Signs of Singapore

One thing is for sure, Singapore is the place to go in Southeast Asia for clean and orderly living. Take everything good without the bad about large cities and stick it on an island in the tropics and that is what it's like. Hardly any trash in the streets, recycling bins all over the place, and a super safe feeling when wandering alone.

To get a taste of what it's like, these are a few random signs from throughout the city.

$500 fine

Yes, no durians...cruel, cruel city

Eating/drinking = $200

Smoking = $500

Flammable liquids/gas (it is SE Asia after all) = $1000

Proper escalator etiquette

From dictionary.com: alight - to dismount from a horse, descend from a vehicle, etc.

This was the only health advice I questioned. But to give credit where it is due, this was manufactured in Vietnam.

Guess it's labeled properly!

Not flushing = $500

Urinating in lifts (elevators) = $1000

Spitting = $500

Unnatural sex = $1000

Littering = $1000

Bird feeding = $1000

Chewing gum = $1000

Home

Whether or not you believe in global warming, things are definitely heating up and people are facing the consequences. Perhaps the nation at the largest risk is the Maldives, which consist of 250 inhabited islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean. With an average elevation of only 1.5 meters, the slightest rise in sea levels threatens to wipe out 300,000 inhabitants.

If you have not seen Home, then stop whatever you are doing and go here. If you don't have the 1 hour 33 minutes and 18 seconds to spare right now, then bookmark it (or you can purchase a copy here) and watch it tonight instead of the rubbish that is pushed on us by the media. I promise that it will be the best 1.5 hours you will spend in front of the screen this year. Even if you have no interest or concern for the environmental situation we are facing, you will be blown away by the scenery.

And if you ever dreamed of heading to the Maldives, I'd start looking for a flight soon :)

In Memory

2009 will definitely be a year that I won't forget. Another person dear to me has passed on. I had the news of my grandfather's death delivered to me via e-mail, as I am half a world away. Once again I have feelings of sadness and joy flowing through me, as I did a few months ago. I know that death is one of the few inevitable events in life, and that if you believe in an after life that it should be celebrated. But at the same time I'm only human and can certainly feel a loss of another truly exceptional person. Like my other heroes and role models growing up, my grandfather always fully supported my hopes and dreams, and provided lots of inspiration to perform at my best in life. I'm extremely grateful that I was able to see him one last time in Chicago a few months back. I was able to share my story and purpose of traveling, and once again he was all smiles and encouraged me to continue on. For his support I will be forever thankful, and am really happy that he left this world peacefully.

Bali Paradise

It feels so good to be back in Bali. There is just something magical in the air here. Don't get me wrong, I loved Sulawesi and found it to be a really beautiful place, but in a much different way than Bali. The people and culture here create a very unique vibe that just feels so right. It's a place where people come on holiday, and end up staying forever. There's so much to do here that it would be very hard to get bored. From surfing and diving to rafting and hiking, you name it and chances are it can be done in Bali!

It is technically called an island, but I hesitate to label it as such. I've heard that you can circle it in one (very long) day, but there's no point in that as you wouldn't have time to stop and see anything. It is very big, and I have only explored a small portion of it so far. Definitely one of the drawbacks to the mass tourism here is the congested roads. There are not many streets to get from point A to point B, so naturally traffic is pretty terrible. Many times you can walk to places faster within town than you could by motor bike or car. I imagine though that once you get out of the southern part of the island that things become much less intense.

The one concept that I really abhor that most Indonesians don't seem to comprehend or care about is trash disposal. Things have gotten pretty good in the Kuta and Ubud area, as more Western influence has brought about more recycling and environmental efforts, but I can't say the same for the rest of the island. The farther off the tourist path you get, the more negligence you see. It blows my mind every time I see an Indonesian casually toss a plastic bottle or food wrapper to the side of the road. Either they don't understand that plastic does not have the same composting qualities as say a banana peel, or they just don't care. It's really a shame, especially what I experienced in Bunaken where you can be swimming amongst the most crystal clear water and pristine coral and then all of a sudden a mound of trash and murky water ruins the experience. I only hope that more people here start waking up and realizing the consequences that result from their actions.

