Category: Indonesia

I’ve got a vacation hangover. I had a fantastic time, beyond my wildest expectations. Diana and I were able to be with our host daughter at her wedding and spend time with her and her wonderful husband. We stayed in the nicest hotel I’ve ever seen, and seen the most beautiful tropical beach. We visited historic sites that were 12 centuries old, learned about the many diverse cultures of Indonesia, hung out in the best airport in the world, was chauffeured on the craziest roads ever, and took so many photos that trying to upload them here hit my upload quota halfway through. I’m going to upload them to a Google Photos folder and share that here for you.

While I took a lot of photos, there were many photos I didn’t take. There were roadside junkyards, litter on the street, sickly stray animals, run down buildings, and unsightly areas like there are in any big city. The room in Bali smelled a little moldy. Sometimes the service was slow. I could have chosen to focus on the negative during the trip, but instead focused on all the wonderful things we were experiencing and the time spent with loved ones. We all have that choice – and I’m going to make a point to keep my focus on the good and be grateful for what I have.

We overpacked terribly. We had one completely full large suitcase with clean clothes on the way home. We more more long pants than anticipated, as they were required in the temples and historic areas. The climate was also milder than I expected. It was really very comfortable in Wonosobo, north of Yogyakarta, and Ubud.

It was a tearful goodbye when Ary and Dichi dropped us off at the Bali airport. We had no problems with our flight to Singapore, if you ignore the tall Australian lady in front of me who was oblivious to those around her. This was a Singapore Airlines flight, not a code share, and they clearly understand customer service. Even in Economy class, they treated every customer as a valued customer. We spent less time in the Singapore airport than our first trip, and spent it looking through photos and reflecting on the journey.

The flight from Singapore to Hong Kong to San Francisco was long, but I actually slept better in Economy than I did in Premium Economy a week earlier. I think the cloth seats breathed better than the leather, and had a travel neck pillow that helped. We were given lunch on the first leg, dinner and breakfast on the second. We also watched several movies together, including the live action Disney films Jungle Book and Dumbo.

Our perfect travel record was broken once we arrived in San Francisco. Thankfully, the customs agent told us that our luggage had to be picked up there, not in Chicago as we had expected. Then we thought we would be able to pass it right along but our next flight was more than 3 hours later, so we were told to take it to the check in counter. We were directed to the Sky Train to get to Terminal 2. Unfortunately, it took us to the rental car facility first, and the ride took longer than had we simply walked. When we got to the Alaska Airlines counter, they would not check us in either, so we ended up taking an extra half hour only to have to haul our luggage to the hotel in San Francisco for the overnight.

The hotel was the least impressive and most expensive of our trip, but it was great to have a bed to sleep in before our next leg. We got out early to the airport, checked our bags, and waited through a nearly 2 hour delay. Fortunately, we were in communication with Meredith, who was going to pick us up at O’Hare, and told her to wait before leaving.

When we landed, we got our luggage pretty quickly and met Meredith in the pickup area. She drove us to Kenosha, where we stopped for dinner at Culver’s. It was super busy, as the Renaissance Fair had just closed and we saw lots of people in costume. Still, the food was good and we were back on the road and back home just after 10 pm.

We gave the girls some gifts from us and from Ary, and did a little unpacking of laundry before going to bed. This morning, I woke up at 10 am and Diana slept in until noon. It’s been a day of washing clothes and getting back into my exercise and food routines. Speaking of which, I weighted myself this morning, and gained a total of a statistically insignificant 0.2 pounds! I was pretty happy about that.

I have no regrets. This trip filled me with so much joy and wonder. It proved to me that halfway around the world isn’t too far to stay connected with those you love. It taught me what it feels like to be an ethnic minority for the first time, and showed me how a respectful and tolerant society should treat those who are different from them. I received nothing but kindness and love from everyone I met. I learned how to overcome communication barriers and what it is like when you’re not understood. I wondered at the history and archaeology of the country and the modern architecture and engineering that followed. I saw the best in people, and the paradox of ordered chaos in the streets. I learned, I loved, I lived. I am a different person, in the best possible way.

