Back in coron after 5months.... well its just not a vacation for me its also my way of celebrating my birthday outside Manila.. we stayed there for 5 days and here's how the story goes!! Friday - our first day " rest day " from office to the airport we arrived in coron at around 3pm... bob shai, Bob rene, Bob Argel, Bob Henry and the rest of the Parokya welcomed us... we took our lunch and went to our room.. well its our 2nd time around so most of them knows the two of us very well.. we went to our room took a rest and went out around 7pm for dinner we are on a 3day 2 nights package so our spare time was spent with the " Parokya ni bob " maybe you guys are wondering who "BOB" is.. its what they call one another... callname starts with bob Most of the rooms were renovated and they did some extensions at the dining area they did 3 renovations in one year and they are planning to do more this coming 2010 When We went to Coron Last May and Bob onyo told us about a guy Named " WILLOT " they call him Bob Marley.. well at first you will think of him wearing dread locks but no he's not hahaha the way he thinks about life is just like bob marley.. he's a Very down to earth person and he parties like a rock star.. Cool na Cool toh hehehe... He owns the place!!! Everything turned out well on our first day... not knowing my Girlfriend is planning to surprise me on my birthday! hahaha... When we were on our room and about to take a rest for our tour on the 2nd day.. we heard someone knocking on our door my reaction was who the hell is this guy knocking well after knocking twice i knew it was him, our tour Guide "Bob Arnel" he was suprised and excited to meet us... he asked us if we are ready for our tour tom.. we told him hell yeah and he should be ready too!! hahaha Ohhh i Forgot we are missing one Bob that Day " Bob Onyo is till not around on our first day and we are so worried that we might not see him on our second visit.. we are relieved when we saw him the next day... We also met Bob Grace... you can see her on the bar with bob onyo they are the best bar tenders in village lodge And how will i forget about my pandesal partner!! Bob Bendoc!!! wehehe.. 2nd day... first day of our tour package... "Coron Island tour" Cap Jun is already wating for us we are all excited to meet him again. we requested him to be our boatman its like remembering Team "Bob Arnel" we lack one teammate bob Macmac is not around he was hospitalized the day before our tour " get well soon Bob " Since we've been there already we just went to our favorite spots... Banol is our first stop... Banol is always like a first time.. you will always admire its beauty... 2nd stop is my favorite.. "Kayangan Lake" Water is very calm and clear.. We borrowed the "balsa" and i was the one rowing for them its like an exercise for me we went to the far ends of the kayangan lake.. we saw some small barracuda fish but they are harmless.. 3rd stop is the Famous " Barracuda Lake " went free Diving "its good for the Lungs hehehe" I can only go upto 6 meters deep though.. We saw a fish called "cugtong" or Giant Lapu Lapu its scary and at same time exciting hehehe 4th stop is the maquinit hot spring hehehe it's not that hot anymore not unlike our first time after the maquinit hot spring we went to visit our former teammate "bob Macmac " in the hospital.. he doin great and he is getting well.. 3rd day " 2nd day tour " well im excited for this tour because we went to some different islands... first stop is the Coral Garden.. its our 2nd time in this coral garden and we are amazed that it still look the same back when we where there last may then we headed to Calumboyan island for our lunch we stayed there for 2 hours had some small chit chat with the bobs while drinking San Mig light then the interesting part came in where we went to this island called "pass island" its famous for its "pawikan laying egg grounds" sand is so fine that you will feel like your stepping on a pillow with sand... then we went to our boatmans resthouse/island(Del-Rey Coral Garden). its a coral garden with beachfront and picnic hut.. this place rocks and its nice to do an overnight in this place!! off to the lodge we arrived at 6pm took a shower and took our dinner... 