Visualize the trip

What to see more images from my travels? For Bali, click here. For Cambodia, click here and here. A Malaysian album is coming soon.

Oh, we are so over

This is it. The end. After almost two months, our relationship is over. I'm breaking up with Southeast Asia. I packed up my stuff, and I'm moving out. It's time to head home, wherever that may be (my boarding pass tells me Chicago).

I didn't mean to cast such a negative tone over the "relationship" with the 'Kelsey's Got Beef' post. It really has been an amazing experience. The bad comes with good in Malaysia, and there will be things I'll miss - the 3-to-1 exchange rate for starters. It's incredible to think that I've been living in a place where three major races and a dozen religions all exist peacefully. It's a moderate Muslim country. Yes, it exists. This is a Third World country with fantastic shopping, all the food you could ever want, and a convenient rail system. But I'm sorry, Asia, it's me, not you. It's time to move on with my life. My limo is coming soon - about 25 hours and a half dozen bad Korean meals later, I'll be back in the United States.

But for how long? Who knows. I imagine not long. I've already been thinking about returning to Siem Reap to volunteer. And maybe even joining the Peace Corp. But I'll probably date around for a while first before I settle down. I hear magazine journalism asked for my number...

I was on fire!

I finally got around to doing the Tibetan fire therapy - check it out!

I have to say it didn't do much for me. But maybe it's because I couldn't relax - the Chinese lady setting up the stuff acted like she didn't know what she was doing and had to get help from another masseuse. All I could think was 'Oh my god, I'm going to die. I'm not going to have any hair. She's going to light me on fire.' She did it on my back and on my stomach and knees. My front was actually a lot less sensitive than my back, which I didn't expect. But if I was going to do it over, I'd probably do cupping instead (where they use suction to release the bad wind from your body.)

Afterward, we went to the national mosque. It was the last thing on my Malaysia to-do list. We got there just in time; tourists aren't allowed in during prayer times. It was actually a lot less impressive than I thought it'd be, but it's an old mosque and I guess the federal one is the bees knees. It was intereting though, and I'm glad I went. I had to wear this huge lavender robe inside and I (as a woman) wasn't allowed in the main prayer room.

Career Moves?

Today I met with Margaret Sebastian, managing editor of the magazines Her World and Shape, the Malaysian edition. I almost wish I was staying here through the end of the summer and could intern with Blu Inc.; Margaret would be a great mentor. She's smart and saavy and knows exactly what she wants. Plus, here I am along with a million other journalism students clawing for an unpaid internship in NYC and Margaret can't find good enough interns. And they're paid! And there's the possibility it'll turn into a job! It's a dream come true. She said she's having trouble because the quality of English is going down among college students, which I found really surprising.

What scared me about the interview is that she totally called my bluff: She said she has trouble finding editors because people's experience shows they had editor titles but don't have the foundation to back it up. Meaning editors need to be good writers first. And that scares me. I wrote so much in high school that by the time I got to college, I was a little burnt out. So I started editing. I loved it so I kept at it. But now that I'm applying for EA positions, I'm worried my resume doesn't show that I can write. (Readers: please don't judge this blog as a reflection of my professional writing). Any advice?

Overall, the meeting was really interesting though. She talked about how it works printing an international title (besides Shape, Blu Inc. also publishes Marie Claire, Men's Health, and Seventeen), covering the country's diverse population, why subscriptions don't work in Malaysia, how she got started (she was an English teacher), changing the Her World focus from 20-30 year olds to 30-40 year olds and why it was a good idea, etc. etc. It was a good reminder of why I want to work in magazines.

Her advice: Don't focus on moving up the masthead. Instead, work hard at your job and figure out who you can learn from.

Kelsey's Got Beef With Malaysia

Well, as the trip winds down it's time to reflect on my time here. Yes, it's been great, but what's better than some good old fashion ranting? Here's what I have beef with, deservedly so or not:

• Everyone is late - Alright, I can't say I'm ever early, but if something starts at 5, I'm there at 5. One time I was suppose to be picked up at 9:30 p.m. and they didn't come until 10:45 p.m. It's like that ALL the time.
  
• Traffic - NO ONE uses their turn signals, one of my biggest pet peeves. People turn left from the right hand lane and visa versa. Motorcycles drive against traffic sometimes. Taxis claim they don't have meters so they charge you up the whazoo. People double, and TRIPLE park, and sometimes the street parking is run as valet by the local mafia.
  
