Lindsey Letters Giveaway!

it is the first friday of the month and that means it is time for my crush of the month giveaway! i have been so blessed by you and all my readers that it is time to give back! each month i giveaway one of my favorite things. today i am co-hosting with Chelsea of Lost in Travels to bring you two of my favorite Lindsay Letters prints - Whatever is Lovely and Be True (a $40 value!). i have been in love with Lindsay Letters ever since i first stumbled on her shop and have given many gifts from her shop (like this) as well as bought a couple gems for myself (like this & this). i want you to have the opportunity to find these pretties on your doorstep and be able to display them in your home!

YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!

this giveaway is run via rafflecopter with plenty of chances to enter! after a week has passed, one winner will be selected at random and announced! all entries will be verified, so please play by the rules! 

this giveaway is sponsored by the following wonderful ladies: Jess of Jess Vartanian, Samara of The Secret Life of Samara,  Elah Tree, Suzana of This Girl Loves, Leslie of A body that Won't Break, Ruth of Isn't that Sew, and Erin of Mr. & Mrs. Toews. 

if you would like to be one of the sponsors for the next CRUSH OF THE MONTH GIVEAWAY become a sponsor! you can find more information by clicking here and for 10% off advertisement options use code CRUSH at checkout!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Letters/66 + GUEST POST ON LOST IN TRAVELS

Dear Patbingsu, I don't know how I've survived in Korea for so long without you. I finally caved and tried this traditional Korean summer treat the other day and I must say, I'm in love. The traditional one includes shaved ice on the bottom with red bean, sweetened condensed milk, jelly bits, rice cake, ice cream and fruit on top. Ok, I admit, after typing it up, it sounds disgusting. Just trust me on this one.

Dear Jeremy, I'm so glad that you have lots of experience riding bikes. I don't know if we would have made it out of Cambodia without it. I have never in my life seen such crazy driving. We would have the green light but still drivers would come from the sides and weave and honk their way through the crowds of motorbikes and cars to make their way to the other side. Dear In-laws, I can't believe it's only one week until you get here! Don't worry, we won't make you eat anything too strange. Dear City, you keep opening the cutest lounges and bars. The one we found this weekend even made us feel like we were back in the states. Too bad even the smallest drink was still $8. Even though we're a small town, we still have some of the highest prices in the country! Dear Mountain Biking, after my first ride this weekend, I now remember why I have avoided you for so long. Good thing going with a fun group of friends always makes even the most difficult work outs enjoyable. Even if I couldn't walk for days afterwards. 

Hope everyone has a great weekend! I finally convinced Jeremy to go to our first Korean wedding together so we'll be heading out tomorrow! Don't worry, I'll be sharing lots of details about it in the coming weeks.

Attention! Attention! 

We're heading out of town soon and I'm looking for one person to guest post for me while we're gone! I have just ONE SPOT available for purchase on my sponsor page. The guest post will have to be turned in no later than the 12th of this month; costs just $15 and includes a 250 X 250 sized ad on my sidebar for two weeks. 

So why should you get in on the action? The price of my ad spot that includes a guest post is currently $30, my vacation guest post is half that price. Plus all of my other sponsor spots are currently booked up for the next few months. This is a great way to not only get to take over my blog for a day (for a lot cheaper!) but also to get your ad up quicker! It's first come, first serve so reserve your spot today!

--------------------

And now onto one of my lovely sponsors this month. Be sure to check her out and say hi!

About Rachel: Hi there, I'm Rachel, the blogger behind With Love, Rachel. I write about all of the things that make life wonderful, from adventures in traveling to fabulous shoes. I drink more wine than I probably should, I consider bargain shopping one of my talents, and I often think out my plan for how to survive the zombie apocalypse. While I love to travel, I consider California the best place on the planet, and so I spend a lot of free time exploring the lesser known treasures of the Golden State-- and sharing them on my blog, of course!

Her best traveling advice: When booking flights, if you can, choose the flight with the long layover. Often times the flight is cheaper, and you get to spend a day in another city. You'd be surprised by how much you can see in 6 hours. I've had wonderful afternoons in Amsterdam and Frankfurt because of this, and it's also a nice break in between long flights.

