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A, Bee & Z

You know the tagline of Backpack ME is: Piggy-back ride with A&Z! That’s also our name on Facebook and Twitter… but the truth is that there is someone else behind Backpack Me, apart from A&Z.

Shehedbee, also known as “Bee”, is our loyal companion and has traveled to many places around the world with us. You have probably seen her photo in previous posts or in our Instagram feed, because she’s always around and ready for adventure!

Today it completes 2 years that Bee has joined us, so here’s a little tribute to the 3rd element of Backpack ME!

Let’s see what she’s been up to for the past couple of years…

 

In the Middle East

Before she became a world traveler, just like us, Bee used to live in the Middle East.

It's always important to dress according to local customs

It's always important to dress according to local customs

 

While we were working and saving money to travel the world, she spent her days watching TV shows and day dreaming about far away places beyond the desert…

Bee watching Friends in Dubai

Bee watching Friends in Dubai

 

It was in the Middle East that we took our first big trip together, to Oman, where we visited the luscious landscapes of Salalah and met a bunch of friendly camels:

In green Salalah, Souther Oman - watching the camels

In green Salalah, Southern Oman – watching the camels

 

It was after that trip together that we all started planning to quit our jobs to travel around the world!

Counting all the savings for a RTW trip

Counting all the savings for a RTW trip

 

In Africa

Before heading out to spend a year around Latin America, we went to Ethiopia. Not only the country is beautiful, they have some pretty spectacular monuments and cheerful people, they also have incredibly good coffee.

Enjoying strong chocolatey Ethiopian coffee

Enjoying strong chocolaty Ethiopian coffee

 

In Europe

Still, before the Latin adventure, we passed by Europe, to say bye to the family…

With family and friends in Portugal

With family and friends in Portugal

 

… and why not, do a road trip around Spain for a couple of weeks too!

It's a sunny day at the park in Valencia.

It's a sunny day at the park in Valencia.

 

Traveling is not only about fun. Actually, it’s mostly about experiencing, learning and coming across new ways one can contribute towards making the world a better place. Bee knows that, and the AIDS awareness campaign she took part in while we were in Spain shows it!

Participating in an AIDS awareness campaign in Spain

Participating in an AIDS awareness campaign in Spain

 

In Latin America

After crossing the Atlantic, it was non-stop for A, Bee & Z.

We started off in Mexico, lounging at the incredibly beautiful beaches of the Yucatan Peninsula, indulging in food with such an intense array of flavors and, of course, visiting the historical marvels built by Mayans and Aztecs.

Around Chichen Itza, in the Yucatan Peninsula

Around Chichen Itza, in the Yucatan Peninsula

 

And of course, there was tequila. Mucho tequila!

Too. Much. Tequila.

Too. Much. Tequila.

 

Going to Cuba was like traveling back in time. As there was no internet in the guesthouse we stayed at in La Habana (or almost everywhere else in the city) we downloaded the digital version of the Cuba Lonely Planet book before hand. None of us were fans of the LP books before, and this didn’t really change that…

Reading the digital Cuba edition of Lonely Planet in La Habana

Reading the digital edition of Cuba's Lonely Planet in La Habana

 

Amongst several travel related pleasures Bee has developed with us, love hanging out at the beach is one of them! Traveling around Latin America, there was plenty of that to keep us all happy! For example, the week we spent in Samara Beach, Costa Rica:

Sun bathing in Samara Beach, Costa Rica

Sun bathing in Samara Beach, Costa Rica

 

Still on a fairly tropical state of mind, we moved down to South America, and arrived to Brazil, just in time to celebrate “the biggest party on earth”: Carnival in Rio de Janeiro!

At the airport in Sao Paulo - our hub for the rest of Brazil!

At the airport in Sao Paulo – our hub for the rest of Brazil!

 

After about a month all over Brazil, we decided to take it easy for a while, and so we rented a place for 2 weeks in Quito, the capital of Ecuador. There, we spent our time mostly blogging, doing homely things such as cooking, and trying out all the new foods we’d find at the local market.

