When you start traveling, and reaching out to friends for advice and suggestions, you'll be amazed by the strange connections that form. Friends of friends who'll put you up for a few days in Kuala Lumpur, your mother's former piano students who take you out for Thai/Malay … [Read more...] about A New Organic Fruit Farm North of Kuala Lumpur
Archives for February 2014
It’s a Miracle (Fruit)!
“It’s your lucky day, sir!” said the tour guide at the Tropical Fruit Farm in Penang, Malaysia. The organic farm grows over 250 varieties of fruit. And during a tour the guide spent most of the time berating us for having come during the wrong season. Not much in season now, he … [Read more...] about It’s a Miracle (Fruit)!
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The Petronas Towers? Nope, I didn’t stand in line in the early morning waiting for free tickets and permission to ascend to its lofty heights. I don’t even think you’re allowed on the actual top of Malaysia’s Twin Towers. So it seemed like a much better idea to go to Skybar for a … [Read more...] about Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
“Eating Daring” in Ao Nang and Krabi, Thailand and a Call for Help with WordPress Images
The Lonely Planet guide for Krabi Town's day market says that the vendors that set up at there offer a ridiculous array of street food. The actual description left something to be desired, but the statement to "eat daring" was enough to entice me into checking it out. But first … [Read more...] about “Eating Daring” in Ao Nang and Krabi, Thailand and a Call for Help with WordPress Images
Lovely, Dark, and Deep
I’ve been trying to put into words how I feel about Ton Sai. It’s incredible here. The water is warm, the views are spectacular, the rockclimbing is amazing. One of my favourites was a 6c (5.10+?) I led at Thaiwand Wall that was over 30 metres. It finished with a giant stalactite … [Read more...] about Lovely, Dark, and Deep
Food in Ton Sai: Young Thai Coconuts, Soothing Rice Soup, Yellow Curry, and Sprite.
Breakfasts at my "resort" (rustic is being generous, but there was a pool) were a tropical fruit buffet—pineapple, watermelon, papaya, maybe cantaloupe. I skipped the bread, pastries, fried potatoes, breakfast meats that probably aren't all meat, and soy-soaked noodle stir-fries … [Read more...] about Food in Ton Sai: Young Thai Coconuts, Soothing Rice Soup, Yellow Curry, and Sprite.
And We Called Him Lumphini…
My boyfriend and I named the gecko: Lumphini—Lump for short. I don’t actually have a boyfriend, but to cancel my friend’s room reservation and share my room (cheaper), that's what he told the front desk staff at Dream Valley Resort in Ton Sai. He figured they’d be more … [Read more...] about And We Called Him Lumphini…
Deep Water Soloing: Rockclimbing above the Ocean
I’d heard there was a place in the world where you climb up giant overhanging walls with rocket-sized stalactites, and when you get to the top (or when you fall) there’s nothing but crystal-blue, warm water below. That's Deep Water Soloing, and it's a big reason I came here. … [Read more...] about Deep Water Soloing: Rockclimbing above the Ocean
Geckos, Monkeys, and Smiling Faces
It’s been a long time since my computer scanned for a wifi network and found nothing—either locked or unlocked. My pastel green curtains are suspended from a lopsided metal bar. The paint is chipping off the white plaster wall. I have a pet gecko, not by choice. Mosquitos own … [Read more...] about Geckos, Monkeys, and Smiling Faces