The good thing about last Wednesday is that I got a job. The bad thing is that said job killed my hopes for a 3 month post-bar odyssey through Southeast Asia, at least for the time being.*
Instead, I will have to make do with at most 4 weeks of vacation. This short period constrains my grand plans and forces me to deal with the discomforts of reality. But somehow I will find the strength to survive.
On my trip, I want to dive and hike. My leading contenders are the following:
Brazil. Always a favorite. I could go to a wedding, see friends, revisit old favorites and check out some new beaches. This is probably the easiest option since I feel very comfortable traveling around the country and speak the language. My biggest concern is that upon arrival, the federal police will find out that I have been to Brazil each of the past 4 years for a total of a year, declare me to be a dual citizen, and then conscript me into military service.
Ecuador. I've always wanted to go to the Galapagos, but I think that what I want to do, which is sail around the islands and dive with iguanas, may be too expensive. I also still have an aversion to organized tours. Still, 3 weeks is a good amount of time for the country and flights to Ecuador are probably the cheapest of the lot. Also easy b/c yo hablo español.
Cambodia/Laos. The attraction of Cambodia would be to visit temples and hang out with a friend from the PC who is now working in the country. She probably won't be there the next time I get a chance for a long vacation. Cambodia isn't known for beaches and diving, and it will be the rainy season, the reason I axed Thailand. Laos b/c it sounds interesting and 4 weeks is too long for just Cambodia.
Malaysian Borneo. This is the leading contender. Supposedly there is fantabulous diving in the province of Sabah at Sipadan and Layang Layang. I'd travel southwestward, pass through Brunei, hike in the rainforest, and then fly out of the province of Sarawak. I would fly from the US to either Kuala Lumpur or Singapore and spend a few days in either of the cities on my way out. If I push my start date, I could possibly spend a week in Cambodia.
Malaysia. This would include the Borneo portion, exclude Cambodia, and add in diving on the eastern peninsula. I may want to save mainland SE Asia until 2008, though.
Egypt. I haven't read much about this yet, but pyramids, temples, and Red Sea diving sound good to me. It may be too hot in August or too expensive to get to from the US.
*Postponed until 2008
5 comments:
I've been to Thailand during the rainy season (June-ish), and it wasn't really a problem. It would be sunny until about three in the afternoon before clouds rolled in. Then, right around sunset, it would piss down rain for about 45 minutes. After that, it was clear and dandy. I think I may have actually prefered the rainy season to the dry season (December/January). It's cleaner and cooler.
That said, the roads in Cambodia could be a problem. They suck dry. Lord knows what they're like muddy. Never been to Laos, so couldn't tell ya about it.
Also, if you do Egypt, I would try to fit at least a week in Jordan. The missus and I actually much preferred Jordan to Egypt. Syria is also great, but getting a visa is tricky unless you go to the Embassy in Cairo.
I really enjoyed Lubbock during the summer months. Lush rainforests to explore and without a doubt, world-class diving. I advocate for this least known, understated option. Almost as passionately as I do sweat shops and banning fat, French tourists from the Inca trail.
Thanks for the tips. I didn't think the rainy season is as bad as some people think, and after central African roads for two years, I'm ready for anything. One problem w/ August is that some of the dive spots (Similan islands) are closed or the responsible live aboards won't go out there.
INFACT, there are too many choices, including Lubbock. But while August is a pleasant 100+ every day and so dry your nose bleeds, I tend to prefer super windy March with the dust storms.
Oh man, I did a 5-day live aboard to the Similan and Surin Islands in 1999. Most definitely worth waiting for!
I'd love to hear more about your Central African experience sometime. Never been to those parts, but it sounds cool.
But I'm extremely jealous of those who have the opporunity to go on a bar trip. Just talking about travelling excites my wanderlust. (I don't really consider this travelling. It's something else.)
That was me.
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