2014

Already making travel plans for 2014. I have not forgotten about Operation Figureshitout (the name of my mission to figure out what else I want to do other than travel - work at a new place or study?) but it's just so much more easier and less stressful to think about travelling.

ANYWAY, here's what I've been thinking about: New Zealand hopefully in May - trekking, handgliding, skydiving, bungy jumping, visiting family and friend. Short trips to Krabi again to rockclimb, Borneo to climb Kinabalu (I hope!!) OR visit Taman Negara OR climb Rinjani (whichever as long as I climb/trek something/place), a family trip (I'll let the family decide), and if I have enough capability to plan two big trips AND if I have enough finances, perhaps I'll do my SEA overland trip - Singapore - Malaysia - Thailand - Lao - Cambodia - Vietnam - China. Parents will probably not be pleased but I will try to ease it to them. Lately I've been feeling like 2014 might be the right time to start doing these trips I've had planned. It would be good if I could figure out what happens next though. I think my parents and I would be more reassured if I had more concrete plans of what happens after. But for now, let's just wallow in the glorious feeling of planning tentative trips to take in the near future.

Quick update

I really need to start making it a point to write about my trips here. Okay, so since I last posted, Bali, East-Central Java and Krabi-Phuket happened. In Feb of this year, Genting happened and in April, China happened. I've been grabbing opportunities and making trips happen and it's been a pretty fruitful travel year compared to 2012.

The best part about all this is knowing that my dad is letting me go. He's releasing the kite strings and letting my fly awayyy (quite literally haha). I am finally able to do trips on my own and I don't have to lie about them or hide it from them or [insert rebellious act haha]. I know to some people my age this is no biggy because their parents are more relaxed but for me it feels like a coming of age of sorts...like a milestone. Like I finally earned the "Ready to experience the world on her own" badge from my dad. Haha.

I shall keep this post short and end of with some photos from this year's trips. Maybe I'll post more about them in the future...maybe....

Genting - Malaysia

3.38km cable car ride

In the clouds

Sunset from Genting

Pagoda at Chin Swee Caves Temple

Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan - China

Feng Huang Cheng (Phoenix Town), Hunan

Generals Lining Up, Zhangjiajie, Hunan

Karst formations of Zhangjiajie, Hunan

En route to Yichang

On the Yangtze River

175m water level marker. I felt a sense of loss many times while travelling up the Yangtze. After reading River Town (by Peter Hessler), it was hard not to think of what once was and how so much history is now under water.

Imagining how awe inspiring it would have been if the water level were at its original depth

"Curse of the Golden Flower" was filmed here. Photo was taken from under the Tian Long Bridge, a natural bridge formation.

Marveling at the grandeur of this place with my dad

On a prairie up in the mountains. Fairy Mountain, Wulong County.

A rainbow around the sun!

View from our hotel - Wu River through Wulong County

The old overlooking the new. China in a constant state of development.

Bali - Indonesia

Tanah Lot

The family porter

Quality Balinese food at Bumbu Bali Restaurant

East-Central Java, Indonesia

Mount Bromo, Tengger Caldera

4km from Mount Merapi. Photo taken by Leonard Saw

Borobodur

Krabi - Phuket, Thailand

Islands in the Andaman Sea

Climbing some rocks at Railay!