Sri Lanka Part 2

After my crazy journey from the airport to the hostel to the train in Colombo, I was relieved to be arrive in Kandy.  Waiting at the station was my friend Supun with her driver.  With Supun’s guidance and help I would see much more of central Sri Lanka in 48 hours than I ever thought possible.

Australian friends in Sri Lanka

Supun is a friend I met will studying abroad in Fremantle, Australia.  We were put into the same volunteer group that traveled to the Australian outback.  We had a ton of fun learning gardening, farming, construction, and hunting knowledges from the locals.  We even went rabbit and kangaroo hunting late at night with our hosts.  Supun’s spunky optimistic Buddhist ideals balanced my snarky Western sarcasm.  We’ve stayed in touch with email for the past five years but this was the first time we’d been able to catchup.  During all those years she implored me to visit Sri Lanka so when I got the chance while in Asia, I took it.   And it worked out quite well as Supun would also be in Sri Lanka during that time for a Med School elective. 

From the train station we took a three-wheeler to her relative’s place where she was staying.  They showed me warm hospitality with a tea with milk and sugar.  The saying goes that the more someone likes a guest the sweeter they make their tea.  This tea was very sweet!   Supun and I got to hang out with the little grandson there who was adorable.  

Elephant Orphanage

After packing supplies for our day we took the three wheeler to the Pinnawala ElephantOrphanage.  The journey was a bit long and bumpy on the three-wheeler but it was exciting and scenic as well.  The Elephant  Orphanage was fantastic.  They had 30-40 elephants of all ages and shapes.  When we saw them they were bathing in the river.  Supun and I were able to pet and feed them bananas.  Feeding them was tricky as we’d offer them one banana and their trunk would go straight towards the bag with the rest of the bananas.  The mischievous elephants were clever and nimble.  We spent an hour or two watching them frolic and socialize in the water.  The young baby elephants were especially playful and energetic.  After their bath, the elephants marched to their home.  We watched from a few feet away as these massive animals stormed back with alarming speed and power. 

Elephants bathing at the river near the Orphanage

Elephants powering through the streets

Elephant harassment - not sure who is giving or receiving

After the orphanage, we purchased a few souvenirs from the area and were then on our way to grab some Sri Lankan lunch.  Supun consistently insisted that I try every Sri Lankan food possible.  This made for a tasty and filling experience.  At the pre-lunch spot we grabbed fish rolls, lou mapan, and deserts.  The last time I had met with Supun, my taste in food was rather bland.  This time I was able to eat all the spicy stuff without complaints.  In fact, I impressed and shocked many of the Sri Lankans with my ability to eat the local food. 

Hospitals in Sri Lanka may get you sicker

After the pre-lunch we visited the public hospital she was working at.  In Sri Lanka, public hospitals offer all their services and medicines for free to the population.  As such it’s oversubscribed and underfunded.  The hospital floor reminded me of a war hospital with many beds crammed into an open room and patients writhing in pain.  The sanitary conditions were not up to western standards, for example, stray dogs just wander through.  Supun’s advice was “don’t get sick and if you do, go to the hospital once you get back”.  At the hospital we caught up with Supun's colleague and friend Chalani.  

Kandy City

We traveled to Kandy the major city in central Sri Lanka.  There we visited the Sri Dalada Maligawa, The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, one of Sri Lanka's most holy spots.  It contains a tooth from the Buddha which had immense spiritual importance as well as political relevance.  The rulers of Sri Lanka used possession of the tooth as a sign of government legitimacy.  In the temple was a museum that had the history of the tooth.  The legend says the tooth came over in the hair of a princess and the tooth was then shuttled from capital to capital over millenia as Sri Lanka resisted invasion.  

The temple itself was impressive in it's aura, beauty and decoration.  We offered flowers, said a prayer, lit a candle and lit incense, which came in handy later in the day.  Every year the people around Kandy celebrate Esala Perahera, the festival of the tooth.  It has ornately decorated dancers, elephants, music and much more.  The ceremony has come to symbolize Sri Lanka.  It was highly recommended that I come back for Perahera.

At the temple with our flower offerings

Perahara pictures of ceremony at the Sri Dalada Maligawa.

