10 Months in Equatorial Singapore

[Ottime]

I was out running errands on a Saturday and I just got my baguette. I usually ask for "no bag"because there is so much plastic in this country, but it felt like it might rain, so I asked for bag. The baguette is just long enough to stick out of my pannier bag. Glad I did, cause as soon as I crossed the road, I saw the rain coming down the street. You can literally see it. You will be in a spot with no rain, but like a sheet marching down the street, you can see it pouring just a few feet away. It's hard to capture rain with an iPhone, is that gives you an idea of what this downpour is like. Lasted maybe 30 minutes. Of course I got bored after 20 minutes of standing under a structure and started on my 10 minute ride home. Sun came out as soon as I biked inside the carpark.





There are two stories about Singapore in this picture. First, the queue. Obviously this stall sells something special, as I was enjoying my post (MTB part of the ride) beer, these folks were pulling up chairs to wait for this stall to open. I checked and it opened about 35 minutes after this pic was taken. The second is each and everyone of them are staring into their phones. It is so common here, and the phone is actually required for life. Including paying your tariffs or speeding tickets. Almost nothing is accomplished without the phone. Food queues and phons - so SG.




Back on my tour of food centers, I finally got down to Albert Food Centre in Bugis. Old school. These Peneng Noodles and Pineapple Drink set me back $6. Both were wonderful. This centre has the old urban style centre feel to it. Adjacent to a wet and dry market, and just a few blocks out of Little India. My fiends are passing through SG in early June and then traveling with us to Cambodia and Thailand. There hotel is juts down the street, so this will be one of the places I get them over to. Good Popiah at this place as well.




As the plaque states. Each corner it is in a different language, including Chinese, Tamil and Malay. The Japanese were pretty brutal here, and there are several memorials around the island commemorating the period. One to the SG veterans is up in Kranji, and an epic battle was fought (and lost by SG) on Kranji Beach during the Japanese invasion.





These guys have been active along the shore. Usually hard to get a pic of, this quy was just rolling around in the grass having a blast.





Dunman Food Centre and a well known Vadai stall. These Tamil treats are quite nice fried snacks. And ancient. Apearantly mentioned int the Dharmasutras. The one on top is ikon and peanuts. The one hidden is prawn. Paired well with a Teh Tarik. They are a form of chat and basically veggies, prawns, ikon bilis or other items fried up in a donut shape. Here in Singapore, the Vadai took on more varied forms, likely influenced by the mix with Chinese culture.





Watch Netflix Street Food episodes on Singapore and you will hear the story of Haig Road Putu Piring. These women were on break when I arrived, as the snack is prepared in batches.







Old style Halal treat. Rice flour steamed with gula mallaca (palm sugar) and served with shredded coconut and aromatic pandan leaves. I've had these elsewhere and was not really impressed. Too dry and the sugar too crystalized. Haig Road does Putu Piring right. Moist, flaky, sweet, oozy. Comforting.





My kid has a ton of days off of school. We decided to visit the Asian Civilization Museum. If you are looking for some time out of the heat, this place it really cool. Loads of artifacts ranging back to 700 AD (actually, a few bronze mirrors from 500 BC!) and it really demonstrates how mixed the cultures of SE Asia are, and also the influence of travel to and from Europe during the spice trade. Pictured here, we are out front, enjoying the installment known as "24 Hours."

[Ottime]

Good Friday is a National Holiday in Singapore. They have several religious holidays for each of the different major religions here, to create a sense of harmony amongst the different cultures. So we opted to take a quick trip over to Sumatra. Thanks you to whomever from this board to mention a visit to Medan to see the man of the jungle. We arrived in Bukit Lawang after dark, in the middle of the thunderstorm. When the transfer driver mentioned "we are here", I was like what? We had just pulled up to the literal end of the road, and a thatched bus stop looking place. We exited, and were met be several of the lodge employees. Some rapped our bags in plastic and took off on motor bikes and we were handed umbrellas and told it was about a twenty minute walk. So, from the end of the road, we walked about twenty minutes. And amazingly enough, we ended up where there was wifi. This world is so damn connected.





We opted for a "vila" which was a second story hotel room with a loft for the kid. Nice accommodations for sure. No A/C, but Sumtra is not hot like Singapore. It is juts hot. So the fans were plenty. Honestly, I was a little chilly in the early morning hours, cause it was like only 78F. Goosebump weather.




Breakfast at the Sumatra Eco Lodge Adventure just okay. The fruit cake ws wonderful, but the hot food was just enough to start the day. No real complaints, just not as spot on as some of the breakfast I have enjoyed around SE Asia and Oceania. The location, though, was perfect. River side dining.





We opted for the "welcome to the Jungle" single day trek, that ends in floating down the river in a tube raft. It starts off easy enough. About a mile walking through town, past warungs and lodging. Gave us some ideas where to head out for dinner later, and coffee and lunch the next day. Bukit Lawang is not a big place. Along the river is the tourist district, with lodging for all the people headed into the jungle. Oddly named, as it is in a river valley and "Bukit" means hill.






Looking up river. On the left bank is town. The right bank abuts the National Park and preserve lands. From this bridge, you can head a few hundred meters upstream along the left shore before encountering the wilderness boundary. At this point it is a few hundred meters inland from the river banks. The locals were busy collecting rocks inter inner tube rafts and reinforcing their banks while we were visiting.






The bridges across the river are super cool old rickety pedestrian (and some motorbike) bridges. You can see the wood slats are made from just random pieces of split timber.






Just a few minutes from the river and you enter what I was thinking was the jungle. Our guide, Ferman, explained this was not yet the jungle, because it was not preserved land, and is mostly second or third growth. Everything down in the rainforest grows so quickly, it is hard to tell this place was ever clear cut.





Then, after climbing about 150 vertical feet of bamboo and mud stairs, we came to the rubber tree plantation, and could see for ourselves, how this area was once clear cut. Rubber Trees are from the Americas, and are not indigenous to the east. These are the old plantations, as Sumatra is not mostly Palm Oil plantations. When this area has run it's course, it is likely it will be transformed to there lucrative palm oil. You can see on the tree how the farmer has cut the bark of the tree, for the sap to drip down into a bowl. The bowl has a little ammonia it it, so the rubber sap does not react with rain water. The farmer need to come to the plantation every day tp score the trees, hence the move to palm oil which is way less labor intensive.






