open mind, empty stomach
travel, food, and fun
about
Category: Couchsurfing
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The best way to ensure something will not happen is to plan on it. When traveling, I try to maintain as much flexibility as possible. Sometimes, I plan on spending a week in a place and am ready to leave after a few days, as was the case in BARIO. There are also times when…
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Miri is an oil city in Sarawak that has transitioned to producing palm oil after its fossil fuel deposits began to run dry. The city itself is totally void of character and charm and reminds me of the bad parts of America. There are cars everywhere, way too many shopping malls for a place its…
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Kuching, the Cat City, was my gateway from Singapore to Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. Located on the northwest of the island, Kuching is a common port of arrival for visitors to Borneo. Yet again, I was able to find a great CouchSurfing host. Elly already had an American Surfer named Jay staying with her when I…
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The worst part of getting food poisoning on my last night in Jakarta was knowing that I had to fly to Singapore the next day. I was going to Singapore for one reason: to eat. My sickness lasted violently through the morning, but I still managed to make it to the airport and arrive safely…
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Indonesia’s capital was unlike any other place I’d been in the country. For starters, it actually resembled a proper city, most notably when it comes to transportation. Like any other major city, traffic is a huge problem, but it’s still possible to get around Jakarta very affordably in a reasonable amount of time. There are…
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“Bromo?” “Bromo?” “You want see Bromo?” From the moment I arrived in Probolinggo until I boarded the bus to leave, I was constantly bombarded with offers to see Bromo. Mount Bromo is one of Indonesia’s top tourist destinations and the nearby town of Probolinggo is the staging area for most visitors. Locals know what draws…
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Bali has a bad rap. The Indonesian island is known as a bastian for bogans (Australian for redneck), with an Australian dying in Bali every 9 days. While Kuta is the epicenter of the madness, the tourist imprint definitely extends to the rest of the island. The capital, Denpassar, has significantly less foreign visitors and…
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I like pork. A lot. I’m also a huge fan of spicy food; the spicier, the better. I avoid superlatives and cannot tell you my favorite cuisine, nor can I name my favorite dish, BUT Balinese food (and Babi Guling) is definitely up there. My 8 days in Bali were a pork fueled spice fest…
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Sydney was pretty cool and I didn’t really care for Cairns. I had a great time in New Zealand and wasn’t in a rush to get back to Oz, but thought it would be neat to spend my birthday in Tasmania. I ended up deciding to do a 3 day 4 night layover in Melbourne…
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It’s hard to compare countries. I love Italy. I love Laos. I love New Zealand. The three countries are totally different as are the reasons that earned them a special place in my heart. More than any place I’ve ever been, New Zealand reminds me of Hawai’i (minus the whole freezing cold thing). The similarities…
open mind, empty stomach 