Our flight didn’t land in Bali until after midnight, so there wasn’t much to see. We picked up our luggage and met the man from the car rental agency, then drove to Nusa Dua Beach Resort. We took the toll bridge to avoid traffic, even though there probably wasn’t too much at that hour. When we arrived at the property, we were escorted to the front desk and given cold towels to freshen up with, as it was really hot and humid, even at that hour. We were too tired to really explore the resort, so we headed to bed for the night.

In the morning, we woke up and ordered room service for breakfast. It was as good as you would expect from a resort this nice. We met Ary and Dichi at around 10 to start our journey. We headed out for lunch at a place that had a lot of International cuisine. There was a little miscommunication when we ordered a meal and didn’t realize it came with beer, and none of us at the table drank. The burger was tasty, though. In the restroom were paper towel dispensers from Kimberly Clark.

Our next stop was to pick up a gift from someone’s home. I can’t say too much about it, since it would spoil the surprise, but we had to walk down a narrow alley with stray dogs barking. We saw a LOT of stray dogs here. Sadly, some were badly malnourished, but many were well fed and adorable, wandering around on their own around the island. As per doctor’s instructions, we did not pet them. This one was barking fiercely, but we ignored him and walked past.

The home we visited was fairly typical for the area. It was small, with the main living area in the open air and a kitchen, bedrooms, and bathroom as separate rooms. After picking up the gift, we headed back to Denpasar. This stop had taken us a little longer than we expected, so we scrapped our plans for dinner and stopped at McDonalds. Since we were still full from lunch, Diana and I shared some Chicken McNuggets and an ice cream with taro flavored coating.

We drove to a new tourist attraction, Garuda Wisnu Kencana. This park features the largest statue in Bali, over 30 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty. Some were opposed to it being built, as they felt it would disrupt the spiritual balance of the island. You can see it from miles away as it looms over the landscape. We were there to see a Balinese dance show, which told the story of Garuda the bird creature and Wisnu, the God who rode Garuda as a steed. We walked around the grounds and took some photos before visiting the gift shops on our way out.

Exhausted, we went back to the hotel to get some rest. The next morning (ThursdaY) Diana and I woke up early and walked along the beach at sunrise. We went to Waterblow, an area where the surf hits an alcove in the volcanic rock and sends water shooting straight up. Unfortunately, it was low tide so it was only going a few feet up at a time. It was still beautiful, though.

We walked back and had breakfast at the hotel buffet with Ary and Dichi. While not quite as nice as the one at the Hyatt, it was still really good. It had a nice mix of local and international cuisine. Chicken is something that is eaten at every meal, including breakfast. A lot of the food there would not be considered breakfast food in the US. We were wearing our AFS shirts with Ary’s name among them. This was Ary’s birthday, as it is Elizabeth’s back home, and we gave her a birthday card.

We then began the long drive to Ubud. First, we stopped at Penglipuran village. This Hindu village is known as the cleanest in Bali and is also a place where the residents live a traditional lifestyle, making most of their income from tourism. We were invited into people’s homes to see the traditional kitchens, bedrooms and temples. Each resident also sells merchandise, and we purchased a few gifts. The locals share the proceeds from parking and gift sales so that those that live closer to the entrance don’t make more than those who live further away.

The village is on a hill, and at the top of the hill is a temple where people were posing for photos. We waited our turn, then got a few of our own. While we were doing so, a tour group from another island approached and asked if they could take a photo of us. It was the wedding all over again, as one photo led to a dozen or so. They were very friendly. Ary and Dichi got a kick out of our star status.

We had lunch at a restaurant called Bebe Bengil (which means Dirty Duck). The restaurant looked small from the road but was absolutely huge with many eating areas and a rice paddy. We had the Crispy Duck and Duck Fried Rice. The weather was absolutely perfect – mid 70s with a light breeze and low humidity.

Our next stop was the Ubud Market. This was crazy – narrow streets filled with hundreds of local vendors. We had to haggle for everything, and picked up a few gifts for what I felt was a pretty good price. It took some haggling, too – they were well rehearsed. We would find out later that much of what we purchased could have been bought at a chain store for less.

