Slipstream

Growing low-oxygen zones in oceans worry scientists - Yahoo! News

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:31:30 -0800

Growing low-oxygen zones in oceans worry scientists - Yahoo! News:

Ok, this is a little scary.

"People confuse being specific with being accurate. Having details and numbers doesn’t mean you..."

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:50:00 -0800

“

People confuse being specific with being accurate. Having details and numbers doesn’t mean you understand why those things are the right choices.

My favorite part:
The trick in creative work, especially with clients, is how to explore their constraints in such a way that you do not annoy them, but that you understand the problem sufficiently well that you get at core of the problems they need to solve. And then get them to happily acknowledge these are the true problems, rather than assuming their description of their problems is sufficiently well formed to be the true target. The reason why so many projects fail is the lack of this skill on all sides: clients, executives, designers, engineers and customers all stink at this process, and dismiss it as irrelevant.

”

- Problem Solving & Kobayashi Maru « Scott Berkun (via 2105) (via infoneer-pulse)

(read this. no really, if you do design, business analysis, requirements gathering.. read this.)

(via bogodynamics)

Pudding Air Travel Redemption

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:32:42 -0800

Pudding Air Travel Redemption:

Guy earns a lifetime of free air travel by buying pudding.

juliasegal: (via asilentflute) LOLCATS Intervention…

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 06:38:46 -0800

juliasegal: (via asilentflute)

LOLCATS Intervention…

Charlie Rose sacrifices face for MacBook Air - Engadget

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:28:08 -0800

Charlie Rose sacrifices face for MacBook Air - Engadget:

With the kind of money Charlie must make and you make your money with your face, I would think that letting the laptop bounce off the pavement would be better than his face.

(via hewhocannotbenamed) I love Calvin & Hobbes

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:21:06 -0800

(via hewhocannotbenamed)

I love Calvin & Hobbes

Thailand and Cambodia Reviews

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 03:23:00 -0800

Thailand

Thailand was the sixth destination on our world tour. We left Bali with stars in our eyes and not sure what we’d find in Thailand. We flew into Bangkok at night and nearly got lost in the airport. Yes, it is that big. We had no idea how big Bangkok is until we were riding in a taxi bound for the city. It is massive. It appears that the city started near the river and grew outward from there.

A night ride through the streets of Bangkok is like stepping into the movie Bladerunner. There are people everywhere and the streets are quite narrow, sometimes barely wide enough for a car to slide between the food stands and other mobile businesses that line the curbs and walls. There is steam rising from the many cafe style restaurants, blindingly bright lights detailing the knock-off Gucci and Louis Vuitton bags, shoes and wallets and the other miscellaneous shop merchandise. Neon tubes illuminate peoples’ faces with a dozen unnatural colors. Your senses are on overload. The smells of Pad Thai, roasted, fried and baked meat and vegetables, nuts, tropical fruits and unidentifiable piles of chopped brown chunks. There are Roti stands with banana, sweetened condensed milk, chocolate sauce and powdered sugar to satisfy any sweet tooth and then some. Tuk Tuks taking tourists to temptations. You can get pretty much anything you want in Bangkok, for a price. Whatever you see on the street can, and should be, haggled for as these items are all priced high for unaware tourists. During the off season you can usually get something for half the asking price, but during the high season you will be lucky to get 20% off. One strategy is to go late, just before the stands are closing, and ask the vendor what his/her best price is. Sometimes it will be cheaper than you expected to pay.

Our first hotel, the Citin Pratunam, is situated right in the middle of the action. We never had to go more than a couple blocks for anything. We had some of the best Thai food we’ve ever had just outside the front door of the hotel. A 7-Eleven type convenience store was across the street for any incidentals and beer. A Roti stand could always be found on our block. The laundry was two blocks away. A movie house and mega mall was about four blocks away. A short Tuk Tuk ride would get us to the elevated train and from there we could get to just about everywhere else in the city. We were in the heart of convenience.

While in Bangkok, we arranged for a trip to head north to Ayutthaya and eventually Chiang Mai then return to Bangkok before heading east to Cambodia. Taking the train from Bangkok to Ayutthaya we were in the 3rd class car as it was a short two hour ride. They were comfortable cars with bench seating. For the next leg of our trip north we upgraded to a second class sleeper car. This was a basic sleeper car with two rows of bunks that lined each side of the car. Faizah took the upper bunk while I was on the lower. We were served dinner and breakfast in the convertible beds/chairs for a small fee. The food was decent but reminiscent of airline food with segregated food trays covered with plastic wrap.

Ayutthaya is a former capitol of Thailand, as was Chiang Mai, before Bangkok took that honor. We took the train from Bangkok to Ayutthaya and stayed in a lovely place called Baan Thai House with about a dozen individual bungalow style rooms. The property was away from the main hustle and bustle of the city center which made for a nice, quiet retreat. Ayutthaya has a large number of ancient temples and other structures in ruins. Because Thailand is predominantly Buddhist the majority of the temples are as well. One of the most famous attractions is a Buddha statue head encased in tree roots. There is a nightly laser light show at one of the oldest sites complete with cannons and fireworks. The cost was beyond our budget but we still heard the cannons and fireworks.

