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From: John Hilder, Attorney at Law <txconnection@gmail.com>
Subject: INTERPOL Warrant PH-897b-3490 – Jaime Davila

Message Body:
Mr. Davila,

I’m a Houston-based criminal attorney contacting you regarding INTERPOL Warrant PH-897b-3490 issued this morning for your arrest for an alleged public violation and possession of illegal substance in Manila.  I specialize in getting warrants like this dismissed before they turn into cross-border apprehension.

I have over 20 years experience including 7 years as a prosecutor for the International Police (INTERPOL).  I’ve seen cases like this before and know how to resolve this issue before it escalates to an extradition scenario.

Follow this link to see my resume and complete credentials:  http://bit.ly/UgD9zS

Please give me a call at 713-446-0104 or email me at txconnection@gmail.com.

I hope this email reaches you in time.

John Hilder
Attorney at Law
711 Main Street
Houston, Texas 77002
(713) 446-0104
txconnection@gmail.com
Website:  http://bit.ly/UgD9zS

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This mail is sent via contact form on Breakaway Backpacker http://breakawaybackpacker.com

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I could not believe it, how the fuck did an attorney at home know I was arrested and almost went to jail already? This happened less than 24 hours ago. I didn’t click on any of the links or anything. I looked up what an “INTERPOL Warrant” was and found out it’s a system governments use to get information for people who have been arrested abroad. My heart was still racing and thought, “fuck if I’m on this system will I even be able to leave the country?”. I was so scared and had no clue what to do. Then I ran through everything that happened that night and remembered clearly that I never gave the cops any of my information, hell they never even asked. I kept wondering how the fuck would they have gotten my information. I finally went and grabbed Robyn and asked her what I should do. She told me “Jaime calm down have you even clicked on the link to see his credentials?”. I told her no because I didn’t want them to know I even saw this email, I think I’m going to go ahead and book a ticker home (I’m so damn dramatic I can’t help it). She said “Jaime click on the damn credentials  and find out who it is.” So I clicked on the link and this photo came up:

I was so fucking upset that I wanted to cry, but couldn’t stop laughing. I kept saying, “y’all are fucking assholes, why would y’all do that?” she replied, “because we love you and just had to do it”. Oh man it was such a fucking relief, but I was so damn upset at them because I couldn’t believe they pulled this prank on me.

You see Robyn is best friends with Matt & Tran owners of the awesome guide website Backpack Forever. Like most bloggers we had known each other for years, but never met until on the road. They are all from Houston (like me) and have traveled together extensively and I finally met them during my time in Thailand. We spent a few days together in the paradise island of Koh Tao and man did we have a blast. I loved that we were all from Houston and could talk about home and they were also bloggers so we could gossip about bloggers and you know all that fun stuff. They even managed to convince me to scuba dive, something I am terrified of doing and well yah my failed attempt at scuba diving in Koh Tao was a mess.

We later Skype-d and I was still upset at them, but couldn’t stop laughing. I mean it was honestly a great prank. I seriously thought I was going to be stopped at customs and not get out of the Philippines. I was also mad at them because of ALL the photos they could have used for a “FREE JAIME” campaign they used the photo of us being “Houston ghetto” in Koh Tao. I told them that I loved that I at least know they would start a campaign to get me out. That’s something I have talked to Jess & Dani from Globetrotter Girls and a few others about. I’ve mentioned that if for some reason I ever get locked up abroad I’d hope all bloggers unite and use our social media power to move mountains and get me out.

I can now laugh about me almost going to jail in Manila and I crack up laughing at the prank Matt & Tran pulled on me. I am a huge prankster and have pulled some crazy pranks back at home when I worked in an office. It’s something I missed about being on the road the chances of pulling a prank are hard. I guess on the road travel bloggers become kind of like our co-workers even though we’re not obviously, but you know what I mean. So the reason I am calling this the best prank in Travel Blogging history, is because I have never heard of a blogger pulling a prank on another blogger and quite honestly this prank was a good one. I mean come on read the email I can’t believe I really was about to book a ticket home had it not been for Robyn telling me to click on the link. Ahh I love you guys and um now that we are all in Houston we need to get together!!!

What do you think about this prank?

Any of you bloggers out there… have you pulled a prank on any other blogger?

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It was Sunday, November 4th when it happened, the entire day leading up to the night I had told myself I was not going to drink, because the night before had already been crazy and fun enough. I also mentioned that I needed to get the fuck out of the Philippines because with rHum and Beer so cheap I have no self control and just drink and drink. Oh & also get naked at hostels. A few of us from the hostel went out for dinner and even then mentioned we weren’t going to drink. After dinner we were back at the hostel with nothing to do so what do we do? We start drinking beer at the hostel bar downstairs. We order a bucket of Red Horse Beer our preferred beer because it’s good & “extra strong”.

—One of my favorite beers in the world.—

One bucket lead to another and another after that. Now we all had a good buzz going and decided to go out to one of the clubs nearby. Since it was a Sunday night we didn’t think much would be going on anywhere. We walked into one club & is was completely empty so decided to cross the street to another, we walk in and hot damn it was full and in full swing. I was done drinking I told my self I had had enough, but then one of our friends bought everyone a beer and well I am not one to say no to a free drink (unless I am driving). The night was young and we danced away, laughed and had a blast. I even met a few men from Iran and we chatted away about politics and then they too bought a few of us a drink. We were having a blast, and it eventually got late and everyone was ready to head home. I wasn’t just yet so stayed behind and kept dancing and then thought I had the brilliant idea of visiting a gay bar that was behind our hostel.

