The Plan for 2009

There will be one trip.

It will be 9-10 days. It will be after April. It could be in December.

It could be anywhere. It could be Central America. It could be Western Europe. It could be Northern Africa. It could be South America. It won't be in Asia. Not this year.

It will be on a tight budget, as will most things in my life next year. I've gone over-budget each trip. This will be a challenge.

It won't be resort-ish. No daily foot massages this time.

It will be somewhere that I'd never expect going. It won't be a big-time place. I don't think it will be, anyway.

It will be with at least one other person. There might be one more. Maybe two.

It will kick major ass.

With all that said, the fun begins. I don't say this sarcastically. The planning is just as fun as the journey itself. Soon all the uncertainties will be made clear, flights will be booked, lodging will be reserved. Fun will be had.

That is the plan.

Roots

There's a reason I haven't posted lately.

I moved into a townhouse last weekend. I took the plunge and bought a place. I'm sitting in my living room, "borrowing" my neighbor's wifi, listening to my Carpenters' Greatest Hits CD. On the bookshelf across from me sit four prints that I bought in Europe; two in Paris, two in Amsterdam. They make me dream of going back.

This latest event in my life has put my travel plan. Not that I was going anywhere anytime soon, but even thinking about getting away is difficult, what with mortgages to deal with.

Buying a house is a Big Boy Thing. Much like traveling solo to Thailand and Malaysia was a Big Boy Thing. I ask myself, "If I didn't go on the Big Boy Trip, would I have had the courage to risk becoming a homeowner.

Every trip I've taken has stretched me, forced me to think on my feet, pushed me to the physical and mental limit. The homebuying process is no picnic, either. But it felt right. It felt like the next logical step in my life.

I know I'll end up traveling somewhere. You can't kill the travel bug. You can only let it sleep until it wakes up and kicks you in the butt.

(By the way, this doesn't mean this blog is on hiatus. I do have at least three stories left to tell from Thailand. I just need the time and energy to pump them out.)

The Gift of Crickets

(Warning: This post could be considered disgusting. TMI, if you will. Turn away now, if that is not your thing...)

I love the Internet.

If it wasn't for the Internet, I would not have met Julie. Julie is a fellow travel junkie currently residing in Mexico City (See her blog here.) Through that wonderful social utility called Facebook, Julie let her friends know that she bought some crickets at a nearby market. To which I replied, "That is so awesome." To which she replied. "I can get you some, if you want." Then I was all, "No WAY." Then she was all, "WAY." And back and forth we went.

A week later, a beat-up manila envelope arrives at my door. Inside, emanating an odor best described as "earthly", lies a plastic bag filled with crickets.



I stared at the bag for five minutes. I expected the crickets to be larger. My guess is the flight to L.A. caused the carcasses to come apart.



I took a cricket and examined it. The longer I looked at it, the more anxious I became. I don't need more anxiety in my life. So I popped it in my mouth. First impressions: Crickets are salty. But they're not anything special.

I was feeling a bit hungry, so I popped in a few more.



I'm not at the stage where I can grab a handful of crickets and stuff my face with them, like Doritos. They remain in their baggie, on my desk, waiting to be consumed.

You're more than welcome to try them. I've left the best bits in the bag.



Thanks, Julie! Next round of bugs is on me...

Amazing Race

The show that inspired me to travel has returned!



Watching The Amazing Race is like saying hi to an old friend. The show is in its 13th(!) season, and it always manages to put a hop in my step. If it wasn't for TAR, I wouldn't have renewed my passport, I wouldn't have trekked through Europe, South America or Southeast Asia.

I owe a lot to this show. My only complaint is when the personalities of the contestants dominate the show, relegating the locales as secondary characters. Make no mistake, the world is the superstar in this show.

From the first episode of this season, there are two teams I'm pulling for (Ty/Aja, The Comic-Book Geeks), two teams I like for the eye candy (Divorcees, Starr and...the other guy), and one team that I can't stand (Terrence and...the other girl).

Here's hoping for a great season...

Traveling

I miss it.

That's all.

Oregon Bits

Haven't posted in a while. Lots of (non-travel) stuff going on, but I did get a chance to visit the great state of Oregon. Here are tidbits about the Beaver State:

- Oregon is incredibly green. It's mind-blowing. And I don't just mean green in the literal sense. Oregonians are very environmentally conscious. I inadvertently placed my empty water bottle in the trash instead of the recycling bin. I felt guilty.



- The world's best bookstore in located in Downtown Portland. Powell's City of Books spans an entire city block. There are (at least) three floors. Every genre is represented in spades. It took me three hours to browse the entire store. Time well spent.



- The Beaverton Farmers Market is every Saturday from 8 am to 1:30 pm. The produce is fresh. The air is filled with kettle corn, sunflowers and German Sausage. In the background a bluegrass band plays Johnny Cash cover songs. Is there ANYTHING like this in Southern California? I doubt it.


*Heaven*

Oregon is a wonderful getaway spot. Especially if you've been holed up a smoggy LA for a while. I didn't even mention the outdoor activities. I will soon...

What This? (A Taste of Malaysia)

I had heard the food in Malaysia was fantastic. My primary goal was to try as many exotic foods as possible. Which is why my first meal was at the California Pizza Kitchen in Suria KLCC.



CPK in Malaysia tastes exactly like CPK in Los Angeles. I was shocked. You'd think that there'd be some variation on the Thai BBQ Chicken Pizza. Sadly, no.

The next day, while wandering KLCC (again), I found a breakfast place tucked away on the ground level of the mall. On display were several multi-colored pastries, each one crying out to me to choose them. I wanted to. I hadn't eaten all day. I waved to the woman at the counter, pointed to a neon-green pastry and asked, "What this?" I don't know why I spoke to her in broken English. It was a habit I picked up during my trip; asking questions, leaving out verbs, pointing a lot.

"Bingka," The woman answered. "Very sweet. Good!" I pointed at more dishes. "What this? What that one? Is good, yes?" She must have thought I was a monkey.

I picked two more dishes and a packet of rice, egg and anchovies wrapped in a banana leaf. I only chose it because other patrons were grabbing two at a time and giving me the stinkeye while I was took a whiff of the anchovies. I found out that the packet was a dish called nasi lemak, a Malaysian staple.



My entire meal cost $2 US. And it was fantastic.

If only I had found this before CPK...

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Bonus Tip: When you're in Malaysia, make sure to grab some Hainan Chicken Rice.



If this doesn't hit the spot, check your taste buds.