KevHollss Blog on RealTravel

Lyngor journal: Americans Invade Norwegian Summerhouses

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 14:10:54 GMT

A short flight from Edinburgh to Oslo Torp on "everyone's favorite airline" (NOT!), Ryan Air. Quite possibly the most stressful experience of the trip, as we dumped things from our luggage and almost had our bottle of champagne (it was a gift for Tone and Lars) taken from us because of the weight restrictions! A bit different than the lap of luxury airline lifestyle we've been leading in Asia. Those airlines know what they're doing. For a 45 minute flight, you get a full meal and two cocktails - and the staff are so friendly. Well, I guess we had to get back to reality at some point, with ...

Edinburgh journal: Reunion With the Fam in Edinburgh

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 13:41:12 GMT

Oh, Edinburgh, oh Edinburgh... You used to seem so far away, now it almost feels like home after how far we've been! After an absurd amount of traveling from Singapore to Frankfurt to Edinburgh, my lovely pregnant sister, Katy, and my little neice, Anna, rescued us from our travels... and it was sunny! In Scotland! We met up with her husband, Rob, and went to this great little bar where I could eat nachos, curly fries and 2-4-1 Veuve Cliquot to my little heart's desire. They say going to Asia is culture shock, but this was almost more shocking being overloaded with all of my favorite things ...

Melaka journal: Melaka, Malaysia

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 13:27:48 GMT

Well, this is our last stop on our 6-month hiatus to Asia/Africa. The weather? Not so good. A bit of a disappointment, as well as the fact that alcohol costs more than anywhere else we've been because it is mostly Muslims here. And the Middle Eastern school holiday is still going full throttle, so the hotels are all booked (even in Melaka).

Melaka is a pretty quiet little city. Worlds away from Kuala Lumpur, but has its own little charm to it. It's located on the Straits of Melaka, so our hotel overlooks the water. Our beautiful hotel with the nice, big pool... which we couldn't use ...

Kuala Lumpur journal: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 06:50:06 GMT

Kevin and I took a great little bus from Singapore up to Kuala Lumpur. It was called Aire Bus and embarked from the Marina Mandarin Hotel in Singapore and brought us (more like abandoned us - two lost rebels without a clue) in the middle of the Golden Triangle area of Kuala Lumpur about 6 hours later. Lucky for us... not only was there a convention going on in Singapore, causing all hotels to be booked AGAIN, but Kuala Lumpur's hotels were fully booked also due to a few conventions going on in town. You don't say... So, it was on to the Novotel in the Golden Triangle, where we got a room for a ...

Ubud journal: Ubud da Bhudda, Bali

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 00:49:28 GMT

The cultural center of Bali: Ubud, where we spent a week relaxing in our beautiful little guesthouse in the jungle. Oh, and the fruit juice actually tastes like fruit juice here!! Heaven. :)

We decided that we had to pull ourselves away from the beach scene at some point! And the giant lizard in the bathroom was only inching closer to the toilet, so we took a car up to Ubud, a little North of Seminyak. Ubud is very different than the whole Kuta area, as it is a lot more quiet, as well as cultural. I felt like we were really in the jungle here and we were staying at a place that only had ...

Ubud journal: Great little place in central Ubud. There are only 6 rooms here and the breakfast is great!

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 06:49:13 GMT

Nice , relaxing guesthouse in Central Ubud, right near some great restaurants and the market. Can get a little noisy though, as Traditional Balinese Dance shows go on right next door.

Mt. Everest journal: Trekking to the Top (well, almost) of the World, Everest Base Camp

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 08:37:26 GMT

So, we bought all of our knock-off gear (wow, it's amazing how quickly "North Face" and "Colombia" can fall apart) for the upcoming two week hike. I think we did a pretty good job with bargaining the people down and stocked up on warm jackets with fleece inner-lining, fleece pants, zip-off pants, gloves, hats, shoes, sunglasses... the whole nine yards. We literally came with nothing. I didn't want to have to pull out my sorry excuse for warm clothing (that I wore every day in Halong Bay, Vietnam) for another two week stint. Kathmandu is one of the best places we've been for buying souvenirs, ...