—Inside the club in Manila.—

So I made my way to the gay bar. I got there and they had a 400peso ($10) cover charge. I couldn’t justify spending that much for going to a gay bar. So stayed outside talking to a guy for a while he then later asked me to go to quieter street to talk so did. I didn’t think anything of it…

Then out of no where cops stormed us and handcuffed us. I was so confused… no clue what was happening they weren’t speaking English  I kept asking what was going on and they said I had drugs. I entered into panic mode and for some reason I don’t know why when that happens I am in full control of my actions. I said I had nothing on me… I was scared shit-less, I know my face showed it, but my voice didn’t. They insisted I had drugs on me and was trying to sale marijuana to the other guy because he had marijuana on him. I let them know I did not have any drugs on me and don’t do them. They asked me “what are you on?” I told them “I’m on RED HORSE”… I repeated that a few times and kept telling them “NO…I CAN’T GO TO JAIL”.

In my head I knew for a fact I had to get the fuck out of this situation or I could spend the rest of my life in jail in a developing country with a corrupt system for no reason. I know this sounds ignorant, but I’ve seen enough of Locked Up Abroad and heard horror stories of shit like this happening around the world. I kept telling myself calm down and find a way to get out of this. I still couldn’t believe I was in handcuffs in Manila about to go to jail.

They said I must accompany them to the hospital to get tested for drugs and then go to jail. I needed to get on their motorcycle to do so. I said “look you have arrested me for no reason I have not done anything at all and you know it. I won’t get on the bike unless you unhand-cuff me. If anything happens I will die because I do not have my hands free.” I had a plan in mind already I knew the hostel was going to be around the corner it was going to be crazy, but I didn’t give a fuck, I know how helpless it feels to be in jail and was not going to go through that again and much less in a developing country.

They made sure I was going to cooperate with them unhand-cuffed me I got on the bike… and pretended I was scared. He said “hold on” so I did. He accelerated and as soon as we turned the corner at full speed I saw the hostel. I  jumped off the bike, he grabbed my hand I tugged down almost making him fall off the bike and ran inside the hostel.

I yelled at the receptionist “cops are trying to arrest me for no reason don’t let them take me”. I ran upstairs to get my friend Robyn (I met her in Koh Tao and she was from Houston too). I barged into the girls dorm and couldn’t even think of her name. I woke her up and asked her 3 times “what is your name?” and then let her know what was happening. I was still in panic mode. I gave her my  wallet my card pin numbers, my passwords for everything (checking, savings and retirement accounts)… I thought I was going to jail and knew once I was in I would have no contact with the outside world. I also got all the cash I had in my wallet and made Robyn give me a bit more making it 1500pesos ($37.50). I let her know how much money I had in my accounts and in my retirement account and let her know that I didn’t care how much it cost to get me out of here, she must get me out of here and that I am a man of my word and will pay every penny back.

I had been upstairs a while when the receptionist came and let me know that I must go down and speak to the cops. I was so scared I need to use the toilet. I was so scared that I used the toilet with the door open so that the receptionist and Robyn could be my witness that I was not flushing anything down. I made my way down and had one thing in mind “I CAN NOT GO TO JAIL”. I stayed away from the cops and asked what they wanted? I let them know again… that they knew I did not have any drugs on me. I mentioned to them that I had been traveling for over 20 months and had not once done drugs for this very reason.

I ended up talking to the cops for over an hour, I don’t even know what the hell we talked about for that long or how I manged this. I was getting tired and finally said “Look you both know I did nothing, but what can I do to make this problem go away?” They said “Oh no no we are not like that we don’t accept bribes.“ I then repeated myself showing some cash in my hand that time he said “You’ll need to talk to my boss.” I said “okay call him over”. I talked to the boss for a bit and then put the money in his hand and said, “Look you know I did nothing so please take this and let’s make this go away”. He laughed and hugged me and then walked away with 1500 pesos in his hands.

I couldn’t believe any of that… I was still in shock, my mouth was dry so dry it really looked like I was on drugs because I kept licking my lips as if I was on ecstasy. I drank a lot of water ran to my dorm got my laptop and messaged my family and friends of what happened with all my information. I was still scared they would come back for me and act as if I never gave them money and continue saying I did have drugs on me. By this time it was already past 6am and I was exhausted… I was so scared I made Robyn sleep with me on my dorm bed & she did.

The next day I was still scared and trying to analyze everything. Nothing was making sense, but I called the US Embassy in Manila anyway. I wanted to make sure they knew what happened and had my side of the story documented in case anything happened. They suggested I change hostels, because if they were cops and did come back I would have to obey them and go with them so did. I packed my things let Robyn know I was paying for her bed in the other hostel and also cab from the airport, because I did not want her to leave my side until I was safe at the airport and about to board my plane out of the Philippines. I was so scared I even looked up tickets to fly home, had they not cost $1,200 I probably would have just left. The entire day I was scared shit-less… and just ready to leave the country. Lucky for me it was the following day. I spent all day scared so decided to go to sleep early because I hadn’t slept much anyway and knew it was the only way to shut my mind down.

The next morning I got up more ready than ever to make my way to the airport. The time finally came and we took the cab. I arrived at the airport checked in said bye to Robyn and thanked her for everything. I made it through customs and had never been happier to get a visa exit stamp from a country and couldn’t have felt more relieved. My plane finally took off and I arrived at Kuala Lumpur safe and sound.

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The thing about this though is that I later learned this is actually very common in Manila. Cops set up tourist that are alone to take advantage of them and try and get money from them. Lucky for me I gave them less than $40 and got away with it. I heard some tourist have had to give thousands of dollars. The reasons the cops do this is because they are not paid a living wage. Not that it justifies what they are doing, but it’s just alarming that they are not paid enough to sustain themselves and their families. This is also the reason I do not do drugs on the road, it’s just not worth the risk.

