Postcard From SE Asia

While the crew of Amandla are happily creating new memories over land in SE Asia, I wanted to share two articles that highlight our adventures on the sea.

  1. Interview With A Cruiser  Amandla’s story has been added to the Interview With A Cruiser Project, designed to record the wisdom of cruisers on the water for the dreamers and planners still at their desks. Delighted to follow in the wake of so many awesome sailors that have shared their stories here.
  2. Vanity Fair Italy  The last place I ever thought I would see a picture of myself was in Vanity Fair but here I am in the photo gallery! Lucky me to be sailing the world with Captain Fabio, the soon-to-be published author. A good life indeed.
…when I asked her to bless me for a good life rather than a long one

We are currently traveling in Myanmar after enjoying visits to Thailand and Cambodia. Next stop, Laos! Wish you were here ?

Submitted for Cardinal Guzman’s The Changing Seasons: August and for The Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge: Corner

94 comments Postcard From SE Asia

Skipah says:

One of these days I can’t wait to go sailing with you!

You and Miss Madison (or should I say Mrs. Skipah) are welcome anytime.

Shibin Dinesh says:

Great photos! Keep clicking!

You are lovely to say Shibin. I love making pictures!

What breathtakingly fabulous photos in the Vanity Fair gallery, Lisa. What a life you have been living; what a life you are living. And bringing us sight of the world’s wonders. Brilliant!

? My favorite photos of the bunch are the Africa pictures by The Captain taken before I started traveling with him. But lucky me, he is sailing me to Africa in 2018 so I can enjoy her beauty. I feel blessed for every day that we are living this life. I am a lucky girl.

That sounds incredibly exciting. What an adventure you are on.

[…] Postcard From SE Asia […]

What fabulous times you’ve had, along with the sorrows, Lisa. 🙂 🙂 Wishing yo many more happy years of sailing and all that goes with.

Thank you Jo! It is funny..the ‘downs’ in life are so much more palatable given that I am living the life I love and choose. How blessed am I to even be able to say that. I am definitely a lucky girl.

What amazing features. I had absolutely no idea that you were a cancer survivor ? Have to applaud you for what you’ve been through and just keep believing and living life to the fullest. Meeting you was such an honour and your chirpy, chipper personality is so hard to forget ☺ Congrats on the Vanity Fair feature. It is an amazing gallery of you and Amandla’s adventures – and many more adventures to come, and maybe another feature down the track at some point. Congrats on The Captain’s upcoming book ☺

Happy traveling SEA. It sounds like land adventure is treating you well (hope it is) and you are taking in the sights. Mr Wobbles and clan are sending you their best wishes and hopes all of you are having a good time ??

Mingalarbar from Yangon Mabel. We are sadly leaving Myanmar tomorrow overland via Myawaddy and I am just not ready to go. But then I am never really good at leaving. I hope to share some stories as soon as we slow down a bit.

Thank you so much for your lovely compliments on both articles. I am certainly enjoying my 15 minutes of fame ;-)! And The Captain thanks you for your hearty congratulations on his forthcoming book.

I haven’t written/spoken much about my own cancer because I felt that I’d gotten off relatively easy compared to so many others …including my best friend Mary who was ‘Stage 4 metastatic’ from diagnosis and has sadly lost the battle after just under 5 years of perpetual treatment, faced heroically… and The Captain who hasn’t let a little Stage 4 cancer stand in the way of living life to its fullest. I’ve almost always viewed my cancer as a temporary blip on the radar as I’ve made my way around the world. I consider myself lucky. I remember the day that I moved from worrying that cancer would stop me from completing my circumnavigation to worrying that I would look like a freak for the rest of my life because I had a mastectomy, Vanity had me feeling sorry for myself for about a day until I went on the internet looking for solace and read story after story about people that had a lot more to worry about than I did. I got over myself quickly and sailed on. I lost a boob but gained the world.

Big hug to Team Wobbles. Miss you all and look forward to seeing you somewhere, someday again ✌️❤️?.

