10.31.04 - Notes from Penang, Malaysia

Hello to all!!!!
Well the second stopover in Singapore was much needed and allowed me to see the city in a new light. It's actually quite a vibrant place with great diversity - and of course there's the food. We did a lot of walking on our first full day there...through Chinatown, Arab Street, Little India - we really covered it all!!! The Indians are celebrating Deepavalli (sp?) and that area was really decorated for the occasion. Additionally there was plenty of activity around the many temples that one finds throughout town. Of course as we were walking about we got caught in a torrential rainstorm - luckily we were visiting a market and could wait things out but there are only so many dried fish you can look at!!! I did however get to see the bird's nest used in the infamous soup. Apparently the birds make the nest by regurgitating a thin thread of saliva (something or other). Interesting....and the day was just filled with sights and sounds of these various areas and the city (albeit in a more sanitized fashion).
10.30.04 - checked out of our beloved Hotel 1929 (I think we used their complementary high speed internet every free moment we had) and headed to the bus station for the journey to Penang, Malaysia. We decided to take the bus as that seems to be the most effective form of transport (and the cheapest) in Malaysia. Since the tickets are significantly cheaper north of the border in Johor Bahru, Malaysia we had to make our way there. That required getting on a bus and driving to Singapore immigration. There was quite a long line up of buses (and it was a Saturday morning) and so we did what everyong else did, disembarked and walked along the line of cars to the immigration office. We were processed and proceeded downstairs (and let me remind you that we have all our backpacks and it's quite steamy out) where we waited for our bus to re-appear and to re-board. The same exercise was repeated at Malaysia customs. It was quite a workout. The whole process took about 1.5 hours before we were deposited at the JB bus station - fresh meat is how I'd like to term how I felt. Everyone had a bus, VIP service, AC, etc. How to decide? We ended up talking to a woman who sold us a ticket to Penang for 45RM (approx $10 for an approx 10 hour ride). Quite a deal. We board the bus and take 2 seats....they were roomy, the bus was cool...but those weren't our seats. Once booted out of the comfy seats we made our way to the BACK of the bus. Yes the back. I was frustrated because I'm usually so good about where I'm sitting but not having ever really taken this kind of long haul transport before I wasn't on top of my game. For 5 hours we endured the more cramped and warmer seats/ section of the bus. I know now how all people felt who were relegated to some less savoury spot....that's exactly how I feel when I'm given a horribly positioned table in a restaurant....but I can usually ask to be moved. We could not. We were locked until we got to KL cause the bus was packed!!! Oh well - live and learn. Such is life - at least we weren't positioned next to the toilet (because there wasn't one on the bus. Surprisingly people have amazing willpower/ stamina on these long haul treks and quite honestly I wouldn't want to use such facilities if they existed.)
Ok - so we arrive in Penang around 9pm and the place it a veritable hive of activity. Muslims are feasting after their day long fast, there are concerts in the streets, people are all over!!! We check in to Cathay Hotel - a century old colonial building with large, clean rooms (nothing fancy) and with an AC option. Done. The hotel was actually featured in the movie Beyond Ragoon. The staff is quite friendly.
From there we set off to get some food - what happens to be the most delicious soup I've ever tasted. After that we meandered not far down the street and found a Hallowe'en party in full swing at a long restaurant/ bar. Much fun was had - we had an especially great time chatting and dancing with two people from Perth, Australia - Aura and Jay. Great fun!!! Additionally there were quite a few expats in the house and the music was really "pumping". Soccer was on TV - it was a really great atmosphere.
Retired around 2:30am...but made the mistake of setting our AC to 16 degrees celsius!!! Ouch...needless to say it was a little chilly and the thin blankets we were given didn't offer much protection. I had a pillow covering my back to stave off the chilly draft from the AC...ridiculous. The situation was remedied once we figured out how to use the remote!
Today it's been a lot of exploring. This is an amazing city - the buildings, while run down, are just amazing. What you would expect from an older colonial town. We walked along the water front - did a little adventure walking along the waterfront and through the various communities that make up Georgetown and ended up at the mall. The mall, while having a Starbuck's and Pizza Hut is essentially a multi-storey market. Stalls of all sorts - electronics, DVDs (lots of pirated, cheap DVDs are available), CDs, clothing, gadgets, arcades (the dance related games are truly mind boggling - the skill demonstrated is astonishing).
I can't forget the dim sum breakfast!!! We found this place in Chinatown - and I of course am the only caucasian present which most found quite amusing for some reason. We had a great time there - the people working there were so much fun...I think it helped when I snorted like a pig to try and identify the type of meat used in a particular dish. I think I'll use that method from now on to break the ice! ;) We left a 2RM tip (approx 50cents) which made a big impression - it's amazing the little things that can make a difference. I definitely plan to return on Tuesday - tomorrow would be better but it will be closed).
Ok - I'm just rambling. I guess I'm just overwhelmed with this place. Why? Growing up in Thunder Bay I had a neighbor, Shuan Boo, who originated from Penang. He would tell Erik and myself all kinds of stories about growing up here. It sounded like such a carefree, exotic, "lawless" kind of place. It may have been his stories that sparked my first interest in travelling and see the world. If that's the true source I do thank him immensely. I tried emailing him in Thunder Bay to let him know that I'm here...but the email was returned.... At least I tried. And for now I walk the streets wondering if I walking by one of his relatives...or walking in the streets that he used to roam through. It's funny how having that kind of contact can make such a difference.
All for now. We're here through the election (need to find a place to watch first thing Wednesday morning) and then we'll see where the wind takes us.

