A Bowl of Stupid

(A picture taken of the break last year in front of the Karang Nyimbor Hotel — where I’m staying in Southern Sumatra)

I’m torn between my desire to detail for those interested in visiting the Krui area of Sumatra (where I currently am), and my desire to just talk about my own shit (like usual). So I’ll compromise and do a little bit of both.

There are several breaks in the Krui area — comprised of an exposed beach and reef that has good, reliable surf all throughout the dry season of March through October. One of the best features of the area is that it’s one of the only places in Indonesia that has some decent right-handed breaks (Indonesia is known as ‘land of the lefts’).

As noted previously, I am staying about an hour south of Krui town, in a small fishing village called Ujung Bocur. The entire area is an absolutely idyllic tropical setting.

When it’s working properly, the wave here (a.k.a. Sumatra’s longest left) is a quality long point reef. It’s a long, walled up wave with three connecting sections that breaks on all tides and provides some amazing rides of up to 1/2 a kilometer long.

Unfortunately, I’ve had only a few truly decent days of surf in the past week — it was initially a bit inconsistent due to a cyclone that was sitting off the northwestern coast of Australia (Cyclone Pancho — and no, I’m not kidding about the name).

As noted previously, there are several other minor issues with the area — all of which have been EASILY outweighed by only one (1) awesome day in the surf. The biggest issue is that, although there are some amazing surf spots all up and down the coast, most are very far apart, requiring a lot of time on the road, and you need to get to them before the afternoon wind gets up.

The second biggest problem is also probably one of the best features of the area — it’s isolation and difficulty to reach. I did it the ‘expensive’ way — traveling direct from Singapore to Jakarta (in West Java), then sleeping in the Jakarta Airport Hotel as part of the mandatory overnight stay (US$100 — an absolute FORTUNE in Indo Rupiah), then the morning flight from Jakarta to Bandar Lampung (in southern Sumatra), and then a privately hired ‘bemo’ (taxi) to drive the final 5-6 hours around the volcano’s to Krui.

• The total travel time to Krui from Singapore (including layovers, etc.), which is only about 250 miles away, is 2 days.
• The nearest Bank/ATM machine — 2-2.5 hours away by taxi/motorbike (3-4 hours if by public bus).
• English is hardly spoken or understood ANYWHERE in the area (except by the few ex-pat surfers living/running surf camps in the area).

Again, these inconveniences are becoming easily overlooked after only one day of getting treated like royalty by the guys over at Karang Nyimbor Hotel. The place is probably somewhat similar to how Bali was a few decades ago — no huge crowds of panting, overage Aussies, no huge shopping markets, no nothing, really.

And now the wind is dropping — the surf is picking up — the weather is gorgeous. Fucking ‘ell, man. It’s absolutely awesome. THIS is the shit I came out here for!! I’m going surfing for a bit, I’ll see y’all in a few days (or so…).

P.S. AmTrust Direct Bank STILL sucks ass!! Fuck, I can’t even get onto the AmTrust website anymore. Could someone back in the States try to get on and see if it’s just cuz they’re blocking overseas customers (i.e., ME) or if the entire Bank is gone. Thanks all!

So … I’m back in Singapore, en route to my next surfing destination.

I left Bangkok yesterday morning and I’ve stopped over in Singapore to visit with a friend, pick up some long-lost supplies, and generally get my shit in order before heading back down to Indonesia for the next month.

Among such supplies is my camera’s USB cord, which I left here in November when I thought I’d be back in only a few weeks. Now, almost 5 months later, I’ve FINALLY been able to upload the pictures from my recent trips HERE (the Philippines), HERE (Sri Lanka), and HERE (India) (sorry, no pics from Bangkok — my camera went ‘tits up’ a few weeks ago).

Oh, and Manny? … TK?

Just in case both of your busy ‘work schedules’ keep you from browsing through all of those pics — there’s a picture showing the aftermath of my Sri Lankan sea urchin encounter HERE, and another showing the result of my motorbike accident from the Philippines HERE.

Enjoy ‘em, you sadistic fucks (but I mean that in a nice way).

Anyway, I’ve also been planning on swinging through Kuta, Bali on my way out towards ‘all points water‘ to pick up requisite surfing supplies (wax, ding repair kit, fins, etc.). Kuta ain’t my favorite place in the world, but unfortunately, it’s one of the few — if not the only — place in all of Southeast Asia where surfing supplies are available (ironically, Phuket also apparently has one lone surf shop, but I wasn’t going to risk a trip just to find they had nothing I need).

