We have spent the last ten days in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. In our minds, we saved the best for last, as Sydney is one of the most beautiful and livable cities we have ever been. But, Melbourne is fantastic, quirky, has great neighborhoods and is a manageable size. And Adelaide may have a bit of a bad rap compared to the super-sized and more well known East Coast cities but we really enjoyed it, too.
Australia is great. People are friendly and we can speak to them! We have had really good and funny conversations with many locals. We met a girl at the bus stop in Adelaide who invited us out for drinks with her friends. We have talked Obama-loving politics with many an Aussie. And we have never seen as many good natured lovers of country as we did in Melbourne on Australia Day. Even more people celebrate Australia day than Americans do the 4th of July. Almost everyone had an Australian flag draped around their bodies, or Australian flag tatoos, or both. All Australians over 16 was drinking a whole lot on Australia and there were events and concerts and fairs and sports competitions and parades chock-a-block throughout the city. I don't know how the government paid for all the festivities in the midst of an economic downturn, I just imagine that Australians would not take news of a toned down Australia Day very well.
Another treat we have had in Sydney is that we have hung out with groups of Australians that we have connections to from other places. We went to a barbecue at Leanne Matthews' (the sister of my uncle Peter) house the other night and last night we went out with a bunch of young lawyers, one of whom we had met traveling in Africa 6 months ago. Oh yeah, and the tennis: Joe has been addicted to the Australian Open. It's been really fun to watch, especially when an Australian has been involved.
We have just a few days more of exploring Sydney, going for walks, visiting some of the many beautiful beaches that abound in this city, and watching the finals of the Australian Open before setting off to New Zealand.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Western OZ
In Ozzieland, now. It is very hot and dry here: mid-summer. We spent the last week in Western Australia, which is the country's largest state. It is absolutely massive (more than 5 times as large as Texas), mostly desert-like outback, and its capital city, Perth, is the most isolated large city on Earth. It is close to nothing! We liked Perth. It reminded us of cities in California: palm trees, plenty of sun, cool at night, not very densely developed, many pedestrian malls and pretty parks. We have been having a hard time adjusting to Australian prices, especially after spending more than 3 months in Asia. We are finding the prices to be similar to those in NYC! Two beers in a no-name pub costs between $15-18 Australian, which is about $10-$12 U.S. Needless to say, we haven't visited many pubs! But we have visited some vineyards; Australia is chock full of em'.
After spending two days in Perth, we rented a car and headed south. The country was gorgeous and we spent our first night in a posh town in the best Western Australian wine region, called Margaret River. It was like the Napa of Western Oz. The owner of our hotel recommended we go to a place called Wino's down the road for a drink and dinner and we were waited on by an American. She was in Australia for a year, bar-tending at Wino's, and her boyfriend was working as a chef there. He had previously been a chef at the renowned Acqua restaurant in San Francisco, so we knew we were in for a treat. The coast from Perth down to Margaret River is absolutely gorgeous. The water is light, clear Carribean blue in the shallows and deep, Pacific blue in the breakers. And surfers and surfbreaks are everywhere, despite the fact that shark attacks on Australian surfers is on the rise.
From Margaret River, we drove south-east to the region around Pemberton, where we stayed for two nights. There are many National Parks in the area, which are home to Australia's biggest trees: giant eucalpytus species that reach more than 200 feet. We visited three national parks, took a couple of great walks, and Joe climbed some giant trees, which had been fitted with narrow foot pedestals up to the canopy, nearly 200 feet above us. I skipped that activity! (I got up to about 20 feet, looked down, examined my unreliable flip-flops, and retraced my steps). During a hike on the second day, on a trail where we saw no one for hours, we came across a big patch of red, guey, liquid-type stuff. And both of us freaked out and thought: blood! We had just seen a picture of a missing person (a backpacker from England) at the hostel we were staying and jumped to conclusions. We took pictures of "the scene," picked up giant sticks to be used as weapons and started to hot-foot it out of there. About 30 minutes later, we saw another red liquid patch on the trail and saw that it was sap, leaking from the giant trees. Overactive imaginations!