Upon arrival in the Chiang Mai train station we located our group handler and were gathered with our fellow tourists, most of whom were from the UK. This brings up an interesting point; on our world tour we rarely meet other Americans and when we do they are usually on a short two week stay wherever we are at the time. Very few Americans set out on adventures to see the world. This is shameful. It also explains the attitude most Americans have about the rest of the world: “Huh? Where? What’s that?” If nothing else, I hope that these reviews I write inspire you (American or otherwise) to travel, to see the world. There is a lot to see out here and the people you meet and experiences you have will enrich your life forever. No kidding.

Chiang Mai was another surprise to us as we expected a much smaller city. Again, our hotel, Lanna House, was located close to the action and we could walk to any number of fantastic eateries, shopping stalls galore and at least a dozen used book stores. Having breakfast included is a very common thing in Asian hotels we have come to find. They range from the basic eggs, toast, juice and meat fare to lavish buffets with omelette stations, crepes, dozens of different fruit choices and gourmet dishes. At the Lanna House we were closer to the low end of the scale.

Thailand was celebrating the 82nd birthday of their king while we were there. The king of Thailand is the longest ruling living monarch in the world. The royal family is highly revered and to insult the royal family in any way is a criminal offense and could possibly land you in prison. I found this out through Wikipedia, but I had to load a cached version of the Wiki page through Google. While reading the Wiki page I found out why; Thailand blocks this page from being viewed while connected through their networks. The thing is, I couldn’t find any disparaging remarks about the king on this page. I guess they have their reasons.

While in Chiang Mai we embarked on a three-day trek through the mountains of the surrounding area. We hiked through villages, rice fields, jungles, rivers and waterfalls. We passed by dogs, cows, pigs, huge spiders, snakes and numerous birds. We slept in huts with bamboo floors and ate local food. We showered in a waterfall. We warmed ourselves by campfires. It was a great camping adventure. Toward the end of our trek we were treated to a ride on an elephant. Two people sit side by side on a specially fitted bench behind the elephant “driver” who sits atop the pachyderm’s neck. It was a preset course and the animals seem to know it well. Various vendors would sell you bananas and sugar cane to give to your elephant along the route. After the elephant ride we were taken down river on bamboo rafts that barely sat above water. No photos were taken as our cameras are not waterproof but we had a good time getting soaked in the cool river.

The day after our trek through the jungle, Faizah took an all day cooking class where she made all sorts of great Thai dishes. I can’t wait to get home and try them out.

On the return train ride from Chiang Mai we rode in the first class car and we loved it. We had a cabin to ourselves which spanned nearly the entire width of the car, save for the hallway just outside our locking door. We still slept in bunks but did not have to worry about our belongings in a semi-public space. The orientation of the bunks made for a more restful sleep so that when we arrived in Bangkok we felt ready for the ten hour bus ride to Cambodia. Ok, no one is ever “ready” for a ten hour bus ride to Cambodia, but we were, well… awake.

Cambodia

While in Thailand we detoured into Cambodia. A holiday from our holiday if you will. Our experience of Cambodia was limited to Siem Reap, the northern end of lake Tonle Sap, and the temples of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and the surrounding area. We arrived at night into Siem Reap after an overnight train from Chiang Mai to Bangkok and a bus ride from Bangkok to the border and yet another bus from Poipet to Siem Reap. This was a long travel day.

Crossing the border at Poipet from Thailand into Cambodia is an experience to say the least. First you have to get your Cambodian visa approved which is facilitated by a “handler” on the Thailand side. The visa itself is about $22US but when you tack on the handling fee it’s closer to $36US. You could apply for the visa yourself quite easily if you know where to go. The handler will tell you that this might delay your entry into Cambodia and you might have to take another bus two hours later, but the choice is yours. Once you get to the border you walk across a sort of political “no man’s land” in the form of a bridge. After crossing the bridge you are handed back your passport with the visa in place just in time to have it stamped by someone in uniform who asks you no questions. There might as well be a turnstile and a hand stamp.

Siem Reap has been built up on the tourist dollars that bring people from all over the world to see Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom. It’s inhabitants deal mostly in the tourist trade. Outside of tourism, Cambodia relies on its textile industry. From what I’ve read and heard from visitors, Siem Reap is the best of what Cambodia has to offer in terms of tourist comforts. It is just south of Angkor Wat by a 20 to 30 minute taxi or Tuk Tuk ride. Further to the north is Angkor Thom and to the east of those two sites are a number of smaller, though no less impressive, temples. To the south of Siem Reap is a large lake called Tonle Sap. It is home to hundreds of people living in floating “villages” of homes and other assorted structures. When the rains and subsequent floods happen each year, these people take their homes to higher ground on trailers and vehicles. It’s an incredible thing to see how these people live on the water.

