Bonkers for Honkers!

This post was written in New Zealand. Nevermind my location, let's talk about Hong Kong. What a city, err special administrative region! Admittedly I knew very little about Honky when I decided to tack it on to my itinerary but only heard great things from friends so decided "why not?". Great decision and thank you to those friends!

I only had 5 nights in Honky (as the expat Brits lovingly call it) and 5 nights was in fact the perfect amount of time to spend on the island. It is a packed and full speed city with eveyone on the go. The pace puts new York to shame and makes Sydney look like an old age home. The expat community is a bit pretentious but hey with their ambition that's how they ended up there right? A friend living there commented that you don't go anywhere without your business card.

I was fortunate enough to have a host family (thanks Shays!) and therefore got the all star treatment. This was definitely welcomed after 6 weeks of heat rash, too much rice, and despite my daily cold shower never really feeling clean.

Hong Kong is boasted as Asia's "world city" and that it is. It is extremely diverse due to it's geographic location, powerful banking presence and of course also due to its former commonwealth status. Everyday was packed with highlights and a few of them are:

1) riding the star ferry from Hong Kong island to Kowloon. The duelling skylines on both sides of you from Victoria harbour is staggering! You can just feel the power and strength the buildings exude.
2) the Hong Kong Museum of History. Honestly one of the best museums I have ever been to. The layout and chronology is so immaculate and well-done. I wouldn't consider myself a Cantonese expert by any means but it was very educational and fun to peruse.
3) attending a Cantonese opera. Of course we didn't understand a word but the performance was great and the costumes were old school chinese and gorgeous!
4) the glass bottom cable ride to the big Buddha. This was a big Sunday excursion and the ride itself to Pnong Ning was worth it!
5) the nightly skyline light show. It's the worlds largest synchronized light show where every night the famous skyline lights up to a different song for 15 minutes.
6) the food! Of course I gorged on western fare like fresh salad and bread (such a delicacy after six weeks of stir fry) but the dimsum was excellent! A few friends treated me to a vegetarian dim sum house and I was blown away.
7) lastly the public transport. I know, such a dorky thing to get excited about but seriously the city is so well-organized and has the subway down to a tee! Very clean, fast, and on time. I could even check my bags 24 hours before my flight in the city so I wouldn't have to deal with them until I arrived in Auckland. A huge plus for a backpacker.

Hk was a lovely breath of fresh air (smog or no smog) from my backpacking hey day. It allowed me to function as a normal person for a few days and prepared me for what NZ has to offer. More on New Zealand soon!

Cheers mates!

Goodbye SE Asia

This post will be brief as Bangkok has the tendency to easily exhaust its tourists.

Tonight is my last night in Thailand and alas my last night in Southeast Asia! A bittersweet goodbye. I had a great 5 weeks exploring and eating my way through Thailand, Lao, Cambodia, and Malaysia but it is surely time to move on to... Hong Kong! After 10 quarts of curry and 3 kilos of rice, I am definitely looking forward to Hong Kongs more diversified cuisine and sights.

The last week or really brought out the highlights of my time in Thailand overall. Mara was nice enough to spend her vacation days with me! We hit up all the must-sees in Bangkok (mostly temples, palaces and buddhas) and had the best half day learning how to cook thai cuisine with a firecracker of a lady.

We then took the overnight bus down south to check out Koh Phi Phi for some island action. While yes, Phi Phi was heavily touristy, it was for good reason! Gorgeous limestone jagged mountains jut out of the water to surround the island. The island was seriously hit by the Tsunami in 2005 but they have since recovered nicely and are constantly building and developing. After saying my goodbyes to Mara I headed north to the quiet national park of Khao Sok. Loved Khao Sok. It is a beautiful and massive lake which was also encompassed by limestone karsts. I was able to hike, cave spelunk and kayak in the area so that was good to get physical after laying on the beach for too long. Additionally, my lodging came in the form of a raft hut on the lake itself. I loved literally rolling out of bed and jumping into the freshwater. A definite recommendation for all your future travels!

My last stop in Thailand was Prachuap Khiri Khan to visit another buddy from college, C'pher. He teaches at the middle school there and leads quite the awesome life as one of the only white people in the small beach town. I was able to do some biking and hiking (and of course swimming) which was a great way to get to know the area. My first night there was the nation-wide Water Festival (Loi Kratong). All the locals come out to the water and light lanterns and kratongs and just have a lot of fun with fireworks, BBQ, and parades in order to pay respect to the water spirits.

