Asia 2008.

I hope everyone had an incredible holiday-- around here, there were heaps of sweets baked, much time spent with my family, and numerous incredible meals enjoyed (both out and in). It's been fantastic and overwhelming, and only now is my mind starting to clear from all of it. And, it being New Year's Eve, the perfect time to look back over the past year as I start to plan the next.

Even though we squeezed in LA, northern New Mexico, and Puerto Vallarta in the last month, 2008 was really about one place-- Asia. We spent one half resident in Bangkok, one half living as itinerants, and en route visited some incredible places. Below are a few of the many locales we inhabited this past year that most deeply impressed me.

8. Trang Province, Thailand, October to November
It's hard for me not to look back at Trang with mixed feelings. The work I was doing was stressful, we had to spend an average of 4 to 5 hours a day on boats and buses getting around, we got trapped in several monsoonal showers (including once on a longtail boat-- not recommended) and I spent most of my time there feeling exhausted. But looking back at it from a comfortable distance (and in a drier locale), I'm able to appreciate what a spectacular chain of islands it is, and how lucky I am to have gotten to spend a week travelling among them. My favorites were was Ko Sukorn, with its pastoral rice fields and villages; Ko Libong, which had a subdued desert island appeal; and Ko Lao Liang, the isolated rock where we slept in tents, kayaked and snorkeled, and enjoyed fantastic seafood meals.

7. Mekong Delta, Vietnam, October
The year 2007 was centered around the Mekong, as Bordeaux and I traveled by slowboat, bus, and ferry along the route from Northern Thailand through Laos and Cambodia to Vietnam. We were missing one major part, however: the delta. So when work pointed us toward Phu Quoc island in southern Vietnam, I made sure we'd be getting to see the delta as well. The best night of our trip was in Ben Tre, where we sampled delicious Elephant Fish spring rolls, enjoyed a lazy afternoon drinking drip coffee, and cruised under palm-arches in a tiny canal. The glimpse I got of the rest of the area-- pastel colored houses, knotted waterways, and decadent Cao Dai temples, had me promising I'd return.

6. Kep, Cambodia, April
It came down to a choice between Kep and Sihanoukville, and I think we chose wisely. It wasn't the waves that drew us to this seaside Cambodian town, it was a meal-- pepper crab. Thankfully, the dish-- freshly caught crab covered in an oily curry powder sauce, exploding with the bite of green Kampot peppercorns-- justified the trip from Phnom Penh. The incredible atmosphere didn't hurt either-- we slept outdoors in a four-poster bed, that looked down from its balcony perch over lush tropical forest, ruined modernist villas, and the distant sea.

5. Central Vietnam, September
The cities of Hue, Danang, and Hoi An are often used to break up the long trip between Hanoi and Saigon, but the region is a deserving destination in its own right. It's certainly one of the best places to see traditional Vietnamese architecture-- like the ornate ruins of Hue's citadel, and the lanes of traders' houses in Hoi An. And while we didn't have too much luck with the regional cuisine, despite it being so widely touted, we did stumble across a few incredible dishes-- like grilled pork and starfruit wrapped in rice paper, avocado shakes, and crispy banh khoai pancakes.

4. Khao Sok, Thailand, May
I don't know if there are many places in the world that can compete with Khao Sok-- a tangled jungle inhabited by tapirs, sunbears, and tigers, stretched along a spine of limestone karsts. The highlight of our visit was a night on the emerald green Cheow Lan reservoir, a flooded forest where we slept on a floating bamboo hut. We were taken on guided boat trips to see otters and hornbills, but the real highlight was spending hours kayaking under the shade of the forest, as gibbons and langurs looked down at us with curiosity.

3. Penang, Malaysia, October
Penang was more necessity than vacation-- we had to do a visa run-- but it was without question one of my favorite places we visited in Asia. The city of Georgetown is gorgeous, the people were friendly, and the multicultural cuisine -- Indian banana leaf curries, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Nonya desserts-- was spectacular. Our visit came toward the end of our time in Asia, when we were starting to feel worn out, but in Penang I felt (temporarly) revived, with my curiosity renewed. Next time we return to Asia, Malaysia is at the top of my list for places to visit.


