Escape

Want to escape to a tropical paradise? I was just waiting (six months!) for some more wintry weather back home to write this post. My odds are woefully good this winter, aren't they? Enjoy Maldives.

2010 will be difficult to top as a year of travels and adventures of Lisa and Paul. Some time last year, maybe around May or June, Paul said he was thinking of arranging a surprise trip for us. At first it didn't come together but then he did succeed, and the destination was to be a surprise to me. I am our full time travel agent so this was quite a twist. All my girlfriends were envious of the gesture itself as well as rabidly curious. They asked me what my best guesses were. They suggested I check credit card statements, online browsing history... really! Why would I do that? I loved not knowing. How many surprises do you get in life - good ones? I sat back and relished the anticipation for weeks.

And the man can keep a secret. When I showed him a friend's online photos of Maldives, maybe even as the idea was still budding, he threw me off the trail with, "It doesn't look so special." Then he wouldn't tell me how long the flight was for fear that flight time was a giveaway. All I wanted to know was what to pack and all I was told was beach stuff. The secret was not revealed until we checked our luggage at the airport and the agent said, "What's your destination?" Even then, Paul seemed reluctant to reveal it. The mystery had ended and the escape was to begin.

One fantastic benefit of living in Singapore is direct flights to places that often involve flight connections from anywhere else. On Wednesday night, we took a 4.5 hour flight to Male (pronounced mah-lay) where we were met by a representative of the resort who walked us to our waiting boat. The boats were lined up like taxis next to the airport. The boat ride was 45 minutes to an island in the South Male Atoll. FYI, Maldives has a dizzying number of islands, some that require a second flight from Male to reach. Maldives time is three hours behind Singapore so we arrived about 11 p.m. which was 2 a.m. to us.

There are certain images that, once seen, live on in the mind's eye. I don't have a photograph, and I may not have precise words, but arriving on the island of Velighandu Huraa at night is one of those images. At first sight, I felt as if I may have arrived in another world. The water below us at the arrival jetty appeared black and nearly motionless in the night. As we approached shore the white sand radiated a glow that the concentrated darkness could not dim. It was the first of many instances in the next several days that I would ask myself, is this real?

We walked the sandy path to our beach house and were welcomed with tropical smoothies and home made chocolate chip cookies. We were offered cooked food also but we were more tired than hungry. We surveyed the house and what little we could see of its surroundings in the dark and then promptly fell asleep, even too tired for a cookie.

We awoke early on the morning of our 9th wedding anniversary to the sound of birds, many many birds, most of them bold insistent crows. Don't know who let them into paradise. Then we got our first good look around in daylight. The house, #19, was lovely: a grand weathered wood door concealed an inner path of stepping stones to the front entrance. Inside the house was a spacious entryway and wardrobe area leading to the the airy, high-ceiling bedroom, enclosed by windowed walls on two sides. The room opened onto the back patio straight ahead and the private pool on the left. We could open everything up and still enjoy privacy inside and out as the entire property was walled and landscaped for just that. The bath "room" could be reached from a path alongside the pool or through the inside hallway. Paving stones led to the outdoor shower which looked down the length of the pool. There were plush spots all around for lounging outside and the tropical yet sophisticated decor exuded relaxation. In short, it was spectacular.

But one thing can outdo a spectacular house, and that is an idyllic beach just steps from it. I had no idea when we arrived so late the previous night that the ocean was a stone's throw out our back gate. There were only 19 houses on the island, six beach houses like ours and the rest were poised over the ocean. Everyone asks, "Did you stay in one of those houses over the water?" but Paul thought it would be hard to beat our water cottage experience in Borneo with giant sea turtles swimming under our feet, so we didn't this time. We walked past the other five beach houses and realized that we lucked out with the most private one; parts of the other houses were visible from the beach but ours wasn't.

Three islands made up the resort complex. Ours, Naladhu, was the smallest and most exclusive. We had access to all three islands but only Naladhu guests could access ours. There was a gated footbridge leading from Naladhu to the small island, Veli. The third and largest island, Dhigu, was reached by speedboat which was available on request. I think we test drove every hammock on each island, including one propped in the ocean that Paul swam out to. I confess that when we eventually explored the other two islands we felt slightly snobby because they were much more crowded and the pools were nice, but they weren't... private nice. There was a mix of tourists, many Russian. Our own island's small number of houses were hardly occupied so even our beach felt somewhat private.

