Singapore

The most expensive SE Asian country by far, but also the cleanest. We only spent one night and 2 days here (luckily, since the hostel was $20/night). We went to the casino, ate indian food, and explored Chinatown. But, c'mon, no durian allowed on the metro?

Thailand

Thailand wasn't at all what I expected. After traveling to Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore, I was ready to see what Thailand was all about, especially because most backpackers rave about it.

First we went to Ao Nang, a small beach town, for only a day. I though the beach was lovely but the town was practically empty. A bit boring, but extremely cheap. However I did have Pad Thai that tasted much like dog food...

Next we went to Koh Phi Phi, and island off the western coast. It was very nice, but just covered with backpackers looking to get smashed. We went on a boat trip with cliff jumping and snorkeling and kayaking another day, but apart from that we found this place pretty much boring after 5 days. Also, this was one the the more expensive places we went to.

Then we were off to Bangkok. Oh Bangkok, my "home away from home" as I joked about with many travelers. It seems people keep coming back but not because they want to. It is the hub of all travel in Thailand and getting off to Laos. This place is absolutely nuts. Granted, I did stay around and go to Khao San Road most of the time. Khao San is where all of the foreigners stay and hang out. The street is lined with bars, massage places, shops, and hotels. The party never stops. Other than this, we went to a temple or four, Chinatown, and took the 'free' tuk-tuks all over town to the jewelry emporium and suit-making shops.

After a couple days in Bangkok, we gladly headed off to Chiang Mai. This was actually a great stop after the expensive Phi Phi and Bangkok. Here we went elephant trekking and bamboo rafting. We went to the tiger sanctuary and pet the adults and babies. Also we went to a ladyboy show, which is a MUST.

From Chiang Mai we proceeded north to Pai, my favorite place in Thailand. It is so small, quaint, and laid back. Oh Pai, I still think about this lovely place. We got our own hut facing the river for $5 per person each night.

Our last stop in Thailand was all the way back down south to Koh Phangan for the full Moon Party. We don't need to go into details here, lets just say this time was filled with buckets on the beach and dancing for hours.

So all in all, Thailand was definitely fun-filled, however not  exactly what I wanted. I was looking for more culture, but instead I got backpackers everywhere I turned.

Tana Toraja Funeral Ceremony

What to say about Flores?

Flores was a gorgeous island, with drives throughout the mountainous and beach-side terrain that make you fall in love instantly. Problems that I had with this lovely island were the people of Flores. They weren't overly rude and I was never scared/worried on the island, but this is the place where I couldn't walk 2 steps without hearing a "hello Mrs." "hello Mr." etc. (yes, they called me mister quite a lot, which of course is funny at first, but after the 500th time, it's just old).

Our main reason for visiting Flores was to see Kelimutu. It is located on the other side of the island from where we got dropped off, so it was a little journey to get there.

The first stop was Luaban Bajo (where our Komodo cruise dropped us off). I only spent a night here, but the cafe's were the nicest on the island with outstanding views of the ocean.

Next was the best 4 hour car ride to Ruteng. If you have the opportunity to visit Ruteng, don't. Or only go for the car ride. It was alright to walk around for an hour or so, but it was somewhat dirty and the calls...again...annoying.

Then it was off to Ende, which was a "big" city also just for the night.

The highlight of the trip was going to Moni.  A 30 minute motorbike ride out of Moni is Kelimutu National Park with 3 colored crater lakes. This made the 2 other nights in a big city all worth while.







That day in Moni was spent riding on motorbikes through the rice fields and bathing in a natural hot spring.

We stayed at Bingtang Guesthouse in Moni. This was a small but quaint hotel in the cutest little village town. Our hotel was only $5pp and included breakfast. After enjoying the first night with the locals/singing with the band/playing cards/drinking Arak, the following morning were were off to the park at a good 4:30am to catch the sunrise.

Kelimutu was phenomenal, and the walk back down wasn't so horrible either. We found the waterfall and passed another local village alone the way.

After that, we spent 2 nights in Maumere. One night in the city, and one on the beach.

Overall, Flores is wonderful to drive through and seeing Kelimutu was worth all the cat calls.

Boat Life

What do you get when you have 28 backpackers and a boat that sleeps only 20? A very good time, surprisingly.

Indonesians are not necessarily dishonest, per se, but we were sold a huge lie. Luckily this lie ended up being a great thing.

