Countdown to Departure

Ear Candling at the night market in Seam Reap

I have come up with a plan to get home leaving Seam Reap tomorrow night for a 24 hour plus trip to Valdosta, if all goes well. I will be flying on Korean Air and on Delta, so I can not verify actual flight bookings. I hope my good luck holds out and that I will be back on Williams Street when I wake up Wednesday morning. By chance if anyone knows of someone driving from Atlanta to Valdosta on March 1 who would not mind a rider, I would like to hitch a ride. Let me know in my email hanahan12@aol.com.

Meanwhile, I am using my remaining hours in Asia well. Today I took a cooking class learning some new Cambodian recipes. Today's dishes were Cambodian vegtable soup, spring rolls and banana with taro root for desert. I learned at my previous class that you eat what you cook so I skipped breakfast. Since I was the only student there was far too much food for me to eat and I have a few fresh spring rolls I brought home to snack on later.

Tomorrow I will do a repeat tour of the Temples of Angkor Wat. I was there about this time last year and I think there is enough to see to warrant another visit. The tour should keep me from getting into too much trouble on my last day.

Yesterday I went for an ear candling, something I have heard of for years but never had an opportunity. A waxy paper cone is placed into your ear and fired up. All the wax in your ears is drawn into the cone, and I really believe that I hear more clearly after the treatment. Of course I enjoyed a massage also and will probably do the same again today. Like I said I am trying to use my remaining hours in Asia to the fullest.

Back in Cambodia

When I flew to Viet Nam I was hoping that I could fly from Sai Gon to Tokyo and connect with American Airlines for my flight home, but I could not find a satisfactory option, therefore I am in Cambodia in search of a flight. I really like Phnom Penh--it is friendly and inexpensive and the food is soooo good. I will stay here for one day more and then bus (maybe the last one of this trip) to Siem Reap which I have said before is one of my favorite cities in the world. From there I think I can fly to Seoul, Korea and then nonstop to Atlanta. If all goes well I may be home on 2 March. With little time left, I should go out and hit the streets of Phnom Penh. Oh, my dear Asia, I am missing you already.

Rewind

I have counted neither but I would guess there are more motorbikes in Sai Gon than there are pine trees in Valdosta. The streets are jammed with motorbikes always beeping and dodging each other. It is pandemonium but I have seen hardly any accidents, so I guess it works.

I began my homeward trek this week flying from Singapore to Sai Gon, Viet Nam, where I plan to stay for about a week visiting and revisiting friends, sights, restaurants, etc. I liked this city the first time I saw it and I hope I can keep coming back. My plan was to fly from Sai Gon to Tokyo where I could connect with American Airlines for my flights back home, but now every flight to Tokyo looks full so I think I will have to fly out of Bangkok, darn it!!!

Between here and Bangkok lies Cambodia and I could travel by bus via Phnom Penh and Siem Reap , getting in another visit to those wonderful places or I could fly to Bangkok. Both options are appealing and I do not mind another stop in Bangkok. I wish traveling via Cambodia did not involve more packing, unpacking and hotels, but I may have to take the slow way so I can enjoy the delicious Cambodian food again. Reports of improved weather back home are encouraging.

Replay

When I was in Melacca the first time I discovered a guesthouse which I filed as the place to stay next time here. It is on "Harmony Street" so named because there are an Islamic mosque, a Hindu temple and a Buddhist pagoda within 3 blocks. My hotel is just opposite the mosque and my window is at the exact level of the loudspeakers in the minaret which are used to call the followers of Islam to prayer 5 times a day. This morning I was abruptly awakened by the
muezzin reminding all good Muslims that it was time for morning prayer. Although I kind of
get a thrill each time I hear the exotic sounds, I was less than thrilled at 6 AM. Well, this is a long caption to tell you the above picture is the offending mosque.


I left Bali last week and flew to Kuala Lumpur. I keep thinking that KL is one of my favorite cities in the world. It is clean, beautiful, friendly, English friendly, epicurean. What's not to like?
This is the first leg of my homeward journey; and I feel a bit sad that the time is coming that I leave Asia, but I am looking forward to the comforts of home including my well supplied bathroom, a glass of wine while visiting with friends and family, playing with Max, even sweating in the yard repairing the months of neglect.
I am now in my hotel in Malacca which is about half way between KL and Singapore. I was here before I went to Indonesia and so I am revisiting a few places I enjoyed before and also discovering some new places. Tomorrow I go by bus for the short trip to Singapore. I will stay there for one night and fly on a confirmed ticket to Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam. I hope that I will be able to make a trip to Phu Quoc Island which is one of Viet Nam's best beaches. It is likely I will be home early in March, but I always try to keep options open.
If anyone has a bottle of wine and some good cheese in your fridge when I get home, I will be available.

