Traveling...

Oldies but some goodies

2010-01-19T10:34:00.000-08:00

It's been about two and a half years since I spent my three month summer vacation traveling through Europe and Southeast Asia and I have finally started sorting through the +1000 pictures that I took. I give it about another year and a half before I have been successful in putting the photos together in a photo journal!

The main motivation has been to show the husband the Vietnam photos since his first trip will be in June so we're currently planning out the Vietnamese adventures. It's been fun going through them and discover photos that make me smile and get incredibly excited for our next adventure. The weather is going to be unbearably hot and humid but seeing my family, introducing the husband to the Vietnamese culture and eating delicious food is going to be a worthwhile trip!

So until June, I'll be on traveling hiatus...I think :-)

• typical Vietnamese intersection •

• dual transport •

• mangosteens, my favorite fruit from Southeast Asia •

• crisp sunset in hanoi •

A Castle in Cape Town

2010-01-18T12:38:00.000-08:00

The oldest building in Cape Town, Castle of Good Hope is a star shaped fort that is wonderfully preserved and is the perfect way to spend a few hours while in Cape Town. The fort has Table Mountain shining behind it while within it's walls, it contains history that is rooted deeply in military and local culture. One could spend a minimum of two hours there but suggest going there during the early afternoon for their key ceremony (M-F 10am) and/or changing of the guards (M-F 12pm).

The fort is located nicely in central Cape Town so it's a walk away from the beautiful Town Hall, District Six Museum (must see), the Company Gardens (beautiful for a stroll) and pretty much, all of city centre that can easily be done on two feet.

• castle •

• view from atop the castle •

Gold Restaurant in Cape Town

2010-01-17T08:07:00.000-08:00

• disclaimer: i know, i'm a few months off with posting, oops.

The husband and I try to stay away from standard "tourist-y" places when it comes to our meals while traveling. It's better to find a restaurant that does not come from a tourist pamphlet or a "where to eat" guide from a hotel instead we opt for a restaurant where the locals eat and we know that the food will be delicious.

However we did decide to break this rule on our last weekend in Cape Town. We came across a restaurant, Gold Restaurant that is located in the heart of Cape Town while perusing a "where to eat" guide. The restaurant offered a unique experience that we had to yet to encounter while in South Africa so we figured it would be best to journey into it.

Gold Restaurant is located on Strand Street in the heart of Cape Town right behind the Gold Museum in an inner courtyard surrounded by trees and tents. At the beginning of the evening, you can arrive early to partake in their drum circle but unfortunately, we were unable to attend due to timing.

The menu is a set menu (changes seasonally) with twelve different Cape Malay/African courses for you to discover. I am a vegetarian and was a little concerned knowing that their menu was set but of the twelve courses, eight was vegetarian so I had nothing to worry about. It seems like a lot of food to eat especially for two people but their serving sizes are just enough, not too much to make you full and not too little where you crave more. Their dessert of banana fritters and fresh fruit dusted in gold was really good although the banana fritters was a little cold.

During dinner, their live entertainment consists of tall Mali puppets that jump to the beat of the drums and swirl around with the dancers. The colors, design and uniqueness of the puppets made the evening more memorable. The singers and drummers were so full of soul and depth that it was great listening to their voices carrying throughout the tree covered courtyard.

This restaurant was the perfect dining experience for our South African journey. Another bonus: the final bill which included a bottle of delicious South African wine, the final total for two was about 600 Rand = $80 U.S!

Sunday Extravaganza

2009-10-06T00:14:00.000-07:00

For the past three weeks, I have tried to make it up (either hiking or cable car) to Table Mountain especially so I can see the whole view of Cape Town. Now I did hike to the top of Lion's Head but it was covered in a thick layer of fog so I wasn't able to see anything from it's view point and that was a bit disappointing. Last week, I woke up early and drove to Table Mountain to take the cable car up since the weather was gorgeous. Unfortunately all the other tourists thought the same thing and it was a three hour queue to get onto the cable car. That didn't sound appealing to me so I turned around and drove back down the hill. Our last weekend in Cape Town, we decided to venture up. Saturday was a beautiful and clear day which ended up being perfect for our safari. Sunday was also supposed to be a clear day but of course, it wasn't. We even drove to the cable cars to see if there might be any chance of it clearing it but of course not. I even thought that maybe I would wake up early on Monday to try and head up there. But now I'm sick and the weather still isn't great. I don't think that I was meant to make it up to Table Mountain on this trip.

So since our whole hiking adventure trip was canceled due to the poor weather, we had to improvise of how to spend our day in Cape Town thus we had a Sunday Extravaganza: cramming in as much stuff as possible and enjoying every moment of it.

• We had breakfast on Long Street, city centre at Lola's. A nice little place that was recommended by Lonely Planet. At 8am, there really isn't anyone out so having Long Street quiet was perfect. They are also all vegetarian (another score) and had the most incredible egg croissant filled with scrambled eggs, black mushrooms and basil leaves...I will need to make this combo at home.

• We drove over to Hout Bay and stumbled into their weekly craft market and was finally able to do the souvenir shopping that was needed.

