Musings of a Blog Writer

Well, I thought I had been a fairly consistent blogger but I have had quite the number of disgruntled comments from followers who think I am slacking on the job. My apologies to you, but also let me express my gratitude. I have high aspirations of travel writing especially after seeing an article on CNN: "Honeymoon Tester is Latest Dream Job." And it is imperative I get back into top blogging shape.

Jordan and I think after our Balinese experience we could be the perfect candidates. We are highly adaptable and have no qualms with a romantic couples massage. And we even have our own travel blogs! It might not be as informative as some other blogs, but hopefully, it is more amusing.

In honor of my travel writing dreams, I thought I would include some random travel musings:

-- In India, it was easier to ignore the masses shouting at me from across the road. However, here in Southeast Asia, that is a touch more difficult. More because the names they call out are so hilarious, I can't help but stop in my tracks and laugh out loud. We are called "sir," "mister," "lady," and "darling" among other things. I find it especially amusing when Jordan is called "mister." I am not sure why, but I think it has something to do with the fact that when we met at Chimney Corners Camp all her campers called her "daddy."

--International Drivers Licenses. Apparently these are necessary for renting motorbikes. If caught without one, expect to pay a hefty bribe (yes, bribe -- not fine). Thank you, Mr. Moped Rental Man for telling us this in advance of Bali road trip 2010. Good thing the angels are on our side because we didn't have any issues. This however has deterred us from future rentals (probably much to the delight of our parents). We now stick to bicycles. Even though the last one I rented near Angkor Wat was half broken and way to tall for me.

By the way, just because driving occurs on the right side of the road in Cambodia doesn't mean it is easier to navigate the streets on a bicycle.

--Pajama sets. This is apparently the latest trend for Cambodian women. You see everyone wearing them from the Disney character to fluorescent florals. I often think of what I would like to invest in (if I wasn't currently blowing my savings on curry and beer) and I think a shop specializing in pajamas would be quite successful. Think of all the marketing slogans for an outfit you can wear day and night, on the beach or on a bike!

Well, I had more musings, but sadly this site closed down on me and I lost most of them. Double the sadness, I was planning on posting this a few days ago but then after the crash we had to leave our hotel in Siem Reap (think Angkor Wat) and head to.. you guessed it... MORE BEACHES!

So as an Easter gift, I will post this and then post another tomorrow.

Disclaimer: As of this moment, I do not in fact think I will seriously pursue the travel writer career, if someone offers me a book deal to detail my fabulous life... well that is another story.

Recent milestone: Officially filled up my passport. I no longer have free spaces for visas. Hopefully, I won't get deported. Worst case scenario, bribery might work.

Our Balinese Honeymoon

And now for the first guest blog writer ever featured on International Steph... Jordan Swaim. Jordan did such a beautiful job capturing our romantic getaway that I can't help by share it with you. Here is what she has to say:

Shelli and Papa Jimbo receive a gold star this week haven given me the best 25th birthday present I could have asked for, the chance to indulge in Bali’s resort scene. And oh how we’ve indulged! Steph and I have been gallivanting across this beautiful island on a moped, hopping from one beach town to the next and enjoying what I’ve come to refer to as our Balinese Honeymoon. I’ve perfected my skills as a passenger and Sherpa (as holder of our bags) leaving Stephanie free to drive like the wind.

We arrived in Kuta around 11:00 PM and it felt very, ‘bright lights, big city.‘ An enormous McDonalds sign read, “Welcome Home“ and I quickly realized that we were in the tourist capital of all of Indonesia. We hunted down backpacker accommodations (saving our indulgence for later in the week) and grabbed a quick bite before checking email and getting to bed. The next day we rented lounge chairs on Kuta’s main beach and enjoyed a lovely day of sun and surf. We ate at a beach-side stall for lunch and had the best Gado-Gado (boiled vegetables, tempe, and sticky rice in a peanut sauce) that we’ve had to date. The vendor prepared the peanut sauce right in front of us with a mortar and pestle and apparently, brown sugar, chilies, water, and peanuts= perfection.

