Sri Lanka Part 3

Supun, her family and I devoted a whole day to historical Sri Lanka.

Anuradhapura

We started off early around 6am and rode up together in the family van.  We stopped for a breakfast picnic at a scenic lake.  There were many other Sri Lanka families enjoying the sights and warm sunny weather.  We had some tasty food.  I impressed Supun's family with my ability to enjoy spicy foods.  We then continued on to Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka's first capital.  It's history was quite old as it was built around 500 B.C.  There we saw another one of Sri Lanka's most sacred spots.  It is a temple with a descendant of the original Bodhi Tree under which the Buddha gained enlightenment.  A branch from the original tree was planted in 288 BC making it the oldest verified specimen of any angiosperm (type of tree).  At the temple we made an offering, lit incense, received a Buddhist string bracelet and made a wish.  If my wish comes true then I will have to return at some point to the Temple to give thanks.

We also saw the Ruwanmalisaya, which is a large white stupa dedicated to the Buddha.  It was a very impressive site an another important Buddhist site.

Sri Maha Bodi - descendant of the original bodi tree

Mihinthale

Our next stop was Mihinthale.  It's a great overlooking spot near Anuradhapura.  Supun said it was her favorite so despite being pressed for time we included it in our lengthy itinerary.  At the top of this scenic overlook were temples, stupas, and statues.  we raced up to the top and were rewarded with expansive views and a peaceful environment.  This was impressive but not as impressive as what was to come.

Minthale - a very pleaceful place

Authentic Sri Lankan lunch

For lunch we stopped at a local Sri Lankan restaurant.  We all sat down to eat and then Supun realized that they hadn't brought me silverware.  In most countries this would be noteworthy but in Sri Lanka everyone eats with their hands.  Well when in Rome... I didn't want to be an outsider so I joined in using my hands.  There's definitely a technique to it (using just the tips of the fingers, starting from the edge of the rice and using the thumb to push it into my mouth).  It was much easier to pickup than chopsticks.  I once again ate the spicy food and they joked that if I was a little tanner, I could almost past for a Sri Lankan (until I spoke of course).

Sigiriya

Our journey continued to Sigiriya, the Lion Rock.  I could best describe it as a mix of Machu Pichu and the Sphinx.  Sigiriya is a palace complex built on top of a mountain-boulder by a rogue Sri Lankan king.  The King had killed his father to usurp the throne and he feared revenge from the brother who was the rightful heir.  So he moved from the capital and build this vast complex to defend himself.  He created vast irrigation terraces for food, swimming pools and catchment pools.  He commisoined gorgeous cave paintings (still preserved) to distract any attackers.  He also built amazing walls, fortresses and statues.  The top had amazing views of the jungle, mountains and farmland of north central Sri Lanka.  It was an absolutely brilliant place that stimulate my senses and imagination.  A must see.

In front of the beautiful Sigiriya 

View from above - notice the beautiful landscape and the intricate irrigation

Supun at the entrance - it used to be a lions head but now is only the paws

View from the top of Sigiriya

Wall paintings meant to distract invaders and entertain tourists

Distracting paintings!

Panoramic of the beautiful scenery around Sigrirya

Enjoying the view

The Return

We returned back to Kandy through 1-lane roads and treacherous traffic.  It was an amazing day.  That night I stayed in St. Bridget's Guesthouse.  It was a homely guesthouse with great hospitality and authentic food.  I enjoyed the traditional dinner with some Sri Lankan beer.  After a solid night's rest I awoke for some meditation and early sustenance.  The house keepers made homemade pineapple and passion fruit jam that was deliciously sweet.  I then met up with Supun to explore the Botanical gardens.  We saw the bridge and sites and then toured the city in search of any Sri Lankan foods I hadn't tried.  We got an orange coconut thing, a fried pasty, and ice cream.  The inevitable goodbye was said and I was sad to leave.  I then took the train back to Colombo to catch my flight.  This ended the last of my Asian trips.

