Category: Travel

Random awesome invite to…Malaysia?!

On By TheGypsyProfessorIn Asia, Kuala Lumpur, Life, Malaysia, Travel, Writing2 Comments

This comes to me as a proper ode to serendipity. One of those moments of “buy the ticket, take the ride”…and never refuse an invitation. (At least a genuine one). Coming out of my Angkor stupor, I was surprised and warmed by an invite from the high king of prawn himself (see the Singapore prawn battle post) to join him and his lovely wife in Kuala Lumpur on this trek. I don’t travel with much of an itinerary, for exactly reasons like this.

a few days in KL? Why not?!

So off to this mega city I went.

Meeting with a local completely changes the nature of an excursion. You see elements of neighborhoods and cities that simply won’t happen from a hotel/hostel. Thank the gods my gracious hosts and I share a deep seated love of street food. The plastic table, chili sauce, Asian love variety especially. We quickly bonded over cold tiger beer and fish parts.

Kuala Lumpur is quite the eclectic mix of new and old wave migration. This city shows this at every layer, from the people on the bus to the wide range of ethnic eateries seemingly everywhere.

This city loves to SHOP, and to EAT. Malls may be dying in the states, but are booming here in the Malaysian capital.

Not one for malls, of course this left me with the option closest to my heart…the food! Kuala Lumpur, despite being a Muslim City, has divided the fun into “eating street” and “drinking street”.

Bring on the pork!!

Easy Peasy.

I came to KL with next to no expectation, on a friendly invite. What I encountered…an incredible swirl of culture, and food. Americans especially would benefit tremendously from stepping out of that comfort zone and hitting South East Asia.

A non stop mix of everything awesome. A night of absolute gastronomic debauchery. It proved quite a change to go on auto pilot for a bit. Friends here knew where to go and how to get there. I was able to relax and enjoy. From roof top beers to a sultry mix of flavors on the streets below.

KL is seemingly constantly building, rising, expanding. You can feel this vibe, or pulse through the entire place. The traffic can be brutal. Once you exhaust yourself of meat sticks and cold beer (blasphemy I know) the time has come to retreat to the highlands that ring the city. The cable cars will take you to what is now the worlds largest hotel at 5000 + rooms. The malls and shopping centers are optional, as the cooler temps and the view are what makes this a necessity.

Something about temples and rain forest in the mist…just adds that exact eastern exotic feel you’ve been looking for. Spend a day here, and enjoy.

I would never thought to cone here, or that this really existed had it not been for friends. The unexpected can be the absolute best. As I mentioned in an earlier post, this entire excursion was built with the help of friends. From Grand Rapids, to Chicago, now Kuala Lumpur and beyond. This inspires a humble smile, as none of us can go it alone. Get up, get out there, remember to check your ego at the door, don’t be an asshole and enjoy. You will marvel every single day at how amazing this world and it’s people can be.

Or crush another bag of chips from the couch and talk shit on Facebook. Your call.

I thought for sure I was headed to Laos after this…but as with all things, this has changed. I hope you’re ready for the next jump after this altogether awesome stop in Kuala Lumpur! We are in for a surprise.

Drop a comment or feel free to hit me up

Thegypsyprofessor@gmail.com

Climbing that goddamn mountain.

On By TheGypsyProfessorIn Angkor, Cambodia, Life, Travel9 Comments

“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.”

I’m reminded of these words as I have continued to dwell on the ruins of Angkor. this trek is a week old as of today, and yet it feels as if I’ve been gone for at least a month. A brief stop in Bangkok, but with a delayed sense of anxiety, a rushed kind of mental fidget. Eye on the prize, time for Cambodia!

As a brief side note, I never intended for this writing project to be any kind of guide. I know those are super popular now, and there are some exhaustive ones already out there for damn near everywhere. These are written by people far exceeding my humble talents and budget. I’m more here to share my reactions and observations…out loud as it were.

Back to the temples! Climbing these stairs and exploring the walls of this civilization, I was struck again and again by the theme of time. How it felt that I’d been gone for weeks already, how the year 2017 is rapidly drawing to a close, etc. Then to the passing of time witnessed by these mighty walls and stone based efforts.

Time. Goes. On.

You find yourself here after the cost, and the planning, the logistics and the energy…and despite the Chinese tour groups (deserving of their own post) best efforts at maintaining ridiculously high levels of inane obnoxiousness…it’s eerily quiet. Finding your own corner to observe this massive tree separating a thousand year old wall and burying its stones under root it’s the passage of time and transition that hits you square in the frontal lobe.