What I still don’t understand is how I was able to jump off a motorcycle moving full speed to run into my hostel? I would never do that in my right mind. I know it was the adrenalin and fear I had in me that allowed me to do that. Only thing that kept crossing my mind was I can not go to jail in the Philippines. If I hadn’t jumped off the bike I know I would probably still be in jail right now or wherever else they were going to take me. I also wonder how in the hell I got the balls to bribe a cop.

Now that I am home safely I honestly look back at this and laugh, because it’s just one more crazy adventure that happened during my trip around the world. Like the time I was held at gunpoint in Costa Rica, or almost died rolling down a volcano in Nicaragua or got off a train crying because I thought I was going to die in a train ride in India.

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So what do you think… would you have jumped off the motorcycle? Would you have bribed the cop? Would you have gone home? Would you have been as scared as I was? Has anything like this ever happened to you?

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My most prized possessions and my key to the world. I have both a USA and Mexico passport because I am a dual citizen. I was born in the USA, but both my parents are from Mexico so am able to be a Mexican citizen too.

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01 MAR 2011 – the day that started it all. That was the day I left home and started my 2 year year journey around the world. That stamp was the first stamp I have ever received in my passport and is from Costa Rica. I still remember landing and being so damn scared and then waiting in line to get my entrance stamp. On the left is the exit stamp when I crossed overland to Panama. The stamp in blue is one of many stamps I have in my passport from Egypt. Yes they would stick things everywhere you’ll see further down. The blue 06 MAR 2011 stamp and yellow/green stamp are from entering Panama.

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This is one of two 24 page supplements added to my passport towards the end of my 2 years around the world, because I ran out of space for VISAs. I remember being so excited when I got my passport back from the US Embassy in Singapore.

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This is the “Endorsements” that is placed in your passport after you have pages added.

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Purple stamp is the entry stamp for Malaysia. Red stamp is the exit stamp for Malaysia. These were from the 2nd time I visited Malaysia to catch a flight to Vietnam.

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My favorite stamps of all are my Egypt stamps. This is actually from my 3rd & final visit to Egypt. I remember when I arrived I thought it wasn’t the end of my love story even though I had no clue what was in store for me there.

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The entry and exit stamp for the United Arab Emirates (Dubai). I had a 15 hour layover in Dubai so stepped out to visit the tallest building in the world along with the largest mall in the world. I’d love to visit Dubai again to see more.

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Egypt was the only country I ever extended my VISA in and did so every time I visited. It was always easy to extend and never really had any problems. I love that it’s such a beautiful stamp. This is from my 3rd and final extension and when I did it I had no clue the last goodbye laid ahead for me. I remember the day I visited the VISA extension office in Tahir Sq. I had to walk through protest and even tear gas. I had waited until the last day to extend my VISA, but once again got it with out any problems just a few tears.

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The yellow and black sticker is for Panama. The stamp 20 MAR 2011 with pink is the exit stamp for Panama. Above that is the entry stamp for Costa Rica and next to that are the entry and exit stamp for Nicaragua (one of my favorite countries in the world). Funny note the pink smudge on this passport page is from when I was in India celebrating Holi in Mathura. I wanted a small souvenir from that crazy experience so rubbed my forehead on my passport not thinking it’d stay forever.

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The 4 blue circle stamps on the left are the entry and exit stamps for Honduras. The 4 colored rectangle stamps on the right are the entry and exit stamps for Guatemala. The red stamp on the left is the entry stamp for the Philippines. I remember when I got that stamp I was excited that an immigration officer finally looked through my passport to take up an empty space on a page already used.

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The 2 green stamps on the left are the entry and exit stamps for Mexico. The 2 blue stamps on the left are the entry and exit stamps for Belize. The rectangle sticker and two circle stamps below it on the right are the entry and exit stamps for Turkey. The green circle on the right is the exit stamp for the Philippines. I had NEVER been HAPPIER in my life to leave a country then when I left the Philippines. It was 2 nights before I was due to leave when I was arrested by police in Manila. It was a crazy ordeal.

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The top two stamps are the entry and exit stamp for Thailand. The read and purple below are the entry and exit stamps for my first visit to Malaysia. The boring square stamp on the left is from when I arrived in Europe in Paris. The right page is the cover of my second 24 page supplement added to my passport.

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VISA for the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

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The top two stamps are the entry and exit stamps for the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The two bottom stamps are the entry and exit stamps for Cambodia.

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VISA for the Kingdom of Cambodia.

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Entry and exit stamps for Thailand. Such a beautiful country yet such boring stamps. I also remember waiting 3 hours in the heat after exiting Cambodia to re-enter Thailand.

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The one stamp I had always wanted and finally got. Egypt baby!!! Little did I know that the very next morning upon arriving I would meet the most amazing man of my life and go on a gay date through the streets of Cairo.

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The top green stamp on the left is the entry stamp for Mexico. The huge blue stamp below is actually my 1st VISA extension for Egypt. It’s not fancy like the others because I filed it in Aswan. I remember extending the VISA and the lady who did it for me SWORE I must have had an Egyptian mother, because I looked Egyptian. On the right page you have the entry and exit stamps for Turkey for 2 different occasions. The blue stamp is just another stamp placed in my passport by Egypt.

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VISA for the Republic of India. This was by far the hardest VISA I applied for. I had to fill out 3 pages of information and write a letter explaining why I wanted to visit India and why I was not applying for it in my home country and in Greece instead.

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 The top two stamps are the entry and exit stamps for India. The bottom two stamps are the entry and exit stamps for Singapore. I remember the bus leaving me behind at the border of Singapore when I was entering because I took to long to get my entry stamp (it was out of my control), but lucky for me they have amazing public transportation and was able to get to my hostel with the help of a very nice Singaporean.

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Ahh aren’t they just so beautiful? The Egyptian VISA extension sticker and entry sticker below. Ahh how I miss him and that crazy country everyday.