Apparently, however, the second coming of Christ is happening in Bali this month — because every single fucking flight from Singapore to Bali is booked for the next 10 days (except first class tickets — which we all know I don’t qualify for). This has left me just a BIT flustered, considering that last summer I was able to get a cheap flight to Bali almost instantly.

Luckily, I learned that I’m not as dumb as I thunk I is. Apparently I’ve either got a guardian garden gnome or had the foresight to leave myself a care package here in Singapore — replete with surf wax, an epoxy ding-repair kit, and even extra fins. Nice!

So … fuck you Bali, hello Sumatra! (Krui, southern Sumatra … to be precise).

I’ve heard some pretty good things about the place — including the fact that it’s not TOO crowded yet. Considering the number of surfers I saw in Indonesia last year, I’m not holding my breathe. But all in all, I’m pretty stoked about checking out the Sumatran mainland. If things go well, I may even head up to the Mentawai Islands and/or Nias while I’m down in the area. We’ll just see how it unfolds.

Rather than wasting US$800 on an unnecessary flight to Bali, I can take a flight from here to Jakarta (and then onward through Bandar Lampung) for only US$35.00-US$45.00. This stuff just confirms my thinking that, if you just don’t force it, sometimes these things just have a way of working themselves out.

I hope to pick up the plane tickets later today, and then I’ll be leaving over the weekend. I’ll keep writing whenever I find Internet connections, so keep in touch. Stay well and have a good month, everyone. Peace, out.

Since I left the USB cord to my camera in Singapore, I haven’t been able to upload ANY pictures ever since I was in the Philippines in November. I’m returning to Singapore next week for a few days for a bit of ‘rest and relaxation’ (i.e., air conditioning and hot water), at which time I’ll pick up the cord and upload my pictures from the past 3 months.

However, I will also have to buy a new camera since my old one just went tits up after I dropped it about 5 meters while rock climbing. Oops. Heh-heh, never saw THAT coming.

In the meantime, above is a picture taken on my computer showing the backdrop at the beautiful Railay Bay Resort here in Krabi, where I’m currently stealing borrowing free Wi/Fi. It’s not THAT bad of a setting for late February, huh?

Happy winter everyone!!

Not much else to report other than I’m still trying to figure out where to go surfing for a couple months in March and April before heading back to the Philippines to meet up again with the royalty over there — right, princess?

I’ve been looking at the surf reports, and although it pains me to say this … Indonesia, and Bali specifically, is looking mighty, MIGHTY fine right about now. 4-6 waves with 12-15 second intervals, and 3-5 knot offshore winds. Pretty tempting, but I’ve still got the itch to head out into the Pacific for a bit — Micronesia, Tonga, or Palau, for example. Once again, pretty tempting.

Regardless, wherever I head, I’ll make sure to bring some limes, just so I don’t sink (Extra credit for picking up the reference).

(Me, trekking en route in hills between Chiang Mai and Pai, Thailand)

Okay, after some nice whitewater rafting and trekking in Northern Thailand, and a few solid days of getting really liquored up rock climbing down in Krabi (Southern Peninsular) Thailand, I’m back down in Singapore.

Honestly, it feels really, really good to be back ‘home.’

However, it’s the first time I’ve been here in about 2 months and, while I’m glad to be back, it’s not quite to ‘homecoming’ I was hoping for.

My flatmate is moving in with his girlfriend in only a few days.

And I am essentially homeless … again.

I was really looking forward to doing my usual “Singapore R&R” trip – taking a couple of weeks to regroup, get my bearings back, and plan for my next long term excursion. And while another friend has kindly offered to let me crash with him for a bit, I had become used to the prior ‘living arrangements’ (especially since my mate has been so generous about allowing me to stay with him).

Although I was never on the lease, my flatmate refused to let me pay him a dime towards rent (I was forced to surreptitiously leave money around the flat and then tell him it was his … sorry D), and I only stayed here for 1-2 week stretches, I felt like this place was my home.

I have been traveling the large part of this year for weeks and months at a time, but I always felt like I had a home.

That feeling of ‘homeness’, I guess, was probably the result of the hospitality and friendship of my flatmate more than anything else — and for that I will be eternally grateful.