Cambodian cuisine was a surprise to us. We weren’t expecting anything beyond average Asian fare but the food we found was fantastic. There seems to be a bit of French influence left over from the occupation many years ago. We enjoyed a Cambodian BBQ restaurant in Siem Reap where various meats were brought to the table. The usual beef, chicken, pork and seafood, but then we also got to enjoy crocodile meat. Crocodile meat has a texture similar to fish but tastes a lot like chicken. Yes, the old adage is true, many things DO taste like chicken.

Most Cambodians live below the western standards of poverty. On average they make less than one US dollar a day. There are wooden shacks lining the banks of rivers throughout Siem Reap. We were never approached by anyone asking outright for money or help. However, there were plenty of persistent vendors in the Angkor complexes selling everything from water and soda to jewelry and clothing. We were warned to watch our belongings but never had a problem with anyone trying to take anything from us. There does seem to be a problem with the number of young children working the stores and parking areas. At one of the last places we stopped three young boys, about ten or eleven years old, approached us for the hard sell. They asked us where we were from and upon our replies they recited all sorts of random (and mostly incorrect) facts about America; the population, number of states, and everyone’s favorite new president, Obama. One of them gave me a bracelet as a gift and would not take it back. He did seem rather upset when we didn’t visit his store to buy water we didn’t need. Most of the items for sale around the temples are of low quality and overpriced.

The Cambodian currency is called the Riel. While we were there the exchange rate was about 4,000 Riel to $1US. Exchanging Dollars for Riels was not entirely necessary as most businesses will take US dollars as easily as they take Riels. Some actually prefer dollars. That being said, we found it advantageous to have both currencies in situations where sometime cost less than a dollar’s worth of Riels. It’s best to be aware of how much things should cost however as the tourists in Siem Reap usually get charged a higher price for goods and services.

Angkor Wat is a large complex with a central court of buildings surrounded by manicured grass fields and a few ponds. Surrounding it all is a large wall that runs the entire outside perimeter and a water moat around the west entrance that funnels visitors through a series of stone arches and gates. We arrived before sunrise with hundreds of other tourists stumbling around in the dark over the uneven stone walkways. As the predawn light began to filter over the top of the main buildings people huddled together in front of a large Lotus pond just to the left of the main walkway through the central courtyard. It was a sea of LCD screens and aberrant flashes of amateur photographers attempting to capture the cool morning beauty. We tired of the jockeying quickly and decided to proceed into the temple to escape the noise and elbows. This turned out to be a very wise choice.

The solemn beauty of Angkor Wat is best experienced in very small groups or even alone if possible. There is a wonderful sense of discovery at dawn as the sun slowly reveals more and more detail with every passing minute. The tranquility of the interior is disturbed only by shuffling feet, whispers and the occasional flapping of bird’s wings. It is truly a privilege to experience this place. As we continued through the building and out through the east entrance we noticed a considerable restoration effort was under way and expected to be completed some time in 2010. Once outside the central structure we continued east through a small forest of large majestic looking trees. Just at the edge of the trees we turned around to see the sun striking the temple with its golden rays.

Departing Angkor Wat our driver took us north into the larger Angkor Thom complex. Greeting all visitors at the south entrance is a bridge lined with seated stone figures which lead up to a large stone gateway below a multi-faced tower. Faces are a common architectural element at Angkor Thom. They seem to be everywhere, almost like guardians. These temples were once dedicated to Hinduism but are now actively used as Buddhist temples. None of the major architectural elements have been changed so the history of these structures is still intact save for centuries of environmental decay.

Getting back onto the tourist drive, we stopped at a small opening in the forest. Our driver motioned to the opening for us to walk through and said he would meet us on the other side. It was a bit sketchy but after seeing a few westerners coming out we were able to breathe a little easier. Along the passage we encountered a couple local bands playing music and hawking their CD’s. At the end of the path through the forest was a stone wall built around and through a number of large trees leading up to a building that was clearly in a serious state of disrepair. A crew of workers appeared to be making slow progress on the renovation of the grounds and encompassed structures. Surprisingly, we could actually walk into these structures without being run off by a docent or security guard. No security tape or blocked passages. Personal safety was not a priority. As we continued through the complex we saw a number of large trees that seemed to sprout up in the middle of the walls, growing into an intertwining puzzle of branches, roots, blocks and mortar. In some places it was difficult to tell which part was being held up by the other.

Our return trip to Thailand started at 6am in Siem Reap and concluded around 8pm at our hotel in Bangkok. Nothing was on time that day.

Thailand (Part 2)

Our second hotel in Bangkok was across a large street from the train station. It was located in a mostly industrial section of the city. We spent Christmas there and it was pretty much a non-event save for a Skype call back home to the rest of the family. This was not a new concept for us as we spent Thanksgiving in Bali. What we came to find is that we are the ones that make the holidays mean what they mean. Aside from missing friends and family it was a relief to be away from the mass commercialization of the holidays.

The missing of loved ones was quickly replaced with a sense of excitement though as our friends Carrie, Jenn and Brie would be joining us over the next two days. Carrie arrived first on the day after Christmas and the following day we all moved to a different hostel called Urban Age in a much better neighborhood. Brie and Jenn joined us there. We were elated to see our good friends from back home.

