Travel Tuesdays-Cambodia

Just a little something to cure your wanderlust for the week.

via

“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

On another note. I found these little pictorials (information is always better when provided in picture fashion) on how to beat jet lag and tips for long flights. I love these tips and hopefully can use them next time we travel!

all images found via

Linking up with Lisette, Rolled Up Pretty and Shanna

The Open Road

For our last adventure in Chiang Mai, we decided to follow a friends advice and take a motorbike ride around the mountains surrounding the city. Renting a motorbike in general was one of the best decisions we made during our stay in Chiang Mai. For just 200 baht a day (roughly $7.00) we could rent a motorbike, versus taking taxis or tuk tuks which often came in around the same price per day if not higher. The advantage of the motorbike was that we saved money and we also saved the hassle of having to track down transportation and then haggle with them about a fair price.

Samoeng Loop

We left early in the morning and planned to spend the whole day making our way around the Samoeng Loop and also making pit stops along the way at local attractions. Along the trip we:

Saw elephants! Ok, this was my favorite moment by far. You know how much I love elephants. Well, when we were riding along, I looked over and spotted elephants from a distance. I may or may not have yelled in hubs ears that I saw elephants and that we should pull over. I blame the road noise, I had to yell. It seemed like we had stumbled upon the back entrance to one of the elephant conservation parks where they kept the momma elephants and new babies.

We made sure to keep our distance but the curious little one kept getting closer and closer. As tempted as I was to see how close he would get, I did not want to see how fast the momma elephant could rip through her chain, so we left. 

We headed back up towards the road to sit and watch as one of the workers hosed down both mom and baby. 

Enjoyed the gorgeous roadside views.

Found a pumpkin house. I'm slightly jealous of whoever lives here. 

Played in the Mae Sa Waterfalls. This place was awesome to spend a few hours hiking and swimming in some of the waterfall pools. There are a series of around 10 different waterfalls, all on the same inclined hiking path. The lower ones are safe for families to swim in while the higher ones just offer great views but faster moving water. Notice how hubs shorts are wet? Yea, that's what happens when you're not careful on slippery rocks.

Found some choice words at local temples

Saw old and new collide. TIP: the red truck is a mix between a taxi and bus. In the back there are just two long benches where people pile in and it makes pit stops along the route dropping people off. It can take longer depending on who else is in there with you and where they are going but can save money.

We're so glad that we rented a bike for our stay in Chiang Mai. We loved the ease of it (even though there were times when the driving and traffic were a little scary!) and also being able to see so much more of the city and the country side. It was the perfect end to our favorite city.

Linking up with Molly, Meg, Leann, Logan, Carissa, Rachel

An Expat Q&A

Today I'm linking up with Belinda and The Hemborg Wife for an Expat to Expat Q&A about my favorite season in my current residence of South Korea!

Ok, a bit of my expat background: After getting married, hubs and I decided that we didn't want to settle down quite yet. So we found jobs teaching English overseas and the rest is history! We currently live on a small island on the very southern tip of South Korea but hubs and I are both originally from Tulsa, OK. We have lived here since February of 2011 and are planning for a few more years abroad!

1. What was your favorite season back home and is it the same now; why or why not?

My favorite season back home was definitely spring and it's still the same here! We actually have very similar weather in Tulsa compared to where we live now in Korea and couldn't be happier about it. Very mild winters, humid summers but spring and fall are to die for. 

2. Is there a place you would want to move to based solely on the weather?

New Zealand. We were able to visit on our honeymoon over two years ago and the weather was fantastic. Another bonus is that no matter what the weather is, there's still so much you can do outdoors!

3. What is a piece an article of clothing that you had to buy for your new home due to the weather? i.e. galoshes, winter coat, etc

Rain coat and rain boots! I had these back home but it was never a necessity to use them. But here during rainy season, if you aren't prepared, you can be soaked in seconds!

4. Have you found the weather stereotypes of your new home to be true?

Yes yes yes! We were told that there wasn't much snow (true), rainy season you would be soaked and to always bring an extra pair of clothes with you (true) and in summer you would be dripping with sweat when you walked out the door (very unfortunate, but true).

5. Is there somewhere you would never live based solely on the weather?

This one breaks my heart because we have heard so many outstanding things about the country, but I just don't think I could bear the cold of winter in Norway. We look forward to visiting someday though! We're just going to make sure it's during summer. 

6. What are you looking forward to most this spring?

Being outside again! Winters are horrible here and being close to the water, it brings bitter cold winds. We're looking forward to beach days, camping, and lots of bike rides.

7. Where you live, what is your go to outfit for spring?

Jeans, Toms shoes, a tshirt and scarf.