Kuta journal: Seminyak, Bali: Surfing, Sun and Sand (In My Bikini!)

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 08:25:48 GMT

It was supposed to be a short little stopover in Singapore enroute to Bali, but of course things couldn't have gone as easily as planned, could they? In line at the check-in counter for Garuda Indonesia, Kevin and I found that we were not going to be allowed on the flight because, no... Kevin didn't get caught smuggling his cherished 15-year old Swiss Army knife onto another plane... but that our pages were full in our passports (being the little jet-setters we are...). We tried to talk our way out of it - Kevin's passport has been full since Africa - "But every other country has let us ...

Kuta journal: Right on the beach, very cheap and really friendly staff.

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 08:15:32 GMT

But oh man, the monster lizard that drove us out of our place. He wouldn't leave our indoor/outdoor bathroom and would stare at us the whole time we were in the bathroom. I was scared to wash my face because then I wouldn't be able to keep an eye on him. Someone had to go and, unforunately, it ended up being us.

Bangkok journal: One Night in Bangkok and the World's Your Oyster

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 10:54:48 GMT

We all got on a flight from Krabi to Bangkok, and I have to admit, Kevin and I were ready for some easy city living after so much traveling. Africa to Everest to sunshine non-stop, we were ready for some sushi and a movie theater. So, that's exactly what we did. Three days in a row. You don't understand these VIP movie theaters, though. They feed you appetizers and lay you down on chairs that recline like beds (some massage chairs) and give you a nice silk blanket and pillow. They're ridiculous. I almost fell asleep in Oceans Thirteen though, it was too comfortable. We checked out Spiderman 3 ...

Ko Phangan journal: Recovering from the Trek in Ko Phagnan

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 10:40:11 GMT

Yep, we survived the high altitude of Everest the past few weeks and are on to the beaches of Thailand. Flew into Bangkok June 1st and have bought a plane ticket down to Ko Samui the next day, which (to us) was completely not worth our time. We made the mistake of staying at the "most touristy" beach, which was filled with drunk white trash chasing Thai hookers all around. I think this is the place people warn you about if you are a guy traveling in Thailand and a pretty young "lady" (lady boy) comes on to you... and then they find themselves in a questionable situation, if you're catching my ...

Ko Tao journal: To Dive or Not To Dive?

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 10:28:23 GMT

So, it was straight from one island to the next. We hopped onto a ferry to a neighboring island called Ko Tao. Ko Tao is known for its clear waters and reefs for diving, and is pretty much THE place to go and get your diving license... unless you're like us who find out the diving schedule (four days of classes and tests) and throw that idea out the window! Not on our vacation. Ha ha. No, but really, Chris already has his license, so it would have been me and Kevin just slaving away at diving school while Chris did his own thing (probably incorporating a few Singhas and Red Snapper all day), ...

Ko Lanta journal: Motorbike Mayhem in Ko Lanta

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 10:18:03 GMT

As hard as it was to leave the morning sunshine beckoning us to the beach in Ko Tao, we headed out on the morning ferry that would take us to Surat Thani, where we would catch a bus to Krabi on the West side of Thailand. The ferry was actually pretty relaxing, and we got nice little VIP seats (at 40 baht - $1.10) where we could sit in air conditioning and watch movies. Although, it was really nice to go sit out on the deck, feeling the breeze and read in the sunshine.

By the time we got to Krabi, it was night and we were all pretty exhausted. We checked into one of the hotels that the ...

Bangkok journal: Treat yourself to the VIP seats!

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 08:45:13 GMT

The theater is ridiculous. If you've been traveling for a long time, this is just the place to recover.

Ko Phangan journal: Get the bungalows right on the beach. You feel like you're sleeping on a boat, you're so close to the beach.