After the lovely ladies had settled in we set out to explore the city on foot. The Patpong district was just down the street from where we were staying. It is known as the red light district of Bangkok, but there is more shopping, restaurants and bars than the adult entertainment type places. On every corner was a guy holding fliers advertising the various “acts” that can be viewed at the clubs. I won’t go into too much detail here so you will have to use your imagination, but I will say that there were things that I didn’t even think were possible. We did visit one such place. We were lured in with the false promise of cheap beer. The cheap beer is a ploy to get you to go in and sit down. What they don’t tell you is that once you sit down you are going to get charged for the various shows that are performed on stage whether or not you actually watch them. This is discovered when the bill is presented for 4,000 Baht (around $120 US) for what was assumed just a couple of small beers at 100 Baht each. When you protest the astronomical bill the two to three “hosts” that delivered the news begin to raise their voices and act tough. If you find yourself in a similar situation, what I can recommend is what we did; pay for the beers only and leave immediately. They might yell and usher you out but this is part of the game.

After our Patpong ping-pong show, we continued to walk through the hundreds of vendor stands that clogged the streets. There are a crazy assortment of clothes, home decor and cheap toys/office distractions. It’s a tightly packed environment where you need to keep your head up to avoid running into people at every step. You weave serpentine style in between the hawkers and oncoming sidewalk shoppers.

The next day we headed out to the west end of Bangkok along the river to see the Grand Palace and Khao San Road. Riding the elevated train in Bangkok is like coming up for air while swimming. It gives your mind a chance to breathe in the views unencumbered by waves of people, taxis and buildings. At the end of our train ride we descended the stairs and made our way into one of the many water taxis. We were warned by the manager of Urban Age to not purchase a ticket at one of the tourist booths as they charged as much as twenty times what you would pay on the boat. With that in mind, we crammed into one of the long people movers with at least a hundred other passengers.

We disembarked at dock nine close to the palace and made our way through the various vendor stands of shoes, fruit, bamboo fans and other assorted wares. After crossing the street and walking along side a large white wall we arrived at the entrance with several armed guards. Once inside the gates we could see the amazing structures of the palace grounds. The admission price is quite steep for Thailand standards but it’s well worth the money paid. If you find yourself in Bangkok, this is a must do.

After walking through the temples, shrines and other buildings, including the world’s largest reclining Buddha, we headed to Khao San Road. Khao San is known for its incredibly cheap accommodations and night spots. There are no cars allowed but the occasional scooter could take you out if you aren’t paying attention. After walking around all day the girls decided to get their feet pampered.The pampering was performed by hundreds of fish. Yes, fish “massaged” their feet.

The next day we all flew to Phuket on three separate flights. We regrouped at the airport so we could take one taxi to Patong Beach. Patong is a warm, beach town on the west coast of Thailand. Our hotel was just a fifteen minute walk to the beach and the main drag where most of the restaurants and clubs are located. We had a couple days to scope out the town and figure out where we would be spending New Year’s Eve.

On New Year’s Eve day we got up early to head to the beach do some snorkeling, and soak up some sun before returning to the hotel for a pre-festivities nap. Just south of Patong Beach is a stretch of coast called Karon Beach with all sorts of water activities to do; paragliding, jet skiing, diving, snorkeling and more. We pulled up to one of the many beachside grass hut cafes to have breakfast and rent a couple lounge chairs and umbrellas. The water temperature was like taking a warm bath. The drop off from the shore was very gradual and gives beginners a chance to get acclimated and figure out any issues with gear before getting into deep water. The visibility varied from a few feet in the stirred up areas to as much as twenty feet in the calmer areas. The experience was worthwhile but the location we chose was not ideal. I think if we had gone out to a reef or island away from the mainland shore the visibility would have been much better.

After resting up from the sun and surf we made our way down into the city in a Tuk Tuk. This night we were unable to get closer to the main beach in Patong than a few blocks by taxi, so the rest of the journey was made on foot. The city was an explosion of people and partying. The streets were flooded with bodies where cars usually ruled. We managed to get down to a central restaurant for dinner and struggled to get out of there before the strike of midnight. We wanted to be on the beach with drinks in hand before the clock’s big hand was on the little hand. After slaloming through the crowd we arrived on the beach and at the front of a bar line to purchase five cans of suds. YAY CHANG! With cans in hands we counted down the numbers together. FIVE! FOUR! THREE! TWO! ONE! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! Objective achieved. The rest of the night was a blur of people, drinks, high fives, music, fireworks and paper lanterns flying high in the sky.

The next day was, as expected, quiet. Breakfast was enjoyed around 2pm. People moved more slowly than normal and voices were kept low. The sound of car horns were met with hostile hand gestures. A good time was had and now payment was due. Air conditioning never felt so vital. Sprite was an elixir. The names of certain drinks were not to be uttered or the violator was punished with harsh stares and expulsion from the conversation.

