Well, as I sit in Chiangi Airport in Singapore (once again), trying to pass the 11 hour layover until we leave, I can't help but feel so incredibly fortunate. Keith and I have enjoyed 8 countries over the past 2 months! We've shared amazing, new, exciting experiences - riding elephants, trekking through rice fields, scuba diving off of beautiful far away islands. We've learned so much of other cultures, heard their languages, and felt the warmth and welcome from so many. We've also been unpleasantly surprised at times - ripped off by crooks and totally grossed out by what some people in these parts eat (hint, hint...eye balls in soup). I, myself, acomplished things I never knew possible, like staying in the jungle with no running water and scuba diving with all sorts of fish around me without freaking out. I also can say I managed to sleep in some hostels that were TOTALLY nasty and showered in places I never knew I could allow myself in, even with flip flops on. We met some really nice people along the way from all over the globe - The Netherlands, Canada, England, Switzerland, Liechtenstein (sp?), Dubai, and Ireland. We hope to keep in touch with them and hear of their travels in the future.
Finally, I must thank my husband for giving me this amazing opportunity to SEE THE WORLD, and to give me courage to do knew things; courage that I never knew was there.
Love to all, and see ya in Houston! Thanks for ready and keeping up with us! - Kate
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Ubud, Bali
We've been in the town of Ubud since Thursday afternoon. I had tried booking a room before leaving Amed, but it had not gone through. Thank goodness someone stopped us on the side of the street, and offered a room in his hotel or else we might've ended up in a situation like in Amed - sleeping in a dump.
Ubud is the busiest town we've been to in Bali. After the peaceful tranquility of Amed, it's a bit difficult to get used to. There's WAY to much traffic for such a small town, and it's quite touristy. Every corner you turn, there's someone asking if you need a taxi, if you want to see traditional Balinese dancing, or buy whatever knick-knacks they're selling. Keith told me today that he didn't know if he's just finally tired of traveling or if his patience is just wearing thin. I have to somewhat agree. So, we've just spent the last couple of days strolling the streets, trying to stay off the busier ones. Ubud is full of stores selling artwork, carvings, jewelry. We were interested in buying a Balinese painting, but neither Keith and I have a clue as to what's good. They are all looking the same to us at this point. The town is surrounded by beautiful rice paddies, with many locals working in them. The hotels offer rooms with view of the rice paddies, but they don't compare at all to the ones we saw in Sa Pa, Vietnam.
So, tomorrow is really our last day here. We leave for Denpassar Airport at 6 am Saturday, and arrive in Singapore around 11 am. We have a terribly long 12 hour wait in the airport there, only to hop on a 14 hour flight departing for London at 11 at night. Then a 5 hour long layover in Heathrow, and another 10 hours to Houston, Texas. I refuse to even think about it!! Since we have PLENTY of time in Chiangi Airport (Singapore), I'll write more then. See everyone soon! - Kate
Ubud is the busiest town we've been to in Bali. After the peaceful tranquility of Amed, it's a bit difficult to get used to. There's WAY to much traffic for such a small town, and it's quite touristy. Every corner you turn, there's someone asking if you need a taxi, if you want to see traditional Balinese dancing, or buy whatever knick-knacks they're selling. Keith told me today that he didn't know if he's just finally tired of traveling or if his patience is just wearing thin. I have to somewhat agree. So, we've just spent the last couple of days strolling the streets, trying to stay off the busier ones. Ubud is full of stores selling artwork, carvings, jewelry. We were interested in buying a Balinese painting, but neither Keith and I have a clue as to what's good. They are all looking the same to us at this point. The town is surrounded by beautiful rice paddies, with many locals working in them. The hotels offer rooms with view of the rice paddies, but they don't compare at all to the ones we saw in Sa Pa, Vietnam.
