Lombok, Indonesia - Part Deux

We crammed so much fun with Sarah and Justin into our week on Lombok that it requires two entries in the blog. So after our snorkeling adventure to the Gili Islands, we took a day to just relax at the pool.

We did make a brief excursion into the coastal city of Sengigi for lunch and shopping. We grabbed some great food and some strange drinks at an "art market" which gave us some great views of the ocean again. The "art" was mostly stalls of cheap tourist trinkets, but the girls found a few nice keepsakes before we went back to the coast to our hotel.

After catching our breath for a day, we ventured off for one of our most exciting adventures yet: a trek at the base of Mt Rinjani to a series of springs and waterfalls. The hotel arranged a local driver who took us through some of local towns on our way to the waterfalls. After cruising through a local market filled with horses, buggies, and traders selling all manner of fruits, veggies, fish, etc, we moved into the more mountainous terrain of the rainforest. After about an hour in the car we arrived at the "monkey forest."

Literally on the side of the road over a beautiful lookout was an entire troop of grey local monkeys. It was obvious the monkeys were familiar with the occasional tourist passing by because they had their eyes focused on the bags of peanuts our driver brought with him. Once we started handing out peanuts, they were our best friends. The monkeys would even take them from our hands, stand up on a bench to get closer, or even pull on our shorts to say "hey, give me some more!"

So once the monkeys had eaten all our peanuts, we pushed on for another hour on the road to get to our lunch stop. We were now at the north side of Lombok at a little restaurant the overlooked valleys and mountains. Rain clouds were rolling in, but we could see the first waterfall in the distance, and we were ready to start trekking after a quick lunch.

A guide came down and took us through a winding trail from the restaurant and back into the rainforest. After about 15 minutes, we arrived at out first destination: a towering 125 m (410 ft) waterfall fed from a natural spring farther up the mountain. After a quick climb down to the mist, we started trekking again to yet another waterfall!

However, before we could get to our next geological adventure, we needed to cross a slippery concrete bridge that doubled as an aqueduct. Kate was not at all amused by this crossing...

However, back on solid ground we trekked through some beautiful scenery before arriving at yet another massive waterfall in the middle of the Indonesian rainforest. This one emptied into a very large pool which was deep enough that we could swim around near the powerful stream of water falling down into the pool. We couldn't get too close though, because the current really sucked you in where the water was falling!

However, the adventure wasn't over yet. On our hike back, we followed the river back across the scary concrete bridge and into an aqueduct tunnel straight through a mountain for about 600 ft of darkness! Despite the nail marks in my arm and slew of 4-letter words not to be repeated here, I have to say Kate handled it really well. Even the BATS and SPIDERS!

After swimming in the waterfall, climbing over trees, and sloshing through jungle rivers, we dried off and trekked back with some great pictures and even better memories. We drove home to the hotel to rest and grab some more great food at the hotel.

We can't express in words, pictures, or videos how much fun we had with our friends on Lombok. It was certainly an adventure to celebrate for years to come!

PS, here is Kate crossing the scary bridge (hee hee):

Lombok, Indonesia – A small island with a big heart

As our plane landed on the tiny runway, lush greenery, locals tending their fields, and a border of steep mountains surrounded us. Airport workers wheeled the wobbly stairs to our plane so that we could deplane onto the tarmac, and I knew this would be an adventure. Lucky for us, on this adventure we had two new explorers, Sarah and Justin all the way from Chicago!!

A driver met us and took us on a 20-minute journey to our hotel. Pulling out of the airport my first impression of Lombok was Thailand meets India as people in small shelters, cows and dogs lined the narrow roads. The roads w

ere a flurry of activity with many motorcycles weaving in and out of the dirt roads. Our driver expertly avoided the other vehicles as well as small carts pulled by horses, which a later driver referred to as the “Lombok Mercedes”.

As we awoke the first morning I couldn’t wait to see how property looked in the light of day and I wasn’t disappointed. Lush greenery and flowers decorated the grounds and a simple path lead to the infinity pool, the edge of which snuggled right up to the beach.

The beach was virtually empty our entire trip, apart from some locals selling goods. That is what makes Lombok such a gem - it’s the most “untouched” place we’ve visited. Though many visitors have taken the same path, you feel like you’re one of the first to explore what the island has to offer.

