Massage and Crab in Singapore

We left Ubud in the morning and drove to the Airport at Dempasar. We flew Singapore Airlines to Singapore. It was a nice flight and I edited about ½ of my pictures. Kevin has been my inspiration after seeing what he did. He has the identical camera and his pictures look great. It is the photographer, not the camera!

Arriving in Singapore as you go down the escalator to immigration they are scanning you for fever and Swine Flu. Very efficient, you don’t even have to stop.
We cleared customs in record time and headed for our hotel.

After checking in we took the underground into Singapore and went directly for a massage. Cathy loved it, I less so. We then took a cab to Raffles Hotel. This has a feeling of the Raj. It is an old hotel, quite large. I really liked the architecture sort of Raj meets California Mission Style. I of course had to have a Singapore Sling, which was invented at the hotel. Cathy not liking sweet drinks had a wine.
We were screwed by our cab driver in the ride from the massage to Raffles. This is the ONLY time on the trip that we were cheated. No big deal, but it speaks of the difference between Bali and Singapore!

We then took a cab to Jumbo Seafood. There are a whole series of outdoor Chinese seafood restaurants on the water. We planned this to be the highlight of Singapore and it was. It is open on two sides and people are sitting outside eating. I can’t think of an outdoor Chinese Restaurant in LA. At any rate, the whole point is eating Crab. We had two Crab’s Chili Pepper Crab and Black Pepper Crab. We also had mixed seafood fried rice.

The food was great. You eat with your fingers and it is messy but fun. Billy is WRONG! The Chinese food in Asia is better than the Chinese food in LA. This was the best crab we ever had!

Tomorrow we get up for an 8:20am departure to Tokyo and back to the states. It has been a great vacation!

Roasted Suckling Pig

Today was our last full day in Ubud, Bali. We left the hotel and drove to a Pejeng Indigo Batik. This was a quaint factory where they dyed the cloth indigo and then use the batik process to create a design. It is very labor intensive. I purchased a really wonderful piece of textile that I plan to have a shirt made from when we return to Los Angeles. Its motif is from the carvings of the Hindu Temples throughout Bali. The Indigo dyer was himself covered with Indigo Tattoos and looked like he had been Batiked! The owner was wearing a real cool shirt and pants. He designed them himself and doesn’t sell them. What a shame. I would really like to buy them for myself.

We returned to the hotel and then headed out to central Ubud for our last shopping and walking adventures. We decided to have lunch at the most famous Roast Pig restaurant on Bali. Hindus can eat pig, just not beef. Anthony Bourdain proclaimed it one of his favorite restaurants: Warung Ibu Oka’s. We caught the Pig being delivered to the restaurant. You don’t often see a Pig Head Carry in the states.

We returned to the hotel after lunch and packed and rested at our little Villa.
We hoped to have a final Balinese massage but all appointments were booked.
We then went for a Parting Dinner. In the middle of the dinner William showed up from Threads of Life. Choi had been wearing a very nice shirt from the store. I mentioned to William that I liked Choi’s shirt. William replied that the store was open for another 20 minutes. Cathy I left the dinner and took a taxi to the store. I picked out a shirt and went to pay with my credit card. Just as I went to pay ALL of the lights went out in Ubud. They had one candle to light in the store. They tried to run the transaction but couldn’t. We finally left with our shirts and a promise to pay someday!

We returned to the dinner which was being eaten by candle light since the power to the island hadn’t been restored. After dinner we returned to the hotel. As we went through security I noticed the guard had a flower over his ear. Somehow the juxtaposition of a security guard with a flower over his ear spoke to me of Bali.

We had drinks at the hotel and recounted the adventures of the trip with Courtney, Ferris and Scott and then headed back to our Villa. Tomorrow we depart for a day and night in Singapore. We are looking forward to finding the ultimate Chili Crab and Pepper Crab (Singapore’s most famous dish).

From Singapore we head for Tokyo and then home to Los Angeles.

Frogs, Geckos and Fireflies

We left our hotel and went to a Barong & Kris Dance in the morning. These are traditional Balinese dances based once again on the ancient Indian legends of the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Our driver informed us that almost all people on the island of Bali would be familiar with these stories. This was a particularly nice presentation. It was staged at one of the many, many old Hindu Temples, outdoors. There was a Gamelon Orchestra and the characters were in costumes.
The story is a battle between the good Gods and the bad Gods. Good Gods win.
We thoroughly enjoyed the presentation.

I returned to the hotel and had an hour and half massage. Cathy went shopping.
When she returned we returned to our Villa and Cathy swam in our pool. We were warned that at 6pm they would be fogging for insects. Apparently they do it every Monday night and that is the secret of the lack of insects.