• We drove over to Hout Bay's harbor and decided that we should take a boat over to Duiker Island to see some seals. It's a short boat drive (about 40 min) and they offer the glass bottom boat to see the seals from below. That's not really worth it since seeing them bask in the sun and swim from above is more entertaining. If you were in the area and needed some time to kill, than a trip to Duiker Island can be entertaining but wasn't exactly a "must do" destination.

• We drove up to Rhodes Memorial which is an impressive memorial located in the slope of Table Mountain and offers a nice view of the city but that's mostly it. There is a nice restaurant behind it but since it was so busy, we were unable to enjoy a refreshing beverage so our time spent there was short and sweet.

• We drove over to Century City's Canal Walk and determined that this place is not for us. It's a large shopping mall with over four hundred stores and surrounded by offices and apartments. If you like shopping, than this would be the perfect place but since we both hate shopping, we were in and out of there within an hour. I actually thought that there would be some nice canals that you could walk through with the shops around it (like Amsterdam) but nope, just a big, giant mall surrounded by a canal.

• heehee, can't help but post this picture •

• We drove back to our suburbs to Cool Runnings, the first downhill toboggan sled (about 1.25km long track) in Africa and this completely satisfied our inner children. It's incredibly cheap (about $14 for six rides), has an automatic pully that takes you to the top and let's us feel like kids again. If only they served beer here...

• And we finished our Sunday Extravaganza with a glowing smile from our improvised day...which ended up being the perfect way to end our last weekend in Cape Town.

Garden Route Safari

2009-10-05T06:42:00.000-07:00

A four hour drive from Cape Town, this private game reserve (Garden Route Game Lodge outside of Albertinia) allowed us to be up and close to see most of the big five...sans the leopard. The drive from Cape Town is a little long - especially with all the construction that is being done on the N2 but it was a beautiful route that took us through South Africa. If there were only more hours in the day, we would have happily gone wine tasting since the drive has many hidden wineries sprinkled throughout the route.

• garden route game lodge •

Wine Tasting Deliciousness

2009-10-01T02:08:00.001-07:00

Wine tasting is a pure delight in Cape Town. We are staying out in the Bellville area which is a mere five minutes drive from the Durbanville Wine Area. There are so many wineries to choose from: old, historical barns to new fancy and concrete structures. There are no tasting fees, they don't mind if you help yourself to having more wine, the wines are rich with flavors and the prices are amazing (2003 bottle of Pinotage: 23 rand = $3.60) and most of them have an incredible restaurant so you can sample delicious food along side the wine. I really wish that we had more time here so we can travel through the wine routes in Stellenbosch, Constantia and Helderberg (although we've been told by the locals that these areas are more upscale...think Napa Valley versus Santa Cruz Mountains. I will always choose Santa Cruz Mountains over the Napa Valley scenery any day).

white knuckled driving

2009-09-30T23:52:00.000-07:00

We finally got ourselves a rental car which helps so I don't feel too isolated out in the suburbs or have to take an extremely expensive taxi out into the city. But I did have to learn how to drive on the opposite side of the road and car, yikes. I never thought that I would grip a steering wheel so hard that it gave me cramps and white knuckles. I have been getting used to it since it helps when there are other cars to follow. The roundabouts are still a pain in the arse and takes too much concentration, I have already encountered more than my fair share of them and am grateful for the drivers around me who dealt with me without giving me the bird. However, the worst part of driving in Cape Town is not the erratic drivers or extremely narrow roads where it looks like you're driving head on but it's the people dodgers and bicyclists! On the freeway, there are people who constantly dodge across traffic or ride their bicycle especially when they do this at night, you can't see them. They are my least favorite about driving here.

Botanical Garden - Kirstenbosch

2009-09-28T02:05:00.000-07:00

truly a photographers/gardener/hiking/nature enthusiast wonderland...

• looking up towards table mountain •

• looking down into cape town •

• lushness •

• regal: king protea - south africa's national flower •

• up close and personal: pin cushion protea •

Spending time in Cape Town

2009-09-22T03:22:00.000-07:00

We're staying in Tyger Falls (aka Bellville in the northern suburb of Cape Town) and it is actually quite nice but the main attraction of this area are the two large shopping malls that are right next to each other. I am still a little flabbergasted that these are considered highlights/attractions. We do have an incredible Cuban restaurant, Buena Vista Social Club, that is downstairs from us. They have amazing mojitos (up to par with La Bodeguita in Palo Alto), delicious food and Cuban cigars for about twenty bucks. We are waiting for a weekend evening where we can have tons of mojitos with Cuban cigars and then just stumble home. We also have a gorgeous view from our balcony of the lake and a waterfall that they turn on for the weekdays and off for the weekends. It's a little odd waking up in the morning to see our waterfall turned off!

• hey, where did our waterfall go? •

We ventured off to Boulders Beach on Saturday so we can see penguins. Instead of paying the entrance fee to enter Boulders Beach (and be surrounded by tourists) you can easily take the side pathway that takes you towards the beach rather than pay the entrance fee to the park. There are lots of penguins on the walk to the beach with not too many tourists which we of course, found out after we had left the main park.

• that one penguin looks depressed •

Cape Point was also incredible with great hiking trails. One of my favorite highlights is people watching where some tourists actually hiked up the trail in high heels and complain the whole way - silly tourists! The lighthouse was a little too populated for our liking so we ventured over to Diaz Point which is a nice trail that goes beyond the lighthouse. It’s less populated and offers more incredible views of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans.

