Finally! Although I did have a great time in Thailand. Met many cool people and stayed in some great places. I especially loved pai. I thought I was in love with Chiang mai until I went to Pai. My kindle is annoying and I'm too lazy to worry about capitalization so... you just have to deal with it. Pai was one of those places you plan for three days and end up staying eight.... which is what happened. I stayed until my visa ran out. I loved my bungalow and esp Natalie who managed it. She had such a big bright heart that made the stay so pleasurable. If anyone is going to Pai....stay at Pai nam now. :) bonfire every night. And a group bbq occasionally...
Going into Laos was great too. Took the slow boat to luang prabang and made many friends. We really had quite a social group. Everyone got along and enjoyed our time. Yes it was chilly but ya didn't even realize it so much. Stayed at a guesthouse with other people from the boat and always ended up at a bar called utopia at night (also where I was for Christmas eve). L.P. was a pretty place. Relaxing... a temple, a giant waterfall, cute coffee shops, and even managed to go to a fashion show which also had breakdancing. Laos in general is interesting because things shut at 1130pm. Everywhere. In L.P.there was an after hours bowling alley which I bumped into a friend from chiang mai there and also my friend from pai. Not to mention I met a guy from Lynn. The bowling alley stayed open til 2 I think. There was also a Laos bar which stayed open later. I met some cool people there... Anna and Giorgio....who I ended up traveling with all through Laos. Christmas day we traveled to vang vieng. I originally didn't want to travel on Christmas but I would have been the only person in luang prabang. Vang vieng left much to be desired. I did one of the caves and blue lagoon and the hot air balloon ride. The hot air balloon was nice but it was cloudy. So not the best. I ended up not feeling well so I stayed in vang vieng a bit longer than expected. Headed to don det which is part of 4000 islands. It was a super pimped out sleeper bus with a Winnie the pooh on the side and flashing lights and "king of bus" written on the front. My first time on a sleeper bus in Laos. They were twin beds as seats. Awesome at first as I thought I had one to myself but then I had to share with a girl from Australia. Kinda weird to be sleeping in a twin bed on a bus with a girl I didn't know... But whatever. We managed. Kinda funny to think about. Don det was awesome. So relaxing and cheap cheap.... $3.50 for my own bungalow on the Mekong with two hammocks. Yes, the bathroom was separate but it was fine. I'm getting use to that... And not so warm showers.... And manual flushing as in pour a pail of water down the toilet. I so appreciate a hot shower when I have one. Don det was a lot of chillaxing and hanging at a bar called pai in Laos. All the places are really chill but we made our home there. New year's eve they had a roasted pig. They killed the pig in the morning. I was there for the cleaning out of the insides and putting it on the fire. I guess it's an experience. That day we pretty much played cards and ate. I also did a sunset boat ride to another island... beer included. Came back for pig... then headed to the reggae bar which was ridiculously packed. Then everyone headed to the beach for the bonfire. The whole island was there. Bumped into so many people from the slow boat to luang prabang. It was nice. I guess I'm on the southeast Asia version of the gringo trail. :) I did bike to another island a day or two after but beside that I did a lot of hanging with friends, playing cards, and drinking and eating. I stayed until money ran out.... No one wants kip.
After a horrendous couple of busrides I've made it to siem reap. Left at 8am and got here at 3am. Supposedly we were suppose to be here at 10pm. And I am staying at the same place as a couple of my friends Iet in Laos. Without even planning it. I am going to be heading to Angkor wat tomorrow for sunrise with one of the guys from the slow boat. It is suppose to be really great then so.... being up at 430 should be worth it.
I know I have so much to update but I just can't recall everything. I have kept up with my written journal though. Which I started rereading the other day. I'm glad I started it cause I have forgotten so many things! I've taken a lot less photos on this trip than south America. But I guess all memories are in my mind.
Gotta go for now. Meeting up with friends I took the horrible busses with. They were super cute. When we got in this morning they took a separate tuk tuk then the one I was on with Matt... So they didn't know if I was okay. I came across a coffee shop and one of them sitting there. She was so happy to see me. She was nervous that something happened. Then when her sister got there she said the same thing. So we are meeting up for dinner... And I want a nap beforehand. My life is so tough....