The first day we just relaxed by the pool and enjoyed the great food served by very friendly staff. Sarah and I also enjoyed a massage at the on site spa. The hotel had about 80% occupancy when we were there, but there were only about 30ish rooms and it never felt crowded. Breakfast and dinner on the beach? No problem, they had a lovely set up just feet form the crashing waves. The hotel food was great 95% of the time and the menu offered a good variety at much more reasonable prices than we’ve seen at other beach resorts.

The next day we booked a snorkeling trip through the hotel to the Gili Islands. We gathered our things and headed to the reception desk first thing in the morning as I thought we’d get into a car and head to the marina. The staff led us back through the resort to the beach where we met our guide who walked us down the beach where a few wooden boats were lined up…one boat that was about 3 feet wide and supported by wooden poles sticking out of both sides was being carried into the water by about 8 men. GULP!! This is our “fast boat”?? I was thinking more the speedboat route. It took everything I had not to sit on the sand right under my feet and say, “NO WAY!”

I have a long history with motion sickness. Most cars will give me a good bout of nausea so this tiny boat on a rocky ocean was intimidating to say the least. I had taken a preventative motion sickness pill, but I didn’t think it would overcome this ride. Adam has Sarah and Justin to thank for the adventure that followed because the only reason I got into that boat was because I didn’t want to ruin their day.

I hear there were some lovely views on the hour long journey to the Gili Islands, but that’s just hear-say as I spent the journey with my head in Adam’s lap…trying not to toss my cookies.

The rough journey proved to be more that worth it. On our first snorkeling spot we saw a sea turtle having a snack on the ocean floor. It was a beautiful sight to see! Coral lined the seabed and we made our way to the shore for a quick snack.

We then headed to another island for lunch where we enjoyed grilled barracuda, caught from the ocean a few hours prior. A short ride around the island and we did one more snorkeling stop right off of the shore. We jumped in the water and had an amazing time. There were so many beautiful fish! We could have stayed there and watched all day. Since the boat was tiny and almost everything was wet we didn't get any pictures snorkeling (trying to keep the cameras safe).

We'll leave this entry "to be continued" but there is a great trek to a waterfall to come...

Here's some pictures and video.

Japan

Mix buzzing, winding streets with polite people deeply rooted in customs and ridiculously delicious food and you’ve got Japan.

At the end of January Adam was in Japan for work so I joined him for a long weekend. Taxi prices are outrageous so with some great instructions from Adam I was able to navigate my way to downtown Tokyo by an hour train ride. The train system within the downtown area is a maze of halls and stairs filled to the brim with people. There are so many different lines -Adam pointed out the map of the tokyo metro looks more like a bowl of Ramen noodles than a train map.

The first afternoon we walked around so I could get my bearings and we went up in the Tokyo Tower. It looks just like the Eiffel Tower, but it’s bright orange and covered in electronic equipment. The views of the city were great and we caught the sun setting behind Mount Fuji. It was such and amazing site and was gone in a flash. We would have missed it if we would have taken 2 more minutes anywhere else. I call amazing little moments like that “God winks”.

Amazing views were followed by a FABULOUS meal with two of Adam’s business partners at Tokyo Shiba Toufuya-Ukai restaurant at the base of Tokyo Tower. It was a traditional Japanese meal where we removed our shoes, sat on the floor in a private room, and one waitress dressed in a kimono served us. The restaurant is known for their tofu dishes but every one of the nine courses was a delicious work of art. The entrée was a milky tofu soup. I know you’re thinking, yuck., but it was great.

The next day Adam was working, so I had lunch with one of Adam’s business partners who is on maternity leave. (They get a whole year of maternity leave in Japan!) I spent the afternoon with three babies and their mommies. They were very welcoming and we took a walk around as the weather was beautiful, a chill in the air but very sunny.

That evening Adam and I walked around Shinjuku, the nightlife area for some dinner and drinks. There were many people out and about and we stopped a little sushi place for a bite to eat and then kept walking around. Adam was eager to show me a little bar that he had told me about. I had no idea it was SO little. He led me down an alley that opened up into a maze of tiny alleyways where they have tons of one-room bars that seat around 5 people. Somehow he found the one he knew and we walked in. The bar tender didn’t speak English but remembered Adam… I don’t think too many Americans wonder down that alleyway, but they served a great glass of Shochu (Japanese booze) on ice. We then stumbled upon a restaurant that had the BEST yakatori (sticks of meat and veggies cooked on and open flame) that I have ever had.