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These two stamps are in my Mexican passport. I have the entry stamp to Europe from Sevilla, Spain and exit stamp from Athens, Greece. This was the only time I used my Mexican passport and it was for me to stay in Europe longer than the 90 days allowed.

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This is what I hate more than anything else when an immigration officer puts the stamp right in the middle of an entire page. Do they not know that each page is precious real estate that needs to filled completely? Anyway this is the entry and exit stamp for Morocco and the funny thing is I still remember crying like a little bitch the night before entering Morocco because I was so scared.

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So that is what a pssport looks like after 2 years of travel and visiting 30 countries. What do you think, it’s amazing right? Okay you may not think so, but I do. I love my passports so much. Like I mentioned above they are my prized possessions and seriously my key to the world. I don’t know what I would do if they were lost, stolen or damaged. I think I would be heart broken from the fact that I would loose all the VISAs I already have. I know that sounds crazy, but anyone who has ever travelled knows how sweet it feels to get a new stamp in their passport. Right? I can’t possibly be the only one who gets excited every-time I get a new stamp in my passport? I also have a habit of just going through my passport (more so now that I am home) and looking through the pages and  remembering how/when I got each stamp. I love when it’s a pretty stamp, I hate when it’s a boring one and oh man the best are the whole page VISAs. Those just fill me with glee because it’s like “wow an official government document in my passport”.

I take care of my passports like they are my babies and it doesn’t help that I have OCD because that makes me over protective. I have 66 pages in my USA passport and my goal is to fill the 46 empty pages with VISAs from around the world before it expires in 2019 & of course do more Toe Touches around the world!

So do you love your passport as much as I love mine? What is your favorite stamp/VISA in your passport? Do you go through your passport and look at all the stamps/VISAs you have acquired or is that just weird? Do you get upset when it’s an ugly stamp or excited when it’s beautiful or a full page VISA?

Hope you share your thoughts below & if you have any questions feel free to ask me!

I only now just realized that this is the first time I share all my “Toe Touch” photos on my blog. I normally only post them in my “Toe Touch” album on my Facebook Fanpage. You have seen 20 of them on Mashable, but will now see all my “Toe Touch” photos from around the world exclusively on Breakaway Backpacker along with some insight on how it all started and my thoughts.

I vividly remember how it all started. I was only two months in to my travels, on a volcano boarding tour in Nicaragua (where I almost died) and the tour guide stopped us all at the top of the volcano to get a jumping photo. I jumped, but he was not impressed and made me do it again. Still unimpressed, I decided to do a jump he probably hadn’t seen many people do and bam! He caught my 1st toe touch photo. I posted it on my Facebook Fanpage, and everyone loved it! I got such a good response and it looked so great that I knew I’d be doing these toe touches all over the world.

Because much of the time I travel solo, the hardest thing though was getting complete strangers to take the photos for me. They would look at me very puzzled and wonder why on Earth I would do a photo of me doing this. I remember sometimes I would have to ask the stranger to take several shots, because they were not able to get it right. Not only that, but sometimes it was embarrassing to do the “Toe Touch” in front of very iconic locations, because people all around would just stare. I remember a few times having to make space (yes I asked people to move) so that I can do my “Toe Touch” with out hitting anyone. I look through all 52 photos and laugh because I remember every single one of them and they each have a unique story. I have posted all 52 photos along with links to post that I have written that are relevant with the location of the “Toe Touch”.

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1. Volcano Cerro Negro in Leon, Nicaragua

Volcano Boarding in Leon, Nicaragua

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2. Mayan Ruins of Copan Ruinas, Honduras

My 1st ruins… The Copan Ruins!!!

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3. Volcano Pacaya in Guatemala

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4. Mayan Ruins of Palenque, Mexico

Ruins, Rivers & Waterfalls in Palenque!

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5. Mayan Ruins of Tikal, Guatemala

Guatemala Highlights & Tips.

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6. Mayan Ruins of Chichen Itza, Mexico

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7. Top of The Nohoch Mul pyramid at the Mayan ruins of Coba in Mexico.

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8. Mayan ruins of Coba in Mexico.

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9. Akumal Beach in Playa del Carmen, Mexico

My brothers beautiful destination wedding in Playa del Carmen.

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10. La Presidencia of Gral. Teran, Mexico

Visiting a town that is basically run by drug cartels.

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11. Skyline of Houston, TX

My Best Friends Wedding!!!

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12. Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France

What does Paris taste like?

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13. Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France

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14. Musee du Louvre in Paris, France

I bet they’re all jealous of “Mona Lisa”?

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15. Atomium in Brussels, Belgium

Golden Showers in Brussels!!!

The 2nd time I’ve cried on the road…

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16. Amsterdam, Netherlands

Segway tour of Amsterdam!!!

Shrooms, Pride & Good Times in Amsterdam!!!

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17. Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany

How it feels to be blind.

The hospitality of my readers and how we partied in Hamburg!

Camping in Northern Germany & a quick visit to Denmark!

Bad Boy in Berlin.

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18. Charles Bridge (Karluv Most) in Prague, Czech Republic

24hrs in Prague and mission was accomplished!

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19. Covered in Tomatoes after La Tomatina in Bunol, Spain

My thoughts on La Tomatina!

My tips for La Tomatina!!!

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20. City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, Spain

A week in Valencia & we did nothing…

Tapas, Tapas & more Tapas in Spain!!!

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21. Chefchaouen, Morocco

My 1st 48hrs in Africa (Chefchaouen, Morocco).

Chefchaouen, a town with a million shades of blue in photos.

For a minute I was actually going to go home…

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22. Sahara Desert in Merzouga, Morocco

An open letter to the Sahara Desert.

A Sahara Desert expedition in photos.

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23. Es Vedra in Ibiza, Spain

4 for 4 – 4 cities 4 naught encounters!

Corrida de Toros… Spanish tradition or animal cruelty?

It’s 4:38pm… on a Wednesday in Ibiza.