• Spitting/B.O. - There's a lot of it going on. And it's gross. Enough said.
  
• Mosquitos - I haven't figure out how to avoid them. I've used sprays, lotions, candles, coils - even a mosquito patch! NOTHING WORKS; I'm covered in bites. It doesn't help that it rains every day and there's open water all over the place.
  
• Market Smell - The people here love their dried fish, and that pungent aroma follows you EVERYWHERE. Add that with the smell of durian, known as the "bathroom fruit" (you're not even allowed to bring it into hotel rooms or rental cars it's so gross), and you have quite a charming stank.
  
• Internet - Listen up, Streamyx. If I actually lived in KL, I would come down to your office and give you hell. Every. Single. Day. Streamyx is known as the best - among only a few as it is - Internet provider, but they keep accepting new clients and not expanding the number of people who can access the Broadband portal. Plus, every time it rains - meaning everyday - it's down. For hours.
  
• Rush or stand? - Alright, this one is kind of confusing. At the airport, when the first announcement is made about the flight - even if it isn't boarding for 20 minutes - everyone RUNS up to the gate. It's really crazy. Same thing happens when you're getting off an elevator. The doors open and the people rush in without letting anyone out first. Now the flip side to that is people on the sidewalks. Anyone who knows me knows I HATE slow walkers. Well, here they aren't even walking. They're standing. It's called a sideWALK. Move your ass.

This entry is dedicated to Krissi Xenakis and Doug Callahan at Link who listened to me complain just about every day last summer. Miss you guys.

Last weekend out in KL

Friday night I went out with Sharmini again to The Mansion and to this crazy Venezuelan party at Cuba, the club at The Westin. The party would have been a ton of fun if you had a good group of people and wanted to dance, but I think Sharmini and her friends were a little weirded out by the crowd. I was kind of out of it because we'd just got back from Cambodia really early that morning and I hadn't napped or anything.

Last night we went out with my aunt's friend Noma and her husband Ash, who is a big wig in General Electric's India division. They were just in town from Delhi for the weekend. Cindy and I were going to visit them on this trip, but Noma was originally going to be in the U.S. when I was here. I'm dying to go to India. Luckily, I made friends, and Noma said come visit any time. Yay! She's so, so nice and would a blast to hang out with.

We went to dinner at Chinoz on the Park in KLCC (part of the Petronas Towers, once the tallest buildings in the world). They have a tastings menu, which I'd never tried before - each person selects two appetizers, one main, and a dessert and the portions are small so you get to try a little bit of everything. It's really nice both for picky people (like me) that don't want to risk trying new things because it might ruin the meal and for people who like a lot of different things. I really enjoyed it. Afterwards, I convinced (really just suggested, didn't think it'd actually work) everyone to go out. We ended up at Luna Bar, this posh watering hole on the top of the Pacific Regency Hotel. A couple entries back I said to go to Menara for the view, but if you're of drinking age (not even sure what that is in Malaysia...), spend the extra money and go to Luna Bar instead. It is expensive, but the night view is impressive and the ambiance of the place is fantastic. The lower level seating, comfy futons in the bay windows and couches, are situated around the open-air pool. It's a place where you could be social and mingle or have a great time hanging with friends - and be able to hear what they're saying. I wish I'd had my camera, but here's a pic from the Web site. Noma and Ash threw a New Year's Eve party at Luna a couple years ago and said the fireworks were amazing. I imagine so. I guess the men's bathroom is pretty cool - it's just a glass wall so it's like you're peeing on the city!

Alright, I'm off to Jalan Petaling and Central Market to finish up some souvenir shopping. I can't believe I leave in a couple days!

Where's Andy?

It's still July 4th in the States, so that means Happy Birthday, America! Today is also my friend Andy's birthday, so this entry is dedicated to you, Dee. Those of you that don't know about the "Where's Andy?" series, here's the condensed version: In high school, me and couple friends dressed up as Andy for Halloween. Since then, everywhere I've traveled, the Andy mask has gone with. This is his second trip to Malaysia. Andy is my get-rich plan; I'll publish a coffee table book called "Where's Andy?" with pictures of the mask round the world. It's a work-in-progress. Here's a sneak peek: Our Cambodian tuk-tuk driver, Mr. Leng, as Andy.