All of us, we are born, we grow, mature (hopefully) and then we die. One of the twin pillars of guaranteed factors in this life. Death, and taxes. I believe that travel changes you, leaves it’s mark on you, by thumping you in the forehead and saying

“Hey stupid! Life! It’s happening right fucking now! Right here!”

It forces us to answer that call. You begin to question why you’re working a job you hate, in order to buy shit you don’t need. For me Angkor drove this home again, again, and again. There is the cycle. Do with it what you can.

Life is simply too damn short to be unhappy. That’s what I saw etched into these stones. Grab those dreams with both fucking hands and don’t let go.

Don’t live a life of quiet desperation. It doesn’t take dodging tourists in an abandoned temple 10,000 miles away to realize that there exists a bigger picture in play.

“Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain.”

Thank you.

Holy shit. Angkor Wat.

On By TheGypsyProfessorIn Angkor, Cambodia, Life, Travel7 Comments

How do I even begin to write this? As a Bonafide disclaimer, the descriptions, stories, and especially pictures simply will never do this place justice. Let’s get that out of the way first and foremost.

I feel as if I’ve tempted fate almost too many times. I booked a bottom of the barrel cheap flight to Asia with the primary intention of getting to Cambodia to wander these temple ruins. The weather has been scary perfect, and the flight was better than expected.

Angkor is big. It’s monstrously huge. I decided on the two day pass. Back to back full day treks into the temples. The ticket comes in at $62.00 USD. I’ve racked my brain trying to think of anything better or more significant one can purchase for under 70.00. Hell, for plenty of people, that’s a tank of gas. You have two options to get out there from the city of Siem Reap, tuk tuk, or taxi.

Don’t be a wiener.

Tuk tuk all the way.

Load up at breakfast, and get stoked to hit the rickety road! Sunglasses, check. Sunscreen, check. Good pair of shoes, check.

Ready to roll.

Like so much of Asia, Angkor is going to come at you all at once. It can prove profoundly overwhelming, humbling, and inspiring. Look into the past. See what people have been capable of throughout the glorious centuries that preceded our own.

Angkor is a place that defies imagination, as there is no where else on earth quite like it. The city of Siem Reap (gateway to Angkor Wat) has watched its tourism number more than quadruple in just a few short years. Numbers like that begin to change a place, and Cambodia’s fifth largest city is no exception. One of the many reasons I wanted to…err needed to go as soon as possible.

Impossible to attempt to capture, but the real fun once inside the temples, is finding wee odd pieces the hordes of tour groups have ignored.

This post will be a short one as I’m still processing the utmost cultural overload. I’ll put up another post quite soon as I’m still Angkor drunk.

Episode 2 coming up shortly.

Please let know what you think!

Almost time for the lost city…to Angkor we will go!

On By TheGypsyProfessorIn Thailand, TravelLeave a comment

Relaxing in my divey hotel before the flight to Cambodia. Few places have resided on my list for a longer period. Angkor has haunted my travel dreams for years.

South East Asia has a climate that essentially precludes me from venturing here save for a narrow window. The temples, the street food, the warm and curious people prove fascinating, but as the temp rises past 90 I begin to die on the inside. The weather so far this run has been fucking majestic. The hottest stretch of the day is perfect for an AC inspired nap. The morning treks to the temples have been my favorite. Well, the night markets have been awesome as well.

The temple grounds, in the morning, on a week day are practically empty. You absolutley will not see my ass out here in 100+ degrees battling swarms of crazed camera toting tour groups, melting into a bright white puddle. No thank you.

The great thing about Bangkok is that there are numerous temples to wander. Beware of the tuk tuk drivers pitching you packages, as they often have a bevy of other various services they’d like to sell you as well. Take a morning or two, and go at your own pace. Stop and hit up the street vendors for fresh fruit and absorb the feeling of this big crazy city and it’s pockets of ambience.

And of course, Wat Pho. This is a must. Jet lag for me at this point works in strange ways. For Europe, it’s not bad at all, for Asia, however, I’m up incredibly early. I’m ready to rock at 5:30 am. Although, despite this round in Bangkok, what seems to be a feline orgy outside my window into the wee hours. (Cat sex sounds as awful as you’d imagine by the way). That aside, this city is a completely different place in the early morning. Hit the temples refreshed and non hungover.