• the point •

And of course, what’s a trip without spending time in a local's joint? The husband’s colleague had been gracious enough to take us through some hidden gems. They took us into Noordhoek for a stroll on a quiet beach and then off to the Red Herring for sunset, drinks, dinner (delicious pizzas) and live music from a retired guy who plays covers songs. We would have never known about this little local place if it wasn’t for our guide and I think that we are actually going to have to venture back there again since it was an excellent place.

• sunset from red herring in noordhoek •

Cape Town, South Africa Journey

2009-09-17T08:20:00.001-07:00

I'm sitting at Heathrow Airport waiting for a long distance flight to Cape Town, South Africa. If anyone was to track my carbon emission for the past three weeks, it would be quite high since my travels have included flights from LA to London, Amsterdam, back to London, South Africa, London and then finally back to the States. This doesn't include any relocation flights needed to either South Africa or London. I don't think that I'm looking forward to the SA flight since it's about a thirteen hour flight from London... a sleeping pill will actually be needed for this flight. Although I'm a seasoned traveler, I still can't help but get nervous every time I get on an airplane. The anxiety seems to grow as I get older and I'm not sure where it stems from, silly anxiety. Anyway, I am really looking forward to Cape Town and I have a long list of things that need to be done while there: wine tasting, climbing Table Mountain, visiting the penguins, maybe some scuba diving and definitely, lots of walking and traveling. I am really looking forward to being outdoors for the next three weeks adventuring it (especially since the husband is going to be working, I'll need to keep busy). I'm also looking forward to being active again. I broke my toe a few months ago and since I am a neglectful person, the healing has been quite stubborn. It's now finally getting back to normal where I can walk long distances with only minor discomfort so I'm hoping that I can now start running and being active again...apparently lots of booze and no diet restrictions with limited activity due to the foot has yielded an unhealthy kime.

Do you believe in ghosts?

2008-01-22T16:35:00.000-08:00

For a long time, my answer would have been that I believe that there is something there but that I couldn't believe until I had some proof.

Of course I still do not have any proof except for what I experienced over the summer and I still feel a strong sense of sadness and connection to this.

In July, part of my summer holiday took me to Cambodia and many of you might remember me writing about how this country deeply affected me spiritually. Not only was the country beautiful and has rebuilt wonderfully since their genocide but there was a sense of familiarity that places of the country held that I still haven't been able to shake off.

I took a tour of Tuol Sleng prison which used to be a high school before the Khmer Rouge turned it into a secret prison that held over 30,000 people before they were sent to the killing fields (During Pol Pot's regime, they killed between one to two million people in four years). From first glance, the prison looked like any other school. A few gymnasium apparatus on the lawn, next to old school benches. But when your eyes have a moment to soak in the images, you see the barb wire, the chain link fence that covered all the windows and balcony so people wouldn't commit suicide. The classrooms that used to teach were converted into small prison cells, the floors holding the dark stains of history and you know all too well that this place holds so much pain, suffering and sadness.

Something happened as I began walking through the school. At first, I attributed it to the overwhelming sense of sadness. Standing in the room, hearing the stories from the guide and the feeling of numbness came across my body. While standing in the classroom, something held on to my pant leg. You know that feeling when you are out hiking and you catch your pant leg on a branch? That was the feeling that I had. Something grabbing hold of my pant leg. Of course, I was focused on listening to the guide so I slap my leg to "let it loose" and continue moving through the school. At the next juncture, where I was listening to how the the prisoners were kept in the school, that snagging feeling happened again. This time, I looked down and saw that nothing was there. But when I began walking, my right leg had a drag to it, there was something holding me back and I wasn't stuck to anything. But the pulling sensation wasn't the only thing that I felt. At the place where I was being held, my thigh felt tingly, like when your leg or arm feel asleep but it was an electrical charge. I kept shaking my leg and my pants and the sensation wouldn't go away. It kept following me, holding on tight to my leg, the electricity isolated only to my right thigh. I didn't think too much of it while walking through the school, I actually thought of it more as an annoyance than anything. But the weirdest thing was the moment that I took that step outside of the school's gate, the pulling and electric feeling stopped. Nothing. No pulling sensation. No tingly. Nothing.

I didn't think too much of the feeling until the next morning, when I awoke with the feeling and the understanding that there really was someone there, holding me back, wanting me to stay there. I know that it sounds a little silly but after more investigation into it (and I do happen to have an old client that studies this who helped me with this), we came upon the conclusion that it was a child who latched onto me.

To some, this can just really sound like some far-fetched story. And to be honest, if someone was to tell me that this happened to them, I too might cast some doubt. But it's crazy knowing that this is something that I experienced. That it was something that I just had to write down so that I didn't forget it. But something that I also wanted to share too because I don't think that this happens often.

Unintentional Photos

2007-08-20T16:40:00.000-07:00

Okay, looking back, most of these photos were actually quite intentional but I just had to post them and I'm sensing some kind of them, I just can't figure out what it is....hmmmm...

The end of my trip...

2007-08-17T16:36:00.000-07:00

London, UK:

I'm in the last few days of my traveling journey, I have had a very hard time getting into writing about the close of my journey. Perhaps it's because I have writer's block or it's due to the fact that I don't want this all to end but in either case, I have really been struggling with what to write about.

