Move Over Liz Gilbert - A Very Memorable Trip to Bali

On Feb 24^th after a nine year hiatus Raye’s college roommate Sheri came to Singapore for a visit. But , there needs to be a little background before the tale of our adventure begins. The truth is that Raye was a little uncertain about moving to Singapore , crazy as that may sound, and a phone call to Sheri turned all that around. “I’d move there in a second” was the first thing out of her mouth, followed soon after by “Bali is the most beautiful place on Earth”! Fast forward almost 2 years, Raye has been loving life in Singapore and waiting patiently to see Bali with Sheri through her eyes. After 2 days of showing Sheri the sights of Singapore and introducing her to friends, the two boarded a plane in route to paradise!

The whole trip was made even more intriguing by the fact that friend Hazel had given Raye a copy of the book Eat, Pray, Love before moving to SE Asia so Bali, for that reason, was a place of intrigue. Paul found a wonderful resort nestled in the quiet town of Ubud which just so happened to be the place where Liz Gilbert hung out in the book!

We arrived after a very pleasant flight and were greeted by a driver from the resort-Kamandalu. When we got there we learned that we had been upgraded to a villa so from the very beginning this trip was going well! We wasted no time in signing up for excursions from the hotel and were very surprised to learn that our first guide was the grandson of Ketut liyer, the healer from the book! Just like with Liz, we found ourselves being delivered almost literally into the lap of this amazing man. Our guide could not take us to see him that day because it was a festival honoring the God of Knowledge and he as swamped but promised to deliver us the next afternoon. Which he did and just like Liz we went to his house and sat with him on his porch while he read our palms and told us our fortunes. Sheri and Raye are apparently both going to live very long lives so there’s plenty of time for more adventures!

The festival for the God of Knowledge was a wonderful surprise and gave us an opportunity to witness Bali’s version of the Hindu religion. The festival lasted three days and was filled with colorful pageantry complete with women carrying the family’s offering of fruits and vegetables on their heads to the temple and then, once presented, carrying them back home for the family feast! The prayers were of gratitude and performed with such grace that we felt honored to be able to witness them. The temple celebration also included traditional dances with colorful and elaborate costumes-a show that we would have gladly purchased a ticket to watch!

At one point with the help of a different guide we visited an ancient temple location and were able to perform the ritual of pouring holy water from a natural spring over our heads! To make the day even more meaningful, on the way out we came upon an artist who made beautiful carvings out of cow thighbones and we each got one depicting the God of Knowledge. Now we have beautiful art that will remind us not only of our trip together but of this fascinating culture!

During our daily strolls through the market and side streets of Ubud Raye was still hoping to see the other person Liz befriended in Bali—Wayan. We were told that her café was next to the post office and one day we happened upon it! It was just as amazing as meeting Ketut Liyer because except for one woman who Wayan was treating we were the only ones there. When she finished we requested a session and each got one-complete with palm reading and herbal remedies, not to mention a delicious organic lunch for $6!

Our Eat, Pray, Love dream had come true. This was a vacation of a life time! The daily $8 massages, trip to the monkey sanctuary (monkeys are sacred in Bali), and drinking coffee at a local’s house from coffee beans that they grew in the back yard were only icing on a very scrumptious cake!!

The Gianormous Singapore Travel Show

To many people we know, Singapore is somewhat of an exotic destination. It's a far away tropical island with a wonderful blend of interesting cultures, foods, and scenery. It's a place the people want to come to.

But from what I saw at the NATAS travel show yesterday, for Singaporeans and others living here, Singapore a place that a lot of people want to get away from. And especially so, if there are opportunities to travel on a discounted package. I can tell you the members of the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS) were out in force to help make that possible. As were we residents of Singapore: the queue to pay your S$4 entry fee was as long as the length of a football field just after lunchtime.

The size and scale of the show was really, really impressive. This photo is just one travel agency's booth area (click on it to get a better look). There were many just like it. Airlines were represented; countries were represented (each region of Australia had a separate booth); there were cruise companies, resorts, travel insurance providers, and bus lines.