After the temple, we grabbed some food and prepared for our journey to the north.  We grabbed some egg hoppers and kutto for a nice meal.  Disaster struck though.  As we were leaving Supun realized her iphone was misplaced.  After a bit of panic by everyone we deduced that it must have been left back in the parking lot we were at 15 minutes prior.  So we drove back knowing that the odds of finding the phone were low.  But upon arriving back we saw the iphone in it's glorious pink case.  It landed face down and was right by where our car had been.  A minor miracle to say the least given how busy the parking lot was and how long the phone was left there.  We gave credit to our offering at the Temple for bringing us good fortune. 

The next day Supun and some of her relatives picked me up for a journey north to some of the most spiritual and beautiful sights in Sri Lanka.

Melaka and Kuala Lumpur

Note: I got back safely to the US a few weeks ago and was able to enjoy spending time with family and friends.  I'll be finishing up with the last 4 posts on my travel.  Best of luck in the new year.

Megan’s audit trips took her to Kuala Lumpur for a weekend.  I was able to catchup with her.  We explored KL a little bit and also sampled Melaka.

Melaka – a past maritime power

Melaka is a historic port town.  Once known as the Venice of the East, old Melaka attracted maritime trade from Europe, Middle East, Indian, China and Southeast Asia.  Its policy as a free trade zone made it an amazingly successful and diverse bazaar.  The wealth inevitably attracted the European colonial powers (the Portuguese, Dutch and British).  Under colonial rule, Melaka’s trade was heavily taxed and the port’s influence and economic vibrancy faded.  Other port cities such as Penang and Singapore were prioritized over Melaka. 

Today Melaka is a small city worth a visit.  The old historical buildings are fascinating and there are museums for every interest.  The maritime museum and ethnology museums are informative and extensive.  The Chinatown neighborhood has plenty of antique shopping but beware as that quality varies.  Melaka has plenty to explore for a day trip or a quick weekend jaunt.

Standing outside the Maritime Museum

Melaka's Chinatown with a cool dragon decoration

Delicious food in Melaka

Melaka has some unique takes on cuisine.  One of the first things we had was Popiah which is a spring roll on steroids.  Like Singapore, Kuching, and Penang, Melaka has its own take on Laksa.  We tried both o those dishes and more at  Nancy's Kitchen Restaurant.  And for dinner we crushed some Satay Celup.  It’s similar to steamboat where we select the raw ingredients on skewers which dump into a boiling vat to cook; the difference being that instead of boiling flavored water there is boiling peanut sauce.  The tables had built in heating and containers to keep the peanut sauce warm.  After a few minutes of sitting in the boiling sauce, the food was ready to devour.  Satay is normally quite tasty and even though the end product was probably not quite as good as normal satay, the novelty of the celup style made it worth trying once. 

The satay celup peanut sauce heating up in the middle of the table.

Megan enjoying playing with her food

Kuala Lumpur

KL is a tin miing town that has boomed into a megacity and the capital of Malaysia.  KL’s metro population is over 7 million and the city is very spread out.  The public transportation is inconsistent thus logistical issues prevented us from fully exploring KL.  There were a few things worth mentioning.

There is a solid bar and restaurant scene in the Golden Triangle area of the city.  It’s good for a night out with plenty of bars and clubs to hop to.  We visited an Irish Bar that played mostly 80s music so we enjoyed that.

We also had an interesting visit to a Ramen restaurant for lunch on Sunday.  After watching ND clinch their undefeated season, we celebrated with lunch.  Megan got a beer and I did the adult thing and ordered a coke float.  The Ramen was fantastically flavorful and it had detailed step-by-step instructions on how to enjoy the Ramen.  It’s not just eating the Ramen; it’s enjoying the smells, the separate tastes and sequencing the eating.  During our lunch we had 3-4 little asian kids stare at us from across the booth dividers, which is a perk of sticking out like a sore thumb.  Our booth had L shaped seating, the best of both worlds (same siding and opposite siding).  When we went to pay for the Ramen, Megan won us a free lunch.  Pretty kick ass.