So there you have it, no more Thai adventures to report on! Will update you from "Fragrant Harbor" aka Hong Kong!

Cambodia and Malaysia

Hey faithful readers!

Wow what an incredible few weeks to update on! I can't believe my trip is halfway complete...I don't want it to end. I left off with my time ending in Lao. After leaving the capital of Vientiane, I met my friend Ildi in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It was quite a shock to every sense to arrive in the capital. The city was surely alive and active, especially since the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon was in town visiting as well. (copycat!) However the poverty and aftermath of the 1975 Genocide was still alarmingly present.

Ildi and I spent most of the first day touring the remnants and exhibits dedicated to the memory of the victims and survivors of the genocide. We went to the killing fields, torture prisons, and witnessed the slums of outer Phnom Penh that are still underdeveloped due to the massacres. After that we definitely needed a drink! After a few days of touring the bustling city, we took a 5-hour bus ride to Siem Reap, the famed host to Angkor Wat.

Known to most as the 8th wonder of the world, Angkor Wat certainly lived up to expectations! The temple complex was built in the 12th century and is incredibly maintained. (perhaps due to the $20 entry fee??) We started at dawn to witness the hyped sunrise behind the main Angkor temple and we were not disappointed! The rest of the day was spent meandering through the vast expanse of ruins. The area was packed and we were told that it was the low season...whew!

From Sieam Reap we flew into Kuala Lumpur to begin our Malaysian adventures. KL is incredibly diverse, as is the rest of the country. It was incredible to just walk for 15 minutes and find ourselves go through Little India, China town, and then end at a hawker-stall complex full of Malay food. We always joked that we could never tell who was a tourist or a local due to all of the ethnicities that comprise Malaysian culture.

From KL we settled in Penang. NO, PANANG CURRY DOES NOT COME FROM PENANG. I know, we were disappointed too. Penang means betel nut, if that helps anyone. Despite the lack of panang curry, we were gastronomically pleased with the array of foods we could find and immediately devour. The island is famous for its lhaksa soup, rojak desserts, and Nonya secret cuisine. On the island we were able to hike, swim, motorbike, eat and sleep. Not a bad way to spend three days!

From Penang we took a 3-hour ferry to the remote island Pulau Langkawi. Langkawi is an underdeveloped island with great beaches and water sports galore. For my birthday Ildi and another friend Andres snorkeled with baby sharks! Very memorable. Sadly last night Ildi and I said goodbye as she headed south to Singapore and I head north to Bangkok to meet Mara.

From there we will tour the city for a few days and then holiday on one of the famed southern islands, most likely Koh Phi Phi. Can't wait to meet up with her, will keep you posted soon!

Cheers,
Aviva

Update from Thailand/Indochina!

Sawadee/Sabaidee/Sua s’dei/HELLO!!!

It has been quite some time since my last entry, but I am writing to you from the Kingdom of Cambodia. Almost 3 weeks ago I set sail from Sydney to begin my southeast Asian adventure. It is quite an overwhelming task to summarize the last 3 weeks and 3 countries but I'll give it a shot.

Thailand: I arrived in Bangkok in the middle of the night and the next day I took an overnight bus up to Chiang Mai, located in northern Thailand. After a few days of meandering and motorbiking around the city and the surrounding temples and sights, I bussed over to Pai with a new British friend I had made along the way. Pai is a small town 4 hours north of Chiang Mai with gorgeous mountains surrounding it. I almost lost my lunch on the ride over due to all the twists and turns and I think it isn't necessary to report that public buses in Thailand are a bit outdated!

7 kilometres outside of Pai my friend and I volunteered and slept at an organic farm called Tacomepai. It is a great community of hilltribe villagers and foreigners alike all gathered for the sake of sustainable farming/living. I learned quite a bit about permaculture and all the many uses of bamboo! It was definitely a great way to see the region without being clumped with all the hustling of the backpacker crowds. That was my main gripe about Thailand. It felt like the country was created for tourists, whereas Laos is an amazing country that exists and just happens to have tourists passing through. ON TO LAOS!

