ceylon tea

I will soon be backpacking with my closest, dearest friends. The destination is an island country in the northern Indian Ocean - The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. My British ancestors probably called it 'the colonies,' but because I'm a caffeine junkie and am fascinated by old maps, I like to call it Ceylon.

Planes, trains, lots of walking. That's the plan. I'm still tired from all the high-altitude climbing we did in Kinabalu a few months ago, and I'm afraid my body will fail me. But what the heck. This can't be that bad. Let's see how it goes.

easy breezy

Project: Mount Pinatubo

Date: February 18, 2012

Jump-off: Sta. Juliana in Capas, Tarlac

960 MASL

LLA: 15°8'35"N, 120°20'54"E

Minor climb

Trail class 1

 

long time coming

It's been years since i added anything to my minimal closet.  Last week, I finally pulled the trigger.

A grueling climb up a mountain and a cycling adventure around Laos finally killed my beloved 5-year-old Prada travel hobo bag.It has been to over 20 cities, through the worst summers and freezing temperatures. I have always used it to carry travel documents, hotel vouchers, emergency food, and other odds and ends through some of the world's most glamorous airports and nondescript borders. It carried my water, book, cardigan, and my money while I caught trains, rode bikes, and walked around places where I knew no one. But the interior lining is now ripped, and the front pocket is dotted by mysterious permanent stains. I have also outgrown it, as I now carry a slightly bigger netbook when I travel.

(And so, my beloved, I lay you to rest. I will wash and keep you in your dust bag until I figure out how to recycle you. Perhaps you will be reincarnated as an organizer - you know, for my undies and my moisturizer.)

The replacement is predictable - another Prada body bag, of course. I got a black one this time, to hide stains. It seems boring, I know, but I don't pay for whimsy. To me, this is good design - straightforward, functional, nothing unnecessary. The luxury is in the details - the polished steel hardware, the leather trims and zipper pulls, the very small enameled logo and logo lining, and the lightweight and hardwearing Vela fabric.

It is officially a camera bag, but I have other plans for all its pockets. The main compartment fits the netbook and all essential chargers, and the outside pocket can hold a snickers bar and boarding passes. 

We haven't been on a trip yet, but I already love it.

Eating Beyond My Means

I don't eat too much, but I certainly eat very interestingly. So interestingly, in fact, that I pay good money flying to places that serve authentic versions of bahn cuon, felafels, sheep testicles, and macarons.

The travel cliches of seeing new places and meeting new people are secondary to eating new food, whether I'm in a coastal city on the Mediterranean or deep into Borneo. Sure it's nice seeing a bull fight in Madrid, but teetering on a tall wooden stool with a glass of cheap rioja on one hand and guindilla tapa on the other—in a bar so local no one speaks English—is priceless.

The happiest moments in my life always involve food. When I envision what I think might be blissful moments—such as reaching the top of Asia's highest summit—there's always food in the picture. In this case, I will be watching the sun slowly rise over Kinabalu, sipping hot chocolate in the company friends who (like me) are stupid enough to try this test of cardiovascular endurance. When I dream about Morocco, I don't see myself shopping in the souks or riding camels. I would like to (a) eat in the souk and (b) eat the camel. I jest, but you know what I mean.

Food is the reason I run. I keep saying that I love running, but I'm just deluding myself. What I really love is eating, and in order to eat all I want without gaining the amount of weight that would render my current wardrobe unusable, I have to run. My heart rate has to go up and burn all the flavourful fat and wine I so lovingly ingest.

This means I need to clock in more miles in the next few weeks leading up to my trip to two countries. Cheap, freshly baked French baguettes and real phad thai from the street vendors await. None of the hilarious pineapple curries, please. I only eat authentic.

decathlon

In Paris in May 2009, MSP gave me a Tiffany channel-set band ring with 36 diamonds to let me know that I'm the one.

I won't go into the details of his very awkward and very lovable speech, because I want it to remain intimate, just between us. But let me say this: It was hilarious and endearing. I will remember it on my deathbed and it will make me smile.

Perfect little thing

The ring - like MSP - was exactly what I wanted. Years before, I half-jokingly asked for it, saying I don't want the usual solitaire diamond ring that gets caught in bags / clothes and looks too heavy for my thin, bony fingers. I am a clumsy person with an active lifestyle, after all. And I hate big jewelry. I prefer understated, functional, top quality diamonds, even if they're smaller. I'd rather have certified diamonds than dodgy BIG bling from unknown jewelers.

Thankfully, he remembered the ring when I had already forgotten about it.

He secretly purchased it from Tiffany in Makati, hid it in the inner pocket of the jacket he wore on the plane, and gave it to me 20 hours later, the minute we got to Berne Opera Hotel - the charming Haussmann-style building we stayed in near Moulin Rouge.


