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Photo Journal // Day 5 // Monrovia, Liberia. It’s our last day here and I’m going to miss it. We leave at 9 PM Friday and get home around 10 PM Saturday. That’s with going back in time. First thing in the morning we met with some Australians who reached out to @pleasantgrn and found out they would be in Liberia the same time as him. They found his videos when researching for their trip. They’re helping Star a coffee bean farm in Liberia. It’s an industry that hasn’t really taken off, but everything grows in Liberia. After they left, I took a final dip in the Ocean. The waves and currents are intense here, so I didn’t go too far out. We cleaned up and headed into Monrovia to buy souvenirs. The markets were busy and stinky, just like any other major city. Our driver told me to wear my backpack on my chest for safety though. We got out unscathed. Ben wanted to fly his drone one last time over West Point. If you remember from my previous posts, it’s a tiny peninsula with 70,000 people crammed in. At first, we wanted to venture deep into West Point, but when we got to the entrance, we decided it was best to hang out on the edge. You can see some of their “beach houses” in the pictures here. I struck up convo with some tough looking dudes as Ben was flying his drone. They fit the description of former child soldiers from the civil war, but I didn’t confirm if they were or not. I’d walk away and they kept calling me back asking for things, like for me to buy them some weed. Again, we left unscathed. On our way back to the hotel, our driver stopped at a Liberian art store. It sat up on a hill next to the main road. We could hear some commotion and sirens on the street. It turns out, the president had just gotten back into town and his motorcade passed by. I had my phone out to take pictures, but a security guard was leaning out of his car yelling, “No photography!” I wasn’t able to get one. I guess it’s a common sight to see him pass by there. It makes sense since we were on the road to the airport. I bought some more souvenirs and watched some guys carve more art. When we got back to the hotel, we met another guy who reached out to @pleasantgrn. He’s a pilot from Zimbabwe, flying corporate for a mining company. I had a ton of questions for him. He loves flying in Africa and showed us some pictures why. We got packed up and headed to the airport. I wish I could describe to you how un-airport-y the airport is. It looks like a ghetto office with people asking to see your passport every 5 feet. I sat on a rickety bench chatting with a guy from Cleveland. He sets up school curriculum for schools all over the world. We take a bus to the plane on the tarmac and off we go. That’s it! Peace out, Liberia. It’s been wonderful! I’m excited to see @laceydallis and our puppy, Dewey. Thanks for following along! (at Monrovia, Liberia)

Photo Journal // Day 4 // Bong County & Monrovia, Liberia (Pt 3). ...and we were on our way. It felt good to be back in civilization, but I didn’t want to be stuck on the busy streets of Paynesville, where we are staying. We wanted to get back by 6 so we could go to the U.S. Ambassador’s house for a gathering of young Liberian leaders. We were invited after Ben’s presentation at the Embassy. But we did make it back and I felt like kissing the ground. The sliding glass door to our room was completely missing when we got back. I guess someone leaned against it and broke it. We quickly assessed that it wasn’t a break in. The owners were fixing it as we got here. Our driver, John, swapped out the 4Runner for the car we had been traveling in all week. This gave us time to take a shower and head to town. The band that the embassy hired finished before we got there, but we enjoyed some food and company of Americans and Liberians alike. Everyone has been so friendly to us here. It was a great evening to end the trip. We fly out tomorrow night, so we have time for a few more adventures. I hope to make it back here again. Liberia has a ton of potential. (at Liberia)