Mingalarbar right back to you, Lisa. Enjoy every moment on the road. Slow down when you can, and then reflect. I’m sure when the time is right, the stories you tell will be ones to be remembered, and we will remember them too 🙂

It is very humbling to hear why you don’t speak out about what you’ve been through. Because others have it so much more challenging. When I met you I never noticed you lost a boob or even suspected you had undergone treatment – really you looked so full of life and it amazed me how you moved about so chipper. You indeed gained a world, and gained many friends along the way whom you touched (as I can see through your photography). Keep sailing. Your journey sailing is far from over and Team Wobbles send their best wishes <3 ?. ?. ?.

I’ve been pretty chipper ever since I set sail. Life is good when the one you are living aligns with the one you want to be living. I am a very lucky girl. And truly, since that one-day, vanity driven pity-party I threw for myself in November of 2012, I’ve never considered myself to be anything but awesome. Thanks to you and team Wobbles for your support, friendship and well-wishes ???

PS – We are en route to Bangkok and headed to Tim Ho Wan tonight with an appetite inspired by your latest post.

Enjoy your dinner tonight ??

Good to see some great coverage and the gallery in Vanity Fair is wow! Have a great Laos and Captain’s book!

Ahoy from the road to Myawaddy Manja! Thank you so much for your kind compliments. My 15-minutes of fame is certainly icing on the cake as we land travel SE Asia. And The Captain’s forthcoming book has me smiling ear-to-ear. We are sadly leaving Myanmar today but really looking forward to Laos. The Captain is heading from there to Italy for 45 days to visit friends and promote his book at Salone Nautico in Genova. And I will continue traipsing around SE Asia…hopefully with some visits from family.

Read the “Interview With A Cruiser”, great read and lovely photos in Vanity Fair too. You’ve had so many awesome experiences. Brilliant post as always and I love the fact that you asked her to bless you for a good life rather than a long one! 😀 I’d rather have a good one too!

? Cheers to that Max. Here is to a good life filled with endless soap bubbles of joy for both of us and all those we love. Hugs and kisses from somewhere in Myanmar. And thank you for your generous compliments.

Hacky says:

Wow – what a nice story in Vanity Fair!

? How about it Joe? The Captain has had quite a life and I am lucky to be able to share a bit of it with him…as I am lucky to have been able to share a bit of yours with you ?. Big Hug.

Liesbet says:

Congratulations with all your achievements, Lisa and Fabio! On the water and in the press! Proud of you, happy for you, and impressed by you! Those shots are incredible. You sure are a talented team. Sending love and hugs across oceans and over dusty roads. Enjoy the colors, smells and tastes of SE Asia!

? Right back at you with the love and everything else (proud of you, happy for you, impressed by you). I can’t wait to see your book come out and we loved your most recent article about Magical Maupiti in Cruising World as well as your Interview With A Cruiser article back in the day. You said it best about the realities of sailing, ‘it boils down to one word: choices’. Hug from somewhere along the road to Myawaddy.

lexklein says:

The Vanity Fair collection of photos is stupendous! I’m so glad you are getting some quality land time to round out your sea dream. Wish I were there, too – for so many reasons right now!

OMG! You so know how much I wish you were here with us right now so that we could have experienced the ‘watery paradise of Inle Lake’ together and spared you the experience of Harvey’s ‘Biblical deluge’ that has left your ‘city crippled for months and years to come’. My heart is with your family and your neighbors.

Irene says:

These are fantastic photos. Wish I was traveling with you.

You are lovely to say so Irene.You would take amazing photos here.

We are blessed to have been able to travel to so many beautiful places and look forward to visiting more (and revisiting some).

I wish I was with you too! Those pictures in the gallery make me want to dive right in. I loved your answer to the question about successful cruising: “At its worst, it is better than sitting around wishing I was living my dream. And at its best, there is nothing comparable.” Perfect!

??? I wish you were with us too!!! The invitation is always open ⛵️.

Wonderful, Lisa and congrats for making it in the publications! Love the woman’s face and body language! How adorable! Glad you are well and enjoying your corner of the world 🙂

Ahoy from the border of Myanmar and Thailand Terri! Thank you so much for all of the love. When are you coming for a visit?

themofman says:

“I had a fantastic life and the secret of happiness is just to have no regrets.”
–Captain Fabio Mucchi to Vanity Fair.