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 06:20:22 GMT

If you want to get away from the drunken debauchery that is Ko Phangan due to the Full Moon Parties, head over to Ao Chao Phao on the other side of the island and relax your days away like we did on the secluded beach here!

Kathmandu journal: R & R (Rest and Rafting) in Kathmandu

Sat, 09 Jun 2007 22:40:18 GMT

Kathmandu is a barrage of sights, scents and sounds. Stepping out onto the streets of Thamel, we were constantly dodging cars, monster bulls and cyclos (people being transported around by man on bike). You would not believe the animals that pretty much run the city of Kathmandu. Huge bulls would plop themselves down smack dab in the middle of the street, and nobody, I mean nobody, was going to try to move that bull. Once the sun is down, dogs go renegade. They run around in huge flea-ridden packs on a mission I never quite figured out. You hear the barking, no matter where you are. Even in the ...

Kathmandu journal: Great little guesthouse in Thamel.

Sat, 09 Jun 2007 22:39:04 GMT

Set a little on the outskirts of the Thamel district. It has a great garden restaurant. Try to get a corner room with a balcony and you won't want to leave!

Serengeti National Park journal: Not Another Lion... We want to See a !@*$ Porcupine!

Tue, 15 May 2007 00:35:48 GMT

There was a slight change of plans with our safari, due to weather. We were supposed to go directly to Amboseli National Park (which is at the base of Kilimanjaro) but there were such heavy rains, that we had to cut that part out of our trip, and Savuka Tours was nice enough to refund us the difference. So, we headed down on a small bus across the border of Kenya/Tanzania to Arusha. It was a short stopover in Arusha, where we looked everywhere to find a towel (so we could shower on this part of the trip) but absulutely refused to buy one from a guy trying to sell one (with what looked like ...

Nairobi Area journal: It's Like Busch Gardens, Only the Animals Will Maul You

Tue, 15 May 2007 00:31:07 GMT

It was a relaxing flight on Air India, from the crazy streets of Bollywood to the even crazier streets of Nairobi, aka "Nairobbery," according to Lonely Planet. We're beginning to love these long flights, which give us time to read, free drinks and plenty of room to sleep (never thought I would say that about a 7 hour flight!) It was exciting as we neared Kenya, as we saw the huge expanse of savanna far below us and pictured all the exotic creatures that were roaming below us that we were soon to see, up close and personal.

Nairobi is a crazy city. I know the title says something about ...

Nairobi Area journal: Safari tour out of Nairobi.

Tue, 15 May 2007 00:30:01 GMT

Run by a very nice woman named Joyce. A really good safari company.

Machakos journal: Check out the website at www.RROP.org

Tue, 15 May 2007 00:26:34 GMT

Self-sustaining orphanage in Lukenya.

Serengeti National Park journal: Stunning Crater outside the Serengeti.

Mon, 14 May 2007 21:41:04 GMT

Although we didn't see all the animals here, this place makes for the greatest pictures of your safari. Great campsites along the crater rim, too.

Mumbai (Bombay) journal: A Taste of the Good Life

Sat, 12 May 2007 10:50:13 GMT

Well, we saw Byron and Preena off. It was so nice to spend time with them and be able to go to their Goan wedding. And then there were four: me, Kevin, Joe and Joan. They had one more night with us and we stayed at the Hilton in Southern Mumbai, which was really beautiful, and Joan (being the master of points) had us up on the Executive Floor. We got to live up the scene in the hotel for the last night, getting drinks at a really hip bar and eating at a delicious Italian restaurant. We were so sad to see Joe and Joan go though!!! Kevin and I wanted to whisk Joan away to our next stop, Africa, ...

