Bangkok

Our train ride to Bangkok was about 12 hours overnight. I was impressed with how the seats on the train turned into bunk beds. We would be arriving at 6:30am and of course we were chatting until late. I got a couple hours of sleep, unaware that I would hardly sleep for the next two …

Khao Sok National Park

We slept in mosquito nets in cute little bungalos at the edge of a jungle adjacent to the national park. We were warned of monkeys stealing our stuff if we leave anything on the porch. There was a frog in Sonia's bed and I swear there was a leech at the top of my mosquito …

Raft House

We were off of solid land for nearly 24 hours at one of the most incredible places I had ever seen. The raft house village was a neighborhood floating on a lake, about a 1 hour boat ride from civilization. Each little house was a traditional Thai style house. All that could fit in each …

Krabi, Thailand

I'm not a huge beach person, but the beaches here are paradise. Our group took a day trip to the Phi Phi Islands (pronounced pee pee...and yes every joke was made). The initial boat ride to the first island was so rough and I thought "thank God I have travellers insurance because I will need …

The hotel staff tucked in my penguin. Hehehe

Penang

I'm in love with the street art in Penang. Even some of the street signs and store/accommodation signs are made of metal art which looks like it's painted on the walls from afar. Penang is more of what I pictured when I imagined coming to Malaysia - the previous 2 cities seemed very western. The …

Penguin is enjoying the long car rides with new British and Aussie friends! Jenny gave me this travel penguin pillow...inside out, it becomes a neck pillow! And it gives me an excuse to sleep with a stuffed animal on a backpacking trip as an adult 🙂

Cameron Highlands

This place was beautiful. After a 4 hour van ride, Mama Duck took us to a restaurant where he STRONGLY encouraged us to have a banana leaf meal. I chose banana leaf with chicken. They gave us huge green placemats and we were supposed to eat everything with our hands. I asked my friend where …

This sign was posted on the door to a bar. See previous post to know why this cracked me up.

Melaka and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

We call our tour guide Mama Duck. He always is keeping count of his ducklings, making sure no one gets lost. And he takes care of us by demonstrating how to use the butt squirters and squat toilets (fully clothed) when we have questions about "happy rooms." Melaka Mama Duck took us to a palace, …