We returned our car in Perth and the next day got on a two day train ride through southern Western Australia, some of the most desolate country imaginable. The land is flat, there is sparse vegetation, and nearly no animal or human life for vast stretches. The sunsets and sunrises were amazing. The train stopped twice during the journey and at the first stop, we got out and wandered around in the mining town (we went to a karaoke bar with some fellow train passengers and they tore the place up- such good singers!) of Kalgoorlie. The second stop, Cook, was 500 further miles from Kalgoorlie (and Kalgoorlie was the closest town to it). It had a population of 4 people, and its main function is to service the trains that stop there. It was perhaps the hottest place I'd ever been, about 118 degrees at noon. And there were so many flies! It was mind-boggling to imagine living there- a stranger existence than perhaps any other I have ever witnessed.
And now we are in Adelaide, capital of the state of South Australia. It's a pretty city and feels more urban and established than Perth. There is wine-country and beaches close-by here, too, which we plan on hitting up in the next couple of days before heading to Melbourne.
After spending two days in Perth, we rented a car and headed south. The country was gorgeous and we spent our first night in a posh town in the best Western Australian wine region, called Margaret River. It was like the Napa of Western Oz. The owner of our hotel recommended we go to a place called Wino's down the road for a drink and dinner and we were waited on by an American. She was in Australia for a year, bar-tending at Wino's, and her boyfriend was working as a chef there. He had previously been a chef at the renowned Acqua restaurant in San Francisco, so we knew we were in for a treat. The coast from Perth down to Margaret River is absolutely gorgeous. The water is light, clear Carribean blue in the shallows and deep, Pacific blue in the breakers. And surfers and surfbreaks are everywhere, despite the fact that shark attacks on Australian surfers is on the rise.
From Margaret River, we drove south-east to the region around Pemberton, where we stayed for two nights. There are many National Parks in the area, which are home to Australia's biggest trees: giant eucalpytus species that reach more than 200 feet. We visited three national parks, took a couple of great walks, and Joe climbed some giant trees, which had been fitted with narrow foot pedestals up to the canopy, nearly 200 feet above us. I skipped that activity! (I got up to about 20 feet, looked down, examined my unreliable flip-flops, and retraced my steps). During a hike on the second day, on a trail where we saw no one for hours, we came across a big patch of red, guey, liquid-type stuff. And both of us freaked out and thought: blood! We had just seen a picture of a missing person (a backpacker from England) at the hostel we were staying and jumped to conclusions. We took pictures of "the scene," picked up giant sticks to be used as weapons and started to hot-foot it out of there. About 30 minutes later, we saw another red liquid patch on the trail and saw that it was sap, leaking from the giant trees. Overactive imaginations!
We returned our car in Perth and the next day got on a two day train ride through southern Western Australia, some of the most desolate country imaginable. The land is flat, there is sparse vegetation, and nearly no animal or human life for vast stretches. The sunsets and sunrises were amazing. The train stopped twice during the journey and at the first stop, we got out and wandered around in the mining town (we went to a karaoke bar with some fellow train passengers and they tore the place up- such good singers!) of Kalgoorlie. The second stop, Cook, was 500 further miles from Kalgoorlie (and Kalgoorlie was the closest town to it). It had a population of 4 people, and its main function is to service the trains that stop there. It was perhaps the hottest place I'd ever been, about 118 degrees at noon. And there were so many flies! It was mind-boggling to imagine living there- a stranger existence than perhaps any other I have ever witnessed.
And now we are in Adelaide, capital of the state of South Australia. It's a pretty city and feels more urban and established than Perth. There is wine-country and beaches close-by here, too, which we plan on hitting up in the next couple of days before heading to Melbourne.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
As we leave Asia...
We are sitting in the Singapore Airport now. Our flight to Australia leaves in 2 hours. We just spent our last days in Asia in this pristine, Asian city-state, staying with the Whites (friends of my parents'). Its a beautiful city, mixing some of the best aspects of Asia and Europe (like London in the Asian tropics).
We are wrapping up 3.5 months in Asia and about 6.5 months of traveling in all and have been having fun remembering and comparing the different places we have been.
During this time, we have visited 16 countries (we are including the U.S. here- is that cheating?), stayed in 70 different locations within those countries and each read more than 30 books.