It's been almost three weeks since I last wrote about my travels, mainly about my amazing trip into Cambodia and the hate for Pattaya, Thailand and since then, I have traveled through Taiwan, a weekend trip to Los Angeles, London, Netherlands and back to London. I'm tired and really miss the stability of a home life, my bed and as materialistic as this may sound, my belongings (the things that make me feel like I'm at home instead of living in hotels). I have to say after traveling for three months throughout twelve different countries and living out of a backpack, it really does become tiring and I never thought that I would say this, but I even miss working! Gasp! But I am really looking forward to starting a new job (somewhere in the Bay Area in entertainment advertising/production so if anyone has any leads, please send them this way!) and building a home life. I will be leaving the LA area at the beginning of September to start this new chapter.

Anyway, through the twelve weeks of traveling, twelve countries, countless bug bites, mold infested hotel rooms, bugs coming out of the shower drain, gigantic spiders in my bed, food poisoning, family reunions, children hospitals, monsoons, lightning storms on top of the world's tallest building (Taiwan 101), learning to dive in the worst city ever (Pattaya, Thailand), learning the historical value in every country, there is one thing that I have learned about myself during this time: after traveling through some countries by myself without knowing any of the language, I now have faith in life (and myself) that I can get through anything that life sends in my direction. I have always been an independent woman but never really understood what that meant until dealing with the barrage of inquisitions about traveling alone. You would be surprised at how many people think that it's a ridiculous/crazy/unsafe thing for a woman to do. There is a close mindedness about women travellers (more in Southeast Asia than Europe) that really surprised me (although there are some Americans as well that didn't think too lightly about my journey either). There is a satisfaction that I feel about knowing that this was something that I set my mind to do and I accomplished it and have so many memories to cherish as well as over two thousand photos to now organize!

There are also countries that I would love to visit again (Cambodia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Netherlands) and others that I could care less about (London, Belgium, Greece, Thailand). Of course, if anyone ever wants to know about things to do at some of the countries I visited, let me know and I'll do what I can to give some words o' Kim wisdom.

I'm sure that I could have written every week to really share everything with everyone but even to me, that's overkill...instead, I shared some of my thoughts and feelings when I felt the mood was right and I hope that you at least enjoyed the sporatic thoughts of Kim. Do know that I really did enjoy writing again since it's been so many years since I've really written and I have forgotten how much I love it but at least there is the MySpace blogging.

So perhaps until the next world trip (I already have planned that Africa will be the next country).

Homesick...

2007-07-25T16:42:00.000-07:00

Only nine more days left of my travels and I still have two more stops: Bangkok and Taiwan! And of course, that doesn't account for me being home for four days and then flying back to the Netherlands for another two weeks either!

After travelling for the past two months, these are the things that I miss:

- fresh laundry
- cooking and homecooked meals made for me
- driving, I miss my RSX!
- sleeping in my own bed
- hair that isn't dealing with humidity
- wearing clothes that are different from the four pieces I have been alternating
- my family
- my friends
- my boyfriend
- having conversations that are real, not passing by conversations
- living in a house, not a backpack
- being able to call my friends and bug them
- free internet/wireless
- my laptop
- interaction with people with no language barrier
- US currency
- being pampered
- shoes besides the one pair of Keen's (best shoes ever, highly recommend them!) that I have
- dressing up to go out on a Friday/Saturday night
- cocktails
- hanging out at a bar with my friends
- hanging out at home watching a movie
- real vegetarian options (in Asia, it's tofu or tofu?)
- LA traffic (weird to miss it, huh?)
- working! (I think that after three months of unemployment, I'm starting to lose my brain cells. Although I do need to start job hunting, anyone have any suggestions? Moving to the Bay Area and I need some help!)
- real music besides what is cycled through my iPod
- interactions with my friends outside of the computer!
- hugs. Really, I miss human contact. My hands get kinda bored trying to hug myself!
- putting on makeup and doing my hair (yes, that is quite girly of me)
- perfume (besides the au natural smell that my hippy self is now wearing)
- smog (okay, not really but the air is better in parts of LA than in Asia!)
- rude people (everyone here is so friendly, can't I just meet those people again who tell me to fuck off)
- s*x!!!

These are just some of the things that I miss and really am looking forward to being home and stable instead of moving from hotel to hotel every four days. It does start to wear on you after awhile. And to think that I was contemplating doing this for three months!

Anyway, just had to vent.

Judgement...

2007-07-23T16:43:00.000-07:00

Pattaya, Thailand:

There is beauty in everything as long as we are receptive to finding it, it's there. However there is one exception to that case and that is Pattaya, Thailand. I cannot find any beauty here and although I haven't even been here for twenty-four hours, my judgement about this is place is that it truly is the armpit of Thailand. There might have been potential for this place long ago since it's a coastal town but it has been destroyed by hedonism and the Asian persuasion culture.

After a certain breakup, I told myself that I would never date anyone who has Asian persuasion again. There is just something about it that I no longer find amusing and now after being in Pattaya, I find it highly disturbing! (Really, no offense to anyone).

