David with an Iban Shaman from Sarawak

Although we had never met, we knew each other’s travel blogs. David’s extensive website covers most of Southeast Asia with a specific focus on Malaysia – thus the name of his site.

From food explorations in Thailand, budget airlines in Southeast Asia and hotel recommendations in Singapore to upcoming concerts in Kuala Lumpur, caving in Southern Thailand and freebies in Malaysia’s capital, David talks about everything travelers might want. In addition to having a wide range of very different topics, he also features great photography and videos on his site.

Not only is David a really cool guy, he seems to know what he is doing. His travel expertise has even been recognized by the Malaysian government who asked him to work on the Malaysia Truly Asia commercial series which promotes tourism to Malaysia. That’s quite an accomplishment! (I’m still waiting for Germany to recognize my brilliance as videographer).

It was fantastic to actually meet the guy whose blog we have enjoyed over the years. We talked mostly about – well – the travel blogging industry, but also exchanged quirky travel tales and discussed our personal lives. After all, travel blogging shouldn’t just be about business, but about traveling. And David understands that quite well.

And then suddenly, somewhere around Derawan, along comes Becky to prove us completely wrong. Adventurous souls still exist and Becky is their queen.

About nine months ago, in the 12 Bar Blue in Cairns Australia, British Becky was talking to a friend about nature’s greatest creation, the Great Barrier Reef. When the topic turned to man’s greatest creation, it was decided that that had to be the pyramids at Giza outside Cairo.

Suddenly, Becky, who had perhaps had a little too much to drink, stumbled upon the brilliant idea of traveling from Cairns to Cairo over land and water without taking a single flight. Her friends countered that such a trip was impossible, primarily due to the challenges of getting from Australia to Southeast Asia.

In a mere eight months, Becky has managed to take a very circuitous route from Cairns to Kalimantan. She crewed on an American sailboat via New Guinea, Yap, and Truk to Pulau. (Oh, wreck diving in Truk – I’m literally dying of jealousy.) Of course, that little hop skip and a jump took four months due to boat repairs. They actually sat in a harbor in New Guinea for two months working on the boat.

When the boat captain went a little “Dead Calm” on the crew, Becky jumped ship in Pulau where she worked at a dive shop for a month. Did I forget to mention that our little 26-year-old is a dive instructor who has logged over 1000 dives? Geez, these overachievers.

Becky crewed on another boat to the Philippines where she worked her way by ferry to Mindanao. (Oh Becky, seriously? Mindanao? My god, are you trying to get decapitated by Abu Sayyaf?) Apparently, a gun totin’, bad-ass Filipina escorted Becky through Zamboanga until she got on the ferry headed to the Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo. From there she worked her way south to Kalimantan, where we met her. Thank god, someone has to take care of this girl

Becky has overcome the biggest obstacle and is within a stone’s throw of peninsular Malaysia. It’s mostly down hill from there. Well, except that she still needs to travel a third of the way around the planet. That shouldn’t be a problem, after a serious chunk of time in Africa and Australia, Becky instincts are very well honed.

So Thomas and I officially admit we are wrong. There are still some very real travelers out there. Good luck Becky, we just might be waiting for you in Cairo.

Paula, Leo, Becky, Tony, Marta and Ana

Derawan is one of those cosmic vortexes which suck in amazing globetrotters from around the world. We’ve haven’t met this many adventurous travelers since Rishikesh India. Perhaps it’s just timing, perhaps it’s actually one of those magical places that mysteriously draws really cool people.

It’s just like the Hawaii episode of Charlie’s
Angels featuring Marta, Becky, and Ana

Out little Derawan family includes Anna and Marta from Spain, Becky from Britain, Leo and Paula from Brazil, Rene from Mexico, Matt from Switzerland, as well as several locals most notably John the turtleman.

Becky, Thomas, Rene, Marta, Ana and Tony

It’s great to have a crazy little community on this tiny dot of an island in the middle of nowhere. I just wish we didn’t have to leave.