So, tomorrow is really our last day here. We leave for Denpassar Airport at 6 am Saturday, and arrive in Singapore around 11 am. We have a terribly long 12 hour wait in the airport there, only to hop on a 14 hour flight departing for London at 11 at night. Then a 5 hour long layover in Heathrow, and another 10 hours to Houston, Texas. I refuse to even think about it!! Since we have PLENTY of time in Chiangi Airport (Singapore), I'll write more then. See everyone soon! - Kate
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Back in Beautiful Bali
Sorry to everyone who's been following our blog so closely - I know it's been nearly a week since I last posted anything! We were really busy with these scuba lessons in Gili Trawangan. Glad it's over because it began to be like school again! After learning numerous skills in the pool and doing three open-water dives in the ocean, we finally got our PADI certifications!! Yay! Keith did great with his ears, which was our main concern, and would've been the only thing preventing us from going further with the classes. Diving in the Gilis was great! We saw a shark (only a small one), turtles, lots of coral, and hundreds of fish. We ended up becoming friends with three super nice Dutch people - two were a couple, and their names were Howard and Paulina, and another's name was Lawrence (sorry Lawrence...I know that there's a better spelling for that!). All were so nice and funny. And Harold - Keith and I may take you up on your offer to come visit you in Holland!
Gili Trawangan is known as a "party island," and it did not live down its reputation! They have only one main street, with these horses pulling carriages whizzing by. Along either side of this street were open restaurants and bars. They all basically stay open until there are no more customers, so people would be out until 5 or 6 am! Of course not us, but we heard stories from Lawrence the next day...after he woke up at 2 in the afternoon. Nice. But the island itself was beautiful. It was a full moon nearly all of the nights we were there, and it shown like the sun - just stunning.
We left Gili Trawangan, and this time, instead of taking the two hour fast boat back to Bali, we opted for the slow ferry. So, Amed, Bali (where we are now) is only 30 kilometers away from Gili Trawangan. Do you know it took us about 11 hours to get back??? First, we took a speed boat over to Lombok, and island close to Gili Trawangan. Then, a horse and carriage to a nearby town. Then, they squeezed us into a "bus," which was basically a very run-down minivan, and drove us to the south end of Lombok, about 2 1/2 hours away. The view was beautiful, but I was getting pretty nauseated going up and down all these hills. Then, we got on an old, dirty ferry, which took us from Lombok back to Patang Bay, Bali....over 5 hours! I somehow managed to avoid using the restroom, thank goodness! That has become the major source of anxiety for me these days. You never know if a squat toilet's all you're gonna get! Then, a two hour drive from Patang Bay to Amed, Bali. Oh my gosh, what were we thinking? Then, we get to Amed at 7 pm, and there's not one hotel with vacancies! We had to stay in a run down bungalow behind the dive shop, where we had already planned diving through the next day. It was only $7.50/night...that's how bad it was.
Anyway, first thing Friday was to find an adequate place to bunk while in Amed, or else I was going to be outta here! Most of the places to stay in this small, quiet town on the east coast, are thatched-roofed bunglows. That's why they get booked up so quickly because there are only like 4-5 per place. Happy with where we stayed for the past two nights, we focused our energy on the diving. Unfortunately, I was feeling under-the-weather, so Keith went on for two dives without me. Actually, I was happy to be lazy and just lay out on the black sand beaches that were right outside our hotel room!
The town of Amed is VERY quiet. We finally (just today) found the only internet cafe. It's not touristy at all, and the main thing attraction here is diving and snorkeling. It's much more mountainous than Sanur, where we stayed before going to the Gilis. We've spent every night going to this one restaurant on the beach where there's two guys with guitars, one with bongos and french people singing. It's so relaxing. By the way, there are definately more french people here than Balinese - I've convinced of it!
Yesterday, after Keith's morning dive, we decided to rent scooters. They only charge $5 per day, but I had to find a place that included helmits. So, we set off for the nearest town that had an ATM machine, about 2 hours south of Amed. As we arrive in Amlapura, what happens?? We fall off the darn thing!! Keith had started to go, but was trying to turn at the same time. The back tire skidded out, and we end up on the pavement, on a busy street. Thank goodness we were going slowly because it really could've been much worse!!! I ended up with a scraped knee, ankle, and shoulder, but really just minor. It just scared the you-know-what out of me, and I was really wanting to take a taxi back to Amed. We ended up getting the cash we came there for, and made it back safely. Only the left mirror fell off, but the bike was still fine. So, we're thinking we'll just leave the motorcycle riding to my folks!! Forget this!!
