Monday, May 29, 2006
New Posts
A whole bunch of new posts below, detailing the journey from Singapore, to Yogyakarta, to Ubud, and finally to Gili Trawangan where I am now. Some pictures should be forthcoming soon, but internet is horrible out here so it's a bit tough. I'll see what I can do.
Gili Trawangan, Lombok (May 25-now): SCUBA
So on the way to Gili T, I met James, Andrew, and Frauke. We got to know each other a little on the ferry over, then I suggested that we try to find a place to stay together to get a discount – more rooms = cheaper rooms. They agreed, and after two hours of waiting in Lembar harbor, followed by a half hour bus ride, followed by another 45 minute boat ride (this time in a pontoon boat – it was great getting off the last bus and walking down the beach to get on the little wooden boat!), we arrived in Gili T.
The four of us then walked down the dirt road, looking for a place to stay. There were several touts trying to get us to their places – the island was pretty empty, it seemed. So we looked at a few different places, but ended up going back to the first place we saw – Donau Hijau – because it was the cheapest, even though it was falling apart a bit. My room now has a major problem with black ants. And the walls are coming apart a bit. And the mosquito net over my bed is full of holes. Oh well, I’m saving money.
After finding Donau Hijau, we went out for dinner (I had an excellent grilled snapper at the Beach House restaurant) in the rain, had a few beers, then saw a little of V for Vendetta (several bars here show illegal copies of movies on various sized screens – you just have to buy a drink to watch), but it was a horrible copy, so I went to bed.
Next morning, Andrew and I set out to look at the diving options in Gili T. We didn’t go far. As we walked into the first place (Blue Marlin – right next door to Donau Hijau), we met Bob, who would become our Open Water certification instructor. Bob was friendly, the place seemed very professional and came highly recommended from the guidebooks. We were sold. $325 later, we were on our way to PADI certification. The course involved watching some horrible videos, studying the PADI book, quizzes and tests, pool work, and 4 open water dives. Putting on the SCUBA gear and breathing underwater for the first time was amazing. I have always loved the water, and being able to just stay under for long periods of time without worrying about coming up for air was a perfect experience. The first open water dive was even better. We had perfect visibility, and we saw all kinds of sealife – turtles, lionfish, sea snakes… I loved it. As we progressed, it became much easier to navigate down there – neutral buoyancy is a good thing. Each of the dives was special in its own right – we saw sharks, nudibranchs, I’ll have to fill in more from my dive log later. The first two dives were to 12 m, the second two to 18 m.
The four of us then walked down the dirt road, looking for a place to stay. There were several touts trying to get us to their places – the island was pretty empty, it seemed. So we looked at a few different places, but ended up going back to the first place we saw – Donau Hijau – because it was the cheapest, even though it was falling apart a bit. My room now has a major problem with black ants. And the walls are coming apart a bit. And the mosquito net over my bed is full of holes. Oh well, I’m saving money.
After finding Donau Hijau, we went out for dinner (I had an excellent grilled snapper at the Beach House restaurant) in the rain, had a few beers, then saw a little of V for Vendetta (several bars here show illegal copies of movies on various sized screens – you just have to buy a drink to watch), but it was a horrible copy, so I went to bed.
Next morning, Andrew and I set out to look at the diving options in Gili T. We didn’t go far. As we walked into the first place (Blue Marlin – right next door to Donau Hijau), we met Bob, who would become our Open Water certification instructor. Bob was friendly, the place seemed very professional and came highly recommended from the guidebooks. We were sold. $325 later, we were on our way to PADI certification. The course involved watching some horrible videos, studying the PADI book, quizzes and tests, pool work, and 4 open water dives. Putting on the SCUBA gear and breathing underwater for the first time was amazing. I have always loved the water, and being able to just stay under for long periods of time without worrying about coming up for air was a perfect experience. The first open water dive was even better. We had perfect visibility, and we saw all kinds of sealife – turtles, lionfish, sea snakes… I loved it. As we progressed, it became much easier to navigate down there – neutral buoyancy is a good thing. Each of the dives was special in its own right – we saw sharks, nudibranchs, I’ll have to fill in more from my dive log later. The first two dives were to 12 m, the second two to 18 m.
Ubud, Bali (May 23-25): Fire Dance!
I left Kuta early after a breakfast of bananas and a quick run down to the beach to swim. The bus to Ubud only took an hour – I ended up here at Agung Oka. Decent little place, large room with huge patio, nice tea and good breakfast. Dingy bathroom though.
