Palau Ubin

01/12/2012

Yesterday I went to Joo Chiat Road to experience Peranakan culture. Peranakans are people of Malay-Chinese descent and they have produced some of the most ornate buildings in Singapore. With tiles and lots of color these buildings line Joo Chiat Road down to Katong which is where I stopped for a bite before taking the bus back to the city.

After making my way to the Sands Casino I tried my luck again but this time I spent about $35 and realized it would be better get out while I was still technically ahead. At this point I raced to Tampines to meet up with YK. He bought me a bubble tea and brought me to his home where I dropped off my stuff.

Down in the basement YK loaned me his bike so I could take it to Palau Ubin, a traditional village on an island off the coast of Singapore. Down the road about 30 min I checked a couple roads until I found the ferry where they charge $2 per person and $2 for the bike. There were only a few of us so the captain offered to take us at $5 each and we were happy to accept since we would otherwise be waiting for 30-60 min.

On the island I began my ride and eventually ran into Daisy, a journalist for the Wall Street Journal. Her company has sent her to live abroad a couple times and at one point she even lived in Singapore for two years - at this point she was just visiting friends though. As we talked a bunch of monkeys started running towards us and we were soon in the middle of a troop of jumping, swinging, and running monkeys... all intent, no doubt, on robbing us of our goods or at least any food we might have. After taking some footage we moved on and found a giant quary where Daisy has formerly swam but now is fenced off. It was a very blue quary with lots of cool places to jump off the rocks and get eaten by mysterious objects moving through the water.

After finishing the bike ride we decided to get some food but since everything was closed up we hopped on the ferry back which was only $4.50 thanks to a large group who showed up as we were leaving. Back at Changi Village, Daisy and I ate some chicken rice and vegetables then parted ways. On my way back I found that I arrived pretty quickly and YK wasn't due back for a while. After he got back I took a shower up at his place and we walked to the bus stop for the airport. It was moments and the bus was there so after a quick goodbye I was on my way. Next stop: Australia!

Singapore POI:
-English is the primary language
-Small yet has its own holiday island getaway within its borders
-Costs $100 to gamble unless you're a foreigner

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Sentosa

01/10/2012

This morning I went to Kampong Glam for a visual of Malay heritage including the Sultan Mosque - the oldest mosque in Singapore.

Next, I walked down Arab street to Little India for the Tekka Centre - a mall full of hawkers. After searching a bit I finally found a little place selling delicious curry and nan bread and as I ate a guy from a drink shop sold me a tasty sugar cane drink for $1.30. After chowin down a bit I headed to Labrador for the
nature preserve where I saw a cool rock formation called the Dragon's Tooth and some war stuff situated randomly throughout the jungle. I was hoping to find one of their monitor lizards that roam around there but unfortunately there were none to be found. I was startled a bit by a falling branch though.

Sentosa Merlion

After Labrador I headed to Vivo City for the monorail to Sentosa Island. After looking around and talking to a few people I finally found its secret location on the third floor. I was surprised how hard it was to find until I found out the price - the cable car is $27, but the monorail is only $3! Over in Sentosa I saw some sites and eventually ended up in the casino. Casinos in Singapore like to charge $100 to enter, but not if your a foreigner - then it's free! So after using my passport for free admittance I found myself searching for Wheel of Fortune and Roulette. I found Roulette for only $2 per number and right off won $62 and then another $72. After excitedly cashing the tickets I went back and lost $10 at which point I decided to head out. Although, on the way I saw Wheel of Fortune and decided I could afford to play a couple rounds. After spending $50 of my $110 in actual gains I decided to call it a day. Next I explored Sentosa a bit more and took the monorail back and grabbed the MRT (Mass Rapid Transport) to Aljunied.

After a while YK showed up and we went to Dim Sum where I had some black jello stuff and we ate Pao (Humbow), Pork rolled in soy bean film, dumplings and fried sticky rice. Next we went for some sweet crissaunt-type bread with soy milk and soy jello. Meanwhile, I went to use the bathroom because the black jello stuff as it turns out is kind of a laxative (YK neglected to mention this before I ate it). Interesting enough, the bathroom was a squating one used my Muslim Malays and so also had a hose for squirting yourself off... I didn't realize it at the time but they also have a button above it for flushing. Anyhow, we soon left and headed for what turned out to be Singapore's version of the red light district. After wading through that we went to get Durin, a fruit that ranges from $2-$22, is covered in spikes and tastes like sweet ice cream. Oh, and it smells, the smell also transfers to your fingers and sticks around for a while. Finally, we decided to call it a night and headed back towards the hostel.