Don’t get me wrong — my other mate (whom I also like a lot and am grateful too) has generously offered to allow me to crash with him here in Singapore before I leave for my next trip abroad. So it appears I have someplace to stay for now.

However, despite that, and the fact I’ve gotten to know Singapore fairly well, I still feel a bit lost.

I know what y’all are thinking: ‘yeah, that’s a real shame when folks be throwin’ away a perfectly good white boy like that.”

I feel ya, brotha’ … I feel ya.

(Kuta, Lombok – low tide, sunset)

If nobody has noticed, I have, for the most part, been using album and/or song titles or lyrics for the titles of my posts for the past couple months — as an homage to my love of music but failure to post much with respect to said music. I’ve been getting these titles randomly, and some of the words or lyrics just seem to fit. Such is the case with the above title (and no, it’s not the title of a Kelly Clarkson song).*

This title kinda hit me right between the eyes when I was actually looking for another one to use for a different post I’m writing as a summary of the last part of my July Indo trip and my diving trip to Malaysia (which I haven’t otherwise had the time to write about).

Why “In Between Dreams?” Because that’s exactly how I feel right now.

I can’t fully describe it, but the traveling is (obviously) changing me.

When I was surfing down in the middle of nowhere, I was trying – with varying degrees of success – to simply live life in the moment and enjoy the experience. That was, however, obviously tempered with the other traveling concerns of safety, money, and logistics (traveling and living arrangements).

I suppose that’s typical to all traveling — and all travelers. Likewise, it’s also typical to take in as much as possible whist on holiday because people know they will be returning to the “regular lives” in a matter of only days, weeks, or whatever. Plus, whenever anyone is on holiday, they’re always thinking about returning home to their family, their friends, their work — their regular lives. A holiday is just that … a holiday.

However, I’m now in a consistent “state of travel.” Things are starting to feel a bit backwards for me.

Once again, it’s difficult to express, and probably harder to understand by anyone who’s never done this, but I have for the most part been following my plan of going to Indonesia, Thailand, or wherever, and then returning to Singapore (which I consider a “home base”) for a week or two to essentially “catch my breath” before returning to my prior, or next destination.

The ramifications of this are greater than I first imagined.

Yes, Singapore is a bastion of civilization where I have been able to replenish my “needs” — electricity, hot running water, shopping malls, movie theatres, bars, clubs, etc. However, I feel now that I am quite literally “in between dreams” (or perhaps it’s vice versa, and I’m “in between realities”).

The best way I can explain it is that I’m starting to feel that my time here in Singapore is itself a “vacation” of sorts. I have all the luxuries of the modern world here, but I can’t fully engage because I’m mentally preparing myself for the imminent loss of those things for at least one more month (I return back to Indo [Timur] in a couple days). My whole paradigm is changing.

Regardless, what I can say though, is this: It’s about time, I’ve been here in Sing, taking in the luxuries of the city long enough. I’m looking forward to returning to a less complicated lifestyle — when the sleeper will awaken.**

*Extra credit to anyone who can name the reference.

**Extra-extra credit for getting the ridiculously easy movie/book reference.

(coming soon to a Hooters near you)

I just got finished booking the flight to my next extended destination after I return from Krabi, Thailand next week.

In an attempt to avoid the crowded “surfer-madness” fiasco of Western Indonesia — where several new airports have increased the number of surfers exponentially just in the past year alone — this time I’m heading to Kupang, in West Timor, Indonesia, which from what I hear is also great but still generally uncrowded (possibly due to the civil unrest in adjacent East Timor).

From there, my general plan is to stay on the remote islands of Sumba and Rote (or Roti), and possibly pay a visit to East Timor itself (depending on the state of affairs in the country, since last month many analysts stated that East Timor may be on the path to becoming a failed state).

As an aside, if I ever have the desire to get an office job ever again (I may have to get a job at some point in the next 4-5 years), I’m pretty damn sure I can make it as an “adventure traveler” travel agent.

I’ve only been at this a short time, and already I’m getting pretty good at figuring out what airlines fly into these remote airports, arranging ferry transport from the mainlands (the ferry between Kupang and Rote sank last year, killing dozens), and otherwise trying figure out how to get some place where there aren’t a gazillion other people looking for the same thing you are.

