Goofing Around in Tarija, Bolivia
Audrey plays with some kids from the Primero de Mayo neighborhood in Tarija, Bolivia. The kids meet once a week on Saturday mornings while their mothers work in the market.
Dan and Pamiri Old Man - Ishkashim, Tajikistan
This man took a liking to Dan, insisting that they had met a few years prior...here in Ishkashim, Tajikistan...Although we tried to explain in our broken Russian that this was our first visit, he didn't understand. In the end, he was happier thinking we were long, lost friends. We suppose that in a way, we were. Read about our adventures in the Pamirs.
Yuanyang Street Food, Tofu - Yuanyang, China
The man to Dan's left quickly befriended us and invited us to eat grilled tofu with him at the Niujiazhai market. We didn't share a common language, but he still conveyed to us an invitation to stay at his home. Taken in the Yuanyang region of China's Yunnan Province. Read more about our visit to Yuanyang. @ www.uncorneredmarket.com
Handing Out a Book to Village Kids - Nong Khiaw, Laos
Audrey hands out one of the Lao alphabet books we bought from the children's book publishing and literacy program, Big Brother Mouse. We noticed a school in the village, so we figured there were some literate kids somewhere. Based on their reactions, these kids had never seen a book before. Imagine that. They simply did not know what to make of it, nor what to do with it. Audrey opened it and started flipping the pages. The kids got a kick out of pointing at the pictures and saying the word in Lao. Lots of giggles. In the end, we left the book with a couple of boys a few years older who looked like they could make better use of it. Read more about the villages near Nong Khiaw, Laos and Big Brother Mouse.
Abasto Market Lesson - Asuncion, Paraguay
Audrey chats up the watermelon guys at the Abasto outdoor market in Asuncion, Paraguay. Read more about our visit to Paraguay. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
Audrey with Group of Nepali Women - Annapurna Circuit, Nepal
Audrey joins a group of local women on their way home from Dhukur Pokhari to Upper Pisang. They offered up some mystery meat from the center of the circle, but Audrey politely declined. Taken on the fifth day of the Annapurna Circuit trek near the village of Upper Pisang in Nepal. Read more about our Annapurna Circuit trek. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
Conversing on the Street - Chennai, India
Audrey has a discussion with a guy in the Chennai neighborhood of Triplicane as a cow walks by. A typical street scene in India. Read more about India. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
Woman Tying Head Scarf - Tolkuchka Market, Azerbaijan
Audrey gets a lesson in tying head scarves at Ashgabat's Tolkuchka market. Audrey took a vote from the nearby vendors on which color suited her best and this scarf won. She became a big hit in the market. Read more about our visit to Turkmenistan and impressions of Ashgabat.
Friendly Burmese Family - Mandalay, Burma
A family takes a liking to Audrey at a souvenir stand near Sandamani Paya in Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar). Read more about our visit to Mandalay. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
Audrey Chats With a Fruit Vendor - Concepcion, Paraguay
After we bought bananas from this vendor in Concepcion, she became curious about where we were from and our travels in Paraguay. Read more about our visit to Paraguay. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
Audrey, Dan and Shashi, Cooking Class - Rajasthan, India
We took a cooking course in Udaipur (Rajasthan, India)with Shashi. Over the course of 4-5 hours we learned how to make chutneys, masalas, masala tea, and much more. As we cooked, Shashi shared stories from her own life. Highly recommended. Shashi also put the red tikka on Audrey, indicating she is a married woman. Read: A Lesson from Udaipur © UncorneredMarket.com
School Kids with a Tourist - Kalaw, Burma
The school kids in a village outside of Kalaw all wanted to shake Dan's hand. Taken along our trek from Kalaw to Inle Lake, Burma (Myanmar). © www.uncorneredmarket.com
Laughing Women - Paraw Bibi, Turkmenistan
Audrey shares a moment of laughter with the women visiting the sacred site of Paraw Bibi. © UncorneredMarket.com
Dan with Astronomer at Tian Shan Observatory - Almaty, Kazakhstan
Our host, Aivar, at the Tian Shan observatory. Kyrgyz by birth, Aivar spoke good English, smiled often and took care of us for our night in the mountains. He even ensured that we got "Bush legs" for dinner. Read more about our adventures in the Tian Shan Mountains.
Indian Women Buying Wedding Jewelry - Rajasthan, India
Audrey got invited in to watch the wedding jewelry proceedings in a jewelry shop in Bara Bazaar in Udaipur (Rajasthan), India. Read: A Lesson from Udaipur © UncorneredMarket.com
Audrey and Zina - Yerevan, Armenia
We stayed with Zina and her sister Vika in Yerevan. Each time we returned to the apartment, we were welcomed with coffee, fruit, and an energetic Zina happy to share stories of her life and the history of Armenia. Read about our visit to Yerevan and Armenia.
Dan With a Microcredit Group - Ingapirca, Ecuador
Dan poses with microcredit women's group in the village of Santa Ana, Ingapirca outside Cuenca, Ecuador. The women gather every two weeks with a loan officer to pay back loans and socialize with friends. The women have taken small loans financed through Kiva to improve their family businesses, from agriculture to animals to small shops. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
Audrey with Chinese Friend - Chengdu, China
This Chinese woman took a liking to Audrey. Taken in one of the few remaining traditional neighborhood sections of Chengdu (Sichuan province), China. Read more about our visit to Chengdu and to the Chengdu Panda Breeding Research Center. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
Indian Street Food - Varanasi, India
Audrey gets a lesson in street food cooking at this aloo tikka stand at Assi Ghat in Varanasi. What started out as a quick lesson turned into a 20 minute job, as the stand got busy and everyone worked together to get everyone fed quickly. Audrey got thumbs up from the customers for the tomato-potato mixture she was stirring. She was paid with some stuffed puris (small, puffed fried bread). Watch the video.
Dan with Chinese Kids - Xishuangbanna, China
Dan quickly became popular with this group of girls at a market off the main road between Gasa and Jinghong...Taken in the Xishuangbanna region of China's Yunnan Province. Read more about our visit to Xishuangbanna. @ www.uncorneredmarket.com
Dan in a Kalpak (Kyrgyz Hat) - Kochkor, Kyrgyzstan
Dan dons a kalpak (a traditional Kyrgyz hat) on the second day of our horse trek. Our host wanted a photo with this "handsome Kyrgyz man." Read more about Kyrgyzstan's sights and cities and our Ramadan feast at Song Kul Lake.
A New Friend - Battambang, Cambodia
The older man on the left was part of the bug feast the day before. He took a liking to Dan, always smiling at him and patting him on the back and making sure Dan was always by his side. Read more about our visit to Battambang, Cambodia.
Audrey and the Girls - Masaya, Nicaragua
Audrey poses with the women of the family in a village outside of Masaya, Nicaragua. Two of the women are Kiva borrowers, meaning that they have received small loans financed through the internet by Kiva lenders. They use the credit to promote the family business of making corn tortillas, pork rinds (chicharron), beans and running a small shop (tienda). Read more about our adventures in Nicaragua. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
Meeting with Uighur Students - Kashgar, China
We met a group of students on the streets of Kashgar who were studying to be English teachers. They gave us advice on their favorite foods and places to visit in Kashgar. They also had many questions about America, most of which were informed by what they saw in the movies and on TV. Read more about Xinjiang cuisine and Kashgar. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
Chumming it up in El Valle, Bolivia
Audrey poses for a picture with family vineyard owner Jesus Romero in the town of El Valle outside of Tarija, Bolivia. © www.uncorneredmarket.com