4th day its mah " Birthday " nothin much happened in the morning we just took a rest because at night we will party... we started drinking around 4pm... "Willot , Rene and My Girlfriend(Joy) planned to surprise me... my Girlfriend bought me cake.. Willot gave me a shirt and a necklace... this night is special for me because it's my first time to celebrate my birthday w/out my Family I was surprised that almost all of the parokya was there... i bought some mixed drinks which later on was ordered by a regular customer (In short i worked at the bar for 1x day hahaha You should try the "PAROKYA DRINK") I was Granted the "The First Ever Highest Honor" for a Guest " Being a True Parokya ni Bob Member " i thought I was far from my family but later on I realized im gaining a new family in coron im so thankful to for them by accepting us and treating us like their own.. specially bob Willot!! he never failed to amuse us with hi Backpaking trips!! we also met bob Gino.. Gino is the Chef from manila!! he's from CSB and later on we found out that we have a common friend (VJ).. Gino is cool and he cooks good burgers!! and Buffalo wings!! He also went to coron last january and never left the place now he only visits manila for vacation *baliktad na!!* hehehe Willot gave us a 21shot of Willots firecracker!! *whew* ika nga ni bob rene Burn baby burn!! hahaha we went to party at hard rock... everyone is dancing and having fun... What a Birthday for me!! its best birthday i had outside manila!! thanks bobs!! 5th Day Off to Malcapuya... purest white sand in coron!!! My Girlfriend joy, Bob Argel, Me and Cap juns adventure!! Ayus Din toh si Bob "Argel" Day off niyan hahaha I went to the market to buy our food... i bought one whole Tulingan fish, Watermelon, seaweeds, salted egg and many more we also bought what bob rene calls Parrot fish!! all in all we have three fresh fish to grill... on our way to Malcapuya we bumped into some fishermen who our captain knew... they gave us three more fish to grill fresh from the sea!! all i said was WoW thanks alot guys!! if youre going to buy those fish in Boracay it will cost you 700 pesos each... when we arrived in malcapuya i was amazed with the crytal clear water even if its 10-15feet deep imagine you will see the fishes without going under the water! Place is cozy and theres only 2 of us plus jun,argel and the guards of the island... its like we rented the whole island for one day.. Malcapuya is definitely one of the best island you need to see when you're in coron.. on our way to the lodge all we are thinking about is that we are about to leave tom which is sad because we wanted to stay there for at least 3 days more but we cant because we need to work!! Badtrip noh?? We had our dinner at ginos famous "Burgeelicious Burger house" Gino's Burgerhouse.. Best Burger in town man!!! and went back to the Village Lodge Bar to drink with Bob Willot and the Parrokya we decided to go to Hard Rock since its our last night... we felt sad but we need to enjoy the moment while we are still there... We went home around 2:30am fixed our things and then we slept until 7am Bob Willot ask someone to wake us up and we had coffee at the village lodge while reminiscing our trips and kalokohans... They taught me some Cuyonon words and expression like " Abuh or Abeeh ".. and "pay" which means kumpadre!! We left Coron at around 8:30 arrived the airport at 10am left for manila exactly 11am.. travel is always faster wen your on your way home because your not excited anymore... Well thats our Vacation, Birthday weekend in Coron last Oct 23 - 28 I just noticed that some people didnt enjoy their stay in Village lodge.. Im just amazed because most of us did enjoy our stay at the village lodge.. maybe some of them didnt communicate with the locals very well im not saying this because im a regular in Village Lodge thats an important thing to do when your not in your territory or place.. you need to interact with others.. those guys are kind, humble and nice to be with.. you just need to know them better... I agree with willot its just a lodge not a hotel... whos doing their best not just trying... this is the best lodge in Coron.. i would rather stay here than get a hotel... smile at them and you will gain friends!! Promise about the Package make sure that you clear things out with the manila office because the manila office makes the schedules and arrangements dont blame the village lodge people once you're there... Enjoy your stay at the VILLAGE Lodge and we'll be back in Coron sa MAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRCCCCHHHH yeah!!!! Kita kits mga bob!!! "Abeeeeehhhh"