Dos and Don'ts of Visiting Siem Reap

Don't plan a trip for only two days.
Do spend some time volunteering.
Don't hassle with making it to the temples for sunset and sunrise.
Do go out 2-3 hours before sunset to photograph the temples.
Don't bother over-packing.
Do bring flip-flops to slip off before entering restaurants/shops.
Don't stress about not knowing Khmer.
Do eat Khmer food.
Don't forget deoderant, headbands and extra contact lenses.
Do take advantage of a clean bathroom.


















Don't buy gems unless you really know what you're doing.
Do get a tuk-tuk.
Don't spend all of your time in it.
Do bring small gifts for the children.
Don't give them money.
Do talk to everyone - local, tourist, traveler, volunteer.
Don't change your US dollars in for Cambodian Riels.
Do go to the Artisan Angkor workshop to understand the effort behind your souvenirs.
Don't miss The Soup Dragon's vegetarian spring rolls.
Do take a guide with you to the temples.
Don't forget to save US$25 for the airport departure fee.

Our last day

And a sad one at that. People who only come for two days are crazy. There's so much more than just the temples to see and do and eat. I haven't said much about the food, but we've had some good stuff. The first night here we went to the FCC - Foreign Correspondents Club. It was never really the dark and dingy haunt of war journalists that you'd imagine but rather an offshoot of the real deals in places like Hong Kong and Indonesia. Either way, the food was amazing. I had fish amak, a popular Khmer dish, and Cindy had this tasty chicken curry. Since then, we've had more Khmer food and also Thai, Italian, Mexican and fusion - no complaints about any of it. We also found this delicious bakery - the French were here for a long time, so they're trained pastry chefs around - with amazing almond croissants. Mmm. I've eaten way too much though. I bet I've gained 10 pounds on this trip. That's the risk with a seven-week vacations I guess. But if you make it to Siem Reap, eat out on Pub Street; it's a great place to not only eat, but drink and watch/meet people.

Today, we did some (read: a ton) of last-minute shopping and then went back out to the temples for a while. At sunset, the thing to do is climb this big hill and see the sun over Angkor Wat. Talk about overrated. There's a bunch of people up there, and the view is not that good. I'd rather just photograph the temples up close when the light is good. We really lucked out with the weather today, like a dream. I don't want to leave.

Angkor What?

We were suppose to go on another do-good trip through The Villas today, but they changed the start time and didn't tell us - the guide showed up at The Treehouse at 8:30 a.m. and we were still in our pjs. I guess the lesson is to always check and double check. The morning part was a trip to a very poor village outside Siem Reap to see everyday life and how they've set up a water filter system. We met a couple that did go and they said it was amazing but heartbreaking. The villagers were eating dog! While they were doing that, we went to the Artisans Angkor workshop where they train locals to make traditional crafts - silk painting and stone/wood carving. It seems like a great program - gives them skills they can take back to their villages - and it really makes you see what you're paying for. They have a fantastic boutique with all of their crafts, but we couldn't decide what to buy so we're going back tomorrow. We also checked out some other shops and the market downtown; I want to buy so much. We were suppose to go to Sala Bai for lunch, but the restaurant was closed for final exams. Sala Bai is a hospitality school with a hotel and restaurant to teach the locals how to eventually (and hopefully) run their own hotels for the temple tourists. I was really disappointed; I thought something like that would make a good freelance article. Oh, well.

We met up with the group for lunch at The Villas (I had DELICIOUS stir fry) instead and then toured a pottery school and a silk farm. It's amazing that a fabric that comes from worms is a such a high-brow thing. They do all the threading and weaving by hand - the beginners take a whole day to do one meter of fabric. I'll never complain about the price of silk stuff again - It should be more!

"Oh my Buddha"

Today we spent the day doing what people come to Siem Reap to do - visiting Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is really just one of over 60 temples in the Angkor UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's what remains of the Khmer empire, built up between the 9th and 15th centuries. It was re-discovered by the French in the 1800s and since then it has taken back from the jungle growth and restored by a handful of nations. Angkor Wat may be the most iconic temple, but Angkor Thom is more breathtaking. I can't wait to upload the photos. The huge stones were brought by boat down from the mountains and all of the temples are built without any kind of cement or nails to hold the structure together. It's amazing any of them are still standing. And it's not just stones - there are all of these stone detailed friezes and huge faces. Most of the temples are Buddhist, but there was a shift back to Hinduism at one point and some of the Buddha images were cut out of the stone. Other Buddha heads have been cut off and smuggled out, now sitting in some foreign museum somewhere.