Here are some of the highlights (and lowlights) of the places visited in Africa and Asia these last 6.5 months:
Most Physically Beautiful Country- South Africa
Most Physically Beautiful People- Senegalese (Wolof)
Most Spiritually Beautiful People (kindest, calmest, most peaceful)- Thai
Most Beautiful Cities – Cape Town, South Africa and Luang Prabang, Laos
Most Interesting (Fascinating is a better adjective) Country- India
Best Music- Mali
(Worst Music- Vietnam)
Best Bang for the Buck (good quality for lowest prices)- Vietnam
City We'd Most Like to Return to on a High-Dollar Budget for a Long Weekend- Hanoi, Vietnam
Best Beer- Angkor Beer, Cambodia
Best Wine- Shakalaka, South Africa
Best Airline- Thai Airways
Most Interesting Airport- Kuwait City
Top Food Experiences:
Sofitel Metropole, Hanoi (weekday buffet lunch- oh my God!)
Teej, Calcutta (Punjabi thali)
Swagath, Delhi (amazing, relatively upscale Northern Indian)
Alpine Sherpa Inn, Nagarkot, Nepal (sweet, family-owned, spicy Tibetan food with an incredible view)
Food Court Bazaar at the Night Market, Chiang Rai, Thailand- our unbeatable introduction to the Thai food court
Smokin' Pot and White Rose, Battambang, Cambodia- two neighboring, super high quality, low-price restaurants. Fish amok , spicy papaya salad and 50 different kinds of fruit shakes.
*Something, something (can't remember)* Street Food Restaurant, Hoi An, Vietnam- up-scale street food dishes in beautiful setting
Sri Avanda Bagwan, Penang, Malaysia- best Indian restaurant in the world!
Most Perfect food items:
momos- vegetarian dumplings served with curry dipping sauce throughout Nepal
deep-fried catfish with wasabit spring rolls- Highway 4 Restaurant, Hanoi
bright red chili hot sauce, served in a jar at waterfront restaurant in Les Almadies, Dakar, Senegal
pad thai at husband and wife sidewalk restaurant in Thewet (corner of Krung Kasem and Samsen Streets), Bangkok
curry mee- curry noodle soup with tofu, fresh herbs, red onion and chili available at sidewalk stalls in Penang, Malaysia
black pepper crabs- the sauce is everything and the crab are big at Chinese hawker stalls in Singapore
Best Hotel Experiences:
Relax Beach Resort- Ko Phi Phi, Thailand (best staff in the world!!!)
Zebrabar- just south of St. Louis, Senegal
Trung Tam II- Hanoi, Vietnam (most modern, least expensive room we stayed in- great staff)
Champagne Castle Resort – Drakensburg, South Africa (a splurge with an incredible view)
Cozy Cottage- Scarborough, South Africa (little cottage in a beautiful small town with gorgeous ocean sunsets)
Dream House, Udaipur, India ($6 room for an arabian nights type, ancient Indian room with stained glass windows looking out on the city)
Jungle Inn- Bukit Lawang (honeymoon suite in the jungle! monkeys on our private wrap-around porch)
Dorney, Oxshott, Surrey (Heather and Ian's house: great food, amazing liquor cabinet, wonderful company)
We are wrapping up 3.5 months in Asia and about 6.5 months of traveling in all and have been having fun remembering and comparing the different places we have been.
During this time, we have visited 16 countries (we are including the U.S. here- is that cheating?), stayed in 70 different locations within those countries and each read more than 30 books.
Here are some of the highlights (and lowlights) of the places visited in Africa and Asia these last 6.5 months:
Most Physically Beautiful Country- South Africa
Most Physically Beautiful People- Senegalese (Wolof)
Most Spiritually Beautiful People (kindest, calmest, most peaceful)- Thai
Most Beautiful Cities – Cape Town, South Africa and Luang Prabang, Laos
Most Interesting (Fascinating is a better adjective) Country- India
Best Music- Mali
(Worst Music- Vietnam)
Best Bang for the Buck (good quality for lowest prices)- Vietnam
City We'd Most Like to Return to on a High-Dollar Budget for a Long Weekend- Hanoi, Vietnam
Best Beer- Angkor Beer, Cambodia
Best Wine- Shakalaka, South Africa
Best Airline- Thai Airways
Most Interesting Airport- Kuwait City
Top Food Experiences:
Sofitel Metropole, Hanoi (weekday buffet lunch- oh my God!)
