Where are we now?

Sometimes you need a little vacation from your vacation. Traveling through Southeast Asia is amazing but can also be exhausting. The last time we took some time to relax was in a little hippy beach town called Tonsai in Thailand about three weeks ago. Since then, we've made it through southern Thailand, Cambodia and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam... so as you can see we've covered a lot of area in little time. After Ho Chi Minh City we took a five hour bus ride to a wonderful kite surfing town called Mui Ne. Nothing is rushed here and that's just what we are looking for. We have been spending the past couple of days reading, watching movies, walking on the beach, and lounging at the pool which is perched up on a hill overlooking the town and the blue ocean. A couple of nights ago we had dinner at a Russian restaurant suitably named Chill Out Bar. Our first Russian meal ever was in Vietnam. Apparently there is a large Russian population here (don't ask me why). We plan on visiting sand dunes, a fishing village, waterfall, and river later today. We are really looking forward to it, but until then it's relaxing lounge music and R&R by the pool.

This little octupus came to say hello while we were walking on the beach

"Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demostrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other we may even become friends."

-Maya Angelou

 

 

Street Food and Art in Penang

After spending four nights in Kuala Lumpur, we decided to take a break from the big city and make our way north to Penang. Another sticky 5 hour bus and it was clear that air con is hit or miss in Southeast Asia. Even if you are told there is air con, don't believe it till you feel it. For miles all we could see were long stretches of palm tree plantations for the lucrative palm oil. Penang is an island located on the northwest coast of peninsular Malaysia and unlike KL there is evidence of the former English colonization in every corner of Georgetown, the town where we were staying. Malaysia is a predominantly Muslim country, but also unlike KL Penang seemed slightly less religious. We arrived on Easter Sunday and spent the next few days enjoying a different side of Malaysia.

Overall, Malaysia is a multicultural buffet of Malay, Chinese, and Indian flavors and Penang's night markets were the best way to get our taste. This was my first time away from home for the Easter holiday. Although our Easter dinner was far from anything we would have eaten at home, the tasty food helped to divert my attention from missing familiar Easter traditions. One night market was conveniently located down the street from our accomadation in Georgetown so we happily found ourselves there the first two nights for dinner. Aside from the unforgettable food, I'll never forget a cook that looked strikingly similar to the grumpy old man from "UP". He was cute in a grumpy old man kind of way, underbite and all.

New Lane Night Market

Easter Dinner

Over the next few days we spent our time sightseeing and walking, per usual, around the city. We made sure to check out the Camera Museum and the street art. The street art scene has exploded in Georgetown over the past couple of years and many different murals and iron work pictures are spread all through out town. With a map in hand, the street art became a fun scavenger hunt for us. We checked off the art on the map while exploring the city.

 

Click here to see some more pics from this day

While exploring town, we also ventured onto some of the old jetty communities like Chew Jetty. These communities were built on docks over the water over a hundred years ago and the homes are still inhabited. We could peer into the different houses as we walked along and caught glimpses of what life is like there. There were little shops set up in many of the homes and we tried some durian puffs which were sweet and creamy. They were best eaten in one bite if you could fit it all in your mouth... otherwise things got messy.

more street art on the jetty

Tastes like heaven, smells like hell

The food in Malaysia was so tasty that we decided to learn how to make some of the popular dishes ourselves. We signed up for a class at the Tropical Spice Garden which was located about an hour away from our hotel. Like the locals, we took the public bus to class and since it was rush hour we left extra early. After stepping off the cramped bus, we realized that we may have overestimated how long it would take us. With 45 minutes to spare, we walked across the street to the beach where I spotted a 6-7 foot long monitor lizard. He walked across the sand and was hanging out on the rocks catching his breakfast of crabs. I was weary but Jon ventured closer to get a picture of the fella. We lost track of time while chasing the dragon. We hurried back to our tour of the garden and subsequent cooking class. The citronella oil we used did little to protect us from the ruthless Malaysian mosquitos. So as we swatted them away we tried to keep our focus on our lecture of the spices and their benefits.

Monitor Lizard

After the walk in the garden it was time to cook. Each student had their own work station and we were each able to make our own dish. The set up was excellent! We made traditional Asam Laksa, a shrimp dish as well as a sweet sticky rice dessert. After class, we sat in the garden and enjoyed the fruit of our labor. Not to be biased, but my Asam Laksa was the best I've ever had. I also look forward to showing off our newly acquired pineapple cutting skills when we make it home!

