Steampunk Fashion: adventures

adventures

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You know how much I live for adventures! My six months in Asia were filled with them, and I don’t regret any of them. I’ll be telling these stories forever.

But some of the adventures were a lot better than others.

Here are my top 10 adventures in Southeast Asia:

Fighting Muay Thai in Koh Phi Phi

On Koh Phi Phi , Thailand , there’s a reggae bar that gives you a free bucket if you fight Muay Thai — Thai boxing — against a fellow amateur. I eagerly jumped in — and promptly got my ass kicked.

I knew I was in over my head from the first round, but held on anyway. I ended up covered in bruises and had a bloody eye for three weeks. The good thing was that I got to know a lot more Thais, who pointed to my injuries in horror wherever I went.

I haven’t written about this adventure yet — stay tuned.

Drinking Snake Blood in Hanoi

The outskirts of Hanoi , Vietnam , are filled with restaurants serving every part of the snake — from flesh to bones. The piece de resistance? The heart, bitten out of the body of the live snake.

While I couldn’t stomach the thought of chewing a beating heart, I eagerly chugged down a shot of snake blood, followed by a shotof snake bile.

Click here to read about drinking snake blood in Hanoi.

Partying in the Cambodian Countryside

Moments after arriving at our guesthouse in Phnom Penh , Cambodia , Ste befriended a few members of our guesthouse staff — and got us invited to a party celebrating the end of the harvest, an hour outside the city in the countryside!

From arriving in the back of a pickup truck to winning cans of beer at darts to dining with local Khmer families to riding the rusty, peeling merry-go-round of death, it was one of the greatest cultural experiences I’ve ever had.

Click here to read about our night partying in the Cambodian countryside.

Getting Shipwrecked in Indonesia

Yes, it was awful, and I’m sick of talking about it, but there’s no way you can say it wasn’t an adventure.

Click here to read about my Indonesian shipwreck.

Celebrating Songkran in Bangkok

A giant water fight throughout Bangkok , involving everyone from little kids to little old ladies? Getting buckets of water thrown at you as you ride a tuk-tuk through the city? Live water attacks in the electronics floor of MBK? Yes, please!

I can’t believe I almost missed out on Songkran. Grabbing a water gun and firing at everyone who passed made me feel like a kid again — even while doing it in a bar. Songkran lasted three days and it didn’t bore me for one minute — very much worth booking cheap flights to Bangkok .

Click here to read about celebrating Songkran in Bangkok.

Motorbiking Down Vietnamese Highways

I learned to ride a motorbike in Pai, Thailand , honed my craft in Laos and Cambodia, and then set out for the big test — Vietnam. Vietnam has the craziest drivers in all of Southeast Asia — especially on its highways, where buses won’t hesitate to run your down.

After riding to see a giant Buddha statue on a mountain outside Mui Ne , we realized that we had to drive like maniacs in order to get back before sunset — so we wove in and out of traffic, dodged buses and stopped bikes, waved to drivers who pulled up besides us for conversations, and spun through barely-there gaps in traffic.

If any of our parents had seen us, they would have had a heart attack. And I loved every minute of it.

Click here to read about how I learned to drive like a Vietnamese madwoman.

Tubing in Vang Vieng

Vang Vieng , Laos — the best and worst place in the world, as my friend Chris likes to say — is the ultimate destination for party-loving backpackers in Southeast Asia. And riding down the glistening Nam Song river in an inner tube while mountains surround you, getting pulled in to jump on makeshift bars and dancing with dozens of new friends is unlike anything else in the world.

I ended up spending 15 days in Vang Vieng, and those days were such a happy blur. I feel like this is something I had to go through as a party-loving twenty-something.

Click here to read about tubing in Vang Vieng.

The Halong Bay Party Cruise

I knew there were a lot of cheaper Halong Bay cruises available to be booked from Hanoi, but everyone told me I had to go with the Rock Long, Rock Hard Tour of Halong Bay from Hanoi Backpackers Hostel. Boy, am I glad I did! They didn’t even try to hide it — from the moment we arrived on the boat, they announced that we were required to drink with our left hand or we’d get drawn on.

It was a night of cross-dressing, Stephen Hawking, trolls, jumping off the top of the boat, tequila shots, the Americano dance, and people taking their clothes off. I still can’t believe that a cruise like this exists. I’d love to go back during the warmer months.

Click here to read about Halong Bay’s best party cruise.

Starring in a Really Bad German Film

When Cody offered me and Matt a chance to be in the German movie Tourist in Danger filming in Ao Nang , Thailand, we jumped at the chance. We soon found out that extra work is unglamorous as everyone says — and that this was quite possibly the worst movie ever filmed. Do they have Razzies in Germany?

It was probably made worse by the fact that we were dancing ridiculously in the background the whole time, going crazy from doing the same thing over and over and over. We ended the day at 3:00 AM, exhausted, delirious, and 1500 baht — $50 — richer.

Click here to read about my day as a film extra in Tourist in Danger.