If you go, get a guide. Without a doubt, it's worth the money. Otherwise, you're going to spend half your time at the temples with your nose in a guidebook trying to figure out what the heck everything means - or you'll miss the meanings all together. Our guide admitted he was hungover in the first 10 minutes. It was hilarious. He said it was his friend from out-of-town's b-day the night before. But he was a great guide nonetheless. Much better than I would have been hungover and traipsing around the temples in 90 degree weather. The heat is really exhausting, and those people who come for two days and do like 15 temples are insane. Anyway, along with the major sites, Sum also took us to the Ta Prohm Temple of Tomb Raider fame. On the pathway in, there was a huge spider - it's body alone was about three inches long - and was like "Oh my God!" because it was about to fall on this Dutch guy's head. Sum said "No, oh my Buddha." Ah, I love it. Maybe it'll catch on.

Cambodia is FABULOUS.

We flew into Siem Reap early yesterday morning, and there's just something about this place - it's like what you read about in travel books (not of the Lonely Planet variety) and what you imagine when you think of "authentic" travel. Our tuk tuk driver picked us up from the airport and took us to The Treehouse where we'll be staying for the next five days. I thought it was really a treehouse, but it's just a two-story villa. It's rented by (appropriately enough) The Villas, a hotel in downtown Siem Riep. We dropped our stuff and took a short nap - we had to get up at 2:30 a.m. to go to the airport - and then headed to the Cambodia Orphanage Fund. We spent the afternoon at a tiny, two-room orphanage painting and playing with the children between the ages of about 3 and 13. It was so fun but sad at the same time. Some of the children are so smart; if given a chance, they could go so far. There were a handful of young volunteers from all over - Germany, Australia, Israel - that are there anywhere from two weeks to six months. The Villas sets up the art program and then sells the paintings in the hotel lobby to buy more supplies. It was such a great day, one that I'll never forget.

I keep reading my NYTimes emails about the crappy job market and job losses continuing into 2009. Maybe I'll forget about finding a job and just stay here. It'd be a much more satisfying life I imagine.

Look at me, having a social life

Yeah, that's right. I went out. With young people. Claire hooked me up with her daughter who is 22 and just returned to KL after getting her MBA in London. I didn't really want to go at first - I didn't want Claire to make Sharmini take me out. It's like when so-and-so's cousin is in town and your mom forces you to let her hang out with your friends and it's really awkward because you've never met her. And it definitely was like that for awhile. Tequila shots helped lubricate the situation.

Sharmini is a big equestrian person and that night was someone from the polo team's birthday. I was really nervous because I don't know a single thing about horses or country clubs or Ralph Lauren. Or having money. We went to Heritage Mansion, an old residence of a KL property tycoon that is now a invite-only club. But that night I was on the list. Or Sharmini was anyway. The inside was very ritzy - people drinking cocktails in the shadows on gold-covered couches and techno blaring from the DJ stand. The first hour or so was pretty miserable because I didn't know a single soul (I'm awkward enough as it is) and everyone was talking about the jumping competition that had been that day. But the people watching was great and I could kind of just blend in with the furniture for a bit. Luckily the drinking started, and the fun began. This great little gay guy named Daniel adopted me. I think he was once an outcast in this group, too - he lives in Bali but his partner rides. He talked to me about surfing and how he wants to go to L.A. A flaming drink for the b-day boy and a couple shots later, we were all dancing and carrying on. Everyone was taking pictures for Facebook. We were suppose to go to another club, but since the competition was all weekend long, Sharmini wanted to go home early. Her driver picked us up, and she said she'd give me a ring if they go out next weekend. I'd probably go again.

Last night was actually really nice, too - in a completely different way. Randa invited us over for Lebanese food and to play Canasta (which I just learned in Bali). Her husband is the head of Nestle's Asia division, and they are maybe the nicest people I've ever met. They have two really smart kids and a great Burmese mountain dog. Anyway, now I'm just rambling. It was fun in a Family Night kind of way.

