After Kuta, we decided that we'd had enough of the busy beach scene for a while and headed off to Nusa Lembongan. Nusa Lembongan is an island about 1 hour's boat ride from Sanur, on the southwest coast of Bali. The island is home to several thousand Balinese and a handful of tourists. Most visitors come here to surf, dive, relax and get away from the hustle and bustle of Southern Bali's resorts.
Most of the locals are involved in the seaweed industry, so every afternoon, when the tide goes out, people migrate to the beaches, where they harvest seaweed and set it out to dry on the sand. We were told that a kilo of seaweed can be sold for around 4,000 Rupiah, or $0.40 USD. From our observations, it looked like most people harvest about 2-3 kilos of seaweed per day. Most of this seaweed is eventually exported to Japan and the US (seaweed extract is used in some ice cream and other dairy products as a solidifying agent).
Aside from learning a little about seaweed agriculture and the local economy, we took advantage of some of the activities on this beautiful little island. We snorkeled the reef beyond one of the surf breaks, went on a push-bike adventure around the island, tried our hand at sea fishing and did two dives. Our snorkeling adventure was a bit a more involved than we anticipated. To get to the reef from shore, we had to maneuver our way through the seaweed farms, over sharp rocks and around ominous sea urchins for over 100 meters. Our efforts were rewarded with a beautiful reef and a good afternoon. We wanted to try more surfing, but took one look at the reef-inflicted war wounds on surfers as they returned each morning, and decided maybe we should stick to the gentle beach breaks in Kuta. We did surf Kuta for one day and it was a better location for beginners.
The dives were really cold, but worth the pain and suffering, because we both saw Manta Rays for the fist time. For those of you who aren't familiar with Manta Rays, they are huge black and white sting ray-like creatures who feed on plankton and love the cold water environment of Bali. It's difficult to describe what it was like to see them in the water, but they were a bit like graceful 10-meter flying saucers that appeared out of nowhere and glided right over us like we weren't even there.
Led by a local guy we called "Captain Mushroom", we went fishing one morning with some English and dutch friends. This "Sea fishing" was essentially skewering chopped up tuna onto a hook and weight attached to a roll of fishing line and lowering that down to the sea floor. Not super-technical, but actually tons of fun. Billy caught a grouper, our friends caught several more groupers and a snapper. Julia didn't catch anything, but the boys were nice enough to share some of the cooked fish with her later that evening. The freshly caught fish was a great meal and the snapper was the tastiest.
As always, our visit to this island was made special by all of the amazing people we met. Our English and dutch surfing friends provided tons of laughs and hours of musical entertainment. Billy thoroughly enjoyed the jam sessions and learning new songs. The Australian family, with their kids in tow, ensured that we kept the potty-mouth to a minimum and shared some great insight into the Balinese life and culture. The family was great fun and made us miss our family at home...love you mom and dad.
We absolutely loved Nusa Lembongan and would strongly recommend it to anyone planning a trip to Bali.
-Julia and Billy

Nusa Lembongan

Julia, overlooking Dream beach

One of the bays we saw on our push-bike adventure around the island

Billy, lamenting the tiny bike seat

Seaweed harvesting

Footbridge to Nusa Ceningan, Billy met several local boys here who looked up at him and simply said, 'Money'