Bus lines? Say what!?

Yup. No Greyhound or Trailways low-ball transport here. We're talking first class Transtar coaches to Malaysia! Spend those 5 hours and 15 minutes to Kuala Lumpur in high style, enjoying reclining leather seats, personal audio/video/games, meal service, and an on-board steward. How much for this luxury? S$61 (US$43) to get there, S$42 (US$30) to return. That compares to S$28/S$24 for "ordinary" coaches. Interesting "feature"-- no bathrooms on board; the itinerary includes 2 bathroom breaks.

Everywhere you turned, people were handing you multi-page brochures listing the book-now specials available only during the show. There were also two sets of newspaper supplements. There are endless configurations of trips and tours to China, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Australia, New Zealand, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Egypt, Turkey, the UK, continental Europe, South Africa, Korea, and Japan (especially during the upcoming cherry blossom time). It was fun to see the USA marketed as a travel destination, with "best of" itineraries for the east and west coasts.

There was one particularly surprising destination (see photo). Not the first place I think of when I think of "holiday."

No sale for me. I left with a canvas shopping bag full of interesting information and ideas to consider. Australia in the fall sounds good, but who knows? That bus trip to KL might be fun, too -- to add to my collection of interesting bus journeys...

Howie & Patti's Visit

Exactly one week after Raye returned from the US Dallas friends Patti and Howie Fields ended a two week SE Asian cruise in Singapore. They were traveling with their long time friends the Pekays so it was Paul and Raye’s pleasure to be Singapore ambassadors and tour guides. Equipped with subway and bus passes the six set out to see the best that Singapore could offer.

Of course Chinatown, Little India, and Arab Street were big hits - as were the Merlion and the Quays! And, no tour would be worth anything without incredible food along the way! Taste buds were challenged but the rewards were many, not the least of which was an incredible seafood dinner along the East Coast sitting outside overlooking the water! And since it was around the time of the Lunar New Year, we enjoyed tossing the traditional fish salad ("Yu Sheng") for an auspicious year ahead.

After dinner, the Pekays went to their hotel in preparation for their early flight the next morning back to Chicago. Howie and Patti stayed with Raye and Paul and enjoyed another day before heading back to Dallas.

Sunday was a relaxing day of visiting and sightseeing. We walked past synagogues, Buddhist temples, and Hindu temples - all within 2 blocks of each other.

We stopped by the National Museum to see the video wall and pick up some souvenirs. And of course eating more local food!

By the end of the weekend the Fields had a good sense of what Singapore was like, and the Kochs had an amazing visit with good friends!

Alison's Asian Adventure

On January 22 gal pal Alison Fiekowsky arrived in Singapore for a long awaited visit. It was another notch in the belt of adventures together for Alison and Raye which included Paris and ten annual girlfriend trips with 3 other women. This adventure included not only Singapore but also Phuket and for Alison a trip to Vietnam before heading back to the US.

Raye and Alison wasted no time and a day after Alison's arrival (no time for jet lag!!) boarded a plane for a three day relaxing trip to Phuket. They planned to stay at the Laguna Beach Resort, a recommendation from Raye's friend Denise. It was an amazing resort with a large beautiful room facing both the pool and the beach-such a deal!!!

It took no time to relax in the tranquility of Phuket enjoying reading by the pool, walking on the beach and of course getting $15 massages, and shopping for Jim Thompson silk items! Being greeted at breakfast by the resident baby elephant was a most delightful surprise!! The baby elephant was trained and did tricks that you normally think only dogs do.

One of the highlights of the trip was connecting with Pat and John Lychek, friends of Paul's Aunt Pat and Uncle Herb. John and Pat are from Canada and were in Phuket visiting their son who lives there. They were great tour guides sharing their favorite public beach and local restaurant and of course Raye ended up treating Pat (who needs a clinic when there's a perfectly good beach available!!). Raye and Alison ended up spending a large part of the trip with John and Pat. What a small world and what a fun time!

