The Simple Life

These last few days life has been pretty simple. Mom and I have been traveling through Flores, Indonesia. It is a road less traveled by tourists. Nothing fancy like Bali, just traditional villages sprinkled throughout the mountains. Like clockwork, mom wakes up with the roosters, waiting thankfully a few more hours before she wakes me up. We have the typical "breakfast included" meal - tea or coffee, banana pancake or toast, and if we are lucky, fruit. Don't be fooled, the banana pancake is flat, a little oily, and mushy. The toast, just plain white bread. The instant coffee is so strong, you need to let the powder settle to the bottom before you can even drink it. I can't wait to have a bagel with cream cheese, turkey bacon, and Starbucks coffee! Ahhh, the simple things in life.

The region we are in is high in the mountains, which means it is super cold in the mornings and at night. With no hot water, that pretty much means showers are a no-go. At home, showers are a daily ritual. Here, if I haven't taken a shower in two days, I might consider one the next day. Seriously, that is not an exaggeration. Yesterday, I was delighted to shower under a waterfall of luke warm water. Mom and I were in our bathing suits washing each other's backs (the first time my back has been washed proper in 4 months!) while this weird local guy watched. I can't wait for my own shower, in my own bathroom, with hot water, and no creepy guys watching. Ahhh, the simple things in life.

Animals of all types are everywhere in Indonesia. Similar to most third-world countries, mangy cats and dogs on the street are common. Here, I have seen the most unusual. Chickens cooped up in a box tied to the back of the boat...fresh meat for dinner on our boat tour. Two chickens on the side of the road convulsing after their heads have been cut off. A goat being shoved into the public bus right next to its human passengers and another one tied the the roof. Today, strolling along a beautiful black-sand beach there were goats feeding on garbage, chickens and their baby chics running next to the boys playing football (soccer for you Americans), and a dead rooster. I can't wait to see my cute, clean, domesticated dog back home. Ahhh, the simple things in life.

*Note, I am so happy to hear a new song. The internet cafe has been playing the same two songs in rotation for the last 45 minutes. Ooooh, an iPod playlist would be great right now.

Pretty soon, 4 days to be exact, I will be returning to the typical busy life back home. I'm actually a little scared. Can I maintain the balance of life I have so preciously attained while traveling? **And now, that new song a few minutes ago has been repeated for a third time. I think that means it is time for me to go. Until next time...

Traveling with Mum

Oh how I love her so. And so does everyone else. They say, "Your mom is so awesome. She is the best." True, but nonetheless, she is still a mom. This is probably the most time we have spent together since I was in Jr. High School, which was a looonnngg time ago. At least she can hang in there with the best of us. Mom is not bothered by the dilapidated accommodation, uncomfortable transportation, crazy schedules, and travel uncertainty.

Indonesia has been amazing: lush rice terraces of Ubud; stunning volcanoes in Bali and Flores; pristine beaches of the Gilis; beautiful open waters; and mysterious villages hidden behind every curve. Like always, these treasures come at a cost. This time....psycho transportation. I have just arrived in Bajawa, Flores, after an exhausting 10 hour bus ride. And I haven't even reached my ultimate destination yet. We are headed another 6 hours to Mt. Kelimutu, a majestic volcano with three crater lakes where the locals claim all spirits go after death. The young go to the calm turquoise lake, adults to the brownish-red lake, and the wicked to the black lake. At least this time we don't have to climb. Mom swears I am trying to kill her. At it's best, the volcano in Bali required a 2 hour climb to the summit at 4am to see the sunrise. All for it in the beginning, mom quickly changed her mind as the path grew steeper. Towards the end, the guide was pulling her by the hand, and I was pushing her from behind. With the bright orange and red sunrise and eggs and banana cooked by volcanic steam, it was well worth it. However, she made me promise to climb a volcano at age 62. "Only then will you realize the sacrifices I make for you," she said.