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New Horizons

01/08/2012

At 1a I dragged my food poisoned carcass onto the 14.5 hour flight to Taipei, Taiwan. After sitting down I began waiting for the plane to take off so I could use the bathroom. An hour and a half later we began moving... meanwhile the lady next to me allowed her little rugrat to crawl all over me. This kid would wait until I was falling asleep then grab and shake me awake. After a while I asked if I could use the bathroom even though the seatbelt sign was on and found that it was actually supposed to be off. As I got up a couple others overhead the good news and raced to the lavatories. Fortunately, I was still able to find some unoccupied ones in the back. When I returned the lady had put up an airplane crib mount for her kid and so, not only did I have to climb over from the other side, but my screen for watching movies was trapped under the crib. For the next 14.5 hours I sat as the lady and her kid went back and forth from the crib making no effort whatsoever to keep to themselves. During both meals the kid decided to help himself to my food as he just couldn't seem to stop grabbing at me and my belongings. His mom pretty much just sat and giggled as her kid harrassed me througout the whole flight... yeah, hilarious.

01/09/2012

I've basically lost a day and on top of that the delay of the first flight means that my second flight left immediately after I arrived in Taipei. I literally got off my 14.5 hour flight and onto another 4.5 hour flight... at least I had a little personal space this time.

After flying eight thousand miles from the US to Singapore I met a Russian traveler in the airport who was on holiday in Asia for a couple weeks. We went to buy tickets but I didn't have cash so I ran to an ATM and went back to buy my metro ticket. When I told the attendant I was here for three days she suggested a multi-pass which allows unlimited use of trains and buses for just $30 for three days - $10 back upon card return! After getting my pass I headed for Aljunied station next to my hostel. On the way I spoke with some Spaniards about my time in Spain and about Singapore. They were here to study and were in the middle of one of their usual five day weekends. One of them was actually from Argentina so I said "me shamo Travis" because Argentinians pronounce double L with and "sh" sound. I knew this because one of my Spanish teachers at the University of Washington was Argentinian.

After about 15 minutes I arrived at Aljunied station. From there it was only a block walk along the tracks to the Urban Hostel in Geylang where I paid just $10/night! Urban hostel is in the "red light district" of Singapore so that's why it's so cheap. On the other hand, the area is actually more interesting and cultural than many other places from what I can tell. Not to mention that you can just hop on the MRT for a couple minutes and be in any of the other areas. After settling in I contacted my friend Y.K and we met at Raffles station then went on from there to get some shish kebabs (refered to by locals as satay), spring rolls, fried banana, and a Tiger beer.

After eating we went walking around the Marina to see the Art Museum (looks like an inverted Sydney Opera House), the Opera House (looks like fly eyes), and the Marina Bay Sands hotel with its three towers reaching up to a big ship!

After touring the harbour we went to China Town's segmented shops known as "hawkers" for some sweets where I got some bean humbow (called Pao by Singaporians), a fluffy egg desert, and a mango dish with giant lime (pamelo) garnish. After snacking we decided to call it a night so we headed out on the green line.

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Mining in Australia?

First of all, why work in Australia?

So I'll be arriving in Australia January 12th, 2012 and when I get there I will be looking for work. The Australian economy is the least effected by the global economic crisis and is actually doing quite well. With unemployment way down at 5.2% in October and a minimum wage of $15.51 (nearly double that in America), Australia is an economical powerhouse. Need I say more?

Why work at the mines in Australia?


Put simply, the mines pay. With the unemployment so low and the increase in demand for minerals by China the mines are scrambling for workers. Australia is desperate for skilled workers and the biggest demand in Australia for these workers is in the mines. Now, while I don't have these particular skills, many entry level jobs at the mines such as being a Driller Offsider and working in Sample Preparation do not require any skills and are a quick way to learn on the job and make a decent wage in the process. If you are healthy and have strong work ethic, they can use you. I recently read an article about a high school dropout in Australia who went to the mines and made 100k his first year. This was seven years ago and he has made a million dollars since. If he can do it so can an athletic college graduate from America.

Stay tuned for upcoming entries as I begin the search for employment in Australia!

