Dateline: 27th October 2018, Bali, Indonesia
Toronto, Taiwan, Manilla, Indonesia
An endless quest, or simple avoidance
The flight path to Bali begins
Almost as soon as I'm back home (yes, Toronto is "home"), I start fiddling with my ever trusty Kayak app, mapping out holes and airline carriers pricing.
It's quite amazing that a return to UK, (decent non cattle seats that is), are $1400, ($2400 one way!!) on just about any airline apart from Airtransat it's much more, and where there isn't a monopoly, or a cheap carrier, such as to Taiwan, its much cheaper.
It didn't actually matter. Taipei has an incredible subway system (and bus I think) so we were only ever a few minutes away from transit, and the missus' knees are now fully knit and as good as they are ever going to be, so walking, not too far, is relatively easy.
The capital is a pleasant mix of Singapore, Osaka and Hong Kong (check em out, all in my previous drivel). You feel it's safe, it's certainly clean (even the piles of dirt are neat and orderly, yes really), and everyone is very friendly. Old guys happily come up to you and speak in Mandarin, several times, to try and talk to me. It's quite lovely. It's also, for the cost conscious, pretty cheap.
The local cafes are really good value and it's great just to take a few bits and pieces here and there on the street feeling that you are not going to get the runs from them. We take in some dumplings: 10 for 65cents. Delicious too.
We take in the National Taiwan Museum. To be honest, I can't remember much about it, but I did meet a guy from southern mainland China, and we had a really good in depth discussion about, well, everything I've read in the Economist. He was extremely well informed and agreed that China was pretty repressive, but it's the Chinese characteristic to put up with benign dictators. We agreed that both Hong Kong and Taiwan would not be happy to embrace Mr Xi's idea of good governance.
We had a great time.
I also met an Ausy on the museum steps who told me there were some great things to see in Taitung, Anping and environs to be exact.
We have a week here and Tourist information (it took 2 hours to find it!), told me there is in fact a railway all around Taiwan.
Before we head out, I do a huge walkabout and buy a USB powerblock. WOW, did I need this. Cheap too once I'd found an electronics outlet.
Next day, we head south and east to Tainan, about 4 hours on the not superfast train, but yes, on the same line that derailed and had dozens of dead folks recently.
We are just doing the island, of to Taitung. Just a hotel for the night and some very expensive and questionable food and off to Taitung.
I'm starting to do my favourite trick of booking on the train for that night, so we end up with a wonderful new (usually better deals as they are trying to get customer reviews)
Off to Taitung
Now, here there is almost zero public transit according to both Google, and the tourist office (in the train station if anyone is interested). We walk to the old fort, Chihkan Tower that was a Dutch centre for a few decades before a Chinese warlord threw them out. On to Anping and the old Dutch castle and trading centre of Taiwan. There's dozens of school kids classes here. All noisy. No regimentation here. Thy would hate the Chinese characteristics of the mainland.
This is by far the most tourists we have seen anywhere since the airport, maybe 10 westerners. It's not a popular tourist destination that's for sure
Again, at immigration (emigration?) we just scan passports and offer our two index fingers.
Why didn't I think of that?
Essentially, you've probable never heard of rave reviews of Taiwan for the marvellous reason that there isn't really much there to go for unless you are coming from mainland China to meet long lost relatives. That said, we didn't get to venture into the mountains or hot springs. But no, there won't be a next time
It's very pretty in places, it's so clean and liveable (and cheap), that it's almost worth coming here just to refresh your ideas about liveable places..... But then what?. nothing to see here folk, move along....... To
The Phillipines
I did however, do a lot of research for accommodation in Manilla. Eventually (who said it was quick or easy?), I found quite a deal in what the reviews described as "a bit run down" or "needs a bit of sprucing up" etc 5 star hotel
Research tells me where to get money (even the rate), SIM but I rely on UBER or Grab for a taxi.
Again, cash seems like the best deal here. Very close buying/ selling rates
With my SIM, I order a taxi on Grab, and we have a great chat with the driver on the way in.
Traffic (as I have previously discovered) if appalling.
I've scored a zero Forex credit card (HomeTrust if anyone is interested) which doesn't offer many benefits, but is free and saves you 2 - 3% on all foreign transactions. For me thats a lot, and I hate paying VISA excess amounts.
For about 8 kilometres, its nearly an hour and costs maybe $C4.00. I start tipping, even on mobile rates at these charges.
I have defaulted all such taxi's etc to this card.
The hotel is very impressive. We need to put everything through an X-Ray detector and get wanded, just like the airport security before we are allowed in, but once there, we are fawned over. Big time. I ask for, and get, the exact room I'm after (corner with king bed and a view of the sea).
I decide, as I usually do to go out. I'm actually a bit leery of this place, knowing about the drug and President problems around.
No problem, everyone is lovely. A few live in incredible poverty and beg, and stink, but then a lot of this place does. Open sewers, guards, shotgun toting, even in the malls. An ever present stench of faecal matter and urine. Ugh!
I head to the mall, basically it's just a flea market with shotgun waving guards and again, X-Ray and wanding to get in. The sea is about 300 metres away so I trek down a nearby lane towards it.
It's full of old police cars, most with tyres that have be run flat and disintegrated, of have terrible damage, or have no engines, doors, wheels, a junk yard in fact. Here's the rub, these are also peoples homes, complete with laundry and sort of kitchens. There's a lot of stench of shit too. MORE UGH!
The way to the sea wall is contorted with human detritus.
literally, whole families living on the verges and lane dividers. Theres water from the grass watering system, but nothing that approaches sanitation. Did I say "Ugh!!?"
The roads are total chaos. Zero allowance for anyone on foot, just traffic rules here. The cops pretend to direct, the drivers pretend to follow their directions. It's a death trap!
I do a huge tour of Manilla, up the sea wall, past the HUGE!!! US embassy, and around the Rizal (more later) park which is almost totally enclosed with a huge fence as it gets dark. No, don't feel any agravation at all.
Back down a backstreet, stop for a (not very good) beer. In all, I'm out for several hours.
The place is a disaster, open sewers, broken pavements, people sleeping on the ground, effluent is it?
I head back, and pig into a pork belly roast at the mall that I'd eyed earlier. It's fantastic. The missus tells me she went swimming, and is now in someone's room. Well, that can wait.
Eventually, she wants to know if I'm coming to the executive lounge.... What?