Ibiza in November.

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24. Burano, Italy

 Getting lost in Venice in photos.

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25. David in Florence, Italy

The most beautiful nude man in the world.

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26. Leaning Tower of Pisa in Pisa, Italy

 Being dirty with the Leaning Tower of Pisa…

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27. Colosseum in Rome, Italy

A tragic yet amazing Thanksgiving in Rome!

Popping my Italian Gelato Cherry!

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28. St. Peters Basilica in Vatican City

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29. The Parthenon in Athens, Greece

What I’ve been up to in Athens.

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30. Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey

Happy New Years from Istanbul, Turkey!!!

This is how I spent my New Years in Istanbul, Turkey!!!

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31. Library of Celsus in Ephesus, Turkey

 A short adventure to Ephesus, Pamukkale & Cappadocia, Turkey in photos.

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32. Hot Springs and Travertines of Pamukkale, Turkey

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33. Cappadocia, Turkey

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34. Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) in Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul Dreaming…

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35. Great Pyramids of Giza in Giza, Egypt

 Living a childhood dream… visiting the Great Pyramids of Giza!!!

Witnessing history first hand in Egypt.

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36. Sahara Desert in Siwa Oasis, Egypt

A visit to the Sahara Desert again (this time in Egypt) in photos.

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37.Sunset at the Sahara Desert in Siwa Oasis, Egypt

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38. Temple of Ramsess II near Aswan, Egypt

Temples of Abu Simbel & Philae in Photos.

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39.Temple of Nefretiri near Aswan, Egypt

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40.Temple of Philae in Aswan, Egypt

Meet Elephantine Island (my new love) in photos.

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41. Temple of Karnak in Luxor, Egypt

A view of Luxor the Pharaohs didn’t even have.

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42. Deir el Bahari Temple in Luxor, Egypt

A backpacker on a 5 star luxury nile cruise.

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43. Medinet Habu Temple in Luxor, Egypt

 Diary of a 2nd class train ride in Egypt.

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44. Tahrir Sq. in Cairo, Egypt

A side of Tahrir Square media/news do not want you to see – in photos.

Cairo, revolution street art in photos.

A Gay date through the streets of Cairo.

The Last Goodbye.

60 images from Tahrir Sq. after the historical announcement of Egypt’s new President.

My thoughts on visiting “Garbage City” in Cairo, Egypt!

Photos from Cairo on the 2nd Anniversary of the Egyptian Revolution. 

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45. Pyramid of Djoser (Step Pyramid) in the Saqqara Necropolis, Egypt

Why you should visit the “OTHER” pyramids & how.

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46. Bent Pyramid

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47. Bahá’í House of Worship in New Delhi, India

New to India in New Delhi.

An intense Holi experience in Mathura.

The Sex Temples of Kajuharo in photos.

Diary of a 31 hour train ride from Mumbai to New Delhi.

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48. Taj Mahal in Agra, India

Visiting the one thing I knew was in India the Taj Mahal.

My $1 haircut in India!!!

The worst toilet experience of my life (so far)!!!

The Kerala Backwaters by houseboat (an experience no one should miss).

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49. Virupaksha Temple in Hampi, India

Ruins of Hampi in photos.

My experience volunteering in India.

Faces of India in photos.

Oh India I hate you… I hate you not!

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50. Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey

 A 9 day layover in Istanbul in photos.

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51. Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) in Istanbul, Turkey

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52. Off an Elephant in Chiang Mai, Thailand

 15 days in the paradise island of Koh Tao in photos.

My failed attempt at Scuba Diving in Koh Tao, Thailand.

My experience and thoughts on riding elephants in Chiang Mai.

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I have been doing it for over 2 years now just for the sake of my blog, because I knew my fans liked it. I think it’s something very unique and uncommon and also very ‘me’. I plan to continue to do them as I explore more of the world. I hope you enjoyed the shots along with the related posts, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. If you would like you can also follow my adventure on Facebook and Twitter where I share even more random thoughts and tidbits of my life. Oh & my love for Kelly Clarkson as well. Be sure to come back on Thursday where I will share photos of what a passport looks like after two years of travel. Thanks again for stopping by and if you have a question please don’t hesitate to ask, I reply to every comment I receive.

• Would love to see a break down of the cost of your 31 flights names of the airlines would be good too.

I mentioned that I took 31 flights in my post “Random statistics from a 2 year backpacking trip around the world.“. Those 31 flights included layovers as well so for some I only booked one ticket but was 2 or 3 flights. Anyway I did keep track of every ticket I bought and with what air line I booked it with so here is the break down. All are one way unless specified:

• Houston, USA > San Jose, Costa Rica = $195.97 via USAirways
• Cancun, Mexico > Houston, USA = $207.74 via United Airways
• Houston, USA > Paris, France = $852.96 via United Airways
• Munich, Germany > Valencia, Spain = $106.07 via RyanAir
• Marrakech, Morocco > Seville, Spain = $74.31 via RyanAir
• Barcelona, Spain > Ibiza, Spain (round trip) = $32.40 via RyanAir
• Barcelona, Spain > Venice, Italy = $43.71 via RyanAir
• Rome, Italy > Athens, Greece = $99.61 via EasyJet
• Athens, Greece > Istanbul, Turkey = $167.11 via Aegean Air
• Cairo, Egypt > New Delhi, India (round trip) = $489.17 via Turkish Airlines
• Kolkata, India > Fort Kochi, India = $93.80 via IndiGo
• Cairo, Egypt > Istanbul, Turkey = $297.30 via Egypt Air
• Istanbul, Turkey > Bangkok, Thailand = $439.39 via Etihad Airways
• Bangkok, Thailand > Manila, Philippines = $128.30 via Tiger Airways
• Manila, Philippines > Boracay, Philippines (round trip) = $174.78 via Cebu Pacific
• Manila, Philippines > Puerto Princesa, Philippines (round trip) = $185.75 via Cebu Pacific
• Manila, Philippines > Kuala Lumpor, Malaysia = $116.14 via Cebu Pacific
• Kuala Lumpor, Malaysia > Hanoi, Vietnam = $81.64 via AirAsia
• Bangkok, Thailand > Cairo, Egypt = $604.00 via Etihad Airways
• Cairo, Egypt > Houston, USA = $611.80 via Emirates

Question was asked by Chris.

