Dear Ha Long Bay

How to do Ha Long Bay for under $60 US Roundtrip!

What you will need:

A blanket

A phone

Someone to help you argue and buy bus tickets

A travel buddy willing to kick scamming ass when needed

You can leave from the My Dinh or whatever the other central station is from Hanoi. This bus ticket should cost you around 100,000VD (or $5 US). The ride should only last about 4 hours, but if you get on a big bus, it will in fact take you forever because the bus driver will drive at around 4mph.  He does this for various reasons: 1. b/c the smart locals call the bus to pick them up after exiting the CF that is the bus station; 2. when driving a bus, one must pick up various sacks of rice and other provisions to drop off to the family en route; and 3. these bus drivers  want to fill the bus to the brim.  

A local will tell you that in order to get a proper bus from My Dinh, one must avoid all individuals and simply go straight to the bus station and buy a ticket inside.  But don't worry, these shady individuals will find you anyway once you buy your ticket and throw you on their bus b/c let's face it, you don't speak Vietnamese and don't know any better.  We are merely sheep being lined up for tourist slaughter.

An excellent and convenient way to get dropped off at Ha Long City is to be pushed off the bus in the middle of a rainy night at the side of the highway.  One might say, wouldn't it make more sense to just drop off the passengers at the center of town?  Nah, that would be too easy.  After all, we are rugged travelers and appreciate a heavy dose of confusion and fear.  When getting dropped off, simply ask, where is the taxi?  The bus driver will likely say, "right there silly, don't you see those moto drivers over there?  Yea, they're going to attempt to scam you."  Can you taste the happiness?

You then agree to the enormous price because it's raining and well where else are you going to go? They insist it is far but still open. Then all of the sudden, after about a mile of driving, the bikes will pull over and tell you that the ferry is closed, but how about a cheap hotel for the night? Oh how sneaky...

In order to ensure that you did get scammed then use your phone to call your local buddy in Hanoi. He will confirm that the ferry is indeed closed, so at least the drivers didn't lie about that. However, now it is time to settle the cost issues. This is where it is helpful to have your travel buddy through a shit fit. Don't let them scam  you by insisting and staring directly at them. It is common at this point that they forget how to speak any english at all, so be prepared for a stand off and don't budge.

Once the crisis of paying 500% too much has been averted it is advisable to find a place to stay. A cheap place, or well any place on the road you will be dropped off may, in fact, appear clean. However, this is far from the case. Be sure to pull back the sheets and inspect the beds to avoid being bit by various creatures in the night. Also, this late in the evening it is difficult to tell if the windows actually close, so be sure to check that as well. If you make the mistake of not checking, then it is advisable to use your sleeping sack to avoid these bites. However, if you don't know if there are bugs, chances are you will find out after already being bitten. 

At this point you have options. You are starving and aggravated. You can choose to up the price of your stay by finding the nearest busiest seafood place and feast, or you can take a gamble at a cheaper, yet completely empty option. I would vote for the former in this case, as it might be the best part of your stay here.

If you come at just the right time, you will wake up for your ferry the next day to find the sky pissing with rain, thus making it next to impossible to see a thing. However, don't cry, you can just walk down to the waterfront with a telephoto lens during a lull in the storm. Your pictures would be just as good if you were on the boat that day anyway, and it's free! 

Now all you have to do is catch a cheap cab ride to the airport, which happens to also house the bus station? This way you can catch a (hopefully) faster bus, although it will be smaller and you won't be able to have enough to leg room if you happen to be over 5 ft tall, but no complaining, it will only cost you $5US.

Please note that Ha Long Bay is a notorious scam artists' paradise. This loosely translates to a different experience for everyone. We got extremely unlucky.

-MV

How to do Ha Long Bay for under $60 US Roundtrip!

What you will need:

A blanket

A phone

Someone to help you argue and buy bus tickets

A travel buddy willing to kick scamming ass when needed

You can leave from the My Dinh or whatever the other central station is from Hanoi. This bus ticket should cost you around 100,000VD (or $5 US). The ride should only last about 4 hours, but if you get on a big bus, it will in fact take you forever because the bus driver will drive at around 4mph.  He does this for various reasons: 1. b/c the smart locals call the bus to pick them up after exiting the CF that is the bus station; 2. when driving a bus, one must pick up various sacks of rice and other provisions to drop off to the family en route; and 3. these bus drivers  want to fill the bus to the brim.  

