Our time in Thailand was filled with some major highs and some of the lowest moments of our journey.

We’ve been to Thailand before and this is the 3rd time for me, but this would be the longest either one of us would have spent in Thailand.  Our plan was to travel from north to south and use 3 places as a home base so we weren’t constantly traveling.  When you are nomads it’s nice to have some extended period of stability.  That was the plan.

With any thoughtful plan, expect to adjust as life throws you a curveball.  As we landed in Chang Mai I felt really ill with extreme fatigue and weakness that I’ve never felt before.  I thought maybe after months of not working out, lots of fatty foods, and irregular sleep had caught up to me in some way.  I was sure some rest in Chang Mai would cure it, but as I rest more, the worst it got.  After visiting an elephant sanctuary were I felt my chest pounding and my body giving out on me, I needed to figure out what was wrong.  Nothing like this has ever happened to me.  Isabella and I were both really worried.  Was I having some form of a heart attack?  Every bad thought race through my mind, especially since we were not sure how to deal with the situation in a foreign country.

We both kept an active monitor of my condition and noting any changes.  We didn't want to be surprised, especially since we didn’t know how to reach emergency services or communicate with the local people.  We had to figure out how to visit a doctor, maybe a specialist, along with a bunch of other things as well.  We had plans to travel around northern Thailand that we had to limit.  Our apartment stay was coming to an end and we needed to figure out how to extend without moving while I was in this state.  We wanted to see a doctor before we move on to potentially more difficult regions for healthcare (or determine if we need to head back to the States).  And I was also worried about going to a hospital in southeast Asia as my experience when I was backpacking through Vietnam many years before was not good.  Where do you even start to find an English speaking doctor and specialist in Thailand?

We were surprised.  Many Thai hospital sites were in English and you can make an appointment from the site, including picking a specialist.   There were expat sites that gave feedback on doctors.  It seems like many doctors spoke English.  But how much will everything cost?  We have international health insurance, but it was essentially catastrophic coverage with high deductible.  And I wanted to do a comprehensive cardio check-up, which in the US would cost thousands of dollars.  When we got to the hospital a cardio nurse checked me in, went over cost for different service upfront, and discussed what she thought would be best, which we could adjust based on the doctor's consultation.  I was shocked.  The price for a full suite of tests, including some very expensive ones, came out to be about the price of a fancy meal on an evening out.  It was affordable.  What was even more extraordinary was the experience.  There was always a nurse or a guide to help you around the hospital so you don’t get lost when doing the tests.  The facility was modern and quite nice.  They were in constant contact with me on ETA for different things and was apologetic when the doctor was only 5 minutes late.  The doctor was friendly, candid, and world-class.  I am sure not everyone's experience is like this, but it was pretty perfect.

The diagnosis was a little embarrassing.  My cardiovascular system was extraordinary healthy.  I knew that this could be a potential outcome.  If that was the case, then what I was feeling was likely a consequence of my flu I had a month before.  The doctor also confirmed that it is common people have these type of symptoms after a severe flu.  So after being cleared physically and it allowed me to start being active again, pushing through the extreme fatigue whenever I felt it.  After a short period of working out and being active, I quickly recovered.  Knowing is half the battle.

After recovering and adjusting to the remaining time, we traveled to Phuket and Bangkok.  We explored different islands, learned freediving, visited many temples, and ate a lot of amazing food (check out our video blog here).  Thailand is not only a beautiful place to visit (checkout pictures above), but it has great modern infrastructure.  I guess that’s why there are so many expats living there.

-Vu

P.S.

This is why we are so behind in our videos and blogging last month and of course Isabella caught a cold just a week back.  So we continue to be behind.  Life of a nomad isn’t always just amazing sunsets and beautiful places.  😉

Even if you are familiar with Japanese culture, it might be a shock the first time you visit Japan (photos above are from all over Japan) and Tokyo. Even the second time around it was still true. I’ve been to Japan and Tokyo many years ago and this time living here for a month gave me a new appreciation for the Tokyo life, which I didn’t get from a shorter visit.