2. Hanoi, Vietnam, March
Bangkok will always have a place in my heart, but it's got serious competition from Hanoi. The city's sense of style is bipolar, with European avenues, Chinese temples, and Socialist monuments all battling it out, but it gives the city a unique energy and feel. We enjoyed some of the best coffee we'd had in all of Asia, and sampled some of the best street food-- like greasy binh my trung heaped with fresh cilantro. If I were to move back to Asia-- I'm sorry BKK-- it would likely be to Hanoi.

1. Taiwan, June to August
Was Taiwan my favorite place in Asia? Well, no-- but it was definitely the most surprising. I went there for work, for Bordeaux, and I went with low expectations-- which were quickly blown away. Taiwan has a gorgeous natural landscape of dramatic rocky shores, towering peaks (including the highest in East Asia), and verdant bamboo forests. It also has some of the most fascinating urban spaces I've visited in Asia, from the glamorous monuments of Taipei, to the intellectual museums and teashops of Taichung, to the hip nightmarkets of Kaoshuing. The food was incredible, and nearly every day involved sampling a new treat, like fiery gongbau chicken, peppery scallion pancakes, and creamy coffin bread. Really, I don't know why more people don't visit Taiwan-- but I'm sure I will again in the future.

An invitation to lunch.

Maybe it was a little premature to announce the return of regular entries... I'm sorry about the lack of blogging lately- a mix of too much work, miles of travelling, and too few precious minutes of internet access have left my blog trailing behind my life. We're currently in Trang province, where our work is taking us among a string of gorgeous islands. Our favorite island so far is Ko Libong-- it's the largest of the islands, but also one of the least visited. In fact, there are only three small guesthouses on a single beach-- the rest of the island is used for agriculture and rubber tapping. Even the beach with the guesthouses manages not to feel too commercial, as it's split right in the middle by a small village.

While walking past the village yesterday, we passed two boys picking coconuts from a tree. They stopped us, and directed us to watch as they chopped them open, then offered us each a drink. It was much tastier than other coconut juice I've had-- as fresh as possible, and still cooled by the shade of the tree. We gave them back the coconuts, and after they each enjoyed a drink, they hacked the coconuts in two. With a twist of the blade, the smaller boy created a spoon, and gave us a half to enjoy the tender coconut flesh.

On the way back through town later that afternoon, Bordeaux and I stopped at a general dealer's to get a drink. While we relaxed in the shade, we were joined by a man from the village, who was taking a break from working. He was building a new guesthouse, he explained-- pantomiming nailing, in case we didn't understand. After asking us the usual questions about where we were from, and where we were staying, he invited us to join him for lunch. We were each given a plate heaped with rice, and we served ourselves modest spoonfuls from the soup bowls. The first was a clear broth with chunks of beef, the other a spicy-sour curry of shellfish. Though it was a modest lunch, it was very tasty. And more than anything, it was a generous gesture on our host's part-- and it was certainly far more interesting than eating at our guesthouse. Finished, we thanked our host, who suggested we come back in 2009 to stay at his guesthouse. Hopefully we'll return to take him up on the offer.

Off to the beach...

Though I've just wrapped up my coverage of Cambodia, I've actually been back for several weeks. The past few months have been pretty insane- family visits, major life changes, and a lot of new work. There's a lot to catch up on- but for now, I'm off to Ko Samet to relax for a few days so I can try to catch up with myself. See you next week!

A peek at Phuket.

Phuket tends to get a bad rap. As one of the most visited destinations in Thailand, it gets discounted as being too commercialized, too developed. Yet at the end of our trip to Southern Thailand, our flight connections required that we spend a little time in Phuket. Despite my expectations, I found that Phuket Town is surprisingly charming and intriguing. Streets were lined in old-fashioned shop-fronts that appeared to have been decorated using all the paints in the watercolor box. Inviting spicy scents lingered from sidewalk canteens; discreet alleys concealed elegant mansions, anonymous shop-houses hid plush boutiques and elegant cafes. We were only there for a few hours, but I definitely think I'll have to return soon to explore more.

Postcard from Ko Phi Phi.

