Long story short..... I'm back. I know, try to hold in your excitement. Keep it in your pants.
I moved to Los Angeles, started work in the film industry as a set costumer dressing famous people and getting paid pennies. No time or money for travel, but still a cheap bastard. So the posts might get a little interesting. And by interesting I mean, well I don't know what I mean. Stay tuned. 
Emo photo of me working on a film set
International Women’s Day takes place every year on 8th March and to mark the event HostelBookers, the budget accommodation specialist, hand-picks the 10 best hostels around the world to suit women travellers for whom security, a spot of pampering or the feminine touch, really matters.
The Miami Hostel, Miami, Florida
Located on South Beach, The Miami Hostel has 8, 10 and 12-bed female dorms available. Guests are supplied with free beach towels and ladies will enjoy cocktails in the hostel bar.
St Christopher’s Orient Espresso, London, UK
Girls can take their pick of private, 4-bed or 8-bed dorms. Other hostel facilities include a free travel library, complimentary chess in the coffee shop and internet access in the cyber café.
Papaya Female Youth Hostel, Rome, Italy
All the rooms and facilities are kept to a high standard and travellers will find the free internet kiosks and Wi-Fi useful for planning their day in the city.
Cairns Girls Hostel, Cairns, Australia
With car rental facilities nearby, this is a great choice for those hoping to explore the coastline and the Great Barrier Reef. The hostel is located in the central business district close to the main shopping and tourist outlets. It boasts easy access to cinemas, nightclubs, the waterfront and the lagoon.
Caulaincourt Square Hostel, Paris, France
Located close to Montmartre and Le Sacre Coeur in Paris’s pretty bohemian quarter, the hostel offers free Wi-Fi and free bike rental which is a great way to explore the city.
Adventurer Hostel, Los Angeles, California
Ranked top 3 for 'Most Popular' in North America in the HostelBookers Awards for Excellence 2010, Adventurer Hostel offers female-only dorms which sleep 4, 8 or 20 people.
Plus Prague, Prague, Check Republic
Girls will appreciate the homely creature comforts on offer; extra space, cosmetic tables equipped with hairdryers, complimentary toiletries and a goody bag, are all included in their girls-only dorms. The rest of the hostel is mixed and boasts an indoor swimming pool which guests can use for free.
Lub d Bangkok – Silom, Bangkok, Thailand
The hostel is equipped with plenty of security features such as key card access to the dorms, private rooms and communal areas. There are also individual lockers in each dormitory. (WANDERLUST FAVORITE!)
BASE St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia
Located in St Kilda – Melbourne’s seaside suburb - BASE offers ladies their own Sanctuary wing. In these female-only dorms girls can enjoy free champagne, hair straightening irons and tea or coffee in bed on weekends.
Jazz on Amsterdam Ave, New York, USA
It offers ladies 8, 6 or 4-bed dorms many of them en suite, air-conditioned and with nice colourful decor. Staff organise outings and events throughout the week so guests have plenty of opportunities to meet their fellow travellers.
**Post and photos courtesy of Hostelbookers
]]>It had to be done. I couldn't leave SE Asia or Indonesia, the lands of mopeds, without driving one. I had ridden on the backs of scooters in Koh Pha Ngan, up and down hills of rugged dirt paths. Not too many problems there, but the drivers were experienced. But I was informed the only true way to see Bali was to rent a scooter and explore. So when I met Garth and Mimi, other North American natives staying at my hotel (who by the way should open a bar under their names), suggested we all take a drive south to find a good beach for the day I took a deep breath and resigned myself to my impending doom. It must be done, I thought to myself. I was recalling a quote from Fight Club at the time. How much can you know about yourself if you've never been in a fight? Well how much could I know about myself if I've 
Mimi and Garthnever risked my life riding a moped in a foreign land?
I tried to explain to Mimi and Garth and their travel buddies Ollie and Maria, all avid scooter riders, that I had never driven any vehicle like this before. I drove ATVs when I was a kid, but that was 10 years ago and those have 4 wheels touching the ground. This required balance and timing and the ability to theoretically pat your head and rub your tummy simultaneously. To stop with a scooter, you pull the brake towards you with one hand and twist away from you to slow down with the other hand. You don't turn the bars, you just lean. And keep all arms and legs inside the perimeter of the vehicle at all times. I unfortunately at this injunction of my life, learned all of these important factors within the first 30 seconds of driving. I also banged my shin on the corner of stall knocking down all their beer coosies within those same 30 seconds. Garth was convinced I didn't need to do some test driving. Garth, my darling boy, you give terrible advice.
