ASEAN On Wheels and Beyond

SUMMARY POST FOR THE US SELF DRIVE HOLIDAY

2010-06-24T00:39:00.008+08:00

1. Overall the self drive road trip entailed the following:
(1) Over 30 days, from 18 May to 16 June 2010.
(2) Traveled a total of 6 812 miles, or 10 963 km, driving only in the day, alternating between Weiping and I.
(3) Visited or passed through 10 states - Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, and Iowa; and 11 states if we include New Mexico where we were at the Four Corners National Monument site for 15 mins.
(4) Visited 7 national parks - Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Arches, Bryce, Zion, and Grand Canyon; 2 national monuments - Mt Rushmore and Four Corners; and 2 state parks - Custer and Dead Horse Point State Parks.

2. Car used was Weiping's 2 year old Hyundai Elantra. As roads traveled were generally very good, a normal saloon car like this was good enough. However, some roads in the national parks are unsealed, for instance in Glacier, Canyonland and Arches, which we would have loved to explore if we had a 4 by 4. Overall, not a serious handicap, but a good to have. And of course, we are talking about summer.

3. What if the car breakdowns during the trip? Weiping's car insurance provides for some breakdown service. We didn't have to use it, luckily. At worst, we recognised that we may have to scramble a little to get the service of local workshop.

4. We should have considered weather changes more seriously. As we were starting out in mid-May, going into June, we assumed it was summer. As it turned out, it was still cold, and raining, in Glacier; and we had unexpected snow fall in Yellowstone. Rather than starting in the North, it could have been better starting in the South and traveling Northwards to Glacier instead. We cannot be certain about weather, but it probably would give us a better chance for better weather.

5. The US National Parks' Annual Pass, at US$80 per car (passengers included), is great value. With entrance fee at mostly US$25 per car at the National Parks, we had saved quite a bit, in addition to the use of the pass for the remaining part of the year.

6. With a little more time, and if we were not parks fatigue by then, there are other interesting parks that we could have included. For instance, there's Dinosaur National Monument at the border of Utah and Colorado which would have been a small detour and would have been interesting based on what we read. Also, one fellow traveler told us we must go and see the Crater Lake National Park in Oregon which was too much of a change to the original plan. We used "Thousand places must see before you die" and later Fodor's Complete Guide to The National Parks of the West for planning the trip. With more research and more time for the trip, a different itinerary could have been conceived.

7. Less the cost of the car, we spent a total of US$5 800 which included cost of accommodation, food, petrol, tour tickets. That worked out to be about US$200 a day, for 3 persons, or about S$100 per person per day; about the cost per person per day for the 2 earlier ASEAN trips.

8. Average cost for accommodation was about US$100 a day (US$3226/30 days). Typically, we booked into rooms with 2 beds, preferably with a kitchenette, and we cooked dinners whenever time permitted. Our favorite is Candlewood Suite. It's clean and fairly spacious and the rooms come with free laundry and Wifi and with a kitchenette with good inventory of cooking utensils.

9. During the trip, we saw many Americans traveling in camper-vans (or RV), carrying their bicycles and/or kayaks, and sometime towing their cars, visiting the parks. RV parks are quite generously provided for in the parks but they require prior booking. This is one way of traveling - could save on accommodation cost, roughing it out a little more, but could be more interesting and flexible. I can imagine what's like waking up to the stunning scenery in the parks. Alternative is to stay in the lodges in the parks. They are beautifully designed, steep in history, but prices are not unexpectedly on the high side though not unreasonable taking into account their excellent locations. I understand prices charged in the parks are regulated by the US National Parks. But, given their popularity, booking ahead is essential, but this means tying down the travel plan. In the end, it comes down to individual preferences.

10. Overall, a trip like this is quite doable for most people. All it takes is to have an outline plan and say go, and be prepared to accept some surprises from time to time.

Photo Credit: Weiping, taken without my knowledge, circulated to my family without my permission with caption, Story of Papa's life.

ON WAY BACK TO MADISON

2010-06-17T12:43:00.014+08:00

1. Its 11 June, Day 25. We had breakfast at Brickhouse, a charming Victorian house in Durango, before heading towards Silverton along Highway 550. It looked like a family run business, obviously popular with the locals. Its outdoor tables were full.

2. The Million Dollar Highway is generally considered as the 25 miles stretch of Highway 550 in W Colorado between Silverton and Ouray. It's unclear how the name, "Million Dollar Highway" came about. One version attributed it to the high cost. Whatever the reason was it does not matter. The drive has million dollar views. Traveling North, the route also took us closer to the Rocky Mountain National Park.

3. North of Durango, the highway runs along the Animas River, enters the San Juan National Forest, goes past lakes, as it winds up and down the mountain passes before reaching an overlook with a great view of Silverton. We made a brief stop at the visitor centre before continuing our journey Northwards. The highway leaves Silverton and proceeds up Mineral Creek Valley before ascending to Red Mountain Pass. The highway then goes through a series of steep grades and hairpin turns before reaching Ouray Lookout Point with a great view of Ouray.

4. After our packed lunch at Montrose we continued our journey North. Soon, weather started to turn bad. Clouds started to cover the mountains, sky turned grey and soon rain came. We were now more concerned about driving safely than enjoying the scenery. Speed of travel slowed considerably. It soon became clear that it would be too much of a stretch to try to reach Estee Park at the East Entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park before dark. We decided to break journey at Idaho Springs and book into H & H Hotel for US$ 97 a night.

5. That evening, heavy rain continued. Television reported tornado warning in the vicinity of Denver, in addition to flood alert for areas that included the Rocky Mountains. The weather situation remained bleak the next day (Sat, 12 June, Day 26). In order not to risk getting stuck in the Rocky Mountains, we decided to drive into Denver and stay there for 1-2 days to see if the weather would clear up. It was a wet drive all the way. In order to be nearer to the Rocky, we booked into La Quinta Inn for US$93 a night at Westminster, on the NW outskirt of Denver.

6. After checking in, we took a drive to see downtown Denver even though it was drizzling as none of us had been to Denver other than transiting at the airport. After parking the car in a nearby car park, we took a stroll along 6th Avenue Mall and made a brief stop at the Visitor Information Centre. We were impressed with the pedestrian-friendliness of 6th Avenue. Cars are not allowed into 6th Ave (not sure about taxis though). Only public buses ply up and down 6th Ave at very regular intervals and public can travel on these buses free of charge. The buses work much like a tram service. Without cars, public space is more generously provided in the middle where there are chairs for the public to sit and relax, and watch the world goes by. It was clear that the street was designed for pedestrians, not cars.

7. Through the internet, Weiping found Pho 95, a Vietnamese Restaurant, for lunch. The restaurant was packed with Asians and Caucasians, mostly locals we guessed. We loved the pho. It was as good as some of the better ones in Vietnam. We went back for lunch again the next day.

8. In the afternoon, we found Wax Trac, along 14th Ave, that sells new and old vinyls. Its corner shop sells CDs and a small section on vinyls. While I browsed through the vinyls, a live band had just started playing to a small gathering. It was loud. As I picked up 6 pieces, Weiping came and told me that the shop has an adjacent unit with a much bigger collection of vinyls. I carried the 6 pieces to the cashier to pay. I could not believe my ears when he told me that they were free, no charge. I asked to confirm and just to be sure I got the message he provided a paper bag for me to carry the 6 vinyls out. Given the price tags on the vinyls, that was worth US$18 and they were in fairly good condition. Not sure its good or bad but I went next door and spent US$ 80+, for another 20 vinyls. At home, I had started to play my vinyls after a lapse of many years and expand my collection of vinyls.

9. On the flip side, the weather outlook was discouraging. The bad weather would continue into Monday and would only clear up on Tuesday. Rather than waiting, we decided to abort the plan to go to Rocky Mountain National Park and head back to Madison, Wisconsin. As we were comfortable with time, we decided to take it easy and cover 200-250 miles each day. In the end, we made night stops at North Platte (13 June, Day 27) and Lincoln (14 June, Day 28) in Nebraska and Des Moines (15 June, Day 29) in Iowa before arriving back in Weiping's university at Madison, Wisconsin.

10. We found Lincoln, the capital of Nebraska, to be a pleasant city. Streets were clean and brightened up by flowers. Could see that great care was taken to make the city look good. No reason why the fire hydrant must look all red. Also, bicycle could be put to more than one use.

11. Next morning, we went looking for the Sunken Garden, which was graded as one of the Top 300 gardens in the US. We first found the beautifully manicured and landscaped rose garden across the road. Many ladies were busy tending the garden. One of them told me that they were all volunteers, typically coming to the garden twice a week. Can see that they were doing a great job. Across the street, Sunken Garden was another well manicured garden. Apparently, work on the garden was started in the 1930s as part of the job creation effort during the years of recession. Today, after 80 years, it is still thriving, with strong support from the community and volunteers. We caught this bee busy at work too.

12. Old Market Place in Omaha was another interesting place we visited on the way from Lincoln to Des Moines. A few streets of old brick buildings were creatively converted to shops, restaurants, art galleries and etc while keeping their authentic charm. We had lunch there, at Indian Oven. It seemed Indian food was still not popular with the Americans. Before this trip, the only thing I knew of Omaha was Warren Buffet.

13. While traveling through Iowa, we were impressed with the quality of the rest areas. They are located in tastefully designed buildings. Toilets were clean and spacious and Wifi provided free of charge. Here is one, just completed and landscaping work in progress. Iowa clearly has the best rest areas in our 30 days of travel through 10 states.

BACK

2010-06-17T12:43:00.005+08:00

1. Just got back to Madison, Wisconsin at 4 pm today, June 16, Day 30. Yes, we were on the road for 30 days. Here's the 2 drivers, posing happily beside Weiping's Hyundai Elantra, back in his university. Happy because the car did not give us any trouble at all for 6 812 miles. Other than requiring a thorough clean up the car did not sustain a single scratch, and other than a warning from a friendly traffic cop and a speeding ticket from a less friendly cop we had a clean record. Over 30 days and 6 812 miles, things could have easily turned out less pleasantly.

2. We set out to do about 4000 miles but ended up doing a much bigger loop, all the way to Grand Canyon National Park. We were comfortable with the pace and decided that we could do more. Conversations with fellow travelers also tempted us to stretch ourselves. With hindsight, there were things we could have done differently. But, this is the subject for other posting.

3. For a change, I am happy we do not have to drive tomorrow. Will have a few free and easy days -catching up with blogs, reading and walking the town- before helping with Weiping's shift to Chicago. Should be back in Singapore 1 July.

MAP OF TRAVEL -ABOUT 6 600 MILES

2010-06-13T23:35:00.002+08:00

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MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK

2010-06-12T13:26:00.012+08:00

1. At about 150 miles away, we reached Page at about 6.30 pm and as it was getting late checked into Holiday Inn at US$125 a night. The next day, 9 June, Day 23, on way to Mesa Verde National Park, we decided to make a brief stop at Carl Hayden Visitor Centre to see Glen Canyon Dam and lunch at Lake Powell.

2. Behind the Glen Canyon Dam, water of Colorado River and its tributaries are backed up 185 miles to form the very scenic Lake Powell. Completed in 1966, the dam fulfills its goal of water storage and power generation, as well as providing recreation opportunities. With the advice of the Duty Ranger, we had lunch in Rainbow Room of Lake Powell Resort and Marina, with an excellent view of Lake Powell. It's interesting how it was possible to allow all the recreational activities in the water (saw water skiing and jet boating while we were lunching) while maintaining the quality of the water.

3. After lunch, we continued our journey to Cortez, near Mesa Verde National Park, first along Highway 89A, then Highway 160. We planned to stay the night at Cortez before visiting Mesa Verde the next day. Along the way, we planned to make a fun stop at the Four Corners National Monument. Here, if you could arch into a push-up position, you could be in Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado, all at the same time. To reach the point, we have to get in and out of New Mexico momentarily. Unfortunately, the monument was closed for renovation. We decided to follow the crowd and go in anyway. It was a work site and work was on-going. We didn't miss much.

4. It was more than 200 miles from Page and we reached Cortez at about 5.30 pm and booked into Ute Mtn Motel. We had dinner at a nearby Italian restaurant and had an early night.

5. Next morning (10 June, Day 24), before leaving Cortez for Mesa Verde, we had breakfast at a charming little shop which served great coffee called Let It Grow. I can't really say what kind of business the shop is as it sells many things - flowers and plants, gardening tools, toys, old books, gifts, and etc. I suppose the proprietor may have intended the merchandises to revolve around the theme of "growing". What differentiated the shop was its friendly intimate atmosphere, its coziness and its bright colourful flowers. We enjoyed the relaxing breakfast in a nice environment.

5. Mesa Verde National Park, 23 miles from Cortez, about 0.5 hr drive, in SW Colorado, was created in 1906 to preserve the archeological heritage of the Ancestral Puebloans (APs), both atop the mesas and in the cliff dwellings below. The park includes over 4 500 archeological sites, of which 600 are cliff dwellings. They were built by the APs between 800 to 1400 years ago (around the time of Tang/Sung Dynasty in China and Angkor Wat of Cambodia). For reason which is still unclear, they abandoned the dwellings in late 1200s. Mesa Verde was only discovered by cowboys some 600 years later.

6. Unlike other parks, Mesa Verde's visitor centre, Far View Visitor Centre, is located deep inside the park, 15 miles from the park entrance. It is open only from mid-May to mid-Oct. It was teeming with visitors when we got there and we joined the line to book an organised tour. In Mesa Verde, there are 3 key attractions ( Cliff Palace, Balcony House and Long House) that could only be accessed by joining paid organised tours. In order to leave time to see other sites, we decided to join the tour to the Cliff Palace only, at a very reasonable rate of US$3 each.

7. Cliff Palace is the largest of the cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde. It was discovered by 2 cowboys in 1888. It is located 7-8 miles further inside the park and when we reached there many visitors were already gathered at the overlook, all ready to begin the tour at 1 pm. Two restless kids were climbing up and down trees while waiting for the ranger to arrive. The ranger leading our tour was a very jovial Tom Wolf - a seasonal ranger here, he was very engaging, who interspersed jokes with information about the history of the APs and the Cliff Palace and got us all regularly laughing, not bad for a heavy subject like history.

8. To get to Cliff Palace, it was down a ladder and a steep flight of steps, and occasionally squeezing between vertical rocks before reaching the dwelling. Some may have difficulty passing through. According to Tom, it was unclear why the APs moved from staying up in the mesas (plateaus) to the cliff dwelling but he suspected that it was for defence against their enemies. I am inclined to agree with him. The attacking soldiers have to be trim and fit. As the APs left no written records and many things had perished since then, it was difficult to establish what actually happened.

9. However, it was clear that over hundreds of years, the APs had become more skillful and sophisticated, moving from staying in small pithouses to 3-4 storeys cliff dwellings, from nomadic life to settled living, and from small groups to organised community. As the largest of the cliff dwelling, the Cliff Palace has 150 rooms and 23 kivas. One source indicated that this dwelling supported a community of 200-300 people. Kivas are circular sunken community space which could seat 10-12 people around the circumference, probably for spiritual purposes. Each cliff dwelling would have its water source; in the case of Cliff Palace from the rock wall at the back of the dwelling. Tom said that this had since been diverted. Building materials were sandstone, mortar and wooden beams.

10. Tom controlled the tour group tightly, moving it along at a good pace to make way for the group behind. It was a busy day. Here, barriers prevented us from loitering into any of the room or kiva. End of the tour involved climbing a steep flight of steps back to the surface. It was over in about an hour.

