Our Previous Wanderings

“Not all those who wander are lost.”

– J.R.R. Tolkien

Well, this will obviously not our first time travelling.  You’re going to see where we go next, but where have we been?

Cuba

This is the first time either of us stepped foot outside Canada or the US.  We flew to Cuba and went to a resort in Varadero.  We no likey resorts.  Never again… but we did love the Cuban culture, sun, and beaches.  At least we found out how we don’t like to travel!  (Ash’s Edit:  Umm… we also got engaged here.  Isn’t that worth making note of?)

Japan

Our friend Lindsay Naito moved to Japan to teach English.  We waited all of 4 weeks to fly overseas to visit her.  Richard was a reluctant traveller at this point.  This is no longer the case.  Travelling is the life for us!

South East Asia

Okay, if we weren’t sold on travelling after Japan we certainly were now.  We spent 4 weeks travelling through Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos.  SEA has got to be one of the best bangs for the buck (not that kind of bang!).  Travelling, lodging, and food was inexpensive but each country was rich with culture.  Lindsay joined us here too!

Middle East

This is the first time our parents second-guessed one of our genius decisions.  Arab Spring?  Perfect timing for a trip to the Middle East!  We got flights for $550 return and were only slightly worried about our safety after some friends and family gave us the “are you crazy” look.  That lasted until we landed and met the most kind people of any of our travels.  “Welcome to Jordan” never got old as we walked the streets of Amman, visited Petra, toured Wadi Rum, or swam in the Dead Sea.  We cruised through the West Bank to Jerusalem, up to Tel Aviv, and then drove our rented car through the gorgeous Golan Heights.  This was last Fall during one of the latest Gaza/Israel conflicts.  We were reminded once again of the media’s constant exaggeration.  We hit up Turkey during this trip, but will definitely be back to to the area one day to see Lebanon, Egypt, and hopefully Syria.  We fell in love with the desert and the Middle East.

See links to some more of our photos below:

Richard Giordano Photography – Jordan

Richard Giordano Photography – Faces of the Middle East

Mexico

We travelled to Puerto Vallarta to photograph our friends wedding!  Richard is having some serious taco and Tecate/Pacifico withdrawals!!  Can’t wait to make it back here and visit some areas around PV we missed on the first trip.