Spring Break 2012

What a crazy spring break. I've managed to zig zag between Portland, Oregon to New York to Washington all within a span of one week! After persistent pestering from my cousin (hee hee), I have finally decided to update my food and travel blog. I promise I'll go into more detail on the places I've visited, but until then, I decided to post some photos to highlight my adventures on the East and West coast.

Brooklyn Bridge

John Brown Smokehouse - Long Island City, NY

Jack's Coffee

Fried Artichokes - yum!

Record shop in Brooklyn

Lady Mendl's Tea Salon with my cousins!

Ms. Uyen, the belle of the ball, enjoying her makeover by Sephora.

My cousin Kim is getting a makeover in the middle of New York City!

Lady Mendl's Tea Saloon

Brunch at Ned Ludd, Portland, OR

Branko the Goberian, my study buddy

Ivar's - Federal Way, Washington

The conclusion of my trip with my girls. :-)

I Heart Malaysia!

Thailand has the beaches, Cambodia has Angkor Wat, and Vietnam is the exotic newcomer on the backpacker trail, but I don't hear as many people rave about Malaysia. It gets shafted on the Southeast Asia travel circuit, and it's a pity because there is so much unexpected beauty due to its lush, green landscape of mountains and jungles, incredible cuisine, and multicultural diversity.

The United States takes much pride in its diversity, and justifiably so, but Malaysia is the only place I've encountered where three great civilizations have  merged together to form a fascinating country. The mixture of Chinese, Indian, and Malay cultures have produced a fusion of wondrous food, which blends Chinese peppered spices with Indian curry and Malayan cooking technique. Thus, Malaysia has some of the best street food in the world, making it an exciting tour for foodies.

Penang Laksa

Penang's famous char kay teow

Baked goodies

Street food at the night market

Furthermore, the coexistence of different religions was unexpectedly fascinating. In random streets, it was not unusual to see locals burning incense in a Buddhist temple, while a ceremony was performed at a Hindu temple, while the call to pray was heard at a nearby mosque. That's not to say there's tension between the three groups, but the relatively peaceful coexistence of Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam makes Malaysia an even more compelling place to visit. 

Candles at Kek Lok Si Temple

The sights, tastes, and sounds such as these make Malaysia an essential pit-stop in Southeast Asia. 

Train Ride through Southeast Asia

What inspired me to travel to Southeast Asia? It all began with a website called Seat61.com. Back in 2006, I was teaching English in China and wanted to ride the Trans-Siberian Express from Beijing to Moscow. While browsing the site, I found this map:

I noticed a train route that started in Bangkok and went all the way down to the tip of Singapore, with stops in Butterworth (Penang) and Kuala Lumpur. I looked up the total price and was shocked to find that it only cost $62.00. I was set. I knew, no matter what the circumstances were or where I was in life, at some point, I had to embark on this train journey. The chance to take a scenic train ride through Southeast Asia for a measly $62.00? I am sooooo there.

It took several years of patience and fortuitous timing, but I finally seized my chance this past summer. Once I made the decision to go, I started to actively plan for my trip.   

As noted, the train ride from Bangkok to Singapore is actually divided into three parts, so I had to individually purchase three train tickets. I bought each ticket using the links referred below:

1. Bangkok --> Butterworth (Penang) - $35, 2nd class sleeper - http://www.thairailticket.com/esrt/Default.aspx

2. Butterworth (Penang) --> Kuala Lumpur -  $14, 2nd class sleeper - https://intranet.ktmb.com.my/e-ticket/login.aspx

3. Kuala Lumpur --> Singapore - $13, 2nd class sleeper  - https://intranet.ktmb.com.my/e-ticket/login.aspx

If you want more details, click here: http://www.seat61.com/Thailand.htm#Singapore

Additional Notes:
#1: I actually purchased my ticket through a travel agency called thailandtrainticket.com, but when I clicked on the site, there were reports of malware. It's better to purchase through Thai Rail anyways since they're the  operating train company, and you can print your ticket from home. When I used Thailand Train Ticket, the agency delivered the ticket to my hotel in Bangkok for free. It was convenient, but I was worried my ticket wasn't ever going to arrive.