That night we attempted to go out but fatigue from the sun made for a sad state of affairs. We were in bed by 9:45. Steph and I are worried that we might not be any fun anymore so we’ve vowed to party it up and maybe even go clubbing when we return to Kuta at the end of the week.

On to our honeymoon! Steph skillfully navigated our way out of Kuta and onto the main road that would bring us across the mountainous innards of Bali. The roads twisted and turned up into the hills as it got increasingly misty. We saw chubby roadside monkeys and enjoyed the greenery and Hindu temples along the way. We stopped to take photos at Danau Bayan (a pretty lake covered in mist) and were sold some delicious fresh strawberries. I was so excited to see the fresh fruit that I shoved them into my mouth with barely a rinse. They were bright red and simply scrumptious…and I didn’t get dysentery!

Our first stop was Lovina, a destination known for its black sandy beaches, snorkeling and dolphin spotting. We found a very nice resort with gorgeous landscaping, arbors of flowers over the stone pathways ,and outdoor showers. Our honeymoon suite came with air conditioning and though we slept in twin beds, I still felt like a newlywed!

The next morning we went on a sunrise dolphin watch. It was very romantic but we didn’t see a single dolphin Still, the sunrise was worth it and I enjoyed riding in the traditional Balinese boat with the arms that dramatically stretched over the water and gave the scarily narrow boat some balance.

From Lovina we drove to Amed and had a bungalow on the water. We were tormented by roosters but had a nice time. I’ve always had a love for animals but I had some violent thoughts involving BB guns and the demise of some vocal roosters. Riding into Lovina we had a minor incident involving our moped and met a nice man who had pulled over to offer his assistance. He invited us back to the restaurant he owned and we had dinner and we befriended his wife. She offered to cook us a traditional Balinese lunch off-menu the following day. We gleefully returned the next day to quite the spread, my favorite being a decadent black rice pudding. It was warm and sweet and topped with coconut milk. Yummmmm!

That evening we had a couples massage on the beach. Our beds were lying next to one another, so close that we could have held hands. I wasn’t really interested though because I had to focus on not drooling too much in my state of extreme relaxation. I got a bit self-conscious and downright annoyed when another tourist started taking photos of our intimate moment. We were lying, half nude and covered with oil and I didn’t really appreciate the audience. But I couldn’t stay mad long because I was so relaxed.

Now we’ve moved along to Candidasa. We’re at the fanciest hotel yet and we have a stunning infinite pool overlooking the water. I hope our honeymoon continues in our final days of island bliss.

You can check out more from this fabulous travel writer at http://fpdiaries.wordpress.com/

The Halfway Point

It is hard to believe that my nearly five month adventure has found its halfway point. Two months and however many days in, I find myself taking inventory of the things I have done and the things I still want to do. I have traveled solo around the craziest country I have ever been, taken countless overnight travel adventures, tried new cuisines (though have yet to eat any of the fried bugs that are supposedly infamous in this region). I have met some fabulous people I would love to see again and seen some incredible landscapes I might never again have the chance to return to. I feel I have seen so much but still have goals I wish to accomplish including riding an elephant, more volunteering, clubbing in Bali, and get more pages for my passport. I also have yet to send a single postcard, even though I have written a few… start checking your mailbox in a month or maybe I will just hand it to you when I get home…

I have managed to take over 500 pictures and stay relatively within budget. And except for a minor blip in India, I have stayed relatively healthy and definitely malaria free. For a classy Jersey lady with a clear memory of being twelve years old and never thinking she would leave the country (maybe Mexico), I am impressed. Only two more continents left -- Antarctica and Australia -- though I have managed to get about 2 hours away from each. Interestingly enough, this does not make me want to live abroad as I previously thought but am more convinced then ever on where I want to end up… within the continental U.S.

So enjoy the new round of pictures. The next half of my trip will see visits to Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Northern Thailand. Expect more elephants, more jungle treks, less motorbike “incidents” and whatever else we happen to find.

