Thursday, June 30, 2011

kuala lumpur aka slummy singapore

So we spent five or so days in Kuala Lumpur.  Ahhh, KL... so much to say.  I must admit I quite enjoyed my time there.  Evidently I have turned into a big fan of Cities!! KL has the big shopping centers and beautiful buildings like Singapore has... but KL has a few things Singapore didn't...  crappy hotels, decrepit buildings, garbage on the streets, and an impossible transit system.  But I'll take all that since KL is actually an affordable place... we could get a fabulous bed and breakfast for $40 a night, and meals for $2 are easy to come by.
KLCC twin towers


Where to start... well, we had to move hotels three times until we found one that was acceptable.  I guess we were a little more picky than usual because we were spending 5 nights, so we wanted to be comfortable.  The first hotel was alright... it had a clean bathroom (with zero water pressure) but it was the size of a shoebox, and the double bed was worn so that we rolled into each other throughout the night. There was absolutely no where to put our bags and belongings without tripping over them.  Not comfortable enough for four more nights.  So, we moved.  The next place LOOKED decent.  It had a great common area with a tv, couches, kitchen, and free coffee all day (that sold me)...  the room seemed fine at first... two beds (yay) private bathroom... enough space.  However... once we had a chance to settle in we noticed the details... I could have dealt with the giant dust bunnies, but they didn't even PRETEND to clean the bathroom... there was actually empty bottles in the shower, water all over the floor, and urine on the toilet seat!  After asking three times for someone to clean our bathroom, at 10pm  (when we were exhausted from the day) two men finally came up to clean... (that's what they called it at least) they emptied the garbage and took some of the garbage out of the shower (I noticed another lid later) ... then they went to leave... we asked if they could clean the toilet please (as that was our main concern anyway.. you know, I want to be able to sit on it) they came back and (with a towel that was exactly the same as the ones we were provided with for our showers) wiped the toilet seat off and soaked up the water from the floor.  Great.  Thanks.  really, all we could do was laugh... I mean, we could have done THAT ourselves... how many hotels do we stay in that don't use cleaners? *shudder*  that's why we carry sanitizer and sanitize everything important ourselves anyway.  Needless to say it was a sleepless night as I wondered if they even bothered to change the sheets between guests....  The next day we went over our budget so we could stay in a place that was big enough AND clean (because you cant get both for under $30, at least not with a private bathroom) I mean, realistically it was only $12 over our budget... so not really a big deal... It was three more nights, we had to.  PS the next place was BEAUTIFUL, if you ever go to KL, stay in Rainforest Bed and Breakfast . Trust me.

So, KL itself is a really nice city.  As I said, it's got some really beautiful buildings and insane malls (like the Twin Towers... so beautiful) and there are some interesting places to visit (like the Batu Caves), and then there are some of the slummiest looking buildings I have ever seen.  It's interesting because some of them are right in the middle of a bunch of big, beautiful  buildings... I guess they were there already when the city decided to try and give itself a facelift maybe?  And China Town!!  You can get ANYTHING there... all the knock offs you could imagine... like... I was so overwhelmed with the sheer magnitude of merchandise... Armani everything, Prada, Gucci, you name it handbags, Rolex watches, Polo shirts, Tiffany jewelry, it was INSANE.  I was in heaven.
KL tower

entrance to the batu caves

the best place to buy anything knock off
my FAVORITE building in the city... I stopped in the middle of the street to stare


Oh, oh the transit!!! *shudder* NOT like Singapore.  So, there are five different types of rapid transit: the monorail, KTM Komuter train, two LRT lines, and the KLIA Ekspress (which just goes to the airport).  That's fine, different lines means more service right?  Well, it would be nice if they were integrated.  Yes, SOME of the stations line up with each other, and SOME of the time it's only a couple of blocks to walk to the next line, but what I found PARTICULARLY  frustrating was the fact that you had to buy a new ticket each time you transferred.  There was no integrated passes to buy... not even a day pass.  I can understand that the Monorail is different from the train and different from the LRT, but shouldn't the two LRT lines at least have the same ticket system?  It became expensive over the days buying at least two tickets to get anywhere.. and two more to get back.  And then there was the day the Monorail was down (after we spent forever trying to figure out the KL Sentral station (none of these names are spelling errors on MY part... all of these countries seem to spell  things in an interesting way) to even find the Monorail station) then we had to walk in the middle of traffic whizzing by us to try and find our neighborhood... (we got stuck on the wrong side of the road and ended up walking on the meridian) ... at least taxi's are pretty cheap so we splurged a few times to avoid the hassle of the public transit system.

My FAVORITE part of KL (get ready for it) .... the signal to say it's ok for pedestrian crossing is a little green man that's running!!  hehehhe... made me giggle every time I saw it.  His little legs just goin for it... and you have to run too... cars don't listen to traffic laws so there is always a good chance of getting your legs broken while crossing the street.

You know what else I loved about KL?  People watching.  There is an amazing diversity among the people, and again, I am a minority (which is strangely alluring for me... perhaps because I have spend my entire life being the majority, it's  a neat feeling to be the one who is "different"). I have particularly enjoyed the variety of apparel in women, specifically headscarves.  Now, for most of my life I have always thought that headscarves are... oppressive... they reminded me of people having to wear school uniforms, in a sense that it constricted your ability to be yourself, to be unique.   I realize now that my limited knowledge around the diversity of headscarves was absolutely a product of my ethnocentrism.  Headscarves (from my observations) give women another means in which to express themselves.  There are a plethora of different styles, fabrics, and colors to choose from, not to mention the way that it is worn: set back on the head, tight and forward, lose and forward.  Then there is the choice in pins, where the pins are worn (in the back, on the side, in the front) and there are some BEAUTIFUL and unique pins.  Some headscarves are so long that they cover the whole upper body, some just go around the neck.  Then there is how it goes with the rest of the outfit, some wear one that is the same color as her shirt, others choose a contrast color that really pops, or one with a funky pattern.  It doesn't look to me as a culture of oppressed women... I have seen countless young women dressed in a trendy way (while still remaining covered) with a headscarf that is more an extension of her outfit than anything else.  They look just like girls that you would see in a mall in any other country, laughing and joking with friends, holding hands with a boy, shopping, working (and who says that it is better for young girls to die their hair and wear mini skits and tube tops anyway?).  I guess it just goes to show that you can't (well, shouldn't) judge others through the lens of your culture... you have no idea what it is really like (not that I have any more of an idea, but I am realizing how quick people (myself included) can be to judge anything different as "bad").