Foodie Bee: tasting exotic fruits in Ecuador

Foodie Bee: tasting exotic fruits in Ecuador

 

It was in Ecuador too, before heading to the Amazon and the Galapagos Islands, that we celebrated Bee’s 1st birthday. As we’re all foodies, we treated ourselves to some fancy Italian cuisine and coffee pudding. They didn’t have Bee’s favorite, Indian butter chicken, but the food was delicious!

Bee's 1st birthday in Quito, Ecuador

Bee's 1st birthday in Quito, Ecuador

 

And because traveling means nothing if you don’t mingle with the locals, that’s exactly what Bee did in the villages up in the Andes:

Bee and Abigail, on the way to Cuenca

Bee and Abigail, on the way to Cuenca

 

After a rustic month in Ecuador, we reconnected with the city life-style in Santiago de Chile.

Checking out what's happening in Santiago de Chile

Checking out what's happening in Santiago de Chile

 

And once we craved nature and adventure again, we could easily find that around Chile as well. We explored the entire country, from glaciers to desert, from coastal towns to the Patagonia in the South:

The freezing landscapes of Patagonia

The freezing landscapes of Patagonia

 

Bee has even been to the “most remote inhabited place on earth”, that is, Easter Island! That’s a pretty cool one to add to your travel map, isn’t it?

Yes, this is a mini Moai statue, not an oversized Bee.

Yes, this is a mini Moai statue, not an oversized Bee.

 

Peru was one of our favorite countries last year and Bee had some exciting moments in there too.

Just before Bee took off to fly with the condors

Just before Bee took off to fly with the condors in the Colca Valley

 

Not only she hanged out with exotic creatures in the middle of the Amazon rainforest

Deep into the Amazon, with Froggas

Deep into the Amazon, with Froggas

 

… she was also there in Machu Picchu when we got engaged!

A day full of love, in Machu Picchu!

A day full of love, in Machu Picchu!

 

In Bolivia, Bee posed away in Salar de Uyuni, adding color to the otherwise incredibly white landscape.

Everything looks white in Salar de Uyuni. Except Bee.

Everything looks white in Salar de Uyuni. Except Bee.

 

In India

Recently, we’ve all been staying in India. We have just gotten married and we’re planning our upcoming travels, which we shall update you on very, very soon!

With Z, Dahi Voda and A in India

With Z, Dahi Voda and A in India

 

Bee is so much fun! She’s a great travel mate, fearless adventurer, foodie just like us and an art towel freak – no one digs hotel rooms and funky looking towels like she does!

Enjoying towel friends all over the place!

Enjoying towel friends all over the place!

 

But not everything is play. Bee also works hard on Backpack ME and she’s even been featured on ZITE as her photo was included in a very popular article Ashray wrote about traveling programmers and how to make a living programming on the road.

Blogging for Backpack ME

Blogging for Backpack ME

 

Wherever we go next, Bee will be there. And we hope you do too!

Piggy-back ride with A, Bee & Z!


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4 Comments

  • lind Says

    so freaking cute, a very animated post. Love it. I did the same thing but instead of using Bee, i was using Spidey, but reality was that i would always forget him and the pictures the i took were blurry and not so good. Ha ha. Anyway, I really enjoyed the post, good storyline and good photos. :) Thanks guys.

    • Zara Says

      Hey Lind, thanks for the comment.
      Let’s introduce Spidey to Bee one of these days.. maybe they’ll hit it off, you never know! ;)

  • Karina Says

    That is so cute, she is a nice size to take around too. I do the same with Kermit, hes a bit more bulky to carry around! Here are some pics of kerm on the road: http://followkarina.wordpress.com/2013/01/20/a-gallery-of-kermit/

    How do you keep bee clean? I bet she gets a little grubby going everywhere with you..

    • Zara Says

      Kermit is very cute too – specially with those shoes on!

      How do I keep Bee clean? What a joke… she’s so dirty by now! :P Poor thing used to be so fluffy in the beginning of our travels and now her “fur” has lost volume and all. But as I always say “she’s not dirty, she’s lived!!” :D

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