11. After a quick lunch at Spruce Tree Terrace, we hiked to see Spruce Tree House, third largest of the cliff dwellings but considered the best preserved. About 90% of the site is original, as it was discovered in 1888. Here we could take our time, as its a self guiding tour attraction. Built between 1200 and 1276, the dwelling contains 114 rooms and 8 kivas into a natural overhang measuring 216 ft at its greatest width and 89 ft at its greatest depth. It is thought to house about 100 people. One of the kivas had been restored to allow visitors to descend into it and have a closer look. Its 6 ft down the ladder.

12. After Spruce Tree House, it was a steep hike up to the surface to Chapin Mesa Museum. A must visit to the park, the museum contains various artifacts about the life of the APs. Light condition was not good enough for my camera.

13. Before our departure, we decided to do the 6 miles Mesa Top Loop in our car. Highlights were:

(1) Square Tower House Overlook. Here, the APs had progressed to build structure 4 storey high.

(2) Sun Point Overlook. This location gives a great view of a number of cliff dwellings, communities organised in a larger community, making best use of the geographic features. Steps carved out of the rock surface could be seen in the picture on the right that allowed APs to move from one cliff dwelling up and down to another.

14. What we saw at Mesa Verde National Park was a tiny bit of life in America before Christopher Columbus accidentally discovered it in the 15th Century. Mesa Verde tells us that they were fairly advanced societies, quite contrary to the nomadic half naked Indians superficially depicted in cowboy films.

15. Leaving Mesa Verde National Park, we headed for Durango, about an hr drive away, to stay the night. From there, we would head for the scenic Million Dollar Highway the next day on our way North to the Rocky Mountain National Park. We reached there before dark and booked ourselves into Siesta Motel for US$ 93 a night.

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK - NORTH RIM

2010-06-12T13:01:00.006+08:00

1. After leaving the Zion-Mt Carmel Highway (Highway 9) at about 8.30 am (8 June, Day 22), we headed for Kanab, Fredonia and Jason Lake before arriving at North Rim of Grand Canyon. Fredonia was a more developed town with more tourist accommodation but was puzzlingly quiet when we reached there. We stopped at a corner cafe along the town's main street for a breakfast break. A check at a timber lodge at Jason Lake revealed that rooms were still available but we decided to see if we could book into the 1928 Grand Canyon Lodge (rebuilt in 1937 after a fire) at North Rim instead even though we were aware that our chance was not high.

2. When we arrived at the car park of the North Rim Visitor Centre and Grand Canyon Lodge in late morning it was clear that we were already getting into the peak summer season. The car park was packed. Also, bus loads of tourists were disembarking. Instantly, we knew our chance of staying at the Lodge was dismally small. While I gathered map and brochures from the Visitor Centre, Li Hoon checked the Lodge. The staff at the Lodge reception desk told us to check again at 3 pm to see if there was vacancy. We agreed that we would check again but we also agreed that our chance was more like 0.0001%. The views from the Sun Room of the Lodge and the nearby lookout points were just awesome.

3. The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided gorge carved by the Colorado River in the state of Arizona. It is 277 miles long, ranges in width from 4 to 18 miles and attains a depth of over a mile (6000 feet). The uplift of the Colorado Plateau some 65 mil years ago was uneven, causing the North Rim to be about 1000 ft higher than the South Rim. As a result, the North Rim is cooler than the South Rim and North Rim is closed mid-Oct to mid-May while South Rim is open all year. Although the North Rim and South is just 10 miles apart as the raven flies, it is 215 miles by road.

4. As we had catered one day for Grand Canyon (vowing that we would be back some day), we decided to visit the North Rim only. Our target was to be back in Madison by 18 June. From Zion, it was a shorter distance to North Rim. Also, we were told by a fellow traveler couple that the views from the North were more spectacular.

5. Our first stop at the North Rim was Point Imperial (8803 ft), after traveling N and then E from the Visitor Centre. We had lunch at the picnic area before enjoying the visiting the various lookout points.

3. Traveling along the Rim, our next stop was Roosevelt Point.

4. At the end of this Rim road we came to Cape Royal and Angels Window, hiking a trail of 0.6 mil on a relatively flat paved trail that provided great views of the canyon, Angels Window, and the Colorado River. It was from here that we could see the Colorado River (only a very small section was visible); the only point on the North Rim where this is possible. Here we were, at the Cape Royal Overlook. Standing up there, with steep cliffs falling on all sides was quite an experience. It was scary, especially when the wind picked up speed. The ledge is actually above the Angels Window.

5. Hiking the Cliff Springs Trail was next, after Cape Royal. It took a couple of turnarounds for us to locate the trailhead of the Cliff Springs. The signage board was exceptionally small. It's a 1 mile trail, that would about 1 hr to complete. The path took us down a forested ravine, along a narrow path next to an almost vertical wall before we arrived at large overhang. The spring was on the far side of the overhang, rather small and inconspicuous. Here, it was getting there that was exciting, not the objective itself. Beside the spring was this distinctive tall petrified tree.

Along the way, we passed this ancient Indian granary.

6. We were happy that we did this Cliff Springs Trail. It was an interesting hike. It was also good exercise.

7. As we marveled at the scenery from the various vantage points, I wondered if we could hike from one rim to the other. Its 10 miles across but 6000 ft down and up. I understand such a hike is available - 3 days, 2 nights, to cross the canyon. It sounded frightening (esp at my age) but tempting. Who knows, maybe next time, to be able to look up the canyon walls from the floor and Colorado River. After seeing Zion, I could try to visualize the magnificent sight.

8. It was close to 4 pm when we returned to Grand Canyon Lodge. As expected, it was full. We expected it so we were not disappointed. We had coffee at the nearby Cafe and decided to press ahead to Page, near Lake Powell, to stay the night before proceeding to Mesa Verde National Park the next day. We expected to reach Page before 7 pm.

ZION NATIONAL PARK

2010-06-12T11:51:00.013+08:00

1. It was 6 June, Day 20. From Bryce Canyon National Park we chose Route 12 to Route 89 before turning into Zion-Mt Carmel Highway (Highway 9) We were expecting some delay along Zion-Mt Carmel Highway as we read in the internet that there was on-going road work. However, we decided to proceed because it was a more direct way to Zion and it was also considered a very scenic route.

2. We reached the start of Zion-Mt Carmel Highway at about 5.30 pm. As we were concerned about possible delay ahead, we drove steadily ahead without stopping. Before the gate into the park, it was farmland, relatively flat, quite ordinary. It was very different after the gate. It became more mountainous. Texture of the mountains was unlike others that I saw earlier. Some looked like they had been plastered over, with the brush strokes still visible. A number looked like checkerboard, with horizontal and vertical lines; one aptly called Checkerboard Mesa.

3. Before long, we reached the Zion-Mt Carmel Tunnel, a narrow, 1.1 mile tunnel through the mountain, completed in 1930. It was wide enough for 2 cars to just pass each other. For this reason, larger vehicle, like camper van, would need a permit to travel through the tunnel and be accompanied by a lead vehicle. Six (?) punched out "windows", at regular intervals, provided some sunlight into the tunnel, presumably to make the travel inside the tunnel a little easier for those who are claustrophobic.

4. To me, the mile long tunnel was clearly one key highlight of the drive along Zion-Mt Carmel Highway. It was not just an engineering marvel. It was an experience - driving in pitch darkness interrupted by occasional brightness afforded by the "windows". As we emerged from the tunnel, the feeling was indescribable. Suddenly it was all brightness and right in front of us high red mountains towering on all sides, including this Arch of Zion. It was like arriving at Shangri La. Driving down the very winding road down to the canyon floor was in itself an experience. When we ended our visit to Zion, we decided to take this route again, this in time in the opposite direction.

5. As it turned out, we did not encounter any road work or any delay along Zion-Mt Carmel Highway on our way into Zion. We were there on Saturday and we were told road work would only begin on Monday, and Zion-Mt Carmel Highway would be close Monday to Friday, from 9 am to 4 pm.

6. Before we went looking for hotel in Springdale, we stopped at the Visitor Centre to gather the necessary maps and brochures. As usual, it was tastefully designed; the architect keeping it low to blend in with the surrounding.

7. We checked into a family suite at Zion Park Motel in Springdale, which was just outside the South Entrance to Zion National Park, at US$150 a night. The town looked fairly busy and the first couple of hotels we checked were full. It was a weekend and summer season was just picking up. After dinner, we had an early night. We had the whole of Sunday to visit the park.

7. Zion National Park is located in the southern Utah. At 229 sq miles, the park protects the incredible rock formations and high sandstone cliffs within its boundaries and is a favorite spot for hiking, backpacking, canyoneering and climbing. Visitors to Zion walk on the canyon floor and look up, rather than looking down from the rim as in many parks. In addition to the magnificent monoliths and cliffs, the park is known for its desert landscape of sandstone canyons, mesas, and high plateaus. Early Mormon pioneers started to arrive in Zion in 1863 and began farming. Isaac Behunin built the first log cabin here. He named the place Zion, a place of refuge in Hebrew. The name stuck and it remains Zion till today.

8. The next morning, we drove to the Visitor Centre and left the car in the car park. From spring through fall, Zion Canyon Scenic Drive is open to shuttle buses only. With 8 stops along the 6 miles route, visitors could access the various attractions in the park. Apparently, the decision was taken in 2000 to introduce the shuttle bus services and reduce movement of cars along the popular scenic drive when traffic became very heavy. It was a good decision. Overall, it's a better experience for the visitors. No car, no traffic jam, what a nice change! The efficient shuttle bus service route starts from the Visitor Centre.

9. We started the day by taking the shuttle bus to Temple of Shinawava, the last of the 8 stops. From there, we hiked the 2.2 miles Riverside Walk. The paved trail follows the Virgin River, along the bottom of the narrow canyon. It was a fairly easy walk, happy that it was morning and we were walking in the shade most of the time. It was least expected but it was like a walk in the garden. As sandstone is fairly porous, water travels along fault lines and seeps out of the rock walls, creating suitable condition for hanging gardens to flourish. It was quite a sight.

10. At the end of Riverside Walk, the canyon narrows. The trail could continue for another 4-5 miles (and another 5 hrs of trekking), walking on river bed, to The Narrows. At The Narrows, the canyon narrows very significantly. It would be quite an experience looking straight up at the vertical walls. But, The Narrows was closed and at any rate we were not prepared for this.

11. Our next stop was Weeping Rock. This was a short hike of 0.4 mile, with the paved trail ending at a rock alcove with dripping springs.

12. We took a lunch break at the Zion Lodge. It was a bright sunny day and many people were out on the field, taking their lunch and for some taking a nap. For sure our legs needed a rest.

13. After lunch, it was another hike, this time to the Lower Emerald Pools. It was 1.2 mile, about 1 hr of walking, up and down a paved trail to the pools and waterfalls. Here we are, reaching the alcove but we were disappointed. Water was trickling from above but flow was too little and I had difficulty finding the pools. They looked like puddles. No luck this time.

14. My next stop was the Zion Human History Museum, one stop after the Visitor Centre. In addition to the exhibits on the human history of Zion National Park, the 20 mins introductory film highlights the dramatic landscape of the park and examines the history of the canyon.

15. Outside, on the wall of the museum, was this picture with 3 taps for visitors to fill up their bottles with potable water. There were similar water points around the park. As a policy, the park does not sell bottled water. Reason is given in the picture, that it is bad for the environment. Of the parks we visited, Zion was the only one with this practice. This is one practice that other organisations, including those outside the US, could follow.

16. Due to the wetter condition in the valley, it was more green and more flowers. Here are a few:

16. In the evening, we took a drive to Kolob Canyons, which is really an extension of Zion National Park. It could be reached via a separate entrance, off I15, 45 miles from Springdale. Got there by 6 pm and the Visitor Centre there was already closed. We nonetheless drove in. It was quiet, clearly a much less visited park, possibly because of its distance from Zion. But, scenery was just as stunning.

17. Next morning, we left early, departing Springdale at 8 am. The rangers were already out at the entrance into Zion informing those taking the Zion-Mt Carmel Highway to clear the road by 9 am before the road was closed for road work. They were well organised.

18. It was a joy traveling this stretch again even though it was the 2nd time in 2 days. We were off to the North Rim of Grand Canyon.

BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK

2010-06-11T22:34:00.008+08:00

1. After Landscape Arch in Arches National Park and a packed lunch, we left for Escalante to stay the night and see Bryce Canyon National Park the following day. This was 5 June, Day 19. Traveling westwards along Highway 70, we entered the scenic routes of 24 and 12. Routes 24 and 12 were largely one lane either way, passing beautiful rock formations from time to time.

2. We took our time, drove at a comfortable speed and enjoy the beautiful scenery. On the hilly terrain like this and on a particularly hot day, we were surprised to pass cyclists peddling furiously up the hills. It was hard work and we admired their perseverance.

3. At 258 miles away, we arrived at Escalante at about 6 pm. It was largely a one-street town with few accommodation options. Quickly we checked into Prospector Inn at US$ 77 a night. That evening, we had dinner at the Mexican restaurant a few blocks away. It had a cheerful atmosphere, with its wall brightly painted and decorated. It served reasonably good Mexican food.

4. Next morning, we left Escalante for Bryce Canyon National Park at about 9.30 am. After stopping briefly for breakfast in a small town along the way we reached Bryce National Park at about 10.30 am. Striking rock formations greeted us as we neared the entrance to Bryce; as if it was a prelude to what's in store for us inside the park.

5. As usual, we stopped at the Visitor Centre to gather the necessary material and watch the introductory video.

6. Located in SW Utah, Bryce Canyon National Park covers an area of 45 sq miles. The major feature of the park is Bryce Canyon which, despite its name, is not actually a canyon but a giant amphitheatre created by erosion on one side of a plateau. This erosion exposed delicate and colorful pinnacles called hoodoos that could shoot up as high as 200 ft. A series of amphitheaters extends more than 20 miles north to-south within the park.The largest is Bryce Amphitheater, which is 12 miles long by 3 miles wide and 800 feet deep. Each year, more than 1.7 mil people from all over the world come to the park to appreciate the shapes and colours of the hoodoos.

7. We decided to start our visit of Bryce Canyon from the far end at Rainbow Point, and from there hiked the Bristlecone Loop and to Yovimpa Point. It was a Saturday and Rainbow Point was crowded with seniors on an outing there. The hardy Bristlecone Pine next to Li Hoon looked dead but in it was not. A single live branch was keeping the plant alive.

8. At Ponderosa Canyon, we saw these interesting formations. I named the rock formation on the left Abraham Lincoln. If you looked more closely, you will see a statue of Abraham Lincoln
sitting on top of a column.

9. Further on, I stopped to take a picture of this rock formation called Natural Bridge. Naturally, it looked like a bridge.

10. The next 2 stops were the highlights of our trip to Bryce Canyon National Park. At Inspiration Point and Bryce Point, we had an excellent view of the Bryce amphitheatre of hoodoos. I could understand how the hoodoos had cast a spell on all who visit it. Here we were at Inspiration Point.

11. More views of the Bryce amphitheatre. Just spectacular. Also, here we could see the rock formations commonly referred to as the Grottos.

12. At 4 pm, we departed Bryce Canyon National Park for Springdale, just South of Zion National Park. Like many others, we were simply awed by this nature work of art. We were reluctant to leave but we knew we had to move on.

ARCHES NATIONAL PARK

2010-06-11T21:48:00.011+08:00

1. After lunch, we arrived at Arches National Park at about 3 pm. It is on the other side of US 191, just North of Moab.

2. Once off 191 we came to the Visitor Centre fairly quickly. Located on the foothill, it is beautifully designed making full use of local material. A tall glass lined one side of the building, revealing from inside a striking red rock mountain slope behind. It was crowded with many students and their teachers, probably on a study trip. After gathering the necessary material, it was a drive up a steep winding slope, with great anticipation on what to expect up and behind the red sandstone hills.