Up for another adventure, we booked a 4 day/4 night boat tour to Komodo Island, home of the infamous Komodo Dragon. Not sure what we were in for, after the first day we were elated to be having the time of our lives. With our 17 fellow boaters, we could have hosted our own Olympics: USA, Canada, Spain, Italy, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Sweden, England, Switzerland, Bosnia, and Germany. Amazingly, we all got along great, and our crew took great care of us. The highlight of the trip was visiting the Komodo Dragons. Luckily, we stumbled upon a mating ritual, better than any wildlife documentary I've every seen! There was also swimming, snorkeling, and sunbathing to be enjoyed. It was surreal to be out in the open sea and a relief to know where I was going to sleep, eat, and travel for at least a few days. The best part, I feel like I have gained 17 new family members, each remarkable in their own way. I can't wait to plan all my trips to go visit them!

But, for now, it is back to the torturous necessity of making travel plans. I have just sat on the computer for an hour waiting for a flight to process only to no avail. One perk of mom...extra money:) Instead of a horrendous 48 hour bus/ferry trip back to Bali, mom is treating to a 2 hour flight. If only I could get the damn thing to process! With the flight, we have a few extra days in Flores to explore the local villages and some more time in the party town of Kuta, Bali before we fly out. I plan to go out in style, so bring on the fun!

End of a Travel Era

One of the questions sure to be asked while traveling, "What is your favorite place?" is impossible to answer. Every place has it's own unique character and special memory. These past few weeks Mal and I have bounced around from island to island in the south of Thailand. While not every place has been our favorite, we have managed to make the most of each moment.

After I met up with Mal and our Aussie travel friend, Alicia, we headed for Ko Lanta where I was looking forward to some fun in the sun after the big city, Kuala Lumpur. Unfortunately, we arrived to a completely deserted island. We knew it was rainy season, when many of the shops and restaurants would be closed, but we weren't expecting to see the whole island shut down! One of the perks, however, was cheap accommodation, where we scored an awesome bungalow right on the beach. Making the most of our own private island, we spent our days hitching rides for meals, chating with the locals, lounging by the beach, and really just enjoying doing nothing.

However, you can only enjoy nothing for a little while, so we moved to Ao Nang where there was a little more action. Ao Nang was basically a Thai version of the Virginia Beach Oceanfront - not exactly a backpacker's dream. But, once again, we managed to make our own special memories. We took a boat to one of the most beautiful dive sights in Thailand off the island of Ko Phi Phi where, The Beach, was filmed. Gigantic limestone cliffs and clear turquoise waters set the stage for the neon corals and fish below. Finally, I braved the curvy roads and crazy Thai drivers while driving a scooter for the first time. We enjoyed one of the best Thai luxuries, massages, right on the beach. And, some much needed shopping was in order since friends and family tend to get a bit testy if you don't bring them back anything from paradise. Just FYI, I have agonized repeatedly over what to get everyone back home:)

Just a quick longtail boat away, we traveled to the next cove off the coast, Railey. Railey is known around the world as one of the best places for rock-climbing, which of course Mal and I were anxious to try. After a few not so awesome locations, we were stoked to stumble upon one of our favorite places on this trip. We had the best tea in the world - served by a shirtless Rasta man at an outdoor coffee shop. I climbed 30 meters, almost ONE HUNDRED FEET...the sea surrounding me and the monkeys climbing next me. The hottest bartender/singer/DJ/fire-twirler entertained us every night at our favorite bar. And we met some of the coolest locals and travelers around. All-in-all, it was hard to leave. Railey is the one place I would travel back to Thailand to see.

Sadly, my journey with Mal is complete. Tomorrow my mom and I fly to Indonesia, and Mal is off to Vietnam. It is hard to say goodbye, even though I will see her again back home in a few weeks:) While my long vacation is not over (3 more weeks in Indo!), it will not be the same without my best friend. It has truly been a journey of a lifetime.

Time is Running Out

This parallel universe I have been living in for the last 3 ½ months has never felt as real as it does now. In just 4 weeks’ time I will be back in Virginia Beach with a completely new life than the one I left behind in Northern Virginia and the one I’ve been living in Southeast Asia. I can’t quite wrap my head around the transition that I will be forced to make. For the last few months, I have been waking up whenever I feel like it. My days are filled with relaxation and fun. Work is so far from my mind, I have forgotten how to even do it. Responsibility? What’s that? Basically, I have to start a new life all over again. I admit, starting all over is a little refreshing, albeit a bit daunting. Just to start, I have to find a job, find a place to live, and buy a car…ASAP.