It was very difficult to leave this paradise but hey, heading back to Singapore just meant more fun!! Once they got back there were only three days left to take in as much as Singapore as possible. Raye and Alison were up to the challenge! Alison is a foodie so eating many different and interesting kinds of food was a must. Stingray at a nearby Hawker Center was fun and of course chili crab along the Singapore River. The mango shaved ice in Chinatown was an especially yummy treat!

No trip to SE Asia for this food lover would be complete without time spent in a cooking school. The Coriander Leaf at Clark Quay was perfect. Alison learned to make all sorts of Singapore dishes and with spices picked up at the wet market in Little India she was all set to delight the palates of friends and relatives! Of course they had to take in the famous Singapore Night Safari complete with flying squirrels and bats. So much to see and do, so little time! The three days flew by.

On Friday Jan 29th Alison set off for more adventures in Vietnam and the next day Raye left for the US. Such world travelers!

Hard to Get To; Harder to Leave

Our adventure on Boracay Island was nearing an end, and it was time to head back to Manila where we would spend the night before flying back to Singapore. We expected that the return trip would the simple reversal of the trip we took to get to Boracay.

We were wrong.

The first part of the trip was to take a van down to the dock at the south end of the island. No problems. Next, we boarded a small boat that would take us (and our luggage) to the island of Panay and the city of Caticlan. Again no problems. Caticlan has an airport, but no direct flights to Manila. To fly to Manila, we would need to take a two hour bus trip to the Kalibo airport.

However, before boarding the bus, we had to check in at the Zest Air cargo counter . Once that was completed, we found out we had an hour to kill before the shuttle bus would take us to the Kalibo. Our preference would have been to leave immediately to Kalibo so we could get there in plenty of time. But by now we had learned the Filipino art of going with the flow, so we walked around the small town for about 45 minutes. Twice. The bus left 10 minutes late, but still in plenty of time for us to make our flight.

The Mercedes minivan hugged the tight corners as we made our way along the seashore. The road took us up and down a series of hills, passing through many small towns. At the top of a particularly long hill, the driver suddently pulled over and stopped the van. He got out and raised the hood. Not a good sign. A quick look at the instrument panel revealed the problem; the engine was overheating. The driver got some water from one of the houses along the side of the road and we were off again.

But not for long. The cooling system had a major leak and this bus wasn't going to get us to Kalibo. And the airline didn't have a backup. To his credit, the bus driver flagged down one of the local public transport vans that was making it's way to Kalibo. However, it wasn't going to fit all five of us. So he flagged down another vehicle. After what had to be an interesting series of negotiations, Steve and Kyle were in one bus and Karen, Raye and Paul were in the other -- with our luggage barely fitting in the back. The hatch opened up twice enroute, almost dumping our bags on the dusty highway. The people siting in the last row of the van held the hatch closed until the driver bothered to stop and reclose the hatch.

Cell phone coverage was spotty at best, but we managed to let both the airline and the other 3 couples (that had taken a private van provided by the hotel where the wedding was held) of our predicament. It looked like we would make it, but just in time.

That's when we came to the line of traffic caused by an accident further up the road. There was no telling what happened nor how long it would take for traffic to begin moving again. We waited, and waited, and waited. That's when the van driver got a creative. He backed up the van, and took us down a tiny unmarked unpaved road that bypassed the accident and the traffic.

We arrived at the Kalibo airport right at scheduled departure time. Miraculously, the plane was still there. Forget that "gates close 10 minutes before departure" story: we were rushed through check-in and security like VIPs. They closed the hatch and fired up the engines just as soon as we climbed up the stairs. It was a miracle we made the flight, the last one of the day to Manila. If we had to wait until the next flight in the morning, we would have missed our return flight to Singapore. That would have been bad.