3. Arches National Park is located in Eastern Utah, 200 sq miles in size, and is known to have some 2000 natural sandstone arches, including the famous Delicate and Landscape Arches. Its height ranges between 4000 and 6000 ft. The national park lies atop salt bed, which is the main cause of the formation of the arches, spires, balanced rocks, fins, and eroded monoliths in the area. This salt bed is thousands of feet thick in places, and was deposited some 300 million years ago when a sea flowed into the region and eventually evaporated. Over millions of years, the salt bed was covered with layers of debris and sedimentation and eventually younger sediments mostly eroded away. The arches of the area were developed mostly within the Entrada Sandstone formation, after uplift by volcanic activities and after the softer layers were eroded away.

4. It was wow, after turning the corner with the tall red walls staring at us. It was just sheer magical, much like a scene in Indiana Jones movie. The first stop was aptly named Park Avenue, with tall walls in a boulevard. Between the tall walls is a 1 mile moderately difficult trail to Courthouse Towers which on hindsight we should have tried.

5. As we negotiated the bend to the left we were immediately confronted with a number of stunning formations. They came with names like (from right to left) Tower of Babel, The Organ, Three Gossips (can see the 3 people talking?) and etc.

6. Other than arches, Balanced Rock is the other major attraction of Arches. The rock sitting delicately on top had fascinated many generations of visitors but nobody could be certain on how long more it would remain there. The same applies to some of the arches too.

7. Along the route from Balanced Rock we came to the first series of arches, namely Double Arch, North and South Window, and Double Turret (clockwise).

8. Around these arches we trekked along a "primitive" trail which gave us a good 360 degree view of the formations. It was fairly easy to do, though the term "primitive" gave us some initial concern.

9. Next stop we made was Fiery Furnace. The formation got its name not from the heat but from the unusual red look during sunset. I reckon it should look more red if we had waited for another hour or so for the sun to set more.

10. Our last stop for the day was Delicate Arch. We took the moderately strenuous 0.5 mil hiking trail to see Delicate Arch, which took half an hour for the loop. From there, we had a fairly good view of the arch, but was not able to get near. The alternative trail to the arch would take 2-3 hrs, a 3 miles round trip.

11. On way out, I saw this interesting rock formation that looked like a clay pot.

12. We returned to the Arches National Park the next morning to see the Landscape Arch which we decided the previous day to leave it to the next day. It's 1.6 miles loop and took about an hour. The Trailhead is at Devil Garden and it was already crowded when we reached there.

13. Hike there was up and down but not too hard, but it was hot. On the way, we saw this desert lizard.

14. Like the Delicate Arch, the Landscape Arch also looked like it could break any time. Apparently a few years pieces of fragment fell when there were a number of visitors standing bel0w it. Now, visitors were not allowed to go below the arch. Nearby to the right of Landscape Arch was Tunnel Arch.

15. During the trips to the various parks I had been amazed by the beauty of these Juniper trees. They looked old, twisted and crumbled but they were alive. In their own way, they were beautiful.

16. Not forgetting the pretty flowers, which coloured the landscape.

17. A few words about the toilets in the National Parks. Here, you see pictures of one in Arches. In spite their heavy usage, they were odourless and clean, and no flushing required. I am not sure how they worked but certainly they would come handy for other national parks elsewhere.

18. After Arches, we were off to Escalante to stay a night before going to see Bryce National Park.

DEAD HORSE POINT AND CANYONLAND NATIONAL PARK

2010-06-11T21:17:00.007+08:00

1. After we checked into Spring Ranch at Moab, Utah, on 3 June, Day 17, there were still a good 3-4 hrs of daylight left. The sun did not set until 8+. We decided to drive North to see Dead Horse Point State Park, 22 miles from Moab, off US 191.

2. Towering 2000 ft above the Colorado River, Dead Horse Point provides some of the best views of the canyon country of Southeastern Utah. In the 1800s, cowboys used Dead Horse Point to catch wild horses. With the steep cliffs on all sides and a narrow access, they would herd the horses into the dead end before closing the gap with a fence. According to legend, a band of horses were left to die at this waterless point. Thus, the name: Dead Horse Point.

3. Not far from the entrance to Dead Horse Point two 600 ft high buttes greeted us - Merrimac, the bigger on the left and Monitor on the right. They were named after the two ironclad ships that fought each other in the American civil war. It seemed the shape of the 2 ships bore a striking resemblance to the 2 Entrada Sandstone buttes.

4. How were these interesting and unique rock formations formed? Literature explained that they were sculpted after hundreds of millions of years of gradual sedimentation (at times under the sea), uplifting of the ground by volcanic activities by up to 10 000 ft, and erosion by natural forces like water and wind. The Entrada Sandstone was made up of different layers of sedimentation, each with different hardness. Quite naturally, the softer soil wore out more rapidly, thus causing the upper layers to collapse and creating these interesting forms. This same reason explains the many interesting rock formations seen in the states of Wyoming, Colorado, NW New Mexico, NE Arizona, and SE Utah. Even as we speak, this transformation process continues.

5. Here's the visitor centre of Dead Horse Point State Park, nicely blending in with the landscape. Nearby, a pile of rocks conveniently allowed Li Hoon and Weiping to take this top-of-the-world fun picture.

6. This formation at Dead Horse Point reminded me of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. The left picture shows Colorado River making a big loop and cutting through the terrain.

7. In this view, we wondered what's the patch of bright blue in the distance. The nearby information board explains that it was for potassium mining. Water containing potassium, pumped from the ground, was left to dry in containers lined with the bright blue material that prevented leakage. It added that the whole process was environmentally friendly.

8. Next day, 4 June, Day 18, we set aside the morning for Canyonland National Park. Canyonland is made up of 2 parts - Island in the Sky, North of the park, near Dead Horse Point, and the other, The Needles, to the South. North and South are not connected by internal park road. The Needles could only be reached some distance from South of Moab. To save more time for Arches National Park, we decided to only visit Island in the Sky and skip The Needles.

9. Key highlight of the Island in the Sky was Mesa Arch. Here we trekked about 0.5 mil to reach Mesa Arch. It was amazing how nature on its own could create a structure like that. Apparently, the earth was first lifted up by volcanic activities into a convex shape. Over time, the softer material (which could include salt since the land was under the sea at one time) under the harder convex material was eroded away to form the arch. The many arches in Arches National Park were created the same way.

10. At the Shafer Canyon Overlook, we could see tracks that 4x4 vehicles could use to explore the basin. On one side were 3 circular basins that seemed to have been created by water eddy currents possibly over millions of years. In one, the track was clearly visible, zig-zagging to the bottom. This was apparently created when the area was mined for uranium.

11. Over at the Grand View Overlook, we could clearly see Green River meandering Southwards.

12. Other than Mesa Arch and other arches in the Arches National Park, nature also has its way of creating other objects of art, like this arch out of petrified wood. We saw many other beautiful pieces too.

13. Before we arrived in the area we were expecting desert like condition, with little greenery and mostly rocks and sands. We were pleasantly surprised. With an average of 9 inches of rain a year, some hardy plants and flowering plants survive. The flowers were colourful and lovely.

14. After our packed lunch of fried rice, we visited Arches National Park.

TO MOAB AND SALT LAKE CITY

2010-06-06T13:45:00.012+08:00

1. From Jackson our next destination was Moab in Utah, our base for visiting Arches and Canyonland National Parks. At about 500 miles, it was too stretched to try to do it in a day. We decided to break journey and stay a night in Salt Lake City, Utah.

2. Day 16, 2 June, we left Jackson, taking Highway 89 South towards Salt Lake City. At 250 miles away, we expected to reach it comfortably in early afternoon. The road took us through miles and miles of vast flat cattle grazing fields with mountain ranges far out to the left and right, sort of a continuation of the terrain in Grand Teton. At times, the road was so straight and long that it seemed that the engineer had just simply drew a straight line on the map with his ruler.

3. We broke for lunch at this very scenic spot next to a visitor centre. Information board told the story of how Brigham Young, the Mormon leader, led his 1000 over pioneer batch of largely male followers passed this point in 1860 to escape from persecution in the East and eventually settled down in present day Salt Lake City.

4. We chose a scenic spot, up a small hill near the visitor centre, to have our lunch. From there, we had an excellent view of the red hills opposite, on the other side of the railway track. While we had our lunch, a never ending train rolled by. It must be at least 1/2 mile long. Though under the hot sun, I enjoyed the half an hour of relaxing time, admiring the scenery and eating our packed lunch.

5. We arrived at Salt Lake City at about 3 pm. With the help of GPS, we checked ourselves into Homestead for US$100. As there were still a few hours before dark, we decided to drive into the city to see the city and to have dinner. After touring the city in our car, we parked the car near Temple Square and walked the nearby streets. Many street banners reminded us that it's the National Bike Month. It was obvious that cycling was strongly encouraged in Salt Lake City. One distinctive feature about Salt Lake City was the electric trams with the overhead cable that ran through the main streets.

6. Also, right in the heart of the city, down the slope from The Capitol (picture to the right), was a massive conference centre belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Saints (the Mormons). The influence of the Mormons was clearly very strong here. Internet check revealed that more than 60% of Salt Lake City's population were Mormons. As we walked past the beautiful compound of Temple Square, two well dressed ladies carrying bibles struck up a conversation with Weiping. They were more interested with the younger ones, as Li Hoon and I were not approached.

7. As we walked the streets we observed that quite a few of the shops were unoccupied; and this was supposed to be downtown. Also, for a weekday, the streets were unusually quiet. The economic downturn must be hurting. We also passed a construction site in what looked like a massive development. Signboards showed "Downtown Rising". Filling the additional space coming on stream would be a challenge.

8. Outside the State Visitor Bureau building were 2 colourfully painted bison. A few kids were enjoying themselves riding the bison. They were happy to pose for me.

9. We had a wonderful Vietnamese dinner of Pho before returning to the hotel.

10. The next day, we drove the next 250 miles to Moab. Beautiful rock formations with their rich colours greeted us as we approached Moab, giving us an idea of what to expect in the coming days in the nearby national parks. Just outside Moab we decided to check out Spring Ranch. After checking out the rooms of this vacation home, we accepted the unit for US$200 a night with mixed feeling. We liked it a lot but it exceeded our budget. In the end, we all agreed it was a good decision to stay here. Its a loft unit, with 2 bedrooms and spacious living and dining area cum kitchen.

GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK

2010-06-06T12:34:00.007+08:00

1. Day 15, 1 June, was an easy and relaxing day for us. From the very basic motel the previous day, we moved into Ranch Inn, a more charming and comfortable hotel with a kitchen in the centre of Jackson. The room in Ranch Inn even had a fire place and here I was trying my hands at lighting up the fire place.

2. It had become part of our routine to look for hotel room with a kitchen when we had more relaxing day to cook. Reality is we do miss home-cooked food and when we can we cook.

3. Grand Teton National Park is a scenic park located in NW Wyoming, 800 thousands acres (1/3 the size of Yellowstone) in area. Its vast plain of 40 miles long and 10 miles wide is flanked by with snow capped mountain ranges, with Snake River running through the park in a N-S direction and flowing through the park's 2 main lakes, Jackson Lake and the smaller Jenny Lake. Rockefeller Highway runs through the plain, largely adjacent to the river.

3. We decided to take half a day to do the Jenny Lake scenic drive, starting at Moose Visitor Centre, then North to Jenny Lake, before looping back to Oxbow Bend and traveling South along Rockefeller Highway back to Jackson, all in about 40 to 50 miles. Along the way, we had lunch at Signal Mountain Lodge.

4. The Moose Visitor Centre was located in a charming, tastefully designed wooden building. The architect did a good job here. Inside, there were displays and information boards about the history of the park and what one could see and do there, in addition to the usual information counter manned by park rangers and shop. Surprising this visitor centre had Wifi; not always the case with other VCs.

5. In general, I am impressed with the quality of the National Park's visitor centres. They were always tastefully designed, often taking into account the environment of their locations. The park rangers were knowledgeable, patient and polite, and always smartly dressed in beige/brown uniforms. The National Parks Service had standardized the products for the visitors. Consistently across the board, each centre would hand out a one sheet colourful map with good information that could be folded into a very handy size and a seasonal newspaper (e.g summer edition, with list of events, road closures etc); and their sizes were standardised across all National Parks. After visits to a couple of National Parks you sort of know what to expect and how best to use the material provided. Very good work.

6. North of Jenny Lake, we drove up the winding road to Signal Mountain (7600 ft). From the top, we had excellent views of the of Jackson Lake on one side and the great plain on the other.

7. We made a stop at Oxbow Bend, as brochure indicated that it was a good place to see animals as they tended to congregate there for food and water. We waited there patiently for a few minutes but did not see any. I suppose we were not patient enough.
Not far from Oxbow Bend, however, we managed to see a herd of deers grazing among the wild shrubs.

8. We had a quiet and uneventful lunch at Signal Mountain Lodge. Here's a picture of the lodges, with a great view of Jackson Lake. We had originally wanted to stay here instead of Jackson but was discouraged from going because of some road closures. As it turned out, access to the Lodge was probably not an issue.

9. We returned to Ranch Inn early enough for us to catch up with laundry, emails and blogging and cook dinner.

YELLOWSTONE PART 4

2010-06-05T23:58:00.008+08:00

1. After an enjoyable tour of Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, we continued our journey South. On the way, we made brief stops to see Mud Volcano and West Thumb, before exiting the Park through the South entrance. Must admit that we were already somewhat geyser-fatigue and I was reminded more than once to keep the visits short.

2. As it turned up, Mud Volcano was interestingly different. Unlike earlier clusters, this was more about mud pots and fumaroles (steam vents). Strewn across the area, along a 2/3 mile boardwalk, were turbulent pools of seething and bubbling mud. Bigger ones had colourful names like Dragon's Mouth Spring, Mud Caldron, Grizzly Fumarole and etc. Brochures explains that heat loving microorganisms feed on hydrogen sulfide gas from the ground produces sulfuric acid which then breaks down rock to wet clay.

3. At West Thumb Geyser Basin, I was surprised to see the rich range of colours of the geysers and hot springs, not inferior to Artist Paint Pots.

4. The journey South took us passed Yellowstone Lake. In late May, it was still covered by a sheet of ice. I would not be surprised that ice-skating may be possible here in winter time.

5. After Grant Village it was a drive uphill to the Pitchstone Plateau before a descent to the South Entrance. It was white everywhere, like winter time. We had seen snow up the hills earlier but that did not prepare us for what we saw up the plateau. Anyway, it was a pleasant scenic drive, though I had to be careful with the wet road condition.

6. After Yellowstone, we entered Grand Teton National Park. Scenery was appealing but we were determined not to be distracted and headed straight for Jackson, a small town of about 6000 just South of the Park, to look for accommodation. After all, we had set aside time the next day to see Grand Teton. Quite quickly we found a motel with a kitchenette in Jackson. After settling in, we went marketing at Whole Grocers and bought the stuff to cook us a home-cooked meal. It was a nice change from eating out, especially when I always had to ask for no-cheese.

YELLOWSTONE PART 3

2010-06-05T23:09:00.009+08:00

1. Our last day at Yellowstone, May 31 (Day 14) was spent visiting Canyon Village, Mud Volcano and West Thumb Geyser Basin, on the lower East loop of the Park's figure-of-8 circuit, before exiting the Park via the South Entrance. From there, we drove to Jackson, through Grand Teton National Park.

2. That day the sun was out but it was still cold. It was about an hour drive from West Yellowstone to Canyon Village; the stretch of road up to Madison we were now very familiar as we traveled it many times the last 3 days. Canyon Village was a pleasant change from the many geysers of the last 2 days.

3. Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone with Yellowstone River's 2 waterfalls was just stunning - huge, grand and beautiful. When we first saw it we were as excited as kids. We rushed forward to see more. The Canyon is 20 miles long, more than 1000 ft deep and 1,500-4000 ft wide. Height of the upper fall is 109 ft and the lower fall 308 ft.

3. We first explored the Northern rim, then the Southern rim. Our first stop to the Brink of the Lower Falls was the most challenging. It zig-zagged almost vertically down 500 ft to the lower fall. The magnificent view was worth the effort, though I was not sure all would agree with me. Even though its late May, snow still lined both sides of the walls of the fall. The other picture shows Weiping catching his breath after the climb back. Here is the video of the lower fall.

4. Here are more pictures of the Canyon from the North Rim.

5. This picture on the left shows the upper fall, taken from a lookout point from the South rim. When enlarged, you could see many visitors on a platform overlooking the fall.
The mother and son picture was also taken at the South rim with the lower fall in the background.

6. To be continued in the next blog.

YELLOWSTONE PART 2

2010-06-05T22:59:00.004+08:00

1. In all, Yellowstone has more than 300 geysers, more than any other location in the world. Located along a figure-of-8 circuit in an area of 30 by 40 miles, the main clusters are Old Faithful, Midway Geyser Basin, Fountain Paint Pot, Artist Paint Pot, Norris Geyser Basin, Mammoth Hot Springs, Mud Volcano and West Thumb Geyser Basin.

2. Our plan for the 2nd day at Yellowstone (May 30, Day 13) was to continue our exploration by taking the upper loop of the figure-of-8, starting from Madison to Mammoth Hot Springs in the North, traveling along the Northern route and down the Eastern loop , before returning to West Yellowstone.

3. We started the day at about 10 am. It was a chilly day. We made 3 stops to see more geysers, hot springs, steam vents and mud pots. They were:

(a) Artist Paint Pots, for its colours; varying shades of blue, gray, yellow and brown; their colours depending on the type of mineral deposits and the texture on the amount subterranean water.

(b) Norris Geyser Basin -2.5 mile trail that include the world's tallest active geyser, Steamboat Geyser, which could shoot to height of 300 ft (trouble was you never know when it's going to erupt) and the Norris Museum. Video shows Arch Steam Vent.

(c) Mammoth Hot Springs - The many tiers of limestone slopes where hot water seeped through the network of fractures and fissures and flowed down the rock surfaces, creating interesting textures and colours. Pictures here show Palette Spring. Near Palette Spring was this unusual rock formation called Liberty Cap.

Unfortunately, many of the upper tiers have become largely "extinct" (maybe that's why this is called Mammoth Hot Springs, we were jokingly saying), as water was no longer flowing, possibly because the underground plumbing network was altered by volcanic activities.

4. Along the Northern loop, we made a detour to see a 50 mil years petrified tree. We were unimpressed though I am sure its a treasure to geologists and scientists. This explained why it was fenced up as it had been vandalised before.

5. Along the same route, we were fortunate to catch an elk grazing next to the road. First time we saw one at such close range.

6. A few miles South of Tower Junction was the 132 ft Tower Fall. We took a short walk to see this magnificent waterfall. There was a path that allowed visitors to descend to the bottom of the fall but we had little energy to climb back to the top. It's been a long day.

7. Traveling Westward from Canyon Village to Madison, on the way back to West Yellowstone, we were pleasantly surprised to see ground of the forested areas still covered with snow and we were approaching June. But, we shouldn't be surprised as Yellowstone is generally located between 7000-9000 ft.

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, PART 1

2010-06-03T14:08:00.014+08:00

1. After Glacier National Park, our next destination was Yellowstone National Park. Unfortunately it meant traveling there on 28 May, Day 11, the Friday of the Memorial Weekend. Internet searches showed that many hotels in and near the Park were fully booked for the weekend. We decided to proceed anyway. We reckoned the situation was not likely to be better elsewhere.

2. It was a long day of driving, leaving Whitefish on 28 May at about 9.30 am for Gardiner, a town just outside the North Entrance of Yellowstone National Park. At 400 miles away, this was one of our longer day drives. On the way just out of Whitefish I managed to take this rare picture - a snow-capped mountain range floating above the clouds. We were tired when we reached Gardiner at about 4.30 pm. Also, the rain did not help as it dampened our mood somewhat.

3. As Albright Visitor Centre at the North Entrance of Yellowstone National Park was a short drive away from Gardiner, we managed to rush there in time to pick up some maps and brochures. Across from the visitor centre was the beautiful Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. It did have one room left but could only take 2 persons. Back in Gardiner, we were happy to accept the last available room at Absaroka Lodge at US$89. We passed it earlier and its signage showed no vacancy. Somebody must had just canceled the booking - our lucky day. We were happy to stay another night here but the Lodge was fully booked.

4. The next day, we had more anxious moments with our accommodation. After breakfast, we packed our bags and drove to West Yellowstone to find accommodation for the next 2 nights. It was a bigger town and we were glad to see many hotels there. After looking around, we found Yellowstone Country Inn with 2 rooms left. We decided to check out another 2-3 hotels before deciding. No luck, they were full. When we returned to Yellowstone Country Inn half an hour later, the cheaper of the 2 remaining rooms had just been taken up and we had no alternative but to take the bigger last available room at US$99 a night. After settling our accommodation, we proceeded back to Yellowstone National Park to begin our tour.

5. With its 2.4 mil acres of park land, Yellowstone National Park inspires awe in travelers from around the world. It has the world's largest concentration of geysers, more than Iceland and New Zealand. Its central portion is a caldera, 30 by 45 miles wide, formed some 640 000 years ago, the last of 3 major volcanic eruptions. The earth's magma, in some areas only 2-3 miles below the thin crust, powers the park's many geysers, hot springs, fumaroles and mud-pots. The presence of various minerals adds colours to these features. It is also home to many animals, like grizzly and black bears, bison, elks etc.

6. On the way back into the National Park, the traffic unexpectedly slowed to a halt. Cars were parked discriminately and people were rushing forward, some carrying their big cameras. As it turned out, they were all getting excited with the sighting of a black bear with its 2 cubs. I managed to capture them with my camera as they were about to disappear into the woods. Further on, a whole herd of bison was crossing the road, bringing traffic again to a stop.

7. With the herd of bison among the cars, we could see a cow, still with its umbilical cord hanging out, trying to nudge its new born calf which was unable to stand properly, to move along with the herd. The mother instinct is all the same.

8. Of the many attractions in Yellowstone, we decided to start with Old Faithful before moving Northwards. Old Faithful got its name because it could perform "faithfully". Unlike other geysers, its eruptions could be predicted fairly accurately. It also erupts more frequently than other big geysers. When we arrived, people were gathering to see the 3 pm eruption. It was wet and cold but it did not deter the large number of people who were there. It erupted on schedule. It was over fairly quickly, a few minutes, sort of anti-climax, after the wait.

9. Next to Old Faithful are 2 lovely hotels, Old Faithful Lodge Cabins and Old Faithful Inn. I like Old Faithful Inn better, especially its timber finishes and its architecture - its tall lobby and overhanging balconies. We checked and its full. We had a cup of coffee in hotel, to escape from the cold outside and to appreciate the beauty of this old hotel.

10. After the short rest, we decided to brave the cold and rain to walk the Old Faithful Geyser Loop and the Geyser Hill Loop to see more geysers and hot springs. There were many of them, big and small holes, with steam emanating from some, and others like boiling pots with water bubbling. The bigger ones have names like Spasmodic Geyser, Beehive Geyser, Sawmill Geyser (see video below) and etc. At one point, near the Castle Geyser, it started to snow. Snow in end May !!

11. On the way North and back to the hotel, we stopped to look at another cluster of 4 main geysers - Midway Geyser Basin. Here's Turqoise and Grand Prismatic Geyser.

12. That evening, we had more challenges with our accommodation. At 9 pm, water started to drip from the ceiling. After exploring various alternatives, the hotel staff eventually moved us to a 2 room unit that was temporarily used by some workers. As it was an upgrading, we gladly accepted. We were only able to settle down at about 11 pm.

WEST GLACIER

2010-05-28T23:17:00.013+08:00

1. May 26, Day 9, we left Duck Lake Lodge at about 10 am for Whitefish, a town not far from West Glacier of the Glacier National Park. Weather was good and it was a scenic drive next to Flathead River with the snow capped mountains in the distance. Along Highway 2 towards Whitefish, we could see that the West side was more developed than the East. There were more accommodation facilities which had just come alive and more recreational facilities (e.g. water slide, children playgrounds etc) which were still closed. In summer, I could imagine that this place would be buzzing with tourists.

2. We checked into Pine Lodge in Whitefish for 2 nights and took the afternoon to explore this small beautiful town of about 5000 which is also home to Whitefish Mountain Resort, a ski resort. As we drove around, we could see beautiful houses in the hills and around the lake. We suspected many were holiday retreats of the more well-off. Many shops along Central Avenue catered to the needs of tourists. Here we ate in a couple of restaurants that served excellent food. With the ski resort and the Glacier National Park nearby, tourism must had become an important part of the local economy, providing tourism business almost the year round for Whitefish.

3. May 27, Day 10, was a miserable day. It was gloomy, wet and cold. We were not in the mood to over-extend ourselves today. The comfort of the hotel room was just too contrasting. We decided to see the remaining section of the Going to the Sun Road on the West side which was open up to Avalanche, about 15 miles from the entrance. The Warden at the Visitor Center strongly recommended we trekked the Trail of the Cedars and continued to the Avalanche Lake if we have the energy for it. It's 2 miles back and forth, with height gain of 500 ft. We decided that these should be sufficient for the day.

4. We were somewhat disappointed with the drive along Going to the Sun Road, probably because we experienced the more scenic ones in the East. Driving with Lake MacDonald on the left, the scenery was largely shielded by the line of tall trees between the road and the lake. At any rate, most things appeared dull with the kind of weather we had. This was one of the better picture taken.

5. We stopped at Sprague Creek to see a cascading waterfall. Picture shows Asian tourists sharing their umbrellas.

6. Unlike most forested areas, the cedar forest around the cedar trail has not been burnt for more than 500 years, largely because of the dampness of the environment there. In the natural order of things, forests are burnt and rejuvenated regularly. As a result, we have here some of the largest cedar trees.

7. It was a pleasant walk among the cedar trees- a certain fragrance of natural wood and sound of running water. The 0.7 mile wooden boardwalk weaved and turned through the forest, completely accessible to the handicapped.

8. At the end of the trail was Avalanche Waterfall.
It's interesting to see how the rocks had been shaped and smoothed by the fast running water over many many years.

9. After Avalanche Waterfall, we started our climb to Lake Avalanche - about 2 mile trek up 500 ft, up hills that were thickly forested by cedar trees. We reckoned it would take us 2-3 hours. The climb was not too hard, although the wet and sometimes muddy tracks ensured that we could not go fast. It was a popular trail as many tourists were also making the climb. We were delighted to see some animals along the way, like the deer behind us (which happily continued its meal, ignoring us) and the fast small creature (don't know what it was) which I managed to capture with my camera.

10. We were happy to reach Lake Avalanche (about 3 576 ft high) but we did not loiter there long. If weather was good, it would have been lovely to have a picnic there. But, it was wet and gray though I could visualize its beauty.

11. On the way back, we stopped at Lake MacDonald Lodge for a warm cup of coffee. It's a lovely accommodation facility by the lake. We rushed in and out that we forgot to take a picture of this hotel.

12. With this, we ended our visit to Glacier National Park. Together we spent about 3 days here. It was mostly wet but we had enjoyed the various priceless moments of natural beauty. Some food for thoughts:

(1) A delay of 1-2 weeks may be better - possibly warmer, though weather is really hard to predict, and more facilities would have opened by then, including Going to the Sun Road.

(2) Could combine with the trip to Waterton Lakes National Park of Canada as it is adjacent to Glacier. This should be easy to do. We could not do it this time because Weiping could not leave the country as he was holding a student US visa and was still awaiting for his working visa/permit.

(3) When Going to the Sun Road is open, it may be better to stay West of the National Park, e.g. Whitefish, as there are more facilities there.

13. Our next destination was Yellowstone National Park.

EAST GLACIER

2010-05-27T07:32:00.020+08:00

1. Glacier National Park in northwest Montana, adjacent to the US/Canadian border, is a good 830 miles from Custer. To break the journey into smaller chunks, we decided to make 2 night stops: at Sheridan (Wyoming) and Helena (capital city of Montana).

2. On the way, we made a brief stop at Little Big Horn Monument. Here in June 1876, 210 US Army soldiers, including Lt Col Custer died fighting several thousands Lakota and Cheyenne warriors. Here, 2 monuments remember the US soldiers and Indian warriors who lost their lives.

3. The Glacier National Park encompasses over 1 600 sq miles and includes parts of the Rocky Mountain ranges, over 130 named lakes and more than 1,000 different species of plants and hundreds of species of animals. Of the estimated 150 glaciers which existed in the park in the mid 1800s, only 25 active glaciers remained by 2010. Studies had estimated that all the glaciers may disappear by 2030 if the current climate patterns persist.

4. We arrived at St Mary, a small town at the east entrance to the Glacier National Park at about 2 pm on 24 May, Day 7 of our trip. It was like a ghost town. There was hardly anybody. St Mary Lodge, a major lodging facility at the east entrance, was close. The small fuel station was close. Practically all the shops and accommodation facilities were close. After getting lost a little, we eventually found the Visitor Center. Fortunately it was open. From the wardens, we understood that we were a little too early for the season. For St Mary, on the east side, the season would only begin in June. Also, the scenic 50 miles Going to the Sun Road (completed in 1932), which runs through the Glacier National Park in a E-W direction, would only be fully open in mid June (this, we knew), as snow was still been cleared in the vicinity of Logan Pass, thus effectively separating the National Park into E and W. 13 and 15 miles of Going to the Sun Road were still accessible from the E and W respectively.

5. With the list provided by the warden of 3 hotels that were open for business in the vicinity of St Mary we checked into Duck Lake Lodge for 2 nights for US$99 a night. We had decided to stay 2 nights in the East and 2 nights in the West. The room at Duck Lake was squeezy, nothing to shout about, but we had few alternatives.

6. On the eastern side of the National Glacier Park, we explored Many Glacier on the day we arrived (24 May) and the Eastern section of the Going to the Sun Road and Two Medicine the next day (25 May).

7. Here are some pictures at Many Glacier with Lake Sherburne in the foreground. Scenery was excellent but weather sucked.

8. Weather was much better the next day. This picture of the Glacier National Park was taken from Highway 89 as we drove to St Mary. Lower St Mary Lake was as clear as a mirror. Weiping called this a million dollar view.

9. Here are 2 pictures taken along Going to the Sun Road with St Mary Lake and the Glacier mountain range in the background. The first picture also shows Little Goose Island in the background.

10. On the trail to Baring Falls we came face to face with 3 deers on their morning walk. After we took a few pictures, they gave way to us.

11. Pictures at Baring Falls:

12. Sunrift Gorge - an almost straight fast running stream between 2 vertical stone walls, looking almost like a man-made canal:

13. Trekked along the trail to St Mary and Virginia Falls.

(1) Pictures and video of St Mary Falls:

(2) Pictures and video of Virginia Falls:

14. Right are pictures at Sun Point. Here there is a semi-circle dial showing the names of the various peaks.

15. Some pictures at Running Eagle Falls, Two Medicine:

16. South of St Mary was a vast expanse of charred forest, apparently due to a forest fire in 2006.

17. Our plan next day was to drive to Whitefish where we would stay 2 nights to see the western side of Glacier National Park.