At 6 we left for a massage (my 2nd of the day) and we could watch the clouds of insect fog roll in. The massage is given in a beautiful location, you are totally isolated and in a very luxurious Balinese Style suite of rooms with a view of the River and Jungle. As you know Cathy and I LOVE massage and have plenty. This was a new experience for us. It was called a Herbal Pounding but really is like a Herbal kneading. The have balls of herbs bigger than softballs, that they heat up somehow. When you lying on the table they place a hot ball of herbs on your skin and massage you, sort of like making bread. It is very different and GOOD. Barry take note! We want this at the Raven! They play no music during their massages but you hear the water from the river and birds and jungle insects making all kinds of interesting noise.

Tonight the Frogs were out in force. We really enjoyed them. They were by the pool edge making all kinds of noise, basically sounding like Dick Cheney. We ate at the restaurant and all over the ceiling and walls Gecko lizards were walking about. They are totally harmless and eat insects. They make a loud clicking noise. There are universally loved. After dinner we went for drinks and met Courtney and Scott. A firefly flew in. I hadn’t seen once in over 50 years since I moved from Cleveland. Wish they had fireflies in Los Angeles.

A note about security. Bali’s economy has been devastated as a result of the terrorist bombings here. There are very few American’s tourists here. You see lots of Australians and Germans but American’s are still afraid to come. It is a shame. Our hotel sits on a large piece of property, maybe the size of a golf course or two. When you approach it you are stopped by security and they use mirrors to check under the car or bus looking for bombs. They also open the trunk and use magnetic wands to check for weapons. Only then do they open the gate. It sounds impressive but to us seems for show. We feel totally safe. I would recommend to anyone that the visit Bali.

You can see a clip of the dance here.

The Worlds Strangest Coffee

We drove to a spice farm and saw all kinds of spices and coffee growing: Vanilla, peppers, cardamom, etc. The highlight however was seeing the mongooses in a cage. Wicked animals, very vicious, the kill and eat poisonous snakes. How do they survive eating poisonous snakes you ask? They have built up a natural immunity to poison. Wouldn’t that be great if humans could avail themselves of the mongoose immunity? Well guess what the Balinese do (they are so back to nature)? They keep the mongooses in big cages and collect their poop. They then dry the poop and add to their coffee. So Cliff had a cup of coffee with mongoose poop. So did others. They give away samples of their regular coffee and teas, you have to pay to drink the coffee with the mongoose shit. I don’t think this will be a big seller in the States! The coffee is called Kopi Luwak and you can read more about it by clicking here.

We then continued on a long beautiful drive up into the mountains. The countryside is all terraced with rice patties, surrounded by jungle. The rice harvest is going on and you would see people in the field separating the rice by hand. Every house has a temple portion with beautiful carvings and daily offerings. It is impossible to overstate the beauty of Bali.

When we got to the top of the mountain we realized it was a volcano that had blown its top. The top was now a lake (kind of like Lake Tahoe. We had come to see one of the most sacred Hindu Temples in Bali. Temple of the Lake Goddess. It is two very small temples set in the lake. If the water is low you can actually walk to them. Today it was high and we could only look at them. It is a wonderful setting. After walking around and taking pictures we started to head back and stopped for lunch overlooking hills terraced with rice fields.

It started to rain and it was an extremely hard downpour. It was fun to watch from the shelter of the restaurant. The thatch roof kept the rain out yet the fog actually entered the restaurant because like most Balinese buildings it had no walls, only a roof to keep you drive.

We proceeded to drive down from the mountain and out of the rain, arriving back to the city of Ubud where there was no appreciable rain.

Cathy and I then had a massage (naturally) and then a spa dinner. After dinner we went to a Shadow Puppet Show. The ancient Indian myths of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata are known to all the people of Indonesia and incorporated into their dance, music, theater and art. A full Shadow Puppet Show could last over 8 hours thankfully this was only an hour. It was extremely hot and humid in the theater.

The puppets are thin, made of leather. The only light in the theater is a gas fire behind a translucent cloth screen. The puppets are manipulated between the fire and the screen. Music, singing and percussion all live accompany the story.

We eventually returned to the hotel for drinks and bed.

Bali Style

Cathy and I got up and were driven into downtown Ubud and walked around shopping and looking at stores. After lunch we went to Jean Francois Fichot. He is a Frenchman who has been living in Bali for 30 years. He designs and sells jewelry. If his house is not in Architectural Digest it should be.

You walk down a typical Bali street and there is a small gate. You then walk down approximately 100 stairs. At the bottom of the stairs there is a foot bridge crossing high above a flowing stream. Everywhere you look are green jungle plants. The walking bridge has a gate and once you cross the gate there are stairs leading up to the compound. His house is in the Balinese style you always see but it is filled with art objects beautifully placed. It is all open on the sides with walkways from his kitchen to his various other rooms including his temple.

The pool area is gorgeous. It is an amazing place to live! He wears a lot of his own creations. Cathy picked up a few choice items, as did the rest of the group.