The following day Faizah and I flew back to Bangkok as the next morning we had a flight to catch to Bangladesh. We stayed at a small hotel called the Paragon Inn where Faizah and I hibernated before our adventure into what we assumed was to be a departure from western conveniences. In some ways we were right, but mostly we were pleasantly surprised. More about that in my next reviews of Bangladesh and India. The Paragon is ultra close to the airport and is a nice place to stay for one or two nights if Bangkok is a stop over for a business traveler or wayward tourist. It’s distance from the main city make it less ideal for someone looking to get out and explore Bangkok.

Overall Thailand was a fantastic place to visit. The food is amazing, the culture is steeped in tradition, the people are kind and for the most part, honest. There are fantastic things to behold. Your Dollar, Pound or Euro will go far. You don’t have to worry much about sacrificing western standards of comfort, but you might have to relax your expectations. Travel within the country is easy, whether by train, tuk tuk, bus or plane. If shopping is your thing, Thailand is your place. Bangkok has so much to sell and for such low prices that some people come just to shop. We highly recommend Thailand as a destination and would go back without hesitation.

To see the Thailand photo sets on Flickr, you can visit Faizah’s and Cooper’s.

To see the Cambodia photo sets on Flickr, you can visit Faizah’s and Cooper’s.

Enlightened - Part of the Bangladesh set on Flickr...

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 01:55:56 -0800

Enlightened - Part of the Bangladesh set on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/coopergriggs/sets/72157623368186235/ http://flic.kr/p/7GCLtb

Mavericks takes down the crowd!

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 04:33:49 -0800

Mavericks takes down the crowd!

Eat Me http://flic.kr/p/7A8Jt8

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 05:25:55 -0800

Eat Me http://flic.kr/p/7A8Jt8

Atheists Will Take Care of Your Pets After the Rapture

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 08:29:07 -0800

Atheists Will Take Care of Your Pets After the Rapture:

amomenttothink:

Bart Centre, 61, a retired retail executive in New Hampshire has started a service called Eternal Earth-Bound Pets that promises to rescue and care for animals left behind by the saved. Promoted on the Web as “the next best thing to pet salvation in a Post Rapture World,” the service has attracted more than 100 clients, who pay $110 for a 10-year contract ($15 for each additional pet.) If the Rapture happens in that time, the pets left behind will have homes—with atheists. Centre has set up a national network of godless humans to carry out the mission.

Centre doesn’t think he will ever have to follow through on the service he offers. But he believes in virtuous acts. His Web site directs about $200 a month in proceeds from Google ads to food banks in Minnesota and New Hampshire. And to pet owners, he has already delivered something of great value: peace of mind, for just 92 cents a month. “If we thought the Rapture was really going to happen,” Centre says, “obviously our rate structure would be much higher.”

[via kateoplis]

Brilliant.

r00ts: I hope Louis CK gets a cut from this. nickelcobalt:...

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 02:44:19 -0800

r00ts:

I hope Louis CK gets a cut from this.

nickelcobalt: Norse Projects 2010 Spring/Summer February Releases

notentirely: dailyme: White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs...

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 01:32:57 -0800

notentirely:

dailyme: White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs has the words “Eggs, Milk, ~~Bread~~, Hope, Change” written in marker on his hand as he briefs reporters after President Barack Obama made an unannounced visit to the James Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2010. Former Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin has been seen with hand written notes on her hands in recent public appearances. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Read more →

this pretty much makes my ~~day~~ week.

I thought this was Photoshopped at first… too funny.

Towers of Buddha - Check out the recent photos from Thailand! http://flic.kr/p/7Acze5

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 03:37:49 -0800

Towers of Buddha - Check out the recent photos from Thailand! http://flic.kr/p/7Acze5

That be some serious language there Mr. Weiqun. Them sounds like fightin’ werds....

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:43:43 -0800

That be some serious language there Mr. Weiqun. Them sounds like fightin’ werds. http://disq.us/ao6sp

"In the meantime, Adobe and Microsoft will continue to stamp their feet and whine."

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 23:35:57 -0800

bogodynamics:infoneer-pulse:doublejack:

”[…] Think of the millions of hours of human effort spent on preventing and recovering from the problems caused by completely open computer systems. Think of the lengths that people have gone to in order to acquire skills that are orthogonal to their core interests and their job, just so they can get their job done.

If the iPad and its successor devices free these people to focus on what they do best, it will dramatically change people’s perceptions of computing from something to fear to something to engage enthusiastically with. I find it hard to believe that the loss of background processing isn’t a price worth paying to have a computer that isn’t frightening anymore.”

— Frasier Speirs (via @jasonfried)

If you work in technology, read this article—if the points being made aren’t true of the iPad, they will be true of some device in the future.

Thailand Photos and Videos on Flickr

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 05:03:42 -0800

Thailand Photos and Videos on Flickr:

Got the second half of the Thailand photos and videos online. These include The Grand Palace in Bangkok and New Year’s Eve in Patong with the girls. Enjoy!

Holiday in Cambodia

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:13:15 -0800

Holiday in Cambodia

Cambodia Photos and Videos on Flickr!

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 23:31:26 -0800

Cambodia Photos and Videos on Flickr!