Ramen, gyoza, beer, and coke float

Singapore-Malaysia Soccer Game

Reading the local newspaper is a great travel tip.  It’s an easy way to understand what the locals are thinking and to relate to them in conversation.  The newspaper is also a source of event information.  We learned about the AFF Suzuki Cup which is a Southeast Asian soccer tournament for the national teams.  Malaysia was hosting Singapore for the first round on Sunday night so Megan and I decided to go.  Neither of us had ever been to a soccer game before so we eagerly anticipated the game.  It was great fun.  The crowd was raucous, especially the Malaysian super-fan supporter section.  They rolled out massive banners, banged on drums and taunted Singapore pretty much all night (see the video below during the national anthems).  We sat in the Singapore section and things got real exciting when Singapore scored.  The 3 Lions as they are known routed Malaysia 3-0 (Note that Singapore would eventually win the tournament as an underdog which is awesome).  It was a cool authentic experience as we were some of the only white people amidst the crowd of 40,000.  A weird thing happened though.  A number of Malaysian strangers would randomly walk up to us and say “welcome to Malaysia” then leave and laugh.  Not sure if it’s an inside joke.

Getting back to the soccer game was an adventure as we almost ran out of money and the trains stopped running.  We contemplated selling our excess possessions to fund our travel back.  Fortunately we found an ATM so I still have my KAMSC t-shirt from high school.  And don’t worry folks this (running out of money) doesn't happen very often to us.  We survived and were able to make it back; Megan worked the next day and I traveled back to Singapore.

Hanoi - A beautiful synthesis of past and future

While Megan and I really enjoyed Ho Chi Minh City, all the travelers we spoke to emphasized that Hanoi was much better.  Hanoi is a beautiful and grand old city (a few years past a 1000 years old).  Hanoi still has many of the cultural elements from its history and combines that with the hustle and bustle of a modern dynamic city.  It is a beautiful synthesis of past and future that creates an amazing present experience for tourists and residents alike.

Hostel

While in Hanoi we stayed near Hoan Kiem Lake near the old city center.  It was a great base of operations from which to investigate the city.  Hanoi's streets were quite narrow with plenty of sidewalks so it is an extremely walkable city (if you can cross the street through traffic).  We spent hours on foot exploring the parks, shops, alleys, cafes and street vendors.  We chose Central Backpackers as our hostel in order to experience dorm living for our first time in SE Asia.  Unfortunately we don't have crazy stories about violent cocaine addicts, inappropriate public sex acts, or dramatic cheating scenarios (things I ran into during my backpacker times in Australia).  We did however meet a number of interesting folks from the US, England, Germany and Dubai.

By Hoan Kiam Lake - gorgeous setting in the city center

I'm excited to be by one of the few still existing Lenin statues
#nerdy

Fun Nights

The hostel had a free beer happy hour which helped facilitate the meeting of the cool people.  The most interesting character was a middle aged blue color guy from the US who was amazingly well traveled and spoken for his socioeconomic status.  After the free beer ran dry, Megan, myself, and our new friends decided to try authentic Vietnamese snake wine.  This particular jug of wine had seven snakes and multiple spiders in it.  The taste was surprisingly likeable, better than house whiskey or vodka.  The hangover however did leave a bit to be desired.

The bar nightlife scene in Hanoi is amusing.  There are many regulations on the bars and nightclubs but there's a wink-wink nod-nod culture and lots of blind eye turning by the police.  For example, we had to clear out of a bar multiple times when the police came by but then we resumed our merry festivities as normal after they passed.  We capped off our most exciting night by going to one of the underground clubs.  The part of town was so quiet, I had Megan hold the cab until I could verify the place actually had a nightclub.  Inside it was a rager of a party and we enjoyed letting loose with our new friends.

Our Jug of snake wine

The Sights

One of the most interesting sights we visited was the Temple of Literature which is Vietnam's oldest University.  At the front gate is an amusing sign commanding each visitor to dismount their horse before entering.  The temples inside were ornate and the grounds were immaculately landscaped.  Across that street was a quiet oasis-like park juxtaposed to the busy neighborhood and packed apartments.  Here Megan and I stumbled upon an illicit cock fighting ring.  Quite shocking seeing the poor animals wickedly hurt each other.  Another interesting sight was the Hanoi Hilton.  Famous for having hosted John McCain and other American POWs.  The Vietnamese propoganda about prisoner conditions is quite humorous.  It wouldn't fool many people except maybe for Jane Fonda. The one attraction we were able to see was the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.  Uncle Ho, the still revered leader of Vietnam's independence, was in Russia for repair.  The respect they pay him to this stay is impressive.

Entrance to the Temple of Literature - hold your horses

John McCain's flight suit

Water Puppets!!

