Day 98 - 98. päivä: Here and there and everywhere.

It has come the time to say goodbye to Indonesia. A short layover in Singapore today, and tomorrow we will enter Hong Kong. There our task will be to get our visas to mainland China. The next few days we'll also try and not lose all our money; Singapore is the most expensive city in the world, and Hong Kong is not far behind. So, goodbye to cheap luxury, too. We will, however, be enjoying China for a month after that. There there won't be a need to stretch one's yuan, since you can find pretty good stuff for pretty cheap there. If you know where to look, that is...

But until we actually get to China, we can still enjoy the easiness, cleanliness and hospitality of Bali for a few more hours. Ever since we started the trip, we have had a daily budget, which we routinely have gone under. It means that every day it has gone bigger. THAT means that we have once again been able to stay a couple of nights in a super fancy place with no worries of extra bugs or dirty towels. Conrad Bali can boast having the largest swimming pool in Bali, as well as their own beach. Morning runs are pretty awesome by the sea, running a nice, tidy prick road watching the sun rise and checking out other resorts' "backyards". Otherwise our accommodation has once again varied from budget in Kuta (super touristy, busy, noisy, lot of services and a beach available) , to cute resorts Ubud (touristy, small, nice, quiet, a vegetarian's paradise).

Speaking of mornings and sun rise, we climbed two hours on Mt. Batur to see the sunrise with a group of other tourists. Worth the climb (on all fours at some point), the view was spectacular. It was also incredible to feel the cold air in your lungs and on your skin the first time in months. Goose bumps have never felt so nice! The trip cost us 700 000 IDR per person, and we took off from Ubud at 2:30 in the morning, and were back already at 10:30.

Being known for extreme sports lovers' paradise, Bali offers a ton of other activities, as well. We tried some, but not nearly all of them. Most of the trips included food of a kind, and vegetarian food was always available, as long as we asked for it when booking the trip.

Mountain biking was well organised, and we got a chance to not only eat breakfast looking over Mt. Batur crater lake, but also visit a local coffee plantation and taste the rarest coffee in the world, Kopi Luwak. Being processed through a civet cat's digestive system before washing, drying and roasting, the end product of the coffee beans is also locally known as "cat-poo-chino". It tasted like coffee. In the end of the two-hour bicycle ride downhill, we had a chance to try and ride uphill for 8 kilometers. In the heat and humidity, it turned out to be a um... a bit challenging, unlike the very easy downhill part. An awesome lunch was provided afterwards. There were also huge spiders available. Also spider petting. Luckily that was not mandatory.

Rafting  was water, water, jungle, water, amazing nature, swimming in the Telaga Waja river, physically semi-challenging and pure awesomeness. 2,5 hour ride took us through such cool waters and scenery that the pretty high price didn't really bother us. Just remember to hold on, and wear clothes suitable was soaking ;) You can also bring your camera and other stuff to the boat, the guide will give you a waterproof bag for them.

Tandem paragliding  provided beautiful nature, a good way to beat your vertigo, gliding over the sea and an amazing way to experience a moment of tranquility. It was not physically challenging, although the winds and the "bag" you'll be sitting in do set their limit when it comes to weight. I got to do a whole 15 minutes, while Ari only got about 5 minutes, plus a beach landing. This applied to the rest of the group, as well, for the winds were not strong enough that day.

One of the less extreme activities we did was the organic vegetarian cooking class, in the middle of rice fields. We got to pick our own vegetables, and learn from the best how to make Balinese dishes. Or at least we got to participate, while the family women did most of the hard work. The one thing we learned was that no matter how much we'd like to make all those dishes at home, we just cannot find nor the ingredients or the equipment in Finland (e.g. the huge stone grinder used for grinding the peanuts for gado-gado, the sauce which tastes of pure heaven).

How did we book these trips? We simply walked into any of the many "travel agencies" i.e. wooden boxes laid by the streets, selling the trips. The service was reliable and smooth nearly every time. We were always picked and dropped off at the hotel, and all the tour guides spoke if not perfect, at least understandable English.

To balance things out, we got to experience the Balinese new year and the Quiet Day in Ubud. The locals celebrate the new year by building huge monsters, each village and district their own. These monsters would be then carried around the streets and apparently beaten up, as well, on their way to be burned. All this to get rid of evil and bad thoughts. Must admit, it was pretty creepy to see them on fire in a dark cemetery, where the Ubud monsters were burned. We were told that the scariest looking are saved though, apparently being saved by their coolness.