We walked for a few hundred meter through what seemed like endless rubber trees. These mono crop forest are terrible for wild life that depend on the diversity and abundance of the natural rain forest.






It is so nice to be in the mountains and have vistas for miles after a life of living in the city with a few hills topping out at maybe 400'.






After about a mile of hiking from town, we passed through this little area of bungalows. Not a bad place to spend your time jungle trekking. I preferred being in town for grabbing dinner and coffee and the such. But if you prefer being a bit further out there, this place was located on a hilltop with potentially wonderful twilight views.







Shortly after the lodging, we had our tickets checked and we entered Gunung Leuser National Park. We were told before our booking there was no guarantee we would see orangutan. They government shut down the feeding platforms some time ago, and now the apes had returned to a truly wild nature and travel through the park forging for their own food. Before, you could count on a busy platform for a few hours a day. Our first sighting was the Long Tailed Macaque, which we have plenty of in SG. These guys were bigger, and just after I took this shot, this guy took a dump on my kid. An auspicious start. Cheeky monkey for sure.

[Ottime]

We had a guide and a wildlife spotter with our group of five. It was not twenty minutes into the hike when the spotter returned to report an oranguatan sighting ahead.



[

I did not bring my DLSR with me (I don't really anywhere these days) as I was concerned about wet weather, weight and the hassle. As soon as I was shooting with my cellphone, I was a little (but too) bummed. I knew I'd be getting much better results with the camera, but ultimately, just watching these apes in the trees was way better than grabbing the perfect shot.






It was a mother with her one or two year old baby. Super fun to watch.




The paparazzi were also fun tot watch. Everyone had a mid sized sense until the British dude showed up with his big camp lens to put them all to shame.






After watching for maybe thirty minutes of the mother and child moving about from tree to tree, we heard there was another pair on the move just a bit back fro where we came from. We headed over in that direction to check it out. We were able to get closer to these two, as they were down slope from us, so just a little bit up above eye level.







The crowd of hikers was pretty thick tho. Kind of made it a bit less appealing, as people were jostling for position. We had a great guide, who could sense the direct the apes were moving, and get us into position to see them pass from front row seats, as they made their way down slope.






These guys just seemed intelligent. Looking at the curious tourist, with their curious cell phones and cameras.

[Ottime]

We continued on our way. The hike itself was pretty awesome. At times we were were walking on trails barely more than animal tracks. Plenty of up and down, but mostly moderate hiking at this point.





Considering the heavy rains from the prior evening, the trails were pretty well drained. Still, there were muddy sections and plenty of slippery roots. These trails were not like what you come across in US National Parks, but quite a bit more rugged and natural feeling. I've been on plenty of interesting trails in the US, but these reminding me more of what I trekked in Olympic Peninsula in Washington or Napali Coast in Kauai.




We could hear this Peacock calling through the jungle and our guide had no problem tracking him down. I've seen these birds in captivity, but they are really quite big in nature. A hard guy to get a picture of as it naturally blends so well with the jungle and spotted light through the canopy.






It was our first stop of the day. Fruit break. Jungle style. The pineapples were really very good.





We watched this guy for a while. Notice the leech on its back (lookers) left side. It was best to tuck your pants into your socks to help protect you from the leeches. They were small, but they do suck your blood. My kid and I both found leeches on our socks and lower pants later in the day when getting ready to jump into the river. My wife found her socks blood stains. Turns out here RGB socks could not defend her against the tyranny of leeches.





After fruit snack, we split from the other two people in our group. We went with the head guide and they left with the wildlife spotte.r They opted for the shorter. easier way to the river. We opted for the longer, and steeper route. Turns out we were setting out for an adventure. These trees live for 500 plus years. Unfortunately, the termites don't care and will eat them alive well before their time. This guy is just waiting for the right time to fall down the mountain side.




The trail was pretty quiet, but we did come across other small groups from time to time. These guys found a nice place to take a break.




I just really enjoyed theses twirly vines. So many cool features in the jungle that I just don't see in Singapore.

[altasnob]

An interesting article in the NYTimes today:

The World Admires Singapore’s Benevolent Autocracy. Should It?

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/12/o...democracy.html

"Consider that in 1960, Singapore and Jamaica had roughly the same G.D.P. per capita — about $425, according to World Bank data. By 2021, Singapore’s G.D.P. had risen to $72,794, while Jamaica’s was just $5,181."

[Kevo]

Great to see the TR still going strong and you guys enjoying so many different parts of SEA and Oceania while you are there.

I'm coming up on 5 years since my last trip to Asia, which is kinda hard to believe after spending so much of my life there. Japan might be in the works for next winter. We'll see.

[MyNameIsAugustWest]

^ This...I look forward to every update. I lived in Korea back when it was a 3rd world country and I want to go to Viet Nam based on Ott's pics and commentary.

[mcski]

Same. I spent a couple years living in Japan in the late 80s and another year on the backpack circuit around SE Asia. Overdue for another adventure

[Ottime]

Glad ya'll are enjoying this. I'm mostly doing for myself, to help process this year. So much is happening so quickly. Mostly really amazing stuff.

Yes - Viet Nam. I'm bringing my in laws to How An for two days next month and really looking forward to getting back there. There is really so much more to that country I'd love to explore. The coast north of Saigon and the Sapa region northwest of Hanoi are top of the list. Don't know when, or if, I'll ever get there.

It is also amazing how easy it is to cross into Malaysia. I went into Johor Bahru with several other unemployed husbands yesterday, and it cost me S$7 round trip from my house, and everything there is so cheap. I might go back for beer, lunch and to grab some gum for my kid once more before we leave.

Korea is one of the big places we will miss this go around. We plan to hit Japan on the way home, as well as Cambodia and Thailand. Sri Lanka, India, Philippines will all be missed. It is really such an awesome jumping off point.

[LeeLau]

OT - I grew up in Malaysia spending time with my parents in Kuching, Sarawak; then Kuantan then Petaling Jaya and a month every summer with my grandma on Gurney Drive in Penang. Also spent some time with my uncle/aunt and cousins in Ang Mo Kio in Singapore,

I've been binging your TR. It's very cool to see the sights so changed from when I lived there and how much has changed. You're quite insightful (and daring!) then most so please do keep it up. Looking forward to more

[Ottime]

Thanks man. Making the most of our time here. Would love to find time to travel more in Malaysia, we are down to six more weeks. It really went so quickly.

More Sumatra….