With our first trip to "The Living Room," our island restaurant, the serious (over)indulgence began. I ordered some eggs and the bread basket and wasn't sure if they understood my order as a stunning bounty of assorted fresh breads and pastries appeared before us. The bread basket instantly became our morning routine for five days (I'm still working off the croissants). There we also met our House Master, Hassan. His job was to arrange for anything we asked for, as if we could ask for more. Here we didn't have as much luck. Hassan was perfectly polite but awkwardly quiet and not all that helpful even with simple questions. Another staff member who was always at the Living Room, Chili, was much more personable.

Oh yes, the crows had their eyes on the bread basket too. We watched them watching us and they looked frighteningly intelligent as one was moving a chair cushion nearby to get a better perch position.

We soon discovered the equally prolific yet much more endearing of the island's wild residents: hermit crabs. They were everywhere and they are adorable. The sand was animated with countless critters - until you approached. We never tired of walking along, saying, "Look a hermit crab! Oh no, it's just a shell," as they tucked tight into their houses. We also discovered, much to their angst I'm sure, that when you hold one up at a height of 2-3 feet from the ground they poke themselves out of the shell again. Don't know why. But it was fun.

There were island tours and day trips on offer, but ours was not the sort of place you'd have any reason to leave. The friendly resort manager told us that we could borrow kayaks next to the dive center at Dhigu and paddle out to a tiny island and snorkel around it, so that's what we did. The snorkeling was excellent. We saw lots of fish around that small island, but we discovered that the sights were even better right out our own backyard. We took full advantage of snorkeling right from the beach and spent much time checking out the scenes just below the surface. There were so many kinds of fish so close to shore. We also did one dive a day on two different days. They were average but not that memorable. We may have had more fun snorkeling. It's certainly cheaper (i.e. free).

Through our five day stay we sampled a variety of the islands' restaurants including Italian (which wasn't really), market style seafood, international and Thai. The Thai food was very good but it earned our favorite status for other reasons. The restaurant was scenically set over the water halfway between Naladhu and Veli. Soon after we had ordered dinner from the gracious wait staff - who crafted palm fronds into animals for us - my hand brushed my earring, a silver hoop, and it fell out. Before I could even look down, it fell past my lap, directly through a seam in the floorboards and into the water below. I could never have aimed so precisely - what an unlucky stroke of coordination. I looked around on the floor to make sure it was in fact gone and our waitress came over and asked if I lost something. She helped look for a minute and I told her my earring fell into the water. She left and I resigned myself to the loss when a moment later a waiter appeared with a ladder and a flashlight. I thought no way... and then he was over the side, pants rolled up, searching for the silver hoop. As if this wasn't gallant enough, he found it! Now that's service. I'm glad it was low tide; it would have been even more embarrassing if the SCUBA gear came out.

I may as well mention here that throughout Asia, they seem to love the soft rock hits of the seventies and eighties a la the old "106.7 Lite FM." And if it's not an original Air Supply song that's playing, someone somewhere has covered the song in this "lite" style, however inappropriate. There is an endless supply of mellow jazzy singers cooing songs by Depeche Mode, Madonna, Nine Inch Nails - it's mind boggling - and not far from Bill Murray's SNL lounge singer skit. While absorbing such a rendition while eating dinner on our anniversary, I cracked myself up by improvising a rather crass AC/DC song sung in a tone that could put a baby to sleep. I had myself laughing for days.

Our last night, the wonderful staff arranged flowers on our bed while we were at dinner. We were scheduled to leave Sunday but not until the evening so we had one last lazy day at the beach, snorkeling and relaxing as the weather held out. By the afternoon it was raining so we missed out on a final sunset at the Living Room where the staff prepared a cozy candle lit table for our farewell dinner.

Chili accompanied us on the boat back to Male. It was a local holiday so Hassan had the day off, not that his absence was too noticeable, and Chili was going back to Male to spend the holiday with his family. When we were going through airport security, Paul realized he forgot our house key in his pocket and had to run out and return it. Wishful thinking, maybe.

And that was our escape to Maldives: pure relaxation. From the lavish house and pool to the impeccable service and the pristine beach, we were truly spoiled with luxury. Our house was stocked with books, iPod and a TV and we were so thankfully at peace that we didn't turn the TV on in all five days. It was like taking a deep breath.

Thanks, Paul, my love. Six months from now is our tenth anniversary... I'm looking forward to seeing how you'll top this.

Peaceful Easy Feeling

A bit more on The Philippines...

Paul likes to steal my thunder and post the best photos before I post a whole album, but at least he was quick about it, wasn't he? He informed me, "This is how it''s done."

