On the Move Again

We're heading out of Kuala Lumpur already, but this time with a little bit more planning. We are flying to Manado in North Sulawesi (Indonesia) where we will be staying a night. In the morning we are heading over land to Gorontalo in the south where we will be catching a overnight ferry to the Togian Islands.

We can't guarantee that there will be to much going on with the website while we're on the islands since there is no internet. We are planning anywhere from a 10 to 14 day stay on the islands. There is a phone on the island.

In the meantime, feel free to leave us comments to come back to! Also, we went through our pictures again last night and found a whole bunch we forgot to post from Switzerland. So if you're not sick of Switzerland pictures we have uploaded two new albums. We also uploaded some Bangkok, Singapore, Tioman Island, and Kuala Lumpur pictures.

You can find them all here: http://picasaweb.google.com/lwptb54

Read more...

Lessons learned the hard way

Spontaneity should be embraced and acted upon, but with some discretion. It began innocently enough; the near New York City prices of Singapore began burning a hole in our wallets and our initial plan of five nights was quickly abridged to only three. Determined to fill the extra nights with some sort of activity and also somewhat burned out of all the cities we’ve been to, we decided to head to Malaysia, more specifically Tioman Island. We had read that during high season (April to Sept) you should book in advance, especially on weekends. Let’s just say we had our blinders on and our eyes set on the beach.

I’m currently writing this on a bus to KL, less than 36 hours after leaving Singapore. Our three night getaway to Tioman didn’t work out exactly as planned. It began on Thursday night when we realized that the bus company that went directly from Singapore to Mersing (the connection point on the Malay mainland to the Tioman Islands) was right next door. Excited we didn’t have to go far, we quickly rushed out of the hostel in Singapore around 8:40PM to try and buy tickets for the next morning before they closed at 9:00PM. Success! We had two tickets in hand to Mersing where we’d catch a ferry to Tioman.

The next morning we awake with a new sense of excitement; a new country and more importantly the beach lay ahead. We quickly packed up our belongings, ate the free breakfast provided (read: toast) and headed out the door. The only thing we forgot was to find a place to stay at Tioman. I had attempted to make reservations at the Panuba Resort and Chalets the night before, but with no response email and a little less than 24 hour notice I was a little pessimistic about that situation. No worries we thought, we’ll just go with the flow, see what happens when we get there.

The ride there on the bus was mostly uneventful, which can also be a good thing. After about three hours and clearing both Singapore and Malaysian Customs we arrived at the fishing town of Mersing. Stepping off the bus was a memorable experience, arriving during a call to prayer. We purchased our ferry tickets at the bus station and waited for about an hour until we were taken over to the dock.

The first sign things were not going to go as planned was when we arrived at docks. There were about 200 people already waiting in line to board two ferries to the island. Thankfully there was some amount of order to the boarding process and we made it on the ferry.

There are no roads connecting any of the ‘towns’ on Tioman Island just jungle footpaths and if your luck some concrete. I use the term town lightly because they are nothing more than a couple Chalets and a few restaurants with one or two dive shops each; some being even less populated, some a bit more. The ferry stops at four of these towns, not knowing which one to get off at we turned to our LP book (Lonely Planet) and chose Air Batang ABC, hoping LP was right that there would be a lot of budget accommodations.

With our packs on our back and the hot island sun shining on us, we walked from chalet to chalet hoping to find a room. No luck, maybe LP was right. We should have booked in advance. After about an hour of sweating and walking up and down the same half mile stretch of beach we found a chalet and overpaid by about double the price it should have been. With no other options we had to give in.

The only problem was that the chalet was only available for one night, Friday night. Tomorrow morning the search would have to start again. We did manage to enjoy a very nice sunset on the beach with beer (overpriced but what can you do, it’s an Islamic country). The next morning we returned to searching for accommodations. With no luck, we cut our losses and headed to the ferry dock to head back the mainland and on to Kuala Lumpur.

Read more...

Singapore; The City of Do’s and Do Not’s

If you like modern cities you will love Singapore. The city is tastefully modern, ultra clean, and extremely organized and easy to get around. Of course this cleanliness and orderliness comes at a price; the do’s and do not’s. You can’t walk down a block without noticing the many signs that inform you of what you are to do, “Walk within the yellow lines,” and are not to do, “No Durians (a type of fruit) allowed.” These restrictions come with a very high fine which I would think explains why people abide. In the end it does make it a more enjoyable, cleaner city to be in.

Their public transportation (the metro system and buses) made it so easy for us to get around and see the city without confusion and getting lost. The first afternoon and evening was spent walking along their riverfront watching boats and crossing from either side of the river by the many pedestrian bridges they have built. One area of this riverfront, Clarke Quay, is known for its Dr. Seuss meets the Jetsons vibe because of its architecture and colors; it’s an exciting site to see. Further down the river we indulged in a 1.2 kilo crab for the two of us. It was delicious!

