On to Thailand!

2 June 2014

Recipe: Chicken and Rice Ball

The Lonely Planet states shopping and eating as the favorite pastimes of local Singaporeans, and after visiting their malls and eating their food I would have to agree.  Rachel and I gladly took this advice and spent our day at the shopping malls and eateries between Lavender Street and Orchard Street.  We were not planning on having this extra day in Singapore so we decided to fill it with two of the local pastimes that just happened to be two of our favorite pastimes as well!  I bought my first “Asian” style clothing (besides my Indian clothing-which is a category all in itself).  The style here is very interesting.  While Europe adopts a very timeless classy look, Asia goes for the trendy pop look in their style.  Everything is bright colors, funky, geometrical shaped, and contains images of the latest trend in pop culture and media.  It is fun to watch and observe the street fashion here, something that is COMPLETELY different than the street fashion of Europe and of America.  I am still a European girl at heart when it comes to fashion, but it is fun to be able to experiment with different styles as I am traveling, and while is Southeast Asia I am going to experiment with the iconic fashion here!

Last night we looked into taking the night bus up into Northern Malaysia and then crossing the border into Thailand to head up to Phuket, but after calculating time and cost, we figured the $40 flight straight from Singapore to Phuket might be a better option.  Phuket is one of the most sought after travel destinations in Southeast Asia because of it’s beautiful sand beaches and crystal blue water for snorkeling and scuba diving.  Everywhere you look there are mountains and islands that just seem to float in the water, a sight that I am told forever instills itself in your memory.

Currently I am sitting on a flight from Singapore to Phuket, Thailand (Heaven on Earth from what I have been told).  We had a great few days in Malaysia and Singapore (two destinations that were completely unplanned) and now we are headed into Thailand were who knows how long we will stay.  There are enough islands where we are headed now to spend months exploring, and we are going to try to do it in 4 days before heading north to Bangkok and meet up with my Thai friend who is going to travel to Northern Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos with us.  It is going to be a fabulous trip and who knows what adventures lie ahead!  For now we are tired of seeing city after city and want to get out and adventure in the outdoors.  The future holds a lot of snorkeling, Kayaking, rock climbing, hiking, living on an elephant camp, and biking through some of the most ancient temples in all of Asia (Ankor Wat).  It is going to be one crazy ride, and I am ready for it!

I have been on an airplane enough times that I should be used to it, but I still get a bit anxious every time I board.  Being on a plane thousands of feet above the ground or ocean while flying to a completely foreign country can be a bit nerve-racking at times.