Japan is known for being a discipline and respectful society. Although you do feel that presence, it is definitely an incomplete view of this multifaceted country. Today Japan is a vibrant country, evolving with the times and yet still holding on and celebrating its heritage. Although, it doesn’t fear embracing food and culture from around the world. A matter of fact, in each case it brings a very distinctive Japanese twist. Some may argue even better than the original it appropriated from. We don’t disagree.

It’s an expressive society stemming from a culture that values not trying to standout. So, it creates this awkward and amazing individual expression. Sometimes it is seen as playful cosplay, but often it’s a bold statement that is more subtle in fashion, hair style, or make-up. Although you can argue Japan is a conservative culture, there is much more than a fringe that is pushing and transforming the country that is impacting every aspect of life. There’s no place to see that transformation better than Tokyo.
​
So, what are some things you need to know to visit or live in Tokyo? We covered some of this in our Tokyo video blog and we have some additional complimentary details below.
​

• Travel pass – in Tokyo, if you are here for a while, it’s best to get a Suica card and add money to it. There’s a deposit for the card, but you will get most of it back when you leave. It’s also good when you travel to many of the areas outside of Tokyo. This means you don’t have to constantly run to the ticket machines. If you are here for a shorter trip or plan to do visit several cities using the intercity rail, then getting a Japan Pass before you come to Japan can save you a lot of money. For instance, you can get a 7-day unlimited Japan Pass for a similar price to a around trip to Osaka from Tokyo. The flexibility of an unlimited pass can be really nice. Unfortunately for us, because we decide so last minute to come to Japan we didn’t have time to order it before we left. You have to receive the ticket outside of Japan. You can still get other passes if you are a visitor to Japan, but they are not nearly as deeply discounted.
• Getting around Tokyo – there are multiple train lines operating in Tokyo (map). You can transfer for free within a line, but if you switch lines you will be charge for that transfer each time. So, if you want to save money, it’s best to use one (or few) train line to get to your destination. What we do is we take one train for the longest segment we need and we walk the rest of the way, but we like walking. This can reduce your daily cost transportation cost by 50% or more. Per the above, you can pay for these with the Suica card, which we highly recommended.
• Restaurants – there are two unique ways to pay that you might not know about. First, you will notice in some of the Japanese restaurants that there are vending machines where you select and pay for everything in advance. For each item you order, there will be a ticket that prints out. For these machines, you always insert the money first and then select what you want. Once you are done, then hit the button to return your change (most time it’s obvious). If you need to study the menu first, do that before you get to the vending machine. Otherwise, you will hold everyone up. If the vending machine doesn’t have English, sometimes they have an English menu and you select based on the button position or picture. The second common way is that they will provide you the check immediately after you are done ordering. When you are ready to pay, you go to the cashier to pay. You will notice that many Japanese restaurants are small and they optimize to help get people in and out. So, if it’s really busy, it’s probably best not to linger. It helps these smaller restaurant, which we find are our favorites.
• Tipping – tipping is not a cultural norm in Japan. If you try to tip, you may create confusion (because they don’t understand what you are trying to do) or insult the person (treating them as panhandler). So, no tipping is necessary.
• Bathrooms – first the Japanese toilets and bathrooms are modern day miracles, if you know how to operate them. Although it can be intimidating. The toilets usually feature heated seats and a bidet, especially in the hotel and home. You don’t have to use the bidet feature, but at least understand how to flush the toilet. Most toilets have handles and buttons on the toilet and allow to flush in low (small) or high flow (big) flushes. Since many of the toilets are electronic, the flush button may be completely separated from the toilet either on a control console on a wall or on an arm to the toilet, which usually has many buttons. This is where you need to recognize two Japanese characters: 大 for a "big flush" and 小 for a "small flush". So why is it so amazing? The best toilet is almost fully automatic, the lid comes up with a touch of the button, the seat is warm, the bidet sprays and dries, toilet paper is pleasantly scented, you stand up it automatically flushes, and lid closes. All of this while you hear bird chirping or ocean waves. Come on! That’s taking a mundane thing and making it like going to a spa.
• Public trash cans – you will not find a public trash can on a Tokyo street. They were removed in the 90s after a terrorist group used the trash cans for a sarin gas attack. The trash cans never came back. You can sometimes find a trash can in the train station usually after you enter the pay gates. Otherwise, some people bring plastics bag with them to keep trash in. Recyclable cans and bottles can be places in recycle bins next to vendor machines, which are usually easy to find. Don’t push trash in those bins.
• Garbage and recycle – Tokyo like many other cities has a strict regiment when it comes to the trash. It’s important to understand that if you plan to live in Tokyo or any other Japanese city. The first thing to note is that you have to sort your trash. Tokyo isn’t bad, there’s only really 4 different categories: combustible trash (red), non-combustible trash (blue), recycle bottle and cans (green), and paper (green). In some cities or wards, there are upwards of twenty. You also have to put out the right category of trash on the right day.
• Grocery store – convenient stories usually will pack your bags for you, but if you go to a bigger grocery store, they will expect that you do it yourself. The protocol is pretty easy. The cashier will transfer your groceries from one basket to another as they scan each item and then provide you with plastic bags. Once you pay for the groceries, you take the basket and the bags to a counter and pack them yourself. It’s quite an efficient way to get everyone through the line quickly.
• Vending machines – you will see vendor machines everywhere in Tokyo. Most are drinks, but there are a lot of different ones. Don’t be afraid to use them. They are really convenient, fast and sometimes better prices than a store. The nicest thing is a warm drink on a cold day when you are doing touristy things. Our favorites are the hot milk coffees or milk teas on a cold winter day. They are so good!
• Sunglasses – we came in the driest and thus a sunny time of the year for Tokyo, winter. We had some really sunny days and it would be hard to find anyone wearing sunglasses. Culturally, it seems like sunglasses are deemed not necessary and can seem pretentious. We are not totally certain about this, but it’s what we read. Although, I don’t think people are offended if you do.