8. What is one thing or event that you miss that happens back home at this time of the year?

Barbecue get togethers! I miss being outside in a backyard (most people live in apartments here) full of friends and family and having the grill going. 

9. If your hubs could bring home a bouquet of any type of flower, what you pick?

Anemones. They've always been a favorite of mine and our wedding was covered in them! Luckily I've seen them here too!

10. What does your perfect Saturday look like?

This last Saturday was hard to beat. Waking up and making breakfast together (crepes are a favorite in our household) then hiking up with our hammock. Setting it up in the trees overlooking the water and napping or reading books. 

Bonus:  Are there any special holidays in your new country in the month of May?

Yes! And we're so excited for some time off! It's Buddah's Birthday the middle of May and we're looking forward to hopefully making the most of the three day weekend and taking a trip somewhere.

Letters/51

Dear Hubs, the other day when it was pouring down rain, you drove from across town just to pick me up and take me to class so I didn't have to walk in the rain. It's the small things that make me fall in love all over again. Dear Sunshine, so nice of you to finally join us. Stay a bit won't you? 

Dear Zeke, you have this new habit of whenever hubs and I argue, you run from the other room and sit on my lap. This could either mean a) you're telling me I'm too loud and need to calm down or b) you're taking my side. I choose to believe the latter.

Excuse the blurry photo. He likes to sit sideways in his basket and rock back & forth.

Dear Jjimjilbang (Korean bath house), after avoiding you for two years, a few friends and I finally braved the awkwardness of being neked in front of a bunch of Koreans and went to the bath house. Best.thing.ever. (more details to come!) Dear Friend, I'm so excited that I actually get to use my fashion major this weekend! Can't wait to play stylist in your closet! Dear Readers, I really want to answer back to each and every one of your sweet comments but I can't reply to some because you're no-reply commentors. Dear Friend, the day before you left Korea you let me and another friend cut and buzz all of your hair off. You're my hero. I think every woman has been tempted to do this at one point or another and you actually did it! And might I add, you look like a bad-a.

Happy weekend friends! Hope the good weather sticks around so we can enjoy the outdoors and possibly go relax in our hammock to soak in the sun!

Linking up with Ashley, Jean, Lauren, Kerry, Chrissy, Kenzie

A Place to Rest Your Head & Stuff Your Face

Those are the two most important things on a trip right? While hotels don't make or break a trip for us, it's always an added perk when we actually look forward to going back to our room at night (because trust me, we've had many a times in our budget traveling that we tried to spend as much time out of the room as possible). Thankfully Chiang Mai was not one of those times.

We typically gravitate away from large chains when we travel and instead look for small, locally run boutique hotels. We feel that we can get to know the hotel staff more personally and not be as segregated from the culture of the country we are visiting. In Chiang Mai we really lucked out in this department because Qi68 was by far my favorite hotel we have stayed at. The owner Qi really makes this place stand out. He goes out of his way to help the guests make the most out of their stay in Thailand by helping find unique restaurants in the area and help book local day trips. And that's not even the best part. Qi also makes some of the best breakfasts I have ever eaten. Every morning, hubs would turn to me and ask if I could replicate it back home. The answer was always 'I wish, dear.' because each dish served every morning was so unique and different. I wish I would have grabbed some photos of them but it was gone before the thought ever crossed my mind!

This six room guesthouse's ambiance is so peaceful and every element and piece of furniture was handpicked by Qi and his father when they built it. Staying here was one of the many highlights from our trip to Chiang Mai and we wouldn't hesitate staying there again when we visit.

Another one of our favorite things about Chiang Mai was the food! No surprises there. We loved walking around the small backstreets and deciding where we would try next. The only trouble was deciding where to eat since the streets are often lined with unique little spots.
Among our favorites was the outdoor stands located at the night bazaar (good food to give you energy for some good bargaining). We went around from stand to stand collecting little parts of a meal (pad thai, Thai tea, dumplings) before we sat down at the little plastic tables in the middle of the square and dug in.

Here are some more of our favorite restaurants to try and what we loved there:
Rachadamneon-Green Curry
Ms. Cornery-Fish and Chips
The Corner Restaurant- Banana Egg Rolls (our favorite dessert along with the roti pancakes!)
The Good View- this was our favorite restaurant. It's located just north of the Nawarat Bridge. Not only was the food great but the views of the river were spectacular and they even had live music at night. I recommend getting the green curry and the Thai tea.

What was your favorite hotel experience? Or better yet, any horror stories out there?

Perspective Series- To London

This week I'm happy to introduce Kotryna from the blog Girl With a Movie Camera for the next installment of the Perspective Series. This is a series about expats sharing their experience of living and traveling abroad and how it inevitably changed their outlook and perspective on life. 