First off, my hotel is situated in the Red Light District. All day and night, I hear the "nnts nnts" of the loud bass thumping and the glow of the red light shining into my room. Second, you walk outside and all you see are Thai women, dressed incredibly scantily (sure it's fun at first but becomes sad very quickly, I would take photos but like Amsterdam, they don't really like it), hoarding like vultures waiting for their prey. The thing is, their prey is everywhere!

A minor detour: On my 15 hour bus ride from Cambodia into Pattaya, I was on a bus with 2 foreigners, an old white man and myself. I didn't understand at the time why everyone on the bus was so surprised that I was going to Pattaya, and gasp, going by myself! I now understand.

All throughout the town, are white men, many of them holding a tan line of the wedding ring and draped across them, like the latest fashion accessory is a beautiful Asian woman. Their amorous interaction with each other only suggest that they are not, married to each other.

I am the only woman traveler in my hotel. Walking through the streets, I am the only woman not walking with a man on her arm. During my meals, I am the only woman eating by herself without the company of a white male. Eavesdropping on many of their conversations, I hear the words "take me home," "you want marry," "let's go back to hotel (all the while giving him a hand job)." I understand that this is the life here but all I see is sadness here, no beauty, no life, nothing. My judgment is that I hate this place. Married men come here to have affairs. Incredibly ugly men (sorry but probably have a horrible time getting laid back home) come here to find women. And yes, even drunk college boys looking for some cheap action.

This is not the place that I expected. It truly does make me sad and only want to leave this place. Unfortunately, I am here for a week to get my PADI certification. At least I have that to keep my focus but if it wasn't for that, this place would have seen my dust the minute I stepped foot here.

Oh.

I also keep getting ripped off with my money...Maybe because I'm not a white male.

Really, I hate it here.

Food for thought

2007-07-19T16:44:00.000-07:00

Siem Reap, Cambodia.

It's been six days since I've eaten. If anyone needs to diet for any reason, I highly suggest the "Montezuma's Revenge." It curbs your appetite and makes you run faster than you think that you could ever run! Anyway, today was the first day that I ate something that wasn't crackers so I'm finally feeling quite energetic enough to write.

I love Cambodia! This is by far, one of the top favorite countries that I have visited! The people are incredibly friendly and the culture of this country is what really makes it stand out. Although one thing that I do not like is the ""bugs as food" factor. During my six hour bus ride from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, I sat by a really friendly woman who kept offering me all her food. Everything from chicken jerky, beef jerky, shrimp chips to breathe mints. I politely kept saying no since I don't know how to say "I'm a vegetarian in Cambodian." Now on our last rest stop, we stop at a little village that sells all kinds of food, including their main delicacy, roaches. Of course this was the perfect photo-op so I took a picture and went on my merry way. Now, remember the friendly woman who was sitting next to me who kept offering me her food? Well, we get back on the bus and she has a plastic bag filled of these roaches! And what does she do? She offers them to me. I think that I must have turned green because she started laughing at me! So after I regain color, I notice that everyone on the bus is eating them! I try to gain my composure until I watch the woman next to me and the process of eating them. They rip off the tail legs and head and bon appetite. I had another two hours on this bus sitting next to this woman! All I could do is stare intently out the window and wish that the ride was over. BLAH!

Anyway, besides the adventure of my bus ride, I do want to muse a little bit about Phnom Penh and Cambodia. There is a lot of history and sadness in this country, some that I really wasn't fully aware of until I got here. Sure, I knew about the Khmer Rouge and the Killing Fields but I did not know the full story of it. Tuesday was my day of knowledge and I am still shaken up by it.

There were two tours that I did, one to the Killing Fields and one to Toul Sleung Prison (which was where they tortured people. Side note, Toul Sleung used to be a high school so imagine being on the premises and seeing remnants of a playground to only know that this is where they ruthlessly killed people).

During Pol Pot's power from 1975 to 1979, he killed over two million people and the population of Cambodia during that time is five million people, you can only imagine the atrocities that occurred. He abolished everything from currency, government, schools, declaring it Year Zero. There is still so much sadness that can be felt when you look into the eyes of anyone that is over twenty seven. The wounds are still fresh. Being at the Killing Fields, I will share one thing with you. On the trails throughout the area, the muddy walkways are dense but not only with nature growing through it, but also with the remnants of the clothing of the people that died there. At first, I did not know what I was stepping on until closer inspection, reality kicked in and so much sadness filled my heart.

The sadness that I felt has still lingered in me, three days after I have experienced it but to know that I have been here to learn more about it has only given me better perspective of this country and what they have had to deal with. By getting to know the country and the people here has offered me a new outlook on life. The people here are very friendly. Today after I went through some of the temples (Angkor Wat and Bayon), my tuk-tuk driver, Mr Chet, who was incredibly friendly, asked if I wanted to stop by at the children's hospital since he had to drop something off. So I spent some time there playing with the children and I even, haphazardly, gave a little girl a french braid. It was a pretty pathetic braid but spending the time there was nice. I even set up an appointment to donate my blood since they really need AB positive for people with dengue fever. Don't worry, the company is a very reputable company that I have already done my research on via the Internet. I wish that there was more that I could do but I think that the time that I am giving versus just being an American tourist is something that makes me feel that I am making a small effort.

Anyway, I just really wanted to share with you my journey here through Cambodia because I feel that this is the place where my soul-searching has lead me too.