Lion Lager is a local beer - a light and crisp taste

Delicious homemade Sri Lankan meal at Bridget's Hostel

Thambili King Coconut like drink - delicious

Food Recap

So with Supun's help I came up with a list of foods I tried while in Sri Lanka.  It varies from the really exotic to the had-it-before-but-tasted-better in a tropical place:

• Fish Curry
• Sri Lankan Cream Soda
• Prawn Buiriyani 
• Thambili (king coconut)
• Hoppers - fluffy light pancake-like
• Koththu - noodle/egg dish
• String hoppers- iddi aapa
• Cutlets
• Malu paan - bun with marinated fish in it 
• Rolls
• Tropical fruits: mango, papaya, pineapple, white guvava
• Wade
• Extra sweet sri lankan tea
• Traditional Sweets- dodol, aluwa, milk toffee, kawum
• Poll sambal ( chiili coconut with salt and lemon)
• Daal
• rice and different curries
• papaya drink
• woodapple drink 
• Lunu Miris (chilli dip for aapa)

Sri Lanka Part 1

Megan was cooped up in India for a few weeks so I was on my own for travels.  She saw the Taj Mahal and I visited Sri Lanka.  

Sri Lanka in Brief

Sri Lanka may be unknown to many of the readers so I’ll provide a quick background.  It’s an island country in South Asia near India, which it shares many cultural similarities (e.g. similar food, religion).  The ethnic groups are the majority Singhalese and the minority Tamil. There was a 30 year civil war between political factions representing those groups.  The civil war recently ended three years ago with tensions being reduced but the threat of terrorism still present.  Sri Lanka’s people and economy suffered as a result of the lengthy and expensive conflict.  Consequently, the country is still developing in terms of industry, infrastructure and tourism.  During my time in Sri Lanka I encountered areas that were much more developing than I had seen elsewhere in Southeast Asia (with the exception of maybe Cambodia).

In search of my Hostel

Sri Lanka’s lack of infrastructure makes it difficult to get around.  After landing at the airport late on Friday night, I tried to grab a quick taxi to my hostel.  Unfortunately there were few taxi drivers available and when I was able to negotiate with one, he was unsure of where my hostel was.  We set off from the airport and passed through humble neighborhoods and dark alleys on 2 “lane” roads.  I use quotation marks as the taxis, trucks, and three-wheelers made lanes as they saw fit.  As we neared the hostel, my driver had to stop 7-8 times and call 3-4 times to figure out where the hostel was.  There was a small fear that Friday night would be spent somewhere unplanned.  Eventually, we found the place in a dark alley with no signs.  Our 25 mile cab ride took about 2 hours with only minimal traffic.  When I later asked my Sri Lankan friends about this experience they were unsurprised.

Tourism Work in Progress

The tourism industry is still developing so there is no major neighborhood to stay in Colombo nor common business practices.  When I arrived at the hostel at 2am, I was met by a couple guys in sarongs.  They weren't the sharpest tools in the shed and they had trouble finding my reservation despite the fact that I was the only one staying in the place.  They then proceeded to try and charge me twice as much as the original cost.  There were a couple giveaways: 1) I could see the prices they had written down for me and others, 2) I still had my email confirmation with the price and 3) they looked as unscrupulous as possible.  They put up a good fight but eventually I wore them down.  I then also had to convince them to order me a taxi for 5am to get me to the train on time.  Given their lack of competence with the reservation I was highly worried they would blow this as well.  At 5 I woke and walked to the dark lobby.  All the doors were closed and the gate was locked.  So I had no way to get out.  At this point I started pounding on doors to awaken someone to get me out to my taxi.  My adrenaline was high and I was pretty close to being ticked off.  Finally, the head bozo rubbed the sand out of his eyes and let me leave.  No tears were shed upon leaving this idiotic hostel. 