Poor Dichi didn’t get to join us at the market, as he drove in circles trying to find parking. So, after a short while, we gave up and went back to the street to have him pick us up.

We left for the largest Starbucks in Southeast Asia, a sprawling two-story cafe, where we had chicken wraps and a cookie for dessert. Ary always loved Starbucks, so this was really cool for us. After Starbucks, we headed to a bakery to pick up some local treats for Ary’s family as a thank-you gift for taking care of us during the wedding.

It was starting to sink in that we were going to be leaving tomorrow. When we returned to the hotel, Ary and Dichi went up to their rooms but said they’d be back in a little while. We packed up our things. In typical Geoffrey fashion, we overpacked way too much. Ary and Dichi returned with some gifts for us and for the kids and Diana’s mom, along with some handwritten notes. We did a Facetime chat with Elizabeth and Meredith, wishing the former a happy birthday and introducing them to Dichi.

We wish we could stay longer, but are grateful for the time we’ve had together. Tomorrow begins the long trek back.

I mentioned in my last post how beautiful the Hyatt Regency was. It is an oasis in the concrete desert of Yogyakarta. Don’t get me wrong – Yogyakarta is a beautiful city with rich history and much to see and do, so after we checked in to our hotel yesterday, Ary and Dichi took us out to Malioboro road to do some shopping.

Malioboro is an interesting mix of cheap, made-in-China booths on the street side of the sidewalk, with air-conditioned higher end boutique stores on the other side. We focused most of our attention on looking at batik. For those not in the know, batik is an Indonesian method to dye fabric that makes intricate geometric patterns. If you saw my wedding sarong, it was made with batik pattern on it.

I wanted a shirt that I could wear to work, and we checked out several stores. While I am proud of my weight loss bringing my shirt size in the US to Medium, in Indonesia I am an XL. I found some that were OK, but I wanted to check several stores. After travelling up the road for about a quarter mile, we arrived at Ary’s favorite batik shop. I found a blue print that I really liked and fit me comfortably. I probably won’t wear it too often, as it is dry clean or hand wash only. This is because of the way the dye is applied.

As we were getting tired, we called for the driver to pick us up and take us to dinner. The restaurant was on the rooftop of a shopping center, and I had an excellent burrito and tortilla chips. The portion sizes in Indonesia are smaller than in the US, but are actually in line with what one should be eating at a single meal. Meals are extremely affordable, most entrees being $5-$8 at the nicer restaurants.

We went back to the hotel and took a quick shower before bed. I woke up before Diana, and decided to let her sleep and seek out the fitness center. It was outside, through the courtyard and past the elaborate pool. I got some photos as I was the only one outside at the tie. I spent 30 minutes on the treadmill and it felt great. I had been missing my walks since we left. Diana woke up as I was walking, and started a shower before I returned. I cleaned up and we went to breakfast.

The buffet was extraordinary. There were several breads and pastries, fresh tropical fruits, local and western hot items, and an egg station and pancake station. I had papaya leaves cooked in a spicy coconut milk sauce, an omelet, half an eggs benedict, a pancake, a danish, and some fruit. I was quite full after that. Fortunately, my walking was great for my blood sugar. I met a gentleman from San Francisco wearing a Wisconsin Badger hat, and we chatted for a bit about how beautiful the resort was.

After breakfast we walked the grounds for about a half hour then took a short horse-drawn carriage ride to the golf course and back. Ary and Dichi also took the same ride, then we checked out of the hotel and had the driver pick us up.

We went to a private museum north of Yogyakarta and learned a lot about Yogyakarta history and batik. It was actually only 7 km from Mount Merapi, a very large volcano that last erupted 10 years ago. The guide was knowlegable, and since we were English speakers, we had the guide all to ourselves, rather than going in a larger group. Unfortunately, photos weren’t allowed inside the museum, but we took some after the tour. I wanted to get a photo of the mountain once we got far enough away to see it again, but clouds had settled in and obscured it.

We had lunch at a restaurant back in Yogyakarta, then proceeded to Prambanan temple. This was a Hindu temple built in the 9th century. The tour was similar in structure to Borobudur, but consisted of several separate smaller temples, most with small, dark chambers at the top of stairs. We explored the temples, and on our way back took a golf cart tour of some of the smaller temples on the property.

