Hiking in the Highlands

After being really lazy in KL with Barb and Scott (mostly resulting from some somewhat questionable Indian food) we hit the road for the Cameron Highlands, about 4 hours north east. The Cameron Highlands have a great temperature and we were thrilled to finally pull out our fleece jackets and not sleep with the AC running. It was a pleasure. And we were SUPER lucky to not have any rain. The Cameron Highlands are known for trekking, tea plantations, the famous rafflesia flower (the biggest flower in the world!) and strawberries. We decided to check out as much of it as we could and can proudly say that all we missed out on was the rafflesia, which we saw in Indonesia anyway. And it is a smelly, hard to find flower that requires a guide and tour and we were not quite up for that. But we did see some really cool orchids without any help.Anyway, we did two awesome treks. The first was a pleasant 3 hour jungle trek which had a couple nice peaks, stunning views from everywhere and ended in an "orang asli" (literally translated traditional people, but the locals call them aboriginals) village.

The other trail started in the middle of the BOH tea plantation (Malaysia's number one tea, which we got to see picked, dried, oxidized, sorted and sent for packaging), led us up to Genung Brinchang (the second highest peak in the Cameron Highlands at 6000 feet) on a paved yet steep path and then down a steep, muddy, root filled jungle trail. It was a great adventure heading down and lucky for us there was a stream at the bottom we could wash our feet off. We were both muddy, sweaty and pretty stinky after walking about 17 kilometers.We did check out the strawberries as well, but they were a bit underwhelming. They grow them in green houses, so it is strawberry season all year round and while they were yummy at the end of the day, they were just strawberries. They were, however, a nice little treat at the end of our first trek.

Birds and Elephants in Kuala Lumpur

Our first stop in Malaysia was KL, where our friends Barb and Scott have a great place, not even a 10 minute walk from the Petronas Towers. We were both expecting KL to be a lot like Jakarta, but have found more similarities to Singapore. We spent a whole day wandering the city by foot, something you simply cannot do in Jakarta, the city is pretty clean and there are sidewalks. Already an improvement. While there is not that much to do/see per say and despite the intense humidity and daily rain, you can see the appeal of living here.Day two we decided to check out the bird park, the largest walk in aviary in the world, and it is pretty incredible. (And this is coming from a girl who got pooped on by a lorikeet.) When you walk in immediately there is a dish of feed and some colorful birds flying around who land on your arms and eat from your hands. We discovered they are also fond of sweat as one latched on to Howie's back and and was nibbling at the back of his neck for quite some time. He had to be forcibly removed before we went into the next section of the park. From there we encountered the second coolest thing in the park, which was a peacock who decided to show off his stuff and hopefully attract a female that was wandering by. He did not seem bothered by all the people watching, spread his gorgeous feathers and did a little dance, shaking his tail feathers and really putting on a show. Sadly, with all the people jumping in and taking photos, he did not seem to have much luck, but since there were many small children around, maybe that was for the best.After that awesome display we walked through the rest of the park seeing emus, ostriches, eagles, hornbills, lorikeets, parrots, flamingos... you name it. Saturday, since Barb and Scott were not working, we headed about 90K out of the city to the elephant sanctuary where, if you are one of the first 100 people you can go for an elephant ride and bathe with the elephants. Luckily, it is an afternoon thing, so being in the first 100 was not too difficult. It was an incredible day and despite how crazy it could have been with the number of people that were there, it was really well organized and we got a lot of time with the elephants.After an interesting movie about the relocation of elephants in Malaysia - the palm plantations have encroached on the elephants natural habitat and they move them from what is left of their small forests to the national nature preserve - we went and fed the elephants some fruit and peanuts. Then there was a short, but fun, elephant ride and then into the water on an elephant's back. He dumped us intot he watre and we bathed and played with three younger elephants. The elephants were amazing and wonderful and it was a great experience.Monday we will leave the comfort of Barb and Scott's for the Cameron Highlands for some trekking and exploring... and hopefully some more fun animals!

Through the Central Highlands and Back to the Big City

Sorry for the delay in posting, but without the camera postings just seemed to blah. So, the good news is, we have the camera back. With only a moderate struggle, they were able to replace the part, for a very reasonable cost, and we are back in business.