Historical Boston

09/09/2011

This morning the Green Tortoise dropped off a few passengers while passing through New York and we moved on for breakfast in Connecticut. 


After some Denny's the journey continued and historic Boston was soon on the horizon. Upon our arrival we went to the local international hostel and I forgot my hammock on the bus... fortunately I did remember my sleeping bag deposit. Without reservations the plan was to sleep at the airport, but seeing as the hostel had cancellations this was not necessary. In the hostel a friendly Aussie named Rob suggested joining him on a ghost tour. Having never been on a ghost tour it seemed an interesting opportunity. After meeting up with his friend Shelly from England and taking the metro down to the Boston Commons, the $15 ghoul quest began. At the beginning the guide scoped out the skeptics and asked us in bewilderment, “so... why are you here?” 

The group started at a standard cemetery and continued to other “haunted” locations. After meandering around town listening to a fair number of the guide's tales of the supernatural, we arrived at the original hotel from the movie “1408." After the tour's finale it was time for some bar hopping. A bar called Bukowskis, and a couple other places that Rob had discovered from his prior nights running around town, each had different personalities and offered a range of interesting beverages.

09/10/2011

Today I left early to do the Freedom Trail. On the metro Coral and Jade were on their way to see Harvard and, after parting ways with them, the nearest stop on the Freedom Trail was near one of the visitor centers. After getting a proper guide map I followed a line of brick which lead the way to the first landmark, the old statehouse. After a couple stops along the way a local suggested Als Subs as a good place to get a value deal on food. Sure enough, they offered a delicious foot long BBQ chicken sub for only $6! On my way down the trail I finished the sub and dropped into a pub advertising $2 drinks. At the end of the trail a nearby metro went straight to the airport and from there the journey continued to Atlanta and finished in Seattle.

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DC: Our Nation's Capitol

09/08/2011

Today the Green Tortoise arrived in the District of Columbia where it was raining indefinitely. After a tumultuous bustle off the bus while gathering bags and converting the front in the process we made our way out of Union Station. First stop, our nations capitol building. Unfortunately, the baggage restrictions make entering a bit of a challenge if you enjoy water, food or anything else that they think is dangerous. Luckily a lady out front was able to suggest a strip of restaurants down Pennsylvania Ave.  One of them, Le Bon Cafe, is recommended in the city's visitor guide; they have very enjoyably rich and buttery french toast and pastries. Following breakfast was a long list of uniquely rich historic landmarks including:  the Library of Congress, the Supreme Court, the Shakespeare Library, the National Botanic Garden, a couple art galleries, and the National History Museum where I ran into Mara. We went to the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial and the White House. 

Lincoln Memorial and reflecting pool (under construction)

After a full day of visiting national icons it was time to return to Union station where a plethora of culinary options (many very familiar) greet hungry site seers. Not much later, many of the passengers arrived back at the bus and decided to end the day together at Kelly’s Irish Pub.

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St Andrews & Great Smokys

09/06/2011

Today Green Tortoise arrived at St Andrews Beach in Florida. After breakfast we went to see some gators, real ones. Playing with fate didn't end with the gators as a hurricane had just passed and the rip tides were stronger than usual. Though, even with planes flying overhead dragging warnings to "stay out of the water," body surfing in those warm Florida waves was just irresistible. 

After a day of riding 10ft waves and almost getting ran over by surfers we watched as the kite surfers came and went and the sun dropped beneath the horizon.

09/07/2011

Today we went on another hike, this time in the Great Smoky Mountains. After breakfast a few of us set out hiking to the falls and found the Great Smoky Mountains seemed to be just that, smokey. The humidity is so high that it appears smokey like during a forest fire - and yes, I have actually been in a forest fire before, it's not recommended. Back at the bus we dried off and soon we arrived in Gatlinburg where we swam at the public pool there and  took advantage of much needed showers. After dinner I went to use the public restrooms only to find out that they had no doors. I used them anyways and even though I was told “nobody will look”… everybody looks. Back on the bus “the miracle” was performed and everyone went to sleep.

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New Orleans, LA

09/05/2011

Today plans to avoid New Orleans changed and after arriving we all went to the main cafe (Du Mont) for their famous Beignets. Another place was less crowded though and offered a real breakfast of eggs, sausage, grits and toast for only $5. After breakfast Paul and I went to look at a couple museums but they were pretty much all closed. The French Market was open though and the free ferry over to Algiers Point was running. 