Another cool cultural experience was seeing a performance of traditional Vietnamese Water Puppetry.  This artform originates from the rice paddy fields in Vietnam's villages.  The music, puppets and lights display were entertaining: sometimes informative, sometimes funny and sometimes confusing.  It is definitely worth checking out.  We even had a blooper moment where one of the hosts forgot her lines, had to excuse herself and came back later with a printed script and red face.  The other hosts had to stifle their laughter.  The video doesn't quite do it justice so check out youtube.

The puppets

Street Food that Rocks

And lastly we really enjoyed the food.  We raved about the food in Ho Chi Minh City and again Vietnam delivered awesome food for cheap.  The pho was fragrant and flavorful.  Amazingly the ingredients (including the meat) were high quality given the bargain prices.  The bun cha was amazing with the really tasty Vietnamese fish sauce.  And the spring rolls were excellent.  We ate the majority of our meals on short stools  on the sidewalks.  Nothing fussy or pretentious, just really good food.

Bun Cha - my new favorite Vietnamese food

Enjoying some relaxation in the gorgeous cafes by the streets

Conclusion:

• Hanoi has a great blend of authentic and dynamic
• It's a city that is friendly for on-foot exploration
• There weren't any killer sights to see (maybe Halong Bay)
• The nightlife was fun and the food tasty
• Go visit Hanoi!

Leisure Time at Halong Bay

Located near Northern Vietnam in the South China Sea is a beautiful bay featuring thousands of limestone islands.  The most famous part of this bay is known as Halong Bay. It’s unique geography and pristine setting make it a UNESCO world heritage site.  During our trip back to Vietnam, Megan and I explored Halong Bay and neighboring Cat Ba Island via a cruise with Vega Travel.

Enjoying the scenery on one of our more relaxing vacations.

 Boat Life

We arrived at Halong Bay after a treacherous 4 hour bus ride from Hanoi on 1-lane roads with many narrow accident misses.  Our tour guide and boat team helped us navigate the hectic bay and make the way to our Junk Boat.  One of the cool things about Halong Bay is the number of interesting boats.  There are plenty of authentic Junk Boats operated by tour operators that give the bay an authentic Vietnamese feel.  Each boat has lodging available for guests and staff, as well as a kitchen, a dining room, and a sun bathing deck.  Families and crew live onboard.  They work to make each guest's experience relaxing.  It was a like a mini-cruise ship experience.  Throughout our trip we had excellent views of the numerous limestone islands.  Megan and I enjoyed hanging out with the little kids living on board.  There was a cute 2 year old girl who enjoyed playing with our food and a 5 year old little boy who loved playing soccer with us.       

Panorama of the bay from our boat.

Good friends and food

We also met some interesting travelers from all over the world.  There were couples from Germany, France, Ireland and two other couples from the US.  Although it sounds like a "couples retreat" it wasn't all that bad.  People shared war stories from their travels and tips on what to do and see in the region.  We enjoyed drinking and getting to know the Irish folks Alex and Sarah.  The family from the US was great, they taught us a bunch about Vietnamese food and were real fun to spend time with.  Throughout the cruise we were feed really well.  The food quality was solid and the variety of Asian cuisines was nice.  Some of the highlights were: grilled fish, fried shrimp balls, and spring rolls.  It was impressive how excellent the meals were despite the limitations of a small kitchen and boat supplies.   We also enjoyed attentive and inventive bar service.

Adventures on the Bay

Exploring a cave in Halong Bay.

While on the bay we were able to explore the beautiful sights up close.  We had opportunities to kayak at dusk and dawn.  At dusk we entered a peaceful cove that was inhabited by adventurous monkeys.  We got up close and personal with them as they climbed down the jagged limestone cliffs to check us out.  The setting was movie-like in its serene lush aesthetics.  We also were able to kayak around the floating villages of fish and oyster farms.  It was fascinating to the see the juxtaposition of the gritty shanties next to the beautiful abundance of the bay.  While life may be beautiful for the locals it was certainly not easy.

Many of the limestone islands also had interesting caves.  We toured the largest one and were treated to fascinating sights of geological formations.  Our tour guide was hilariously inventive with the animal shapes he saw in the rocks.  Some of his greatest finds were: a lucky turtle, a dragon, a shark, and kissing chickens.  We hiked to the top of one of the islands to get a great panorama of the Bay. 

Boats in the Bay in the early morning

The gritty boating villages in the Bay.