A local will tell you that in order to get a proper bus from My Dinh, one must avoid all individuals and simply go straight to the bus station and buy a ticket inside.  But don't worry, these shady individuals will find you anyway once you buy your ticket and throw you on their bus b/c let's face it, you don't speak Vietnamese and don't know any better.  We are merely sheep being lined up for tourist slaughter.

An excellent and convenient way to get dropped off at Ha Long City is to be pushed off the bus in the middle of a rainy night at the side of the highway.  One might say, wouldn't it make more sense to just drop off the passengers at the center of town?  Nah, that would be too easy.  After all, we are rugged travelers and appreciate a heavy dose of confusion and fear.  When getting dropped off, simply ask, where is the taxi?  The bus driver will likely say, "right there silly, don't you see those moto drivers over there?  Yea, they're going to attempt to scam you."  Can you taste the happiness?

You then agree to the enormous price because it's raining and well where else are you going to go? They insist it is far but still open. Then all of the sudden, after about a mile of driving, the bikes will pull over and tell you that the ferry is closed, but how about a cheap hotel for the night? Oh how sneaky...

In order to ensure that you did get scammed then use your phone to call your local buddy in Hanoi. He will confirm that the ferry is indeed closed, so at least the drivers didn't lie about that. However, now it is time to settle the cost issues. This is where it is helpful to have your travel buddy through a shit fit. Don't let them scam  you by insisting and staring directly at them. It is common at this point that they forget how to speak any english at all, so be prepared for a stand off and don't budge.

Once the crisis of paying 500% too much has been averted it is advisable to find a place to stay. A cheap place, or well any place on the road you will be dropped off may, in fact, appear clean. However, this is far from the case. Be sure to pull back the sheets and inspect the beds to avoid being bit by various creatures in the night. Also, this late in the evening it is difficult to tell if the windows actually close, so be sure to check that as well. If you make the mistake of not checking, then it is advisable to use your sleeping sack to avoid these bites. However, if you don't know if there are bugs, chances are you will find out after already being bitten. 

At this point you have options. You are starving and aggravated. You can choose to up the price of your stay by finding the nearest busiest seafood place and feast, or you can take a gamble at a cheaper, yet completely empty option. I would vote for the former in this case, as it might be the best part of your stay here.

If you come at just the right time, you will wake up for your ferry the next day to find the sky pissing with rain, thus making it next to impossible to see a thing. However, don't cry, you can just walk down to the waterfront with a telephoto lens during a lull in the storm. Your pictures would be just as good if you were on the boat that day anyway, and it's free! 

Now all you have to do is catch a cheap cab ride to the airport, which happens to also house the bus station? This way you can catch a (hopefully) faster bus, although it will be smaller and you won't be able to have enough to leg room if you happen to be over 5 ft tall, but no complaining, it will only cost you $5US.

Please note that Ha Long Bay is a notorious scam artists' paradise. This loosely translates to a different experience for everyone. We got extremely unlucky.

-MV

How to do Ha Long Bay for under $60 US Roundtrip!

What you will need:

A blanket

A phone

Someone to help you argue and buy bus tickets

A travel buddy willing to kick scamming ass when needed

You can leave from the My Dinh or whatever the other central station is from Hanoi. This bus ticket should cost you around 100,000VD (or $5 US). The ride should only last about 4 hours, but if you get on a big bus, it will in fact take you forever because the bus driver will drive at around 4mph.  He does this for various reasons: 1. b/c the smart locals call the bus to pick them up after exiting the CF that is the bus station; 2. when driving a bus, one must pick up various sacks of rice and other provisions to drop off to the family en route; and 3. these bus drivers  want to fill the bus to the brim.  

A local will tell you that in order to get a proper bus from My Dinh, one must avoid all individuals and simply go straight to the bus station and buy a ticket inside.  But don't worry, these shady individuals will find you anyway once you buy your ticket and throw you on their bus b/c let's face it, you don't speak Vietnamese and don't know any better.  We are merely sheep being lined up for tourist slaughter.