Where to start exploring

Out of Africa

The Princess Aboard the Queen

Where to follow along

Twitter // Instagram

Expat Diaries-Signs You've Lived in Asia

It's that time again! Link up your expat/travel stories below and make sure to stop by some other bloggers and say hi! We also have a very special co-host with us this month, Nicole from Treasure Tromp so be sure to show her some love as well! Thanks to everyone for linking up and spreading the word! We have had so much fun getting to know you all!

--------------------

Have you ever lived abroad and realized that you've developed tell tale signs that you've been out of your home country for awhile? I was skyping with a good friend of mine back home the other day when all of a sudden, she started to giggle over something I said. You see, when you live overseas for a certain amount of time, you're lingo beings to...change. College turns into University, air conditioners are now air cons. We've also started using the Korean word 'mogi' for mosquito in our household. But that's a whole other type of confusing that we will impart upon our children.

This whole conversation got me thinking about how else we'll stick out when we return back home and what are some tell tale signs that show that a person has lived in Asia for a little too long.

.You've mastered the art of chopsticks. Just call me the Mr. Miyagi of chopsticks.

.You consider squatty potties you thigh workout for the day.

.It looks as if you're preparing for the apocalypse when you visit Walmart back home. Because of course, not just one bag of peanut butter m&ms will do, you need five. When we visited back home, the lady at the cash register gave us more than a few weird looks as half a dozen deodorants, six containers of oatmeal and various vitamins and medicines pass her checkout line.

.No shower curtain in the bathroom? No problem. And let's face it ladies, the toilet is the perfect height to rest your leg while shaving anyway.

.You think it's gross when people don't take off their shoes when entering a house.

.You can't have a conversation without pausing to think of the correct word. When your job is to try and simplify the English language as much as possible, your vocabulary tends to go out the window.

.You can't wrap your head around a car that can comfortably fit people in the back seat. Our current car you have to sit sideways since there's not enough room for your knees to sit facing forward.

.You have to roll up all of your pants and pass them off as cropped pants because let's face it, that's as long as you can find them

.You bow...to everyone.

.You could have a degree in the art of charades. Ever had to play charades to find out where the lady doctor is? Pray you never have to.

.You don't understand what people do with homes more than 1,000 sq. ft...but you're still a little jealous of them anyway.

Are there any other signs that I've missed? Have you ever lived abroad and felt a little different when talking with people back home?

Video: The Natural World - Himalaya

Is there any question that the BBC makes some of the best documentaries for television? That happens to be the case with their series Natural World which consistently gives viewers some of the best views of the world around us. The video below is a full episode of that series which happens to be focused on one of my favorite places – the Himalaya. If you have 49 minutes to spare, you'll get a great look at those mountains and the people that live there, with some of the most breathtaking scenery you'll find anywhere. So sit back, turn up the volume and enjoy the show. It is one of the greatest on Earth.

Wulong Mountain Quest Adventure Race Begins In Asia

The Wulong Mountain Quest adventure race got under way today in Wulong Park, China. The four-day event hosts some of the best adventure racing teams from across the globe competing against one another on foot, bike and kayak. This race is always one of the best events in Asia each year and this year looks to be no different.

My friends on the Thule Adventure Team are competing in the event this week and are posting blog updates as the action unfolds. This morning they took part in the prologue, which was hampered a bit by rain but seemed like great fun with a variety of short stages to test their legs early only. The prologue began with an intense uphill run, which was followed by three team members carrying the fourth in a sedan-chair. Eventually they transitioned to a biathlon section, where they managed to make up some ground before finishing third. That will be a good place to be heading into tomorrow's first stage.

The Wulong Quest is a staged race and over the next four days the teams will be competing against one another with a definitive start and end to each day. This is quite a bit different from expedition races that run non-stop and makes for a much better spectator experience. I know a lot of teams have grown to really enjoy the stage-race atmosphere as it allows them to interact with the other teams they are racing against as well as fans of the sport. It is also a better format for capturing the spirit of the race on video for sharing with a television audience. With that in mind, the Thule team will have a professional filmmaker following them on the race and I'm told we'll get video from the event each day. That should prove very interesting for fans of adventure racing.