I arrived at the train station with little time to spare.  I then had to break through the language barrier to understand where to buy my train ticket and which line to wait in.   The stakes were high as missing the train would have cost me almost a day.  Fortunately, I was able to join forces with some other tourists from Singapore and we got our tickets in the nick of time.  I rushed to the platform and then proceeded to wait for 20 minutes at the train was late.  Such is life in a developing country.  The train had cars for locals and for foreigners.  The local cars were packed full of people, lacking air conditioning and equipped with uncomfortable seating.  I elected for the first class foreigner car which included an above expectation meal, air conditioning, reclining chairs and windows for a beautiful view.  They even had wireless.  Opting for luxury in this case was a bit touristy of me but I’m happy I made that decision.  I got some much needed sleep and an opportunity to view the gorgeous country side of Sri Lanka.  I breathed a huge sigh of relief once the train got going.  I knew my friend Supun would be meeting me at the station, and then travel would be much easier and more pleasant.

My friend Supun

Traveling as an outsider

Being a white foreigner in Sri Lanka is an interesting experience.  Strangers will gawk at me and/or be very nice.  But that niceness comes with a cost.  Everything I bought myself was 2-10 times more expensive than the prices charged to the locals (granted those prices are dirt cheap).  And a sizable minority of those smiling faces were willing to scam me for much more.  It absolutely pays to have a local guide.

Sri Lanka is an amazing place.  The adventurous travel is absolutely worth it.  I saw many amazing places and learned about another interesting culture.  There's no doubt that it's an up and coming travel place.  I’ll cover those details in my next post.

The Ultimate Passport

One of the coolest perks of playing Ultimate is being able to meet cool people wherever I travel.  Every other week or so Megan and I have played pickup Ultimate at the beach and in the city proper.  The playing has been fun and afterwards we’ll grab food or drinks and just hang out.  It’s been a great way to meet new people who are considerate, humorous, easy-going and intelligent.  There’s something wonderful about the ultimate community that attracts such good people (maybe it’s the whole spirit thing?).   It’s been a blast meeting you John, Wolf, LT, Keegs, Siwei, Nico, Hui Fang and others.  Catch you later on an Ultimate field somewhere around the globe.

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!

Cool Travel Tools

Megan and I have used two cool tools for booking travel that we want to share with everyone.  The first is Flocations.  It’s a search engine that has you input a starting point, dates, and flight costs and returns a map of destinations with flights that meet your criteria.  This tool is absolutely perfect for comparing multiple travel options for a particular weekend.   We choose our flights to Kuching and Penang using this tool.  

Flocations results for round trip flights from Singapore for $260 or less

Flocations is Southeast Asia specific but don’t fret because Kayak has an unknown feature that’s similar and available globally.  The Kayak feature I’m talking about is Explore.  It’s hidden away but you can get to it by clicking on More in the top tool bar and then Explore in the Find Travel options at the bottom of the next page.  Alternatively, here's the link.  Like Flocations, Kayak will let return different flight options that meet your budget from a particular destination.  Kayak doesn’t quite have as much date input specificity as Flocations, but it’s still a great tool for researching trip options.

Kayak Explore shows there are plenty of flight options from Chicago to some place warm this winter

Knowledge is power, so go forth and travel to some place cool in the next couple months.  All we ask is a simple thanks on a postcard J.

Into the Jungles of Borneo

Megan and I ventured into the wild lands of Borneo during the Hari Raya Haji long holiday.  Borneo was unlike any place we had visited in Southeast Asia.  Borneo’s natural wildlife and indigenous cultures are quite unique.   For our trip, we based operations out of Kuching, the capital of the province of Sarawak.*

The exotic wildlife

Borneo’s wilderness is exotic and fascinating.  The island’s separation from mainland Asia has allowed wildlife to evolve in unique closed environments.  Consequently many animals found in Borneo are found nowhere else in the world.  A great example is the Probiscus Monkey.  The Probiscus Monkey has to be one of the uglier members of the primate family.  They have a strange fat body, bizarre coloring and a weird nose which makes them seem almost alien like.  They live in small groups high up in the trees where they feast on fruits and leaves.  We encountered a number of these creatures up close while staying at Bako National Park.