Well said.

? The Captain is flattered that you are quoting him Allan ?

Britta says:

Seeing Wat Chedi Luang at the top of this post made me smile. 🙂 Enjoy Mynamar! Looking forward to your pictures from there…I’d love to go there one day.

? I thought of you the entire time that we were in Chiang Mai and so sorry that the timing of our visits there (yours being far lengthier than mine) did not coincide. Wat Chedi Luang was my favorite place in Chiang Mai because of the Mahamakut University sponsored Monk Chats held there daily. We spent a couple of hours chatting with a monk who was surrounded by several gorgeous women tourists who did not seem to distract him at all from his calling. When he told me his name (which translates to ‘man filled with good karma’) he radiated so much positive energy that I actually felt a blast.

Britta says:

Ah, I never had the opportunity to experience the Monk Chats, though I was aware of them. Maybe one day. 🙂 So wonderful that you got to experience that in such a lovely city!

Woohoo, Vanity Fair! I enjoyed the pictures and was able to read the other article. Well done to you both.

Ahoy from Thailand Anabel! Thank you so much for having a look at the articles and for your good wishes. I am delighted that you enjoyed the pictures. We’ve been traveling non-stop through Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar with many more pictures to come as soon as I can sit still long enough to post them :-).

I look forward to that, but can quite see why you might not have time to post!

Aquileana says:

Awesome post, dear Lisa… and Huge congrats on being featured in Vanity Fair… Extraordinary news …. Cheers & best wishes 😀

Always a pleasure to hear from you Amalia! Thank you so much for your support and well wishes ??✨

Very much enjoyed your latest post on Metis. Magnificent!

Margo says:

Great article!! Well done, guys! So glad you are living your dream. Fantastic photos. Great Vanity Fair article, Fabio. Good luck on your book!!

Ahoy from Thailand Margo! Gosh, how we’d love to sail with you and Steve again. Many exciting destinations in our future that we would love to share with you both. Thank you so much for your kind compliments!

These pictures are truly stunning, Lisa! Well done.

Thank you so much for your encouraging words Agness!

Thank you, grazie, for sharing. I really do admire you guys. 🙂
And wish you all the happiness in your traveling.
Daughter #2 is going to Lombok next week.
(Many things to sort out)
Wish I could accompany her, but I’m not fully recovered yet.
The region is definitely beckoning at us…
Fair winds. (Though I understand your boat is in “cale séche”? Dry dock?)
🙂

I wish you could accompany your daughter to Lombok as well and hope that your full recovery is not too far in the future. Would be swell if you were able to manage a visit to the region before we sail off for good. Otherwise, you’ll just have to come visit us elsewhere someday. Amandla is in Lumut in dry docks until end November when we sail to Penang for scans. When we received the all clear, we will sail two months in Thailand, do a beer/wine run in duty-free Langkawi, and then head to Sri Lanka, The Maldives, Chagos, Madagascar and South Africa #IndianOcean2018 ⛵️

I might fly out. Immediate plans are for her to stay in Lombok with two very old friends. About a month. It will do her good. (One does not overcome such a tragedy overnight.) Then she plans to stay in the region for a month. Maybe work part-time, remote for her NGO. Then possibly come back or stay longer. I think it’s all a matter of how things develop. We will see. And I would be delighted to meet you guys. 🙂 Given your apparent schedule, I think there is time. 🙂 Fair winds. Venti buoni (?) (Not sure of the spelling) 😉

Sending love to your daughter. Hoping to see you out this way soon

Hi Lisa. Long time no hear. All Ok?
(We may go to SE Asia in December… will let you know)

Ahoy from Bangkok Brian! Thank you for the concern. It is lovely to be loved :-).

I am doing really well. Have been so busy traveling SEA that I haven’t had time to write about it #badblogger. Heading back to the boat on 30 October and hope to carve out some time to write my stories as we prepare for our next Ocean Crossing. Plan is to be in Thailand in December and would love to see you if you make your way there. Where do you think you will travel? I have shedloads of recommendations 🙂

Hi Lisa. Tentative plans are to meet with our daughter in Singapore (She’s currently in Phuket, then Jakarta, then who knows?). Spend a few days in Singapore > Penang > Ko Lanta > Bangkok > Siem reap > back to Singapore and back home. Let’s see if and where we coincide. Hugs.