Watch the Thule Adventure Team blog for more updates over the next few days and to catch their videos as well.

Video: Climbing The Moose's Tooth In Alaska

With all of the focus on Denali each summer it is easy to lose sight of all of the other great peaks to climb in Alaska. Take for example the Moose's Tooth, a 3150 meter (10,335 ft) peak located in the Central Alaska Range. While the mountain isn't particularly high, it is very technical offering some very tough challenges that only experienced mountaineers should consider taking on.

In the video below, Mark and Janelle Smiley take us to the Moose's Tooth and give us a glimpse of what climbing it is all about. The footage is both spectacular and scary, providing a glimpse of what climbing in Alaska is all about.

Top 10 Things To Do In Australia's Northern Territory

My July escape to Australia may be a bit of a distant memory at the moment but I'm still sharing the experiences from that great trip wherever I can. Last week, the PacSafe blog posted my list of the Top 10 Things To Do In The Northern Territory which is my overview of the places and activities you absolutely can't miss while visiting that part of the country. The NT is the rough and tumble Outback for sure but it has some surprising options for travelers who like to escape into a beautiful, remote wilderness from time to time.

Some of the options that made my list include taking in an incredible sunset on the bay in Darwin, the Northern Territory's largest city. I had heard about the spectacular sunsets there long before I ever arrived, and they did not disappoint in the least. I also recommend spotting crocs on the Mary River, hiking the Larapinta Trail and visiting Kakadu National Park for both its cultural and natural wonders. My suggestions include options for both the very active and for those who would like to take things easy from time to time as well. The NT is a nice blend of laid back lifestyle and thrilling adventures, which when paired with the famous Aussie hospitality makes it a great destination for just about anyone.

I want to thank my friends over at PacSafe for allowing me to share more of my Outback adventures with readers. If you're not familiar with PacSafe they are a company that makes some excellent products designed to keep your valuables safe while traveling. They have everything from laptop bags to money belts and passport pouches, amongst a host of other gear that can come in handy when visiting places where thieves may be looking to separate you from you belongings. Most of their products have integrated some ingenious ideas that will be appreciated by travelers who want to avoid losing their most precious items while on the go.

Also, the PacSafe Blog, where my latest article was posted, offers up some fantastic stories, tips and suggestions for travelers of all types. If you love to travel it is a great addition to your Internet favorites and a site that you'll likely want to visit often.

Nolan's 14 Update: Unfinished Business

A few weeks back I wrote a post about mountaineer turned ultra-runner Ben Clark's attempt to complete Nolan's 14, a grueling 100-mile running challenge in the heart of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Nolan's 14 challenges runners to nab 14 individual peaks, all above 14,000-feet (4267 meters), in under 60 hours. Those who attempt it are free to take any path that they see fit, they simply need to get to the summit of each of the mountains that fall along the path in as short a time as possible. And if successful what is there reward? Their name added to a website giving them credit for accomplishing this astounding feat. To date, it has only been done eight times by seven individuals.

When I wrote that post Ben was in the final stages of preparing for his own attempt on Nolan's 14. He was heading out on the weekend of August 24 to give it a go with the hopes of adding his name to the list of runners who have conquered the trail. Ben has written a post-run updat1e for the Osprey Packs blog to share the results of his attempt with the rest of us. In short, the title of the blog post says it all - 100k is not 100 miles.

Despite nabbing five peaks in the first 24 hours of his run, Ben wasn't able to complete the entire course as he had hoped. It wasn't a lack of training, poor planning or bad navigation that prevented him from reaching his goal however. Instead it was that old nemesis of all who venture into the mountains – the wether. Not long into the run rain started to fall in the mountains making it difficult to move forward at a brisk pace while keeping visibility to a minimum. All of the other successful attempts on Nolan's 14 were accomplished in good weather conditions and unfortunately Ben wasn't blessed with the same good fortune.


