Bests and Worsts

We decided to compile a list of our favorite and least favorite places, people, and things that we've encountered during our travels.  We are sad to say that it is our parting blog.  I hope someone enjoyed reading these posts -- I can attest that we both enjoyed writing them, me a little more than Erin.  I haven't been keeping a journal and this has been a good way to write down some of my thoughts.  I think, in hindsight, I wish we would have brough a lap top along.  There is wi-fi virtually everywhere (except Burma).  And with a laptop we could have upload photos along the way, which speak much louder than any words of ours could convey, and we would have had more time to write.  I have constantly felt hurried when writing the blog (as I've always paid for internet service along the way) or watched over my shoulder, which can be a bit discomfiting.  In any event, it has been fun.

Favorite Country:  Erin ("E") - Nepal       Paul ("P) - Laos
Least Favorite:  E - Karabagh     P - Thailand (too disney worldish)
Favorite Big City:  E - Bangkok     P - Ho Chi Minh City (love the motorbikes and pho)
Least Favorite:  E & P - Tbilisi, Georgia
Favorite Small Town/Village:  E & P -  Manang, Nepal
Least Favorite:  E & P - Lukla, Nepal
Favorite Cuisine :  E & P - Thai (by a wide margin)
Least Favorite:  E & P - Nepali (by a wide margin)
Favorite Dishes:  E & P -  Aubergine with walnut paste (in Georgia), white snapper (Thailand), papaya salad (Thailand), lamajoon (Armenia), kausoi (Thailand)
Least Favorite:  E & P - Dal Bhat that made us ill in Phakding, Nepal
Favorite Beer:  E & P - Kazbegi (can't beat 13.5% alcohol content), Beer Lao (cheap and tasty)
Least Favorite:  E & P - Everest (Nepal)
Favorite cordial:  E & P -  Ararat cognac (Armenia), tierbe (Austria)
Least Favorite:  E & P - chang (Nepali home-made beer)
Most Friendly People:  E & P - Burmese
Least Friendly:  E & P - Armenians (sad but true)
Best mode of ground transport:  E & P - Thai buses (they are luxury compared to buses elsewhere)
Worst mode of ground transport:  E & P - mashruka (Georgia and Armenia)
Best bus ride:  E &P - Mini van ride between Krabi and Chumpon, Thailand
Worst:  E & P - the bus ride from hell between Bandahar and Kathmandu (by an extremely wide margin)
Favorite Active Place of Worship:  E & P - Upper Pisang buddhist temple, Nepal
Favorite Ancient Temple:  E & P - Anapat (Armenia). the Temples of Angkor (Cambodia)
Best Treatment of Animals:  E & P - Thailand (by a wide margin)
Worst - E & P (Nepal)
Best Mountain:  E & P - Ama Dablam, Daulagiri, Annapurna II (all in Nepal)
Best Refreshing Drink:  E & P - Lime soda
Best Book Read During Our Travels:  E & P - Shalimar the Clown, Salman Rushdie
Worst Book:  E & P - So Close to Heaven (appalling bad)
Most Memorable Experience:  E - Nepal treks     P - Burma trek
Favorite Lodging:  E - Halstatt room on the lake, P - monastery on Burma trek
Least Favorite:  E & P - Yerevan homestay, Stepanakert guesthouse, Kangjuma teahouse (on Everest trek), Shangri-La guesthouse (Kathmandu)
Most Valuable Vegetable:  E & P - Tomatoes, Eggplants, and Longbean
Most Valuable Herb:  E & P - Mint
Most Difficult Place to Travel:  E & P - Georgia and Armenia (by a wide margin)
Easiest:  E & P - Thailand

Places we didn't see on this trip but that we'd like to see in the future:
1) Eastern Turkey (Western Armenia), including Erzrum and Mt. Ararat
2) Just Erin- Northern India (Dharmsala area)
3) Northern Vietnam (Hanoi, Halong Bay and Hoi Ann)
4) Other areas of Nepal (Manaslu, Makalu, Mustang, Dolpo, etc.)
5) Islands of Cambodia (before they get developed)
6) Just Paul - Svanetti, Georgia; Northern Burma
7) Just Erin- China (Udon and Beijing)