View from our place in Paris

A few hours later, we went to La Maison de la Truffe in Place de la Madeleine. I was already wearing it when I wolfed down my first Parisian lunch of carpaccio, truffles brumale, ravioli, veal mignon, etc.


Cropped picture showing the ring, taken before the meal. My hair is on the plate!


I initially couldn't bring myself to wear it all the time because it was: (a) too expensive, (b) I was paranoid it would slip out of my hand, and (c) that I would get robbed.

I also had self-esteem issues. Do I really deserve it? Why should I go about my often unglamorous days wearing such a decadent 36-diamond piece of jewelry?

Two years into owning it, though, I am starting to wear it more often, even when I'm just lounging at home in my ratty sleeping shirts. I no longer need a reason or a special occasion. It IS mine, and is IS beautiful. Why not?

It's also clearer what this ring celebrates - our devotion to our two-person team:



The "team" that will build a solar cabin in the woods, run marathons, continue to travel the world, and keep eating.

* * * *

To MSP,

In a few months, we'll be celebrating our 10th anniversary.

We're well on our way to being one of those cool, semi-hippie, independently wealthy, exceptionally athletic, well traveled old couples. Yey!

Love,

Mussolini

shiny new thing

Raincoats fascinate me. I always expect rain.

This what happens when you've had the life I've had. You end up in Cannes, carrying a raincoat in the middle of spring. True enough, it drizzles.

Some say it's paranoia, but I call it preparedness. Hey, at least I'm not soaking wet.




Anyway, so this was me in the South of France, in an orange kid-size raincoat that was still a little too loose. I got it from a bookstore, of all places.



And this was me up in a mountain almost 3,000 meters above sea level, looking like I was dealing with radioactive chemicals. I got this ugly pair of plastic coat + pants from the store where the motorcycle people get their gear. It worked, but by the time I got down from the summit, both the pants and coat already had big rips. What did I expect for P200?

Naturally, I needed a more fashionable and sturdier alternative.

I might as well be stylishly prepared.







I found this coat on sale from the local Italian warehouse where I get all my goodies. This is from LiuJo, and was about $150 but marked down to $30. I had to have it. (I never pay retail).




It's shiny and made with "crystalized Swarovsky elements."



And it's structured like a regular trench coat down to the details (belt, buttons) except that it's completely waterproof. It's not just "repellent," but "proof." It also folds down to fit into the small body bag where I put all my travel documents, but it's not quite as compact as my previous cheaper raincoats.

I got it one size bigger, in anticipation of layering it over a thick coat should I travel in the fall.

My next trip is in 6 months. I wonder if it will rain.

high and low

Traveling is not always easy, but it is always transformative.

You think you come back the same person, but you don't. You always take impressions with you, and these little indentations in your consciousness change the way you see the world and spend the rest of your life.

The most recent local trips I made - 10 days and 3,000 altitude meters apart - proved two things:

(1) I can thrive even in unglamorous circumstances, wearing polyester.

(2) A good swim top gives me cleavage.

Way up there

It was the last week of cold month of February. After a total of 12 hours of land travel and nearly 5 hours of hiking, we reached the summit of the highest mountain in Luzon, and the 106th in the world - Mt. Pulag.


(At the summit of Mt. Pulag, almost 3,000 meters above sea level, waiting for sunrise)


Climbing a mountain is not so much about physical strength than it is about tenacity of the mind - the ability to push on, to deal with a completely new environment, and to survive on whatever you manage to carry with you.

I already knew I could trek for long hours. My running prepared me for that. I was worried about other things:

(a) the cold weather + altitude
(b) not showering for 36 hours
(c) bad coffee
(d) sleeping in a small tent
(e) peeing in a disposable urinal


The summit and sea of clouds

Amazingly, I did all these and survived with dignity and grace. It really takes very little to get by. All you really need is good company and a sense of adventure. That said, I still missed my big fluffy bed.

Down below


Pandan Island

Less than two weeks later (and after panicked days of beating deadlines), I found myself in Puerto Princesa, getting a tan. As usual, I stayed near the sand and floated around the shallower parts of the beach (thanks to my personal life vest). I will swim one day, perhaps almost as well as I run.

Down in Palawan, everything is cheap - lobsters, fresh seafood, transportation. The relaxed pace is sobering for someone used to Manila's hurried and overpriced lifestyle. I hope it stays authentic and doesn't turn into Boracay.

Next on the list

There's nothing on my travel itinerary for the next 6 months. It's time to focus on work.

(Our own brands have been neglected. But because of short-term financial goals, it's very hard to get out of slavery to clients. I KNOW it's time to concentrate on our own brands. It's time to think longer term. I shouldn't be spending my life making someone else's business flourish. It's depressing.)

Come October, I'm packing my bags again. I will finally get to see Laos, completing my French Indochina adventure. There are hotels and sleeper train tickets to be booked. Planning is going to be a little more complicated than usual.