Photo Journal // Day 4 // Bong County & Monrovia, Liberia (Pt 2). ... “The ants go marching.” It was a lot of fun and it took our mind off of car troubles for a bit. Esther then took us to the village to have lunch, wild rice and Palm Buttah (butter) with dried fish. It was really tasty. Even sick Tribe ate some. We took a few more shots with our drones (people love them here) and then loaded up down a trail that a small car shouldn’t fit down, let alone a 4Runner. It was to a halfway house, where students can stay so they don’t have to walk as far. The conditions there are poor. They sleep on the ground, mostly, but so do the resident teachers. It’s their way of life. There’s pictures of their bathroom and bedrooms posted here. It was really sad. Esther has done her best to make it better but there’s still lots to do. If anyone has ideas, I know a place that could sure use them... It was time to head back. This where the fun really began. We were relieved that the trip was half over, but I reminded the guys that when climbing Everest, most accidents happen on the descent. We didn’t realize our gas had been leaking as bad as it was, but we somehow managed to get back on the paved road, but not before our driver dropped us in a village while he went to get the breaks checked. He came back after a half hour saying everything was fine and we loaded up. We were just glad to not be stranded in the bush. However, we still had a ways to go before we made it back to Monrovia and the highway is no place to be after dark. 45 minutes into the trip, the car began to sputter. We were running out of gas so we pulled into a gas station, which consists of glass jars of gas dumped in via a funnel. I was relieved to know it wasn’t engine trouble. Back on the road, we drove for another 45 minutes before completely running out of gas on a hill and a blind curve. Our driver barely pulled off the road, flagged down a motorcycle, and set off to find more fuel. Meantime, people were walking by, staring into our car. Kids were selling bush rat to passerby’s. Girls were carrying food on their heads. This is Africa, people. Our driver wasn’t gone too long before returning with gas... (at Africa/Monrovia)

Photo Journal // Day 4 // Bong County & Monrovia, Liberia. (Pt 1) A Liberian road trip is not nearly as fun as on in the U.S. More adventurous? Yes, but I wouldn’t use “fun” to describe it. We left Monrovia for Bong County (Liberia doesn’t have states) at 5 A.M. to go visit “The Farm” as Esther calls it. If you remember, we had lunch with her yesterday. @pleasantgrn had bought a pump for the farm so the people out there could water their crops. The farm is really a school in the middle of absolute nowhere, deep in the jungle of Liberia. Esther kept saying, “Where we are going, life stops,” meaning it was the end of the road. Getting out of town was a little tricky with people setting up their markets in the dark streets and Monrovia’s potholed streets, but once we got on the freeway, it was a really nice ride. We even pulled over to fly our drones. We went off road shortly after the sun came up. That’s when it got tricky. We were in a 4Runner that was barely repaired the day before. Ben woke up uneasy about the drive, Tribe was feeling sick, and Karson got barely any sleep the night before. Anxieties were running high. We passed through some very traditional villages and the people there stopped and stared as we drove by. We crossed over 3 or 4 iffy bridges, the best one being pictured here, and had a couple of hard bangs on the bottom of the car. Oh yeah, and the gas gauge wasn’t working. The car started beeping and the dash lit up with warnings. We also could smell gas, but we continued on deeper and deeper into the jungle, finally arriving at the school. Kids walk for 2 hours, morning and night, just to attend. They were so excited to see “white man,” as I’m sure visitors are scarce. We went from room to room being greeted by the kids, then saw the farm. They are growing rubber trees, kasava root, and other plants to harvest and sell at the markets on the road. This is where Ben’s pump comes in. They’ll no longer have to haul water from the well to water their plants. We noticed kids starting to peek from behind walls so that must have meant recess. Ben entertained them with his drone and I led a group in singing “If you’re happy and you know it” and... (at Bong County)

Photo Journal // Day 3 // Monrovia, Liberia. We were first brought to a school that @pleasantgrn donated some money to to help pay the teachers’ salaries. We met up with the CBS News crew and Ben and Joel took them around to the different schools that benefitted from the book sales. I have yet to see an ugly Liberian child. They are so sweet and wanting our attention. The pile of rocks in the photo are hand crushed. It takes several days for people to work on the pile. This pile will sell for 800 Liberian Dollars, $70 USD. It’s painstaking work. They sell it to road construction companies. After the tour, Ben was mic’d up for a proper interview with @stevehartmancbs. You’re going to want to tune in. I don’t know when it will air though. After the school tour, we went to a lady named Esther’s house. She runs the first school (pictured) and a school in the bush that we’ll be visiting tomorrow. She fed us a great lunch of fried chicken, rice, and plasava sauce (fish and cooked greens). We ended up at the hotel early in the afternoon. We were surprised by the CBS crew as they stopped in and said good by on their way to the airport. Tomorrow, we’re waking up early and heading out to Bong County. This is rural Liberia. I can’t wait to share pictures from there. (at Paynesville, Liberia)

