Bali...Day 1 and 2

On Sunday March 4 we flew via Singapore Air from Singapore to Bali. It was an extremely short 2.5 hour flight. I swear, air travel will never seem long to me again unless it exceeds 10 hours. LOL! We arrived to a sea of people, although getting through immigration, retrieving our baggage and getting through customs took less than an hour from the time we landed. Not bad at all.

We were met by two drivers sent from our Villa, one for people and one for baggage. They were cheerful despite the rain, and we were soon on our way. My first experience with Bali traffic was a bit overwhelming, although as it turns out, the traffic on Sunday evening was nothing compared to what we experienced on day 2.

It took about 40 minutes to get to Villa Theresa, in Canggu. It is a stunning place, and is better in person than what it looks like on the internet. We were handed cool towels and a lovely fresh juice drink to welcome us to the Villa. Made (the manager) gave us a quick tour of all three sleeping villas (each a separate structure to ensure privacy) and selections were made and luggage bundled off to the correct room. In what seems like minutes, they had prepared a lovely light dinner for us of assorted sates and fresh veggies. And, we all had our first Bintangs...a very drinkable beer well suited to this climate. Even I, a confirmed non-beer drinker, enjoyed it! Then, off to bed for a peaceful and quiet slumber. Some photos of the Villa....

The next morning, we awoke to a bit of overcast day, but still quite nice. Ketut (the driver) came back and took us to change money and do a bit of shopping at one of the large markets in Seminyak, Carrefour. The money changing was an experience...I exchanged $300 US (3 skinny bills) and received a HUGE pile of 50,000 rupiahs. I left the store with 2750000 rupiah...a millionaire. LOL! Wow. At Carrefour, we purchased cell phones (to keep in touch with each other while here), SIM cards and minutes (grand total $29 US), and other supplies. Sarah and I each got dresses, Eric got sandals, sunscreen, expensive US face cream, lots of snacks, etc, and we spent a grand total of about $75. Your money definitely goes a long way here for most things.

We returned to the Villa for swimming, while several of us went to the Canggu Club (a private swimming and fitness club) for a work out to justify all the delicious food we are eating. It was a decent, although not spectacular, fitness center. Our return drive from here, at the height of rush hour, was truly mind boggling for traffic. The roads here are quite narrow, with few traffic controls (stop signs and traffic lights are far and few between). Imagine motor scooters 5-6 abreast on each side of the road, mix in a few large trucks and some cars and vans, and you get an idea. Toss in the ocassional dog or cow and you get an even better idea. I wish I had my video camera along, and will remember to bring it the next time we are out on the roads.

Upon our return from the workout, dinner was ready for us. We had a Babi Gulang feast...consisting of a whole roasted suckling pig, a soup made from green bananas (delicious!), a green bean dish unlike any I've ever had, and rice. While a photo can show you what it looked like, unfortunately it cannot show you it's amazing taste. It was stuffed with a variety of Balinese spices..I'm not sure what most of them even were. Trust me, this was an experience.

So far, so good on Bali. I love this place...worth the effort to get here.

Singapore ... day 2

We are feeling better, and more over the jet lag every day.  We started with a nice breakfast at our hotel...excellent selection of fruit, bread products, cereal and an excellent cup of coffee.  We then headed off to the MRT and the Singapore Botanical Garden, the number one rated attraction in Singapore per Trip Advisor.  After our visit, it is plain to see why.  A huge, and lovely, garden with many, many smaller gardens with particular species in them.

My plant geek husband loved every minute of our visit, but was particularly struck by the Ginger Garden and the Orchid Garden.  A few photos:

We left the Garden and took a trek down the "5th Avenue" of Singapore, Orchard Road.  Oh that I had unlimited funds as there were certainly unlimited items available for purchase. LOL!  We had lunch at "Food Republic," a slightly more upscale version of the food court.  Great food once again....this time, Thai for me with Pineapple Fried Rice.  Delicious.

After a brief respite back at the hotel pool, we left for the Singapore Zoo.  We quickly raced through most of the exhibits, including the white tiger, kangaroos and a great rain forest exhibit where you were in the enclosure with the animals. Loved that.  We then went next door to the entirely separate zoo called the Night Safari, where we had the chance to see the nocturnal animals in all their splendor. Loved that too.