Just a few days in the bustling Thai mega city remind me why it never left my mind over the last decade. Visions of Bangkok are distinct and vibrant. This was after all, my first city in Asia. Now I’ve returned, and soon to be headed into the jungle to embrace my inner Indiana Jones and wander the temple ruins for a few days.

The grand question is…where to after that?

Cambodia will be country #67. What an incredible year it has been.

Thanks for the feedback, always greatly appreciated!

Doing it Dirty in Bangkok

On By TheGypsyProfessorIn Food, Thailand, TravelLeave a comment

When we last spoke I was looking forward to the long haul from Chicago, connecting through Shanghai and then finally onto Thailand. This was my first time flying China Eastern Air, and don’t worry, I jumped on this grenade for you…it wasn’t as bad as expected.

Now I don’t typically fly Skyteam, but when I do it’s a sub 340$ fare round trip to South East Asia. Like many of you, I would see these dirty cheap flights and be rightfully wary, but it all depends on how bad you want it.

How long was that flight?

Enough for a solid nap, 3 meals, and the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy. (Not the extended editions)

What happens when you wrap up final exams, race to Chicago to snag your ass numbing yet fantastically cheap holiday flight to Asia?

You take a bit of a beating, but on a warm inviting weeknight in December, you find yourself dropped into the sheer assault on the senses that is Bangkok; Gateway to Southeast Asia.

No more Kansas Billy. Time to cut those ropes, abandon the safety of the harbor and prepare for a bit of the exotic.

Bangkok is big. Bangkok is loud. Bangkok is pulsing. Alive with people, traffic, aromas and tastes the city itself is damn near a living thing. The heat mixes with exhaust and street food vendors, music and hawkers, go go girls and cafe owners all of which paints such an incredible contrast to the serenity of the many awe-inspiring Buddhist temples that dot this balmy metropolis.

I get it, it’s overwhelming. For an initial run, take it easy. Breathe. Be patient. Open your mind, and embrace all the craziness you can.

And promptly take a mid day nap. (Seriously. Drink water, and nap. This will save your life)

Today found the perfect mix for me, I chose a dingy cheap spot in an outlying neighborhood with a good shower and cold AC.

My goal? Street food and the river.

meats on sticks makes the world a better place.

It’s been ten years since I last visited the Thai capitol. When I showed up here the first time, a undergraduate student with a small group, it was my very first time in Asia. I was intimidated by street food.

Let me tell you, once you take the plunge, there is no turning back. You cone to realize that with the more human the desire, the less tolerance for boredom there is. In short, life is far too short for boring food. (That goes for conversation, sex, and travels)

Abandon the Applebee’s, never look back, and thank me later.

Protein!

Open your mind and especially your tastebuds to the unknown. If anything, it at least makes for a cool party story.

Somehow it took less than 24 hours before I was back on the river

The best part about the Chao Phraya river as it’s the heart of the city is witnessing the clash of classic Thai style with the more modern developments of recent times. Of course I found a twisted yet engaging tuk tuk driver to get me there, our 20 minute voyage including pitches for “tailored suites, happy endings, and happy hours” from various local bars.

That’s life in the big city. There will many people offering suits, drinks, and hand jobs. Certainly far worse trifectas can be found.

Post river I end up among many a golden Buddha…the serenity of the city restored before back to the night markets.

Kick ass first day. I’ve landed, I’m alive and I even scored a victory or two along the way. As always, there is more to come. Thank you for all of the positive feedback thus far!

Comments are always welcome.

cheers!!

Hold on to your butts.

On By TheGypsyProfessorIn Chicago, Thailand, Travel3 Comments

Here we are again, back in Chicago at the must be modeled on purgatory O’Hare airport. Getting ready for this twisted run through Shanghai enroute to Bangkok.

I’ve only got a few minutes before being smashed into the ass of a Boeing Dreamliner for near 15 hours, so I’ll try to make this brief.

The holiday excursion is always something special. This particular lesson from the road cones from this weekend.

You can’t have amazing adventures if you’re an asshole. It’s just that damn simple. This whole trek for me was made possible by friends. Selfless friends who provided positive feedback, an open mind and collaboration, a long distance ride to a train station and even opened their new digs for an overnight crash. (Complete with spicy Indian food…sorry fellow passengers, but not really, you savage bastards)

I was amazed at the kindness which recharged my humanity batteries for the slog to Thailand.