Way To Go

This is one way to go. Incongruously the whole time I was watching this scene, "Come On, Baby, Light My Fire" by the Doors was playing in my head.

When I arrived in Ubud a week back I began hearing talk of the royal cremation scheduled for 10 February. It seems that 10 February was an auspicious day for the bodies of 3 members of the royal family of Bali who had died within the past several months to be cremated. As I am becoming accustomed in Bali, I never really understand what and why things are happening, so it is mostly a matter of watching, asking and trying to put together the pieces of information. Evidently the bodies were buried up until this day when they were exhumed and treated to a royal sendoff. The atmosphere was very festive and I detected only a brief instant of sadness when one lady, presumably the widow, tossed flowers on the pyre of her husband and had to be assisted down.

The royal palace in Ubud is very centrally located and I passed it often going to and fro and this is where the event was to begin. From Wednesday afternoon onward there was classical Balinese music and dancing. The drums, flutes, gongs and bells were a constant exotic background soundtrack when I would shop or eat or sight see in this part of town. When I walked up to the palace on Thursday morning the crowd was huge. Everywhere there were sarongs for sale. Wearing a sarong, which is simply a meter and a half of cloth wrapped around your waist, was required in order to enter the temples and palace. I bought a nice sarong and to complement my outfit I also purchased a non required scarf for my head, just to add to my sizable collection of head wear. I felt quite well dressed, at least for Bali.

The cremation was supposed to have begun at 10 AM and by about noon the coffins with the bodies were loaded into two huge pagoda like towers which were sitting atop massive bamboo poles. Then about 100 men lifted the platforms and began running and shouting and dancing their way along the street toward the cremation grounds. The orchestras were playing lively music and it sort of reminded me of New Orleans funerals which I have seen in movies. The crowd which was about half local and half tourist followed the biers to the temple where it was another couple of hours of music, chanting and dancing until the fires were lit and the actual cremation took place. My timing was good to have been in the right place and time to witness this unforgettable event. That is one way to go.

Close Encounters

The monk look cute but I prefer they keep their distance.

Here in Bali most people are Hindu and therefore have temples for everything from trees to wisdom to monkeys. One of the famous temples is the Monkey Temple so I went exploring there. I was careful not to take any food with me having been warned the monkeys are aggressive beggars. Well, soon after entering the tropical forest grounds around the temple, I was looking around at the lush landscape when out of no where a monkey lunged for my backpack. scaring me half to death. I was perplexed what could have prompted such an attack, having nothing edible. The guide asked if I had any plastic and I told him I did not. Then I pulled a rubber raincoat from my pack and that seemed to solve the mystery of the attack, at least as far as the guide was concerned. I still do not understand.

Yesterday I was walking on well traveled shopping street and a dog ran up and latched on to my leg. The animals in Bali seem to have taken a dislike to me. The feeling is becoming mutual.

More Like It

Interesting character on the streets of Ubud. Check out the "big" hair.

Procession to welcome the gods at the Hindu temple. Most other pics were too dark, darn it.

I have been in Ubud several days and this is far more what I had expected when I envisioned Bali. I am not sure what elevation this is but it is significantly cooler than other places. I do not have AC in my room and I am perfectly comfortable.

Ubud is known as the place which preserves Balinese culture. On Friday night when many of the people in Valdosta were attending the Father Daughter Valentine Dance, which I have heard from several sources was another tremendous success by the way, I got to see the birthday celebration of one of Ubud's biggest Hindu temples. There was dancing, incense, music and then a procession of the temple's gods. I expect more than 100 people in costume welcomed the gods who were bigger than life size figures which were carried on palanquins around the temple grounds. I never really understood what was going on and no one I asked could explain to me. Well I just observed and sometimes that is the best you can do.

Last night I attended a professional performance of Legong dancing. There was a huge orchestra of drums, flutes, bells and percussion instruments. In other settings the sound might have been called racket but here it was quite pleasing, at least for a while. The dancers used their eyes as much as their arms and legs. Balinese are known for large, beautiful eyes.

I had planned to depart here on 10 February but now I have learned there will be a royal cremation that day and I should not miss it. I have to see what I can do about my flights.

Back in Business

Rice paddies which I see from my veranda.

Front of the bungalow where I moved today.

Until today I did not think that my last post would generate so much interest but I am happy to report that I am feeling fine and now jugs bugged by an annoying cough which is also getting better. Life in Ubud is far more what I had in mind when I came to Bali.

Upon arrival I was whisked from the bus terminal to and i okay but nothing special guesthouse. I took a couple of days to look around and today I moved to another with my own koi pond and a huge front porch overlooking acres of rice paddies. I told the owner today what would make the place perfect would be in room wifi.



Pictures and stories of Ubud are in the works. Meanwhile and to update my medical condition, I am feeling fine. Do not worry but thanks for your concerned messages.