Cat Ba Island Fever

On the last full day of our trip we visited Cat Ba island which neighbors Halong Bay.  There we biked through the country side and saw farms, jungles, mountains and villages all on the same island.  The highlight for me was channeling my inner Tarzan as I climbed a mountain side using a few footholds and ginormous tree roots.  We spent the night in Cat Ba city which isn't much to blog about.  The rainy weather (really the only bad weather we've had in all our weekend trips) was a bit of a downer but even without it there seemed to be little to do and see during non-peak season. 

Climbing the caves in Cat Ba's jungles, using only
tree branches and rocky make-shift footholds.

On the beach taking a break from kayaking.

Conclusion

Seeing Halong Bay was great.  There was a bit of adventure but the main benefits were good service and seeing one of the most beautiful and unique places in the world.  It is definitely worth the trip.   

Singapore Fun with Guests

I’ve been living in Singapore almost three months now, and it’s easy to find myself habituating to the city.  Interesting peculiarities like the MRT (the subway system), the funny signs and even the diversity of the city are no longer top of mind.  And interesting places have been put on the back burner in order to focus on weekend travel and work.  So it was great when two groups of friends came to visit the past two weeks.  It provided a reminder of Singapore’s uniqueness, a chance to share our knowledge, and an excuse to knock off a few items on our Singapore bucket list.

Mr. & Mrs. Blevins come to Singapore

  

Mr. Jim Blevins and Mrs. Michelle Blevins, parents of our friend Eric, came into town for work.  I was so excited to hear that they were coming that I excitedly wrote up a Singapore’s greatest hits list as a guide.  The list ended up being a bit too long but it was good starting point. Here are the highlights:

Eat - the food in Singapore is phenomenal, whether it's a fancy restaurant or a cheap meal, you can find tons of interesting experiences that rival New Orleans food.

• Hawker Centers - you need to stop by one of these places just to check it out.   They are food courts on steroids and offer extremely cheap foods of very diverse varieties.  You can't go wrong with the Indian food or Chicken Rice.  Look to go wherever has the longest line.
• Chilli Crab - this is a Singapore delicacy and absolutely phenomenal
• Char Kway Teow - a fried noodle dish that is really tasty, can be found in the Hawker stands
• Laksa - a spicy coconut noodle soup, can be found in the Hawker stands

See - there are plenty of cool attractions in Singapore given the cultural diversity and the country's desire to become a tourist hub

• Chinatown - lots of cool shops and souvenir shops.  A bit touristy but the shop house architecture is cool and the Chinatown museum is fascinating.  I'm sure you could find Eric lots of Hello Kitty souvenirs to bring back :)
• Little India - the aroma, the pace, the people - it's like being in India but without having to get sick!  I recommend coming here at night.  There are beautiful Chinese, Hindu and Muslim temples
• Museums - the Asian Civilizations Museum is great.  It shows the history of the major cultures here in Singapore.  Really well done.  The Art museums are pretty cool as well.  Fort Canning is nearby and is a good spot to see the city and to get some wild life.
• Orchard Road shopping - this one is for you Mrs. Blevins.  Singapore's national past time is shopping, and Orchard Road is the most popular place to do so.  Things are not necessarily cheap, but there's tons of places and selection.

Megan and I were able to catch up with Jim and Michelle for dinner at Indochine before they left.  We traded stories of travels, mishaps and ironies.  As the adventurous semi-locals, Megan and I took responsibility for widening Jim and Michelle's food experience.  We had some very tasty cuisine at Indochine (a Southeast Asian fusion restaurant) including scallops, shrimp, black pepper beef and fried rice.  When desert came, we tried our best to sell them on ice cream sandwiches with real bread; but that was just too out there for them.  It was a great dinner and it was special talking to folks from back in the US. 

Jesse McGannon Rolls in

Our friend Jesse came in town as part of his Asian/US vacation tour.  We showed him some of the best Singapore has to offer, as well as the island resort jewel of Rawa (to be covered in the next post).  Friday night we went out to One Altitude at the world’s highest al fresco bar.  The views of the city skyline and Marina Bay were inspiring at night.  We then ventured from there to Clark Quay for some socializing and dancing at China One.  The melting pot of cultures makes the nightlife scene especially interesting.  It’s quite easy to meet really nice people and bond with them despite the fact that they are completely different.  We got a ride back from the most Singaporean cab driver ever.  See was bragging about how her night was going really well because she was hitting all of her KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators).  I tried to convince her that excessive honking should be one of her KPI’s but she was unconvinced.  On Monday night, Jesse tackled the Marina Bay Sands casino and found good luck at Blackjack.  The casino is outrageous in its annual profitability so we expected extravagance.  The experience was better than Midwest casinos but not quite as nice as Vegas.  The games at MBS were quite kooky and strange like Sic Bo and Lucky 8.  The blackjack table even allowed gamblers to bet on other people’s hands; a lot more pressure to make the right call to hit or stay!