CUSTER AND SURROUNDING AREAS

2010-05-23T14:20:00.009+08:00

1. What attracted us to Custer, South Dakota, was Mount Rushmore National Memorial. The task of sculpting the faces of 4 US Presidents out of a granite mountain just seen so monumental; something we do not want to miss. We soon discovered that there were also other attractions around Custer that taken together would easily deserve more than the two days (20th and 21st May) we spent in the area. The whole area has clearly become a destination in its own right.

2. On the day we arrived, we managed to rush to the Jewel Cave, a short drive to the west of Custer, in time to join the 2.45 pm tour. First discovered around 1900, this 145 km of caves (reputedly the world's 2nd largest) are lined with jewel-like calcite crystals in various interesting shapes and forms. Amazingly beautiful. Unfortunately, my camera was not good enough to capture the details in the low light condition. Ably led by a young female warden, the scenic tour began with an elevator ride down 234 ft, then 1/4 mile of caves, up and down more than 700 steps, taking about 1.5 hour. It's well worth the visit.

3. Our plan next day was to first head for Needles Highway (Route 87) via Highway 89 from Custer, then south to Custer State Park (hopefully to see some animals), before looping northwards to Mt Rushmore National Memorial and Crazy Horse Memorial via Iron Mountain Road.

4. The drive along the 14 miles Needles Highway (Route 87) was especially scenic. It was slow driving, with many twists and turns, through rugged granite formations that protruded up like needles, along narrow roads and passing a couple of tunnels where only one vehicle could pass at a time.

5. Heading south, we had a nice leisurely drive through the 71,000 acres of rolling hills, forests and plains of the Custer State Park. Looking out for animals was one of the highlights of a trip for visitors there. Well, we manage to see a few - bison, white tail deer, mountain goat and etc.

6. At its peak, there were some 40-50 mil bison that roamed the plain of north America. With the arrival of the Europeans in the 18/19th century, they were hunted to close to extinction. With introduction of a few bison early last century, there are now some 1500 bison in the park. For the first time I saw a live bison. One can grow to 6 ft tall and weigh 2000 lbs.

7. Mt Rushmore's 60 ft carvings of US Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln were sculpted by Gutzon Borglum and 400 workers between 1927 and 1941 to represent the first 150 years of American history. On the choice of the presidents, Borglum said, "the purpose of the memorial is to communicate the founding, expansion, preservation and unification of the US with colossal statues of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt".

8. As a monumental project of the arts, this project was already worth a visit. What was also interesting was how a project originally conceived as a tourism project to uplift the economy of S Dakota had turned into an object of history lessons and the imparting of values for the young Americans. The guide we had very ably explained the choice of the presidents and what each meant to him.
Today, Mt Rushmore handles some 3 mil visitors a year, and tourism is the 2nd largest contributor to S Dakota's economy. One complication though - Mt Rushmore sits on land that's contested by the Indians.

9. The response to Mt Rushmore was the Crazy Horse Memorial, located a short distance away. Commissioned by Lakota Indian Chief, Henry Standing Bear, Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski was invited to undertake the world's largest mountain craving. Completely privately funded, he began work in 1948. Picture on the right shows the progress to date, with head of Crazy Horse completed. When completed it will show Crazy Horse on a horse with his hand stretched pointing to his land, standing more than 560 ft high. We hope it will be within our life time when we can come back and see the completed monument,

10. The next day (May 22), we drove south to Hot Springs to visit the Mammoth site. In 1974, in preparing the land for residential development, a mammoth tooth was discovered. Work was halted and excavation work led to discovery of bones belonging to 58 mammoths - 55 Columbian and 3 Wooly mammoths. It seemed 26 000 years ago the site was a sink hole which attracted animals seeking food and water and they must have fallen into the sink hole and were unable to get out. Apart from the bones, the Centre also had an good exhibition hall showing life during the mammoth era.

11. Here you see Weiping holding a femur of a mammoth. A replica of course.

12. After the Mammoth site, we headed west along Highway 18 towards Sheridan in Wyoming where we planned to do a night stop.

JOURNEY TO SEE THE US NATIONAL PARKS

2010-05-21T10:36:00.023+08:00

1. After a tiring day of travel on board ANA and nearly 3 hrs of transit at Narita Airport, we finally landed at Chicago's O Hare Airport at 8 am on 14 May 2010. It was May but still chilly. Li Hoon and I were looking forward to seeing our youngest boy, Weiping, and to attend his graduation ceremony and thereafter to take a month long driving holiday with him before he starts work with Towers Watson in Chicago in early July. Weiping was there to pick us up at the airport with his proud possession, a newly purchased 2 year old Hyundai Elantra. It was a easy 2 hrs drive to Madison, Wisconsin.

2. The graduation ceremony was held on 15 May in a packed Khol Center, with graduating students on the stadium
floor and the parents filling up the tiered seating. Here's the happy parents with the boy.

3. At Madison, we stayed in a charming B&B called Arbor House, a beautifully conserved building dating all the way back to 1853, near to the University's Arboretum. At and around the Arboretum there were people fishing, walking, jogging and cycling. Cycling lanes and tracks are well provided here in Madison, making cycling popular and safe, something we can learn in Singapore. We enjoyed our morning walks around the lake. Wild flowers were just as lovely.

4. The visit to the Madison Saturday Farmers Market around Capitol Square was one of the highlights of our stay at Madison. Around the Square, the pedestrian walks were packed with stalls and people. It was clearly a Saturday outings for families here in Madison - young and old, parents with their little kids. I just loved the many very colourful flower stalls.

5. At 10 am 18 May we set off on our driving holiday. Here we are at Arbor House before we departed.

6. In this month long 4000 miles driving holiday, we plan to visit the Custer State Park (to see Mt Rushmore), Glacier National Park, Yellowstone National Park and Rocky Mountains National Park before we head back to Madison to help Weiping make his shift to Chicago.

7. Our first destination, Custer State Park, was more than 700 miles away. As we would only travel in the day, we decided to make 2 night stops - St Paul in Minnesota and Pierre in South Dakota.

8. We got to St Paul comfortably by about 5 pm. After checking into Ramada Inn we have more than enough time to take a stroll in the Mall of America, the largest shopping mall in the USA, with more than 2.4 mil sq ft of space and 900 shops. It is big enough to have a theme park in the middle. I last visited this mall a few years ago, as part of STB study trip to the USA.

9. Out of St Paul, along Highway 14 to Pierre, there were unending corn fields on both sides of the road, stretching far out to the horizons. I had not seen so much corn fields in my life. At this time of the year, the corns had been harvested. The scenery reminded me of Michael Pollen's book, the Omnivorous Dilemma. Along a stretch we were surprised to see many wind mills - must be hundreds of them. Glad to see that there is a serious attempt to harness clean energy.

10. With a population of about 780 thousands people, South Dakota is one of the most sparsely populated state of the USA. Along Highway 14, we passed through big and small towns, mostly small. Before entry into each town, a signboard would display the size of its population. We found it hard to believe when we saw "Cottonwood, Pop 12".

11. Pierre is a lovely small town, the capital of South Dakota. After checking into Day Inn, we took a stroll along the banks of Missouri. Its clean and green. Beautiful environment.

12. After Pierre, we continued our journey the next day along Highway 14 towards Rapid City. The ground has become more undulating and corn fields have given way to cattle grazing fields. As we approached Wall, we started to see numerous signboards on both sides of the road advertising Wall Drug Store. We told ourselves, "since they are so determined, we will stop by to have a look and maybe have lunch there".

13. Located at the junction of Highway 14 and Highway 90, the Wall Drug Store looked a fairly successful business enterprise. It had shops catering to needs of tourists and a cafe with 530 seats. During peak season, it could handle up to 20 000 customers a day. Its early history however paled in comparison, according to the brochure on the Drug Store. When Dorothy and Ted Hustead bought the drug store in 1931, it was in the middle of nowhere. For the first 4-5 years, business was poor but faith kept them going and they refused to give up. Travelers would pass by but hardly anyone dropped in. Until one day, when Dorothy came up with an idea of how to get those travelers to come into their store. She recognized that the travelers, after the long travel, were thirsty and what they badly needed was ice cold water. They decided to put up signs on the highway telling people to come for free ice water. It worked and business took off.

14. To me, this is an inspiring story. It tells us not to give up easily when faced with difficulties. Don't be afraid to try different solutions. There is nothing to lose. One of them may just work.

15. We reached Custer at 1.30 pm and managed to check into the B&B that we had booked beforehand - Custer Mansion. Pat and Bob, the husband and wife team, run this place. A very hospitable couple, they had us settled down very quickly into our rooms, and guided us on what to see and do in the area. Already, we started to feel that maybe a couple of days was not enough.

PAJERO IS HOME

2009-12-29T10:26:00.002+08:00

1. At last, the Pajero is home. The car arrived in Singapore in a container from Surabaya on 25 Dec. Collected the car from Keppel Distripark yesterday, 28 Dec - the first working day after the festive weekend. With Yong Peng of Toll Logistics with me, it was a breeze clearing Singapore Customs and getting the car out of the Free Trade Zone. Its unpacking today.

2. There are still 2 countries outstanding in my Asean on Wheels journey - Myanmar and Philippine. I am not sure about the possibility of Myanmar, as I made hardly any headway since I put the request early this year to the Myanmar Embassy here in Singapore for a self drive holiday in Myanmar. The prospect of doing a trip to Philippine was looking promising as Philippine Department of Tourism was helping with getting the necessary approval for me until I decided to drop Philippine in the last trip due to insufficient time. I will have to start exploring this again, some time next year, 2010.

IS IT SAFE?

2009-12-25T16:57:00.007+08:00

1. Knocked into a friend today and we started talking about my Asean on Wheels self-drive holidays. I was asked: is it safe? I had been asked this question umpteen times since I embarked on this self-drive holiday in April this year. So I thought perhaps I should just write a few paragraphs about this and share my thoughts.

2. The truth is, in the nature of things, there are always risks. Is it possible that we may be mugged or kidnapped? Or car broken in and things inside stolen? Or worst, car get stolen? What about terrorist attacks? We cannot rule out such incidents could happen to us. Are the risks higher in the places that we traveled to? Not necessarily so, I feel. Often, it is an issue of perception. Our impression of a foreign land is often shaped by negative news reported by the media. We forget that there are zillions of activities going on in that land that are not reported (i.e not news worthy) that represent the state of normalcy. When we push ourselves into greater unknown, it is natural that fear factor goes up and this may have little to do with the level of risks. We decided that a practical approach to take was risk minimization not risk avoidance. We could not afford to have fear paralyzed us into inaction.

3. We did a number of things to reduce our risks:
(a) First and foremost, we tried to do all our driving in the day. It is much harder for someone to stop the car and rob you in broad daylight. Also, it minimizes the chance of traffic accidents. In our travels, we came across many motorcycles and bicycles that traveled at night without lights or reflectors. It was a real strain trying to spot them in darkness. By the way, many roads were without street lights.
(b) As a norm, we looked for hotels with its own car-park, preferably with 24 hrs security. We avoided street parking.
(c) In general, we retired early, often to clear emails and to blog, and to get enough rest for travel the next day. We avoided clubs and pubs, rowdy places where tendency for incidents was higher.
(d) As ATMs were everywhere, we carried as little cash as possible. Also, we spread the cash between the two of us and put them in various places in the car.
Additionally, I would have loved to travel with 2-3 cars but it was not possible these times.

4. We covered extensive ground in the 2 trips, about 24 000 km over 130 days, to Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Brunei and Indonesia, staying nights in more than 80 towns and cities, but there was not a single moment when we felt unsafe or threatened. It does not mean there was no risk. But, it could possibly mean that the level of risks was not as high as many people feared. Very often, we drew quite a fair amount of attention and were stared at. They were not hostile stares. Some of them would peek into the car. They were mostly curious people, wondering where the foreign car was from and what it was doing in the country. One of them in Lombok was so interested in the Pajero that he asked if I was prepared to sell the car. In Ho Chi Minh City, we were stopped by a policeman because he wanted to find out how much my Pajero cost.

5. We had consistently come across friendly local people who were always ready to help. If there is one important lesson I learned from these trips, it is: Never be afraid to ask. I was often surprised by their eagerness to assist. One day in Ubud in Bali, I had the misfortune of reversing my car into a drain, near to a village. Two of the wheels were left dangling over the drain. Within minutes, the noise drew some 10-15 males from the village to my car. Very enthusiastically, they helped lift the car on one end while I turned the car forward with the gear in high torque. When we got the car out of the drain, they all cheered in unison. It speaks volume, of their friendship and their preparedness to help.

6. It is in trips like that that we come to appreciate that there are many ordinary people out there, though different, actually are not too different from us. Often, they are warm and friendly, hospitable because we are guests to their country and would lend a helping hand when asked.

PAJERO ON WAY HOME

2009-12-23T10:57:00.006+08:00

1. Received the good news from Calvin and Glenn of PT Freight Forwarders in Surabaya on 21 Dec that the Customs had given its okay for the shipment of my car back to Singapore, after it received the required document from Entikong Customs. In parallel, Diyah of IMI also sent me a copy of the document from Entikong Customs.

2. The car was stuffed into the container yesterday. The ship is scheduled to depart today and arrive in Singapore on 25 Dec. Hopefully I can get my car home on 26 or 27 Dec.

3. It had been a tedious process of getting Surabaya Customs to clear the reexport of my car back to Singapore. Staff of PT Freight Forwarders must have spent many hours waiting at the customs office and pushing the customs staff there. In particular, I would like to thank Calvin Siddons, who had also kindly agreed to have my car parked in his house while waiting for clearance, and Glenn Ricardo, who had infinite amount of patience and energy to keep pushing. I cannot afford to forget to mention Diyah of IMI (Ikatan Motors Indonesia). She had been extremely patient and accommodating, acceding to my various requests as changes were made to my travel plan. At home, Pak Iskandar, Mulyana and Nugraha of the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore were most helpful in helping us steer through the paperwork. Also, Kee Sin and Yong Peng of Toll Logistics were always ready to chip in and help, and my friend, Bee Lan, helping to monitor and cover the gaps here and there.

4. To them, many thanks, and to all, Merry Christmas and a Happy 2010.

BACK IN SINGAPORE

2009-12-18T09:21:00.006+08:00

1. Happy to be home in Singapore, Day 65 of the trip, 17 December. Woke up at 3.45 am to catch the China Airline flight at 6 am from Surabaya. It must be the last remaining flight that still had seats going to Singapore from Surabaya; possibly because it was the least popular due to its ungodly departure time. But, it was impossible to get a seat on the other flights; so we had no alternative if we want to get back to Singapore soon. It is holiday season and the seat situation is not likely to get better.

2. Unfortunately we left without resolving the shipment of the Pajero back to Singapore. It is now parked in Calvin Siddon's house in Surabaya waiting for Surabaya Customs to clear the re-export of the car back to Singapore. Calvin is the GM of PT Freight Express, the company handling the shipment of my car in Surabaya.

3. Basically, we are still stuck with the customs paperwork at Surabaya on the re-export of the car. The day before, 16 Dec, Glenn and I went to the Port Customs office as we had an appointment to see the Director General. We were told that he had to give his special approval as they had yet to receive the document from the Customs in Entikong, my port of entry. This was news to us as we were under the impression that only a new IMI letter was needed and this was promptly sent by IMI last Friday. According to the customs procedure, a document is needed to be sent by the port of entry to the port of exit before the exit port grants the re-export. And this is needed despite the Carnet properly endorsed by Entikong Customs. With modern communication, one would expect that this could be done fairly quickly through email, fax or telephone. But, we had waited a week and are still waiting. At any rate, we left very disappointed. We left the Director General's office without seeing him, as he told his staff that no meeting was necessary as the procedure had to be followed and we just had to wait for the document from Entikong Customs before the car could be stuffed into the container and shipped. Period.

