few pics didn't make it to the last Nepal update, here they are:

On the lake at Pokhara.

More on Nepal

Somehow a whole month has passed in Nepal, and it has been one of the most unique experiences of our trip so far. It is certainly the place most different from California, and it has given us a brilliant picture of why SouthEast Asia has such an allure for travelers around the world.
     It is impossibly green in the natural areas, and full of chaotic, colorful noises in the cities. The people in general are probably the friendliest we have met anywhere *besides Canadians, eh?* and the way the say hello, 'Namaste', meaning 'I recognize the divine in you', shows how deeply the Budhhist and Hindu roots are here. Although practicaly everyone speaks good or better English (again the best in general of anywhere we've been so far, aherm Turkey cough FranceItaly), it seems like their own culture has been only minimally affected by the West. It is actually politically and economically very influenced more by neighboring India than anywhere else. Beyond the USA flag, USA city state city, angry birds of facebook T shirts-people seem to LOVE wearing American flag/city shirts in every country) and the foreign foods largely available, it still feels altogether different. Mini buses/vans with 3 wheels stuffed to the gills with people; people on bicycles selling baby chickens from the back in large circular wicker baskets; delivery trucks aimed to out-do each other in colorful/religious decorations on the windshield and front; shrines everywhere with red powder rubbed into them; bald Tibetan monks walking into the pharmacy wearing their traditional red and yellow robes; beloved local or Indian pop stars screechy, nasally voices singing over the bus radio stations as we stand with our neck crooked because their Nepali sized person bus ceiling is far too low for our Western head. These are a few examples of things we encounter mostly everyday, and are all part of the unique charm of SE Asia.
     We started our time here staying at a Christian church in a quiet, green part of Kathmandu-Ranibu. The people greeted us with more warmth and hospitality than we'd feel on Christmas morning, and their continued generosity was truly astonishing. Offering everything they have to us, total strangers, when they have so little, was a deeply humbling experience and a beautiful example that I want to carry with us. After being picked up at the airport with traditional scarves given to honored guests, we came back to a hot ready meal and a prepared room of our own. While everyone there was very kind, due to English limitations we mainly connected with the family we stayed with, Muna and her 13 year old son Yabez. We played cards and guitar, made fantastic curry every lunch and dinner, visited church members and shared life together. We also spent time with the pastor Harun. He is a very hard working person, whose focus is on caring for and reaching the remote people of the Himalayas through his ministry Reach Himalayas. Click on the link to check it out more! He crosses rivers and climbs mountains to help bring clean, sustainable water to villages and to share the love of God with them. Needless to say, he was quite the dynamic leader.
     After 2 weeks there, we decided to head for the #1 tourist destination in Nepal: Pokhara. During winter and high tourist season, a whole 27,000ft Himalayan mountain range is reflected on a 2000ft lake, and is the main place people to start trekking from. During monsoon season, when we were there, your'e lucky to see any mountains (we saw a few twice!) and the leeches make trekking less fun. Nevertheless, we rented an apartment and had a terrific time exploring caves, renting scooters and boats, and putting around town for 2 weeks. And the prices are pretty great-think $15/night for  2 bed/2 bath/kitchen/tv apartment, $6 for a 6-7 hr bus ride, or $10 for renting a scooter for a day. The power is always a factor when choosing restaurants or a place to stay though, as it's cut a scattered 6 hrs/day throughout the country. You can imagine what it does to meat and dairy in 30 degree C weather =/
          We are staying near the airport tonight in a fabulous area, filled with monestaries, stupas and little streets to explore, and our flight to India leaves at 11pm tomorrow. This place is topping the list of 'return to' destinations, and we may find ourselves back in fall when the weather improves and the mountains are shining clear. In the meantime, Nepal has been a perfect way to start our Asian part of the trip, and if the rest is anything like this, we'll be 2 lucky turtles for the next several months!

Crossing the river from the church to the other side of town. After heavy rains the river can become impassable, but when it's anywhere up to belly high most people will traverse it for work, school, or errands.

Water buffalo, aka yaks, make up for the lack of beef in the local diet, and they love lazing in water to cool off.

