Raleigh, North Carolina

Yes, I am back in the land of the free, the home of the brave, the US of A. Without going into too much boring detail, it is very nice to be able to see friends and family again, to speak a language I understand, and to sleep in a bed with clean sheets. At the request of my Aunt Sue, I am trying to make up a "Best/Worst Travels" List. I'll add on to it as I remember things. Important things (aka, food) first:

1. Best/Worst Meal
Best: red pork curry with rice at some little Thai restaurant in Pai, Thailand. It's killing me that I can't remember the name of this place!! This curry was so insanely good!
Runner-ups: the clear soup with pork, shrimp, and tofu at Chote Chitr in Bangkok; vegetable laap in Moung Ngoi, Laos; sticky rice with mango at any food stall in Bangkok; fried shrimp with fresh green peppercorns in Kampot, Cambodia.

Worst: Noodle soup in Luang Prabang, Laos that gave me food poisoning.
Runner-up: Beef lop lak at Blissful Guesthouse in Kampot that gave me slightly less bad food poisoning.

2. Best/Worst Drink
Best: a tie between Beer Lao and Lao coffee! Beer Lao is a really crisp, refreshing beer that goes well with spicy foods and hot summer nights...too bad the only place you can drink it is in Laos! Lao coffee is crazy strong and always comes mixed with condensed, sweetened milk. Best drunk iced. Like a frappacino, but 10,000 times more delicious.

Worst: coconut water straight from the coconut. Everyone but me seems to love it. It has a funny, nutty, hard to describe taste that I really did not enjoy.

3. Best/worst snack food:
Best: another tie, this time between fresh fruit and deep-fried, salted peanuts in Thailand. mmm...addictive.

Worst: the deep-fried cockroaches for sale in the markets in Asia. I've been told they taste like french fries, but no...just no. i wasn't able to get up the nerve to eat these babies.

4. Best/Worst Overall Experience
Best: Climbing solo to Mueller Hut in Aoraki National Park in New Zealand. This was a fairly tough, steep 4 hour climb that I definitely wouldn't have had the confidence to do had I not been hiking all around NZ the previous month. I slept overnight in Mueller Hut and got to experience a gorgeous sunset and sunrise over Mt. Aoraki and several glaciers. It was incredibly beautiful and felt so removed from present-day life. A great way to cap off my visit to New Zealand.
Runners-up: Visiting Jacinta and her family at their farm in Coragulac, Australia; seeing Angkor Wat in Cambodia; caring for elephants in Thailand; hiking the 3 day Tongariro Crossing and climbing Mt. Ngauruhoe in New Zealand.

Worst: I really didn't have any bad experiences on my trip - didn't get seriously ill, never had anything stolen, never got really lost. Even when I lost my camera and all my memory cards, it was all returned to me! But for sheer annoyance, getting stranded in Agnes Water, Australia during the rainy season was the worst! I almost missed my flight to New Zealand and screwed up the whole trip!

...and that's all I can think of tonight. more later!

Bangkok, Thailand

The end is near. Tonight I'll spend 17 hours in a plane, falling asleep in Asia and waking up in New York. It is bittersweet. I am of course looking forward to seeing my family and friends, but I know I will miss this freedom a great deal. But, like I said when I started blogging, "every new beginning comes from some other's beginning's end". What new beginning comes next for me? I guess I'll find out soon enough...