Underwater Adventures

2007-07-07T16:45:00.000-07:00

Hue, Vietnam:

It's hot here. And humid. And although I have already endured lots of different weather during my travels, Vietnam would almost be the worst. The heat and humidity here is almost unbearable. However, the best thing to do is to just grin and bear it. Although I would have to say that the bugs here are also the worst. I have been fortunate to not get too many mosquito bites, instead, I have become ravaged by ANT bites! Yes, ant bites. Those suckers SUCK! Not only are my feet and ankles covered by them but somehow, these suckers ended up in my pants. So yes, I have over fifty ant bites on each butt cheek. It's a little uncomfortable to say the least but I do giggle about it cause it seems that it is something that would only happen to me.

However on a separate note, I have discovered scuba diving and fell in love with it! My dad took Mai and I out to Hoi An, which is a coastal resort in Vietnam that is absolutely gorgeous. We decided to do the "discover scuba diving" lessons which is more of a trial run. Well I fell in love with it! Once I got used to breathing underwater (it's a little weird getting used too), I couldn't believe that underwater life that I need to discover! It was so amazing watching the fish, corral and even gross sea cucumbers living their lives. So I got the bug and decided that I will get licensed. I will be heading into Pattaya, Thailand later in July and will spend four days there getting my PADI certificate. I am super super excited because not only do I get to do scuba diving with my dad in the future but will be able to go scuba diving in NorCal once I have situated myself there. Goodie!

Everything else here is amazing. It's great traveling with my family (although we do drive each other crazy at times) and to hang out with my mom's family has been wonderful too. It's been a family reunion on my mother's side and it's so funny to watch her with her siblings. The last time the three of them were together was over forty years ago! The last time I saw my cousins were fourteen years ago. We have a lot of catching up to do although the language barrier is a bit of a challenge.

Hope everyone is well and had a wonderful Fourth of July!

High Class Backpacker

2007-06-26T16:46:00.000-07:00

So after fourteen days since my last entry, I think that I have a few moments that I can muse about with you.

Right now, I am currently enjoying the dreary, cold, wet and miserable weather of London. Have I mentioned before that I didn't really care for this city? So due to an unforeseen event, I am back here for a few days, silently wishing that I had warm clothes. I mean, who needs a thick warm sweater for Spain, Italy or Greece? So for a few days, I will have to suffer from the wet and hope that I don't get sick (again).

These past days have lead me through Paris, Barcelona and Madrid and the three things that I have learned about these cities are:
• Paris is really a freakin' romantic city! I think that they spike the water with something!
• Barcelona is a city that I could visit over and over again and it reminds me of a Spanish Santa Cruz.
• Madrid, well...it's at the bottom of the list.

Paris, France:
Although not too much to reveal in cause, well, it's a romantic city, and 'nough said about that! However the main highlight of it was the Eiffel tower "experience." Marijn and I decided to hike up to the top of the tower since we figured we needed to work our gluteus maximus out. The weather was hot with a light breeze. Once on the second level, the wind picked up and the sky got a few shades darker. They closed the third level off which was disappointing so once you've reached the second level, there really isn't much to do except start the journey down about 600 metal steps. At step 523, a light drizzle started to sprinkle down on us. At step 420, the wind picked up more while the light drizzle became a constant sprinkle. At step 290, the constant sprinkle became a painful downpour. And by step 1, we were drenched from head to toe. There really isn't too many places to protect one's self from the rain at the Eiffel tower and after being pushed out of the only covered section on ground level, we had only one thing left to do: puddle stomping and running through the rain. Hey, if you're already soaked to the undergarments, why not do something that you haven't done since you were a child? The only drawback is that we're not five years old anymore and the health toll it takes on our bodies now is more painful. We're both still recovering. Sniff, sniff.

Barcelona, Spain:
This was the first part of my journey where I was on my own to travel through a foreign land. It's quite liberating to travel by yourself in a foreign place (although sometimes a little lonely) but it was great because I felt so happy whenever I was able to find my destination without asking for directions. There was nothing better than finding the place and doing my little happy dance (ie shake my toosh a little, wave my hands to the left and right and say "whoohoo" to myself). I'm sure I looked like a dork!

I loved this part of Spain...the pacing of life there is so much slower and it was so refreshing to not feel constantly rushed to get from A to B. Perhaps because it is a coastal town that it has this mentality and that's why it reminded me so much of Santa Cruz. I'm sure that the street performers on Las Ramblas also had something to do with reminding me of Santa Cruz. I really did not want to leave when it was time for me to go. Part of me wishes that I stayed there the whole time instead of going to Madrid.

Madrid, Spain:
So why was this city not one of my favorites? There are many factors to it but I think that one main one is because it is an urban city, it has that rushed feeling of life that was very different from Barcelona. There were some beautiful spots to it but I couldn't really enjoy it as much as I would have wanted too. However, the reason for the title of this blog "High Class Traveler" is due to my experience at my five-star hotel.

I love Hotwire. They have some great deals and during the time I was in Madrid, the costs for hostals were minimum: $100/night. That just didn't seem like a great deal to me so I figured I would try Hotwire. I was able to find a five-star hotel for $140/night and that seemed like a great bargain. So I booked and found out that I was staying at the Westin-Palace which is close to old Madrid and in city center. I even did the happy dance when I found out where it was.