Dolphins are Stupid, but Road Trips are Quite Nice

Waking up for a sunrise cruise around Bali to see the dolphins sounds like a fabulous idea unless in fact at the end of the two hours you end up with no dolphin sightings (but you have seen someone catch a really big fish and then found a dead dog on the beach).

Okay, in reality -- the “dolphin” trip was not that bad -- the sky was positively gorgeous as the sun came up over the hills and spread across the ocean. I always send out a quick whisper to the angels and thank them for inspiring me to get a camera that can try and capture the beauty at moments like that. The purples and pinks in the sky were unlike anything I had ever seen before. And, even though two hours were spent speeding back and forth in a semi-safe boat, the final hour culminated in a snorkeling trip where I saw some incredible fishies and blue starfish. I never even knew starfish could be blue!

Luckily, there are (supposedly) no sharks in Bali so I relaxed, ignored the fact I might resemble a baby seal (and entice a shark to eat me), and enjoyed the wonders of the sea.

So now that I have explained why dolphins are stupid, perhaps you are wondering about the road trip aspect of my title? Maybe you are thinking… but Stephanie -- you are a backpacker! That’s not the same as a road trip… Well, my friend, for the time being -- Jordan and I have consolidated our precious belongings into one pack, rented a motorbike, and bought a map. Note: the rest of our stuff is safely tucked away at our hotel in Kuta, where we must return to fly out to Cambodia next week.

We decided to cross the interior of the Bali island on the first leg of the trip and then make our way across the eastern side of the island. We had met some Germans who completed a similar trip, warning us of rainy season in the hills in the center so we figured we would get the “unpleasant” part out of the way. I use quotes because clearly biking through Bali could not be unpleasant but nasty weather is not my friend.

Anyway, it ended up being a glorious ride through the hills, passing rice paddies, volcanoes, and crater lakes. We also passed a colony of incredibly fat monkeys that we wanted to stop and take pictures of but then thought they might jump on us. There were a few times we passed other bikers wearing ponchos and we got semi-worried, but fortunately, the rain managed to hold off until we were almost at the end of the downhill portion. Then we started going super slow, causing Asian bikers to ask us if we were okay. “Of course we were okay!” we answered, “we just like to go slow!” The Asians normally shrugged and sped off, leaving us alone on our slow descent while we sang songs about being in the rain.

Finally, we made it out of the hill/mountains, and onto the beach! Our first stop was be Lovina, home of the dolphins and black sand. It is a pretty nifty beach except for the lack of dolphins and the dead dog lying on the beach in front of my hotel.

Disclaimer: Each morning you have a good chance of seeing the dolphins, we happened to go on a morning with 0. That is okay. I do actually like dolphins.

Photo Update... Continue Down for New Posts

New Indonesia pictures!!

Heaven is a Place on Earth

We have reached Yogyakarta (Y pronounced as J). It is considered the center of Javanese culture with gamelan (music) and wayang (puppets) galore. The overnight train ride itself was a terrible experience of too much light and stiff limbs; however, the kindness of one innkeeper upon our arrival saved us from near death as we were able to crash on the couches for a few hours to find out if a room would come available (note: we had arrived at 5 AM and did not sleep a wink on the train).

Waking up a few hours later to free instant coffee, we decided to hang out and see if we could stay. The place seemed pretty nice and social with quite the lovely artistic ambience. The first person to join us near the free coffee was an older Irish man. He told us he was hung over and needed coffee. Then he explained that he and his girlfriend came to Java but upon reaching the hotel she dumped him. He finished his coffee, went to the hotel’s fridge, and got a beer.

Time check? 7:45 AM. I thought of my college friends celebrating our beloved Doghead (St. Patricks day celebration, wake up at the crack of dawn, wear green, drink) and realized if I had had more than 2 hours of sleep I might have joined in on the morning pick-me-up.

We were quickly joined by his Swedish friend, ending up swapping stories and watching the Irish man have a second beer. Then we found out no rooms would free up that day. It was time to be on our merry way.

