Winter’s been mild in Wisconsin, and I daresay I am sorry there wasn’t more snow. But this dose of winter at “home” will have to do. The Travel Monster must be fed.

Next up is…

The Return to Asia!

We are already making our lists of what we want to eat and where when we get back to Bangkok. My vote is we start with krapow moo sap kai dao in Soi 22. Peung is arguing for tom yum goong at Laem Chareong. Two of my favorite dishes on the road. That sounds like lunch and dinner are settled on Day 1. We moved up our travel dates so we could attend a Bangkok wedding of our two friends Greg and Aom, and we will spend some time with them on Koh Samet, a lovely little island a short drive and ferry ride from Bangkok. I’ve used it before as my Jet Lag Cure. Lots of sun, they say. Done!

We will also return to Chiang Mai for time with more friends, maybe some jazz at North Gate Jazz Co-op, and caffeine and hangouts at Akha Ama Coffee. And food, more food. Peung hopes to have her own blog up by then, predictably about food and travel and food.

Off to China and Taiwan for me… Shanghai, Beijing, then Taipei, Taichung…

Then our first island trip into Southern Thailand really since our time on Koh Tarutao and Koh Adang a few years ago. This time Trang is the province of choice and we’ll explore Koh Mook, Koh Ngai, and Koh Kradan. We’ll have a new underwater camera along for this adventure.

Then I head to Ukraine for a week and a bit of catching up with a friend there. He tells me there are breweries that need to be checked out. I’ll oblige. Plus a cave monastery? Nice!

Stopping in Seoul for some Korean BBQ, then a few days in Japan hoping to hit Kyoto again or perhaps Kobe or another city I haven’t seen yet. Tokyo has a new luxury hotel I will check out before its grand opening.

April is a question mark, but Borneo might FINALLY happen. It’s been on the wish list for a long time now but I won’t go there if I only have a few days. I’m not even sure two weeks would do it justice. If it happens, we will visit Malaysia’s Sabah, the orangutan rescue project, do some snorkeling, and then head through Brunei and on to some national parks.

The grand finale will be a trip to the Middle East. Some time in Jordan and then I’ll slip over the border into Israel for a week and catch as much as I can. (I hear there is a growing microbrewery movement there!)

When we get back to the US, we will begin the Summer of Michigan. I have two guidebooks to write: Camping Michigan and Michigan’s Best Beer Guide (a sister book to my Wisconsin brewery road-trip guide). Busy? Yes. But glad to have the work (and the air miles)!

Hope you all follow along!

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