Jon and our awesome cooking teacher, Pearly Kee

Finished product!

"The greatest reward and luxury for travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time" -Bill Bryson

 

 

 

Kuala Lumpur Heritage Walk

While researching Kuala Lumpur, we came across the Heritage Walk on Tripadvisor. Originally, it was a free walking tour but as popularity grew it underwent a makeover. It is now known as the Eat Pray Love tour and cost a hefty $51 USD. Although the price tag was steep for a half day tour, it had excellent reviews and it was ranked the #1 activity in KL so we decided to give it a try.

In an attempt to beat the heat and hopefully avoid the torrential afternoon downpoors, we decided to go with the morning tour. First things first; it was time to eat. We stopped at a Malay-Indian cafe which was located near the tour office. We observed how they made pulled tea. Our guide explained that the process cooled the tea to the desired temperature. We prepped our palates as we watched a cook prepare several different kinds of roti as well. The tea and rotis were excellent and we were already off to a good start.

Next up on the walking tour, pray. We visited a Taoist temple where our tour guide explained some of the basic principles of the philosophy. We also recieved our horoscope readings for this year... no big changes and watch your back.

After seeing the Taosit temple, we made our way to a large Hindu temple where we were able to observe a purification ceremony. The statues of three different deities were washed with milk and water while onlookers sprinkled themselves with the sacred liquid.

By now it was time to get back to the food. We made our way down market alley ways in Chinatown where the butchers were in full swing. We were concerned when one of the butchers had a cat in a small cage near the chopping block, but we were reassured that the cat was not for sale and was simply a pet.

We sat down at one of the outdoor food hawker's tables and tried several different kinds of noodles and curries. We also had an ice cendol drink which was a milkier version than the one we had in Singapore.

Back on the move, we ventured past a large mosque that sits at the meeting of the the Klang and Gombak rivers and through Little India. We made our way to the back of a small shop, up some sketchy looking stairs, and ended up at our final stop of the day... an authentic Indian restaurant. The hot and cramped restaurant which had no sign indicating its presence made it clear that the food was the sole focus. Indeed the food was great. To add to the authenticity, it was served on a banana leaf and we ate with our hands. The menu consisted of curry chicken, stingray, and prawns all served with rice and a hefty dose of spice. We cooled down with a drink served in a plastic bag. It was a great way to end the tour.

As for the love part of the tour... well the L word may be a bit serious to throw around after just 4 days in the city, but we definitely liked it. While the tour was a little pricey for our budget, it filled the majority of our day and we were stuffed by the end. It provided an insight into the Malay people, the different religions that coexist in the city, and some eats off the beaten path which we would have missed otherwise.

 

Surviving the Thai/Cambodia Border

We began our day around 8 AM, somewhat prepared for the obstacles we would face. We were traveling from Nakhon Ratchisima in Thailand to Siem Reap, Cambodia. We decided that it would be better to knock out the 387 kilometer trip in one long day rather than to waste two days traveling. So we checked out of our hotel and caught a tuk tuk (motor bike drawn carriage) to the bus station. We had thirty minutes to kill until our bus left and at 165 baht ($5 USD) per ticket we were already doing pretty well. We hopped aboard and unluckily for us the only seats remaining on this 1980's bus were the ones in the back, behind the toilet. At that point, all we were hoping for was some cool AC. The bus got started and the AC started to cool but not for long. There was cool air for the first 30 minutes of the five hour bus ride. We passed the steamy 5 hour ride to the border town of Aranya Prathet by reading our books and doing anything to ignore the incompetent AC.

Five hours later, we finally made it to the border. We grabbed our stuff, wiped off the sweat and braced ourselves for what was to come. Jonathan was warned of border scams while doing his research so we knew to be weary. As we stepped off the bus we were greeted by three guys on bikes who wanted to "help" us get our Cambodian visas. We walked about a quarter mile in the blistering Thai sun to the border. The guys thought they were directing us but we knew better. On the Thai side of the border there are a dozen places offering visas and an uninformed tourist can be easily manipulated into overpaying for a visa. The schemes are so bad that you may even purchase a counterfeit visa. It would have been hard to distinguish the real government visa offices from the fake ones without knowing what to watch out for. People were beckoning us from every direction with the intention of having us fall into their scams. The pressure was on and it was very important to keep our cool. When the guys realized that we were smarter than their schemes they retreated and looked for other naive travelers to prey on. In the process, we also helped a Philipino lady who was also trying to make her way to the border avoid the scammers. We followed the official signs and trusted our instincts to make it to Thai immigration. We finally made it through Thai immigration and exited the country. We then had to ignore another set of people offering faster "cheaper" visas and transportation and made it to the proper visa office.