Michael's email: WorldTrek 10/31/04: From Bali to Singapore to Penang, Malaysia

Hello everyone and happy Halloween -

Hopefully by now, you're not sick of me. These emails also serve as my
journal (since I don't know how to work that "pen" thing they invented
a few years ago). Definitely let me know if you want to get taken off
the email list...I don't want to be part of the spam problem by any
means.

A few last notes on Bali - some a bit funny. We were taking a walk
through some rice paddies in Ubud (thanks Lonely Planet) and were
stopped to talk by a farmer who was 20 or so. His English was very
good and he showed us his hut (very small, no electricity, in the
middle of a rice paddy next to his parents "larger" hut) and his land.
His dream someday was to become a taxi driver (which was why he
practiced english, but could not afford the fee for school). Anyway,
he actually climbed a cocunut tree, grabbed a coconut, cut it open and
we drank the juice directly from the coconut...good pictures on this
one. Anyway, we bid him adieu, gave him a little money and were on our
way. Quite heart-warming or the best actor I've ever seen.

...In direct contrast to our hotel attendant/cleaner. We found an
awesome little hotel looking out on (what else) rice paddies and a
small brook - just beautiful - and for 80,000 Rp (less than $10/night).
Well our "friend" spent most of the time completely stoned...at least
we think so from his 25% room cleaning frequency. We weren't 100%
sure, but when he came up to the deck next to us, said hi, then stood
looking at us for about 10 minutes after our "conversation" (while we
were looking down at our books) convinced us that he was on
something...

On the last day in Ubud, we visited the Monkey Forest Sanctuary.
There's about 200 macaques there (from my incredible powers of
inference, a type of monkey). The monkeys were NOT afraid in the
slightest and in a golden display of reverse evolution we saw a few
kids and adults that didn't understand why the monkeys were jumping on
them as they carried food through the park. Note to self: when the
monkey grabs the banana, let him take it. One monkey actually jumped
up on my leg as I was sitting...there were families of monkeys and the
babies playfully fighting for bananas and such. They weren't the most
beautiful monkeys in the world, but they were cute and fun to play
with.

From there back to Singapore (oh the food...just amazing). Mom - I
tried to find everything you ever made me (I do mean everything...I ate
a LOT) - and everything was cheap, cheap, cheap. The food markets sell
everything for $3-4 Singapore dollars ($2-3). I also found every CD,
DVD that's ever been made for $3 each. They have a lot of stuff that's
not out on DVD yet. I think they may even have a copy of Spider-Man 3
- created from Sam's notes on a napkin at a lunch.