The unfortunate looking Probiscus Monkey

Bako National Park is a protected reserve on a peninsula in Sarawak.  We stayed there for two days and one night in order to see lots of exciting wildlife.  The lodging at Bako is quite humble and gets ripped on at Trip Advisor “Far and away, this is the absolute worst accommodations we have had anywhere. We have been to 64 countries, traveled backpacker style. We are not all that fussy, but these accommodations were disgusting.” and "Before I'm misunderstood I spent a week living in a jungle before coming here and am not unused to insects, cheeky monkeys or "roughing it" but honestly you're better to tent it than to stay here.", but the nature elements more than compensated.

The humble accommodation - not great but not the
apocalypse of crap that the reviews warned of.

The Park is home to 7 different ecosystems, 3 primate species, lizards, reptiles and 150 different species of birds.   We hiked for 7-9 miles each day through jungles, mountains, and grasslands to deserted beaches.  Along the way we spotted numerous monkeys, bearded boars, carnivorous plants, and much more.  The smells and strange sounds of the jungle were intoxicating.   At one point one of the macque monkeys made a kamikaze style run at Megan to grab her ice cream.  You gotta watch out when you are in Borneo!

Megan crossing the waterfall on a treacherous bridge.

An example of the rough terrain we hiked through

Looking out across the South China Sea.  At the end of the
land mass you can see the landmark Sea Stacks.

At night the rangers lead tour guides back into the jungles to see the wildlife in their nocturnal state.  We came across a Wagler's Pit Viper, the 3^rd most poisonous snake in Borneo.  We saw frogs whose croaks could be heard for miles away.  We saw a beautifully colored Kingfisher bird sleeping the night away.  We also ran into bats, tarantulas, spiders and florescent mushrooms.   The tour provided tons of night time thrills.  As a bonus we had two amateur photographers competing for the honor of being “that guy”.  They both took about 10 pictures and 7 minutes for every animal we saw, no matter how insubstantial the creature.  Megan’s patience was worn to the point where she referred to one of them as Mr. DSLR.  A note to Mr. DSLR if you ever read this blog: ‘We get it dude, you have a nice camera.  In the future can you please take just one picture and stop blinding the animals with your obnoxious flash?’

After Bako we took another trip to Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Center to see Orangutans in their natural habitat.  Despite the inclimate weather (our first time with bad luck in any of our trips), we were still able to see 3 Orangutans feeding.  These animals were amazingly graceful, coordinated and human-like.   The way they shook the trees as they floated from branch to branch was impressive.  Orangutans live solitary lives and are endangered, so it was truly an incredible experience being able to see them in the wild.  Megan and I made sure to leave a good impression in case Planet of the Apes ever becomes real. 

Orangutans in Borneo

The Culture of Borneo

Like many of the countries in Southeast Asia, Borneo is a melting pot of diverse ethnicities and religious beliefs.   What’s different is that Borneo has a fascinating indigenous population.  The Dayak are tribal people who dominated the island until colonization in the 1800’s.  They previously lived in the jungle areas of the land and had extremely different beliefs than the cultures of mainland Southeast Asia.  For example, the Iban people practiced head hunting which was the decapitation and then proud display of enemy human heads.  The people were also impressively interested in body art.  Many of the males had intricate tattoos in painful places.  The tattoos and body modifications are still observed by their modern descendants.  Megan and I learned much about the indigenous cultures during a stop at the Sarawak Museum.

Megan underneath human heads in a replica Iban longhouse.

The City of Kuching

The City of Kuching kept us busy for a couple days.  Right near the Sarawak Museum were other nicely curated museums on Art, History, Islam and more.  They provided hours of intellectual stimulation, especially the exhibit on different funeral and death customs.  Kuching also offers a nice riverwalk, a variety of souvenir shops and pretty good restaurants.   In terms of local food, the Sarawak Laksa was most excellent.  It was sweet and a bit spicy, not sour like Penang Laksa.