There are so many thoughts running through my head. I was listening to one of my favourite songs last night and the words struck a chord with me. “You look for your dreams in heaven, but what the hell are you supposed to do when they come true?”  

I guess the way I have been feeling lately had me wondering what the heck I have done to myself. However, each time I think about what I would be doing back in Australia if I had not left, I know I have done the right thing. I wouldn’t go back now if you paid me. Well, I guess it depends on how much you were willing to pay as to whether I would consider it or not. :) Chances are though, no matter how much, I just would not do it.

I am so glad I aim high, and look for my dreams in heaven; it reminds me of a quote I love, “Aim for the moon because even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” I remember once when I was young, and a conversation I had with my mother about me not having a boyfriend at the time. She said, “You are too picky.” I still shake my head at the thought of being too picky when choosing someone to give your love. It makes me think about life, and how some people don’t aim for anything because they are too afraid to fail. Well, I hate to tell you, but if you fail to aim, then you aim to fail. Others settle for what they can get, I am happy to say I have never settled. I just keep searching until I find what it is I am looking for. Often I only need whatever I find for a short while before I am happy to let it go again. Other things, like certain friends I know I will never give up.

I once had a beautiful friend and we considered each other lifelong friends, little did we know that that ‘lifetime’ would end so soon, when she died of cancer just a few short years after we met. After many years of not having her in my life, certainly a lot more years than she was in my life, I still consider her one of my dearest friends. I learnt so much from her. She showed me what real grace is. I am still amazed that she felt the same way about me, I think because I learnt so much from her I find it hard to believe I could have given her anywhere near as much as she gave me. A couple of years ago I contacted her widower who told me of the love Sharyn had for me. How can two people meet and have this instant and deep connection? How is it that sometimes you recognise something in someone you have never met before and you just know this person will become someone very special to you? Then there are the people who are in your life on a daily basis and it’s not until they are no longer in your life that you truly realise just how much they touched your life.

I may not have had a perfect life, and I may have made some bad choices, but I am so glad for every choice I have made. I would not be me if I had made different choices. Well, I would still be me, but I would not have had all the wondrous experiences I have had. Even the rotten things that have happened in my life have led me down a path that I would not have taken if these things had not happened. Who knows where I would be now if my mother had not died when I was 18. I don’t regret my mother dying. Now, don’t get me wrong; do I wish every day that she could be here? You betcha, I miss the conversations we never had the chance to have, but how can I regret it. It wasn’t anyone’s fault, it just happened. Ok, so the doctor misdiagnosed her to begin with and had they not done so, mum may have lived longer. BUT still, (I am shaking my head - it doesn't matter what might have been) my life would be different. Everything that has happened in my life has brought me to where I am right now. I have embarked on a huge adventure and even if it feels like a nightmare at times; it really is a huge adventure. I have so many exciting times ahead of me that at times I can’t contain myself. The excitement bubbles over. I am learning all about a group of people who I had misunderstood before moving here. I am learning new ways to look at things and do things, ok, so some of these things go against the grain for me, but I am learning. What’s the point of being alive if you can’t learn new things. Some of the things I am learning I never thought I would embrace. It’s a strange feeling to open myself up to alien ideas.

In the last few months, I have met so many wonderful people, and I have left so many of my dear friends behind. I keep thinking about the choices I have made, the little nudges given to me by the universe to do things that I have not had time for, or not had an interest in, and the doors that have opened because I have chosen to take note of these little nudges. I am so grateful. I don’t know why I am here in China, a place I never really had a serious interest in exploring. I do know that I will come out of my time here a better person with some wonderful friends and life changing experiences.

Even the spare time I have has given me the opportunity to meet new people, and start learning a language that, again, I never had a desire to learn before now, and I love it so much. I think I have fallen in love for the first time in ages; I have fallen in love with my life. My last few years in Tassie were not particularly happy ones, I certainly had many joyful moments, but in general, I was not very happy. I think my friends can attest to that. Now, even though life sucks big time with everything falling down around me in my new apartment. There is on average two sunny days a month where I live, nobody speaks my language, I can’t get the ingredients of my favourite meals to cook, and the ingredients I can get, I’m really not sure what I am meant to do with them. I walk into stores thinking I’ll find something to make, but don’t recognise anything that is on the sides of packets and boxes, so I don’t even know if what is in there is salt or washing powder. I can’t find anybody to give me straight answers to my questions. I have learnt to approach questions in a different way. Instead of asking the question straight out, I now say, “Would you find out for me...” this yields much better and more satisfying results. I don’t have people just answering me because here in China if they don’t know the answer they see it as losing face so will give you any answer just to give you an answer. I have Sylvia to thank for reminding me of how they think of it as losing face, so thank you Sylvia. I was too close to my issues to realise this, even though I knew it. It’s the same thing when I realise that the Chinese in general are very smart people, but (again, generally) do not seem to have much common sense. However, I am learning this is more of a cultural thing and has more to do with the way they live their lives than actually lacking common sense.

