Singapore

March 22 through 28, 2023

A week in Singapore was just about the right amount of time - all the locals told us that - to check out the highlights (it's a small country after all). We filled the week with a concert (Sting was performing in a 5000-seat venue), Art's shows at National University of Singapore (NUS), and seeing some of the major sights. I had been to Singapore once before (about 9 years ago) but it was Art's first time.

We coordinated the week with NUS who happily gave us lodging in exchange for Art's doing his shows. The lodging itself turned out to be a bit sub-par (the first room they gave us was a slightly-better-than-average dorm room) with no working wifi or A/C. Art was not happy (and said as much) and soon enough we were upgraded to a somewhat-better dorm room. It came with a fridge and a small stove (and a dirty microwave) and very few kitchen items. We made use of the fridge but never actually wound up making dinner there. Another bonus was being able to do laundry in the dorm (always a necessity for us).

Many of our meals wound up being out-to-dinner with NUS folks, which was fine since I wanted to try local food, but it did make for a heavy week of eating for me. (I had hoped the kitchen setup would allow for better in-room dining options, but alas not.) They did give us access to the dining hall where we could eat with the students but the dining hall had a weird system where you could only eat from a limited number of buffet options each night (you couldn't try whatever you wanted); the setup really didn't work for me and the food was just okay. However, I was impressed that the dining hall catered to Singapore's diverse populations - Malaysian, Chinese, Western, and Indian. This was true in many places in the country (it has 4 national languages as well).

Art's school shows were a big hit (as expected) and he was mobbed with students who wanted selfies afterwards. Singapore schools are pretty high level, especially when it comes to math and science, and it was nice to see so many kids excited by his visit. Art says Singapore ranks highly because they respect and pay their teachers well (unlike some other countries...).

Some highlights we explored: Gardens by the Bay (an indoor garden space that replicates the plant life of the temperate regions of the world), Sentosa Island (beaches and touristy, but also boasts the "Southernmost Point in Continental Asia"), Little India, Chinatown, Arab Street (all prominent ethnic populations here), and some fancy malls. We wound up eating at a food stall in Chinatown that actually has a Michelin rating (a first for us!), we tried durian shakes (but it was hard to get past the pungent smell; I do not see the appeal), and the Singapore Science Museum (which was okay but no longer has the Fibonacci exhibit Art was expecting to see). 

We *tried* to squeeze in a quick trip to Malaysia but it was not in the cards logistically. Apparently getting across the border is not as easy as we'd hoped; possibly it would have been if we had our own car. That was disappointing but ultimately okay since I'd been there before (Art has not). 

This week was tiring and frustrating at times (resulting in some marital friction) but we survived it. Perhaps the biggest stress was when Art realized that we were in fact heading to Thailand hours earlier than he'd thought, which meant Deena would get much less sleep and less time to explore the Singapore Airport :( Luckily we had explored it a bit when we arrived earlier in the week. I'm pretty sure you can spend a week just seeing this incredible space which includes a rain forest, waterfall, movie theater, and lots more.

Side notes: Singapore also drives on the left side of the road; there seem to be fewer smokers than previous countries we've visited; the country feels very safe (it's certainly got enough laws and restrictions posted everywhere); caning is still a punishment for some crimes such as molestation; gum is not sold anywhere (mints are); most places seem very clean; fines are levied for many things (such as not cleaning up after yourself in a cafe); public transport (buses and trains) is super clean, easy to use, and very inexpensive; it is against the law to eat or carry durian on public transport; tap water was safe to drink and use for teeth brushing (yay!); we've noticed masking is more prevalent in Southeast Asia (not totally sure why); we mostly enjoyed the food, though we definitely hit a point where we craved some Western food, and we eventually gave in to that ;) 

I could see returning to Singapore someday, if only because I didn't really get to take in its coastline beauty or national parks. Its central location in Southeast Asia makes it a desirable connection point for many nearby countries. Next stop, Thailand!

Deena and Art

First meal in Singapore (chicken skewers and rice); many meals consisted of a similar meat/sauce/rice combo

Chinatown

Dumplings at a Chinese restaurant that the NUS folks took us to

One of many signs indicating the rules and fines

Sting concert ad (he was amazing!)

NUS campus entrance (which happens to be right next to Yale-NUS)

Cherry blossoms at Gardens by the Bay

Deena at Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay

Singapore Flyer in the background (I went on it last time I visited; very similar to the London Eye). It rained on this day so some things were closed due to weather.

Marina Bay Sands hotel (viewpoint at the top)

Iconic tree-like sculptures

A fancy mall with a huge waterway in the middle (you could take a gondola ride through it, but we didn't)

Harborfront area on the way to Sentosa Island

Durian cut-up (I swear you could smell hints of it through the packaging)

Skyscrapers (the architecture was pretty cool)

Sultan Mosque (in the Arab quarter)

We were there, interestingly, during Ramadan (this feast seemed pretty expensive to me... even with the 25% less conversion to US$)

Art smelling durian

Chinatown shopping center where we had our Michelin star meal

The Michelin meal (it tasted better than it looks!); also pictured are 2 drinks which I hated (durian shake and strawberry milkshake)

View on our way back to NUS

Mural near Little India

Oldest Hindu temple in Singapore

Sting - the man, the legend

 

Indonesia (part 2)

March 17 through 21, 2023

"Life is what you make of it." - Indonesian saying

We finished off the last 5 days of our stay in Bali by moving to a more southern part of the island, a town called Seminyak. This was touted as being more of a "happening" place with nightlife and bars and closer to the beach. Since we are "happening" types of people, we went. It was a good move and we enjoyed the opportunities it afforded us. 

