Exciting News!
I have officially given notice at my job and I will be leaving my place of employment in a matter of weeks. Shortly thereafter John and I will be boarding a plane to London and setting out on six months of traveling. (The impetus for all of this is a result of our landlord selling our apartment to a mean guy who wants us out by the 1st. . . )
It will be hard to say goodbye to so much, but I am greatly looking forward to this opportunity. The general plan is to see a portion of Western Europe in a timely fashion (so as to avoid spending as much money as possible) and head to Poland where we will hopefully be staying for about a month, then on to the Baltics and eventually to St. Petersburg. Finally, if time and money allow, we hope to take the Trans-Siberian from Moscow to Beijing. We will be flying out of Beijing, but if time (and again, money) allows we hope to visit Vietnam or Malaysia first.
We hope to be doing all of this as cheaply as possible. We have some things set up, but if anyone would like to give us advice (we are going to remain fairly flexible for the entire trip, so advice on almost any location would be helpful) on where to stay in a particular city, offer us a place to stay, offer to let us use your internet connection for an afternoon, show us around, tell us where to find some not-to-miss cheap food, or give us advice on what you would encourage a guest to see or do in your town we would be grateful. Feel free to post as a comment if you think others might find your advice useful as well or email me at probonobaker@gmail.com .
While we are traveling I am hoping to be able to continue posting regularly. We still have about a month here in Chicago, so hopefully I will get a camera soon and I can quit these mainly autobiographical posts and get back to what we all really want: pictures and descriptions of food!
that is very exciting indeed! i have been a lurker at your blog for a while now, and i do hope you'll be able to post during your adventures!
Posted by: tanvi | August 09, 2005 at 11:15
the inn crowd in singapore is probably the best deal (hostel) in the city, if you end up there. if you do go to malaysia, kuala lumpur isn't so great, kind of hard to navigate, i hear the highlands are nice.
i hope you write about your travels online...
Posted by: tamara | August 09, 2005 at 17:51
that's great news & i do hope you enjoy your travels. if you end up in auckland new zealand, i have a friend that might help you find a place to stay.
Posted by: Antonietta | August 09, 2005 at 19:57
Hey there, sounds like a trip and a half! You'll love it, remind me of my travellin' days [looks wistfully into the air]
Posted by: Monkey Gland | August 10, 2005 at 16:24
Do come to Malaysia then you get to eat all the yummy food we have. KL is nothing much as it's a big city but you should go to places like Malacca and Penang which is more historical. If you're coming during non-monsoon season (around Sept/oct), then you can also make a trip to the East Coast for the beaches and diving.
Posted by: boo_licious | August 10, 2005 at 16:30
What great news, Gemma! As is only appropriate, I'm very, very jealous. Please do keep posting and reporting from wherever you are, if it's not too much trouble. But more importantly, soak it all up!
Posted by: Molly | August 10, 2005 at 20:03
hi gemma, wow! how tremendously exciting...if you do wind up in southeast asia, and are dropping by singapore, would be more than happy to fill you in on the sights, smells, tastes ...cheers,j
Posted by: J | August 12, 2005 at 11:09
Thank you everyone for your kind words and advice!
Posted by: gemma | August 16, 2005 at 10:28
Have fun travelling! If you're near the Baltics sometimes in December/early January, drop me a line, and I may show you personally or then email the links to the best cafes/restaurants to visit in Tallinn:)
Posted by: Pille | August 25, 2005 at 10:16
Likewise, if you reach Hanoi and feel like some street food experiences, drop us a line at stickyrice.
Posted by: Sticky | August 28, 2005 at 12:42
Pille and Sticky, thank you so much! Those are two areas that we are seriously considering/hoping to get to. I will be in touch if it works out.
Posted by: gemma | August 29, 2005 at 15:24