Upon reaching the visa counter there is a sign which clearly reads $20 USD per Visa but the immigration officials have a special price with an additional 100 Thai baht ($3 USD) per person. It was obvious that this was not government sanctioned but a special price implemented by the men issuing the Visas. Unfortunately, this was a bribe that we just had to stomach if we wanted to make it into Cambodia. At the visa office we met 6 other backpackers from Argentina and Europe who had paid for a bus ride from Thailand to Siem Reap. They were disgruntled with their service and feared not having transportation after passing the border because they did not get the more expensive visa from the bus company. After acquiring our visas we made itthrough Cambodian immigration and were now officially in Cambodia. Initially, we thought it was a good idea to stick with the other backpackers because we still needed to find a ride to Siem Reap. But when the discontent turned into a shouting match between the travelers and local Cambodians, I knew it was time to distance ourselves.

Again, there were at least 15 Cambodian men hassling us to purchase transportation from them and we did not know which to go with. Finally, we met one gentleman who worked for the local bus station who helped us catch the free transport to the bus station where we would purchase our ticket to Siem Reap from his company. The other rowdy backpackers got on shortly after us. The Cambodian man who they were arguing with had to get his last word in. He came up the steps of the bus and told them, "In Cambodia we have civil war every other year, we are not afraid of war!" All while putting his hands up as if holding guns. His friend calmed him down and peacefully got him off the bus. There was nothing I wanted more than to get away from that border!

After the 20 minute bus ride to the bus station and another $9 each for the trip to Siem Reap, it was another waiting game. We went on one van and then switched to a larger bus. We finally made it to what we thought was Siem Reap at 8 PM. We were really right outside the city in a dark bus garage. All the passengers were shocked that we were not taken to the bus stop in the city center. The driver told us that we could catch a tuk tuk to our accommodation. Again, we were in another situation with little options. We hired a tuk tuk who tried to collect more money from us during the trip for gas. We didn't fall for it and then we finally made it to our accomadation. We hadn't booked in advance and luckily there was a room available. The only cure for this exhausting day was prayer, pizza, and an ice cold beer or a glass of wine for me.

A slice of home after an exhausting travel day

My first impression of Cambodia was more like the land of schemes than the land of smiles. We had never felt more like walking ATMs until this experience. It seemed as if everyone wanted to take advantage of us and we found it difficult to trust anyone. I knew that this was a bad experience and it would not be fair to the entire country if I formed my opinion based on a bad day. So with that said, I am eager to find the Cambodian smiles that we have heard about because they definetly were not at the border.

 

Backpacking Singapore

At the start of our journey, we met several other backpackers with which we shared our past travels and future plans. Singapore was on our itinerary and with every mention of it we were met with a look of surprise and kindly informed that Singapore is the most expensive country in the world. After traveling through New Zealand and Australia, we found it hard to believe. Regardless of the news, we chose not to take Singapore off the list but rather to take on the challenge of traveling there all while keeping to our backpacker budget. Although most backpackers skip over Singapore, we could not imagine traveling through Southeast Asia and not seeing the country infamous for banning gum. With that said, we have absolutely no regrets of traveling to Asia's cultural mosaic and therefore a foodie's paradise.