We checked out the beach nearby which had a lovely sunset, cheap lounge chairs, and no shortage of women offering foot massages (Art got one). Speaking of foot massages, we also took advantage of getting a "fish spa" in Seminyak where tiny fish eat the dead skin off your feet in an aquarium tank. Once you get past the weird ticklish feeling, it was actually quite pleasant and seemed to do what it promised (at least we think so). By the way, I got *many* massages while in Bali since there are places on almost every block and they are so inexpensive (average $9/hour) and the masseuses are good! I just couldn't resist (even got a pedicure while I was at it :-).

We found some great restaurants near our hotel and were able to celebrate Art's birthday (twice!) in style, once at a steak place and once at a place with a wide variety menu (including chicken parmigiana!). And for his birthday lunch, we even found a Johnny Rockets restaurant and had some good American food, because why not? I hadn't had an Oreo milkshake in months and theirs was pretty great.

We had one strange experience with an overly solicitous waitress at our hotel who seemed to like us way too much (trust me, the vibe was odd). She got the live music band to play Happy Birthday for Art, she insisted on making his omelet at breakfast, she asked to take photos *with* us (in our hotel room :-o) and even wanted to connect with us on Facebook (I said hard no to that). Hopefully it was all with innocence and good intent and not some nefarious scheme to rob us (Art thinks I overthink these things).

The day after Art's birthday, we had plans to go to an island off the coast but Art's back unexpectedly went out. He was in severe pain so we had to cancel the tour (although the tour guide messed up on the timing, and then he too got sick later, so it actually all worked out). We spent much of the day letting Art recover. The next day he was feeling better so we went to the island (Nusa Penida) which has amazingly beautiful natural formations, crystal clear water, and adorable monkeys running wild. It was a fun, if a bit long and hot, day and I'm very glad we got to visit it. Seeing amazing natural beauty is a big part of why I like to travel.

Quirky aside: I managed to find a Toastmasters club in Bali so I visited while we were in Ubud. Besides them telling me the wrong meeting address twice (luckily my taxi driver was super patient) and the meeting being held at a tiny coffee shop with bad acoustics, it was worth checking it out. The people were relatively friendly (I've found that most Indonesians are friendly and big on hospitality) but the club itself seemed weak. I guess I should give them credit for keeping it going despite its small size and lousy venue. I'll even forgive the member whose speech included a jab at Americans :-o Might try to find a club to visit when we get to Japan.

Other aside: Every tour or drive we took inevitably ended with the driver trying to get us to hire him for our next adventure. They was definitely an "air of desperation" to get the next gig, probably because their economy is so dependent on tourism and COVID really killed that. It's largely still getting back on its feet.

Interesting aside: We wound up leaving Bali right before their big New Year's (called Nyepi) celebrations which was good and bad. We did see some pre-New Year's events like floats being made and parades right through our town. Apparently New Year's eve is a huge Balinese event with parties, parades, and religious revelry intended to chase the evil out of the old year. New Year's Day (March 22), however, is a complete day of silence with no one allowed outside, no shopping, no flights, and in some places, no talking (all of this applies to locals and tourists alike). In some ways, it seemed a bit like Yom Kippur, although I think you are allowed to eat. There was a lot of excitement leading up to these days but overall I think it was good that we left before Nyepi actually happened. 

Headed off to Singapore (Sting-apore!) and more adventures :)

Deena and Art

Fish spa in Seminyak (those are Art's feet but I did it too :)

My favorite thing while traveling is being met at the airport by someone with a sign that has my name on it :)

Art at Seminyak beach

Random religious ceremony at Seminyak beach

Sunset in Seminyak

One of Art's birthday dinners

Pre-Nyepi parade in Seminyak

More of the same parade - it went on for a long time

Art getting a beach-side foot massage

 Another birthday dinner

Nusa Penida island

On Nusa Penida

More Nusa Penida

Art - Nusa Penida

Monkeys!

Monkeys eating from a coconut

Boat to Nusa Penida

Arriving at Nusa Penida
 

 

 

Indonesia (part 1)

March 8 through 16, 2023

"The world is incomprehensibly beautiful -- an endless prospect of magic and wonder." - Ansel Adams

It feels like we've been in Bali for weeks already, considering all that we've explored, but it's only been a week. Bali is nothing like I had imagined, based entirely on my reading of Eat Pray Love years ago, in which Elizabeth Gilbert described it as mystical and sublime. In reality, it is indeed unique and represents an interesting combination of traditional and modern, spiritual and touristy, all at the same time.