It was hot at the temples, so we decided to hit up a local mall so we could spend some time in the air conditioning. A little shopping, a little dinner, and we were on our way to the airport in preparation for our late night flight to Bali. Tomorrow, we will wake up at Nusa Dua beach resort.

Today was a pretty spectacular day, and it’s only 2 pm.

We woke up early again this morning, packed and had breakfast. We met up with Ary and Dichi and waited for our driver to take us from Wonosobo to Borobudur Temple. If you’re not familiar, just Google it – it’s a place that is on the list of Unesco World Heritage sites. It’s an 8th-century Buddhist Temple, the largest in the world.

When the car pulled up, I was a little concerned, as it was a compact mini-van. However, with a little ingenuity, we were able to fit all four of us plus our luggage without being too uncomfortable. The road was curvy, and much more scenic than the northern route we took to get to Wonosobo two days ago. It cut through the mountains, and the traffic was much lighter but no less chaotic. By the time we got to Borobudur we were ready to be out of the car for a while.

Borobudur Temple is the most visited tourist spot in Indonesia. However, today was lightly attended, probably because it was the Monday morning after a holiday weekend. Whatever the reason, we were grateful. As we got out of the car, we were swarmed by some merchants. I had just finished saying we needed to get hats, and the first lady that walked up to us was selling hats. She had exactly the hat I wanted, and offered on to me for 150,000 rupiah. I said that was too much, and she asked how much. I offered 100,000 ($7 US) and she accepted gleefully. Ary told me later that I paid too much, and I should wait for her to help bargain. However, I was pleased with the deal because I saw nearly the same hat in Singapore for $35 two days earlier. Diana also bought a hat to protect her from the sun.

It seemed quieter and more serene as soon as we cleared the security checkpoint on the way in. This was the first time since arriving in the country that I experienced wide-open spaces and large walkways. It’s also the first time I was able to get a significant walk and some real exercise in since arriving. We took some pictures as we approached. The place was breathtakingly beautiful. The weather was nearly perfect, in the mid 70s, and there was a nice breeze. We stopped on the way up to check out the carvings and take more photos. We climbed to the top and admired the view. A local tourist asked Diana if she could get a picture with her. I figured she looked like Meryl Streep in her sunglasses and hat. I got a good chuckle out of it.

We worked our way back down after admiring the carvings and statuary for a while. The walk back was much different than the walk in, as we had to go through the market area, which was a maze with stalls and tarp on the roof. It was like Indonesian small-business Ikea. Shopkeepers would call out to us to ask us to purchase their goods. I used the phrase, “lain kali” a lot, which means “another time,” the polite way of saying “no”. If they persisted, I said “tidak,” which is “no” directly.

We emerged from the covered stalls to see more stalls, these uncovered. They reminded me of sales tents at a carnival or festival. There were horses pulling carriages, and a trolley hauling tourists. We made our way back to the parking lot and departed for lunch.

The restaurant was only a few miles from the temple, and had delicious food. One thing that unnerved me a bit was that the waitress came to the table and stood there until we ordered, rather than giving us time to look and coming back. After lunch we hit the road to Yogyakarta.

After about 45 minutes, we arrived at the Hyatt. Immediately after turning into the lot, we were in another world. The Hyatt houses a golf course and is one of the most luxurious properties I’ve ever visited. When we exited the van, we were given necklaces made from jasmine flowers. Our luggage was taken and we were escorted across a stone walkway suspended over a large koi pond. We entered the lobby and were given a seat while they processed our visit. They dropped off cold towels and tropical fruit juice for us to enjoy.

Once the rooms were ready, they brought the keys to us and shared some information about hotel amenities. We were then personally escorted to our rooms where we had some rest and I wrote this post. I apologize for the orientation of the photos – I’ll fix that when I get home.

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It’s 4 am in Wonosobo, Indonesia. Diana and I have been falling asleep by 7 pm and waking around 3:30 for the past two days. We are sleeping well in the hotel. It works out ok, because the first Islamic call to prayer that comes over the nearby speakers is around 4:30 am.