After splitting off from the other couple who opted for the easier route, the hike became quite a bit more interesting. Several creek crossings. At this ford, we heard the trees moving above us. We had been hoping for Gibbons, which are quite elusive. Instead we got the Thomas Leaf Monkey. These guys were so swift through the trees, I was unable to get a clear shot. And by the time I realized that, I had an even worse angle. There were pretty awesome. Bright white bellies, small heads and fast jumping from tree to tree.






The trail and hiking were not for the out of shape. Heat and humidity weren't as bad as Singapore, but it was warm and wet out. The trail here was steep, ascending directly up the fall line for about 200 meters.





These shots really do not capture it. Still, this was easier than going down (more on that later). These lands are protected by the government, unlike much of Sumatra which has been razed (by an allowing government) and planted with palm oil plantations. One of the reasons people come to this area to look for orangutan, is they really do not exist across much of the island anymore. It is not just the ape losing its terrain, but also the rhino, elephant, tiger along with many other lesser animals.







More climbing. I'm not an eco warrior by any means, but this Palm Oil shit is horrible. Indonesia is one of three widespread tropical rainforest still in existence on this small planet. As it gets mowed down to make way for the plantations, we are losing some of our last of these abundant eco systems left on Earth. The orangutan is losing its home. If you are reading this, please make an effort to stop buying products that have palm oil in them. Doritos, Lays, shampoos, and thousands of other consumer goods. Read your labels. It is so cheap to produce, that major companies are working hard to destroy much rainforest as quick as possible to maximize profits today.






If we keep this up, these wonderful places will no longer exist for our grandchildren to come visit. Even worse, these areas are huge CO2 capture zones, so I grandchildren may not even have a place to live any longer on our warming planet. This forest, even on its fringes, was clearly a pretty special place. Up and up we go.





As we peaked this section, we came across a troop of Pig Tailed Macaque. These guys are quite a bit bigger than the Long Tailed Macaque. Also not too afraid of humans.







My iPhone is an older model. And 11 or something. I know the newer ones have even better optics, but I was able to see the shortcomings of showing in the jungle. It's not that bright, except where it is very bright. This troop was fun to watch. A lot of playing and fighting and claiming dominance. This mama seemed to hold her ground.








The troop hung out for quite a while during our rest stop. It was lunch time for us. As our guide prepaid our meals, we were entertained by the always moving troop. These two guys were at it for at least twenty minutes. Not sure if it was playing or fighting, but it was fun to watch.






Nasi Goreng in a banana leaf for our mid day trek meals hit the spot. Honestly, I think it was my favorite meal of the trip up till this point. My wife and I went out for dinner later and has some great Rendang. Not sure if it was just being hungry after all our climbing, but this fried rice was wonderful.

[Ottime]

What goes up, must go down. Just as we finished lunch a school group from an International School in San Francisco showed up. They were by far the largest (and loudest) group we had come across out on our hike. So it was time to move on.







The hike down the other side of the peak was even steep than our climb up. You can get a sense of it, but it was steep. And wet and slippery. My kid was having a blast, as you needed to use your hands every few steps. At one point we could see another small group about twenty feet ahead of us, and a hundred feet below us.





Down climbing.





Finally we hit some flats and were able to walk more casually and just take in the jungle around us. And then it was back up another slope. When we got to the top, there was a list across a river valley, and maybe six people taking a rest.




And then we spotted another pair of orangutan. Because we were on a peak, at first they were below us, and then they were directly at eye level, coming up to check us out.







This was my favorite viewing, as we were much further out and away from other groups. Just the ten of us up here, so not jostling for position. You could sit and take it all in. The young ape was a five year old, and moved fairly independently of its mother. Soon, it will head off on its own.





They kind of remind me of Wookies.



[

Soon, mother and child passed over the top and began to head back down slope. We decided to continue on our hike, leaving the other two groups behind. It was a few moments into our hike that we realized the apes were heading in the same direction as us. We hiked together for a few minutes, us on the ground, they up in the trees. Such a wonderful few minutes. The trail down here was not yet so steep, and we could walk along while watching the action above us.




They really use these trees. The smaller, younger trees bend under their weight, and will spring back and forth. I've said it earlier, but so much better and seeing an animal in the zoo. These two travelled over a long distance with grace and abandon.




Look at those toes!

[Ottime]

And then the slope began to steepen.





The down climb got progressively steeper as we slipped into the river valley. Soon, we were using roots to help us repel over five foot drops. The final pitch down to the creek crossing was pretty gnarly. Wet slick rock above a ten foot drop to the creek. While that does not sound super crazy, you just need to think on the fact that the nearest hospital is not back in Bukit Lawang, but four plus hours away in Medan. And Indo is not known for its exemplary health care.




RGB. She goes out on MTB rides and jungle hikes, but does little to defend against the leeches.







After some exciting down scrambling, a crazy narrow traverse, slipping over a rotted slick tree trunk above a water fall, we had maddest down to the creek. Survived the hardest part.






Freman was an amazing guide. So good with our child, assisting just the right amount on the down climb. J can be stubborn and a bit independent, but there were some parts of this hike that were clear - do not fall - zones. Besides being informative, and great at spotting wildlife, Freman was also awesome with our kid. Highly suggest.





We were not yet out. We were in and out and across the creek several more times. If it were higher water, we would likely have had wet feet, but there was just enough rocks to hop and bank to traverse. There was still some challenge and more than a few root rappels. But nothing that felt lie there were huge consequence. Okay, maybe one, but it still felt a bit easier.





Eventually, we crossed out of our creek and into a dry creek bed that must become quite a wash in after heavier rains. It was a maze of routes. There is really no way we could have route found on our own.




My wife was taking her time through this section. I was just enjoying seeing her not too far away, but well hidden in the foliage. And then we were out on the river. We checked for leeches (my kid and I removed a few from our pant cuffs), took off our shoes and socks and went for a swim in the river. It was cool, but with the sun on my back, the perfect temperature. After another fruit snack, and a half hour of water play, we got in our raft and hit the river. The descent is maybe 2 kilometers, maybe less. My kid claims Class II (and they know a bit about this stuff) on one of the rapids. It was a blast, and for sure something that would never be allowed in the US.





Soon we were docked at our lodging. A view up river.





And this is why you would not be able to tour like this in the US. The raft is built by lashing together several inner tubes, and you just slip into them. The guides use bamboo poles to keep you from careening into the cliff walls or rocks. It was a blast.





