Gigantic Trip Recap. Buckle Up.

It's unfortunate, how quickly you readjust to your routine after returning from being away. I got back to Portland after spending over three weeks in Southeast Asia and already it seems like it all happened to someone else, a long time ago. Just ten days ago, I was on top of a mountain in Borneo! And today I fiddled around on a computer, assembling a marketing plan for the next fiscal year. Such is life, I suppose.

In addition to looking at my photos three times a day, I hope that blogging about my adventure might just help me cling to its fleeting magic. So, indulge me, while I share some highlights. (But I should note, there were many highlights.)

We started in Vietnam, where we lucky enough to have amazing hosts and guides in our friends Mike and Karinna, who in addition to looking ridiculously cute in their pointy hats, have been living in Saigon for almost two years. We arrived during the middle of the Tet celebration, which meant that many businesses were closed. Being there during their most revered holiday had its perks, like a slightly slower city pulse and some elaborate one-time-a-year flower displays.

After a few days exploring Saigon, we left on a 2 day trip to Ben Tre, a city to the south nestled in the Mekong River Delta. We hopped on a slow boat with Hai, our guide, and stopped often - to visit a traditional brick factory, eat tropical fruit, ride bikes through the complex network of sidewalk-sized "roads" through the delta, eat an amazing 5 course lunch (more on that in a later post, dedicated solely to food), a stop at a coconut candy factory and the Vinh Trang pagoda.

From Vietnam we'd planned to fly to Bangkok, but when all four of us got to the airport we were rejected because Beardy only had a couple months left on his passport, and in order to not be held liable for him incase Thailand wouldn't take him, the airline wouldn't let him go. He also woke up that day with a really nasty case of food poisoning. To make a long story less long, he got the Visa, but had to wait over the weekend. I went to Bangkok, where between massages I wandered Khao San Road eating just about anything a vendor tried to get me to buy. And without question it was the best food I had on the whole trip. (Food post! Coming soon.)

Thailand has perfected the art of making its guests feel OK about partaking in a bit of gluttony. Amazing beaches are provided for your slothing pleasure, the food delicious, the people predominantly charming, and should you decide you'd like to drag your sorry ass off your beach towel, there are tons of activities that fit the bill. I could definitely spent more time in Thailand. After they sort our that whole political unrest thing.

Then! Beard flew home, and to Borneo I went. I met up with a fabulous lady crew and we spent two days climbing to the top of Mt. Kinabalu, the highest point in all of southeast Asia with a summit at 13,000 feet, which I reached in time to watch the sunrise. Although afterward I would have qualified for a walker and could have developed an unwieldy addiction to prescription strength painkillers, which coincidentally are sold at any old 7-11 over there... I am so glad I climbed that mountain... in Borneo. For the win.

I'm tired. Are you still reading this? If so, that's very kind. Or maybe you're lonely? Or are you trying to fall asleep yourself? It's OK. I'm pretty much done. After the mountain, I found a beach, curled up in the fetal position there - wait, actually, I couldn't bend my legs, so it was probably more like corpse pose. Yes, I assumed corpse pose, with a book, on Mamutik island. After some beach camping I treated myself to a fancy hotel, and went to the most amazing night market. Then I began my long journey back to Portland.

Thanks for playing. You're an incredibly good sport. It's good to be home.

Gooooood Morning Vietnam Wallet

If you've been within earshot of me any time within the last six months, chances are you've heard me yammering on about the trip I'm about to embark on. Next week I'm headed to Southeast Asia to visit some friends and will spend 3 1/2 weeks traveling in Vietnam, Thailand, and Borneo.

One could say I enjoy planning. A lot. I tend to get fixated on and consumed by these things I'm organizing, and even start planning trips that will occur after the one I'm about to take. (Colorado this summer, anyone?) So it's not surprising that my planning works its influence into my other projects (which also require planning). Hence, the travel wallet. I actually made this for my friend, who I'll be meeting up with in Borneo. See you soon, Linds! You'll have a wallet for the last week of your 3-month trip. How convenient. I am so good at planning.

I found the project in a book called Sew & Stow, which features some really great ideas for bags, wallets, and other organization-focused items. I've reached a point in my seamstress journey that I'm really excited about: I can improvise and the result doesn't look completely bush league. In this instance, I added some fusible interfacing, and instead of using bias tape around the edges, I sort of made my own by folding and pressing some material that I used for the inside of the wallet. I also included a zippered pocket, and velcro! Which was referred to in the book as "hook and loop fastener," which confused the hell out of me until I gave in and googled. I'm still working on stitching straight and making sure things line up, but am really pleased about how the basics are becoming easier, and my ability to troubleshoot has improved. Or started to exist.

I take off for Vietnam on Thursday, and get back March 8th. Eeeee! It's all suddenly very real. I'm going to do my best to post some updates from the road, and look forward to sharing some stories about the street food and the markets and the... street food! And hopefully won't have any anecdotes about getting dysentery and being airlifted back to the U.S. or bribing my way out of a Thai prison. Ha! Just kidding Mom. That stuff never happens. Really.

Wish me luck!

I pickled!

I realize that based on how often I talk about it, you'd think I put up a few pints every weekend. Not true. I'm a giant poser. Or I was. I recently delved into not only my first pickling project, but I canned those buggers too.

And it was... pretty easy. Yes, there were steps that had to be done in a specific order. No half-assing allowed in preservation town. But all in all, fairly straightforward. I've already single-handedly taken down a pint of pickled green beans. And I'm still alive. Proof of my aptitude. Or resilience to botulism. We shall see.

Many thanks, once again, to this fantastic book.

Results of food challenge #1: Abort, abort!

Unfortunately, I had to put my Friday night entertaining plans on hold, to instead play host to the most vile stomach virus I've ever encountered. I think (hope) it's safe to say I've turned the corner, so operations will soon resume as usual.

But unless you're interested in an essay about the flavor subtleties of saltines, the evolution of jello since 1988 or season six of the Cosby Show, (which I just realized could sort of be interesting since Bill + Jello = best endorsement deal of all time... ) we'll have to postpone the show-and-tell until early next week.

As I'm sure the anticipation is just killing you, I'll offer a hint or two about what I have planned. It's soup, by Deborah Madison, and it has navy beans in it. Let your imaginations run wild.

PS: Happy Valentine's Day! Hooray for swooning!