Many backpackers never make the transition back home, getting sucked into their own parallel universe of fun and freedom. They adopt new lives, new friends, and new families in their chosen paradise. On one hand, I am jealous of these people living the ‘perfect’ dream life. But, on the other hand, I am sad for them. How bad must their lives be back home that they feel the need to abandon it all together? And then I remember why I am choosing to return home. As the end of my trip keeps rapidly approaching, instead of thinking about all the things I will be giving up, I remind myself of all the wonderful things I will be gaining and all the not-so-great things I will be leaving behind.

Things to look forward to at home
1. Food: CHEESE, especially goat cheese and Mexican food. Both are hard to come by here and way too expensive when you can find it.
2. New clothes. Basically, I have been wearing the same 10 articles of clothing over and over and over again.
3. My bed and comforter. Enough of the board-like mattresses and stained sheets already!
4. My awesome, cuddly, cute dogs
5. Last, but not least, my amazing (but sometimes crazy!) family and friends



What I cannot wait to leave behind
1. Toilets. A bathroom with a toilet I can actually sit on, flush with a handle, AND toilet paper is a luxury over here.
2. Packing and Re-packing. Packing occurs about every 4-7 days and everything must fit in a bag I carry on my back. You can’t truly appreciate the term ‘backpacker’ until you’ve experienced it.
3. Haggling. I just want to know the price of something and pay it, period.
4. Travel time. About a quarter of my trip is spent in a tuk-tuk, taxi, minivan, bus, train, or boat. None of which are all that comfortable or efficient.
5. Being dirty...all the time! It doesn’t matter how often I shower (which frankly isn’t that often) I am still always dirty from the heat, grime, and not-so-clean clothes.


I will paraphrase what Mal so perfectly stated: There is always a price to pay for living in paradise. Can you handle it??

City Girl Transformation

After almost 2 weeks of silent meditation, hitting the city streets of Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur (KL), was a bit jarring. Now, I'm already not a city person, much preferring the beach vibe, but I was especially thrown out of my element after such a calm meditation experience.

My Canadian travel partner from the Cameron Highlands and Pangkor decided to join me for the meditation retreat, so we continued our travels together to KL. After a long 2 hours of traveling in circles looking for the backpacker area for a guesthouse, we finally gave up and asked a taxi for a ride. Apparently, we were so close the taxi driver refused to drive us and pointed us 'just' in that direction. Now, if you have ever tried to navigate in a foreign country, you know that 'just' does not exist. The taxi driver's directions included a right, left, right, which inevitably turned out to be a right, straight, left, but nonetheless we finally found our destination. Exhausted from the long bus ride and city heat, we retreated to our room for some much needed rest.

We had a few days to explore the city before my friend headed off to India, and I moved on to meet Mallary and our Aussie travel friend Alicia. So, what to do in the big city? Of course, we had to visit the Petronas Twin Towers, equally famous for their debut in the movie Entrapment (with Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones) and their former status as the world's tallest building. I have to say, the building is truly a marval with it's impresive steel structure and miles of glass windows. We were one of the lucky 1,000 people to receive the coveted tickets that day to view the city from the tower's 41st floor skybridge.

One of the best parts of KL is spent wandering the streets, admiring the contrast between the building ruins of the past and shiny modern architecture. We spoiled ourselves with Subway, Papa Johns, and a midnight 3D viewing of Transformers. I swear, we could have mistaken KL for The Big Apple. But, does NY have a theme park in their mall??? I think not!

There were some lazy times lounging by the lake, wandering the very expensive mall (KL's got bling!), and watching a mini Bellagio water show. By the way, if you ever need to disguise beer while walking the streets, try a Starbucks coffee cup. It looks just like a latte!

Pretty soon, it was time to say goodbye to my travel partner. That is one of the bitter sweet experiences of traveling. People come into your life, and if your lucky friendships develop that continue across borders. But, as the saying goes, there are friends for a reason, friends for a season, and ultimately we all have to continue down our own paths. At least I have a place to stay in Canada now! That is one of the other perks of meeting people all over the world...free places to stay!