Bali Review

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 23:26:00 -0800

Bali was the fifth stop on our world tour, behind New Zealand, Australia, Fiji and Hawaii. Bali is one of many islands in the country of Indonesia. It is quite small in comparison to other Indonesian islands like Java and Sumatra, but is densely populated with more than 3.5 million people. Balinese people are incredibly kind, honest and humble. Located in the tropics, Bali is covered with foliage and has warm to hot weather year-round. Green is everywhere and there is never a shortage of food to eat.

Holding more than ninety percent of the population, the dominant religion in Bali is Hinduism. The Balinese have a slightly different flavor of Hinduism than that found in India. The next largest demographic belongs to Islam with less than five percent of the population. Christianity and Buddhism round out the secular list. Because most Balinese are hindus there are an incredible number of temples on the island.

The island of Bali was formed by a series of volcanoes with the most recent eruption happening in the 1960’s at Mount Agung in the east. Being formed by volcanoes, the island is rather mountainous with steep slopes over most of the island and relatively flatter land in the south. The soil is rocky in most places and the Balinese people cultivate the dark volcanic deposits from a number of rivers to be used in brick construction.

We started our travel day in New Zealand with an early morning flight to Sydney where we had a layover of about five hours and an airline change. This required us to pass through Australian immigration and customs again. When we visited Australia two months prior we discovered how expensive it was so you can imagine how expensive the airport was in relation. Ten dollar sandwiches and six dollar coffees mixed with the Jetstar purchased airplane meals made for a budget busting day. We (wrongly) assumed that international flights served drinks and meals included with the cost of the ticket. Another travel lesson learned.

We flew into Bali near the capital city of Denpasar with a rather dramatic landing. Because the runway begins very close to the shore, approaching aircraft appear, to the passengers, to be landing in the water until the last ten seconds of flight. After getting our bags and shuffling through customs, we needed to purchase two $25(US) tourist visas. The only barrier to doing this transaction quickly was that five or six hundred other people had arrived concurrently which put us in line for a good hour or more as we were processed through Indonesian immigration.

Aside from Fiji, this was the only other destination, so far, where English was not the primary language so everything was exotic and foreign to us. Luckily, English is the de facto language for foreigners so we were able to make our way around without much trouble. The Balinese people usually speak a minimum of three languages, especially if they have to deal with tourists. There is the official language of Indonesian, Balinese and then English. We also heard a number of other languages being spoken around the island including Japanese, Mandarin, Cantonese, German and French. With its close proximity to Australia, Bali is the favorite cheap vacation destination in much the same way Mexico is for Americans. This is especially true for the many surfers that come to surf the world famous Ulu Watu. More on this later.

We had booked a hotel in Sanur called Pondok Ayu which included a pick up from the airport. It’s a very welcome relief to see your name on a sign held by a local driver after a long day of travel, especially when visiting a foreign land. It basically means that you can relax once you get to the car as everything is taken care of between the airport and where you rest your head for the night. Pondok Ayu is a small, five-room hotel, but it felt more like a homestay with an extremely attentive and gracious staff. We were spoiled every minute of our four-day stay with scrumptious breakfasts, a beautiful pool area and a large room and bathroom. Internet access was reasonable and we took advantage of it to research the rest of our stay in Bali.

Similar to Fiji and Hawaii, there were Geckos everywhere. They came out mostly at night (mostly), clinging to the walls and ceilings like they were painted there, gobbling up any small insects unfortunate enough to land nearby.

Sanur is a bustling beachside city with modern conveniences, plenty of shopping areas and fantastic gastronomic haunts. Along the beach walk there are beautiful women offering to give you massages, vendors hawking toys and other hand made items and ocean view restaurants with tables in the sand. From one of these small storefronts we purchased thirteen DVD’s for 100,000 Rupiahs. This converted to just under eleven US dollars. We assumed they were bootlegged movies but also realized that this was the only way we were going to see some of the titles we purchased while traveling. A couple were either broken/had missing content, or started half-way into the movie. Of the remaining selections, we saw some in the theaters in America, or we liked enough to merit a purchase of a legitimate copy once we return home. For most people in Bali, I imagine that this is the only way they could see these movies as theaters were nonexistent in the cities we visited and legitimate copies are difficult to find and are cost prohibitive.

While in Sanur we took a half day drive down to Ulu Watu in the south to see the beach and a Hindu temple. The beach there is incredibly beautiful and is home to a world famous surf spot. We knew that we would have to come back before we left Bali. Before sunset we toured the cliffside temple. The temple is home to hundreds of monkeys and a few dogs. The monkeys are fairly aggressive with the tourists and will grab things that interest them like glasses, earrings, necklaces, etc. Basically anything with shiny stuff. Just before the sun finally set we, and hundreds of other tourists, made our way to a small, circular, outdoor theater where we would watch the Kecak (catch-ak) and fire dance. The performance is accompanied, if not dominated, by fifty shirtless men chanting and making all kinds of interesting sounds. There were no musical instruments, just these guys who are as much a part of the performance as the main dancers. It’s an fantastic thing to watch and should be experienced if you find yourself in Bali.