Finally, from the "lessons" category. The rules for bus travel.
Always ask:
1. Where is the bus going? Are you sure? Really?
2. How many times does the bus stop? Does it really go to the bus
station it's supposed to? Is a Shell station really considered the bus
station?
3. When you say "9 hours" do you really mean "12 hours"?
4. I see the pictures you're showing me of the "luxury seats". Does
this mean that MY seat will actually look like this?
5. Does Air Conditioning mean the entire bus, or just the driver?

We took an 11 hour bus ride from Singapore to Penang in Malaysia. We
had no idea what was going on the entire time. We got the very back
row of seats where there's four seats across instead of the three that
are in every other row. And the seats are smaller. And the seats in
front can actually cut off your ENTIRE leg space just by reclining. It
was great to see Deanna negotiate with the driver to change seats at
one stop in a combination of Bahasa Malaysian, Engrish (proper
spelling), and I thought I heard some Hokkainese as well. Quite the
experience - at least the total cost was $10 each. amazing.

Finally Penang - a very cool city. Majority here are ethnic chinese...
We're staying in Chinatown...it's so cool. So far we ate incredible
Dim Sum (for $4 between the two of us), went out and had drinks - met
some cool people - including two folks from Perth for Deanna's side
jaunt in a few weeks to visit friends. And we're staying at the Cathay
Hotel in Penang - it's 100 years old (very clean though) and played
some part in the movie Beyond Rangoon (which of course, was the extent
of the research I did for this trip...so perfect).

Mike

Next:
Penang for the next four days (through the election)
Thailand - it's a little scary considering the three bombings in the
last 48 hours. We're monitoring the situation and will figure out
where to go next.

Michael's email: 10/26/04 Back on Bali

Hello everyone E

Spent a wonderful time in Lombok...for the first time, I felt competent
(slightly) getting around a place and we actually met some local, real
people who really added to the experience. We're right in the middle
of Ramadan right now so services start (and the prayer calls on the
loud speakers on top of the mosques) at 3am to tell people to get up
and pray (and...my guess...eat before dawn).

First up, we met a German woman, Andrea, and hired a driver together, a
local man named Sharif, to take us around the island for a tour. It
was a great experience. We went to the market (Deanna still can't eat
chicken after the tour) which was a neat experience, then to a lot of
the different craft villages. At one village, they showed us the whole
basket/bamboo weaving process and how all the kids are taught the craft
to carry on the tradition. When I was standing in the shop after the
tour a little 8-year old girl took my hand and made a bamboo ring for
my finger. She was incredibly cute...I'm not sure if she wanted money
or just a courtesy to help people buy things in the shop, but what I
was really thinking about was adopting her. I'm sure her mom and dad
wouldn't mind. There are actually a lot of awesome, fun kids here. In
another part of the island, it had started to rain and as we drove by
and we saw 6 kids...four of them naked running for shelter. The funny
thing was that a few had plastic bags covering their heads (I guess
they know what's important) but nothing else on. Even our driver (a
very serious type) laughed.

We traveled all around the island, and ended up in Kuta Beach (in
Lombok) where there was a grand total of 5 tourists. Sharif backed our
jeep up on the street and we got stuck in the sand near the beach.
Forty minutes later, with the help of two local men, 6 local boys,
another truck and some rope we were free. I think we all bonded having
to push the truck out of the ditch over palm fronds and cocunut shells.
I'm still covered in dirt from the experience.