An excellent and convenient way to get dropped off at Ha Long City is to be pushed off the bus in the middle of a rainy night at the side of the highway.  One might say, wouldn't it make more sense to just drop off the passengers at the center of town?  Nah, that would be too easy.  After all, we are rugged travelers and appreciate a heavy dose of confusion and fear.  When getting dropped off, simply ask, where is the taxi?  The bus driver will likely say, "right there silly, don't you see those moto drivers over there?  Yea, they're going to attempt to scam you."  Can you taste the happiness?

You then agree to the enormous price because it's raining and well where else are you going to go? They insist it is far but still open. Then all of the sudden, after about a mile of driving, the bikes will pull over and tell you that the ferry is closed, but how about a cheap hotel for the night? Oh how sneaky...

In order to ensure that you did get scammed then use your phone to call your local buddy in Hanoi. He will confirm that the ferry is indeed closed, so at least the drivers didn't lie about that. However, now it is time to settle the cost issues. This is where it is helpful to have your travel buddy through a shit fit. Don't let them scam  you by insisting and staring directly at them. It is common at this point that they forget how to speak any english at all, so be prepared for a stand off and don't budge.

Once the crisis of paying 500% too much has been averted it is advisable to find a place to stay. A cheap place, or well any place on the road you will be dropped off may, in fact, appear clean. However, this is far from the case. Be sure to pull back the sheets and inspect the beds to avoid being bit by various creatures in the night. Also, this late in the evening it is difficult to tell if the windows actually close, so be sure to check that as well. If you make the mistake of not checking, then it is advisable to use your sleeping sack to avoid these bites. However, if you don't know if there are bugs, chances are you will find out after already being bitten. 

At this point you have options. You are starving and aggravated. You can choose to up the price of your stay by finding the nearest busiest seafood place and feast, or you can take a gamble at a cheaper, yet completely empty option. I would vote for the former in this case, as it might be the best part of your stay here.

If you come at just the right time, you will wake up for your ferry the next day to find the sky pissing with rain, thus making it next to impossible to see a thing. However, don't cry, you can just walk down to the waterfront with a telephoto lens during a lull in the storm. Your pictures would be just as good if you were on the boat that day anyway, and it's free! 

Now all you have to do is catch a cheap cab ride to the airport, which happens to also house the bus station? This way you can catch a (hopefully) faster bus, although it will be smaller and you won't be able to have enough to leg room if you happen to be over 5 ft tall, but no complaining, it will only cost you $5US.

Please note that Ha Long Bay is a notorious scam artists' paradise. This loosely translates to a different experience for everyone. We got extremely unlucky.

-MV

How to do Ha Long Bay for under $60 US Roundtrip!

What you will need:

A blanket

A phone

Someone to help you argue and buy bus tickets

A travel buddy willing to kick scamming ass when needed

You can leave from the My Dinh or whatever the other central station is from Hanoi. This bus ticket should cost you around 100,000VD (or $5 US). The ride should only last about 4 hours, but if you get on a big bus, it will in fact take you forever because the bus driver will drive at around 4mph.  He does this for various reasons: 1. b/c the smart locals call the bus to pick them up after exiting the CF that is the bus station; 2. when driving a bus, one must pick up various sacks of rice and other provisions to drop off to the family en route; and 3. these bus drivers  want to fill the bus to the brim.  

A local will tell you that in order to get a proper bus from My Dinh, one must avoid all individuals and simply go straight to the bus station and buy a ticket inside.  But don't worry, these shady individuals will find you anyway once you buy your ticket and throw you on their bus b/c let's face it, you don't speak Vietnamese and don't know any better.  We are merely sheep being lined up for tourist slaughter.

An excellent and convenient way to get dropped off at Ha Long City is to be pushed off the bus in the middle of a rainy night at the side of the highway.  One might say, wouldn't it make more sense to just drop off the passengers at the center of town?  Nah, that would be too easy.  After all, we are rugged travelers and appreciate a heavy dose of confusion and fear.  When getting dropped off, simply ask, where is the taxi?  The bus driver will likely say, "right there silly, don't you see those moto drivers over there?  Yea, they're going to attempt to scam you."  Can you taste the happiness?

You then agree to the enormous price because it's raining and well where else are you going to go? They insist it is far but still open. Then all of the sudden, after about a mile of driving, the bikes will pull over and tell you that the ferry is closed, but how about a cheap hotel for the night? Oh how sneaky...