We then drove to town and went to Bamboo, a Balinese men’s shirt shop. It was my chance to increase my wardrobe.

The hotel moved us to private villas. We have our own pool and outdoor shower. It is very secluded and nice.

Before dinner we had drinks at the hotel and William and his wife Jean, from Threads of Life joined us. She had just returned from East Timur and spoke about textiles that she had found there.

For dinner we went to a restaurant situated in an old temple. A traditional Gamelon Orchestra played while dancers preformed classical dances. The outdoor setting was beautiful. I don’t think there are any closed air-conditioned restaurants in Bali.

Did I mention it was hot and humid? Cathy took a shower before dinner. We left our villa and within 20 steps she was soaked again!

Behind The Mask

We checked out of our hotel and moved to our new hotel in Ubud, The Maya Ubud hotel. It is located on a very large property in Ubud. The grounds are magnificent.

We then left the hotel and went to a master mask maker: Ida Bagus Anom. He is the third generation of mask makers in his family. Masks are very important in Balinese culture and are worn by dancers for both religious and secular dances. He carves them from wood and has apprentices learning from him. They are then painted with many layers of paint. He is also a dancer and believes that you must understand dance, music and the story to be able to carve a mask and let it come to life. He is a very warm and funny person as he explains how the masks are made.

He then brought in men to perform some Kecak singing. This is the Monkey music we have heard before. But this time he explained how the harmony works. Basically one person or group is singing a single note repeatedly. Another group is singing 2 notes, a 3 group 5 notes and another group 6 notes. They are all making different sounds at different intervals but when sung properly the harmony is amazing. His demonstration really put the music in perspective.

We purchased two masks one of Durga (Kali) the other of Indra who has thousands of eyes. It looked great on Cathy but will really wind up on our wall.
From there we went to see the work of a wood carver. No one bought anything, but the compound the extended family lived in was beautiful. The Balinese live in extended families in compounds. There are many individual small buildings in the compound, but there is always a temple that can be small or elaborate, a public space and a kitchen.

We returned to the hotel, I had a massage and then we headed out to a very fancy restaurant for a delicious French inspired dinner of all things. The setting outdoors was beautiful in the lush garden. It is also hot and humid late at night.

A Day at The Temples

We spent the morning visiting Hindu Temples. We first went to the Gunung Kawi Temple (the Elephant Temple). It is a very old temple. It features a cave that is very spooky. We went into it to see the ancient alters.

We then drove to the Tirta Empul -Temple of the Holy Springs. Here people come to give offerings to the Gods and take purification baths. It is a very beautiful setting.

We then drove up into the mountains to Kintamani volcano. It last blew-up in the 60’s. The black in the picture is where the lava flowed destroying people and houses. The sides of the mountains in many places are terraced into rice patties.
It is very scenic. We had lunch overlooking a particularly pretty terraced rice field.

It appears that there is a shrine with offerings of food or flowers at every house. The religion is deeply felt here.

We returned to town for shopping and a massage. Once we descended from the mountain it was very hot and humid. We are used to it. At least our skin likes it!

We started packing because we are moving to a different hotel but still staying in Ubud.

Bali Village Life

We drove to East Bali up into the mountains. We visited several remote villages where they do weaving. In Sidemen we walked through the village and went into peoples homes (which are really family compounds). There are offerings to the Gods everywhere, chicken, ducks, geese and the occasional cow walk around freely. It is very green and beautiful.

The ride itself is a delight. The vistas are incredible of rice patties, jungles and mountains. In the background is the mighty volcano which last blew up in 1964 killing many. We wonder how anything gets done here because the people seem to spend half their time takes flowers and offerings to the shrines that are everywhere.

We had lunch at a very fancy resort overlooking the water. We ate outside in the hot humid weather. The bathrooms however were air-conditioned and everyone made many trips to the bathroom just to cool off!

We then went to the village of Tenganan and saw more weaving. Once again the weavings were displayed in the home of the weaving family and we got a glimpse of how the Balinese people live.

We then drove back to the Hotel and went our for an excellent dinner. One of the interesting customs of the people is that at puberty both boys and girls have a rite of initiation called: tooth filing. They actually file the bottoms of their 6 front upper teeth flat. It looks good. Guess there are not a lot of orthodontists in Bali.

Textiles in Ubud

We got up a drove the short distance into the middle of Ubud. The street was blocked at one point and the locals had gathered for a celebration. Women were dressed up in costume and there was a marching band, etc. It was a nice thing to stumble upon.

We then went to Threads of Life. It is run by an amazing couple. It is both a business and a foundation. The foundation works with villagers to reclaim the traditional methods of weaving and dying. It is a very scholarly pursuit. The business side then sells the weavings. The villagers receive much more money because textiles done with natural dyes and traditional designs fetch far more money. The head of the foundation spent hours with us taking through the history of Indonesian textiles showing us many examples. It was extremely educational. The designs are different from island to island, tribe to tribe. We purchased a very nice wall hanging.