Gratefully, I had a couple days to myself before meeting up with the girls. I'm a people person, but sometimes it is exhausting being with people 24/7. I had the perfect couple of days wandering the streets alone. I am notoriously bad at navigating maps, but with nowhere to go in particular, it was impossible to get lost! Highlights include reading by a peaceful lake just outside the city center, taking in local culture at the National Art Museum, strolling through Chinatown and Little India, and savouring a variety of international cuisine at cheap street stalls.

After about a month traveling through Malaysia, it is time for me to say my final goodbye to this magnificent country! What an adventure visiting the stunning beaches, majestic highlands, and grand city. Thailand, here I come once again!

Just Breathe - My Meditation Experience

Back to life...back to reality! A few days ago I finally escaped my 12-day meditation enduced coma. I am not even sure where to begin to explain this unique experience. Let's start with the fact that I was straight up legs crossed, back straight, hands on knees, eyes closed meditating for TEN AND A HALF HOURS a day!! Seriously. Before this retreat, I don't even think I could sit still for 5 minutes! From 4:30am to 9:30am the 8 meditation sessions were broken up by meals, a meeting with the teacher, and a video discourse on the technique. Sometimes I would be meditating for 4 hours straight! For three of the sessions, we weren't even allowed to move at all for 1-hour! If I had an itch, forget about it.

Let's add the fact that no technology (music, computers, phones, etc.), writing, or talking were allowed. Bascially, my fellow 100 or so students were supposed to create a feeling of isolation. Surprisingly, giving up all these "luxuries" wasn't the hard part...talking, eehh, is overrated. The hard part was working through meditation.

The type of meditation I was practicing is called Vipassana, an ancient Indian technique discovered by Buddha. Vipassana focuses the mind on the body's physical sensations. The idea is to train the mind to neither have cravings for good sensations or aversions to bad sensations. When equanimity or balance to all sensations is achieved, suffering and misery are eradicated. It sounds crazy, but if you think about it, all misery is tied to craving for things we want (money, love, etc.) or aversion to things we don't want (sickness, pain, etc.). The energy from cravings and aversions are built up in our bodies over time and block the mind from ultimate happiness. It is about accepting what is real and true in the moment, whether good or bad, and realizing that ultimately everything changes at some point.

This is how the meditation worked in practice. In order to train the mind to focus, the first step is to observe breath. So, for the first 3 days, all I did was sit (FOR 10 1/2 HOURS!) and just breathe, feeling my breath go in and out of my nostrils. On day 4 apparently the mind is trained, and I started observing sensations all over my body. Starting from the top of my head and down to my toes, I observed any sensation - sweat, tingling, vibration, pain. At first there was a lot of aversion, "Oh my gosh make the pain go away!" But eventually the pain subsided, and I started to feel waves of electricity pulsing through my body from head to toe. It was crazy!! Those sensations were always there, but my mind was always focused on so many other outside distractions. By day 7, once my mind was able to become balanced and stop any new craving or aversion, I was able to purge all the built up energy. I kid you not, I could feel the energy gather in my chest and rise through my throat. It was like little demons trying to escape. Now, it is not likely that ultimate healing is achieved in 10 days, so there is more healing to be done, but I know I am on the right track.

I can already see a difference in how I think and act. I can honestly say I am truly happy in this moment. Because this moment is all I have. I am not going to waste any more time hurting from the past or wishing for things in the future. It is what it is. May all things be happy.

More lessons to come from the newly enlightened one:)

Malaysian Oasis

I believe I have stumbled on paradise. I have not been blogging, because I have been tucked away on the beautiful islands of Malaysia with White sand beaches, crystal-clear turquoise water, and unforgettable sunrises and sunsets. As I write this now, I am on the Perhentian Islands staring out into the lagoon of shimmering water nestled in the palm-fringed mountains. The sun is bright and the breeze is cool. For the first time since this trip began almost two and a half months ago, I am travelling alone. My travel partner and best friend, Mallary, took off to the Philippines for a few weeks to visit her old co-workers and friends.