We wanted to go from Lombok to Flores and the best and cheapest way seemed to be the Komodo cruise, which was a 4d/4n boat ride to a few islands, including the highlight- Komodo Island to visit Komodo National Park to see none other than---komodo dragons! Our travel agent man told us there were 26 others going, a truth, but on the brochure it said the boat could carry a maximum of 20 passengers. We asked about that before booking but he said we were taking a bigger boat, a lie.

When we arrived at the boat, we saw this:

The travel agent dude also told us there were showers on the boat, yet another lie. For us 28 on board, (oh and another 6 crew) we had one measly bathroom. With no shower. No running water. Just one stinking toilet.

My mouth hung open for about 5 minutes after seeing it for the first time.

The boat was separated into 5 sections- the top which slept 20, the bottom covered  part which was our eating/hang out area and also slept 6, the front uncovered 'layout' spot, the kitchen, and MY bedroom, or what we will call my bedroom. We paid and extra $30 each and got this weird separate room attached to the kitchen.  Anyways it was well worth the extra moolah.

While we had some lies told to us, and some mishaps (leaving everyone's whiskey on Lombok) we made up for it by seeing stunning islands and making due with beer.

Sengigi- Lombok

This was our over-spending over-relaxing night after our excruciating hike up Mt. Rinjani. Sengigi is a lazy beach town on Lombok and has many restaurants and hotels. We spent the most we have spent thus far- $28 total on a hotel (had AC and a TV with a DVD player and unlimited DVD rentals). Some people may wonder why someone would want to watch DVDs when they are in a foreign land. These people have apparently never climbed Rinjani before.

The night was complete with a pitcher of sangria and M&M's.

rant- Indonesian Transportation

I had the worst 2 automobile experiences in my life on the way to and from my favorite town in Flores (will talk about town later....)

There are a few ways to travel in Indonesia:

1. Ojek- motorbike taxi
2. Bemo- Large bus with tinted windows that plays music as loud as it will go packed with many people
3. Public transportation/bus- have yet to attempt this
4. 'Travel' or public car- a car or van that stops and picks up people (like a bemo but less flashy/usually....usually more comfortable)

We rode by 'travel' to Moni and from Moni to Maumere.

I wanted to die. Both times. The first time, there were 9 of us in a 7 person vehicle. Ok ok, not so bad, but the guy sitting between us as honest to god the worst body odor I have ever smelled no exaggerating. To illustrate my reaction, I IMMEDIATELY accepted a cigarette and held it to my nose after it was out and I don't even smoke. I actually hate cigarettes. But that was the best thing I could have smelled at the moment.

On the way to Maumere, it was the car ride of doom. The driver almost killed every passenger along with every single driver on the road every time we would take a turn around the mountain. At least there was a rooster on board to humor me somewhat, along with Celine Dion belting in the background.

I hope Mondays plane situation is better than this. Fingers crossed.

A week later and still sore

I want to start off by saying I have never legitimately hiked in my life prior to this little excursion. Yes, I have climbed some mountains and hills (for like 2 hours tops), but never anything to this magnitude.

Ok so maybe I am exaggerating slightly, but for me this was huge.

I knew before coming to Indonesia that I wanted to do some sort of hiking/trekking. Rinjani seemed perfect, and it was a pretty good price, so I jumped in headfirst.

There were 6 of us in our group, plus a guide and 5 porters to carry our things (cooking supplies/tents).

We started off early at 7am and began the 9 hour long trek The actual hiking was about 6 hours uphill, but we took breaks along the way for snacks and lunch.

I really enjoyed most of the way up. After I got too tired to speak, I began listening to my iPod, which helped out immensely!

The final part of the hike was treacherous and really just annoying. It was out of the jungle and into the hot sun. It was very dusty and rocky and very steep, so all of us (except for Josh) were having a hard time.

But, alas, we made it. And it was entirely worth it. Mt. Rinjani is an active volcano with a deep blue lake in the crater at the top. It was breathtaking...pictures don't do it justice.

I did the 2 day/1 night trip, so I actually, for the very first time, camped. Outside----in a tent. It all started out fine, but the temperature started to drop (fucking FREEZING I mean!!!) and the fatigue set in, so all of us called it an early night.

I have an extremely small bladder unfortunately, so only a few hours in I had to pee. Well, I am (also unfortunately) petrified of the dark, so I did my thing like a foot in front of the tent, heard a rustling in the bushes, and flung myself in backwards through the small opening in the tent I had made scaring my poor tent-mate.

The next day coming down was pretty much a living hell. My legs were not prepared for that, so I was aching all the way down and managed to fall a good 7 times.

I am becoming less and less sore, but there is still a slight ache in my calves.