To sum it all up... KL is pretty awesome.  You should go there.  But, well, I think that about everywhere I have been... so in my opinion you should go everywhere.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

fyi

Have I informed you that I have completely changed my trip??  I mean, I know I have spoken with some of you, and I update on facebook all of the time... but I realized that there are some of you who don't facebook stalk me, so you wouldn't necessarily know that my plans are ever changing... (as my dad would say... my plans are laid in sand)

First of all, we added Vietnam to the itinerary.  By the time I post this I will be in Vietnam actually (since I am writing this in the KL airport while I wait for my flight... and I always end of posting blogs a few days after I write them... cuz I'm lazy).  We left Indonesia a week early and cut a week off of Thailand to squeeze in another country.  Originally we were going to Laos, then Laos and Vietnam, but now it's just Vietnam (partly because we wanted more beach time, partly because we realized we didn't want to be rushed in our last couple of weeks, and partly because the visa for Vietnam cost us $100).  We plan on taking two weeks to take the train up the coast and then flying from Hanoi to Bangkok for the last week before Caitrin leaves.

After Caitrin leaves, I am blowing off my original plans (which if you don't remember was to head down to Phuket and take a course on teaching English, then live in Thailand for a year as a teacher).  Why did I make this decision you ask?  Well, a number of factors deterred me from pursuing a career in teaching.  First of all, I don't want to pursue a career in anything.  I was taking the whole "teaching" thing too seriously... and there was a very good reason I quit my job, dropped out of school, and sold all my stuff: I take life too seriously.  Secondly, I would have to learn English grammar (enough said).  Thirdly, I would have had to dress nicely and hide my tattoo and piercing (tattoo is on my foot, stud in my nose).  Boo to that.  I like my clothes, I like my tattoo, and I am not ready to start pretending to be an adult just yet (and wearing nice clothes and hiding tattoos and piercings is far to ``adult like`` for me).  Fourthly (I don't know if I can a ``ly`` after fourth.. doesn't sound right), i`m not done traveling.  If I work in Thailand i`ll make just enough money to survive, but I won`t be able to trollup around the world... i`ll have to sit tight and save money little by little for my next plane ticket.  Yeah yeah yeah, i`d be living in Thailand and that's pretty cool... but right now all I want to do is whatever I want to do in each moment.  I want freedom... I want to have the choice every day of where to go and what to do.  I want to be able to wake up and take off to any country that I feel like going to.

Sooooooooooooo new plan.... Australia.  I am going to meet Tina (remember Tina... the girl from Germany that got sick in Indonesia) in Darwin.  The plan is... well, there is no plan.  Rumor has it you can make a lot of money working temporary jobs (like fruit picking, or waitressing) so I am getting a one year work and travel visa that enables me to work... and travel... throughout Australia.  That's the extent of the plan.  Perhaps I will buy a bus and drive around for a year working when I need money... perhaps I will stay in Darwin and waitress for a year... Perhaps I will leave after a month and head back to finish Southeast Asia...  perhaps I will save money and take off to see Europe... perhaps I will get married and have kids... (that last one was a joke in case you were wondering)

My biggest concern (seriously... this has been what I think about at night) is if this means I`m gonna have to make a new blog when I leave this continent... or can I just continue with this one, as this is still my escape to southeast asia... it just led to a trip down under...

Sunday, June 26, 2011

island life

So here I am, on a beautiful white sand beach, looking out at the crystal clear green water with palm trees and beautiful lush deep green Malaysian hills and jungle in the background.... And I'm thinking... Crap... Gotta blog... But what to write?

Currently I am on the Perhentian Islands in Malaysia (on the north east coast) staying in a crappy little chalet that looks over that blue green ocean I was bragging about... (specifically I am in Long Beach on Perhentian Kecil).  What I love about these islands is that they are not populated solely with Western travelers.  There is a good mix of local people vacationing here as well.  Our neighbors in our first hotel were from Kuala Lumpur, and just came for the weekend to get away from the stress of the city.  Jeez! Could you imagine being able to go to a place like that for your weekend getaway!  Although there were striking differences between the western and local people (like the fact that the Muslim women were fully covered head to ankle even when swimming, and the western women were walking around everywhere in bikinis), everyone smiled at each other and seemed to respect that although we have different beliefs, we are all here for the same reasons.


Long Beach, Perhentian Kecil



It's beautiful here... No... Stunning. The scenery is unbelievable, and in the evening there are these amazing thunder storms.... It comes on quickly, one minute you are tanning on the beach, and then you see the clouds rolling in... (My balcony is the perfect place to watch it and stay dry.) The rain pounds down like nothing I have ever seen, the whole world turns grey and all that is visible is whatever lays directly in front of you (in my case other chalets and palm trees ripping in the wind). Then a startling flash of lighting cracks through the sky and hits the water... Brighter and closer than I have ever seen lightning... And then the earth shattering crack and rumble of the following thunder... It is so intense... It makes me feel like an insignificant ant... Then, as quickly as it rolled in, the rain dissipates and the time between the thunder and lightning becomes further and further apart as the clouds move on.  The stunning backdrop of ocean and hills of deep green jungle slowly come back into view as the sun starts to set behind the hills.

view from my chalet

Although the scenery is amazing here, the accommodation and food lack imagination. It's more expensive here than in Indonesia (but maybe that's because it's high season here and it was low season when I was in Indonesia). The chalets are all very basic: bed, bathroom, small fan, holes in the floors, crooked sinks, flimsy construction, and copious amounts of creepy crawly bugs. If I were to stay in something more comfortable (structurally sound and with a/c) I would be paying around 300 MR ($100 CAD). As it stands I'm already paying 100 MR, which is the top of our budget.  And the food... cardboard.  I don't think I have had even one meal where I thought, "Wow, this is really good."  It all tastes bland, and looks bland.