Well maybe we will get lucky to see you in Ko Lanta! Your itinerary sounds glorious – love every place on your list ?

PS – Thanks for the love ?

Piacere… 😉

Congratulations, Lisa! Your interview is well deserved. 🙂 Your captures never fail to amaze me. Loved the candid picture of the lady laughing. Look forward to reading your adventures in Myanmar (on our list). 🙂 Wishing you safe travels!

Thank you for your very generous compliments and well wishes Cheryl. I do hope you find your way to Myanmar soon because I found it even more enjoyable than I had anticipated. We sadly left Myanmar yesterday. We are now back in Thailand and will be spending a few days in Bangkok before heading to Laos. I adored your latest post ‘The Lines We Draw’. Absolutely brilliant. I went on a mad sharing spree after reading it.

I’m floored by your comment, Lisa! 🙂 I don’t know what to say. Thank you for your generous words and share. It means a lot! Thanks for making my day. I look forward to your trip account in Laos (we almost visited it this year!) Sending you a warm hug!

Lisa I am so excited for you. I just looked through the Vanity Fair collection and your photos are extraordinary! Well i knew they were of course but I am just tickled pink for you. Thank you for the lovely postcard. We continue to cheer you on and hope we willo be able to cheer in person come January!

Thank you for the love and for your friendship Sue. Am so looking forward to seeing you again before you set out on your (crazy ? yet amazing ?) cycling ? adventure from Bangkok to Vietnam. And I cannot wait to see your Mom reporting for the Travel Trails of Life team!

We are back in Bangkok now on our way to Laos tomorrow ?

Donna says:

I am so happy that I have discovered your blog, Lisa. As I see so many mutual friends in your comment sections, I really don’t know how I missed out previously. I’ll be following from now on!

I too saw many mutual friends in your comments section and am sorry that it took me so long to find your blog. Am happy that I have finally met you ?

Ladybuggz says:

Good to hear your still afloat Lisa, love the photos as always! Be safe,be good and take tons of neat photo’s for us not so fortunate to be traveling ! Can’t wail for your next set! (hugs) T.

Ahoy from the road to Luang Prabang, Laos Teresa. Lovely to hear from you as always ?. The Captain heads to Italy on 12 Sept so I will be traveling solo for 45 days (unless my family comes for a visit …still TBD). It’s been along time since I last traveled solo. Hoping it all goes well ?

Congratulations!!! I am not surprised as your travel is truly special and impressive. The images of the whales in Tonga are impressive and your picture in Javanese traditional clothing is adorable – do you keep those clothing? lol
Wishing you many amazing adventurous days to come!

Ahoy from Luang Prabang, Laos Indah! Swimming with the whales in Tonga was our number one experience to date on this sailing trip; amazing and humbling. We spent one-hour swimming with this mother and child (along with their male escort) and the second hour with another pod. I feel blessed to have experienced it. And we do still have our Javanese outfits. We don’t have much room on the boat to retain mementos, but these outfits were very special so we kept them. Thank you for your heartfelt congratulations, kind compliments, and well wishes Indah. I hope that we meet somewhere on the road and/or sea.

Ahoy Lisa. Having come out of a three month internet free zone I am now catching up on the adventures of my fellow cruisers. Now that you are celebreties…. 🙂 Of course I read the articles but clicking the link to Fabio’s book brought it up in (I assume) Italian. Are there any plans for an English translation (or have I missed something?). Much love to you and The Captain. Trish

Ahoy from Laos Trish. Great to hear from you. A three month internet free zone sounds delightful. I see from your blog that you’re in The Kimberly. Oh how I would have loved to have visited there. When I have WiFi, I’ll download your newsletters to travel there virtually with you. Big hug to Andrew

PS. No plans for an English translation ….yet ✨

I very much enjoyed the interview. And the Vanity Fair photos were great.