Rice patties everywhere!

The pastor Harun, in black, bought us a cake for our 4 year anniversary! It was such a fun way to celebrate.

Yzbez eagerly waiting to eat dinner, which looked like this just about every night.

A traditional food of Nepal-momo, aka, dumplings. Vegetarian, chicken, yak, they come in lots of varieties but the spicy sauce is what makes them uniquely tasty. They are also crazy cheap!

The monument dedicated to the mountaineers who have lost their lives over the years in their quests, outside the International Mountain Museum in Pokhara.

Looking pretty comfortable for the top of Everest!

There are bells rung at temples all the time, but this one, situated on a tiny island in the middle of the lake at Pokhara, was totally surrounded by them!

From the lake at Pokhara.

The best of mountain views we got during our 2 week stay at Pokhara. This was the view from our apartment balcony!

Selling chicks from your bike....why not?

I LOVE these things! They're 'tractors' for hire, and use a lawn mower-like front attached to a flat bed back. They are absolutely everywhere, and are the main way people transport heavy things during construction.

A blurry but perfect example of the colorful delivery trucks seen everywhere.

"See you, Don't touch me"

Another favorite, the 3 wheeler! Usually jam packed with people crunched over each other, sometimes with some people hanging off of the back and holding on to the roof.

One of the many shrines you see with the standard red additions.

We got to ride an elephant in the Kathmandu zoo, the only zoo in Nepal, and afterwards had an amazing opportunity to connect with it, just touching its trunk and being close enough to rub eyelashes. I will never forget looking into those beautiful eyes.

     We are staying near the airport tonight in a fabulous area, filled with monestaries, stupas and little streets to explore, and our flight to India leaves at 11pm tomorrow. This place is topping the list of 'return to' destinations, and we may find ourselves back in fall when the weather improves and the mountains are shining clear. In the meantime, Nepal has been a perfect way to start our Asian part of the trip, and if the rest is anything like this, we'll be 2 lucky turtles for the next several months!

Feeling Like Neo in Nepal

"Have you ever felt that you were living in a dream world?" This quote from the Matrix, and its subsequent implications, sum up about how I (Austin) feel in Nepal. Maybe the jet lag hasn't worn off after a week, or perhaps the microbes from the less than sanitary food have crept into my brain, but for now life feels like a dream. Probably the cause of my other world experience is the vast gap of culture and sensation here from anything we have seen. Colors and aromas overwhelm the senses; some houses are painted neon blue or green or orange; bright curry spices pop off the shelves of local shops; buses sport arrays of decoration and color in addition to figures of Hindu gods. The air is always dancing in one's nostrils, be it the sweet waft of spices, drawing the stomach out of its cavern, or the pungent aroma of cows and water buffalos, or the putrid puff of thick smoke from buses off the page of a Sunday cartoon. People wander through Kathmandu in plethora: short in height, mostly poor, and full of the most interesting facial shapes and expressions. Kindra and I feel like giants, as we take on new sensations every day, wondering when we will wake up. Tractors zoom by, women carry large buckets of fresh picked rice across their backs and strapped to their foreheads. Cars and motorcycles move like enormous, smogy ants though intersections, and crossing the street is an art form that seems like it could cost one his life. Where are we?

Our accommodation is a brand new trip experience as well: we are staying at a small church, with a Nepali mother and teenage son living here also and cooking delicious curries for dinner. They don't have much money or possessions; the refrigerator, computer, bookshelf or sofa are luxuries not present; we eat on the floor and waste not a grain of rice. Yet we are content, and so are they; Munna and her son Yabitz are like family to us already, and their simple, genuine, kind spirits provide more warmth to us than any community we have found thus far.

Every day varies but is full, perhaps we are attending a prayer meeting, or strolling along the local river to laugh as naked boys jump in deep pools next to lazy water buffalos. Or maybe I am helping the pastor of the church edit his newsletters so they appear 'more American.' Pastor Harun's story of becoming a Christian is moving: his family sold most of their possessions to heal their sick mom, trying every witch doctor and Hindi remedy they could get their hands on. Upon hearing of a passing evangelist in the neighborhood, they brought him to their house, and his prayers for her health released the healing other remedies couldn't. The family converted joyfully to Christianity, and the now pastor left behind a lucrative trekking business to spend his life's efforts bringing food, clean water and Jesus to impoverished regions of Nepal.