But the experience taught him a lot about being an ultra-runner on a long distance challenge. It also helped him to think about and prepare for the trail more effectively for his next attempt. Weather permitting, Ben says he'd like to give Nolan's 14 another go later this month. He doesn't say exactly which days he'll attempt the run but you can bet he'll be watching the skies for better weather this time out.

Hopefully conditions will be right for this second attempt. Now that the calendar has turned to September it won't be long until the higher elevations of Colorado start to see the snow fall. That will eventually shut the door on this route for another year and I'm sure Ben would like to have his name added to the list of those who have challenged this tough run and managed to complete it as well.

Update: I've heard from Ben directly and he says that he managed to bag seven of the peaks that make up the Nolan's 14 in just 29 hours, 30 minutes. So, he was able to get through half the course in half the time. That bodes well for a second attempt in the near future.

Tea at the Ginger Garden | Halia

24th August 2013.
Take a stroll, take your time, surround yourself with greenery, and just take everything easy on a Saturday morning at the Botanical Gardens. What is there not to like?

Times like these are hard to come by. The fatigue from school and tropical heat fade away as one gets distracted by a joyful couple getting their wedding shots done with their friends by the lake and the sight of a families have a good time on the expansive lawn.

At the end of it, you can even reward yourself with a nice afternoon tea at Halia, located in the midst of the Ginger Gardens of the Botanical Gardens. Furthermore, the price tag pales in comparison to the staggering 42++ you get in one of those ritzy hotels downtown.

That’s what Halia at Botanical Gardens got to offer, a relaxing afternoon tea surrounded by lush greenery on the weekends without breaking the bank. Halia’s Weekend Afternoon Tea Set (28.00++ SGD), concocted by Executive Chef Peter Rollinson, an Australian chef who has once headed Flutes at the Fort, the Prime Society and the Sault Restaurant in Daylesford, Australia.



As part of the tea set, you get to enjoy either coffee with single refill or if you prefer something more exotic, the Halia Infusion, a ginger tea sweetened with honey is pretty good too especially when served chilled on a hot day.

Together with the tea, enjoy the petite savoury and sweet bites from the elegant two-tiered tea set. The Freshly Baked Scones was an excellent start, competently baked, these scones exudes a warm buttery fragrance. Savour it with the delicate Chantilly cream or the orange and ginger jam.

Chef Peter also took inspiration from local cuisine for the tea menu. Most apparent was the Wagyu Beef Rendang Samosa which was not bad but too oily. Besides local cuisine, the afternoon tea is also a way to sample some of the dishes Halia offers as main courses, a sneak peek of the main menu.

While I applaud the attempt to come out with interesting tea bites, some just don’t work such as the House-cured Salmon, Pickled Cucumber and Toasted Rye which was too raw and rough in taste. The Quince and Almond Cake with Crème Fraiche was just weird with the crème fraiche and the Coconut Panna Cotta, mango, passionfruit and lychee with toasted coconut was overwhelmed with the taste of coconut.

However, there are tea bites I enjoy too, such as the Smoked Trout Parfait with Cucumber, Apple and Lime which was a fascinating combination of the savoury and fruity flavours, the Poached Chicken & Smoked Paprika Finger Sandwich was pretty good too and so was the Ginger Flower Macaron which worked for me with its touch of spicy ginger.

Overall, some worked and some didn’t and the afternoon tea menu changes once in a while so don’t be surprised to find something different for your next visit! As for service, I think it needs some polishing up, when I arrived, one of the servers attends to the Caucasians first instead of the Korean family and I, but other staff were friendly and courteous, hopefully it is an isolated case. Overall, the ambience was great and price is quite reasonable for an afternoon tea here.

Halia Tea Service
Available Saturday, Sunday & Public Holiday from 3.00 pm to 5.00 pm (last seating)
28++ SGD per person.

Thank You Cyndiana and Ivy from Food News for the invite.

