Welcome to my blog!

My first post! As you may know, I'm getting ready for an adventure of a life time that starts in less than 2 months (read the "about me" section on the right hand side of this page). Right now I'm juggling my online summer classes and getting everything in order so I'm all set to leave. I still have a lot of stuff to do, but have gotten a lot done too! These fun activities include, but are not limited to, getting equipment like a camera and backpack etc., getting medical exams, lots of vaccinations (typhoid, boosters for polio, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, and malaria pills, however, no rabies vaccine b/c there's a shortage... hope I don't get bitten by anything), getting insurance, getting my visas squared away, getting transportation and accommodation reservations and so on and so forth. It's all very exciting.

As you probably know, I'm a little obsessed with food, and that's definitely going to be a focus of mine, some of the best cuisine in the world comes from SE Asia. Some of it may seem a little (or very) bizarre to the Western palate, but I'm willing to try anything once (fried tarantulas in Cambodia, here I come!). I'm hoping to be updating you all every few days throughout my trip by logging on in internet cafes or from the hostels. Here's a short list of the places I'll be visiting (there's more than what's on the list below)...
Singapore- My starting point, one of the greatest food destinations on earth, home of a mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and Western cultures, just don't chew any gum (yes, gum chewing is illegal in Singapore)

Melaka, Malaysia- A cool old Portuguese colonial town

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia- The bustling capital

Khota Bahru, Malaysia- A pretty conservative Muslim city on the peninsula's east coast (headscarves required for Muslim women)

Penang, Malaysia- An island just off the west coast of the peninsula, another food destination, famed for its street stalls and its plantations of the infamous durian (can't wait to try it, if you haven't heard of it, you should look it up, it has quite the reputation)

Hat Yai, Thailand- a stopover point in Southern Thailand before heading to Bangkok

Bangkok- The famous capital city, I can't wait (at this point I'll be meeting with the tour group)

Chiang Mai- In the heart of Northern Thailand
Pakbeng, Laos- A rural town used as a stopover point on the Mekong on the way to Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang, Laos-The whole city is an UNESCO world heritage site, tons of temples, over 30 of em.

Vientiane, Laos- The sleepy capital

Siem Reap, Cambodia- The home of ANGKOR WAT!!!!

Phnom Penh, Cambodia- The "Pearl of the Orient", the capital, emptied by the Khmer Rouge in the seventies, home of the killing fields (where the Khmer Rouge carried out genocide against anybody they considered to pose a threat to their ideology), and is rapidly filing back up into a big city (tour group ends).

Chau Doc, Vietnam- My first city in Vietnam, I arrive by boat from Phnom Penh, down the Mekong.

Can Tho, Vietnam- The major city of the Mekong Delta, supposedly a very charming and friendly city

Saigon, Vietnam- Officially known as Ho Chi Minh City, it's the largest and probably most famous city in Vietnam. There's so much here, and I can't wait to see and taste it all (perhaps the city I'm looking forward to the most)

Hoi An, Vietnam- A small old coastal city in central Vietnam, should be fun

Hue, Vietnam- The old, imperial capital of the Nguyen dynasty

Hanoi, Vietnam- The capital, stronghold of northern Vietnam, my final destination of the trip

After Hanoi, I'll fly back to Singapore and catch my flight home 3 days later. I know it seems like a lot of places, it is, but I'm giving myself plenty of time. I'll be leaving the US on July 29, and arriving back in the US on October 26.

I'll try to update again before I leave.

Thanks for reading,
-Mike