The Boyz

Toby

  • I am 12 years old. Born in May.
  • I like to read.
  • I play scrabble.
  • My favorite thing to do when I’m tired is sleep.
  • I’m really good at following rules.
  • I love neon green.
  • The countries on our itinerary that I’m looking forward to visiting the most, now that we're nearing the end, is Colombia.
  • I’m interested in modern architecture.
  • Enzo Ferrari has influenced my interest in sports car designing.
  • I like to play and watch baseball.
  • I like to watch football.
  • I love lemons.
  • My favorite animal is a dolphin.
  • I intend to speak Spanish fluently at the end of our year of traveling.

Leo

  • I am 9 years old. Born in February.
  • I’m a kind person who likes to play sports.
  • I like avocado rolls.
  • I love ketchup.
  • I’m a Patriots’ fan.
  • The countries on our itinerary that I’ve really enjoyed thus far are Egypt, Bali, Turkey, Thailand, and Australia.
  • My favorite color is red and orange mixed together.
  • I’ll miss my house and my bed in Arlington, MA when I’m gone.
  • I like to build natural shelters with the materials that I have.
  • My favorite animals in Africa are elephant, lion, and cheetah. I got to see many in the Tanzanian national parks. Note: I think that all animals are beautiful.
  • I love to ride bikes.

David (aka, Papa)

  • I am 54 years old. Born in March.
  • I’m so curious about the way people live in different parts of our planet.
  • I like physical comedy and slapstick.
  • Eating a sweet, ripe mango is an incredibly sexy experience.
  • I really like Medjool dates.
  • Men must be able to look at the ways that patriarchal culture keeps them from knowing themselves, from being in touch with their feelings, from loving.*
  • Too much violence.
  • I’m an advocate and strong supporter of Mother Nature and her family.
  • I love the plants.
  • There’s nothing like a smooth ride on a finely crafted racing bicycle.
  • Nothing beats live music.

*From The Will to Change, Bell Hooks

Lost, Stolen, or Damaged items List

Thus far:

  • Lost Sunglasses (papa's, somewhere between flights from Boston to West Palm Beach, FL, USA)
  • Broken Sunglasses (papa's, at Eric's in San Francisco, CA, USA)
  • Stainless steel water bottle (somewhere on a bus in Sydney, Australia)
  • Ukelele (left in SERVAS host's apartment in Sydney; never heard anything since) 
  • One of Leo's sandals that fell into the Brisbane River as we were waiting for the CityCat ferry boat (Australia)
  • Bathing suits (Toby and Leo's left at Crystal Bay beach on Nusa Penida tour, Bali)
  • SPOT3 tracking device (left in Canggu Bali and shipped back to us by FedEx in Kathmandu by our wonderful new friends Dai and Christie. Thank you!!!
  • Toothbrushes, toothbrush covers, and toothpaste (Toby and Leo's left at Rainbow Safari Resort, Sauraha, outside Chitwan National Park on the morning that we returned by bus to Kathmandu)
  • Toby's long-sleeve rash guard and Leo's shorts by the poolside at the Continental Hotel in Hurghada (Egypt)
  • Lost my (papa) sandals in and around the pool at the Continental Hotel in Hurghada (Egypt).

Toby's blog posts

There have been many new and exciting things that we've done along the way in our travels thus far. Here's a list of 'firsts' that Leo and I have accomplished to-date:

  • Seeing sea lions in the wild (Pier 39, San Francisco, CA USA)
  • Riding a trolley car (San Francisco, CA USA)
  • Crossing the international date line (cross-Pacific Hawaii to Sydney flight)
  • Seeing a wild kangaroo (Australia)
  • Packing commercial limes (Maryborough, Australia)
  • Driving a forklift! (Maryborough, Australia)
  • Seeing wild dolphins in their natural habitat (Tin Can Bay, Australia and Lovina, Bali)
  • Trying durian. And, didn't like it at all! (Bali, Indonesia)
  • Surfing in the ocean (took lessons in Canggu, Bali)
  • Riding on a motorbike (dad drove; all over Bali)
  • Seeing and touching an Asian elephant (Nepal)
  • Eating yak cheese (Toby, Nepal)
  • Eating very spicy food (Boudinath, Nepal)
  • Trekking to the highest altitude above sea level - 3210m! (Poon Hill trek, Annapurna Himal, Nepal)
  • Flying on the smallest plane ever (from Kathmandu to Pokhara, Nepal)
  • Successfully using chopsticks (Toby, Bangkok, Thailand)
  • First time flying business class (Hurghada to Cairo)
  • Flying on a a 12-seater Cessna 200 single prop airplane (Dar Es Salaam to Arusha, Tanzania)
I'm game, mite!

Leo's Blog Posts

Once I start writing some things, I'll be sure to post them here.

Ready to roll to see jumping crocodiles!