Until now, Paul has always worked the local holidays - which Hong Kong had plenty of - and gained the days to use at other times. So this was our first time traveling over such a holiday, Chinese New Year (Starting Feb 3). We chose a destination where they don't celebrate CNY because, though it's very festive, the actual celebration days are spent at home with family so everything else is shut. Also at home with their families on this New Year's Eve: taxi drivers. We couldn't get one at the stand we usually rely on. When that happens, we call for one. I tried about seven different cab companies, at least three times each and no one was answering. It may be the closest I've come to believing we would miss a flight. I simply got lucky on one try, while everyone in the queue surrounding me was still dialing and dialing.

Manila's airport has easily been the least modern, least organized one we've passed through in Asia so far. Even the rather "rustic" airports that we've traversed are most often acceptable. I had not realized that the Resorts World Marriott was a trek from the arrival terminal, but on the upside, it was close to the domestic terminal we needed for the morning flight out.

Before Paul's good fortune at the Blackjack table, I had some minor misfortunes of my own. First, I left my book on the plane. I always check if I've left anything behind but I had completely forgotten that I ever took it out of my bag. At least the book didn't have my rapt attention; it was just to pass time. Then, out of a lightly packed carry-on bag, I wound up with seven stained articles. Don't buy cheap travel sized containers, and then don't fail to check for holes in the plastic bag in which you put containers. Lesson learned. Soon after arrival in Bohol, while sitting by the pool, I had my bathing suit cover-up over the back of the lounger. A well-fed bird flew over and took care of staining another item.

Laundry mishaps aside, I really enjoyed the trip! With limited days to play with, you must decide if it seems worth a second flight to reach your destination. And once a place flickers in my imagination, it's hard to extinguish. I first heard of Bohol back when we went to The Philippines to get our diving certification in 2008. Alona Beach in Bohol has a similar feel to Puerto Galera, perhaps slightly more refined and even family-oriented. Puerto Galera is all about diving, while Bohol also is a diving hot spot, but we encountered quite a few people who weren't there to dive at all. The beach is nice to be near, but frankly I would be disappointed if I went there expecting a perfect beach holiday. The sand is fine and white, but its span is short and fringed with lots of sea grass and coral making it less than perfect for strolling or swimming.

I'm not exceptionally skilled at all factors in travel, but I'll say that one of my better talents is choosing accommodation. For a trip like this, there's no need to stay someplace extravagant, yet you also want a place with a pillow a few millimeters thicker than the bed sheet. I was happy with Golden Palm, essentially a guesthouse, and its grounds were lovely and felt like a private backyard (maybe I just miss green lawns?). To say the atmosphere was relaxed is an understatement; the backyard bar/restaurant also served as the hotel desk. Though the staff should look out for their guests better when they call them a cab and the driver charges triple what it should cost to get somewhere. Just saying.

It wasn't their fault that we shared our room with a gecko the first night, but what an awful sleep. I had no idea that they made such a noise, or any noise. They are surprisingly chirpy. Chirpy at 1 a.m... and 1:22 a.m... and 1:57 a.m. etc. is maddening. I was prepared to be disturbed by roaming dogs barking and possibly a rooster or two, based on our first trip, but not the incessantly chatty Geico gecko.

I especially like The Philippines for diving. Maybe we were just lucky but on both trips the dive centers I chose were well run and the guides were professional as well as kind and patient. We both felt more relaxed this time and when you can ease a preoccupation with technique and equipment function, you enjoy the scenery more and that, in turn, enthuses you to dive more. I consider myself barely mediocre at the whole process, but no guide has ever had to hold my hand for 45 minutes under water - twice! See Paul's description of this person on our second dive day... It felt good not to be that diver. On the first day, there was a dad and his 10-year-old son diving with us. I would have never been able to accomplish such a feat at 10. Good for him.

Diving all day works up an appetite. Our second night on Alona beach, I was happy to browse the string of beach front restaurants offering the catch of the day. Make your selection, park yourself at a plastic table in the sand, order a couple of drinks and enjoy. The fish is simply grilled, fresh and satisfying. We took in some of the mellow nightlife. The band at the Spiced Coconut was on duty again but we went back to the resort for mango shakes instead.

Our second accommodation, Linaw, was even better than I anticipated. It is the sort of place where you unwind just by being there. It was beautifully designed down to small details, warm and tranquil, like a fantastic home with friendly hosts, set on the beach. We were nearly the only guests; others who came to eat and use the pool were actually visiting from other hotels in the area. The only drawback was the sand flies relentlessly attacking when we ventured close to the beach. And this is not exactly a criticism of the music played throughout our stay as I can happily sing along to Air Supply and REO Speed Wagon, but they could switch it up a bit. Hearing Katy Perry's "California Gurls" 16 times does not improve its merit. As for the fabulous seafood, the menu only says Seafood Platter for Two, so we may have overlooked it if I didn't see pictures in reviews on TripAdvisor.com. The couple dining next to us were obviously unaware but on seeing ours, their eyes said they would be ordering it the next night.