Barely making it out of the Poppies alley intact, we merged straight into Balines traffic on Legian St. I apologize to all the pedestrians I nearly ran over.
"Imgonnadie, Imgonnadie, Imgonnadie. I'm going to perish. I'm never going to see America again." Over and over in my head I repeated this over the roaring sound of engines and 
me pretending to be in painhorns in my ears. My life flashed before my eyes. Me! I've swum with sharks, I have ridden elephants, I have ridden demon possessed horses. And I am petrified to death of riding scooters?? It just seemed silly...but it was tragically true.
*sigh* I, Christina Wanderlust of America, am petrified of scooters. I, conquerer of the blue planet Earth, am afraid of an adorable, colorful, bug eyed machine that 10 year olds can drive. I've said it.
Please please heed my warning of mopeds and Balinese traffic. These vehicles are dangerous on their own, but combined with these crazy drivers and unstable roads, it is treacherous. So many people die every day in Bali and SE Asia from moped traffic collisions. PLEASE BE CAREFUL!
**Scooters can be rented all along Poppies Line 1 for the price range of around 40,000 R for the day (which is about $4). Sign the accident insurance fine print...
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Memorial on Legion StI would consider the main road in Kuta to be Legian, which is right off Poppies Line 1 if you're staying in the homestays there. It's kind of a funny switch over from reality. Poppies Line 1 is this almost long alley with cheap shopping stalls, backpackers and bungalows and then you walk out of the alley onto Legian and its back to the real world. Legian is covered in bustling cars and taxis, popular beach shops like Billabong, Quicksilver and Roxy.
Shopping
Oh how I wish I had a large empty suitcase to fill my materialistic needs with. One day I will return to Bali with a slew of empty suitcases and the shopping adventure will begin. Obviously there are lots of beach wraps, swim trunks and bikinis, and flip flops
galore. But they have these great cotton eyelet and embroidered cutout sundresses (modeled by my fellow traveler Mimi, left). I bought so many of these, and I could because they cost about $5 USD.
The shops with the household stuff are my favorite though. They apparently mosaic everything in Bali. Which I am completely fine with because mosaics are a favorite of mine. Mosaic-ed bowls, vases, sculptures; everything in every color.
Tea, incense, kites, bed canopies, wood carvings, paintings, woven bracelets and silver cuffs
Shopping Vendors:
You will be harrassed 24/7 by streetside vendors. TRANSPORT? MASSAGE? TATTOOS? HAIR BRAIDING?
These guys have some serious sales talents. They know how to work a customer, but not necessarily in a sleezy way or a conartist way. It's not like Thailand or Cambodia, the Balinese seem to be much more personable about it. They've got pick-up lines...for customers. "You drop something Miss! You drop your smile! Sandals for you! Help you keep your boyfriend!"
And they always want to shake your hand, which I haven't quite figured out yet. If you have some insight I'd love hear your comments about it. I'm not sure if its some sort of bridge building between cultures to make them seem more personable, or what.
And when the kids get out of school they swarm the alleys and cafes for new tourists willing to buy cheap friendship bracelets. These kids get kind of aggressive about it. They tug on your shorts and hold on to your arms while you walk by to try to charm you into stopping.
Kuta's beaches aren't as clean as they once were, but still full of surfers and surfing instructors if you're looking to learn. Chances are though that if the sun is out and the waves are rolling in the beach will be covered in surfers. I'm sorry, but I forgot to ask about surfing lessons and prices. I'm going to go ahead and assume that most the major hotels have a tutorial of their own or at least one they can recommend. If not go with the assumption that groups get better discounts, so grab some kids from your bungalow and head over to the beach.
My advice again would be to explore the island and find your own beach. Rent a driver or a jeep for the day and find your own. And if you're lucky enough to find your beach...don't tell anyone. Keep it for yourself. If I were to find my own beach, one without tourists and vendors and civilized life (all hypothetically speaking of course ;) I wouldn't tell anyone about it. Not even to my most devoted readers.
However, according to my resident Bali surf ambassador, Jordan Walters, his favorite swell spots are Sri Lanka, Dreamland, and Uluwatu beaches.