Jesse clearly enjoying the Boantic Gardens

During the day we’ve been able to visit some of the cultural attractions with Jesse.  One example is the Singapore Botanic Gardens.  This is a majestically maintained park that has a diverse set of fauna and the world’s largest Orchid garden.  A really nice and relaxing place in the middle of the bustling city.  Another attraction we visited was the National Museum of Singapore.  Here we learned about Singapore's  history through a tablet and headphones that provided an interactive element to the exhibits.  Top-notch museum.

No visit to Singapore would be complete without trying some of the interesting foods.  We took Jesse to the hawker stalls to sample authentic Singaporean cuisine and atmosphere.  La Pau Sat is quite the experience for visitors.  We visited Little India Sunday night to try some excellent Indian cuisine and to experience the hustle and bustle of the area.  Sunday night is an active night in the community and the neighborhood was packed with people doing business and socializing.   Interestingly it was extremely male dominated in the streets and social areas.   We ate at the Banana Leaf Apollo and had butter chicken, garlic naan, bryiani rice, and fish head curry.  The fish head curry was something I wouldn't normally order but since it was on the Singapore must try list, I ventured out.  The tastiness of the curry sauce and sweetly flavored meat trumped the ugly looks and fish bone logistics.  Megan even enjoyed eating the eyeball after losing a rock-paper-scissors battle.  We also had Chili Crab one night which is another Singapore must.

Fish head curry - a real delicacy

Singapore is such a unique and interesting place.  It’s enjoyable to share our knowledge and experiences here with others.  There’s still a few more things on our bucket list, so if anyone is interested in visiting Singapore, feel free to come in the next two months.

Weekend in Penang

A couple of weekends ago Megan and I visited Penang.  Penang is a Malaysian island off the western coast of the Malay Peninsula.  A visit was recommended in order to experience of its great food and laid back atmosphere.  We spent two days and on the island with the majority of our time in Georgetown (the old colonial center).

Monkey Beach at Taman Negara National Park.

We arrived in Penang early Saturday morning and we took a cab immediately to the Northwest corner of the island to visit Taman Negara National Park.  Here we trekked through the hills of the jungle, close by to the seashore.  We saw a number of cool sights: playful monkeys, the largest ants I’ve ever seen and naturally occurring waterfalls.  The sounds and smells of the jungle were intoxicating.  The treacherous hiking path reminded me of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.  Our pot of gold at the end of our journey was a really nice beach sparsely populated with locals.  We soaked in the pristine sights, cooled off from the humid hot weather, and then took a power boat back to civilization. 

The unique architectural contrasts (a Chinese temple next to a colonial style building)

In Georgetown we stayed at the Hutton Lodge.  The spartan guesthouse provided a convenient base from which to explore by foot the historic Georgetown area.  We were blocks away from Chinatown, Little India, nightlife and the colonial areas.  The mix of cultures was quite similar to Singapore.  Georgetown is a UNESCO World Heritage site due to its shophouse architecture.  Throughout the area were former Chinese clan houses which were really interesting.  The clan houses were bases where associations would gather to meet, conduct business and protect their own members.  It’s a mix of a Kiwanis Club, a Mafia family, and a Frat House.  The coolest architectural site was a Chinese temple that we saw during a night ceremony.  Impressive during the day, the building really impressed when it was lit up at night.  Sunday we took a self guided walking tour by the colonial landmarks and we learned about Penang’s past.  The Penang History Museum was a great pit stop that provided a cool air conditioning break during the tour.