The other real highlight was climbing Mt. Rinjani (an active volcano)
in Lombok, near the city of Senaru. What really made the trip was our
guide, a gentleman originally from Borneo, named Alyn (actually
Mochammed) Syafari. He was incredible and actually got us up the 2700M
climb with much encouragment, incredible cooking (really), and
sometimes actually reaching back and pulling us behind him. I think
over the first day, I drank about 8 liters of water and needed to pee
exactly once. Let's just say there was a LOT of sweat. At camp the
first night, we had to wake up at 3am to make the climb to the crater
rim (in order to see the sunrise over the mountain). The stars were
incredible...there wasn't a light for miles - you would have loved it
Dad. As we climbed through the night with two flashlights for three
people (I thought Deanna or I would fall off the mountain for sure) we
sweated up the mountain and the view was absolutely 100% worth it.
We're heading to Singapore in a view days and I'll send pictures when
the connection is a bit faster. While we were on the rim, we saw some
volcanic activity (smoke bursting through the volcano).

There were only two negatives - 1. the climb down and 2. lying to the
guide. First, the climb down sucked. I twisted my knee a bit and took
some magic pills that Deanna had just to make it down. It got to the
point where I could either take a. huge steps or b. little, tiny
steps but nothing in between. I swear I looked like Frankenstein
learning to walk coming down the mountain...just sad. Second - Alyn
was so awesome and open about his life - but we had told him that we
were Canadien (the whole anti-American worry). I think he took us/me
at face value that I was from Toronto - but every story I told him
around the campfire was about California and Ohio and Minnesota - and
every price I quoted in US dollars...I think I'm going to hell. But if
you ever want to climb Rinjani, Bromo (in Java), take a trip to Borneo
- please email Alyn at lintrack@lycos.com.

From Lombok, we headed to Bali (Ubud) to recover. Neither of us is
walking well and riding 9 people + luggage in a van built for Balinese
(read: tiny), it was very comfortable. I think the statute of
limitations on soreness should run out in 5 days or less. I did get a
massage here and it was awesome...although I seriously considered
murdering the masseuse when she touched my (sore) right thigh.

Today we went and saw a Cremation ceremony. The pageantry of the whole
process is amazing...there's a parade of sorts where they bring these
huge bull figurines to the cemetary and then make lots of offering and
then burn it all. It was an amazing experience (only 4 tourists
there)...but we were absolutely badgered into buying sarongs (yes...I
am a proud owner...pictures to come) to enter the cemetary. I've never
been so scared of 60 year old women...they walked with us the entire
parade with my woman poking me in the arm every 10 feet with "good
price" and "you need to wear". We bargained her down from 250,000 Rp
($27) to 80,000 Rp ($9) and then ended up buying so they would just
leave us alone. I did negotiate pictures with the old women as part of
the deal and a lesson in how to tie the sarong.

Next Up:
Flying back to Singapore
Penang, Malaysia
Langwaki Island, Malaysia

Best to everyone and thanks so much for your replies...it's really,
really nice to hear from home.