A supposedly fun thing I may try to do again....

The Gili Islands

After Bali, I heard I had to go to the Gili Islands...numerous travelers told me how beautiful they are, so I obliged. I stayed at a guesthouse for $6/pp including a delicious banana pancake breakfast each morning on our patio.

Gili Trawangan was indeed beautiful, and I took advantage of the beaches every day. Snorkeling was great around there, and I saw sea turtles!! I also biked around the whole island (took a little longer than I expected in the hot sun) and the $3 outdoor movies.

There are no vehicles on the beach, only bikes and....horse tuktuk things. Indeed, I rode in one.

My favorite thing about the island were the beach huts at restaurants. I have become somewhat of an addict to fruit smoothies/milkshakes, so each day I would make it my business to lounge in these huts.

After 3 days of straight relaxation and laziness, I decided it was time to move on to Lombok and challenge myself.

Day Trip to Ubud

We went to Ubud for a short day trip to see the shops and visit the monkey forest.

Ubud is now well known because of the movie/book Eat Pray Love (haven't seen/read) but Whitney told me she heard it was a neat place to go.

It is known to be a Yoga center in Bali, so walking along there were very many yoga studios and clothing shops. There were also many organic restaurants.

The monkey forest was, well, terrifying.Whitney got bit 5 seconds after she bought some bananas to feed those greedy bastards. One almost bit me while I let it play with my bracelet. One bit another woman. Horrifying.

Kuta Beach-Bali, Indonesia

Kuta Beach Theme Song:

Remember spring breaks in college (and for some of us, maybe high school)? Kuta Beach reminds me of a much cooler version of this, still reminiscent of those times.

The beach is long and golden with beautiful people everywhere you turn. It is a little overwhelming at first, but by my 2nd hour I was enjoying all of it.

I must also note that Kuta Beach has bars in mass quantities. Like, whole streets of them. Bars on top of bars, 6 story bars, basement bars, beach bars, etc. Well you get the point.

So what do you get when you mix the most gorgeous people on the planet with drinking large amounts of their poison of choice? (rhetorical question)

Anyways, I stayed here for almost a week, which was plenty of time to try surfing, save a baby seaturtle, enjoy the nightlife, and walk around the city/shop.

Meeting and hanging out with the locals is always great. I met a group of guys playing music on the beach and they invited me to join in. I learned bongos for the umpteenth time, drank Bintang, and sang Bob Marley (shut up. I already mentioned Indos/Malaysians are obsessed with 'reggae' music/things).

I also talked to some Aussies (pronounced 'Ozzies', duh) and went to some reggae-ish bar (of course) and tried the local delicacy---Arak. Arak is similar to vodka, only more gasoline-like. I would advise you NOT to try this. Reasons unmentioned.

Then I ate and ate like a queen. All week.

That was one interesting week that I will never forget. Pictures soon to come.

KL

Kuala Lumpur. I have mixed feelings about this city. While I had an amazing time the first two days, it was mainly due to my company rather than the city.

The first night I stayed at the most disgusting hostel I have ever seen/slept in. The owner slept on the bunk below mine and my mattress dipped in and the sheets were dirty and the staff was creepy. The only thing that made this bearable was the fact I went out with my English friends and had a spectacular time. We went to Reggae Bar (there is one in every city it seems), had dinner near Imbi Market, and trekked to the Petronas Towers.

The next day I switched hostels to Explorer's Guesthouse. For $5 more than the previous hostel, I got a comfy mattress, clean sheets, and free breakfast. I have already recommended this place to backpacker's going to Malaysia.

Then I headed to Batu Caves. On the way I met two Canadians and we decided to go along together. The caves were beautiful and we saw a ton of thieving monkeys and one tried to get into my purse.

The following two days I was really sick, so I wandered around the city a little, but mostly relaxed and read.

My overall feeling on KL was that it is nice to explore for a day or two, but it is pretty dirty and beware of vendors/taxis trying to rip you off. And beware of monkeys at the caves. Anytime they see a foreigner, they see money.

Welcome to the Jungle - Taman Negara

Oh Jesus Lord...yes, the jungle. I went. I am alive. That's all that counts.

It actually wasn't as bad as I am making it seem. I had a nice detox time, and met some great friends along the way.

Detox you say? Well, let me explain. Taman Negara consists of a few hostels/hotels and floating restauants in this small little town in the middle of the jungle. The nearest city is about an hour away. In this town, there are a couple (literally two) shops to buy snacks (excluding alcohol) and nada of the restaurants (that we went to) served any alcohol. So the first night was none by choice, but by the second night I had a hankering for some beer, which was nowhere to be seen.