Laos: Called Lao in its own language, I was super impressed by what I was able to experience. My journey through the landlocked country began by crossing the border overland through Houay Xai in northern Lao. It was a pretty drama-free experience. Lots of Thai tourists which are always fun to just watch and observe. 4 hours later I "landed" in the rural almost cowboy town of Luang Nam Tha. The town has one main drag of restaurants, guest houses, and trekking companies. I really wanted to bike and kayak around the Nam Ha protected area and the Nam Tha river but since it was the low season I couldnt find enough people for a group discount. Instead, I befriended a Venezuelan guy who volunteered for one of the trekking companies and he showed me where to go on my own which was just as great (and almost free!)

After a few days of peace and quiet in Luang Nam Tha, I headed south to Luang Prabang, Lao's cultural capital situated on the Mekong River. So far that has been my highlight of the trip!

-Kuang Si waterfalls. 30 kms outside of Luang Prabang, these turquoise waters are PARADISAICAL! I met 3 German friends and we spent hours just swimming, rope swinging, and hiking around the reserve.
-River Festival. Marking the end of Buddhist Lent, the whole country goes crazy for "color war" games on the Mekong. Lots of boat races, fire works, dances, karaoke, and barbecues.
-Volunteering with Big Brother Mouse. This is a great organization that promotes literacy throughout Lao. I was able to donate money and do book drop offs in various villages and schools in every city I visited. Very rewarding to see such cute kids excited about receiving books!
-Teaching kids English in Vang Vieng. We were able to create our own curriculum (we taught 10 year olds about clothing and food) and they ate it up! (pun intended)

All in all I loved Lao (can you tell?) But alas it is time to move south to Cambodia. I am meeting up with my friend from college and we will move quickly through Phnom Penh (capital city) to Angkor Wat. From there we will hit eastern Malaysia for 10 days before saying goodbye. From there I will meet up with Mara for Bangkok and some island hopping in the south!

Whew! So far I have loved traveling alone but ready for some companionship. Looking forward to what is in store.

Lah gone, goodbye,
Aviva

Big Update!

Hey folks,

Shana tova to everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the slew of 3-day chags and are on the road to recovery. The high holidays for me were mostly lackluster as expected. Being away from family during this time is never desired, but what can ya do! I had to make do with great and warm families taking me in for most meals, while I was fortunate to host a bunch of friends for the pre-fast shabbat dinner.

Well on to the bigger highlights of this post. I ran my first timed half marathon two weeks ago! It for sure was not my personal best, but I can always blame it on the fact that Yom Kippur was the previous day, right? :) The course was a tourist's dream: starting on the harbour bridge, looping through the rocks (the first colonial settlement in Australia), peaking in Darling Harbour and finally finishing at the Sydney Opera house. I feel very accomplished but am certainly looking forward to the next challenge! (any ideas??)

I tried to keep this as quiet as possible but two weeks ago I completed my tenure here in Sydney with the Advisory Board. As 6 months was the intended amount of time to spend here for the company, I decided that half a year was not nearly enough and decided to quit, stay, and travel for a few months before figuring out my next step. The split was completely amicable and no bridges were burned- in fact my boss still calls me from time to time to discuss funny business stories since I have left. I have spent my free time tutoring, nannying, and volunteering for this great organization. One thing I have learned from this new found freedom is that I am quite restless. Who knew??! Good thing I have a big trip to prepare for!

My travels include the following loose itinerary. A good friend of mine will surely cringe at how oragnized I am trying to be (if she even reads this?!) but I am sure things are bound to change day by day. If you are in the neighborhood let's meet up!

Oct 10- Volunteering on an organic farm/school in northern Thailand
Oct 20- Laos
Oct 27- Meeting my friend Ildi in Cambodia
Nov 1- Touring eastern and central Malaysia with Ildi
Nov 10- Travel overland to southern Thailand to teach Thai kids English with my friend from GW
Nov 17- Reuniting with Mara and spending time in Phuket and Bangkok, Thailand
Nov 25- Off to Hong Kong and Shenzin, China
Nov 30- Travel New Zealand overland from north to south
Dec 11- Sydney!!
Dec 15- back to Atlanta :) :(

Again, happy new year. May this year be blessed with only happiness, success, and malaria-free mosquitoes!

Victorious in Victoria!

Happy September!

As most of you cringe at the thought of summer ending or heading back to school, things are really heating up here in Sydney. The shorts and surfboards are certainly out and the sun freckles are suddenly appearing!

My good friend and old room mate from DC Shari is here visiting and she is really doing Australia right! Last week we did the whole Sydney kit 'n kaboodle and on Wednesday headed west for our Victorian adventure starting in the cultural capital of Melbourne.