After arriving, I walked around looking for some food – ended going somewhere and getting essentially the Indonesian combo meal – sate, gado gado, and chicken curry. Very tasty. Also had the best drink ever – mixed juice of lemon and pineapple! Mmmm… I had it again this afternoon, actually.
After getting my bearings and walking around a little, I took a short nap, then headed out again. Eventually went and bought tickets for the Kecak dance show. The show was good, the music was provided by a large troupe of men (and later women) and was extremely trance-inducing. Chek-chek! Chekcheckehckehcekcheheckchek… The main part of the show was a story that I still have to research involving some women, and maybe a king, and a bunch of monsters. Then two women who danced and kept pulling a James Brown routine (they fell and some of the women from the chorus ran out and helped them up). Finally a guy in a horse costume danced over hot coals resulting from flaming coconut husks.
May 24 I woke up and headed out walking. I bought a ticket for the next day's bus to Gili Trawangan, then walked for a few miles to Goa Gajah, or Elephant Cave, a temple carved into a cliff face a couple miles outside of Ubud. I think I walked about 6 or 7 miles that day. Came back, relaxed, napped, went out for lunch/dinner, then came back and relaxed some more. Life here sure is tough.
Next morning, May 25. Got up at 5:50, packed the few things I hadn’t last night. Luckily had time for breakfast – French toast! And fruit salad. The proprietress was very nice, I paid her for the room and then I was off. Waiting on the corner of Sugriwa and Jembawan for a few minutes, but nobody was coming – so I called Perama (the transport company). The guy apologized and came right out. I’m telling you, I would have been screwed without the phone. So I got to Perama to wait for the bus to Pandangbai to the boat to Lembar to the bus to Senggigi to the boat to Trawangan, and what is the first thing I do? I twist my ankle, the right one, the worst one, something fierce. Shiny black tile, shadows, and a step down at 6:45 AM conspired along with my own stupidity to put a serious hurting on me. Luckily it wasn't nearly as bad as I originally thought, and several days of swimming has fixed it right up.
After arriving, I walked around looking for some food – ended going somewhere and getting essentially the Indonesian combo meal – sate, gado gado, and chicken curry. Very tasty. Also had the best drink ever – mixed juice of lemon and pineapple! Mmmm… I had it again this afternoon, actually.
After getting my bearings and walking around a little, I took a short nap, then headed out again. Eventually went and bought tickets for the Kecak dance show. The show was good, the music was provided by a large troupe of men (and later women) and was extremely trance-inducing. Chek-chek! Chekcheckehckehcekcheheckchek… The main part of the show was a story that I still have to research involving some women, and maybe a king, and a bunch of monsters. Then two women who danced and kept pulling a James Brown routine (they fell and some of the women from the chorus ran out and helped them up). Finally a guy in a horse costume danced over hot coals resulting from flaming coconut husks.
May 24 I woke up and headed out walking. I bought a ticket for the next day's bus to Gili Trawangan, then walked for a few miles to Goa Gajah, or Elephant Cave, a temple carved into a cliff face a couple miles outside of Ubud. I think I walked about 6 or 7 miles that day. Came back, relaxed, napped, went out for lunch/dinner, then came back and relaxed some more. Life here sure is tough.
Next morning, May 25. Got up at 5:50, packed the few things I hadn’t last night. Luckily had time for breakfast – French toast! And fruit salad. The proprietress was very nice, I paid her for the room and then I was off. Waiting on the corner of Sugriwa and Jembawan for a few minutes, but nobody was coming – so I called Perama (the transport company). The guy apologized and came right out. I’m telling you, I would have been screwed without the phone. So I got to Perama to wait for the bus to Pandangbai to the boat to Lembar to the bus to Senggigi to the boat to Trawangan, and what is the first thing I do? I twist my ankle, the right one, the worst one, something fierce. Shiny black tile, shadows, and a step down at 6:45 AM conspired along with my own stupidity to put a serious hurting on me. Luckily it wasn't nearly as bad as I originally thought, and several days of swimming has fixed it right up.
Yogyakarta (May 20-22): Temples galore
As I said, bed around midnight (on May 19) to get up and head to the airport. Next morning, left the hostel, uneventful trip on the MRT to Changi Airport. Which, by the way, is awesome. Spent morning there having a little food, watching a little TV while sitting on comfy easy chairs each with their own speakers (Nexus Lounge)! They even have a “resting area” with chaise lounges to sleep on.