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Hey there y'all! I'm so happy to be here! Lost in Travels is probably one of my favorite blogs and it's a great honor for me to be a part of these series.My name is Kotryna and I blog over at "Girl With A Movie Camera". I've been an expat for almost 4 years now. I'm currently studying in Amsterdam, but my heart is still in UK I'm here to tell you about my first year as an expat in London.My boy and I were madly in love at the time (oh and we still are, even more, probably) and we wanted to do something exciting together. We were both just starting our lives from our parents and we decided that going abroad will give us the best experience. This is how we found ourselves in the capital of England, trying to start our independent life together.

It was pretty tough at first as not only we were in a new country, trying to look for our (almost) first jobs ever, but we also didn't really have a place to stay there. This is how we ended up squatting a house in South London together with some really bright people that will always have a special place in our hearts. 

My love was really quick in finding a job there and it took around a month or two for me to get mine and just before Christmas we were lucky enough to find a beautiful house up for rent in Norht London. I was really surprised how well we were doing on our first months. Honestly, London is probably the best place to start ones expat experience. The city is so multicultural, friendly and open to foreigners that it just makes it more than easy for people from other countries to settle down over there.

 As for us- we are still trying to settle down and this might take quite a few years. As I mentioned  above I'm currently on the semester abroad, but will be getting back to UK in a couple of months. My love is currently living in Brighton and I'll be finishing my studies over there from this coming autumn. However, I'm not sure if we are going to stay living in UK after I graduate. I know this country has so much to offer, but sometimes I catch myself thinking that it's just not my place. We've been living in UK for 3 years and I actually feel more like at home here, in Netherlands, even though I'm staying here just for once semester.

London will always be one of my favorite cities though and I know for sure that I will always be getting back for a pint of beer in Camden Town or a cup of coffee in those lovely coffee shops around the Hampstead Heath.It was a great pleasure to be a part of this expat series. Being an expat is a big part of who I am and I believe that we all should have this experience at least once in our life. If you guys are planning to move to UK anytime soon- feel free to drop me a line, I'd love to help you out with some questions you might have!

Thanks so much for writing Kotryna! Be sure to stop by her blog and show her some love!
You can read more of the Perspective Series here.
Linking up with Rolled Up Pretty and Shanna, Rekita, Melissa

Travel Tuesdays-Cambodia

Just a little something to cure your wanderlust for the week.

Angkor Wat

“For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

Linking up with Lisette

Korea Bound

I'm so thankful that my parents were able to come and visit us here in Korea. This is actually their second time here and even though we're miles away, it always feels like a little piece of home when they come to visit. The first time they came to visit, I was so nervous they would take one look around and wonder what the heck we were doing here. Korea isn't exactly tourist attraction capitol of the world. So I was pleasantly surprised when they ended up loving it so much that they decided to come a second time (us being here might have had something to do with it also). They even came prepared with a list of things they wanted to see and places they wanted to go during their visit. Unfortunately, we weren't able to see everything on their list mostly due to weather, time, or the fact that cherry blossoms are fickle flowers that disappeared a mere days before they arrived.

While they were here, we:

Found Christmas in April. At least half of that were things for us. It's hard to find things here so we have to take full advantage when someone comes to visit! You've been warned!

There were a few more surprises for us in those bags. We'll never turn down free American goodness. 

Showed them around our workplace (at least the areas that we were allowed to show them) and the massive ships and platforms that our students build. 

 Ate way too much Korea barbecue

 Did a little ziplining through the bamboo forest

 Got a geography lesson on top of a mountain

 Walked along a 'bamboo acupuncture' path. Still have no idea what that means but I do know that it's painful!

Rented bikes and road through fields of flowers in Gyeongju

Ate our fair share of Indian food. Much to my mom's despise (she can't handle the heat...yet)

Found the last few cherry blossoms still in bloom on the island.

Found a hiking trail that wasn't straight up hill (it's extremely rare in Korea to find a trail that doesn't resemble a stair stepper) so we took full advantage of it.

Shopped too much for the boys liking. They're good sports anyway. 

Actually found a legit brunch spot in Busan! We ate our fair share of french toast and eggs benedict. I sooo miss breakfast restaurants from the states!

I think one of the most difficult things about being an expat is being far from friends and family. I can get used to not finding my size in clothing (although it's annoying), I've grown accustomed to the food and also to the vast majority of cultural differences. The one thing that will never change as an expat is just how good it is to see loved ones.

PS: I have TWO great giveaways today! First up, head over to Mish's blog for a chance to win a one month in-post ad here on Lost in Travels! And TWO, head over to Melissa's blog where myself and eight other lovely bloggers are giving away over $100 to Victoria's Secret! Now's the time to get ready for swimsuit season! Good Luck!

Linking up with Molly, Meg, Leann, Brooke, Logan, Carissa, Rachel