Happy Hour. We chilled for a while by the river, enjoying the waning sun light. My kid crashed out at 6PM. They were tired. The hike was not super long, maybe 6 miles. Maybe longer. Hard to tell for sure. But there was a ton of vertical. At least 1200', but maybe 1800'. Maybe more. Again, hard to tell. What really will tire you out though, is that almost the entire way you need to be watching your step. Like every single step. And good portions require using your hands to climb up or down. One of my top ten hikes for sure. Right up there with Napali Coast and Zion Narrows.

[Ottime]

The next morning, my wife and I headed into to town in search of good coffee. Or decent coffee, at least. We hear rumors of a quality cup down river, so we walked. This town is built mostly along the river, and the infrastructure is awesome. There are several bridges spanning the entire river, and even more connecting to islands in the river.





They use all sorts of found objects. Notice the 55 gallon drums used as support.





A number of the warungs and lodging are built directly into the hillside. This one incorporates a cave into the seating area.





You can tube ride over the spillway. Just avoid the middle section.





Later, Ja nd I head out for some lunch while mom grades papers. English teachers never stop working. One of the things I love about Indonesia, is you can have fried rice and fried noodles with chicken, an avocado smoothie, a pineapple smoothie and a large Bintang, and sped about S$9 while overhanging a river with wonderful views.




As soon as you pull out of Bukit Warung, you travel for over an hour through endless Palm Oil. As far as the eye can see in both directions. Avoid this stuff. Read your labels. It is destroying our worlds rain forest.




Airport food. While the veggies were a touch over cooked, this was a super tasty dish and I had their signature Avocado Coffer Float.





Way out of focus, but flying into SG at night is pretty cool. The CBD, MBS, Flyer, Garden Domes and Durians.

[Ottime]

The weather has been just a touch dryer. So not 75mm of rain each day, making for better MTB riding. I try to time my rides when it has not rained for at least 36 hours. This day was a bit wet, as it rained a bunch the day before. Saw a new to me lizard. Small guy, with bright colors.





Bought a cheap, hardly used Marlin 5. Not a real MTB, but rides way better than the Northrock XC27. My wife went out a few times not he Marlin, but she is done for now, and sold the Northrock. So now I'm on a red bike. It is faster. As I stoped for a water break this guy stroked out of the jungle, took a look at me, and guessed I was staying seated and lumbered across the clearing. I really do enjoy the wild life here.







Back down at the Singapore River, taking down a happy hour Love Wild IPA after picking up meats and cheeses at Foodie Market. IT is my standard route every tow weeks. Foodie Markets my go to spot for breakfast sausage, streaky bacon, ground meats, mozzarella (dry and fresh), cheddar and other western comforts.Pack my cooler and then go grab a beer.







River otters are usually pretty shy. Must be a time of the year, as I've been seeing more out on the shore. This large family was eating, playing, dedicating and generally taking over this area along the Kallang near To a Payoh in the PCN. I can tell you they make a stink.







Then it was time to meet up with some other unemployed dudes and head over to Johor Bahru. It is right across the border in Malaysia, and is stupid easy to get to. It cost me about S$4 to get there, and took me a little over an hour from my house. Will need to do this again. We had no plan, other than to walk around, see some things, eat lunch and have a beer. Actually, that is way more organize than our trip. JB is very different than SG. For instance, street art is a thing across the border.






SG has a similar sign, but the target just has their hands up in the air. In Malaysia, they were shot in the back. Hard core.






We noticed Botanical Gardens on a Google map. Turns out these are the private gardens of the President and you can not access them. The looked interesting through the tall fence.






Malaysia has a similar cultural and ethnic blend as Singapore. Both were British colonies and many Indians were brought over as laborers. This street reminded me of areas of Little Indian in SG.






Poor lighting, but cool temple






Notice the air plants. This place was closed for refurbishment and I wonder if these plants will be removed.






We had a pretty amazing lunch. I ordered some Bak Kit Teh (aromatic pork rib soup). The only other option for lunch was a nice looking prawn curry noodle. We had a bunch of beers and all this was way way cheaper than in Singapore. As we were leaving, the dinner chefs began to arrive and set up. This guy obviously has a dish that is different than what I get in California. Product looked fresh.





Back home in SG, my kid had Friday off from school. So after a dentist visit, we headed off to lunch and biked pass the otter family. I realized how quick their cleaning was because their appointment was at 11am
And we were a few minutes late. My kid really liked the very brief hygienist experience. And the otters.

[Ottime]

Al Zamira (stall #01-04) in the AMK Central Hawker Centre (Blk 724) is the best prata I've had anywhere on the island. Prata is king. So much better and any other Indian bread I have had. It is flaky and served with some curry. Al Zamire gives you a choice of chicken, mutton, or fish and they are all super tasty. At $2.40 for two prata, it is the perfect afternoon snack

Gonna take a moment to express how I am approaching our time to head back home and am super bummed the year is coming to a close so quickly. I have truly come to love living here. Made some friends and have been meeting tons of locals lately. I finally have become comfortable saying "hello" and "thank you" in Chinese and just yesterday was told by a stall vendor that I blend in. I pointed at my white western self and said "me?" He was all in, swing I ordered my You Tiao while holing a Yin Yuan (Soya and Grass Jelly Drink) and he said I was rocking it like a local. The food and the people here are amazing, especially when out visiting the food centers. So many great experiences and so many things yet to do. This place will be missed and this year remembered fondly. I am very lucky to have a family who made this adventure happen and have be willing to take this leap.




My kid's clarinet instructor for their band class is the Music Director for Not A Clarinet Choir. They recently had a show of rearranged music from Japan popular culture. We got some tickets and the music space was super intimate - maybe 200 in attendance. They played music from Japanese anime, movies, TV shows and more. My favorite pieces were from Cowboy Bebop. If you have not watched this program, check it out on Netflix if you have a VPN. Set the VPN to Singapore and there is a huge amount of anime to choose from. Cowboy Bebop I find to be a decent program, but with great music. One of the advantages to living in the big city has been all the opportunities to attend a variety fo different performances.





And the jungle is never far. Every few miles of MTB track there are these shelters in the jungle. The purpose is to provide a respite from the hit sun, a seat to rest on, but most importantly, shelter in case of heavy rain and thunderstorms.





My In Laws came to visit, and we went out for Chili Crab. Jumbo Seafood has a number of locations around the island. Advantage to those not used to the heat and humidity, they have AirCon. For sure not budget, but the crab was great. And so were the antics.