Making a Tranny BFF in Ao Nang

This adventure is pretty tame in comparison to the others, but it was just so funny, and an “only in Thailand” experience!

While out celebrating the half moon with friends in Ao Nang, we, well, partied a little bit too hard. Long story short, I woke up the next morning, picked up my camera — and nearly cried with laughter. Apparently the night before, we befriended one of Thailand’s omnipresent krathoeys, or transvestites, and from the looks of it, we were best friends!

For about 25 photos, my friends and Tranny BFF were draped all over each other, dancing, swinging from a pole, sitting on each other’s laps, sharing the same bucket! It was so random — and the fact that none of us had any memory of it made it absolutely ridiculous!

Runners-up: Swimming in the Mekong in Don Det , the Nha Trang Boat Trip , drinking with a Mafia don in Koh Lanta , drinking arrak with locals in Bali , getting lost on the Bolaven Plateau , riding the Thai party train , getting robbed while skinny-dipping in Sihanoukville , and many, many more.

Petra by Night is a lovely introduction to Petra — you visit the famed Treasury while it’s illuminated by candlelight as soft music plays and they serve tea.

Under normal circumstances, it looks like this:

Image: Debraj

It didn’t exactly happen that way for me.

The weather had been good all week, but it began to rain lightly as we arrived in Petra. My guide Ibrahim grabbed me a scarf and told me that despite the rain, Petra by Night would in all likelihood still happen.

Ibrahim dropped me off with a group of young backpackers (“All of you, take care of my daughter!” he called out as he walked away. “Thanks, Dad — see you in a bit!” I returned) and we made our way to the Siq.

It was a lengthy, dark journey to the Treasury. As I mentioned in past Petra posts, the walk to the Treasury is a long one — you walk through a winding and winding Siq, feeling like you’re at the bottom of a canyon, and it will probably take you around 30 minutes.

At night, this path is covered with lanterns: candles inside paper bags. It was easy to find our way through the Siq with these lights to guide us, and I chatted with the backpackers, who, like many tourists, were visiting Jordan in conjunction with an Egypt trip.

It was still raining lightly — not quite enough for an umbrella, so I simply bundled my scarf around my head and kept walking.

And there it was: my first glimpse of the Treasury.

Only as we walked in, it had begun to rain much harder.

What had started out as mildly annoying had become irksome — I was getting soaked through my jacket and freezing cold. My umbrella was up, but most people didn’t pack these, and they were huddling together along the edge of the rocks.

And then the ridiculous thing happened: we were actually invited INTO the Treasury.

I didn’t know it at the time, but getting invited into the Treasury is a VERY rare occurrence and should be treated as a special opportunity.

At that point, sh*t just got real. Thunder rang out and it began downpouring as lightning flickered overhead.

How on Earth were we supposed to get back?!

At any rate, the locals didn’t seem panicked. They went on with the music show and served us tea, which I downed in a gulp.

Soon after, we were released. I knew that if there were an emergency, they could drive in trucks if they needed to. Maybe they’d do that with us.

Nope. We were released and told that we could walk back.

The only problem? The Siq had flooded.

Picture this scene: what was once a narrow but mostly dry canyon had now, essentially, become a furiously flowing ankle-deep river. The lanterns were long gone — with no shielding from the rain and water, the entire region has gone pitch black.

And we had to walk back through 1.5 kilometers of THAT.

I stupidly hadn’t brought my flashlight, so I used my phone to navigate the pathway through the Siq, jumping around the deeper parts of the river. (A smarter decision: wearing waterproof hiking boots.) I splashed around and ducked the sheets of water, trying to keep myself from tripping on hidden rocks.

The Siq is in danger of flooding whenever it rains. And I was terrified that I wouldn’t be able to find my way out — or worse, that I would end up trapped inside as the river rose higher and higher.

And then, after countless twists and turns and screams and impromptu waterfalls and refreshes of my iPhone screen, I burst out of the Siq. From here on, I knew I’d be safe.

I returned to our meeting point soaked to the bone. I didn’t have to say a word. Rami, my driver, took one look at me and began giggling.

“Yes, I thought it would rain,” Ibrahim said. “It rains in winter.”

“Then why did you let me go in there?!” I admonished him, smacking him on the arm.

“Tomorrow will be better,” Ibrahim told me. “It only rains at night.” He was right. The next day was lovely.

Okay. If you are planning on attending Petra by Night — and particularly if you’re planning on visiting during the colder months (I went in November), please pay CLOSE attention to the weather. Wear waterproof boots and bring a flashlight, no matter what.

As cool as it was to get to set foot inside the Treasury, I wouldn’t recommend Petra by Night in the rain. In better weather, I’m sure it’s absolutely lovely.

Though we didn’t know it at the time, my friend Lily from Explore for a Year was there, too! Read her account here . You can see me in the fifth photo!

Many thanks to the Jordan Tourism Board for hosting me in Jordan. All opinions, as always, are my own.