That's it for our tips. If you have any questions, feel free to comment below. I swear we fall in love with each place we visit. I know both Isabella and I didn’t want to leave Japan and Tokyo. We love Tokyo!

-Vu

​Grocery Beer Price Index: Grand Kirin 330ml 228 yen ($2.11)

After Europe and a short break, we headed to Asia.  Our first stop -- Tokyo!

Tokyo has been fabulous!  Even for me the second time visiting Japan, there was still so much to discover.  So we thought we would make a how-to-survive Tokyo episode.  It’s our first “full length” episode.  Woot!  We are kind of excited about that.

 Some thoughts we had immediately landing in Tokyo:

1. Is everything in Japan automated?
2. How come folks don’t wear sunglasses in Tokyo?
3. Why are toilets so complicated?
4. What is the best and cheapest way to get around in Tokyo?
5. What are the most popular neighborhoods (area or wards) to visit in Tokyo?

This episode is called “Not Lost in Translation”, but let us know if we misinterpreted somethings and totally got it wrong.  😊

If you like our videos, let us know by subscribing here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/vu360

Real-time photos on Instagram of our trip from where we are currently:
vu: https://www.instagram.com/vu360/
Isabella: https://www.instagram.com/chillabella/

-Vu

After visiting Denmark, we stopped over in Paris for a week. 

Paris is one of our most favorite cities in the world.  Probably the city we've visited the most in our travels.  So this time we spend much of our time exploring the neighborhoods of Paris and hopefully getting a different perspective on the "city of love".  Follow us as we do a quick walk through of some of our favorite neighborhoods.

If you like our videos, let us know by subscribing here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/vu360

Real-time photos on Instagram of our trip from where we are currently:
vu: https://www.instagram.com/vu360/
Isabella: https://www.instagram.com/chillabella/

Thanks, Vu + Bella

​P.S.
​We are still recovering from the flu which is pretty much a global epidemic, but hopefully we are really through it this time.  So expect more blogs coming soon!  Also in Paris, it was hard to find a local French craft microbrew beer.  Although we know there are some, most of the beers were international and the closest was probably Belgium beers, which we love.  So sorry no GBPI for Paris.

