Hot Toddies are traveling for 1 year and a half!

As I walk in the atmosphere of haziness I am in disbelieve that we are still cruising. — Iza we made it to F@#ing CHINA!— What? Made in China? — No, we are in China, Beijing. — I express my excitement.

Going back to my last Christmas spent with the family we heard it all. — I give you guys 6 months max and then I will see you back home.— Said one of them. They doubted our dream but we stayed positive and forward transforming into nomads for life. Today made one year and a half since we packed our backpacks and glided into the sky with zero experience looking to land on all 7 continents.
In the past year and a half we have been to 5 continents: Antarctica, Australia, North America, and South America, leaving us with Africa and Europe to complete the 7.  Wow, quite impressive, but lets dig deeper. In the past year and a half we have visited 27 countries, 17 capitals and 65 cities. We have stayed in over 150 different hostels, hotels and rooms. We shared beds that varied in shape, size, strength and softness. We have CouchSurfed and slept in airports. It’s been an endless repetitiveness of packing and unpacking in all sorts of conditions, in darkness in light while sweating, freezing and sometimes forgetting.

In the past year and a half we have spent $8,700 on transport including flights, bus, taxi and trains, $5,300 on food, $3,800 on lodging, $7,700 on attractions which half included our Antarctica expedition, $5,100 on personal things like clothes, bathrooms supplies and other needed gadgets. A total of $30,600 each. Damn! That’s a lot of money, but we love the idea of becoming nomads and exploring the world as opposed to investing and saving for life.

In the past year and a half we experience an army full of different cultures, reactions, glimpse, glares, peeks, individuals, originals, domestics, locals and natives. You name it; I think we might have seen them, talk to them or even touched them. They were same same creatures like us but different. Their color, their smile, their style, their shape, their eyes, their status and actions were all so different yet metamorphosed to the same human kind. We were so enthusiastic and curious to talk and learn their cultures and perspectives on life. People, we are so different yet so the same. Our opinion? The more indigent culture the happier, the wealthier culture the more depressed. We got scammed, overcharged, pushed around robbed and cursed at. Yet at the same time we spend some of our best moments with these cultures and experienced the human kindness. We smile at the negative and cheer with the positive. Locals are locals, but we have also came across backpackers like us on this ride. Some of these nomads will remain deep in our souls for life, making an enormous impact on our path and directions to our journey. All things happen for a reason, we met you for a reason and thank you for being part of it.

In the past year and a half we have trekked though unforgettable trails and cities surrounded by mountains, peeks, jungles, buildings varied forests and falling coconuts. The jungle in Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica, the Santa Cruz Trek in Huaraz, Peru, Tangariro Alpine Crossing in New Zealand all are part of our lives. We survived though the intensity of heartbeat and the 5,000-meter elevation heights. Endless knee pains, soreness, blisters and heaviness are what we reminisce on. With smile we think back and can’t believe that we made it. We have seen memorable sights of natures best and natures worse, from high UV rays to pouring hail. We trekked and loved the idea of walking on earth’s framed concrete beasts. Buenos Aires, Rio, Guanajuato, Hanoi, Beijing are all man wonders. It was a pure high on oxygen, pollution and occasional marijuana-mama. We tried the forbidden and rolled with the hills. What went up come back down. We chewed, munched and bit hard on world’s energy to keep us going to the higher peeks.

In the past year and a half we shift with the yo-yo diets while munching on variety of food. Iza the brave monster tried live humiles in Taxco, live larva in Peru’s jungle and just recently we both enjoyed man’s best friend, the helpless dog in Hanoi. We paid anywhere from a $1 in Laos for the biggest dish you mama ever cooked to $30 for the French style fanciness in New Zealand. We ate pure organic and delicious mangos, watermelons, bananas oranges, mangos-teens and all other local fruits that fit into our mouths. From super deep greasiness to light dumpling dishes we tried and ate it all. —Bring it on, what is that? Iza will eat it. — These diverse cuisines activated our taste buds to a higher pallet and now we crave. We crave more goodies to try and fill our energy to continue strong to the next tasty continent. What is going to be next, the forbidden apple? Sure, than lets agony the endless constipations and the loose waters we often swing through. Nothing, absolutely nothing beats the amazing views like hundreds flamingos or mountainous glory while we sat stared and enjoyed our lunches.

In the past year and a half we have successfully checked of some of the best UNESCO sights in the world. Machu Picchu, Great Wall of China, Peninsula Valdes, Iguacu National Park, Los Glaciares, Halong Bay and f#@k I don’t remember the rest. Iza?

In the past year and a half we have seen amazing rare animals and underwater creatures my favorite were penguins in Antarctica and a giant octopus in Ko Tao. But the list is endless.

In the past year and a half we have successfully fall short of nature’s disasters. We explored Potosi’s mines while the miners in Chili were in a need of serious help. We missed the severe earthquake in Christchurch; arriving few months later we only witnessed the damaged and felt the after effects. While sipping on Havana Club with Fawz and Tangy we were only frightened by the possible evacuation from the Tsunami that hit Japan earlier that day. If the wave had directed towards Borneo we would ended in the deep. Deep Ocean of spooky spirits, there was no escape. We had the best spot to witness the floods in Laos, we sat on the balcony high above overlooking the Nam Sung River as it raised and sunk the island in front of us. We were clueless of its disastrous damages, it was rain season so it rained, only did we know. Spitting ashes from Bali’s fierce volcano prevented us to fly to Bali which benefited us and we got a chance to step foot on Australia’s soil. Not to mention the 4 star hotel the airline paid for. My biggest fear is nature’s disaster an unacceptable possibility, so lets fly with the wind before it will blow us away.

In the past year and a half we cruised for hours on screaming buses while blasting reggeton in Central America, and Vietnamese local love singers didn’t allow the eye to close. We rode long hours on the Americans yellow school buses to Argentineans full sleeper busses. Different country different bus, different class, not to mention minibuses that drove like crazy with the capacity of 15 passengers yet loaded 30 swinging side to side we prayed to make it out alive. Don’t ask about the roads, Bolivia and Burma has no roads. We gusted through riverbanks, locals puking and dust flying. Arriving late, to super late to early morning finding ourselves in the unknown with questions like — Where the F@#k are we? So lets party.

In the past year and a half we have drank more beers than I ever imagined, we paid 20 cents for a local beer in Hanoi and $10 for a local beer in New Zealand. We party, we laugh we fucked and adventured to the black-out behaviors. From Ayahuasca
 to mushroom journey we enhanced our perspective of the surroundings, which allowed for deeper understanding and higher emotions. Butterflies and sweaty palms clearly indicated the anticipations and took us deeper. We love and live once, so lets try it once. Clubbing, bars and shit holes we been to it all, we seen it all, we loved it all. Never any regrets just occasional mama stress tests. According to Iza French speakers kiss the best.

In the past year and a half of our travels we recommend for everyone to visit Bolivia Uyuni Solar flats, expedition to the Antarctic iceberg wonders, trek through the National Corcovado Park in Costa Rica, dive deep in the bluest waters of Borneo Malaysia, hop in a camper van to see New Zealand’s beauty, and loose yourself in love while dancing Tango on plaza Dorrego in San Telmo, Buenos Aires.

In the past year and a half I will stress again! All things happen for a reason, and there was definitely a reason why I met Iza. — I love you man, so lets continue to glide through the rest of our designated 7 continents. Africa get ready, the Toddies are coming soon. But first, after China? Nepal, India and…

…we will continued to be nomads for life.