Goa journal: Preena and Byron's Indian Wedding

Sat, 12 May 2007 08:07:57 GMT

So, we packed up our stuff from our $11 palace in Siem Reap and hopped onto a decrepit old Bhutan Air plane that looked as if there was no possible way it was going to get us (alive) to Bangkok. What a lovely birthday present for my Mom, her daughter downed in a shoddy airplane in Southeast Asia. Somehow we were able to make it to Bangkok, where we were greeted with the reality that it is virtually impossible to buy tickets from the airport, literally impossible to buy them from Air India. Air India was actually the only counter not open, so we resorted to buying tickets from a random guy who ...

Kerala journal: And We Thought India Was Supposed to be Hectic. "On the Road Again" in Kerala

Sat, 12 May 2007 08:04:31 GMT

So, Goa was just the sort of relaxation we needed, but our days of lounging in hammocks by the beach were numbered, and it was time to move on. Preena, Byron, Kevin, his parents, Preena's sister, Preety, and her cousin, Nupi, and I all headed down to the southern part of India, the Kerala region. But, we didn't get there without a fight. We had heard all these "rumors" that India was known for it's crazy transportation, but the Mumbai airport as well as the Goa Airport were a piece of cake (perhaps it might have been the fact that we had drivers sent for us from top of the line hotels??) I ...

Chiang Khong journal: Heading for the Border

Sat, 05 May 2007 00:12:08 GMT

So, Chiang Mai was wonderful, but we have to move on. We hopped onto a mini bus crammed with 10 of us instead of the big public bus. I was sitting in the front seat, which I thought was a good idea at the time (more leg room, great view, nice breeze from the window...), but in reality, put me in the frontline of danger. I don't know how these Thai people do it, but they have found a way to be the craziest drivers and still manage to get you to your destination in one (sweaty, anxious) piece. They pass going full speed around blind corners, and will swerve out of the way of trucks at the very ...

Phnom Penh journal: Phnom Phen

Fri, 04 May 2007 11:30:22 GMT

Oh boy, this is going to be a tough one... Just stepping foot out of the plane into Cambodia, we could tell there was something different in the air. Different than even Saigon, Vietnam, a short 45-minute flight away. Something much heavier was in the air surrounding us.

Stepping out of the taxi from the airport, small little tan hands of children grabbed at us, pushing my bag as I wheeled it, repeating, "No, thank you" to their attempts at trying to help me for a bit of money. Young girls constantly ask, "Wanna buy book?" as they display their large cardboard boxes filled with ripped ...

Siem Reap journal: Siem Reap and the Magnificent Angkor Wat

Sat, 21 Apr 2007 04:06:49 GMT

With our brains jumbled from the ridiculously bumpy ride, we finally arrived right after sundown in Siem Reap. It must have been after looking at about 5 posh art-deco hotels later that we realized, sadly, that they were as beautiful and expensive as they looked and way out of our budget. $11 hotel, here we come!Following our "lose your expectations" travel rule of thumb, we were not even that shaken up to come back to our $11 hotel/room/guesthouse that we still haven't figured out the name of, to have all of our things from our bags strewn all over the place. Thinking, at first, that we had ...

Siem Reap journal: Best food in Siem Reap.

Sat, 21 Apr 2007 03:25:47 GMT

Nothing over a dollar and the tastiest food in the city. Wish we had gone here for every meal!

Battambang journal: Two Wrong Decisions Don't Equal a Right

Tue, 03 Apr 2007 07:34:08 GMT

So, we were well rested after three nights in Sihanoukville and took the bus back to Phnom Phen, where we stayed for the next two nights. We really wanted to go to another orphanage, but our driver did not get back to us via e-mail on the one day that we could have gone, and he had lost his phone! I guess that will just be reason enough for us to come back to Cambodia, Phnom Phen in particular.

So, while we were waiting to hear back from our driver, we checked out the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda. The Royal Palace is located right along the river, with a beautiful courtyard ...

Battambang journal: You'll see as many locals eating here as tourists. That's a good thing.

Tue, 03 Apr 2007 06:34:35 GMT

Right on a corner in Battambang, White Rose has an overwhelming menu of ridiculously cheap food. Very good Khmer dishes and fresh fruit shakes. You'll see as many locals eating here as tourists.