Many of my posts have been chronicles of our experiences, but I wanted to write a short post about my observations about Indonesia so far.

Being near the equator, Java (the Island that we are currently on) has a very warm, humid, tropical climate. There is a rainy season that can be cooler, but we are not in it. I can get into the 90s with very high humidity on a daily basis. Wonosobo is up in the mountains, and is markedly cooler. During the day, it gets up to the high 70s or low 80s and down to the mid- to low-fifties at night. As a result of the climate, most of the buildings here have spaces open to the outside air.

The air quality isn’t the best due to all of the pollution from vehicles. Most buildings are built mere feet from the driving space, so the exhaust is noticeable. It’s a lot like the air we breathed in downtown Los Angeles last month.

The people, however, are Indonesia’s true jewels. I’ve never seen more patience than I do here. I’ve seen no yelling, no road rage, and no anger. Everyone that I have interacted with has been empathetic and kind, even when we were unable to communicate. Family is clearly important to the people here. They are respectful of other cultures, as Indonesia is a very culturally diverse country. Their official motto is “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika”, which means “Unity in Diversity”. There are many religious practices, and on some islands tribal customs are still followed.

Cities are built with very little open space between homes, maximizing the use of space as they are very population dense. There are parks, but the open space outside of the cities are mostly farmland. They grow rice, tobacco, corn, fruits and vegetables to support the population. There are large corporate plantations that focus on palm oil and rubber.

For food, rice is a staple, as are soybeans, chicken and noodles. I’ve done the majority of my eating in the hotel, where they also have American and Chinese foods.

With all of the tobacco grown here, it shouldn’t have surprised me that so many people smoke. Even though most of our time was spent outdoors, it was hard to escape the smell of tobacco smoke when in a group.

Tipping is not common here, but I did see our driver “tip” a policeman (or volunteer, I’m not sure which) who was directing traffic. During traffic jams, people were walking between cars selling snacks or playing music for tips.

There are fewer English speakers in Wonosobo than I imagine will be in Yogyakarta and Bali, but body language and gestures, combined with patience and persistence, has made it possible for us to interact just fine.

I’ve known this for a long time but it bears repeating now: Muslim people are good, honest, caring people who are devout to their faith. That’s been true of every one I’ve met, here and in the United States. We are all people sharing this planet and should listen and learn from each other more often.

We now embark on a new journey, visiting sites with Ary and Dichi and spending some quality time together. I will try to update this evening (tomorrow morning for those of you on the other side of the world.)

What an amazing day this has been. We woke up early as we were asleep by 7 pm last night. We had breakfast in the hotel – an omelette and toast, plus the peanut butter sandwich I ate when I woke up because I was hungry. Last night, we were asked to wear traditional Javanese outfits for the ceremony, and someone came in to fit them to us this morning. Diana wore a sarong with a gold top. Some ladies did her makeup. I wore a sarong with jacket and hat and a small sword tucked in the back. The sarong was wrapped tightly, and my shoes were a little too small, so I had to walk like a penguin from the hotel to the car.

The people here don’t seem to like walking places. It could be because there’s not much sidewalk, and what there is tends to be very close to the road. Some told us that because it’s so warm there and the pollution was bad, so people tended to stay in cars or on bikes. The venue is less than a block from the hotel. However, we always drove. Today, they had police stop traffic as we drove the wrong way up the one-way street to get to the venue the short way. Ary was the lead car in a yellow VW Bug with flowers on the hood. Ary’s parents were in an SUV in the second position and we were in the 3rd.

We would learn once we arrived at the venue that this was the outfit that parents wore, and we were being treated as parents during the ceremony. I choked up when I realized that. We walked in the processional just behind Ary’s parents. The groom’s side and bride’s side faced each other before the ceremony as gifts were brought forward in beautiful clear boxes gilded with gold. Gifts were exchanged between families.