As I sit here, I am receiving emails and because I have changed the alert for incoming emails, each time an email comes through I get a kiss. It has me smiling and I am finally getting some kisses. :)

Another album of mine I have been listening to a lot is by Aboriginal singer Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu.  It is an amazing album mostly sung in his native dialect, there are a couple of songs in English, but beautiful music does not depend on you understanding the words. I learnt today this man has been blind since birth and when someone gave him a guitar to play, he didn’t find out until years later he was playing it upside down, but blindness and an upside down guitar have not stopped his magical talent shining through. The first time I went to The Bookworm here in Chengdu one of his songs was playing, I didn’t realise it was his until I woke up from the daze I was in to find myself humming along to the music. He is in Europe now, so if you get the opportunity to hear his music don’t miss it. I think listening to his music has brought a sense of peace to my soul I have not felt in a while. Mind you, I think the talk I had with myself the other day where I decided to embrace all this country has to offer, the good, the bad and the ugly, has helped too.  After my particularly bad day the other day I received so many wonderful comments from you all giving support and encouragement and I want to share a couple of quotes from one friend with you that when I read them they made me wake up to myself, so thank you Irene. “Two thoughts for my dear friend:
'Don't let one cloud obliterate the whole sky'. Anais Nin and 'The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes'. Marcel Proust.” I also have Irene to thank for introducing me to the beautiful music of Gurrumul. It was the first album I bought with my iTunes vouchers once I arrived in China. Thanks again for everything Irene. I miss you, and I miss your ‘Irene style’ cooking. :)

A thought just passed through my mind, “I am so far from home.” I was thinking of Tasmania when I thought this, but just as quickly I realised Tasmania is no longer my home, I will not go back there to live. Right now, I don’t know where my home is, I do know China is not my home, it is a temporary residence, but it is not home. I will have a home again one day, and I will feel I belong somewhere again.

I stayed at Fukuoka Youth Hostel for one night. This hostel is clean, but does not have much atmosphere. The rooms are mostly private 2-bed rooms. The beds are okay. The showers are clean and there is also a bath. Internet facilities are free, there are two internet computers and there is WIFI available. This is not really a place to meet fellow backpackers, it seems more like a place where people stay for business or family visits. The hostel is about 30 minutes walk from the train station Hakata but there is a bus-stop nearby. There is no breakfast or dinner facility, but a Lawson convenience store is just around the corner.

I would be remiss if I failed to do a review on the Cockpit Lounge at the Soekarno-Hatta International airport in Jakarta (Also known as the Jet Lounge Bar). Asri and I have been here 3 different times and spent several hours in the Cockpit. Our first visit was in July 2009 when my flight to Kuala Lumpur was delayed for 7 hours and she spent the entire evening keeping me company here. Our second visit was during our 3 hour layover to Bali in October 2009. And then on our return trip, as I was catching my flight to Taipei, we spent the afternoon in the Cockpit. The Cockpit lounge is part of the Jakarta Airport Hotel & Restaurant, but has its own little space with bar. From the main area of the arrivals/departures, you have to go upstairs to the hotel and then down the hall. There is a TV in the lounge, cushioned sofas and chairs, and large windows on each side to see the airport and incoming/outgoing jets. Of all the times we were there it was never too crowded, and most of the time we were alone. On the last visit we ordered food. The Cockpit is a nice, cozy place to hang out if you happen to be stuck at the airport! It also serves as a smoking lounge. I might be somewhat bias in my review of this place, but the Cockpit holds a special place in my heart!!!