Teej, Calcutta (Punjabi thali)
Swagath, Delhi (amazing, relatively upscale Northern Indian)
Alpine Sherpa Inn, Nagarkot, Nepal (sweet, family-owned, spicy Tibetan food with an incredible view)
Food Court Bazaar at the Night Market, Chiang Rai, Thailand- our unbeatable introduction to the Thai food court
Smokin' Pot and White Rose, Battambang, Cambodia- two neighboring, super high quality, low-price restaurants. Fish amok , spicy papaya salad and 50 different kinds of fruit shakes.
*Something, something (can't remember)* Street Food Restaurant, Hoi An, Vietnam- up-scale street food dishes in beautiful setting
Sri Avanda Bagwan, Penang, Malaysia- best Indian restaurant in the world!
Most Perfect food items:
momos- vegetarian dumplings served with curry dipping sauce throughout Nepal
deep-fried catfish with wasabit spring rolls- Highway 4 Restaurant, Hanoi
bright red chili hot sauce, served in a jar at waterfront restaurant in Les Almadies, Dakar, Senegal
pad thai at husband and wife sidewalk restaurant in Thewet (corner of Krung Kasem and Samsen Streets), Bangkok
curry mee- curry noodle soup with tofu, fresh herbs, red onion and chili available at sidewalk stalls in Penang, Malaysia
black pepper crabs- the sauce is everything and the crab are big at Chinese hawker stalls in Singapore
Best Hotel Experiences:
Relax Beach Resort- Ko Phi Phi, Thailand (best staff in the world!!!)
Zebrabar- just south of St. Louis, Senegal
Trung Tam II- Hanoi, Vietnam (most modern, least expensive room we stayed in- great staff)
Champagne Castle Resort – Drakensburg, South Africa (a splurge with an incredible view)
Cozy Cottage- Scarborough, South Africa (little cottage in a beautiful small town with gorgeous ocean sunsets)
Dream House, Udaipur, India ($6 room for an arabian nights type, ancient Indian room with stained glass windows looking out on the city)
Jungle Inn- Bukit Lawang (honeymoon suite in the jungle! monkeys on our private wrap-around porch)
Dorney, Oxshott, Surrey (Heather and Ian's house: great food, amazing liquor cabinet, wonderful company)
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Orangutans and other Indonesian Adventures
Going to the Indonesian island of Sumatra to see an orangutan rescue and rehabilitation center (so they can live in the wild) has long been on Joe's agenda of things we should do in Southeast Asia. It was an easy trip by ferry from Malaysia and we planned on just zipping over for a few days, going to the jungle to see the orangutans and heading back to Malaysia.
We did go to the jungle and saw many orangutans (mostly female, with their babies- so cute!) really, really close up (a little too close at times! they are huge animals! and will bite, if threatened). And we did stay in the amazing honeymoon suite (with a private top-floor, wraparound porch with views of the river, waterfall and jungle in all directions- for $35!) at the Jungle Inn in Bukit Lawang across from the national park where the orangutans live. It was all so fantastic! As we were settling up our hotel bill and leaving, I happened to look across the river to see an orangutan loping up the steps of the national park office, just to be chased off by the park ranger with a broom. Two minutes later, she was back. This happened several times and it was really fun to see man and our nearest animal relative interact like that.
Unfortunately, in order to get to the jungle in Bukit Lawang, we had to spend a night in the relatively dismal Indonesian city of Medan, before and after. Indonesia appears much poorer than other Southeast Asian countries we've visited. And Medan, the country's 3rd largest city, displays the characteristics of a crowded, polluted and difficult urban area. When we arrived back in Medan after the jungle, we had a really negative altercation with a hotel owner when we complained about the air-conditioner not working in our room and told him we wanted another room or we were going to leave. We yelled at him and he yelled at us, then he brandished a wrench at us and we took off, adrenaline pumping and feeling pretty down on Indonesia. Twelve hours later, at a much nicer hotel, I succumbed to a miserable and violent stomach illness- intestinal parasites! Giardia! I was incapacitated to the point of making us miss our ferry back to Malaysia, which meant getting stuck another night in Medan! One of the "best" parts about a visit to Medan is that there are mosques everywhere and there is a very loud, extensive call to prayer from these mosques 5 times a day- starting at 4:30 a.m.! It actually sounded like there was a loudspeaker right inside our room! Luckily, we got out of Medan this morning, and are now in Kuala Lumpur (the very comfortable and modernistic capital of Malaysia), holed up in a nice hotel, medicating and recovering until we head to Singapore on Friday.