I arrived in Yogyakarta and headed to the hotel which had been recommended to me: Setia Kawan. It was a beautiful little place owned by a painter. The walls were covered in gorgeous paintings in bright hues. Pictures on flickr when possible...
4:30 on Saturday May 21, wake up, shower, headed out on my tour to Borobudur and Prambanan.
As I boarded the minibus, I met my traveling companions: Julia, from Germany, Ariane, from Switzerland, Jun, from Japan, Alan, from Malaysia, and two more people whose names I never got, one from Italy and one from Indonesia. We headed out to Borobudur, catching a glimpse of erupting Merapi in the distance. Unfortunately, the rest of the day was too cloudy to get a good look or picture. Oh well.
Borobudur: beautiful, impressive Buddhas everywhere. See pictures. At Borobudur, constantly harassed by touts selling random crap.
Then a quick stop to see a nearby temple with the largest Buddha in Indonesia. He wasn’t really that big.
Then on to Prambanan, the highlight of the day. As we walked towards the temple, we saw a large gathering of locals – apparently we had stumbled onto some festival. Marching bands made up of little kids (no older than 6 or 8) were performing with great concentration. These kids were dedicated. And quite good considering their age. And the crowds really got into their performances. Also at the festival was an Indonesian rock band, which we watched for a couple minutes.
The temple itself was much more interesting than Borobudur, at least for me. It was actually many small temples to Hindu gods: got some good pictures of Ganesh and Vishnu. While there, was attacked by hordes of Indo schoolchildren looking to practice their English. It was cute for a while, but then got old. Ariane and Julia apparently got some good pictures of me being mobbed. Oh, and many, many Indonesians asked if I would take a photo with them. Which I did.
I arrived in Yogyakarta and headed to the hotel which had been recommended to me: Setia Kawan. It was a beautiful little place owned by a painter. The walls were covered in gorgeous paintings in bright hues. Pictures on flickr when possible...
4:30 on Saturday May 21, wake up, shower, headed out on my tour to Borobudur and Prambanan.
As I boarded the minibus, I met my traveling companions: Julia, from Germany, Ariane, from Switzerland, Jun, from Japan, Alan, from Malaysia, and two more people whose names I never got, one from Italy and one from Indonesia. We headed out to Borobudur, catching a glimpse of erupting Merapi in the distance. Unfortunately, the rest of the day was too cloudy to get a good look or picture. Oh well.
Borobudur: beautiful, impressive Buddhas everywhere. See pictures. At Borobudur, constantly harassed by touts selling random crap.
Then a quick stop to see a nearby temple with the largest Buddha in Indonesia. He wasn’t really that big.
Then on to Prambanan, the highlight of the day. As we walked towards the temple, we saw a large gathering of locals – apparently we had stumbled onto some festival. Marching bands made up of little kids (no older than 6 or 8) were performing with great concentration. These kids were dedicated. And quite good considering their age. And the crowds really got into their performances. Also at the festival was an Indonesian rock band, which we watched for a couple minutes.
The temple itself was much more interesting than Borobudur, at least for me. It was actually many small temples to Hindu gods: got some good pictures of Ganesh and Vishnu. While there, was attacked by hordes of Indo schoolchildren looking to practice their English. It was cute for a while, but then got old. Ariane and Julia apparently got some good pictures of me being mobbed. Oh, and many, many Indonesians asked if I would take a photo with them. Which I did.
Singapore (May 19): A long walk
Ok, so after lunch on May 19, relaxed for a while, then I headed out to find a small backpack (the messenger bag ain’t doing it for walking around). On my way out, saw Will returning from losing a pedal on his new bike. So we headed out together, he for a wrench, me for my backpack. Headed to Mustafa Center, which we found out is like the Walmart of Singapore. You can buy anything there. However, I was not satisfied with the prices of the backpacks. And come to think of it, we probably should have looked for Will’s wrench there. But we didn’t, and neither of us ended up getting what we went out for.
After Mustafa, Will and I headed out to get lost a little bit. We walked through Little India, Kampung Glam, saw the Golden Mosque (beautiful, but not as impressive as it sounds). Then we found the park that joggers and bicyclists use on the Singapore waterfront. We saw crew facilities and what appeared to be a crew team as well. Walking, walking, walking. Quite a long walk on the waterfront deposited us at the Esplanade, which apparently has a bunch of hip shops and restaurants. Then over to Suntec City to see if the Fountain of Wealth was fountaining. It wasn’t. But we did determine that everyone in Singapore goes through the malls to get home. AC is a great motivator, I guess.
