Since all I can think about this week is packing, sorry for the overload of packing posts. My mind is seriously a list-making, packing, organizing Tasmanian devil. Since this trip is primarily about hiking and other activities, I don't need much to get by.  As I mentioned before, we are having a few nice dinners, so I'll need to look presentable for those.  

Swimsuit: Can you go to Thailand without a swimsuit? I think not. I hope we have time to laze by the pool at the COMO Metropolitan in Bangkok for at least a few hours.  I'll also need a comfortable swimsuit to wear under my clothes for time visiting elephants in Chiang Mai.

Baseball Hat: This is my go to hat--an old, Polo cap that has been on nearly every trip with me. I may take a larger sun hat, but when it is breezy, I don't have to worry about this puppy blowing off of my head.

Coverup: This is UPF-50, and perfect with a hood to protect me from the sun both in Thailand and Bhutan. It will be perfect to wear over the swimsuit, but it's also great as a tunic with leggings when I want a little extra protection from the sun when hiking or walking around town.

Necklace: Because I want to get a bit dressed up for dinner, I'm throwing in a bubble necklace that I bought off Amazon. It's not worth anything, so if it breaks or something happens to it, no big deal. I don't usually take expensive jewelry.

Earrings: In addition to my usual pearl studs, I'm throwing in a fun pair of fish studs from Kate Spade.  No particular reason, other than it's nice to have a change and animals make me happy! I got these on sale as well, so while I love them, they don't have sentimental or financial value.

Scarf: I'll be taking a dressy scarf  in addition to an infinity scarf that snaps open.  The dressy scarf will be perfect for dinners, but the infinity scarf pictured above (I prefer a Vinyasa from Lululemon) can double as a blanket on the airplane, to a shawl when I'm freezing, to a scarf for chilly nights. 

Ring: I don't take my engagement or wedding ring on most trips. I don't worry about them when they are on, but I don't swim with them and I certainly don't want to see the elephants with them, and I don't really want to leave them in a hotel room, even in a safe. So they stay home. I do wear a cheap band I found online instead.

Watch: I love my lightweight Triwa for travel.  I got it off Gilt, on sale (as usual), and it's been a great watch.  I don't wear a watch at home, but since I don't usually have my cell phone attached to my hand when I travel (like I do at home), I like it when I'm on the road!

Sunglasses: Yes, a splurge (though I did get them on sale, I swear!). I have Oliver Peoples aviators that I just adore.  They are super lightweight with great protection.  I sometimes wear croakies with them, as I have a bad propensity to get them tangled in my hair when I stick them on my head.

Cross-body: I don't usually travel without some type of cross-body, and this trip is no different. This bag from Patagonia is lightweight, and packs into it's own pocket.  Since it weighs next to nothing, it's easy to throw in to carry water, camera, map, etc sightseeing while also having it as an extra bag in case I come home with a few more things than I expected.

There you have it, the accessory packing list for Thailand and Bhutan.  Leave me a comment if you think I'm forgetting something!

We spent two days in Battambang, heading there between our time in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.

Early one morning, our tuk-tuk driver/guide took us on a great tour of the communities just outside Battambang.  We buzzed around in the tuk-tuk all morning, visiting a wide variety of places with his informative, humorous, and candid commentary. I think the tour route is pretty standard, but that didn't make it any less fascinating.  

I don't really think Battambang gets as many visitors as many other places in Cambodia; none of the visits felt stages or commercialized.  I feel like we saw much more of the "real" side of Cambodia in Battambang, beyond the hustle and bustle of Siem Reap with visitors crawling everywhere, and the pollution and city feel of Phnom Penh.  As the pictures show below, we saw the making of so many things! Battambang Province, I believe, is the leading rice-producer in the entire country. 

We made a point to visit Wat Wamrong Knong, which has a very well done carving sequence, called the Well of Shadows, which depicts the horrors of the Khmer Rouge. I've included a picture of the dedication below, but I think the wall itself is best seen in person, rather than online.