Leaving Sanur and heading east along the coast we stayed a few days in Candidasa (chan-dee-da-sa) at a beach front hotel for about $35 a night. From our room we could see and hear the crashing waves, see a couple smaller islands, the passing fishing boats and unbelievably gorgeous sunsets. While in Candidasa we hired a boat to take us to a reef where we snorkeled around for a couple hours. The reef was not as vibrant as what we saw at Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, but still very beautiful and full of marine life. There was a cleaner fish that particularly liked Faizah and I. I saw it swim up from the bottom of the reef and start ‘cleaning’ Faizah’s skin. When I alerted Faizah to this she started to become ticklish from it’s attention, which is not so good when you are snorkeling. When I tried to shoo it away the fish merely moved to the other side of Faizah’s body. Eventually I was able to get it to leave her alone but then it turned its attention to me and it was indeed very ticklish.

We mostly relaxed and enjoyed our time alone while in Candidasa as it is a quiet little one-road town. Our journey to our next destination would take us north through the middle of the island. We went to the Mother Temple, or Besakih, not knowing how incredible this place is. The compound is huge and contains hundreds of structures over many acres. Not all of the areas are accessible by tourists as it is a functioning Hindu temple. The main building component for the structures is volcanic rock so the predominant color is a dark grey/black which makes the splashes of color very vibrant. The pagoda style buildings are especially beautiful as they are adorned with gold and red ornamentation at each and every level. Besakih is a stunning place and is also on the must visit list for Bali.

Between Besakih and our next destination of Lovina is a currently dormant volcano and lake of the same name inside a large caldera crater. Mount Batur and Lake Batur are massive in size. You can still see the lines where the lava was flowing down the sides of the cone in the middle of the crater. We had lunch at an expensive (for Bali) restaurant that has a picture postcard view of the crater and lake. We noted that our driver chose the restaurant and that he received a free lunch by taking us there. Driver kickbacks are quite commonplace in heavily touristed areas.

It’s possible to rent a vehicle in Bali but not advised as there are so many cheap alternatives. Hiring a driver to take from one side of the island to the other is preferred so you can take in the sites. Once you get to where you are going, taking local taxis, or catching a Bemo is a cheap way to get around to local spots or you can hire (rent) a scooter. Riding a scooter in Bali will put you in the majority as most people in Bali seem to ride them. Only a small percent drive cars or trucks. They drive on the left side of the road in Bali, most of the time. At other times they will drive wherever they feel like driving which is a bit of a shock when you are accustomed to a particular manner of driving. Overall it looks scarier than it is.

Our hotel in Lovina was lovely. It had a great pool, was right on the beach and the restaurant served decent food. Mosquitos were a bit of a problem but this was normal for Bali as they were everywhere. The good part was that they only came out at night in most places and the bites would not last too long. While in Lovina we managed to find a few really great places to eat and met a nice American couple with whom we joined for dinner at one of these places. It was located right on the beach, served great food, Arak drinks and had a great, three-piece, live band. Arak is a clear to cloudy liquor produced in Bali. It is similar to vodka but with a unique, more palatable flavor. As soon as we get back to the states we are going to look for it or a way to import it as it is delicious!

While in Lovina we opted for an early morning boat ride to hopefully see some dolphins. What we didn’t count on was that hundreds of other people opted to do the same activity that day. It was a bit of a zoo and I felt bad for the dolphins who must have felt like they were being hunted as whenever they would surface all boats would converge on them like some kind of maritime feeding frenzy. When the number of boats thinned a bit, we were able to see some of the dolphins playing and jumping out of the water. It was a nice way to start the day and end the dolphin trip.

Bali has rolling blackouts that render small areas of the island powerless for two to four hours. The larger hotels and some restaurants had diesel or gas powered generator back-ups. The Balinese take this in stride and no one seems to get upset about it. We learned to do as the locals do as we experienced a dozen power outages over the three week stay. There seemed to be an effort happening in some of the major cities to upgrade or expand the electrical infrastructure so it’s possible that the blackouts will soon be a thing of the past.

After Lovina we decided to stay in Ubud for about five days. On our travel day between these locations we visited Munduk Waterfall, a few lakes, Ulun Danu, some beautiful rice fields, and Tanahlot. Munduk is a lesser visited waterfall that requires a little more walking than the more popular waterfalls but it makes up for this with the absence of a crowd. In fact, when we visited Munduk there wasn’t anyone else there. Returning up the path we passed four other people on their way to see it. Munduk is a beautiful spot carved out of the hillside with the falls on one side and lush green foliage that ascends vertically up the cliff face. Ulun Danu is a location where a Hindu temple, a Buddhist temple and a Islamic mosque are all within a couple hundred meters of each other. The Hindu temple is lakeside with more pagoda-style structures. The Buddhist temple is quite small by comparison but is no less respected and the mosque is across the main road with a towering minaret. The rice fields were incredibly beautiful and serene. The emerald land buts up against the mountains and stretches out as far as you can see. When we were there a storm was hitting the mountains which made for a fantastic backdrop. Lightning, thunder, a little occasional rain and a TV show. Yes, a cooking show was being shot while we were there. The rice fields are yet another “can’t miss it” tourist destination. Finally, we made it to Tanahlot before heading to our hotel in Ubud. Tanahlot is a highly photographed place with a temple located on a rock cluster cut off from the rest of the island. It is arguably the most visited attraction of Bali.