Photo Journal // Day 2 // Monrovia, Liberia. Our first appointment was at the U.S. Embassy, but on the way our driver noticed a fire near there. He wanted to check it out be we’re were a little uneasy. As we pulled up, crowds were forming, then the police rolled in and started shoving people back. It scared the crowd and everyone began running. It was at that point we realized Liberian crowds in an unstable country are not a good idea. We made it back safely to the car, but not without being freaked out. We made it to the embassy where @benjaytay was presenting to local entrepreneurs. He shared his “From Scammer to Saint” Story. If you haven’t seen it, look it up on YouTube. He killed the presentation. We then broke the class into groups and played Shark Tank as they pitched their business ideas. We heard everything from a bottled water company to a made licensing service. They were all great ideas. After the embassy, we headed up to Hotel Ducor, another bombed out 5 Star Hotel from the Liberian Civil War. You could tell it was a nice establishment and the Liberians still hold it dear to them. It’s on the highest peak in the area, overlooking the city on one side and the infamous West Point on the other. It’s a small peninsula where 70,000 people are crammed together in shanties. We may or may not go in there one day. After Hotel Ducor, we met up with CBS News so they could film Ben meeting Joel for the first time. It was an emotional experience. He’s the main reason why we’re all here. They chatted on film as Joel showed him around his neighborhood. Tomorrow, we’ll go see the schools Ben has donated to. Our crew came back to the hotel and swam, played in the ocean, and hung out for the rest of the evening. It was nice to get in early. More in store for tomorrow! (at Monrovia, Libberia)

Photo Journal // Day 1 // Monrovia, Liberia. We (Ben, Matt, Karson, and I) woke up at the Tropicana Beach Resort Just south of town. We met our driver, John, and he’ll be with us for the rest of the week. We spent the good part of the morning driving through town looking for an ATM and “burner” phone so we could communicate easier with our contacts here. We also met up with Karson’s former mission friend, Freeman. We then made our way out of town to Hotel Africa, a former 5 star hotel from before the Liberian Civil War. Some kids took us through the ruins and we flew our drone for them. As we left, one poked his head in the car, asking for money for the tour. We obliged. Freeman wanted to feed us a traditional meal, fufu and spicy chicken. We took the long drive out to his house and ate outside. It’s rude to not finish it all so we did our best. After that, we ended up at the Royal Hotel in Downtown Monrovia to have dinner with the CBS crew. They will be interviewing Ben and telling his and Joel’s story. Does Steve Hartman ring anyone’s bell? He’s the reporter doing the piece. Younger people may need to google his name. Dinner was a short walk from the hotel and it was very good. We had great conversations about everything from Ben’s background to being Mormon to South African culture (their cameraman, Meesh, is from there). Driving back to the resort in the dark was a little scary, but we made it safe and sound. More to come tomorrow! (at Monrovia, Libberia)

Photo Journal // Day 5 // Kauai, Hawaii. It's our last day here and it goes without saying we'll miss it. This world has so much to offer in regards to travel and adventure. Kauai had been a sliver of that offering. Also, if you really want to get to know your loved ones, travel with them. Take yourself out of the environment you are comfortable in and be wild. Do something different. It doesn't have to be in a far away place, or expensive. Just get out there and have some fun. Enough preaching. @laceydallis and I got up and had some macadamia nut pancakes again at Tip Top Bakery. It was a good way to start and end our vacation. We then took a long drive up Waimea Canyon to find views like the one pictured. They say it's the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. We got out and snapped photos at various points of interest along the way. After our little canyon tour, we headed back to Poipu where we planned to meet up with @lifelikecarters and @aubreetcarter. We killed some time at Spouting Horn where the pressure of the ocean hitting the rocks makes geysers. We watched a few sea turtles swimming around as well. The Carters showed up and we headed out to a secret beach that was behind one of the queen's houses. It was a great way to cap off the trip, playing in the ocean and relaxing. We then got some burgers at Bubbas in Poipu, followed by ice cream. After showering and packing up, we dropped off the rental Jeep and settled in for our red eye flight home from Lihue Kauai Hawaii. What a trip! (at Nā Pali Coast State Park)