Next stop Singapore, then Hong Kong, then mainland China. Should be interesting!

Day 85 - 85. päivä: Just photos: a monkey and coffee edition

Yup, we saw like 50 humongous wild spiders today, so to take off the edge, we're posting a ton of pictures of monkeys and coffee here. They were taken in Malaysia (Batu caves) and Indonesia (Monkey forest in Ubud and a Balinese coffee plantation). Enjoy!

Can your mum do this?

Time to shave, mum?

Wassup?

Just minding my own business...

Monkey Forest in Ubud, Bali.

Drinking morning coffee at Mt. Batur.

Brewing Kopi Luwak.

Coffee and tea samples, a.k.a. little pieces of heaven in Indonesia.

The coffee maker napping (civet cats are nocturnal)

Drinking the most expensive coffee in the world.

Roasting coffee beans to make "Cat-poo-chino"

Has your baby ever climbed on a random tourist's back to examine his twig?

Bye 'till next time!

Day 84 - 84. päivä: It's all in the numbers

Enjoying the bus ride in India

We started this trip nearly 3 months ago. Since then, we have stayed in 25 or so hotels (lost count some time ago), visited 5 countries, used public transportation for free in 3 of them (didn't have to pay for a bus in UAE, got a free taxi ride to the airport in India, and got a free bus to the right stop in Malaysia), visited an odd number of cities and towns, and eaten in countless restaurants. We have taken 10 flights. We have talked to many taxi drivers giving us an insight into the local life, tried to adjust our brain to converting Euro to 5 different currencies, while trying to compare the strange currencies with each other, too. We have taken a train once, buses and motorbike taxis weekly, even daily and taxis we can't even count anymore.

Penang National Park

We have crossed the Equator once (by plane), hiked in jungle in 2 different countries (check out Penang National Park in Malaysia), eaten vegan and vegetarian food based on local dishes in most of the places we've visited, visited a doctor zero times, been really sick once, very tired very many times and done our own laundry in just one place. We have sat down planning our next move tens of times, missed no planes and got nothing stolen. We have taken hundreds of photos, of which some were really good ones (published some but not all of them here and on Facebook). We have seen breathtaking scenery in all the countries we've been to, a ton of Russian tourists, and half of the population of Finland (Malaysia was an exception with almost no other Finns in sight). We have tried local beers in 4 countries, and liked all of them except for the sample of 2 brands here in Indonesia (sorry, Bali Hai and Bintang). We have seen one wild baby horn bill, baby cats and dogs, and a couple of very aggressive monkeys.

Our accommodation has varied from less-than 5 euro beach hut in Goa to 5 stars Sheraton Imperial in Kuala Lumpur. We have stayed in cities, towns and beaches, in really super touristy areas (Patong beach in Thailand) and a quiet paradise island (Koh Phra Tong, Thailand), far from nature (Delhi, India) and very close to it (Ubud, Indonesia). We have seen what a really modern city looks like (Abu Dhabi, UAE) and how a really old, historical town has been restored and taken care of (Georgetown, Penang island, Malaysia). We have been carrying our bags ankle-deep in mud, and been treated like royals.

Blue Manson, Georgetown, Malaysia

All this being said, it seemed like the perfect time to stay 5 nights in a small resort in Ubud, Bali. We have our own backyard, with a view over the rice field (and a small fish bond, too!). And, pretty much by accident, we found this not-mentioned-in-any-travel book-we-know-of, really cool hippie part of the town, where you can find vegan and vegetarian food, stay in old Balinese style houses and pretty much forget you're very close to the most touristy area in Indonesia, the beaches of Bali. The nature is close here, as well as any modern comfort one may need, but without all the dirt and noise of a big city. At least for now, we're happy to have left Kuta yesterday, and come here, instead. The bus ride for two was 120 000 IDR (8 Euro), booked via a travel agency. Today we'll sit down again, and decide if we'd rather book an organic cooking class, go for a bicycle tour or sunset hiking, or just book all of them. After all, here in Indonesia even a common traveler can be a millionaire.