Well, as travelers, we are never really alone. I have met another awesome group of people from all over the world - Swedish, German, English, South-African, and Canadian. It has been great sharing travel stories of where we've been and where we hope to be in the future. Everyone back home thought I was crazy for leaving for 5 months, but some of the people I have met have been travelling for years! I believe the record was a 70 year old woman who has been travelling since 1957!!

So much has happened since last I blogged, including that I am another year older (27, but shhhh, don't tell anyone - I'm getting old!). Mal and I were not sure what to expect while travelling through Malaysia as it is one of the countries less travelled in Southeast Asia. But, it is stunning. We celebrated my birthday on Puala Langkawi, an island just south of the Thai border. We spent the day exploring the island by scooter and then escaping the rain with the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie. The night ended perfectly at a chill Reggae bar on the beach under the stars. Langkawi was a nice island, but a bit too developed for us. It was basically a small Virginia Beach with older tourists and families, but we did enjoy a few lazy days on the beach right next to the wild monkeys.

Next, we ventured off to the Cameron Highlands to see the lush tea plantations in the middle of the country. The Highlands is just that, extremely high, so it was sooo cold at night. I even had to wear my sweater and socks to bed! Luckily, we were able to have our first hot showers since the US, a nice luxury I had actually forgotten about. We visited a strawberry farm, bee farm, two plantations, and spent the evenings playing cards at our favorite Indian restaurant and chatting with other travellers around the bonfire. This was the last stop before Mal and I separated, and I was due to travel to Puala Pankor, another Malaysian Island. At the last minute, a Canadian guy made a coin-flip decision to come along with me. It just works like that here. Us travellers make spur of the moment decisions, change plans at the drop of a dime, and set off with strangers!

So, off to Puala Pankor with my new friend. Pankor was the complete opposite of Langkawi - a tiny fishing island with hardly any Western tourists. Every day was an adventure finding the next place to swim and new rock to climb. Every night we were greeted by the most adorable and energetic puppy at our favorite beachfront restaurant.

Since I have been blogging, I have noticed a trend in my daily activities - simplicity. Many of the places I have traveled, especially in Malaysia offer a raw beauty unspoiled by the fast-track life. Some of my favorite memories are those sitting on a rock enjoying the majestic sunset. Or, just laying on the beach and appreciating the beautiful weather. I have challenged myself to not get bored when there really isn't anything to do. I have learned to just be.

Today, I embark on another great challenge. I am leaving for a 10-day meditation retreat. There will be 10 days of nothing but meditation from 4am to 9:30pm. Music, computers, and writing are all forbidden. Talking is even discouraged unless necessary. Straight up, nothing but myself and my mind. The goal is to free the mind of all things unhealthy and damaged. I am hoping to emerge a new person - whole in body, spirit, and mind. I have no idea what to expect, as I have never even meditated before in my life. I am so excited and terrified at the same time. Since no computers or writing are allowed, I will be off the radar for another 10 days or so. I can't wait to let everyone know what happens! I predict I will either become crazy or enlightened - and I am really hoping for the latter.

One Life To Live

No, this is not a Soap Opera! Welcome to Leah's Parallel Universe. I guess it was only a matter of time before I joined the world of travel blogs. So, here we are. Blogging is just a better way of documenting everything and giving people access who don't have Facebook. Oh my gosh....could it be?!? Yes, there are some people who don't have Facebook...like my mother. You will notice I added all my previous notes from Facebook. If you have been following the posts from me or Mallary, you may have noticed they have been mostly day/week accounts of what we have been up to, but there hasn't been much of a personal touch. It's time to change that.

I had an epiphany today. I realized that somewhere along the line a very long time ago, I lost who I was. I have been through some hard times throughout my life, and recently I was able to strip away all the crap that has built up over the years. My Leahishness was buried down so deep, and now it is time to dig myself out again. I suppose that is one of the reasons I wanted to take this trip in the first place. For me, traveling is magical. It is a chance for me to get away from the daily routine and rediscover myself in ways I never would have been able to do back home. I am so grateful that I even have the opportunity to do this, and I am humbled by the lives of my friends and family that keep them from doing so. But, this is my life...and the only one I have to live! So, I am going to live it out in style.

I hope you will join me on this adventure to rediscover myself. And, if you're lucky, maybe you will discover something new along the way as well! From here on out, be prepared to see Southeast Asia through my eyes - this parallel universe on the other side of the world.

