Abroad, A Guy & A Baby

"We literally just got home from Bali, and you want to go to the jungles of Sumatra to see Orangutan in the wild? Okay!!!" And so we left the next day... Throughout these years, we have had many amazing experiences in Indonesia, but none so meaningful as our adventures in the jungles of Bukit Lawang. Nestled in North Sumatra about 4 hours from the Medan airport, the small village atmosphere of Bukit Lawang was a welcome getaway from our gridlocked existence in Jakarta. Our stay at Junia Guesthouse was icing on the cake. Featuring an outstanding staff, family-geared tours, and comfortable bungalows encircled by the scenic jungle, rolling forest hills, and muddy Bahorok River, we felt like we had died and gone to heaven. Junia Guesthouse was absolutely beautiful and the people working there, even more beautiful. And the food, my goodness! I would go back just to eat at the Junia restaurant.  You have to try their version of Tacos, almost like gigantic samosas

On our way home from Thailand at the beginning of the new year, we decided to embark on a short detour and finally check out Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We had frequented the KL airport on the way to numerous destinations, but had never taken the time to scope out the city. For our short near week of exploration, we stayed in the luxurious Hotel Istana in the downtown part of Malaysia's capital city. It was time to earn our many Malaysian passport stamps. The Hotel Istana's lobby featured a fancy bar area and music each evening. Kuala Lumpur shares a similar colonial past as most other major cities of SE Asia, subjected to British rule well into the 1950's, and also a Japanese occupancy during WW2 like Jakarta. The hotel also featured a very nice courtyard, an excellent place to share our breakfasts together. One of the more delightful architectural achievements to gaze upon in KL are the sky-high Petronas Towers. For six years after their construction i

Since we started living in SE Asia, we promised ourselves that we would spend some time in the Southern Thailand sun. I also promised myself that I would drink less beer and eat fewer chips. It was time to make good on our promise...of going to Thailand that is! Our first stop on our nearly three week adventure was at the Angsana Laguna Phuket, right on the Andaman Sea. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Phuket was actually a pretty strategic stopping point for traders traveling between India and China. Now it is a strategic stopping point for drunken foreigners. Our friends Judy and Jon have a resort in Bali. Apparently, they are able to trade resorts with other travelers using this handy online program. Anyway, they invited us to stay in this amazing resort and we happily accepted (thanks again guys)! Our mutual friends from Burma, John, Sara, Tate, and Maisen all joined in the fun as well. Best part of this resort? You walk out of our room right into a pool!