In addition to the crab we had a lot of other good meals in Singapore and have now become regulars at the “Hawker Stalls,” where you find good, cheap, local food. The unique thing about Singapore is that they do not allow food to be sold on the street; instead all food selling entities must be registered and located in these large food court-like places or restaurants. We first made the mistake of going to the food venue where Anthony Bourdain (and all other tourists) went. The food was only so-so. Luckily our last night we stumbled upon a local food market with authentic meals which were so flavorful and delicious.

Of course we did more than just eat in Singapore; we toured the botanical gardens, wandered through streets, took a ride up to a viewing tower to see a 360 degree view of Singapore, its massive port, and the surrounding islands. We may not have seen all the typical attractions, but I left feeling satisfied.

Read more...

Just in case your wondering...

We're in Malaysia off the east coast on Tioman Island. Were here for 3 nights, we needed a break from the cities.

We'll be in KL on June 29th and then we're off to Indonesia!

Read more...

Bangkok at a Glance

Once you arrive you are immediately thrown into the chaos and confusion of Bangkok. Although this time around we were only there for a few days I think we left feeling as confused as when we arrived.

There wasn’t much time for us to sit back and adjust to the change of pace of Bangkok. As soon as you walk out the airport doors you are immediately tested on your negotiating skills; I’ll admit mine were a bit rusty. Our hostel was right in the middle of the main backpacker “strip.” It was a good home base for us, seeing how a midday shower was much appreciated after a long morning wandering through streets in the heat and humidity that is expected at the brink of rainy season.

The amount of new sights, sounds, and smells leaves your senses in overload. Stepping out of our hostel room we walked into a distinct wall of hot humid air that instantly left us feeling sticky. Further out onto the sidewalk there is a jumble of sounds; motorbikes zooming by, tuk tuks and cars ringing bells and honking horns, vegetables and noodles steaming and frying, and Thai conversations mixed with Thais marketing their goods to you “at a very good price.”

As you continue to walk dodging people, motor bikes, and food carts you can’t help to wonder it was that you just smelled; then you think maybe it is a good idea you don’t know. You also can’t help but to be tempted by the new foods presented to you at different food carts every few feet. Between the heat and the spicy food you are left in a strange state of mind; almost as if you are removed from yourself. Then there is a refreshing fruit drink or smoothie (which ever you prefer) to draw you back to a conscious state of mind.

Walking through the streets it’s hard not to stumble on the many Wat’s. The bright colors and distinct architecture stands out among the rest of the city. There is something kind of peaceful in seeing a monk walking by with their bright orange dress.

The few days we were in Bangkok we were able to experience both some tourist attractions as well as a bit of Bangkok from a local’s perspective. I want to say thank you to Yui and her family for showing us what Bangkok is to them and for taking us out to an amazing dinner. As for the sites and attractions, we saw the Grand Palace, a couple of Wats and monuments. The dedication to detail is impressive. We also saw a fair share of markets; both in the tourist districts as well a few of the local markets. It was the local markets that caught my attention with the foods and handcrafted goods. It was hard not to give into my shopping temptations, but the thought of carrying around these souvenirs in my backpack for a few months helped me refrain. We ended our last night with a boat ride up the river leaving us excited for both our return to Bangkok to finish exploring all there is and for our next adventure, Singapore.

Oh! I almost forgot to mention Kevin and I had our first crickets off the street! We will hopefully be able to post a video of it soon.

Read more...

New Video up on Youtube

We just got around to uploading a video from Switzerland. It is of us hiking in the Graubunden region of Switzerland. Make sure you check it out in HD!

(Direct Link to Youtube)

Read more...

Gate B16

Swiss trains run on time; they just do, except the one that we took on our way to the airport. Running only 5 minutes behind, we didn't have reason to stress, we knew we would make it with plenty of time to spare. However, the next leg of our journey proved to be a different story altogether.

We boarded on time for our 3:00PM departure to Germany and began taxiing towards to runway, until the norm of the instructional safely routine was interrupted by the pilot. Speaking German, I hardly could decipher the words but the reactions of the passengers told me all I needed to know. We were put on hold due to congested air space for 45 minutes; told to sit with engines on until a 3:45PM takeoff. Normally delays do not faze me, but this was different.

I unfortunately knew that Air Berlin only flies to Bangkok once a day, at 5:20PM, exactly one hour after our flight from Zurich was supposed to arrive. Doing some quick math, (I'm fresh out of college remember!) I realized that this 45 minute delay was going to get us into Germany at 5:05PM, 15 minutes before our international flight left for Bangkok!

