Exploring Singapore

Bruised and Battered:
Since returning from our Phuket adventure Nate and I have been busy soaking up everything Singapore has to offer.  Nate and I got a bit more of a soaking then we had bargained for when we opted to try out an outrigger canoe off of Tanjor beach.  Sunday morning at 10 am we met up with a group from the American Dragon boat association ready to take on the "rookie" training.  After an hour lecture on anything and everything about the outrigger it was time for swimming!?! Yes we had to undergo a swim test, which was awesome since we both didn't wear swim suits.  After successfully proving we can stay afloat for 5 minutes it was time to finally get in the boats. It was nice to finally be in the boat enjoying paddling around the ocean, but they seemed particularly interested in having us master the technique of how to respond if the boat should flip.  The first flip we were prepared for and I was able to ensure my hat and sunglasses stayed afloat.  I luckily just had the job of ensuring my buddy was still afloat and watched as Nate got tasked with uprighting the boat and then had to bail almost the entire canoe.  I did eventually jump in and help a bit with the bailing.  After the first dip I was re-assigned a new seat and also got assigned the duty of calling out the switching of the paddle stroke.  I was so engrossed with the paddling that I was completely taken off guard when the canoe suddenly flipped.  I quickly tried to head to the surface a bit turned around but happy that I surfaced with my hat and sunglasses still on my head, then suddenly it hit me that with my new seat assignment I had to help flip the canoe back upright.  It was surprisingly easy to upright the canoe, but then I had to bail.  Exhausted and rather annoyed that we were intentionally flipped I was ready to just paddle back.  We got back to the beach and Nate and I both realized that we had taken quite a hit on the head when the canoe flipped.  Nate unfortunately took the hit right on his forehead so it left quite the bruise.  Bruised and battered we finished packing up the boats and headed back home on the bikes ready for a shower and a nap.  After we had time to digest the experience we both decided that we rather enjoyed the outrigger canoe :)

Outrigger Canoe w/ Cover on

Quite the selection of Outrigger Canoes

Nate's poor forehead!

  Later in the week Nate and I headed out for a bike ride around Sentosa.  It was a gorgeous day out so what better way to get some exercise then biking by the beaches.  Everything was going great until we encountered a group of Segways that were moving very slowly.  They were on the left side of the road so I opted to pass them on the right side of the road when all of a sudden one of the workers for the segway group decided to go diagonal across the road then all of a sudden turn directly in my path.  Next thing I knew I was on the ground and looked over to see the segway dude also on the ground.  I don't know how but my bicycle managed to survive the crash with only a few minor things that Nate was able to fix.  I definitely never thought I would ever have a run in with a segway.


Birthday Feasts and Lights!
 After getting a bit bruised and battered over the past week it was nice to spend some time relaxing with friends for a birthday dinner at the Japanese BBQ.  We ordered a gigantic plate of meat that contained all sorts of meat from Wagyu beef to duck.  The meal was finished off with ice cream, which was a fabulous treat since ice cream is a rarity here since it's quite expensive.

Cooking mushrooms and bacon

Our crazy plate of meat

Hannah and Greg

Nate and I

On Saturday we decided to continue the birthday festivities and headed to the Marina Bay to see the ilight Marina Bay Event.  The lighting event is in addition to the typical light show the Marina Bay sands puts on.  We also got to see some amateurs trying to start out their musical careers.  We snapped a video of one we found particularly entertaining..

Art and Science Museum- the "Lotus"

Looking out at the Bay

Nate in front of the "Lotus"

In front of the "Lotus"

Helix Bridge

Phuket Adventure!

A little intro video of our Phuket trip..


On March 9th I headed off at 5:30 am to the airport to meet Nate in Phuket, Thailand.  Nate was already in Bangkok for work so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to take a trip to Phuket.  The one hour and twenty minute flight quickly passed and I could see the beautiful island as we flew into the airport.



Once I arrived the airport was a buzz with people everywhere trying to get you to buy travel packages and taxis.  Unable to find the "restaurant" that Nate and I had decided to meet I assumed the restaurant was actually a mini mart so I sat down and waited for Nate to arrive.  Nate was able to find me as the airport was tiny and we headed on our way to the hotel after a slight negotiation to get a good price on a taxi.  The "taxis" are actually just peoples car no real taxis exist.  We were slightly fearful our taxi driver had no clue where we wanted to go so Nate tracked our movement on his phone.  Thankfully our driver took us to the right spot and we pulled up to the Courtyard Marriott at Surin Beach.