The group then went to lunch. I skipped out and went for a 45 minute foot massage! After lunch we went to the conservatory / research center of the Threads of Life Foundation. More textiles / more explanations. We then went to a few more shops.

We returned to the hotel and had a drink. On to dinner. One of the things we were wondering about at dinner was that we are in the middle of a jungle, it is very damp and humid and there are very few mosquitoes or bugs. You eat and drink outside in Bali. The owner explained that she plants lemon grass and other plants that keep the bugs away naturally.

Ubud, Bali (or Paradise Found)

We checked out of our hotel in Java and headed for the airport. We made one very interesting stop first. We visited the Pramanan Temple. This is a complex of Hindu Temples that were built between the 9th and 10th centuries. No one knows why they were abandoned.

They Temple complex is quite large with beautiful gardens. Java suffered a major earthquake in 2006 that killed hundreds and severely damaged the temple complex. Many of the temples can’t be entered, others you can go into. They are restoring the entire complex. It is very interesting to visit a Hindu complex set on a current day Muslim island. The Muslims respect the Hindu traditions and have incorporated the Ramayana and Mahabharata legends into their life. There once was a huge powerful Hindu nation based in Java - ruling today what would be all of Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. It has been reduced to the island of Bali.

We left Java and flew back to Bali and drove to the city of Ubud where we will spend the next 9 days. It is amazing leaving the Muslim island where most of the women cover their hair and to in less than an hour to fly to an island with almost no Muslim presence. As we drove to Ubud we passed Hindu Temple after Hindu Temple and statures to the gods dressed with cloth. We are driving into the mountains where all you see is green jungle or rice patties terraced on the hillside. This is the Bali that everyone dreams about. It is gorgeous. Ubud is like Carmel dropped into the middle of the jungle. It is full of shops and restaurants and massage parlors. Everything is nice nothing tacky here!

Our hotel: Komaneka at Bisma is beyond belief. I made a movie of it and if you click the link you can get an idea. It is straight of Architectural Digest. Brand new, all clean lines, has its own rice patties, and an unbelievable pool. The staff can’t do enough. After dinner Cathy and I had a massage. The massage room in Bali style is surrounded by water falls which combined with the sounds of the jungle make for a fabulous backdrop for the massage.

Solo

Our hotel room has a feature that I have never seen before, but must be common in Muslim Countries. On the ceiling is a marker pointing the direction to Mecca so that the people staying in the room can perform their prayers in the correct direction. The direction to Mecca is called Kiblat.

We drove to Solo which is also called Surakarta. When we got there we visited the palace of Mangkunegaran. The Crown Prince and the other princes still live in the palace. The palace is comprised of different buildings within the courtyard. They are all single story, however some of them are quite large and tall. They are built in the Java style with no walls just a high peaked roof to keep the rain off. The gardens are very green.

It is easy to have a beautiful garden if it is a tropical climate with high humid and very warm temperatures. We viewed the many Royal collections. They collect many things, guns, spears, rings and chastity belts. The chastity belts are for both men and women. Ouch!

We then drove to the market in the center of Solo. Huge covered market. It has poor ventilation. It appeared to have hundreds of stalls, selling mostly clothes. There were very few no Java people in the market and I am sure it is for the locals.

We returned to Yogyakarta, and Cathy and I had wine, then a massage, dinner and packed for our flight back to Bali and on to Ubud. We will be staying in Ubud for several days and checking out the surrounding areas.

4 Things Words About Java: Hot, Humid, Batik, Massage

We headed out to the countryside to spend the day seeing batik. We started at the studio of Nia and Agus Ismaya. They create and sell fantastic batik pieces. We purchased several textiles including a great wall hanging. Batik is hand done, applying melted wax to the fabric so that when it is dyed the areas covered by the wax do not get dyed. The wax is then removed and other areas are covered with wax and the fabric is dyed again. This process is continued until the design in many colors is created.

Nia and Agus then took us to remote villages on the Island of Java where most tourists would never go. There we saw villagers creating batik. We were served a delicious traditional Java lunch. It was huge! Interestingly they serve the sweet course first. We loved the food.

Java is a Muslim island. It is interesting being in a Islamic culture. It seems like there is a mosque every ¼ mile or so. I love the sound of the Call to Prayer. It is blasted through loud speakers from atop the mosques and reverberates throughout the countryside. Obama of course grew up in Indonesia. These are not the Muslims portrayed in the newspapers and talk radio. They are just trying to get through the day. This land was all jungle, and still is except where it has been cleared away for rice fields or coconut plantations. It is amazingly green.

We returned from our visit to the villages with lots of goodies. I headed for a massage, then some wine.