Ayutthaya, Thailand

I'm here in Ayutthaya to see the ancient ruins of Thailand's former capital. Unfortunately, after seeing Angkor Wat, ruins have to be pretty amazing to impress me! the highlight of my stay here was my journey to the Thai Arts and Crafts center at Bang Sai. according to tourist guide i found here, there's supposed to be a bus running from ayutthaya to bang sai. well...there's not. or maybe there is and my lack of thai language is to blame. but i ended up taking 2 buses, a policeman's motorbike, and a boat to get to the center! i don't think that's how the guide intended for me to get there... it was pretty amusing, because the last bus dropped me off on some highway in the middle of nowhere but the conductor nicely spoke to the local policemen for me, telling them where i wanted to go. then this group of thai policement (who seemed to have very litte work to do!) argued amongst themselves about the best way for me to get to the center and finally one officer offered me a ride on his bike. i've heard that the police here are not averse to bribes, but this group was so nice! the officer who gave me a ride absolutely refused money, saying "No no, i am police! is my job!" the crafter center was pretty cool too and i got back to ayutthaya just as the monsoon rains hit. home in one week!

Kampot, Cambodia

"once you have visited Cambodia, you will never stop wanting to beat Henry Kissinger to death"- Anthony Bourdain, correct as always

Bourdain said this because the origins of the Khmer Rouge and horrible genocide and civil war in the late 1970s in Cambodia can be traced directly to Kissinger''s actions as US Secretary of State. Essentially, Kissinger involved the Cambodians in a civil war they didn't want, with the promise of full US backing against Communism and the Khmer Rouge, but then abruptly pulled out, and left Cambodia in the hands of Pol Pot. After Pol Pot and his followers were done decimating all the intellectuals in Cambodia (doctors, teachers, lawyers, even people who wore glasses because it made them look "smart") there was no one left to help rebuild Cambodia's infrastructure. The country has just recently been getting back on its feet thanks to foreign investment and tourism dollars, but I can tell you personally that their health system is STILL suffering the after effects of years of war and killing.

i am sad but hopeful for this country that i have come to love over the past few weeks. you know how some places just feel right? cambodia feels like that to me. i look forward to coming back and hopefully working here in the near future.

also, i am on the coast of Cambodia right now and it is truly one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen in my life. it has the added bonus of delicious, cheap seafood.

Siem Reap, Cambodia

I've had a grand old time exploring the ruins of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap but I think the reason I like Cambodia so much is because of the people. I don't think I've ever met such friendly, good humored, and generous people as the Cambodians. Before I came here, other travellers were complaining about Cambodia, saying in the words of one girl "Cambodia is scary. All the intellectuals were wiped out by the Khmer Rouge and now the people that are left are really rough and scary." What rubbish! I have not for one moment felt unsafe here. Even the people who I suppose might be considered "scary"- the pushier tuk tuk drivers and beggars- are nothing to be frightened of. The tuk tuk drivers are very jokey and make a big show of hollering "Helloooooo madaaaaammmeee!"when they want me to hire them for a trip across town.