Linaw offered the arrangement of all sorts of standard tours but eight hours of touring sounded painful (we're getting the hang of this by now) so we abbreviated the itinerary to the Chocolate Hills and the tarsiers. Among people I talk to in these parts, they know Bohol because of the Chocolate Hills. It's a sight worth seeing, visually interesting and scenic, but it's a long way to go if your only interest in Bohol is the Hills. It took about 90 minutes to drive there and there's only one crowded lookout point. You can't linger or explore up close - and you might have to throw a few elbows among Asian tourists with big cameras to win one photo.

As for the Philippine Tarsiers, I hope we did the right thing. They're endangered and protected, but of course you can still find them caged and available to handle and harass for a few bucks if you're seeking them that way, but this is discouraged. I still think we would have been better off at the Philippine Tarsier Foundation, but the place we went was alright, I think. It worried me when we pulled the car over to a structure on a main road and the driver said, "The tarsiers are in there," but there was a large sign on the front that indicated a particular government code that the facility met, so I hope it meant something. Inside, nothing looked too troubling. There were some trees set up and the tarsiers clinging to them didn't appear stressed. You're asked to make a donation for feeding and you can photograph them, no flash, as close as you like. They're nocturnal so they're nearly motionless in the day. One of the workers told Paul that they are very active at night and they lower netting over the area, not to keep the tarsiers in but to keep predator animals out.

Their classification is tricky - the smallest primate? Smallest of a particular sub-order of primates? Whatever. I hereby classify them as the darned cutest things I've ever seen. Sorry, koalas. They are easily likened to Gremlins with ears like Yoda and the fingers and toes of E.T. I just want to take one and nibble on its ear.

I hope I wasn't repetitive after Paul's post. I just wanted to share my impressions also. I like The Philippines because it's not the first place most people think of for a great getaway, even around here. But it has much to offer and value is outstanding. It's not over-the-top Maldives style luxury that I would seek there. It's a kind of laid back, indulgent yet affordable pleasure that keeps me interested in returning. Really, did you see that seafood platter?

Favorite Signs seen on Alona Beach:

BEST PIZZA ON THE BEACH


BEST PIZZA ON THE BEACH?


7 DAYS WITHOUT PIZZA MAKES ONE WEAK

Rock Lobster

Bohol, Philippines

So on our way to Bohol we had to spend a night in Manila before catching an early flight to the small tropical island. After some quick research we found the Resorts World Casino/Marriott Hotel which was right at terminal 3 of the airport, and even though it cost a little more than we would have liked to spend for a night’s sleep, the convenience seemed worth the expense.

Upon landing we learned quickly that airport was quite dated, the staff not very helpful and we had to wait about 45 minutes to exchange cash at the one and only booth available. Once we finally got outside we fended off the taxi drivers trying to fleece us and found a free shuttle to the resort.

We then learned that terminal 3 was practically in a different town then terminal 1 and the convenience quickly went out the window. However we finally got there and checked in and our luck was about to change.

A little wound up from all of the commuting annoyances we decided to take a walk around before calling it a night, and wouldn’t you know we ended up in the casino where they had blackjack. Figuring it would be a shame not to at least play a little (can heredity pass down from in-laws?) I sat down at a table and ended up walking away up 2,000 PHP!

Okay, okay for those of you in-the-know that’s only about 45 bucks. However, what you may not know is how far that can get you in the Philippines.

One night we decided to splurge on a big seafood dinner for two at the resort we were staying at in Bohol. The meal cost about double the price of any other we had there, but Lisa had seen people post on line claiming it was worth it and we are adventurous in that way. So along with a fair share of San Miguel (local beer) some side dishes, a salad and an ice cream sundae to boot we had the shellfish platter pictured below.

Why yes, those are 4 rock lobster tails on the plate

Total cost of the whole night --- 1700 PHP (about $40). So who’s the big winner now? You’ve got to love some things about the Philippines. The same beer I pay about $11 USD plus tax and service charge in Singapore are $0.90 cents total at a bar in Bohol – some trips are harder to return from than others.

But I’ve jumped ahead quite a bit. After a fairly uneventful commute we got to the Golden Palm Resort at Alona Beach a little before noon. Most of the places on the Island are small accommodations and GPR was fairly new with clean and spacious rooms and attractively landscaped grounds. It was conveniently located just behind the busy beach front residences and restaurants only a 3 minute walk away.

We had a small lunch while they got our room ready and then made our way down to the beach. Our primary goal for the trip besides some R&R was to get in some diving which is a big draw for the island. We found a company Lisa had also reviewed on line and signed up for 3 dives the next day.