The next day we set out to see some of the temples and buy some dishes. We started at the Tsukiji fish market...

Despite the long lines, we did manage to get some maguro (tuna) at another one of the stalls. Next we headed to the temple Sensoji temple at Asakusa.

The structure was beautiful and full of people throwing money in for offering, writing prayers and cleansing with special water and incense. There was also a beautiful garden. During the trip we also saw Meji shrine honoring the previous Emperor. Many people had written prayers on plaques in many different languages and hung them around a tree. The messages had a few common themes – people asking for health and prosperity – not surprising. But the most interesting was people asking for good results on exams, showing how much importance is placed on education and excelling in Asian culture.

We went to Kappabashi next in search of some dishes. Kappabashi is where all the Tokyo restaurants buy their supplies. We found a charming little shop with plates and dishes wall to wall and it was fun searching through all of them. After our river cruise back to the hotel area we stumbled upon a theater and decided to see Sound of Music, in Japanese. It was a good choice since we knew the story and music and it as fun to hear. “So long farewell” turned into “Say-yo-nara”. We then went to a tempenyaki restaurant where they cook the food on a grill in front of you. Sooooo delicious and entertaining.

Believe it or not, that was a quick overview of the trip! We’ve gotten pretty good at packing in a lot in just a few days.

Here are all the pictures from our latest adventure.

The recent earthquakes and tsunami have been such a blow to a lovely country and people. As I watched the news unfold I kept thinking- I was just there. We're counting our blessings and helping where we can. If you’d like to donate to the relief efforts in Japan please go here:

https://american.redcross.org/site/Donation2?idb=0&5052.donation=form1&df_id=5052

Happy Chinese New Year

Out with the Tiger and in with the year of the Rabbit.

February 3rd kicked off the Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year as it is based off of cycles of the moon. The Chinese calendar is different from that used in the US as it is made up of a cycle of twelve years, each of them being named after an animal. This is very much like the signs of the zodiac and some Chinese families plan the birth of their children around a certain year because they believe that their children will have characteristics associated to that animal. For instance those who are born in the year of the Dog would be considered loyal.

To celebrate, families gather to share traditional meals and fireworks are often seen. Another custom is the Lion Dance performed by two people in costume and there are a few different styles. You'll often see lion dances throughout the year in Singapore to celebrate the opening of new businesses as well. I found a lot of different explanations for the significance, but basically the dance is "believed to bring good luck, prosperity and happiness". Here's a video of a dance that was performed at our apartment.

This next video is for Olivia in Grade 1 in the U.S. She sent us a little purple puppy, Paws, who is traveling around to help teach her and her class about different places around the world.

Thanksgiving and Christmas 2010

2010 was a year of ups and downs, wonderful wedding bliss, and sad loss, but it ended on some very happy notes.

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas we were fortunate enough to get to travel home with family, but both holidays were actually spent in Singapore. With Thanksgiving around the corner, Kate and Adam started decorating their Singapore apartment with Holiday Cheer, and when Thanksgiving Thursday came around, they decided to get some roast bird, but not many restaurants serve turkey in SE Asia.

So we enjoyed our Thanksgiving dinner with legendary Peking (Beijing) Duck! The skin was slow roasted, crispy, and absolutely delicious. They even carved it at our table! MMMMMM.... Duck.

In the spirit of giving thanks and giving back, our friends, Kelsey and Jeff, organized a buffet dinner the following Sunday at a local restaurant to raise money for the Blue Dragon Children's Foundation which helps get poor children in Vietnam off the streets and into school. They sold tickets to over 150 people, and most of our good friends in Singapore were there to enjoy some traditional American Thanksgiving food (although few of our friends are American) and contributed to a great cause.

Shortly after Thanksgiving, Adam's company flew us both back for annual sales meetings and Black-Tie Holiday Party. Kate and Adam spent quite a few days catching up with friends and business in Pennsylvania and partying it up in downtown Philly.

That trip to the US allowed us to zip back to Illinois for about a week of family time! We spent the time going through wedding pictures, having early Christmases, and just enjoying the company of both of our awesome Families. We miss you all already!

However, as all trips home seem to be, this trip was past in the blink of an eye. Before we knew it we were back in Singapore apartment-hunting, preparing for Christmas eve, and getting back to/ready for work. We even spent one whole day with good friends over to make mulled wine, introduce Brits and Aussies to Egg-Nog, and watch christmas movies to get us into the holiday spirit.