Megan in front of the Khoo Khongsi Temple

The food in Penang is quite good.  Similar to Singapore it is a mix of Asia influences, especially Chinese and Malay.  We ate at a Hawker center with locals (we were the only white people there) and ordered some tasty Char Kway Teow and Laksa.  Our Saturday late night food stop was a street vendor burger stop.  The burgers were mouth-watering with fried egg, sweet chili sauce, succulent patties and a crisp yet fluffy bun.  It was by far the best burger I’ve had in a while; Megan and I shared one, and then I ordered a second burger just to experience it again.  Another awesome food delicacy was the Bacon jerky seasoned in chili sauce that we got at the street fair.  Slightly crispy yet still soft, the bacon was addicting.  Our only bad food experience was at the Red Garden Food Paradise.  We had to eat rather quickly to catch our Sunday night return flight so we settled on this place.  Upon arrival we realized it was a trap (a tourist trap).  The food vendors were aggressive in selling their food and the pictures looked a lot better than the actual food.  We ordered a Char Kway Teow that was subpar and the worst soft shell crab I’ve ever had.  This crab was cooked in very bready batter and the end result was what Long John Silver’s soft shell crab would be like.  Quite gross.  Penang couldn’t end on a high note, but it was a good overall experience regardless.

Penang clocktower dedicated to Queen Victoria

 Penang is a fun place to visit.  The food and culture are quite interesting and similar to Singapore. Both cities share a history as strong port cities that became important British settlements.  They both have a strong mix of cultures that colors their neighborhoods and foods.  Singapore is more developed but Penang has charm as a sleepy town with gems to find.  Penang is a nice place to visit but not essential to a Southeast Asia tour.

Asia Gangnam Style

While in Penang last weekend, Megan and I came across a street festival in Georgetown.  The festival was similar to those in the US with local business vendor booths, interesting county fair style foods (gotta love fried foods and meat on a stick), and musical entertainment.  Except that the musical entertainment wasn't a live band but a dance off.  And the dance off wasn't teams dancing to different songs but instead they were dancing to the same exact song in its entirety.  And that song was none other than the viral sensation Gangnam Style. 

If you are new to Gangnam Style, the quick debrief is that its a Korean pop song that satires the conspicuous consumption lifestyles in the rich Gangnam district of Seoul.  Most Korean pop is sappy garbage (think Michael Bubble and Hannah Montana), so the critique elements of this song are quick unique.  The song itself is very catchy and the dance moves are outrageous.  Which makes it a good candidate for a dance-off competition.  Let's meet our competitors:

Competitor 1: Old Guy who sucked

I'm not sure if this guy lost a bet or was delusional about his own abilities.  He had a relatively serious face with thoroughly mediocre "moves" I don't think his knees bent to an angle less than 165 degrees.  His jazz hands were ok but none of his moves corresponded to the music video or song.  Overall grade: C-

 

Competitors #2: The well rehearsed teenagers

The lead contenders had to be teenagers who were on top of this song months ago and had been rehearsing day and night since then.  These folks were legitimately very good.  They brought energy and performed some physically difficult moves.  They also had good group coordination which cannot be overestimated in difficulty.  Lastly, they gave proper homage to the video by using some of its moves and even having the lead dancer dressing like the singer. The only drawback was that the girl in the group was less into it than the others, dragging down the team effort.  Overall grade: A-

Competitors #3: The adorable kids

These kids were awesome.  They were really well rehearsed and totally unfazed by the large crowds and they had really good dance moves.  The fact that they were 7 and 8 made it even better.  Plus you gotta love the bow-tie.  Overall grade: A+  The Champs!

Conclusion:  Gangnam Style is huge globally right now, and Penang is no different.  The crowds for this event were very large but here was a complete absence of crowd participation or enthusiasm.  Crowd singing and cheering and dancing would have enhanced this competition by 200%.  Nevertheless, Megan and I found entertainment gold when we stumbled upon this.  One of those great spontaneous travel moments.  And the spicy chili bacon from the street vendors was delicious.  Street festivals are wonderful no matter where they are.

Bali Weekend: Two days is not enough

Last weekend Megan and I traveled to Bali.  Bali is a small island (around the size of Delaware) that is part of the Indonesian archipelago.  It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in SE Asia because of its gorgeous beaches, open culture, and interesting wild life.  Australians in particular love Bali, and they describe it as "their Hawaii".


This post's title mentions that two days is not enough, and that is very true.  Bali has pretty much every warm tourist activity/attraction you could think of:

• Water sports
• Beaches
• Surfing
• Hiking
• Camping
• Bars/Night Clubs
• Cultural sites
• Home stays
• Nice Restaurants

Unfortunately we had a short amount of time in Bali (3 nights and 2 days) so we tried to maximize as best we could.

