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.