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• So how long until you’re planning to set off again?

The truth is I have no clue. Right now I am currently enjoying the break from travel… yes I miss it and a lot, but am making the most of my time here at home (Houston, TX). I am also working and saving for my next adventure. I am at a temp job so I think it may depend on how long this job last & how much I can save. What I do know is that I am going on a big trip again, but not sure yet when or where. I hope it’s before the one year mark. Maybe March 1, 2014 or sooner… who knows!

Question was asked by Lindsey from Chasing the Wild.

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• Is there something that you wanted to try and didn’t because it was not “necessary”?

I don’t think so. I know at times I would be at something amazing, but would not pay to go in. Sometimes I felt like spending crazy amounts of money to go into something famous was a waste of money. For example I didn’t go to the top of the Eiffel Tower or inside the Colosseum. I preferred to spend time marveling at them from the outside and enjoying the extra money else where. Like instead of going into the Colosseum a group of us used that money to buy drinks and we drank the entire night outside of it. That is one of my favorite memories from my time in Rome. I mean tons of people go into it, but how many drink wine all night in front of it? Not many! So to answer your question no… if I didn’t try it I had my reason. It’s all about giving and taking.

• How did you calculate your daily/monthly budget? ok you kept track of everything so it was easier for you, but what did you do if you realized you were spending too much? (i mean, not in developed countries where it is obvious that the cost is higher)…did you cut something in particular? did you change your destination to a cheaper country to compensate? did you cut your nights out?

I calculated my daily average budget by dividing the amount of money I saved to travel by the amount of days I wanted to travel. In my case I saved about $28,000 and wanted to travel for 2 years (730 days). That average came out to be about $38/day. The way I was able to stay on budget was by giving & taking. If I splurged one day I would cut back on the next and maybe an extra 2 or 3 to make up for the splurge. I also made sure I was going to be spending more time in developing countries because well we all know that our money goes a lot further there than in a develop country. Towards the end I did have to cut out Mynamar and Indonesia from my itinerary, because I was running out of money and the cost to get to & from these countries was going to be more than I could afford. So I cut them out and instead went back to live in Egypt (of course that wasn’t the only reason why I went back to Egypt).

• Did you book your flights many weeks in advance? or if you have any tactic/tips about that it would be great.

I would search for flights and book them as soon as I knew around what time I was going to be leaving X country to be X country or if I knew what day I was going to be arriving and only had a certain amount of days there because of VISA regulations. I normally used www.skyscanner.com to search for the cheapest fair and then go to the actual airlines site and book the flight directly. If that didn’t work then I would just Google what I was looking for like “Flights to the U.S.” and see what comes up and go from there. I know it’s strange, but in the end I always book directly with the airline site so if something goes wrong I am not dealing with a 3rd party.

• Any plans to explore and blog about Texas sights or travel the USA?

Yes I actually plan on taking weekend trips to cities around Houston and around the USA if I can find cheap airfare. I already spent a weekend in New Orleans and plan on writing about it soon. I’m addicted to travel and when I can I will travel on a budget and will write about it if it’s interesting.

• Also, did you make money in any way during the trip? Please give details on how if you did!

During my 2 year trip around the world I actually was lucky enough to not ever need to find a job to supplement income or prolong my stay anywhere. I did make money from the blog, but trust me it was not enough to live off. So the money I did make I just left it in the savings account.  

Questions asked by Klelia from Keep Calm And Travel.

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• I would love to see how your passport pages look like.

Oh I love this question. I will actually take photos of it and post as a separate post. I wanted to share photos of it once it was completely full, but why not share it now. I’ll post the post next week!

Question was asked by Sal.

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• Love that you sent post cards, I think we are going to do that too! Any hassles there? Also was it super pricy to mail package to states?

The hardest part about sending post cards home was actually finding nice post cards. I would seriously love to find out who in the world chooses some of these post cards for such beautiful sites and countries. I think I had such a hard time, because my OCD, but still so many horrible ones out there it’s sad. Other than that I never had a hassle. Yes sending them is sometimes an adventure. You know visiting the post office no one speaking English and trying to figure out how to get it all done right. After they are sent you just play the waiting game and pray they make it home. Luckily for me all the post cards I sent made it to their recipients. As for mailing packages home it is very pricey if you use one of the major companies (FEDEX, DHL etc…), but if you use the local postal service just pick the cheapest option normally by boat and you will find that it’s not that expensive. I shipped things home from Egypt, Turkey and India and they all made it home fine. India was by far the cheapest so go crazy shipping home there and sending gifts home too.

• Did you ever have to fight Charles Schwab on ATM refunds, and provide receipts? Did you do your web banking on a computer or app? I am nervous of accessing that information while traveling, was going to have my mom always make sure we have a set amount of money.

Thankfully I never had to contact CS or provide receipts to get refunds of my fees. At the end of every month I would see a credit in my account from the fees that I was charged by the ATMs I used. It’s the most amazing debit card I have ever had. I mean I received NO FEES for using any ATM around the world. I also always accessed my accounts on my laptop. I had 2 accounts one with all my savings that I did not have a debit card for and would transfer from that account to my CS account $500 at a time to use my debit card at ATMs. I did it that way so if I lost my CS debit card I would only loose at most $500 and would have no ties to my savings on me if something happened. I also traveled with a Capital One Credit Card because it doesn’t charge you any international fees. So I would book everything with it and pay it off at the end of each month. 