We stopped at a few hotels but they were also all full. The combination of the early hour and holiday weekend was starting to worry me, but in reality, I was okay because we were hopeful one specific one with a pool would open up. After testing out the deliciously refreshing pool, we decided to try our luck and left our names at the hotel so we could go in search of food and markets.

Luckily, the angels were on our side, and when we got back to check if we had a room, one was available! It was even the cheap one we wanted. Feeling good again. We couldn’t get into our room right away but no worries -- we changed into our swim suits and jumped in the pool. Feeling super-good again.

Heaven. On. Earth.

This hotel feels like it should be tucked away in Greece (not that I have ever been) but I would imagine this whitewash with balconies and terraces could fit in perfectly. Our pool even lights up at night. Fabulous.

P.S. Did I mention that in our sleep-deprived delirium we ended up booking loads of tours? Monday will be spent at Borobudur, a fantastic temple reflecting Buddha’s life and his travel to enlightenment. Tuesday begins a two-day tour, ending in Bali (beaches!!!) and stopping at Gunung Bromo (volcano!!!) along the way.

Fingers crossed the ferry from Java to Bali won’t be overloaded. In the words of trusted world traveler, all ferries in Indonesia look sketchy. Don’t get on the ones that look too sketchy.

P.P.S If you haven’t heard from me in a bit after this post, don’t worry. Just assume I am safely traveling from beach to beach on a motorbike. We met some people who said they rented one for five days and took a road trip around Bali. Yes and yes, please!

My 10,000 Rupiah Splurge

Time to admit it. I'm not exactly the best of the best when it comes to backpacking (though you might have already guessed that...). I don't mind wearing the same clothes over and over and I can wait an extra day or two to take a shower, but I like to shave my legs and after two months in Asia I was desperate for an eyebrow waxing.

I had been holding off since images of of being left with half a brow or burnt skin from wax were dancing in my head, but I figured Jakarta was a safe enough place to take a gamble with my precious (and oh-so-tan) face. Surprisingly enough, there was an official looking salon approximately 200 meters from my hotel in the "backpacker's ghetto" and it even had a poster out front showcasing a lady with some fabulous looking locks. I decided to go in and give it a shot.

Walking in, the little parlour consisted of a massage table, a swivel chair, a mirror, and a chair to sit on by the door. There were two customers and two beauticians as I had walked in on a facial and a woman having her hair curled. After a few hand gestures, it was confirmed they could do something about my eyebrows and that it would cost 10,000 rupiah.

Note: This is equivalent to $1. This experiment had the potential to leave me with one eyebrow, but at least it was cheap.

I settled into the chair by the door and awaited my turn. Things seemed pretty legitimate. Both hairdressers seemed pretty trendy and the curling action going on for one of the customers was so appealing I momentarily contemplated having the same done. Then I came back to reality and remembered my impending overnight train ride. I continued to survey the scene when I noticed some movement in a little travel crate. I saw two eyes and did a double take.

"Dog." One of the hairdressers had seen me looking at it and answered my unspoken question. I told her I thought it might have been a kitty. I am not quite sure she understood my response but either way, the facial was over and it became my turn.

Gesturing began again as I understood I was supposed to stay in my chair. My new eyebrow stylist came towards me with some tweezers and so I took to opportunity to say "wax" and add in some charades.

At that point, the "woman" getting her hair curled turned around (and I say "woman" because, yes, it turns out this was a lady boy), repeated wax, said something in Indonesian, and all three women rolled their eyes (or something like that).

Since waxing was apparently not going to happen at this point, I figured that as long as I wasn't doing the plucking I could withstand the tweezers. I leaned back and prepared myself for the pain. I felt a quick pluck and then it stopped. I opened one eye and saw my new stylist reach into a bag and pull out a razor. Then she pulled out something that looked like an exacto knife... then she stuck the razor into the exacto knife holder... and started to walk towards me again.