I packed 3 tours into our first week which was a bit much, but that's me. Art joined me for one of them and did another activity on his own. That worked out pretty well. The first thing we learned is that the infrastructure here is reasonably good but variable. Our resort, which is high end, is also on a road with minimal sidewalks and with only 2 lanes for traffic. Most people ride motor scooters everywhere partly because the roads are narrow and scooters can navigate the traffic better. We took taxis /guides everywhere mostly because we didn't trust ourselves on scooters (but many tourists do rent them). The traffic was pretty bad most days, at least until you got out of the "city" into the smaller village areas. Also I forgot that Indonesians drive on the left (yet another country in our travels that does) so at this point, the left side is starting to look right ;)

Ubud, which is in the center of Bali (one of the many islands that make up Indonesia), has many of the main attractions. We visited the famous monkey forest, which has monkeys running wild and was a bit scary at times (for me). There are a million signs stating how to avoid being attacked by a monkey, and how to pay to feed or hold them, and yet I watched tourists break the rules and nearly get bit. I followed all the rules since I wasn't sure if our health insurance covers Indonesian monkey attacks. Art's tour guide helped him get some amazing selfies with the monkey (see photos below).

I also visited a beautiful "water temple," as well as the oldest temple in Bali, and the largest temple in Indonesia, all of which were architecturally impressive. Most temples are Hindu temples as that is the majority religion in Bali (although most of Indonesia is Muslim), but Buddhists, Hindus, and Muslims all coexist peacefully. Most surprising is just how many temples there are in Bali. You literally run into them every 100 feet or so. Every home has one, every community, every town, and every region, and many people pray 3 times a day. The photos below don't do them justice.

We visited the rice terraces which is where rice (one of their biggest crops) is harvested, often by hand. Apparently Indonesians eat rice at almost every meal and it's a big part of their economy. Another huge part of their economy is tourism, especially in recent years (partly thanks to social media). They cater to the adventurous traveler, including adding "jungle swings" to their rice terraces, as well as zip lines, sky bikes, and the like. We tried out the jungle swing which was plenty of adventure for me. Note: there was no real instruction and the liability form signing came *after* the ride (huh?). Art almost talked me out of it (he went first) saying I wouldn't like the initial drop. I survived, but my legs were shaky for a while afterwards.

We also went to some amazing waterfalls. The tour description neglected to explain that getting to the waterfalls involved some extensive steps and slippery surfaces, in humid temps and hot weather (this time of year). It was a bit exhausting but again, we survived. We did two waterfalls and decided to skip the third (luckily it was a private tour, like many tours here, so we got to call the shots). The second waterfall was the best and the photos were worth the climb down (and back up!). The best part for me was the gelato we bought after we got back up to the top. 

Interesting aside: The waterfalls, as well as many of the temples, do not allow women to visit if they are on their period (because they are "unclean"). This applies to locals and tourists alike, unapologetically. I find this a bit backwards in this day and age, but our tour guide mentioned it very matter-of-factly. I have no idea how they would actually know who's on their period (my tour guide joked that he is allowed to physically check LOL).

The food here has been largely great. I've enjoyed the local specialties like nasi goreng, mie goreng, and chicken satay. Our hotel has a nice restaurant and a decent varied menu. The only problem is that our room is way at the bottom of the hotel and involves about 75 steep steps, so we have to really be hungry to make our way up to the restaurant (no elevators here). But the views and the food are so worth it :)

We made our way into "town" a few times and I treated myself to some shopping (also part of some of my tours). The big thing to buy here are local fabrics like batiks and sarongs. Luckily we were able to ship a box home from India so I had a tiny bit of extra space in my luggage (at least that's what I'm telling myself). Also jewelry takes up almost no space, so there's that :)

A few other things to do in Bali include climbing to the top of a volcano at sunrise (not for us), doing yoga (nah), and going to a traditional dance show (we still might). Really there's no shortage of things to keep busy, but you can also just chill and relax (Art did this a lot).

Final notes: I did get to ride a scooter as a passenger which was cool, once I managed to get past the "wrap my arms around a total stranger's waist" weirdness :) We are both glad to be in a country that allows toilet paper to be flushed, but can't wait to get to a country where the tap water is safe to brush teeth with. Health updates: I am mostly recovered from my India stairs fall thanks to several great and inexpensive massages here (they range from $7 to $18 per hour!) and Art is largely over his intestinal issues from that country. We are fine, really :) 

We will be heading to another hotel in the southern part of Bali tomorrow, to check out an area with more nightlife ('cuz we're such swingers). I'll try to post once more before we leave the country 😀

Deena and Art

Waterfall near Ubud

Art's selfie with a monkey

Very Instagrammable country

Gates of Heaven

Spring rolls

When your tour guide fancies himself as an IG photographer

Mie Goreng

Prayer offering outside every home and store

At our hotel pool

Nasi goreng with chicken satay

Local fruits

Water temple

Viewpoint at Water Temple

 

Rice terrace view

View from our hotel

Rice terrace jungle swing

Another monkey selfie (Art's spirit animal)

Near rice terrace

Largest temple in Bali (maybe in Indonesia)