9 Countries for 2009: A Roundup

A lot of firsts in 2009. I finally saw snow (which I'm not a fan of), and a giant panda!
Supreme exultation! It dawned on me how grand the past year was as I run a flashback. Nine countries were ticked off Pinay Travel Junkie's 2009 travel list.

1. U.A.E.
2. Malaysia
3. Brunei
4. Indonesia
5. Singapore
6. Thailand
7. Myanmar (though it was only for a visa run)
8. Hong Kong
9. China

Applaud, applaud. Now I'm semi-broke. But the skills I've honed, the insights I've garnered, the people I've befriended made every dirham, ringgit, Brunei dollar, rupiah, Singapore dollar, baht, kyat, Hong Kong dollar, yuan and peso worth it!

Trip Stats for 2009
1. Plane trips, 6. All international. Hoping for more local flights this year.
2. Most visited countries a day, 3. How the heck did that happen? Read here
3. Bowls of Nasi Goreng and instant noodles I had in Indonesia and China, immeasurable.
4. Train rides, 4. Jakarta-Yogyakarta, HK-Beijing, Beijing-Xian, Xian-Guanzhou.
5. Couches I surfed, 7 (via Couchsurfing)
6. Mountain summitted, 1 (Mt Talamitam). Volcano climbed, 1 (Gunung Bromo). Caves spelunked, 2 (Sumaging Cave for the 7th time, and Callao Cave). I also sauntered along 13 beaches.
7. Travel gears bought, 3. A Conquer 65L bag, a portable stove (30 dirhams from U.A.E.), and a headlamp (5 dirhams also from U.A.E. BUT made in China) that's already broken I haven't even used it yet!
8. Favorite paid accommodation, New Hut Bungalows (Koh Samui, Thailand). Unpaid, Sandi's (a Couchsurfing host) house-slash-dormitory in Yogyakarta. Comes with free Indonesian home-cooked meals by his mum.
9. Most unforgettable unplanned visit, Qin Terra Cotta Army Museum (yet to be blogged).

First time I...
1. experienced snow in Xi'an, China.
2. saw a giant panda (woot!) at Ocean Park, Hong Kong.
3. rode a cable car (Ngong Ping), Hong Kong.
4. cruised (hopped on a wildly driven 4x4) along sand dunes in Al Ain, U.A.E.
5. backpacked for more than a month (I didn't count Europe because I stayed most of the time at my aunt's place in Germany)
6. have been unemployed for 8 months (and counting).
7. sunbathed topless at Lamai Beach, Thailand.
8. bought my own domain (actually, someone else paid for it).
9. got hitched (who knows if it happens again?!).

So what's in store for 2010? Truth is, as of the moment I can only vaguely plot my local travel plans while my Aussie visa is underway. So Pinay Travel Junkie will see more of the Philippines soon.

What's your itinerary for this year?

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