Penang? Peno

Hey trusty readers, I apologize for the hiatus. I meant to blog before I left for Penang, but it was raining so of course the Internet was down. My plan was to go to Penang on Wednesday morning and come back this morning, but I hated it so much I came back last night. I didn't even get to take the train I was so excited about. But I had had high hopes, my bus ride there went great and I made it to my hotel/brothel just fine, but then I actually started walking around Georgetown. I felt like I was vacationing in the slums. Penang is supposedly a big backpacker destination, but I'm not sure why. I think the appeal is the British influence and all the pre-WWII housing, but they've let it fall into such disrepair. I didn't find it charming at all. I saw a lot of historic places when I traveled in Europe; maybe I'm jaded already. But I guess the lesson is I should stop comparing Asia to Europe and just take it for what it is.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure my hotel had a little something else going on on the side - the "health center" didn't open until like 5 p.m. It sounded nice enough, The Waldorf Hotel, but I was up all night worrying about bed bugs and mass murders. It was scary. Upper Penang Road is where the nightlife is and it was close by, but seeing as it was Wednesday night it wasn't exactly hopping. Definitely the coolest thing I saw was the Wat Chayamangkalaram with this huge reclining Buddha. I love visiting temples. The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion was pretty cool (the University of South Carolina architecture students were staying there!), but that's because my guide was great. I really wish I had found her earlier - she also leads architectural walking tours around Georgetown and maybe then I would have realized what's so great about the place. Photos will be up soon - as soon as it stops raining long enough to finish an upload - and it'll be a lot easier to understand what I'm talking about then. Stay tuned!

Corny KL

It’s been a low-key weekend. Mostly shopping and eating in Bangsar. Kind of getting my act back together after Bali. But I’m already planning to hit the road again. This week I’m going to take a little trip up to Penang. I wanted to go camping in Taman Negara, but I just about had a nervous breakdown last night by the sheer number of mosquito bites I have and the fact that NOTHING is keeping them away. So I figured the wilderness isn’t such a good place to be. I’m going to take a bus up (about 5 hours) and an overnight train back (7 hours). I’m really excited to get out and travel on my own again. And I love train travel. I wish I could take it both ways but it doesn’t leave at good times for the KL-Penang leg.

We went to KL Sentral – the main train hub – to get this trip figured out and picked up some “corn in a cup” from a little stand similar to Auntie Anne’s in our malls. I thought I was back in the Midwest for a second. They even have corn smoothies! Sounds sick, but maybe I’ll try it next time. The corn in a cup was delicious.

Adios, Trav.

The little bro made it safely to the airport last night. Today I’m not doing anything but getting a message. I’ve definitely turned into a believer in foot reflexology. I think next week I’m going to try Tibetan fire therapy…

Swimming with the elephants

Today we went to the Kuala Gandah Elephant Orphanage Sanctuary, about a two-hour drive from KL. It’s in the middle of nowhere, among a couple Orang Asli villages. The sanctuary is the base for what’s called the “Elephant Relocation Team,” which relocates elephants from areas where their habitats are endangered (mostly due to palm leaf plantation expansions) and they are running amuck. The healthy elephants are moved to Taman Negara, a huge national reserve; orphaned or sick elephants are moved to Kuala Gandah and then trained to help assist relocating wild elephants. Rumor has it the baby elephant from Jodie Foster’s Anna and the King lived at Kuala Gandah.

All in all, it was an amazing experience. It’s a really rag-tag setup, not at all like a petting zoo. We got to hand feed the elephants, ride them, and give them a bath. It’s easy to forget that elephants are hairy. We rode them into the river and for a painstaking moment as this 4-ton elephant was falling and I was falling with it, I was panicking. ‘I’m going to get crushed. I’m going to be that statistic. Oh my god.’ But obviously I’m still alive. It was pretty cool to swim with such a huge animal next to you. I’d definitely recommend this place. It’s a little off the beaten track, but it’s worth it. Plus, it’s free! (But we donated. Honest.)

Go big or go home

We are trying to fit in some last minute touristy things this week before Travis heads back to the States on Wednesday night. Yesterday, we went to the observation deck of Menara, KL’s telecommunications tower, the fourth largest in the world as a matter of fact. I went to Menara last time I was here, and I have to say the smog has gotten a lot worse over the last three years. If you go, make sure it’s a really clear day.

Afterwards, we walked down to Sungei Wang Plaza in Bukit Bintang. It’s seven stories of complete madness. It’s loud and it’s bright and it’s packed. The “aisles” on each floor are like mazes; I bet we didn’t even see half the place. And in each open area, there were stands set up selling stuff. It was dizzying. Not my cup of tea, but Travis liked it. The best part was going into the arcade and watching people in the karaoke booths. Asians love them some karaoke. We were hoping from some DDR but no luck.

We happened to stumble into Pavilion KL on the way; it made me much less claustrophobia. More my style, but more expensive. Bukit Bintang definitely seems like a cool area of town – tons of shopping, hotels, restaurants, all varying in price.