Now checking in, I was judged by every single person at this place. Here, in the middle of the afternoon, walks in a young girl with a backpack twice her size wearing hippie traveling attire and I'm sure that I didn't smell decent either. Every single person that was staying in this hotel are people that normally stay at the Ritz and you can just smell their richness. So upon check-in, the receptionist did not like me very much. Perhaps it could have been my appearance or the fact that I kept dropping everything onto their floor from my passport, my airport tickets, my credit cards and my bottled water. I couldn't hold anything in my hands. But hey, Hotwire gave me a great deal so I was going to enjoy my time there and not give in to the looks that I was getting from the staff.

Now the main highlight of this hotel experience is that I made a special appearance into the photo of a Royal wedding. Saturday morning, security was tight and throughout the hotel, there were those scary big men with the earpieces who kept talking into their wrists, so of course something was going on. Now, I'm the kind of person who takes the stairs instead of the elevators. I am also the kind of person who loves to do silly poses and stances for photos (which I'm sure you might have figured out by now). So when I see a camera, I will do a silly stance. So upon my departure from this hotel on Saturday, I decided to take the stairs down. So I'm going down this very nice spiral staircase that leads into their grand hallway at full speed. So I come across the bend of the spiral stairs right into the Royal family photo with everyone in it. Within those two seconds of me going "oh shit" the shutter of the camera goes off, I do my Kim-stance, the photographer laughs, looks into his camera, laughs a little more and I run off. Therefore, I am sure that when this Royal family receives their group family photo shot, there will be a lovely cameo from me! I only wish that I could receive a copy of that photo!

So Spain was great and I was able to really build up on my Spanish! I was really happy with myself when the language came back so quickly to me. They also have great cuisine in Spain, although I didn't experience any of it because they don't really cater to the vegetarian lifestyle so I am a little bit malnourished at the moment (dat betekend even geen boterhammen met kaas meer)!

The Black Forest and Roman Baths...

2007-06-12T16:48:00.000-07:00

Another week, two countries and three cities later, it's time to be back in front of a computer.

The week started off with a road trip through Germany to spend three days in Baden-Baden (which is situated right next to the Black Forest and the Oos River in Southern Germany). This town was originally known to the Roman's for the thermal baths that run throughout the town which of course, has now helped propel Baden-Baden to become a prime destination to experience authentic nudist Roman baths (which of course is self-explanatory and I do not need to describe my experience there).

Due to the small nature of the town, there isn't too much to do there except shop and enjoy the spas however, we were determined to really discover what this town had to offer. So without the help of any maps, tourist guides or stopping to ask for directions, we took off for the day with our supplies and took to the trails leading up into the Black Forest. We did not know if we were going left, right, straight or up but we knew that as long as we stuck to the trails, we would find something and from the bottom of the Black Forest, we did. Far up in the distance (about 8 km away - about 3.5 miles), we spotted the old remains of a castle and immediately determined that that was our destination. What made this hike challenging was the fact that there were about twenty different trails to follow and no idea which one to take so we randomly choose the left trails as long as they appeared to lead up the mountain. It seemed to work out since two hours later, we had reached the top of the mountain and discovered Hohenbaden, the original old castle of the city. Although a tourist attraction, there was no entrance fee and one had free reign over the entire castle. There were no limitations to where we could wander (except when we reached the top) so we discovered all the nook and crannies of this 14th century castle and I sure did learn that I love living in a time with running water! The long journey up to the top of the mountain was satisfying, especially when we looked down from the mountain and saw how far we had gone.. Now of course naturally, it's not fun to retrace the route but rather discover new ones so on the way back, it was all about choosing right and down. Of course the down route was a lot shorter since that trail was the direct trail to the castle, not the long way around like the one we choose to go up! Oops. On the plus side, Germany makes sure that the hiking is worth it so at the mid way point of the trail is a bier garden! Random but sure refreshing after a 12 km hike (a little more than 6 mile hike).

Next stop: Amsterdam
One of the memories about this trip to Amsterdam was the emotional impact that Saturday afternoon held. Through the years, I have been to many museums, but not once, has one ever lead me to tears. Anne Frank's house did that. The powerful words that she wrote in her short years made an everlasting impact from the first time that I read her words and to walk through the home where these words were written became an emotional journey. I wish that I could write what I felt that afternoon but my words will not do it justice.

Final stop: Belgium
There were only three main things that I really needed to do while in Belgium: drink a beer, eat a waffle, eat some chocolate. Initially, Brussels was the city where I could cross all three of these things off my list however since traffic was bad we detoured into Brugge and Blakenberg (coastal town next to the North Sea). One of the main attractions about Brugge is it's medieval architecture so that was super cool to see. Although to be honest, after awhile, a lot of the buildings start looking the same to me. I am looking forward to making it into Spain, Italy and Greece. I think that the buildings/structures/etc will start looking different there (I hope!). We also did make it into Blakenberge just so I can put my feet in the North Sea...one word: freezing! The town also reminded me of Miami since the coast line is only hotels and apartment buildings where it just never ends. At least I can say that I have had my feet in the North Sea.