Photo Journal // Day 4 // Kauai, Hawaii. Today was a good day. We woke up early to drive out to Port Allen to catch a catamaran. It took us out along the Na Pali Coast. We saw some Spinner dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins, sea turtles, and tons of flying fish. The Na Pali Coast is only accessible by boat or hiking, so this is one of the better ways to see it. The boat stopped in a snorkeling spot, so we all jumped out and snorkeled around. I've never snorkeled in the ocean, so that was exciting. When we arrived back to port, it was raining. By the time we got to the car, it was a downpour. It had to be some of the craziest rain I have ever been in. It was so bad, in fact, that the luau we had planned for the evening was cancelled. There were flash flood warnings on the radio. Lacey and I got cleaned up and set out for dinner. The rain had pretty much stopped at this point. We enjoyed a walk along the beach after dinner. We were craving some shaved ice and we were told about a place in Kapa'a. By the time we got out there, it was closed, so we headed back to Lehue and found some there. Lacey said it was some of the best ice cream she's ever had and she doesn't like ice cream. All in all, it turned out to be a really good day. (at Nā Pali Coast State Park)

Photo Journal // Day 3 // Kauai, Hawaii We woke up Sunday morning and set out on a journey to see Secret Falls (pictured). It entailed kayaking up the Wailua River and hiking through the forest. After about a 30 minute walk we were there, swimming under the falls. We then got back in our kayaks and headed further up the river to a swimming hole, then the Fern Grotto. After that, we ate some tasty burgers and headed back to Lihue. After resting for a bit, we got ready and drove out to Polihale Beach. @aubreebellephotography (@aubreetcarter) snapped some photos of @laceydallis and I on the beach. She does amazing work. If you're coming to Kauai between now and the end of September, get in touch for some photos in a magical spot. As the sun set, we roasted hotdogs and marshmallows. We watched a storm roll in and light up the Nepali Coast with lighting. It was truly a memorable night. (at Wailua River State Park)

Photo Journal // Day 2 // Hanalei, Hawaii. Our day started with some donuts. I thought we were get some local eats, but when I posted my story about the donuts, I was informed it was a chain. Oh well, donuts are donuts. We made our way to the North Shore, but turned around because we decided to check out Secret Falls. Getting there would take some planning, so we opted out of that for today. In the town of Kapaa, we ate mango and @laceydallis had the, "best piña colada I've ever had." Across the street, I chatted with a local bee keeper selling his honey. It tastes so different than mine. That's to be expected though. He gave us a free little bottle. Super nice. From there we made our way to the end of the road to hike the Kalalou Trail along the Na Pali Coast. It was 4 miles out and back with a beautiful beach at the end. To keep going the rest of the way, you need a permit. Those get booked months in advance. We were hot and hungry, but it was totally worth it. When we were done, we met up with @lifelikecarters and had some Hawaiian BBQ. Lacey and I ran into a girl we knew from back home at the restaurant. That's always fun. From there, we checked out Hanalei Pier (pictured) and swam in Queen's Bath. Queen's Bath is an alcove protected by Rocks. The water is warm and salty, ask my nose after jumping of a 10 foot cliff. We ended the night with some tasty shaved ice and made our way home. I'm beat! (at Hanalei Pier)

Photo Journal // Day 1 // Lihue, Hawaii. We actually arrived in Hawaii the night before, but didn't see or do anything. We're staying with @lifelikecarters and @aubreetcarter while we are here. They are gracious hosts. They both work on Kauai, so while they worked, Lacey and I got breakfast (macadamia nut pancakes) 🥞 and made our way out to Poipu Beach. It was fairly busy, but it was nice to relax. After a few hours of swimming and laying out, we headed back to Lihue and got ready for the evening. The Carters took us up to Wailua Falls (pictured), then out to the historic town of Hanapepe. Every Friday the town come alive with an art stroll. Vendors set up shop and there's tons of good food and things to see. Lacey and I were pretty tired from the time change, so we headed back to the Carters' place and crashed pretty early. (at Wailua Falls)