Monday, January 6, 2014
Friday, December 6, 2013
still in thailand
i really can't believe that i have been here for so long... i thought for sure i would be out by now, but that's what happens when you meet fantastic people... and when you decide to get certified in diving. had those two things not happened, then i probably wouldn't still be here.
i can't even remember the last blog i posted... i think from krabi? unlike the past two blogs... it is nice and sunny out. i will be going out shortly. i'm in chiang mai and have been here a couple days. the first place i stayed was not amazing. the beds were SO hard. i've been in hard beds before... but this seriously was like sleeping on a board. i didn't meet anyone the first day there... but i did meet a girl the second day who said she was switching places because of the lack of socializing. so... i'm in a new place... 120baht for a three person dorm and ensuite bathroom. the atmosphere here is good. it feels like a hostel... the kind from south america which i've missed. so far haven't met anyone... and the girl i met is doing a day with elephants so she will be back later.
i spent a lot of time down in southern thailand... the islands were beautiful. i met a couple from australia in krabi... after i went to koh phi phi (which is pronounced... pee pee... and i liked to say... ya down with koh phi phi... yeah you know me... unfortunately a lot of people had no idea what i was saying... i guess i'm hanging with the youngins) i met up with the couple again in koh lanta. it was good to see them again. katie (the girl of the couple) and i decided to go visit some other islands. we went to koh ngai and koh mook. we were suppose to go to koh kradan, but we loved koh mook too much so we just stayed there. it really was a special place. one of those places that if you go back in five or ten years it will be a bit different... more stuff... but right now it was really special. the people in the village were great. we found a great coffee shop - sugar's coffee... wan... the owner was so great. we went there twice. she and her other brother taught us a bunch of thai phrases. we spent a good amount of time there. also while walking in the villages, i got stung by a bee on my wrist... it was outside of this local family store... and the family ran right out and helped me with the sting... they gave me some cream for it which helped. just really sweet. then the next day when we went to sugar's we walked by the family again and they asked us how my sting was. just really sweet people. i miss that island so much. also met some fun travelers... most from poland (random and yay!) and a girl from italy... my background. it was a great time to go there... and i'm glad we didn't bother going to the final island. it was just resort after resort after resort... not so much my scene. great for honeymooners... bad for solo travelers.
on thanksgiving katie and i practiced poi on the beach. it's the fire spinning balls on a string... except we didn't do it with fire... just tennis balls on a wire chain. as easy as it looks, it was ridiculously hard. and katie was super sweet... she bought me a pair of these as a gift... so now i can practice wherever i go. perhaps i join the circus. haha. that could be my new career... and i'm guessing that none of you would put that past me.
btw... i've been into reggae lately... seriously want to find a reggae bar wherever i go... AND... next i'm going to pai. and december 13-15 is a reggae festival. so i hope to go at least one day. pai is suppose to be a really chill, hippy kinda place... sounds pretty cool... and they even have a circus school... i see my new career taking off. :)
okay... there was more i think i wanted to update, but i forget. next update will probably be in laos... which is where i will probably spend christmas. people keep asking where i'm going to be spending it (people from home and other travelers)... and wherever i am is where christmas will be... i'm not planning on making sure i'm in a specific spot or anything.
hope all is good back home... today is santacon back home and i hope that those who are going have an amazing time... :)
i can't even remember the last blog i posted... i think from krabi? unlike the past two blogs... it is nice and sunny out. i will be going out shortly. i'm in chiang mai and have been here a couple days. the first place i stayed was not amazing. the beds were SO hard. i've been in hard beds before... but this seriously was like sleeping on a board. i didn't meet anyone the first day there... but i did meet a girl the second day who said she was switching places because of the lack of socializing. so... i'm in a new place... 120baht for a three person dorm and ensuite bathroom. the atmosphere here is good. it feels like a hostel... the kind from south america which i've missed. so far haven't met anyone... and the girl i met is doing a day with elephants so she will be back later.
i spent a lot of time down in southern thailand... the islands were beautiful. i met a couple from australia in krabi... after i went to koh phi phi (which is pronounced... pee pee... and i liked to say... ya down with koh phi phi... yeah you know me... unfortunately a lot of people had no idea what i was saying... i guess i'm hanging with the youngins) i met up with the couple again in koh lanta. it was good to see them again. katie (the girl of the couple) and i decided to go visit some other islands. we went to koh ngai and koh mook. we were suppose to go to koh kradan, but we loved koh mook too much so we just stayed there. it really was a special place. one of those places that if you go back in five or ten years it will be a bit different... more stuff... but right now it was really special. the people in the village were great. we found a great coffee shop - sugar's coffee... wan... the owner was so great. we went there twice. she and her other brother taught us a bunch of thai phrases. we spent a good amount of time there. also while walking in the villages, i got stung by a bee on my wrist... it was outside of this local family store... and the family ran right out and helped me with the sting... they gave me some cream for it which helped. just really sweet. then the next day when we went to sugar's we walked by the family again and they asked us how my sting was. just really sweet people. i miss that island so much. also met some fun travelers... most from poland (random and yay!) and a girl from italy... my background. it was a great time to go there... and i'm glad we didn't bother going to the final island. it was just resort after resort after resort... not so much my scene. great for honeymooners... bad for solo travelers.