Goodbye, my love

We're flying back to Kuala Lumpur in just a couple hours. It's been an interesting trip, but I'm still completely fasinated with Bali. For the past two weeks, I've been known as Chelsea, the girl that's on her honeymoon with her brother. I guess there aren't many brother/sister traveling duos here, or at least not compared to newlyweds. It led to some hilariously awkward situation. And when I told locals I'm from Chicago, they'd either respond with "Ah, Chicago Bulls!" and a jump-shot motion (I didn't have the heart to tell them how bad they are these days) or start rambling excitedly about Barack Obama. Obama lived in Indonesia for a couple years when he was young and attended school in Jakarta so the Balinese are big fans.

Well, it’s time for a final dip in the pool and then packing. I've got a pretty killer tan.

Naughty or Nice?

Balinese architecture has what’s called a mandi. A mandi is essentially an outdoor shower. Think about the showers at beaches, and then attach it to your house. It’s your primary shower – rain or shine.

It feels naughty because, you know, it’s not often you’re naked outside. Who knows who might be looking? There’s an element of scandal. But then it’s kind of liberating at the same time. The wind on your skin. I think it’s nice.

Kuta: Good people watching, better surf

Travis and I went down to Kuta today to take surfing lessons. Kuta is like the Cancun of Bali. Read my description of Amed and imagine the opposite. The city was victim to terrorists attacks in 2002 and 2004, and the tourism industry still hasn’t fully recovered. It’s hard to believe with the mobs of chartered tourists milling about the shops, restaurants, clubs, hotels, etc.

We took lessons at Oakley’s Odysseys Surf School. It was the cheapest of the five we checked out – $30 for 2.5 hours, plus free water and hotel transfers – but I was happy with what we got. The lessons were a lot better than the ones I’d taken from some guy (Read: creep) in Maui forever ago. I was standing before my fifth wave, and I was pretty happy with how I was doing at the end of the day. It sure is an exhausting sport though. Fighting back out after every wave is what kills you.

We went to dinner in Seminyak tonight, and I’m going back tomorrow. The shopping looks fantastic!

I heart Tandjung Sari – Sanur, Bali

Today we got out of Dodge and headed south to Sanur. We were suppose to spend the last three days of the trip at a villa in Canggu, on the lower west side of the island. But the manager called and said that the owner had been visiting and hurt his back so bad that he couldn’t move. I thought it’d be fine; he wouldn’t get in our way. Just kidding.

We decided to stay in the old favorite, Tandjung Sari. I stayed here on my first trip to Bali three years ago. This place has everything: beach-front bungalows, infinity pool, tasty restaurant, established reputation, and the nicest staff and owners around. It was one of the first boutique hotels on the island. The best thing about it is on Friday afternoons you can watch little kids learn the traditional dances in the outdoor seating area (above). Sanur is nice, too – lots of shops and restaurants but not as crazy as Ubud. Great sunrises.

Nobody looks good in snorkel gear

But the snorkeling here is amazing. Today we drove up to Tulamben, about half an hour north of Amed. There are some beautiful reefs and a rainbow of fish. We also got to see a shipwreck - the US cargo ship Liberty sunk over 60 years ago, and it's only 50, offshore. Granted, diving would be better, but I wasn't ready to commit to a four-day, $400 diving certification course. I'd definitely tell people to get certified before they come. I should have taken it for-credit at IU.

Update from yesterday’s situation: We talked to Unieng, the Balinese co-owner of Bayu Cottages, about what happened. She said those were just stupid kids, that there aren’t any Muslims around here. Either way, she’s going to report it to the local co-op.

Threatened with jihad

Yesterday Travis and I met a guy on the beach trying to get us to rent snorkel gear from him. It was already mid-afternoon, and so we didn’t really see the point. We kept saying ‘Maybe tomorrow, maybe tomorrow,’ but he hung around. “Where you from?” “Where you staying? How long you be in Bali? ” We went in the water just to get away from him.

Today he was waiting for us at the top of the steps down to the beach. We’d talked to the owners of the place we’re staying, and they said to guarantee we get good equipment (and some fins to fit Travis’ gianormous foot, in Asian standards), we should go to Euro Dive down the street. He kept hassling us and hassling us as we walked. “They promised they’d rent from me. Why you go to Euro Dive? You don’t want to help the Balinese people.” Finally, my aunt gave in and said she’d rent equipment from him but that she wanted quality stuff for the “kids.” We got our equipment and started walking back. We noticed a guy on a motorcycle kept coming around. By the time we’d walked back down to the beach, this guy and his buddy from the bike had started to get really nasty. It went something like this:

Them: People just come here to relax. They don’t think about how they can help Bali people. I work hard. Why only one?
Aunt: If you don’t quit hassling me, I’m not going to take anything.
Them: You go home. Go away.
Aunt: If you guys don’t stop, I’m going to call the police.
Them: Ha, call the police.