Once again, the stench is appalling (I'm using that word far too much!). It's a hang out for taxi's and off duty cafe servers etc. There are no facilities, and houses (again, with no facilities) right next to the sea. Walking down towards the mall, I pass over a bridge that has foetid, liquid shit as it's main ingredient. People live beside it. They seem quite happy. Washing is hanging on the line. I gag and move on.
I'm only here to get a strap for the suitcase to replace the tie downs I brought. Too much relying on the contents, and our track record with suitcases isn't very hot.
That's about it for the Phillipines. Well, to be honest, Manilla. People are lovely, accepting, but the governance is.... Well, you've worked that out already
One final insult was at check in. Seems that there is a new "Airport Tax" for locals. $60 to actually fly out of the airport. Not for foreigners thankfully. But this never ending taxation for, well, nothing except maybe a bigger body count. There's trouble gonna be a brewing here I's a recon, even though Filipinoes are so happy. now I know why. Anyone with only rudimentary talents and skills not having to make a living in the Philippines is much happier just about anywhere else, except maybe Saudi Arabia..... It's not living there!
More revenue for someones pocket. Disgusting.
Don't bother, there's nothing worth heading here for, except maybe the beaches or volcanoes.
I'm convinced. Nothing to see here. move on......
Indonesia
I must admit, I was not well prepared for Indonesia.
All my research was about the usual stuff, and I completely missed the requirement of an onward ticket (luckily, we had that), and $US35 Visa fee. Missed that entirely.
Luckily, also, I had enough various cash to get us into of the country. Plus, I had prebooked our onward flight in Manilla. Got away with it, but I felt poorly researched nonetheless.
There's only exchange in the arrivals before entry to the public area. I reject the rates, so only exchange $100 for immediate cash.
Again. my research is faulty, so I need to make it all up.
After getting some cash at a rent seeking dogsbody exchange counter, I go out hoping to find the SIM of choice in the arrivals. Yes, at least thats correct: a wide selection.
No Uber, No Grab, no rail or light rail, but lots of mafia taxi folks.
I decide on a bus into town. It took nearly an hour to come, but it turned out to be a great idea as I met a techy, also a programmer on board. After discussing LINUX, and out mutual abhorrence of Apple products, he gave me some great advice on Apps (tiket.com and Go-Jek for anyone heading to Indonesia.
booked (yet another) 5 * luxury hotel, and, once again, it's amazing. Sure, $CAD75 a day is a lot to the locals, but tell you what guys.......
I digress.
It's 2:30. so I'm off out into Jakarta, mainly to find more forex, but also looking for local grub.
Jakarta is really clean, pretty organised
I locate the local Forex office.
There's about 100 people waiting for foreign exchange there. I give it a miss.
I live on my Hometrust VISA, being pretty much the actual exchange, so all is good.
After a few hours of wandering, its back to our 5 * hotel.
I'm not sure how long we will need to see Jakarta. So, taking it one day at a time, next day, it's down to the Jakarta History Museum. Within the usual dull stuff of ancient white rulers and settlers, there's quite a revelation. One was when the Chinese sugar workers had no more work due to so, due to riots, 10,000 got massacred. Another, by Jan Peterzoon on Banda Island netted another 10,000 - 15,000.
The square is packed with school kids on trips to the museum. There's a bike hire place that caters to the kids so the square is packed with kids on bikes. It's quite refreshing.
We Grab our way around the town. I book from a certain point in the square, but the driver goes to another. We find him, and he is incredibly apologetic and anxious that we don't give hime anything less than 5 starts in our review. It's obvious that working here is a bit precarious, even for taxi drivers.
I actually give every driver 5 stars unless the taxi smells of smoke. I occasionally tip more than the fare which is typically less than a buck, even for 30 minute rides.
The traffic is pretty dense, and there's also a recurring theme of all the places we've been in. Traffic lights stay red for 90 - 120 seconds, so just relax.
The activity is also pretty intense matching Ho Chi Minh City in its use of mopeds and motor bikes. Once again, road crossing is not encouraged, and in fact, walking, even under Google maps, show incredibly contorted routes, just to get across roads
On to the National History Museum.
Here are some gems! The original (? Maybe??) Java Man and some insights into "Hobbit Man" found in Flores - a subset of humans that only dies out a few millennia ago
Being a card carrying Muslim country, we witness the typical reserve toward depictions of Neanderthals: viz, Grass Groins
Lots of fascinating stuff here.
Finally, Grab to the National Gallery, actually some interesting stuff here too
Bye and large, everywhere is exceptionally clean. I come across lots of people actually working on road and pavement upgrades (like tiles for blind folks in the pavement everywhere). Did I say I was impressed?
Once again, I feel like this is an open society. There's not sense of any kind of censure, in fact, that night, in the hot tub, I meet a single lady who gives me some insights. She is, like a good Muslim woman, totally dressed in her top to toe burkini. She's a lawyer, is not married, lives in her own apartment and travels, often, but is somewhat restricted by her nationality. She often repeats that she is a Muslim lady, but I sense that she is as smart as any other and is simply reflecting her upbringing and family values, which we all do.
Sharing a hot tub with a guy (me) on her own does not phase her, and I ask myself, why should it? Only my pre conceived ideas would indicate any problem.
I like this place
We decide that we've "done" Jakarta (I know that we didn't), but I'm told that we should be in Aus for the whale festival on the 2nd December. OK, we're in a rush.
A train to Yogyakarta is really incredibly easy with the tiket app. Select what you want, pay for it, (credit card of course), get a number, go to an automated ticket dispenser (at all stations), type in the number, get your tickets.
VERY easy.
Next day, we're on the train to Yogyakarta
Security is functional (there's a few wild Islamist's on the loose in Indonesia). You cannot get into train stations without full scanning. You start to get used to it.
God Bless Canada. Amen!
We've live on chips and bottled water for about 8 hours. Interesting to see the countryside, but not near enough to get a feel of volcanoes etc.
I agonise over the hotel I've booked in a hurry, just as the train rolls in.
It turns out to be incredible. Again. 50 - 75 bucks and you are in paradise. Plus, hotel kitchens are almost as cheap as street food.
Yog, as the place is known, was the ancient capital, a redoubt after the
second world war, and is still ruled by a sultan. Seems that there are
no elections here.....