Vietnam has been really nice. After shopping and eating our fill with Chad in the very charming and tourist filled Hoi An, we headed to Da Nang. We actually visited a couple sights between Hoi An and Da Nang - including the Marble Mountains with caves of shrines that were packed with Vietnamese prayer makers and the Ba Na Hill station which we had to hitch a ride to the top of since it is technically closed for repairs. Both had stunning views and provided a good distraction from the backpacker's trail. Anyone headed here in 2015 should check out the renovated hill station - looks like quite a project.From Da Nang we hopped a minibus to Kon Tum, about a 4 hour journey into the central highlands of Vietnam. Kon Tum is a very small town and the main reason to visit is to see some of the traditional hill tribe villages that are a close journey from town. We did check them out and although most still have some traditional "Rong Houses" - very cool long buildings on stilts that have awesome thatched roofs and are supposedly built with no nails - that is about all that is traditional about them. As we have felt checking out "traditional" villages before, there is a thin line between poor and traditional. Most of the time here it teeters more on the poor side of the line.In Kon Tum we also had the interesting experience of meeting some Australian Vietnam veterans (2 were in Vietnam and one was actually a mine clearer in Cambodia) who were doing some work with the orphanages in Kon Tum. There are two "famous" ones, one connected to a beautiful church in town and one set back in the surrounding village. They are actually in the Lonely Planet so get a decent amount of tourists and while we were really expecting the worst, these places were not THAT bad. Do not get me wrong, it is sad, but the people who work there were incredibly loving and there are a decent amount of donations and many organizations like the one the guys we met were involved in helping out. We have seen a lot of poverty on the countryside here and it just makes you think that maybe some of these kids are better off, as sad as that is.From Kon Tum we headed about another 4 hours to Buon Ma Thout, a coffee town, also with hill tribes. The coffee was as good as they claimed and the interesting traditional houses did provide some nice sight seeing. Personally, Buon Ma Thout won my heart with the street of roll your own Vietnamese Spring rolls. You just get all the fillings and stuff to your heart content. I love food with a process and the mixture of textures and tastes made me drool even hours after just thinking about it.

From Vietnam

Last stop before coming back to Ho Chi Minh was Dalat, a beautiful little hill town about 6 hours from HCMC. Dalat is a bit of a domestic tourist town, people come to escape the heat, and it is really perfect for wandering. With a touch of French influenced architechture and downright cold weather in the evening, we had a great time walking everywhere. And due to the perfect weather, there was wonderful fruits and veg and we certainly indulged. Our only mistake was renting bikes one day - when you ask people who live in a hill town of the route is flat, note that their idea of what is flat might be VERY different than yours.HCMC, despite the insane heat and even more insane driving habits (really these people are CRAZY on the roads in a way I have never seen before), is a really great city. We got back here on Sunday and decided to adventure to the Cao Dai Temple via local bus and while it was a schlep, the country is stunning and the temple was very peaceful and beautiful. And Chad treated us to what might have been my favorite dish so far - a deep fried fish, served with herbs, vermicelli, veggies and a delightful dill/fish sauce dip. You roll up what you want in the rice paper, dip and enjoy. The combination of the flakey fish and crunchy fried bits, along with the fresh herbs and that dip. Mmm...

From Vietnam

Next stop is KL, where instead of mooching from the Canadian Embassy, we will mooch from the oil company employees and hang out with our friends Barb and Scott.

Enjoying Vietnam

We arrived in HCMC (aka Saigon) last Friday and spent the weekend with our old friend from Jakarta, Chad, who works at the Canadian Consolate. We also randomly saw an old work friend of ours who we heard was in town (Jillian from Elderhostel) and my old college roommate (Vince) who is working at the US Consolate. After a great weekend gorging ourselves, we flew to Danang, in the middle of the country.

After a night and a morning in Danang we headed an hour south to Hoi An, a quaint little ancient town filled with tourists and tailors. Wandering aimlessly and getting clothes (and shoes) custom made are the thing to do, and we partook in both. Haviva got a great business suit, a fabulous winter jacket and a pair of leather boots made. Not sure when exactly they'll see use... As for me, I had a nice pair of brown shoes made, plus a shirt. I would have had a suit made, but I just had one custom made in Jakarta before we left.

We parted ways with Chad, who flew up for the weekend, and are now about to head inland to explore some less touristy areas of Vietnam (we can only hope).

Why no pictures, you ask? Our camera broke today. Chad has taken it back to HCMC and will look in to getting it fixed. In the mean time, we are camera-less.

Further North by Motorbike

The day after the cooking course we rented a motorbike, packed up a few days worth of clothes and headed north a couple hours to Chiang Dao, a nice little market town in the hills. We made a few stops on the way and got in just in time for a swim in the frigid pool at our not-so-budget accommodation. It had been recommended by multiple friends and was really only 20 bucks a night, but was a significant step up from our $8 a night room in Chiang Mai.
We spent two full days cruising around Chiang Dao. The first was spent on a great little hike through a bamboo forest which led to the caves that Chiang Dao is (duh) famous for and a trip to hot springs and waterfalls. The second was spent visiting some temples and monestaries, plus a visit to the big weekly market that draws people from all the surrounding villages.
It was a great few days. We put 420 km on our motorbike and loved it, although our butts are quite sore. Today we drove back down to Chiang Mai via a few stops along the way, including an elephant camp where retired logging elephants are put out to pasture. Now we are about to get on the overnight bus to Bangkok, where we'll pick up our Vietnamese visas and fly to Ho Chi Minh City on Friday.