Upon arriving in Kuala Tembling, we took a 2.5 hour-long boat ride into the jungle. Along the way, I met and befriended 2 English girls and 1 Dutch girl. We all decided to stay together at the same hostel- Mat Leon Village.

Well, Mat Leon Village was one of the farther-out hostels, and to get anywhere we had to walk (in the pitch black night for almost a mile with one working flashlight). 

That night, we all had a tasty dinner of----fried noodles. The menu at every place was basically the same. It consisted of fried noodles or rice. My diet for two full days. Then 3 of us went on a night jungle walk. It was a little more touristy than I like, but we saw some huge spiders, millipedes, some deer, and....a wild porcupine?

The next day we all went on a jungle trek and canopy walk. We all instantly realized how out of shape we are and were laughing/panting/sweating the whole way up.

Lunch---fried rice.

Then we had a relaxing day/dinner and on our walk back in the rain we saw some wild boars run across the road in front of us. Too cool.

While we all had a great time getting to know each other/seeing the jungle, I think we all were a little happy to get out of our bug-spray smelling girls dorm and on the road again.

What is Durian?

Oh durian...where can I begin...

Durian is extremely popular in SE Asia and is referred to as the "King of Fruits". They are similar in size to pineapples, but much more deadly (people are killed yearly due to it's weight and sharp thorns covering the fruit *imagine falling onto head*).

These 'treats' can be seen in roadside stalls in many cities throughout SE Asia, and if you get the chance, you should definitely try one.

Durian is unlike any fruit I have ever smelled or tasted. The odor is pungent and smells something like vomit. The taste is slightly better. The fruit part (referred to as the pulp) is like a thick and sticky pudding that has been sitting in the sun for too long that covers a large seed. The taste is amlsot sickeningly sweet, but there was something about it that left me wanting more.

There is no way to be neat while eating durian. I was covered in yellow gook by the time I was finished gnawing the mush around the seed. I was eating it with an local kid and we kept laughing at each other for being so messy.

Since trying, I have also tasted durian popcorn and durian ice cream. Both of which made me cringe after tasting, but still ever-so-slightly left me craving more.

Cameron Highlands---not your typical Asian city

After Georgetown and it's hot and sticky weather, I ventured to Cameron Highlands in the mountains for it's well-known cooler climate. This city isn't the SE Asia that I had imagined. It felt very European in architecture and there were very many backpackers (seemed like more than asians) so I was seeing white people every few steps. I stayed at Father's Guesthouse, which was pretty nice albeit the squeaky bunk beds in a room where 10 of us backpackers resided. Please, Father's, replace the beds.

I hoped to go on a tour of the tea fields, however I arrived too late and was leaving the next day, so instead I just walked around listeing to music and enjoying the beautiful weather.

Then I met some friends. This is one of them.

That night I had some indian food near the hostel. Yum!

Georgetown~Penang

I made it to Malaysia after hours of travel on Saturday, but with much help.

On the bus from the airport, a girl saw my overwhelmed look and that I was by myself with a backpack half my size, and she offered to help me get to where I was going. She got off and walked me out of her way, all the way to my guesthouse.

I stayed at Old Penang Guesthouse in the heart of Georgetown. It was clean and quiet, and central to everything I wanted to see.

The following day I made my way to Penang Hill. From the bus stop, I had no clue where to go, with not another backpacker in sight, so I started walking towards the mountain. After a little bit, I saw Kek Lok Si and started running up the hill. A motorbike stopped and gave me a ride the rest of the way when he saw me panting and chugging alone, sweat rolling all about.

It was such a lovely sight to see.

From there I walked up the hill a little farther to the statue of Kuan Yin.

Farewell

My last day in Korea before my travels was a day full of mixed emotions. My coworkers and students made it great, but inside I felt numb for the first part of the day. The end at work was the typical "goodbye" party at Reading Star, chock-full of fried chicken and beer, speeches, and of course, tears.

Following that, my friends and I proceeded downtown (with beers in tow) for the final countdown. We all went to Wow n' Joy, a laid-back Korean bar, to enjoy some last lemon soju.

At 2:30 we realized it was time to go if I wanted to make my plane at 9am, so a few of my friends came with me to the bus terminal to send me off. Lindsay bought me some final gifts of dried fish, nachos, chocolate, and thankfully water.

After hugs and tears and laughs, I stumbled onto my bus leaving Gwangju *tear* forever.