A Wandering Sole

Southeast Asia Recap: Funny Signage and Dogs

// November 20th, 2011 // 9 Comments » // Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam

Yesterday’s Southeast Asia recap focusing on food and transport shows two of the more typical blog topics when it comes to travel. Often, I find that I take pictures of signage and random things (like funny looking dogs) and forget to compile and post them. In reality, these little oddities and humorous mistranslations are one my favorite parts of travel. There’s nothing better than having fits of laughter at a train station while locals look at you and your friend as those crazy Americans.

The Signage:

Really, it’s free. How generous.

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Southeast Asia Recap: Food and Transport

// November 19th, 2011 // 3 Comments » // Bali, Cambodia, Food, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam

Last week, my friend Lauren (aka my southeast Asia travel buddy) and I caught up over lunch. We first traveled abroad together in Africa in 2008 and then in southeast Asia in 2010. We threw out ideas for a future trip (maybe in 2012… see a pattern?) but mostly reminisced about ridiculous times and favorite places. I think for both of us, southeast Asia is a place we would love to return to at some point. So, what’s to love about southeast Asia?…..

The Food

Lauren and I largely stuck to street eats and local food joints. We could purchase pad thai on the streets of Bangkok for as little as $1, have a meal with meat for about $2, or dine in a restaurant on nicer food for less than $5. One of our favorite restaurants we ate at was in Dalat, Vietnam. Our guesthouse recommended it, and the place was packed full of locals.

One of the best meals we had in Dalat, Vietnam

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Infectious: If Only I Were Talking About My Personality

// April 29th, 2011 // 21 Comments » // Bali, Malawi, Malaysia, South Africa, Travel Review

Note: This post has photos and details about medical ailments due to travel. If you are queasy or easily grossed out, perhaps it’s best to skip this one and check back in later!

February 2011. Friends were coming to stay at our house for the weekend. Two days before they were to  arrive, my sister decided we had to tell them. I thought it wasn’t a big deal, but then again, when you’ve had the same recurring (highly contagious) infection for, oh about 8 months, it probably shouldn’t be taken lightly. I had a severe staph infection.  (more…)

Spa Bliss in Bangkok

// April 23rd, 2011 // 14 Comments » // Thailand

If you’ve never been to southeast Asia, you may not realize just how cheap the cost of living is in the region. They have cheap accommodation, cheap food, and…. cheap massages!! Even though you can get a massage for as little as $5, Lauren and I resisted the temptation for the three months we traveled around SE Asia. Because massages are so inexpensive, we decided to wait until the end of our time there. Sounds a bit ironic, but the truth is, I felt like if I had one, I wouldn’t be able to resist having another and would write it off as, ‘Oh it’s cheap, who cares?!’ (more…)

Montage Monday: Pringles Flavors Abound in SE Asia

// March 28th, 2011 // 21 Comments » // Malaysia, Photo of the Week

In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia one evening, the rats decided to make an appearance on our walk home from dinner. At one point, Lauren and I were hugging each other in the middle of the street, screaming like school girls as the pesky rats darted around in search of food scraps. We ducked into a grocery store for cover and started rattling off to the store clerk about the “giant rats” and how they were “everywhere” and on and on. At first he gave us this puzzled look- we were talking way too fast for him to grasp what we had said, but he knew it was something serious since we were so alarmed. As it turns out, he didn’t know the English word for rat but it didn’t take long for us to convey the traumatic scenario of the evening. We came to our senses, the guys in the store got a good laugh out of us, and then we decided to take a gander around and grab some snacks for our transit the next day. So the rat story has absolutely nothing to do with this photo except that, my friends, is how we stumbled upon these delectable Pringles flavors. If Blueberries & Hazelnut, Soft-shell Crab, or Lemon & Sesame don’t strike your fancy, what will?

Have you seen any crazy Pringles flavors while traveling?

After Southeast Asia, Where to Next?

// March 18th, 2011 // 6 Comments » // Thailand

One of my last days in SE Asia: A red shirt protest concludes in Bangkok

If you followed my blog from the beginning, you may have recalled that I was not going to Bali or Malaysia initially. Instead, I planned to conclude my around the world trip climbing Mt. Everest in Nepal. However, due to finances and health issues, we changed plans, and I have no regrets. (more…)

Fantastic Tea & Fresh Air in the Cameron Highlands

// March 10th, 2011 // 9 Comments » // Malaysia

A trip to the tea plantation

After Bali, we went to Penang, Malaysia where we feasted on great food, I made friends with Dave, and we visited the Snake Temple. From Penang, we took a bus to the Cameron Highlands. Lauren and I were eagerly anticipating the cooler weather and couldn’t wait to get there. (more…)

Montage Monday: Visiting Angkor Wat, Cambodia

// March 7th, 2011 // 4 Comments » // Cambodia, Photo of the Week

One of my favorite places that I visited on my trip was the temples at Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia. It truly is a big kid’s playground. There are so many beautiful temples that you can wander through, climb on, and explore. I was obsessed with all of the detailed carvings on the temples, this photo being just one of the many pictures I took of them. You may recall that I never wrote a post about visiting Angkor Wat back in August. And the truth is, I just couldn’t. I felt that my amateur writing abilities and reliance on urban dictionary just wouldn’t do it justice. I will be posting my photos of Angkor Wat soon; however not all experiences are meant to be shared with the world, and I think I’m going to keep my thoughts on this amazing day to myself :)

Volcano Views, Infinity Pools, & Monk Chat

// March 3rd, 2011 // 10 Comments » // Bali

A woman and her children swim at sunset- one of my favorite shots.

Our first day on Nusa Lembongan, a small island off the east side of Bali, was spent relaxing, reading, and swimming by our guesthouse. The following day, Lauren found a really nice hotel called Coconut Beach Resort on the south end of the beach that had an infinity pool for guests to use if they made a purchase at their restaurant. It was perfect. (more…)

Nusa Lembongan: A Little Island Getaway from Bali

// March 1st, 2011 // 3 Comments » // Bali

Public ferry to Nusa Lembongan

Our Bali Road Trip may have come to an end, but our time in Bali wasn’t quite over yet. We took a side trip to a small island east of Bali called Nusa Lembongan. (more…)