Kuching’s only disappointment was it’s dead nightlife scene.  Megan and I twice explored the city at night and all we found were a few empty bars.  The best place to relax and grab a drink was our Hostel Bar which was themed after an Iban Longhouse.  For a couple nights we enjoyed a few drinks and good company there.

Conclusions:

Borneo was an adventure.  The crazy wildlife, the exotic cultures and the interesting city of Kuching provided great experiences.  Kuching is a great base of operations for travelers interested in exploring the natural and cultural elements of Malaysian Borneo.   Travelers shouldn’t expect a rapidly growing cosmopolitan city like Ho Chi Minh City or somewhere in Bali.  Nevertheless it works as a solid base.   

Relaxation at Rawa

Megan and I recently traveled to Rawa for the weekend with our friend Jesse McGannon.  We had been contemplating a Rawa trip but to officially book it, it finally took a friend coming to town.  Rawa is a pretty undeveloped island in the South China Sea off the eastern coast of peninsular Malaysia.  The island is quite unknown due to this lack of development.  For the weekend it was a perfect spot to relax.

Rawa the beautiful

Getting to Rawa requires a 3 hour cab ride to Mersing and a 30 minute boat ride through the South China Sea.  There's definitely something adventurous and romantic about having to take a boat to get somewhere.  We passed a number of small jungle islands and ragged rocks as we traveled across the sea.  Upon reaching Rawa we were treated to beautiful sights.  The beaches of Rawa were white sand and they mixed perfectly with the light blue water.  We saw corals and schools of fishes as the boat pulled up to the small wooden dock.  The resort shelters were separate bungalows that tastefully blended in with the cliffs and vegetation on the island.  The environment made us forget the outside world and made us excited to explore.  It was similar to the feeling one gets as a kid when they arrive at the first day of camp.  

Resort bungalows built right on the shoreline

Fun in the sun

Right away we wanted to explore, play with all the cool stuff and meet new friends.  After checking in, we changed in to beach attire and made a bee-line to the one of the sweetest water slides.  It was around 3.5 stories tall and had vicious turns that would invariably almost throw us out of the slide.  A number of times kids would go down it, get owned by the aggressive speed of the slide, start crying, and then immediately run to get back in line again.  

The destroyer - kids beware!

After about 3 (or more like 10) times down the slide, we rented kayaks and snorkel equipment.  The kayaks were great for seeing the undeveloped jagged coastline on the other sides of the island.  The caves, waterfalls, and cliffs were quite interesting.  Since Rawa is right on coral, there is great snorkeling and diving within swimming/walking distance.  At low tide I was able to get a great view of the coral reefs.  I even found Nemo!

Nemo and Dad in the Sea Anemones 

And of course no beach vacation would be complete with out some sports on the beach.  We recruited from the young/fun resort and coaxed some folks into the playing.  The diversity of visitors was quite impressive.  We meet people from Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia and England.  We all had a blast playing despite the net being so low that even Tom Cruise could spike on it.

Playing with the boys

Sunset and Night time activities

At night we enjoyed a BBQ buffet filled with eastern and western delights.  There was cocktails, beer, and soccer on the big screen for all to enjoy.  After dinner we ventured back over to the young/fun resort and hung out with our international friends.  It was a bit like a house party combined with the Hangge Uppe.  Good times.

Relaxing by the beach before sunset

Jesse likes Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain, but mostly sunsets

Conclusion

Sunday afternoon had us traveling back to the real world and modern civilization.  We all had a little sun and were ready to regroup before the next week.  Rawa was an awesome hidden gem in Malaysia.  The environment is glorious without being overdeveloped like many of the popular tourist getaway spots.  The activities were numerous and the people were interesting without being to numerous.  I would highly recommend Rawa to both young travelers and families alike.

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.