Our backyard in Anini Raka Resort in Ubud, Indonesia

P.S. This blog has already been viewed nearly 2000 times, far more than either of us would have expected. It means not only our families are following our trip. Thousands of thanks :)

Vegetarian Fried Koay Teow and Vegetable Sweet and Sour Rice Set

Day 68- 68. päivä: Happy Women's Day!

A 420 meters high tower is high. That being said, it was not a total waste of money to pay 99 MYR per person to get to the open deck of Menara tower. The view from about 300 meters was unbelievable, especially with no walls or window glasses to block it, only a see-through fence and open air. The tickets also gave us access to the lower level observation deck, which has several binoculars for the visitors to use (and windows, so there's really no fear of falling...). Yes, first thing we did was look at our apartment. A 20 storeys building seems pretty small when you're at 276 meters.

Plus, I got to confuse some girls at the souvenir shop. I have noticed that the locals seem to speak Mandarin Chinese a lot here; even so much as to speak it to each other instead of Malay. The two shop assistants in the shop were not an exception, so I decided to give it a try, and started chatting with them. In Mandarin... The girls seemed a bit surprised first, but in a few seconds I found myself having a conversation in a language I have studied years ago, and have not spoken in nearly two years, except with a hotel clerk at Sheraton. Naturally, it didn't go quite fluently, but it was a start. And knowing that we'll be in China next month, it's really, really good to know I can still communicate in Chinese. I have been hitting my head against the wall for forgetting my electronic English-Chinese dictionary at home, but even that seems not to be a problem; they sell them around the city here. And with all the Chinese signs everywhere Malaysia has turned out to be like a huge Mandarin school for me. 

Today, however, is not for studying but deciding where to go next. We have no plans other than leave Kuala Lumpur next Wednesday. Any ideas?

Oh, and happy Women's Day! 

Day 66 - 66. päivä: Hotel hopping and book shopping in Kuala Lumpur

Sheraton Imperial Club room

Travelling is fun. It can also be tiring. That being said, after two months on the road, we begun our Malaysia part of the trip resting. And by resting, I mean staying at some luxury hotels for a week; Sheraton Imperial, Hilton Petaljing Jaya and Hilton Kuala Lumpur. At Sheraton we enjoyed free breakfast, complimentary laundry service, access to lounge with food and beverages, Wi-Fi and what not for three nights. At Hilton, we had no such luxuries, but hotel hopping between the two Hiltons served a practical purpose; Ari now has the Hilton Honors Gold Card. If we can ever afford staying at a Hilton again, we will have free upgrades, Wi-Fi and breakfast included.

How could we afford the luxury, though? Well, it is simply much cheaper in Asia than in Europe. A cheap, plain room in Sokos Hotel in Finland costs more than an Executive Club Lounge room in Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur. So, if you want to get your money's worth, invest in luxury and comfort in Thailand, Malaysia, China or other Asian country (fine, we only know about those three, but one could assume the great level of quality in service and super low prices apply to most areas in Asia).

View from our balcony.

Now we're staying in a holiday rental apartment near Times Square mall. We booked it via Airbnb, and although a bit small, it is perfect for playing house for one week; I had no idea it would be this nice to do our own laundry and cook our own meals in an actual kitchen and even do the dishes. Whilst having a vacation from travelling, we have been exploring the city. Going to movies (Lego Movie), buying books at Kinokuniya (only like the best book store EVER!!!), visiting Bird Park and studying the local public transportation system have been the main excitements for us here in Kuala Lumpur. The people in the city are super nice, everybody speaks English, and prices are not bad. The plan, however, is to head to some more rural areas next week, to see some jungle and exotic wildlife. One can spend only so much time in the concrete jungle...

Day 58 - 58. päivä: Serving suggestions

It has become the time to leave Thailand and its awesome and friendly people and beautiful nature (Lamru National Park in Khao Lak offers both). Next stop: Malaysia. Here is what we have done and learned since the last post:

• Traffic rules and opening hours are merely serving suggestions. If it says on the door of a store that the business hours are from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM, it does not have to mean that the store would be open if you go there at ten in the morning. Or at three in the afternoon. Speed limits are for sissies and “Slow down, dangerous curve ahead” really means “This is the best possible time to try how fast your bus REALLY goes.”