It's HOT here... Like... I can't even describe it. I thought it was uncomfortable before... It's way worse here.  Constant sweat, everywhere, all the time. The first day here I got heat stoke... I thought I was going to vomit. Then I went back to my room to take a nap to sleep it off... But they turn the power off during the day so the room was SWELTERING. Not fun. Oh, and sunscreen just sweats right off when you put it on. I don't think I will ever feel clean again... The heat is so bad we actually haven't done anything. We have spent all of our time on this one beach on this one island rather than explore the other island and beaches... It's just too hot to do anything. I almost feel like I might regret not seeing the rest of the island, but I just can't muster up the energy to explore...

basically all I saw (views from restaurants on the hill)


The noise!  I haven't slept since we got here.  Bars on the beach pump music all night (till like 4 am) and it echos off the water right into our room... all I hear is techno and trance... all. night. long.  Maybe I should go out there and join them... but I'm too freaking hot to have any energy to drink at the end of the day!!!

I'll survive... although ants have taken over my bed (seriously, I woke up one morning and there were HUNDREDS of tiny ants all over me, my nighty, and my blanket... then I found them all over my backpack.  fun), and geckos keep me up at night (it's unbelievable that such a loud noise comes from such a small thing). The food fills my belly, there is a great chill vibe here, and plenty of space on the beach to laze around.  What more could I really ask for?

Monday, June 20, 2011

shopping in singapore

Singapore has got to be as different as you could possibly get from Indonesia.  It's shocking really, that two places that are so close in proximity can be so unbelievably different... I think that Singapore is probably different from all of its Southeast Asian neighbors... perhaps that's why it is a city state?  Or perhaps the fact that it is a city state makes it possible to be such a clean, safe, and expensive city... very easy in fact to forget that you are halfway around the world.



The first thing we noticed... Expensive. Expensive. Expensive.  The price of everything is about the same as what you would pay in Canada... around $100 for a decent hotel room, $20 for a cab ride from the airport, $10 for a decent meal, $1 for a bottle of water, tourist traps that far exceeded our budget (we didn't even bother going to Santosa Island), and far too much shopping (and not the kind I was doing in Indonesia... big swanky malls).  We spent five days there... five extraordinarily expensive days... (I actually still refuse to look at how much was spent.  I'll deal with that later)

We paid $55 SGD for a double bed in a closet in a hostel.  (FYI that's close to twice as much as we were paying in the previous country.)  This room was soooo small...  For one person it may have been ok, but the two of us were stepping all over each other. The shared bathrooms were also in little closets off the hallway... with accordion doors and showers over top of the toilet (yes, you stand around the toilet as you shower yourself clean... seems kind of counterproductive if you ask me).  Since the accommodation was so terrible, we left as soon as we woke up, and came home late every night.  We had to ensure that we tired ourselves out because it was so loud from the street that we wouldn't be able to sleep unless we were exhausted.
at least its a western toilet!!!

that's actually all of the floor space we had

Besides the place that we were staying, Singapore has got to be the classiest city in the world.  I mean, the public bathrooms there are nicer than any bathroom I have ever used.  Seriously, like... the airport bathroom, mall bathrooms, even MRT station bathrooms... full floor to ceiling stalls, sanitizer to wipe the toilet seat with, individual automatic hand dryers... and they smell... good!  I don't think I smelled a bad smell in all of my time there (except maybe in that open market with all of the fish). The elevators in the MRT stations didn't even smell of urine.  You could use any back stairwell, rarely used elevator, or long underground corridor...  they were all well lit, clean, and safe.  And the lack of garbage!!  After over a month in Indonesia this was like... heaven.  So clean... everywhere... How is it possibly so clean?  Because there are fines for everything.  And there is always someone telling you what to do and how to do it.  (There were actually tourist trinkets that had "Singapore, a fine city" and then pictures of all of the signs.) I have never, in my life, seen so many signs prohibiting things.  It wasn't even just those signs, there were signs about how to properly use an escalator, insanely detailed signs about how to wash your hands, signs telling you to "use the lift if you are unwell", signs asking you to "respect life" (and not jump onto the MRT tracks).  Apparently you can't chew gum or spit on the sidewalk (I actually witnessed men spitting into garbage cans), and there is a fine for not flushing a public toilet.  The people too... they were all so put together... everyone.  I didn't see one person who I thought could be homeless, or suffer from mental health or addictions, and  barely any people with disabilities were out in the community... It made me wonder where they are... this can't possibly be a city that has no population of people in need... no one that doesn't fit into the societal expectation of normalcy... so where are they? I don't know... but they sure weren't in any of the areas I went too...

thanks for the tip... couldn't have figured that one out

I never knew there were so many incorrect ways to use one!