April 12, 2014

Shortly after arriving in Singapore, we realized that we had traded a hot and humid Bali for a cloudy and rainy Singapore. Despite the poor weather conditions, we decided to go for a walk around the city. We didn't have much time in Singapore and there was no time to waste. It did not take long to notice how clean the city is. The public transportation is excellent in Singapore but we are strong believers that the best way to see a new place is on your own two feet. That way you don't miss the sights, sounds, and smells that only walking could give you. Since my ankle was finally on the mend we were ready to roll. We started our walking tour in little India which was just steps away from our hotel. Singapore is known for its amazing food so we started our visit with an Indian lunch in little lndia. I like to think I'm tough when it comes to spicy food but I had an Indian soup that proved that I just was not having food that was spicy enough. That soup made my eyes water, nose drip and lips tingle for a good hour afterwards. (Not a pretty sight) After lunch we continued our tour of the bustling streets of little India. There were enough 24 karat gold jewlery shops and sari shops to make us feel as if we were truly in India. We then made sure to see the iconic Singapore landmarks: the merlion statue, Marina Bay Sands, the botanic garden, and the Singapore flyer which we were all quick reminders that we were in Singapore. On our way to the merlion we had our first taste of Ice Cendol. A melange of shaved ice, green rice flour worms, coconut milk, beans, etc...which actually kinda tasted good. We found an excellent food center in the mall of marina bay sands and had dinner there. We then ended the day watching the light show at the Botanic garden.

Merlion

Marina Bay Sands

Ice Cendol

Botanical Garden Light Show

April 13, 2014

Since we didn't have time to see the domes at the botanic garden the day before, we were determined to see them today. Singapore proved that she can be as scorching hot as Bali and the cool domes were our refuge. One was a cloud dome and the other a flower dome. The cloud dome emulated a cloud rainforest. An area that most people will never see. We took an elevator to the top and gradually walked down the ramps in the dome observing the flora that live in each level. After visiting the second flower dome we were surprised at how much time we could spend just looking at flowers. There was so much more to see in Singapore and more than half our day was nearly over!

We went to one of the Maxwell hawker center in China town for lunch. For those of you who do not know the wonderfulness that is a hawker center please allow me to explain: Imagine an outdoor area with about 50 to 100 stands of specialty Asian food all for about $3 or less per plate. Magnificent! The hawker centers are an attraction in and of themselves for foodies like us. We tried some of the local dishes and then went to check out the Main Street in Chinatown. Turns out that a monsoon also wanted to check out that street at the same time. Within minutes, the streets were flooded and everyone ran for cover. We had a couple of Tiger beers and waited for the storm to pass. We then made it over to Circular quay for some more sightseeing. Day turned into night and we sat on a bridge with a beer in hand just as the locals were doing. After two action packed days in Singapore, we knew that three days was not enough to take it all in. We added another night to our stay and by the time we made it back to our room it was midnight and therefore Jon's 30th birthday!

Maxwell Hawker Center

Monsoon?? Time for a beer!

April 14, 2013

We decided that Sentosa Island would be a great way to ring in the milestone birthday. We took the monorail onto the island and spent the first half of the day at the Aquarium, the largest in the world. The aquarium was great. Our visit started with an interactive short film of a typhoon. This visit to the aquarium was especially interesting for us because it focused on the creatures of the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. A couple of weeks prior we snorkeled amongst these fish and now we got to learn so much more about them. After the aquarium we ate at the nearby Din Tai Fung restaurant. The restaurant advertises that they are listed as one of the world's top 10 restaurants by the New York Times...all we know is that it was the best dim sum of we've had. We walked over to the man made beach on the island and then to the wave pool so the birthday boy could get his surf on. Immediately following his one hour session another Singapore monsoon came through and all plans were at a standstill until it cleared. It had been a long day so after having some mediocre nachos, we made our way back to the hotel.

Basically all the same little guys we snorkeled with in Bali

Yummy Dim Sum

April 15, 2014

This was our last full day in Singapore and our last chance to see anything we hadn't yet. Our first stop was the Muslim quarter which is home to a majestic mosque. We also went down a colorful street, Haji Lane, which was home to many independent fashion boutiques.

We heard that the Singapore sling is the cocktail of choice in Singapore. This was our last day there and I hadn't had one yet. We decided to go to the source, The Long Bar at Raffles hotel. This was a five star hotel which had a famous bar where you could eat peanuts and just throw the shells on the floor while sipping on your cocktail. The singapore sling was a tasty fruity cocktail. Our last stop was Orchard street to check out some of the famous Singapore shopping.

Chili Crab

Jonathan described our trip to Singapore as a whirlwind and I couldn't agree more. There was so much to see and eat! Overall, I was mostly impressed with the developments towards environmental sustainability. Singapore's initiatives are an excellent example of what other great cities should strive to emulate.

To travel is to take a journey into yourself!