After leaving the arctic and the northern lights, we look for a little holiday cheer in Stockholm.  Stockholm is an amazing place to visit for the holidays!  We also hear that Santa Claus is hiding out in Stockholm and we set out to find him and see the city.  ;-)  Merry Christmas!

The Nordic countries are renown for some of the most balanced governance - better wealth distribution, investment in higher education, more environmentally focused, open and free press, little government corruption, and thriving economies.  So, what do you expect when you land in the largest city of the Nordic countries?  The bar is set high.

There are certainly classic architecture, amazing monuments, and grand parks.  Stockholm has an abundance of museums and theaters.  Everywhere you turn is a school.  The public libraries and other public spaces are filled with kids “studying”.  Then you have the world shaping Swedish brands (IKEA, Spotify, Skype, H&M, Electrolux, AstraZeneca, Volvo) that help drive a healthy Swedish economy.  Of course, you have the classic people-centric European city planning (communal plazas and pedestrian and cycling pathways) designed to connect people.  So, the city lives up to expectation!

Although with every major metropolitan, there is always an unsavory underside; however, in our brief visit, we were a bit surprised to not really find it.  It was a little unexpected. 

Here are some unexpected things about the city:

• Friendly multilingual society – You will be hard press to find a Swede that doesn’t speak fluent English.  Like many European countries, they often study several languages.  They know communication connects people.  That’s why many of Nordic countries learn each other’s languages as well, but it was surprising to hear so much English.
• Hustle and bustle of silence – You can stand in the center of the city and watch rush hour with near silence.  It’s crazy cool!  Honking is only meant for emergencies.  So, you rarely hear it.  Roads and cars are well maintained for minimum noise.  I hear there are even rules on types of tires that are allowed, which further enhance this effect.
• Society moving like clock-work – To say Stockholm is a law and order society is an understatement, because it’s more than that.  It’s about respect and being courteous to your fellow neighbor.  On the streets you see pedestrians, cars, and bikes move in a formulated rhythm.  Vehicles always stop for pedestrians.  Pedestrians don’t interrupt traffic flow by crossing at crosswalks and at the right time.  Bikers know the rules of the road and signal appropriately.  On transit, people give up seats for the elderly or help a mom with a stroller.  We didn’t find graffiti marking up the city or even a homeless person on the street.  At least it wasn’t obvious like the many large metropolitans we visited on this trip.  It’s kind of amazing!
• Swedish food a surprising wonderment – My palate might be Swedish.  I love the pickled herring, cured and smoke salmons, and those meatballs!  Pretty much every Swedish dish we had was delicious.  My only disappointment was that we were on a tight budget.  Tip: Tipping isn’t expected, but the general convention is to round up the bill to even it out, which is a good sign of appreciation.  We can also recommend these restaurants: Oaxen Slip  and Bakfickan.

We really didn’t explore enough of Stockholm to truly understand it, but from what we saw as a tourist, Stockholm might be the perfect city.  It at least makes us want to come back to see and discover more of Stockholm and Sweden.  It’s amazing!

-Vu

P.S.

After Tromso, Stockholm was a little friendlier to the pocket book, which was nice, but don't expect a bargain.
 
 Grocery Beer Price Index: 15.90 SEK for 33cl Bordsol Nils Oscar  ($1.92)

Just about a month ago we had a long layover in London.  In that 11-hour layover, we actually had enough time to see many of the major tourist attractions.  So, what did we do this time?

Being on a budget is really a blessing for us on this visit.  It forced us outside the tourist areas and into a neighborhood that we had never explored and saw so much more of what London is about.  Walking and exploring the neighborhood is how you really discover the soul of a city.  So, we were excited to land in Battersea and wander.  From our home base, we spent much of our time roaming Battersea, Clapham, Chelsea, and Westminster.  Each of theses neighborhoods (district/city), were so unique.  You can see the gentrification and diversity of Battersea and affluence of Chelsea.  Clapham was vibrant with young professional, but maybe a counter to Shoreditch edginess and liveliness, which reminded us of home in the pacific northwest.  Tip: Eating in the many great takeout (mom-and-pop) places in Battersea is the best way to stay on a budget, but the really amazing things are the owners.  They are super friendly and really want to get to know their customers.  Each place made us wandering nomads feel like we were at home.  That's a win in our book!  Oh, they also only accept cash.