I'm generally not an island person, and I've never been big on beaches. But sharing a crisp banana roti on white sand in Ko Phi Phi may just have been enough to convert me- should I make this postcard a change of address card?

Lunch over a lotus pond.

For my sister's visit, Bordeaux and I made our first trip to Southern Thailand. We arrived at the Krabi airport in the early afternoon, and after lunch at a Muslim canteen in town, caught a taxi out to our resort. Along the road, we traveled among craggy vine-entangled karsts and overgrown forest. I was enthralled by the passing greenery. I had come to Krabi expecting sparkling beaches and blue tide; I hadn't come expecting jungle.
Once unpacked, we gave in completely to relaxation. I'm usually an overly active traveler, but after two intense weeks in Vietnam, it felt great to just chill out. We spent most of our days by the beach or in the pool, and when meals rolled around we didn't feel like walking very far. Thankfully, there was a decent selection of places, even on our small beach. After reviewing menus, we found a particularly good restaurant at the Tubkaek Resort. Aside from the extensive list of tropical cocktails, we were drawn by the skillful kitchen, who served an interesting Thai menu that included a number of local Southern specialties. For one lunch, we ate tasty Hokkien noodles, and a spicy Krabi-style chicken with sticky rice and papaya salad. But as delicious as the food was, it was outshone by the lush tropical environment. Meals were served on a wood platform over a lotus pond, and the surrounded garden was landscaped with fiery red ginger, yellow-green banana trees, and dripping turquoise palms.

Sand-vendors on Ko Samet.

One of the most distinctive aspects of life in Thailand is that food is present in all public spaces. So it was no surprise that the beaches of Ko Samet had their own street food vendors. But rather than pushing carts or peddling wagons, these men and women marched the shore line with bamboo baskets balanced across their shoulders.

In the morning, vendors carried baskets with crispy grilled chicken and delicately balanced hard boiled eggs. For a slightly less healthy breakfast, some of the vendors walked around with baskets heaped with sugary pastries and jelly-filled donuts.

In the afternoon, vendors made noodle dishes and spicy salads. After being beckoned from a bar table or from under a sun umbrella, these traveling chefs would lower down to the sand and quickly prepare a meal. Their baskets were like tiny, traveling kitchens, loaded with jars of fresh ingredients and a range of utensils for cutting, mixing, and pounding.

Not all vendors trudging the white sand were selling food, however. I had thought it odd that there were no souvenir stands on Ko Samet- so it made sense that a walking vendor would try to fill that gap. This one sold simple Thai instruments.

Ko Samet Colors.

Last weekend I escaped the gray smog that had swallowed Bangkok, and traveled south to Ko Samet. The trip was worth it for the colors alone; foamy turquoise surf washed over blinding white sand, and fuchsia bougainvillea burned against a lush backdrop of emerald palms. After a day of exploring, I came across this electric blue spirit house, draped in pink ribbons and plastic marigolds. Shaded beneath it were offerings from the tropical isle: pale green bananas, and giant white seashells.

Working on Ko Samet.

I spent this weekend on Ko Samet, writing hotel reviews as a trial-run for a part time travel writing job. It was a lot of running around, looking into dingy cabanas, getting scraped up climbing down slippery rocks, and questioning surly managers. But still, not a bad place to spend the weekend working.

Eating down to the fish's eye on Koh Si Chang.