Singapore! Day 1

We had the longest flight ever from San Francisco to Singapore, leaving Tuesday at midnight (Wednesday morning?) and arriving in Singapore at around noon on Thursday, March 1...yup, we pretty much lost Wednesday somewhere over the Pacific.

We had a remarkably smooth, and comfortable ride...well, as comfortable as one can be in economy class.  But, a note to US carriers...Singapore Air has it ALL over any US carrier I've ever used.  And, on a per mile basis, significantly cheaper to boot.  We were served with real glasses in coach, and used real forks and spoons...no plastic in sight.  We also had a choice of meals (Asian, Western and Indian) at three different meal services, plus snacks of all types whenever we wanted.  Of course, beverages of all sorts were also included.  We were right at 15 hours in the air to Hong Kong, where we stopped for refueling and a brief break (one hour total).  Still, enough time for us to all get out of the plane and stretch our legs.  Then, back into the plane for what was a "short" 3.5 hour flight to Singapore.

Changi airport in Singapore is, without any doubt, the most beautiful airport I have seen.  Just gorgeous really.  And the bathrooms...OMG.  We were asked to "rate" the bathrooms on a touch screen as you emerged from them, and I don't think there was a rating high enough.  LOL!  I should have thought to grab a photo...maybe I will before we fly to Bali.

We were met at the airport by our friend, who quickly bundled us into cabs for the short ride (20 minutes) to our hotel, the Somerset Bencoolen, which is a serviced apartment hotel.  We have a very adequate 2 BR, 2BA apartment, with more than enough room for the family to spread out and relax between site seeing gigs.  It is conveniently located to the MRT (subway) which has allowed for easy (and inexpensive) exploration of the city.  There is also one of Singapore's many "food courts" right across the street.

By the time we arrived, everyone was more than a little tired.  None of us got much sleep on the flight, unfortunately, because there was a crying baby who managed to start up every time we started to drift off.  Arrgggh.   A very, very loud, piercing crying baby.    Nevertheless, we managed to keep everyone awake until about 8 before going to bed for the night.

After a good night's sleep, we all felt significantly better and were ready to begin exploring Singapore.  Our first stop was the Singapore Flyer (extremely large ferris wheel), which gave us magnificent views of all of Singapore, and it's architecture...the photos don't begin to do it justice, but you might get just a glimmer of the idea.

We walked from our hotel to the Flyer, but had misjudged the route and ended up walking way too far....of course, we also missed the fact that there was an MRT station practically right outside our door and would have taken us straight there.  Oh well.  The walk was nice, but long, given the heat, humidity and our general state of jet lag.  As soon as we were done with the Flyer, we went back via the MRT to our hotel.

On the way, we stopped by the local food court.  A food court in Singapore is somewhat similar to the food court at your local mall, except the food is freshly prepared for each customer, and is served on real plates with real utensils (as opposed to plastic and paper).  And surprisingly in this quite expensive country, is remarkably inexpensive.  Lunch or dinner costs somewhere around $3-4 US.  One has the choice of Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Thai and goodness knows what else.  Andy tried some sort of Durian "dessert" for his snack...the smell alone was enough to dissuade me from trying it.  He pronounced it "interesting" but said he probably wouldn't do it again.  The kids and I stuck to Dim Sum (which was delicious).

Refreshed from our food court adventure, we set off with our friends to Mustafas in Little India.  I wish I had thought to bring my camera along here because it is hard to describe in words.  It is a very (very) large department store spread over many levels.  Aisles are jam packed with everything imaginable...groceries, shoes, clothes, electronics, jewelry, toys, etc...anything you can think to buy, they probably have.  I could have stayed here for hours looking at all the different grocery products alone.  And, the gold section was incredible.  The display of necklaces, bangles, rings, etc was mind boggling.  I think my friend got a photo, and I'll try to post it later.