And that was a really scary thought. Here we are, on the coast of nowhere, Bali. Where are the police? And who are they? If something happened, would anyone know? My uncle agreed to stay with out stuff while we went in the water. The original guy sat down next to him, literally inches away, and started talking again: “We don’t want you here. We Muslims hate Americans.” His friend was spitting all over the place. Eventually they gave into the silent treatment and left.

In all the years my aunt and uncle have been vacationing in Bali, they’ve never had anything happen like this. Everybody knows about Bali beach boys – known to be built, offer you drugs or surfing lessons or sex or transport – but these guys were something else.

This is Amed.

This is a place where …You feel the rhythm of the waves in your body after a day of snorkeling or swimming or diving. You can wear a bra or not. You drink Coca-Cola out of a glass bottle. You leave notes and doodles in the hotel’s guestbook. You wear lots of sunscreen. You actually eat at the hotel restaurant. You’ll find flowers on you’re pillow – and you’re not in the honeymoon suite. You lay out on black sand.

This isn’t a place where …You rent ski-doos. You need your Sunday best. You can get wi-fi. You learn about local culture at a museum. You run into a rambunctious clan from the University of Somewhere. You bother with bikini waxes. You pay with credit card. You drink the local spirits, if you know what’s good for you. You stay at the Hilton or the Sherton or the Marriott. You can buy postcards.

This is Amed.

Rafting the Telaga Waja

Today we went whitewater rafting through Sobek. There are two rafting trips you can book out of Ubud: one on Ayung River, the other on Telaga Waja. The Ayung River course is closer, but our driver said it’s for little kids and old people so we opted for the latter. It was fun, but I wouldn’t recommend it for experienced rafters. It helped that our guide was a hoot and the Japanese couple in our boat didn’t stop giggling. Here’s a dorky picture:

Stories from the Ramayana

Last night we went to see a traditional dance troupe that tells stories from the Ramayana, an ancient Hindu epic, through movement. Bali is a Hindu island that is part of Indonesia, the largest Muslim country by population. It’s hard to explain the “dance” so check it out for yourself:

VIDEO TO COME! (sorry, I'm having trouble uploading it on the slow connection)

Update: Alright, after a few dozen attempts to upload the video on this connection, I've given up. Still image it is...

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia

It’s about 45 minutes from Bandara Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar to Ubud, the cultural center of Bali and where we’ll be staying for the next six days. We’re staying in a private bungalow – known in the area as “Dr. Mike’s House.” It’s owned by an American doctor and sits on a hill overlooking rice paddies and a river gorge. It’s beautiful at sunset. The house is built in Balinese style, meaning nearly everything is open. Two bedrooms are enclosed, but there’s one open room upstairs and open bathrooms and kitchen. It’s an amazing setting, but there are some downsides. 1. There’s not parking directly behind the house. You have to park at the top of the hill and walk down a beat up concrete pathway about .25 mile. It’s steep on the way up and is really bad when it rains. 2. There’s a stream that runs along the pathway, and it is cluttered with trash. There are many bungalows with Balinese residents and even a hotel along the pathway and they must dump their trash in the water. It smells awful and is unsightly. 3. The house itself is not such a great location to stay if you have kids or it’s your first time in Ubud. I’d say it’s about 1.5 mile walk to the art galleries, restaurants, and shops in “downtown” Ubud. My advice: It’s convenient to be close to the action here, especially when you’re with travelers of differing levels of experience. Stay close to the main streets (Jl. Raya Ubud, Jl. Monkey Forest and Jl. Hanoman).

Another take on the fuel crisis

I don’t know why but there’s something I love about walking out on the tarmac and climbing up stairs to an airplane. It feels so old school, like I should be swearing a string of pearls, big sunglasses and a Jackie O tweed dress. However, I guess in this day and age it’s more of a money saving measure then a throwback to nostalgia.