Last but not least there was Frank. Frank and I hung out this morning and he helped remind me of a key mantra handed down from one Jeffrey Lebowski as I prepared to head to the airport;

“Life goes on man”

Frank is awesome. Be like Frank.

Every journey should start with bulldog friends and a shared meal.

Stoked to share some new awesomeness with everyone! Leave me a comment if you’re into it!

Wanderlust satiated. Homefront…for a bit at least.

On By TheGypsyProfessorIn Borneo, Singapore, TravelLeave a comment

There is something about South East Asia. The exotic nature (both literally, and figuratively) of these places have long enchanted the western mind. The flights are brutal, parts of ones ass go numb that you didn’t realize existed. There is, however, an inherent sense of accomplishment after the grand return. When I returned from Sarawak, and Bako national park, burned and salt blasted, I felt like an exhausted, yet intensely proud “million bucks”.  Climbing a mountain, located within a rain forest in one of the more remote places on the planet, meeting with a group of good people from various countries, and taking  the view from the top…surreal magic.

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and suddenly, its all worth it.

Getting back to Singapore the next day was a drastic shift on every level. Still exotic, but in a vastly different way. I wanted to hit a few hawker markets and make the most of my remaining time in one of my new favorite cities.  I have a friend who lived in Singapore for a few years, and insisted that I make my way to what I will call “satay” street, and also to the Lau pa sat festival market, to stall number 7, and to seek out the mighty prawn debauchery that would ensue. Let me just say here and now; I survived (mostly) my pepper crab battle… Now the prawns came at me in force, in multiple numbers and their later reinforcements brought garlic, butter, and their heavier brethren, the king prawn. My imminent seafood drunk lasted near 24 hours.

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They come by the plate, and on sticks! A mighty combination.

IMG_7506 His close ally, the octopus came to join, also on sticks.

 

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all the butter garlic goodness.

This is always the pain of traveling solo. You have no reinforcements of your own. The table was soon littered with the vanquished exoskeletons of my enemies, and I lived to fight another food stall, another day.

IMG_7509
Victory!

Stumbling back to the wee hotel, in  haze of proper food drunk satisfaction, I counted my brief return visit to the merlion city to be great success.

IMG_7514
Meat sticks. Hot like fire.

My next day venture came complete with a day trip via ferry to Batam, Indonesia… which made for country # 66! Although there isnt much to Batam, and Indonesia will require quite a bit more exploration.

As I was boarding the long series of flights home, I was bummed for a bit. For a brief moment all of the things I had waiting for me on my return suddenly loomed large. I was tired. The geriatric vacationer next to me was all kinds of twitchy, and didnt fit into his seat, despite his seat-belt extender. After telling me the same details about his cruise from Hongkong 4 times I was less than thrilled about the next 11 hours.  My mind turned to the mountain of grading, the office work, the various en devours and projects I have undertaken this year…I felt overwhelmed and a touch defeated.

And then, all of a sudden it was quiet.  I realized that I was answering student emails from 40,000 ft up, sitting in a dream liner, sipping a ginger ale,  returning from climbing a mountain and running down my dreams almost harder than I know how.

…and it felt fuckin great.

I was excited to get back, see friends and family, and keep working on the projects, making needed progress.  Knock out these exams, get grades submitted and look forward to what lies ahead.

Now I acknowledge privilege.  I truly do. But for so many people, if you want to make it happen, there is one key factor that decides that.

 

YOU

 

Dreams don’t work, unless you do.

 

Find a reason to go, or be okay with your excuses not to.

 

Hope you enjoyed this savage run.

Drop me a line with any questions/feedback.

Thank you!

“He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man”

On By TheGypsyProfessorIn Borneo, Life, Travel4 Comments

I’ve been chewing on this one for roughly 24 hours now. I arrived back in Kuching last night. Shoes still squeaking wet across the hotel lobby, sand and salt blasted hair from the beach and the South China Sea… a deep sunburn scorched across my aching body, yet smiling as if I’d won the damn lottery.

Dawn of that day I set out for Bako National Park. Which the trails into the rainforest I was destined for are only reachable by boat. (That’s how you know you’re headed into the shit).

I waited around the boat terminal for 30 min or so as I didn’t hire a guide, I simply bought the ticket, and took the ride, to the tune of about 14$ US for park admission and two one way boat taxi trips.