Finally, we headed back to the hostel to shower and relax. It took quite a bit of relaxing before we were ready to head out again, but we did, going out for some dinner at a hawker center. I had Char Kway Teow (check spelling), thick noodles with shrimp. Mmmmm, good. Carbs are great. Especially after walking all afternoon.
Back to the hostel again, where we had a few drinks with Helen, Jamie, Emma, Scott and Paul. Anyway, had a good time with that crowd, though I went to bed around midnight and they apparently went out afterwards and didn’t make it home until 3 am.
After Mustafa, Will and I headed out to get lost a little bit. We walked through Little India, Kampung Glam, saw the Golden Mosque (beautiful, but not as impressive as it sounds). Then we found the park that joggers and bicyclists use on the Singapore waterfront. We saw crew facilities and what appeared to be a crew team as well. Walking, walking, walking. Quite a long walk on the waterfront deposited us at the Esplanade, which apparently has a bunch of hip shops and restaurants. Then over to Suntec City to see if the Fountain of Wealth was fountaining. It wasn’t. But we did determine that everyone in Singapore goes through the malls to get home. AC is a great motivator, I guess.
Finally, we headed back to the hostel to shower and relax. It took quite a bit of relaxing before we were ready to head out again, but we did, going out for some dinner at a hawker center. I had Char Kway Teow (check spelling), thick noodles with shrimp. Mmmmm, good. Carbs are great. Especially after walking all afternoon.
Back to the hostel again, where we had a few drinks with Helen, Jamie, Emma, Scott and Paul. Anyway, had a good time with that crowd, though I went to bed around midnight and they apparently went out afterwards and didn’t make it home until 3 am.
Gili Trawangan: Sharks and sea snakes.
So, first of all, I'm ok! I am quite far from Yogyakarta, where the massive earthquake happened yesterday. Currently I'm on Gili Trawangan, a small island off the northwest coast of Lombok, Indonesia. It's a very relaxed place with very little in the way of internet connection, and no wifi connections (and hence no picture updates for a while).
Here on Gili T, I've been taking my PADI Open Water certification. No better place I can think of. The dives have been amazing - I have my final certification dive this afternoon. I'm even considering taking my Advanced Open Water cert here as well (budget permitting, of course).
Unfortunately, I've really fallen behind in writing up the trip! Since my class is over today, I may have some time in the next couple of days to write up posts on my computer and then transfer them (via thumbdrive) to the site. Hopefully.
Hope you are all well, sorry about the long time between posts and the lack of pictures! I will attempt to rectify asap.
Here on Gili T, I've been taking my PADI Open Water certification. No better place I can think of. The dives have been amazing - I have my final certification dive this afternoon. I'm even considering taking my Advanced Open Water cert here as well (budget permitting, of course).
Unfortunately, I've really fallen behind in writing up the trip! Since my class is over today, I may have some time in the next couple of days to write up posts on my computer and then transfer them (via thumbdrive) to the site. Hopefully.
Hope you are all well, sorry about the long time between posts and the lack of pictures! I will attempt to rectify asap.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Ubud: Spotty Internet
Just a brief post to let you know I'm still alive and well, and currently in Ubud, Bali. Since last posting, I've gone through Yogyakarta, Kuta, and just got here today. Seen lots of amazing things, taken lots of good pictures. I'll update more in a few days when I've written my posts beforehand on my computer rather than compose while using pricey internet cafes!
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Singapore: Merlions and Tigers and Bears
Oh my.
Thursday in Singapore - a walk around the waterfront, includng Merlion Park (pictured). This fish/lion hybrid looks out over the water, just south of the giant Esplanade theater complex.
After walking around for a few hours and picking up my plane tickets for the next leg of the trip, I headed to the Singapore Zoo. It's an excellent zoo, with several areas where you are walking right with the animals (most notably a couple of marmosets who were hanging out 5 inches above me). Had some Thai curry for lunch, watched a show, and headed back to the city, where I proceeded to buy a phone. Exciting.
Spent the evening talking to a few people in the hostel, then turned in relatively early - still not completely adjusted to the time difference.
Thursday in Singapore - a walk around the waterfront, includng Merlion Park (pictured). This fish/lion hybrid looks out over the water, just south of the giant Esplanade theater complex.