In order to ensure that you did get scammed then use your phone to call your local buddy in Hanoi. He will confirm that the ferry is indeed closed, so at least the drivers didn't lie about that. However, now it is time to settle the cost issues. This is where it is helpful to have your travel buddy through a shit fit. Don't let them scam  you by insisting and staring directly at them. It is common at this point that they forget how to speak any english at all, so be prepared for a stand off and don't budge.

Once the crisis of paying 500% too much has been averted it is advisable to find a place to stay. A cheap place, or well any place on the road you will be dropped off may, in fact, appear clean. However, this is far from the case. Be sure to pull back the sheets and inspect the beds to avoid being bit by various creatures in the night. Also, this late in the evening it is difficult to tell if the windows actually close, so be sure to check that as well. If you make the mistake of not checking, then it is advisable to use your sleeping sack to avoid these bites. However, if you don't know if there are bugs, chances are you will find out after already being bitten. 

At this point you have options. You are starving and aggravated. You can choose to up the price of your stay by finding the nearest busiest seafood place and feast, or you can take a gamble at a cheaper, yet completely empty option. I would vote for the former in this case, as it might be the best part of your stay here.

If you come at just the right time, you will wake up for your ferry the next day to find the sky pissing with rain, thus making it next to impossible to see a thing. However, don't cry, you can just walk down to the waterfront with a telephoto lens during a lull in the storm. Your pictures would be just as good if you were on the boat that day anyway, and it's free! 

Now all you have to do is catch a cheap cab ride to the airport, which happens to also house the bus station? This way you can catch a (hopefully) faster bus, although it will be smaller and you won't be able to have enough to leg room if you happen to be over 5 ft tall, but no complaining, it will only cost you $5US.

Please note that Ha Long Bay is a notorious scam artists' paradise. This loosely translates to a different experience for everyone. We got extremely unlucky.

-MV

Surabaya, trains, and the journey just keeps kicking our asses

Well I'm glad to say that today was significantly...oh just put in any positive adjective here. A quick side note: have also managed to evade the hawkers that run through the aisles of public transport...they aren't allowed in executif class...so instead they are currently shouting at us through the doorways. 

Anyways, back to the epic migration west. We awoke earlier than we wanted in Surabaya, namely because I was pretty panic stricken. I blame the sterile, white, bathroom floor tiled walls of our room bouncing around that lovely dull, blue light. I couldn't shake this fear that things were going to go from worse to who-knows-what. I finally dragged myself upright and headed to the shower. I've traveled quite a bit in my short life and I've seen a great variety of showers or lack thereof. This one took some figuring out. There was a wash basin that drained to the floor and the shower head was placed on the wall to the side of this contraption so I figured that must be the place of bathing. Now, to explain this to someone who has never seen this type of bathroom, it is essentially a tiled basin (2ft x 2ft x 2ft) that is elevated up about 2ft from the floor. This way you can do your washing and your bathing in the same place. Needless to say it was entertaining to wash from up above and probably more entertaining if someone is reading this who knows if this was the proper way to do it or not. Not to mention Asia was not built for MB-sized people, and the shower head didn't quite reach above his head.

After washing off whatever was growing on us from yesterday's fiasco we headed out into Surabaya to try to find the train station so we could get our tickets to Yogya (pronounced 'Jogja' for those back home). The directions the guy gave us at the reception desk were vague at best. It was hot, I was reaching my breaking point (having hardly slept, barely eaten, and sick of feeling like a circus act) so we just succumbed to asking every person we saw where the train station was until it was staring us right in the face. We bought the tickets and decided to celebrate our success by going to the mall and walking in the air con. The mall here had a metal detector. Other than that it was your typical large city mall in Asia. Six stories, filled with a wide range of stores, and complete with random 'exhibits,' statues, and kid zones (this one had a snow area, which was essentially a large moon bounce with an icee machine on crack spewing 'snow' everywhere. We found some gifts for loved ones back home and my spirits were significantly lifted.

Surabaya wasn't as industrial and 'hard' as everyone says it is. It isn't a sparkling beauty, but it isn't a shit hole either. Just your average city (dirty by American standards) with it's usual goings on. I wouldn't recommend it if you are in a wheel chair or on crutches. The sidewalks can best be described as post apocalypse. 

