Budget Hotels: How far would I walk to find Mr. Right?

Filed under Cambodia, Phnom Penh by on May 6, 2012 at 5:28 pm {10 comments}
Cambodia fashion gowns
Window shopping in Phnom Penh: How far would you go?

 With budget hotels in Southeast Asia,  you never know what to expect.

Sometimes, you stumble upon a princely palace that’s cute, charming and cheap, all in one.

Other times, a first impression doesn’t always do a place  justice and you can’t always tell a bargain when you see it. 

It’s like that first 15 seconds of surprise, when you meet a blind date in person and discover he’s mildly errr… ugly or just not your type. It kicks your *shock* notch up a little. But maybe after 15 minutes after the initial stun wears off, you warm to him; find he’s actually a nice guy.  But do you dream about a second date?  Not necessarily.

You still need perspective… to shop around a bit.

(more…)

Are you a street-smart traveler or just travel-jaded?

Filed under Cambodia, I Survived! by on April 30, 2012 at 6:04 am {26 comments}
christine kaaloa
Streetwise or travel-jaded?

 Street wise.

Been-there and done-that.

Old hat.

After traveling in Asia over the course of a year,  there were two things I felt I had become proficient at:  haggling and avoiding scams.

If I sensed a scam, my windows rolled up and my auto pilot kicked into a prickly cold shoulder with a ‘Don’t fuck with me‘ attitude.  In a negotiating situation, I’d never trust the first price up front. Assuming the dealer was trying to score a few extra bucks, due to the “tourist” sign blazing on my head, I’d shoot for lower or walk away… and keep walking. 

Did I forget how to have fun at these times? Maybe so. But as a solo female traveler looking out for my own back, I’d learned to cultivate street smarts.

Then again, maybe you’d call me …travel- jaded. (more…)

Cambodia: Which of these Fear Factor foods would you eat?

Filed under Cambodia, Fear Factor Foods by on April 12, 2012 at 4:34 am {28 comments}
cambodia weird foods
What’s Cambodia’s Fear Factor?

By the time I got to Cambodia, after having visiting much of Southeast Asia, I found there really wasn’t many Fear Factor Foods I haven’t seen.

 ’Same Same’… but not too different.

Still, it excites me to explore cultural differences, even if it makes me squirm a bit.

Here’s a few interesting foods as well as, a couple of players I haven’t yet seen…

  (more…)

Love Letters #16-25: Where have I been in the past 7 months?

Filed under Cambodia, India by on September 29, 2011 at 12:04 am {3 comments}
Love Letter #16: Bangkok, Thailand

I’ve cheated you, my dear readers.  I haven’t been good at taking you with me on my travels.  Sorry.

Blogging on the road hasn’t been as easy as had I hoped, but then, long-term traveling without a plan isn’t as easy as one would think. So here’s an update on my travels:

Where have I been after India?

Without giving away all my stories just yet, here’s a summary of highlights and places I’ve been to…

(more…)

Related Posts with Thumbnails

Join me on Facebook