Pamspace

While the last few weeks of my trip were a bit of a bust, I have pretty much fully recovered from the flu and am quite happy to be back home in my beautiful city where so far, no one seems to not want to be around me based on my swine flu history. I did attempt to make lemons out of lemonade and spent the last few days in Australia in a small beach town about 3 hours North of Sydney called Port Stephens. It was very pretty and I managed to do a few fun activities while I was there. I rented a bike and rode from one end of town the next (on the left side!). I went whale watching and didn't see one stinkin' whale. I ate lamingtons, drank tea, and did ... read more

It feels strange to use the blog to convey bad news, but unfortunately, I am not having the best experience in Australia. I have come down with the dreaded swine flu and have been in bed (actually "bed" is a euphamism for Tim's thermarest) since Monday and finally went to the doctor today. Confirmed swine. With lots of time on my hands and my brain full of evil thoughts as to who exactly should be to blame for all of this, I now have a well-polished theory. The country of Australia is to blame. Having just traveled through all of the "high alert" countries in SE Asia, the people and the governments there are doing everything they possibly can to prevent the spread. There are body heat sensors at all international airports, the majority of the ... read more

There are moments in life, especially when traveling, when the kindness of others, sometimes even strangers, is so touching and so heartwarming, it leaves you feeling humble and very grateful. There are so many moments throughout this trip that I thought: I might just have to compile a list....and that is exactly what I have done. -The friendly Cambodian guy on the flight from Bangkok to Phnom Penh who went through my entire Lonely Planet Cambodia and starred the places and activities that he thought were worthwhile. -Gordon at Two Dragons for loving to talk and having the most accurate opinions ever. -The four Americans at Two Dragons who let us use their laptop because we were terrified of the keystroking software at the local internet cafe. -Jenni for becoming our third wheel. -Matahari dive shop ... read more

I spent most of my first day in Hanoi dealing with a flight glitch. And by "glitch", I mean that Vietnam Air never booked my flight to Australia. A very kind and generous woman at the hotel was helping me get to the bottom of what happened, but she was only able to do so much by phone (which is baffling to me). She put me in taxi and sent me over to the Vietnam Airlines office. $6 later (which is a lot for a taxi here), the taxi drops me off at what appears to be the Vietnam Airlines corporate office. It is sort of like going to Bentonville Arkansas Wal-Mart office and expecting to buy housewares. I attempt to walk through the gate and I don't make it far. Security comes chasing after me ... read more

The first thing you must know is that I am now an Advanced Certified PADI diver. So can I get a little respect please? :) Now that we have that out of the way, a short update from the beautiful island of Kecil in lovely Malaysia. As you can see, I am quite fond of this place. The water is absolutely crystal clear, the diving is phenomenal, by far, the best saltwater diving I've ever done. I have spent lots of time in the sea which makes me happy. When not amongst the fishies, you can generally find me lounging at the beach or drinking a mango icee. This has been one of those weeks that words can't really describe. Just very nice and relaxing and calm. Kecil is a funny little island. It's beautiful, yes ... read more