One of the absolute most extreme things you can do in Iceland? Snorkeling (or even diving!) Silfra.

Silfra, also known as “The Rift,” is home to astonishingly clear waters — some say the clearest in the world. The water is fed by glaciers and keeps to a temperature of about 2 degrees C (34 F), even in May.

Was I insane for even considering this?!

Most of my readers thought so, at least at first.

But people come to Silfra, located in Þingvellir National Park, for two reasons: first, to say that they snorkeled right between Europe and America. Silfra is the rift between the American and Eurasian techtonic plates.

And the second reason is for this.

People come here for the blue.

From May 15 through August 31, Dive.is offers a Snorkeling Silfra Under the Midnight Sun tour. The tour leaves at 4:00 PM and returns at 9:00 PM, and there’s plenty of light throughout. While there are lots of companies that do Silfra tours, Dive.is is the only tour to do it at this time of day.

The result? We got Silfra all to ourselves.

I knew this would be a physically strenuous activity and I was a bit nervous, but our guide, AJ, put me at ease right away, telling stories and cracking jokes. AJ is originally from Poland and has made Iceland his home — though he likes to spend part of the winter diving in Southeast Asia, including one of my favorite places in the world, Sihanoukville !

“How could you ever leave Cambodia and Thailand to live here in the cold?!” I asked him.

“I just love Iceland,” he replied. “It’s my home now.” Later, I checked out his bio on the Dive.is web site and found out that AJ spends his time plotting to be the first man to swim around Iceland.

The drive to Þingvellir National Park from Reykjavik took about an hour, and soon we arrived at Silfra. There were six of us in our snorkeling group: two American guys, two British guys, a girl from Hong Kong, and me. Also with us was a group of divers from Dive.is, who would be following right behind us.

First up was getting into our dry suits.

What did we have to wear to snorkel in such cold waters? First, on top of thermals and thick socks (or for me, two pairs of leggings and two long-sleeved shirts), a warm suit that was essentially a human-shaped sleeping bag. Next was an airtight drysuit.

“Do not pee in the drysuit,” AJ warned us again and again. I have to wonder how many people violated that rule.

On top went a mask and snorkel, a head cover, a set of gloves, and finally a pair of flippers.

Know this: drysuits are incredibly uncomfortable and difficult to get on, particularly if you have long hair. AJ helped us all out, but you’re going to lose a few hairs, no matter what. It’s incredibly tight around your neck (as depicted in the photo above), as well as around your wrists.

“Is this okay? Are you sure this is okay?” I kept asking AJ. My right hand felt like it was losing circulation — and I have tiny wrists to begin with.

“It’s all right,” he said. “It will feel different once you get into the water.”

Still a bit suspicious, I awkwardly walked down the ladder in my flippers and flopped into the water.

Now, that was a strange sensation — feeling like a giant marshmallow (or maybe the little brother in A Christmas Story), and floating perfectly on my back. The drysuit kept me right on the surface, and the tightness around my wrist eased. Getting into the water redistributed the air pockets within the suit, and I was immediately much more comfortable.

As the others gingerly stepped into the water, I rolled over to get a look at what lay beneath.

OH MY GOD.

Blue. Everywhere. More shades of blue than you could ever imagine.

Chartreuse rocks on top, occasionally with a sprig of neon yellow grass the shade of a highlighter.

Teal rocks further down, covered in a fine moss.

A turquoise surface, seen from below.

Then cerulean, further down in the rift, as everything got deeper.

And finally, the bottom of the rift vanished into a strong, thrumming shade of violet.

I had never been so mesmerized in my life.

Snorkeling couldn’t have been a better way to experience Silfra. All I had to do was lie on my stomach, kick occasionally, and watch that dreamy environment pass by. The drysuit kept me from having to do any work.

How beautiful is this?!

I do wonder how the divers were able to handle it — the drysuits make it difficult to actually get far below the surface. AJ had to swim hard to get our pictures from a few meters beneath.

Best of all, there were no fish to be found in the rift. (You remember my fish phobia , don’t you?)

And yes, the water was extremely cold — but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. In fact, the only parts of my body that got cold were my lips and my hands, which started getting a bit uncomfortable after 25 minutes or so.

Dive.is doesn’t let people stay in water this cold for longer than 40 minutes. As snorkelers, this was our one turn; the divers had two rounds.

After a round of energetic swimming into another channel to avoid being swept into a lake (AJ warned us, “If you end up in the lake, only a helicopter will be able to rescue you,”), we lazily finished up our floating journey.

It was back to dry land, and back to the reality of Þingvellir.

The Icelandic wind whipped across my face, my now-soaked long hair dancing wildly — and I knew that after Silfra, I would never look at the color blue the same way again.

Many thanks to Dive.is for hosting me on a Snorkeling Silfra Under the Midnight Sun tour. All opinions, as always, are my own.

All underwater photos are courtesy of Dive.is .

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Adventurous Kate’s Top 10 Adventures in Southeast Asia