Want to hear something crazy? I am now six months into my RTW trip. Less than three months to go before I return to the States.

I’m not sure how that’s possible as it feels like only last month I was hiking a glacier in New Zealand. Time seems to bend and expand during travel — there are so many experiences condensed into each day and my brain is doing its best to process it all. One thing I know for sure: this trip is exactly what I am supposed to be doing with my life right now.

But before I get too sentimental, let me update you on the past month of my travels.

BORNEO

This place blew my mind. Borneo is part of Malaysia (some of it is also in Indonesia but I didn’t visit that part) and the wildlife is unreal.

Here are some orangutans and proboscis monkeys as seen at Rasa Ria (near Kota Kinabalu) and Labuk Bay Sanctuary (near Sandakan).

I spent a night on Turtle Island near Sandakan. We watched females lay eggs, then park rangers collected them (to re-bury in a safe area protected from predators), and to cap off the night we released newly hatched baby turtles into the ocean. An unforgettable experience.

Next up I visited the Kinabatangan River near Tawau. Over the course of three boat rides, we witnessed all sorts of wildlife in their natural habitat — pygmy elephants, proboscis monkeys, owls, birds, and even an alligator.

Next I visited the best islands in Borneo, all located outside of Semporna. I did spend one night on pricy Mataking Island after all (as I had hoped to do in my initial RTW trip itinerary ) and completed five dives there in two days, including my first night dive. The underwater macro life is stunning — can you make out the little neon, translucent, shrimp-shaped creatures in the photo below?

I chased some turtles…

And went diving in my favorite location to date — Sipadan Island. We swam among thousands of jack fish and barracudas, plus saw sharks and more turtles.

PALAU

I exchanged one diving paradise for another! Many people say that Palau is one of the top diving locations in the world, but it was actually Jellyfish Lake that drew me here in the first place — the excellent diving was just an added bonus.

During my week-long stay, I spent three days around the Rock Islands in Palau:

Here’s our dive master Scuba Steve covered in white mud from the Milky Way Lagoon. Supposedly the mud has healing powers, or at least that’s what they tell the tourists… who eagerly slather it over their bodies. Either way it makes for a fun photo op!

As my friend Victoria commented on Facebook about the above photo, “Erica, are those your handprints?!”

I’ll never tell.

The diving highlight of Palau was, hands down, the SHARKS. Over three full days I saw maybe 50 of them… several in close proximity. No zoom was used in the photo below.

And Jellyfish Lake was like swimming into a dream. It actually felt trance-like to float alongside these gracious and fragile creatures. Since they’ve been isolated in this lake for about 12,000 years, they have lost the ability to sting — even though their look-a-likes outside of the lake are very much dangerous. There’s over 5 million in this lake and they migrate throughout the day from one side to the other, following the sun’s path. We had about 45 minutes to swim with them and I can’t wait to share more photos (and video) from this experience. In the mean time, here’s a few I posted on Facebook recently.

JAPAN

I am currently in Japan and it ROCKS. It’s vastly different from anywhere else I’ve been. Very few people speak English, I order food by pointing to photos on the menu, and the bathrooms are from the future. There’s a fascinating juxtaposition between ancient history and modern technology — tourists and locals alike walk through centuries-old temples and shrines carrying iPads. I wandered through Yodobashi (a big electronics chain) in search of a SIM card and didn’t even recognize some of the gadgets! There is so much beauty all around, the people are incredibly friendly, and bicycles are the primary mode of transportation. I love it here.

These are a few photos from the past few days in Japan.

Great Buddha Hall at the Todai-ji Temple in Nara:

A deer leads the way to Todai-ji. There are about 1,200 deer in Nara and they wander the streets like dogs.

Lanterns line the Kasuga Taisha shrine in Nara:

The Golden Temple in Kyoto:

The famous orange arches of Fushimi Inari-taisha in Kyoto:

My friend Ayumi (whom I met while touring Great Ocean Road and Kangaroo Island) lives in Kyoto, and yesterday we met up for a very fun day of sightseeing. She suggested we wear traditional kimono for a portion of the day and it was so special to experience this with her. Thank you Ayumi!

I LOVE SUSHI! If I leave Japan without mercury poisoning, I will be disappointed in myself.

The view from Kiyomizu-Dera, an UNESCO World Heritage site:

THE PEOPLE

While I’ve seen many awe-inspiring things, the highlight of this month is not a place. It’s the people.

While diving in Palau I met three very fun Americans currently living in Guam — Casey, Ivan, and Julie. After meeting in the Rock Islands, we enjoyed a few dinners out and it was a joy to get to know them. Aside from Jellyfish Lake, my favorite part of Palau was hanging out with these three!

A few nights ago in Kyoto, our hostel held a group dinner. I met Nino and Asadeh from Germany (with roots in Serbia and Iran, respectively) who planned to travel to Nara the next day. They kindly invited me with them and we had a blast! I think we spent about 13 hours together full of non-stop conversation and laughter. I feel so blessed to have met them. We’ll reunite for dinner in Tokyo next week and I can’t wait to compare notes about our travels between now and then.

And last but not least, it was so delightful to catch up with Ayumi yesterday and experience her hometown of Kyoto. This was another 13 hour day of sightseeing and we had the best time visiting three major temples, donning kimono, and dining on raw fish for lunch and dinner. It was very kind of Ayumi to spend a whole day showing me around — I so appreciate her generosity and it was a treat to see her!

So there you have it… while I’ve spent the past month seeking out wildlife in Borneo, enjoying world-class diving in Palau, and wandering through ancient temples in Japan, the best part hasn’t been the sights — it’s been the people I’ve met along the way. There’s a certain kismet to landing in the same place at the same time as fellow travelers, and these spontaneous friendships are a highlight of my trip. Thank you to Casey, Ivan, Julie, Nino, Asadeh, Ayumi, and all of the other people I’ve met — in hostels, on tours, and even in line at Starbucks — who make this journey so meaningful every day.

And to my friends and family in the States, thanks for following along! While I’m in no hurry for this RTW adventure to end, I look forward to resuming my journey with all of YOU back home in a few months.

XO, Erica