As Christmas approached and carols filled the air, our stockings were hung by the flatscreen with care. Ornaments dangled and presents stuffed under the tree, even Bella had some gifts she could tear open with glee. So on Christmas morning with Turkey-a-roasting, we shared gifts as husband, wife, and pup with some nice wine for toasting.

All-in-all it was a lovely first married Christmas together, but it wasn't the same being away from family. Thankfully we were able to see our families before and call in on Christmas. We certainly have a lot to be thankful for, and we're so glad you are all a part of our Adventure!

Happy 2011!

Adam and Kate

(and Bella)

Honeymoon Part 3 - Rome

The final destination of our unforgettable honeymoon was the historic Italian capital, Roma.

Rome is one part charming European metropolis, one part living museum. Walking down a street of quaint coffee shops, modern business offices, and classical government buildings, you are almost guaranteed to pass ruins that have been standing for 2000 years or more. In every corner of the city are little relics of Rome's important role in western civilization.

We started our short stint in Rome by checking in to the IQ Hotel which was modern, minimalist, but very convenient. It even had a wine and beer vending machine! We used our first night to explore the area around our hotel, grab some food at a local Irish pub (yes, they are everywhere), and try some Italian Lardo. Yes... Delicious, cured pig fat. When in Rome, do as the Romans do eh? I've always wanted to say that! :) We finished the night with some AMAZING penne a'll arrabbiata (Spicy pasta). It was so good that writing about made us want it again. I'm not lying, we're eating some right now (though its nothing like the dish in Rome).

Anyway, we started the next morning with some hardcore tourism! We grabbed a quick cab ride to the Roman Forum and Colosseum. It was about a 10 minute ride, but we passed nearly a dozen archeological sites, ancient cathedrals, and other types of ruins from over the millennia. No matter where you turn in Rome, history is all around you.

The colosseum box office had a very long line, but our friend had given us a hint that you could purchase multi-use tickets at the nearby Palatine Hill/Roman Forum which also got us into the Colosseum. GREAT HINT! Anyway, we quickly got through the line at the Palatine Hill and explored the first settlements of ancient Rome. After walking through the ruins where the first Romans lived since nearly 1000 BC, we eventually moved to the homes and palaces of some of the Roman Empire's famous leaders. Finally, we reached a cliff-top overlooking the ancient Roman Forum where the Roman Senate would meet and discuss politics. To this day, SPQR is still written all over the city... Senatus Populus Que Romanus. S.P.Q.R. Very Cool.

From the Forum we moved on to the Roman Colosseum which must be one of the most recognizable pieces of architecture on the planet. Kate gives us a short tour of the historic arena.

From there we walked up to the famous and amazingly beautiful Trevi Fountain to toss in some coins, have a smooch, and make a wish. This fountain is literally the entire side of a 3-story building.

From Trevi we moved on to the Pantheon, an ancient domed building which is still used as a Catholic Church and was the largest dome in the world for over 1,700 years. We rounded out the day with dinner and some drinks in the Piazza Navona with beautiful fountains and hundreds of local artists selling their wares.

Our second day of wandering the city started early at Vatican City. We learned our lesson in Florence and booked our tickets online. That was one of the smartest things we did as our pre-booked tickets let us skip a queue 2 blocks long! We were literally some of the first people to enter the famous Vatican museums.

We toured the halls of ancient Church collectibles and finished our museum tour in the breath-taking Sistine Chapel. Words or pictures cannot convey the feeling in this room where every surface of the walls and ceiling tell the stories of the bible from creation of the universe, giving life to Adam, the life of Christ, the passing of "the Keys of his Church" to Peter, and the Last Judgement. We were so glad we got an audio tour for this room, because we spent almost an hour just looking up and around at the stories we've heard for so long come to life in images by Michelangelo and other greats. By the time we finished in the Sistine Chapel, things had gotten busier, but we were still able to walk through St. Peter's Basilica and even the underground tombs of the popes below.

As the crowds continued to grow we decided to put off visiting the top of St. Peter's Basilica and decided to relax and get some food. We ended up at the Spanish Steps and enjoyed the sunset as we listened to sounds of guitar, the sites of "Frada" (fake Prada) purse merchants avoiding police, and the quench of a Peroni beer.... or two...