Kieran, Jules, Kris, Jack and Foreno preparing their bait

The fishing boat

Billy with his dinner

Sunset on Nusa Lembongan

The fish was thiiiiiiiiiiiiis big

Julia, Kieran and Jack

Billy serenades the crowd at Agung Bungalows
Upon our arrival in Bali, we had a trip first: extortion...by a corrupt government official. When we arrived at the airport in Bali, Julia's passport was nearly full of stamps and visas and there were only two blank pages available for the Indonesian visa (which takes up a full page). The immigration control officer jumped on the opportunity to make an extra buck and insisted that she pay a "fine" of $50 US, because he had to put the visa on one of the last pages. Julia asked for a receipt and the officer just laughed. Angry, but without another option, Julia paid the fine. Not the the best first impression of Bali.
Originally, we had planned to skip Kuta beach all together and immediately head elsewhere in Bali, but Billy needed to see a doctor and Julia needed to visit the US consulate to get additional pages added to her passport, so we decided to stick around Kuta for a few days.
Honestly, for all the negative press it receives, Kuta isn't really all that bad, especially if you take it for what it is: a crowded town on a heavily touristed island. The beach is ok, the town itself is entertaining for a few days, but nothing spectacular (plus you have to fight off thousands of people trying to sell you stuff). Regardless of its downfalls, we still had fun. We did a little surfing, relaxed, met up with some Dutch friends, Oscar and Anamica, and planned the rest of our adventure in Bali.
-Julia and Billy

Kuta Beach

Billy's first solid meal after a bout with food poisoning

Each home in Bali seemed to have its own family temple

Busy streets of Kuta

Dinner with our Dutch friends, Oscar and Anamica

Kuta's crazy nightlife, though interesting, was not exactly our style. Can you see the person on stilts dressed in the nurse outfit? Yep, that pretty much sums it up.

2002 nightclub bombing memorial

Sunset at Kuta beach
We planned a rather brief stopover in Kuala Lumpur. We were expecting to see a few sights, do a little shopping and enjoy the comforts of a nice hotel (cashing in on Julia's hotel points, of course), but Billy got sick and we ended up staying close to the Hotel. One evening, we got a little unexpected sighting...the King of Malaysia.
We were enjoying a snack at the hotel when we noticed that there was a group of beautiful people dressed up in traditional Malaysian clothing milling about in the lobby and practicing some hand gestures. We thought this was a little odd, so we decided to check it out. Upon further investigation, we noticed a red carpet and a grand entrance set up. It turned out that the King of Malaysia was visiting our hotel. We only got a brief glimpse, but it was still pretty cool. It's not everyday that you get to see the king.
-Billy and Julia

Kuala Lumpur

Billy and Julia, hanging out with the King's welcome wagon

The Petronas Towers

It's good to be the king, can you spot the king of Malaysia in this photo?

Scooter-riders in KL
We arrived in Semporna, the launching off point for dive trips to Sipadan and were pleasantly surprised to find that our accommodation, the Dragon Inn, was better than expected. We had air conditioning, clean sheets, much needed hot water, breakfast included, and we were a quick 5 minute walk from the dive shop (always a good thing if you are one who relishes every extra minute of sleep). This was a definite treat after roughing it in the jungle; it's amazing how you take such simple things for granted until you're in a situation where you don't have the basic comforts of home.
The town of Semporna itself turned out to be a dump, but the diving more than made up for it. We spent four days diving, three of those days at Sipadan Island and one at Mantabuan. The diving world class, especially at Sipadan. Sipadan, a pinnacle island, is located off the continental shelf and seemingly appears out of nowhere. The portion of the island that sits above water is actually very small, but once underwater, provides the stunning sheer cliffs that plunge to 600 meters on one side of the island and 1200 meters on the other.
We don't know exactly why this is the case, but we were told that the fact that the island is located off the continental shelf creates an ideal environment for sea life to flourish (that and it's part of a protected marine park so there isn't any dynamite fishing). We saw hundreds of turtles, a handful of reef sharks (white-tip and black-tip), one leopard shark, lion fish, scorpion fish, Anemone fish, lobsters, trigger fish, unicorn fish and much more. In addition to the sea life, the conditions were a diver's dream: the visibility was over 20 meters, the variety of coral was impressive, and the water was a comfortable 84 degrees (29 degrees Celsius, for Anna and all of you other crazy Celsius-using Europeans). Needless to say, we were thoroughly impressed and would recommend Sipadan to any diver.
We experienced only one minor hiccup while diving at Sipadan. During our first day of diving, Julia was provided with a malfunctioning BCD (the air valve o-ring was bad), but we didn't figure this out until we were about 20 meters deep. Julia went to adjust her buoyancy by slightly inflating her BCD, and all of a sudden air started to free flow into her BCD. Julia skyrocketed towards the surface like a balloon, and after failing to get Billy's attention by yelling (which is impossible underwater) she managed to grab him on her way up. Since her BCD was free flowing, purging the airbag did nothing, so Billy had to disconnect the BCD air hose, but not before we went up nearly 10 meters together. This scary incident put us both on edge for the remainder of a beautiful dive.
The nightlife in Semporna was non-existent after midnight, except for a little thing called a Chinese karaoke bar, which Billy got to enjoy during two evenings (Julia had food poisoning and missed out on all the fun).
-Julia and Billy