Although we have felt completely out of our element until about mid-day today, I will say that the Javanese are extremely nice people. We get gawked at a lot because we are two tall whities running through Java, a place not typically on your average traveler's itinerary. Despite the unforgiving quality that is east Java, people still say hello, ask where you are from, try to speak a little English with you and I try to speak the little (but growing) amount of Indonesian I know. They are curious and not afraid to show it.

For anyone thinking of traveling to Java without language knowledge, up to this point I would say it is impossible and I would highly advise against doing it. That is, unless your plan is to get ripped off, most likely robbed, and not be able to know where anything is or what is decent to eat.

I can't speak for Jogja (yet) or Jakarta, but if you want to do what we did basic language skills are required. 

The train ride is really lovely. MB and I have ample leg space for the first time since leaving Lake Tahoe. The train runs smoothly and on time. The scenery (as my friend Q had insisted) is gorgeous. It isn't Bali (which I will miss until I get to go back), but it is a really nice countryside. We pass by farm towns where the local children all run up to the tracks and watch the train go by, pointing and waving. There were a lot of workers (men and women) tending to the last bit of their farmland as the sun set. It's interesting to think about what it must be like to grow up and live in an area like this. Quite a few people have asked us if we are flying on a plane. They get wide-eyed when we say we are from America and will be flying. It's cute in a way. If I had to guess I'd bet they don't see many Americans in these parts.     

I have been 'hit on' a lot. Not aggressive (and mostly by little kids), but I suppose even though I'm dressed like a homeless person (laundry within the next few days is a must) my eye color, height, and the fact I have purple hair makes me a target for compliments. I'd be lying if I said I didn't think it was charming, because, let's just say I'm not looking my finest and dressing to impress. However, I did find the lady on the ferry to Java a bit strange, she wanted a picture with me...random. 

We still need a place to stay tonight because my SIM card ran out of credit. I think we will find the nearest Starbucks (free AirCon and wifi without harassment can't be beat) and figure something out at least for the night.

My fingers are tired and I've played a lot of catchup with the blog today so I'll end it here.

M

Well I'm glad to say that today was significantly...oh just put in any positive adjective here. A quick side note: have also managed to evade the hawkers that run through the aisles of public transport...they aren't allowed in executif class...so instead they are currently shouting at us through the doorways. 

Anyways, back to the epic migration west. We awoke earlier than we wanted in Surabaya, namely because I was pretty panic stricken. I blame the sterile, white, bathroom floor tiled walls of our room bouncing around that lovely dull, blue light. I couldn't shake this fear that things were going to go from worse to who-knows-what. I finally dragged myself upright and headed to the shower. I've traveled quite a bit in my short life and I've seen a great variety of showers or lack thereof. This one took some figuring out. There was a wash basin that drained to the floor and the shower head was placed on the wall to the side of this contraption so I figured that must be the place of bathing. Now, to explain this to someone who has never seen this type of bathroom, it is essentially a tiled basin (2ft x 2ft x 2ft) that is elevated up about 2ft from the floor. This way you can do your washing and your bathing in the same place. Needless to say it was entertaining to wash from up above and probably more entertaining if someone is reading this who knows if this was the proper way to do it or not. Not to mention Asia was not built for MB-sized people, and the shower head didn't quite reach above his head.

After washing off whatever was growing on us from yesterday's fiasco we headed out into Surabaya to try to find the train station so we could get our tickets to Yogya (pronounced 'Jogja' for those back home). The directions the guy gave us at the reception desk were vague at best. It was hot, I was reaching my breaking point (having hardly slept, barely eaten, and sick of feeling like a circus act) so we just succumbed to asking every person we saw where the train station was until it was staring us right in the face. We bought the tickets and decided to celebrate our success by going to the mall and walking in the air con. The mall here had a metal detector. Other than that it was your typical large city mall in Asia. Six stories, filled with a wide range of stores, and complete with random 'exhibits,' statues, and kid zones (this one had a snow area, which was essentially a large moon bounce with an icee machine on crack spewing 'snow' everywhere. We found some gifts for loved ones back home and my spirits were significantly lifted.

Surabaya wasn't as industrial and 'hard' as everyone says it is. It isn't a sparkling beauty, but it isn't a shit hole either. Just your average city (dirty by American standards) with it's usual goings on. I wouldn't recommend it if you are in a wheel chair or on crutches. The sidewalks can best be described as post apocalypse. 

