Off Again

Sitting in the Varig Business Lounge awaiting departure to Rio. This flight will seem short compared to Singapore. Itin is Rio one week with press group then one week on my own. Going to head down to the UNESCO village of Parity. Axcess to Ihla Grande and many great beaches. A new destenation for me. Then on to the Buzios area. More beaches and water activities.

This time I am phoning in my Rio report from Rio to Around the World radio show. Hope it goes well! Be in touch soon.

Main Street 

All in a Week

It was just a week ago today that I boarded the plane in Singapore. Today the area off the coast of Sumatra was hit with a quake of 8.3. As posted earlier I spent some time in Bantam and Sigu Island in Indonesia. My heart goes out to the good people that I encountered. Fortunately it did not as of yet cause a tsunami. It did however cause death and destruction. Mostly on Nias Island. I know from some of the faces met on the streets that Dec. 26th is still a huge stone around Indonesia’s neck.

Talked via e-mail to some met in Singapore and tremors were felt there also. I wonder how I would have felt had I still been there? I woke up to cold rain here in Cottekill. Bitched and moaned and thought about my Wednesday departure to sunny Rio. The cold rain doesn’t mean that much tonight. For comments and questions e-mail kents61837@aol.com

Home Sweet Home

One of biggest troubles of being on the road a lot is catching up with just what is going on at home. I was lucky enough to have been home to get the mail yesterday. One piece was an envelope that stated, “This is the big fat one”. It was from Sarah Lawrence College and for my son Chance. It was an acceptance letter. Beware of the skinny ones they mean no thanks. Hopefully we get a fat one from Brown this week early. I loved being home to watch him open it.

Also had dinner last night with some real old friends at my house. The red wine was flowing and conversation lively. Filled with things that only people who have been through both good and bad times together can talk about. It is true there is no place like home. Still I will pack today for Brazil.

Village 

Fisherman 

Crabby

In five days I head to Rio for a week then spend the next week cruising the villages and beaches nearby. Overnighters, well maybe two nights depending on what is discovered, that will be done on my own. I am a sucker for sand and seafood. I am going to have some searching to do to beat the amazing food eaten in Indonesia.

With that I will sum up the whole trip press wise. Two writers from NYC, one video filmer from Montreal. Despite our differences we all got along pretty well. The food however was king. Crab, fish and lobster are alive when you pick out your choices. Top restaurant was Rezeki in Batu Besar. The long pier over a sandy beach in a small village was unbeatable. Top choice was Black Pepper Crab. Buzios Brazil, bring it on!

From the Past

It is a small world after all. I just got some great news. A story I wrote for Travelers Tales book, The Spiritual Gifts of Travel is getting some more play. Maggie Hamilton is going to précis it in her new book, A Soft Place to Land. Penguin will publish the book in September. When I wrote the story originally I remember the excitement I felt when Travelers Tales first published it. I get to again relive that excitement.

Its funny because when you write you never really know just who will read your words. I wonder how Maggie found the piece? It was written over six years ago. I am extremely grateful. Thanks Maggie and Travelers Tales.

Just the Essentials

I usually research a destination before I leave. In the case of Batam I found very little. The State Department advised only essential travel to Indonesia. That made me wonder just what essential means to me. Seeing a destination and writing about it is pretty essential

While touring the Turi Beach Resort with the general manager he mentioned that he was soon returning home to Sumatra. That in turn led to conversation about the tsunami that struck there. I could sense deep thoughts and a silence soon followed. Eventually he said he lost numerous relatives there. That brought another short pause in conversation. After a few minutes passed he told me, “Americans are angels. Your country was the first to help”. It seems essential that I pass that on to you.

A few days later I went to the small and remote Island of Sugi to visit the Telunas Lodge. A truly beautiful place that is really into maintaining an eco vision and building a program that mutually benefits islanders and three American expats with a dream. Included in that dream are raising families with an international experience. I can only wonder what great things come from decisions that hard.

Essentially I would greatly like to return.

The Big Span

Singapore seemed very sterile upon my return from Batam, Indonesia. Three of us walked to Indochine Restaurant along the river. Somewhat in a daze. Just a few hours ago we were on a put put boat cruising on the South China Sea. We were returning from an impromptu visit to Sugi Island. One of 3300 that dot this part of Indonesian. We had visited some American expat’s dream. Soon the meal arrived looking pretty as a picture on Johhny Jets site. http://www.johnnyjet.com/ To me the real picture was the old woman dressed as her grandmother had on a boat, patiently waiting to capture her dinner. For the first time in along time I also waited patiently. The busy wait staff moved like a receding tide, going out. It didn’t matter. I knew eventually I would get my dinner. I just hope the women less then thirty miles away got hers. In this part of the world thirty miles can cover thirty lifetimes.

Sorry for being incommunicado for the last couple of days but even with modern equipment and fancy gadgets, there are still places that move at their own pace. Fortunately I will have eighteen plus hours to sort out my sojourn on a fully reclining seat homeward bound. I will need every hour to figure out just what I have experienced the last several days. Keep you posted. Happy Birthday Keith, thanks for the memories and my trip.

See it All

Met the group at the Marina Hotel and all seems fine. Small groups seem to work out best. We all took an afternoon tour through Singapore. I have a new appreciation for the quick city tour. Although it was to many places I did see, I also saw some that I didn’t. The view from Mt. Faber was spectacular but the highlight was a great Chinese dinner at the Legend located in the old Fort Canning Center, old British army barracks. Our leader K seems mellow and easy going. Interesting past having lived in such places as Burma and Peru.