The passions of this church are not currently our focus on this more contemplative and adventure oriented journey we are on, but we feel like family here, and that is unusual for us to find such a place. So our dream world continues, in this exotic land of Nepal, maybe one day I will wake up, but for now, dreaming is enough.

A New Season

Hey all, Austin back with another update from our crazy, wild, unpredictable journey across the globe. In a year and a half, since we showed up jet lagged at UK immigration and almost got sent back to America, we have managed to cover a measly couple thousand miles from Western Europe to Turkey to Georgia. Wow, we move slow for a world trip! But that's changing, as tomorrow morning we embark on a new season and fly to Nepal!

From west to east, from the known to the unknown, we head into a new, special time of our travels. Honestly, we have grown a bit tired of the nomadic life, constantly picking up from one temporary home and moving on to the next. But at the same time we strongly feel that God has one great last adventure left for us, and his speaking of something special in Nepal has ben clear since the Lycian Way. Our plans and timeline for Nepal and beyond is uncertain, but to visit a country where Buddhism was founded and where eight of the ten world's biggest mountains call home sounds pretty cool!

So follow along in the next few weeks and see what the East has for us! :)

Also, check out pictures from our time in Georgia:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10103264827616117.1073741848.3602591&type=1&l=a0a5eee0ec

Enter Georgia

"Where the hell is our bus?" I (Austin) look around the Georgian -Turkey border, a weight starting to form in my stomach. Surrounding us are taxis, a public bus, the storm cloud stained Black Sea coast...but not our bus. Just moments earlier Kindra and I were bright eyed and bushy tailed, with fresh Georgian stamps in our passports and our lives crammed into Deuter backpacks, and a readiness to take on anything in this approaching adventure. But not a missing bus, our ride to Batumi, a city less than thirty kilometers away. Alas, it was true. Somehow, some way, our boisterous Turkish driver had ditched us in a country where we knew ZERO language and had zero local currency. Thus starts our introduction to Georgia.

Flash forward one public bus ride and a few divine miracles later, and we found ourselves lounging in a four star hotel in Batumi, eating Georgian style chicken wraps and watching the World Cup. I won't go into detail, but let's just say some Georgian hospitality got us into town alive and with a ridiculous cut rate price on that hotel.

Batumi, a paradoxical mix of ghetto and boardwalk, was fun for swimming and orientation. We learned (kinda) the goofy Georgian alphabet, ate our way through massive cheese Viking boats, and laughed like children while hopping across inflatable slides set up in the ocean. Finally, it was time to move on, so we booked our cheap four hour bus to mountain resort town Borjomi and thought it would be an easy ride. We were dead wrong.

Driving in Georgia makes Italian driving look like a safety course. In short, all Georgian drivers have a death wish, and we found that out in brutal fashion on our ride to Borjomi. Our minibus driver passed big rigs with the enthusiasm of a Formula One racer, leaving us white haired and nauseous. If that wasn't enough, we saw the remnants if THREE major accidents along the way, confirming that the Georgian driving death wish often gets carried out. Needless to say, taking the train is our new travel method!

Borjomi, a mild, beautiful fresh town, revived our spirits with its abundant streams and natural beauty, not to mention dumplings! We ate, rested, and backpacked in the local national park, meeting kind travellers and fending off rainstorms in the process. I would love to elaborate, but we are hungry for dinner, and tomorrow our 7 am train awaits for the capital, Tblisi. Until next time, enjoy your Starbucks and thank your lucky stars that the freeway you drive every day isn't in Georgia. :)

Video Compilation of the Lycian Way

Enjoy this special "McRob-umentary" of our trek through southern Turkey!

A camera's view of the Lycian Way

We started at 3pm after an insane period of moving out of our Turkish apartment then hitchhiking for 2 days to the start point. Starting a 500K already tired and ready for a relaxing period isn't something I'd recommend.