on thanksgiving katie and i practiced poi on the beach. it's the fire spinning balls on a string... except we didn't do it with fire... just tennis balls on a wire chain. as easy as it looks, it was ridiculously hard. and katie was super sweet... she bought me a pair of these as a gift... so now i can practice wherever i go. perhaps i join the circus. haha. that could be my new career... and i'm guessing that none of you would put that past me.
btw... i've been into reggae lately... seriously want to find a reggae bar wherever i go... AND... next i'm going to pai. and december 13-15 is a reggae festival. so i hope to go at least one day. pai is suppose to be a really chill, hippy kinda place... sounds pretty cool... and they even have a circus school... i see my new career taking off. :)
okay... there was more i think i wanted to update, but i forget. next update will probably be in laos... which is where i will probably spend christmas. people keep asking where i'm going to be spending it (people from home and other travelers)... and wherever i am is where christmas will be... i'm not planning on making sure i'm in a specific spot or anything.
hope all is good back home... today is santacon back home and i hope that those who are going have an amazing time... :)
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
i only seem to update when it's raining...
and it's raining! ha. i am in krabi, thailand. which is in the southern part and on the indian ocean. it is a good jump point to the islands... which is where i'm going tomorrow... ko phi phi. looking forward to it... will be meeting up with vanessa, my cs host from singapore, and her friends for at least one night out. will be good to see them again.
just got back from the maldives which was absolutely amazing. i was invited by my friend adaeze, who was planning her mother's 70th bday party there. nice place to celebrate a birthday. not only was the water super clear and the island absolutely beautiful (we stayed on paradise island), but her family and friends were so much fun. most were from nigeria and they know how to have a good time. i think it's about time i tick africa off my list and hang out with these fabulous people again. so much fun just hanging out with them and singing and dancing. i was a little nervous at first (i know... me? nervous?) since i didn't know anyone, but i got along with them all almost instantly. i don't remember everyone's name (younger people yes, older people no) or their relationship to each other an adaeze, but it was fun to get to know them. days were organized with an event or two but there was also some free time. on the full free day i went diving. it was pretty good. expensive, but good. saw two turtles which were nice, a sea cucumber, and giant starfish. they are SO big. like 2 feet long. no lie. no sharks on the dive, but the water was so clear so you can see all the reef sharks from the surface. together we did a sunset dolphin cruise, a tour of the capital city - male (mah-lay), and on the final full day a church service, brunch, and celebration soiree for adaeze's mom. she was so sweet. she went around to each table and personally introduced everyone to everyone else and thanked them. even me! really nice. then followed by dancing. which had some really good nigerian music. great experience.
on the way back, a lot of them were flying through colombo, sri lanka, so adaeze's brother planned a little tour. i was on different flights but also had a long lay over in colombo so i was able to join. we stopped off at a precious gems store, and then a place to have dinner. dinner was delicious. we got back just in time for me to go through security and get on the flight. glad i was able to make it out of the airport this time. :) and more stamps in the passport.
before the maldives i was in koh tao thailand, which is on the gulf coast. pretty much you just go there if you want to dive, or get your certification. that's what i was going for. i was pretty proud of myself for completing considering i freaked out when i tried to do the great barrier reef. now blowing water out of my mask underwater isn't that big of a deal. taking it off, swimming around and putting it back on, however, does take a little bit of patience, but i can do it! yay! my dive group consisted of two other couples - one from canada and the other from the netherland. i was told that the group would only be 4 people, but it was fine. the couples were cool and we're good friends now. and i've also learned that i say "ya know what i'm sayin' " a bazillion times a day. ha. i swore that i never said it... so every time i would say it, they'd respond "yes, we know what you're saying". ha. it was funny. probably one of those, you had to be there type moments. on our third dive we saw TWO whale sharks (or maybe the same one twice?). which... is a bit rare. was talking to dive masters on the boat and they said it took them over 25 dives just to see one! so to see one twice was really cool. and yes, we are spoiled. it's all downhill from here. we saw it from below. we were probably 10 or so meters down and the shark was close to the surface. just really amazingly cool. our instructor was so happy. he forgot to even do the second skills test on that dive. so we just added it to the next dive... no worries. everyone was SO psyched on the boat. i guess getting to the dive site first thing in the morning (no lie... about 630am) has its privileges.