Recently, we crossed paths with Kat in Krabi town. She’s the first traveler from the Rishikesh crowd we’ve run into again. It’s almost been three years since we spent a week together in India, talking hours on end during the monsoonal downpours. This time around, Kat brought rain again. Call me superstitious, but I see a trend here.

Kat just wrapped up her 3-month Asia adventure which included India, Nepal, Thailand and Cambodia. Unfortunately, she had to cut her trip short and is now back in Britain after she got Dengue fever, food poisoning and another mystery virus – all at the same time. Rather than pepping herself up on papaya salad and chicken satay, she’s back home probably eating kidney pie and trifle (or whatever the British eat). Get well soon and thank you for a great reunion, Kat. Next time, it’s our turn to visit.

So everyone out there, friends, family or anyone reading our blog, let us know if you are coming our way. We love company and can’t wait to meet up with you!

Sweet Helga Presents us with Some Sweets!

Our stay at Koh Tarutao would not have been the same without Helga, a 72-year old powerhouse of a woman, and a muse to all travelers and wanna-be travelers. Backpacking through Thailand, inline skating (!), bicycling and serious trekking are only a few of the physical activities she enjoys. The amazing thing is that Helga started doing all of this only about ten years ago after retiring from a sales position in a department store in Berlin.

This woman is a true inspiration to Tony and me. We often wonder how physical fitness will limit our nomadic life as we age. Helga proves that if we keep our weight down and stay active, we should be able to continue exploring the world for years to come. Just look at Helga. A couple days before this picture was taken, she bicycled 28 km and walked 8 km through mountainous terrain! There’s hope for all of us – well, with the possible exception of my mom. She just retired and seems completely baffled about what to do with the rest of her life. Maybe she needs to hang with Helga for a while, too.

Penang is a vastly more personal experience for us because we are meeting our Malaysian family, the family of my stepfather Ken, for the first time. For years, we have heard stories about Ken’s mom, Jimmy, Ken, Mei Ling, David and Stephen and their respective families. Getting to know the people behind these names is unquestionably a highlight of our travels so far. They have greeted us with open arms and more food than anyone could ever possibly eat in a lifetime. Oh my god, people, you’ve never seen so much food!!!

We ate and ate and talked, and then we had a snack before we went to dinner. After dessert, we stopped to try a local specialty. The next day, we ate and ate some more. I have literally never eaten so much food in my life – and I have loved every bite. In Chinese culture, food is a warm welcome. And nobody has ever greeted us so warmly before… ever.

Johann, a family friend, treats us to a lunch feast at Look Yuen Restaurant

Every single member of the family went out of their way to stuff our stomachs. David must have shuttled us 1000 km back and forth from street hawker specialties, to a small town boasting the perfect Assam Laksa, to the best dim sum in Butterworth, to a seafood extravaganza along the coast. Mei Ling, who I strongly suspect is psychic, would come running out with delicious treats every time I even thought about food. (Martha Stewart watch out. If Mei Ling ever gets a TV show in the States, your days are numbered.)

Pigging out on dim sum in Butterworth

Every brother treated us to a special meal to celebrate our visit and the New Year. Every sister-in-law prepared something spectacular to stuff our bellies. Ying Ying went out of her way to make sure we sampled each dish. Matthew filled us in on the associated traditions. So much food, so much generosity.

Kim organizes a huge gathering (three tables) of the extended
family. Sister Poh Poh has me cracking up all night!

Even Ken’s cousin Kim, who happened to be visiting from London during our stay, took the time to organize a huge dinner in Georgetown to celebrate the New Year with the extended family. What a crazy, hilarious, and entertaining group of characters. I just cannot get over how amazing Ken’s family is and how warm they have all been. To prove that we are not exaggerating, here is more photographic evidence of some great family and some serious eating.