Although we have felt completely out of our element until about mid-day today, I will say that the Javanese are extremely nice people. We get gawked at a lot because we are two tall whities running through Java, a place not typically on your average traveler's itinerary. Despite the unforgiving quality that is east Java, people still say hello, ask where you are from, try to speak a little English with you and I try to speak the little (but growing) amount of Indonesian I know. They are curious and not afraid to show it.

For anyone thinking of traveling to Java without language knowledge, up to this point I would say it is impossible and I would highly advise against doing it. That is, unless your plan is to get ripped off, most likely robbed, and not be able to know where anything is or what is decent to eat.

I can't speak for Jogja (yet) or Jakarta, but if you want to do what we did basic language skills are required. 

The train ride is really lovely. MB and I have ample leg space for the first time since leaving Lake Tahoe. The train runs smoothly and on time. The scenery (as my friend Q had insisted) is gorgeous. It isn't Bali (which I will miss until I get to go back), but it is a really nice countryside. We pass by farm towns where the local children all run up to the tracks and watch the train go by, pointing and waving. There were a lot of workers (men and women) tending to the last bit of their farmland as the sun set. It's interesting to think about what it must be like to grow up and live in an area like this. Quite a few people have asked us if we are flying on a plane. They get wide-eyed when we say we are from America and will be flying. It's cute in a way. If I had to guess I'd bet they don't see many Americans in these parts.     

I have been 'hit on' a lot. Not aggressive (and mostly by little kids), but I suppose even though I'm dressed like a homeless person (laundry within the next few days is a must) my eye color, height, and the fact I have purple hair makes me a target for compliments. I'd be lying if I said I didn't think it was charming, because, let's just say I'm not looking my finest and dressing to impress. However, I did find the lady on the ferry to Java a bit strange, she wanted a picture with me...random. 

We still need a place to stay tonight because my SIM card ran out of credit. I think we will find the nearest Starbucks (free AirCon and wifi without harassment can't be beat) and figure something out at least for the night.

My fingers are tired and I've played a lot of catchup with the blog today so I'll end it here.

M

Well I'm glad to say that today was significantly...oh just put in any positive adjective here. A quick side note: have also managed to evade the hawkers that run through the aisles of public transport...they aren't allowed in executif class...so instead they are currently shouting at us through the doorways. 

Anyways, back to the epic migration west. We awoke earlier than we wanted in Surabaya, namely because I was pretty panic stricken. I blame the sterile, white, bathroom floor tiled walls of our room bouncing around that lovely dull, blue light. I couldn't shake this fear that things were going to go from worse to who-knows-what. I finally dragged myself upright and headed to the shower. I've traveled quite a bit in my short life and I've seen a great variety of showers or lack thereof. This one took some figuring out. There was a wash basin that drained to the floor and the shower head was placed on the wall to the side of this contraption so I figured that must be the place of bathing. Now, to explain this to someone who has never seen this type of bathroom, it is essentially a tiled basin (2ft x 2ft x 2ft) that is elevated up about 2ft from the floor. This way you can do your washing and your bathing in the same place. Needless to say it was entertaining to wash from up above and probably more entertaining if someone is reading this who knows if this was the proper way to do it or not. Not to mention Asia was not built for MB-sized people, and the shower head didn't quite reach above his head.

After washing off whatever was growing on us from yesterday's fiasco we headed out into Surabaya to try to find the train station so we could get our tickets to Yogya (pronounced 'Jogja' for those back home). The directions the guy gave us at the reception desk were vague at best. It was hot, I was reaching my breaking point (having hardly slept, barely eaten, and sick of feeling like a circus act) so we just succumbed to asking every person we saw where the train station was until it was staring us right in the face. We bought the tickets and decided to celebrate our success by going to the mall and walking in the air con. The mall here had a metal detector. Other than that it was your typical large city mall in Asia. Six stories, filled with a wide range of stores, and complete with random 'exhibits,' statues, and kid zones (this one had a snow area, which was essentially a large moon bounce with an icee machine on crack spewing 'snow' everywhere. We found some gifts for loved ones back home and my spirits were significantly lifted.