French Market

The cemeteries in New Orleans are also something to see - they have above ground graves (due to flooding) that you can see if you arrive before 3p. At one point I removed my sandals because they were rubbing my feet raw, something to keep in mind when choosing footwear. Though, if you watch where you step you may just find $10 laying on the ground. 

For genuine (and very affordable) Cajun food one of the drivers, Dave, recommended Verti Mart. The gumbo, mashed potatoes, and mac & cheese are fantastic and a pint of each (a lot of food!) including milk is only $14. After seeing the sites and eating all that good food there was only one thing left to do, bar hopping. One of the bars screamed “new people!” every time people came in and another had a guy wearing a ribbed metal jacket that he played with drum sticks. At a bar called “13" Paul recommended a local favorite from his home of Newcastle, England called Newcastle Brown Ale. Apparently this brew is very addictive and has resulted in a high rate of alcoholism back home.

Popular concept in Tennessee & Louisiana apparently

At the end of the night many of us ended up at Check Point Charlie's where we enjoyed a local drink called the “Hurricane” and some pretty entertaining karaoke.

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Graceland

09/04/2011

Quirky little stop over in Little Rock, AK

Graceland - Memphis, Tennessee: home of the home, cars and jets of Elvis Presley. 

Jungle Room

A few toys in a room full of cars

After checking out the home, cars, planes and many other items from the life of “the King” we headed over to Beale Street for some Cajun cooking. Later, at one of many live street performances, we enjoyed 32 oz value drinks and listened to some rather interesting music.

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St Elena Canyon & Austin, TX

09/02/2011

Today the group made eggs and crumpets for breakfast and we headed for the border. The Rio Grande is a natural border between the US and Mexico and it runs through the Santa Elena Canyon. It is also a place where Green Tortoise takes passengers to have an all out mud fight. The mud can be scooped up like snow and chucked at the victim of your choice and after everyone is thoroughly bathed in sludge it's just a quick swim in the "rio" and you're all clean. 

All Clean

The next major stop after the Rio Grande was to be Austin, but the Tortoise was stopped early at a checkpoint that nobody from the trip will forget…as everyone was woken up to get off the bus (including Americans) a couple of unprepared passengers were getting threatened with jail time and/or a fee for not having their passports available. Also, after stepping off the bus we noticed a stack of bags, a stack of SEVEN ONE POUND BAGS of Marijuana belonging to an Oregonian passenger named Luke. After Luke was taken away in cuffs some dogs had to sniff out the bus a bit so a few of us went with the guards to use the jail bathroom. While they were patting us down a job inquiry seemed prudent - turns out you can start at $75k/year as a border guard if you have your bachelors degree!

09/03/2011

Arriving in Austin most headed to “Austin Java” for breakfast where they serve eggs, “taters,” and “chorizo" aka sausage. After breakfast everyone hired bikes and I figured it might be a neat idea to try a tandem. It was interesting, but more of a hassle than anything. If the person steering stands up it throws the rear rider off balance so going uphill was a bit of a pain.

Not for everyone..

Lots of these cows all over Austin

The first place we stopped was the Texas State Capitol. Something many don't know is that the capitol was actually moved from Houston to Austin in 1839, so if you thought the capitol was in Houston, like many do, then you're half right.

  

At the university the LBJ Museum and Library have many interesting exhibits. Many artifacts are held from the life and presidency of Lyndon Baynes Johnson including documentation from the liberal “hippie” movements of the 60s, gifts given to the white house by people from “all walks of life,” and an animatronic LBJ robot telling jokes with his recorded voice. 

Another enjoyable stop in Austin is Amy’s Ice Cream; it's kinda like cold stone but with flying ice cream tricks instead of jaded song singing. After cooling off there a bit Whole Foods is right across the street where you can get a good meal for a reasonable price. Finally, Barton Springs is THE place in Austin to go for a swim; their giant outdoor pool/spring is refreshing and a good place to meet some locals like a guy named Joel (hoe-el). According to Joel various laws govern different counties in Texas and can be very distinct and even conflicting from county to county. If it's Summer time you also want to make sure you don't miss the flight of the largest urban bat colony in North America which happens at about 8p. Unfortunately, after I convinced the Tortoise drivers to delay the departure so that the group could see it, Claude was the only one of us that actually went. 

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