Volcanos and rice fields in Bali

Lodging

Many different lodging areas have emerged to cater different tourists interests.  The most famous area is probably Kuta Beach where the backpackers stay.  Some refer to this as an Australian ghetto because of all the visitors.  It was interesting seeing the majority of shops selling Australian themed shirts and knick-knacks.  We stayed in Kuta our last night to experience the nightlife and have a short airport ride in the morning.  For the first two nights we stayed in Nusa Dua which is the resorty upscale area.  This provided a relaxing home base with nice access to private beaches.  The resort itself was nice with pools, spas, cabanas, bars and multiple restaurants but the atmosphere was more vacation/sterile than adventurous.

View from our room at the Laguna Resort Nusa Dua

Surfing
Our first day we took surfing lessons in Kuta with Odyssey Surf shop. This was our second time taking surfing lessons on vacation (the first being in Mexico).  Both of us remembered how to do it, but were in need of some practice.   The surf scene was pretty good.  It was scenic and the water was shallow and warm.  The only drawbacks to surfing in Kuta are that the waves were short lived and the water was quite crowded. For the more experienced surfer, Bali has plenty of other world class locations.

Dinner on the Beach

Saturday night we had BBQ seafood on the beach.  The sunset, sand, waves, and relaxing local music could have been a seen for a Corona commercial.  Our prawns, crab, and fish were grilled and then coated with a delicious "spicy" Balinease sauce.  Megan is convinced that whenever we order Spicy, the locals dial it back a few notches because of a perception that foreigners can't handle the heat.

Dinner and drinks on the beach

After dinner we enjoyed local beers while watching the waves crash against the beach.  A local mariachi-like band was playing for the guests.  After playing "Wonderful Tonight" for the third time, Megan and I decided that we would request whatever the band liked to play the most.  When they came by, we asked their favorite song and without hesitation one of them exclaimed "Johnny Cash" and they busted out Folsom Prison Blues.  This was unexpected and hilarious.

Cycling and Whitewater Rafting

Sunday continued our foray into adventure outdoor activities.  We went cycling down a volcano and through the local villages.  Our descent was pretty consistent throughout so we managed to pedal for less than 2 minutes during our 20 KM trip.  The steep hills were nerve wracking at times, especially for Megan. I've mentioned before how cycling is one of the best ways to interact with the locals.  We were able to see local houses, wood shops, temples, stores, and cultural sites.  The landscape in Bali is a luscious green and blue.  Despite all the growth and development it is still very natural in parts.  Another highlight of the cycling trip was the trying Bali coffee and tea.  We were even offered Kopi Luwak which is coffee made from beans digested by a cat.  I kid you not, it is one of the most expensive coffees in the world.

Bike Sites

In the afternoon we took a whitewater rafting trip.  This was the highlight of the entire Bali trip.  It was a great blend of physical exertion, beautiful sightseeing and comedic relief.  Our trip took us down a fast paced river for a 20 KM journey in class IV rapids.  We got wet and were jostled around quite a bit, but neither Megan nor I feel out.  We did get quite the work out for our arm and back muscles.  The river winded through jungles and valleys.  We saw around 20 waterfalls and even some crazy naked Bali kids who jumped in our raft.  The majority of the comedic relief came from our fellow tourists.  In another raft were two guys from Malaysia who instantly stuck out.  Megan and I had thought to dress down in clothes that would be suitable for wet and dirty conditions.  These guys didn't get that memo.  The one was wearing a brand new polo shirt, a luxury brand watch, Havianna sandals and seersucker shorts.  Megan chuckled at them as we began our journey.  For the majority of the trip Megan and I were smiling and laughing; our comrades not so much.  Their reactions ranged from bored to frustrated to terrified.  At one point the fancy dresser faked an injury so he wouldn't have to paddle anymore.  They then had to rope in another guide to help them finish the journey.  At the end of the trip we got certificates that said we had completed the course and were now prepared to take on any challenges that life brought at us.  I hope they put an asterick next to Mr. Fancy Dresser's certificate.

Taking a break from the river

Night in Kuta

After rafting we headed in to Kuta.  There we devoured some delicious pizza and Satay.  We then checked out a few of the local watering holes and found live music and good times.  After two jam-packed days we retired early in the evening to prepare for our early Monday morning flight.   Megan and I both agreed that two days was not enough for Bali.