Sihanoukville journal: Hair Removal and "Man"icures in Sihanoukville

Sun, 01 Apr 2007 09:48:07 GMT

So, Phnom Phen was a reality check smack in the face and Kevin and I decided we really needed a "vacation from our vacation" for a few days. We took a local bus from Phnom Phen down to the sunny sands of Sihanoukville, a tiny beach town on the Gulf of Thailand.

Ahhhhhhh... relaxation. We realized just how hard traveling can be, when you're booking buses, booking flights, dodging scams, dodging motorbikes, saying "No, no thank you. We aren't going to buy. We don't need a book/tuk-tuk/cyclo /bracelet/etc." on a daily basis. It's enough to drive one mad! Or to the nearest beach.

There ...

Phnom Penh journal: A mass burial site of a massacre from Pol Pot's evil regime.

Sun, 25 Mar 2007 05:55:15 GMT

This site will never leave your mind, or heart.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) journal: The Heat Is On In Saigon

Sun, 25 Mar 2007 02:02:32 GMT

We flew into Saigon via a 777, monster plane. We definitely weren't expecting a beautiful 777 to fly us on our short hour-long flight from Hoi An, but weren't going to complain, especially when we had to buy Business Class tickets (our Visas were expired on the 20th and they were only $20 more, not to mention, the only seats they had). We arrived really early at the airport and got to relax in the Business Class lounge for nearly 2 hours before our flight took off - free noodles, free beer, free internet. Thankfully Coach was full. Haha. The plane was really awesome, too, because it had a ...

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) journal: Oh wow, these tunnels are small.

Sat, 24 Mar 2007 06:49:50 GMT

A must do. Check out the tunnels used by the Viet Cond during the Vietnam War.

Hoi An journal: Shop Til You Drop, Hoi An

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 05:20:27 GMT

Kevin and I ended up in a really nice bus, leaving at an absurd hour from Hue to Hoi An. It was worth it, though, because the bus stopped at Lang Co Beach and then Marble Mountain, outside of Danang. We had 45 minutes to explore Marble Mountain, so it was a whirlwind of sights (and gigantic flights of stairs) and little time to do it. Would we make it back on the bus or would it leave without us, that was the question.

Marble Mountain is a natural wonder. Very beautiful. It's these large cliffs made of marble smack dab in the middle of the city. People sell marble sculptures all around ...

Hoi An journal: Best quality tailor in Hoi An.

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 05:20:05 GMT

The suits came out beautifully and they have making girl's clothes (especially dresses) down to a tee. Show them any picture in a magazine and they can make it.

Hue journal: A Light at the End of the Tunnel

Sat, 17 Mar 2007 20:47:17 GMT

So, no more buses for now. We decided to take the overnight train from Hanoi to Hue, about 430 miles south of Hanoi. We had a four-person soft-bedded sleeper, which ended up being one of the best nights of sleep we've had the entire trip! Shared it with an Italian couple who were none too pleased with the idea of us partying in our cabin of the train with Ryan and Kelly, so it was an early night, even though there was a group of 70-year old French people two doors down that were well up into the night with about a dozen bottles of wine (not your average French wine) bought from Hanoi. Not too ...

Hue journal: Local guys take you on motorbikes exploring the DMZ.

Sat, 17 Mar 2007 09:12:07 GMT

Don't take the bus tour! These guides based out of the DMZ Cafe in Dong Ha can take you places the other tours will never be able to get to. This is the real deal.

Halong Bay journal: Great new bar, run by the best!

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 07:54:30 GMT

If for some reason you're in Halong City for a stopover before the boats, go this bar run by great local Vietnamese guys named Phong and Tung! We helped teach them how to make drinks and what music to play, so tell them we sent you!