Alona Beach is the busiest on the island because of all the restaurants and bars and it is the only swimmable area. But that description is slightly exaggerated as I went in the water after sitting in the sun a bit and not far off shore the bottom becomes covered in sea grass. So we walked in the sand awhile and headed back to our pool.

That evening we were starving and headed back down and found a nice little restaurant and sat outside. The property next door was called The Spiked Coconut and had a sign that they had live music. Lisa questioned where the bar actually was and where a band would play. I guessed right behind where I was sitting and I don’t need to tell you where they ended up setting up about 30 minutes later.

So we had back stage seats to the broken English pop cover band and hung out for little while. They weren’t the best but the stray dogs (and this was the second island in the Philippines we’ve been to, in which neither had any shortage of homeless hounds) didn’t seem to mind as not one but two walked up, looked at me, scratched a bed in the sand and took a nap at my feet.

It was tough to drag myself away from the less than a buck beers, but we had an early boat to catch so we called it quits pretty early to get some much needed rest. But unfortunately that wasn’t in the cards.

In the dark something in our room made a strange and unusual sound. First here … and then there. A bird? A large insect? I thought maybe a bat? Couldn’t say, but he remained hidden and noisy throughout the night.

The next day I could only find a bug not big enough for that noise and a newt – so exhausted we walked down to the beach still perplexed.

The diving in the Philippines was not much different here than where we learned in Puerto Galera about 2 years ago. It does not have the spectacular creatures we witnessed in Sipadan or the incredible vast beauty of the Great Barrier Reef, but it certainly never disappoints. I compare it to swimming in a crowded fish tank. The live corals are beautiful and almost look like they are laid out in a planned landscape and there is every type of colorful fish you’ve ever seen in a pet store everywhere you look. Clown fish, lion fish, neon green things, purple and blue things, sea turtles and on and on.

One took a fancy to Lisa and followed her for about half an hour like those small fish that follow along the sides of sharks. Unfortunately she never got to see it because every time I tried to point it out he’d duck away and underwater charades is much more difficult then you might think.

The outfit we chose to dive with was very nice, relaxed and patient so we set up two more dives with them the next day. Renato, our dive master, demonstrated this patience the next day to a fault as he literally pulled a first time diver the entire 50 minute dive because she couldn’t do anything. Of course she popped up on the boat and exclaimed that “that was great dive!” With our improving skills it was nice not to be the worst ones down there for once – we are actually considering getting an underwater camera before our next trip as we think we can handle it now.

After our first day diving we ended up back at our resort and while sitting outside I heard the noise that kept us awake all night. I looked at the girl at the bar and asked “do you know what that is?” and without looking up she simply said “lizard.” So it was the newt! Later we saw more and caught a few crying out. Strange that we have the same guys in Singapore and in HK but they never make noise. Live and learn. Either way we were fortunate that he must have found his way out the next day and there was no encore performance the following night.

After our second day of diving we moved on to the Linaw Beach Resort, because the GP did not have availability for four nights. This resort was right on the beach but as stated above this was not swimmable, but also as stated above it turned out that it didn’t really matter and the place was really nice with a good restaurant.

Room with a view...

For our last day we set up a shortened tour to see the Chocolate Hills: just a weird naturally hilly area where they look like mounds of chocolate when the grass dies, but taste nothing like it – blah! And a stop to see the local wildlife called a Tarsier.

Well at least Lisa got a good photo for our efforts

There were two options, either go to an area and try to spot them in the wild (Lisa’s first choice) or go somewhere they have them in captivity. An interesting side note is that it was discovered that the excessive human contact was stressing the little guys out and they would become suicidal and smash their heads on rocks. But after barely being able to pick orangutans out of the trees in Borneo I wasn’t going to try and pick out primates the size of hamsters.

Turns out we made the right choice and as the photos show they let you get pretty close to mellow little funky monkeys – but no touching!

The little guys like to nap during the day

Tough life they've got going...

but I paid my 2 bucks.. so it's photo time

this guy seemed happy to pose with Lisa

a little perspective

Afterward it was back to the resort for some relaxing pool time, a mango shake and a beautiful sunset. This was followed up by the previously described seafood dinner which capped off the perfect little getaway.

Going...

going...

gone.

My understanding is that those of you back on the east coast of the US had an equally exciting weekend scraping ice from car windows and playing in the ever falling snow. Can’t say I’m missing it at all, but I can say we are both looking very forward to heading back home one month from tomorrow. That excitement may come and go during the 19 hour flight but we’ll have three full weeks to relax this time and hopefully catch up with everyone.

