On Monday I woke up to my alarm going off at 3:30am -- I was getting up early for a sunrise tour of two temples in the area, Borobudur and Prambanan. As Borobudur is one of the few regions in Indonesia with maleria, I was wearing long pants and a long sleeve shirt despite a very hot weather forecast. A German couple I met who was staying at my hostel were also on the tour, and we sat around complaining about it being early until our driver came. Upon getting picked up we drove out to a view … [Read more...]
September 9, 2013 2 Comments
September 7, 2013 3 Comments
9/7 – Day 2 – Balik art school, water castle, Ramayana ballet – Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Yogyakarta is still under rule by a sultan. So, the next morning I decided to pay a visit to his palace, which is located near the city center and open to tours. Despite it being very hot out, I decided to walk. Along the way I met a German couple who were also there to see the palace. Unfortunately, we were informed that the temple was closed that morning to visitors, but the extremely helpful employee proceeded to spend 10 minutes providing advice on other areas to explore and see during … [Read more...]
September 7, 2013 Leave a Comment
Museums, Kite Festival, and Night Safari — another day touring around Singapore
I woke up Sunday, refreshed and ready for another packed day of touring to see the sites. If you happened to read my previous post, you'll recall that I forgot my sunscreen at home (amateur move, but hey, it was my time out during the day--rather than night--when you really feel the heat of the tropics). I wasn't going to let that stop me from taking advantage of my day off from project work, though, so I decided to hit up a few museums. First, I took the MRT from my hotel over to the … [Read more...]
September 4, 2013 2 Comments
How to plan an “unplanned” trip
“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” –- Jawaharial Nehru // How do you plan an unplanned multi-month trip? Don’t go with a tour group, travel on your own, and skip the set itinerary. Seem overwhelming? It's actually easier than you think, if you keep the following guidelines in mind: Pick a region of the world - First, decide on what region of the world you'd … [Read more...]
September 3, 2013 8 Comments
Indians, Chinese, Arabs … and Prada and Gucci – a day touring around Singapore
"Singapore is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend going there." -- paraphrasing Matthew Broderick in Ferris Bueller's Day Off // This weekend I had a chance to tour around Singapore, which was awesome. On Saturday, I woke up and headed to Tiong Bahru, a stop on the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) green line, to grab breakfast witha friend of a friend living in Singapore. Tiong Bahru is a bit off the tourist track, in an area without as many of the tall skyscrapers that pepper the … [Read more...]