Our arrival at the hotel in Ubud was breathtaking. Kebun Indah is a small, eight suite hotel that requires a bit of a trek down the path from the main road but is so very worth it. We were greeted with fresh squeezed juice, a fresh fruit basket and a view of the rice fields and a beautiful refreshing pool. It was absolutely fabulous and the staff were incredibly kind and thoughtful. We were served breakfast on a deck just outside our room door as part of our accomodations.

Ubud is possibly the most expensive city in Bali as most things seem to cost about 10-30% more than the other places we stayed in Bali. Ubud is known as the cultural arts center of the island as so much is created or performed there. While in Ubud we were lucky enough to be shown around by a local. We got to see the studio of a world class jewelry company called PamelaJames. After that we were taken to a typical Balinese home and finally we dined at a famous restaurant that had moved to the owner’s home because the restaurant was being used for a wedding.

A couple friends (Andreas and Katja) we first met in Fiji came to Bali at the same time we were there so we met up in Ubud and spent the day together eating at some fantastic restaurants and walking through the Monkey Forest. The Monkey Forest is located at the south end of Ubud and encompasses many acres of giant Banyan trees and small creeks making it an ideal place for Monkeys to literally hang out and assault the tourists. For a small entrance fee and a little more for bananas you could enter the park and suddenly become the main attraction for the resident Macaque Monkeys. They will attempt to pull anything out of your hands that looks like food or something fun for them. One even climbed onto Katja’s shoulders and would not leave without some necessary persuasion from Andreas. Instead of jumping down from Katja’s neck to the ground, the monkey took the action as a suggestion to climb onto Andreas. Eventually he was able to shed the furry freeloader. The baby monkeys were adorable especially while eating and posing for tourist shots.

For our entire stay in Bali we hadn’t seen a single snake, until one very hot day in Ubud when we saw three in less than an hour and all within 100 meters of our hotel. The first was just a few steps from our room on the stairs leading up the side of the property. I nearly stepped on the two foot serpent as Faizah jumped back in shock behind me. Luckily it was not in the mood to strike at me or I would have been making a trip to the hospital that day. Instead it quickly made its way past us and into the bushes. The second snake was just two more staircases up but much small at a mere seven or eight inches in length. This snake had no interest in us either and any gesture toward it would cause the critter to slither in the opposite direction. The third snake was the scariest looking one but was the furthest away. We nearly made it to the street when we spied a large four or five foot black snake quickly making its way up the path to avoid us. It was clearly avoiding us as it’s initial course was in our direction. I attempted to take some photos but it had escaped too quickly up a small concrete staircase and into a vacant yard. From that point on we were VERY aware of our footsteps but we didn’t see any more snakes for the duration of our stay.

We cut short our stay in Ubud by one day so we could enjoy that time at our next and final destination in Bali; Ulu Watu. Ulu Watu is a magical, beautiful village of shops, restaurants and a surf spot built into a steep hillside with breath taking views and a constantly revolving population of surfers, tourists and locals all staring out to sea. Accommodations are very polarized with a super expensive villa style hotel at the top of the cliff and the expense chart, and a small four room bare-bones place located half-way down the bluff. This latter location suited our budget and our style. The view from the shared balcony was right out of the hundreds of surf movies I’ve watched since I was twelve. We had made it. Within an hour of arriving I had changed into my boardshorts, doused myself with sunblock, rented a surfboard, descended the stairs to the sand and started paddling out into the eighty degree water.

Ulu Watu was kind to me that day as it was just about head high conditions. I hadn’t been out in the water since Hawaii several months prior so I was a bit out of shape and feeling it. The first things you notice while paddling out are the rock and coral reef that lines the ocean floor there. Once you find a safe channel to paddle through you have to fight the incredible current that wants to pull you around the point and into larger rocks along the western edge of the shore. The lineup at Ulu Watu is packed with locals and foreigners that surf very well and know the spot much better than some JOJ (Just Off the Jet) white boy from California. I managed to get a few decent waves but nothing I was all that proud of. Still, I went out and surfed Ulu Watu and I was happy.

As for the rest of the island, west Bali is dominated by a national park and it takes quite a while to drive out to just a handful of very small towns so we chose not to go that direction. We also steered clear of Kuta, the tourist center of Bali for a variety of reasons.

Our three weeks spent in Bali was sufficient time to see most of the island, experience a healthy dose of local culture and cuisine and savor the many beautiful sites offered in this tropical paradise. We were able to stay within our tiny budget and still lived like royalty. The food was varied, plentiful, and full of flavor. The Balinese people are kind, warm and have earned our respect and adoration. Without a doubt, we would most certainly return to Bali when the opportunity arises.

To see more photos and videos check out these links:

Cooper’s Bali set on Flickr

Faizah’s Bali set on Flickr