We did go to the jungle and saw many orangutans (mostly female, with their babies- so cute!) really, really close up (a little too close at times! they are huge animals! and will bite, if threatened). And we did stay in the amazing honeymoon suite (with a private top-floor, wraparound porch with views of the river, waterfall and jungle in all directions- for $35!) at the Jungle Inn in Bukit Lawang across from the national park where the orangutans live. It was all so fantastic! As we were settling up our hotel bill and leaving, I happened to look across the river to see an orangutan loping up the steps of the national park office, just to be chased off by the park ranger with a broom. Two minutes later, she was back. This happened several times and it was really fun to see man and our nearest animal relative interact like that.
Unfortunately, in order to get to the jungle in Bukit Lawang, we had to spend a night in the relatively dismal Indonesian city of Medan, before and after. Indonesia appears much poorer than other Southeast Asian countries we've visited. And Medan, the country's 3rd largest city, displays the characteristics of a crowded, polluted and difficult urban area. When we arrived back in Medan after the jungle, we had a really negative altercation with a hotel owner when we complained about the air-conditioner not working in our room and told him we wanted another room or we were going to leave. We yelled at him and he yelled at us, then he brandished a wrench at us and we took off, adrenaline pumping and feeling pretty down on Indonesia. Twelve hours later, at a much nicer hotel, I succumbed to a miserable and violent stomach illness- intestinal parasites! Giardia! I was incapacitated to the point of making us miss our ferry back to Malaysia, which meant getting stuck another night in Medan! One of the "best" parts about a visit to Medan is that there are mosques everywhere and there is a very loud, extensive call to prayer from these mosques 5 times a day- starting at 4:30 a.m.! It actually sounded like there was a loudspeaker right inside our room! Luckily, we got out of Medan this morning, and are now in Kuala Lumpur (the very comfortable and modernistic capital of Malaysia), holed up in a nice hotel, medicating and recovering until we head to Singapore on Friday.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Thai Christmas and a Rough Start in Malaysia
We had a great Christmas-time, on the Southern, Thai islands of Phi Phi and Lanta. We went on a snorkeling trip on Christmas day! One of the elements of the snorkel trip was that we were given bread to throw into the fish, and then we swam among hundreds of them while they went on a bread-feeding-frenzy. It was pretty intense! But amazing. Our first night on Phi Phi was a bit of a disaster, as we were staying in the terrible "tourist village" of Ton Sai, the largest (and only) town on the island. It was filled with young partiers, the buildings and businesses were tacky and tourist-oriented and there was no beach close by!
Luckily, Joe trekked all over the island to find a better place for us to set up shop for the next few days, including Christmas. He found the Relax Beach Resort, which was the only thing on an isolated beach, accessible by boat or a very rough and tough trail from Ton Sai. This place was amazing! Simple, wooden bungalows, a great open air beach restaurant and bar, a very international clientele, beach chairs and hammocks spread out along the beach and kayaks and snorkel gear for rent...The ultimate highlight of this place was the staff, however. They were amazing: palpably happy folks, who were so helpful, chatty, kind and smiley. They called Janie "Mama." They prepared a Christmas banquet and party for all of us Western guests, and it was really amazing. We drank Mai Tais out of pineapples on the beach with Christmas dinner.
The day after Christmas, we went by boat to Ko Lanta. At first, it just didn't seem to compare to the Relax Beach Resort but then the sun came out, and it set over the water (the beach was west-facing, while on Phi Phi it was east-facing, so no sunset), the hotel staff grew on us (Thais are awesome!) and we just chilled on the beach, read books, went swimming and walked on the beach to neighboring restaurants and bars at night.
Joe and I said goodbye to Janie (who had more than 48 hours of travel ahead of her to get back to Sanibel- ouch!) and set out for Malaysia. We left Thailand (so sad! we love it there!) in Satun, boarded a boat, and an hour later landed on the island of Langkawi in Malaysia (we are in a land of islands, here!). Langkawi was a complete disaster! We got in a cab with 3 other tourists and asked the cab driver to bring us to the beach where there a lot of hotels. When we got there, we found tourists, wandering around with their luggage, none of them finding a place to stay. All of the hotels from the five-star places to the hostels were booked solid. It is Malaysian school holidays and every single family it seems, went to Langkawi and took all the hotel rooms! Us five tourists finally ended up in the worst room in Southeast Asia, a dirty, flea bag-ridden, dorm room that we shared and Joe and I got up the next morning determined to get the hell out of Langkawi. Which we did- yay!