The Dragon Inn, which was built on stilts over the water

Overlooking the dive site at Mantabuan
Anemone fish (Nemo fish)
Julia, free diving
Lion fish, beautiful, but poisonous
Billy, swimming with a turtle

A local fisherman shows off his catch

The Celebes Sea

Steve (underwater photographer-extraordinaire), Mike (the divemaster) and Julia on the boat a Mantabuan

The dock at Sipadan, we spent our surface intervals on this beach (resting between dives)

Billy, resting and sunning himself on the beach (get that hairy monster out of here!)

Julia, doing the same, but looking much better

The Malaysian military personnel who patrol Sipadan really wanted a photo with Billy and these Swedish children

Ominous clouds move towards Sipadan
After spending a few days in Kota Kinabalu, we decided that our fist excursion would be to a jungle lodge. We spent 2 days and a night at a jungle lodge in the forest near Kota Kinabatagan.
The adventure started in Kota Kinabalu, where we hopped on a bus and suffered through a hellish 5 hour ride to Kota Kinabatagan. This was one ride for the books. First off, we barely caught the bus after initially being ushered onto the wrong bus. Julia had the stroke of genius to ask where the bus was going... After a little chaos, we stopped the other bus that was pulling out and got the last seats available, in the back, next to the toilet. We soon found that the a/c vent above our seats was broken and Billy managed to put some engineering skills to use and block the vent with his sock. Since we were in the back, we couldn't see or hear the movie, which was on too low to hear anyway. To make matters worse, the toilet started overflowing...and yes, we were right next to it, which made for an unpleasant smell and several damp items.
From Kota Kinabatabgan, the jungle lodge people picked us up and took us on a dusty bumpy ride to the lodge.
At the lodge, we put Billy's new guitar to work singing Ghost Riders in the Sky returning us to childhood memories of car trips with the family. Billy entertained our fellow travelers and guides with some Johnny Cash and Beatles songs late into the night. We took evening and morning boat trips up the river in search of wildlife, and participated in a night hike. On the boat trips we saw tons of birds, monkeys (including the long-nosed proboscus monkey), lizards and even a crocodile. The night hike was an interesting opportunity to check out all of the micro life in the jungle. We saw lots of brightly colored frogs and insects with the help of our Australian friend, Steve, who became our own personal tour guide. To Julia's great relief, we didn't have any personal encounters with leeches.
-Julia and Billy

Billy suffers through the bus ride

Arriving the lodge

The lodge's dock onto the Kinabatagan river

Our Welsh friend, Tasha, after the dusty drive

The Kinabatagan river

One of the Wildlife boat trips

Monkeys playing in the trees

Sunset

Looking for animals on the river

Steve pointing out a frog during our night hike

Sunrise on the river

Can you see the monitor lizard sunning himself on this slanted tree?