Gong Xi Fat Choi!

I’ll blog ya’ later…

Walking in My Shoes

What an instigator, that Mr. Cliffhanger, using guilt and suspense to coerce me into writing. Just for that, you get another ordinary post and the fascinating, photo-filled travel posts will come later.

Though he did a fine job of summing up our weekend in Malaysia. The highlight for me was the dinner at Tamarind Springs, a beautiful restaurant in a tropical setting. I'm happy to have seen, in person, the iconic Petronas twin towers, but I'll admit that the sight made me miss New York's own iconic twin towers. Sometimes it's hard to believe that they only exist in memory.

Christmas is all wrapped up, the purple trees of Orchard Rd. disassembled. We completed that dreaded task of removing our home decorations; it was a wistful few seconds. We've retained the $7 tacky tinsel tree that we bought in HK two years ago and it performed just as dazzlingly this year. Its silver 'needles' shimmered in the gentle breeze of the perpetual air-con until the time came to collapse it like a pancake.

We celebrated New Year's Eve at the bar of Oso, the Italian restaurant. There was a fair sized crowd and some noise, nothing too memorable. The next day's event in the season of consumption was Paul's birthday meal at Morton's steakhouse. We were given a cozy corner booth and were asked if we were celebrating a special occasion. A coworker of Paul's recently dined at Morton's and clued him in to the offering of a complimentary dessert if they know it's your birthday, so we shared this fact with the server - since he asked. Paul's gratis cake of choice was American style cheesecake imported from some presumably well-known bakery in The Bronx (I forget the name). As part of the over-the-top service, they took our photo and presented it to us in a Morton's birthday card. Ah, the gluttony. I had to go along with it as Paul's birthday request. I had no choice.

Last thing, I complain all the time about the constant heat and humidity here, but I may keep it to myself after seeing what you all went through the week after Christmas. I had flashbacks of digging our cars out, especially when we lived in the apartment on Grymes Hill, only to have someone occupy the spot seven seconds later. We eventually acquired a house and driveway, but that only solved the parking space anxiety at home. S.I. libraries, where I worked, notoriously lacked parking. Once, I was forced to 'steal' a cleared spot in New Dorp after a huge snowfall and I was greeted with an obscene note upon return. I was probably lucky that it was just a note. Regardless of the conditions, I would still have to get to work in snow, ice, falling snow, falling frogs - whatever the case - as long as the library was open, and the library was always open. And more than once I cursed my own acquiescence as my car would tailspin while I drove 5 MPH in dangerous conditions only to arrive late and be docked the time from my annual leave.

So I'm not rubbing it in when I say how relieved I am to avoid winter, by chance, a couple of the whitest winters ever. I wholeheartedly sympathize. As I write this, it is snowing there again for the third time in two weeks. Surely the cleanup has to be better this time, right? Right? I hope you all have enough milk at home. Did you go out and stock up on milk???

Having said how much I hate snow, a chilly day would be lovely. I miss a change of seasons - even in Hong Kong we got a pleasant break from November to March. I've forsaken half my wardrobe, and I really miss wearing beautiful boots and jackets. It's considered rainy season here, which is difficult to distinguish from non-rainy season, though the rain does seem to fall for a longer time each day and on more days than the rest of the year. On Christmas night, in the pouring rain, it was a brisk 73F/23C, the coolest I believe I've ever experienced here. I've been taking walks/jogs at night and enjoying the cool weather while it lasts. By cool I mean that I sweat but it doesn't actually pool and roll down my body parts. So the grass is always greener in somebody else's hemisphere.

Guilty

So, as Lisa stated in her last posting I actually wrote this before her entry but just the threat of me posting first got her moving. Since it was already written I figured I'd upload it anyway if you have some time to kill.

Who would have ever guessed I would be the one to break the blog dry spell? But for these two holiday weeks things are really slow, so let's see if I can get this going again.
 

It’s been sooooo long since the last posting we’ve actually been on 3! trips of a life time in that period.

· Maldives, which is a series of islands with pristine white beaches and crystal blue water that you see in magazine advertisements or movies and have trouble imagining that someplace like that really exists.

· Bhutan, a mystical and mysterious country near the Himalayan mountains that is somehow frozen in time and so remarkably beautiful that it's often thought of as the real Shangri-La.

· New Zealand, though less exotic than the other two trips, its location in the middle of nowhere makes it quite difficult to imagine getting there from the US (it took us over 10 hour from Singapore). But this was a place both of us always wanted to visit and it lived up to expectations (more so than its more popular neighbor Australia had for the two of us).

