Monday Moment » One Giant Step

Monday Moment: Waiting For Elephants in Khao Yai National Park, Thailand

20. February 2012

Waiting For The Rain To Stop, Khao Yai Nat. Park

We had seen elephants at the elephant camp near Chiang Mai but I really wanted to see them in the wild. We headed out to Khao Yai National Park in central Thailand specifically for the hike through the jungle and grasslands where a pack of elephants were known to live. The hike was beautiful but oh-how-it-rained! [...]

Monday Moment: Argentinian Gauchos

13. February 2012

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Much of central and northern Argentina is pampas…long stretches of flat, flat grassland punctuated by estancias (ranches) and small towns. In the late 1800’s these fertile grasslands were ruled by gauchos. These South American cowboys are held in folklore much like their North American counterparts. Quiet, stoic, and proud, they were nomadic cattlemen back in [...]

Monday Moment: Berlin U-Bahn

6. February 2012

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I used to have a somewhat recurring dream as a teenager. Hearing the drone of engines overhead I look up to see a pattern of bombers heading towards me. The first wave of bombs drop just as the leading line of planes block the sunlight overhead. A heartbeat later the second wave drops. Then another [...]

Monday Moment: Japan

30. January 2012

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This week isn’t about looking back but about looking forward. OneGiantStep is going to Japan!! Japan was to be the final country in our RTW trip but, as we headed into South East Asia, we knew that our budget was just not going to stretch far enough for us to really do it justice. Japan [...]

Monday Moment: Kathmandu, Nepal

23. January 2012

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Our first days in Kathmandu showed it to be a noisy, messy, chaotic city that jangled all of our senses all at once. I had expected the religious observance here to be a calm, quiet, and peaceful adherence as I understood Buddhism to be, but instead found that Nepalese practice a mix of Hinduism and [...]

Monday Moment: Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey

16. January 2012

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I have never felt so close to religion as when in Turkey. The call to prayer wafts over the landscape on a strict schedule in tune with the sun; five times a day the melodic urging beckons the faithful to pray. There is a quiet adherence to centuries old tradition as markets and tea shops [...]

Monday Moment: Petra, Jordan

9. January 2012

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Petra is one of the most unbelievable sights I have ever seen. What is left of it leaves me wondering how on earth it was created; having been carved right out of the mountainsides. It hints to what must have been here at one time; a bustling, vibrant city in an area of the world [...]

Monday Moment: German Beer

21. November 2011

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I loved Germany. Most of all I loved the beer in Germany. I took a picture of every new beer we tried…it’s an exhaustive gallery to be sure. This one is one of my favorites; Paulaner Weissbier. Light and refreshing with hints of citrus, spice and clove. Enjoyed in my favorite place in Germany…Frank and [...]

Monday Moment: Junagarh Fort, Bikaner, India

14. November 2011

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These boys followed us around Junagarh Fort in Bikaner, India relentlessly asking questions. ‘Where are you from?’ ‘How old are you?’ ‘Are you married?’ ‘Do you have children?’ ‘Do you like our country?’ Their parents were clearly embarrassed and exasperated but the boys just had to know. We finally agreed on a picture in exchange [...]

Monday Moment: Bangkok Floating Market

7. November 2011

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Bangkok is suffering from some devestating flooding this season and many parts of the city probably look just like this. This is from the Bangkok Floating Market just outside the city though. A place where life and commerce regularly exists on the water. Boats are used for transportation, to provide services and as store fronts. [...]

Monday Moment: Inca Trail, Peru

31. October 2011

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Cresting Dead Womans Pass on the five day Inca Trail Trek in Peru is definitely one of the highlights of our RTW trip. We had planned our entire itinerary around being in Peru in the right season and had booked the trek months in advance to secure a spot on the very popular trail. Being [...]