The beggars, on the other hand, are just incredibly sad. A lot of them are land mine victims or children. I will never forget one woman who was begging outside of the temples: she sat on the ground in this ridiculous tropical heat, holding her baby. The baby was hydrocephalic (medical term, i.e., a huge swollen head) and had what looked like a tumor growing over his right eye. He was crying and squirming and it literally felt like somebody punched me in the heart when I looked at him. I gave the mother some money and kept going to the temple but I am still thinking about her. If you want to donate money to a worthy cause, please please PLEASE donate money to one of these two hospitals: Kantha Bopha Javaryaman VII Hospital or Angkor Children's Hospital, both in Siem Reap. Kantha Bopha actually has several branches throughout Cambodia and offers free medical care to all comers. I donated some money to both hospitals and gave blood, which they are in desperately short supply of here. I toured Angkor Hospital and again, it feels like your heart is being shredded when you look at these kids. Malnutrition, TB, dengue fever, malaria, and their parents just have no money to pay for their medical care. They would have to sell their land, their animals, their everything, to save their childrens' lives if hospitals like Kantha Bopha did not exist. The people of Cambodia, who have been so hospitable and kind to me as I visit their country, deserve better than this. Thanks for reading.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Because my brother Peter said it all the time when I was planning my travels, I have to say this now: "Holidays in Cambodiiiaaa!" Dead Kennedys song, I think? My first impressions of my "holiday" were not so great. After crossing the Cambodian border from Laos (in a beat up Toyota Camry with 4 Cambodians and 2 Americans named Lavender and Grasshopper - yes, I kid you not about the names) I stayed in the provinicial towns of Kratie and Kompong Cham. Both towns have very kind, friendly inhabitants but are just not very much fun. Kratie in particular was very dirty, as in dead animals on the street, trash strewn everywhere, mysterious puce colored, nasty smelling smoke coming from windows. Kompong Cham was cleaner but terminally boring. So I was not expecting much from the capital but I have been pleasantly suprised! The parts I've seen of Phnom Penh are beautiful - a little dirty but that's southeast asia for you and certainly cleaner than parts of NYC or Philly. It's a very French town, but it's on the Tonle Sap River and has tons of coconut trees, so there's a tropical feel as well. I walked through a park at dusk today and everyone was outside playing in the cool of the evening. I even managed a few brief conversations in Khmer! The downside here is the food: there are tons of Western restaurants but I have some principles against eating fries and burgers while in freakin' Asia. Then there are the Khmer restaurants. but one can only eat rice and stirfries so many days in a row. And then there are the noodle stalls but my stomach says "If you EVER eat noodle soup again, I will make you very very sorry." I can barely even look at noodle soup anymore, which is a shame because it's cheap and good here, and it used to be one of my favorite foods. So mostly I just eat fresh fruit and French baguettes - no complaints so far! I'm really looking forward to heading to Angkor Wat later this week!

Luang Prabang, Laos

It seems that Luang Prabang is my own personal Hotel California: I can check out any time I like, but I can never leave. Twice I have bought bus tickets to other towns, and the night before each trip I wake up so violently ill that I have to stumble to the travel agent in the morning and ask to change my ticket. Tip: if you visit Luang Prabang, and go to the night food market, do not eat at the noodle stall at the very far end of the market street. You will regret it, trust me.

So hopefully I leave tomorrow for southern Laos with an intact digestive system. I have spent more time in Luang Prabang than any other place I have visited - 11 days in total! Several days were spent unwillingly flat on my back in bed, though. It is a beautiful town, with gorgeous old Buddhist temples, banana and coconut trees along the Mekong, French colonial architecture, and little kid monks in bright orange robes strolling through the streets. But it's also extremely touristy and comparatively expensive to other towns I've visited (comparatively meaning that I am reluctant to hand over more than $2 for a meal - maybe one reason I vomited for 3 hrs last night?) I am ready to leave and see other places and people.

Just read on CNN about the cyclone in Myanmar - so sad. I've heard it's primary day in North Carolina - hope you all voted for either Obama or Clinton! I'm going to see if my stomach will tolerate some flat Coca-Cola now, next time you hear from me, I'll probably be in another country.

Luang Prabang, Laos

I wrote a nice post on Laos but then the damn computer ate it and now I have to get off the internet, so all you get is:
Luang Prabang is beautiful
I saw water buffalo
I rented a bicycle
Tomorrow I will see 10,000 Buddha statues in caves
Maybe I will update more tomorrow. Stupid computer!

Pai, Thailand

The owner of my guesthouse said to me today, "Ha ha, you no wet today!" because every other time he's seen me, i've been soaking wet from little thai punks throwing buckets of water on me. songkran is finally over!! it does feel nice to get cool with the water, but 5 days of getting slammed was a bit much. last night i ate the best meal i've had in thailand so far: grilled pork in red curry with rice. this very nice american couple kept talking to me from their table, and usually i welcome company at meals, but this time i was just thinking "shut up and let me concentrate on my curry!"