Photo Journal // Day 7 // San Fransisco, CA. I was so wrapped up in preparations for our trip I failed to notice our 12 hour layover in SF. We had a 9 hour one in Shanghai, but we couldn't leave the airport. We got in around 8:30, but customs wasn't open until 9. I was complaining about sitting on the plane for an extra half hour. We'd already been on it for 10 hours. Lacey wasn't impressed with my whining, but we both got distracted by a kid around 11 or so throwing a fit. He called his mom an idiot and threw out a few curse words and tried to storm off the plane, but the Chinese flight attendants put him in his place. We didn't see it, but based on the sound it made, his mom slapped him a good one. Those of us who knew English had smiles on our faces. We were finally let off the plane and welcomed home. I love it when the customs officers say that. We had some major time to kill and tried to recheck our bags, but you can't before 4 hours before the flight so we toted them on the BART and headed to the city. They got heavy quick. I dragged poor Lacey a good mile or so to find lunch on Pier 39. Let's just say I miss Cambodia's prices for food. Neither of us were dressed for the cold Bay weather. I submitted and bought a hoodie that was on sale, but is probably always "on sale." We watched the sea lions and made our way back to the Airport. We decided to take an Uber to the Embarcadero BART station and then ride the BART to the airport. We spent more in 3 hours in SF than we did in 3 days in Cambodia. Oh well. It feels good to be on the home stretch. Thanks for following along. #PhnomenalTrip #sanfrancisco #california #transamerica #citybythebay #bayarea (at San Francisco, California)

#sanfrancisco #bayarea #california #citybythebay #transamerica #phnomenaltrip

Photo Journal // Day 7 // Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I now know what all the hype was about. Cambodia is amazing. They may not be rich in money, but they make up for it in culture. I don't mean to sound cliché here, but they are very kind and helpful. Everywhere I went today I looked around to see what I could do to help them and how I could return. We spent the first few hours of the day watching General Conference. They show it a week late here after it's been translated. A lot of members remember Lacey. She'd be pretty hard to forget. After church we went to the New Market (pictured) to buy some souvenirs. Khavy helped us negotiate prices. We'd ask the price, it'd be too high and we'd walk away only to return to get the lower price. It makes shopping take twice as long, but it's a lot of fun. After this market, we went to the super market (mall) to cool off and sit in massage chairs. In the grocery portion we met a monk who told us to never forget that we are "spiritual superstars." He wasn't your run-of-the-mill monk. We then went back to the church to say goodby to members, including Sophallaroth who was more or less our Cambodian travel agent and good friend. We then walked to a member's house who took us to an amazing Chinese restaurant. I ate way too much. Lacey says they have an amazing story about their life during and after the Khmer Rouge. The treated us well. It was a nice way to end this too short trip. A few of Lacey's friends followed us to the airport to say goodbye. It's custom and the airport was packed with well-wishers. Here we start our journey home with a 9 hour layover in Shanghai and a 12 hour layover in San Fran. We'll definitely do some site seeing in the City by the Bay before arriving tomorrow night at Midnight. (at Phnom Penh International Airport)

Photo Journal // Day 6 (2 of 2) // Angkor Wat - Siem Reap, Cambodia. ...continued: Angkor Wat was just stone and heat. Sure you can go inside, but being crammed in confined spaces with 100's of foreigners seeking shade is not the best place to be with an upset stomach. We sat under a tree at the entrance for a bit and Lacey bought me some water and a Cambodian cure-all that smells like Icy Hot. Putting that under my nose actually helped. I figured I'd better be near a bathroom again before heading in. We found another air conditioned restaurant and we hung out there long enough for me to muster the courage to invade Angkor Wat and off we went. We walked the quarter mile or so across the bridge, through the gate, and up to the center of the structure. Somehow I was able to keep it all in. I kept giving Lacey percentages on how I was doing. 65%...60%...75%...70% (after climbing 4 stories to get to the upper part). By the end, I was 80% and good to face the rest of the evening. My prayers were answered. I've decided with enough water and a patient wife, a man can conquer anything. Sorry for anyone reading this that the story didn't end in a disaster, but I'm grateful it didn't. We then went back to the hotel we stayed at to pick up our luggage and hung out there for a bit. One of the workers asked Lacey if he could practice his English with me. I thought that was cool. Turns out, he's the only person in his village of 60 to finish school and go on to University. We then made our way to a buffet dinner with traditional food and dancing, but had to leave early to catch our flight back to Phnom Penh. Although my iPhone battery is at 20%, I'm finally about 95%. Time to fully recharge. Good night. (at Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia )

Photo Journal // Day 6 (1 of 2) // Siem Reap - Angkor Wat. This morning I woke up around 6 AM. Lacey stayed asleep a little bit longer. The plan was to wake up at 8, have breakfast at 8:30, and leave by 9. We only missed our mark by a few minutes. Our Tuk Tuk driver was ready for us so we departed toward some wats (temples). Our first stop was through the south gate of Angkor Thom. It was a beautiful opening in the wall that surrounds the temple. Once through, it was a long drive to the center of Anchor Thom. Faces carved into the spires reminded me of Olmec from Legends of the Hidden Temple on Nickelodeon. It was getting hot as the sun rose higher in the sky through morning. We then made our way over to Preah Khan. It was a smart move on our part because this one has been overgrown by trees so there's plenty of shade. I love history and I love ruins, but my mind gets frustrated wishing I could see it in its complete state. It was amazing to see the roots of the trees hanging over the walls and nature trying to reclaim its stone. Around noon, it was time to eat. Our driver took us to a nice, air conditioned restaurant that had outside seating too. Nobody sat outside. By this point it was 95° and humid. I ordered some noodles and chicken and Lacey had a ginger fish plate. Then it hit me. You know that feeling you get when you realize you've done something really wrong? Your head starts spinning and all you can think about is how to fix the problem. I got that same feeling as we were cooling off. I was feeling sick. I had a hard time determining which end would manifest my stomach troubles so I planned for the worst and made my way to the bathroom. It was fairly uneventful, in case you wanted to know, except for a lady yelling, "hello!" into the bathroom repeatedly until I'd answer. She then began speaking in Khmer (Cambodian) and get frustrated when I couldn't understand her. She'd then repeat the hellos. Looking back on it, I can finally see the humor in it. I emerged from the bathroom and made up my mind that I'd bear through it. I hoped and prayed it wasn't food poisoning, but figured it was probably heat induced. This was trouble because (continued...) (at Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia)

Photo Journal // Day 5 // Sihanouk Ville -> Saim Reap (Home of Angkor Wat). Today's theme: Hurry up and wait. We woke up around 6:30 AM. I shot some sunrise video on my DJI Osmo. Then we had breakfast. I chose the "Canadian Breakfast" which is basically pan cakes and eggs. Lacey and I spent some time on the beach enjoying each other's company before taking a swim. We had to be checked out by 11 and our boat back to Sihanoukville was supposed to arrive at noon. It didn't show up until 1:30 causing Khavy and Socheat to miss their taxi home. We almost missed the boat ride altogether. As we approached the woman in charge, she said we didn't confirm our return so we had to stand by and watch everyone get on while we waited for open seats. Luckily we got on and all was well. The inside smelled like Cambodia met Taco Bell and had a stinky baby. So many European armpits contributed to the smell. Lacey and I parted ways with Khavy and Socheat who needed up staying the night in Sihanouk. I guess it's too dangerous to drive the road we came in on at night. Speaking of dangerous, we took a tuk tuk to the airport where we flew to Siam Reap. We were passed by big trucks, speeding cars, other motos, and even a sewage truck that made our driver plug his nose. We got to the airport with plenty of time to spare and happily waited for the plane in the air conditioned terminal. It showed up and the flight was fairly uneventful. Upon landing in Siam Reap, we got a new tuk tuk driver that took us to our hotel down a dark alley. The hotel is really nice, the road it's on, not so much. We rested for a bit, then hit the town for some food. That's where today's picture comes from. There's a pretty hopping night market that I wish we had time to explore. This is a shot of all the motos lined up on Pub Street ready to take you anywhere you want to go. Tomorrow we go see Angkor Wat. #PhnomenalTrip #cambodia #siamreap #pubstreet #angkorwat (at Pub Street, Siam Reap)

#pubstreet #siamreap #phnomenaltrip #cambodia #angkorwat

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