We head to various (run down) palaces and see the typical history and object d'art of the previous rulers. It reminds me og the museum in Vientiane. Pretty much nothing to see, and what there is is ancient, and mostly could have been found in many folks homes in the 50's
In the palace, I realise that I have not smelt anything even remotely like urine of faecal matter since I arrived, more because, suddenly, I get a whiff in the remote corners here.
We beat a retreat to a "4.3 *" coffee shop. It's really just a few benches and the proprietor is asleep under the kitchen sink.
Coffee is about 25cents
We (as in royal we), are feeling ready for a walk, so we head back to the hotel, and drop into the Fort Vredeburg, one time centre of the Indonesian spice trade.
It's quite well done, very well thought out but a little selective and biased towards the glorious plucky peoples of Indonesia etc. I think there is another story here.
It did look like a real colonial outpost, complete with brutality and ignorance back in the day, and there's a lot more than is said about the independence and decolonising process, but there are mentions of various Indonesian massacres of Indonesians, so there is some balance
We hear that we "must" see the lantern puppet show. It seems to be very popular, but has zero details of where it is.
We eventually find it just as it's beginning. Almost sad. About 12 folks (all men I think in the orchestra) playing the various selections of Gemalan and vavious percussions and 4 ladies in the chorus. Plus, the puppeteer.
There are fewer in the audience.
If you don't know whats happening, it's really baffling.
However, the story is the same old Rama, his (abducted) wife Sita and various Monkey Gods
Its all in Hindi, (or Sanskrit?), so you had better check up on the plot before you head out.
It was lovely. Sad in a way, but I enjoyed the music, the culture and the tenacity of the performers.
It's "in the round", so you can wander around and see the puppet masters and orchestra side, or the real audience side
It's 2 hours before Rama gets his missus back, with a few twists and turns on the way, but honestly, it's no more outrageous than Wagners Ring Cycle, more cogent actually. Just make Fafner the Red Monkey God and you're good to go, Valkeries are extra.
Of course, you get to know when Seigfreid, or Gotterdamerung is over, here, you're left to guess as the band plays on. Eventually, some guy comes out and says "Thank You" and the remaining Ramaficianadoes applaud and relief.
Yog has a sensatonal vibe. I love it here. Theres zero aggravation, happy people, clean and civilised everything.
We're not going to get food poisoning here.
We stay and extra day, then discovering that all trains to Bali are full, fly into Denpasar, then "eat it. You've got the money, spend it" as Kayla puts it, accept the Bali taxi mafia and pay to get from the airport (DPS) to Kayla's selected destination (Bananaleaf) near Gilimanuk on Bali
So, we are up early, and at Yog airport.
What an incredibly cute airport!
Anyways, we are in DPS by about 10:30, Rani is there to meet us courtesy of Gatot who will organise whatever you need
So, we are booked into Bananaleaf because Kayla highly recommends the place. She and Liv stayed here about a year ago, her in the dorms, us in the bungalows. Naturelemont
Due to our enforced timetable (the flight to Sydney is way booked), we are doing what I've always dreaded. Rushing everything. 2 nights only here
It was a hell of a trek, maybe 5 hours. For that, the driver gets $75, and that is really inflated for Indonesia folks.Roni tells us about the local customs/ law that requires both parties in a marriage to be of the same religion. Hmmmmm. Really? OK.
Once ensconsed, there's not much to do, but plan for tomorrow.
We end up choosing Taman Selini beach, or at least, thats what the hotel we ended up in was called.
We are organised to go with the manager of the diving trips, and he can bring us back at 4.
On the 20 minute drive, our driver, prompted by me regarding marriage and religion, tells us about his marriage where his Hindu bride to be, converted to Muslim. So sounds about true......
Once there, we organise our day.
It's a peaceful, snorkelling, laid back kind of day on the black sand beach.
Bali writ large.
I see the special is, some fish dish I forget, so decide to stay for dinner.
We snack and snorkel our way through the day.
It seems that there is a man (and woman) made reef in the making just offshore
Dinner was everything I had hoped it would be.
Come time to go, there's no Uber, no Go-Jek, No Grab.
Hmmm.
Can you believe the hotel staff, the bar tender and a security guy, take us the 10Km on the back of their bikes. I think I paid them double?
It was an almost, perfect day.
Next day, Roni is back to take us to Ubud. Centre of Bali "cool" culture. Also as recommended by Kayla from her travels and travails there
On the way, he has to pay a bribe to the local police. I'm livid, but that's life here.
We have often been roped into various "artisanal" sales things like granite sculpting in Viet Nam, spices and associated herbs and remedies or tea in Sri Lanka or tourist traps everywhere for everything in India. It's often as a favour to the taxi driver - they get some form of backsheesh for bringing potential customers.
Bali was no exception. This one was for Civet coffee shit, or Civet shit coffee?
We duly accepted various teas and coffees, but had to pay for the Civet blend (multiple blended excreta I guess).
I fail to purchase anything in the shops.
Incredibly, there's absolutely no sales hassle. Just thanks for coming. I give the guy a tip as it's his only source of income I'd guess.
Potential Bali travellers beware of the traffic.
It, like the Philippines and Indonesia in general, is terrible. About 75 km takes about 4 - 5 hours.
We arrive at the hotel and head off around the town of Ubud. It's really quite hopping. More tourist (aka white people), than we've seen since we left Toronto.
Surprisingly, prices are still pretty reasonable, only 50% more than Java, which was ridiculously cheap.
A tourist "must see" (Ahuh.......), is Ubud Palace. This one with Balinese dancers accompanied with about 15 Gamelan and percussion folks and a whole host of characters. Yes, again from the Ramayana.
This one is a little more subtle, like there's a Red Monkey (bad) and Rama's especially trust (white) Monkey (good), all leaping around at the palace.
There's a hell of a lot of characters here, including 4 or 5 kids as baby monkeys (I think), and some pretty spectacular costumes.
We find out why only 6 of the characters are there to take a bow at the end when we watch the "Fire Dance" next night
Once again, the band plays on and some guy comes out and says "Thank You". We dutifully applaud and disperse.
Everywhere we go, there are guys offering taxi's. This seems to be the local curse. No one seems to take them (it's a small place anyway), but I wonder if it's because there's no Uber or Grab allowed here.
Either way, we walk back.
Next morning, as we are right next to it, the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary. Another popular tourist destination, and yes, it's packed.