Although Indonesia is a democracy they still have local Sultanates. We went to the compound of a local prince and were met by him and his princely brother. They are very involved in the classic Java Arts. We had dinner there and then watched Java Dancers dancing traditional dances. They had a Java Gamalong orchestra playing their very hypnotic music. The setting for the dance was a building that we have seen several times in Java. It is covered (keeps the rain and sun out) and open on all sides. In this case, it was especially touching because lots of small children looked on from outside the building and watched and enjoyed these old dances. You can just see the history and culture being passed on to the next generation.

Did I mention it is VERY hot and Humid. We are soaked to the bone all the time. I asked if there is a cool season. They have no word for cool. There is a dry season and a wet season. It is always hot when you are 8 degrees South of the Equator!

Tomorrow we drive to the city of Solo.

Boroburdur

We flew from Bali to the Island of Java. On Bali the people are Hindu. On Java they are Muslim. Two islands two completely different life styles. One weather: Hot and Humid. Basically when you visit South East Asia at some point on your trip, you completely give up, and accept the fact you will be hot and sweaty and wearing damp clothes. We reached that point. Acceptance is very Buddhist.

As we approached the airport at Yogyakarta, we saw storm clouds. That is a good thing. We would love to have a rain to cool us. We headed out to the great Buddhist monument of Borobudur. It is a giant stone structure set on a hill with fabulous vistas of the very green countryside. No one knows its origin but it was probably constructed in the 7th or 8th century.

The Indonesian government has protected the vistas in all directions from the monument. The surrounding countryside is very green. The structure itself, tells in carvings the story of the Buddha’s life.

It rained on our approach to Borobudur and we were very happy. When we arrived there, the rain stopped for the most part and it was comfortable to climb to the top. If the sun had been shinning it would have been extremely uncomfortable!

We then returned to Yogyakarta (about an hours drive) and had a wonderful massage at the hotel, then dinner and drinks. We will be in Java for 4 days then we return to the island of Bali.

Monkey See Monkey Does

We had a very busy first day in Denpasar Bali. It is very hot and Humid. Our location is 8 degrees South of the Equator. Bali is a Hindu island. It is filled with statues to the Hindu Gods and Goddesses but with a very Balinese twist. We started out our day by going to a history museum of Bali. It is located in an old palace comprising many small separate buildings. It wasn’t air conditioned. A major draw back!

We then found out that a very high cast woman was to be cremated today. We went to her family house that was previously a palace. In front of the palace complex was her funeral chariot. The body will be placed on the chariot and carried to the funeral pyre. The entire chariot will be consumed by the fire along with her body. The family invited us into the complex and we walked around observing the extended family. They had a large orchestra of approximately 35 men playing Balinese music. It was very moving.

From there we walked through the central food market. I hope none of the meals we eat have their ingredients purchase there. It wouldn’t pass inspection anywhere we go. Boy do they sell a lot of bananas!

From there we walked down a street selling textiles and materials. I purchased both a typical Indonesian Hat and a sarong. The locals liked me in them!

We then drove to the southern tip of Bali to a Hindu Temple situated high on a cliff overlooking the Indian Ocean. It is an amazing site. There are signs everywhere warning of monkeys. They state you should remove your glasses and your hats for they will steal them. I should have believed the signs for a monkey tried to steal my pack carrying my wallet and camera. In trying to evade the little monster I slipped and cut my ankle. Nothing serious but everyone was concerned because of the difficulty of wounds healing in this humidity. We have some very good antiseptics with us and I am sure I will be ok. I will definitely believe the signs going forward.

We then went to one of the events I have really been looking forward to. It is a monkey dance called Kecak. Victor had been telling me about it. It was performed in an open air theater overlooking the Hindu Temple and the Ocean. It is quite a setting. It starts at sundown and ends in the dark. Dozens of men sing ancient songs of the Hindu Ramayama Legends. They sing the songs in sound that is very monkey like. They make lots of clicking sounds. There are also several dancers dressed up dancing to the story. It is very impressive. It was followed by a fire dance. I won’t describe the dance but suffice to say, it was exciting! I took lots of movie clips and hope to post them later after I combine them.

Here are two video clips.
Just click to watch.
Monkey Dance




Fire Dance


We then drove to an outdoor fish restaurant for dinner. It is on the beach. All the tables are on the sand. We selected our fish and shrimp from the tank and they were grilled to order, served family style. While the dinner was being prepared on a stage, more dances were being performed by dancers in costume. The beach extended in both directions with other outdoor restaurants. The food was good and sitting under the stars, hearing the surf in the background and watching the dancers made for quite a night.

Tomorrow we fly to the Island of Java for 4 days.

On To Bali

We spent the day flying from Hong Kong to Bali. We flew to Singapore and then onto Bali. The flights were on Singapore Airline which definitely is a cut above.