Halong Bay journal: Halong Bay

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 07:27:17 GMT

Kevin and I opted to take the public bus rather than do the whole tour thing from Hanoi to Halong Bay, on the coast of Vietnam. Well, we chose poorly with thatdecision. Our taxi driver was supposed to bring us to the bus station and, instead, decided to drop us off on the side of the road at (looking at it now)probably the first public bus he came across. We kept asking the bus driver and the man who collected the money, "Halong Bay? This bus goes to Halong Bay?"Getting our money, of course his answer was, "Yes, yes, Halong Bay." So a very crammed, yet surprisingly comfortable (no locals ...

Hanoi journal: Hanoi(sy), Scam City, Motorbike Central - Gotta love it

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 09:13:54 GMT

A short hour flight from Vientiane and brrrrr, we arrived in Hanoi. I have to say, it is a heck of a lot colder here than it was in Laos! This will explain why in all of the pictures we're posting, you'll see that we are wearing pretty much the same thing in every picture, scarves and sweater (yes, that is meant to be singular)!

Prepare to get scammed in Hanoi. It's just the way it goes. Trying to dodge scams is as hard as trying to dodge oncoming motorbikes (maybe even harder), and I have to tell you, there are a ton of motorbikes in this city. They come at you from every direction; you ...

Vientiane journal: Good location right near the square, clean rooms and nice courtyard.

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 08:08:03 GMT

Vientiane journal: Cooling down in the Capital, Vientiane

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 08:08:03 GMT

On to the capital of Laos, Vientiane! We opted for the mini bus from Vang Vieng to Vientiane, as we chose poorly with the V.I.P bus last trip! It picked us up at 9 AM right at our guesthouse, so it was much easier than lugging bags to the bus station. They do still load the people in the mini buses , but they are much better for traveling on windy roads.

Sweaty and sticky, "I am sweating profusely" has now become Kevin's number one used phrase, we arrived in the capital. It seems to be about as big as Luang Prabang (which is not that big) but the buildings aren't as beautiful and there ...

Hanoi journal: A great place by the lake, trendy atmosphere, delicious food!

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 07:13:31 GMT

Hanoi journal: You pick the music, play some pool with the locals.

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 07:11:36 GMT

Vang Vieng journal: Right on the Nam Song - incredible views.

Mon, 05 Mar 2007 02:00:09 GMT

Vang Vieng journal: Backpacking Zombies in Vang Vieng

Mon, 05 Mar 2007 02:00:09 GMT

We took the nightmare V.I.P. bus ride from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng. If there is ever a time you don't want to take a doubledecker bus, this ride is the time. The roads were SO windy - we were constantly gripping on to anything we could get our hands on to not fall out of the seats. And, I gotta tell ya, those Lao people have some pretty weak stomachs. There were Lao women getting sick on all sides of us, absolutely everywhere. 6 hours of this, in between dodging other trucks, cattle, small children, and guys with AK-47's, you could say we were happy to arrive in Vang Vieng.

We ...

Luang Prabang journal: Bonjour Luang Prabang

Mon, 05 Mar 2007 01:58:37 GMT

So, after a lazy slow boat and barely surviving the speed boat, we arrived in the beautiful old capital of Laos, Luang Prabang. We had heard from Peter and Odeke about Luang Prabang's luxurious silk (so we made sure to take full advantage), although I didn't want to splurge at the same store where Mick Jagger buys his silk, although I must say, I was very tempted. Luang Prabang is originally a French colony, so the streets are lined with these beautiful French colonial buildings. There are tons of French vacationers everywhere too. We stayed at an old colonial "mansion" called the Sayo ...

Luang Prabang journal: Outside tables made out of drums, great ambience with candles everywhere and good music.

Mon, 05 Mar 2007 00:23:17 GMT

Luang Prabang journal: The Panin fish is a must try! Also, get the sorbet, it definitely cools you off!

Mon, 05 Mar 2007 00:22:11 GMT

Luang Prabang journal: Beautiful old French colonial mansion. Stay in one of the rooms in the main house. Great views out the window of a temple.