Courtyard Marriott Surin Beach

    We were greeted with a beverage that I still have no idea what it was but it was tasty.   We were both quite tired from our early wake up call so we opted to relax for a bit and I took some time to lay by the pool, which was shortened by an influx of mosquitos that made it impossible to lay there without making myself a buffet.  On my way back to the room I stopped by the front desk to grab excursion pamphlets.  I got so immersed in the pamphlets that I neglected to see a little step and took quite a tumble.  My poor foot took the brunt of my fall and I ended up with a nice little bruise on my foot.   After going through all the pamphlets in the room and making sure my foot was okay it was time to find the beach.  The beach was a short walk away and after a brief interruption from a trades salesman our feet were in the sand.  Surprisingly the beaches on Phuket were not as I had imaged.  We were surprised to see that everyone laid on lounge chairs that you purchase when you walk onto the beach, and no one just lays out like they do in the US.  We took a stroll down the beach and got a surprise from an unexpected wave that got us both wet.  It was high tide so the beach was tiny and on quite a slope.  The way back we stuck to the little street outside of the beach.  The street was lined with little vendors all trying to lure you into their shop.  After a short walk we decided to play it safe and just eat dinner at the hotel.. which we pretty much did for the remainder of our trip.  We finished off the night by booking our excursions which included an ATV/Elephant adventure and a Phi Phi Island Speed boat trip.  As we were finishing up the bookings we noticed a newspaper that had the title "Four tourists die in excursion bus crash" with pictures to go along. Not exactly something you want to see as you are signing up for excursions.

Temple at Surin Beach

Street next to the beach

Surin Beach

      Day 2 we wake up and prepare for our ATV/Elephant excursion by indulging in a breakfast buffet.  The breakfast buffet at the Marriott was delicious and the meal I looked forward to the most each day :)  Once our bellies were sufficiently full we boarded the tour van.  I was very nervous driving around in Thailand as there aren't really standard rules of the road.  There are motor bikes everywhere that just go as they please and then all the other vehicles weave in and out to get around all the motor bikes.  After a 30 minute drive we arrive at the ATV tour.  We were greeted with fruits and instructions for our adventure.  We quickly changed into our crocks, helmets, and gloves and then got on the bikes for our 2 lap test run.  Successfully passing our "test" it was time to get muddy.  Initially we took it easy just getting a feel for the bikes hitting a few big puddles then we really got into the fun stuff going through the jungle, dodging trees, and plunging into puddles.  We stopped to give our legs a break when the girl behind Nate neglected to stop and ran right into the back of him.  Thankfully it didn't do any damage and Nate was okay.  After a little break we were off again coming to a stop by the rubber trees.  We each got to try out digging in the trees for some rubber, which was interesting.  At our next stop we were at a little beach where we were able to go out in the water and get some of the mud off.  It was amazingly gorgeous and felt so hidden from the rest of Phuket.  At the end of the ATV adventure we were once again greeted with fruits and beverages.  They also had some pictures made of us on the ATVs, which were entertaining.  It was an awesome experience.

 

  From the ATVs we were taken to meet up with the elephants.  The elephant spot was not as I imaged it to be.  The place was very small and the elephants were kept in tiny shelters.  None of the people spoke english so it was a bit tough to communicate.  They guided us to a platform where we awaited our elephant as he walked looking not to happy to be taken away from his food.  We got on the elephant and were off.  It's quite amazing to sit on an elephants back and feel it's muscles all moving and how rough their skin is.  I was surprised to find out the guide sits on the elephant's head.  We were on a little trail which the elephant had to hike up this one hill which was quite impressive.  At the end of the trail the guide hopped off and told Nate to sit on his head.  We were both a bit surprised but excited to be able to do some driving of the elephant.  After we both took turns guiding the elephant we returned back to the camp and were given some bananas to feed the elephant.   I assumed I was supposed to put them directly into the elephants mouth, which thankfully Nate quickly corrected and told me to put it in his trunk or I might be missing a hand.  The elephant loved the bananas and ate them like jelly beans.  Our adventures for the day were over so it was back to the Marriott.  Our "taxi" driver on the way back was quite amusing and told us how in Thailand it takes on 1 hour to get your drivers license and that is why everyone wears seat belts.  That night we were exhausted so we ordered room service and watched some sling box.

  Day 3 we were up early to head out on our Phi Phi Island tour.   We arrived at the marina and there were people everywhere.  They divided everyone into groups and we had about a 45 minute wait before our groups boat was ready.  All 35 of us loaded into the speed boat so it was definitely a snug fit.  Nate and I decided to sit up front.  There was an hour drive to the phi phi islands with 1-3m waves.  It didn't seem like anything I hadn't handled before but I was shocked at how rough it was and with the boat being so crowded you were banging into each other and just trying to brace yourself for each bump.  By the time we arrived at the Phi Phi island we had one man down with sea sickness and all rather sore from the bumpy ride.  The views were beyond amazing and we all quickly forgot our sore backs as we pulled up to the Viking Caves.  After doing some sightseeing we were brought to Maya Beach where "The Beach" was filmed.  It is even more gorgeous then it looks in the movie, even with all the crowds.  We were able to spend an hour on the beach relaxing and also going through the jungle on a little trail.  After relaxing we were off to do some more island sight seeing.  We were pulling up to one island when I noticed some monkeys on the rocks and in the trees.  I was trying to take a picture of the monkeys when all of a sudden they start jumping on the boat.  I was so shocked that I started to panic thinking they were going to bite as we had been warned that they are mean.  I then realized that the people behind me had bananas to feed them so I was able to snap some good pics of the monkeys on the boat.  One of the monkeys didn't quite jump off in time and was scared to jump as we were pulling out so we had to bring him back to shore.  After the monkey sighting it was time for snorkeling at  Hin Klang Reef.  There was plenty of fish to see and it wasn't too deep so you could swim down and see the coral.  After some snorkeling we headed off for lunch.  For lunch we had chicken and rice, which we were able to digest by taking some relaxing time on the Khai island before our bumpy hour ride back.