• Thailand is like all that’s good in China was put together, without the dirt everywhere. Also, Chinese tourists love the place.

• Beaches are fun. Sun is fun. Cheap beer is fun. Too many other people enjoying them with you (i.e. kilometres after kilometres of sand yet no space to spread your towel and lie down) are not. If you are looking for company of other people, quality services, Western bars and restaurants, go to Kata or Karon Beach. If you want to stay drunk 24/7 and wish the party to never end, go to Patong Beach. They all have stores selling Western products, cheap food and accommodation options from really, really cheap, small hotels to luxury resorts. According to a rumour heard from many, one should NEVER go to Pattaya.     

• Using public transportation is the cheapest possible way to get around, and surprisingly convenient. There are two bus terminals in Phuket Town. Terminal 2 is for long distance busses. There is also a small, pink bus running between downtown, terminal 1 and terminal 2. Local busses to the beaches leave from Fresh Market, to Kata, Karon and Patong in front of the small 7/11 next to it. Ask any of the locals or taxi drivers hanging out there, they will practically push you to the right bus. The prices are set, and the conductors not apt to overcharge you. Ride to Kata or Karon costs 35 THB, and to Patong 30 THB. Don’t expect to see any seat belts. Motorbike taxes (dangerous and so much fun; you’ll be given a helmet only because the driver doesn't want to any trouble with the police, not for your own safety...) and car taxes (comfortable with often very chatty drivers with an English vocabulary of about ten words) have somewhat set prices, too.

• Leaving the tourist attractions for a while is worth all the little trouble it may take to get to your destination. We have a friend, Arto, who is staying on Koh Phra Thong, a small island close to Kuraburi town. He has stayed there for some time now, working for a turtle saving project called the Naucrates. The aim is to protect the sea turtles of the Andaman Sea. The project is funded by donations and volunteers’ participation fees. The office is located in the Phra Thong Island, and the volunteers are staying with families, supporting the local economy. We, however, stayed at this small, paradise like resort called Koh Phra Thong Nature Resort. The owner, Karen, welcomed us to her place, and provided us invaluable information about the island. The bungalows were modest, but had all the necessities one needs in paradise; shower, power, beds and peace. The resort also offers all sorts of activities. Unfortunately, we only stayed there two nights due to a bit tight travel schedule but we did have time to rent bicycles from the resort (just 100 THB per bike for half a day) and explore the beautiful nature of the island. No fear of getting lost, either, for there is only one road. We also spent time at the beach, where we saw as many as four other tourists; that’s what happens when there is about 10 km of sandy beach and only a handful of resorts and hotels. What we enjoyed the most was the fact that all the tourism and activities on the island aim to be economically friendly. And the trouble of getting there?  It took two busses, a taxi, a boat and a motorbike to get to the resort from Khao Lak. An adventure itself, and totally worth it J (Thank you P’Teawl aka The Chef aka The Driver aka James Bond for the safe ride!)
• 
  

• Overcoming you fears and doing crazy stuff again and again doesn't make it any less insane, but it does get more fun. Aching muscles, bruised legs and sore limbs are here again, this time after spending three hours in the jungle, climbing, jumping, swinging and hanging on trees, ropes, nets and zip lines. Xtrem Adventure Phuket was worth the 2500 THB we paid for it (per person). The price included a pick up from the hotel, all the equipment and water. They have tracks for everyone, from kids’ obstacle course to the red and black tracks, which we were tricked to try and actually finished, too. Go give it a try, it may be challenging but it is safe and SO much fun!

• Two months on the road takes its toll. Eventually you get sick and tired of having sand and dirt everywhere; packing and unpacking every few days; leaving places just when you have learned where the nearest store is; being confused if you should tip the waitress or if someone is trying to con you... We realised we need a break after having stayed in 17 different hotels and resorts. We looked into our options and decided to book a holiday rental apartment in Kuala Lumpur; a nice studio with kitchen and all the facilities a service apartment offers, in the middle of the city. That means we will have one week of cooking our own food, having a living room with a TV and a couch, and a washing machine to do our laundry with. But before that, we will be staying at Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur for three nights, a nice little engagement gift from some lovely people. Thank you! (I also bought two sets of new clothes, which really helped with the tiredness...)

Day 43 - 43. päivä: Aim high!