We then traveled to one of the largest food courts for dinner.  Great fun all over again.  I had butter chicken and parata from an Indian stall, Eric had dim sum, Andy had laksa (seafood and curry soup), and Sarah had dim sum, which included chicken claws...yes, that's right, she was gnawing on chicken feet.  A big ewwww factor from me, but she claimed to enjoy them.  Ok.  I'll take her word for it.

A cab ride home and we all crashed for the evening....

We are underway!  The trip here to San Francisco from Minneapolis was completely uneventful, which means it was good as air travel gets.  Despite my husband's concerns about the amount of luggage, it all fit just fine and we managed it at the airport with no problems.  The plane took off close to on time, and arrived almost to the minute as scheduled.  Can't ask for more than that.

We arrived to coolish San Francisco weather and a brisk wind.  It was clear though, and so we opted to drive along the coast from the airport, and enjoy the gorgeous views.  Being a very highly developed city with virtually no place left to build, it never changes much and the City looks a lot like it did when we left here 6 years ago.  Amazing.

We took a tour of one of our old neighborhoods and it felt as though we'd never left.  All the same. For nostalgia sake we had dinner at the place that was a block from our home and which we frequented often.  Waited on by one of the waiters who waited on us years ago, and we were warmly greeted by the owner as if we'd never left.  The essence of a good neighborhood restaurant.  We were joined for dinner by some good friends, and enjoyed the evening thoroughly.

The time difference caught up with us, though, and we were all in bed by 9.  Our hotel is nothing special, but it does have 2BR, and the price is right for this much space and the beds are comfortable.  It will do the trick for two nights.  Of course, the downside to going to bed early is that everyone was awake around 5:30  Ugh.  We are contemplating our options for the day...so many choice and so little time.

Arrgghhh...Last Minute Headaches....

In the scheme of things, I'm certain this will go down as a small thing, but it sure was a headache this afternoon.  We are taking a fairly large amount of cash with us to Bali, as credit cards are not widely accepted in that part of Indonesia.

I knew from my readings on the topic, that the easiest bills to exchange in Bali are US $100.  But, not just ANY $100 bill...that would be too easy.  Instead, the best exchange rate is given for uncirculated $100 bills of the 2006 series. Bills which are mangled or crumpled risk not being accepted at all, or receiving a lower exchange rate.

About a month ago, we contacted our bank and told them how many bills we would need.  No problem they said.  Yesterday, Andy went to pick them up and someone dropped the ball, as they had only 2/3 of what we needed in the required "uncirculated" currency.  They scoured through their remaining inventory of 100's and gave us more....but some of them were WAY too old (e.g., older than 2003 are not accepted.at.all), and others had markings and wrinkling.  No.  This is NOT what we wanted.  But, it was the best they had.

Not good enough.  Today, Andy and I visited 5 different banks in our area, carrying our slightly tattered and slightly too old hundred dollar bills with us.  The looks we received were amazing.  LOL!  We want "nice" money.  Will you please exchange hundreds with us?

This little experiment has gone a long ways toward identifying banks with a good attitude and worth considering if you need a new bank in the Twin Cities area.  My winners were (in order) of helpfulness:  Village Bank, 21st Century Bank, and TCF.  I'll leave the rejects unmentioned.  LOL!  Special kudos to Village Bank who went above and beyond the call, especially considering we have no account relationship with them, to satisfy our request. 

 By the end of our excursion, we have some pretty nice 100 dollar bills.  We hope they are good enough to pass muster.  And, if anyone is wondering where all the nice 100s are, I'd suggest you try an Indonesian Bank.

The Countdown Continues....

We are now 6 days from leaving, and I am beginning to feel as if all this really will happen.  We've been planning it so long that sometimes it seems more like something that is happening to someone else, and not me.  

The packing continues...and, in packing the medications the travel clinic recommended (primarily antibiotics in case of the dreaded Bali Belly...something a bit worse than the normal travel stomach), I discovered that we were missing the ones I was supposed to receive for Sarah.  Hmmmm...I picked these up nearly a month ago, and didn't even open the bag. Upon closer examination, it appears Sarah was to receive a liquid version of the drug, as opposed to the rest of us, who received tablets.  I called the pharmacy and discovered that they HAD forgotten to put Sarah's in the bag as it was in the refrigerator when we picked up the others.  That really caught my attention...refrigerated medication probably is not the best for a super hot climate like Singapore and Bali!  Moreover, the product had a shelf life of 10 days, and had long since expired.