Viking/Bird Cave

Heading into Phi Phi

About to do some snorkeling

Thai Long Boat

On Maya Beach Jungle Trail

Monkeys on the boat

Monkey doing some swimming

Day 4 we decided to take it easy and just lay out on Surin beach, which didn't last long since we were both a bit crispy from our full day in the sun on a boat.  It was also very hot on the beach, which doesn't feel so great when you are sunburned.  Giving up on our beach attempt we headed to Patong to do some shopping.  Patong is known as being crowded and having quite the night life.  It was definitely crowded and I was shocked to find out most of the shopping consisted of imitation items and tailor shops.  We were able to find one store that had some good souvenirs to remember our trip.  Since it was Nate's birthday I had made reservations at Baan Rim Pa a restaurant right on the cliffs of Patong.  We had an amazing dinner with quite the view!  Not a bad way to celebrate Nate's birthday.  Finally we headed back to the room to pack up and be ready for our early flight.

Streets of Patong

 

McDonalds doing the Thai greeting Pose

Sunset by the beach

Bday Dinner at Baan Rim Pa

View from the table

Strawberry Daquori!

Life in Singapore

Life in Singapore is beginning to feel more like home and we are starting to really enjoy the experience and have made some great fiends.  I often get asked what I miss the most about the States:

• Top will always be Milo, Friends and Family... but those are obvious :P
• Oddly enough and I am sure you will all think I am nuts, but I do miss working.  It was a very tough adjustment in the beginning and I really didn't know what to do with myself, but I am getting into the swing of it.  I love mid week coffee group with the expat ladies, or random movie trips.  I also love being able to read so many books on my Kindle.  
• Not sweating all the time- This weather is no joke you pretty much sweat as soon as you step outside.  
• A "simple" Grocery Trip- I will never take for granted driving to the grocery store and having the luxury to buy as much as I want.  A grocery trip for me here entails a 15 minute walk, 10 minute bus ride, Using a "mini" cart ( everything is miniature here) that requires a dollar coin to use so it's essential to always keep a dollar coin in your wallet, doing my shopping ensuring that I don't get too much stuff as it has to fit in my rolling bag, go through the check out, repack all my groceries from the mini cart into the rolling bag, return the mini cart so I get my dollar back, then run to make sure I get back to the shuttle bus in the 30 minute window so I don't have to wait for the next bus, then 15 minute walk back to the house.
• Outlets in the Bathroom.  There are never outlets in the bathroom here.  What girl doesn't need an outlet in the bathroom!?
• Light switches.  When the lights are off here they glow blue, which doesn't seem like a big deal but when your bedroom has 6 buttons that all glow blue when the lights are off it's quite annoying.
• Water Heater- You have to remember to turn on the water heater at least an hour before taking a shower.  I almost always forget and am forced to take a chilly shower, which doesn't seem so bad in this heat but I really hate cold showers
• Soft beds.. I cannot wait to crawl back into a soft bed.  I might just sleep for days
• A microwave and well just my kitchen with all my fabulous pots and appliances from back home. 
• Certain Foods- bagels, french fries, gum, regular Diet Coke, pizza (real pizza), milkshakes, chocolate.. ugh so many foods!
• Communication.. english is spoken, but it's still a bit of a challenge to communicate. 
• Personal Space- There is no such thing here so it will be nice to get my "bubble" back
• Prices- Everything is so expensive- a bottle of Essie nail polish is $24, bagels which are the frozen kinda gross looking ones are $12, liquor is just crazy priced here a bottle of smirnoff vodka about $50 here

Now a few things that I like about Singapore

• I live in a resort!  It is so amazingly gorgeous sometimes I can't believe that we actually live here.  I love living on an island I get to escape from the crowds of the city and come back to paradise.  Plus I can bike to the beach in 15 minutes!  
• Public transportation- it takes a bit more time to get around but their transportation system is very easy
• It's so clean!  
• Picking your seat at the movie theater.  You have to pick your seat before you enter the movie theater.  They also still have popcorn but only salted and sweet and if you have the urge they also have soup and seaweed or prawn chips.  
• Meeting new people.  At first it's very intimidating since I felt quite alone, but I have met some amazing ladies that hopefully will lead to lasting friendships. 
• Traveling!  We are so close to amazing places that I am definitely looking forward to exploring.
• New Adventures.. wether in Singapore or traveling there are always so many things I want to see and do.
• Monkeys!  For some reason I am slightly obsessed with monkeys and love that they live right around me.

Monkey Sighting

Finally we found some monkeys!  On a little bike ride around Sentosa we spotted a monkey hanging out on an old monorail track.  Suddenly it sounded as if a giant was going to pop out of the woods and more monkeys emerged.  They were tiny little guys but certainly make a lot of noise in the trees.  I was able to get a few pictures of them..