We are now on the island of Penang, in the city of Georgetown, where we will spend the next few nights, including New Year's, before going to Indonesia for a few days to an orangutan conservation park. Penang (and all of Malaysia, really) is amazingly diverse. The government's tourist slogan is Malaysia: Truly Asia. And Malaysia does embody much of Asia, with a significant population of Chinese and Indians, who have lived here for generations. So, there is great food here! And architectural and religious and cultural diversity. The British were also here for hundreds of years, so there is a lot of English spoken and many other remnants of its colonial history. We are staying in an old Chinese hotel, with big rooms, tile floor, wooden slatted window (no screens) and a wonderful, aging, Chinese staff. Last night, we went to a strange traveler hotel around the corner from ours, where there was a live band made up of both Westerners and Malays, and a really diverse group of people, both travelers and locals, drinking and dancing outside. Joe said he thought it reminded of him of "old-school traveling." An eclectic, random scene: the travelers were not very young or cute or cool, they were not traveling in big groups and there were lots of characters among them...We were two of this crew!
Luckily, Joe trekked all over the island to find a better place for us to set up shop for the next few days, including Christmas. He found the Relax Beach Resort, which was the only thing on an isolated beach, accessible by boat or a very rough and tough trail from Ton Sai. This place was amazing! Simple, wooden bungalows, a great open air beach restaurant and bar, a very international clientele, beach chairs and hammocks spread out along the beach and kayaks and snorkel gear for rent...The ultimate highlight of this place was the staff, however. They were amazing: palpably happy folks, who were so helpful, chatty, kind and smiley. They called Janie "Mama." They prepared a Christmas banquet and party for all of us Western guests, and it was really amazing. We drank Mai Tais out of pineapples on the beach with Christmas dinner.
The day after Christmas, we went by boat to Ko Lanta. At first, it just didn't seem to compare to the Relax Beach Resort but then the sun came out, and it set over the water (the beach was west-facing, while on Phi Phi it was east-facing, so no sunset), the hotel staff grew on us (Thais are awesome!) and we just chilled on the beach, read books, went swimming and walked on the beach to neighboring restaurants and bars at night.
Joe and I said goodbye to Janie (who had more than 48 hours of travel ahead of her to get back to Sanibel- ouch!) and set out for Malaysia. We left Thailand (so sad! we love it there!) in Satun, boarded a boat, and an hour later landed on the island of Langkawi in Malaysia (we are in a land of islands, here!). Langkawi was a complete disaster! We got in a cab with 3 other tourists and asked the cab driver to bring us to the beach where there a lot of hotels. When we got there, we found tourists, wandering around with their luggage, none of them finding a place to stay. All of the hotels from the five-star places to the hostels were booked solid. It is Malaysian school holidays and every single family it seems, went to Langkawi and took all the hotel rooms! Us five tourists finally ended up in the worst room in Southeast Asia, a dirty, flea bag-ridden, dorm room that we shared and Joe and I got up the next morning determined to get the hell out of Langkawi. Which we did- yay!
We are now on the island of Penang, in the city of Georgetown, where we will spend the next few nights, including New Year's, before going to Indonesia for a few days to an orangutan conservation park. Penang (and all of Malaysia, really) is amazingly diverse. The government's tourist slogan is Malaysia: Truly Asia. And Malaysia does embody much of Asia, with a significant population of Chinese and Indians, who have lived here for generations. So, there is great food here! And architectural and religious and cultural diversity. The British were also here for hundreds of years, so there is a lot of English spoken and many other remnants of its colonial history. We are staying in an old Chinese hotel, with big rooms, tile floor, wooden slatted window (no screens) and a wonderful, aging, Chinese staff. Last night, we went to a strange traveler hotel around the corner from ours, where there was a live band made up of both Westerners and Malays, and a really diverse group of people, both travelers and locals, drinking and dancing outside. Joe said he thought it reminded of him of "old-school traveling." An eclectic, random scene: the travelers were not very young or cute or cool, they were not traveling in big groups and there were lots of characters among them...We were two of this crew!