#2-3: I selected 'Sentral Kuala Lumpur' as the main train station to arrive and depart from Kuala Lumpur.

Now to the fun part - what was the train journey like?
The train ride from Bangkok to Butterworth was scenic but looooooong. When I arrived at Bangkok's Hualamphong station, I was a bit overwhelmed.

The train terminal seemed to have endless rows of trains. My ticket indicated the number for my designated train, but the problem was certain rows of trains had the same number. Fortunately, the guards noticed the confused look on my face and offered assistance in locating my train. I eventually boarded the train and started my journey.

I was still jet lagged from arriving in Thailand two days prior, so I dozed in and out of sleep during much of my train ride. Nevertheless, it was looooooong. After all, the train left Hualamphong at 2:45 p.m. and did not arrive in Butterworth until 1:51 p.m. the following day. Hence, I was on the train for nearly 24 hours.  Luckily, the train ride provided a wonderful peek into rural Thailand, especially as I went further down into the peninsula.

I slept on the upper bunk. All I can say is...thank God I'm petite! My head was *thisclose* from touching the ceiling.

Early morning view of southern Thailand after a night of sleep.

I only got to spend two days in Thailand all of which was in Bangkok. Seeing the lush greenery of southern Thailand made me wish I had stayed longer. Such is the strange paradox in traveling. The more places you go, the greater the desire to see the world. You're never satiated and if anything, it gets worse. But there's always next time!

The train stopped briefly while crossing the border to Malaysia. For some reason, the Malaysian authorities thought I was affiliated with two Indian passengers of Sikh origin. They took us in a small office and scrutinized our passports for quite a while. Maybe the uncertain look on my face screamed suspicion? I have no idea. After I clarified to the border guards that I was not associated with the other passengers, I quickly scurried to get my passport stamped and scuffled to get back on the train.

As the train entered Malaysia, I became excited. The flat green fields of Thailand gave way to lush vistas of palm trees and hills. The faces were getting noticeably darker, mosques started to mix with Buddhist temples, and more women were wearing the hijab.

Despite the change in scenery, after spending over 20 hours on a train, I was starting to get antsy. Fortunately, the train staff took notice and offered a small cup of fresh coffee.

Finally after nearly 24 hours, the train arrived in Butterworth.

Welcome to the Spontaneous Homebody!

Greetings fellow travelers!

Welcome to my blog! I am excited to join the blogging community and share my passion for travel. This past summer, I finally fulfilled my dream in backpacking around Southeast Asia and took a solo train ride from Bangkok all the way down to Singapore. Planning the trip was almost as exciting as the voyage itself, and I sought assistance from blogs, review sites, and general travel sites such as Lonely Planet and Trip Advisor. Nevertheless, I still had to spend considerable time sifting through bits and pieces of information to plan my journey.

As a result, I created this blog to give readers advice on the logistics and costs of traveling based on my experiences. In addition, the blog will feature reviews of places, anecdotes, and personal photos. Hopefully, my blog will serve as a one-stop shop in providing substantial information for your travels at an affordable cost. Also, even if you're not actively planning for an upcoming trip, I hope this blog will inspire homebodies to become more spontaneous.

Speaking of which, where did the phrase "spontaneous homebody" come from? It's a long story, but it has much to do with my beloved sidekicks a.k.a. cousins, Kim and Minh. Several years ago, we were cavorting around New York City, and I proclaimed that despite our homebody nature, we were spontaneous whenever we traveled. Thus, the phrase stuck and became a happy running joke among the three of us.

In the end, I look forward to sharing my knowledge with you and hope to inspire homebodies to travel and see the world.