On the segment from Hong Kong to Bali we watched a Tamil (Southern Indian) movie starring Kamal Haasan named: Nayakan. It is loosely based on The Godfather. If you liked the Godfather you would like this movie. It really stays with you. Available on Netflix!

A couple of thoughts about Hong Kong. It is hot and humid! It has a natural setting that is spectacular. I don’t think we have ever been anywhere where we could just stay in our room in Kowloon, look out window and be transfixed by Victoria Harbor and the view of Hong Kong and the mountains.

The people of Hong Kong were universally helpful. The city is extremely quiet, almost no honking of cars or loud noise. We loved the food. Billy feels we can get Dim Sum as good in Los Angeles, I am not so sure. I do know that we have never eaten at elegant high-end Chinese Restaurants in Los Angeles that could match the 4 Seasons or the Intercontinental. Maybe they exist but I don’t know where.

There is not a lot of the historic Hong Kong left, but you can still get a feeling for it at the outdoor markets and walking around Hollywood Road.

We took no pictures today so I simply posted some shots from the incredible dinner at the 4 Seasons. Yum! We started with Pork Ribs that had a wasabi sauce (ok this was a little fushiony, but great). That was followed by a dish we had never had before: A crab body that was stuffed with crab then deep fried. It was wonderful. It must be a Hong Kong favorite because we had it again the next night at the Intercontinental. That was followed by crispy vegetables with Cashew Nuts. Next was shrimp with vermicelli noodles. The final course was Fried Rice with Lobster. The room at the 4 Seasons is beautiful and the service was perfect. As they say worth the trip!

We exchanged our remaining Hong Kong Dollars and some US Dollars and received over 17 million Indonesian Rupiah. Their bills have a lot of zeroes!
This could get very tricky.

We arrived in Bali around 9:30. Cathy summarizes it by saying if India is Organized Chaos. Bali is dis-organized chaos. We finally got out of the airport and headed to our hotel. I generously tipped the person who brought our luggage to our room 4,000 Rupiah. He gently reminded me that that is less than 1 cent. I need to get use to this currency or I won’t get good service in the future. It is directly on the water with an outdoor bar area overlooking the white sandy beach. All of a sudden Hong Kong is fondly remembered as cool. At midnight drinking a wine by the sea we are drenched. Boy did I bring the wrong clothes. This is tee-shirt and shorts and nothing else! Our adventures begin tomorrow, hopefully with a shopping spree for more shorts, thin pants and cool shirts.

The Cantonese Experience

Today is our last full day in Hong Kong. Tomorrow we fly to Singapore and then on to Denpsar, Bali. After breakfast at the hotel we walked to the Star Ferry and crossed Victoria Bay once again for Hong Kong Island. The bay is very narrow and the crossing only takes about 6 minutes. It seems that a ferry leaves about every 10 minutes or so.

We then took a cab to Hollywood Road. How it got that name I don’t know. It is a long curvy road that is filled with Chinese Antique Shops, and junk shops. It reminds you of old Hong Kong in that that it is partway up the mountain and winds around. There are lots of narrow lanes off of it. There was an old temple, still in use, with all kinds of incenses burning. We aren’t sure if it was a Buddhist or Confucius Temple but several older women were praying.

We then returned to our hotel to set off for lunch. Sorry Billy, Dim Sum again. The place we went to is the Dim Sum restaurant of the moment in Kowloon. Last night we had a fabulous dinner at the Chinese Restaurant at the 4 Seasons. The previous, highly rated chef decided to leave the restaurant and open his own Dim Sum restaurant. Unlike most Dim Sum restaurants this place was tiny. It could possibly seat more that 20 people jammed in like sardines, or maybe Sui Mai. There is usually a 2 hour wait. The place is not stylish, it is a real neighborhood place. Cathy said the buzz about it, and the wait to get in reminded her of the Los Angeles phenomenon, The Korean Taco Truck. If you know what I am taking about just twitter: Kogibbq. The line wasn’t bad and we got in after a short wait.
One of the advantages of having the tables so close was that the Chinese couple at the next table who spoke a little English, basically guided our ordering.

The Dim Sum was excellent. Absolutely the best Char Shu Bao that we have ever eaten. The pastry was sweetened almost like a shortcake, very flaky.
After lunch we went to the Hong Kong History Museum. Woops closed on Tuesday’s. We then returned to the hotel and had a drink by the pool.

We had drinks and then went for a Classic Cantonese dinner at the restaurant in our hotel. It was all about the freshness of the seafood and the flavors. We had Stuffed Breaded Crab, Shrimp with White Asparagus, Shrimp minced with Pork in lettuce leaves, Crispy Vegetables and Seafood Fried Rice. It was delicious. However, the dinner last night at the 4 Seasons, was a much better experience. The service and ambiance were extraordinary at the 4 Seasons. It was a sublime experience.

We returned to our room and packed for the trip to Singapore and Bali.