Saw Osaka Castle and its ground...

Hang out with the girls...

TB Meet up with the Osaka/Nagoya crew!

Fish and meat market
Times square
dim sum w/ toby, niko, jt
reading on roof
stanley dinner
relax

Samar is a big island, bigger than the more industrialized Leyte, in fact it is the third largest island in the Philippines. The marked difference in urbanization is evident even in the most developed municipality I've been to. While you may not be able to easily find the usual conveniences, such as internet at almost every corner, you will appreciate how much less spoiled Samar's environment is compared to Leyte's. And that's the main thing I like about Samar.

I've been to Samar several times, and since it is so big with many municipalities, each municipality deserves its own journal entry. This is going to be one long entry because I'm going to add any new town as I go along hmmm... Anywho, I've been to Samar several times since my early childhood. My mom taught in a barrio school in Basey for a few months when I was only a year old, and we lived there the whole time. My mom says I got terrible diarrhea from their drinking water, so that's something I always remember when going to Samar: drink only bottled water.

I would recommend riding the biggest bus you can get on of. Samar is best trodden on a vehicle which will spare you from the bumps and gaping holes on many major roads esp. on the way to Catbalogan, I don't know if they've fixed those roads just yet. I'd also recommend an open vehicle i.e. non-air conditioned, hence lots of fresh air to help ward off carsickness.

I'm planning to see more of Samar very soon and will be posting more...

The first activity we had on our first day in Bangkok was to explore the city. Our boss had prepared a little scavenger hunt for us to get familiar with a few things about Thai culture. Among the items we had to look for was a McD’s where Ronald is posed doing the Thai Wai. We found one right before the steps going up to the Chong Nonsi BTS station. The hunt instructions stated a few facts about what importance the item held in Thai culture - for instance for Ronald, i.e. the Wai is a greeting showing respect. There are three types of Wai - for equals/friends, for monks, and for the King.

Other items were stuff like:
Take a photo of the elephants at the Empire Tower building. The significance: the elephants facing all 4 directions, NSEW, and is placed as protection against bad spirits. The Empire Tower is a big office complex containing thousands of offices.

-

*to be continued*

My travel buddies and I arrived in Bangkok past midnight and we were all very excited about finally getting to eat authentic Thai street food. Because it was late however, we ended up in one of the places still kicking with activity at that hour - Nana. I know, what a first stop. We got our Bha-mi (not sure how you spell it) in some obscure corner, it wasn't super awesome, but it was filling nonetheless. It left us craving for the better version though, and that was exactly what we got for breakfast the next day.

Throughout the rest of the week, I just got more and more amazed at how everything seems to taste better here - simple noodles, fruits, even cucumbers and cabbage! And everything is so cheap! Thai people just seem so much more creative and adventurous with food. Noodles as dessert, deep-frying and pickling spices... I'm sure going to miss these when I get home. I'm going to be here for a bit over a week more and I'll make sure to savor every meal :D

*under construction*

-the little fast craft and smooth morning ride - splendid sea color

BAPTIZING BABY ASH
- preparations - octopuses, lobsters, crabs

- little church

- Baby Ash - the short and straightforward ceremony

- Filipino traditions

THE CELEBRATION
- [ ] Filipino island fiesta food - kaluntaha, crabs, Indian curry,
cassava dessert, island salad

- [ ] traditional roasted pig

- [ ] dog stew! ugh!

- [ ] the storm-like rains, zero visibility

- [ ] the warm swim and the diving local boys and girls

- [ ] rinsing off then coffe and more food

- [ ] after snack settled, we headed for dinner (more food!) and videoke

- [ ] hit the bunks early

THE ROCKS BY THE BEACH
- [ ] the walk around the brgy and a glimpse at traditional island life
- kaing, the crab catcher
- [ ] air drying octupuses, trading squids
- [ ] kalumpihig and gokoy
- [ ] mangrove plantations and rehab
- [ ] rock formations, rock climbing, orchids, century tree, more
mangroves and leaf-eating shells
- [ ] nice swim - almost drowned (well, not nearly), mask, arrows,
fresh danggit and Tusa, the boxer crabs

GOING HOME
-Allen or Megavan?