TravelingSaurus has received a second Leibster award (read about the first one here)!  

Thanks to a CoupleofBackpackers for nominating me: they recently posted about their visit to the Tintin museum in Brussels (well, just outside Brussels), and I'm so SO excited to find fellow Tintin and Snowy aficionados! They are backpacking while working full-time, with a goal of going to all of Europe before they hit 30, which is just awesome. Did I mention they like Tintin? Oh wait, I did. I have to get to Brussels soon!  


Just a reminder, here are the rules for the Liebster Award:

1. Write a blog post thanking the blogger who nominated you for the Liebster Award, and link back to their blog.
2. Answer the 11 questions that your nominator asks you.
3. Nominate 10 bloggers of our own, with under 600 followers, who you think are awesome and deserving of this honor.
4. Create 11 questions for your nominees.
5. Display the Liebster Award logo on your page.
6. List these rules in your post.

And here are my answers to CoupleofBackpackers questions!

1. How many countries have you visited?

Right now I'm at 24.  Soon to be 26 (in a week)!  I've always taken about one trip a year, but I've really started traveling way, way more in the last few years.

2. Have you planned any trips for 2015 yet?

Yes! I'm one of those people who plans WAY in advance. We have two 2015 trips planned, one in January and one in June.  First one is in Latin America, further details will soon be revealed on the blog :)

3. What is the longest amount of time you have traveled in one country?

I spent over a month in Finland when I was in high school. I typically don't stay in one country for more than about 10 days to 2 weeks, since I work full-time too.  Most recently, last year we spent about 10 days in Uganda.

When many people hear that we are flying half way around the world for two weeks, the comments are often something like "why would you bother" or "that's too far for a short trip".

Sure it's far, but I want to be bothered.

Why travel, particularly long distances, with only a limited amount of time?  I'm under no illusion that traveling this way is like long-term or perpetual traveling, and I definitely feel like we are missing out on things. But think of all you can see and experience, even in just a few days or a week! 

Here are just some of the reasons why I think you should still travel wherever you damn well please, even if you have just a short period of time to spend there. 

You always see packing lists for her, but what about packing lists for him? So here you go, Dear Husband's packing list for Thailand and Bhutan!

Ok, so I'm a bit embarrassed how matchy-matchy DH and I are...but whatever (see my outerwear and shoe list). When you find what works, you roll with it, right?  Good gear is just good gear.

On our trip to Bhutan and Thailand, where we have city + country, hiking + nice dinners, rain + sun, hot+ cold, so layers and quick drying materials are most important.

Outerwear: DH will use the same combination as me, except he'll swap out a regular rain coat for my rain trench.  The Torrentshell Stretch from Patagonia is really waterproof, with some breathability.  The stretch panels make it a bit more comfortable and easy to move in.  In addition to the rain shell, DH will also carry along his Houdini jacket. I'm telling you, these things look like nothing, but they are incredible!  They are light, packable, breathable, and water resistant.  We do have different color Houdini's...thank goodness...

Layer: DH will take a microfleece from Patagonia as his mid-layer. He's never as cold as me, so he just wants something to take the chill off in the evening in Bhutan.  Layered under either of the two shells, you get some wind protection, rain protection, and a whole lot more warmth.  The microfleece also dries really quickly if it gets wet.

Pants: DH will take a pair of multi-purpose pants, that are light, stretch material. While not waterproof, these pants can easily slip over a pair of hiking shorts if we get caught in a deluge. Plus, if we are outside at night, they can provide some bug protection for the legs.  They weigh next to nothing and are easy to pack.

Shoes: DH will stick to the 3 shoe rule. He's taking Havianas, in addition to a pair of Asics running shoes that are light and will dry quickly if they get wet.  He'll also have to take a pair of loafers, as we are having dinner somewhere that tennis shoes and flip flops are not allowed.  We thought about Tom's, but I'm not sure those will pass the test either for a nice place in Bangkok...maybe? 