Newton Food Centre is back open after cleaning and renovations. The centre featured in Crazy Rich Asians, it is known for Chili Crab, Satay, BBQ Stingray and more. You can get just about anything here. A bit pricier than some other outlets, perhaps because it has become popular with tourist. On this particular night, it was about 50 percent tourist and 50 percent local. Singapore gets tourist from all over the world. Perhaps more from Asia, than Europe and the US. But the tourist just look like tourist. It is hard to explain. Perhaps it is how they dress and how they move. The locals on the other hand just feel like they belong.






I headed out west, for perhaps my last time. Will see if I get out that way again. It is always nice to get out toward the more rural parts of the island. I too a slightly different route than usual, so that I could check out the Kanji Wetlands Park. It is a freshwater wetlands and very popular with bird watchers. I spent just a little time here, as I was on a schedule and had started my day a bit late. Might try to get back and head further into the park.





I want to get back to this place. Bollywood Farms was founded by Ivy Singh and Lim Ho Seng as their retirement plan. There story is pretty cool, and you can check out more here if you are interested. Basically a CEO of a major grocery chain conglomerate and his wife were looking for the good life in retirement, and built a farm on some of the last remaining rural areas of Singapore. It is Agri-Tourism. There is an organic farm and bistro, culinary classroom, nature walks and more on their property. It is really a pretty cool placed upon the back drop of the major city that is Singapore. Here it is green, but the rest of the island is endless towers as far as you can see.





But my ride was not about farms. It was about hitting up some Hawker Centers. I had four left to hit up on the west side. The first, it turns out, is still under construction. Blk 505 has a bustling market space around it. Fruit venders, electronic shops, convenient stores, barbers, clothing shops, banks, dentists, clinics, hardware, housewares and more. Very typical market structure for Singapore - all built in a pedestrian square. In the center is the Food Centre. I enjoyed a wonderful bowl of Thunder Tea with Brown Rice.





Yuhua Market was my next stop. Also in Jurong. It is hard to explain the appeal of these places. It is where the locals go to eat. Every day these Food Centers are packed with people at all times of the day. Some centers are more breakfast, and other ore dinner oriented. Yuhua has stalls open as early as 6am, and other open as late a 10pm. These are the places I most often find myself in an extended conversation with a Singaporean or Permanent Resident. Being solo, I often share my table with someone else during the lunch hours, and when I'm in a place like this, that does not see many Westerners, I usually get asked - where are you from? Next thing you know we are chatting about food, or multiculturalism or the history and trials of SG over the years, or the US place in the world. I've even found myself talking about art, the nature of love and skiing. It's pretty wild.



These Kueh were amazing. They have a rice skin, and most places just steam them up. Good enough. But Lai Heng Handmade Teochew Kueh then Frys them up on a flat top, giving them a crisp exterior. The Chive Kueh was by far my favorite. Perfect with just a bit of Sambal and Dark Soya. The queue was pretty long, but well worth the treat.





Ulu Pandan PCN is really one of my favorite stretches of tarmac. The north bank of the Pandan River is a rough surface for about a mile, but it is such a nice ride. Again, hard to capture, but this is one of the few rivers with natural banks, and this time of year it is lined for miles with blooming flowers.




This is a better shot of the landslide along the south bank, that keeps that side of the PCN interrupted. It will be some time before they open the PCN back up. Expected in the first quarter of 2024. They just get so much rain here, but it has been way wetter than typical the past two years. Chalk it up to climate change, but the result is unstable slopes. SG is not really mountainous, but it is pretty hilly in spots. They are working double time across the country to re-enforce slopes they feel are in danger of wet slides



3rd stop for the day was Margaret Drive Hawker Centre. I think this is a newer center, and mostly serves the local housing communities, but it has higher ceilings and is more open than other, older versions. I opted for a Iced Coconut Matcha from Ichiga Cottage. Super refreshing and perfect drink when out on a longer ride.



Din Tai Fung is a Taiwanese dumpling restaurant chain. It is so damn good. There are a few branches in California, and we might find our way to the mall in San Jose we always avoid, just to get a meal at this place again. We've been to the branch in Bishan, a short bike ride from our home. It was packed with Singaporeans. We took my in laws to this location on Orchard Road, and it was a fair mix of locals and tourist. While you wait to be seated, you can watch the dumpling making production line.



Back out for another ride on a trail in Chestnut Nature Park on the official MTB track. When trees go down here, which happens almost daily, they take out a huge amount of foliage. It is not uncommon to have to find your way over, and around these obstructions. It for sure can slow down your Strave times, but adds to the adventure. I had to cross four such blockages on this day.

[up an down]

Always great to read this thread!!!

[Ottime]

Boon Tat Street becomes Satay Street at 7PM. Continuing on the tourist path, we hit up La Pau Sat for dinner with my in-laws. la Pau Sat is basically a hawker center built inside the old Victorian Train Station. It does not have the super authentic feel of many other places, but it hits the notes. And it is well lit, super clean, and accommodates both locals and tourist. It is usually packed at lunch time as it is in the Central Business District. Satay Street runs along one side and at 7PM, the street closes to traffic, the stay vendors fire up their grills (okay they light the charcoal at 6PM) and the chairs and tables come out. Always busy. Don't forget to order a coconut to sip on while eating your grilled meats and prawns.



A short time later we were on the Singapore Flyer. Honestly, I rather enjoyed myself, taking in the views from above. I'm usually looking across the bay, and it was pretty cool to look down on it and across to the CBD. Bonus, night lights.



My kid grab this shot, trying to zoom in on the Merlion. Not much luck, but I like the lit up bay front. Night is almost as bright as day.

The next day I was planning on heading to Hoi An, Viet Nam with my in-laws, but my visa never got approved. I sent in my paperwork a full week before my departure, but they did not accept the photo of my passport - which happened to be the exact same photo I used back in December. I re-uploaded within hours of notification, then several days of not hearing back. Turns out the Vietnam celebrates their Labor Day for a full week, and nothing at all gets processed. I made phone calls, and pleas, but I head to send my in laws off without me. I set them up with a hotel, airport transfers, a tailor and a great restaurant - and they had a wonderful time without me. I was more than bait bummed to miss this trip. I loved Hoi An, and so wanted to get back there. And there is a little beer garden their with a great beer list and I was hoping to get some more Heart of Darkness, and maybe another shirt or two made. Lesson learned - file paperwork as soon as you can and utilize the full 30 day window.