Today, we both did two dives - and they were amazing. Instead of jumping backwards off the boat, as we were used to in the Gilis, to get to these two sites, we just walked into the water with waves crashing against us! It was magic. First we went to a place where a US cargo ship had been sunk since the second World War and then to a place called "The Wall," which is just a huge wall of beautiful coral reef. It was great. Now, I am tired. Only one more week of vacation left. Again, just trying to make the most of things. We're definately here for two more days, and then we'll head for Ubud, Bali. Off the beach, but a town that's full of culture and tons of monkeys, we hear! Yay! Love to everyone! XOXO - Kate
Gili Trawangan is known as a "party island," and it did not live down its reputation! They have only one main street, with these horses pulling carriages whizzing by. Along either side of this street were open restaurants and bars. They all basically stay open until there are no more customers, so people would be out until 5 or 6 am! Of course not us, but we heard stories from Lawrence the next day...after he woke up at 2 in the afternoon. Nice. But the island itself was beautiful. It was a full moon nearly all of the nights we were there, and it shown like the sun - just stunning.
We left Gili Trawangan, and this time, instead of taking the two hour fast boat back to Bali, we opted for the slow ferry. So, Amed, Bali (where we are now) is only 30 kilometers away from Gili Trawangan. Do you know it took us about 11 hours to get back??? First, we took a speed boat over to Lombok, and island close to Gili Trawangan. Then, a horse and carriage to a nearby town. Then, they squeezed us into a "bus," which was basically a very run-down minivan, and drove us to the south end of Lombok, about 2 1/2 hours away. The view was beautiful, but I was getting pretty nauseated going up and down all these hills. Then, we got on an old, dirty ferry, which took us from Lombok back to Patang Bay, Bali....over 5 hours! I somehow managed to avoid using the restroom, thank goodness! That has become the major source of anxiety for me these days. You never know if a squat toilet's all you're gonna get! Then, a two hour drive from Patang Bay to Amed, Bali. Oh my gosh, what were we thinking? Then, we get to Amed at 7 pm, and there's not one hotel with vacancies! We had to stay in a run down bungalow behind the dive shop, where we had already planned diving through the next day. It was only $7.50/night...that's how bad it was.
Anyway, first thing Friday was to find an adequate place to bunk while in Amed, or else I was going to be outta here! Most of the places to stay in this small, quiet town on the east coast, are thatched-roofed bunglows. That's why they get booked up so quickly because there are only like 4-5 per place. Happy with where we stayed for the past two nights, we focused our energy on the diving. Unfortunately, I was feeling under-the-weather, so Keith went on for two dives without me. Actually, I was happy to be lazy and just lay out on the black sand beaches that were right outside our hotel room!
The town of Amed is VERY quiet. We finally (just today) found the only internet cafe. It's not touristy at all, and the main thing attraction here is diving and snorkeling. It's much more mountainous than Sanur, where we stayed before going to the Gilis. We've spent every night going to this one restaurant on the beach where there's two guys with guitars, one with bongos and french people singing. It's so relaxing. By the way, there are definately more french people here than Balinese - I've convinced of it!
Yesterday, after Keith's morning dive, we decided to rent scooters. They only charge $5 per day, but I had to find a place that included helmits. So, we set off for the nearest town that had an ATM machine, about 2 hours south of Amed. As we arrive in Amlapura, what happens?? We fall off the darn thing!! Keith had started to go, but was trying to turn at the same time. The back tire skidded out, and we end up on the pavement, on a busy street. Thank goodness we were going slowly because it really could've been much worse!!! I ended up with a scraped knee, ankle, and shoulder, but really just minor. It just scared the you-know-what out of me, and I was really wanting to take a taxi back to Amed. We ended up getting the cash we came there for, and made it back safely. Only the left mirror fell off, but the bike was still fine. So, we're thinking we'll just leave the motorcycle riding to my folks!! Forget this!!