Still not quite sure what I had gotten into, I kept repeating over and over in my head: "at least it is only 10,000 rupiah" and "well this woman's eyebrows are nice so maybe mine will be too."

When the procedure was finished, I checked out the final product and couldn't help but smile. Let's be honest, the exacto knife method of trimming the eyebrows worked out pretty well and I was looking fabulous as usual. I'm not sure if it is something I will want to experience again but I did receive approval from the lady boy so who knows? Personally I think it would be safer to risk burn by wax than eye gouge by razor blade (and I am sure there are more than a few out there who would agree with me).

P.S My next spa treatment might have to be a massage in Bali next week. After all, you know my motto, sometimes a girl has got to treat herself (and once again, I am definitely not in the best of the best backpacker category so I say that often in regards to sunset beers -- and in tonight's case, fingers crossed, a hotel with a gorgeous pool).

I Should Have Written a Food Blog.

Last night = first night in Jakarta (Java... capital of Indonesia) = Hungry.

The past few days have passed in a bit of a blur, and an expensive blur at that. We arrived in Padang, Sumatra in search of a plane ticket to Java and found pricey accommodation and not-so-cheap flight tickets. However, with our pricey hotel we were given air conditioning, a television, and breakfast. We went to bed exhausted after watching a terrible movie yet refreshed by the cool air blowing from our AC.

Waking up on Thursday (the day of food and the night ending in hunger), I was looking forward to our breakfast. I figured since it was included, I would attempt to stock up on food, maybe even shoving some in my pocket. I joked with Jordan that it would be the traditional Indonesian breakfast of fried rice as we headed downstairs to check it out.

"Coffee or tea?" we were asked by the man working. I replied coffee, Jordan said tea. The man walked away saying, "tea, tea" and left us wondering if I would get my coffee.

Alas! He came back with two whole pots -- one coffee, one tea. Life was pretty nifty as he slid a plate with four slices of folded up bread across the table. We then realized there was something inside the folded toast! Could it be jam?

I opened one up and upon inspection identified chocolate sprinkles inside! A jimmy sandwich!! Who would have thought? Who could possibly have been the person to make such a thing for breakfast? Positively mind boggling aka absolutely hysterical (and surprisingly yummy).

After our breakfast, we reclined for a little bit longer and then headed off to the airport. Not even 1 hour after eating the jimmy sandwiches, and I felt hungry again. After all, sprinkles and white bread isn't exactly the equivalent of an energizing breakfast. I began to dream of all the different foods that might be given to us on our airplane. Asian airlines are much more likely to pass out full meals at every opportunity so I was relatively optimistic there would be another meal included in the price of our ticket.

Once in the air, I noticed the stewardess coming around and handing out a snack. I couldn't quite tell what it was but was not expecting a plain roll. Though actually, it wasn't quite plain. There was some sort of unidentified green substance on top. It was too strategically placed to be mold and I was too hungry so I dug in. The green stuff didn't quite taste like anything but it was semi-sweet. Maybe it was melted sprinkles? Who knows. Two "free" meals down and I was excited to land in Jakarta in search of even more food.

After making some friends and finding a hotel, we decided it was time to check some internet and then head off to dinner. Outside the internet place, I asked someone for a restaurant recommendation. He gave us the name to an Indonesian restaurant, said it was really good and they had music.

When we got there, we took a quick look at the menu to establish it was in our price range. I asked a waitress if there was music and she said "yes, yes." Life seemed pretty nifty again. We sat down and asked for more menus. The waiter seemed a little confused and brought over a woman. She asked us what country we were from. We replied USA and Germany. Both of them walked away.

Not even 30 seconds later, the man was back and placed about 12 small plates in front of us of random Indonesian food. The woman came back and placed two small flags on our table. One American, one German. They walked away leaving us contemplating the next step.

I knew this was a fairly common system. The staff gives you a bunch of plates, you pick what you want to eat, and then they charge you only for what you have eaten. We decided to give it a shot and stick with the chicken options (cold fish that has been sitting around seemed like an Infectious Disease 101 No-no).