Thailand, parting is such sweet sorrow

Adios Thailand! We leave tonight on another looonnngg boat+bus+boat trip into Malaysia. These last few days (how many, I have no idea) have been amazing. Back in Bangkok, Mal and I were able to reconnect with old friends from previous travels, which made the city much more enjoyable. I actually donned a non-backpacker outfit and when out on the town with a Bangkok expat (hey Sam!) for some drinks. I saw Bangkok from a whole other angle, high-rise bar overlooking the skyline. New York’s got nothing on Bangkok!

Our reunion was quick, because we had to catch a train down to Ko Phangan for the infamous Full Moon Party. But this time we adopted another traveler…our wonderful friend Alicia from Australia. Ko Phangan has so much more to offer than the full moon, so one day we rented an off-road jeep wrangler and tackled the rough roads around the island. I was able to practice my not-so-bad manual driving skills. I only stalled on a hill once! Haha, we screamed loudly as we rolled backwards until some wonderful Samaritans advised me on the proper way to screech up the hills. From then on, I was so unstoppable, we decided to keep driving around the island and have a good ol’ night on the town driving around with the windows down and the music loud.

Now, I already told you the Full Moon Party was epic, but I promised some dirty details. But, since they aren’t just my dirty details, I’m afraid I will have to leave most of it up to your imagination. Let’s just say it was a CRRAAAZZZYYYY party! I can sum it up with: thousands of partiers covering the entire beach, fire twirlers, fire jump rope, numerous drinking stalls selling buckets and beer galore, raging music of all genres, “mushroom” shakes, sleeping areas designated for those who can’t move an inch further, and doctors @ every corner to bandage the wounded. The night was spent laughing and dancing till the sun came up.

As true full moon partiers, we watched the sunrise and stayed on the beach well into the morning, admiring the few hard-core partiers still dancing among the sea of drunkards passed out on the sand. Haha, you could see the hurt and remorse all over people’s faces as they hung their heads low trying to remember their drunken escapades. Running on zero sleep and still recovering from the night/morning we had to part with our Aussie friend and head to Ko Tao for a 4-day scuba certification. While boarding the boat at 2pm, I was asked, “So, did you enjoy the full moon party?” My reply, “Ask me once I’ve gotten some sleep!” After checking into our guesthouse at 4:00pm (and still no sleep!) I retreated to our room desperate to close my eyes.

Today, as we speak, Mal and I have officially completed our 4-day course and become PADI certified as Open Water Scuba Divers. I have now achieved one of my top 10 goals! Words cannot describe the feeling of looking up 33 feet and seeing the sun glistening through the water. Below the surface, schools of fish I normally only sea in marine museums swam freely all around me. The sights and sounds nearly took my breath away, but then I would have drowned! It was a bit of a hard start for me. I had difficultly equalizing the pressure in my ears and breathing slowly with the tank. But, well worth the persistence! I always knew I was born to be in the water. True to scuba tradition, you can now refer to me as “Leahfish.”

Next step….finding an awesome place to celebrate my 27th birthday in Malaysia!

Cambodia, the Wild West of Asia

10 days is not enough time to travel in 1 country. Already, Mal and I are leaving Cambodia, on our way back to Thailand. We have high hopes for our night bus which leaves at 2am since we paid a whole $14! Cambodia was AMAZING! We didn't have any plans to travel here, but after hearing so many other travelers speak about the country we had to see it. Cambodia has recovered well from the devastating war and mass genocide, however you can't miss the broken down and abandoned buildings around the cities. As we crossed the border we were greeted by guards, half-dressed in their uniforms, drinking beer and eating dinner. They refused to let us in with the standard fee of $25 and insisted we had to pay $35 to get it. After trying to haggle down the price we settled as I'm pretty sure they would have turned us away otherwise. I guess there are some times you shouldn't try to bargain...especially when there are guns involved. Instead of heading as most travelers do, we stayed in the border town, Koh Kong, which is in the heart of the Cardamom Mountains. Two local Khmer guides helped us trek through the unspoiled jungles. As we were searching for local wildlife we were flicking leeches off of us left and right. Those things really hurt when they burrow inside of your shoes and socks!! As we relaxed and ate our lunch by an enormous waterfall, we watched monkeys play and swing from tree to tree across the river. As the sun was setting, we set up camp by a lazy river...well, actually our wonderful guides did all the work (they wouldn't let us help!) We had a camp fire complete with pork and veggie skewers, coffee, fruit hand-picked from the jungle, and local whiskey. Delicious! We slept like babies in the most comfy hammocks I've ever been in and awoke to a campfire breakfast and a brisk swim in the river. Luckily, we made it out alive as we passed by a HUGE snake on the side of the road. That was enough wildlife for us, and we headed back to town.