Today, we both did two dives - and they were amazing. Instead of jumping backwards off the boat, as we were used to in the Gilis, to get to these two sites, we just walked into the water with waves crashing against us! It was magic. First we went to a place where a US cargo ship had been sunk since the second World War and then to a place called "The Wall," which is just a huge wall of beautiful coral reef. It was great. Now, I am tired. Only one more week of vacation left. Again, just trying to make the most of things. We're definately here for two more days, and then we'll head for Ubud, Bali. Off the beach, but a town that's full of culture and tons of monkeys, we hear! Yay! Love to everyone! XOXO - Kate
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Scuba Diving in the Gilis
So, yes, Keith's ears did hold up...at least so far. We met up with our instructor, Emma, at around noon. She taughts us only the basics, as this was just an introductory course and a way to see if we could do scuba, with Keith's ears being the way they are. Then, we took to the pool, and again, learned just the basics...getting used to breathing through a regulator, how to descend underwater, swimming underwater, what to do if you loose oxygen, and coming back up to the surface.
By 2:30, we were in the ocean, only about 1/2 mile off the coast of Gili Tranwangan, and closer to Gili Meno, which one can see from the beach. It was beautiful....coral reefs, colorful fish. The best thing was that we made it down to 12 meters, with Keith having only minimal discomfort only initially. So, we'll see how things go again today. He went to bed with a sore right ear and a headache. Cross your fingers.....:) - Kate
By 2:30, we were in the ocean, only about 1/2 mile off the coast of Gili Tranwangan, and closer to Gili Meno, which one can see from the beach. It was beautiful....coral reefs, colorful fish. The best thing was that we made it down to 12 meters, with Keith having only minimal discomfort only initially. So, we'll see how things go again today. He went to bed with a sore right ear and a headache. Cross your fingers.....:) - Kate
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Speedboat over to the Gilis
After three days of total relaxation in Sanur, Bali, we decided to leave the island of Bali and head east to the Gili Islands. It's about a two hour speed boat over to the largest of the three islands, Gili Trawangan. We thought it would just be Keith and myself on this private boat, but no, we were packed like sardines on this "boat taxi." There must've been about 60 of us on this thing, and we were sandwiched in the middle, where there was no air flow. I dont know how I kept from throwing up. A little boy behind me was well into it.
However, if you stood up, you could see the most gorgeous coastline of northeastern Bali. Lots of trees, big mountains, and bare beaches. We're thinking when we return, we'll stay somewhere there. After the rough and hot two hour boat ride, we arrived at the Gilis. There was not even a dock to step off the boat onto...just the beach. Th water here is crystal blue and the beaches are clean, white sand. No umbrellas, just people laying on their towels on the beach. The island doesnt even allow cars onto it - the only way of public transport is via horsedrawn carriages. Random, huh? Ironically, this island in particular attracts a lot of backpackers, so the nightlife is pretty spectacular. Some of the bars dont get going until 11 pm, and the have "full moon parties" that go on until the sun comes up. I cant say i see myself going to one of those, as we get tired around 10 pm. Also, we've been offerred drugs like 3 times since we've arrived. And they dont call it by the drug name. The dealers all have names, and I guess if you're a drug user, you recognise what they're talking about pretty quickly, instead of us saying, "what is that?"
It's high season in the Gilis and we had not booked a hotel in advance. After being denied from numerous bungalows (there's only one hotel on the island), we finally found a place that had one room vacant. Thank goodness, because I was starting to panic. Our hotel also runs a scuba diving shop, so today at noon, keith and I are going for a beginners course. I've dived before in Cozumel, but Keith is brand new. When we fly, KEith has a lot of trouble being able to equalaize his ears, so we are hoping that we're able to do this. The main attaction to the Gilis is scuba diving along huge coral reefs and seeing all kids of marine life, so it would be a huge shame to not be able to participate.