There is of course, some ancient Hindu saint or suchlike who started this, but now, its really a monkey hotel, all food, drinks and entertainments (thats us gentle reader) supplied
It's a fun place, and if you like cute monkeys and monkeys with tiny babies stuck to them, this is for you.
There's also a really cool Raiders of the Lost Arc bridge here, just in case any movie director needs one....
Yet another "cultural event" is up for grabs tonight.
It's a "fire dance" and it really was with real fire.
However, the "Warm Up" event, was, you guessed it, a chorus and dance of the Ramayana.
A lot of these costumes look very familiar, and it appears, that after certain sections of the show, the actors, complete with costumes etc, head out of the show, and judging by the exact same costumes from the night before, do double duty at the Ubud Palace, just down the road. And why not. I think this explains why so few of them were there at the end of the performance
Burning coconut husks, kicking and stamping certainly left me feeling that I'd prefer my shoes on to do that.
It's hot, the missus has (??) food, gut problems, so I'm on a final shopping run before we head out to Oz.
The market is a lot of fun.
Stopping only to sample some vittles at Kayla's favourite cafes, it's time for various gifts, Christmas or otherwise.
I wander all over and discover a few out of the way places (maybe next time, or as a guide for some lucky persons........?)
There's an awful lot of Balinese massage places, every hundred metres or so, you are invited in for a massage. Sometimes there's 10 ladies, all in matching outfits, trying to get you into their chairs. I don't think there was any ulterior motivations here (for buyer or seller).
I even manage to locate a Shiva giving the gears to Apasmara (don't
worry, it will be on our Christmas tree). Unfortunately, it is not
surrounded by flashing LED's, but it's a fully functioning heathen
statue.
All very cheap here. Actually, my final
analysis was 30% of original asking price. Kayla told me it should be
20%. ie, T shirts for $3, not $4.
As our flight is at 10:30PM, I have negotiated to stay around the pool until we leave around 5.
The taxi's are still on mafia pricing, but we have an enjoyable couple of hours getting the 25Km to the airport. We talk about Bali, and the religious proportions.
Apparently, about 80% Hindu, 10% Muslim, then other bits.
Interestingly, he did bring up how the Muslims ripped Bali apart in 2002 and at the time there was a lot of bad feelings towards them, but the local leaders convinced the population that the outrages were really perpetrated by a miniscule amount of crazy twisted fanatics, and the rest of the Muslim population were ok.
"Now we live in peace" he tells us. WOW! if only this could be spread, it could take over Christianity......
The departures is a bit of a nail biter as I'm not sure if, like every other departure, we need an onward ticket from Oz.
We, apparently, don't, but I'm not sure if that's because we are travelling business, or we just don't.
I thought that I could ask at immigration when we arrive, but, once again, as "Business" (it's not really, just a jumped up version of premium economy) passengers, we get "Express Passes" on the flight, so we just go straight through a totally electronic immigration process, not, once again, talking to any real human.
OK.
now we are in Oz, but that we several weeks ago, and I'm nearly out of Economists to read.
How will it all end?
Can you wait for the next exciting instalment????
Bali: It really was the place to be, so much so, that I've decided to describe Bali as "India for the squeamish"
Everything that's fantastic about India, but none of the guilt or shock horror.
Try it!
Just in case anyone makes it to here, and are wondering just how we manage to keep jet setting, here's the definitive article on how you can achieve similar results
Taxi's are a big scam here. All very expensive, certainly compared to Jakarta and Yogyakarta
From your correspondent
Toronto, Taiwan, Manilla, Indonesia
An endless quest, or simple avoidance
The flight path to Bali begins
It's a fact
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| Hells Granny (yes, official) in Bali |
It's quite amazing that a return to UK, (decent non cattle seats that is), are $1400, ($2400 one way!!) on just about any airline apart from Airtransat it's much more, and where there isn't a monopoly, or a cheap carrier, such as to Taiwan, its much cheaper.
As Kayla pointed out, economy fares Toronto to Taipei are cheaper than Toronto to Vancouver in fact. (And thats via a stop in Vancouver!)
So, there wasn't really much in the way of reason to head out, in fact, we are now pretty much up to our travel limit according to OHIP coverage that is.
But, we've often thought of heading to the Bight in south eastern Australia to watch the whales migrate from East to West and give birth there.
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| Sad, but true. Security bars up to the 5th floor |
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| Getting to grips with the local cuisine Before it gets to grips with me maybe |
But, we've often thought of heading to the Bight in south eastern Australia to watch the whales migrate from East to West and give birth there.
The tourist place is Head of the Bight, south Australia, about 500 are we there yets from Adelaide.
We have been there several times, but never actually seen any whales in number.
It seemed like a good idea at the time.
As we found out later, the whales are in the Bight at a different time of the year than now.
However, Australia also has a totally different whale migration: North to south (at this time of year) that travels past Sydney and on south, down to Antarctica.
So, we land in Taipei after an 18 hour journey.
We only just made it as the missus insisted we get to the airport early to avoid all the rushing. Well, the guy at check in told us our actual flight had technical issues, and would probably be delayed, so put us on the hour earlier flight. We had trouble getting onto the Taipei flight because no one in the Air Canada programming department got this algorithm right and delayed our bag (and us apparently).
Taiwan
So upon getting a SIM in Taipei, I had a message that our flight to Taipei was next day, and so was our bag. Our bag was actually delivered to our hotel next day, not a problem for me as I always have my drugs and a change of clothes in my carry on (Hint here anyone?)
Immigration is totally automatic, we only deal with machines. Just scan passports and offer our two index fingers
On the baggage belt, there is actually a sign on the belt, saying "KOPLIMAE BAG - PLEASE TALK TO ATTENDANT" in English too!
Wow! That's a first. They know its not there.
We do paperwork and assigns of liability and head out to the main hall.
Money exchange is simple. I ususally go straight to an ATM, but CIBC always charges 2.5%, PLUS a "NETWORK" fee, so this time I had brought $CAD1000.
The trick to cash Forex is how close the buying and selling rates are. (I know, VERY obvious, but so many dickheads exchange when even POSTED rates of buying and selling are 25% - go figure)
Here, it was about 2%, so I indulged.
Forex? SIM card, train into town? No problem.
Even with the hassle of a lost bag, we were in town within 2 hours of landing. Almost a record. The delay, such as it was, was mainly due to the fact that very few people speak English here, and I flunked Mandarin in grade school, so getting everything offloaded for baggage delivery took about 20 minutes. Still, very good timing.