We were also able to do a quick getaway to Stonehenge and Bath.  We did it on a tour coach versus public train.  It allowed us to see the country side and it was in the end cheaper and more convenient.  Often people pack their day tours, but we looked for a tour solution that provided us the most free time versus being ushered around and not being able to experience anything.  Oh, and we really enjoyed Bath and Stonehenge!  Definitely go!  Tip: The most common day tour from London is Westminster, Stonehenge, and Bath with a lunch stop, but you are in a constant rush from one place to another with a bunch of driving in between.  The Stonehenge and Bath only (no food) trip gives you guided information on the bus, essentially entertaining transportation, but provides free time once you get to the destination, which was perfect for us.  We had about 1.5 hours at Stonehenge and 3.5 hours in Bath to do whatever we liked.  It was a long day though, starting at 8:30 am and returning around 7:30 pm with traffic.  If you have extra time, I would spend a couple of days in Bath.

Although we were in London for more than 4 days, it was fast.  We had an American Thanksgiving in London, which was the first Thanksgiving abroad for us, and then dinner and cocktails into the early morning on Black Friday with our friends.  No shopping for us.  Sites are nice, but nothing beats time catching up with friends!

-Vu

Grocery Beer Price Index: 2.1 pounds for 500ml Fullers London Pride ($2.75)

We came in late October just as the tourist season began to wane. It was an interesting transition from the hustle and bustle of the crowds and festivities to near silence. There were days in mid-November we would barely see a tourist until a cruise ship would arrive. Some of the restaurants and shops in the old town closed for the season and the ones that were open often adjust their schedule based on the arrival of the cruise ships. The touristy old town goes into hibernation until the spring when the next season starts.

It was definitely an intriguing time to visit, especially for an extended stay. We really enjoyed it!

We wanted to share some thoughts and tips, especially for visiting Split in the fall.