Billy, Tasha, Steve, Julia and Hannah at the lodge
During our travels, we've been hearing rave reviews about Borneo. It's touted as the place to go in SE Asia for amazing diving, mountain hiking and jungle trekking. So, we bought two plane tickets and headed to Kota Kinabalu (KK), the capital of Borneo's semi autonomous state of Sabah.
As with most places, we arrived in Borneo with a time frame, but no set plan. Normally this isn't a problem and allows us to scope things out before we commit to any accommodations or activities. Borneo, as we quickly found out, is different story. Many of the region's star attractions are difficult to access without an organized tour, and being that this is the peak of high season (dry season combined with vacation time for Europeans), many activities were fully booked.
We spent several days in KK trying to arrange some activities, and finally managed to book a visit to a jungle lodge and several days of diving in Sipadan. Unfortunately, climbing Mt. Kinabalu will just have to be our excuse to come back to Borneo someday.
While in KK, we met some other cool travelers with whom we could sit around and whine about how we didn't know we needed to book everything in advance. Our new friends included two Slovenian dentists, who identified us as siblings because we have the same smile, and Cat, who had all of "Lost" season 2 on DVD (which we watched between bouts of calling tour operators).
Though we were disappointed not to climb Mt. Kinabalu, this may have been divine intervention. When we arrived in Borneo, Billy's foot started to hurt, so we made our first official trip doctor's visit. The doctor said "see those red lines moving up your foot, that's the infection spreading". We got Billy patched up and headed off to the jungle.
-Julia and Billy

Billy enjoys a soccer game on TV at a cafe in KK

Women waiting to buy fried bananas

Billy takes a nap with his new guitar

Kota Kinabalu at night

Julia tries a new fashion statement...hmm maybe not the best look, good thing she didn't buy that hat

Our hostel in KK
After the Perhentian islands, we traveled to Penang (in the NW corner of peninsular Malaysia). Penang is an interesting island. Most backpackers we've met have recommended avoiding it. The island has a rich history and reminders of the colonial rule, which most backpackers are trying to get away from while in Asia. It doesn't have the typical white, sandy beaches which most travelers seek. The main city of Georgetown is a bustling place, and is a perfect example of Malaysia's economic growth. In the two years since Billy's first visit, development on the island has exploded, and the sky is now littered with high rises. The island also reminded us a bit of Singapore in that it has a strong ex-patriot presence (our friend, John was a good example of this). The treasures to be found on this island require a little digging, but are worth the effort.
What Billy wanted to see on Penang island was very much off the beaten path, and worlds away from Georgetown. The sleepy little beach town of Teluk Bahang is located at the last stop on the Island's bus route. It is a perfect place to kick up your heels and relax for a few days. There is a national park and the area has some good hiking. Here, there is no sign of any foreign investment or economic boom.
We arrived late at night and it was a challenge for Billy to recall the location of the well hidden Miss Loh's Guesthouse. When we came to the familiar unmarked gates at Miss Loh's, the lights were dimmed and no one seemed to be there. Then out of the darkness came the smiling face of Billy's old friend Sam. Billy didn't know if he'd remember him, but Sam immediately said, "Two durian seasons ago, we went for a run, of course I remember you" (Sam picks durian for Miss Loh in return for a free accommodation at her guesthouse).
We spent the evening talking with Sam, catching up on the two years' gone by and introducing Julia to durian fruit.
The following day, we kicked back and made plans for our travels to Borneo and Bali. Unfortunately, our plans didn't allow us to stay at Miss Loh's for more than 2 days, but we enjoyed our visit, and it is a place to which Billy plans to return.
-Billy and Julia

The Bridge from Butterworth to Georgetown, Penang

Billy and Sam

Julia tried the durian fruit, but has concluded that it is an acquired taste

The puppies at Miss Lohs', however, LOVED durian fruit (the dog on the left is even named "Durian")
For he's a jolly good fellow, which nobody can deny...
We met John on the speed boat leaving the Perhentian Islands. Billy noticed that he was sporting a Penang Marathon t-shirt and struck up a conversation. It just so happened that he was going home to Penang, and as we were contemplating our next destination and mode of transportation, he offered us a ride to Penang. We gladly excepted his generous offer and we were off on a smooth ride. We had the comfort of air con, pleasant conversation and the all necessary leg room (a rare commodity for these two long-legged travelers). This ride saved us an entire wasted day in Kota Baru and the hassle of getting a bus from there to Penang. Let's just say that we owe him the honor of a blog entry and more.
John is a retired accountant from the UK and South Africa who has recently relocated to Malaysia. We enjoyed hearing about his travel experiences and his perspective, as an ex-pat, on life in Malaysia.
When we arrived in Penang, he took us to his local hangout on the beach and we watched the sunset while enjoying a couple beers and "Mary's special" Chicken curry. Our final destination, Teluk Bahang, was just a five minute ride away.
-Julia and Billy