Turning 33 in Thailand

...specifically in Chiang Mai.

As per my request, and as you can imagine Howie was happy to oblige, we spent the day doing one of the many cooking classes here in Chiang Mai. We chose a cooking class that took place on an organic farm, partly because we wanted something a little different and partly hoping to catch a glimpse of Norman's long lost cousin. There were no snail sightings (it is really dry here!!), but we had a pretty wonderful day anyway.

The day started with a market tour at a fabulous market on the outskirts of town. We got a quick but informative lesson on various kinds of rice and other Thai staples (our teacher was all business, but really warmed as the day went on) and then we were let loose for about 15 minutes to do some wandering. The market had about everything and Howie found a woman making fresh donuts (who can resist?) and I got my Thai iced coffee, as has become morning ritual here.

After the market it was off to the farm, about 20 mins outside the city. It is a nice place, small, but in a great rural setting and a virtual cooking school factory. There were three groups all taking classes at the same time, but they were great about keeping us separate and making the lessons personal. We did a quick tour of the farm, in our spiffy farm gear, and then it was on to cooking. We each had our won cooking station and I made green curry, while Howie made red. And this was read deal, mortar and pestle and all.

It took a lot of pounding, but we did end up with paste and from there things went fast. So we had the curries, then soup - Howie Tom Yum, Coconut milk and mushroom (a new fave for me here) then we made some stir fry, broke for lunch and then, completely full, we both made noodle dishes (I made pad thai, Howie made "big noodles") and then, last but not least, mango and sticky rice.

Everything we made in the afternoon became take-away and turned out to be a great dinner at the picnic tables outside the hostel, along with the bottle of wine we have been lugging since Jakarta. Quite possibly a perfect birthday.

For anyone coming this way, check out www.thaifarmcooking.net.

To Thailand, Stop Number One

The boxes were shipped... (5 boxes coming in at almost exactly 20 kilos each, keep your fingers crossed they make it across the ocean...)The goodbyes and the "See you in Bali in April!" were said and we were off (with about 10 of our friends all flying Air Asia to Bangkok for the frisbee tourney. An excellent ease into leaving.)Howie had a good, if not sweltering hot, tournament. He was camo, perhaps only a slightly less ugly colored shirt to carry with you for a long journey than neon green, and while his team did not do stellar, they had fun and won the most spirited team award. Howie played a lot, and well, and has some nice looking scrapes on his knees from some good laying out for the disc. I spent my days split between mornings out and about with our friends Dana and Gilles who were in Bangkok hanging out for the weekend and afternoons on the fields, cheering the many Jakarta players on. I, of course, ate well and had a lot of fun on the side lines.After the tournament, we headed out to Sukothai, a stop on the way to Chiang Mai that has some ancient temple ruins. Sukothai is HOT. I mean really sweaty, hot. But that did not stop us. We arrived in the late afternoon and did some wandering, checking out the little local markets and enjoying local culture. While Sukothai has its tourists, it is still a small, quaint little town, with only a few backpacker hangouts. It is still weird for us to see so many foreigners around, and hear so many languages spoken.
Today we took some local transport into the Old City, rented some bikes and checked the ruins out. Good lord was it hot, but we persevered. The ruins are quite spread out, although no Angkor Wat in size, and there are nice roads leading you around from chedi to chedi and Buddha to Buddha. What is nice is that, despite the bus loads of people we saw entering the park, it was really peaceful, there were very few vendors (none of whom were pushy at all) and at times it felt like we had the place to ourselves. We were there from about 10 AM to 3 PM when we finally withered and were ruined-out (so to speak). Despite the heat, it was a really nice day. For anyone who plans this in the future, pack a lunch. It would have been a great place to cycle around and then plo down somewhere and have a nice bite to eat.

Tomorrow we are off to Chiang Mai, about 5 1/2 hours from here. We are hoping to take a cooking class and maybe a Thai massage, but not sure about that yet... We will keep you posted!

A tailor met too late, a dress just in time

I found this batik fabric on a trip to Solo way back when and finally found a fabulous tailor who made this dress. I am so bummed I met this woman so late. She came to the apartment, measured me and was not interested in small talk; all business with Ibu Nana. I handed off the material, made an appointment for one week later and, poof!, she showed up with this. Yay! If you live in Jakarta and want to get some stuff made, give her a call: 0811862920.

Too many goodbyes

This past week has been very bittersweet, with far too many goodbyes for our taste. It started on Friday the 13th (ominous!) with a trip to the office with cheesecake. As is the Indonesian tradition, when you have anything special happen in your life, you bring the treats. The office was VERY excited about the arrival of the cheesecakes. So excited in fact, they devoured them in mere minutes and Howie and I did not even get a taste.