We'll let you know tomorrow how it goes. For now, I've gotta go run and put on my swimsuit. Bye! - kate
However, if you stood up, you could see the most gorgeous coastline of northeastern Bali. Lots of trees, big mountains, and bare beaches. We're thinking when we return, we'll stay somewhere there. After the rough and hot two hour boat ride, we arrived at the Gilis. There was not even a dock to step off the boat onto...just the beach. Th water here is crystal blue and the beaches are clean, white sand. No umbrellas, just people laying on their towels on the beach. The island doesnt even allow cars onto it - the only way of public transport is via horsedrawn carriages. Random, huh? Ironically, this island in particular attracts a lot of backpackers, so the nightlife is pretty spectacular. Some of the bars dont get going until 11 pm, and the have "full moon parties" that go on until the sun comes up. I cant say i see myself going to one of those, as we get tired around 10 pm. Also, we've been offerred drugs like 3 times since we've arrived. And they dont call it by the drug name. The dealers all have names, and I guess if you're a drug user, you recognise what they're talking about pretty quickly, instead of us saying, "what is that?"
It's high season in the Gilis and we had not booked a hotel in advance. After being denied from numerous bungalows (there's only one hotel on the island), we finally found a place that had one room vacant. Thank goodness, because I was starting to panic. Our hotel also runs a scuba diving shop, so today at noon, keith and I are going for a beginners course. I've dived before in Cozumel, but Keith is brand new. When we fly, KEith has a lot of trouble being able to equalaize his ears, so we are hoping that we're able to do this. The main attaction to the Gilis is scuba diving along huge coral reefs and seeing all kids of marine life, so it would be a huge shame to not be able to participate.
We'll let you know tomorrow how it goes. For now, I've gotta go run and put on my swimsuit. Bye! - kate
Friday, July 31, 2009
Lounging Around in Bali
What can I say?? Keith and I have been SUPER lazy over the past couple of days. Bali is beautiful, and the weatheris pristine this time of year. Unlike other countries we've visited on our trip, this is the most popular time to visit Bali because it is NOT during the rainy season. We are in a town on the island of Bali called Sanur, and it's a good in between for those who dont want to lay out on a beach completely full of lounge chairs and umbrellas, but who also want a little bit of conveniences and nightlife. There are other towns in Bali where it's nightclub after bar, etc; but in Sanur, the main form of nightlife is live music, specifically Reggae - Michelle, you'd LOVE it!! What's odd is that even though it's high season here, the restaurants arent packed, nor is the beach and pool crowded with tourists. We asked someone if things were slow because of the receint bombings in Jakarta, but they said this was normal.
So, we've just been soaking in the sun and lounging. Food, entertainment, and accomadation isn't as inexpensive as in other countries in Southeast Asia, but that is to be expected. Still, Keith ate a decent Surf 'n Turf this evening for dinner on the beach for only $7, so it's still pretty cheap. There are still locals asking you to hire them for a taxi ride, or massage, or just to go to their store, but there's absolutely no begging. The people are nice and friendly, and they speak pretty good English.
Tomorrow, we are travelling to the town called Padong Bai to take a ferry either to the Gili Islands or to Lombok, whichever has room available to take us. Hopefully, it's not too busy over there, and we find some place to stay. I might've wished we had taken hammocks - I'll let you know! -- Kate
So, we've just been soaking in the sun and lounging. Food, entertainment, and accomadation isn't as inexpensive as in other countries in Southeast Asia, but that is to be expected. Still, Keith ate a decent Surf 'n Turf this evening for dinner on the beach for only $7, so it's still pretty cheap. There are still locals asking you to hire them for a taxi ride, or massage, or just to go to their store, but there's absolutely no begging. The people are nice and friendly, and they speak pretty good English.
Tomorrow, we are travelling to the town called Padong Bai to take a ferry either to the Gili Islands or to Lombok, whichever has room available to take us. Hopefully, it's not too busy over there, and we find some place to stay. I might've wished we had taken hammocks - I'll let you know! -- Kate
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Back in Bangkok
So, like I said earlier, we had to return to Bangkok to take care of a couple things. We arrived on Monday, midday. We were upset because our cute hotel that we had stayed at previously was all booked up. When we were fishing in southern Thailand, earlier in our trip, we had met a british man and his son; the father being a resident of Thailand. He gave us a recommendation for a hotel in Bangkok, just in case we didn't like the first one. So Keith, having such a great memory, rememered the name and they (thank goodness) had availability.