Then we walked with the family to the front of the venue. We sat in the front row during the prayers and vows. Many blessings and prayers were read, as Dichi, his father, Ary’s father and two other men gathered at a table in front of the crowd. Prayers were read and Dichi signed something at the table. Soon Ary began walking down the aisle, and I got a little misty-eyed. She was stunning in her headdress and gown. I didn’t take out my cell phone until I saw others do so. They walked up the aisle and more prayers were read before vows were exchanged. Then we were brought up to sit next to the other parents behind the front table, which was moved out of the way. Ary and Dichi kneeled the way Ary did yesterday, and when she got to me, I put my hands on her shoulder like the other parents did. She said, “You probably don’t know what I’m doing right now, but I am asking for your blessings and thanking you for being here.” That was it – the tears couldn’t stay inside. She moved on to Dichi, who also knelt before me and thanked me for coming.

Next the MC handed me a microphone and asked me to make a speech. This was unexpected, but I simply told Ary that 10 years ago she came into our lives and changed it forever, and that we were so grateful to be there with her, and that we wish them many blessings today and for the rest of their lives together. Diana was also asked to say something, and she said that Ary would never know how much joy she brought to our lives and wished her and Dichi happiness and blessings.

Next some photos were taken before we headed back to the hotel to change. After getting my suit on for the reception, we got in the car to return. Unfortunately, the parades were going on for the carnivals for the holiday weekend, and we got caught in gridlock, taking 30 minutes to go a block away because we had to go around and roads were closed off.

We arrived at the park again, and were once again asked to be in many photos with Ary’s friends and family. The band started playing music, and the MC shouted out my name, and asked me to come up on stage. Somehow, that ended up with me singing Elvis’ “I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You”. When I left the stage, Ary’s uncle wanted me to join him to sing Unchained Melody, so I went back up.

After that, we met some English-speaking people who were involved in AFS in the past, and had a nice conversation with them. We talked about our hosting experience, and our journey from the U.S. to be here.

The reception line had cleared as people started handing out blue and white balloons, so we quickly went up to greet the happy couple and get photos taken. Then Ary and Dichi walked down to the dance floor area in the grass and they released the balloons. This was followed by tossing the bouquet. They teased the crowd by not releasing the bouquet the first time. Ary’s smile was a mile wide and it was so great to see how happy she and Dichi are.

As it was starting to wind down, we left the reception to go back to the hotel and get some rest. We packed up our clothes from this morning and gave them to Iluk before retiring to our room for a while.

We have reached our destination. After 10 years, we were finally able to see Ary in person again.

After a quick breakfast at the Crowne Plaza in Singapore, we got on the plane for the final leg of our inbound trip. This flight was the shortest of the four legs, being only two hours from Singapore to Yogyakarta. The Yogyakarta Airport was much smaller than I expected. After deplaning, we picked up our luggage and went through Customs and Immigration very quickly. Ary’s sister, Iluk, greeted us and her uncle, Edi, drove the SUV that took us to Wonosobo.

Ary had sent along water and snacks for us, and stocked our hotel room with the same. I’ve had a few troubles with my blood sugar today, most likely due to lack of exercise as we have been sitting much of the time.

If you’ve seen The Amazing Race, you know just how crazy traffic can be in many parts of the world. The road from Yogyakarta to Wonosobo was really busy. In fact, it was a little busier than usual as today was Indonesian Independence Day, also known as “The Seventeenth”. The road we travelled was like driving through main roads (but not freeways) in the parts of a big city that don’t have skyscrapers. Adi was adept at weaving through traffic. There are lines on the road, but they are more of a guideline than a rule. About 50% of the traffic are mopeds and motorcycles. Bike drivers use any inch of the roadway to get ahead, even when that means cutting between two cars. Drivers here drive exactly like I do when I play Grand Theft Auto.

There were a few times Diana got very nervous. I found that all I had to do was trust that Edi didn’t want to scratch that beautiful SUV, and that he knew how to drive here. He’d tap the horn politely to warn bikes pulling out of blind spots, or to announce he’s passing. It took over 3 1/2 hours to reach our destination.

A highlight of the drive was seeing the large volcanos and mountains along the way. I would encourage you to load Google Maps and check out the Street View on the road between the two cities.