The most detailed hand washing sign... ever

don't even think about doing any of those


I couldn't get over how well organized and maintained the public transport system is.  It's fool proof... You can't sneak  on or off and I couldn't imagine anyone ever getting lost in such a user friendly system.  When you get a ticket you have to say which station you are leaving from and going to, then it gives you a plastic card which you swipe to get into the station, and swipe to get out.  Or, you can pay $8 for a tourist day pass that gives you unlimited usage.  There are maps everywhere that are easy to follow, and when you are on the train it has a map that lights up on the station you are approaching.  Also, the automated system reminds you when you are approaching a station that is a transfer station.  You can't eat or drink anything in the MRT stations... ($500 fine) They don't  even have garbage cans inside!!! (I guess that is a very big hint that there is no reason you should have anything to throw away when you are inside... you can't consume anything... you even return the reusable plastic tickets for your $1 deposit).  It was actually eerie to  walk down the pristine marble corridor with not even a scrap piece of paper, and then get onto an equally clean and comfortable train where people actually respected the signs that designate seats for those who need them.  Everything was so orderly, people were so respectful and pleasant, everything looked so PERFECT.  There were these messages on the PA system too... I can't  remember exactly what they said... one was a reminder not to eat or drink in the stations or on the trains, one was a reminder to never leave your bag unattended and if you see an unattended bag notify a security guard immediately (which is a scary reminder that you are in a place that is a target for terrorism). I don't know, it felt like there was always a calm and soothing British voice telling me to do (or not do) something.  Oh, and the English!  It was interesting because English was spoken everywhere, yet it was just a little different than I am used to.  On the MRT they use the word "alight" ... ummm... I have never heard that before.  "Please let others alight before entering the train." "If you are transferring to the circle line, please alight at the next station." ... It's a good word... sounds classier than "exit" ... and there is "Please mind the platform gap."  (They say that every time you get to a station to get on or off the train.) I think I have seen similar signs in Canada that are "watch your step" ... again, Singapore just has a classier way of saying it.

none of this in the staion

my personal favorite... don't kill yourself.  Thank you.  That would dirty our city.


The malls.... oh the malls.  Everywhere... basically at every MRT station, and then throw in some more on every block. EVERYWHERE we went there was a mall.  Like... EVERYWHERE... we were amazed... how could people actually shop this much??  I think we spent the entire time either in the MRT or in a mall... it was unavoidable... you couldn't go anywhere that didn't have one!  And, of course, they were CLASSY malls... stores like Prada and Gucci... stores I wouldn't even step into (because I think they would laugh me back out).  Restaurants in the middle of the mall with big wooden chairs and white table clothes, marble pillars, gorgeous fountains, it was amazing.  It smelled of money and status. I felt compelled to get my nails done, put something nice on, and do something with my hair (clearly i lacked the financial backing to follow through with that).  It made me wish I was rich...

thats a mall!!  whoda thunk


Another awe-inducing thing was the architecture.  I don't know anything about architecture (like... anything... at all), but I have eyes, and those buildings are UNIQUE.  Nothing is boring in Singapore, from the rain covers at the Quay, to the entrance to underground walkways, to the museum, to the skyscrapers, to the Singapore flyer (a giant Ferris wheel like thing that you can ride on and see the city), to pedestrian bridges... it's...futuristic maybe?  I don't know... it's unique and interesting and different... And then there is the combination of architecture... colonial type buildings, Asian looking buildings, skyscrapers... all in one glance.  I found myself constantly taking pictures of buildings (I never take pictures of buildings) because  it was just so different.


thats a museum on the right, the coolest building ever in the middle, and a walkway on the left

check out this bridge!!

the Singapore Flyer

I don't even know the word for this type of building...

thats a rain cover!!

don't even know what this is

cool looking neighborhood

thats a mall behind and an entrance to an underground walkway


In sum, I LOVE LOVE LOVE Singapore... I want to get rich and live there.  (Hahah yeah, right.)  But seriously, if I were ever to live in a big city, I would live in that one.  I am a minority, but no one stares at me.  It's a different culture, but my native language.  It's a big city, but safe like a small town.  You can't determine who the majority is (I looked it up, it's Chinese, but it's not really that apparent): there are just a plethora a different people with different physical attributes and religious beliefs all living harmoniously in a pristine clean and safe environment.

I feel so protected :-)

Friday, June 10, 2011

the great hospital adventure

So, remember my friend that was sick?  She is a girl my age from Germany traveling by herself who ended up hanging out with Caitrin and I for a bit.  When she came down with a fever we were all very worried because she had been through a few malaria zones and was not on any anti malarials.  After two days of fever we decided to leave the island (as there was no medical care there) and take her to the nearest hospital in Mataram, Lombok.

Travel days are very stressful on their own... people trying to take advantage of you are overcharge for things, wandering in the heat with a heavy backpack trying to find the place your looking for, hotel hunting... add on that one person is very sick and it becomes hellish.  Because Tina was so weak, Caitrin and I shared the weight of her backpack (each carrying an arm).  Picture the three of us, Tina, barely able to walk, and Caitrin and I weighed down 1 1/2  times more than usual (and the status quo is difficult enough)... all worried that something could be very wrong, and saddened to have to leave the beautiful island we were, to go to unknown and unplanned territory.

Evidently emergency trips to Mataram Public Hospital is from Gili Meno is common enough... they had a set (and very high) price for a private boat and car.  No bartering here... they know that you are desperate to get off the island so will charge whatever they want.  We received horrible service, no one even offered to help us with our bags onto the boat (you have to wade through the water and climb up onto the boat which is difficult to do with a heavy pack, especially an extra one... usually the men at least give you a hand up) five men just watched us struggle (until we insisted that they help with Tina's bag, as it was next to impossible to do it on our own).  When we arrived in Lombok two men jumped on the boat, grabbed our bags, and put them on shore.  We though this was very nice until they demanded 50.000 idr for the service (which we didn't ask for... for that price I'd rather do it myself) I refused to pay their price (it's insanely high) and we begrudgingly gave them 5.000 for each bag.

The taxi brought us on the 45 minute ride to Mataram, dropped us off (seemingly on some random street) and pointed us to the direction to the hospital.  We ended up walking into a side entrance and realized very quickly that this is not the Western world.  After asking a passerby where to go for a fever we were pointed in the direction of the Emergency area.  We fumbled our way through the maze of hallways, doors, and (rundown) elevators until we found the right area. I sat with Tina and helped explain the symptoms, the doctor (who could speak good English thankfully) took her temperature.  I could see the fear in Tina's eyes as we both took in the scenery...  She was sitting on a stretcher in the hallway, there were black water stains on the sagging ceiling, cobwebs and spiders littered the walls, the privacy curtains had unidentifiable stains on them, cats were walking around inside, and people being wheeled in on stretchers that looked more like trolley's (no cushion or sidebars, just slabs with wheels)...

The doctor said that her fluctuating temperature (it had gone down again) was congruent with Typhoid fever (which peaks in the evening... which is also when Tina was the worst), but it could be any number of things (Malaria and Dengue not excluded, but perhaps just a symptom of late nights and not enough water... vacationing yourself into a fever hahaha).  She prescribed some medication and told us to come back in two days for blood tests (its too early to test for any of the preceding illnesses).  We paid the whopping 50.000 idr (just over $5) for the check up and medication (you get what you pay for) and got the hell out of there.

After a half hour cab ride of hotel hunting (he kept bringing us to swanky expensive hotels... but thankfully it only cost 30.000 for the ride) we found a suitable place to stay.  Luckily it came with a tv that had two English movie channels so Tina wouldn't get to board while Caitrin and I went out exploring (fyi Mataram is not a tourist destination.  We found a mall.  We were the only Caucasian people.  Being incessantly stared at by everyone you see in very unnerving).

Tina's fever peaked at 40 that night.

The next day we considered our options... there was no way we were returning to that hospital for treatment... especially to get blood taken.  Getting back to Bali (where there is a great tourist clinic) would either be a 9 hour shuttle and ferry trip (on the ferry that advertises it will get there "some day") or a $50 plane ride (which gets pricy to think about all of us... we are all backpacking after all).  We decided to sit tight and wait another day to see if the fever goes down.

It didn't.

The next evening we considered options again, and neither seemed like something we were ready to do... so we started searching online for a tourist clinic (or at least a clean clinic) in Lombok.   We phoned one that was located in a swanky hotel to see if they did blood work, or could point us in the right direction, they gave us the name and street of a clinic and lab.  It happened to be on the same street as us so I went out to ask the hotel staff where it was... they laughed at me... it was directly beside us (not a block down, not across the street... practically attached to the hotel).  I went over to check it out... it was heaven.

I excitedly grabbed Tina to bring her to this pristine, air conditioned, sparkling clean, needles visibly in packages, facility.  We laughed at ourselves, for two days we stressed about fining a good clinic, and there one was... RIGHT beside us the whole time.  Although the clinic was good... the English was not. It was difficult to decipher what our nurse was trying to say, and even more difficult for us to get our points across.  But, we got a battery of tests done with results available in (get this) two hours!!! (wtf it takes two weeks in Canada to get blood work back!).

We were all happy and relieved when in one short movie later we found that she was not plagued with Malaria, Dengue, Typhoid, or any of the things we feared.  We brought the results to another clinic down the street (and sat amongst a hundred people in a sweltering waiting room hallway waiting to see a doctor... still, I'd take that over the public hospital any day) who gave her some medication for an "infection" (love how he didn't diagnose anything, or elaborate, just "infection") he also stated that Typhoid takes 5 days to show up in blood work, so if she still has a fever in two days, she needs to get more blood-work done. (uuuuuuuugh)

That night her fever went down, and she actually came out for dinner.

The next day Caitrin and I went on our way, we had taken three days to care for our new friend (I couldn't imagine just leaving her with a high fever, all alone in a foreign country, with nothing but thoughts of Malaria dancing in her head) but now that her fever was down, the threat of major illness was behind her, all she needed was a few more days a rest before she would be ready to move on in her journey.

Moral of the story: don't get sick in Indonesia.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

under the sea

So I tried scuba diving recently.  The entire time I was under water that song from The Little Mermaid played in my head (Under the sea, life's so much better, down where it's wetter, take it from me!).  I think that was because looking up towards the sky from underwater was such a foreign experience, I had nothing to relate it to but the childhood movie I loved so (oh, so so much... I watched it multiple times a day... you know my sister and I know all of the words to every song in that movie...)

I did this Adventure Scuba thing, it cost around $60.  I was walking by the scuba place and a friend of mine said "Heather! You should try that!  You haven't been diving yet... here talk to this guy!"  Since I had been thinking about getting certified, it seemed like a good idea to do before I dish out $300-$400 to do a three day course... you know, lets see if I even like it!  I was unsure about the money (still trying to stay on budget) but I had to commit in the moment, and I already had a Bintang in my belly, so I signed up.

The day started at 9:30 am (which came early because I had a few more Bintang  the night before) when I met my instructor and one other person that was signed up for the adventure (I was happy they had such a small instructor to student ratio).  We spent about an hour learning about the basics of diving... what happens to air when it goes deeper and deeper into water, and what that means for the air in our bodies... the important thing to remember is to keep breathing... (they repeated that, and I had to sign something say that I would do that) evidently that is how you can make your lungs explode: changing depth dramatically while holding your breath.  We learned how to equalize (make it so your ears don't pop) by holding your nose and blowing gently, we learned how to get the water out of your goggles (hold the top and blow out your nose while looking up), and a few hand signals so we can communicate (ok, not good, how much air do you have, numbers to communicate how much air you have, up, down, left, right, different fish).  Then we got on our wetsuits....

Don't worry... not diving yet.  We had another hour of practice in the water to make sure we could use our new skills and get used to breathing in the water.  I think most places do that in a pool... and in retrospect it would have been much easier to learn if I didn't have the current close to shore ripping me around.

It took me three times going under to actually be able to stay under.  The first time, I put my mouth piece in, dunked my body, and tried to breath.  I took maybe four breaths before I jumped back out of the water (we were only waist deep).  I couldn't do it!  I couldn't breath!  I felt like I wasn't getting enough air in my lungs.  My instructor told me it's very normal to feel like that, but not to worry because you are getting enough air.  Okay, this is normal,  I can try again.  So, round two (and of course the other guy is doing just fine swimming around! show off) I put my mouth piece in, dunked my head, took... two breaths maybe... I jumped out again.  FUCK THIS.  (I was yelling in my head) How the hell do people do this??  I can't.  Nope.  Not gonna do it.  It's gonna kill me.  That's fine, diving's not for me.  Uuuugh. But then I thought about all of the people I know who have been certified... I mean, it's not rocket science... if they can all do it, so can I. So, third times a charm right? I dunked myself back in the water... just breathe... all you have to do is breathe... breathing isn't hard... breath in.... breath out..... in...... out..... there... that was my problem, I wasn't breathing out of long enough.  You have to breath out slow and steady, get all of the air out of your lungs.  Problem solved.

Ok, now to swim... with these giant flippers on your feet, and the current ripping your body back and forth.  I kept bumping into the other guy... whatever.  It's a new skill... he'll forgive me... right?  So we all sat on the ocean floor and practiced our skills.  First, she demonstrated taking the mouth piece out, and putting in back in, blowing hard, and then breathing.  She pointed at the other guy to try... I coudn't concentrate.  All I could think about is how badly my eyes were burning.  why? Why did they burn so much?  Salt.  Darn.  Stupid salt water.  Burning my eyes.  Making me distracted.  Ok, my turn.  Mouth piece out, find it, put it in.  Put it in.  PUT IT IN!  I couldn't get the darn thing in my mouth!  It wasn't going in past my lips!  I had to use my other hand to help get the stupid thing in.  Blow, breath.  There.  Done.

Third skill: getting water out of your goggles.  She demonstrated, then pointed to me.  (NOOO!  It's supposed to be his turn first so I could watch it again!)  Putting water into your goggles is so counter intuitive!  I didn't want to!  uuugh.  Ok, I let water in the bottom up to my eyes (it burns!) pushed the top, blew out my nose (uuuugh what the hell!  Blowing out my nose... what if I accidentally breath in again!  Then there will be water in my nose!!), look up... waters gone.  Good.  Get outta my goggles.

We got out of the water, took our wetsuits off (felt like undressing in public!) I felt so dry... my knees were cut up from the coral, my eyes burned... breathing!  Oh, I could breath!  my nose and my mouth are attached!  I could breath in my nose, out my mouth!  in my mouth, out my nose!  Oh, a nose is a glorious thing... especially when its attached to your mouth, and you get to use either one... whenever you want, and you don't even have to think about it!!  She told us to come back in two hours, drink plenty of fluids, and stay out of the sun.  darn it.  I was planning on tanning.

I laid on a bed on the beach at my favorite restaurant.  All I could think about is breathing.  How wonderful breathing is, how good and fresh the air tastes, how awesome it is to have a nose.  Oh god!  I had to go back in there... I'm gonna die down there!  I'm gonna hold my breath and explode my lungs!  I'm gonna loose my mouth piece and take a big gulp of water!  I'm gonna die!  Breath.  Just breath.

I went back for the real  thing.  I had a couple of friends doing a fun dive at the same time, so they made me feel better.  They told me how amazing it is, and that I'm gonna love it.  They assured me that I'll do great and there is nothing to feel anxious about.  We got into this rickety old boat.  The ride started out ok, then it got a little bumpy... waves were crashing into the boat, the couple in the front got SOAKED.  I laughed... then get it in the back.  That's ok, I'm there to get wet anyway.  All of the sudden a cockroach flew up and landed on my friend!!  Hahaha... water was building in the boat, the pump wasn'r working so the water was just staying there and flushing out the cockroaches!! I watched him squirm and drown... poor bugger... that's gonna be me in a few minutes.

We got to go last, so I watched my friends suit up, sit on the side of the boat, and fall backwards.  UGH!  fall backwards in the water?? Really?  That's how I get in there?  Couldn't I just climb down slowly?  My turn, my instructor helped ensure that everything was strapped on right and told me to sit on the edge of the boat... on the edge... with my tank hanging over the back... weighing me down... (I get a flashback of the first time I crawled out onto the strut of an airplane... my parachute bumped on the door on the way out and I almost lost my balance... so much was going through my head...) oh god... what I am I doing?  What was I thinking?  She told me to fall off backwards (I feel like I was falling off the strut of the plane) SPLASH.  back to reality.  Swim to the front of the boat.

We followed her down the rope (we used it to ensure that we could go down slowly).  My head went under the water.  AIR!  AIR!  I NEED AIR! FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. AIR!  One hand went over the other... deeper... AIR! AIR!  YOUR NOT GETTING ENOUGH AIR!!!  one hand over the other.... deeper... NO!!  FUCK IT! YOUR NOT A DIVER!! GET OUT! GET OUT! GET HER ATTENTION!  NO! NO! NO!  one hand over the other... deeper.... breath... just breath... in... out... you can't chicken out now... BUT BREATHING IS WHAT I CAN'T DO PROPERLY!  BREATHING IS WHAT'S FREAKING ME OUT!  HOW CAN I CALM DOWN IF I CAN'T DO THE ONE THING THAT IS IMPERATIVE FOR MY SURVIVAL???  in... out.... longer... longer... there. in.... out... longer.... in... out.... ok.  down, down, down. 

Holy fuck I was under water. (cue The Little Mermaid Song)

Honestly the rest is more of a blur... getting down there was the hard part... but once I was down there, I was so overwhelmed... I was under water.  There a fish.  A fucking fish.  This was his environment... Wow... a reef... it was so big... but don't touch it (big rule in diving... touch nothing) ... my body wasn't listening to me, my legs weren't going where I thought they should... I felt like a child learning to walk, learning to survive in my surroundings... it was all so foreign... so scary... so exciting.... up up up... shit.  how do I get down again?  down down down... shit too much... I hit bottom... up up up... too much again!  down down down.  The hardest part was not being able to talk... what was I doing wrong?  Why couldn't I stay at the same level? Why did I keep going up and down?  Eventually she motioned that I stop trying to correct, she held onto me and dragged me along.  hahahahhahahha.  The most frustrating thing was that I wanted to try again... I thought I knew why it wasn't working right, but I couldn't ask her.  I just had to be pulled along like a dog.  Oh well, I decided to enjoy the scenery.  A sea turtle!!! (I saw two)

After 45 minutes of sensory overload, we surfaced.  AIR!!  OH AIR, I LOVE AIR!  BREATHING!!   We floated... and waited.... and waited...  and waited... I could see the look in my instructors eyes (where the fuck is the boat?)  We drifted over to a nearby boat that was anchored and held on... my friends surfaced with their instructor... wheres the boat? we wait..... and wait.... I had to pee.  darn.... gotta pee gotta pee.... we wait.    I laughed with my instructor as I told my friends how horrible I was at maintaining my level... I am NOT a natural diver.... The conversation stopped as we all got impatient.  gotta pee.  The instructor  whistled.  We waited... and waited... felt  like forever.  She said that this never happens.  Another group had drifted toward shore and was now on the beach of a nearby island.  She shook her head, and said that the boat wont be able to get them now... the water is too choppy to get near shore... we waited... this isn't funny anymore... still gotta pee.... getting sea sick...

I don't really know how long it took... but it felt like an hour (probably way less) before the boat finally appeared, we took our tanks off (in the water which was really hard) and climbed on board.  My friend complained that the reef wasn't that nice, and the current was really strong... he told me not to judge the experience by this dive, usually it's a lot better.

Oh, I'm gonna do it again.  I have to.  Gotta figure out how to stay at the same level... gotta be able to swim on my own!  Gotta learn to breath.... I'll try again in Thailand when I have more time... but I won't be telling them that I have done it before... my lack of skills is embarrassing!!  But for now... breathing... it's so amazing... I love breathing... in through my nose... out through my mouth... don't even have to think about it... just breath.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

balinese cowboys

It is amazing how forward the Balinese men are.  When you walk down the street they all smile at you, say hello, and then ask “boyfriend?” hahahah, or sometimes they just say “yes?” (I was not aware that could be a question with absolutely no context or existing conversation... I think it means “yes, you like me?” or “yes, I can do something for you?”)

In our first week Caitrin had a local women warn her that the men “do not have feeling, they just want your money” (that’s a paraphrase, but that was the gist of it).  I think you would have to be pretty naive to not pick up on the fact that the men will hit on any woman with a pulse and a purse...

On Kuta beach they are particularly bad... I had heard about the “Balinese Cowboys” (local men that hang out with foreign women and get them to buy things) but I hadn’t realized how common it really was...

The first time I walked down to the beach I had a surfer come up to me, say hello, ask where I’m from, then say “all I ever wanted was a beautiful Canadian wife” ... yeah... right... I took a picture, started laughing and walked away.


I think the most interesting experience (so far) was on Legian beach (right next to Kuta, but a little more upscale) It’s really neat there, every evening at sunset a bunch of (very trim) men have football (soccer) games on the beach.... nice to watch...

So I was down on the beach putting a hard day in at the office (aka tanning, dozing, reading, listening to music) and I decided to go for a swim.  This beach is known for having a very strong current and people die each year getting swept out to sea (so I’m told) and there is actually “no swimming” signs everywhere.




Because of the known water danger (and my teeny weeny pink bikini) I went to wade in and cool off (not too deep so my bathing suit doesn’t get away from me, and I don’t.. you know... die).  I didn’t even get to my knees when a half a dozen Balinese men start walking towards me... they split up, and the most attractive one comes right towards me... as he makes his move the others go deeper and start diving into the waves...

So this guy (no idea what his name was... it’s hard for me to retain names anyway, and when they are names that I haven’t heard before and can’t pronounce, there is no hope) does the norm... says hi, asks me where I’m from, tells me he’s been there before for one night (in his dreams), asks me if I have “boyfriend”, apologises for his English (which was choppy, but not too bad) ... as we are chatting we are wading a little further, the waves are getting higher, and I am becoming increasingly aware that my bathing suit is a “tanning” suit, not a “swimming” suit (as I have to hold on to my bottoms so I don’t expose my...) this man is clearly into me (I mean my Canadian money) smiling and watching me struggle with my attire (jeez I’m like a sitting duck!) I can tell he can’t understand half of what I’m saying (me: so, what do you do? How is it that you can be at the beach in the middle of the day on a week day? He: I play football on beach.  Me: every day?  He: yes.  Me: So, how do you pay for living? How do you survive?  He: I play on beach.  Me: no, how do you make money?  He: giving me a questioning and confused look... and I gave up)...  and then he asks me if me and my friend are (and he motions his fingers together) I laugh, no I am not a lesbian (and then I realize that he must have been watching us to know that I was with my friend) ... evidently he took that as his green light, grabbed my hand and tried to lead me to deeper water (where the other men are waiting... watching... probably cheering) and he “helps” me with each wave and conveniently positions himself behind me so I fall into him.... yep.  That was it for me.  I laugh, shake my head, and tell him I am going back to my friend.

I’m Free!  I mean... these men are pushy, so that could have quickly escalated into an unwanted situation... not quite. He follows me back to my chair (trying to hold my hand on the way) asks me if I have “phone number” I lie and say no (I actually do have an Indonesian sim for my phone) then he asks if I have “facebook” ... I laugh and sit on my chair... he sits down near my legs (Caitrin and I start laughing) He asks if he can “take picture” of me.. sure.. why not.  I take the opportunity to get a picture of him (at this point I realize this is a “story worthy” situation) .... then I do what any polite Canadian would do, and open my book and start reading. (hahaha really I should have just been forward and told him to get lost) ... he takes the hint and disappears...



For a minute.