Halia at Botanical Gardens
Ginger Garden @ Singapore Botanic Garden,
1 Cluny Rd
Singapore 259569

More Than a Place to Sleep-Villa Langka Hotel

One of the most nerve wracking parts of traveling for me is finding a hotel. I have a friend who has a similar hate and faces buyers remorse every time she books. It's hard not to when there's literally hundreds of choices in each area. So my solution? Let my husband do the dirty work. Thank goodness he's happy and willing to take it off my hands for me. And this time he was able to find the Villa Langka hotel in Phnom Penh, a gem among the hundreds of choices in the city.

When we travel we always look for the same things in our hotels. And thankfully Villa Langka filled all of these requirements.
1. Locally owned and operated aka no chains (only one location in the heart of Phnom Penh)
2. Small in size (48 rooms in total in two different buildings)
3. Budget friendly ($55 a night with an included buffet breakfast. A deal breaker when we look for hotels)
4. Location location location (just a short walk away from tons of bars, restaurants, and shops)

Thankfully in Phnom Pehn we lucked out once again. This hotel went straight to the top five places we have ever stayed. And with an added bonus of hotel security outside to watch over our bike. A must if you're renting in Cambodia.

My favorite part by far was the pool area. Since we weren't by the ocean during this trip, this was the perfect oasis in the middle of the city to cool off in the mid day heat. Many times we would site see in the morning, hang out by the pool and go back out once it had cooled off again. The overgrown trees and serene atmosphere throughout the property made you feel like you were miles from the city when in reality, you were just steps to popular restaurant and shopping areas.

There are two buildings of rooms. The first one is the original building with traditional style rooms. We stayed in the new building which were filled with about 30 simple, modern rooms which were perfect. It even had touches of bamboo and Cambodian silks throughout the room.

via

Absolutely beautiful, wonderfully relaxing. Villa Langka needs to be on your list of places to stay when traveling to Phnom Penh.

What do you look for when booking hotels on vacation?

Video: Everyday Adventure With The Perseid Meteor Shower In Joshua Tree National Park

I shared a great video a few weeks back that was shot in Joshua Tree National Park and featured timelapse images of the Perseid Meteor Shower. Today we have another video shot in the same place at the same time. This one actually shows off more of the stark beauty of Joshua Tree and intermixes some stunning shots of the night sky during the meteor shower as well. There is definitely plenty of eye candy to go around here.

Everyday Adventure Series : Episode 001 from Charles Bergquist on Vimeo.

French Team Pulls Plug On North Pole Sailing Expedition

A few weeks back I posted the story of two French sailors – Sébastien Roubinet and Vincent Berthet – who were attempting to sail from Barrow, Alaska to Spitsbergen, Svalbard via the North Pole aboard a specially designed catamaran that was built to cross both water and ice. At the time, the two men were still making their way north and were facing considerable challenges in the from of inclement weather and waterways that were more choked with ice than they had anticipated. On Saturday, the team elected to abandon their quest due to conditions that were deteriorating much more quickly than they had expected.

According to this story at ExWeb the team ran into problems after they crossed 82ºN. From there they started to see increased ice build up on the surface of the Arctic Ocean which was making it increasingly more difficult to make any kind of progress. On Saturday, August 31 they had only managed to cross .8 miles (1.3 km) by noon. Temperatures had fallen rapidly and the conditions were right for more ice to build up. Worse yet, the forecast said that those conditions would remain the same for the next eight days, which meant little or no progress in the future. It was than that Sébastien and Vincent made the tough choice to pull the plug on their adventure and head home.

Of course, even that won't exactly be easy to do. They are fairly far north and the bad weather conditions continue to hamper them. They also happen to be a long way from land. In fact, as of Saturday, they were just 100 miles from the Pole of Inaccessibility, which is the furthest point from land anywhere in the Arctic Ocean. That means they still have quite a journey ahead even if they aren't going to be able to complete their intended adventure.

I'm a bit sad to see these expedition come to an end. I was hoping to follow them all the way to Svalbard as I really liked the concept of their travels. It's too bad that they won't be able to continue, but it sounds like the conditions in the Arctic have been especially difficult this season, not just for this team but others who have been in the Northwest Passage. Lets hope these two men make back to land safely.