Knowing I couldn’t possibly give the proper journalistic justice to such monumental trips with my diminishing memory and limited vocabulary I’ll leave those for Lisa, and I’ll update you on our very last trip of 2010: Kuala Lumpur.

For some reason I got a bug to go somewhere the last weekend before I needed to cover at work for year end. It may have just been a desire to get my passport stamped for the tenth time this year (that’s right double digit trips in one year!). But most likely it was that ten months in, and Singapore still has the same impression on us which is mostly just boring. When you throw in the heat and how expensive everything is, it’s amazing we don’t travel even more.

I know we haven’t written much about our experiences since living here but we are still mostly unimpressed. Nothing is particularly bad outside of the prices and heat, but nothing is particularly great either. We’ve found only one restaurant we frequent which ironically is for pizza. Yes, we found good pizza in Asia! Owned by actual Italians, they make a pretty damn good pie – good enough that we find ourselves there pretty much every Sunday and they know us well by now.

However we do pay for this privilege. Two personal pizzas and one soda cost us about 65 SGD a week (just over $50 USD) and I sometimes leave a little hungry. Also I’ve once again learned the lesson that the grass is always greener after complaining about the price of beer in Hong Kong. A pint of beer here will usually run about 18 SGD (about $14 USD). Plus every place charges tax and a service charge, so if we go out and have two pints each it runs us about $60 USD. Yes, it’s insane and yes, I think it’s time to admit I have a problem because I still drink beer here.

Anyway with little time to plan and only looking to take a day or two away from work we searched for places close by for a quick and hopefully cheap trip. As it is rainy season most places here, eventually we ruled out any beach areas (though Bali was making a case for itself). We also considered Ho Chi Min City in Vietnam but realized we really wanted to plan that in more detail.

So eventually we settled on KL (as it is more commonly known) - The capital city of Malaysia which you may know for Petronas Towers pictured below. It is only about a four hour car ride from Singapore or a 40 minute plane ride. Plane tickets can usually be had with enough notice for as little as $2 to $4 and you pay more in fees bringing the cost up to about 50 bucks. It’s a place we knew we’d eventually get to because we lived so close, though we really had no specific draw to the city.

Day time view of the towers
 

Of course we were booking last minute and near Christmas so the prices were higher and we contemplated taking a bus up (which is common) but decided to just jump on a plane for the convenience. However after we had an hour delay on the runway and a 45 minute cab ride from the airport we realized the bus was probably the way to go. Just because we travel so often doesn’t mean we are good at it.

We realize going some place simply because you feel like you should is not ideal. But as we were just looking for an escape and for a couple of decent meals and reasonably priced drinks, the city didn’t 
have any high expectations to live up to. And that is pretty much all KL did.

Many people go there for the shopping but as we now live in the Country of Malls this was not anything special for us (coming from HK may have been different). Walking the streets we could have been in any other city in Asia with its similar stores and predictable crowds. But we did end up having one very nice meal in a Thai restaurant outside the city, set in the jungle.

Here they are at night - Not many other photo ops in KL
 

We get my corporate rate in hotels in most major cities. The rooms typically have no view, are on low floors and never include breakfast (which is fairly standard in Asia). However we get to stay at 4 and 5 star hotels fairly cheap. We chose a high end chain hotel in Asia called the Mandarin Oriental but after several frustrating attempts to reserve a room we settled on our second choice called Traders.

The hotel has a very popular “sky bar” on the roof around their pool. We stopped up one night to check it out and grab a quick drink. As we sat in our window seat we paused for a minute to think how lucky we were to be discussing a fairly uneventful day in a back drop of one of the world’s most recognizable landmarks in the middle of Malaysia. We’re very aware that we are getting to live a life we would have dreamed of but probably never thought it could be a reality when sitting back in our house in Fords.

So with that let me just wish you all a Happy New Year! and say Thank You! to all of you back home that do so much to make our lives easier as we live out this adventure. From checking on our home, to shipping us the things we need or just really want, or helping keep us entertained. It is still recognized and appreciated as much now as since we’ve moved and all you’ve asked for in return is to include you in our experiences. (So do you think that should do the trick to guilt Lisa into writing again?).

Blog ya’ later!

And here's a few teaser photos from the blogs that should be just around the corner...

What stories lie outside this gate in Maldives?

Only Lisa's tales will tell....

Did we actually hike over two hours to this mountain side temple in Bhutan?

I'm guessing it will be at least two postings before that is answered...

Is this a post card or a photo from New Zealand?

Did I finally get my chance to go hang gliding and live to tell?

Oh well, I guess that is kind of obvious..

But did Lisa have the guts to join me? Only time will tell....

Right Here Right Now

Sssss-stretch... yyyyyyyy-yawn... Huh? I fell asleep. What time is it?