How Much Dim Sum Can We Eat?

We woke up early and had another great breakfast at the hotel. They have a fantastic bakery. I also like their dim sum. We went to the Jade Market. There must be a hell of a lot of Jade in the world, and most of it seems to be in the Jade Markets. There are several buildings filled with little stalls selling Jade items. The name of the game is bargaining and knowing when to walk away.

The sales people speak very little English but get their point across. Which is basically buy it from me and I will cut the price. First sale of the day. Auspicious sale, lucky sale. They have lots of ways of making a sale. Stupid me thought that jade was green. Wrong, it comes in many colors besides green – from white to black. I personally like the ones that were multi-colored. I was a champion bargainer or so I thought. I got almost 50% off. Then they thanked us for the sale. Then they gave me a jade good luck piece. Then they gave Cathy a free jade ring. They were very happy and in a giving mood. Or perhaps I didn’t quite get them to sharpen their pencil enough in the negotiations. Like most of the negotiations we have experienced in Southeast Asia, there is no talking. They have a hand held calculator and put a number in it and show you. They then hand you the calculator and you clear the number and enter a lower number and they shake their heads clear your number and choose a new number between the two. The calculator is then passed back. Process continues to someone gives up. Maybe I should have continued.

We decided to walk around the neighborhood and discovered it was a gigantic outdoor market covering several blocks. There were vegetable stalls, butchers, fish vendors, and everything else you could think to buy. The raw meat hangs from hooks and I saw customers touching the meat and poultry checking for freshness etc. Nothing is hermetically sealed beneath plastic. We then had a very serendipitous experience. We were going to catch a cab and needed to walk to a street that had cars on it, and not hawkers. We could have gone either direction but I randomly chose to go towards one. We took a few steps and stood in front of a stall selling Bollywood movies. What are the chances of running into that in Hong Kong? If we had been told where it was located and headed out from the hotel I am sure we never would have found it! We purchased several.

Southeast Asia (especially Hong Kong) is pissed at the United States over Swine Flu. They take it very seriously. They feel that the United States is being negligent in not testing people BEFORE they leave the country. They WHO guidelines called for departure screening but they decided because you can be infected and not have a fever or other symptoms people would pass the inspection and be able to travel, spreading the disease. Editorials here say so that at least you would keep sick people off planes and maybe deter sick people from even attempting to fly. I think they are right. We think of the disease as starting in Mexico. The people here think of the disease as being spread from America. Many more infected people have come to Asia from America then Mexico! If they find someone who is infected they are quarentine everyone for seven days ANYONE who sat with in 7 rows of the person on the plane.
Don’t sit by someone who is sick! There are free dispensers of antiseptic everywhere and signs saying the elevator buttons are sterilized every hour or two. We are very lucky that the flu is not more deadly!

We then went out for Dim Sum. A friend had recommended a Dim Sum restaurant. We were the only non-Asians in the place. It was definitely a non-tourist local Din Sum restaurant. It was probably the best food we have had so far. We of course ordered Shu Mei the standard we judge all Dim Sum by. It was great! We then walked back to the hotel. Probably a mistake. The heat and the humidity were at its peak. We were drenched by the time we returned to the hotel.

Cathy decided to relax and take a nap, I opted for a massage. We really like Hong Kong. In just two days we are familiar with our Kowloon neighborhood and feel comfortable walking around and not getting lost.

We had drinks at the hotel and then prepared for dinner. We walked to the Star Ferry and crossed the Victoria Bay to the Hong Kong side. One of the great beauties of Hong Kong is that there are no bridges spanning the very narrow Bay. They easily could have built bridges, but recognizing the unbelievable setting they chose to dig tunnels under the bay. It was a wise choice. We then went to Dinner at Lung King Heen. It is a 3 star Chinese restaurant at the 4 Seasons Hotel. It was spectacular and the service was perfect. All ways attentive and never intrusive. We were very lucky to have found the restaurant review and deciding to go.

We took a cab back through the Eastern Tunnel to Kowloon. Cathy noticed there is absolutely no obvious security in Hong Kong. After Mumbai and Bangkok where the hotels all have high security here it is completely open. It is very nice. I guess the spirit of Bruce Lee is keeping Hong Kong safe.

We received an email from Courtney who has already arrived in Java. I thought this was interesting: “Scott and I are fine and had an easy flight here. Had to go through the "human disinfectant machine" where they spray you and your belongings upon entry at the airport. I almost lost my passport in the confusion."

First Full Day in Hong Kong

It was kind of amazing. After being up over 24 hours we went to bed around midnight and woke up at 7am. We were on schedule even though our internal clocks were all screwed up. The day was clear, no rain. We are mesmerized by the view from our hotel room. A friend of Bea’s had suggested we stay at The Intercontinental because of its location directly on the water. Boy was he right. We could literally stay in bed all day watching the activity on the water. The bed is raised so that lying on it you look out and down and see Victoria Harbor. Fantastic!