Yup, so we are taking a very similar set of items for our outwear and shoes! We'll be packing light, as usual, no checked luggage and no heavy bags. 

Are we missing anything? Have you been to Thailand or Bhutan and have suggestions for us?

The first time we visited Namibia, we spent a few days in the Caprivi Strip and in the Caprivi Game Park, also known as the Okavango strip as it's part of the bigger Okavango ecosystem.  To say it's beautiful doesn't really capture the essence of the area. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend a visit, particularly in coordination with Chobe National Park or other parts of the Okavango Delta in Botswana.

Originally, Germans believed that the Zambezi would lead them to the Indian Ocean, so they decided to claim land surrounding the Zambezi (it's named after Count van Caprivi). Unfortunately, the Zambezi isn't particularly navigable (uh, Vic Falls?), so that didn't work out so well.

I've had a lot of questions recently about why I'm interested in and decided to go to Bhutan.

Sure, I have the traditional stocked answers you can find when you open Lonely Planet or read their official tourism page.

"Bhutan has beautiful dzongs."

"Bhutan has retained much of its traditional culture."

"Bhutan is beautiful, nestled in the Himalayas."

But the real answer is a combination of all the guide book selling points and things I just can't easily articulate to others. In fact, I sometimes have trouble articulating them to myself.  This is really strange for me. I have a reason for everything.

I mean, no one ever asked why I wanted to go to Yellowstone...or Belize...or Pompeii. Apparently that was just obvious. But I suppose Bhutan isn't obvious. It's obscure, hard to get to, and remote. It doesn't see that many tourists, particularly Americans. Many people don't even know where Bhutan is.

Similar to What I've Collected While Traveling...

I can't be the only one that now has a house filled with random things from travels. Please tell me I'm not. A little sphinx on the bookshelf, an ebony giraffe on the dresser, some hippos on the desk. Oh yea, then there is the elephant on the lamp, the gorilla mask on the wall, that pair of alabaster bowls, and some warthogs next to the pitcher. Not to mention printed placemats, an Austrian snowglobe, and a huge embossed rice paper Angkor Wat hanging on the wall.

I love them. They remind me of the places I've been. I like seeing them ever day. They are good conversation starters. They give our condo character. Sure, inanimate objects shouldn't make me happy (yadda yadda yabba dabba doo), but these really remind me of some wonderful experiences and make me smile.

But...I'm sort of OCD about organization and cleanliness. Right now--for the most part--they look like nice decorations. I dust them with minimal effort each week. But if I keep adding at this rate, I'm afraid our house may one day appear on Hoarders and instead of electronics and old magazines, it will be overflowing with wooden animals, handmade crafts, baskets, and wall hangings. I will be the screaming, pouting, disaster of a woman who can't part with her things. Who may or may not be dragging items out of a dumpster and hiding them under her armpits to sneak them back in to her house.

I love packing!! Packing packing packing!  I love being super organized and putting all my gear together for the next adventure. Excessive punctuation usage complete.

So, Thailand and Bhutan is a bit of a strange combination in terms of outwear/shoe requirements.

I went to Vienna for a work conference over a long weekend.  The conference was good, but I was really surprised by how much I liked Vienna.  Even in February. Even with snow everywhere.

Well...there is more to the story.

Vienna is the home to the Spanish Riding School.  I told you I used to ride--all the time--right?  Vienna is beautiful. And I would love to go back in the summer to see Belvedere in green. But the real reason I loved Vienna was because of the horses at the Spanish Riding School. I may or may not have walked down by the riding school multiple times just to catch a glimpse of the horses busy eating in their stalls.

I unfortunately was too dedicated and actually went to the conference instead of skipping some of the best talks to see the horses perform. But that's ok, I'm familiar with all of their moves from my knowledge of classical dressage, so it was just as fun to tour the stables and see them in person later.  All of the horses there are Lipizzaners, which are bred on the Austrian National Stud Farm.  The school itself is also stunning, particularly the arena of the Winter Riding School, which was built from 1729 to 1735.