The Pandawa restaurant at the Mercure Resort was one of my favorite places to eat in Bali! Its hours are from 06:30 to 23:00, with 24 hour room service. The restaurant has an open stage which features dinner with shows on certain days. They specialize in European and Asian cuisine. We only ate here for our breakfast each morning, but if breakfast is any indication of what is on the menu for lunch and dinner, those meals must be pretty good, too. The variety and selections were incredible; from pastries and bread, fruit, and cereals to pancakes/waffles, specially prepared eggs, meats, and just about any kind of breakfast side dish you could ever want. They also have many fresh juices. But the variety is only half the story, because the food was delicious! And the bonus to all of this is that the Pandawa sits right by the beach and pool. It’s a very relaxing atmosphere; it didn’t ever seem to be overly crowded (but maybe that’s because we were always down there early), and after finishing with breakfast it was always nice to drink your coffee and enjoy the view.

I got a crazy SMS around 4:30pm, telling me to scram--go out of the office and pack for a weekend on an island. I needed to be at the bus station at 7pm to catch the free bus. I was like, "What the..? Free bus? Who would give free bus rides these days?" Then my cop friends sent another SMS saying they were able to get a free bus pass, so we could hitch on a bus headed for Manila. Hmmm, cops in the Philippines. I hoped they didn't bully anyone for a cheap bus ride we could afford anyway.

I knew about this trip for about 2 months before today, but it kept getting postponed that I had actually thought we weren't going anymore. A cop friend invited us, asking us to be godparents of his 6-month-old baby. He wanted us to be physically present during the ceremony, and it kept getting postponed because he and some of the other godparents-to-be were in training camp.

So okay, it's finally pushing through tomorrow morning. I groaned inwardly; their place is an 8-hour [like a whole shift at work!] bus ride away, and then a boat ride of I don't know how long.

And so, I finished what I had to do at work, went home and packed up. We managed to get to the bus station at 7 sharp [this is a record for me, woohoo!]. And then we waited...and waited.. then I realized that I didn't pack a camera, forgot my goggles, and I felt hungry. Grrr, haste makes waste. We waited for a whole hour before they started calling their contacts and asking around for possible alternate rides. Meanwhile, I ate instant noodles and tried to figure out how I could take photos of my trip. It was too late and insane to go back to the house now. I hoped fervently that the island is not as backward as I was assuming it would be.

After waiting for the supposed free bus for two freaking hours, we decided to book seats on the regular 10pm bus to Northern Samar. Haha, cops getting conned, brave bus operators, lol :-)

I bought more food for the trip, then picked my seat. I sat by the window, then I put on two layers of knitted jackets. I intended to sleep throughout the whole trip, I mean, what else could I do? It was 10pm, high time for landscape watching, I might even spot bats, how exciting zzzzzzzz

And then whoa! Guess what woke me up? I was thrown off my seat! *sigh* back to reality, I knew we were on the way to Catbalogan--awful roads, like parts of it's been blown off. And the driver had probably forgotten he was transporting people, and not pigs. Don't ride Alvin Bus Line if you are transporting your Ming, you might end up in jail--for killing the bus driver!

So after eight excruciating hours of disturbed sleep we finally made it to the town of San Jose. It was dawn by this time. A short tricycle ride from the bus stop took us to the wharf where we waited for our boat. At the wharf, we saw a lobster depot and my mouth watered from the thought of the things all cooked and orange. Okay, I know that sounds like animal cruelty, but I'm just being honest here :-|

“The Lounge” is a grand cafe and lounge at Klapa. It opens from breakfast until 10pm, serving everything from International to modern Asian fusion cuisine. The lounge has a grand garden plaza of 1,000 sqm. where one can find a swimming pool and spacious sun decks, bar, and gallery all in one area. The restaurant is all enclosed with air conditioning, and floor to ceiling windows that offer great views of the ocean and sunsets. You can also order from the restaurant and be served anywhere out on the deck. Asri and I ate here on our first visit. The prices are a little more than you might expect to pay, but you get a 20% discount by staying at the Best Western, so in the end it all balances out. And the Klapa is so far off the beaten path, that if you aren’t staying at the Best Western, you really have no great reasons for coming here…unless it’s to surf on Dreamland Beach. I had a steak burger with fries and Asri had a club sandwich. And we both ordered their iced cappuccino, which was really good. There was nothing outstanding about the food, but the views were nice.