Thursday morning was spent perusing good old Queen Victoria Market where we were able to buy everything from cashmere peacoats to boomerang gifts and gluten free gourmet pizza. Following our spree, we explored the rest of the central business district and the famed Federation Square. Everytime I go to Melbourne I find myself in complete amazement of the modern architecture and the trendy folks. After eating lunch in a hidden gem of an alleyway full of paninis and soups, we bravely rented our car and hit the (Great Ocean) Road.

Shari was the first of us to attempt driving on the left and she was a pro! Once we got on the freeway it was smooth sailing. Our 3 day adventure out west consisted of the following highlights:

-driving on the Great Ocean Road of Victoria. Possibly one of the most scenic roads in the world, you have the ocean on your left with lush mountains and wild koalas on your right.
-stumbling upon some grazing kangaroos on a golfcourse in the town of Anglesea, population 400.
-finding the incredible Erskine Waterfalls
-hiking through the Maits Head rainforest
-cuddling by the fire in our AMAZING hostel in Apollo Bay. Seriously though- best hostel I've stayed in!!
-the pinnacle of the trip: witnessing the Twelve Apostles. They are amazing limestone rock formations in the middle of the ocean that exist due to thousands (millions??) of years of erosion from the arctic winds and waters.
-the drive back to Melbourne was great too! We passed hundreds of sheep and wineries and even stopped at a few!

Our most recent adventure was a day trip out to the World Heritage listed Blue Mountains in New South Wales, just 90 minutes outside of Sydney. These mountains go on FOREVER! (really over one million hectares) They are called the Blue Mountains due to the fine mist of oil exuded by the eucalyptus leaves that inhabit the valleys and gorges. Just like the postcards, we got great views of the famed "Three Sisters" rock formations and Wentworth water falls. After an hour or so of hiking through, we took the steepest railway ride in the world (52 degree incline) down to the rain forest section and then promptly took the cable car option back up and slowly made our way home to Sydney.

I had such a great time with my second visitor and feel so honoured that these friends are choosing to spend their vacation days (and money) with me in this charmed country!

Cheers,
Aviva

Far North Queensland Holiday!

Hey Readers!

Can you believe we are almost in the throws of mid August? As your summer is winding down, I can feel spring is just around the corner here. The seasonal change still does not get old!

July was a fantastic month overall. Mostly thanks to the visit of my great friend Naomi from DC! We did EVERYTHING in Sydney plus 2 domestic excursions. For a long weekend we jetted up to Queensland to experience the Great Barrier Reef in the coastal towns of both Cairns and Port Douglas. The reef is one of the 7 wonders of the natural world, and boy they aren't kidding! It is larger than the Great Wall of China and is the only living thing that is visible from outer space! It is the most delicate and diverse ecosystem in the world and it was an absolute phenomenon to view.

Naomi and I took a cruise out to two reef sites to snorkel and SCUBA dive. It was our first time diving and I would say overall it went well! Though I don't think I need to do it again, it was the best way to see the reef. I found myself squealing with joy everytime I "found" Nemo or swam into a massive turtle. The colours of the reef are just so bright and vivid- I felt like I was on the set of Avatar! If you ever make it to this side of the world, seeing the reef is a must!

Other highlights of our holiday (vacation) include:
-walking through the Daintree Rainforest
-cruising on the Daintree river, spotting quite a few crocs
-relaxing on 4 mile Beach in Port Douglas
-holding a koala in the rainforest habitat (!!!)
-drinking in the restaurant Nautilus, an incredible restaurant set in the rain forest


We returned back to Sydney tanned and rested and ready to see more sites! I showed Naomi the Opera House, Watson's Bay, the Bondi to Bronte coastal walk, and more. We took a day trip to the Hunter Valley wine region in New South Wales which included 5 wineries and 2 cheese shops!

After 2 weeks spent together I definitely miss her and her companionship!

On our last day I ran the famed City2Surf 14 kilometre race from downtown to Bondi beach. With a record-breaking 80,000 runners, it is the worlds largest fun run. It was such a varied route with glorious weather and excited runners, spectators, and volunteers. EVERYONE runs the race. I saw everyting from strollers to wheelchairs to guys in gorilla suits. We ended the run with brunch on the beach and then moved to the popular Beach Road Hotel for beers at 11am with all the other stinky runners.

Only 2 weeks til my next guests come: Tali & Shari! We're doing all the fun Sydney sites plus Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road trip. Stay tuned!!