Friday, December 19, 2008
Merry Christmas from Thailand!
Joe's mom arrived in Bangkok last night. We are about to head out and show here the few sites we know and enjoy...Tomorrow, we get on an over-night (got to show Janie what long-term, budget traveling is all about), VIP (but it's Christmas, so we'll go in style! Thai VIP busses are truly luxurious!) bus to the south of Thailand, where we will spend several nights on the beach resort islands of Ko Phi Phi and Ko Lanta.
I can't imagine a better way for me to "forget" that I am spending Christmas away from home and my family than spending it on a sunny, Thai beach. We will be thinking of you, and sending our love northwards, however! Happy Holidays from Erica and Joe!
I can't imagine a better way for me to "forget" that I am spending Christmas away from home and my family than spending it on a sunny, Thai beach. We will be thinking of you, and sending our love northwards, however! Happy Holidays from Erica and Joe!
Monday, December 15, 2008
We are in Food Court Heaven!
You know those food courts in the mall? Bad pizza, not the freshest sushi, maybe some okay sandwiches, but nothing that makes you feel healthy or excited about eating? Now imagine all of the food stalls being varied selections of Thai and other Southeast Asian delicacies:
We have arrived back in Thailand and are indulging ourselves in food court experiences. Aside from the incredible variety of amazing food, the other best feature of Thai food courts is that it is very, very cheap to eat at them. Maybe just $5-8 dollars for 3-5 small dishes and drinks. Oh yeah, and because Thailand is "the future" (Thailand is the most futuristic and modern bit of Asia we have seen. And when I say modern, I have never seen streets, public transportation, malls, plazas as modern as parts of Bangkok. Not in the U.S. or Europe or Canada), these food courts are incredibly clean and comfortable. Hundreds of chairs, set around tables on tiles in an outdoor or indoor market. Fancy lighting, plants, nice public bathrooms, and music (some of it live, on the stage at the end of the food court, and oh so entertaining! the other night there was a woman lip synching on stage in a gorgeous dress!). We've had two nights back in Thailand and have visited two glorious food courts, and I have mapped out visits to at least 3-4 more, as we make our way south to Bangkok and the southern Thai islands, where we will spend Christmas with Joe's mom. I hope she's excited about food courts as we are!
- green papaya salad with peanuts, carrots, fish sauce, limes and chile
spicy and sour tom yum soups - thai-style barbecue: vegetables and fish or meet or tofu on skewer, in spicy red asian-spiced barbecue sauce
- curry sauces with and without coconut milk over vegetables, and meat or seafood
- vegetables of all kinds, steamed, sauteed, grilled in garlic, chili, oil or fish sauce (our new favorite is stir fried morning glory! oh my god! the best vegetable in the world!)
- the most incredibly fresh and varied fruit juices and shakes (with yogurt or milk): strawberry, watermelon, pineapple, banana, passion fruit or a mixture of all fruits
- quick fried vegetables and shrimp with various dipping sauces
- stir-fried noodles with bean sprouts, peanuts, eggs, tamarind sauce and chili
- noodle soups with fish or meat and vegetables and spices
- sushi
- spring rolls, either deep fried, or entirely "fresh" (my favorite- no oil! just veggies and noodles wrapped in rice paper)
We have arrived back in Thailand and are indulging ourselves in food court experiences. Aside from the incredible variety of amazing food, the other best feature of Thai food courts is that it is very, very cheap to eat at them. Maybe just $5-8 dollars for 3-5 small dishes and drinks. Oh yeah, and because Thailand is "the future" (Thailand is the most futuristic and modern bit of Asia we have seen. And when I say modern, I have never seen streets, public transportation, malls, plazas as modern as parts of Bangkok. Not in the U.S. or Europe or Canada), these food courts are incredibly clean and comfortable. Hundreds of chairs, set around tables on tiles in an outdoor or indoor market. Fancy lighting, plants, nice public bathrooms, and music (some of it live, on the stage at the end of the food court, and oh so entertaining! the other night there was a woman lip synching on stage in a gorgeous dress!). We've had two nights back in Thailand and have visited two glorious food courts, and I have mapped out visits to at least 3-4 more, as we make our way south to Bangkok and the southern Thai islands, where we will spend Christmas with Joe's mom. I hope she's excited about food courts as we are!
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