Mon, 05 Mar 2007 00:21:06 GMT

Pakbeng journal: We were there on an off-night, so it was not up to par, but I bet it's great if you go on a normal night.

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 22:04:27 GMT

Pakbeng journal: Karma at its finest

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 22:03:12 GMT

So, we were sad to leave the Gibbon Experience 1) because it was so fun ziplining all over the jungle and staying in treehouses and 2) because it meant one more night in Houayxay before we caught the slow boat to Luang Prabang. But all good things must come to an end at some point, so we sucked it up, got some pizza and spent another night in the B.A.P. Guesthouse before a 7:30 AM wake-up to catch the 7-hour boat ride to Pakbeng, where we would be spending the night before the trip continued on to Luang Prabang the next day.

We had heard (and seen) that they pack people in the slow boats ...

Huay Xai journal: Not another night here!!

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 07:51:41 GMT

We woke up early to head on out of Chiang Khong and cross the raging (well, not exactly) Mekong River over to Houayxay, Laos. New country, here we come!!! Well, if we thought that there wasn't much going on in Chiang Khong, Thailand, we were in for a whole lot of NOTHING in Houayxay. This town has so many different spellings (Houay Xai, Huay Xai Houai Sai, Houayxay, etc.). I am convinced that they do this, so that you won't remember the name of the town NOT to come back to. Haha. You'll be thinking, "Hmmm... have we been to Houai Sai? I could have sworn there was an X in the name... I guess ...

Bokeo Reserve journal: The Gibbon Experience (yes, we made it)

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 07:45:15 GMT

So, we found out at 8 AM that the last two people did not show up for the Gibbon Experience! No six hour slow boat for us and not another night waiting in vain in Houayxay! We ran back to our guesthouse and packed a daypack each for our 2 night/3 day trip into the jungles of Bokeo Reserve in northern Laos. By 10 AM, there were 12 of us crammed into an all-wheel drive vehicle, which would chauffeur us for the next 3 hours into the jungle. One of the volunteers at the Gibbon Experience gave me the special mission of transporting a box of baby formula to an infant bear very much in need of food ...

Chiang Mai journal: Two New Years in One Year?! and Goodbye to Chiang Mai

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 07:33:19 GMT

So, our days of Thai massages and banana pancakes are numbered. It is time to move on to our next destination, Laos. I don't know how both Thailand and Laos are referred to as Third World countries when we've heard Laos is much more "Third World" than Thailand. I guess we shall see. All our bags (and plenty of toilet paper, as I am sure that will be very limited) are packed for the trip ahead of us.

We made friends with a couple from San Francisco, Ryan and Kelly, at the Elephant Nature Park. They actually have pretty much the exact same plan as us for the next month and a half (slow ...

Bokeo Reserve journal: 3 Days/2 Nights living in and zip-lining to treehouses hundreds of feet over the jungle of Bokeo Reserve in Northern Laos. An indescribable conservation project.

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 05:56:45 GMT

Chiang Khong journal: Cute little guesthouse on the Mekong. Get Bungalow #7. It's the only bungalow right on the Mekong River.

Sat, 24 Feb 2007 03:12:10 GMT

Mae Taeng journal: Animal Heaven

Sun, 18 Feb 2007 02:52:58 GMT

We just got back from a 2 day adventure at Elephant Nature Park located an hour and a half north of Chiang Mai in the Mae Taeng Valley. We've been trying to figure our how to explain this place, but really can't seem to find the words. It truly is one of those places that you have to see for yourself to believe it.

We had no idea what to expect heading up to the Park, having heard great things about the lady who runs it and seeing all the brochures and photo albums filled with people having one-on-one contact with the elephants in the travel agency, we thought it would be a pretty cool ...

Mae Taeng journal: Instead of going and riding an elephant, where you sit on its crumpling back, go to this wonderful place where you can look an elephant in the eye and find out the truth of what is going on with the diminishing Asian elephant. Don't just go for a day. Stay a night or two or three. Or volunteer for a month. I know it's something we will never forget.