We then made our way to a really chill town, Kampot. As Mal put it, it was just the right combination between travelers, locals, and expats. We spent a couple lazy days hanging out around the guesthouse eating, reading, and chating with other travelers. One day, we peeled ourselves off the hammocks and set out to explore bat-filled caves with the local kids. With all the hard work we did (just kidding), we treated ourselves to a day at the spa. After a month of traveling, it was nice to be pampered a bit. Sometimes traveling is actually hard work, you know, with long bus rides, sweat and dirt-caked bodies, as we sometimes don't shower for days, and very very very uncomfortable beds. Hard life, I know!!

It would have been easy to spend so much more time in Kampot with our new Swedish, German, Norwegian, English and Aussie friends, but we had to move on to Siem Riep for the Temples. The Temples of Angkor Wat were spectacular. It is right up there with the other world wonders. We were real Lara Croft and Indiana Jones explorers, making our way through structures that were built by the old god-kings of the Khmer Empire. It was truly inspiring.

So, now I am Bangkok bound, and ready for the beautiful beaches of Thailand once again!

Plans are Overrated

Every time Mal and I update our status our plans change. Cambodia, wait, no the beach. Ok, Cambodia today, wait no, another day at the beach. Haha, who knows what will happen next. So, last time I left you, I was in Pai on my way down to Chang Mai for mountain biking. Now, I have already biked down the world's most dangerous road, aka Death Road, in Bolivia. It was crazy difficult, but this biking adventure brought me to another level! Imagine biking during a mud slide...over rocks and tree trunks the size of snow moguls...in a rainstorm. It was crazy, and so much fun! Even falling and getting covered in mud was fun. Our trail ended near a lake at the bottom of the mountain where we took a little swim to get clean and have lunch. Beautiful:)

Next, as Mal put it best, we took a 15 hour train which looked like it belonged in a train junk yard to Bangkok. There is nothing much to say about Bangkok except that it is crap. Ok, ok, I guess it's intricate canal transportation gives it a nice charm, but I can only take traffic, smog,overwhelming pee and fish smells, and men trying to take me to "ping pong" shows for so long. We lasted one night there and then had to get out.

We found ourselves in Ko Samed, a little island off the east coast where many Thais take there vacation. We rented a scooter and set off to explore the island...found this private cove set below a steep cliff where we took a refreshing afternoon swim in our birthday suits:) When in Rome!! It was the perfect place to watch the sunset, so we headed back there with a little Mumford and Sons to set the tone. Traveling is never complete without running into fellow explorers. We met an awesome travel group to party with and with a little luck, we will join them again and 20,000 other travelers for the infamous full moon party in Ko Phanang.

As I write this, I am sitting in a hammock under a blue sky next to the crystal-clear ocean. Before you get too jealous, let me tell you what I am thinking of. No, its not anticipating the ancient world of Cambodia, or rock climbing over the ocean, or being a part of one of the best parties in the world. As I stare out into the ocean, I think of home. All the people I miss in my life...my crazy family, fun roomies, and long-lost friends. I think of how wonderful it is to share the joys and sorrows of day to day life. And as excited as I am to experience the adventures to come, I am even more excited to return home and share my life with those I love the most. So, please don't forget to keep in touch!! Miss you more than you know:)

I Just Went Pai

We are now 12-ish days into our trip...who can count? I lost track of time a long time ago! I am currently in a little town in the mountains of Northern Thailand called Pai. It is a hippie town: lazy days, sipping tea, Thai Chi, massages, reading in a hammock. We were going to leave tomorrow, but this place has a way of sucking you in and keeping you here just a bit longer. We decided to stay another day....I just went Pai. Mal and I have been hanging out with an awesome group of people: 3 people from Sweden, 1 from London, and 2 from Australia. The other night we were 12 people deep searching for a bar and stumbled upon a reggae bar in the middle of nowhere, so we decided to start our own party. Before we knew it people were coming from all directions...Rock on Bob Marley!