hmmm... what else? oh... i had REAL coffee today. so nice not to have instant coffee. the last time i had real coffee was at anomali coffee in ubud. miss that place. will have to go back. for the coffee, and the people. but today's coffee was nice. i ended up talking with some australians who invited me out to a bar tonight. they were really cool. like the hippie type... really just friendly and chill. and then i played a game called jackpot and chinese checkers with a woman who is friends with the people at the coffee shop. that was fun. no need to plan anything for today when it's raining... so may as well chat with the locals and play games. :) life is good. just when i think things are meh... they turn up. haven't met people super easily as i had in south america. not as many dorm rooms or hostels with cooking areas/common areas... so it take a little more effort to meet people. but... all is still good. i can't complain... i'm in thailand!!!
i always feel like there are things to update.. and then when i sit down to type it all out, i can't remember. one random thing that i've noticed around southeast asia... they barely ever give you a knife for food. you usually get a fork and a big spoon. no knife. even if you get something like a chicken breast. i haven't figured out a proper way to eat it but i usually just take the whole thing on my fork and take bites. not sure how to cut with a spoon. food is good here, and cheap. had dinner for 40baht last night at the night market which is about $1.25. the place i'm staying tonight is basic, but really cheap. 300baht for two nights. it calculates to around $4.50 a night. i have my own room. tiny, but it's enough. a little on the loud side, but i can't complain since it's so cheap.
okay... i think i will go and have lunch. the place i'm staying has delicious food. maybe go for a massage later. went yesterday to get an hour long thai massage. it was wonderful. at first i didn't like it, but i got into it. no oil or cream which is nice. and you keep your clothes on. really great stretches. may go back to the same place or try somewhere new. the australians i met this morning told me about another place to go.
for real. i'm going to have lunch. hope everyone is good!
just got back from the maldives which was absolutely amazing. i was invited by my friend adaeze, who was planning her mother's 70th bday party there. nice place to celebrate a birthday. not only was the water super clear and the island absolutely beautiful (we stayed on paradise island), but her family and friends were so much fun. most were from nigeria and they know how to have a good time. i think it's about time i tick africa off my list and hang out with these fabulous people again. so much fun just hanging out with them and singing and dancing. i was a little nervous at first (i know... me? nervous?) since i didn't know anyone, but i got along with them all almost instantly. i don't remember everyone's name (younger people yes, older people no) or their relationship to each other an adaeze, but it was fun to get to know them. days were organized with an event or two but there was also some free time. on the full free day i went diving. it was pretty good. expensive, but good. saw two turtles which were nice, a sea cucumber, and giant starfish. they are SO big. like 2 feet long. no lie. no sharks on the dive, but the water was so clear so you can see all the reef sharks from the surface. together we did a sunset dolphin cruise, a tour of the capital city - male (mah-lay), and on the final full day a church service, brunch, and celebration soiree for adaeze's mom. she was so sweet. she went around to each table and personally introduced everyone to everyone else and thanked them. even me! really nice. then followed by dancing. which had some really good nigerian music. great experience.
on the way back, a lot of them were flying through colombo, sri lanka, so adaeze's brother planned a little tour. i was on different flights but also had a long lay over in colombo so i was able to join. we stopped off at a precious gems store, and then a place to have dinner. dinner was delicious. we got back just in time for me to go through security and get on the flight. glad i was able to make it out of the airport this time. :) and more stamps in the passport.