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| Taipei on the river path These guys have really invested - see huge flood walls |
It seemed like a good idea at the time.
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| Lunch anyone? A local Taipei cafe, before lunch |
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| A wander around Taipei |
However, Australia also has a totally different whale migration: North to south (at this time of year) that travels past Sydney and on south, down to Antarctica.
So, we land in Taipei after an 18 hour journey.
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| Subterranean shopping Lots of the stores are beneath the roads |
Taiwan
So upon getting a SIM in Taipei, I had a message that our flight to Taipei was next day, and so was our bag. Our bag was actually delivered to our hotel next day, not a problem for me as I always have my drugs and a change of clothes in my carry on (Hint here anyone?)
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| Taiwan has this great idea about streets: There's a substantial awning and path everywhere |
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| A really great dumpling shop just down from us |
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| Taitung, nothing but a (really good) view really |
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| Even train stations have accessible wheelchairs |
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| Tainan. "Original" Dutch Anping Fort (Revisited about 15 times) |
We do paperwork and assigns of liability and head out to the main hall.
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| A Taiwanese railways "Bento Box" It actually tastes worse then it looks But it was less than $C3.00 |
The trick to cash Forex is how close the buying and selling rates are. (I know, VERY obvious, but so many dickheads exchange when even POSTED rates of buying and selling are 25% - go figure)
Here, it was about 2%, so I indulged.
Forex? SIM card, train into town? No problem.
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| Chihkan Tower, Tainan: A severely renovated Dutch Fort |
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| Anping, just a local square near the market |
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| Politically correct monument to the Dutch defeat at Anping. (In reality, dude on the left had to kneel) |
Taipei is really quite modern. Clean, organised and a has great and very cheap transit system (is anyone in Toronto listening?). I've blown the reservation, booking some place a long way from the centre (the wrong "City Suites").
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| All of the towns have this, maybe unique concept. All buildings have a sidewalk, but the building 1st floor is built over it |
The capital is a pleasant mix of Singapore, Osaka and Hong Kong (check em out, all in my previous drivel). You feel it's safe, it's certainly clean (even the piles of dirt are neat and orderly, yes really), and everyone is very friendly. Old guys happily come up to you and speak in Mandarin, several times, to try and talk to me. It's quite lovely. It's also, for the cost conscious, pretty cheap.
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| Anping Fort street cafe |
We take in the National Taiwan Museum. To be honest, I can't remember much about it, but I did meet a guy from southern mainland China, and we had a really good in depth discussion about, well, everything I've read in the Economist. He was extremely well informed and agreed that China was pretty repressive, but it's the Chinese characteristic to put up with benign dictators. We agreed that both Hong Kong and Taiwan would not be happy to embrace Mr Xi's idea of good governance.
We had a great time.
I also met an Ausy on the museum steps who told me there were some great things to see in Taitung, Anping and environs to be exact.
We have a week here and Tourist information (it took 2 hours to find it!), told me there is in fact a railway all around Taiwan.
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| Anping Fort: Schoolkids, everywhere, noisy too. God! |
Before we head out, I do a huge walkabout and buy a USB powerblock. WOW, did I need this. Cheap too once I'd found an electronics outlet.
Next day, we head south and east to Tainan, about 4 hours on the not superfast train, but yes, on the same line that derailed and had dozens of dead folks recently.
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| Anping: Oyster centre of Taiwan. Truck fulls of them |
I'm starting to do my favourite trick of booking on the train for that night, so we end up with a wonderful new (usually better deals as they are trying to get customer reviews)
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| Taitung, open market for street food. |
This is by far the most tourists we have seen anywhere since the airport, maybe 10 westerners. It's not a popular tourist destination that's for sure
We take the superfast express back to Taipei, yes, just like the one that derailed and people died. It's very sophisticated and very fast.
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| Checking out of Taiwan. No personal contact again folks |
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| Magic! USB charging from a plate on a surface |
Its pissing down, but we walk the 1Km to the (not very good) hotel. Off to the market and up early for the 10:30 flight to the Philippines.
Again, at immigration (emigration?) we just scan passports and offer our two index fingers.
Why didn't I think of that?
Essentially, you've probable never heard of rave reviews of Taiwan for the marvellous reason that there isn't really much there to go for unless you are coming from mainland China to meet long lost relatives. That said, we didn't get to venture into the mountains or hot springs. But no, there won't be a next time
It's very pretty in places, it's so clean and liveable (and cheap), that it's almost worth coming here just to refresh your ideas about liveable places..... But then what?. nothing to see here folk, move along....... To
The Phillipines
I did a quick check of flight costs before I booked Taiwan, mainly because AirAsia flights are so reasonable, as in cheap. We got a 2 hour flight, with seat selection and a bag for about $C200 for everything.
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| Executive I paid for, and executive it is Our welcome drink upon arrival |
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| We get a balcony, but the doors are WELDED shut... |
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| Manilla for the downtrodden masses, is appalling |
I did notice one reviewer said "if you are going to stay here, go Executive". It was $20 a night more, and was it ever worth it!!
I didn't realise quite what it meant until we got there.........
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| These guys are everywhere |
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| You would thing that the sea wall is a popular place |
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| Poor buggers, there's no one, even for a dirt cheap carriage. Sigh |
Research tells me where to get money (even the rate), SIM but I rely on UBER or Grab for a taxi.Again, cash seems like the best deal here. Very close buying/ selling rates
With my SIM, I order a taxi on Grab, and we have a great chat with the driver on the way in.
Traffic (as I have previously discovered) if appalling.
I've scored a zero Forex credit card (HomeTrust if anyone is interested) which doesn't offer many benefits, but is free and saves you 2 - 3% on all foreign transactions. For me thats a lot, and I hate paying VISA excess amounts.
For about 8 kilometres, its nearly an hour and costs maybe $C4.00. I start tipping, even on mobile rates at these charges.
I have defaulted all such taxi's etc to this card.
The hotel is very impressive. We need to put everything through an X-Ray detector and get wanded, just like the airport security before we are allowed in, but once there, we are fawned over. Big time. I ask for, and get, the exact room I'm after (corner with king bed and a view of the sea).
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| This street is about 300 metres from out 5* hotel It's like something out of a tropical Dickens. These are peoples HOMES |
No problem, everyone is lovely. A few live in incredible poverty and beg, and stink, but then a lot of this place does. Open sewers, guards, shotgun toting, even in the malls. An ever present stench of faecal matter and urine. Ugh!