Sun, 18 Feb 2007 02:49:33 GMT

Chiang Mai journal: Muay Thai Boxing and (yes) ROSES.

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 18:57:10 GMT

Happy Valentine's Day from Chiang Mai! This city is swarming with beautiful roses and bouquets for literally pennies, but apparently I'm not worth 20 baht (50 cents). Haha. Kevin says he couldn't do anything for me because we're always together (true) and that he doesn't want to haggle for flowers in front of me (because then I'll see how little I'm really worth). So... nada. I guess just being in one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen on the other side of the globe will have to be enough! :)

We don't have time to add pictures at the moment because we're trying to make a Thai ...

Bangkok journal: A MUST DO when in Thailand. Mesmerizing, beautiful, bloody fun.

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 18:56:51 GMT

Chiang Mai journal: Singha and a banana pancake, please.

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 20:41:27 GMT

It's early morning in Chiang Mai and I'm writing this while watching the sun rise over the Ping River from an outside computer at our amazing little guesthouse we found tucked down a small little street away from the bustling streets of the city.

It was an early one out of Singapore yesterday (we woke up at 3 AM) to catch our 2 hour and 45 minute flight to Chiang Mai. We took a budget airline called Tiger Air (which is like the equivalent of Southwest Airlines in the US or EasyJet in Europe) which was great. I especially liked the pilot because he kept making announcements throughout the ...

Chiang Mai journal: Perfect location near night bazaar, excellent staff as well as a great little restaurant along the river.

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 19:15:34 GMT

It sits way back down a tiny dirt alley strewn with sleepy dogs sunning themselves, along a lazy river where you can sit and watch local fisherman in their rickety boats netting for the city's market. At 1000 baht (about $30) a night, we feel we are definitely underpaying. The Thai people working at the Galare are so friendly and so very helpful and it is filled with young travelers like us enjoying a meal along the river in the cafe to older couples sitting quietly in the garden reading. The rooms are open, so there is a great breeze in the bedrooms.

Singapore City journal: Never enough time

Sun, 11 Feb 2007 22:33:16 GMT

So, it's day 3 in Singapore and we spent the morning eating breakfast at the hotel and figuring out our itinerary for the next 7 weeks through Northern Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. We're a little discouraged though because we feel like there isn't enough time to do everything we want to do before we head off to India in early April. I'm sure it will allll work out.

We headed out for a walking tour (guided by ourselves, of course) of the city. Let me just tell you, Singapore is one gorgeous city. The British colonial buildings strewn throughout the mammoth tropical trees is like ...

Singapore City journal: Pricey outdoor dining along the riverfront, but a pleasant scene with great views of the city and dozens of boats floating by.

Sun, 11 Feb 2007 22:31:56 GMT

The scenery is beautiful along the river. There are tons of people boating in the water. The restaurants have greats views, but are definitely tourist traps and very overpriced. Worth checking out though.

Singapore City journal: Beautiful hotel in central location. The complimentary breakfast is to die for.

Sat, 10 Feb 2007 04:49:21 GMT

Singapore City journal: And so it begins...

Sat, 10 Feb 2007 04:15:28 GMT

So 26 hours after leaving from Miami we arrived refreshed (ha!) in Singapore. Our trip began with warm cookies and milk in first class on our Miami to JFK flight, which was just a tease for 2 1/2 hours because the arrangements were certainly different once we started the Singapore Air leg to Frankfurt and then on to Singapore. We loved Singapore Air though! The flight attendants are like sweet little porcelain dolls, the food was really tasty and there were about 100 movies to watch. We got to lay across the seats and sleep for the 7 hour Frankfurt flight, which got us rejuvenated for the 13 ...

Asia journal: The Otherside

Sat, 10 Feb 2007 02:58:21 GMT

6 months traveling Asia and Africa, seeing what a world of unfamiliarity has to offer.