My parents are going to kill me when they hear this but....I rented a motorbike today and drove through the mountains! and yes, i wore a helmet. i also stopped at every buddhist temple along the way and prayed for a safe trip. it was scary, because i'd never rode a motor bike before and wasn't sure i'd be able to hack it, but i did it! by the end of the trip (i drove for like 6 hours all around Pai) i was actually pretty good. i don't think i'll do it again any time soon but it really felt like an adventure. the mountains here are lovely but i think i'm visiting them in the wrong season because it is just so damn hot here. the ground is baked, the grass is fried, and everything -plants, animals, people- looks exhausted.

Bangkok, again

Back in my home base of Bangkok, but leaving tonight for Chiang Mai to celebrate the Thai New Year! It'll be an experience, I think....the Thai New Year, Songkran, is basically a festival that centers around dumping huge buckets of water on everyone. In particular, farangs (foreigners, in Thai). Oh well, at least the water will keep me cool. have to remember NOT to take camera or cell phone out during the festival.

I am now officially a certified scuba diver! I took a dive course in Koh Tao and it was scary and amazing! aaaand....I SWAM WITH SHARKS! black tip reef sharks, generally harmless to humans, but still how cool is that?

just got my hair cut for five bucks. it was suffering terribly after being in the sun and salt water for a week. the sun here is pretty ridiculous. on the beach i sat in the shade, reapplied spf 50 (50! i didn't even know they made it that high), and wore a t shirt and i'm a dark, dark brown color. i have to go eat lunch now and buy a plane ticket to laos. sawadeeka!

p.s. thanks to people for their emails, particularly aunt mary!! sorry i am really bad at not returning emails or sending post cards! i'm trying to get better.

Koh samui, thailand

imagine the most beautiful beach you have ever seen in your life: soft white sand, clear blue water, swaying palm trees, a few small fishing boats out in the distance. now imagine that that beach is saturated with built up bungalows and hotels. disappointing eh? ahhh tourism. hopefully my next island location, koh tao, will be a tad more remote. off for a massage now!

Bangkok, Thailand

Less than 24 hours in Bangkok and I feel like everything I own is covered in a layer of sweat. Imagine New York City in August, only much more humid and smelly. But this makes it sound like I don't like Bangkok....I kinda do. I think. I know I like the food. My first meal in Bangkok was pad thai from a street vendor. It was very good and cost 20 baht, or about 50 cents. I'm staying in the traveler's ghetto of Khao San Road right now and it's really fun to walk through the street -I've heard people hate it here but I'm weird in that I think it's funny when tuk tuk drivers call out "Hey nice lady, where you go? where you want to go? i take you there!" So I should love the rest of southeast asia right? I stayed in the Novotel airport hotel the first night because my flight got in late and it was probably the nicest hotel I have ever stayed at...huge comfy bed, enormous bath tub, a phone in the bathroom?! Okay this internet cafe connection sucks so I have to go now. i miss my family and friends a lot right now, i think people should meet me at the beach in thailand pronto.

Whirinaki Rain Forest New Zealand

I'm actually in Christchurch awaiting my flight to Bangkok, not Whirinaki, but I liked this photo. Taken in the middle of a five hour hike through the rainforest, I look pretty happy here but I was really sick with that sinus infection at the time.

Happy Easter! It's Easter Monday in New Zealand and hardly any shops are open. I went to Christchurch Cathedral last night for Easter Mass and listened to some gorgeous music. I also celebrated by eating five Cadbury creme eggs. Except they don't just have regular creme eggs here...they have caramel, peppermint, and regular creme. mmm. on a related note, I have gained 4 kilos in 2 months!! that's a lot! i'm just going to say it's all muscle because I have been shouldering a 10 kilo pack and hiking quite a bit for the last few weeks.

Tomorrow I fly to Bangkok and I'm staying in a *gasp* hotel! I can't say how thrilled I am to know that I'll actually be able to afford hotels in Asia, rather than 6 person dorm beds. I enjoy hanging out in hostels but as the world's lightest sleeper, I've been having trouble sleeping at night when at least one person out of six in the room snores. I'm looking forward to the food in Bangkok too, but I am quite anxious about the culture shock. We'll see how it goes....xoxo.