Jimmy’s family (clockwise): Ying Ying, Matthew,
Yan Yan, Lai Yin, Yim and Jimmy

Laughing and performing the traditional
New Year’s salad tossing for prosperity

Ken’s family (clockwise): Eddy and girlfriend Yee Ling, Ah Lian, Ken,
Joo Nee with with husband Ah Soon and daughter Chloe Boo

Studying street food with David, Stephen and Sharon in Butterworth

Mei Ling waters the garden while we stuff our faces

Stuffing our faces in Ken’s family garden

Stephen’s family: Taegan, Stephen, Tristan, and Sharon

Ken and Freda with Johann and wife Gaik Peng

Eying snacks between meals

Ken (Fatt) and his mom rest their stomachs in
the garden while pausing between meals

New Year’s vegetarian breakfast in the family kitchen

Our good friends Lisa and Garrett are back. You might remember them from our adventures together in Cambodia last January. They’re here to experience life with us in Bangkok as well as to collect additional footage for a follow-up to Lisa’s film Excluded, which details our experiences as a gay binational couple and how that contributed to our “going nomadic.” Lisa has had a great response to the film and she even presented Excluded at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association last summer in Atlanta. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the film yet, you can view it online at www.ExcludedTheMovie.com.

Thank you Freda, Michaela, Stephan, Beverly, Lisa and Garrett for joining us here and making our adventures in Cambodia such a great experience. Speaking of Lisa and Garrett, they will be back with us soon for more adventures in Thailand, so stay tuned.

After making some fantastic new friends on our Halong Bay trip, we were motivated to get out there and explore Hanoi’s bar scene a little. Clearly, Hanoi has what it takes to be a trend-setter. And the world is figuring that out very quickly. Over the sound of clinking glasses, toasts can be heard in every language from French to Japanese to Russian to Turkish. Hanoi is the hottest place in Southeast Asia right now (and I’m not just talking temperature.)

Unfortunately for those who love to stay up all night, the government restricts how late things can stay open, so start early and pretend you’re Cinderella.

Before leaving El Nido, we have to mention Squidos, our absolute favorite restaurant. (In all honesty, it’s the only restaurant we’ve eaten at). The French owner Jean-Marc and his Filipino wife Narcel have quickly included us in their circle of friends, and eating at their restaurant feels more like meeting old friends over a home-cooked dinner.

The food at Squidos is simply fantastic. And it’s no wonder they serve killer meals considering Narcel’s killer instincts. This woman can dish it out. Anyone who can get away with – well, not murder – but with punching a cop, deserves a thumbs up. That’s right. Narcel slapping a corrupt police officer has become my favorite dinner time story. When the outraged cop threatened to arrest her, Narcel simply pulled out her phone and called a famous Philippine crime-busting reality show. And, suddenly, she was free to go.

I would trust that woman anytime – and most definitely with my meals. If you don’t believe me, try Squidos’ scrumptious fried chicken or the finger-licking seafood curry platter. With their French taste for food, Filipino hospitality, and warm welcome, Jean-Marc, Narcel and their fun staff- especially Cheky – will be greatly missed.

Early retirees Dave and Bill are the latest nomads we’ve encountered while staying in El Nido. The charismatic English/Scottish couple of 23 years has just recently left their home in cold and rainy Scotland in search of a quieter life abroad. The two are part of a wave of people we’ve been meeting all over Asia. These Contemporary Nomads choose to travel or live in countries much cheaper than their own where they can enjoy a higher standard of living for much less money.

But leaving their busy lives behind wasn’t a small step for the two Brits. Dave was a social worker, Bill owned two hair saloons, and together, they ran an organic farm on their 100 hectare property 20 minutes outside of Edinburgh. They were workaholics. After Dave’s near-death accident on their farm, however, they solidified their plans to retire early. They realized that having successful careers and running a farm was not their ultimate goal, but spending more time together and finding a small home in a warmer climate was.

Clearly, finding a house takes time. Bill and Dave are taking a year to travel through Southeast Asia, the Philippines, Australia and Southern Europe where they eventually want to settling down. Already, we are thinking of paying them a visit after having enjoyed their company in El Nido during our nightly dinners at Squidos. Dave turned out to be quite a storyteller, and Bill with his dry humor and strong Scottish accent constantly cracked us up. (Thanks, Bill, for distracting the drunk Fin who was terrorizing El Nido during our stay).