We met Courtney and Scott and took the Star Ferry across Victoria Harbor to gmHong Kong Island. We are talking about 5 to 10 minute ride. We then took a bus that left us off to take the funicular up to the top of Victoria Peak. The cars are kind of like the San Francisco Cable Cars. The route however is much steeper.

As it goes to the top of Victoria Peak, you pass through bamboo forests and lots of tropical plants. At the top you are overlooking all of Victoria Harbor. It is an amazing sight. Hong Kong is definitely one of the most scenic cities we have ever been in. It makes stops at various levels and people get on and off.

The weather was very hot and humid. Bangkok hot! We constantly were drinking lots of water. When we returned from the peak, we went to a very cool store named: GOD. It sells al kinds of clever and fun household items. Among other things I couldn’t resist was a roll up computer keyboard. It is totally flexible and light. Considering what I have spent to fix my keyboard after spilling coffee on it, I believe it will be cost effective purchase.

From there we went to a fabulous Dim Sum restaurant. I am determined to eat my way through Hong Kong Dim Sum restaurants. This one was delicious. Good first choice. On the way back to catch the Star Ferry to Kowloon we passed a couple on a motorcycle. They were cradling a dog in their arms. We noticed the dog was wearing goggles. Where you would buy dog goggles, and how you keep them on the dog were beyond us, but they sure were cute to look at. We then walked to the Peninsula Hotel. It is an old, very posh hotel. We then took a bus tour of Kowloon. We scouted out the jade market and some other places we will return to. Back to out hotel and some rest and to prepare for dinner.

After some champagne at the hotel we went to a restaurant named Hutong. This is a Chinese restaurant (naturally) on the Kowloon side, near our hotel, with a view of the Harbor. Every night there is a sound / light show of the buildings on each side of the bay it lasts for about 15 minutes. The restaurant has prime viewing. This was one spicy restaurant! Our final dish, crispy soft shell crab was served in a very large red basket that must have contained 500 cooked different types of red peppers of all kinds. It was hard to capture the size of this dish, Courtney volunteered her glasses and hand to give perspective. I can’t imagine the number of peppers this restaurant must go through. It was a spectacular dish.

LA to Hong Kong

We are off to Hong Kong and then on to Bali and Java. We almost cancelled because I wasn’t feeling well. However, I am fully recovered and the trip was on.
To get to Hong Kong we are flying to Tokyo and then changing plains and flying on to Hong Kong. You can see the charming smile of our hostess as she serves us Champagne.

When we finally arrive at our hotel in Hong Kong we will have been travelling for well over 24 hours. I am writing this on the flight from Tokyo to Hong Kong. They are taking Swine Flu very seriously. All of the stewardess wear masks. Many of the passengers are wearing masks. Everyone on board is afraid to cough or sneeze. Cathy and I watched the Canadian / Indian film Earth on the flight over. It is one of many films we brought with us. If you haven’t seen it, it is excellent about the terror of the Indian / Pakistan partition.

When we arrived in Tokyo things really got exciting. Once we pulled up to the gate the stewardess came through the cabin and told everyone who wasn’t wearing a mask to put one on. They then had us return to our seats. They then closed all of the windows on the plane so that you couldn’t see out. A team of health inspectors with heavy duty masks and full medical uniforms came through the cabin slowly. One of them had a very futuristic camera like device that he pointed at everyone. Apparently they were taking each of our temperatures. They did it by just pointing at us. They could do it from a distance of at least 15 feet. The reason they closed the window coverings was because the device is sensitive to outside temperatures.

We then were requested to fill out a medical history, have you been in the United States in the last 7 days? Do you know anyone with Swine Flu? Have you coughed? Did you have a sore throat? Have you taken any cold medicine? You then sign under threat of fine / imprisonment etc. I must have answered correctly because I was given a document saying I had passed inspection. We weren’t allowed off the plane until everyone was checked. It must have taken about ½ hour (luckily the plane wasn’t full). I hate to think what would have happened if someone on the plane was sick with anything. I think we all would have been quarantined. When we arrive in Hong Kong I assume we will go through the same process. When will I get to taste the Dim Sum? It will be midnight when we arrive at the hotel (hopefully) and I look forward to a good night sleep!

We arrived in Hong Kong. Surprisingly the flu check was much more lax. We just filled out a document. No temperature check required. No delay from leaving the plane.

We were met by a driver from the Intercontinental hotel. It is on Kowloon side, our room looks at Hong Kong across the water. I took the picture from our room. Hong Kong reminds me of New York or Chicago. Lots of high rises, it is very clean and surprisingly quiet. Looking forward to a full day with Scott and Courtney tomorrow.

Heading to South East Asia

We leave for Hong Kong on May 15th!