After some messing around with the travel clinic and the pharmacy, we got a new version of the scrip, but this time in dry form to be mixed with sterile water ONLY if she actually needs it.  Phew!  Turns out she is about 10 pounds too light for the adult size dose, and too big for the smaller dose of the tablet.  I can't believe that this 10 pounds (which her twin brother has) makes that much of a difference, but who am I to argue with a doctor.

That small "crisis" out of the way, the packing is free to continue.  Bags are now about 3/4 full, with some last minute items still to be added.  I hope we have room for souveniers....I think we will.  I still may need to toss some items out at the last minute.  It's the two day stay in San Francisco which is throwing things off.  If it is typical SFO weather, it will be 50-60 degrees...more the long pants and long sleeve type climate.  Things we definitely will NOT need in Bali. 

We are also beginning to make our reservations for specific restuarants and activities...I have been reading a lot about Boneka at the St Regis for brunch, and I have concluded that it is a must do if at all possible.  So, reservations are now made.  Looking forward to this as it will also give us a chance to see Nusa Dua on the Bukit pennisula, an area we otherwise were not planning to visit.  You know you are probably in for a delightful dining experience when your confirmation email starts like this:

Warmest greetings from The St Regis Bali Resort

Thank you for choosing Boneka Restaurant as your dining destination.
Here below is the reservation confirmation for your kind perusal:


And, ends like this:

Have a captivating day ahead.

I'll have to use that more often..."have a captivating day!"

Welcome.....

Welcome to my blog....

This is my first attempt at blogging and I am sure mistakes will be made.  I created this blog primarily to document our trip to Singapore and Bali.  There are two families traveling from Minnesota to Singapore, to visit another family in Singapore.  Then, all three families will travel onward to Bali.  Ten people all together in our group.  I'm certain it will be the adventure of a lifetime.  My family consists of me (age: older than I care to be in calendar years, but much younger at heart), my husband, and my 12 year old boy/girl twins. 

The two Minnesota families will start by spending a couple of days in my favorite US city, San Francisco (where I lived for many years), and from there, flying on to Singapore via Singapore Airlines.  This is a 19.5 hour flight, with a one hour stop in Hong Kong for refueling....I cannot say that I am looking forward to that plane trip, although I am assured that the service we will experience is far superior to that of cattle class on US airlines.  We are beginning the packing process and my husband tells me that we are bringing FAR too much...and accuses me of packing small farm animals into the bags.  I am not.  Just the required clothing and assorted bug repellants, sunscreens, sandals and swimsuits for a trip of this length (26 days).  He is bringing one smallish carryon.  The other three are bringing three large bags, plus carryons.  :-)

We will spend three days in Singapore...hoping to see the zoo, the botanical gardens, and eat some amazing food.  And, of course, catching up with our friends, who moved from Minnesota in the fall of 2010.   I'm sure we will be jet lagged, but I am sure we will muster through somehow.

And, then on to Bali...where we have divided our time into three different private villas.  The first is Villa Teresa in Canggu:

It is on the beach, about 10-15 minutes from the famed Echo Beach House, which we definitely hope to sample.

For our second leg, we will travel to the much less visited North part of the island...we are looking forward to the peace and calm of this area, and sampling something of the "real" Bali.  We will be renting all three villas at the small resort of Agung Bali Nirwana:

Hoping we get the chance to snorkel at the reef you can see just off shore:

I am also hoping that my children get the chance to visit a local Balinese school...the resort talks about this possibility on their website.  I'll bet it's just a little different from their school.

Our final leg will be spent in the famed Ubud...one of the cultural and spiritual centers of Bali.  It is famous for it's arts and crafts, as well as restaurants and spas.  We hope to sample some of each of these, particularly the spas.  :-D  We will be staying at Villa Bukit Naga, which looks amazing:

 I hope to be able to update this blog during our trip...sort of a diary if you will...depending on the reliability of internet service.