So I took the day to get out and visit a bunch of hawkers centers as I moved around the island selling off items I don't plan to bring home. Between selling a lamp and am 8sp cassette I stopped at my third market for the day and enjoyed a snack of chilled bean curd. I really do love this stuff. Basically it tastes like custard and it is loaded with protein (and sugar). This variety was green tea bean curd. I also enjoyed a You Taio and Yin Yuan (now I know the Chinese spelling) at Bedok South Road Block 16 hawker centre. When I was buying a freshly fried and drip dried You Tiao with my Yin Yuan in hand, the vender said - you blend in with the locals. I pointed to my very western self and asked, " I do?" He pointed out that I know how to order my fried dough and even better, had my soya and grass jelly in hand. Just like local.





My fifth stop was at 85 Fengsham Centre. This hawker centre is known for a lot of stalls and is known as the birth place of soup style Bak Chor Mee, but I headed directly to Shanghai Xiao Long Boa (stall #01-16) for the $6 portion of six of these small basket buns and paired it with a sugarcane juice to help me hydrate before my ride down in East Coast Park towered the CBD. They were seriously delicious. A yet so affordable.





One of the keys of biking around SG and visiting new food centers is discovering new routes. This alley way went on for about a full mile, tucked in-between a landed home district and private apartments. There were four stairs to go up at one point, but it was lovely , quiet and green.





Starting to find more underpasses and ways into East Coast Park, which is a delight as it offers up greater variety of routes. It seems East Coast Parkway is the one area that they spent some time building pedestrian and bike underpasses.





The rain here can come quick. I was out on a ride and just had a great run through Bukit Timah and was headed over to Chestnut when the sky opened up. I ducked into a shelter, but ten minutes later the storm let up and I headed back out. I was on a schedule and needed to get home. I decided to take a different trail that I knew would be the dryer than what I had originally planned. It was just a little flooded instead of completely swamped. I'm starting to get used to this. I will miss biking around here, but not sure how much I will miss the mud, slick roots, rocks and near constant rain.



Cheng San Market. I was not able to get my FIL over to the market with me like I promised. So I took this shot one morning while doing my shopping. Adjacent to the real wet market is the cooked food stalls. One lane over is eggs, fish, chicken and pork. All uncooked. Here you can get roasted meats in the first stalls to bring home.




Yunos always has a line. This is about 10 minutes before opening. They offer up a variety of Malay and Halal food. The Men Rebus is really good here. Sauce made of yams, peanuts and crushed dried shrimp over noodles. Choice of protein is chicken, chicken thighs, stomach lining or fish. AMK Central Food Centre.

[John_B]

Thanks for keeping this thread going!! I'm sure I'll never eat a hundredth of the types of food you've talked about nor ride a mountain bike around Singapore but it's been damn cool following your trip.

[Ottime]

For their birthday, our kid opted to head to iFly Singapore with a buddy. Down in Sentosa, the vacation land of Singapore. Universal Studios, "mountain" luge, beach resorts, zip lines, hiking trails, historical sites and any many more amusements. This worked out great. I "supervised" training, while my wife and a friend enjoyed a glass of wine on the "flight deck." They "flew" two times and we opted to top up for one more flight. On the third flight they get to go up about three to four dories above the base in tandem with the instructor. The kids were pretty stoked on that. Pretty chill outing as far as Sentosa can go.





Being a birthday visit, we opted for the gondola back and forth from the mainland. You can also walk, or take the train across. Or drive, if you own a car. After spending a little over nine months here, I can see almost no reason for a car. Besides the expense, when you add in the time to park your car, and traffic back ups, you really do not save any time over using the great transit system they have here. Fastest way around it to call a Grab or Gojeck, and compared to Uber or Lyft, they are pretty damn cheap.





As time to pack up fast approaches, my kid and I went out for a bike ride in less than ideal conditions. It rained about 30 mm over night, and it was pretty wet/slick out on the trail. My kid nailed this rock garden last time around, so I made them give me my phone to snap a picture. Grabbed it just as they started to take their feet off their pedals. The wet rocks were freaking them out a bit. My explanation to go a little faster, and just trust your line apparently did not help.




We still had a blast. The overnight rain, paired with overcast conditions made it really nice temperature to ride. Only about 31C.





Just noticed this during this ride. Downed tree sprouting trees. Stuff just grows and grows and grows here. So much water and so much sun and so much warmth. Iy is hard to kill the jungle.




At this point, while we took a rest, my kid complained they are a bit chilly. I do appreciate these huts spaced out in the jungle. It is a little intimidating to sit on a random log, or rock even, with all the biting insects that roam around the jungle floor.

[Ottime]

Back on task of visiting hawker centers. Sims Place has this halal chicken rice joint. Long queue, and something I have not tried, as this is the only place I know that serves it with green chili. You may also notice the Brompton, the gold standard of folding bike. Folding bikes are super popular in SG, as you can bring them on public transit. Not everyone is keen in biking 20-40km just to access a route they wish to ride. With the transit compliant dimensions, you can take the MRT or bus to and from your desired start and end points. They also fit nicely inside your small urban apartment. I've seen people riding around on $10k folding bikes. Prices start at around $250, but those start bikes are heavy and clumsy. The Brompton are super nice, but no way I could spend that amount of coin on that type of ride.





Super tasty. The green chili is mixed with some mint and basil, and it rather mild. There is a little bit of red chili, almost salsa style, that had plenty of heat. Also appreciated the super flavorful shrimp chips and broth.







Old Airport Road Hawker Centre is a must visit if you are touristing. It is a historical site, and where the government first started its efforts to get street foods off the street and into places they could monitor for hygiene and safety. There are also very many very good stalls here. From Popiah, to Seafood Soup, to Lor Mee. I stopped in quickly, because there is a boa place I really enjoy, and I can get a yam bao and a char stew bao for $1.20.




Found another underpass. It seems there are many going under East Coast Parkway. Newer highway, smarter planning. It connects a lot of neighborhoods directly with East Coast Park. Underpass require fewer stairs and are not nearly as hot as overpasses.





Buddhist temple not far from Orchard Road. Known as the Singapore Buddhist Lodge, this a a large temple for lay Buddhist.