Surabaya wasn't as industrial and 'hard' as everyone says it is. It isn't a sparkling beauty, but it isn't a shit hole either. Just your average city (dirty by American standards) with it's usual goings on. I wouldn't recommend it if you are in a wheel chair or on crutches. The sidewalks can best be described as post apocalypse. 

Although we have felt completely out of our element until about mid-day today, I will say that the Javanese are extremely nice people. We get gawked at a lot because we are two tall whities running through Java, a place not typically on your average traveler's itinerary. Despite the unforgiving quality that is east Java, people still say hello, ask where you are from, try to speak a little English with you and I try to speak the little (but growing) amount of Indonesian I know. They are curious and not afraid to show it.

For anyone thinking of traveling to Java without language knowledge, up to this point I would say it is impossible and I would highly advise against doing it. That is, unless your plan is to get ripped off, most likely robbed, and not be able to know where anything is or what is decent to eat.

I can't speak for Jogja (yet) or Jakarta, but if you want to do what we did basic language skills are required. 

The train ride is really lovely. MB and I have ample leg space for the first time since leaving Lake Tahoe. The train runs smoothly and on time. The scenery (as my friend Q had insisted) is gorgeous. It isn't Bali (which I will miss until I get to go back), but it is a really nice countryside. We pass by farm towns where the local children all run up to the tracks and watch the train go by, pointing and waving. There were a lot of workers (men and women) tending to the last bit of their farmland as the sun set. It's interesting to think about what it must be like to grow up and live in an area like this. Quite a few people have asked us if we are flying on a plane. They get wide-eyed when we say we are from America and will be flying. It's cute in a way. If I had to guess I'd bet they don't see many Americans in these parts.     

I have been 'hit on' a lot. Not aggressive (and mostly by little kids), but I suppose even though I'm dressed like a homeless person (laundry within the next few days is a must) my eye color, height, and the fact I have purple hair makes me a target for compliments. I'd be lying if I said I didn't think it was charming, because, let's just say I'm not looking my finest and dressing to impress. However, I did find the lady on the ferry to Java a bit strange, she wanted a picture with me...random. 

We still need a place to stay tonight because my SIM card ran out of credit. I think we will find the nearest Starbucks (free AirCon and wifi without harassment can't be beat) and figure something out at least for the night.

My fingers are tired and I've played a lot of catchup with the blog today so I'll end it here.

M

Well I'm glad to say that today was significantly...oh just put in any positive adjective here. A quick side note: have also managed to evade the hawkers that run through the aisles of public transport...they aren't allowed in executif class...so instead they are currently shouting at us through the doorways. 

Anyways, back to the epic migration west. We awoke earlier than we wanted in Surabaya, namely because I was pretty panic stricken. I blame the sterile, white, bathroom floor tiled walls of our room bouncing around that lovely dull, blue light. I couldn't shake this fear that things were going to go from worse to who-knows-what. I finally dragged myself upright and headed to the shower. I've traveled quite a bit in my short life and I've seen a great variety of showers or lack thereof. This one took some figuring out. There was a wash basin that drained to the floor and the shower head was placed on the wall to the side of this contraption so I figured that must be the place of bathing. Now, to explain this to someone who has never seen this type of bathroom, it is essentially a tiled basin (2ft x 2ft x 2ft) that is elevated up about 2ft from the floor. This way you can do your washing and your bathing in the same place. Needless to say it was entertaining to wash from up above and probably more entertaining if someone is reading this who knows if this was the proper way to do it or not. Not to mention Asia was not built for MB-sized people, and the shower head didn't quite reach above his head.

After washing off whatever was growing on us from yesterday's fiasco we headed out into Surabaya to try to find the train station so we could get our tickets to Yogya (pronounced 'Jogja' for those back home). The directions the guy gave us at the reception desk were vague at best. It was hot, I was reaching my breaking point (having hardly slept, barely eaten, and sick of feeling like a circus act) so we just succumbed to asking every person we saw where the train station was until it was staring us right in the face. We bought the tickets and decided to celebrate our success by going to the mall and walking in the air con. The mall here had a metal detector. Other than that it was your typical large city mall in Asia. Six stories, filled with a wide range of stores, and complete with random 'exhibits,' statues, and kid zones (this one had a snow area, which was essentially a large moon bounce with an icee machine on crack spewing 'snow' everywhere. We found some gifts for loved ones back home and my spirits were significantly lifted.