10-29-04 Much needed stopover in Singapore

Hi - back at Hotel 1929 in Singapore. This is a great hotel - the rooms are a little small but excellent value with posher amenities in a big city like Singapore. Arrived last night - and it was a rather interesting trip from Bali....let me begin.
First off I have to say that Ubud is a charming city located in central Bali. There are plenty of galleries and artists that fill the area...and of course there are plenty of shops just selling mass produced stuff as well. And that's the challenge - not getting sucked up with all the cheap stuff and really scout out the gems. That's where I've had the hardest struggle - especially knowing that I'll be on the road for so long. I love to shop and bringing back souvenirs from my travels - but on such a journey I have to be more selective. And then there's the matter of buying just for the sake of buying.... It sounds nutty but I've had to do a bit of soul searching on that front. But that's my own demon.... I've turned to taking photos and getting to know more of the local scene.
In terms of the local scene on Ubud I was particularly drawn to the local library, Pondok Pedang, which is located right off the football field. We went there to check out books (great selection) and fill up our water (discounted price and results in less waste. I honestly drink so much water I was creating a serious environmental hazard....). But I was very interested in their literacy and cultural programs for kids. That really excited me - and then to see that the center also host "The Frog Dance" featuring their kids who are taught the local dances - I was just really impressed. But the center was in need of a new roof - so I did my little part and contributed a bit of money towards that cause - and hopefully that will preserve the books, keep the kids dry and encourage more community based efforts. I hope to find more places like this - and learn more about their efforts as we continue through this trip.
There was lots of walking in Ubud and quite a bit of good food. The last night we went back to a more local type restaurant - a padang - that serves bits of spicy food. Kind of like a buffet - but you choose your food from behind a glass case. They serve good portions with rice, jack fruit (a vegetable and fruit - depending on maturity of the fruit) and some sauces along with your meat. Quite tasty. Followed that up with a trip to the bakery where I picked up a piece of pumpkin pie and ate that back at the room - sitting on the terrace overlooking the rice paddies while being serenading by the crickets, frogs, roosters, etc. It was one night before the full moon so there was plenty of light.
I hit the hay around 10:30pm - popped a few Tums as my stomach was churning a bit. Positioned the fan to blow right on me in an effort to cool down. Things seemed fine. Then the electricity went out...no light (having a nearly full moon was quite helpful)...and NO FAN!!!!!!!! It was also at that point that I realized there was an explosive situation percolating in my stomach. Sharp stabbing pains were now keeping me up....this wasn't good. I bet if I hadn't eaten that pumpkin pie - if I'd left well enough alone - stuck with some local delicacy - I would have been fine. All I can say - I glad that MC's a light sleeper cause it was not a good night. And just a piece of advice - it's always good to carry around toilet paper and/ or kleenex. Argh - I don't generally discuss such matters but there are plenty of good learnings.
And through all this is just kept thinking that I have to travel the next day. A bus, plane, metro combination that would basically last all day. I probably visited just about every public facility on the way....chugging Dr. Fowler's Strawberry extract whenever I could. What an experience. But I was so happy to be back in Singapore - the land of pristine clean. And I was particulary happy to be back at Hotel 1929 with the high thread count sheets, high water pressure/ great shower, A/C and in-room TV and telephone!!! I'm much better this morning - but from now on I'll be more careful about what I eat....
Off to check out Singapore and check out the food stalls....the food here is amazing. So much for the illness killing my appetite. ;)

BTW- looking for a place to watch the election results in Georgetown, Malaysia (Penang). Any ideas?

Climbed Mt. Rinjani - back on Bali (10.24.04)

Back on Bali - Ubud to be specific. Found a nice homestay, Jati, with a room overlooking rice paddies and with the sound of a creek to set the tone. It's lush green and the place is actually run by an artist - a painter. I can't wait to see his work. This is the first time we've stayed in a room without AC - last night was the first night and honestly it wasn't that bad. It might have been the scent of the mosquito coil that helped sedate us - I don't know - but whatever happened - it worked. I seem to have overcome my bout of insomnia- keep your fingers crossed.

The amazing story is that we were just on Lombok and hiked Mt. Rinjani - and the volcano located in the crater lake was actually active. Amazing - can't believe I did it!! No switchbacks - just straight up up up for 7km. One step at a time - honestly that's how it was done. Our guide, Alyn, was instrumental in making it happen for us, and I seriously think we were in some sort of trance doing it. The highlight was waking up at 3am (actually I had been up the whole night - listening to the various noises and convinced that monkeys knew how to get in to the tent) to make the final climb to the rim (we actually camped in a tent - but was aided with our own "sherpa" - who hauled all our camping gear, food, etc up in two baskets and barefoot - and a guide to motivate, explain and cook for us!! And we were well fed.). I've never seen so many stars in my entire life - and hiking up essentially sand and grass to reach the rim in pitch black was quite scary at times. But it was well worth it. The view was stunning and the crater lake and new cone were stunning. We saw a few eruptions and took many photos - can't wait to show you.
Now I'm back on Bali - at Ubud. A great place for artists. Lots of artwork - and tons or rice paddies and temples. This has been an amazing trip - can't believe it's on 2 weeks. Back to Singapore on the 28th with hopefully better internet access. It's painfully slow on the islands.....
Look forward to hearing from you. It can get a little lonely.
Love D

Email from Michael - Worldtrek 10/18/04: The trials of Lombok

Well everyone -

After three days in Singapore (about as much as we needed I think) we
took a flight to Bali and found ourselves in Kuta...one of the main
resort towns and also the sight of the 2002 bombing - it was a bit
sobering to walk by the monument. Bali has been hardhit by the tragedy
and some of the surrounding islands have dried up completely as tourism
has declined.