Two sobering scenarios crept into my head: we make it just in time to board and our luggage stays in Europe or both the luggage and ourselves sleep in Dusseldorf International Airport. Neither was optimal but making that flight is all we could think about.

Thankfully we made up some time during the flight, arriving at 4:50PM. Thirty minutes to make the connection.


A Mad Dash


Once the cabin doors opened, we bolted to the isle of the plane. Sixteen rows from the exit with everyone taking their time unloading luggage. I franticly asked Jackie, what time is it? 4:51PM. Great! 29 minutes to go and we’re still on the plane. After what felt like hours, we made it to the exit ramp of the plane, where I unexpectedly hear “Excuse me! Excuse me! Excuse me!” being shouted. Jackie was barreling through all 16 rows of passengers who had already disembarked the plane with me quickly in tow. Startled looks of confusion abound as we scrambled through what seemed to be all businessmen. No time to care, we were now at a full sprint desperately seeking out signs that pointed towards gate B16: after arriving in terminal A.

We must have run for over a mile and turned this way and that before we came to an abrupt halt at the immigration counter. Out of breath, we attempted to explain our situation to the officer but to no avail. He seemed to enjoy watching us squeam. After examining and reexamining our passports, he stamped our departure. Seeing the gates count down from B1 to B3 to B5 as we ran through the terminal only provided further encouragement to continue running.

Up ahead! B 16! SHIT!! There’s no one here! What does the sign say?! Nothing! Look out the window do you see the plane?! NO! UUGGHH!!!

Quickly, look for a departure board, maybe they changed the gate! After scrambling for a minute we found the board. Flight AB1750 to Bangkok Departing from Gate B18. We still have a chance we thought! The terminal bent sharply to the right, Gate B18 laid right around the corner. Quickly rushing again we rounded the corner in full sprint to see a terminal full of people sitting down and waiting around.




Flight AB1750 to Bangkok, our connection, was delayed.

Read more...

We've gone south to Singapore.

Just wanted to post real quickly that we made it safely to Singapore from Bangkok. We still intend to post some stuff from Bangkok, including pictures and quite possibly our first video!

We got a pretty good deal for a twin room with AC for $17 USD a night (per person); a steal in Singapore. Granted we're not on the water or downtown but were close to two Metro lines and this city has excellent transportation.



Oh and we booked flights to Indonesia for a little over 2 weeks. We're heading out again on June 30th from KL and will return on July 18th. We're most likely going to the Togian Islands to go scuba diving get away from cities for a bit.

Read more...

We made it to Thailand!

After almost missing our connection and running through the Dusseldorf airport we have made it to Bangkok, Thailand!

Although we most likely overpaid for a Taxi, we were greeted with fresh fruit drinks upon arrival to our Hostel. We are now off to explore the city!

Read more...

It's been a slow news week...

...And we apologize for that. We have been on the move constantly for the past week, sleeping in a new place eveynight (to those who opened up their places to let us crash, thank you!) We've covered a rediculous amount of land using our rail passes. To prove it, we've put together a map of the ground we covered in the past 15 days.

View trekn in a larger map

A quick recap, for ourselves just as much as for you too!

• June 5th, (Zurich to Chur)
• June 6th (Chur to Sent)
• June 10th (Day trip - Sent to Diavollezza to St. Moritz to Sent)
• June 11th (Münger Vally, National Park Hike)
  
• June 13th (Sent to St. Gallen)
• June 15th (St. Gallen to Basil)
• June 16th (Basil to Chur)
• June 17th (Chur to Tirano to Lugano)
• June 18th (Lugano to Chur)
• June 19th (Chur to Zurich to Bangkok!)
• June 20th (ASIA!!)

It's been great and we're eaten even better. We've covered almost as much ground as you can in the Graubünden region of Switzerland (almost every train line there is).

We're hoping to get the final pictures of Switzerland edited and uploaded before we head out to Asia.

(Edit: The last of the Switzerland pictures were just uploaded)

Read more...

A Good Life

Switzerland couldn't have been a better place to come to after the upbeat tempo of NYC and the nerves and anxieties that had accumulated before Kevin's and my departure.

I have only been here a couple of days, but already Switzerland has made an impression on me. I would describe it as pure and grand. The undisturbed nature, the homes built and incorporated into their surroundings, not destroying them, hillsides of wild flowers, crisp clear water running from drinking fountains at every other corner, the fresh air, and the clock bell sounding on the hour.

This pure innocence is contrasted with the grandness of the Alps. You can not avoid them, nor would you want to. They are absolutely stunning at all hours of the day. Climbing them only helps you to understand their massiveness.



The architecture of the homes tells a story and has a history. Food comes from local farmers with butchers and bakers proudly providing their products. It just feels right. Although Ive only seen a small fraction of Switzerland It seems to me that people live a good life here.

Read more...