4. I repeatedly told Mr Yudi of Surabaya Customs that as I entered Indonesia legally through Entikong, as shown by the Carnet endorsed by Entikong Customs, and I had documents to prove that I am the owner of the car, I had every right to bring my car back to Singapore. Even if Entikong Customs did not follow the procedure fully, this was an internal matter for the Indonesian Customs to handle. Since the Indonesian Customs was not about to confiscate my car for the reasons above, it should deal with the internal matter separately and should not delay the shipment of my car back to Singapore. I received no response each time I explained this. It could be that Glenn's interpretation was not good enough; but I doubt it.

5. I decided that I had enough of the waiting; first it was the IMI letter, then the document from Entikong Customs. And I had no commitment from the Customs there how many more days I would have to wait for the re-export approval. I reckon I am not going to sit around and wait for the Indonesian Customs to sort out its internal procedural requirements.

6. I am now leaving my car in the good hands of Toll Global Logistics and PT Freight Express to find the most expedient way to ship the car back to Singapore for me.

7. It was an unproductive week in Surabaya. The time could have been better spent seeing more of Java. But, out of necessity, we had to eat and we found ourselves going back to these 3 places as they serve great local dishes at great value: Bon Amis, Bu Kris and Indo Laut Seafood. We have a simple rule - go where the locals go if you want good food at great value; and we were not disappointed.

STILL WAITING, TO SHIP CAR BACK

2009-12-15T08:03:00.009+08:00

1. Have been in Surabaya since Thursday, except for a weekend trip to Tretes, a hill resort about an hour drive from Surabaya, waiting for the Customs to approve the re-export of my car back to Singapore.

2. At Surabaya, Freight Express, the local partner of Toll Global Logistics, is helping with the shipping of my car from Surabaya to Singapore. Last Friday, I followed Glenn Richardo and Rudy of Freight Express to meet with a Mr Yudi from the Surabaya Port Customs. After Glenn explained to Mr Yudi our requirement, Mr Yudi pulled out a printed document and explained to us in Bahasa (Glenn interpreted) the regulatory requirements governing the re-export of the car. After browsing through our documents, and after we explained to him the Carnet, he said Surabaya Customs did not receive the letter from IMI, which according to the IMI letter, a copy was sent to Surabaya Customs. According to the regulation, he said that the IMI should have included a Police permit for my self drive holiday in Indonesia and a travel itinerary. As I had already ended my trip, he agreed that it was pointless getting the Police permit. He lamented that Entikong Customs should have pointed this out. He said that he would consider approving the re-export if IMI issues a new letter that would address the issue of Police permit and include my travel itinerary.

3. On the same day, Diyah Yanuardani of IMI was so kind to write a new letter to Surabaya Customs supporting the re-export of my car. As Yudi was out for meeting the whole day of yesterday (Monday), we are still waiting for him to approve the re-export licence. Glenn hopes to catch him the first thing in the morning today. Once done, we could then proceed to stuff the car into the container, in time for the ship departure on 17 Dec.

4. Over the weekend, Li Hoon and I decided to take a short trip to the nearby hill resort of Tretes. We were exploring Batu but settled for Tretes as it was nearer. At about 700 m high, we were looking forward to the better and cooler air up on the hills at Tretes, as against staying put in Surabaya. A convenient weekend getaway for residents in Surabaya, Tretes (and nearby Trawas) has many hotels. The trip took 2 hours and we arrived at Tretes at about 1 pm. The traffic jam at the Sidoarja Mud Pool south of Surabaya slowed us down by about an hour. After scouting around, we checked into Royal Tretes View Hotel for 560 000 Rp (US$60), inclusive of breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner. We liked the view from the room and the friendliness of the staff (in the picture are Tanti and Ais, 2 of the very friendly ladies). Hotel looked busy and we were told there were 150 government officials there for a meeting.

5. It was reading, more scrabbles and just lazing around for the rest of the day. Food, unfortunately, was disappointing - cold and certainly not salivating. On the positive side, it had a 4 man band playing during dinner time, playing English and Indonesian songs. Not bad at all, while we ate and played scrabble.

6. Woke up early the next day to visit the nearby Kakek Bodo (literally mean Stupid Grandfather) waterfall; a short drive from the hotel. We were surprised to see the same band getting ready to play. We were even more surprised when it started to play at 6.30 am, blasting away the music from the electric guitars and the drummer happily banging away the drums. I was sure it was a very effective wake up call for all the guests in the hotel. I asked the receptionist why so early. She said it was to entertain guests when they had their breakfast. Thought it would do the hotel more good if it put more focus on food instead.

7. It was a 300 m easy walk up the hills from the gate to the 40 m high Kakek Bodo waterfall. Lots of trees and greenery along the footpath, and food stalls were been set up for the day. It was Sunday, and they must be expecting a good crowd. Young boys and girls were already there, with more arriving; mostly young couples. Looked like it was a favourite place for boys to bring their girlfriends. Swimming was not possible at the waterfall. However, the attraction had a swimming pool near the entrance, which already attracted a group of boys, playing in the pool with their clothes on. We did not loiter long at the waterfall, as there was nothing much to do other than swimming in the pool which we had no intention of doing.

8. On way back to Surabaya, we decided to take a route across the hills through Trawas, Mojosari, Pugging and Krian, bypassing Sidoarja Mud Pool. It was certainly a much more pleasant drive; a scenic drive across the hills and passing paddy fields, without having to contend with the frustrating slow traffic at the mud pool area.

9. We have put ourselves for flight out of Surabaya on Thursday, 2 days from now; keeping our fingers crossed that the customs procedure would be sorted by then.

SULPHUR TRAIL AT IJEN

2009-12-10T23:27:00.016+08:00

1. From Bali, we wanted a slow drive to Surabaya, without risking driving in the dark and getting there by 10 Dec in time to process the car for shipment on 13 Dec, the ETD of the ship departing for Singapore. Leaving Bali on Dec 8, we would have 2 nights on the way there. After some research, we decided to stay the first of the two nights at Ijen Resort and Villas, at the foothills of the Gunung Ijen, and the next day to trek up to Ijen crater to see the mining of sulphur there.

2. We left Ubud on 8 Dec at 11 pm and it took us 3 hrs to get to Gilimanuk, the ferry crossing point. The many trucks on the way there slowed the traffic. By 3.30 Bali time (or 2.30 Java time) we were on the other side and on the way to Banyuwangi.

3. Ijen Resort is in Licin, some 17 km from Banyuwangi, with the last 3 km in unsealed surface which the hotel warns its guests to try only with 4 by 4 vehicle. The route was fairly well sign-posted and we reached the resort at 4 pm local time. It was amazing how someone would build a resort in the middle of nowhere, in the midst of tiered paddy fields, the last stretch there along narrow roads, passing through a couple of small villages, with final 3 kms saloon cars could not use. Construction logistics would have been a nightmare. Anyway, we were happy to check in for 800 000 Rp (US$86) a night. That night, we were the only guests there, taking up 1 of the 30+ rooms. Its low season; peak season is July/August period. It was a well furnished comfortable resort, with spectacular view of the tiered paddy fields and the volcanic mountain range of Raung/Merapi to the north.

4. We booked a jeep and a tour guide from the hotel for US$85 to bring us to see the Ijen crater and sulphur mining the next morning, departing from the hotel at 6 am. We were told the trip would take about 5 hrs; 1.5 hrs by jeep to get to the foothill, an hour climb to the crater and back. That night we slept early, as we were set to depart for Ijen at 6 am. We set our alarm for 5.15 am.

5. We promptly woke up at 5.15 the next day, washed up and got to the restaurant for breakfast at 5.30 but it was still in darkness. We started to look around and our noise brought Hassan out from the kitchen. The soft spoken and friendly Hassan got us seated and told us we were early. We were naturally surprised as we thought we were just on time. Hassan commented that we could still in Bali time. Time in Java is one hour behind Bali's. We knew but it didn't occur to us the day before when we crossed over to Java. We had a slow breakfast.

6. Our jeep and tour guide promptly arrived just before 6. The jeep was a Landrover, painted in bright yellow colour. The driver (in blue T-shirt) was Adi. Along the way, he told us he was 57, had 3 wives, 6 children and 4 grandchildren. We were impressed.

7. Our guide (in red T-shirt) told us to call him Albert. Albert's parents were from the area but he was raised in Jakarta. He had been tour guide for close to 10 years now and decided to return to Banyuwangi area and continue to freelance as tour guide. During peak season, in July and August, he would have group everyday. During low season, like now, he would have 1-2 a week. At 35, he was still not married. He spoke fairly good English but given his accent it was a strain to catch every word he said.

8. The road to the foothill of Ijen crater took about 1.5 hour. After the rough 3 km from the hotel it was good road for some way initially, sealed but narrow; but our happiness did not last, as we were soon "rafting". That's how Albert described the last stretch of the journey. We reached the start of the trail up to the Ijen crater at about 7.30. It was 3 km walk up to the crater, from 1850 m elevation at the carpark to 2380 m at the rim of the crater. Already, we could see workers carrying their basket-loads of sulphur passed the car park to the second post, which was 100 m down from the carpark.

9. Carrying a bottle of water each and a towel to cover the nose and mouth against sulphur smoke, we started the climb. It was strenuous initially but was not hard once we started walking at a nice rhythm uphill. On the way up, we passed many of the sulphur workers. They walked with a bounce, in good rhythm with the flexing of the bamboo pole across their shoulder which had a basket of sulphur blocks at both ends. They walked quietly. Also, everyone seemed to know Albert. They were friendly and would reciprocate with a hello or a selamat pagi (good morning).

10. From Albert, we learned a little about the sulphur mining business here. We were told the mining company paid 600 Rp (US $0.064) per kg of sulphur delivered to the 2nd post (near the carpark). To do this, its harvesting the sulphur at the crater, wearing googles to protect their eyes and covering their noses against the sulphur fume (not all do, according to Albert). After this, its 200 m to the rim of the crater. This was really the tortuous part of the journey, as the workers carried the loads up 200 m of almost vertical narrow paths. Its then 3 km down to the 2nd post near the carpark while stopping at the 1st post for weighing the loads of sulphur. Its real hard work.

11. The workers mostly worked in groups, with each worker covering a particular stretch before handing the basket-loads to the next fellow worker. Typical load carried by the worker was between 6o kg to 100 kg. On a typical day, they would do 2-3 cycles. Not all get to work everyday, as there were 300 available workers and only 60-70 workers were required each day. Assuming each worker has on the average of 7 days of work a month, their monthly income is roughly 1.5 mil Rp, i.e. about US$160. Albert said that they would supplement their income in their ways, e.g working in the paddy fields. Permitted age for the workers is between 17-50, though some would appeal to work beyond 50.

12. On th way up, scenery was stunning. On one side was Gunung Merapi (2968m), and on the other was Gunung Raung (3312 m) with its signature blown top. At the rim of the Ijen crater, the view was just as spectacular. We could just sit there for a longest time admiring the sheer beauty created by nature. The wall of the crater slopes inward like a bowl, with erosion lines that looked like the slopes have been scratched. Fume emanated from the bottom of the crater, periodically revealing the green lake that lies at the bottom. From the rim, we could see workers, the size of a match stick, harvesting the blocks of sulphur.

13. At about 9 am, we began our descent down Gunung Ijen. Getting down was tougher than going up, as the slopes were slippery with the many small pebbles. It was easy to lose balance, as had happened to Li Hoon. The workers, on the other hand, bounced down the slopes effortlessly, at speed much faster than ours.

14. We were happy to return to the car park by 10 am. We had learned something from this climb and was awed by the wonderful scenery. Naturally, a thought crossed our minds: couldn't we mechanise the process, reduce the labour and make the transportation more efficient. Albert replied was, "what about the workers, its their means of livelihood; the social problems". I suppose each society has its own set of challenges.

NORTH BALI

2009-12-08T09:40:00.012+08:00

1. Dec 4 (Day 58), we took a drive to north Bali to see dolphins at Lovina Beach and Lake Batur on the way back to Ubud, after we met David and Jeev (hope I got the spelling right) from UK. Like us, they were hotel guests at Garden View Cottages at Ubud and they had a wonderful time watching the dolphins at Lovina Beach. We struck up a conversation as they were curious about what a Singapore car was doing in Bali. David was obviously a competent photographer as some pictures and videos taken of the dolphins at Lovina Beach were really good. David and Jeev had been on the road on holiday for 4 months, including a trip to Tibet and Nepal and sharing with us their interesting experiences.

2. Yeow Pheng had earlier suggested making a trip to Lovina Beach to see dolphins but given my rather uneventful boat trip in Laos to watch the Irrawaddy dolphins I was not enthusiastic and was too quick to pour cold water over the idea. We did see quite a few dolphins at Lovina Beach.

3. Traveling north for about 2 hours from Ubud and turning west at the north coastal road, and after checking a few hotels, we booked into Aditya Beach Resort for 600 000 Rp (about US$ 65) at about 4 pm. Certainly one of the better hotels on the strip, there was also more buzz. We booked ourselves a boat to see dolphins the next morning for 66 000 Rp each (US$7), with boat leaving at 6 am.

4. The beach next to the hotel was so-so, with fine black sand, broken coral bits, fairly clear water and we can see small fishes scattering in different directions as we waded through the shallow water. The hotel had a nice pool and we took a dip before dinner at the hotel.

5. It was still dark when we boarded one of the traditional wooden boats with an outrigger on each side. There were already boats ahead of us. As we traveled out, sun was just arising above the gunungs behind us, and I could count 32 boats (or dots) racing out to the more open sea, presumably to see dolphins too.

6. We did not get to see dolphins until about 7 am and nearly all the sightings were between 7 to 7.30 am, when we headed back to the shore. We were all very excited when we saw the dolphins leaping out of the water, as if they were playing in the morning, leaping out in pairs at times. I was only able to catch the dolphins in videos and here is one of them.

7. What I was not certain about was the impact that we, observers in fast boats, were causing to the dolphin habitat. Each time, when dolphins were observed, the boats would speed towards to the dolphins to get a closer look and to take pictures and videos; at times almost going over them. There were about 30 boats and this was low season. Can't imagine how the scrambling would be like during peak season. This is no better than paparazzi stalking celebrities. And we get unhappy when peddlers become aggressive pushing their wares and services at tourist sites. I left feeling great sympathy for the beautiful and graceful creatures.

8. After breakfast, Fangping and I decided to take a dip in the sea.

9. After checking out of Aditya at 12, we traveled eastwards along the north coastal road, turning south at Singaraja up the mountain towards Kintamani for Gunung Batur (1717 m), an active volcano. Gunung Batur and Danau Batur are located in a 18 km wide spectacular caldera northwest of Gunung Agung. The rim of the caldera has a number of favorite spots near Kintamani where tourists would stop to take pictures of the spectacular views. And there were many tour coaches and vans there when we passed them.

10. We decided not to stop and took the road down to the lake and turned left towards Toya Bungkah which was at the end of the west route. The narrow road was flanked by dark volcanic rock formations, probably solidified from lava flow down the slopes from various eruptions, the last 2 eruptions about 100 years ago, in 1916 and 1927. At the end of the road was Toya Devasya Resort & Spa, where the water for the 3 pools was from natural hot spring. We decided to pay 150 000 Rp (US$16) each for lunch and for the use of the pool. From the resort, we had a great view of Lake Batur and the rim of the crater. When Fangping saw this picture, she exclaimed, "I never thought I looked so much like pa".