I head to the mall, basically it's just a flea market with shotgun waving guards and again, X-Ray and wanding to get in. The sea is about 300 metres away so I trek down a nearby lane towards it.
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| A Manilla special, a "Jeepney" Customised from US war surplus I believe |
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| I convince the missus to experience Manilla |
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| It is probably fairly typical of poor tropical countries |
The way to the sea wall is contorted with human detritus.
literally, whole families living on the verges and lane dividers. Theres water from the grass watering system, but nothing that approaches sanitation. Did I say "Ugh!!?"
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| Every hotel etc has these detectors |
I do a huge tour of Manilla, up the sea wall, past the HUGE!!! US embassy, and around the Rizal (more later) park which is almost totally enclosed with a huge fence as it gets dark. No, don't feel any agravation at all.
Back down a backstreet, stop for a (not very good) beer. In all, I'm out for several hours.
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| An easy decision. The Manila Symphonic |
The place is a disaster, open sewers, broken pavements, people sleeping on the ground, effluent is it?
I head back, and pig into a pork belly roast at the mall that I'd eyed earlier. It's fantastic. The missus tells me she went swimming, and is now in someone's room. Well, that can wait.
Eventually, she wants to know if I'm coming to the executive lounge.... What?
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| The time stamp says 6AM Can't imagine why, but looks real |
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| Fort Santiago, built 1571 Pretty much nothing left from then The only "Historic" part of Manilla |
Apparently, we, being executives, have our own executive area reserved for us where they have from 6AM to 10PM, unlimited food and drinking, including GnT's, real wine and endless chef's specials.
Finish one lot, and more is ordered, just like a first class lounge. (We know about this kind of lounge of course). And, there's no one else here, so we have our own personal hostess.
WOW! As we have breakfast included, we never actually buy anything.
I told you it was a deal (maybe $C125/ day all included)
Plus, the day manager is always asking us what more we want, of if there's anything she can do for us.......
It's definitely magic here, in the hotel anyway. Out on the streets? Not so.
This hotel hosts the "Miss Earth 2018" is being staged here. What a pile of EcoCrap
Next day, I convince the missus to come out on the circuit, just to see the social devastation. We walk south along the Bat wall this time. The stench is absolutely overwhelming. She can't stand the heat, so after trying to get into the Manilla sailing club (no affiliation with mine), we head to the other parts of the bay to find the "Cultural Centre", then give it up
Swimming in the pool, not the shit infested bay, and living the executive high life continues.
I go to the symphony (for $C10, why not). It's pretty good actually.
On the way back, I see women and several kids sleeping rough on the streets. No wonder this is a paedophiles treasure house. Mothers, babies and 4 - 7 year old girls all begging for change in and out of the traffic and walkers.
I ask myself, where exactly are all these taxes (we pay about $C20 per day) that is being paid to the government going? Certainly nothing to do with social, health, welfare, schooling infrastructure......
You get the idea.
No prizes for the answers to that one folks
Next day, after extensive investigations, we explore the original Spanish fort. Pointless. Destroyed and "renovated" to near enough extinction. There is an extensively curated exhibit of Mr Rizal here though. He's a martyr to the Spanish, andthe closest the Philippines has to a national hero. Quite an intellectual in his day.
It's a bit Ho Hum. Not to him of course, he was shot for treason. Just on the wrong side.
I've heard about the largest mall in Asia: SM Mall of Asia, so head out to investigate. I pass thriving (and smelly) areas for shopping and restaurants, large business buildings, and down the main street to the mall.
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| Abject poverty - street kids trying to make a living |
Finish one lot, and more is ordered, just like a first class lounge. (We know about this kind of lounge of course). And, there's no one else here, so we have our own personal hostess.
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| We stumble across this memorial in the Intramuros |
I told you it was a deal (maybe $C125/ day all included)
Plus, the day manager is always asking us what more we want, of if there's anything she can do for us.......
It's definitely magic here, in the hotel anyway. Out on the streets? Not so.
This hotel hosts the "Miss Earth 2018" is being staged here. What a pile of EcoCrap
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| Very poignant. You can understand why a lot of Asian countries still hate, actually, DETEST! the Japanese |
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| Talk about inhuman. It's inconceivable to me |
Swimming in the pool, not the shit infested bay, and living the executive high life continues.
I go to the symphony (for $C10, why not). It's pretty good actually.
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| A typical street scene - Jeepneys and passengers |
I ask myself, where exactly are all these taxes (we pay about $C20 per day) that is being paid to the government going? Certainly nothing to do with social, health, welfare, schooling infrastructure......
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| Regular street traffic |
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| Wow! Watch out TTC. This place has a really bad public transit system |
No prizes for the answers to that one folks
Next day, after extensive investigations, we explore the original Spanish fort. Pointless. Destroyed and "renovated" to near enough extinction. There is an extensively curated exhibit of Mr Rizal here though. He's a martyr to the Spanish, andthe closest the Philippines has to a national hero. Quite an intellectual in his day.
It's a bit Ho Hum. Not to him of course, he was shot for treason. Just on the wrong side.
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| We execulifestyle through our few days here |
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| Do you want Executive service to go with that? You bet! Here the executive lounge. The floor above has the helipad and real excusuites |
I'm only here to get a strap for the suitcase to replace the tie downs I brought. Too much relying on the contents, and our track record with suitcases isn't very hot.
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| The flight is at 8:30AM, the Manilla traffic dreadful. We leave our cocoon for a closer hotel at the airport |
One final insult was at check in. Seems that there is a new "Airport Tax" for locals. $60 to actually fly out of the airport. Not for foreigners thankfully. But this never ending taxation for, well, nothing except maybe a bigger body count. There's trouble gonna be a brewing here I's a recon, even though Filipinoes are so happy. now I know why. Anyone with only rudimentary talents and skills not having to make a living in the Philippines is much happier just about anywhere else, except maybe Saudi Arabia..... It's not living there!
More revenue for someones pocket. Disgusting.
Don't bother, there's nothing worth heading here for, except maybe the beaches or volcanoes.
I'm convinced. Nothing to see here. move on......
Indonesia
I must admit, I was not well prepared for Indonesia.
All my research was about the usual stuff, and I completely missed the requirement of an onward ticket (luckily, we had that), and $US35 Visa fee. Missed that entirely.