There is something about ripping across the water, taking the occasional spray with the few “oh shit” moments before a big wave that truly get your blood pumping, and the day started.

Once in the park, most folks have a solid idea what they are up to…I was not that prepared, I thought tagging along with a duo of Swedish girls would be fine, until they turned out to be possible marathon trainees. They selected one of the more difficult trail options and promptly vanished. So much for my Ikea jokes.

So what was I to do? Climb. Climb some more. Keep climbing.

A regular companion who made a few appearances to mock my efforts is shown above. The “bearded pig”. I was super stoked to capture a picture of one of them on the beach.

Now that my team had abandoned me, the sun was peaking and it was becoming hot. Higher I climbed, and the more sweat poured out. The doubt demon begin to take hold. “What the fuck are you doing?! YOU don’t hike mountains.”‘

“Just had to go to Borneo didn’t you”

“Ummm, hey genius, who hikes up a mountain…in the rainforest…during the wet season”

“We are lost, bearded pigs will eat our bones”

“Local news head line “dipshit dies in far away forest”

I’m thinking I might die, when a small group comes crashing around another path that runs into mine. A tall Hollander, a Swede, and a brit. All backpackers who invite me to join them. Well, I’m here to tell you, team work makes the fucking dream work. Our merry band finished the ascent, slowly but surely, and even enjoyed lunch atop old volcanic flow looking down over the beach. I’ve never been that hot in my entire life. Your heart beat coming fast right behind your eyes, sweat forcing them into slits…not enough steam-turned-air getting where it needs desperately to go. But then, there it was. One of the absolute majestic views I’ve ever been lucky enough to absorb.

My companions shared their water, and even their biscuits (cookies) with me. We joked about cultural differences, and what a miserable bag of smashed assholes currently sits in the White House.

There are certain moments which seem

To stretch out and play over and over again in ones mind. Sitting atop that mountain with new found friends watching the water crash on an untainted beach after heavy exertion is one such moment.

By the time we came down, the hour was late, a boat came for beach pickup, I wandered out into the surf, pushing and hopping in for the journey back to the city. Coming around a bend and discovering a pack of otters enjoying a late meal. I remembered a freshly posted sign warning visitors not to swim at any nearby beaches as a spate of crocodile attacks had happened recently.

That jungle is still with me. My shoes are still a bit wet. The socks and boxer briefs from that day didn’t make it back. I’m once again nestled in this crazy metropolis of Singapore and yet my mind keeps drifting back to the jungle. How absolutley alive it is. The hum and pulse of this living thing enveloping you, finally disconnected without even 3g service, just wandering through this multi thousand year being…this process…and remembering what a small place you occupy within it.

This is the first installment…as I am in desperate need of sleep 🙂

Thanks for reading. There will be on Borneo soon I’m sure

Please comment and share your thoughts/feedback.

Thank you!

To the wilds of Borneo

On By TheGypsyProfessorIn Borneo, Food, Singapore, TravelLeave a comment

Remember the “wild man of Borneo”? The kind of urban legend muttered in casual jokes? He must have been best buds with “Nanook of the North” and other such sordid characters. (Or maybe just two really old movies)

This image evokes a certain connotation of Conrad esque jungle. Deep, brutal and unforgiving. Think of Predator. (The film) when Jesse Ventura’s character remarks “you lose it out here, you’re in a world of hurt”. Borneo has long fascinated my imagination. Headhunters, cannibals, etc…how could I not want to go here?!

I loved Singapore. As in I enjoyed the shit out of exploring the cultural whirlwind incased in modernity that is the premier “Asian tiger”. I could not have switched it up more than leaving for Sarawak aboard a dirt cheap Air Asia flight for the long weekend. (Which by the way, SIN is by far my new favorite airport the world over. Changi deserves its own post)

I arrived in Sarawak a bit late, and made my way into the city, having little expectation for this bustling city of Malaysian Borneo. Things are CHEAP here compared to Singapore. My 25 minute uber ride from the airport was 6$ US. Kuching is busy, but reserved and a bit understated. I started my trek, umbrella in hand the next morning. Stumbling across the layers of weekend life typical to this city.

