Three for the Road: A Family 7-month trip to South America, Mongolia and Thailand

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About this blog

Our family of three set off January 30, 2010 on a seven month backpacking trip to twelve countries we've never before explored. Our blog, written and photographed by Annet and Michael, is both a family memoir and a šletter homeš that allows our friends and family to follow along with us, vicariously. Starting in Valparaiso, Chile and ending in Bankok, Thailand, places we'll visit include Patagonia, Easter Island, the Andes of Bolivia and Peru, ancient Incan cities, including Machu Picchu via the Inca trail, the Amazon basin, and on to Asia, with visits to Seoul, Beijing, Mongolia and Thailand. Our 11 year old is missing half of 6th grade. The progressive Palo Alto, CA school district is fully supportive, being of the opinion that he'll learn far more through world travel can can be taught in the classroom. School imposes one condition: the sixth grade math textbook needs to be learned, cover to cover From an educational standpoint, our family's adventure is a real life, real time, hands on life-learning experience! Each of us has individual passions to guide our travels - Michael is our nature lover, who could spend each and every day hiking in the wilderness. Oliver is fascinated by archeology and Meso-American history. and loves to build things. I am a city person, interested in foreign languages, art and the daily practices of different cultures. Fortunately all of our passions overlap and are shared to varying degrees. The trip will be wide-reaching in places visited and experiences encountered. The commonality is that we are seeking a deeper understanding of the world and its people, including ourselves.

• 1

  T minus 22 days...   Palo Alto, CA on Jan 6, 2010 5 pictures 3 comments
• 2

  SF to Santiago- Welcome to Chile & the $230 Orange   Valparaiso, Chile on Feb 1, 2010 14 pictures 4 comments
• 3

  Valparaiso In Vivid Color   Valparaiso, Chile on Feb 3, 2010 17 pictures 3 comments
• 4

  Pablo Neruda's houses   Valparaiso, Chile on Feb 6, 2010 9 pictures 1 comment
• 5

  On the trail of the last working ascensores   Valparaiso, Chile on Feb 12, 2010 22 pictures 1 comment
• 6

  Adios Valparaiso!   Valparaiso, Chile on Feb 13, 2010 16 pictures 3 comments
• 7

  At Sea in Ushuaia: "El Fin del Mundo"   Ushuaia, Argentina on Feb 14, 2010 20 pictures 20 comments
• 8

  Hiking Fitz Roy, El Chalten, Argentina   El Chalten, Argentina on Feb 21, 2010 24 pictures 1 comment
• 9

  Tumbling Ice: Perito Moreno Glacier   El Calafate, Argentina on Feb 23, 2010 12 pictures 2 comments
• 10

  Torres del Paine:Dream Spires and a Dream Realized   Puerto Natales, Chile on Mar 4, 2010 26 pictures 4 comments
• 11

  Reminders of boom times - Refrigorifico Bories   Puerto Natales, Chile on Mar 5, 2010 11 pictures 1 comment
• 12

  Estancias of the Patagonian Steppe   Rio Verde, Argentina, Chile on Mar 8, 2010 22 pictures 3 comments
• 13

  Alone-almost- in the Deserts of Southern Patagonia   Punta Arenas, Chile on Mar 9, 2010 10 pictures 0 comments
• 14

  Strait of Magellan -Pali Aiki -Penguins   Punta Arenas, Chile on Mar 12, 2010 22 pictures 0 comments
• 15

  The Navel of the World   Easter Island, Chile on Mar 18, 2010 11 pictures 3 comments
• 16

  We're in the Andes Now!   Putre, Chile on Mar 25, 2010 20 pictures 1 comment
• 17

  Bolivia 101: 10 Days in Sucre   Sucre, Bolivia on Apr 6, 2010 21 pictures 2 comments
• 18

  Cementario de trenes - Bolivia's train graveyard   Uyuni, Bolivia on Apr 7, 2010 14 pictures 0 comments
• 19

  Salar de Uyuni - World's largest Salt Flat   Uyuni, Bolivia on Apr 12, 2010 30 pictures 0 comments
• 20

  Potosi: fabulous colonial wealth & extreme poverty   Potosi, Bolivia on Apr 13, 2010 18 pictures 2 comments
• 21

  Samaipata: Tranquil Gateway to Parque Amboro   Samaipata, Bolivia on Apr 20, 2010 10 pictures 6 comments
• 22

  Light headed in La Paz   La Paz, Bolivia on Apr 21, 2010 10 pictures 2 comments
• 23

  Watching the River Flow: Rurrenabaque & the Pampas   Rurrenabaque, Bolivia on Apr 23, 2010 26 pictures 0 comments
• 24

  A Fragile Paradise-Parque National Madidi   Rurrenabaque, Bolivia on Apr 24, 2010 37 pictures 3 comments
• 25

  Bluer than Blue: Lago Titicaca   Isla del Sol, Bolivia on May 9, 2010 17 pictures 0 comments
• 26

  Cusco, Peru: Tale of two Cities   Cusco, Peru on May 12, 2010 33 pictures 0 comments
• 27

  In the Footsteps of Kings: Trail to Machu Picchu   Machu Picchu, Peru on May 18, 2010 37 pictures 3 comments
• 28

  Machu Picchu and more from Peru's Sacred Valley   Ollantaytambo, Peru on May 23, 2010 26 pictures 0 comments
• 29

  Colca Canyon: Dramatic, Gorgeous, but not Deepest   Yanque, Peru on May 29, 2010 11 pictures 2 comments
• 30

  In the Cordillera Blanca   Caraz, Peru on Jun 1, 2010 0 pictures 0 comments
• 31

  Swimming with Sharks on the Galapagos Islands   Puerto Ayora, Ecuador on Jun 15, 2010 35 pictures 9 comments
• 32

  Iquitos and the Heart of the Amazon Basin   Iquitos, Peru on Jun 21, 2010 36 pictures 1 comment
• 33

  Sightseeing and Mayhem in Beijing   Beijing, China on Jul 7, 2010 20 pictures 0 comments
• 34

  Trans Mongolian Railway - old style luxury travel   Ulan Bator, Mongolia on Jul 14, 2010 18 pictures 1 comment
• 35

  Ulaan Bataar: Emerging From Behind the Curtain   Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia on Jul 15, 2010 11 pictures 2 comments
• 36

  Into the Gobi..Camels! Nomads! Punctures!   Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia on Jul 16, 2010 18 pictures 4 comments
• 37

  Central Mongolia: Erdene Zuu Khiid & Tsagaan Nuur   Ulan Bator, Mongolia on Jul 22, 2010 18 pictures 4 comments
• 38

  Northern Mongolia: "I Can See Russia From My Ger"   Khatgal, Mongolia on Aug 4, 2010 17 pictures 0 comments
• 39

  Far West of Mongolia - Kazakh culture   Olgiy, Mongolia on Aug 17, 2010 36 pictures 1 comment
• 40

  We Join the Circus! - Bangkok, Thailand   Bangkok, Thailand on Aug 22, 2010 15 pictures 0 comments
• 41

  The Ruined Wats of Ayutthaya, Former Thai Capital   Ayutthaya, Thailand on Aug 26, 2010 9 pictures 0 comments
• 42

  Chiang Mai and North Thailand Trek   Chiang Mai, Thailand on Aug 31, 2010 20 pictures 1 comment
• 43

  Our Last Stop: We relax and reflect on Koh Phangan   Koh phangan, Thailand on Sep 7, 2010 17 pictures 1 comment