The food was nothing spectacular and we decided to only have a little bit and then splurge on ice cream. After all, we figured the meal couldn't possibly have been expensive. We were wrong. The three teeny plates we ate were probably the most expensive things we had eaten (and this was split three ways).

We still splurged on the ice cream but lesson learned. No more eating food without knowing the price. C'est la vie. The burden of the budget traveller. P.S We didn't even get live music

Disclaimer: most of the other food we have eaten here has been fabulous. Just the other night we had fresh calamari curry and steamed fish. Although my Indonesian dictionary does provide translations for "dog" and "rat," so we will stay on our toes in terms of what we order...

Sumatran Buses...

...They only have two speeds: stopped on the side of a winding road so massive trucks can get by or hurtling themselves at top speed along those same winding roads. This observation comes after my first overnight bus ride in Sumatra (the second one in Asia).

In India, I was accustomed to the overnight travel and had actually started looking forward to it. Although I would wake up in the middle of the night to the sounds of snores, whistles, and loud crackling announcements at stations, it was all somewhat soothing to think of waking up in a new place. Here in Sumatra things are a bit different -- the looking forward to new place in morning feeling still exists -- but snoring is the least of your issues in the middle of the night.

The bus itself was quite pleasant as the seats reclined almost to a horizontal position and there was even a toilet on it just in case. However, waking up in the middle of the night to the bus swinging like a pendulum as the driver attempts a muddy path (note my lack of the use of the word road) up a steep grade, was semi-terrifying. I am pretty happy I consider myself an optimist because at that point, I think it was necessary to chuckle at the situation and attempt to close my eyes again. (note again, it took a while to fall back asleep as I couldn't seem to stop swaying and rolling)

As the bus rolled into an early morning rest stop and I went to find the ladies room (I don't think this is too much information?), the positive attitude continued as I realized the ladies room did not include individual stalls but actually a couple of different pit/squat toilets with nothing dividing one from the other. I had a moment of thinking maybe the bathroom on the bus would be a better option but decided to go for the communal toilet in the spirit of adventure.

After all, how many people can say they went to the bathroom standing next to a Sumatran woman washing her clothes (yes, literally next to it)?

Sometimes I attempt to compare these travels to something I have experienced before but I consistently cannot come up with anything. Then, yesterday, I had a thought. Maybe all of these crazy bus rides, lack of rules and regulations... can it be compared to what my parents generation did when they were my age? Traveling either across the US or Europe? My mom said she used to hitchhike... Anyways. These are all thoughts of an Asian traveler. Who is currently in Java. and staying very safe.

Speed Demon

So to follow in the tradition (it is a brand new one) of renting a motorbike on someone's birthday, today we simultaneously celebrated Jordan's 25th and went for a journey across the Danua Toba island of Samosir on a moped.

I could tell it was going to be a glorious day because of this little feline living outside the place we rented the moped from:

I do not think I have ever seen a kitty so small. Note: It was so small that it couldn't even meow! Just a tiny squeak!

Anyways, getting back on track (honestly I just wanted to share a picture of me and a kitty)... the destination today was a hot spring located approximately 40 kilometers away. Given the fact we expected to go around 15 kilometers per hour, it was going to take some time to reach it. I was very much looking forward to the hot springs as my only previous encounter was in Montana this summer at a resort that filled a pool with hot water (pumped in from a spring). It was rather disappointing so I was excited about a real, live Sumatran hot spring. I imagined it to be hidden away in nature, among jungle vines and swinging monkeys.

As we set off on the windy road, over wooden bridges (with boards spaced just a bit far apart), I once again fell in love with the wind in my hair and the speed of the moped. I never expected to enjoy it as much. Since the speedometer was broken (along with the mileage counter), I could only guess but I would imagine we traveled at about 45 km per hour. I think the broken speedometer actually gave me the extra courage to go a little faster.

Disclaimer: when I say fast, this is not synonymous with reckless. After all, how could one look reckless on a Barbie pink moped?