There is something to be said for Forest Park. We’ve been there twice now and both times Wei and I enjoy ourselves. It’s a HUGE park where you can BBQ, bike ride, take your car, take your motorcycle, site see, feed monkeys, play in child built playgrounds and who could forget, do some recon practice. Oh yeah, we’re talking paintball counter strike games.

Having fun is what this place is all about and for 20 RMB admission and 20RMB for two bikes who could not enjoy themselves? Wei’s and my first encounter with the monkeys was certainly a memorable one.

Let me just say, the colour red pisses the monkey’s off. Under no circumstances should you wear this. So why, did no one post these rules anywhere well before you get to the monkey pen? Wei unfortunately was wearing the most reddest pants I’ve ever seen and it wasn’t until we left another way different than where we came that we discovered this little useful fact. Needless to say, we went to feed peanuts to the monkeys.

Some Chinese students were there, commented on how one of the monkeys looked like a foreigner and then when they saw me they jumped back alarmed. No worries, I didn’t throw bananas at them. After that Wei and I enjoyed tossing food to the monkeys. They are such good con-artists, really. They climb up on the wire fence and stick their hand out while making little begging sounds for you to hand them a peanut. So after that we ran out of food, the monkeys walking around outside the pen left us alone for the most part and we went on to gawk like tourists at the little baby monkeys. The funniest thing happened with the baby monkey too. Out of no where he just got nervous and threw himself to the ground as if he wanted to become one with it and screamed for his mother. Well, mere seconds and she was there patting his back as he clung to her.

Remember when I said the monkeys hated red? Well, Wei and I had taken a bag of food in with us. Some candies, water bottles, chocolate bar. Nothing much but something. Well it turns out all the monkeys can leave this cage. Yes, they can roam as free as their little monkey hearts desire (unbeknownst to me at the time). Well I’ll be damned if one older male monkey doesn’t come walking our way and then with lightening speed bite into and rip, no, shredded the bag Wei was holding onto; a bag only millimeters from her leg. He instantly ripped into the candies spewing them everywhere. My chocolate bar was also torn open and muddled with. We salvaged the water but I was just thankful Wei’s leg wasn’t torn apart. Suddenly we were surrounded by curious monkeys wanting in on the action and Wei and I were far too happy to leave Monkey Mountain.

Oh, and as for Wei？She was ok, she just wanted to beat the monkey to death but figured the man with the long bamboo stick wouldn’t be happy about that.

Our second time was much less eventful as so many people were there that the monkey’s were full, their pen littered in food and they gave a look like “Are you kidding me? I won’t beg for that.” So we left there a little disappointed; though I did enjoy seeing the monkeys swing from the trees outside their pen.

Biking was wonderful! At first I was told to be careful, questioned if I should bike and warned time and again to the point I lost all my confidence! Mind you I was determined to go biking and not mess up. Well, I didn’t hit anyone, no cars ran me over and I even biked along rocky single lane roads between the farmer’s lakes where one wrong move could land you in deep trouble (with water and weeds!). It was beautiful, thrilling and all around a wonderful way to spend the day!

So here’s to Forest Park and all the wonderful memories, the biking, the people, the monkeys and the souvenirs.

