Southeast Asia, here we come!

So the pictures will have to wait … We bought a flight from S’pore to Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) the other day and are taking off in a few hours time. Our friend Denize, who also lived here in Singapore a few years ago, says that Vietnam is her favorite place here in Southeast Asia, so we’re really looking forward to going there. We’re gonna spend a few days in Ho Chi Minh and then travel around the Mekong Delta for a few days before heading into Cambodia.

In Cambodia we’re definitely going to Angkor Wat, as everyone says we must, and we might also spend a night or two in Phnom Penh. After leaving Cambodia we’re sort of going to rush through Thailand, but we’re planning to stop in Bangkok and somewhere along our way to Malaysia. Any suggestions?

Our plan is to make it down to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to meet up with Frida’s mom and spend a few nights there. I’ll finish my French class around that time, so I need to just stay put for a few days before we head off for the grand finale of this leg of the trip. We’re going to - drumroll - Pulau Weh, an island just off the northern tip of Sumatra, Indonesia. Apparently most visitors spend most of their days underwater as Pulau Weh is known for its diving and snorkeling opportunities. Some say it’s the best dive spot in Southeast Asia. We’re hoping it is.

It’s going to be an adventure. Wish us luck!

Pictures

I put up some new pictures here on the blog. This is all I have time to do today. It takes so long to edit and choose pics to upload!

First, I put up some from Cayamo. The artists, the wonderful people, the places we went … Then some from our road trip from Miami to DC - just pictures from the road really. And then some from our week in the DC area. Unfortunately none of the wonderful Gregory Alan Isakov, ‘cause I wasn’t allowed to take pictures at Wolf Trap, the venue he played at. The last pictures are from Joburg, South Africa - The Apartheid Museum, the wonderful people we met at the hostel, Newtown …

I still have so many pictures to edit. We spent almost six weeks traveling in Africa and only one week is uploaded so far on the blog. Hopefully I’ll be done before the weekend when Frida and I plan to leave Singapore and her parents house (which is where we are now, by the way) to explore South East Asia some more.

Cat

Road Trip and DC

Since Becca’s plane almost crashed on her way to Miami she refused to get on a plane again. So we rented a car and let her drive us up the coast to DC. (We’re going to have to get drivers licenses till our next visit.)

The first night we stopped in Palm Coast, where Becca’s relatives live. The house we slept in was like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It wasn’t a house, it was a castle. They were so nice to let us stay there. We were all so tired and … unhygienic. They even let us wash our clothes.

The next day we spent 10 hours on the road, driving through four states - Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina - up to New Bern, NC, where Becca’s best friend Amy and her family live. Frida and I only got to see them for 30 minutes or so, ‘cause they had to go to bed and we were quite late, but we got the impression that they were a very nice family. They seemed like such great people. We stayed at Amy’s mom’s house - her name is Gloria - who was so kind and treated us so incredibly well. She gave us food, she gave us corn chips, she gave us a bed to sleep in … Everything we could ask for really.

We later got to DC after driving through Virginia and we’ve been here for a few days now. Becca lives in Hyattsville just northeast of Washington and has three really cute dogs. The first day I spent studying at a really cool place called Busboys and Poets in Hyattsville, ‘cause my French class just started. I remember more than I thought I would, which is a relief. Yesterday we spent walking around the area around the Parliament building, the White House and the Smithsonian. We went into the Air and Space Museum, which was really cool. The highlight of my day was going into the American Indian Museum, where we looked at the exhibitions and I bought a decal to put on my travel guitar. The Smithsonian is the world biggest museum park and everything is free, which makes Washington a really cheap place to visit actually.

After being in town all day Becca picked us up and drove us to a really nice venue called Wolf Trap where we saw Gregory Alan Isakov play. The show was a little short, but met our expectations in every kind of way. We’ve been listening to his records nonstop the last year and were so happy that he decided to stop by Virginia while we were here. It’s incredible how rich the sound of his music is although the band only consists of three instruments at the most. We can’t wait for his new record to be released.

Today I’ve just been walking around town. I went to the Museum of Natural History and then took the metro up to Dupont Circle where I’ve been uploading pictures on Facebook. I’m going to try to upload some on the blog too, but meanwhile, if Facebook works as it should, you can click here and hopefully see some pictures from Cayamo. Frida is in Lancaster, PA, right now to see Jon Anderson play. Apparently the inn she’s staying at is next to an Amish farm. Can’t wait to see some pictures from the show … and from the farm. She’ll be back tomorrow, so don’t worry family members who might be reading this - we’re staying in touch to make sure we’re both safe.

Tomorrow I’m thinking about suggesting to the others that we should visit the coast along Chesapeake Bay and maybe seeing some birds. Would love to take some pictures, ‘cause there are so many beautiful herons and hawks in this area. I think we saw at least ten red-tailed hawks on our way from Georgia to North Carolina alone. We’re also going to try and get into to a conference where our favorite poet is performing - Andrea Gibson. If that doesn’t work, we’re probably just going to stay inside all day and cry.

Oh, and by the way! We smelled our first skunk!

Cat

Cayamo

So Cayamo 2012 was amazing as expected. The line-up wasn’t quite as good as last year, but the people I met before and on the cruise made this year so much better.