before the maldives i was in koh tao thailand, which is on the gulf coast. pretty much you just go there if you want to dive, or get your certification. that's what i was going for. i was pretty proud of myself for completing considering i freaked out when i tried to do the great barrier reef. now blowing water out of my mask underwater isn't that big of a deal. taking it off, swimming around and putting it back on, however, does take a little bit of patience, but i can do it! yay! my dive group consisted of two other couples - one from canada and the other from the netherland. i was told that the group would only be 4 people, but it was fine. the couples were cool and we're good friends now. and i've also learned that i say "ya know what i'm sayin' " a bazillion times a day. ha. i swore that i never said it... so every time i would say it, they'd respond "yes, we know what you're saying". ha. it was funny. probably one of those, you had to be there type moments. on our third dive we saw TWO whale sharks (or maybe the same one twice?). which... is a bit rare. was talking to dive masters on the boat and they said it took them over 25 dives just to see one! so to see one twice was really cool. and yes, we are spoiled. it's all downhill from here. we saw it from below. we were probably 10 or so meters down and the shark was close to the surface. just really amazingly cool. our instructor was so happy. he forgot to even do the second skills test on that dive. so we just added it to the next dive... no worries. everyone was SO psyched on the boat. i guess getting to the dive site first thing in the morning (no lie... about 630am) has its privileges.
hmmm... what else? oh... i had REAL coffee today. so nice not to have instant coffee. the last time i had real coffee was at anomali coffee in ubud. miss that place. will have to go back. for the coffee, and the people. but today's coffee was nice. i ended up talking with some australians who invited me out to a bar tonight. they were really cool. like the hippie type... really just friendly and chill. and then i played a game called jackpot and chinese checkers with a woman who is friends with the people at the coffee shop. that was fun. no need to plan anything for today when it's raining... so may as well chat with the locals and play games. :) life is good. just when i think things are meh... they turn up. haven't met people super easily as i had in south america. not as many dorm rooms or hostels with cooking areas/common areas... so it take a little more effort to meet people. but... all is still good. i can't complain... i'm in thailand!!!
i always feel like there are things to update.. and then when i sit down to type it all out, i can't remember. one random thing that i've noticed around southeast asia... they barely ever give you a knife for food. you usually get a fork and a big spoon. no knife. even if you get something like a chicken breast. i haven't figured out a proper way to eat it but i usually just take the whole thing on my fork and take bites. not sure how to cut with a spoon. food is good here, and cheap. had dinner for 40baht last night at the night market which is about $1.25. the place i'm staying tonight is basic, but really cheap. 300baht for two nights. it calculates to around $4.50 a night. i have my own room. tiny, but it's enough. a little on the loud side, but i can't complain since it's so cheap.
okay... i think i will go and have lunch. the place i'm staying has delicious food. maybe go for a massage later. went yesterday to get an hour long thai massage. it was wonderful. at first i didn't like it, but i got into it. no oil or cream which is nice. and you keep your clothes on. really great stretches. may go back to the same place or try somewhere new. the australians i met this morning told me about another place to go.
for real. i'm going to have lunch. hope everyone is good!
Sunday, November 3, 2013
It's a wash
Seriously.... Kuala Lumpur is just a wash. Right now it is pouring. It's pretty crazy. I guess we are beginning the rainy season.
Ya know how sometimes you visit a new place and the second you touch down you're super into it. Yeah... that didn't happen here. At all. It seems like a big city with nothing to say for itself. If you like malls, then you'd love it here as there are malls on top of malls here. Like five malls connected. About 5 floors each. It's kinda obnoxious. Most of them stores from home. High end stores like Burberry and then the lower end stores like h & m and forever 21. If I ever were to move to Malaysia (or any southeast Asian country I'm sure) I'm going to have to seriously think about getting a breast reduction. My boobs are so not made for the clothes here. I hope that my bras don't go down the shitter when I'm here.
But anyway.... I shouldn't complain. I'm out doing what I love. And so... I ended up in a city that I'm not super fond of.... So.... that means I should leave! So that's what I'm doing. I'm going to go to a southern Malaysian town/city called Malacca (or Melaka). On wikitravel (which is so much better than lonely planet) it was an option in the get out section on the Kuala Lumpur page. So we shall see. I spend a couple days there and then will head to Thailand. I booked a flight for approx $40.
It's weird to be in a big city after Bali. To have to watch my bags as if something is going to happen to it. I mean you always have to worry about it... But there were several times that I would leave my bag sitting on the table. Or leave my phone out. Nothing would happen to it in Bali. Cities you worry more. I do miss the Balinese. Really nice people. At least the ones I've run into.
Malaysia is an interesting mix of people. There is definitely a strong Indian and middle eastern influence here... And not so much "typical Asian". For some reason I wasn't expecting that. Not that it's bad or anything. It's just an observation.