Our hotel was about 15 minutes from the beach. Just long enough to
assess whether you want to buy every single knick-knack known to man.
Deanna now has braided hair and I am the proud owner of a genuine
Frolex watch...no seriously, the hawkers are very aggressive - it's
really irritating but understandable. One of the locals we spoke to
mentioned that he made about 20,000 Rupiah a day (less than $3) so I
guess when you buy that sarong for 50,000 Rupiah, it's a big deal.
Never have I felt so rich and so suspicious of everyone that talks to
me...hopefully the feeling wears off.

The real adventure was our day traveling from Bali to Lombok (just west
of Bali). Woke up early and then started the trek to the bus station -
this was the first time we've actually had to carry our bags over any
distance...ouch. Halfway there, we stopped to talk to some of the cab
drivers and "negotiated" a fare. Basically him calling out prices and
us saying no, walking away, him calling after us, him running after us,
us turning around, saying no, and finally settling on a price.

When we got to the ferry (about 2 hours), we're rushed into a "ticket
office" where the price list had just been "updated". You could
literally see that the price for the place we just happened to be going
had been freshly changed in the last 5 minutes. And of course the
ferry was leaving in 5 minutes and the next ferry wasn't leaving until
four hours later. Forty-five minutes later we left. And found out the
boat wasn't going where we needed to go. And that Deanna is THE most
fascinating sight to the locals that they've ever seen with her blond
hair. And that Deanna gets sea sick. And the only thing we had were
these Dutch pills (no English instructions) that we thought were for
seasickness (thanks Tiffany and Michael). This was slightly challenging
all-in-all...but we made it and it turns out the ferry goes only to one
port and then they pick you up in a bus.

We were quite relieved, until the bus stopped in a "tourist bureau"
where we got the soft sell, hard sell, guilt-trip sell, won't find a
better deal sell for a trip to the top of Mt. Rinjani, an active
volcano we expressed interest in. Anyway, we ended up passing on the
trip from this operator and they begrudgingly took us to our hotel.
The hotel is awesome. It has an essentially private beach..from our
bungalow you can see the Ocean and walk down in about 30 seconds. It's
perfect...except for:
a. the cockroach
b. no water
c. no lights
d. all of the above

d is the correct answer. But overall, I felt really good after
yesterday like we were "legitimate" travelers. We also found a
wonderful local cafe (with no lights) where we ate by candlelight and
talked to the owner and the server a bit. I told the owner that I was
Chinese...unfortunately then he wanted to speak to me in
Chinese...quite the experience with my 25 word vocabulary. But, it was
definitely the best day (in my opinion) that we've had so far.

Next up:
Senaru and Mt. Rinjani
Giles Islands (possibly)
Back to Bali (Ubud) which is the crafts/cultural center.
10/28 Back to Singapore to meet Deanna's friend Mercedes for a few
nights and then on to Malaysia!