Well, lets just say that by the time the sun set and we wandered back to Trevi fountain for a night viewing, our narration was not as crisp, and our smooches not as subtle... Sorry kids. But just down from Trevi we had a meal so delicious, we were literally singing its praises. No really, we sang to the food. We think the other patrons enjoyed or livery.... here's hoping.

We didn't start the next morning quite as early as we'd hoped, but we still set off in time to head back to the Vatican to climb the 8 million steps (ok more like 600) to the top, but it was well worth it.

We had amazing views of St Peter's Square and all of Rome. When we returned to Earth, we were surprised to find a formal procession of Bishops/Cardinals making their way through St Peter's Basilica with a full church chorus, incense, and ceremony of some importance. We didn't get to see too much, but it was cool to see anyway.

After being impressed by the Vatican for a second day in a row, we grabbed some food and some Gelato from the famous, nearby Old Bridge Gelateria.

After resting our feet for a bit, we went to see one more historic site, the Castle Sant Angelo where Popes could escape from the Vatican in times of war. It was connected by a long, raised walkway that snaked its way from the Vatican through the Roman streets to the Castle.

Needless to say, Rome was an exhausting tour of historic, religious, and culinary wonders.

We climbed more steps in 10 days in Italy, than we ever had before, but I don't think we quite managed to burn off all of our delicious calories. Ah well, you only live once.

The honeymoon may be over, but we are so grateful for the time we spent in Italy, and we can't wait for a chance to return to see more of this wonderful country.

Honeymoon Part 2 - Florence

Sorry for the delay…Now where was I?

A two-hour train ride south brought us to Florence on Friday. We stayed though Monday, which meant a jam-packed visit. After the relaxed pace of Venice, Florence was a bit overwhelming. Tiny cars crowded the narrow streets and the city was still buzzing with tourists despite it being considered the “low” season.

Our hotel, Marignolle, was a cozy little estate located just outside of the city center in one of the surrounding hills. A gorgeous view of the hills and valleys greeted us, but narrow winding roads meant that we had to take a taxi to go anywhere.

We headed into the city on Friday afternoon to get our bearings and plan our Saturday attack. Ponte Vecchio or “Old Bridge” was our first stop. The stone bridge, dating back to Roman times, was once home to many different merchants but is now solely occupied by jewelers.

After a busy day of travel and walking we decided to head back towards our hotel and check out a pizza place that our cab driver had recommended, Pipistrello, which means The Bat, but with our cab drivers thick accent we thought we were heading to a place called The Butt. Instead of hopping in a cab we decided to try and walk to the restaurant, what mistake. Let’s just say it was a bit further than we had remembered, and when we arrived at 6:30pm we are told they didn’t open until 7:30pm. How could we forget that we were on Europe time? So an hour of drinks at a local pub later, we finally did have some amazing pizza

The next day we set out to conquer The Duomo, see the statue of David and view The Birth of Venus at the Uffizi Gallery. Our full day began with a two hour wait in line outside of the Uffizi...less

on learned, buy tickets online in advance. The gallery was filled with room after room of beautiful paintings.

Next was the climb to the top of the dome at Santa Maria del Fiore, or The Duomo. Modern day elevators or escalators where nowhere in sight to help with the over 450 step climb. Narrow spiraling stairs lead us higher and higher with tiny windows letting in a few rays of light until we reached the first ring around the inside of the dome. The ceiling mural of heaven and hell was even more fascinating up close, but the height was a bit daunting

The trek continued to narrow until we reached the top where amazing views of the city greeted us. The slight overcast couldn't mask the beauty of the old city and the surrounding rolling hills.

Next we set out to meet David. You can't go to Florence without taking in Michelangelo's iconic work. It was worth our brief visit to the Academia and it's hard to believe that a giant slab of marble can be transformed into such a detailed piece.

Sunday greeted was with rain that stuck around all day long, but showers couldn't keep us from exploring. We walked around the beautiful Boboli Gardens, grabbed a wonderful lunch and finally took in the city from Piazza de Michelangelo.

And here's Adam with a great wrap-up of the city from Piazza de Michelangelo.

I don’t feel the need to return to Florence as we’ve checked the main points off of our list, but the Tuscan Hills are still calling my name to relax and spend time at the local wineries.

More videos and pictures are posted here.