Questions were asked by Hannah from Getting Stamped.

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• How did you find your current job when you came back?

This was pure luck. I honestly didn’t have plans to work for a few months after I got home. I still had some money left and wanted to travel in the US and Mexico a bit. My sister let me know that they needed someone to cover for the receptionist at the law firm she works at for 10 days. After doing that they let me know they could use my help getting file work done and well now I’m there and think I will be here for a few more months maybe even until the end of the year. I’d be so so happy if this job lasted until December. That way it gives me a chance to save up again to maybe leave in time for New Years.

• Did you end up selling your car b4 leaving? (can’t rembember) via @MissPointless

Yes I sold my car before leaving. I didn’t want to sell it, but I knew it would have been pointless to keep paying insurance for it and not have anyone use it for the 2 years I was gone. Plus since it was fairly new and I paid it off fast, I sold it for $14,000. That right there covered about a year of travel. Now that I am home no joke of course I miss it, but with that money I think about the memories I made on the road and it was all worth it. So for now since I work with my sister I don’t need a car and even though it sucks not having a car not having a payment or insurance is helping me save faster.

Questions were asked by @MissPointless.

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• Do you travel with a laptop?

Yes and I wouldn’t have it any other way. My laptop was my key to communicating with everyone. Not only did I use it to keep my blog updated, but also to keep in touch with my family and friends at home. It’s also amazing that just about anywhere you go in the world now you can find free WiFi so it’s worth bringing. If you don’t blog I’d at least recommend bringing a tablet.

• How do you protect your laptop from the rain?

I bought a water resistance day pack. Here’s more about it on my packing list for traveling the world. That is where I kept it anytime I was getting from one place to another. If I knew it may be raining where I was arriving I would be sure to place it in a plastic bag and then in my backpack that way I made sure it wouldn’t get wet. Other than that I mean you’re really never outside with your laptop unless you are at the beach or something and well then if it was raining I wouldn’t take it out.

• Who’s your favorite Grey’s Anatomy character?

Damn this is a tough question cus it’s one of my all time favorite shows. Okay I’m picking 2 characters. I would say Yang and Karev are my favorite characters. Yang because she knows who she is and doesn’t change for anyone and Karev because he’s gone through so much and is such an asshole sometimes that for some reason I love him for that. I will end my explanations here, because if not I know I could go on for ever and write about more characers. Do you cry as much as I do watching this show?

• Ideal countries for a vegetarian?

I think you will find that many countries are ideal for Vegetarians, but if I had to pick one I think the best country for vegetarians is India. I’m a huge meat eater… I love all kinds of meats (hey I’m from Texas with Mexican parents), but in India I was able to go weeks with out eating any meat. Sometimes it was a mission to find meat. I lost so much weight in India it’s crazy. I so wish I could go back just to diet… my travels would be my diet.

• How to teach English without a certificate?

I don’t have the answer to this. I was able to teach English for 15 days in a small village in India, because I had a friend who knew the owner of a non-profit and they neded someone for that time frame between teachers. Here is more about my experience volunteering in India & photos of Sambhai-Trust & its students. I would recommend trying to find blogs of people who teach English abroad. 

• What’s your favoritate Mariah Carey song?

If you love Mariah as much as I love Kelly Clarkson you are going to hate my answer. The truth is I’m not a huge fan of Mariah. Okay calm down… I know she is amazing and one of not the best female vocalist of our time, but I just never liked her music. I do own a few of her CDs though and if I had to pick a favorite album I would pick The Emancipation of Mimi. My favorite song of hers though is “Without You”… I mean who hasn’t wanted to sing this atop of there lungs drunk all alone in their room??? Is that only me???

Questions were asked by @priyasobsession

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• Was your plan really to travel for two years or was it originally shorter and you just decided to extend?

The funniest thing is that it all started while I was on probation for drinking and driving. I was prohibited from leaving the state of Texas with out permission so I started planning vacations for when I was off probation. That was when I learned about backpacking. Before then I had never heard of it. When I learned about it I thought oh wow I’d love to quit my job to travel for 3 months through Europe. While doing research for that I found out about people doing it for longer and thought well I could do it as well. So it evolved from a 3 months backpacking trip around Europe to a 2 year backpacking trip around the world.

• Do you keep in touch with people you met on the road and how?

Yes with some I do. The thing about backpacking around the world is you are going to meet hundred and hundreds of people. Along the way you are also going to make friends with many of them, but of all the people you meet you will click with a handle. By click with a handle full I mean you are going to relate on many levels and spend more than just a few days traveling together. It’s these people you know you will have a friendship even a million miles apart. It is those people you will stay in touch with. So yes I still stay in touch with those people and we help each other out when we can.

Questions were asked by Al

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• When/are you heading back to Egypt?

This is a question I have received often and honestly I don’t know. When I left Egypt he was the last goodbye and we ended things before heading home. Now that I am home we still talk every day and even though my plans right now are to save to travel more a part of me knows I want to go back to Egypt. So the truth is I don’t know when or if I will ever go back to Egypt. It’s so hard for me to talk about this because it is honestly my favorite country in the world, but also when I think of Egypt it’s him… it’s all about him and will always be about him so for now who knows. I still love him though, but like everyone in life we can’t have it all right?

Question was asked by Kieu from GQ trippin & Wends from Journeys and Travels.

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• I’d love to hear about your impressions of the other travel bloggers you met on your way…and when/where will your next trip be?!