It's already been one week - 10/18/04

Well where has time gone? Actually I'm really amazed at how much we've already accomplished. As you know, we eased into the whole roughing it thing with a stop in Singapore. The real roughing it part was staying in a room that was tiny - but all part of the boutique hotel allure. Did I mention the noise of trucks throughout the night...yes...that's the behind the scenes that keeps that city so clean. The food was indeed amazing - the food stalls and the sheer variety were overwhelming...but we managed. We learned to use the bus system, the metro, bought and used a phone card...and did so in the comfort of an english speaking enclave. Very easy transition for the most part....except for the oppressive heat.
We stayed for 3 nights and Singapore and left Thursday for Bali. What a difference. We had arranged for ourhotel in Kuta from the lovely Singapore airport (after eating at a McCafe - where coffee, sandwiches and friends = good times!!!) We arrived in Bali and the lovely hotel had arranged to pick us up. So off to Hotel Restu Bali in Legian. A great little hotel that was in my Frommer's guide - a "rabbit warren" and a nice oasis - with spectacular pools - away from the hustle and bustle of the street.
So we dropped off our stuff and in good fashion we headed out for food and refreshment....which took us by the newly erected memorial commemorating the Oct 14, 2002 bombing...that took place in a nightclub no more than 100m from our hotel (aka ground zero). Very numbing...and it's this event that has really shaped the island so intensely. While tourism is rising it's still no where pre-bombing levels..and the people of Bali, but especially here in Lombok, are reeling from that economic downturn.
We did our best to keep things going andset out early morning for Kuta Beach - which is just amazing. Great surfing and a long stretch of white sand. We were early and so took advantage of the empty space to catch some rays. I had forgotten to bring sunscreen and thought...(and so did MC)...what's an hour or soin the sun. HAHAHAHAHA Well needless to say I turned a little pink....but have since recovered.
I'm not going to bore you with all the details of our stay in Bali - but we are going back to that island, specifically to check out Ubud. We did take a tour to the many craftmans shops and at lunch overlooking Mt. Badur (the volcano).
The trip to Lombok was the most we've done, how we say, blindfolded. We bought our ticket for the ferry (yep - I do get nauseous on boats...especially 4 hour long rides) and got to Senggigi with minor hiccups. First we weren't totally sure that transfer to our final destination would be followed through on. It was all very rushed and there was lots of negotiating going on. But we were met in Lembar (after inhaling a inordinate amount of CO2 waiting for the cars to leave the hold...) and take to Senggigi. Hotel was tbd. Well our transfer had a friend who had a friend who was arranging travel to Mt. Rinjani (and we wanted to do that trek). But after a day with little food and water I wasn't interested in negotiating those details....didn't matter. It wasn't until I told Abdul that we weren't going to be guilted in to anything and wanted some time to think about it....that I thought I wasn't meant to be here. But it's that persistance that has marked every person we've run in to or run in to us (on the street or on the beach). And if you think that tourism has been suffering that terribly it's understanble...they need to live. And I hate quibbling over a couple dollars....but don't want to be taken advantage of..... I'm learning the ropes.
Dinner last night was eaten at an indonesian restaurant in essentially a strip mall. The food was cheap and AMAZING (we actually went back there today). Did I mention the power was out in the entire city - including our hotel? The walk back to the hotel was in PITCH BLACK. Truly incredible - and just knowing how the trucks, buses, motorcycles, bikes and horse-drawn carts drive around in a chaotic mess it could've been more interested...but we made it. Upon arriving at the hotel we were handed a candle and the security guard escorted us to our place (The Mascot - a lovely balinese bungalow on the beach for $20/night). Luckily our supplies were close at hand (flashlight, candle, matches, handi-wipes, etc)and we were assured the electricity would be on in 20 minutes, 1 hours...maybe. And so we planned for the worst and hunkered down with a bottle of wine that we prepared to drink on the breezy terrace (our place was rather warm inside). Just as MC corked the wine....thelight came on!!!! A little sad as I was looking forward to the adventure of roughing it....but uponfinding the cockroach in the bathroom once the light was back on I was little happy I would have a bit more time to ease in to things!!! Nevertheless we sat on the terrace and drank the wine while the chants from the mosques (Lombok is muslim and it's ramadan, Bali isn't muslim) sang through the air. The chants went on for a good part of the evening and it made me realize just how little I understand.....and that I want to learn more.
I hope this all makes sense.....there are so many thoughts and feelings reeling through my head. I'm captivated with the children who are so beautiful and carefree. We're sitting here in an internet cafe typing away furiously while all the adults around us are sitting on the floor lying down....but the little girl is running around singing and dancing....I love it.