With that said, after figuring out my trip route, I had to walk about 1-2 kilometers over to the local Singapore offices of an Indonesian airline called “Lion Airlines” (they don’t allow you to book and pay online).

On my way back to the apartment (which is immediately adjacent to a major restaurant area that attracts many tourists), I came across an absurdly large number of people who were obviously, obviously American (the same thing applies to Americans as it does to bad poker players: “If you can’t spot the sucker the first 5 minutes you’re at the table, then you are the sucker.”). And they all look exactly the same.

After a second, it hit me.

The U.S. Navy is in town.

I don’t know what vessels, I don’t know how many. But these guys stick out like a big, greasy, testosterone-laden sore thumb.

Please don’t take that the wrong way, as my well wishes and prayers go out to all members of the U.S. military everywhere (especially right now, given their involuntary commitment in Bush’s war of terrorism), but:

Not that I’m Mister “World Traveler” here, and I don’t wish to disrespect any of my military cohorts — past, present, or future — but for the love of everything holy, if you don’t want to attract attention to yourselves, you may way to go somewhere else besides the only goddamn McDonalds, Starbucks, Olive Garden, and Hooters in a 50 square kilometer radius.

Moreover, to those military guys who joined up in order to “see the world” (a respectable and obviously understandable position, as well), allow me to provide another recommendation, if I may:

You may also want to consider trying out some other type of food, entertainment, or experience that you can’t get down the street from where you grew up back in the States.

Try some damn chicken fried rice or some duck porridge, for the love of god. Go hang out and have a bottle of wine and a smoke out at the local hookah house. Walk around the city and take in the sights down in Little India.

But please, do not, do not, do not head to “Go”, collect your US$200, and make a beeline straight to the nearest Hooters for a burger, fries, and a Budweiser and pretend you’re back in Bum-Fuck, Kansas.

Go ahead and try some of the other shit the world has to offer – trust me, you’ll like it. And in the end, you’ll thank me.

However, if you’re still having trouble adapting, that’s okay, I guess — why don’t you go over to Plaza Singapura and watch the new “Transformers” movie — cuz that shit rocked!!

With a few days on my hands before my next move, I went walking around Singapore again yesterday — all day yesterday.

My friend had not taken us through Singapore’s Chinatown on Sunday, but I wound up there yesterday. It is, for obvious reasons, just awesome.

Continue Reading »

Yeah, I know I’m kinda rehashing my movie reference from yesterday’s post, but it’s for a good reason.

Yesterday evening, we went for a walk around Singapore — from Robertson and Boat Quays, the upscale residential and shopping area where I’m staying (very reminiscent to Miami Beach’s Lincoln Road and Ocean Drive – only better), to the downtown financial district, to the Bay, to the Indoor Stadium and Esplanade areas, and eventually … to Little India.

Per the requests of several people, I’m putting up some pictures. I’ve never been much of a camera person, so I’m not used to taking pictures of things, or even remembering to take the camera with me, for that matter. I feel like too much of a tourist. But I know that’s gotta change if I’m going to accurately document my travels.

I’m working on it.

These first pictures are from the Singapore River, along which we walked for most of the afternoon (to the Bay and Esplanade). Water taxis are in wide use, and are actually great ways to travel the several kilometers around the city’s main areas.

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After 2 days in Singapore, although I’m settling in, I’m still not fully recovered from the trip here.

Maybe it was the 20 hour flight from Los Angeles. Maybe it’s the fact that I went out until 5 a.m. and 3 a.m. the first two nights here, respectively. Maybe it was the 5 bottles of Chivas Regal I helped down each of those nights with one of my best friend’s best friends (a.k.a., the guy who’s letting me crash in his spare room; a.k.a., my new best friend) and the rest of his ex-pat buddies. Maybe it was the head cold I got from the girl hacking up a lung in the seat adjacent to me on my nightmare flight aboard American Airlines.

Regardless, I don’t feel quite up to snuff. If I did, I would be going to Bangkok tomorrow with my buddy for the week. I may still go there later in the week, but as it now stands, I’m gonna stay here in Sing to relax and take in the city for a few days.

This morning, I went to a supermarket here on Robertson Quay (where I’m staying), where I was absolutely overwhelmed by the different and exotic foods, especially the fruits and vegetables.

The fruit that caught my eye the most was the above-pictured “dragon fruit” (or pitahaya).