Austin on top of an Ottoman cistern; our trail was the path to the right.

The ancient Lycian language in one of its most complete forms. Scholars refer to this stone in Xanthos as the 'Lycian Rosetta Stone' because the opposing sides of the stone was written in Greek,  one of the only surviving things in the world comparing Lycian and Greek.

Xanthos at sunset, one of the 7 major cities of the Lycian League, which was an independent republic for a short time before being taken by Rome again.

Incredible generosity is famous of Turkish people, and we encountered it a lot on the trail. Here some villagers of Gey were making us house yogurt and honey on top of this homemade bread, called yufka, and from this point on it was a staple food for us  throughout the hike.

A Roman aqueduct, that would pump water up the hill to reach the residents of the Lycian League capital, Patara.

Patara

Patara

A sweeping view of the first valley/mountains we crossed. Gey was up and over the mountains in the distance on the far left side, Xanthos was at the base of the mountains further to the right and Patara is the patch of tan/white shown just beyond the hill on the left. Cairns marked much of the trail where standard trail markers had faded or never been placed.

How a majority of the Lycian Way was formed-goats. As Austin said about halfway through, "The Lycian Way: made by mountain goats, for mountain goats."

A mountain village tucked in a a beautiful valley.

One of our countless campsites, here among storage building for villagers things when it becomes largely abandoned in winter and the people and animals move to warmer weather. A solitary man remains behind and guards these huts, until someone comes to relieve him.

Back when we would organize firewood, before we discovered the 'pile it on and burn!' technique.

Kash, an area famous for its paragliding off of these mountains and its Greek island in the center, where we stayed for a few days rest.

Walking through the ruins of Simena submerged in water. Not clear or interesting enough ruins to pay for a kayak or boat tour, as we were encouraged to do by locals, but incredible to walk through!

Simena was one of the 7 important cities of the Lycian League, and was a military base guarding the cove. This is from the top of the hill, where the castle/defense building stands.

Overlooking tiny Liman Agazi, where we went after Kash for a few days more rest.

Myra, with mainly tombs carved into the mountain side.

From the top of our first multi day mountain section with no additional food supplies available-it was an amazing experience!

In Finike we stayed in a pansyion with this wonderful woman, Sahdet. We had breakfast with her every morning for a few days and talked about everything under the sun-all in Turkish. It was excellent practice for our language!

The infamous lighthouse of the region, at the point of Lycia where the south and east coasts meet.

Our first steps of the east coast, leaving the lighthouse.

In Adrasan, just next door to its more famous relative Cirali, has largely similar beach landscapes with dramatic green cliffs surrounding both sides, and this feature not found in Cirali: incredible restaurants just above a gorgeous river that leads into the ocean! We stayed here at least 2 hours.

At the point where we would begin our ascent of Mt Olympos the following morning at 3am, turning left and very UP!

The long beach of Cirali, from the top of the ruins of Olympos.

In Adrasan we met this wonderful Turkish couple who took us into their arms and gave us a fantastic fish dinner, beer, and a night filled with laughter and bonfires. We also met a couple from Maldovia that night walking the Lycian Way in the opposite direction as us, and shared lots of information and fun stories.

Our campsite 2 hrs walk from the summit of Mt Olympos.

At the summit of Mt Olympos! The restaurant there opened at 9am, and as we got there at 5:30 for the sunrise we had the whole place to ourselves!

We saw more turtles than we have seen in our combined lives on the trail of all sizes and ages, but this little guy was one of the cutest!

Our campsite the night after our Mt Olympos summit. We continued to have spectacutlar views of the mountain for a few days before and after we summited, although you can't see it here.

A typical lunch, minus the chips. Those were more of a special comfort food treat for Kindra!

Some of our final steps of the hike, as we descended into Hisarcandir.  

We did it!! After 40 days (ok, 39) of being in the wilderness, and taking about 1 week total for rest, and only skipping 2 sections that were basically mandatory, we finished the whole trail! It was an incredible sense of accomplishment, despite the semi-anti climactic ending with a run down sign and no cheerleaders or champagne. It was a trek of a lifetime for us, and a truly unforgettable experience!