We're off to hike Mt. Rinjani (volcano) and will do that in the next couple days. We're here for one week when we head backto Bali...and we return to Singapore on the 28th where I plan to see my friend Mercedes who's in town for business. What luck!!!
Hope to provide more insightful updates in the future.

Email from Michael - World Trek 10/13: Well we made it...

Okay everyone -

I promise not to send daily updates but I did want to let everyone know
that we arrived safely after a (not so) glorious trip from LA to Tokyo
to Singapore. The flight was delayed by an hour...but we "made up"
time on the way so everything was on-time - which was important b/c we
had important appointments here in Singapore at 1:20am when we arrived.
The other highlight was the 84 Farenheit temperature (at 1am)...you
can imagine how hot it will be today.

Thank god Deanna had the foresight to schedule an airport pick-up. It
seems that my Mandarin is pretty rusty and Deanna has not spoken Tamil
or Malay since fourth grade (that's a joke for those of you who don't
know her).

At that point (having smartly slept on the plane like frequent world
travelers) we went to eat and had a wonderful crab. The only downside
was the mysterious market price although we were promised "you won't be
disappointed" by the waiter who of course, we never saw again. But the
food was great. The other thing was apparently this restaurant does
not believe in napkins...I would have taken a picture of our hands but
I didn't want to ruin the camera. Let's just say it was not one of the
finer moments in etiquette.

I've already figured out that we have too much stuff. I am considering
jettisoning my tuxedo and/or the portable electricity generator.

More later...(you know when we've actually done something interesting).

Mike

first night in singapore...(hope it makes sense...)

After traveling 10.5 hours from LAX to Tokyo (2 meal + a Snack) and another 7+ flight complete wiht yet another snack we finally made it to Singapore. The travel day was full of adventures (i guess) but the highlight usually revolved around the meal service and limited entertainment choices. But who am I to complain - was just so excited to finally be on the way!!!! It was very hard to say good bye - and many of you know.....but this next chapter is so very exciting!!!! Over the past few days I've just been been eating...more our of fear of not having it or rather a certain kind of food while I'm away. But silly me. Michael says I worry to much - but i really just talk talk talk....and what I truly deem to be problematic is not often revealed in the same manner. Communication is key and we'll be working out those details!
In any case we arrived in the dead of night with a bit of energy (much opposed to my plan.....but I will learn to roll with the punches. The hotel had arranged for us to be picked up which was actually lovely given the lateness in the day. And when we checked in we were pleasantly surprised to have a fax addressed to us from our wonderful friend Sharon - what a thoughtful gesture - thank you so much!!!!
It was late (approx. 2 am - note we are 15 hours ahead of PST) but we stepped out to meet our surroundings and nosh a some amazing crab (the seasoning was amazing) and spicy noodles and toast our new city with a Tiger Beer. It was good but it required lots of work - the crab that is. Next time I have to find someone who can tend to it more expertly.
The Dawn will unveil so much.... starting with switching rooms cause the one we were originally given was on the first floor and consequently we heard lots of traffic. The latest room is much quieter - but while the decor and amenities are lovely - there really isn't much space. MC says it's just something to get use to and I agree. Although I hope to never settle when it comes to hotel rooms, food, placement in restaurants, on public transport, etc. Let see if I get beat down.

Here with Erik.....

So it's Deanna here....I'm up in Napa with Erik and Tobey...and you have to thank Erik for naming the blog. He was wonderful enough to help me set it up but when all the chosen names were gone....we had to come up with something! Thanks Erik.
Napa is actually the 4th stop on my world tour - first was Fargo....second was Monterey....third was San Francisco...and 4th is here. It was a lovely morning - the view waking up in the guest room was the sun rising over the mountains just across from this lovely abode. I'm in final preparation mode so I'm off to do a few errands today.
It is hard to say "good bye" to everyone - but thanks to a wonderful pep talk from my friends and family I am ready to take on this new adventure....starting Monday, October 11th @ 1:15pm (off to Singapore).
Stay tuned!!!