First we had a couple of days in Miami with Rebecca, my sister Sandra and her boyfriend Jimmie. Kacie and Briana flew in from California and Texas the day before and it was so great to see them. Well, Kacie is officially my sister, so it was like seeing family for the first time in a year. Being with all these wonderful people made Miami worth a visit. Without them Miami is just a sandy island with tall buildings, night clubs and a beach.

So Cayamo … Cayamo is like home for me. It’s such a cool event and such a great group of people is on the ship. Like Mike form Sixthman, the company that arranges Cayamo, said: “These are the people you’d hang out with if you lived in the same town”. Artists and fans get to meet each other and hang out for a week in the sun and discover music in every corner of the ship . I just think it’s a very inspiring place to be as an artist and as a listener. Everyday I’d find myself writing new material in my head that I couldn’t wait to put on paper.

It was so great to finally get to see The Belle Brigade. We danced like crazy in the  Stardust Theater, which is the biggest one of the venues on the ship, and as far as I know that hasn’t happened in the Stardust before. I’m sure everyone was impressed by Frida’s and my “living-room dance”. Keb’ Mo’ was great in the Stardust as well and gave me the impression that he must be one of the nicest people on the planet. All the girls of Winterbloom were amazing, as solo artists and as a band, but I really enjoyed hearing Meg Hutchinson for the first time. Me and Becca cried like babies. I had some kind of emotional collapse after hearing all the songs from her record Come Up Full and had to take a minute to cry after the show. It’s safe to say that that record is a milestone in my life.

The best moment of the cruise was however seeing Kacie and Briana play. They’re Aurora Belle and played three times during the cruise and got the spot after a “grassroots campaign” on Facebook and YouTube. And of course ‘cause they’re amazing musicians and songwriters. I couldn’t believe they were so incredibly good although they live in different states and hardly see each other. And, Kacie, if you’re reading this, thanks for being so photogenic. You and Briana make my pictures look great.

All the bearded men … Oh, you all look the same, but you are all such incredible musicians. Levi Lowrey, Joe Purdy, Kalen Nash and all the hundreds of bearded artists I probably forgot - thank you! You were amazing. Especially thanks to Kalen Nash for playing with such short notice, for blowing our minds and for being such a nice person.

The Civil Wars’ set made me love them, although I’ve had a bit of a problem liking their record. They were great in every kind of way and then got off the boat to go home and win two Grammys. I guess I’m going to have to listen to Barton Hollow again … And they brought one of my favorite photographers on board - Allister Ann. I did get some pretty nice shots of The Civil Wars, but I’m cure they’re nothing compared to hers.

We spent a couple of days wandering Caribbean islands. First stop was Cayo Levantado, Dominican Republic. Unfortunately that was just another tourist trap. Litterally. You’re stuck on a tiny island with other cruisers. Luckily it’s a pretty little island and luckily Sandra and Jimmie ran into Randy and started talking to him. It was meant to be. Randy, Sandra, Jimmie, Kacie, Frida and I later went to St Maarten together and found our way to a secluded beach called Happy Bay on the Dutch side of the island. We had such a great time and had the best taxi driver in the world - Rosa - who showed us a restaurant where we could eat. Everyone had seafood of some kind, creole style. We also stopped at St Barts, which was weird, ‘cause every street has a Swedish and a French name, since it used to be Swedish colony. St Maarten was without a doubt the best stop though.

Thank you for this year, Sixthman. Less crusty old men with guitars (as Becca would say) next year would make next years Cayamo even better. And starting the trip in New Orleans, not Miami.

Cat

Miami Beach, Florida

We’re here! This is just a quick update. We wanted to tell our parents that we’re safe. I hardly remember flying at all. We were so incredibly tired (and I was drunk), so I wasn’t scared at all. 

Miami is warm and windy and right now we’re waiting for Becca in the lobby of the hostel. My sister Sandra and her boyfriend Jimmie should be here sometime late tonight. We’re thinking of taking a trip to the Everglades tomorrow if Becca’s up for it. Last year all the birds were lined up, so I’d love to go there and take some photos again this year.

Expect photos soon!

4 Days

So tomorrow we’re selling more of our stuff at the monthly flea market not far from where we live. After that we’re giving the rest away to charity. In the next couple of days I’ll meet family and friends to say goodbye. We’re going to clean the house. I’m going to pack up everything I haven’t sold and store it at my dad’s. We’re going to pack … Buy some stuff … And then we’re off. 4 days to go. 2012 is going to be a great year.

I know I posted a trip itinerary before, but here’s a map I made at a site called Tripline. It’s much better. Click it!

Advice #5: Insurance

Only a few days left till we head off. Still lots to do, but I guess it wouldn’t be our life if we weren’t late for everything. It has its charm …(?)

So my final advice to you: Buy a travel insurance before you go, if your standard insurance doesn’t cover your whole trip. In Sweden we have to prolong ours from the 46th day we’re out of the country. Simply do not go abroad without making sure you won’t have to pay a fortune if you happen to end up in a hospital. Especially if you’re going to the United States, since healthcare is really expensive there if you’re uninsured. And if you’re into extreme sports of any kind - make sure your insurance covers that too.

I love sleeping at airports.