GETTING THE CAR BACK TO SINGAPORE

2009-12-07T11:19:00.004+08:00

1. For quite a while, I had been working with Toll Global Logistics (TGL) to transport the Pajero back to Singapore after the self-drive holiday. TGL handled the transport of my car to Brunei to begin the journey.

2. For exit port, Bali will be the most convenient, as I was already planning to end the holiday here in Bali. As it turned out, it costs considerably more to ship the car from Bali, as from Surabaya, like 3 times more, since the container has still to transit Surabaya. It naturally followed that Surabaya was selected as the exit port. With this, I have to drive the car to Surabaya in time for the shipment.

3. As I already had the Carnet properly endorsed by the Customs (i.e. approved for entry) at Entikong, under normal circumstances, it would just suffice to have the Carnet similarly endorsed for exit. However, to comply with Indonesian requirements, we were advised to do the following:

(a) For IMI to issue a new recommendation letter indicating Surabaya as the exit port. Dirya of IMI had been most helpful. I had received the hard copy of this letter, with a back up letter showing Bali as the exit port.

(b) With advice from Toll Global Forwarders (TGF, part of the TGL group) to apply for re-export permit for the Pajero, with a recommendation letter from the Indonesia Police Force, the Carnet and copy of my passport. The application will take at least 7 days, with the prospect that the Police may take even longer.

4. If all goes right, and matching that against the shipping schedules, we are working towards arriving Surabaya with the car before 11 Dec, with ship arriving at Surabaya on 11 Dec, departing Surabaya on 13 Dec and arriving Singapore 15 Dec. We should be back in Singapore on 12/13 Dec, subject to changes to ship movement and timely approval of the re-export application.

LOMBAK AGAIN

2009-12-02T09:04:00.002+08:00

1. Nov 30 (Day 47), we left Dompu early to catch the ferry back to Lombok. We had early lunch at Besar and managed to get to Pato Tano at 1.30 pm and catch the 2 pm ferry. This ferry was an old ferry and I had to reverse some 200 m from the shore into the ferry as it had only one ramp door. The strain contributed to my need for regular massages. At about 3 pm, Mt Rinjani was in sight and we were promptly back in Lombok at 3.30 pm.

2. After landing, we headed north along the coast towards Bayan, in the north Lombok. Soon, we were passing paddy fields which were cultivated around the many stones. It was quite a sight. The area could have been part of the sea before. It was a scenic drive passing one village after another, and their paddy fields.

3. At Bayan, we decided to depart from the main road and head south towards Senaru. Located on the north slope of Mt Rinjani, it is one of the launch points for trekking up Mt Rinjani. From there, we would have a wonderful view of Mt Rinjani. We got there at about 5 pm, and we were not disappointed. We stayed at Pondok Senaru for 200 000 Rp a night (about US$22). From the hotel, we had a great view of Rinjani. I love this sunset view of Rinjani with the rays emanating from its peak.

4. We only intended to do a overnight stop at Rinjani. We were told that trekking up to the peak of Rinjani would take at least 3 days and 2 nights out in the field. The hotel staff tempted us by telling us there is lake up there which one can fish, a hot spring and a baby volcano. It was not possible for us to do this this time, as we had promised our daughter to be back in Bali on 2 Dec. We promised ourselves that we shall return.

5. The morning view of Rinjani was just as spectacular. I did qigong at 6 am facing the mountain. The rice terraces illuminated by the morning sun looked beautiful.

6. At 9.30 am, we were ready to continue our journey along the coast, round Lombok. Before we did, Li Hoon had a picture with the friendly staff from the hotel. Unfortunately, it was low season and they had little to do.

7. Along the shady drive were many paddy fields. Some were ready for harvesting.

8. At Sira, we started to check out hotels to stay for the night, before we head for Bali the next day. We wanted a less crowded place to stay and avoided Sengigi. We checked out The Oberoi and Hotel Tugu Lombok but at more than US$200 a night, they were above our budget. Nonetheless, Sebastian Liehold, the Director of F&B of Tugu was very kind to show us around the very interesting hotel and showed us the whole range of rooms they had. We were told that the owner of the company is a keen collector of Indonesian arts and antiques and he used them to design and decorate his hotels, including moving a wooden temple from somewhere to his Sira property. It is a strongly thematic hotel which some would appreciate.

9. After some negotiation, we were delighted to check into Qunci Villas at Mangsit for US$80 a night. A chic hotel, we had a beautiful room on the first floor (I particularly like the colourful painting on the wall), with a spacious balcony and a comfortable day bed. The pool area, in my view, is the hotel's main attraction. Well designed deck chairs line one side of the pool; and facing west they were popular spots to sit and enjoy the great views afforded by the setting sun. I particularly like this sunset shot, with the stone fountain pot in the foreground, as if the light was emitting from the pot. I spent quite a bit of time in the pool.

10. In the evening, we had Indonesian dinner at Yessy Cafe at Sengigi. Mardi is the owner of the restaurant and Yessy is the name of his daughter. Mardi is 2nd from the right. He took a long time to look at my car and took picture of it with this handphone camera. He then came talking to me, telling me that he had not seen a car like mine in Indonesia, liked the look of the car and whether I was prepared to sell my car. He looked serious but was probably joking. Told him I can't as Indonesia Customs requires that I reexport my car out of Indonesia when I finish my holidays. He gave us a complimentary dessert and wanted to give us 2 coconuts to put in the car. A very nice fellow.

RURAL SUMBAWA

2009-12-02T07:52:00.021+08:00

1. Between Nov 27 to 29 (Day 44 to 46), we visited Sumbawa, an island east of Lombok, 1.5 hr away by ferry. We had originally planned to stay 3-4 days, but ended up staying 3. After Sumbawa, we planned to return to Lombok and not go further east to Flores. Li Hoon was not keen to subject herself to 8 hours of ferry ride to Flores. Also, it would be quite a stretch with only me driving.

2. Sumbawa is bigger than Bali and Lombok combined. Its 1.5 mil population is largely Muslim. Historically, 2 major linguistic groups dominated the island. One group centered in the western side of the island speaks Basa Semawa, which is close to the language spoken in Lombok; the second group in the east speaks Nggahi Mbojo, a very different language. Sumbawa Besar in the west and Bima in the east, the 2 largest towns on the island, are the focal points of Sumbawa.

3. The ferry to Pato Tano on the west coast of Sumbawa was really quite easy; paid the ticket at the gate and we were directed into the ferry. The car deck of the ferry was one-third full. The ferry was clean. It looked new. One way ticket was 322 Rp (about US$30+) for the car (and the passengers inside). The ferry departed Lombok at about 2 pm. We had a great view of Mt Rinjani as the ferry headed west towards Sumbawa.

4. Sumbawa looked beautiful, with mountains in the horizon and offshore islands in the foreground fringed with strips of white beaches, set against the sky and sea in different shades of blue, increasing the level of anticipation as the ferry approached Pato Tanto. As we approached the shoreline, we could see that the hills looked bare and dry, void of vegetation.

5. Over the 3 days, we traveled from Pato Tano to Sumbawa Besar, some 72 kms away, 1.5 hr drive; another 200+ km to Lakey Beach, along a scenic drive along the coast near the neck of Sumbawa and after venturing northwards towards Calabai for about 2 hrs and then deciding to give up and backtrack; and exploring the very challenging 120 km coastline NE of Dompu through towns such as Soromandi and Kilo which we didn't expect to be this tough.

6. Over the 3 days, we stayed at Laguna Biru (300 000 Rp, about US$ 33), reputedly one of the better hotels in Sumbawa Besar, located on a hill overlooking the port; at Aman Gati (235 000 Rp, about US$26), certainly the best hotel at Lakey Beach; and Samada Hotel (110 000 Rp, about US$12), again reputedly the best hotel in Dompu.

7. Overall, our observations of Sumbawa are as follow:

(a) Other than the Newmont mines, Sumbawa's economy appeared to be largely fishery and agriculture-based. Along the roads we traveled, we could see miles and miles of agriculture land, and from time to time, passing through fishing villages. The 2 Aussie Newmount expatriates we met at Laguna Biru told us that they mine for gold and copper in Sumbawa.

(b) The agriculture land we saw was mostly brown and dry, especially in western Sumbawa, in what looked like dried paddy fields; in great contrast to the green paddy fields we saw in Bali and Lombok. A local told us that it gets drier as one moves from west to east from Bali.

(c) Quality of the main road, from Pato Tanto to Dompu to Bima, was really quite good; sealed, mostly one way either way. Normal cars should have no problem. Off the main trunk road, it is less predictable. We tried traveling north to Calaibai, a town opposite Moyo island where Amanwana is located, and after a short stretch the road became very challenging and we gave up and backtracked. The coastal loop we took on the 3rd day to Soromandi and Kilo was about 120 km and it took us half a day. Without a 4x4, we would not have survived. It went from a relatively good road to what looked like a pedestrian trail.

(d) Sumbawa has significant tourism resources that have yet to be developed. It has a beautiful coast line, with many pretty beaches that are not developed. Other than Amanwana on Moyo island (the Aman resort that few can afford)and Lakey Beach (for surfers), we are not aware of other tourist destination. The tourism industry was practically non existent. Hotels were not easy to find in Sumbawa. If you find them, they are likely to be in the main towns like Sumbawa Besar, Dompu and Bima, the 3 largest towns in Sumbawa; and be prepared that they are likely to be very basic and we were already staying in the better hotels. The hotel we stayed in Dompu did not have power and water until 10 pm and it did not provide towel or soap. Lakey beach was reputedly to be a good surfers destination. Yet, other than the few basic hotels along the beach, there was really nothing else there. In the 3 days we were in Sumbawa, we met a few expatriates, but did not encounter any tourist. It was so unlike Bali which was overcrowded with tourists, or for that matter Lombok which was becoming crowded in some areas. It is however an opportunity to develop tourism sensitively while keeping its authentic charm.

(e) We did not see any slum in Sumbawa. In rural areas, they lived in stilt wooden houses or in brick houses for the richer ones, but they all seemed to have their own homes. People were hospitable and helpful and cheerful. Kids, like kids elsewhere, have their fair share of fun. We were there on weekend and we could see many families, especially the kids, enjoying themselves on the beach and in the water. Unlike some cities in Java, or even in Bali, where we encountered beggars at traffic junctions or along the roads, we did not encounter any at all in Sumbawa.

8. Over the 3 days, we had a number of memorable moments that would remind us of Sumbawa for a long time to come:

(a) We had a wonderful Ikan Bakar at a fishing village called Goa, not far from Laguna Biru. Li Hoon asked one of the hotel staff direction to a Ikan Bakar 99 restaurant mentioned in Lonely Planet. With our clumsy dialogue, he thought we were just looking for ikan bakar and led us on his motorbike to this coastal fishing village where they were many ikan bakar stalls. It was obviously a local destination and we were the only 2 foreigners there. At the stall, some 8-10 ladies came to join us. They were obviously curious about these 2 foreigners in a car with foreign number plate. They were very friendly. We communicated in a mix of broken Bahasa and broken English. Somehow we seemed to understand each other. Or least we thought. Ikan Bakar is really BBQ fish. We had a fish and 2 cuttle fish, with their wonderful chilli sauce for 40 000 Rp (about US$4+). But, it was the really the fun of talking to the local ladies that was fun and memorable. They had no hesitation with foreigners, very friendly and curious.

(b) From Besar to Dompu, especially the coastal stretch at the neck of Sumbawa, the coastal scenery was spectacular. The road curved up and down the hills near the coast and in the many bays we passed there were beautiful beaches, fishing villages and fish ponds. The area have all the physical attributes of Monterrey Bay in California.

(c) The very challenging drive from Dompu to Soromandi and Kilo. There were anxious moments as we traversed the ravines and streams. We were hoping for the road to improve but it
seemed to get from bad to worse, deteriorating into a pedestrian trial at one point. On hindsight, we were stretching our luck. We were lucky nothing happened. The Pajero performed well. As we were in the middle of nowhere, we cooked for ourselves instant noodle for lunch near the coast and comfortably seated in Yeow Pheng's foldable chairs.

(d) It was raining when I stopped at Soromandi to ask for direction from this group of kids. The teenage girl in the picture spoke a little English and with my broken Bahasa we communicated. Soon, 2 adults joined us. They were all soaking well but it did not bother them. One of the boys, probably 8-10, was completely naked. I gave my Mt Bromo T-shirt to this boy. Couple of other boys were only in their pants. They were very friendly and helpful, telling me hati hati, be careful, as we departed for Kilo.

9. I was happy we made the trip to Sumbawa as it was a chance to see another part of Indonesia, a largely Muslim population but distinct ethnic groups. For tourists, Sumbawa is still unspoilt, but not comfortable by international standards. Sea related activities would be wonderful, like surfing, fishing, snorkeling and diving. For this reason, I suppose that's why Aman has a resort on Moyo. For those who like to explore and do not mind some discomfort, Sumbawa offers some interesting opportunities. From tourism perspective, much more can be done.

LOMBOK

2009-11-26T23:12:00.011+08:00

1. Nov 24, Day 41: Left Melia Hotel at Nusa Dua at about 12 pm for Padangbai. Was prepared to stay the night at Padangbai and take ferry the next morning to Lombok. Along the way to Padangbai, we saw a hive of activities at one of the beaches opposite a temple. They were all dressed up for the occasion, kids included. Speaking to one of the local ladies, we had the impression it was related to a wedding ceremony.

2. Reached there at 4 pm and Li Hoon and I unanimously decided to take next ferry which was leaving at 5 pm as there was no reason to loiter at Padangbai. Other than the ferry facilities (to Lombok and the small island SE of Bali, Nusa Penida), there was a short street next to it, fronting the beach which was littered with boats, with small shops and restaurants and some small hotels nearby; really nothing much to see and do. We could see that the ferry facilities were been expanded. Also, a view of Padangbai from the departing ferry.

3. Taking the ferry was really quite easy. At the vehicle gate to the ferry area, we paid 550 000 rps (about US$60) and was waved to park the car along the road to wait for the 5 pm ferry. It arrived on time and at 5.15 we were on the way.
The vehicle deck was a quarter full and there were not many passengers. We played scrabble, read our books and dozed off a little, while the TV played loudly. We reached Lombok's Lembar port at about 9.30 pm but did not berth until about 10 pm.

4. It didnt seem that long to reach Lombok. The 5 hours passed quite quickly. Other than the half an hour or so when the ship was rolling side to side, it was a fairly smooth ride all the way.

5. We set the GPS for Sengigi beach. It was darkness most of the way and traffic was light. After passing through the sleeping Mataram, we reached Sengigi at 11pm+. We first checked Jayakarta, but it was full; apparently there was a government meeting there. Driving further north, we were happy to check into Sengigi Beach Hotel for US70 a night. We were happy to eat a packet of instant noodles, wash up and go to bed.

6. Sengigi Beach Hotel was a sprawling complex, with an adjoining villa enclave, a small but charming blue pool next to the restaurant and a fairly long beach front located in a bay. After breakfast, we strolled along the beach; beach was so so. It was early morning and there were few people on the beach. A group of young boys were playing in the water, naked. They were happy to pose for picture when we passed them again on the way back. We were followed by peddlers selling T-shirts and pushing boat services to Gili islands.

7. Behind the beach, I took over his Dad's position and played a game of table tennis with this boy.

8. We were tempted to take a boat ride to one of the Gilli islands and stay there for a night or two but decided against it. With the time saved, we reckoned we could see more of Lombok and take a ferry over and see Sumbawa. For the day, we decided to have lunch in Mataram, see the water palace and stay the night at Kuta Beach, before heading towards the ferry point to Sumbawa.