Making my way to the riverfront I noticed a few key things. First and foremost, people notice me. I’m broad shouldered, tall (ish) and glow in the dark white. Everywhere I went people notice me. They will smile eventually, and say “hello”, sometimes nodding, or waving. So far I have yet to encounter another American here, which is tremendously rare these days. My Uber driver let me know I was his first American passenger, before informing me that our last presidential election was “big disaster”. Which at this point has become a conversation starter for me all over the world.

Thanks Obama.

Sarawak hints of the wild elements close by. The mountains in the distance and the heat. I have finally in my years of reading and traveling come to fully understand the concept of the term “wet season”. Often times thought of as “rainy season”…which has little to do with it. It rains sure, in short bursts a few times a day, but that’s nothing. The true nature of this beast is in the title. “Wet”. Everything is wet. All the fucking time. For these months, it never truly dries out. The street is wet, the buildings are wet, YOU are wet. Your shirt is stuck to your body every moment you are outside sucking in wet heavy air. “Slay your ass hot” is an understatement. Hailing from the midwestern US, we can’t know this kind of heat without being literally submerged in it.

As counterbalance to being soaked, and then frozen by blessed AC, the people here are insanely friendly. Kuching may be a stopping point for the wilds of Sarawak, but don’t overlook this wee spot on the river. The markets are cool, the people inviting, and the authenticity is high.

What about the food? Oh baby. There are hawker cafes around everywhere, and the best part is, you have no true idea what you are getting, because it’s whatever they have that day. Like a Michelin Star tasting menu, but from a plastic table. See that chili sauce in that bowl? Treat it with respect. These good size dishes are around a dollar and blast anything from a value menu to Hell. McDonald’s and such here come in at roughly 5x the price of a local dish. Kiss my sweet ass Ronald.

There it is, in all it’s uncontested barbecued glory. Kolo mee! Bow before greatness.

Of course the nature is what draws most (including me here) time for a run through the jungle and see what we can see. Thought we might need an update. The next two days will be dedicated to orangutans and Bako National park. Get stoked on it!!

Drop me a comment with reactions or questions.

Thanksgiving 10k

On By TheGypsyProfessorIn Food, Singapore, Travel, WritingLeave a comment

I finally hit my proverbial stride here in Singapore on my second day. Exploring the river and the marina is fun, and engaging. On a bright day the heat drains you quick, so prepare for that as you build your day. Today included a renewed run to the hawker markets and China town. The first order of business was breakfast and a post office. I ended up with great success on both counts.

I have a game I play. Everywhere I go I send a few post cards. (my mom loves them) I always send one to myself. I’ve taken to asking people in cafes, restaurants, shit, at bus stops etc, if they will write a brief message in the native tongue. I make sure to insist they don’t tell me what it says, then try to find someone to translate once I arrive back in the mitten. Today’s first and foremost excursion/adventure was to find a post office. It’s akin to an international scavenger hunt. Some places, super easy…other places, might as well try to find a carrier pigeon to bring it over.

After success with the stamps it was time to see what China town had to offer.

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As evidence of the swirl of culture here, all of the countries languages are represented on proper signage. Exploring China town is a blast, from the street scenes to the large temples and the formerly seedy red light turned gentrified hipster haven district.

I had a promise to fulfill, as I had joked about, upon finding that there existed a Buddhist temple with one of the Buddha’s teeth as a holy relic I vowed to hit the donation box if my flight over wasn’t hellacious.

Well, Buddha tooth showed up, and I survived in tact with an empty row one leg, and an exit row the next.

Thus the dollars flowed.

So today begins thanksgiving, a holiday I haven’t been home for now 4 years running. I dig turkey and family and all that, but one must satiate the wanderlust. I’m in the search for authenticity here, no bollocks or bullshit. I knew I was plotting for an epic feast of some kind… I just wasn’t sure exactly what, or where.

China town is fucking ideal for this. Layers of options from the expected to the extreme.

Enter the pepper crab. I end up locked in a death struggle with one of Singapore’s best known dishes. Little did I know this kraken of the deep is served mostly whole.

2.2 Lbs of clawed glory…I attacked him with hands, fork, and chopsticks. I made quite the mess while doing do.

I did everything I could, but in the end, the crab won. Call it a TK0. I can’t forget one of my favorite shots of the day, my turkey day lunch buddy:

I absolutley love China town, the hawker centers and getting lost there today before the rain. I hope everyone has an awesome holiday. Happy thanksgiving everyone!

I leave for Borneo tomorrow, so stay tuned!more to come!