Wait. You don't understand. I have actually written countless blog posts in my head!

We brought the laptop to New Zealand in November and I wanted to write on-the-spot blogs from a (more) distant land for the first time, but internet access wasn't as reliable as I had hoped and we were also constantly moving. When I first told Paul I wanted to blog from NZ, he said, "About what, Maldives?" He's a card. By the way, no one has harassed me about my writer's strike more than my husband. And now he informs me that he's written one himself so I must beat him to publication.

I won't start with any of the three big trips we've taken since you last heard from me. I won't waste time with pathetic excuses either; I'll just get right into what's been happening recently, with about eight hours left until 2011.

I thought the US jumped the gun on Christmas decorations, but they began appearing mid-October in Singapore. Not until December did a minor mania begin to build: extra traffic, extra crowds, sales, songs, shopping. Orchard Road, the main shopping thoroughfare, was decked out in blue and purple lights and lighted trees. A bit more traditional red and green would have been appreciated, but one standout difference here (in a largely non-Christian country) is that signs actually say Merry Christmas. It may be just as commercialized, if not more, but they don't fool around with what idea in particular they are commercializing.

 Orchard Road

For my birthday this year, we couldn't fall back on any favorite dining spots as we haven't labeled any as favorites yet - though I always strive to locate them - so we tried an Italian place in our neighborhood called Oso. I owe a dedicated post to the uninspired yet always overpriced dining, nightlife and other stuff here, but luckily Oso was a cut above and we liked it enough that it's where we are going tonight. I've avoided cheese all day in preparation for the outstanding Burrata cheese appetizer for two. I wonder what Paul will start with. Kidding.

The day after my birthday we tried to get 'in the spirit' and we went to Fort Canning Park to hear Christmas carols by candlelight. Not to sound like a Grinch, but we would have been happier watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer on TV at home. It started at 6:30 pm so it was actually carols by sunlight for most of the duration, though we only stayed until dusk, about 30 minutes, because sweating profusely while watching a dance troupe in neon blue outfits is not all that Christmasy. I think we may have been the only couple there without kids. I don't have any statistics but I'm fairly sure there were more children present than adults. Well we tried (can you guess whose idea it was to try?) but tropical heat dampens many ambitions here.

 Carols at Fort Canning Park

Oh yes, we also spent a weekend in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. More on that next time. Lots of Christmas there too, which is a little confusing as it's a Muslim country.

I was privileged to have Christmas visitors this year. My friend Peggy and her family stopped in Singapore on their way from Hong Kong to Perth, Australia for two days just before Christmas. I toured Singapore with them while Paul was at work: botanic gardens, river cruise... one day I will take Paul on these tours that he always misses. The first night Peggy dressed her 5-year-old daughter and her three-year-old son in Santa outfits and we went to Orchard Road. The kids were celebrities! Asian locals and tourists couldn't get enough of two adorable blond Santas. They had to start refusing photos. Oh, I also got to dance inside a purple Christmas tree with the kids. Singapore's decorations may be non-traditional but they are engaging.

Inside the purple tree

By Christmas Eve we were missing home, especially since we got to be there last year. Paul suggested we stay home and cook so we did. This may sound odd, but I miss home more when I grocery shop for items on a holiday. I don't know if it's the crowds or seeing items that I know are only sold for a short time around holidays here but are everyday items back home, like pie crusts. It occurred in Hong Kong too when I picked up something on Christmas Eve and people, mostly marooned expats, were there picking up their cooked turkeys. Here, I picked up provolone cheese, marinated mushrooms, olives - had to settle for manzanilla rather than black, roasted peppers, bread, a packaged 'fresh' mozzarella that I salted myself, fish, shrimp, spaghetti and some brownie mix. I have a small oven so I can bake brownies now... but I've never wanted a cannoli more.

Paul fried the shrimp and fish and I did the rest. It turned out quite well and it really did make us feel a little better about being far away from where half our family would be enjoying such things. The wine helped too. And the music. We created a list of our favorite Christmas songs and made it through the list several times over the Christmas weekend. Thanks to Scott and Slingbox and TBS, we also didn't miss A Christmas Story. Speaking of which, we went out for roast duck on Christmas day. Fa-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra. Luckily we had no other plans since it rained heavily most of the night.

Tonight, New Year's Eve will just be the two of us at Oso. Or should I say, the three of us? That Burrata is hefty.

We hope you've had a lovely Christmas and we wish you a wonderful new year. One thing you have to look forward to is our photos and blogs of our trips from 2010.

And happy birthday to my hubby.

Master of the House

Coming very, very soon. I promise! Technical difficulties...