drofykceb - Rebecca Ford

My name is Becky, and I'm a travelin' Texan who has been living in Europe for the past seven years working for the US Air Force. I've spent a lot of time in Africa & the Middle East (sorry, that was a long time ago, so no blogs), recently traveled to Southeast Asia, and have a ton more trips planned in the future.

Please enjoy reading my blog.

You'll find out very quickly that I am a bit of a smart-as*, but I am also very straight-forward, honest (no sugar-coating here), adventurous, and I can offer you good practical travel advice from time to time.

I'll be hosting competitions, and the opportunity to give me assignments or tasks to complete. I appreciate all comments and will respond when I have time.

Thanks for reading!

If you enjoy reading, please check out two of my travel articles, written under the name Rebecca Dougher: http://www.besttravelwriting.com/btw-blog/great-stories/travel-and-sports-bronze-winner-somewhere-along-the-way/ about hiking the West Highland Way in Scotland, and http://www.bootsnall.com/articles/07-10/transylvanian-terror-tours-romania-europe.html about taking a Dracula-themed tour in Transylvania.

Roving, Roving, Roving
May 8th 2009 -» ongoing

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Joined on: May 7th 2009
Last Login: November 8th 2009

Blog Entries: 44
Photos: 204

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Blogs & Travel Journals

by drofykceb, order by Date newest first.

By drofykceb
November 6th 2009

Ah, That Matisse Europe » France » Île-de-France » Paris

Les Nympheas

When I worked at the U.S. Embassy in Paris, I had a lovely daily commute. I walked across the street to the boulangerie on Boulevard de Port Royal, swallowed some sort of sinfully calorific pastry, and ducked into the metro. After sticking my ticket in the turnstile while attempting not to touch anything with my bare hands, I would elbow my way past the other commuters to the edge of the platform. Once the train arrived, it was always like a game of musical chairs - without the music, and without the good-natured laughter when you lose and instead some greasy-haired [View Full Entry]

By drofykceb
November 5th 2009

Paris Revisited Europe » France » Île-de-France » Paris

Paris Rooftops

As I was jogging along the rue Francois Premier today, on my way to the river, I was halted in my tracks by the most gorgeous pair of boots. Anyone who knows my predilection for footwear (and boots in particular), will understand. I stood in the street, soaked in sweat with my black running shirt dripping in the rain, and ogled the supple brown leather, exquisite craftsmaship, and wondered how they would look on me. Then I glanced down to see the price displayed in gold type on a small black placard. 1200 euros. Good heavens. I had forgotten for a [View Full Entry]

By drofykceb
July 12th 2009

Hong Kong Blowout Asia » Hong Kong » Hong Kong Island

Sipping Wine on the Aqualuna

I am leaving Hong Kong tomorrow to go back to the U.S. It was a difficult and very personal decision for me, but I feel great about it and I look forward to continuing my travels when I have someone to travel with. In the meantime, my second-to-last day here was anything but dull. It started on the Aqualuna, one of the last remaining honest-to-goodness junk boats in Hong Kong, or as their web site proclaims: "possibly the last painstakingly handcrafted traditional Chinese junk to be built in Hong Kong using age-old designs and traditional materials b [View Full Entry]

By drofykceb
July 8th 2009

Pekingese Fajitas Asia » Hong Kong » Kowloon

Sping Deer Spread

This past week I had the joy and excitement of trying Pekingese Duck. I had seen these happy birds hanging in shop windows in Mong Kok, with their crispy orange skins, and wondered how they tasted. I went with a couple of friends to the Spring Deer restaurant in Kowloon to try it out. The place was, as all popular local (read: Chinese) restaurants are, bright, crowded, and noisy. There was no subdued mood lighting or sound-proof panelling: the walls were unadorned white, the lights were bright fluorescent, and the tables were all full. In fact, we were only able t [View Full Entry]

By drofykceb
July 7th 2009

To Market, To Market Asia » Hong Kong » Kowloon

Anyone Know What Kind of Flower THIS Is?

You can buy just about anything in Hong Kong. And when I say anything, I mean anything, from high-tech computer equipment to live slimy things to stuff that I can't even identify. There are several really cool markets that I checked out. The Flower Market: Set on a the aptly named Flower Market Road, this is a bustling street crammed with people, all shopping for cut flowers, flower arrangements, and an array of strange plants that I suppose are beautiful in an other-worldly kind of way. The Yuen Po Bird Garden: I actually wandered into this out of sheer curiosity, de [View Full Entry]

Can You Believe I Went to the Bird Market?

By drofykceb
July 4th 2009

Fourth of July Junk Asia » Hong Kong » Hong Kong Island

Mmmmm, Cupcakes!

Yesterday was the 4th of July, which, yet again, I spent outside of the U.S. For previous 4ths, I've gone clubbing in Egypt, attended parties at the Ambassador's residence in Paris, served barbecue for my neighbors in Germany, watched F-16s dogfight in Tunisia, and this year I went out on a junk cruise. A junk boat is sort of a misnomer, as it is really just a nice little yacht. You get together about 20 people, find a caterer, buy a lot of booze, and voila - junk boat party. There were a few of us Americans, but we also celebrated [View Full Entry]

It's Not the Star-Spangled Banner, But It's Still Pretty

By drofykceb
July 3rd 2009

Baking Wife Cakes Asia » Hong Kong » Kowloon

Our Class

Once upon a time, a married woman sold herself (I assume as a servant or slave, but who knows?) to pay for medical care for her father-in-law (would any of you do that for an in-law?). Her husband was so lonely without her that he developed the recipe for a special kind of cake, which he sold in order to buy her back. The recipe was for the traditional Chinese pastry known as Wife Cakes. Now, I'm thinking that either she wasn't worth a whole lot, or that he sold a TON of these cakes, because they are small - roughly [View Full Entry]

By drofykceb
July 2nd 2009

Back in Hong Kong Asia » Hong Kong » Hong Kong Island

View of Hong Kong from the Peak

Ahhhhhhhh....... That's the sigh of relief that I exhaled as I landed back in Hong Kong's beautiful, clean, organized, modern airport. That's the sound I made when I boarded the swift, efficient Airport Express train into Central. That's the noise that escaped my throat when I stepped into the International Finance Center Building to meet my friend Travis. That's also the breath that slowly hissed out as I went shopping at the IFC mall and slipped into a new pair of flip-flops. This is the sweet sigh of relaxation that I am making as I type i [View Full Entry]

By drofykceb
July 1st 2009

Culture Shock Asia » Vietnam » Red River Delta » Hanoi

I haven't been feeling well the past couple of days. I had to cancel a trip to the Perfume Pagoda (which, despite what some may think, is a religious shrine and not a perfume factory) ;) I also had to cancel a Vietnamese cooking class that I scheduled, where I would have learned to make nems (fresh spring rolls). Yesterday, as I was sitting on the front porch of the hostel and smoking a cigarette (yes, this is what it has driven me to - but don't worry it is not a permanent habit I plan on keeping), I heard at [View Full Entry]

By drofykceb
June 28th 2009

So Long Sa Pa Asia » Vietnam » Northwest » Sapa

On The Road

Today is my last day in Sa Pa - tonight it's the night train from Lao Cai back to noisy, crowded, hot Hanoi. I spent my leisurely last day by taking a walk. I picked a road and followed it out of town for over an hour. It was a rewarding way to go. All the scenery nearby is beautiful, so that did not disappoint. The locals were not trying to sell me anything so instead I got a lot of nice smiles and "hellos" with absolutely no strings attached, as they passed me on their way back to their villages [View Full Entry]

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