'Snack Traveling'

As we've begun our travels, one of the more common questions that we get from the hotel staff and people whom we meet is "How long are you staying here?" When we tell them "We're spending 3 days in _______ (substitute any of the cities we're visiting)," we often get a wide-eyed look that says, "Only 3 days! You've traveled halfway around the world. Where else would you go?! And why would you want to go there?" When we tell them our next destination, there is often another look of general puzzlement that says "Okay, if you must but I still don't understand it."

When we continue the conversation and describe the many other cities and countries we are visiting in the next 31 days (which is usually interrupted after the first couple of countries because who would be visiting 7 countries in 31 days), the expression and comments range from "Wow! Exciting!" to "I still don't get it."

We are what you might call 'snack travelers.' We could probably write all of the NY Times 36 Hours in ______ articles. We love to travel but we also love to have intense, immersive experiences in short amounts of time. We are scripted and unscripted but mostly unscripted because it allows for the unexpected. It is not a taste for everyone because it does require frequent packing and unpacking (of which Tim is a master even when Nick wants to buy another bowl or painting to take home which couldn't possibly fit in our bags), spending a good deal of time in airports hopping on and off planes (of which Nick is a master given his years of work travel) but, for us, the opportunity to get a taste of a lot of different people, cultures, foods and experiences far outweighs the inconveniences.

This trip is definitely the snack of all snacks given that we are spending time in 13 different cities in 7 different countries in 31 days. Here is the itinerary for inquiring minds:

30 April: Jakarta, Indonesia

2 May: Bali, Indonesia

5 May: Perth, Australia

9 May: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

12 May: Singapore

15 May: Bangkok, Thailand

16 May: Mandalay, Myanmar (Burma)

18 May: Bagan, Myanmar

19 May: Mt. Popa/Kalaw, Myanmar

20 May: Nyaung Shwe/Inle Lake, Myanmar

22 May: Yangon, Myanmar

23 May: Chiang Mai, Thailand

26 May: Hong Kong