Mt. Cook National Park, New Zealand

things i have been doing for the past four weeks in new zealand:

-eating enough peanut butter, hummus, cheese, and bread to last me a lifetime. seriously this has been my daily diet for weeks now. no complaining though, because i love all of those things.
-zipping through the north and south islands and totally falling in love with the country
-hiking and camping through some of the most beautiful scenery in the world
-climbing mountains
-being really tired every night from climbing said mountains

i'm in mt cook national park and tomorrow i will hike to a hut and sleep there for the night. so i'm off to pack now. buenas noches!

wellington, new zealand

if you were biting your nails about my escape from agnes water, fear not! i escaped and made it back to sydney in time for my flight to new zealand. exactly how i escaped is a story for another time, possibly with a few bottles of wine to pass the time....long story short, i got back to sydney via ferry, van, car, walking, train, and plane. not joking. it was an adventure though.

and i haven't been updating at all because i just finished ten days hiking in the wilderness of New Zealand's North Island. absolutely stunning! i just loved it. i was sick as a dog for part of it, and had some nasty blisters but i climbed 3 mountains, walked for 8 hours at a time, and camped under the stars. i am still in awe of the magnificence of the wilderness here. i'll upload photos when i get a decent computer, but if you are curious to see which mountains i climbed, you can watch"Lord of the Rings" or "The Last Samurai" (i climbed "Mt. Doom" aka Mt. Ngaruhoe, and Mt. Taranaki from Samurai). ok time on computer is up, love you all.

Agnes Water, Australia

Help, I am trapped in the most boring town on Australia's East Coast! Severe flooding has closed the roads in and out of the town, and there's NOTHING to do. I really shouldn't complain because things could be a lot worse, aka I could be one of the poor passengers on a stranded yacht out on the Whitsunday Islands! I just bought a ticket out of town tomorrow and I'm praying soooo hard that the roads are passable in the morning! Pretty much the rest of my trip in Australia and NZ depends on me getting out of here tomorrow so um, just cross your fingers for me. I'm going to go check out the ridiculous waves on the beach right now and maybe eat some lollies (Aussie for candy) to make myself feel better. cheers!

Hervey Bay, Australia

Quick post because I've just come back from 3 days of beach camping and I am FAMISHED:

I'm happy and tanned (ok maybe a little sunburned), I saw dingos and dolphins, I kinda surfed, I've started saying "No worries", and I love Australia. Also, this country is bleeding money from me! Pizza time now, more posting later if less hungry!

Sydney, Australia

To everyone in Minnesota: All I've been doing for the past eleven days in Australia is
a) lying on various beautiful beaches
b) checking out some of the world's best surfers
c) getting a suntan
d) eating ice cream
and
e) wearing tank tops and shorts

I'm sorry, I just had to rub it in. I think the best way for me to do this blog is just to promise you better photos and stories when I get back to the US, and to just live them right now and write little bits of it on here. Suffice to say, the Great Ocean Road, Sydney Harbor, the Sydney Opera house, and the Otways National Rainforest are more beautiful than any photo I could take or words I could write. You just need to go see them, period.

I'm off to bed now because I have an appointment to go surfing at 0600. It's a rough life.

Auckland, NZ

Waiting in Auckland's airport for my delayed flight to depart for New Zealad. I am so tired I feel sick. Our flight was supposed to leave at 655 and now it's leaving at 1130, putting me in international transit for roughly 24 hrs. Just....want...to....sleep.....

In other news, I really liked my day and a half in LA! I stayed with the lovely Amanda and her great roommate Lynn and got to do all the various touristy stuff, including taking pictures of the Hollywood sign and seeing the Walk of Fame. I took a picture of Arnold Schwartzenegger's hand and foot prints. I think it's time for a little coffee right now, but hopefully I will get to Australia by 5 pm tonight. g'day!