Something I've noticed in southeast Asia as opposed to south America. When someone local asks me where I'm from I always say the United States. And I always get a confused look. So then I say... America. And they almost ALWAYS say... Oh... America... Barack Obama. Indonesia always brought up Obama. So far can't tell about Malaysia. But anyway... I never like to say I'm from America... I like to say the United States because technically all the countries in North and South America are just as much from America as those in the United States. I don't know why that bothers me but it does. I wish we were called United staters or something. But anyway....
This hostel that I'm staying at is pretty dull. No one seems to care to converse. I did end up talking to an older guy from San Francisco who gave me all his maps. Nice guy and has been traveling the world for seven years with no sight of permanently going home. My kinda guy. But he left on an overnight train somewhere. I was hoping to connect with people on couchsurfing but no luck there either. Did talk to an English guy at the reggae bar down the street. He was cool. Southeast Asia loves their reggae bars. They seem to be everywhere here.
Okay... I'm gonna go read... Hope all is well back home! Although I think baseball is ridiculously boring.... I'm glad that the Sox won! Yay Boston!
Ya know how sometimes you visit a new place and the second you touch down you're super into it. Yeah... that didn't happen here. At all. It seems like a big city with nothing to say for itself. If you like malls, then you'd love it here as there are malls on top of malls here. Like five malls connected. About 5 floors each. It's kinda obnoxious. Most of them stores from home. High end stores like Burberry and then the lower end stores like h & m and forever 21. If I ever were to move to Malaysia (or any southeast Asian country I'm sure) I'm going to have to seriously think about getting a breast reduction. My boobs are so not made for the clothes here. I hope that my bras don't go down the shitter when I'm here.
But anyway.... I shouldn't complain. I'm out doing what I love. And so... I ended up in a city that I'm not super fond of.... So.... that means I should leave! So that's what I'm doing. I'm going to go to a southern Malaysian town/city called Malacca (or Melaka). On wikitravel (which is so much better than lonely planet) it was an option in the get out section on the Kuala Lumpur page. So we shall see. I spend a couple days there and then will head to Thailand. I booked a flight for approx $40.
It's weird to be in a big city after Bali. To have to watch my bags as if something is going to happen to it. I mean you always have to worry about it... But there were several times that I would leave my bag sitting on the table. Or leave my phone out. Nothing would happen to it in Bali. Cities you worry more. I do miss the Balinese. Really nice people. At least the ones I've run into.
Malaysia is an interesting mix of people. There is definitely a strong Indian and middle eastern influence here... And not so much "typical Asian". For some reason I wasn't expecting that. Not that it's bad or anything. It's just an observation.
Something I've noticed in southeast Asia as opposed to south America. When someone local asks me where I'm from I always say the United States. And I always get a confused look. So then I say... America. And they almost ALWAYS say... Oh... America... Barack Obama. Indonesia always brought up Obama. So far can't tell about Malaysia. But anyway... I never like to say I'm from America... I like to say the United States because technically all the countries in North and South America are just as much from America as those in the United States. I don't know why that bothers me but it does. I wish we were called United staters or something. But anyway....
This hostel that I'm staying at is pretty dull. No one seems to care to converse. I did end up talking to an older guy from San Francisco who gave me all his maps. Nice guy and has been traveling the world for seven years with no sight of permanently going home. My kinda guy. But he left on an overnight train somewhere. I was hoping to connect with people on couchsurfing but no luck there either. Did talk to an English guy at the reggae bar down the street. He was cool. Southeast Asia loves their reggae bars. They seem to be everywhere here.
Okay... I'm gonna go read... Hope all is well back home! Although I think baseball is ridiculously boring.... I'm glad that the Sox won! Yay Boston!
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
in ubud...
Seriously.... this place just gives you a sense that you're home. Yes... It has become a serious tourist trap (sadly there is a Starbucks here) but it is just so comfortable. The people are warm and friendly and the landscape is beautiful. And you never feel in a rush to do anything. Just really peaceful. There is a bit of traffic on the main roads where I stayed the first two nights but since I moved I feel like it's been a lot more tranquil. I am staying at a family compound which is beautiful. On a hill with a garden by the ubud palace. The family is nice and the breakfast is plentiful and delicious. A big fruit salad too. There is a group of children playing music nearby and it's fun.
Today seems a little bit cooler than the past couple days. I guess it is usually a bit cooler than it is now. At least that is what I hear from the locals. I heard it in padang bai and gili trawangan too. Seems I go where the humidity is. Awesome. At night it cools down so an open window and fan are good.