And then it will be 2012 - possibly the end of humanity. I wonder what my last thought would be. Whatever it is, I hope it's unapologetic.

packing for mt. pulag

In 18 days, we're climbing and camping in one of the most challenging mountains in the Philippines - the cold and wet Mt. Pulag. Time to pack.

I'm sure I'm forgetting something.

FOOD - These are ready to eat meals rationed to the US military, which the boyfriend bought from his airsoft buddies. We took out some items (mostly cakes) to make them lighter. Packages come with instant food/beverage heaters - that greenish plastic bag you see.





CLOTHING - Extreme weather layering essentials:

Columbia Kaleidaslope Omni-heat insulated jacket, for the cold




Moisture-wicking shirt and arm warmers for the day hike





The niftiest waterproof Stefanel hiking pants / shorts combo:






Raincoat, wool socks




My 5-year-old, Paris-tested wool inner layer from Terranova, more wool socks for the night




Thermal tops and leggings for layering, all Europe-tested, from Marks & Spencer





Trail running shoes from New Balance



CAMPING GEAR -

Sleeping bag for colder weather




Tent (for sharing with MSP)





TOILETRIES -

Disposable emergency urinal, baby wipes, razor (you never know when you'll need the blade!), meds for diarrhea, fever, etc., the usual toiletries






I still don't have:
1. a headlamp
2. plastic bag for trash
3. tissue - lots of kitchen tissue (in place of towels)
4. maybe extra shoes (my old Nike), in case it rains so hard and my trail shoes don't dry up?

This is so unglamorous and exciting at the same time.

the chicest hiking backpack in the world

Dear Prada backpack,

You will make my treks much more fashionable.




Too bad you're not available in Greenbelt 4.

And even if you were, I doubt that I would fork over RETAIL PRICE to have you. So let me wait for you in the Prada outlet store in HK next year, okay? It's where I got all your sisters at 40% off.

Love,
Mussolini

eating the world

I travel to pig out. If you have ever been my travel buddy, you know I start eating the minute I step into the airport. When I'm lucky enough to fly first class, I taste everything in the lounge. If I am in the cattle class, I eat from the food outlets. If you happen to be in the transit area and see a woman carrying a brown leather handcarry bag (with stickers of international flags) and happily munching on something -- anything -- that is probably me.

Last week, I went to the sultanate to try the best flavors that Borneo has to offer. Here are just some of the dishes I stuffed into my smallish frame:

• Roast chicken laksa
• Rojak (vegetable dish with sweet turnips)
• Beef rice
• Kahwin Cakoi - Brunei's version of the churros
• Ambuyat - the traditional Bruneian dish / essentially sago paste that you dip into spicy sauces
• Halal red bean pancakes
• Ayamku chicken
• Satays paied with soups
• Salted lobsters
• Teh Tarik (lots of this!)

...plus HUNDREDS of dishes at Empire Hotel's sungkai buffet -- a big meal after sunset during Ramadhan.

It can be hard to eat healthy when you're in another country. You may often feel like you have no choice, as though you're a "victim" of whatever it is that they eat there - lard, fat, and all. There's so much joy in being a victim, though. You never really regret eating unhealthy food when you're in another country. It's what you don't eat that you regret.

And that, my dear, is why I didn't hesitate to eat sheep testicles in the South of France and fried cicadas in Cambodia.

YUM.

my madrid

close to home

The next time I find myself in Europe, I'm definitely staying in the Citizen M Hotel. It's efficient, it's no-fuss, it's chic - kind of like me. LOL.







Staying there shouldn't be a stretch because I already live in a similar box /pod (click to read related post).





Pictured above the pad where I crash. Hawig na rin.

Maybe I should also wire it with the Phillips Touchscreen Mood Pad that they use in all the rooms in Citizen M. It allows you to choose among four moods - business, romance, party, and relaxation. Just press a button and the LED lights change color, thereby changing the whole ambiance. Cool! I want it. I don't think the technology is available commercially, though.



Do you think I can DIY a mood pad? MSP probably has ideas, being the geek that he is. Or I can just buy lamps with different LED bulbs.

Oo nga no?

****

The room rates at Citizen M are also very affordable because you don't pay for a fancy doorman, a concierge, a waiter, or a receptionist. You check yourself in, you sleep, and then you go on your merry way. Fantastic.



Touchscreen do-it-yourself check-in/out.



Self-serve canteen. Choose what meal you want (most are healthy - sushi, etc), then slide your credit card / some Euros into the slot, and voila - your famine ends.



Get your own brewed coffee! (Unlimited)

Rates at the Citizen M hotel in Amsterdam start at just 79 Euros per night for the basic rooms. That's 30 Euros cheaper than the so-so hotel we used in Paris (which should be comparable to Amsterdam in terms of price). Thirty euros is a lot.

****

Here's the whole Citizen M concept:

And here's a great video review: