Food and shopping attracts tourists to Singapore…

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Tom likes these “wienie wraps!’  These are SGD 1, US $.74.

Breakfast is an easy meal to accommodate my restrictive diet in most countries when eggs, vegetables and bacon of some sort or another are readily available. For this reason, we’ve been having breakfast each morning over these past few days since we arrive in Singapore.

An evening meal is more challenging. Having perused menus from many restaurants both while out walking each day and online, the pickings are slim for my way of eating.

Three long rows like this one shown here at the Maxwell Road Hawker Centre, a short walk from our hotel.

There are dozens of local restaurants that would be able to accommodate my diet, but most of these would be in the range of SGD $269, US $200 for dinner, drinks and the always included 17% taxes and service fees.

There’s no meal that’s worth that type of expenditure for us. Subsequently, I’m left with being creative with more modest options at mid range establishments. Tom’s picky taste buds also limits his choices when he’s adamantly opposed to unfamiliar spices and seasonings. He almost gagged over a cardamom roll he purchased in the open market.

Many vendors were selling unique items used in Asian cooking.

Last night, we decided to try the local and highly popular open food market, Maxwell Road Hawker Centre rated #38 of 8067 in TripAdvisors reviews for dining venues in Singapore. For the typical tourist and local citizen this is the place to eat.

Prices are unbelievably reasonable with a typical meal at SGD 4, US $2.97, although, there higher priced options. The huge draw for tourists in the popular establishment is the famous “chicken and rice” dishes which is often boiled or sautéed chicken atop a bed of tasty fried rice.

There are no chicken parts wasted in Asian cooking.

Tom, off his diet over these next weeks, has no interest in boiled chicken and rice. He’s ravenous for starchy, fried Asian foods with minimal spices and sauces. That’s tricky in itself. 

Last night’s boiled chicken, bean sprouts and steamed cabbage didn’t quite do it for me last night.  The boiled fatty chicken (with the skin) without being able to include soy or oyster sauce, made it bland and uninviting.

Tom, unable and unwilling to try something new especially when he saw a number of dishes made with intestines and chicken feet, resorted to ordering  several sausage stuffed rolls (kind of like “wienie wraps” of the 1970’s) and the cardamom bun that caused him to gag.

Had I not been on this way of eating, I would have loved most of these items.

As we perused each and every stand in the enormous marketplace, there were no other dishes I could try when all were made using sugar and sauces made with flour with rice as a foundation.

Going forward, we’ll continue to experience the midrange restaurants located in Chinatown and see what we can accomplish. No, we don’t like it that we both have limitations; my issues revolving around health and Tom, the simple fact of his picky taste buds.

The prior day Tom had one of these shown blueberry muffins which were sold out when we returned last night.

This reality doesn’t bother us. We seldom become frustrated or complain about our limitations. It is what it is. We enjoy perusing the wide variety of restaurants and dining venues, curious as to unusual products used, methods of cooking and presentation. It’s more visual for us. 

Tom always call me a “food voyeur.” No doubt, this is true. I never walk past a bakery or candy shop without stopping for a look. Oddly, Tom, who could try something if he wanted to do so, seldom makes a purchase. 

The central city, where we’re located, is filled with business centers. It was obvious many workers stopped here for lunch, returning in the evening for takeaway.

Recently, the only time he expressed enthusiasm over food was when we drove past a Dunkin’ Donuts shop in Denpasar on Tuesday. We didn’t stop. Most likely, in Bali those donuts weren’t the typical US variety anyway. 

However, I did notice him to be somewhat enthused this morning at a breakfast buffet when he buttered four pieces of white toast with his bacon and eggs. Yesterday, I dug out the scale and put it on the bathroom floor. So far, he hasn’t gained back an ounce which surprised us both.

Soon, we’re out the door once again to return to the Thai Embassy to collect our visas. As mentioned yesterday, we won’t be getting the Indonesian visa until we get to Hanoi next week, where we’ll have five days to get it accomplished.

Two days in a row, Tom ordered several of these hot dog filled buns shown on the center rack. They smelled amazing, reminiscent of a similar item I made for my kids in the 1970’s.

After we’re done at the embassy, we’ll have the taxi driver drop us at the far end of Chinatown and we’ll walk back to the hotel in time to relax for an hour and then we’ll be off again to walk the streets of Chinatown at night hopefully finding a good spot for this evening’s meal.

We’ll be back tomorrow, with nighttime photos of magical Chinatown and the results of our dining experience. 

May you have a magical day!

Photo from one year ago today, June 30, 2015:

At AUD 64, USD $49.26, all of these items which includes a huge Barramundi filet, two pieces of made-without-sugar smoked fish and two containers of crab meat which we used to make low carb crab cakes resulted in four meals.The cost per entree resulted in a cost per day of AUD 16, USD $12.31, not bad for such delicious fish and seafood. We struggle to be motivated to go out to dine when we do so well at home and have just as good a time.  For more details of our trip to the wholesale fish market in Trinity Beach, Australia, please click here.

Singapore is unlike any other city…10 laws punishable by fine and jail in Singapore…

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Sri Mariamman Temple, which we’ll tour in the next few days.

It’s expensive in Singapore… in restaurants, hotels and for products and services. We realized this fact, prior to booking a one week stay when we had a gap to fill in the itinerary and hoped to apply for necessary visas.

So far, we’re doing well staying within our daily dining budget of US $100, SGD 135 per day.  We’re reading online reviews on local restaurants as well as walking through the area to check out endless menus posted outside a wide array of restaurants. This is an adventure in itself!

Shoes left outside the Sri Mariamman Hindu Temple.

With the two embassies we visited yesterday and this morning, we weren’t able to have breakfast before heading out, nor did either of us have coffee or tea, fearing we’d have to make to bathroom stop. We’ve been on a mission to get as many of these three visas knocked off.

Hindu temple rooftop adorned with the revered cows in India.

By noon, we’d returned from today’s two embassy visits with the much needed completed Vietnam visas we collected first thing this morning. From there, another taxi ride to the Thai Embassy where again we applied for another visa for the upcoming  six-week stay in Phuket. 

Soon, we’ll tour the Sri Mariamman Temple in its entirety.

Efficiency and organization is of the utmost importance in Singapore, we weren’t surprised when the process at the Thai embassy would be seamless as it was at the Vietnam Embassy. 

We were well prepared with all of the required documents, including passports and extra passport photos, copies of airline tickets in and out of Thailand accompanying both completed signed applications with cash fees of SGD 100, US $74.14.

Chinatown is a very exciting area to scout.

On the return drive to our area, we stopped at a restaurant for a somewhat mediocre brunch/lunch. Currently, we’re back at our hotel preparing today’s post and documenting all the receipts we’ve accumulated over these past few days.

Each business has its own unique storefront.

Once we’re done with these tasks, we’ll make a plan for the remainder of the day, most likely heading back outside to walk more of the exciting streets surrounding us. We chose a perfect location allowing us to walk to one amazing area after another.

At dusk, the streets began to fill with hungry tourists and locals.

Based on timing, we won’t be able to apply for the Indonesian visa while in Singapore. With a morning flight on Tuesday and the fact the Thai Embassy has our passports right now which we’ll collect tomorrow between 2:00 and 300 pm, the required time slot, we won’t have time to apply for the Indonesian visa with its two to three day processing.

The number of dining options in our immediate area is astounding.  We’ll try a new spot each night.

As a result, we’ve decided to wait and apply for Indonesia once we’re in Hanoi arriving next week for a five night stay. The Indonesian Embassy in a 10 minute drive from the Hanoi hotel allowing us ample time to get it done with relative ease, we hope.. 

The evenings activities begin at dusk in Singapore with lots of cars, taxis and pedestrians. 

With peace of mind intact, we’ve begun to relax a little to fully embrace this short period in Singapore as long as we observe some of the peculiar laws in this country which may result in fines and jail time:

On our first night we wandered through Chinatown at dusk.  Diners had yet to arrive for the evening rush.
1.  The sale of or chewing gum is strictly forbidden anywhere in the country.

2. No walking naked in one’s own house.

3. No jaywalking.

4. Failure to flush the toilet in a public venue.

5. No urinating in elevators.

6. No public displays of kissing or cuddling.

7. Gay and lesbians couples are not allowed to live in the country.

8. It is illegal to come within 50 meters of a pedestrian crossing marker on any street.

9. It is considered illegal to enter the country with cigarettes.

10. Singapore is not a place for lefties. It is considered rude to eat, wave and greet with your left hand because it is associated with using the bathroom.

Interesting historic buildings are seen throughout the city as well as modern high rise hotels, business centers and residential properties.

Of course, there are serious consequences including public canning for failure to observe these and all laws.  As a result of the strict laws, there is little crime in Singapore. In addition, there are no typical slum areas. Every area is clean and maintained to perfection.

Also, there’s no “countryside” in Singapore. The entire small country is built and developed into one of the most influential business meccas in the world. So far, we’ve met and spoken to many business travelers from many countries.

The exterior our hotel, the Scarlet Singapore.  Its quite a steep walk up or down the road.

Mandarin is the primary language although many service providers speak some English. Many locals have a thick accent and with Tom’s bad hearing, I’ve been “translating” for him as needed.

More on Singapore as we continue to explore this country over these next few days.  With the high cost for tourism here, a one week visit will prove to have been ideal for our needs. In the interim, we’re enjoying every moment.

Photo from one year ago today, June 30, 2015:

After leaving the beach we drove to a high point in the Yorkey’s Knob area of Australia with this expansive view.For more details. please click here.

Arrived in Singapore…Oh my, this city is over the top!…

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We’d expected the Vietnam Embassy to be guarded and much larger. As often is the case, many embassies are converted larger homes.

It’s spotlessly clean, low in crime, meticulously managed and literally filled with unusual shops, restaurants, boutiques and hotels that literally take one’s breath away. Although we’re not city people, it’s impossible for us not to be totally entranced by this magical place.

Upon entering the iron gates we walked this driveway to the Vietnam Embassy receiving fast efficient service.

Our flight was relatively uneventful from Denpasar, Bali to Singapore’s highly rated Changi Airport. We flew on one of the cheapest airlines on the planet, Jetstar, with a good safety record, but without even a glass of tap water included.

There were no pillows, no blankets, no movies, nor a nut or a cracker available for a cranky traveler. The seats are a little tight, but were leather and more comfortable with more legroom than on most US airlines

Desk area in our upgraded hotel room at the Scarlet Singapore, a boutique hotel, affordably priced. This is now cluttered with all of our extension cords and plugins. We’ll post final expenses on our last day.

In any case, our plane arrived safely without incident and once again, we were grateful for a good overall flight to another foreign land. Once off the plane, we quickly made our way through immigration, customs and baggage pickup.

The bed and bedding are extremely comfortable.

In no less than 20 minutes from touching down, we were in the taxi queue again without a wait.  Within a half hour we arrived at our hotel, The Scarlet Singapore, a Paris influenced boutique hotel, quite similar to the boutique hotel in Paris in 2014 where we spent two weeks.

We’d read that hotel rooms in general are small in Singapore. Once we checked in we asked to see the room we’d booked before having our bags moved. It was as tiny as a balcony cabin on a cruise ship. 

The French style furnishings in our upgraded room are typically in boutique hotels. 

I asked for an upgrade which we rarely do.  We can manage a tiny room on a ship, but the first hotel room we inspected was simply too small at 174 square feet, 16 square meters. For an additional US $344, SGD 435, we were upgraded to the sweetest Parisian hotel room one could imagine, roomy and with every possible amenity including free WiFi and free minibar.

The flat screen TV has multiple English speaking channels. It’s good to be able to watch world news.

After a good night’s sleep, we grabbed an 8:20 am taxi to the Vietnam Embassy to begin the process of acquiring the three needed visas while in Singapore including Thailand and Indonesia (for the upcoming second stay in two months).

I can’t wait to use the tub when we have a little more time in the morning. Few vacation homes have bathtubs.

Getting the timing to work is tricky when each embassy requires to keep our passports for a few days. The process is only applicable on weekdays. We’re here only until next Tuesday, not leaving us enough time to accomplish all three.

Instead we decided to apply for Vietnam (double entry) and Thailand which are most imminent.  We can apply for Indonesia while in Hanoi for five days starting next week. 

There’s also a spacious shower as well as fluffy robes.

The taxi ride was 30 minutes from our downtown location and surprisingly the traffic wasn’t as busy as we’d expected at rush hour. Arriving at the embassy a few minutes early allowed us to be first in line with our documents. 

We opted to pay the SGD 660, US $489 fees for both visas in order to be able to collect our passports and visas first thing tomorrow morning when we’ll be on our way back once again. From there, we’ll head to the Thai embassy to start the next process. If it goes as smoothly as it did this morning, we’ll be very grateful.

The room has adequate lighting and ample amenities.

Last night, we wandered the safe streets of Chinatown to scout for a restaurant. We found a cozy gourmet spot with a Michelin star rating. Tom’s full lobster tail risotto was delicious, but my 4 ounce, .11 kg slab of boney, Barramundi on a bed of greens was mediocre and certainly not enough for an entire meal. 

The complementary mini bar, restocked daily have everything we need. There’s even a bottle of Pelligrino in the fridge, my favorite bottled water. It’s safe to drink tap water in Singapore.

On the return walk to the hotel we stopped at a Seven Eleven to purchase raw nuts to fill in the blanks for me during our stay. In both Paris and London, nuts were a lifesaver for me when many of the items served in restaurants aren’t sufficient as a filling meal. 

After perusing menus of dozens of restaurants, we have a plan to try many anyway and see how they’ll accommodate my diet. Steamed or sautéed veggies, chicken, pork, fish and seafood will certainly work in any case. I’m not concerned it will work out well. More on that as time progresses.

Tom’s lobster risotto from Cato Restaurant last night.  He said it was delicious containing an entire large lobster tail draped across the top under a pile of pungent Parmesan cheese.

This city is conducive to lots of walking which we’re sure will be our primary means of checking out this amazing location. As for major sightseeing, we’re holding off until we get at least tomorrow’s embassy visit accomplished. But, we already have dozens of city photos we’re looking forward to sharing.

We’ll be back with more tomorrow, again a late posting after we return from the two embassies.  In a few hours we’ll be taking off on foot once again to explore this eclectic and fascinating city.

Photo from one year ago today, June 29, 2015:

A pretty restaurant on a corner on the Esplanade in Palm Cove, Australia.  or more photos, please click here.

No haircut for Tom …Favorite Bali photos begin today…Two days until leaving the villa…Three days until departing Bali…

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Our wonderful staff at the villa, the two Kataks and Ribud holding a treasured Blue Fin Tuna which they filleted and cooked to perfection with spicy Balinese sauce, lasting us for a few meals.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

The river is used by many locals for a wide array of reasons including washing motorbikes.

A few weeks ago Gede drove us to a local barber shop for Tom’s usual international haircut. In most cases, we find the experience quite interesting and photo-worthy based on the usual good quality of service and often surprisingly low cost.

Colorful custom made fishing boats at the harbor in Negara.

As we sat on the rustic wooden bench outside the barber shop awaiting his turn with two customers ahead of him, Tom reconsidered, nudging me, “Let’s go. I don’t want a haircut today.”

What can we say about this, other than its simply adorable?

Long ago, we made a pact. If one of us doesn’t want to do something, whatever it may be, we don’t do it. For example, when we were in Maui in 2014 and Tom changed his mind about getting our teeth cleaned after we arrived at the dentist’s office and were told we’d have to wait for over an hour beyond our scheduled time. We canceled and left. None of it felt right to him; not the hour long wait or the appearance of the facility. Here’s the link to that story.

Buffaloes on the beach?  Wow, we never stopped enjoying this daily scene!

“Trust the gut,” Tom says and there’s so much truth in this concept. On bigger issues such as where we’ll travel, how we’ll get there and how long we’ll stay, its all up for discussion. In most cases, we readily agree. 

Many nights we wandered outdoors to the cabana to watch the sun going down and to revel in our exquisite surroundings in this exceptional villa.  Click here if you’d like to see more about the villa.

We explained to Gede that we decided against the haircut without a further explanation, preferring not to offend him. After a  quick stop at the apotek (pharmacy) and little market for a few items, once we returned to the villa Tom explained his reasoning. It was exactly what I’d suspected.

We’re always in awe when we see how resourceful Balinese people are using their motorbikes for transporting a wide variety of supplies.
While we sat on the wooden bench our eyes perused the tiny lean-to type shop, certainly which in itself had no bearing on Tom’s decision to leave. He explained it was a lack of sanitation on the combs and cutting utensils.  How easily he could have ended up with lice. I’d been thinking the same thing.
Each day, this neighbor, who lives on the road currently under construction, sits under this shelter and weave small baskets used for Hindu offerings. She always smiles and says hello although she doesn’t speak English. Many Balinese people do not speak English although many speak both Balinese and Indonesian.

In a three days we’ll be in Singapore where he’ll surely be able to get the much needed haircut in between our three embassy visits and sightseeing.

Rambut Siwi Hindu Temple (Pura Rambut Siwi) in Negara, the largest of three traditional temples located in each town in Indonesia.

Yesterday, we packed our bags. With only a few items remaining including the toiletries we’re still using, it won’t take us more than a total of 10 minutes to wrap it up. 

Also, we both got busy washing our shoes. Over these past years of travel we’ve discovered that many types of shoes can be washed by hand or in some cases, in the washing machine. 

Rambut Siwi Hindu Temple (Pura Rambut Siwi) in Negara is breathtaking in its design and long history.

With no washer available for our use and preferring not to burden the two Ketuts with such a task, we hand washed three pairs of shoes with antibacterial soap, which included a pair of my leather sandals. We left all three pairs drying in the sun with excellent results. They almost look new.

The glass-like surface of the rice paddies inspired many photos.

We each only have five pairs of shoes. Keeping them in good shape is vital over the next year until we return to the US, when we plan to restock clothing and shoes. Hopefully, they’ll last until then. 

Gee…in my old life, I’d have never considered hand washing leather sandals other than an occasional wipe with a damp rag. If they looked worn and dirty, I’d toss them out. Yesterday, when I placed them in hot soapy water, I giggled over the irony. How life has changed.

Gede and his parents whom we visited on one of a few trips to Lovina. It meant so much to us to meet them, especially as Gede has become so dear to both of us.

Here’s the rundown for the next few day’s posts:

  • Tomorrow: Villa review and more favorite photos
  • Monday (Sunday in Northern Hemisphere): Final expenses for Bali and finalizing favorite photos
  • Tuesday: We’ll share comments on the harrowing four hour drive to Denpasar. We’ll also include photos  and review of our overnight stay in Denpasar at a four star Hilton for only US $61, IDR $818,010 a night.  Later in the day, we’ll fly to Singapore.
This truly is Indonesian art.

From there, we’ll be posting daily from Singapore for one week while staying in a boutique hotel walking distance to Chinatown and the beach. It should be interesting and enriching between embassy visits.

May your day be interesting and enriching.

Photo from one year ago today, June 25, 2015:

This beautiful cove was at the end of the boulevard in Trinity Beach, Australia. For more photos, please click here.

Four days and counting until the four hour harrowing drive…Tools for staying organized…

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We printed all the paperwork and documents we could possibly need for multiple upcoming flights and visa applications which will be required on paper at the embassies. Placing each in its own unique envelope seemed to be the easiest way to find what we’ll need. Also, included are the necessary documents for us both of us to apply online for the renewal of our Nevada driver’s licenses, Tom in six months, mine in eight months. The blue envelope contains extra passport-type photos we purchased here for use in applying for the three visas in Singapore.
“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”
Kids on the beach, making sand castles. This is universal worldwide.

Originally, when we booked two separate two month stays in Bali at the same property, we were hesitant, asking ourselves, “What if we didn’t like it? What if for some reason we were miserable?”

At the time, with the commitment to finalize the booking imminent, we decided to take our chances. If we didn’t like it, we’d find a way to make it tolerable. In most cases, if a location isn’t a favorite, we end up spending a good chunk of our time making plans for the future while we stay busy enjoying the location as much as possible.

Fluffy flowers.

That concept is predicated by a good wifi signal, allowing us to do research while the time whittles away. Although we totally loved the house and the staff in Marrakech, Morocco in 2014, we stayed a little too long for the venue, a total of two and a half months. 

But, here in Bali, in this lovely villa, we feel comfortable and at ease. Certainly, the WiFi signal could be better. Gede hopes there will be a resolution by our return. If not, we’ll live with it. We haven’t been unable to post something each and every day during these past almost two months. 

This flower design is commonly used at the ends of posts in Balinese construction.

Sure, there’s always nuances we’d prefer to be different; no flies while we’re dining is probably the biggest one. But then, it’s a reality of life in many parts of the world. 

While living in Australia, we quickly realized that the flies bite so we had to leave the screen-less doors closed in the heat of the day. Here in Bali, only on a rare occasion do we feel a nip from a fly, perhaps from a different variety. I’ve been able to use only a tiny amount of repellent to keep the mozzies at bay, especially early in the morning and late in the day during dinner.

A wide array of tropical flowers bloom in each location we visit.

No English speaking TV?  No big deal. Four hour harrowing drive from Denpasar to the villa (each way)?  Annoying. Visa extension requiring three round trips at a total of four hours of driving time along with hours of waiting time on each of the three days in order to complete the process?  Bothersome. Poor WiFi signal? Frustrating. No opportunity in this remote area to dine in a restaurant from time to time?  Unusual.

On the flip side, we’ve loved so much about this location; the fabulous staff and their attentive care; the outrageous food; the exquisite accommodations; the infinity pool; the ocean views including daily wonders on the beach; the local people and interesting culture; and the unusual experiences we had almost daily in one way or another.

Birds and beasts are symbolic in Indonesia designs.

A few nights ago, there was a crab in our bedroom. That made us laugh. When does one find a crab in their bedroom? With a handful of paper towels I picked it up, depositing it back to the beach.  Buffalo on the beach every evening? Where does one see this? We’ve never lost interest in watching them meander along the shore. It goes on and on which we’ve shared in post after post.

So now as we wind down the remaining four days at the villa we smile with the knowledge and the acceptance of the few obstacles, while for the first time in our travels, we know what to expect upon our return…another two months in Paradise. 

Neighboring villas also have neatly trimmed landscaping.

Will are readers be bored when we’re back here with “same old, same old?” We hope not and, we have a plan. During the upcoming two whirlwind months of activity after traveling to Southeast Asia we’ll be thrilled for a little downtime while back in Bali to begin sharing stories we’ll have saved for our readers. 

We’re planning to save many of our Southeast Asia cultural stories especially from the Mekong River cruise (to eventually be posted when we return to Bali), writing the stories as they occur while the information is  still fresh in our minds. 

Bus stop in the neighborhood.

Of course, we’ll prepare a shorter daily post in “real time” while on the Mekong River cruise as we experience Vietnam and Cambodia both by land and water since we’ll be out on tours most days during the cruise itinerary.

As for Singapore, starting in five days (we’re spending one night at a hotel in Denpasar, Bali before the flight), where we’ll be for one week, we’ll prepare our usual posts with photos as we visit three embassies for the required three visas we need, incorporating sightseeing along the way. This should be quite an experience it itself.

The Hindu temple often has scary statues to drive away evil spirits.

Today, we’ll both pack and weigh our bags, pay the online excess baggage fees and be done. Once again, this will give us peace of mind allowing us to thoroughly enjoy our remaining few days at the villa. 

May your day bring you peace of mind!


Photo from one year ago today, June 23, 2015:

Shopping in Trinity Beach, Australia was as unique as it has been in most new locations.The AUD 227.57 for Woolie’s Grocery Store, (aka Woolworth’s) translated to US $175.86. This total didn’t include the veggies at US $32.77, AUD 42.41 and Italian sausage at US $13.45, AUD  17.40. For more details, please click here.

Unusual photos….Six days and counting…A full moon and Summer Solstice coincide after many decades in the Northern Hemisphere only…

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These photos could have been used for “Sightings on the Beach in Bali” but we preferred to show the progression when we spotted this unusual display.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

After watching this local citizen for awhile with his plastic bags on the beach we couldn’t quite determine what he was doing.

Time to depart Bali has seemingly cropped up suddenly. Usually, we comment one week before departure which is a week from today when we’ll fly to Singapore. 

However, in six days we’ll leave the villa at 10 am for the four-hour harrowing drive to Denpasar where we’ll spend the night in a hotel. Unable to book a flight to coincide with the long drive with a reasonable flight time, again we chose the hotel option, to keep stress and rushing at a minimum.

Zooming in, this contraption appeared to be holding some sort of vegetation.

We’re hoping the drive won’t be quite as harrowing as when we arrived almost two months ago now that we’re more familiar with the roads and drivers in Bali and also that we’ll be more rested than we were upon arrival.

Yesterday, when Gede stopped by, we asked if we could leave the duffle bag at the villa in order to lighten our load during the two months until we return on September 1st. 

“No problem!” Gede enthusiastically stated, “We have a storage room to hold it for you.” 

One of our cooks went outside to greet the vendor and made a purchase.

We’re thrilled to lighten our load by at least 20 pounds, 9 kg, for all the flights we’ve booked over the next two months resulting in fewer excess baggage fees. We’ve already filled the duffle bag with heavy clothing, jackets, jeans, cruisewear, and slightly warmer clothing that we won’t need in Southeast Asia. 

It’s only casual attire on the upcoming Mekong River cruise with no formal nights. We’re each bringing one pair of jeans and a couple of pairs of long pants just in case it’s extra cool in the dining room for dinners on the ship. 

Up close the peculiar display looked smaller than it appeared from afar.

Based on the nature of this river cruise, we’ll only spend seven nights on the boat with the remainder in hotels as we continue on the cruise/tour to Vietnam and Cambodia, many evenings dining in restaurants off the ship. 

With lots of mosquitoes in these countries and many restaurants outdoors, we’ll be happy to have brought along our BugsAway clothing with long pants and long-sleeved shirts. We already have plenty of repellent with us.

As our travel and subsequent packing experience has escalated over these past years, I’ve now come to realize if I had to I could pack in 20 minutes. This results in my spending less time thinking about packing, although we still prefer to be packed a few days ahead of departure to weigh our bags and pay the fees in advance online resulting in a discount from most airlines. 

Ketut purchased these raw peanuts which would have to be roasted prior to consumption.

Our handy under .5 kg travel scale continues to serve us well for weighing our luggage and ourselves from time to time. It’s especially been useful recently when we both lost considerable weight while living in Bali. More on that in tomorrow’s post.

As for the full moon and the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, an odd pairing over the past many decades, here’s a bit of info we discovered at this website explaining it more succinctly than I could have:

“Watch for a full-looking moon on the eve of the June solstice (June 19, 2016) and a full moon on the solstice itself (June 20). From what we’ve been able to gather, this is the first full moon to fall on the June solstice since the year 1967, which some recall as the year of the Summer of Love, a social phenomenon centered on San Francisco, London, and other places around the globe.

There was nothing in his display that was befitting our way of eating. He took off for other opportunities seeming content with his peanut sale.

There’ve been a number of near-misses of full moons on June solstices, however. And we are indeed talking about the June solstice, not solstices in general. In fact, there was a full moon eclipse on the December solstice in 2010.
Reliably, the phases of the moon recur on or near the same calendar dates every 19 years.

It’s the “or near” that causes the full moon to miss the solstice on that 19th year, sometimes. Nineteen years from this year’s solstice – on June 20, 2035 – the full moon will not fall on the same date as the June solstice. It’ll be another near miss, with the full moon falling on June 20, 2035, and the solstice arriving one day later.

It appears as if the full moon and June solstice won’t fall on the same calendar date again until June 21, 2062.”

A young male buffalo neighbor.

Although we won’t have been able to observe this occurrence here in Bali (besides, its already a day later here), it’s interesting to read about this phenomenon in the Northern Hemisphere. 

If you’re able to take any good photos of the supposed “strawberry moon,” please send them our way via the email link on our homepage and we’ll be happy to share them with our readers with your permission and your name if you’d like. (Please specify if you’d prefer anonymity).

Shortly, Tom is off with Gede to the ATM. With generous tips we’ll be leaving for the wonderful staff, we’ll need millions of IDRs. I’ll stay behind to complete today’s post and to work on a few necessary pre-departure tasks.

Each evening during dinner, a pair of geckos appear which we hadn’t seen all day.  Once we uncover our food, zillions of flies bombard our plates.  We’ve actually watched the two geckos catch some of the flies.  Conclusion:  geckos smell our food and come “out of the woodwork” hoping to catch some of the flies attracted to our meal.  Nature…amazing!

It’s funny, how different this stay in Bali has been as opposed to many others knowing we’ll be returning in two months. Based on our itinerary it was a logical decision while we needed a place to park ourselves in-between cruises especially when we’re already in this part of the world. 

As always, we’ll be back tomorrow with our weight loss story, one we never expected or intended while in Bali. 

We hope all the dads out there in those countries observing Father’s Day had a very special day with their loved ones.

Photo from one year ago today, June 21, 2015:

Tom’s homemade dinner while in Trinity Beach included one pork chop, three gluten-free cheese sausages, one gluten-free knockwurst on a bed of sautéed onions and mushrooms, a side salad, and a muffin with New Zealand grass-fed organic butter. Was there something I was doing wrong in my cooking that prevented him from losing weight which has changed here in Bali? More on that tomorrow.  Click here for this past post.

Final cruise expenses…Disembarkment day….Off to Bali this morning…

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Due to the poor wifi signal, we’re unable to post any photos today, which should all be changing in the next few days once we’re on land.  Thanks for your patience!

The cruise has ended! By the time you see this post, we’ll be disembarking the ship, heading to the Singapore International Airport, and boarding our plane which departs at 10:45 am. 

We’re excited to be on our way to Bali. It seems as if we made plans for Bali a very long time ago.  To actually be heading there at long last leaves us with a little trepidation, but a lot of excitement to once again be settled in a beautiful location.

Once the long four-hour drive to the house is behind us and we’re unpacked and feeling settled with an adequate wifi signal, we’ll be able to catch up on our missing year-ago-photos and conduct research to be more detailed in our information. 

The cost for the cruise itself was as follows:

Total Cruise Costs including all on-ship expenses: $4,475.34
 

Cruise Costs: $3,869.10

 Total Cruise Bill: $606.24

Cost for Cruise for Balcony Cabin #7618

Cruise Charges (includes port charges)    $ 3,846.00
Senior Rate                                                                     – 259.00
Government Taxes                                              282.10
Prepaid Gratuities                                              336.00
Prepaid Gratuities                                            – 336.00
Total Cost (US)                                           $ 3,869.10

As for incidentals we spent when off the ship:
FitBit Device for Jess:                                    $     177.47
Insect Repellent for Bali:                                        17.67
Grand Total for Incidentals:                        $   194.14

Total Transportation/Hotel Costs:
Airfare Auckland to Sydney:                           $    377.00
Hotel Sydney                                                      188.00
Taxi Sydney Airport to Hotel                                  68.47
Grand Total for Transportation/Hotel         $  623.47

Breakdown of Cruise Bill by Category
Port Merchant  (toiletries)                              $      8.25
Laundry (2 times)                                               55.00
Beverage Packages (2-10 drinks each)                138.00
Beverages not included in fare                            347.99
Shuttle bus                                                         20.00
Mascara (3)                                                        82.00
Internet                                                            255.00
Cabin credits                                                   – 300.00
Total cruise bill                                            $  606.24

Grand total for all above expenses        US $ 5,292.85 

Due to the poor wifi signal aboard the ship, we’re unable to convert to Australian dollars at this time.

Well, folks, the next time we “see you” here, we’ll be in Bali writing and sharing better photos of our new home for the next two months. Thanks to all of our loyal friend readers who followed along with us and to our many new friends we’ve met along the way who we hope to see here soon.

Once again, no year-ago photo until we get situated with a better signal soon.

Happy day to all.

We’re back in Singapore!…Cruise is ending….Disembarking the ship early tomorrow morning…

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Sunset out to sea.

Today has been a busy day. We’ve packed and will place our bags outside our cabin door for a late evening pickup. Once we disembark early in the morning we’ll collect our bags and be on our way, looking for the prearranged driver for the ride to the Singapore International Airport. 

We’ve left out clothing and toiletries for tonight and tomorrow morning and of course, all of our digital equipment, computers, and documents which we’ll keep in our possession.

Sunset moments later.

Also, today, we’ve prepared two posts, today’s and tomorrow’s, with all of our final expenses for the entire cruise, including the cruise fare, all ancillary cruise-related expenses and miscellaneous spending along the way.

The floor in the casino.  We never played!

Time has moved quickly over these past two weeks. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed every single day aboard Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas, as we always do on all cruises. The social activities have been over-the-top as we’ve met hundreds of wonderful people, most Aussies, some Kiwis, and a handful of others from a variety of countries. 

We still haven’t encountered the reported 15 other American passengers on board the ship, although we did meet a few Americans that have lived in Australia for decades, their American accents interspersed with the delightful Australian dialect.

The Promenade at night,

Of course, we welcome interaction with people from all over the world, especially after our growing worldwide travel experience. As time marches on, we’ve both become more adept at understanding thick accents from many countries and enjoy the varied perspective of many travelers whether they’re on their first or 25th cruise.

Cosmetics shop on the Promenade where I made a purchase.

Amid today’s tasks, we went to the movie in the La Scala Theatre at 2:30 for a much-enjoyed respite from the usual activities. Even there, while waiting for the movie to begin, we often meet yet more people, all making an effort to be quiet when the movie begins.

We’re anxious to be settled in Bali by tomorrow evening around 6 pm, providing all of our travel plans go smoothly. As for Singapore today, we’ll be back for a week in 60 days when we’ll see the sites and explore this amazing country.

A portion of the art gallery.

Hope your day will be productive, leaving you with a sense of accomplishment in whatever you decide to do.  Happy day!

No photo from one year ago due to the poor wifi signal. Thanks for your patience!

Tricky aspects of booking flights and cars…Favorite Fiji photos begin today…

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Savusavu Bay and Nawi Island, a site atop a hill in the village.

Generally, we book flights using the Expedia link on our website. It doesn’t know us from anyone else and with prices no more or less than using Expedia through the web, it puts a few extra pennies in our coffers in the small amount of commissions we may earn on some bookings.

Many travelers use the various flight booking apps offered online many that bring up multiple web pages at a time with a wide array of quotes for the flights. After trying many of these over the past years, we’ve found the pricing we get through Expedia is no different than anywhere else. 

The hot springs where many locals cook their potatoes and root vegetables.

The airlines will charge the highest possible fares and although rates can change by the hour/day/month, with all the flights we booked we prefer not to spend days researching to save only a few dollars, if anything at all.  

Saving USD $10, FJD $21 for a flight is nowhere near as important to us as in savings the $1000’s we can often save on vacation home rentals or for cruises by spending hours on that type of research and subsequent negotiations.

The view from our veranda in Korovesi, Savusavu, Fiji.

It’s an entirely different scenario for the average traveler when booking hotels and airfare. Most hotels don’t negotiate and airfare is their only way of saving a few dollars, resulting in the fervent desire to save on the airfare.

Unless we’re staying for an extended period in a boutique hotel, we seldom ask for special pricing other than those offered via promotions, coupons, corporate discounts, and senior citizen pricing. 

The bay where many sailors moor their sailboats.

We’re thrifty but we don’t embarrass ourselves in asking and asking for special treatment and pricing when none is necessarily warranted.  Of course, when we write stories and do reviews about a particular property arranged in advance, we may ask for special room and meal rates or comps which are generally provided based on their desire for the additional publicity. 

In most cases, it’s happily provided once they have an opportunity to investigate our site to see how serious we are in documenting our experiences available to our vast numbers of readers worldwide (for which we’re very grateful).

The busy village hops with business most days.

When a few days ago, we were in a booking frenzy, not to be picked back up until we’re situated at our next location, we not only booked the hotels in Singapore and Hanoi but we also booked the flights from Singapore to Bali on April 30th after our cruise ship arrives. 

Then we booked the return back to Singapore from Bali on June 28th at which point we’ll be staying in Singapore for a week. This was not accomplished as easily as one may think with many airlines with poor ratings as indicated on this site which we check each time our flight options include airlines we don’t know as safe.

Tom, in front of a giant palm frond on the property.

In today’s world, no air travel is entirely safe. Choosing an airline with good ratings for maintenance and no recent disasters at least provides an added layer of peace of mind. Also, reading reviews from travelers on the more obscure airlines can add another layer of comfort.

Bail is an Indonesian island that has many fewer unregulated airlines prompting us to be especially careful. It’s easy to take for granted that most country’s airlines are managed and inspected regularly when this is not always the case. Of course, there are always exceptions.

View of the coral reef from the highest point in the neighborhood.

With the airline rating site opened as an additional page on our laptops, we both went to work with safety as the priority, as well as price. Non-stop flights are always a top criterion when possible. We’ve already spent endless hours waiting for connecting flights in less than ideal airports and prefer to minimize this necessity when possible.

If we had our way, we’d cruise everywhere. Unfortunately, geographically, this just isn’t possible. As a result, getting to and from Bali on two separate occasions is tricky. 

Badal joined us when we took photos from atop the highest point in Korovesi and continues to visit us each night during dinner.

We spent hours researching and finally, when we found a good airline, Jetstar Asia (with the highest rating of 7) at a reasonable price for the round trip fare (for our first of two visits to Bali) we quickly booked it. Prices can change on a dime. We’ve yet to book the second trip to Bali where we’ll return two months after we leave (visa restrictions).

As we booked the round trip, it took the first leg of the flight without issue (we paid each leg separately as required by that particular airline). Then, the Internet went “limited” and the return flight showed an error. Expedia took us directly to the airline’s website per their regulations as opposed to allowing us to complete the booking at Expedia.

Taken at the chicken lady’s home which proved to be too difficult to access regularly for eggs.  Subsequently, we purchased our eggs in flats of two and a half dozen at the Farmers Market.

We had trouble booking the return flight when the signal kept slipping in and out, resulting in the necessity of us calling the airline directly. To avoid long-distance charges, we used Hotspot Shield as our VPN with an US web address and Skype avoiding any long distance charges. Thus, being on hold for 10 minutes wasn’t as annoying as it could have been.

A competent rep came onto the line with a thick accent somewhat hard to hear and decipher on Skype but we managed to book the return flight plus pay for our reserved seats at USD $10, FJD $21.  No free seats were offered. The cost of the roundtrip flight Singapore to Bali was USD $586, FJD $1251 for both of us including the costs for our seats on both legs.

Two curious baby goats checking us out. 

The rep encouraged us to pay for our luggage, movies, and other perks but we declined. We have no idea what our luggage will weigh by next June when it’s changing as we restock supplies and clothing. We can do this later either online depending on the quality of the wifi signal at the time or by phone if necessary.

After that was resolved, we decided, while we were “on a roll” we’d go ahead and book the rental car for three months in New Zealand. In a little over one month on January 5, 2017, we’ll be boarding a cruise from Sydney to New Zealand, a perfect example of “using cruising” as a means of transportation as much as we can. 

Everyone in Savusavu works. These fishermen catch fish to resell and for their families.

We were able to book a suitable rental car for the 88 days in New Zealand for a total of $1836 with the best rates from rentalcars.com, a site we frequently use. Oddly, the better-priced vehicles didn’t have air conditioning. 

In checking the weather in New Zealand during that period, it will be cool, not cold, mostly in the 60F’s, 15.6C’s and 70F’s, 21C’s. If we didn’t have a manual transmission with the car jerking around, I’d be OK without AC. 

The Blue Lagoon’s beautiful waters.

The constant jerking of a manual transmission makes me carsick and the AC helps tremendously. Thus, we opted for no AC and an automatic transmission with which I won’t get carsick.  Having not driven a manual transmission in 30 years and with the car rental company adding me as a driver at no extra charge, this works well for us. Tom won’t have to grocery shop with me each week.

Tomorrow, we’ll have another new booking to share as we work on it today. We prefer not to post information about a future booking until we’ve actually paid the deposit and wrapped up the pricing and details, thus avoiding confusion. 

The beach at the Blue Lagoon.

Of course, from time to time, we can’t help but share our “dreams” of locations for the distant future that are too far away to book. It’s nearly impossible to book anything further than two years out.

Soon, we’re heading on our final trip to the village without the necessity of a visit to the Farmers Market or the grocery store. We’ll pick up my prescriptions at the pharmacy, purchase a new phone SIM card and pick up our final two roasted chickens at Helen’s Fiji Meats. Over the next few days, we’ll continue to consume our remaining foods on hand, leaving anything new and unused for the staff.

The island with three trees.

Beginning today, we’ll be posting our favorite Fiji photos and on Sunday, our departure date, we’ll upload a short post with our expenses for the three months we’ve spent in Savusavu. Two days and counting.

Happy weekend to all wherever you may be!

Photo from one year ago today, December 4, 2014:

It was at this point one year ago that we became even more worried about the lava flow on the Big Island as it moved closer to our area of Pahoa. Would we have to move to another location to accommodate our soon to be arriving 12 family members? For more details, please click here.

Part 2…New destinations and travel arrangement booked!…Exciting planning for the future as we fill in gaps in the itinerary…

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It seemed we couldn’t ever coordinate sunny day outings. As a result, most of our photos were taken on rainy, cloudy days.

As we continued with our bookings a few days ago, we had to consider a gap in the itinerary between June 28 to July 8, 2016. First, we’d filled three days at the tail end of the 10 days by increasing our booking time at the Hanoi Sofitel Legend Metropole as mentioned in yesterday’s post.

This left us one week to fill from June 28 to July 4, 2016. With Cyber Monday in full force here on Tuesday (we’re one day ahead of the US), we decided to book the remaining seven nights in Singapore when we had trouble finding good non-stop flights from Bali.  Most ended in Singapore.

We thought if we had to fly to Singapore, “Why not stay a week?” Having heard from other travelers over these past years that Singapore was one of their favorite destinations, we couldn’t help but think seven nights would be perfect for us.

We often say we attempt to avoid staying in big cities. Overall, we prefer not to spend long periods in a bigger city, preferring quiet, country life and its quaint and charming ways. 

This was the area of “split rock” where snorkeling is popular with some tourists.

When we think in terms of the many big cities we’ve visited in these past three years, all short term, we have no regrets. A week in Singapore falls into the category of “How can one travel the world leaving out some of the most interesting and varied cities?” In our ongoing desire to “expand our horizons” this week-long stay will surely enrich our experiences.

Luckily for my diet, Singapore’s steamed food is popular which is perfect for me while Tom will be able to find dishes he’ll enjoy. It will be during this period that we’ll have no choice but to dine in restaurants (or on a ship) for a total of 26 days when later (as shown below) we’ll be on the Mekong River cruise from July 8 to July 22, 2016.

If this seems confusing, here’s a small section of our itinerary that further explains the dates and locations (Please note. In the US, we place the month first when writing dates with slashes, with the day of the month following. It’s the opposite in most other countries).

 Sydney to Singapore  14  4/16/2016 – 4/30/2016 
 Bali House  59  4/30/2016 –
6/28/2016 
 Hotel Singapore -The Scarlet Singapore  7  6/28/2016 –
7/5/2016 
 Hanoi Hotel – Hanoi Sofitel Legend
Metropole 		 3  7/5/2016 –
7/8/2016 
 Hanoi to Ho Chi Min City  15  7/8/2016 –
7/22/2016 
 Phuket House  41  7/22/2016 –
9/1/2016 
 Bali House  59  9/1/2016 –
10/30/2016 
 Sydney Hotel  1 10/30/2016 – 10/31/2016 

The items marked in blue are cruises during this period and the listed numbers are the number of nights. 

From there on October 31st we’ll be back in Sydney as shown staying one night in a hotel, where we’ll be off on two back-to-back cruises boarding in Sydney on the day of our four-year anniversary of traveling the world.  More on that in the future.  What a great way to spend the next anniversary in our travels, all of which is coincidental.

With the Savusavu area located on a mountain, steep roads are required to access most properties.

The above small section of our itinerary includes a total of 199 nights, a good chunk of 2016. At this point, we’re almost completely booked through October 31, 2017 (ironically, that anniversary date again).

Finding a great hotel in a central location in Singapore was important to us as we perused the options. With the Cyber sale still occurring, we researched dozens of hotels. When researching hotels we always seek the best location, the highest-rated befitting our budgetary concerns, and the availability of free wifi. 

Another factor comes into play such as proximity to the port and the airport in an effort to avoid high taxi fares.  The Scarlet Singapore with its 4 plus star rating easily fit the bill and with the Cyber sale we couldn’t have received a better price at USD $144, FJD $309 per night including taxes and fees for a grand total of USD $1005, FJD $2284 for the week.

Here’s a tidbit on the hotel:

“Vivacious and uninhibited, The Scarlet Singapore, nestled amidst the vibrant Club Street community of creative agencies, specialty shops, boutique spas, trendy restaurants and cafes, wine bars, antique shops, and art galleries, made her debut in December 2004. Renowned for being Singapore’s first luxury boutique hotel, the 80-room property pulsates with an eclectic tension. Historic Erskine Road leads you to a row of 1868 Early Shop Houses and an original 1924 Art Deco building, whose architectural detailing has been expertly retained and lovingly restored.”

Savusavu isn’t necessarily geared toward the tourist with the majority of tourists preferring to stay on Viti Levu, the main island.  Occasionally, we’ve spotted benches and rest spots for tourists, but they are few.

Adding meals, tours, tips, and transportation, it will prove to be an affordable week in this exciting clean and low-crime city.  We won’t chew gum which is illegal in the ultra-clean city. Read this blurb:

“Chewing Gum

Chewing gum is banned in Singapore so leave it at home when packing your bags. Importation of chewing gums into the country, even if it is not for trading, is illegal. The current set of regulations does not have provisions for carrying gum for personal use. Improper disposal of gum and carrying large quantities of the banned product will cost a hefty fine of up to $1000 for first-time offenders.

A proposal on the ban of chewing gums has long been in place, stemming from maintenance problems in high-rise housing flats (gum stuck inside keyholes, in mailboxes, and on elevator buttons). Chewed wads left on seats of public buses, the pavement in public areas, stairways, and floors were also considered serious problems. Regarded as a drastic measure, the initial ban was not successful. The tide turned when the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) began its operations. The $5 billion project was the biggest public project implemented in the country, bringing high expectations with it. When vandals started sticking gum on the door sensors of the MRT trains it was the last straw, especially when it started causing malfunctions and disruption of services. The chewing gum ban earned its merit and was finally enacted.

Urinating in Elevators and Not Flushing the Toilet

Not flushing the toilet is more than just a breach of propriety in Singapore, you will be breaking the law if you do so. Expect to pay a fine if you get caught. Don’t even think of urinating in elevators, as they are equipped with Urine Detection Devices (UDD). These devices detect the scent of urine, setting off an alarm and closing the doors until the police arrive to arrest the offender.”  (Hm…guess we won’t be peeing in the elevator)!

The Importance Of Discipline

Singaporeans place a lot of importance on discipline, and corporal punishment is widely accepted. Caning is not only used to punish criminals but also as a disciplinary measure in schools, the military, and the domestic scene. Do not be surprised to find canes sold in grocery stores. They usually cost around 50 Singapore cents and are made of thin rattan with a plastic hook at the end to serve as the handle. They are made for the sole purpose of parental caning. Make sure you respect the local culture and adhere to their strict standards of proper behavior.”

Many beaches are rocky with little sand although most of the resorts and hotels have sandy beaches.

There are other laws and restrictions we’ll share upon arrival and of course, we’ll pay special attention well in advance to ensure we comply with all their laws and regulations. We certainly wouldn’t want to fall prey to a “caning” for a seemingly innocuous infraction.

In any case, this clean and relatively safe country will be our home for a week and we look forward to the experience in a similar manner as one would anticipate a holiday/vacation in a new and mysterious place. 

With many tourist attractions available we look forward to exploring the city each afternoon once we’ve posted the latest photos and stories of this exciting big city and country.

That’s it for today folks. Be well. Be happy. 

Three days and counting…

Photo from one year ago today, December 3, 2014:

The view from the first of the two houses we rented for the upcoming family visit to the Big Island, Hawai’i was breathtaking.  The roaring sound of the surf was constant. We could whale watch from the yard.  More on our arrival at this house may be found here.