But our day of travel surprises was not over yet. There was one more waiting for us in Manila: all of our luggage made the flight.

The 3 Hour Tour into 2010

New Year's Eve is a pretty big deal in the Philippines, and this particular one was going to be an especially big deal because of the beginning of a new decade. While there are many cultural traditions and superstitions in the Philippines, the use of fireworks to scare off evil spirits is the one that is the most obvious. One of the people in our group suggested that half the Filipino GDP is consumed in the fireworks that are set off at the stroke of midnight.

On Boracay Island, the fireworks extravaganza takes place along the beach. Each resort or restaurant puts on its own display all along the west side of the island. The challenge for us was to pick the best location on the beach to see the best show. But where?

One of the Divas, Faye, spotted a yacht moored off the beach in front of our hotel. A bill would be the perfect solution. We could move easily up and down the beach to get close to the best show, while having the entire show in view. It was a perfect solution. And incredibly, when she happened to ask the owner of the restaurant where the bridesmaids luncheon was held about the boat, he explained that he owned it. And even more remarkably, it was available for chartering on New Year's Eve!

With six couples sharing the cost, it was an affordable splurge, and arrangements were quickly made. For convenience, we also arranged with the yacht/restaurant owner to cater the evening on the yacht. Everything was all set. A van would pick us up and take us to the southern tip of the island where a dinghy would take us to the yacht. Even though the yacht was moored just offshore from the hotel, the small boats were not permitted to pick us up on the beach.

Our excitement built all day. We made a trip into town to buy the requisite alcoholic refreshments: some wine, champagne, and a bottle of the $3 local Filipino rum. We enjoyed the new year buffet on the beach elegantly provided by our hotel as the sun was setting and the full moon and tide was rising. And at the appointed hour, the van showed up, and we were off to our new year adventure.

As we pulled up to the poorly lit dock, we could see a boat was there, waiting for us. However, while it wasn't the yacht (of course), it was certainly bigger than the transport dinghy we were expecting. Our puzzlement turned into astonishment when a look inside the boat revealed a table set up with the catered food. This boat wasn't the yacht we'd seen, nor was it the dinghy. However, it was apparently the boat we would be spending the evening on. Complete with the captain, 3 boatmen, and someone we assumed was our "party coordinator" (in the red dress and tiara).

After lots of debate & discussion (including an intense conversation about insurance, safety and licensure), we figured we'd been had and decided to make the best of it. The money was gone, all prepaid. We all got on board and motored off to begin our party. Except there was no power to plug the boom box into; the inverter was broken. The only music available was the local Filippino radio station. And there was nothing to heat the food in; it was cold and the length of its time on the boat since being cooked was unclear.

All that was left to do was to enjoy each others company, some snacks we'd brought along, and of course the refreshments. It was a beautiful evening. The beach was all lit up with revelers as a full moon illuminated the sky.

We counted down the end of 2009 without the help of TV or Dick Clark, and the fireworks started at the stroke of midnight. And we had the remarkable view that we'd all hoped for. From one end of the beach to the other, the sky was ablaze. We could see it all, and our captain maneuvered the boat for some great views. And it stayed that way continuously for 40 minutes before it began to wind down.

We waited to be certain the pyrotechnics were completely over (after all they had been shooting them off in our direction). Then the "SS-Pinnochio" took us as close as to shore as it could go. There, we crammed onto a very small outrigger vessel that took us onto the beach. Walking down the skinny gangplank into the surf (or in some cases being carried down), we arrived on dry land for the first time in the new decade.

The party was still going on up and down the beach, with very kind of music, from reggae, to big band, and even some classic rock. Somewhere, off in the distance, I do believe I heard that old classic from The Who: We Won't Get Fooled Again.

But that didn't mean we wouldn't get surprised again...

Boracay Wedding

One of the very special benefits of living overseas is making new friends and then having special adventures with them. Like being invited to the wedding of one of their children. In the Philippines. On a remote island.