City Chic Hotel was located in a newer part of Bangkok, and for the same price as the other one, stayed in a pretty swanky, modern hotel. It was like the Ritz Carlton, compared to where we had receintly been!! We were happy with our location too, as the US Embassy was within walking distance.
The next day, we headed for the embassy, and remarkably, got 10 new sheets in my passport for free, and it only took 30 minutes! Afterwards, Keith had wished he had done the same thing. Then, we took a taxi out to a shopping mall, called River City Mall, that sells only antiques. We were in the market for an old map of Siam, and got a great one that we both agreed on ws the nicest out of what they had. For the rest of the afternoon, we just lounged around the hotel and relaxed.
So, prostitution is legal in Thailand, and sex trafficking is a major problem here. There are lots of western older men (mainly for some reason frm Germany) who travel over to Thailand to hook up with young Thai girls. I'm talking like 70 year old men walking around, holding hands, smooching with 20 year olds!! It's pretty obvious what the story is, and it's gross, too, if you ask me. We didnt see too much of it last time we were in Bangkok...only in the airports and a little around town. This time was another story. I turns out we were staying in a hotel that promotes prostitution!!! I was making a phone call at the front desk, when an older french man was booking a room with a young Thai girl next to him, UNTIL 10 pm!! I could barely finish my phone call! Then, later on the internet (near the front reception desk) I heard a man "order" a girl, asking for this ad that and the other!! When Keith and I checked out of the hotel at 5 am yesterday, 5 transvestites came stumbling in!! I was like, "where are we??"
Anyways, after travelling for a long time yesterday (we left Bangkok at 7:45 am and arrived in Bali at 4:15 pm via Singapore), we have arrived in paradise!! We are thrilled to be able to relax for two whole weeks here! Currently, we're in a resort in Sanur Beach, and are booked to stay here at least 2 more nights. It's big and there are lots of people, but it's nice to be able to chill on the beach or at one of their many pools! Bring on the Mai Tais!!! We'll probably go over to the Gili Islands and over to an island next door called Lombok some time during our stay here.
Love to all! I'm off to the beach!
City Chic Hotel was located in a newer part of Bangkok, and for the same price as the other one, stayed in a pretty swanky, modern hotel. It was like the Ritz Carlton, compared to where we had receintly been!! We were happy with our location too, as the US Embassy was within walking distance.
The next day, we headed for the embassy, and remarkably, got 10 new sheets in my passport for free, and it only took 30 minutes! Afterwards, Keith had wished he had done the same thing. Then, we took a taxi out to a shopping mall, called River City Mall, that sells only antiques. We were in the market for an old map of Siam, and got a great one that we both agreed on ws the nicest out of what they had. For the rest of the afternoon, we just lounged around the hotel and relaxed.
So, prostitution is legal in Thailand, and sex trafficking is a major problem here. There are lots of western older men (mainly for some reason frm Germany) who travel over to Thailand to hook up with young Thai girls. I'm talking like 70 year old men walking around, holding hands, smooching with 20 year olds!! It's pretty obvious what the story is, and it's gross, too, if you ask me. We didnt see too much of it last time we were in Bangkok...only in the airports and a little around town. This time was another story. I turns out we were staying in a hotel that promotes prostitution!!! I was making a phone call at the front desk, when an older french man was booking a room with a young Thai girl next to him, UNTIL 10 pm!! I could barely finish my phone call! Then, later on the internet (near the front reception desk) I heard a man "order" a girl, asking for this ad that and the other!! When Keith and I checked out of the hotel at 5 am yesterday, 5 transvestites came stumbling in!! I was like, "where are we??"
Anyways, after travelling for a long time yesterday (we left Bangkok at 7:45 am and arrived in Bali at 4:15 pm via Singapore), we have arrived in paradise!! We are thrilled to be able to relax for two whole weeks here! Currently, we're in a resort in Sanur Beach, and are booked to stay here at least 2 more nights. It's big and there are lots of people, but it's nice to be able to chill on the beach or at one of their many pools! Bring on the Mai Tais!!! We'll probably go over to the Gili Islands and over to an island next door called Lombok some time during our stay here.
Love to all! I'm off to the beach!
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