RedCat Firsts (Aug 31^st 2009):

~ Going to Forest Park

~ Feeding Monkeys

~ Having One Attack our stuff

~ Having Monkey’s free to roam around me

RedCat Firsts (Oct. 4^th 2009):

~ Biking in Forest Park

~ Seeing the monkeys not care about people there

~ Seeing new sights of the area

~ Buying Souveniers Here

~ Drinking Chinese Beer

~ Biking on a single bike in China

Next day woke up very early, finished my morning ablutions quickly and rushed out of the shady hotel. Waited at the road crossing for almost 2.5 hrs for my bus to arrive. As it was a slow bus, took its own time to arrive and when it did, i ran towards its screaming and waving my tickets at the driver, asking him to stop. The bus was full with locals who were taking a 2 day journey to Tashigang with night stopover at Jakar-Bumthang where i needed get down. I was the only tourist on this bus and got the attention of everyone who tried to chat with me whenever we got a chance. Soon everyone on the bus came to know that I was an Indian tourist going around Bhutan and got smiles from everyone. We stopped at a small house for lunch and everyone jumped out excited to eat more Ema dashi (the chilly dish). I decided to eat apples and did not want to try something during a full day bus ride. The journey was pretty tough as it was a cramped bus with no space to stretch. After some time the bus stopped and found we had a flat tyre. Everyone jumped out and started helping the driver in changing the tire. A few vehicles who passed by gave a curious look and then  moved on. The vegetation changed rapidly on this route, lush green forests take over and the road starts getting narrower. Beyond the village of Chendebji the roads enters the broad valley of Magde Chu. Finally the dzong of Trongsa slips into view, seemingly suspended in midair on the other side of the valley. Just one look and I started contemplating if can stop here. After some more time passed the Trongsa Dzong kept teasing, looking so near but still 15 kms away and takes an agonizingly 30 mins to reach the town. The road moves into the valley, crosses a river and at the very end then turns back towards Trongsa town. After some quick calculations in my head and some inquiries with the locals in the bus I decided to stop in Trongsa. The next stop Bumthang was 2/3 hrs drive from here and seems transportation can be arranged. All the passengers in the bus were surprised by my sudden decision to get down in a small town and wished me a good/safe journey and bid goodbye. The bus driver even reminded me that I had paid the fare till the next town. And there I was standing alone at the bus station with my luggage as the bus moved on.

Started walking towards the town and saw only one house open with a Bhutan Bank board with a security guard outside. Trongsa enjoys a strategic location with the only road between west and east Bhutan running through it. I went into the bank which actually had closed, started inquiring about hotels, transportation. The guys in the bank were busy counting the money but still gave me all the information i needed. None of them felt any kind of uncomfort, uneasiness by a foreigner walking into a bank when they were counting the money openly. I remembered the comment made by the hotel lady owner in Thimpu, that crime is literally absent in the central and eastern Bhutan. During travel through central and eastern Bhutan I did not feel threatened, scared or skeptical of anything. People were super friendly and always
had smiles on there faces. Most of the residents of this town are Tibetans who were now very well integrated into the Bhutanese society.

I moved towards the town and started looking for hotels. Reached the hotel named Hotel Nidakasum and the owner was sitting outside. I inquired about a room and she gave all the details, single bed room with attached bath facing the Trongsa Dzong all at only Rupees 200. She informed that the water heater in the room is not working, but when I mentioned that I need to visit the Dzong to offer my prayers so needed to take a bath, she immediately got some water heated on the gas stove. After a quick shower went to the Dzong and it was almost 5pm, time for it to close. But the security guard outside saw my permit, had a nice chat and he mentioned that I can stay inside for another hour. So in I went, quickly up a flight of stairs in an elevated courtyard to reach the main prayer hall. There were novice monks everywhere and heard the "hellos" and "where are you from" as i replied to them and passed on. Later on my way back chatted more with the monks who were actually surpised to see a single tourist from India. On my way back saw a few locals engaged in there national sport, Archery.

Came back to the hotel and checked for dining options. The hotel lady suggested a local dish to which i readily agreed and the food was ready in an hour. I don't know if it was the place, the surroundings, the climate or the hospitality of the people, but the food tasted heavenly. Was chatting with the owners and a few other guests who dropped by to have some "drinks" in the restaurant. I enjoyed every last bit of the food in my plate and was full before I retired back to my room felling really really glad that I stopped at this small town of Trongsa.