So that was my past week. A lot of hiking, some relaxing, some wonderful German and Belgium beer in the belly and at least fifty mosquito bites to date! I expected my Asian portion of my trip to be full of mosquitos but the Netherlands sure do have a ton of them and we have a love/hate relationship. Also, we got to spend two hours on the infamous German autobahn playing catch on it since an accident shut the autobahn down for a few hours. I don´t think that that is something that I ever want to experience again though!

Anyway, the next stop will be Paris, France. There we will spend a few days taking in a super romantic city and then Marijn will head home while I continue my journey into Spain.

Ahhh...Europe...

2007-06-04T16:49:00.000-07:00

I will upload pictures as soon as I have a chance so those that are interested can take a lookie to see what shenigans I am getting myself into, but until then, I'll just blog blog blog.

Right now, I am enjoying a beer in a small little village (population: freakin' small) in the Netherlands called Vierlingsbeek. It's pretty convenient having a boyfriend who is from the Netherlands because I am getting the true experience of it. Netherlands is absolutely gorgeous and there is so much more to this country than "coffeeshops"and the red light district. I can't believe how amazing this place is. I have fallen in love with a city called Nijmegen, the oldest city in the Netherlands. This place is taking my breath away (actually, quite literally too since there is so much more nature here, my allergies are ridiculous).

I wish that I could say the same for London. Perhaps it was the jetlag or the fact that our hotel was the crappiest hotel ever, but I did not feel the love for London. The only indication that I was even out of the country was the fact that the cars drove on the opposite side. There was nothing about it that really made me feel that I was out of America. There are some beautiful aspects of London (like their public transportation system but even then, during rush hour, it feels like NY especially when the drunk guy starts to feel up on you) but I really didn't care for it. Perhaps when I come back and have more time, I can visit the outskirts of London and then will have more appreciation for it but until then, I would rather not plan on visiting it again for awhile.

Not sure where our next adventure will be at. One great thing about having all the countries close by is that everything is accessible either by train, plane or automobile. Right now, we need to flip a coin for either renting a car and doing a road trip through Germany or hoping on a plane and relaxing on the islands off Portugal. I am leaning towards a road trip cause that sounds like it could be a lot more adventurous.

Anyway, there haven't been really any adventures for me to tell yet...I'm still in the middle of doing the "meet the family and friends"which is a little intense considering I do not know the language but I'm managing. I have yet to make an ass out of myself yet so that is good.

Beer is empty so I think that it's time for another.

dream deferred...wise words from langston hughes

2007-03-26T16:53:00.000-07:00

"What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?"

"A dream deferred…" these words from Langston Hughes I can't get out of my mind. These words keep crossing my mind though because I am trying to figure out, what is my dream? What is my rubber ball that I should chase throughout life? (*Read Kevin Carroll's "Rules of the Red Rubber Ball")

I live in my day to day world, working and trying to make some difference. I volunteer to make a difference in someone's life and there is nothing like seeing the spark in her eyes when I see her inspired. I love those around me that I would do anything for them. But where are these things going to take me in life? What is the common thread within my life that I will keep carrying throughout my days? Who do I want to be? What do I want to do? Am I even going in the right direction with my career? What is the career that I want to do? Do I want to be doing advertising until I retire? I doubt it. My passion still runs deeply with the Fulfillment Fund and mentoring, perhaps a shift one day into the non-profit world will be a possibility? Is that what I want to do?

I've decided that part of my dream is to travel the world and I'm already making that a reality. As scared as I am, everything is in motion for me to begin my travels. I am anxious of the journey yet amazed that I actually followed this dream. But what else is there beyond that?

As I get older, the consideration of having a family becomes more of a realism. Having a partner who will be with me to the end? Having someone to share it with is of course something that I want to have, but it's sad knowing that nowadays, they end more in divorce than in a happy ending. But then I look at my family and other families and see that it is a possibility. Is having children another part of my dream where I can show them the world? Is that also part of my dream? All these pieces and I still can't seem to figure out what my dream is.

I guess that is something that we all go through in life. During each phase in life, we have different dreams depending on what is going on in our life at that moment. We are more focused on motions of our day to day lives that we rarely stop to reflect on ourselves and what we want in life. In this moment, as I'm writing these thoughts for others to read, I'm happy with every part of my life. And yet I question where is this all going. Fast forward to five years from now. I'll be thirty two. Where am I in life? Will I have that same partner? That child? That perfect house with the white picket fence and that ideal career? Or will I still be pondering love and life in the comfort of my home, with no one to come home too? Five years sounds like a long time ago yet being twenty two was just yesterday.

A dream deferred…am I deferring it or moving closer towards it?

Soaring above it all

2007-03-05T16:52:00.000-08:00

The Northern California area always makes me happy. No matter if I am there for a day or a wonderful weekend, it makes me content and peaceful.

This weekend, I took it a step further with making it peaceful and we soared above it all with only the sound of the wind rushing over us. Although there was no adrenaline rush like there was with skydiving, we still felt the rush as we did turns and maneuvers that made me feel like I was about to lose my breakfast.

If you ever have the chance to plane glide, I definitely suggest it because there really isn't anything like it. Soar Hollister in Hollister was a great company to fly with, the pilot really kept us at ease and walked us through the whole process.

I can't wait to see what adventure is in store for us next but I know that it will be fun!