We arrived at the Kresna Hotel. The lobby was decorated in traditional Indonesian and really beautiul. We ate a quick lunch before heading to Ary’s parents house, where they were preparing to have a traditional ceremony, Bapapai, for the bride. When we arrived, we were ushered into the foyer, where we quickly drew a lot of attention. Ary’s relatives swarmed around and took photos, or got behind us for selfies. We felt like Brad and Angelina! Everyone came up to us and shook our hands. When shaking, the children touched their cheek to the back of our hand. Diana practiced some of the Indonesian that she had been studying, but there was still a large communication gap. The family was very friendly and generous. We were so honored to be there.

After about 30 minutes, Ary came out. She was stunningly beautiful with a headpiece and neckpiece made from Jasmine flowers and wearing a beautiful green outfit. Ary cried as she gave us a hug. Seeing a loved one after a long absence is a unique experience that I can’t put in to words. I’ll just say it was wonderful to see her again.

During the ceremony, Ary kneeled before her parents as they sat in chairs, bowing to them. They in turn embraced her and kissed her cheeks. Then Ary sat in a chair with her parents on each side of her. A large container of water mixed with flower petals and a ladle were in front of her. Her parents each took some of the flower water and slowly poured them over her head. Then several women in the family who had already had children who were married also ladled water on her. Diana was invited to ladle on some water, as well. The parents then helped her wash her arms and feet and stood in front of her, casting the vessel they used to pour the water to the ground as the crowd cheered.

After the ceremony, we went back to the hotel. There was a group of people in the lobby playing traditional music. Still a bit full from lunch, we ate peanut butter sandwiches and snacked on some of the treats Ary left. Then we headed off to bed for the big day tomorrow.

I’m having trouble uploading photos but will try again later.

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I slept in a bed last night. For 11 hours (minus that one hour in the middle). Joni Mitchell wrote, “Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone?” I needed that sleep so badly! The best travel decisions we made was booking this hotel and having this long layover to explore.

Before bed, at 4 pm, I took my first malaria pill per doctor’s instructions. Whether it was the pill, the diverse buffet, exhaustion or stress, I did wake up nauseous around 10:00. I also had a nosebleed around that time, probably from using my CPAP without the humidifier on because I couldn’t find distilled water. I decided to proceed for the rest of the night without the CPAP and it worked out fine. I tried the concierge, a convenience store, and a pharmacy, but nobody had heard of distilled water here. “Still water?” was the reply I got from each of them. If I ever move here, I plan to open a distilled water store for travelers with sleep apnea, selling bottles that are 20 oz so they are about the right size for one night.

I don’t know if the bed was super comfortable or that it was so welcomed, but when I did sleep I slept soundly. We normally sleep with a white noise machine running at home, but there was no bathroom fan to run. However, they did have a volume knob on the wall, that when we turned it up it made white noise to cover bathroom sounds. The bathroom also had two motorized blinds that retract into the ceiling – one is translucent and the other is room-darkening.

We woke up at 3:30 am, which will give us lot of time to shower and pack before the free hotel breakfast at 6 and boarding at 7:30. Our itinerary has us on a 2-hour flight to Yogyakarta, clearing customs and getting a ride from Ary’s sister for 3 hours to Wonosobo.

One odd thing about our trip is that I can’t get cellular services to work for data. I was told by Verizon that we should be able to do that for $10 per day per line and use our unlimited plan, but I’ll have to contact them about it.

No photos to share of us sleeping. Until next time, Zaìjiàn!

The flight from Hong Kong from Singapore was mercifully quick after the 15 hour ride from San Francisco. It had the same great food and amenities as the previous flight. It should – it was the exact same flight.

When we touched down in Singapore we had to go through immigration, which was a fairly simple process. We were told we would not be able to check in to the Crowne Plaza until 3:30, but we went to the desk anyway to see if we might be able to leave our carry-on bags with them while we went exploring. Fortunately, the room was ready, so we went up. While small, the room was luxurious and well appointed. It was finished beautifully and had a separate tub and shower. The toilet had a fancy sprayer to the side – we probably won’t need that.

We left to check out what makes Singapore Airport the #1 rated airport in the world. It did not disappoint. A 6-story waterfall that falls down through the basement shops, a mall that rivals the largest in the U.S., it was super clean and everyone was friendly. The Singapore hospitality workers are incredibly helpful. I’ve never seen customer service like it.