This is a shot of me and the bike having safely returned. Although the helmet is not in this picture, I did wear a massive one that made me look like a Power Ranger.

Along the way to our destination, we passed some fabulous houses, farms, and oxen. We sloped along a road along the edge of the river, and when we finally found the hot spring, we discovered it was in fact a "piddle" not even a puddle of hot water. The natural hot water was being pumped into... you guessed it... swimming pools. We dipped our toes, had a coca cola, and then headed back.

I guess I will continue on my quest to find the au naturale hot spring. Good thing we still have Java, fertile with all of its volcanoes.

And okay, yes, my description makes the destination sound not so pleasant but it is the journey in life and not the destination that matters? The journey was fabulous and I am glad Sumatra traffic was calm enough that we could be adventurous on a moped once again. Although driving on the left side of the road... I hope I don't forget and attempt to drive the mountaineer on the wrong side of the road once I get back...

Pictures and Big News!

Check out the pictures of Indonesia. And make sure you see below for latest blog!

Alas, I do have news to share! I just found out that International Steph's adventure will continue this summer to Sweden and Russia. I already knew I was leading another service trip through my lovely YMCA camp, but the one to Sweden and Russia was my absolute first choice. I cannot even believe my unbelievable luck this year of seeing the world. This is truly a fabulous year!

Jungle Trek, Jungle Trek... in Bukit Lawang

(sing this to the tune of jingle bells and you are halfway to memorizing the anthem of Bukit Lawang)

Landing in Indonesia, I quickly realized how spoiled I had become in Thailand. Nightly blackouts, no internet, minimal fans, holes in the streets. This is all part of the glory that is Sumatra, our first stop in Indonesia. Luckily, we only had to spend one night in Medan before quickly whisking away to Bukit Lawang.

Bukit Lawang is famously home to an orangutan rehabilitation center but it is also the doorway to many jungle treks (hikes) to see the wild orangutans, lizards, monkeys, and if you go far enough, rhinos and tigers. We decided on a one day trek after meeting "Ali G," a local tourist guide, as our minibus pulled into the village. Although it is one of the major tourist destinations, we quickly realized we were 1 of maybe 15 tourists there at the moment (high season is in June, July, August). It is already a relatively small village of 800 so we felt among the only ones there.

However, that did not stop us from having one of the best stops of our trip thus far.

We woke up early for our first full day ready to trek through the jungle with Ali G. He had followed us around town the previous day to show us the sights and we recognized his great humor and were excited for more jokes. At breakfast however, Ali G introduced us to Quinooo (Don't know how to spell it but pronounced KEY NUUUUU). I have to admit -- I was a little bummed but it became apparent shortly into our trek how hilarious Quinoo was.

When we asked if it was possible to climb a giant, two-hundred year old tree, he kicked off his shoes and scrambled up; when we thought a rooster was crowing in the middle of the jungle, he answered his phone and laughed at how perplexed his ringtone made us; most importantly, he led us to see many orangutans and a hidden waterfall for lunch. At the end of the trek, we went swimming in some "slight" rapids on the river and he even seemed amused as we made fools of ourselves trying to climb up rocks and wear jungle crowns. He also insisted we celebrate at the end of our trek... and celebrate we did.

As we left our hotel room in search of dinner, we realized there was a bit of a party going on so we went down to investigate. It seemed all the trek guides had convened at our hotel (someones goodbye party) for a barbecue, some beer, and "jungle juice." The jungle trek day was taken to a whole new level of amazing.

First off, we ate barbecue fish with our hands, dipping it in chili sauce as we pulled it from the bone. Second, I am not a whiskey fan, but whiskey, coke, and fresh fruit mixed together is actually quite wonderful. And third, never would I expect to find myself at a karaoke bar in the middle of the jungle belting out "Everything I do, I do it for you."