With the monsoon season slow in leaving, the weather in Bangkok has been pretty gray lately. Thankfully Bordeaux has a friend visiting us this week, so we had the perfect excuse to slip down to one of the islands in the gulf of Thailand. After a bit of research, Bordeaux decided we should visit Koh Si Chang, a tiny nearby island with none of the beach culture of Pattaya or Ko Samet. We departed from Bangkok after stopping by work on Friday morning. We were running a bit late by the time we left our apartment, so we decided to take a taxi to the Ekkamai bus station. I haled the first cab I saw, an ancient hot-pink car. As we got in, Bordeaux remarked on how old the taxi was. Overhearing him, the taxi driver said, “What? Old taxi? Oh, sorry. Old driver, too.”
After a two-hour bus trip to Sri Racha, a short tuk-tuk ride to the pier, and a choppy 45-minute ferry into the gulf of Thailand, we arrived at Koh Si Chang. There had been such a small amount of information in the guidebook that I had been a little worried about the island: would it be just a drab port town, with an uninviting atmosphere? Or alternately, would it be another generic resort, overrun with tourists and devoid of character? Amazingly, Koh Si Chang was exactly what I had dreamed it would be. The main town had a friendly island atmosphere, with shops and fruit stands lined up on quiet streets that sloped down to the port. Between the pale blue and green houses were lush gardens, overgrown with orchids, frangipanis, and banana palms. And all of this was watched over by a towering gold Buddha seated on the hilltop.
After getting settled in to our bungalow at the Tiew Park Resort, we headed out to explore the island. At the far end of town are the remains of Rama V’s island palace, now a manicured public garden. We entered the park via a thin oceanfront promenade, set against a rocky beach where children were swimming and diving off of battered fishing boats. In the distance we could see the shore of Thailand, it’s green hilly peaks appearing through the haze like the spiny back of a submerged crocodile. Set below a jungled cliff, the gardens were a strange labyrinth with twisting paths curving around goldfish ponds, Buddhist shrines, and a giant clamshell fountain. After an hour of exploring, we returned to town, where we decided to have dinner at a restaurant called Pan and David’s. Though the menu offered a cosmopolitan mix of dishes made with imported ingredients, we were in the mood for Thai seafood. We ordered a spicy salad with fish and shrimp, an extremely fiery jungle curry, and squid stir-fried with garlic and pepper. It was a delicious dinner, perfect for our first night on the island.
We were planning on returning to Pan and David's for breakfast the next morning, but while walking around town we were tempted by a woman making fresh roti on a streetside wok. We each had a plate of banana mataba, a sort of folded-over roti. They were served sizzling hot, the roti crispy and golden, stuffed with sweet bananas, and covered in a drizzling of condensed milk.
It was bright and sunny out, surprisingly for the rainy season, so we chartered a tuk-tuk to Hat Tham Pang beach on the other side of the island. Hat Tham Pang is the only one real beach on Koh Si Chang, a thin slip of white sand on the edge of a clamshell shaped cove. The water was the color of an old fashioned lime soda, and just cool enough to offer an inviting refreshment from the sun.
After floating on the waves and burning in the sun, we settled into lounge chairs at one of the beachfront cafes for lunch. The cafes on the beach have erected a long canopy of sun-umbrellas along the sand, providing a cool stretch of shade under which to eat. We ordered, and after just a few minutes they brought out three huge plates, piled with food. It was unbelievably delicious. There was a plate of fat noodles, greasy with soy sauce, fried with mixed seafood; a spicy papaya salad made with fresh crab; and, my favorite dish, squid stir-fried with cashew nuts.
After another hour of swimming and sunning, we headed back into town. We stopped on the way for an afternoon treat at Pan and David’s. We each ordered a scoop of one of their flavors of homemade ice cream: chocolate and walnut, almond, and strawberry. They were all creamy and smooth, tasting even better as they began to melt in the afternoon heat. The strawberry was likely the best; the strawberries were so fresh that they still tasted a little tart.
We got back to our room just as an evening rainfall began. After napping through the rhythm of the monsoon, we headed out to find dinner. We chose an outdoor seafood restaurant that seemed to be popular with Thai diners. We ordered steamed fish with lime sauce, and prawns stir-fried with vegetables, which, due to an odd typo, was listed as ‘prawn stir fried with regretable.’ When the latter dish arrived, we all wondered if it really had meant regrettable. It was a plate-sized disc of fried batter, with no clear signs of vegetables. We eventually figured out that we had ordered incorrectly, and had been brought the prawn and pork omelet, which was the dish listed below what we had wanted. It was too late to correct our fish dish as well, and we were the brought crispy-fried sweet and sour fish. Thankfully, both dishes were very tasty, if not exactly what we had ordered. The fish was served whole, grimacing face on one end of the platter, crispy tail falling off the other end. To finish the meal, I took the fish head onto my plate; as an adventurous final note for the perfect island weekend, I ate all I could from it, down to the tiny, crunchy eye.