We are sad to say good-bye, but such is a nomad’s life. I know we’ll see them again, perhaps even along the way.

I have never spent so much time in the water as I have here in Palawan – and I’m loving every second of it! Our friend Olof, who we mentioned was a great photographer, snapped these pictures of Tony, Elin and me while we were goofing around in the beautiful waters off of Shimizu Island.

Image by Olof Larsson

We’ve joined forces with Swedish travelers Olof and Elin to explore the beautiful islands of the Bacuit Archipelago. Luckily, these two enjoy the same relaxed pace of island hopping as we do with time to photograph and explore below the surface as well as above. The four of us also appreciate a good fish feast on the beach.

Experienced divers, Olof and Elin are spending three months diving Malaysia and the Philippines hitting world class sites such as Sipadan, Apo Island, and the wrecks of Busuanga along the way. Besides this couple’s refreshingly relaxed travel vibe, what really caught our attention was the fact that Olof was doing his underwater photography with a digital SLR camera with underwater housing and an external flash.

So what, you might ask? You guys take underwater pictures too. What’s the big deal? We were schlepping around a housing for a G7 point and shoot. Underwater housings for digital SLRs are massive and very heavy. Add to that an external flash and you have a whopping 7 kilo (15.4 pound) camera set-up! That is a dedicated photographer – and his beautiful pictures justify the effort. This photo of a frog fish is one of his craziest pics!

After hearing about the tragic loss of our G7 in Puerto Galera and the limits of our temporary replacement camera, Olof and Elin were gracious enough to allow us to use some of their excellent photos in our article on the Wrecks of Busuanga. They also generously gifted us with a precious, personally written evaluation of all the sites they’ve dived along their way including reviews of the dive shops they’ve used! After our negative experience with Capt’n Gregg’s in Sabang, this was an especially valuable resource.

Thanks guys, you both are awesome!

If you can read Swedish, or you would like to see more of their pictures, check out their excellent blog nittiodagariparadiset.blogg.se, which translates as “90 Days in Paradise.”

There are two ways of looking at retirement: a scary void in your life or unlimited time to follow your passion. For Sally and Peter, their passion seems to have always been traveling. And even now, at ages 65 and 70, they are fully embracing their freedom. Yes, the baby boomer generation is quickly aging, but they seem to be aging gracefully, and I love that we are seeing more and more backpackers in their sixties, seventies and even eighties doing their thing. They definitely set an example for all of us “young ones” who missed the hippie trail by quite a few years.

We first got to talk to the Milwaukee couple at the Scandinavian Bakery in Luang Prabang, Laos where they told us all about their travels through Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India in the 70′s. It seems that public transportation then was even worse than it is now. (Hard to imagine in India.) Fed up with power-tripping bus drivers, they decided that exploring the world by bicycle was the only way to go. They’ve been doing just that ever since. And it shows. Looking at the photo, would you ever guess that Tony is 30 years younger?

Retirement and old age are no excuse for settling down (especially if you are healthy and have some pocket money to spend). So what if your children need you to babysit? We, the younger generation of travelers, need you too. We need to hear your stories, we want to learn from your experience, and we need to know that seeing the world and having adventures shouldn’t stop when you turn 60. Sally and Peter represent a new generation of older backpackers who still take to the road. As the baby boomers and hippie trailers age, we’ll hopefully be seeing more and more senior travelers dragging their bikes through the mud or balancing precariously on top of a speeding bus.

After we randomly bumped into Peter and Sally a few more times, our last encounter being in Chiang Rai, Thailand, we said our good-byes. They were off to Borneo for a month-long bike trip while we were headed for the Philippines via Bangkok. Having biked the Philippines multiple times, they gave us some last-minute advice on the best beaches. Clearly, amid all that biking, Sally and Peter have also made time for some R&R – and deservedly so.

Our six weeks together flew by at lightning speed. But, alas, Beverly left us in Luang Prabang as previous commitments called her away. We miss you Beverly!!! (The pictures above should be viewed while humming the theme song to “The Way we Were.”)

Memories,
Like the corners of my mind,
Misty water-colored memories,
Of the way we were…