1. Foods – Our favorite dishes in Split where Dalmatian classics like octopus salads, black ink risotto, and fresh grill fish/seafood, but you will find that generally that these dishes are on the more expensive side and don’t vary much across a high-end restaurant versus the everyday konoba. The street foods are generally cevapi, hamburgers, sausage, and pizza, which will be your cheap eats. Food in Split, usually encompass various Mediterranean cuisine and can be really spectacular, but if you are looking for a little variety, you might find it lacking. For instance, it is very hard to find (good) Asian food. Tip: We found that some of the restaurants started to reduce their prices starting in early November. In general, if you head out a little further from the Riva and the old town prices are also better.
2. Wines – We were extremely surprised by the local Croatian wines. For the most part, most folks haven't heard much about Croatian wines, because there's only enough production for local consumption. However, Croatian wines are excellent, especially for the price. If you come to Croatia and you love wine, you have to try Pošip, Dingač, Babić, and Crljenak. If you enjoy Zins, Crljenak is the original Zinfandel! Good bottles of these are magic and affordable! We hope to discover more wines in our future visits to Croatia.
3. Photography – Fall might be an ideal time to come on a photography trip. The sky is consistently dynamic with epic sunrises and sunsets and the color of the landscape gradually changes to rich orange and browns. There are very few people around, especially early in the morning. You can capture major sites without anyone. You will always have the great Dalmatia landscape all year long, but it’s super comfortable to hike around in the fall for photos as there is not the repressive heat of the summer. Tip: Come after the first week of November after the tourist season dies down. Only disadvantage is that the days are shorter.
4. Hiking – From Split you have access to a lot of great hikes. There are three hiking areas that we would suggest:
   1. Biokovo – The national park is about 90 minutes south by car. We rented a car for the day to give us the most flexibility. Biokovo is one of the highest point in Dalmatia you can drive with specular views of the surrounding islands, mountains, and Adriatic. It’s beautiful and there’s an abundance of well-marked trails. We didn’t drive up. Parts of the road are single lane roads that can get hectic with traffic, especially if you are there in the summer. We wanted to hike up from the bottom. You have to plan for a full day to entertain the most popular hike from Makarska to Vosac, which is between 3.5-4 hours each direction (upwards of 8 hours round trip). In the fall, it’s hard to complete before you lose daylight. Tip: If you don’t want to rush, especially in fall or winter, it is worthwhile to stay in Makarska for a day or two. It’s a great little town and you can enjoy hiking Biokovo without having to cut it short like us (park info).
   2. Marjan – We jogged up this beautiful park regularly. There are well paved paths as well as good trails. If you start from the city center and walk north to any of the major loops, it will be about 6 miles (10km). There’s some spectacular views from Marjan, including great rock climbing, biking, and trail running. Tip: Start your hike/run before sunset and catch sunset from the top (history).
   3. Mosor – It’s a local bus ride to the start of this trail from Split. Basically, you will be hiking the mountains you see looking east from Split. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to go, but it is on our to do list (hike info).
5. Shopping – If you are looking for a little retail therapy while abroad, Split has three very modern malls (Joker, Mall of Split, Center One). Of the three, Mall of Split is probably the most posh, Center One is the largest, and Joker is the most convenient. Joker is about a 10 minute walk from old town. For the most part, fashion is accessible quick fashion, which includes the many global brands you are familiar with. Coming from the US, major brands carry a premium compared to prices at home. The bargains come from locally made or manufactured products. Tip: Some store support VAT refund with purchase of more than 700 Kunas (about $100) on one receipt. This is essentially a 25% refund of the cost. Just ask. You get a stamp at the airport and then mail in the refund form to complete the process. It’s quite complicated, but can be worth it if you made a big purchase.
6. Grocery – When you talk about groceries, it’s a very similar story with other shopping. Imported products are expensive and local products are more affordable. The grocery stories are everywhere in the old town and it’s easy just to pick-up what you need when you need it, especially if you have limited storage space. Locals shop for produce and meats in the open markets (Green Market, Fish Market) versus from the grocery store. A lot of the produce come from China and they prefer the locally grown stuff. Prices vary quite a bit between different grocery chains. If you are on a budget like us, we usually go to different chains for different things. Tip: If you going to a grocery store bring your own bags or you will have to purchase them. Also some store require you to weigh the produce before checkout.

There’s a lot to do in Split and the surrounding area, including many beautiful UNESCO sites, which we didn't cover. Also, there are amazing outdoor adventures and intriguing local foods. For example, if you want a food adventure, right outside of Split there are towns that specializes in frogs and lamb. Split and Croatia seem like an endless adventure.  We will be back for sure!

​Come to Split and go exploring!

-Vu

​P.S. ​Sorry we have not provided updates about our boat as we promised, but I did sneak in a photo in the slide show above.

Grocery Beer Price Index: 7 kuna for 500ml Karlovako ($1)
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Imagine having to get rid of everything you own.  That's what it means to move from a house to a boat.  During this transition to minimalist living, I learned a thing or two about downsizing.

The process officially kicked off when our house was sold after listing for only a day.  At that moment, there's a real deadline and we needed to move quickly. Where am I going put everything?  What to keep?  What to bring?

At first, we looked to store the furniture we've collected and love over the years.  However, with the buyers accepting our offer on the furniture that meant we didn't have to rent a storage space anymore.  That was a great relief!  We really hope they love the pieces as much as we do. 

Now that all the big items were taken care of, sorting the rest should be easy right?  Umm, not really.  The reality struck when we realize EVERYTHING needed to fit in 3 bags weighing 20 kg/44 lbs each and 1/3 of a single garage for storage.  From then on, every day after work and weekend was about sorting closets of clothes, deciding what household items stay, packing tubs to give away, and boxing all the essentials and documents etc.  That felt like forever, but it was about two and a half weeks and we finally had to leave our West Seattle home.

While it was a super exhausting process, when we finally moved into our apartment, it was quite liberating.  Everything seemed a little simpler, easier perhaps.  It's pretty neat I have to say.

