Malena loves candy. And travel. And both together. And thus, this site was born.
Well, I’ve now been traveling for more than fourteen months and biking for more than three! I no longer hesitate at bargaining over guesthouse prices and internet cafes, fearlessly stare down border guards who try and bribe extra money out of me, eat at even the dodgiest of restaurants, use Brit/Euro terminology occasionally when I talk, have the strangest tan lines I’ve ever seen, barely squeak when mice crawl over my foot, don’t mind those big hills quite so much (but developed a deep and abiding hatred of a headwind) and have - at last! - finalized my plans for the next four years. So, without further ado, for the people who know me “in real life” and are curious, and those who just know me through the blog, read on to find out where I’ll be in a few weeks, months, and years: (more…)
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Rather than try and arrange things coherently in this entry, I’m just going to string together some stories from my time on the road. Click on to read about getting lost looking for a cave, some small things I really like about biking, and the best way to get from Hue to Hoi An in Vietnam. If you’d prefer to read about candy, might want to skip this one and come back for the next one, because there’s more sweat than sweets here! (more…)
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Notorious for being Southeast Asia’s sleepiest country, little landlocked Laos has been quite an adventure so far for me. I’m jumping ahead in the narrative a bit (I know, I know, a cardinal sin!) but I’m hoping to give everyone a little taste for cycling in SE Asia. I’ve spent a bit over a week in this country: a few days on the river ferry to Luang Prabang and another day after my arrival enjoying the increasingly upmarket colonial town, then a quick (ha, ha) cycle south to the spring-breakesque Vang Vieng. Add on more time in this land of Simpsons reruns, banana pancakes, and internet cafes than I like to admit, and you get more than 1/4 my total allotted visa in Laos… but first, let me tell you about the cycling trip. Warning: If you’re my mom, you may want to skip this entry! (more…)
First of all, I hope everyone enjoys this picture of an Indian sweet. Called Pistapakita (as sounded out to me by the shop owner) this brightly-colored dough-based sweet caught my eye in a candy store in Jaisalmar. Of course, Jaisalmar isn’t famous for its candies, but rather the camels. Still, this candy was pretty good! Although I have to admit I thought the dough was my much-loved sweet sticky rice at first, so the crumbly sweetness was a slight disappointment. The dough is covered by an edible silver foil and a maroon red icing made of condensed milk. I believe it’s Bengali in origin, as is much of the candies in Indian. (more…)