So far southeast Asia has a different feel than south America. Of course I am saying this only based on visiting Bali. It is definitely more relaxing here. And while there are a lot of tourists a lot of time is spent solo. Originally I hated it since so much of my love for south America was the people I met. But now I'm embracing it. It's nice to be in a beautiful place with just you and your thoughts. I have met some people... couchsurfers who have welcomed me into their circle of friends. And that has been nice. It's interesting learning about the difference in cultures. And also to learn how much similarity there is. It's not so much "a whole different world". One of the girls I met at a coffee shop and she said... "I hear that people in the western world just take their coffee to go. Here it is meant to be enjoyed... to sit with your friends and talk." I appreciate that. And I know that some of you reading will say cause we don't have time and that's why we are more developed, etc but there should be emphasis on building relationships, human interaction, etc. People are happy because they have what they need. But anyway, I'm not going to get into any sort of discussion about it. I'm just going to take it and build on that for my own personal growth.
So a first for me so far on this trip... riding on a motorbike. Never been on one before and honestly they scare me. I know three people who've died in motorcycle accidents and they just make me nervous. Luckily no problems. It is a but nerve racking since traffic here is a whatever goes type way. But we made it. I didn't get that rush that some people do after riding one. No desire to go home and get one.
Some mishaps... in Munich I was at a bar where they had that sledgehammer game where you hit the scale and a little marker goes up and rings a bell. I didn't play but someone did and when they put the sledgehammer down it fell into my ankle. Crazy pain. even while drunk. So... It turned into a bruise but I'm all better now. Another mishap... part of my filling came out yesterday during lunch. my vegetable panini all of a sudden got crunchy. TIM I'm sure but it's not so bad. So far it's not too sensitive. I have travel health insurance so I may get it taken care of if it gets worse. Can't think of anything else.
Okay... I'm going to post this.... hopefully it goes through. a completely different blog than the one I had written the other day. But enjoy!
Today seems a little bit cooler than the past couple days. I guess it is usually a bit cooler than it is now. At least that is what I hear from the locals. I heard it in padang bai and gili trawangan too. Seems I go where the humidity is. Awesome. At night it cools down so an open window and fan are good.
So far southeast Asia has a different feel than south America. Of course I am saying this only based on visiting Bali. It is definitely more relaxing here. And while there are a lot of tourists a lot of time is spent solo. Originally I hated it since so much of my love for south America was the people I met. But now I'm embracing it. It's nice to be in a beautiful place with just you and your thoughts. I have met some people... couchsurfers who have welcomed me into their circle of friends. And that has been nice. It's interesting learning about the difference in cultures. And also to learn how much similarity there is. It's not so much "a whole different world". One of the girls I met at a coffee shop and she said... "I hear that people in the western world just take their coffee to go. Here it is meant to be enjoyed... to sit with your friends and talk." I appreciate that. And I know that some of you reading will say cause we don't have time and that's why we are more developed, etc but there should be emphasis on building relationships, human interaction, etc. People are happy because they have what they need. But anyway, I'm not going to get into any sort of discussion about it. I'm just going to take it and build on that for my own personal growth.
So a first for me so far on this trip... riding on a motorbike. Never been on one before and honestly they scare me. I know three people who've died in motorcycle accidents and they just make me nervous. Luckily no problems. It is a but nerve racking since traffic here is a whatever goes type way. But we made it. I didn't get that rush that some people do after riding one. No desire to go home and get one.
Some mishaps... in Munich I was at a bar where they had that sledgehammer game where you hit the scale and a little marker goes up and rings a bell. I didn't play but someone did and when they put the sledgehammer down it fell into my ankle. Crazy pain. even while drunk. So... It turned into a bruise but I'm all better now. Another mishap... part of my filling came out yesterday during lunch. my vegetable panini all of a sudden got crunchy. TIM I'm sure but it's not so bad. So far it's not too sensitive. I have travel health insurance so I may get it taken care of if it gets worse. Can't think of anything else.
Okay... I'm going to post this.... hopefully it goes through. a completely different blog than the one I had written the other day. But enjoy!
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
happenings....
I always feel like I want to blog when I'm not in WiFi zone and then when I am the desire fades. So far WiFi has been fairly widespread and much easier to connect on my kindle than my phone. Not sure why but it takes forever just to pull up the dialog box to enter the password. Have been trying for 20mins and it's still not pulling up on my phone. So kindle it is. No whatsapp. :( which I have become addicted to. Just easy to keep in touch that way. But anyway....