Surabaya wasn't as industrial and 'hard' as everyone says it is. It isn't a sparkling beauty, but it isn't a shit hole either. Just your average city (dirty by American standards) with it's usual goings on. I wouldn't recommend it if you are in a wheel chair or on crutches. The sidewalks can best be described as post apocalypse. 

Although we have felt completely out of our element until about mid-day today, I will say that the Javanese are extremely nice people. We get gawked at a lot because we are two tall whities running through Java, a place not typically on your average traveler's itinerary. Despite the unforgiving quality that is east Java, people still say hello, ask where you are from, try to speak a little English with you and I try to speak the little (but growing) amount of Indonesian I know. They are curious and not afraid to show it.

For anyone thinking of traveling to Java without language knowledge, up to this point I would say it is impossible and I would highly advise against doing it. That is, unless your plan is to get ripped off, most likely robbed, and not be able to know where anything is or what is decent to eat.

I can't speak for Jogja (yet) or Jakarta, but if you want to do what we did basic language skills are required. 

The train ride is really lovely. MB and I have ample leg space for the first time since leaving Lake Tahoe. The train runs smoothly and on time. The scenery (as my friend Q had insisted) is gorgeous. It isn't Bali (which I will miss until I get to go back), but it is a really nice countryside. We pass by farm towns where the local children all run up to the tracks and watch the train go by, pointing and waving. There were a lot of workers (men and women) tending to the last bit of their farmland as the sun set. It's interesting to think about what it must be like to grow up and live in an area like this. Quite a few people have asked us if we are flying on a plane. They get wide-eyed when we say we are from America and will be flying. It's cute in a way. If I had to guess I'd bet they don't see many Americans in these parts.     

I have been 'hit on' a lot. Not aggressive (and mostly by little kids), but I suppose even though I'm dressed like a homeless person (laundry within the next few days is a must) my eye color, height, and the fact I have purple hair makes me a target for compliments. I'd be lying if I said I didn't think it was charming, because, let's just say I'm not looking my finest and dressing to impress. However, I did find the lady on the ferry to Java a bit strange, she wanted a picture with me...random. 

We still need a place to stay tonight because my SIM card ran out of credit. I think we will find the nearest Starbucks (free AirCon and wifi without harassment can't be beat) and figure something out at least for the night.

My fingers are tired and I've played a lot of catchup with the blog today so I'll end it here.

M

"Do you hear that voice inside your head? Whispering to live your dreams instead? Some people cling to what they know, but I woke up and now it's time to go"

     Have you ever ran and ran until you just collapsed? Until your legs felt as if they would give out? Until your mind enters a different place outside of your immediate reality? Until everything became, well, clear as mud? I go through this ritual about twice a month. The funny thing is I actually despise running whether it be on a track, the road, a trail, or a treadmill. However, for whatever reason the right string of songs pops through my headphones, the stars align, and I go. When it’s all over, my world becomes slightly less murky than when I first step foot into the gym.

     Have you ever ran and ran until you just collapsed? Until your legs felt as if they would give out? Until your mind enters a different place outside of your immediate reality? Until everything became, well, clear as mud? I go through this ritual about twice a month. The funny thing is I actually despise running whether it be on a track, the road, a trail, or a treadmill. However, for whatever reason the right string of songs pops through my headphones, the stars align, and I go. When it’s all over, my world becomes slightly less murky than when I first step foot into the gym.

     Have you ever ran and ran until you just collapsed? Until your legs felt as if they would give out? Until your mind enters a different place outside of your immediate reality? Until everything became, well, clear as mud? I go through this ritual about twice a month. The funny thing is I actually despise running whether it be on a track, the road, a trail, or a treadmill. However, for whatever reason the right string of songs pops through my headphones, the stars align, and I go. When it’s all over, my world becomes slightly less murky than when I first step foot into the gym.

     Have you ever ran and ran until you just collapsed? Until your legs felt as if they would give out? Until your mind enters a different place outside of your immediate reality? Until everything became, well, clear as mud? I go through this ritual about twice a month. The funny thing is I actually despise running whether it be on a track, the road, a trail, or a treadmill. However, for whatever reason the right string of songs pops through my headphones, the stars align, and I go. When it’s all over, my world becomes slightly less murky than when I first step foot into the gym.