An exhausting, and wonderful, day in Agra India

Agra India is home to the incredible Taj Mahal. Lindsay and I visited this city with the sole purpose of going to see this iconic, and breathtaking, structure. However, we had an entire day in Agra and even after spending numerous hours taking in the Taj Mahal we still had the rest of the day to explore until our late train back to Delhi. After the Taj Mahal we decided to walk to Agra’s second most iconic structure which is Agra Fort. This beautiful, and huge, fort was built by the Mughals and is actually more of a walled city. The structure is extremely impressive as the outer walls/gates are made entirely of very large pieces of red stone. The only problem for Lindsay and I is that this fort is at least a mile or more from the Taj Mahal. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem but we were feeling the extremely hot weather and the hundreds of touts that make the road between the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort their hunting grounds. We started down the road and quickly realized that we were in over our heads. After fighting the sun and numerous touts we finally gave in and paid a tout to take us in his covered horse drawn carriage the rest of the way to the fort. Once we arrived at the fort we immediately purchased some water and began to explore. However, we quickly realized that the sun/heat was getting the best of us and we were not going to be able to explore this fort with the same energy level that we usually have. We decided instead to simply wander slowly through its numerous courtyards, structures, etc. We found one particular area to sit (in the shade of a massive stone gate) and probably sat there for over an hour just trying to stay cool and to keep our energy levels up. Although we were tired we actually really enjoyed exploring the Agra Fort and especially liked the unique view of the Taj Mahal in the distance. After a few hours we made our way back up the road to the old town area of Agra that surrounds the Taj Mahal. This area is famous for its roof top cafes that offer a view of the Taj Mahal. We found a cheap one of these and set up shop for a long evening of simply people watching. From our wonderful perch atop this restaurant we could see the Taj Mahal and had an incredible view right down to one of the busiest intersections in this part of the city. We must of sat their for hours just drinking Coke/Sprite and taking in the scene. Every time we ordered another Coke from our young waiter we could see him run across the square below us to a neighboring restaurant and come back with a Coke to give to us…we were quite amused by this. We could also see numerous locals on the roof of their own homes hanging laundry, sleeping, etc. Needless to say it was the perfect place to kill a few hours before catching our train back to Delhi. So although we were extremely tired, and hot, we had a wonderful experience chilling and taking in the “non-Taj Mahal” sights of Agra, India.

Ko Olina – A little slice of Paradise in Hawaii

There is really no place on earth like Hawaii. Lindsay and I have been lucky enough to visit this amazing place twice during our married life. The first was a Christmas vacation with my family (the Duncan's) and the second was a once in a lifetime trip with Lindsay's mom Pat (her whole life she has dreamed about going to Hawaii). Both times we have been lucky enough to stay at my brother-in-laws families house in the beautiful area of Oahu called Ko-Olina. This new development sits only a few minutes outside of Honolulu so you are close enough to the city to enjoy all of the sights but far enough away to not be bothered by the thousands of other tourists. Ko Olina is a development that sits around 4 half moon shaped coves full of sandy beaches, grass and endless palm trees. There is an enormous golf course (with incredible landscaping), a JW Marriott Hotel and numerous private homes (one of which we stayed in). The house we stayed in sat right next to the golf course and when you looked out the back deck all you could see were palm trees, grass and ponds…it was spectacular. The home had a golf cart and numerous scooters which was the perfect way to get to the beach if you didn’t feel like making the short 10 minute walk. During both of our trips we mostly just hung out at the beach and snorkeled (one time seeing a sea turtle), laid out, swam, etc. Because of Ko Olinas central location it is incredibly easy to head into Honolulu, up to the North Shore, over to Pearl Harbor, etc. Some of the most relaxing memories Lindsay and I have are just hanging out in the coves of Ko Olina listening to the waves and watching the palm trees sway. Now that we have stayed in Ko Olina it will always be our number 1 choice for a home base in beautiful Hawaii.

Our First Morning in Thailand…Welcome to International Travel

When Lindsay and I were first married she was always talking about Thailand and how bad she wanted to go there. I am not sure what made her first start obsessing about this country but I really wanted to take her there. I began watching our finances very closely and decided we had just barely enough money to take a 2 week trip to this amazing country. Plus to earn a little extra cash we ended up painting the interior of my families two story office building which took much longer than we expected. :) At first we were just going to go to Phuket but Lindsay informed me that this was probably the last place she wanted to see in Thailand so we did some research and decided to hit up Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Krabi. Lindsay and I had both traveled through Europe extensively, and I had even been to South America when I was younger, but this was going to be our first international trip together (our honeymoon in Mexico doesn’t really count). After months of research I decided on a great little hotel in Bangkok to spend our first night in. This gem of a place was called Hotel Swana and was tucked neatly away on a non touristy street in the heart of Bangkok. We arrived in this incredible city late at night and took a taxi to our hotel. Both of us were glued to the windows as we winded our way through the amazing metropolis of Bangkok. I will never forget that initial feeling of excitement, addiction and terror as I knew I was about to be dropped off in such a foreign place. We eventually made in to Hotel Swana and checked-in to our amazingly cute/modern room (which was seriously like 105 degrees until the AC kicked on). It was late and we both just crashed as we couldn't wait until morning so that we could start exploring. As the sun came up the next day I climbed out of bed and glanced out of our 5th floor window and couldn’t believe my eyes. The street life below us was absolutely incredible. There were people coming/going, selling goods, etc. Furthermore, directly across the street from our hotel was a beautiful Wat (temple) with the typical Thai architectural elements of red roofs, sharp lines, gold spires, etc. Lindsay joined me at the window and we both just stared in awe out our window. After an amazing breakfast we hit the streets to explore. We really didn’t know were to go but I knew that only a few blocks from our hotel was the incredible Rama VIII bridge. This amazing structure opened in 2002 and has a large single pillar supporting numerous cables which of course hold up the entire structure. It is simple, elegant and one of the prettiest bridges I have ever seen. The walk from our hotel to this bridge was incredible. As I mentioned earlier we were off the main tourist roads of Bangkok so we really experienced the local street scene. There were shop owners preparing their shops for the days business, street vendors selling food, locals sitting on the ground cooking food, etc, etc. This mixed with the loud traffic and other urban sounds really helped us realize we were in an exotic location. I can literally trace my love for travel to this first morning walking the streets of Bangkok. The sights, smells and sounds did something to me and Lindsay that started an incredible addiction to travel that still exists today. We were so unprepared that all we had with us was our lonely planet guide…we didn't even have a day bag or anything. :) We eventually made it to the RAMA VIII bridge just as the morning sun was starting to shine across the city. Through the haze/smog you could see the vast, and endless, urban jungle that is the city of Bangkok. We stood on this bridge for probably an hour just watching the boats, admiring the city and trying to take in the incredible scene in front of us. We just kept looking at each other and saying…this is incredible. The simple experience of walking through the streets to RAMA VIII bridge our first morning in Bangkok was the start of a very long and adventurous love affair with travel for Lindsay and I. We will simply never forget it.