We flew Air Asia from Kuala Lumpur International Airport’s Low Cost Carrier Terminal. At first, I felt kind of offended by that name. Were the passengers of normal carriers too good to mingle with the scoundrels on a budget? But come to find out it’s not a travelers’ caste system. By cutting back on amenities like skybridges, decorations, and transfer services to the main terminal, the airlines can lower landing fees, taxes, and handling charges. And that sounds good to me.

Politics Schmolitics

Not much to report here in terms of travel stories. It was a pretty low-key weekend; we had to go to the Relay for Life KL. We did get to meet the American ambassador and his family. He seems like a really down-to-earth guy. But there was an obvious reminder of why I hate the political game:

Ambassador Keith was there as a private citizen - he didn't want to give a speech or be recognized for anything. And the coordinators knew that. When they called his team's name for the first lap, he and his family (he is married with seven kids, one that is adopted and handicapped) and some embassy employees took to the track. They didn't get more than 100m when the minister of magic, I mean, health comes flying up with the media in tow and takes over the wheelchair. The cameras start snapping away. Here, the minister of health, shaking hands with the American ambassador and pushing his Asian handicapped son. The media was eating it up. It was disgusting. But I guess that's politics. It didn't seem to phase the ambassador or his family so it must happen. The photographers got their shots and the minister disappeared.

Less serious but just as annoying, I'm getting eaten alive by mosquitoes. Maybe I should have taken the malaria medicine after all. We leave for Bali in the morning - I hope to god it's better there.

Rain, rain, go away

Sorry I haven't been updating regularly. Afternoon thunderstorms have made the Internet access really spotty so I update when I can. But the rain is keeping the temperature down, which is fantastic.

Soothe your sole

Today was our first day out in Bangsar, the area of Kuala Lumpur that we're staying in. I guess it's kind of like Wrigleyville is to Chicago - a neighborhood within the city. Lots of restaurants and boutiques.

After brunch at La Bodega, we headed to Garra Rufa Fish Therapy. Customers stick their feet into one of the spa's "ponds," and small fish come up and eat the dead skin off. Yeah, that's right. Instead of a foot scrub, why not exfoliate those tootsies with fish?

Here's the deal: The store imports the garra rufa fish (aka nibble fish or doctor fish) from the Middle East. Lchthyotherapy, as it's scientifically known as, has been around in Turkey forever as a treatment for conditions like eczema and psoriasis. And now it's growing into a posh spa treatment here. Garra Rufa Fish Therapy definitely has a chic atmosphere: black wallpaper, huge mirrors and tanks with exotic fish - the kind that don't eat you. There's two ponds with about 6,000 garra rufa and a wooden deck to sit on and hang your feet over. What's nice is that it doesn't have spa prices - 38RM for 30 minutes, less than $15US. Plus, they have Happy Hour specials - have fish eat your feet, then grab a beer.

It's hard to describe the feeling when you first put your feet in there. I was freaking out a little. It kind of tickled, kind of grossed me out. But as you sit there, you get used to it and it starts to feel like an electric current running through your lower legs. It's hard to tear your eyes away from all those fish swarming your feet; if you focus on one fish, that feeling intensifies. When my half and hour was up, my feet definitely felt softer but I think it'd take more than one session to really make a difference. But it's the experience that counts.

It's about damn time

Twenty-two hours later and we finally made it. We flew Korean Airlines, and I can't say I have too many complaints. We got to sit in the first aisle behind business class so there's was lots of leg room. The downside was we sat next to three little Vietnamese girls - about 2, 4 and 6 - whose mom kept falling asleep and so they were running up and down the aisles. The mom didn't speak much English, and she acted like she didn't know we were stopping in Korea... Who knows.

A tip for those international travelers out of O'Hare: eat before you come through security. There aren't any restaurants once you get in the terminal. However, they did keep feeding us and feeding us on the flight. You'd finally get comfortable and maybe ready to fall asleep and then they'd turn those piercing lights back on and come through with the cart. About every two hours! Travis' first meal was interesting - a Korean dish with a bunch of chopped up who-knows-what and rice and this chili paste that was in a toothpaste tube. Once he got it figured out, he said it was good though.

I tried to update from Seoul, but every time I opened Blogger, it switched to Korean and our layover didn't give me enough time to figure it out. But it's good to be back on the ground - and in the pool!

Leavin' on a jet plane...

In just a couple hours. Of course, I waited until the last minute to write my first post. But I hope you'll stick with me - I promise they'll get better from here. I'm flying from O'Hare to Seoul, Korea, and then down to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. All in all, it's over 20 hours in the air. I just hope there's no setbacks...