So yeah. Southeast Asia. So far a whole different experience than south america. Not in a bad way. It's more about guesthouses and homestays here in Bali than hostels. Relatively cheap - $12-18/ night for a double bed, ensuite bathroom and terrace. But somehow part of me misses the sharing a room with other travelers. I know.... call me crazy but I do miss parts of it.
Currently in ubud on the island of Bali in Indonesia. If that sounds like a familiar place without knowing much about Indonesia or Bali it may be from eat, pray, love. It was her last stop. I feel like it has changed immensely since then. Still full of culture with the temples and art but there is also a crocs, polo, and Pandora store. Not to mention a Starbucks. I kinda feel like I got here five years too late to really get into the culture of ubud. But I also just got here so I can't judge.
Attended my first (hopefully of several) full moon parties. I celebrated on the beach on the island of gili trawangan. It was fun to go to but the difference wasn't super amazing and the people I was with also weren't feeling it so I ended up leaving around 4. There were poi spinners (fire) which was cool to see. I'm always amazed by that because it is pretty tricky and people make it look so easy.
So yeah. Southeast Asia. So far a whole different experience than south america. Not in a bad way. It's more about guesthouses and homestays here in Bali than hostels. Relatively cheap - $12-18/ night for a double bed, ensuite bathroom and terrace. But somehow part of me misses the sharing a room with other travelers. I know.... call me crazy but I do miss parts of it.
Currently in ubud on the island of Bali in Indonesia. If that sounds like a familiar place without knowing much about Indonesia or Bali it may be from eat, pray, love. It was her last stop. I feel like it has changed immensely since then. Still full of culture with the temples and art but there is also a crocs, polo, and Pandora store. Not to mention a Starbucks. I kinda feel like I got here five years too late to really get into the culture of ubud. But I also just got here so I can't judge.
Attended my first (hopefully of several) full moon parties. I celebrated on the beach on the island of gili trawangan. It was fun to go to but the difference wasn't super amazing and the people I was with also weren't feeling it so I ended up leaving around 4. There were poi spinners (fire) which was cool to see. I'm always amazed by that because it is pretty tricky and people make it look so easy.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
I'm home
But not in the sense that you are probably thinking. I'm in Singapore but I feel as though I'm at home. I started feeling this way when I was leaving Zurich and was not nervous at all. I was comfortable. Completely. I managed to secure a couch to surf (which is where I am now) in Singapore from a nice girl who grew up in Brazil. She's lived here for two months so is excited to explore the city as well.
Europe was super. So amazing to see seven of my friends again. It really was special. Two weeks, three countries, four cities, and seven friends. How lucky am I? Don't ask me to count the beers... Oktoberfest put a bit of a dent in that. And Vanessa (my host) invited me to Oktoberfest in Singapore. I hope my liver is ready for it!
I got here yesterday so not much to report. Immigration was long... But I got another stamp! Yippee! And managed the metro station okay. The trains are really nice and clean. They run smooth and often. There was a really bad rainstorm last night. Vanessa had dinner plans. I just stayed here because I was tired. I LOVE the travel world. This girl I JUST met was okay with me staying in her house for a couple hours alone. With all the scary stuff we see on the news... we do have to remind ourselves that there are still compassionate people in the world and to not be scared of everything. It's amazing what people will show you and open up to.
I should try to fall back to sleep... It's currently 140 in the morning on the 11th. I think I'm exactly 12 hours ahead of Boston.
Europe was super. So amazing to see seven of my friends again. It really was special. Two weeks, three countries, four cities, and seven friends. How lucky am I? Don't ask me to count the beers... Oktoberfest put a bit of a dent in that. And Vanessa (my host) invited me to Oktoberfest in Singapore. I hope my liver is ready for it!
I got here yesterday so not much to report. Immigration was long... But I got another stamp! Yippee! And managed the metro station okay. The trains are really nice and clean. They run smooth and often. There was a really bad rainstorm last night. Vanessa had dinner plans. I just stayed here because I was tired. I LOVE the travel world. This girl I JUST met was okay with me staying in her house for a couple hours alone. With all the scary stuff we see on the news... we do have to remind ourselves that there are still compassionate people in the world and to not be scared of everything. It's amazing what people will show you and open up to.
I should try to fall back to sleep... It's currently 140 in the morning on the 11th. I think I'm exactly 12 hours ahead of Boston.
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