If you ever want to give this a try for your house, closet or garage,  here's what I've learned that might help...

• Once again, I learned the power of a deadline, and leverage a date you can't move.  So it doesn't drag on. 
• Establish a goal for how much you want to minimize. Ours was 3 bags in 60kg total!
• If you ponder about an item, it's out.   Decide fast, you won't regret much. 
• Unless there's a compelling reason to store, stay with 2 categories:  keep or give away.  Or the stored items will never be looked at again.

Maybe this is not for everyone, and maybe having less will become more in other ways.  We will see!

-bella
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ps, can't believe it's been 3 months and going!

One day and 3 countries, we woke up the next morning with church bells and the sound of a choir from our apartment.  We are in Split, Croatia!  First, we wanted to say thanks to our friends who have generously hosted us and shared their daily lives with us over the last 3 weeks.  We will miss you!  You made our road up to our departure easy.

On the day we departed, we woke up at 7am and after clearing the grit from our eyes, we found ourselves at a local coffee shop.  That’s what you do in Seattle.  We were sipping coffee only a few feet from the Space Needle watching torrents of rain come down as a crazy low pressure blew through with 50+mph gusts.  We cherished every minute of the place we called home for so long.  It was unusual weather, but a common fall day.  That was essentially what the rest of the day was like for us.

We boarded a Norwegian Air flight by early afternoon with a one-way ticket out of the country.  This was the first time we’ve ever bought a one-way ticket.  It was a weird feeling not to know when you will return.  The overall first leg of the flight was uneventful other than boarding was all at once versus the anticipation (and annoyance) of getting your row called.  We generally don’t get too anxious about boarding, but we were flying with all our possessions we will take for the next 3 years, which included a couple of carry-ons.  Norwegian Air had amazing prices, but we didn’t know what was included in terms of luggage.  We had spent most of the previous day packing down to 3 check-in duffle bags and trying to get the weight to meet the airline's requirements.  It was more time consuming than we thought.  We had one bag of clothes for each of us and one for gear like cameras equipment.  We had anticipated to pay nearly $400 for the check-in bags and were very happy to find out that everything was included.  We didn’t know what category ticket we bought as it’s not detailed anywhere on our tickets or receipts.  The amenities on board were rather nice for a low price provider, including good seats and a multitude of old movies and a few new ones that I didn’t mind watching.  It wasn’t the most amazing, but it was good.  My expectations were low.  There was some confusion around food as I got a meal, but for some reason, Isabella did not.  We just purchased some food for her and made it work.  Can’t get too wound up about these things when you are traveling.

We arrive in London bright and early with very little rest, but the plan was to spend the 11-hour layover mostly in London and not at the airport.  What can you do in London in that time?  For us it was just simple sightseeing, people watching, and eating.  We walked around 10 miles through the city and pretty much saw most major attractions.  What struck us is how new good old London was.  When you look at the skyline, it was essentially a city of construction cranes.  It made Shanghai's building boom in the early 2000s look pale in comparison.  We were out early before the tourist and thought the season was over, but London by noon was teeming with so many people that it was hard to move around the major sites.  That was also on a windy and rain day.  Somehow the same weather we saw in Seattle was also in London, but no matter what, London was still as grand and pomp as ever.  It was a great layover city.

We arrived late in Split with the weather still dry and warm.  We finally escaped the weather that was notorious in the previous two cities.  It was now well over 30 hours since we had any real rest.  We would get waves of sleepiness that shut us down, but were only a few minutes from our apartment in the center of the old town.  The place was right within the Diocletian Palace.  The major tourist gate to the palace was closed and we had to walk around the walled city and down alleys to eventually find our apartment.  A place we will call home for at least the next month.

It was nice to wake up to people singing, but I will admit that I could have used a bit more sleep.  However, we were excited to start the first day of our adventure abroad!

 -Vu
​
P.S. Over the next few days we will be visiting our boat and enjoying the city and the surrounding sites.  Look forward to sharing some details about our boat and how we made this happen.