John

Sunset at John's hangout

Dinner with John

Paradise
The Perhentians...or paradise, as we like to call it.
After lake Chini, we headed north, toward the island paradise know as the Perhentian islands. Since we arrived in Malaysia, we've been hearing a buzz about these islands. The reports seemed to be accurate: the Perhentian islands are pretty much as close to a backpacker paradise as one can get: clear water, warm weather, palm trees, delicious food, great people, and good diving.
The only problem is that word has gotten out about the Perhentians, so housing is a precious commodity (which means that hotel owners can charge outrageous prices for crappy little huts), and the island has basically been taken over by backpackers. It's not exactly the destination for exposure to authentic Malay culture, but it's a wonderful place to relax on the beach for a few days.
We hooked up with a dive shop called Spice divers and did a few dives with them while we were on the island. We did two reef dives and one murky wreck dive...which even though the visibility wasn't the best, was still pretty cool. The divemasters were even nice enough to let Billy stock up his ipod with tunes from the dive shop collection (which Julia was thrilled about because it meant that she could once again use her ipod and got some new JT music to boot). We also snorkeled in the bay, played volleyball and frisbee on the beach, and of course..relaxed.
As with most travel, it's not about the place, it's about the people. We were fortunate enough to meet some really cool travelers while on the island. Jo, Sherif and Thomas from England (and we keep bumping into Sherif even now that we are off the island). Tatiana and Andrea from Holland. Andrew and Mike from SF, who were very patient with us.
-Billy and Julia

Perhentian Kecil

All too frequently, we manage to wear matching outfits...we swear it's by accident

Home, sweet, home. This hostel, Panorama, had a good vibe and included a free meal...the only downside was a slight rodent presence

Billy unleashes his inner Tiger (don't worry mom, Billy had plenty of help with those 4 beers)

Who knew that there were so many cool pink diving accessories?!?! (Julia unleashes her inner Barbie)

The dive shop

After the wreck dive, where we successfully manged to evade the scorpionfish and lionfish

Same, same...but different?

Tatiana explains the wonders of "monkey juice" to Thomas

Andrew, Julia, Mike and Billy

Bidding farewell to paradise
Since arriving in Asia, we've been introduced to a lot of new and interesting smells: the pungent durian fruit, exotic new spices and....Billy's laundry?
The saga began at Lake Chini: After our jungle hike, we returned to the guesthouse, showered and headed off to the bus. During our first bus ride, we both smelled something a little "funky" wafting around the bus. We checked our shoes and started eyeing our fellow passengers, trying to identify the stinky culprit.
When we switched buses in the town of Kuantan, we both independently noticed that the smell had "followed" us. Billy turned to Julia saying, "Did you smell that foul odor on the first bus?" We immediately started sniffing our surroundings, and it didn't take us long to realize that the curious smelling item was Billy's' shirt.
Quickly, before the second bus took off, Billy rushed down to the luggage compartment and reemerged with a "clean" shirt. After settling into his seat with the new shirt, we caught wind of the familiar smell. We pondered this for a bit, then realized that Billy had failed to completely dry his laundry the night before. He had then packed the semi-damp clothing into his bag that morning, where they proceeded to cook all day in the smoldering heat, thus causing the "special" odor. Bingo.
We (Billy) learned an important lesson about doing laundry in the tropics. Clearly, Billy has never had the benefit of traveling with Anna, who views packing damp laundry as a highly punishable offense.
-Billy and Julia