Recent content by tacototheworld

China is definitely trying hard to crush the Tibetan culture and turn the people into "proper" Han Chinese. It was hard to stomach. Hopefully they will endure and outlast this current regime

Tibet and China - Part 2 It was common for young tourists to dress in traditional clothing and take pictures around the old town centers throughout China. Western social media platforms are banned in China (we used a VPN to access Instagram, Whatsapp and Facebook) but there are plenty of...

All foreign vehicles entering Thailand must get a foreign vehicle permit which usually costs between 200 to 600 USD. Thailand has had a law for several years not allowing foreign camper vehicles to get an FVP, which effectively bans them from entering. However, until this spring it has not...

Talk about good timing. Below is a photo of our truck just about to enter China from Nepal. Notice the bridge that we're on is seemingly solidly made with concrete. A month later after some severe rains the bridge is gone This is the only border crossing that foreigners are allowed to...

Crossing Tibet and Yunnan in China - Part 1 Our second day in Tibet, heading for a mountain pass at almost 15,000’ Driving through Tibet was a lifelong dream for us. But the logistics were complicated and it was expensive so we ended up limiting our time there. The Chinese government requires...

We're planning on spending a couple of more years on the road exploring Central and South America.

Nepal - Part 2 We made our way out to the road and opted for a shared jeep with a local family. Two hours later we were back in Pokhara at the airport. Since we were three hours early for our flight back to Kathmandu, they just smiled and put us on an earlier flight. Repeatedly people asked us...

For those interested in our costs so far on our trip Please excuse the simple screenshot. Here are our costs over the past 4 years. Please realize this is for 2 people driving a Tacoma that averages 14 MPG. This does not include flights home, health Insurance, and side trips that aren't...

Nepal - Part 1 When we first set off on our journey to “drive around the world,” five years ago, many people asked which country we were most looking forward to. Nepal was one of those most anticipated countries. What surprised us was the beauty of the deeply spiritual culture, the fascinating...

Bhutan - part 2 Simply amazing intricate woodwork and painting And Karma took one for us too Going for a walk along what used to be the national highway connecting Thimphu and Paro. The nearby paved highway was only completed in 1962. As part of our tour package we requested budget...

Unfortunately while we were there it was during the pre-monsoon dry season where seemingly everyone is burning their fields in preparation for planting. The air quality in India, Nepal, and Bhutan was simply atrocious with visibility at times less than a half mile. So their beautiful mountains...

Bhutan - Part 1 View across the valley to Tiger’s Nest Monastery (Paro Taktsang) Bhutan is a country that was shrouded in mystery for us. A remote kingdom nestled in the Himalayas, it only opened to tourism in the 1970’s. Very aware of their position surrounded by India and China, two huge...

Thank you. We are definitely still having fun after five years on the road.

Sri Lanka - Part 2 Day Four - Sigiriya to Kandy, 136 km and 3.5hrs Along the way we stopped at the amazing Buddhist rock temple at Dambulla The largest cave temple complex in Sri Lanka dating back to the 5th century BC Kandy was a beautiful town, built alongside a forested lake. The main...

Sri Lanka - Part 1 Pilgrims dressed in white coming to visit an ancient Buddhist stupa (building to house an important religious relic) at Anuradhapura A small island nation off the southern coast of India, Sri Lanka held a mystique for us and we were eager to visit. It was cost prohibitive...