"Anyone can seek out the main surf attractions, but one we found that was mellow and off the beaten path was a hidden gem called Balian. Tucked up in the Northwest part of the island, there were quality villas to stay in on the cheap - we would wake up and literally walk down the hill with our boards to overhead glassy waves and ride all day. Balian is pure surfing peace."
Thanks for the tips, Jordan!
]]>Something you should know in advance (especially as an American). Kuta is not the side of Bali that you might envision as the honeymooners paradise fantasy. Kuta is basically an Aussie's Cancun. It's a short flight from Northern Australia and the beer is cheap. Please do not let the partying areas of this town deter you from seeing the rest of the island. It's an island that's meant for exploring.
New Arena Hotel
Poppies Line 1 and Sorga Lane
Poppies Line 1 is not for driving, it is for walking and scooters only. So when you're taxi drops you off
, it'll have to be at the end of the street and you can walk the rest of the way. New Area Hotel is a little walk down Sorga Lane off of Poppies Line 1. I loved staying here, but I have found since that I may have been one of few. Of course, my good fortune might have had something to do with me announcing I'm a travel writer at the front desk. So I should probably put out a disclaimer. This is a semi party hotel for 20 somethings. They play loud music at the pool and do flips into the water that splash the chairs. The 'restaurant' is for basics only. A quick coffee and scrambled eggs and toast on your way out. The front desk will arrange transport back to the airport and recommend some local eateries, but that's the extent of their help.
It's within walking distance to the main beach, shopping markets and the memorial on Legion. You can rent scooters from a little shop next door and there's a travel agency kiosk at the end of the lane to arrange day trips.
Free WiFi Spot!:
Secret Garden Inn and Restaurant
The food is decent and they show movies on the wall at night, so it definitely became one of my favorite places in on the Line. They give you the wireless password after you order at least a drink, plus it's only courteous if you're going to be there for awhile. Which you will because this is the place with the strongest signal, I have found. I like the staff too, just plain nice people, no one trying to muscle you out for not ordering the whole menu. For computer access I suggest sitting inside the actual restaurant for the outlets and relatively peace and quiet. The outside seating and bar can get a little rowdy some nights because of the partiers.
Balinese Starter Kit
Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce and White Rice
I love the preparation of this at Secret Garden. They bring you, well almost a mini grill, with the skewers of meat and sauce and rice on the side so that you can mix everything up the way you like it. They also serve Bali Cider here, which is a pretty decent hard cider. I know, they're kind of girly, but I got hooked on hard ciders when I lived in London and can't seem to break the hold.
Free WiFi - Also try the Havana Club (but signal is pretty weak at different times of the day)
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Bali - Indonesia
Capital - Denpasar
Currency - Ruppiah (10,000 R = $1 USD)
English speaking locals
Notes
- Hostels are generally called Homestays or Budget Hotels, so mention those to locals for a better response for directions
- You might have to wipe off the tops of your beer bottles, even at the bars. Because of the way they store the glass bottles apparently rust occasionly collects around the rims. So just in case, make sure to clean those off before drinking.
- Beers should cost around 30,000 R or less and you should be able to get a good meal for 55,000 R or less. Just giving you a ballpark so that you don't get ripped off.
- Stay away from a little drink called Arak. It's on the menu at almost every bar, but I've been told it resembles a bad Absinthe. However it seems to have one too many reports of heart problems, eye problems including blindness, and even a few deaths.
- They tax every meal right off the bat, anywhere from 10% - 21%. Some call it "plus plus". Mak
e sure you check the fine print on the bottom of the menu before you order anything, better if you can check it at the door before you sit down. Supposedly, 10% of the tip goes to the gov't and the rest goes to the restaurant. But the other half of the 'supposedly' is thats what they tell you so that you'll a table tip too. I'm not sure.
- Sariwangee is the local tea, a great basic, you can't go wrong
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2. Sidereel.com - another index/search engine which is now my go-to site. They used to post any link they find whether or not its safe from popups or Zango, but they've really cleaned up lately. Zango is an internet monitoring company that trades free video viewing for the permission and opportunity to monitor your actions on the internet. It has something to do with tracking internet statistics or some bullshit. I just stay away from those altogether. Sidereel also has a great tv guide chart on their main page of every night of the week and what shows are airing and a link to the available video if its up. Make a free profile and start up your queue and personal tv guide calendar.
