What was our number one reason for visiting Shanghai you ask? Three words: XIAO LONG BAO. Commonly referred to as "soup dumplings" but for the people in the know, they are known as XLBs.  Does anyone think it's a coincidence that XL (my official size post China) makes up 75% of their nickname? I don't think so.

Given that I am more than just a super senior (#classof3099), it was slightly embarrassing to explain to people that I was going to Mexico for "spring break."  While Vero and I have discussed our wishes to visit Mexico again (both of us had previously been but separately), we didn't mean returning to Riviera Maya.

We have finally arrived at one of (read: the biggest) reasons we decided to visit Malaysia:  Penang -- or more specifically, George Town, the city's capital. They (i.e., the Internet) say you can't call yourself a gastronaut unless you have spent some well deserved time stuffing your face and exceeding your daily caloric intake here.  George Town was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008.  Which means there are things to see (if you're into that kind of stuff) while you're en route to your next meal.

Ah, Cameron Highlands. It all started so innocently.

Known for its tea plantations, Cameron Highlands was our destination pick for ringing in the 2016 New Year.  We didn't pick this area because it's known for partying or even celebrating (who are we to judge, neither are we Cameron Highlands) but because it was a means to and end: Penang -- the food mecca of Malaysia.  We'll get to that next.  But let's chat a bit about our twenty-four stay.  This story has a bit of everything. Sleeping before midnight? Check.  Near death experience in a tub of strawberries? Double check.

You know how I have been saying all along that the Inca Trail is not a sprint but a marathon?  Yeah, the last and final day of hiking pre-Machu Picchu is more like a sprint.  Literally.  You wake up at approximately 3:30 am to get in line to wait to start the hike.  It is basically like the Hunger Games -- except you aren't killing anyone for food, you are instead trying to out speed walk everyone so that you can be among the first people to get to Machu Picchu.  What a lot of people don't tell you is that while you are enduring the pain of shin splints and other people's body orders, there are buses already pulling up to the Machu Picchu with bright-eyed and bushy-tailed hoards of individuals who didn't earn the right to be there before you.

The first part of Day Three looked a lot like the picture above -- a scene out of Lord of the Rings (I have no idea what that means because I have never seen the movies, but it sounds like something mystical).  In retrospect, I wish I would have taken more pictures because the scenery was beautiful (when you could see).