We arrived to Thailand one and half weeks ago. Since then we've stayed in 4 different hotels, the absolute winner in quality, service and facilities being CC'c Hideaway at Kata Beach, Phuket. A swimming pool with clean water and rainbow colored beach balls, and complimentary coffee delivered to your room in the morning; do I need to say more..?

It is damn hot here in Phuket. One would think three weeks in Goa prepares you for dealing with burning hot sun and humidity, but no. Hiding from the weather in our hotel room or a restaurant with an A/C has become a daily routine for us. Swimming in the sea makes it a lot better, but seriously, it is almost a five minute walk to the beach from our current hotel, who wants to go through all that trouble just for cooling down in the blue, clear watered ocean, or sun bathing on clean, white sand? (Okay, fine, we do, and have!)

Besides trying not to melt, we have also been slightly active while in Thailand. As a matter of a fact, so active that we gained some sore muscles and a ton of new bruises and scratches by trying rock climbing in Railey Beach. The trip was organised by King Climbers, and we really have nothing to complain, the opposite really. The trip cost us 1200 THB per person, and it included a pick up from our hotel in Krabi, water, equipment, instructor and insurance. In the end, the instructor was the only thing that got me up that cliff; he really would not let me come back down from the two meters where I got my first "no way I'll be climbing up there!" moment. Rather, he told me to simply let go, lean back and see for myself if he'd really let me drop. Well, he didn't, but also wouldn't let me give up (although I told him to let me come down), so all I could do was to climb all the way up. Every time I couldn't find a hold he'd tell me from the ground where I could find one. The second time I climbed (yes, it was so freaking awesome I gave it a go again) was much faster, and I felt almost confident. Okay, fine, yes, he did help me a lot with the safety rope, and I probably would have fallen like 27 times and broken my neck, but damn, I'm proud of myself. Ari climbed three times, the last time being according to the instructor about 20 meters up. The feeling of overcoming yourself was totally worth the time and money but there are two things you should NOT think while up in ten meters: "Holy shit, the only knot attaching the safety rope to my harness was tied by me", and "Holy shit, what if the next hold I put my fingers into is inhabited by a humongous spider?". However, the knot held, and I was only accompanied by a tiny lizard.

Currently we are at Karon Beach. The place is filled with Finnish, Swedish and Chinese tourists, accompanied by unrealistically beautiful young Russian couples, and odd Middle-Europeans and Americans. You can get anything here, all sorts of hygiene products, medicine, food, clothes, accessories and luxury items are sold in various shops at the beach, some of them actually genuine, not counterfeits (I found Fazer's Turkin Pippuri!!!). We did notice that the prices of everything have pretty much doubled since India, but everything is still far cheaper than in Europe. Business seems to be quite good, the locals own shops and restaurants, which are packed at nights; the 2004 tsunami has left its marks, but the area has been rebuilt and tourists are back. Although one local tailor told us the business never fully recovered, mostly it seems life here is pretty good nowadays.

Speaking of Finns, there is no escaping from them (us...). Once again we've had some as next door neighbors in a hotel. It's okay, though, because it helps us with this little game of us, called "Spot a Finn." Not difficult to guess the rules, is it? However, this other little game we're playing, has turned out a bit more challenging, with only one score so far. It is called "Bongaa sauvakävelijä", and the only occasion of seeing anyone with walking poles was at Goa. I have once seen someone doing Nordic Walking in China, so maybe that's where we'll gain our second point.

We also went to see some hot springs (lukewarm water with way too many other people), Emerald Pool (lukewarm water with slimy rocks) and the Blue Pool in Krabi. After that we went elephant riding, which made at least me feel a bit controversial; the animals seemed fine, well fed and they were not aggressive or anything, but how okay is it to use them just for entertaining people? And anyway, it was a very short ride, the guide did not speak a word of English (apparently quite usual here), and it was really hot, so I don't think it was worth the money. I would imagine little kids may like it, though.

Next on agenda is also some sort of animal-related activity: we're going to check out Dino Park, a mini-golf course at Kata Beach. Tomorrow we'll pack our stuff again, and head to Patong Beach. More sun, sea and cheap beer! 

P.S: There is only so much fun you could expect to get for 240 THB per person, but oh dear the Dino Park was awesome!!!!