The SBL is actually a charitable organization that offer scholarships for at need students planning to attend the Singapore Management University. Moving up through the class structure in SG is not simple, and it is essential that these type of organizations exists. It provides promising young students with an opportunity to earn as a different level than their parents. As well as enter the professional jobs instead of labor or owning a small business, such a s hawker stall. You can earn quite well through a hawker stall, but most are just earning what hey need to live by day to day.

[Ottime]

Leaving Singapore always has the same view. Tankers. Just slightly rearranged. Met a Singaporean on this trip and he grew up in the south east. Back in the day, you used to be able to see the horizon, before all the ships started lining up to be loaded and unloaded. He is excited for SG to finish the project of building a new port in the southwest, far away from where anyone actually lives. Presumably, the boats will line up over there, and you will be able see blue seas to the horizon.




Bintam (pictured) and Batam are the closest decent sized Indonesian islands too SG. They are popular destinations for folks reciding in Singapore, because you can access them with the fast ferry and visit spas, resorts and ClubMed (and its ilk). There is some surf on Bantam on the northeast coast in winter. It is pretty small and jumbled, but there is some surf. In summer that same area has some decent snorkeling options.





As you approach Lombok, the first view you have is off the Gilis. Popular with tourist who want to spend their vacation chilling and relaxing. There is some surf on the south side of each island, but the spots are fickle. And the most common way to get around is by bicycle, if for some reason, you do not want to hear the constant bwap bwap bwap of motorbikes.



Coming in for the landing and we flew over kilometers and kilometers of rice paddies. They stretched as far as I could see and encircled the landing strip. There is no shortage of rice here.



The beach roof at Surf Camp 79. It's a basic homestay. Cheap. Clean enough. Has A/C that is cool enough and almost quite enough. The gents that run this place are super friendly and have given me great suggestions for food and a barber. Its been a good home base and have met many like minded folks here. Close to downtown Kuta, but a bit out fo the fray. And they had cheap motorbike rentals as well.

[

I hired a guide for my first afternoon. It was not my best guided experience. After a lot of back and forth about what type of boards I was bringing (shortboards) and what the of surf I was looking for (clean and less crowded), he Brough me to Tanjung A'an. There were perhaps 50 plus people out. It was very small. It was onshore. It was high tide. And it is basically a long board break. I think he was hoping we could surf a spot called Umbrellas, but the SW trade winds were blowing pretty hard on shore at that break. But again, that is what was forecasts, so... Anyway, Tanjung A'an is in a beautiful bay, and lined with plenty of nice warungs. I did enjoy my post surf (if you could call what I did surfing) coconut. And it was nice to get out in t the water and do some paddling.




There is not a ton of surf close to any lodging. I was staying in Kuta. Thee are a few hotels and homestay pithing walking distance of Kuta Bay. And there are several spots in the bay, but these are all wet season spots. The wind blows directly on the back of all of these breaks. I walked along the bay my first evening, taking in the space while I waited for Warung Flora to open up for dinner. The town of Kuta itself is much more of a place than any area I visited on the Bukit in Bali. Plenty of restaurants, bars, shops, and even a proper grocery store. It is much more walkable and had more of a nightlife feel. In Bali, the nightlife was on a circuit. Fridays at the Blue Fin, Thursdays at Chestnut Cafe. Etc. The main crossroads in Kuta had a lot of life in the evening. The beach and bay itself was much more of a harbor than idyllic sandy strip.

[Ottime]

Warung Flora in Kuta is a must try. Great hosts, great food, great prices. Pepes are fish wrapped and then steamed in banana leaf. Wrapping in the banana leaf is fairly common, and there are several dishes that use this application. This one was delicious and incorporated coconut milk and vegetables to make a sort of curry. Would eat again.



The next day I ventured over to Mawi. It's about a 40 minute ride once you know the route. The last ten minutes are down a rutted dirt road, which may become impassable in the wet season. This time of year, it is just mostly bumpy and picturesque.



Mawi itself is fairly beautiful. This morning there were 25 people out when I arrived and that number grew to 48 at one point. Way too many for a basic peak. Turns out Kuta side is a bit rough in the dry season. Trades blow from the SE, but very few of the breaks actually face westerly or have headlands to protect them. Mix that with small swell, loads of camps and surf schools and everyone shows up to the same spot.





The warung down at the beach was pretty good. Seating is good, but far from comfortable. Still, I spent a few hours eating lunch, chatting with other traveling surfers and reading a bit of my book. Soon, the crowd dropped to ten, and I wentback in the water for a second session. Bette than the first.





Came back the next morning at low tide. I was the first one there at 7am, and surfed the small, shallow waves by myself for about an hour. Surfed another hour plus, and as the number of people in the water grew to 19, I go out before my mood changed. Totally worth getting up early to get some quiet time.



I love how different cattle look depending on where you are in the world. These guys were grazing along side the road on my way out of Mawi.





The road and the landscape. This alone feels so different than either my trip to Bali or Sumatra (most specifically, the road between Medan and Bukit Lawing). Bali was completely built up, and in Sumatra where it was not built up, it was sugar palm plantation. Lombok for sure is a bit more natural when you look out at the horizons.





Stopped at Sunset Point and looking down toward Are Guling. At times it looked like the wind might have been light enough for this spot to work, but it is pretty exposed to the SW trades. Gorgeous bay for sure.





Finally returning to town, looking down on Kuta Bay and town.

[Ottime]

Tired of all the motorbiking, and crowds, I called up Ekas Surf Resort about an hour plus to the east. It is located along the east shore of Ekas Bay, and the breaks bend into the trades and are also protected by the high cliffs. I scooted over with both my boards and a toothbrush. This place was way nicer than my homestay. It felt cool when I entered. Hot water, AirCon that worked too well and loads of space. Including breakfast, it was a splurge at bout $43 USD a night.





Food was not expensive, nor was it inexpensive. Seeing the Nasi Goreng was at least twice as expensive as anywhere else I had been, I opted for the fish burger and a Kura Kura Island Ale. These were basically the same price as getting Indo food and a large Bintang. Kura Kura makes some solid beers. The fish burger was great as well.





Ekas Surf Resort was a good call. traveling solo, I met several other people and had some good conversations. A group of three bros from Norquay. An older couple from Perth. A young woman from Colorado on a six month trek through the southeast (Asia and Australia). A Singaporean who I wished I had met a year ago. He gets out of SG a lot to surf and has his systems down. He had stayed at Ekas Surf Resort several times in both the dry and wet seasons. He has his spots he goes to in Java, Ache and elsewhere. Anyway, the grounds we nice and dining space conducive to conversations.