9. Near Mataram, we had our car washed by this bunch of very jovial boys for 25 000 rps (US$2.5).

10. At Mataram, we had our cheapest lunch to date, at a stall near Mataram Mall, for 16 000 rps (less than US$2) before we went looking for the Mayura Water Palace. After some circling around, we found the Palace, actually not far from Mataram Mall, along the same road. We entered through a side gate and were immediately stopped by 2 suspicious persons, one of them carrying a book asking for donation before we could enter the Palace. The book showed donations in amounts up to hundreds of thousands of rupiahs. I put down 50 000 rps (I presume they can easily add another zero later) after ascertaining that that was all that we had to pay, including guide services. The other person claimed he was a tour guide, wearing a black T-shirt with Singapore Commando logo which he said he bought in Singapore while working there a few years ago. In showing us around the palace and the Pura Meru temple next to the palace, he said that the donation would go to the renovation of the palace and temple. Lonely Planet said if pressed for entrance fee, one should only pay 1000 rps. So, I suppose we spoiled the market.

11. Built in 1744 when Lombok was part of the Balinese sultanate, there was little left of the palace, other than a big rectangular lake in a walled compound, with a floating pavilion in the middle. Apparently, this was site of a bloody battle between the Dutch and the Balinese in 1894. There were many people fishing in the artificial lake. Around the floating pavilion were interesting statues at the water edge were interesting life size statues, showing officials from various places, including Arabic and Chinese. At one end of the lake was the Pura Mera temple which was in better condition.

12. Drive to Kuta Beach in southern Lombok was fairly straightforward, passing through Praya, good road, mostly one lane either way until we were near to Kuta when the road widened to a short work-in-progress dual carriage-way. Mostly plantations and rice fields most of the way. We decided to check out Novotel Lombok Mandalika Resort.

13. Kuta is a really really small seaside town. It is known for its great white sand beaches, a surfers paradise. Passed a number of budget hotels, shops selling the usual tourists stuff and makan stalls. We saw few tourists, a couple of them on motorbikes carrying surfing boards; probably its the low season.

14. The road to Novotel led us to outside the small town, to vast expanse of mudflats on both sides with coconut trees sprouting out, and concrete stumps lining the road, cleverly raising the level of anticipation of the arriving guests. The journey was well worth it. It is a beautiful beautiful resort, with characteristic straw roofs, in warm orange colours, a clean white beach, with hills and rock structures flanking the small bay. We checked into the resort for US70 a night.

15. Sunset was sheer beauty. We watched sunset at the beach and the pool, took pictures and were just mesmerized by the views. With every passing minute, the picture changed. There and then, we decided to stay another night here.

16. Buffet dinner at the resort was accompanied by a 4 man band, playing the many popular songs that we all could relate. Cocktail party preceded dinner and it was free; a good way to get the guests to the beach. It was good party atmosphere. While dinner was still on-going, a movie screen was set up nearby, along the beach, screening a French movie.

17. Next morning, we watch 2 buffaloes, named Good and Morning, "plowing" the sand, to smooth out the many footsteps left the day before.

18. After breakfast, we took a drive eastwards towards Tanjong Aan, to see the beaches and the country side. As we traveled along, the road got from bad to worse, with more potholes, and crossed 2 wooden bridges with their doubtful conditions. After talking to a couple of locals in our broken Bahasa, we decided to keep traveling along the road to Mujur, as against backtracking, back to Kuta. After Mujur, road improved considerably. We stopped to buy a batik painting of Lombok scenery at Rembitan before reaching Kuta for lunch at Bong Cafe.

19. We didnt get to see all the beaches at and around Kuta. Other than Novotel, the area is still virgin territory; very unlike the Kuta Beach of Bali, or for that matter even when compared to Sengigi beach here in Lombok. With the new airport been built nearby, about 20 mins from Kuta we were told, and the widening of roads towards it, I would expect development would accelerate in the coming years. For those who love a quiet retreat, it is a good time to visit the Novotel resort before Kuta becomes too crowded, and its good value for money during low season.

BALI 2

2009-11-24T09:46:00.011+08:00

1. Nov 20, Day 37: We left Jamahal Resort at 12 pm+ for Munduk, a small town in north Bali, in the mountains, on the slope of the mountain ridge that comprises Gunung Batukaru, Sangiang, Lesong and Pohen. We expected nice cool weather, great view, especially when we would be passing Lake Buyan and Temblingan and a chance to trek through plantations and rice fields. We expected about 3 hours of driving, traveling northwards from Jimbaran.

2. Around Denpasar, traffic was heavy; otherwise it was generally easy driving; sealed road, one lane either way. Saw this spiky Caucasian on his motorbike, with a kid in between. He had a good sense of humour; safety wise, we were not sure. In Bali, many Caucasians, including females, moved around in hired motorbikes or scooters. Looked a good way to see Bali.

3. It was drizzling. At 3+ we stopped for lunch at Pacung, at a resort next to the main road. We had great view from the restaurant. The resort was down the slope, with straw roof wooden accommodation built next to the tiered paddy fields. Another restaurant was built cantilevered out, serving as a lookout point, affording a great view.

4. North of Lake Buyan, we started to travel westwards along a narrow ridge; to the left are the 2 beautiful lakes and to the right sloping down to a valley, with occasional houses on both sides, and then twisting and turning downhill towards Munduk.

5. Just before Munduk town, we checked out Lumbung Cottages and Puri Lumbung Cottages and decided to check into Puri Lumbung Cottages for the night for 550 000 rps. Both were in real need to improve their state of maintenance, though Puri had an edge. Based on the pictures we saw in the internet and what we saw on the ground, we could imagine Puri must have looked great when it was newer. From the balcony of our stilt cottage, we could see the paddy field a stone throw away and fascinating view of the mountains and valley.

6. It had plaques showing it had received assistance from Swiss and Australian individuals and organisations in developing the resort. It had another plaque that showed that David Bowie stayed there in 1996. The plaque was put up in 2009, more than 10 years after the event.

7. After a drive to Munduk town, we quickly concluded that the only option for dinner was at the resort itself. I had nasi goreng for dinner, while listening to a 3 man musician group playing Balinese music. Must admit that I still have difficulties discerning the tunes. Breakfast at 7.30 am brightened the day, with sun rising over the Gunungs.

8. At 8 am, we had booked ourselves trekking with Arya, a staff with the resort. The previous evening, he offered to take us trekking, saying that there were very few tour guides who could speak English here. He looked a motivated staff, performing various tasks in the resort and spoke reasonably good English. We accepted his offer at US$7 per hour. At breakfast, we offered Elliot Fein, a hotel guest like us, from New York, to join us for trekking too.

9. It was a 2.5 hour of trekking; first down the slope from we stayed to the valley, then up the slope to other side of the valley from where we could see our resort on the other side, and then up the slope back to the resort; through plantations of cloves, nutmegs, cocoa, coffee, vanilla seeds, and rice fields; along very narrow pedestrian paths used by plantation workers; and passing houses and small villages from time to time. Here, you could see Arya showing us the cocoa pod and the seeds inside. The cocoa seeds tasted sweet.

10. Passing a elderly man picking coconuts from very tall trees, Arya arranged for the man to pick a coconut each for us. On the spot, he sliced open a hole in the coconuts. It was marvelous, real thirst quenching. We gave him 30 000 rps.

11. Along the way, 2 buffaloes posed for our pictures, stopping briefly from its plowing task. An artistically erected scarecrow also made a pretty scene.

12. In Bali, it is fairly common to see women carrying things on their heads; strangely not man. They could balance tall or bulky objects, walking gracefully. We were also surprised that they could also carry heavy loads. On the way back to the resort, we saw these 3 women carrying sand from the road-side to the construction site behind the road. Was told that each bucket could easily weigh 15 kg. They must have strong necks.

13. After checking out at about 11 am, we backtracked our route up the hills. Our destination was Ubud, to see Fangping and have dinner with her. We had lunch on the ridge overlooking the Lake Buyan.

14. We reached Ubud about 3 pm. After picking up Fangping, we had a 2 hour massage at Ubud Wellness before dinner. It was the best massage I had in my trip so far. Located behind the main road, it was not easy to find. Its a small outfit, good ambience, and wonderful massage. The masseurs were very professional, certainly well trained. At about 200 000+ rps for 2 hours (about US$20+), it was very good value for money. I would add to the must-do list for visitors to Ubud.

15. Fangping had booked Mosaic for dinner. Mosaic is located in a beautiful building, with a spacious garden behind for outdoor dining. It had 4 menus to choose from, one of them vegetarian. Good ambience, good food, good service, but huge bill. Overall, damage was about 2.5 million rps (about US200), really international pricing; bust my budget.

16. Stayed the night at Puri Padi, at US$40 a night. The next day was really lazing around and clearing some emails. In the afternoon, we drove to Nusa Dua and checked into Melia Villas and Spa Resort, where Yeow Pheng and his family was staying. That evening, we had seafood dinner at Jimbaran's Menega Cafe, on the beach.

17. At dinner, Yeow Pheng and I discussed our plans going forward. With her granddaughter just recovering from her sickness in Solo, they were not comfortable to proceed to Lombok, Sumbawa and Flores while leaving her behind. The trip across the islands could be too tough for her. On Java, we felt that it was not crucial for us to see it again as we had already seen the key places; especially during my army days, in my case; more so when we had earlier decided to skip Sumatra given the uncertainties and concerns after the Padang earthquake. Given that we have to be back before Christmas, timing was also getting a little stretched. On balance, we decided that cut short our journey and end it at Bali.

18. At my end, Li Hoon and I decided to proceed with the visit to Lombok with the Pajero and return to Bali to join Fangping until the end of her yoga course in early December. I will now have to arrange to ship the car back from Bali, or at worse from Surabaya. I should be back in Singapore by the first week of December.

BALI 1

2009-11-20T09:02:00.021+08:00

1. 16 Nov, Day 33; after Mt Bromo, our plan was to head towards Bali and, if necessary, stay the night at Banyuwangi before catching the ferry to Bali the next morning. As it turned out, we reached Banyuwangi early, at about 2 pm, and decided to board the ferry immediately for Bali.

2. As we turned to head south for Banyuwangi along the coastal road, we passed through the Baluran National Park, a 25 000 ha forest reserve on the north coast of east Java, with Mt Baluran (1247m)on the left. For tens of kilometers, the area seemed burnt out. The trees looked naked without their foliage. The road that we traveled on was been resurfaced. During one of its dry spells, there must have been a fire that took away most of the foliage.

3. The ferry to Bali was clean and efficient. After paying the fee at the gate, we boarded the ferry. We left the car on the car deck and went upstairs to relax in the passenger area. Journey to Bali's Gilimanuk was about 1 hour, and we were told there were 2 services per hour. At Gilimanuk, the ferry waited for a few minutes for the landing point to be cleared. At the exit gate, we were stopped briefly by a police officer. Asking us in Bahasa, he wanted to know whats in the car, but waved us through after consulting his "boss" in the office. We were not expecting any custom check as the it was an internal movement within Indonesia. Soon, we were on the public road, traveling south towards the town.

4. The town was some 150 km away from Gilimanuk but it was a long drive to town. Road was a good road but it was only one lane either way and very often it was clogged up by slow moving trucks and buses. As we were driving into darkness, we decided to check into a hotel nearby. With GPS set for Le Meridien Nirwana Golf & Spa Resort we were led through a tortuous route through small villages and paddy fields along narrow roads, in pitch darkness. Eventually, we got there by 8 pm, both quite exhausted. I suspect the GPS was using out-dated information to get us to Le Meridien. After dinner in the hotel, we slept early. I was up at 6 am next morning and took a walk along the coast. Located close to a cliff along the shoreline, the resort golf course hugged the hotel and I could see Tanah Lot few hundred meters away (looked like a par 5 distance). Tanah Lot is one of the most visited temples in Bali. It sits on a rock along the coast and is accessible on foot during low tide. At 6+ in the morning, there were already people walking on the marshy shore near the temple.

5. Next day, Day 34, Yeow Pheng checked into hotel at Kuta Beach to await his family arriving from Solo/Spore the next day, while I linked up with my daughter, who was in Bali for yoga course. She is learning to teach yoga and her course is in Anahata Hotel in Ubud (course still on-going). As I had never been to Ubud, I was happy to drive up there and stay there while Yeow Pheng spent the weekend with his family near the beach. Fangping's yoga friends were so nice to visit her in Bali and here she was sending them off back to Singapore at Bali airport.

6. In Ubud, I stayed in Cedana Hotel along the busy Monkey Forest Street. It had quite a sizeable land area but it was only accessible from Monkey Forest Street via a 50-60 m long narrow lane, wide enough only for one car in or out, next to a restaurant. Shops, restaurants and hotels lined both sides of the narrow Monkey Forest Street and gaps between them would lead to more hotels behind. Developments looked uncontrolled. Ubud looked way over-developed; very touristic. It was convenient to stay in town, but the charming developments were those at some distance away from Ubud town, closer to the natural environment, among the paddy fields. In front of my room at Cedana was a nice pool overlooking a small paddy field.

7. At Ubud, I had some time to myself as Fangping was having her classes, Yeow Pheng with his family near the beach and Li Hoon (my wife) only arriving on Nov 19, Day 36. I walked the streets of Ubud and visited a number of attractions. At northern end of Monkey Forest Street was a sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, an area that was still green with trees and secondary vegetation with a temple within, populated by long tailed macaques. It was a quiet space to relax for a few minutes watching the monkeys playing among themselves and doing their social-bonding. A signboard warned that the monkeys might be aggressive but when I was there they were happy just doing their own things. The temple there was under repair.

8. At the other end of Monkey Street was a morning market. Leading to it, were many stalls selling clothes, handicraft (including non-powered tools), fruits and vegetables etc etc; rather untidy but here you see an interesting mix of locals doing their morning marketing and tourists browsing to see what they could buy.

9. Next to the morning market was a small religious shrine. Many locals, mostly females, were there doing their daily prayers. Along the street, it was a common sight to see ladies, dressed beautifully, placing religious offerings at their door-steps. The sale girl I spoke to said that it was a daily practice and she would prayed for good business and for good health. Morning prayers:

10. Near the morning market was Ubud Palace. Took a stroll in there (no entrance fee) but there were no explanatory boards, no guides; hardly any information. Some sections were closed to public. Took some pictures and left.

11. Walking along Jl Raya Ubud towards Museum Puri Lukisan, I passed his cafe with a beautiful lotus garden. Had a cup of coffee at the cafe while enjoying the beauty of the lotus garden.

12. The Puri Lukisan Museum was officially opened in 1956. It is dedicated to the preservation of Balinese arts heritage. It was a worthwhile visit; not just to appreciate Balinese arts but through the arts pieces gained a better appreciation of Bali culture and history. On both sides of the entrance to the main building of the museum were 2 wall paintings by a famous Balinese painter. One showed the planting of paddy seedlings while the other showed the harvesting season. Rice planting remains an important facet of life in Bali.

13. Walking down Monkey Forest, I saw these 2 ladies, enjoying the fish spa while watching life in the street- innovative entrepreneur.

14. On Nov 19, Day 36, I decided to check into a hotel in Jimbaran Beach, near the airport, to receive Li Hoon when she arrived at 7 pm that night and only traveling back to Ubud the next day. After some scouting around, found the very charming Jamahal Private Resort and Spa. It is a small property, with 13 villas, designed very tastefully, with plenty of greenery and privacy. When inside, you are in a world of your own. I could only afford this because it was low season and it was too attractive to refuse, especially when the receptionist was so friendly and helpful. It has a decent size pool and from the villa we stayed in, we could almost jump into the pool from the bedroom. We had dinner at the patio outside the bedroom and a refreshing swim at 6 am the next morning when the sun shine woke us up. When we checked out, the whole team of hotel staff, including the director, Dhita Hadisubrata, was there to send us off.