Raye has 3 gal pals that she loves to spend time with. They call themselves "the Divas". Karen and Faye are from Vancouver. Faye was born in Kampala, Uganda and has family tracing back to Goa, India. Pam is from North Carolina, but hasn't lived in the US for over 20 years. Pam and Rich's son, Jonathan (the groom), was born in South Africa, grew up in the Philippines and Puerto Rico, went to college in Australia, and has since lived in the UK, Malaysia, and Singapore. His bride Anya, has a Filipino mother and an English father, grew up in the Philippines and went to college in the UK. And she and Jon knew each other in high school.

Interesting folks - so of course we knew this would be an interesting adventure. And we got a bit more than what we bargained for.

Boracay Island is not easy to get to. It's a 3 1/2 hour flight from S'pore to Manila. It's then an hour flight from Manila to Kalibo, followed by a 2-hour bus trip to Caticlan, a 15-minute ferry ride to the island, and capped off with a 15 minute ride in a van to the hotel.

The flight timings and airport logistics were such that it made sense to spend a night in Manila on the way in and out of the Philippines. Since Pam & Rich lived in Manila for 10 years, it was a great opportunity to get a feel for the city.

Like most cities in Asia (Singapore being an exception), there are nice parts and some awful squalor, and not much distance between them. It's easy to understand why so many of the domestic helpers and construction workers in other parts of Asia and the middle east come from the Philippines -- and why remittances (money sent back home from overseas) are such an important part of the economy. (Outside the USA, Saudi Arabia has the largest number of Overseas Filipino Workers OFW; Singapore is #9.)

The modes of transportation are interesting: not as many motorcycles as Hanoi or Bangkok. And there are two novel types of public transportation, the Jeepney and the Trike. The Jeepney is a "Mad Max" looking vehicle that serves as privately run public transportation. Think of it as the local version of a bus. Each owner/drive customizes their vehicle, so take a look at the variety through the link and our photos.

The trike is a motorcycle with a welded on sidecar, and serves the same purpose as a "tuk-tuk" in Bangkok or autorickshaw in Bangalore. Of course there are also regular taxis, but they cost a lot more. On Boracay, the trip into "town" cost PHP 10 per person (if you bargained for the "locals" rate and shared the trike with up to 4 others, i.e. total of 6 people including the driver), or PHP 50 for the "tourist" rate, which meant a private ride. Raye always got us the "local" rate, i.e. US$0.44 for both of us.

The Philippines is also the land of cheap beer. In Singapore, a bottle of the local Tiger beer costs about US$7; in the Philippines, a bottle of San Miguel is about US$0.74, i.e 10 time cheaper. (Singapore is reported to be the 8th most expensive, the Philippines the 9th least expensive.) Local food is good and inexpensive, we paid PHP 99 for a grilled chicken lunch with unlimited rice. That's US$2.15. And this is a place for inexpensive massages, notably on Boracay along the beach. An hour costs less than US$8, although you certainly can find places that will charge more. Pricing is a matter of negotiation on just about everything.

Everything about the wedding was spectacular. The rehearsal dinner was on the beach and the ceremony and reception were at the Shangri La resort as the sun was setting. Without a doubt it was the most thoroughly photographed wedding I'd been to, with the army of paparazzi choreographed by Amanda the Wedding Planner. (I'd never seen a steadicam used during a wedding before.) They were literally everywhere, but - remarkably - never in their photographs or video. The result was an incredible music-video-quality movie of the wedding day preparations and ceremony that was quickly produced and shown during the reception.

The international lives of the bride and groom was apparent during the reception. The cast of speech and toast makers (and accents) ranged from the southern drawl of the best man (and groom's father), to the patrician British accent of the bride's father, to the Norwegian college buddy, the Filipino-British blend of the maid-of-honor, and the Irish-Filipino blend of one of the groomsmen.

What an experience, and one that we are grateful to have shared with our friends. And New Years was the next day and there were more interesting adventures ahead.