I surfed Friday night at Insides. It was small and weak. I was a little concerned I travelled all this way just for conversation. The swell was supposed to fill in overnight, so I got up early and walked the 150m down to the beach to get on the 6am boat. We were among the first out for the morning session. The surf was way better, but not yet big. Perhaps chest high on the sets. The left was a bit soft, but would bowl up a bit on the inside, taking for a fun, ripple shortboard section. As the morning continued, that section got better and better.





Not a whole lot of pics, as I did not have a wet dry bag. This is Insides in the morning. Saturday mid day, I headed to Outsides. It was thumping. 3-4 feet plus OH and top to bottom. Got my first wave off the peak, and was super stoked. Heavy, fast, barreling. I went for a second wave from the mid section, got behind it a bit and spent the next ten minutes battling to get back out. Then my partner floated by as he snapped his leash. He went ashore and took the long walk home through the jungle. Over the next two hours, I got a bunch of waves but spent a ton of time paddling. I opted for Insides for the evening session, and at about a foot overhead, the left was so much fun. Long 150m plus rides, with a super ripple mid and inside section, with a few coverups.

Saturday was bigger and Insides turned into a right. A few feet OH on the drops, and a fairly fast wall, with a bit of a bowl towards the end. Surfed it twice. Found it a bit challenging, as you had to be right under the wave, and paddling hard, as the drop was not too steep. For sure a wave you needed to create your own speed.





Breakfast consisted of fruit, coffee or tea and an entree.




Pancakes were pure sugar...





On Sunday there was a wedding going on in the village. This village was super cool. Very friendly locals. Kids and adults. And it was nice to see and hear the celebration. One of the staff at our place explained a bride costs at least 1 million IDR and can cost up to 10 million. I asked what accounted for the difference, and he shrugged his shoulders and said "better bride?" He then explained that was just the initial purchase price and you needed to pay the parents again after six months, and then again several times over the year. I did ask if he meant dowry, and he did not know that word. He kept using the English word "purchase."




The swell was still running and I wanted to stay a third night. The resort was booked out, but the owners found me a room in the village. One of the local surfers that lives in the village shard a space with me. Super simple, but I was stoked, as the next morning I surfed Outsides and it was head high plus, very manageable and offered up hard fast walls and a few barrel sections. It was a lovely surf session and great way to wrap up my trip to Ekas.





I grabbed lunch at Risky Warung (what a great name!) and hit the road. I stopped at Ekas Beach proper, a village just up the road from where I stayed. And hour later I was back in Kuta.

[Ottime]

Surf Camp 79 was my homestay in Kuta. Basic, but decent. Worth checking out. It cost me 150k per night for a private room. I think bunk room beds were 80k. Coffee all day, so I enjoyed one upon my return. I ended up getting a haircut and beard (and eyebrow, ear, nose) trim at Brothers Barber in Kuta. My trimmer kit recently broke, so it was very much needed. They did a great job for 70k. Would recommend.




KFC. My kid gets so perturbed that KFC is a popular place in SG. He often makes a quip that it ought to be Korean Fried Chicken, which is delicious and way more local than Kentucky. So I took this shot for them. It seems it should be Kuta Fried. Did not try. Not sure how my stomach would do with chicken sitting inside a glass box in the tropics all day long.






I opted to not try to surf a second session on Monday, with the swell on its way out, and some expected to come in for Tuesday. I checked out the Treehouse, a second story bar deck built around trees. They has a 2 for 1 cocktail special so I tried their Ginger Highball and Margarita. They were under welding, so I stuck to beer after that. Still was a great spot to grab a light snack and a drink, as their beer menu was pretty impressive.




Island of Imagination Islandman XPA. 7.8%. I find that craft beer in Indonesia is hard to figure out how they determine what kind of beer it is. 7.8% is mighty strong for an XPA. Nor was this beer all that pale. It did taste good. At least compared to a Bintang or a Tiger. Not inexpensive. I think this was 80k. I also enjoyed falafels with bababganoush for 40k. Food is cheap. Beer is not.





Food is cheap. Warung Rizikei (another spieling of "risky"). Nasi Campur. Basically a buffet style line where you plate your own food. Pile of rice, fish, chicken, long beans, stewed veggies, bakwan Sayur (veggie fritter), tempeh, tofu, and a bunch more piled high high high onto this plate. 29K. In USD, $1.94.





Breakfast at Surf Camp 79 was basic. Coffee or Tea. Banana Pancake, Fried Egg and Toast (just white toast, no butter, no jam) or "Omelet". I missed it a number of days, and did not feel a loss. Still this pancake was decent. Somewhere between a crepe and a pancake. Speaking of crepes, I got a Nutella Banana Crepe from a street vender each night I was in Kuta. 30K and so yum. I never got a picture, because the vender was a great conversationalist and then I ate the thing so damn quick. Loaded with fillings. It is located across the street from Warung Fish Bones.





I surfed Tanjung A'an in the morning. I started with my shortboard but soon rented a longboard. At 50k per session, it was a no brainer. Decent board a that. It is along soft wave. This is the place I surfed on my first day. It is on a lovely bay. The winds did not kick up on the bay until around 10a and it was still decent around noon. As I sipped my coffee and ate some Nasi Goreng Seafood, the wind for sure kicked up.





Warung Sunshine is the place to be over here. The spot directly next door also looked nice. But I ended kicking it here for a few hours, enjoying a beer, then a coconut, all while reading my book. The husband and wife team who run the place were quite lovely. I would very much suggest this place. It was comfortable to kick back in. Could even had taken a nap there.





I went back to Mawi for sunset session. It is at least twice as far as Tanjung A'an, but you can ride your shortboard. The swell never really showed up much on Tuesday. It was still sub head high at Mawi at sunset. But the crowd was just a few people out. Maybe a total of 15 between the right and the left. I hear this place gets really good, but honestly, I think I would much prefer Ekas. The wave at Ekas is perhaps 10 times as long. Mawi is fun, but super short. Bingin, on Bali, is also short but has such perfect barrels that it is worth the short ride. Mawi might get good, but it is not a machine like Bingin. I'll always opt for that longer wave unless the short wave is really quite good. It helps spread out the crowd, and when you get yours, have many many turns to make. Mawi is like the work horse of the dry season for South Lombok.