Christina Wanderlust
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Now normally I would say stay away from places like these on vacation. They just end up keeping you too in touch with the ways of the western world. But I have to say after spending a month on the off beaten path, it was kinda nice being in the busy-body world. Just as long as it wasn't MY busy-body world. Especiallyyyyy when there's a Yo! Sushi at hand. When I studied abroad in London, there was one of these right around the corner from my flat and needless to say I got hooked. Basically if we all lived on a swank space station, the sushi bar would most definitely look like this. The sushi chef station is in the center of the room and the counter seats are set up in a circle around it, with a thin conveyor belt winding around. When the chefs have finished a prepared dish on the open menu, the put it on the belt for customers to pick off when they see something they like. All the dishes have price categories that are color organized, so that when you see the color of the dish headed your way you know how much it is before chowing down. The green tea is never ending and the atmosphere makes the whole experience somewhat like a Total Recall vacation.
Ichiban Sushi is another good choice. As you can see I had one thing on the mind upon entering a food court. I make an effort to try new food when I travel and felt a little bad that I hadn't really done much of that in Malaysia yet so settled to try new sushi. I went with a cuttlefish nigiri, which looks very much like a squid nigiri, which I love. However, cuttlefish is apparently not for me. It doesn't carry much taste and snaps instead of stretches like squid. Meh, not a fan, but that's what trying new food is all about. At least now I know I'm not a fan of cuttlefish. You learn something new everyday! I do however recommend any of the Spicy Tuna combos. I wish I'd ordered a lifetime supply of all of them.
Doughnuts, as explained to me by my new travel friend Mo, are apparently a big deal in Malaysia. So who am I to protest sampling a local favorite. J.CO Doughnuts and Coffee is a 
brilliant little shop chain that will rope you in just from the window display. You're going to have a Willy Wonka reacti
on to all the scrumptious looking choices, in the way that you'll want everything. I tried a Tiramisu doughnut without any regret though, if you need a recommendation out of all their choices.
The food court was my main event obviously, because the shopping is a little out of my backpacker range. Nice to window shop, but let's face it, don't tease yourself. This is a budget travel blog. I'll rant about my fashion obsession in another blog someday.
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Looking for a good place for a family outing or just a relaxing afternoon? This place has birds from all over
the world, but probably the coolest thing about the park is the set up. It's like a real life Jurassic Park! While some birds have their own quarters, a good amount of the birds roam freely around the park. Peacocks and pelicans! Not to ment
ion the sweet waterfall set up inside. But definitely keep an eye out for the monkeys. They litter the top of the bird domes keeping watch on things below, but some are on the inside, so be careful. They are nice enough, but they tend to be sneaky little bastards. Monkeys are not pets! Do not feed and do not pet them.
The cost is 42 RM for adults, but if you have an ISIC (Internation Student Identification Card) the price gets knocked down to 36 RM. There is also the option to buy a group ticket that goes not only to the KL Bird Park but also the Butterfly Park and the Deer Park.
As far as getting there, I was given a ride by a friend, so I'm not entirely sure about public transport to the Bird Park.
Chinese Temple
I actually had a p
retty fun time at the temple. Wasn't quite sure what to expect at first, but it was kinda fun to explore the place. First stop, I suggest heading up the stairs to the roof. I mean look at that view of the city. Definitely worth the trip. The courtyard has an amazing display of red lanterns overhead that I was kind of in love with. If you're checking out the courtyard it's going to be somewhat impossible not to notice the incense pedestal. According to my friend Mo, that I visited with, this is how it goes down. By making a small donation you are allowed four sticks of incense. One goes in the courtyard pedestal. These are meant for making wishes and prayers, so close your eyes and think happy thoughts. The other three go in the stand just inside the pavilion. Even if this is not your religion, please respect those who are there as patrons and not tourists. Do not make fun or treat the incense like sparklers.
Once inside the pavilion, there's a sort of fortune telling activity. There are several round
pedestals with little numbered drawers and a pile of sticks in the center. Stand at the podium, close your eyes and ask a question about your future in the coming year. Grab the pile of sticks with both hands, lift up and then let the sticks drop back in the pedestal. One stick should stand up above the rest in the stack. When you pull it out you'll notice the sticks have numbers engraved on the ends. The number on your stick matches one of the little drawers on the pedestal, each of which are filled with little fortune papers. I hope they tell you something good!
Again, I'm not sure about transport, but I took a taxi here because the metro didn't look like it would drop us off anywhere close.
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