Some of my favorite moments during my 2 year trip around the world was when I met up with other travel bloggers. The reason I say that is because when we would meet it’s like meeting an old friend. Yes we were meeting for the 1st time, but had already known each other for a while online so it was like picking up where we left off online. It was also a relief to travel with someone who understood that some mornings I would need to spend them working on the blog before I go out and explore X city. As for impressions it was sometimes shocking to see that some personalities did not match with their online personalities. Other than that though not much else to say. As for when/where my next trip will be… I don’t know when yet, but I am planning the where as we speak. I know I will do South America for sure, but not sure after that… maybe more of the Middle East or Australia or go into deep Africa… not sure at all yet. When I know though I will share it with everyone for sure.

Question was asked by Sam from Indefinite Adventure.

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• Do you think that you’ll ever love another country as much as Egypt? I know this is a very subjective question, but I wonder if I’ll ever love another country as much as Cambodia. All my stars aligned and my time there was so wonderful. I’m not sure I’ll ever go back. Curious as to whether or not you felt the same way or what you think about it.

Damn Mary, I have honestly stared at this question for a while now. The short answer to this question is NO. No I will never love another country as much as I love Egypt. You know how they say a place is not about the place, but about the people you meet in said place? It’s about the memories you make while you are there with others. I fell in love with him from the moment I arrived in Cairo. I mean seriously my 1st day there was a gay date through the streets of Cairo. Everything about Egypt even when I was not in Cairo with him goes right back to him. We spent 13 months together and of those 13 months I was in Egypt 7 of them and we lived together 5 of them. I was also able to see so much more of Egypt then most people have seen of Egypt when they visit. Egypt is such an amazing country with so much to offer and people don’t realize that. I guess the reason I know I will never love another country as much as I loved Egypt is because it was my first international love that gave me a million emotions and well we can never forget our first. Ahhh I can keep talking, but I don’t want to because I can feel the tears coming, because I miss him and Egypt more than you can imagine. 

Question was asked by Mary from The Search for Cookie Mountain.

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• If you could narrow it down to your top 3 cities visited, which ones would you pick?! Did you eat anything bizarre, completely unusual on the western hemisphere?!

Man picking only 3 cities is hard, but if I had to I’d say my top 3 cities would be Istanbul, Cairo and Barcelona. I could go into details, but won’t because I could write pages about each of them. As for eating bizarre things, I ate crickets in Mexico, I ate snails in Morocco and can’t think of anything else of top my head even though I am sure I did eat stranger things. Oh & I just read the western hemisphere part so I guess cross out Morocco…lol!!!

Question was asked by Anais.

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• What’s the top country you felt that it’s most alive?

You are going to laugh at this because you are from Egypt, but honestly I would have to say Egypt. Aside for other reasons that is one of the reasons why I loved Egypt so much. No matter where I went it was always chaotic and so full of culture and life. Of all of Egypt my favorite is Cairo of course and it’s all because the streets of Cairo. Every day walking on the streets of Cairo is an adventure and you are presented with a million things to awe at and are constantly reminded that you are not at home and that you will never understand how it works. 

Question was asked by Ahmed.

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• This is my most hated question to be asked because I can never answer it lol but where was your favorite place?

Oh I don’t hate this question… I hate the people who can’t answer this question and say things like “Oh I can’t answer that. It’s like asking a mother who her favorite child is.” – Ummm no countries are not like questions and don’t pretend you don’t have one… we all have a favorite country for one reason or another so just answer the damn question people. Okay sorry so went on a tangent, but um yeah I have answer it several times… like even above. Everyone knows my favorite country in the world is Egypt!!! 

Question was asked by @wheremegclaire.

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• South Texas boy traveling countries full of hate for the West… Were you ever threatened or felt threatened?

I think of all the questions I was asked this is my favorite because it’s a very common thought because of what we see on the news. The truth is though that not once did I get threatened or felt threatened  because I was from the USA. I think it’s actually the opposite when you visit countries that according to the media are full of hate towards us you learn that they are intrigued by us and want to learn more about us. I will use Egypt as an example since I spent 7 months there and during that time I visited remote villages, major tourist areas and even lived in Cairo (the largest city in Africa). Through out my time there any time I mentioned I was from America they would stop me and want to know why I am visiting their country or what I think about their country or food or just random things because they don’t understand why someone from America would want to visit their country. I would be invited into strangers home for a cup of tea because that is their culture and tradition that if you are a guest in their country you are a guest of theirs and they are supposed to treat you to what they can. It’s beautiful to see first hand that people really don’t hate us… yes they hate our government for what it’s done to their countries and who can blame them? Have you seen some of the damage our government has done around world? It’s heartbreaking, but when you learn that people know the difference you open your midn to endless possibilities. One of those is that you learn that the media at home is good at one thing… showing the evil over good and making sure it keeps us scared to do anything, but stay home and make sure we keep the capitalistic America dream alive. In reality it’s a false dream and we are a slave to it until we are able to breakaway from it. Lord I got on a tangent again. To answer your question is no I was never and honestly the chances of that happening are slim to none and it would have to be being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Keep in mind the people who hate “The West” in some of the countries I visited are less than the 1%, but it’s that percentage the media uses to make sure we think they all hate us. When in reality most can care less about what is happening in “The West” and just trying to survive in their home country. 

Question was asked by Joey.

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• I’m sure you try to live your life with no regrets, but do you have any from this trip, the past 2-3 years was it? Or maybe not regrets but things that you think, “yeah….maybe I should have done this different…”?

Honesty Cynthia, I have no regrets about anything that happened during the 2 years I traveled around the world. I had many ups & downs, I cried and laughed, I was lost and found, I even found love and let it go, but in the end every memory I made was a memory I will love forever. If anything I wish I had been a bit more adventurous. I know that sounds crazy, but trust me even when you are backpacking around the world it’s easy to stay within a comfort zone.  

Question was asked by Cynthia.

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Well there you have it answers to all the questions I was asked. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the answers to these question. Like usual if you have any questions let me know and I will answer them if I can. Thanks again everyone who asked me a question!