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| Hot tub, pool and hotel. Really lovely |
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| Cafe Batavia. Really up market, but amazingly cheap, plus great food |
There's only exchange in the arrivals before entry to the public area. I reject the rates, so only exchange $100 for immediate cash.
Again. my research is faulty, so I need to make it all up.
After getting some cash at a rent seeking dogsbody exchange counter, I go out hoping to find the SIM of choice in the arrivals. Yes, at least thats correct: a wide selection.
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| Can you read this? "We've run out of work for you, so we're going to kill you". Yes 10,000 got the chop! |
I decide on a bus into town. It took nearly an hour to come, but it turned out to be a great idea as I met a techy, also a programmer on board. After discussing LINUX, and out mutual abhorrence of Apple products, he gave me some great advice on Apps (tiket.com and Go-Jek for anyone heading to Indonesia.
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| Nice guys eh? |
I digress.
It's 2:30. so I'm off out into Jakarta, mainly to find more forex, but also looking for local grub.
Jakarta is really clean, pretty organised
I locate the local Forex office.
There's about 100 people waiting for foreign exchange there. I give it a miss.
I live on my Hometrust VISA, being pretty much the actual exchange, so all is good.
After a few hours of wandering, its back to our 5 * hotel.
I'm not sure how long we will need to see Jakarta. So, taking it one day at a time, next day, it's down to the Jakarta History Museum. Within the usual dull stuff of ancient white rulers and settlers, there's quite a revelation. One was when the Chinese sugar workers had no more work due to so, due to riots, 10,000 got massacred. Another, by Jan Peterzoon on Banda Island netted another 10,000 - 15,000.
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| Fetahillah Square and bike hire |
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| Jakarta museum and kids on bikes |
I actually give every driver 5 stars unless the taxi smells of smoke. I occasionally tip more than the fare which is typically less than a buck, even for 30 minute rides.
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| A surfeit of happy campers |
The activity is also pretty intense matching Ho Chi Minh City in its use of mopeds and motor bikes. Once again, road crossing is not encouraged, and in fact, walking, even under Google maps, show incredibly contorted routes, just to get across roads
On to the National History Museum.
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| Spot the (politically correct) Grass Groins |
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| Java Man, or reasonable facsimile? |
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| National Gallery - Needs work |
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| Modern art at the Indonesian Museum of History |
Lots of fascinating stuff here.
Finally, Grab to the National Gallery, actually some interesting stuff here too
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| Blashemy! (If you can read Arabic and are up on Sharia Law) |
Bye and large, everywhere is exceptionally clean. I come across lots of people actually working on road and pavement upgrades (like tiles for blind folks in the pavement everywhere). Did I say I was impressed?
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| The peoples train. "Executif": No hassles here |
Sharing a hot tub with a guy (me) on her own does not phase her, and I ask myself, why should it? Only my pre conceived ideas would indicate any problem.
I like this place
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| Chicken in cages everywhere in the palaces. I guess they mean something, apart from maybe dinner |
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| The Sultans collection of Coleman camping stoves |
A train to Yogyakarta is really incredibly easy with the tiket app. Select what you want, pay for it, (credit card of course), get a number, go to an automated ticket dispenser (at all stations), type in the number, get your tickets.
VERY easy.
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| The palace, not really too exciting. No hat "For Respect" |
Next day, we're on the train to Yogyakarta
Security is functional (there's a few wild Islamist's on the loose in Indonesia). You cannot get into train stations without full scanning. You start to get used to it.
God Bless Canada. Amen!
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| Note regal resemblances? |
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| A huge bustling market in Yog |
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| Hawkers and other hangers on (traditional vendors) outside the palace |
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| Batiks and salesman. I didn't like his prices |
It turns out to be incredible. Again. 50 - 75 bucks and you are in paradise. Plus, hotel kitchens are almost as cheap as street food.
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| Blind tiles, seeing eye trees? |
We head to various (run down) palaces and see the typical history and object d'art of the previous rulers. It reminds me og the museum in Vientiane. Pretty much nothing to see, and what there is is ancient, and mostly could have been found in many folks homes in the 50's
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| Sunrise in Yog from hotel |
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| Schoolkids and their daily (?) callisthenics. All having fun it must be told |
Coffee is about 25cents
We (as in royal we), are feeling ready for a walk, so we head back to the hotel, and drop into the Fort Vredeburg, one time centre of the Indonesian spice trade.
It's quite well done, very well thought out but a little selective and biased towards the glorious plucky peoples of Indonesia etc. I think there is another story here.
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| I know, this looks familiar.... Cheers! |
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| Live it up folks! We certainly did |
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| Fort Vredeburg, some grim coronial stuff here |
We eventually find it just as it's beginning. Almost sad. About 12 folks (all men I think in the orchestra) playing the various selections of Gemalan and vavious percussions and 4 ladies in the chorus. Plus, the puppeteer.
There are fewer in the audience.
If you don't know whats happening, it's really baffling.
However, the story is the same old Rama, his (abducted) wife Sita and various Monkey Gods
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| Gamelan orchestra without limits. They are obviously very well schooled in these. I didn't hear any timing or miss hit errors |
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| Puppeteer, orchestra and chorus backstage |
It's "in the round", so you can wander around and see the puppet masters and orchestra side, or the real audience side
It's 2 hours before Rama gets his missus back, with a few twists and turns on the way, but honestly, it's no more outrageous than Wagners Ring Cycle, more cogent actually. Just make Fafner the Red Monkey God and you're good to go, Valkeries are extra.
Of course, you get to know when Seigfreid, or Gotterdamerung is over, here, you're left to guess as the band plays on. Eventually, some guy comes out and says "Thank You" and the remaining Ramaficianadoes applaud and relief.
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| What we see from the puppeteers side |
We're not going to get food poisoning here.
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| What the audience is supposed to see |
So, we are up early, and at Yog airport.
What an incredibly cute airport!
Anyways, we are in DPS by about 10:30, Rani is there to meet us courtesy of Gatot who will organise whatever you need
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| Yogyakartar airport. Incredibly cute place Great place, great coffee and muffins at 8AM |
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| Roni awaiting our arrival at DPS WhatsApp" +6281337169555 |
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| On the road to Gilimanuk. Some quite spectacular |
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| More living it up. Really good place |
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| Home with vegetation |
Once ensconsed, there's not much to do, but plan for tomorrow.