After walking around for a few hours and picking up my plane tickets for the next leg of the trip, I headed to the Singapore Zoo. It's an excellent zoo, with several areas where you are walking right with the animals (most notably a couple of marmosets who were hanging out 5 inches above me). Had some Thai curry for lunch, watched a show, and headed back to the city, where I proceeded to buy a phone. Exciting.
Spent the evening talking to a few people in the hostel, then turned in relatively early - still not completely adjusted to the time difference.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Singapore: So Tired
It's nearly 7 PM Singapore time. I really need to keep myself awake for another two hours or so before going to bed or I'll end up waking up at 4 in the morning.
That's all, really.
So far, Singapore is like a giant shopping mall with an equally large food court. I'm not putting Singapore down, mind you, just noting that there are stores and "hawker centers" (areas with a few or more individual stalls selling food) EVERYWHERE.
That's all, really.
So far, Singapore is like a giant shopping mall with an equally large food court. I'm not putting Singapore down, mind you, just noting that there are stores and "hawker centers" (areas with a few or more individual stalls selling food) EVERYWHERE.
Singapore: Day 1
Remember the laksa I mentioned below? Here it is in all its glory. I will reiterate that cockles are not tasty. Not the worst thing I've ever tasted, but I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to order them.
More pics of my first day in Singapore up at Flickr.
More pics of my first day in Singapore up at Flickr.
First Trip Pictures!
Ok, head on over to Flickr to see the first pictures of the trip. Nothing too exciting yet, just pictures of the flight and airports...
I'm tired and in Singapore. And Singapore is awesome. My first meal in Asia was a bowl of deeeelicious laksa. Well, delicious except for the cockles. I discovered today that I don't really like cockles.
I'm tired and in Singapore. And Singapore is awesome. My first meal in Asia was a bowl of deeeelicious laksa. Well, delicious except for the cockles. I discovered today that I don't really like cockles.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Guess Where I Am.
I'm blogging from the plane.
I'll blog more when I get there.
50 points for the first person to get the song reference above. So, the flights are going well, if a little long. I'm about 3 hours from Singapore. I'm tired but I've slept all I can on this flight, which means I expect to be somewhat jetlagged today. I figure that as long as I can make it though until a decent hour tonight, I should be fully reset by tomorrow. I can only hope.
I'll blog more when I get there.
50 points for the first person to get the song reference above. So, the flights are going well, if a little long. I'm about 3 hours from Singapore. I'm tired but I've slept all I can on this flight, which means I expect to be somewhat jetlagged today. I figure that as long as I can make it though until a decent hour tonight, I should be fully reset by tomorrow. I can only hope.
Monday, May 15, 2006
And I'm off!
I'm about to leave for the airport! I'm feeling equal parts excitement, anxiety and fear. Hopefully the latter two will dissipate as I get going.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
5 Days and counting...
Well, today was my last day at my job. It's treated me very well for the last three years, and allowed me to save up the money to head out on the trip. So although I was happy to head out on my new adventure, a (admittedly small) part of me will miss the security and routine of my job.
There's very little left to do at this point. I need to pick up a couple things for my first aid kit, I should probably plan my route from Singapore a bit more, but otherwise I'm free. The next few days will pass rather quickly, I'm sure.
Monday at 9:30 PM I get on a flight to Singapore.
There's very little left to do at this point. I need to pick up a couple things for my first aid kit, I should probably plan my route from Singapore a bit more, but otherwise I'm free. The next few days will pass rather quickly, I'm sure.
Monday at 9:30 PM I get on a flight to Singapore.
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Homeless and loving it.
Well, I made it out of the apartment. Actually, everything went amazingly smoothly. No problems with the truck rental, the parking of said truck, moving all my crap into the truck, driving to Long Island, unloading all the stuff at Atom's house, making it back to Brooklyn.
I'm currently typing from my temporary home, at the some of friends who are willing to put up with me for a week and who live around the corner from my (former) apartment. Which makes it very easy to head over to my apartment tomorrow and clean up and throw things away!
Sorry there haven't been updates lately - been too preoccupied with work and the move and preparing for the trip. But now it's almost here - only 9 days until I leave.
I'm currently typing from my temporary home, at the some of friends who are willing to put up with me for a week and who live around the corner from my (former) apartment. Which makes it very easy to head over to my apartment tomorrow and clean up and throw things away!
Sorry there haven't been updates lately - been too preoccupied with work and the move and preparing for the trip. But now it's almost here - only 9 days until I leave.
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