Like I said above, I don’t know what it is, what it tastes like, or who came up with the name — but it looks, and sounds like the most bad-ass fruit on earth. Seriously, they couldn’t make up something this creepy looking on an episode of Star Trek.

This new food is the first step of many, I hope, which brings into sharp relief (for me, at least) the differences between the East and the West.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seem some cool foods in the countries in Central and South America; but in the Americas, the same basic foods are eaten, available and similarly prepared as in the US — and most of the west (given that’s where the Latino cultures originated). But here, they have dried/fried cuttlefish as a snack in the “outbox” of the local 7-11, right next to the Kit-Kats, Hershey Bars, and Trident (yes, they do chew gum here).

By the way, if you’re interested, dried/fried cuttlefish snacks taste like something scraped from the bottom of a fishing-bait bucket. Hell, maybe it was.

But there are a number of other great foods that I’ve either never seen, or not had in a long while. I bought more food than I care to describe just to see what they taste like, at a pretty upscale market, and it still only cost me about US$40.00.

It was too much money in the grand scheme of things, but I’m starting to get a sense of pricing — with Singapore being the most expensive place in the area (with Robertson and Clark Quays themselves being among the most expensive areas in the city).

Tomorrow I plan to downsize. I’ll be visiting one of the “hawker centers”, which are big open-air markets where you can get, among other things, a huge bowl of rice noodles and chicken for about $3.00 Sing (about US$1.80).

As an aside, the other main difference that’s caught my eye is that the sizes (meal portions, cars, scooters, … people) are remarkably smaller — even in a vastly metropolitan country such as Singapore. Indeed, I’ve yet to see an SUV or truck anywhere.

Don’t get me wrong, this place is still pretty glutenous as far as cities go, but it’s done in a much more simplified way. It’s like an Eastern attempt at Westernization, much like (although in reverse) the Chinese food you get in the U.S. is a Westernized version of the original.

There’s less water in the toilets, there are less cars on the road, and there’s less food on the plates. They’re just not needed.

I have, however, only been here for a couple days, and I could be completely wrong. But for now, it feels like a great first step for me to take in my ever-growing movement towards simplicity.

P.S. Dragon-fruit looks even cooler in real life than in that picture. Don’t ask me why, cuz I couldn’t tell ya.

P.P.S. In tribute to a friend I didn’t get a chance to meet before I left the States, I’m watching one of my favorite movies today — Big Trouble In Little China (it just seems appropriate, doncha think?).

No, that’s not Miami, but it’s pretty damn close.

I arrived here in Singapore last night at about midnight or so, and then proceeded to go out to a club until 5:00 a.m. or so.

Man, there’s nothing more that I like to do than to fly around the globe for 20 hours before heading out to a club. Damn, I feel just great today.

But here’s the thing …

Singapore is, for the most part, just like Miami. The nightlife, the weather (steamy), the beautiful hi-rises on the water, and a ton, a ton of really hot women.

But, from what i can tell so far, Singapore (and, more importantly, it’s women) doesn’t have that overbearing sense of self-righteousness and pretentiousness that is Miami.

The people are fun, the streets are clean, it’s really safe, it’s not nearly as creepy as I thought it would be (given all the media hyped crazy-strict Sing “law enforcement” of all crimes, great and small), and get this … the crowds are more diversified than in Miami. Shocker, huh?

It’s funny, I had visualized myself taking a cab from the Sing airport and having an epiphany moment staring at the new landscape — just like Bill Murry in Lost In Translation upon first arriving to Tokyo. Sure, I did to some extent; but I found myself watching “Mr. Bean” on the DVD in the taxi because it all seemed so familiar (and because Rowand Atkinson is just that funny too, of course).

I’m sure that will change once I start looking around, definitely. But for now, I’m so glad I’m doing this and I’m wondering why I ever considered otherwise.

P.S. And oh yeah, unlike American Airlines, my 8 hour flight from Tokyo to Singapore onboard Japan Airlines was freaking amazing!

Among other things, the food was better than that which I’ve eaten in most Miami restaurants, and all the AV equipment worked incredibly well (although, unfortunately, this led me to watch Ghost Rider – 1.5 hours of my life I’ll never get back).

Hell, I probably could have gotten a hummer from one of the preternaturally beautiful stewardess if I’d asked.

Really, it was that good.