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| I can recommend breakfast, but elsewhere for the rest |
We end up choosing Taman Selini beach, or at least, thats what the hotel we ended up in was called.
We are organised to go with the manager of the diving trips, and he can bring us back at 4.
On the 20 minute drive, our driver, prompted by me regarding marriage and religion, tells us about his marriage where his Hindu bride to be, converted to Muslim. So sounds about true......
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| Taman Selini Beach Bungalows Bali. The recommended place to be. Perfect |
Once there, we organise our day.
It's a peaceful, snorkelling, laid back kind of day on the black sand beach.
Bali writ large.
I see the special is, some fish dish I forget, so decide to stay for dinner.
We snack and snorkel our way through the day.
It seems that there is a man (and woman) made reef in the making just offshore
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| Almost indeed. We needed to hire the staff to take us back, local style |
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| Later that same day, on the black sand beach. Still perfect. Well, almost. |
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| Well, this is the Bali experience after all |
Can you believe the hotel staff, the bar tender and a security guy, take us the 10Km on the back of their bikes. I think I paid them double?
It was an almost, perfect day.
Next day, Roni is back to take us to Ubud. Centre of Bali "cool" culture. Also as recommended by Kayla from her travels and travails there
On the way, he has to pay a bribe to the local police. I'm livid, but that's life here.
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| Here, suitably enlarged, is a lump of Civet shit. Worth about $2.00 I'd guess |
Bali was no exception. This one was for Civet coffee shit, or Civet shit coffee?
We duly accepted various teas and coffees, but had to pay for the Civet blend (multiple blended excreta I guess).
I fail to purchase anything in the shops.
Incredibly, there's absolutely no sales hassle. Just thanks for coming. I give the guy a tip as it's his only source of income I'd guess.
Potential Bali travellers beware of the traffic.
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| These are roasted Kopi Luwak Civit crap coffee. Very expensive I couldn't taste the delicate whatever's |
We arrive at the hotel and head off around the town of Ubud. It's really quite hopping. More tourist (aka white people), than we've seen since we left Toronto.
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| About 10 teas and coffees to choose from, even chocolate and ginger enthused etc etc |
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| The firms production manager |
A tourist "must see" (Ahuh.......), is Ubud Palace. This one with Balinese dancers accompanied with about 15 Gamelan and percussion folks and a whole host of characters. Yes, again from the Ramayana.
This one is a little more subtle, like there's a Red Monkey (bad) and Rama's especially trust (white) Monkey (good), all leaping around at the palace.
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| Cocao plants with not quite ripe fruit. Come back next week |
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| The missus trying out the new hotel entrance |
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| Spot Sita this time? |
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| Plus all of Rama's various female entourage |
We find out why only 6 of the characters are there to take a bow at the end when we watch the "Fire Dance" next night
Once again, the band plays on and some guy comes out and says "Thank You". We dutifully applaud and disperse.
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| Spot the good guy battling the many bad dudes? |
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| The original hotel I booked was full This was our overflow which turned out to be pretty good especially room service for breakfat |
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| Everywhere - unemployed taxi drivers |
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| There's hundreds, maybe thousands here |
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| Have you had a colonoscopy recently? |
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| I can't believe Harrison Ford or Angeline Jolie are not on the bridge |
Next morning, as we are right next to it, the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary. Another popular tourist destination, and yes, it's packed.
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| Did I leave the stove on. Maybe I forgot to lock the door. Is it me next? |
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| Have we had enough yet? |
There's also a really cool Raiders of the Lost Arc bridge here, just in case any movie director needs one....
Yet another "cultural event" is up for grabs tonight.
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| Yet another depiction of Ramayana, this time with chorus |
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| Looks and Sounds familiar |
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| Fire Dance, basically, staring Rama. Health and Safety would not approve this one |
A lot of these costumes look very familiar, and it appears, that after certain sections of the show, the actors, complete with costumes etc, head out of the show, and judging by the exact same costumes from the night before, do double duty at the Ubud Palace, just down the road. And why not. I think this explains why so few of them were there at the end of the performance
Burning coconut husks, kicking and stamping certainly left me feeling that I'd prefer my shoes on to do that.
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| Constant renewal at the local dance hall |
The market is a lot of fun.
Stopping only to sample some vittles at Kayla's favourite cafes, it's time for various gifts, Christmas or otherwise.
I wander all over and discover a few out of the way places (maybe next time, or as a guide for some lucky persons........?)
There's an awful lot of Balinese massage places, every hundred metres or so, you are invited in for a massage. Sometimes there's 10 ladies, all in matching outfits, trying to get you into their chairs. I don't think there was any ulterior motivations here (for buyer or seller).
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| Apparently, these are on the offerings ground as an offering to the bad dude spirits to stay there, on the ground |
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| Even the hotel has a shrine |
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| Anyone for a foot or back massage? Everywhere |
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| Ubud market. It's pretty big with lots of cheap stuff |
As our flight is at 10:30PM, I have negotiated to stay around the pool until we leave around 5.
The taxi's are still on mafia pricing, but we have an enjoyable couple of hours getting the 25Km to the airport. We talk about Bali, and the religious proportions.
Apparently, about 80% Hindu, 10% Muslim, then other bits.
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| Hmmmm, questionable pix, even for this blog |
"Now we live in peace" he tells us. WOW! if only this could be spread, it could take over Christianity......
The departures is a bit of a nail biter as I'm not sure if, like every other departure, we need an onward ticket from Oz.
We, apparently, don't, but I'm not sure if that's because we are travelling business, or we just don't.
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| Every performer has at least one of these blossoms in their hair. I guess the supply has to come from somewhere |
OK.
now we are in Oz, but that we several weeks ago, and I'm nearly out of Economists to read.
How will it all end?
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| Our last (ever?) few moments of R&R, Bali style |
Bali: It really was the place to be, so much so, that I've decided to describe Bali as "India for the squeamish"
Everything that's fantastic about India, but none of the guilt or shock horror.
Try it!
Just in case anyone makes it to here, and are wondering just how we manage to keep jet setting, here's the definitive article on how you can achieve similar results
Taxi's are a big scam here. All very expensive, certainly compared to Jakarta and Yogyakarta
I pounce on one delivering from the airport and get a bit of a deal.
We are travelling business on a one way ticket
No one complains and we're settling into our seats looking forward to our next adventure in Oz
Off to Oz
Off to Oz
From your correspondent
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