He reappears with some child playing soccer and helping her kick the ball (right in my line of sight) Caitrin and I laugh and joke that he probably paid someone to borrow her... I resume reading... he comes back, puts his blackberry on our table and informs us that he is playing football now (and all of the men make a soccer field in the sand and play as the sun goes down).





The sun sets, I take pictures, and we start to get a chill.  We decide to go shower the beach sand off before dinner and start packing up... my friend reappears with another man. He sees that we are leaving and asks if he can come to my hotel with me (hahahahhah!)  His friend tells me that he (my pursuer) likes me, but does not know much English.  I smile and say goodbye.  They ask what hotel we are staying at, and he offers to give me a ride on his motorbike.  (not likely!)  One last attempt, he asks if I will be back tomorrow... I say maybe and goodbye... we hurry away before they start to follow....

All  I could do was laugh.  I mean, if I really wanted to pursue my "brown baby" goal as I tend to joke about (yes, I say that one day I will have little bi racial babies, and that way I can ensure that I am able to live in at least two Countries... Canada and baby daddy country), this would definitely be the place to do it!  But then I would... you know... have a baby.  And that would put a damper in my travel plans wouldn't it!

Don't worry mom, I'm not doing "that" here.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

chillin on the gili's


 ok, time to write!!!  I have been so busy... so much to do, so many people to talk to, so much Bintang to drink!!  You're in luck though... I am staying in tonight to care for my friend, so evidently that means I have time to sit down and write (finally).


Well, it's not really lucky that I have this time... in fact I am quite worried.  Caitrin and I met a new friend last week.  She is has spent the last few months traveling in southeast Asia, currently the three of us have a cute little beach bungalow on Gili Meno.  She started feeling ill yesterday and has a fever today... since she has been in Malaria zones and has not been on anti malarial medication, we are quite worried that this could be something serious (Malaria or Dengue Fever).  At the moment we are watching her closely and will take her to the nearest hospital if she gets worse.  Hopefully the fever goes down by morning... (and just today I was swearing at my Doxycycline (my anti malarial) because it is interfering with my tanning... I suppose this was the scare I needed to stay on the medication).  She has made the choice to wait it out, and we let her know that we will go with her if she wants to go get treatment.  Unfortunately there is no clinic on this island, so we can't get medical attention here.  Tomorrow we are going to Gili Air, where there is a medical clinic, so if she doesn't get worse we will continue there and just take her to the clinic... but if she starts to vomit we are off on an unscheduled adventure to Lombok!

Anyway, no sense sitting here worrying... we are doing all that we can for the moment.

So, I have spent the last week or so on the Gili Islands.  There are three of them, Trawangan (party island), Meno (honeymoon island), and Air (meditation island).  None of the islands have any vehicles, or dogs.  If you don't want to walk you can get a horse drawn carriage or rent a bike.  And unlike other places where stray dogs are everywhere, there is a huge population of stray cats on these islands.  Seriously... they are everywhere!!  Begging for food, fighting, loving (heheh), asking for attention, being all cute and playing on your doorstep, using the beautiful beach as a giant litter box...   We were on Gili T (which I call it because I can't seem to pronounce the name) for four days... of which I barely remember.  That is where we met out friend, and I met Bintang (beer).  It is defiantly called party island for a reason... I drank for four days straight (something I haven't done since I was in my early 20's) ... Gili T has officially made it to my favorite place in the world... white sand beaches, beautiful sunsets, restaurants with beds on the beach, plenty of friendly travelers, bars open until sunrise (which is dangerous.. I am used to bars closing at 2am so I get off to bed... I was out one night till 4 because I didn't realize it was so late already!  That wouldn't have been so bad... except that I had to get up at 8am to watch the hockey game, then move to the next island... needless to say that was a rough day), dancing in the streets, late night swimming...

cats plotting to steal our meals


Gili Meno is providing the much needed relaxation that we need after the preceding busy days.  There is literally nothing to do here but lay on the beach, go sunset hunting, and eat.  I have been napping so much on the beach that I am tired of sleeping! It's wonderful... this morning we woke up to watch the sunrise (for the first time in my life) which was easy because the beach is basically on our doorstep, and we are on the side of the island that the sun wakes up on, and I was free to go back to sleep and stay there until I felt like it.  Sunsets are harder because we have to walk down the beautiful white sand beach for a whopping 10 minutes to get a good view.  My life is so hard.



Lets reflect on that for a moment.  My life is so hard.  You know I haven't even touched my glasses in a month?  Who needs glasses?  I'm not driving, or (oooooowe I just sprayed mosquito repellent in my eye... yes i'm that smart) trying to read the board in class, so who needs em!  Plus, I think my eyesight is better now that I haven't been wearing them (minus the burning sensation I am currently experiencing).  What else haven't I done in a month? (prepare to get jealous) cooked, cleaned, driven, read out of obligation, worked, woke up before I wanted to, went to bed early when I didn't want to, hahahh done ANYTHING that I didn't want to.  Really, I just wake up every day and say "Heather, what do you feel like doing today?"  Generally I respond with having a two hour leisurely breakfast... then whatever I want!   Go for a bike ride perhaps, read a book, give scuba diving a try, explore temples, go shopping... or my personal favorite... do absolutely nothing on the beach.

Truth be told I kind of miss driving.  But there is no way I am ready to try that out here... give me a few months and maybe i'll be more adventurous....

The best part about all of this is I don't have to go "home."  My home is where ever I am.  I am not on vacation... this is my life.  Of course, at some point, i'll have to start earning money to finance this lifestyle.  A large part of me is tempted to skip my English teaching class and go exploring more... but I know that I will get tired of moving all of the time, and my bank account will begin to dwindle... teaching English still seems to be the most plausible route to take in the immediate future... then maybe to Australia to waitress, or maybe even find something to do in Europe... go teach in South America, work with orphans in Africa... which content did I miss??  hehehhe..

The more people I meet the more I want to travel.... my list of destinations is getting exponentially larger... which incidentally is making this little adventure evolve more into a lifestyle choice....