Lists

We have now finished our Big Trip.  What a year it has been!  And what amazing experiences we have had in so many countries.  Here is a sample:

Countries in which we have had bugs and infections:

• Thailand - ants crawling across my head while sleeping on a mat on the floor at a homestay in the hills above Chiang Mai
• Thailand - leech sucking my blood
• Thailand - Mira had a bad stomach bug
• Indonesia - I caught Mira's stomach bug
• Indonesia - lice, which everyone but Rob got them
• Indonesia - Rob had bedbugs
• Cambodia - Rob and Maya had a little stomach bug
• Palau - poisonous tree got Maya good (like poison ivy but worse)
• India - Rob had mites with super long antennas in his underarm
• India - Maya had a cold or flu
• Australia - we all had leeches sucking our blood
• California - Mira and I had bedbugs

Maya's legs after toughing beautiful Palau's ugly poisonous trees

Countries in which we ate insects:

• Thailand
• Laos
• Cambodia
• Mexico

Countries in which I saw friends (and location of where we first met that friend):

• Thailand - Billy, Kathy, and Khalid (Louisiana and UAE)
• Thailand - Dino and Helen (Rhode Island)
• Indonesia - Denise, Jay, Charlotte, and Jimmy (Rhode Island)
• Singapore - Ann, Michael, Demitri, and Thani (Rhode Island)
• India - Tony, Alicia, and Fran (Rhode Island)
• Bhutan - Nabil and Violet (Louisiana and UAE)
• Myanmar - Josh, Zoe, and Zack (Jordan)
• Myanmar - Jill and Roni (Jordan)
• Cambodia - Matt and Sheila (California)
• Vietnam - Reed and Ryder (Jordan)
• Australia - Megan (Canada)
• Australia - Dianne, Zekele, and Lindy (Zimbabwe)
• Australia - Mandy (Washington)
• Australia - Carolan, Tim, and Kirra (California)
• Australia - Lesley (UAE)
• Australia - Denise (Eritrea)
• New Zealand - Helle and Warwick (Eritrea)
• New Zealand - Liz (Eritrea)
• Samoa - Cedric and Suzy (Massachusetts and Fiji)
• Chile - Inaki and Meritxell (Eritrea and New York)
• Mexico - Kathy (California)
• Mexico - Holly (Washington)
• Mexico - Jeanne (Zimbabwe)
• Mexico - Lisa (Jordan)
• Mexico - Jane (Rhode Island)
• Mexico - Lessie (Mexico)
• Hawaii - Matt and Sheila (California and Zimbabwe)
• Hawaii - Paz (Rhode Island)
• California - Sandy, Anneke, and Marijke (Canada)
• California - Kathy (California)
• California - Edie, Jimmy, Mimi, Cici, and Tia (UAE and California)
• California - the Marsocci clan (Rhode Island)
• California - Laura (Washington)
• California - Dave (France)
• California - Dom and Joao (Rhode Island)
• Arizona - Kamal, Alia, Saif, and Azza (Egypt)

How to say hello and thank you in the 19 countries we visited (and Hawaii):

• UAE:  marhaba, shukran 
• Thai: swadi ka, kap kun ka 
• Laos: sawadi, kap chai
• Indonesian: slamat pagi tremakasi
• Philippines:  kamusta , salamat po
• Palau: alli alli, sulong 
• India: namaste, dhandivad 
• Bhutan: kuzuzangpola, karinchey
• Myanmar: maklava  , chezutamari 
• Cambodia: Suwa sudeh, awkun 
• Vietnam: Sin chao, com an
• Australia: G'dai, cheers or ta 
• New Zealand: hello, thanks or ta 
• Samoa: talofa, fa'afetai
• Santiago: hola; gracias 
• Easter Island: iorana; maururu 
• Mexico: hola; gracias 
• Hawaii: aloha, mahalo

- Nadia