Mal and I arrived in Pai after a 3 hour bus ride on the curviest road I have ever been on in my life. If you know me well, you know I have terrible motion sickness. Somehow, by the grace of God (and with the help of my iPod and sleep) I did not get sick. Unlike the 5 other people in our van who puked the whole way. Back in Chang Mai before we left, Mal and I went to an Elephant Park. It was so cool to be among them. We were able to walk with them, touch them, and we even got to draw pictures on them! They showed off their skills by painting, tricks, soccer, etc. The best part...making paper out of elephant poo. Yes, elephant poo. I mixed it with my bare hands:) Smells good. Actually, elephant poo doesn't even smell!

We also went to a cooking class in the middle of the countryside and learned how to make traditional Thai food. I will be sure to make you all something delicious when I get back. The last couple days of Songkran we escaped the water fights by visiting a Tiger park, lounging by a pool, and having little fishes eat the dead skin off our feet (weird I know and ticklish like hell, but awesome!) We sent Songkran off right with dancing in the streets and splashing in the water with locals and foreigners alike. Definitely an unforgettable night!

So, once we can peal ourselves away from Pai, we will travel back down the world's most curvy road to Chang Mai for mountain biking. Then, off to Bankok for a taste of the big city and on the infamous beaches of Thailand.

More to come from the lovely traveling ladies!!

Thailand Vacay...The Beginning

Hey!! The trip has been so amazing!! And we are only on our second day! We arrived exhausted at 10:30pm Monday night after 25+ hours of travel. With a little bit of English and many hand signs, we managed to flag down a tuk tuk, a motor bike with seats attached on the back, to our hostel. Our towls and key were waiting for us on the front table with a note welcoming us to Chiang Mai. We unfortunately woke up bright and early at 7am and went down to the hostel restaurant for breakfast. We enjoyed our hot tea and traditional Thai food ($2 dollars each!) on the "jungle" inspired patio. We started the day off right, as any one should...Thai massages...$5. Relaxing while our Thai masseurs were walking on our backs, pulling and pushing our bodies, and rubbing all the tension out. Jealous yet:)

So, as we mentioned, Mal and I arrived the day before the beginning of the Thai New Year, Songkron. This holiday is best celebrated with a city-wide water fight to inspire rain after the drought season. Words and pictures can not describe how amazing this is! We armed ourselves with buckets and water guns against the hundreds of Thais and Foreigners alike who seek to drench us from head to toe. In about .5 seconds you cannot escape be soaking wet!

After a few hours of water fights, we found our way back to the hostel for a blissful 4 hour nap, because that is what you do on vacation...right? Then, went out for dinner and drinks. Met some awesome girls at a rooftop bar overlooking the main street, without shoes and sitting on mats covering the floor. The night proceed with a bucket....yes a bucket!... of whiskey and coke, outdoor dance bar, and reggae band. We danced with our fellow travelers until 3am. And that is our our perfect first night in Thailand ended.

So, today, our second day, there was a massive rain storm in the morning, which Mal and I enjoyed chatting and recapping our first day from the comfort of our beds. We joined the masses in another day of water fights in the streets. Took another nap, and somehow manged to sleep until 11pm. Unable to sleep any longer we went to explore the town at night. We found a night market full of amazing Thai bags, art, food, clothes, etc. We ate traditional Thai noodle soup for dinner ($1 each!) at a street stall...hoping we don't get sick!!

Luckily, we can bide our time till we are tired again at this 24-hour internet cafe. Tomorrow, it looks like we will visit an elephant park outside the city. Who knows what other adventures await us!! Trekking into indigenous hill tribes, mountain biking, cooking class, hot springs on the agenda.

Cheers. This is everything we were hoping it would be. Miss everyone back home!!