Following the cheesecake excitement, I headed to a new wine bar in town for my last "Ladies Night." I passed the torch and this one was organized by another lady and it was a huge success. There were 25 ladies and many, many bottles of wine consumed, much to everyone's delight. But it is not all about the wine, we also had the first book auction, where, for a minimal price, I auctioned off books that are not making the trip back to the US. Books are really hard to come by here so this was a big hit and all the proceeds went the final (very large) bill from the evening. Everyone wins!

Sunday night we invited the reporters from HighEnd and HighEnd teen over for dinner. While we may have some choice words to say about some of the management, etc. at HighEnd, we love the reporters. They are a really sweet group and while I think the reports on the Mexican meal we made might be mixed, we had a great time. It was hard to say goodbye - especially since they performed a little song for us and presented us with a really nice book of letters and pictures from them. It was incredibly heartwarming and we will miss those guys a lot.

Finally, today we also had to say goodbye to our favorite slimy friend, Norman. The farm has moved to some new swanky digs and they were not opposed to taking Norman back again. It was very hard to part with the little guy, but he is definitely in good hands. And the new farm is looking great. They have partnered with some good people and seem to be steady on their feet, which is wonderful as it is a project we really like.

The Bagel Maven of Jakarta

This was batch one and it was delish. He started with plain and has since made another batch, this time zataar. Who knows what flavor will be next, but what I am trying to figure out is why we did not do this sooner.

Good Waves and Good Friends

It was another weekend of chillaxing at our favorite little beach spot, Pelabuhan Ratu. We filled both villas with some of our favorite Jakarta friends and spent most of the time playing in the waves or hanging out around the table or under the gazebo overlooking the beach.

For once, Howie and I were not on deadline, so Howie got to enjoy the hammock sans laptop, which was a huge pleasure. People staggered in throughout Friday and then Saturday, after the day started with pancakes and banana bread french toast (a la Howie), we had a huge fish BBQ for dinner prepared by the Ibu (the maid/woman of the house). All I can say is that Howie and the Ibu are darn good cooks. I did my part with a chocolate cake for our friend Gilles who celebrated 33 over the weekend, and eggs in a hole (rocky mountain toast, whatever you want to call it) for breakfast Sunday. It was a delicious weekend in addition to a fun one.

We totally lucked out on the weather as we are in the heart of rainy season here. It poured pretty much the whole ride down on Friday, but we only had a couple small and quick passing storms over the rest of the weekend.

Now we are back in Jakarta and with under 2 weeks to go, we are busy running around taking care of last minute things and packing. It is pretty insane to think that our over 2 years are coming to an end and, in fact, I think we are both doing our best not to think about it much. It is weekends like this we will definitely miss the most. Good friends, the beach and good food - it does not get better than that!

The Year of the Ox

Happy Chinese New Year! (or as it is known here, Imlek)

To celebrate Howie, Chad, Trish and I headed to Glodok, Jakarta's Chinatown, to check out what was going on. I have to admit that I was not expecting much. The last time Howie and I went almost 2 years ago we were significantly underwhelmed. Today was quite the opposite. It was great.

The first stop was Gloria market, which was totally hopping. There were tons of little red envelopes for Chinese New Year money gifts, lanterns, ox adorned everything, incense and flowers for temple visits and delightful little snacks that only come out this time of year. We wandered the alleys and picked up a few things - some sort of rice flour, palm sugar thing that you are supposedly supposed to fry and eat, some delish smelling coffee beans that had been roasted with sesame seeds, custard apples (these are a fruit) and along the way a quick stop for some handmade dumplings.We breezed by the many frogs on the way to being only frog legs, turtles on the way to being turtle soup, leeches for medicinal purposes and snakes for lord knows what.We also made a visit to a couple temples. There are quite a few tucked away throughout Glodok and then main one was really a sight to see. It was packed with both worshippers and beggars who we are told come from far and wide this time of year to receive the generosity of some guys who distribute about Rp. 3000 (about 30 cents) to anyone who is there. Supposedly they come every day for a week and just pass out the cash. We cannot really understand how this is lucrative enough to come from afar, but someone must have done the math (and realized that this is not the most orderly system of passing out money so you are able to collect more than once.) We decided not to stick around to see it all happen as the crowds were huge and it seemed like chaos was sure to ensue.Inside the temple, the smoke from incense was intense and there are huge candles (we are talking 6 feet tall and 1 foot wide and bigger) all around. It was amazing to watch everyone lighting candles (small ones), incense and throwing their paper wishes into the fire. It was easy to forget where you were, and we were both quickly taken back to China and memories of celebrating there.