OMG I am mortified to return here to answer a recent comment and find my response to your lovely comments missing. Thank you so much for your visit and kind compliments. And I was just thinking about you the other day after having listened to one of your lovely spoken-word pieces. Love what you are doing on your YouTube channel.

No need for mortification. A few days ago I was left in comment limbo land by WordPress. None of my comments were going through, so it’s possible quite a few people are wondering why I haven’t responded to them. Thank you so much for listening to my YouTube channel. It’s amateur but done with love. 🙂

Hello Lisa, it’s been a while. Congratulations to you and the captain for the interviews and the coverage at Vanity Fair! How fabulous. Looking forward to reading the book when it’s translated to English. I could read the interview although I missed a few words, but to read a book in Italian is an entirely different challenge, and I don’t want to miss anything!
It was fascinating to know more about your live’s stories, and each new piece of information I got, became more and more inspiring. I was already inspired by you but had no idea on how much you had endured for your health. Yours, and the captain attitudes and mindsets, speak volumes of the fabric you are made of, as you are very wise and authentic human beings.
You’re a role model to anyone searching for life’s meaning, as you prove it to be a much more attainable and simple quest, if one focus on living the life one wants to live, just as you did.
Thank you Lisa, for once again giving so much to your readers and fans, through so much inspiration and lessons. I’m grateful and privileged to have met you here.
Enjoy your road trip in SE Asia and all the best for the launch of the book in Italy.
Looking forward to hearing from your new adventures.
Cheers.
Lucile

Ahoy from Hanoi Lucile! I am absolutely bowled over by your kind words. Beaming from ear to ear. We are so blessed to have a dream to guide us and to live our life accordingly. Certainly, softens the blow of the curve balls life throws one’s way.

The Captain’s book launch went very well and the land travels have been so full of amazing that I am having difficulty putting pen to paper to describe it all.

Many thanks for your visit and your eloquent (as always) compliments.

Ahoy from Amsterdam, Lisa.
It’s impossible to not be inspired by your story, and that’s where my supposed eloquence might come from.
I’m touched by your life choices, which invariably put a mirror on my face, and I feel at ease to share that with you. You surely make me reflect a lot.

Cheers to lots of books sold and to a wonderful trip through SE Asia.

??

Myanmar seems like lots of fun, Lisa! Love your stunning pictures!

Thank you Agness. Have so many more images to share from wonderful SEA bit too busy enjoying the travel to post just yet. I don’t know how you manage it. Your travels and ability to share them on the go are very impressive ?

Such beautiful and lively photography. It appears you are having an amazing experience. Thanks for sharing it with us. Happy sailing!

Thank you so much for your visit and very kind compliments. I am blessed to be able to follow my passion.

Hi Lisa. Long time no hear. Everything ok?
🙂

This is indeed a fun way to travel?

? We’ve love our overland adventures but tomorrow it’s time again to lift anchor and start cruising again #IndianOcean2018

badfish says:

Oh, I have missed so much from. I wasn’t even aware you were traveling overland. Great shot of those fishermen rowing! I loved Inle Lake. I couldn’t figure out the VF photo thingy??

Always a pleasure to see you here Mr Badfish! I am happy to know that you got the VF thing sorted so that you could enjoy my 15 minutes of fame! Move over Kim Kardashian. I am now safely tucked back aboard Amandla just beginning to recap the overland adventures on the blog. We will be sailing Malaysia and Thailand through mid-Feb and then, health permitting, setting out across the Indian Ocean. Maybe we will see you somewhere along our way.

badfish says:

OK…I don’t know what I was doing when I first looked at VF. I went back because other commenters seemed to find it fine…and then I did, and saw your photos! What a hoot, eh!

Congratulations. Well done.

??

Thank you 🙂

MNL says:

Love these photos! And that expression! when you said you wanted a good life rather than a long life. I totally agree with that sentiment, btw.

Thank you so much for your lovely compliment on the photos. The Nun’s laughter was definitely infectious. May we all have a good, long life ?

Any plans of The Captain returning to the motherland?
We’re in southern Italy until end of this year I think. 😉

The Captain won’t likely return to Italy until autumn 2020. Too many places to visit before then. Will he find you back there in 2020?

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