Maybe I should elaborate on the karaoke. We walked across a rope bridge from our hotel to a place with our guide Quinoo and his friend Jungle Eddie to sing some tunes. Karaoke in Sumatra consists of one keyboard, no lyrics, and many off key singers. The English pickings were slim and we had to look up most lyrics on Jordan's blackberry; however, we sang most of the songs available from Bryan Adams to Ricky Martin. Then we taught everyone how to dance pretending they were holding a ball in their hand. The whole crowd was quite imaginative, at times pretending it was a soccer ball to pass back and forth. Finally, Jordan and I decided it would be a good idea to leave and ran back over the rope bridge to our hotel.

All in all it was a wonderful day. We had to wake up early the next day for some long bus rides but the whole adventure was quite worth it. I love Sumatra.

March Madness

March 1st. This normally signals the beginning of the end to winter. The first day of spring is at the end of the month which brings hope to all. This March 1st was like none other I have experienced before. I have spent the last week and half sampling Thai beaches and asking myself, "oh wait, am I backpacking or at a beach resort?" I also continuously forget the day of the week so when I realized it was March, I was quite astonished.

Please note: this lifestyle is not as easy as it seems. First comes the fact that I sweat so much here I feel like a walking sauna. I take a shower, feel good for approximately 7 seconds, and then start sweating profusely again. Second, sunscreen is honestly quite expensive and it takes a lot of it on a daily basis to ensure I tan properly instead of looking like Larry the Lobster. And third, my day involves a lot of math and attempting to understand the metric system. No matter how many times I experience it, I still get confused.

The other day (we are currently at Railey beach, an island off the coast of Krabi, Thailand) we decided to walk to a different beach for a sunset beer. "800 meters!" I exclaim, "Good, that's not too far."

Jordan suggests I might be wrong.

I quickly thought of the distance equal to 32 swimming pools and said, "hmmm -- yes, you may be correct."

Our 800 meter stroll turned into a vertical hike as we climbed our way through a jungle. We were relieved to reach the downhill portion until the thought hit us that the downhill part was in fact a lot steeper than the uphill part. Oy vey for the climb back!

We came out of the jungle to make our way to the beach and treated ourselves to not one but two (!!) sunset beers. We kept commenting that there must be an easier way back from this particularly secluded beach, and then we finally realized that with low tide there was a different way back! A path had emerged at the end of the beach and we noticed plenty of travelers frolicking across the rocks.

As the sun was almost completely out of the sky, we began hopping over rocks to make our return. Turns out it was a good thing we left when we did, because slowly the path along the shore ceased to exist and we found ourselves climbing through caves and up rock scrambles. As sunlight faded and the tide rose, we couldn't help but laugh at our "easier way."

Needless to say, every day is an adventure and even though Jordan's flip flop broke twice and I received a bit of a cut on my hand from the jagged rocks, we made it safe and sound to the next beach. We have since moved sunset beers to beaches accessible by clear paths and solid ground.

To continue our frolick through southeast Asia, tomorrow we fly out to Sumatra. This will make life even more difficult as we decide things like "Which volcano should I hike today?" or "Should we take 1 or 2 million rupiahs out of the ATM?" Because yes, Indonesia's currency is approximately 9,000 rupiah to 1 dollar. I look forward to saving receipts for meals that cost hundreds of thousands of rupiah.

Thailand was a wonderful break from the craziness that is India, and I have to admit -- I am positively loving my tan. I feel like a lady of leisure again (yes, okay, maybe I qualified for that in India but it didn't quite feel like it). I am very glad we have the northern part of Thailand to look forward to at the end of our trip and cannot believe that by the time we get back we will have been to at least 4 different countries.

In order to add to the adventure element, we have also started to reach out to different connections about volunteer opportunities. Sumatra, Java, Bali, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Northern Thailand -- if you have any ideas for us, the more the merrier. During the planning stages of this journey, Jordan and I discussed seeking out service endeavors, and as we near the end of our "Thai-cation" we are officially in planning mode. So once again, reach out if you have any ideas or even just people you think we should meet.

Cheers to another country, volcanoes, new food, new languages, new people and more adventures!