But the only way for that to happen is for people like myself to spread the word and educate them. After all, we brought the garbage here in the first place, so it is naturally our responsibility to dispose of it properly. With a little time and effort, things will only get better. And if you are thinking of coming to this paradise, please bring your own reusable water bottle and cloth bags!!

Northern Sulawesi

Finishing up a very quick two weeks in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Overall I was blown away by the beauty and culture here. Never once did I meet hostility (well except perhaps when I took a car ride and we banned the driver from smoking, as he said nothing for the entire ten hours!), just smiles, "hallo mister"s, and inquiries on California living and Obama.

Flat tire #1 on my journey from Manado to Gorontalo

Flat tire #2 on the Manado - Gorontalo journey

Every time we stopped, this is how we had to get going again!

Being a little farther off of the backpacker trail, I didn't meet as many travelers as I did in Thailand and Malaysia, but the ones I did were so enthusiastic and hungry for exploring the world (both above and below the sea) that it was hard to part ways at the end of our journeys.

The only downside to being so far off the typical tourist scene is that I ended up spending quite a bit more than I am used to and had anticipated. Whereas in Thailand and Malaysia I could usually find a place for under $10, the cheapest room I had here was $20 per night. That usually included all meals, plus I shared with other people most of the time so it wasn't too bad.

My boat driver doing some spear fishing while I snorkled

As for the diving, it was also more expensive but worth every bit as the coral and sea life is stunning. I experienced my first wall dive on Bunaken, which was pretty sweet. And the creatures found in the Lembeh Strait were out of this world!

Scorpion fish

Scorpion Fish #2

Nudibranch

This is the real thing, no Photoshop!

I only managed to explore the north part of Sulawesi, as my hopes to get to the Togean Islands and then continue on through the south were put to rest when I met a family from Germany. When I asked them why their clothes and other personal belongings were strewn about the common area, they replied in a nonchalant way that their boat from the Togeans had sunk on the way back! You see, before heading to the port town of Gorontalo, I had heard that the ferries were not running due to bad weather, but I had no idea to what extent! So I decided to hold off until another day :)

Boat from the Togeans on its final journey

So now it's back to Bali for some more diving and exploring since last time I didn't have my certification. Have heard good things about the neighboring island of Lombok as well, and of course the Komodo National Park is not too far either. Only have two weeks left on my visa though, so will just have to see how far I can get!

It amazes me how rare solar systems are in such an ideal part of the world. Most homes and resorts could easily meet their energy requirements with a small initial investment.

A tarsier in Tangkoko National Park

Warning: Do not bring your white children to SE Asia unless they LOVE attention and being constantly touched!

A few photos

Finally got around to putting up some photos from my trip so far. Enjoy!

Thailand Photos

Malaysia Photos

Out of Retirement and Back in the Jungle!

Beautiful white sand beach to myself on Ko Samet, Thailand

Wow, it's been exactly sixty-three days since I last posted. Sorry to keep you all waiting in suspense, but I haven't had much internet access over the past month since getting back to SE Asia. I pretty much have been island hopping and blogging took a back seat to hiking, snorkeling, volleyball, and diving. Yes, I am officially certified to go to 30 meters under water. Crazy as I never really had an interest in breathing out of a tank in the depths of the sea, but I stayed on an island in Thailand overflowing with dive shops so I figured why not?

And now here I am in Manado, Indonesia, having just spent a few days on Bunaken Island off the north coast. This definitely has to be some of the best diving in the world! So many different kinds of coral and fish it's incredible. I can totally see how this can become really addicting. In fact it already has as I have also been to Malaysia too. I'll post some photos later, as there are just far too many and I'm about to take off for another island to do some muck diving...don't ask because I'm not quite sure what to expect yet myself!

So now that you know I'm alive and well, expect some more frequent updates in the future. And if you ever want to get certified to dive, Thailand is the place to do it, so what are you waiting for?