After checking a few shops and taking some photos, we decided to head back for dinner, even though it was only 1:30. I figured we had breakfast at 3:30 and lunch at 9, so it was time to eat again. This way we can get to bed early and get a long night’s rest. There was a buffet, which looked really good. I should have asked the price first, but if I had we may not have eaten there. There was a great selection of western and local recipes. I got adventurous and tried a jellyfish salad and an octopus salad. The jellyfish had a weird texture, exactly as you’d expect, but the dish was spiced heavily. The octopus was very much like Asian salads with vinegar are in the States, except it had whole baby octopi in it. I ate some, but Diana declined.

Words can’t do it justice, so here are some photos to show how gorgeous it is here.

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Despite years of air travel, before today I couldn’t imagine what a long haul flight is really like. Fortunately, Singapore Airlines is so customer focused that the experience was quite bearable.

Our flight boarded on time, but both Diana and I were pretty worn out when it began. She had caught some cat naps in the chair by the boarding aea, but I wasn’t able to sleep. Our boarding process took us through Business Class, which is like the nicest first class you can imagine, with pods and seats that fold down flat for sleeping. Our seats were nicer than the First Class seats on the Alaska Air flight we took from Chicago. At first, I didn’t know how it would go with us taking up the two middle seats in the center aisle, but we lucked out and had nobody sitting to Diana’s right. So, I was able to wake up my wife instead of a stranger when I needed to use the lavatory in the middle of the night.

When I say “Middle of the night”, the entire flight was pretty much the middle of the night. We took off at 1:15am, and chased the darkness across the Pacific Ocean, flying over the Alleutian Islands, the edge of Kamchatka, and Tokyo before getting to Hong Kong. Unfortunately, the blinds were all drawn so I didn’t get to take in the scenery. The best I could do was watch the animation on the in-seat screen.

We used the “Book the Cook” feature of flying in Premium Economy, and I had a 2 am dinner of chicken breasts, mixed vegetables, and mashed potato. There was a decadent piece of cake that I took a tiny taste and gave to Diana, who had beef and whole potatos. When the plates were cleared, the cabin was darkened.

I tried to sleep, really I did. I even was able to plug my CPAP in to the AC power on the plane. But, the seats aren’t soft enough nor do they recline enough for my particular sleep needs. I tried taking up two seats with the empty spot in our row, but that empty seat wouldn’t recline and I didn’t want to punish Diana for my shortcoming. The most comfortable position I found was leaning to the right with my pillow on her shoulder.

The other thing about an International flight like this is everyone is on a different sleep schedule. Even though the cabin was darkened, the flashing lights of the screens on the bulkhead one row up were right in my eyes. Some passengers were up and down in the overhead bins, making noise that even my earplugs didn’t block.

Of the four hours I wore the CPAP mask, I would estimate I slept lightly for about three of them. Not to worry, though – I woke up refreshed. I think Diana probably got about 6 or 7 hours broken up into little naps. She watched a couple of movies while we awaited breakfast.

The pilots worked that seat belt sign like they could see the turbulence from 100 yards away. The sign would go on, and moments later it would hit. There wasn’t anything super rough. I’ve always felt a car ride was bumpier than a flight with turbulence.

Amenities were nice in Premium Economy. We got a warm towel upon arrival, which felt nice. The screens were quite a bit bigger than those in Economy. We were given free earbuds when we walked in. The seats had a little leg rest on them, but my legs were too long to get any real use out of it. I had nobody in front of me, so didn’t have a seat recline into me. In fairness, the seats didn’t recline a lot, even though they reclined more than Economy.

No matter how nice the environment, it’s still a 15 hour flight, and is still exhausting. After deplaning, we had to go through security checkpoint again to get back on the next flight. No more TSA PreCheck perks for me! Another full water bottle trashed, but at least this was a free one from the airline.

I mentioned on the About page that this blog was in part named for an album by Richard Thompson. One song on that album, Dead Man’s Handle, reminds us to “keep your mind on the journey’s end.” And that’s just what we’ll do. One more leg for today, and one tomorrow before we reach our destination.