In a few hours we catch the ferry to Batam where we possibly will meet with the Governor of the province. Always excited to go somewhere I’ve never been! I found a great travel aid today. Crossing the date line makes keeping the time doubly difficult back home. You don’t just not know the time; you are not even sure about the date. This site lets you key in the times of up to 25 cities so you can be up to date. http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/setpersonal.html

Thanks for Having Me

The last four days in Singapore have passed rapidly. Traveling solo is always my first choice. You can go where you want to go and do what you want to do. Today I will check out of my room at the Raffles Plaza and meet four other travel writers at the Mandarin Marina Hotel. Let the games begin. For the past nine years I’ve had the opportunity to see some amazing places and done some great things. Safari in Africa, Yacht cruising in the Galapagos Islands and luxury train travel through the Outback. This has all been done on press trips. In the hopes of getting the word out about a destination writers are invited to visit. Press trips are very different in pace. You are constantly on the move. Free time is very limited. You are on the move from early morning till your last after dinner cocktail.

While the destinations change the cast of characters are remarkably similar. You’ve got to be a little nuts to traipse the world looking for a story. The competition to get invited is intense. Just as intense as getting your story published. This will be my first attempt at giving a glimpse into the press trip lifestyle. I am not sure how that will unfold but only initials will be used. Hey I most likely will meet up with these people again. Travel writers are a very incestuous group. So we will head to the Island of Batam in Indonesia. A place I’ve never heard of until a few weeks ago. Hope my rantings from Singapore were not to scattered. The full article will be on www.GoNOMAD.com soon.

Temple Time 

Asleep on the Job 

Offerings 

Holy Man 

Its a Jungle Out There

Paul Simon must have had the Singapore Zoo in mind when he wrote the words to ‘Its all Happening at the Zoo”. www.zoo.com.sg It is the home of the world’s largest collection of primates monkeying around. Not since a safari in Africa have I been so close to the wild things! The system of moats gets you close, real close. Many exhibits put you right in with the animals in a walk through zone. Screening keeps you and the animals together. Signs remind you to close the door behind you so; the Madagascan Hissing Cockroaches don’t mix with the white-faced Saki.

I faced a lifelong fear today and entered the reptile zone, as in your technically in with them. Look junior there is a whip snake; oops step over the python. Shamelessly I tailed a Dad and very young son like I was a godfather. Just prep work for an invite to adventure in Guatemala at the end of April. Needless to say I really appreciated the massage at Kenko www.com.sg when I got back to the city. It was cheap and legit! It’s a way of life here in Singapore. The cab fare for a thirty-minute ride to the zoo was less then ten bucks. Try getting that from Manhattan to the cagey Bronx Zoo.

Apologies, I am just learning how to post pictures. Scroll down to past posts and see some. The hairy one isn’t me!

Jasmine Dreams 

Lost in Singapore 

Say a Little Prayer for Me

Singapore has a reputation as a very unyielding city. A $1000 fine if you don’t flush the toilet. Same if you toss a cig butt or spit. The big D penalty for drugs is also one story making the travel rounds. What I saw today was a very yielding Singapore. One where Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and who knows how many other beliefs mingle easily. I started in China Town at the Jamae Mosque. Slipped off the sandals and entered unfettered. Very open and uncluttered. Sleek like most Muslin Mosques, the room is open so all the followers can pray together. Half a block down was the amazingly colorful Hindu Temple of Sri Mariamman. About the only thing they have in common are again no shoes. That and the school children in uniform visiting. It is expected here to know something about your fellow countryman’s beliefs. I guess place in a so small and so diverse that is a necessity. It is wonderful! http://www.visitsingapore.com/sections/3a/0,1138,207,00.html

That makes me think about the fellow travel writers I am meeting after my last day of solo travel. There is usually some kind of tension that pops up. My peeve is the person that always shows up late when we meet to visit sites. Drives me crazy. A friend of mine Georgia Turner who owns a travel PR firm once passed on some enlightenment that she heard. If you don’t meet an asshole on a press trip, then it must be you. I better burn some incense and learn tolerance.

Tea Time in Little India

Jet lagged and the heat and humidity a little stifling. Still in order to sleep my first night I trucked to the Little India part of Singapore. http://www.littleindia.com.sg/ The smells of spice and jasmine garlands seem to blend in an exotic crescendo. Interspaced with little shops selling brassware, garlands and silk saris are food stalls poring curry scents into the air. Churches and mosques fill in the panorama. A much needed “Teh Tarik”, a hand pulled cup of tea is sipped as I try to count the many colors in the strings of jasmine garlands hung next to the stall. I plan on getting my future told by a parrot fortune teller. I can only assume that sleep is in my near future!

De Plane, De Plane

While most of you are home watching Deadwood and Carnivale this Sunday night, I was hurling half way across the world. That 18-½ hour flight on SIA that is the longest commercial flight in the world. I must say that it wasn’t bad at all. Being in Raffles Class sure helped. My seat reclined fully into bed position, with pod like sides. My stir-fried beef with Chinese veggies just superb, as was all the food. The route took us up over the pole and down over India and across the South China Sea. The lights of Thailand twinkled below. I started in darkness flew through daylight then back into darkness. Arrived in Singapore just as the sun rose. No cigarette cravings at all. The attendants were as gracious as could be, so every need was attended to. Will add more tonight but now I am showered and hitting the streets.

Madrid Madness

This morning as I turned on the TV I caught the moment of silence for the dead because of the train bombings in Madrid. It was a year ago today that the mad bombs killed hundreds of Madrid citizens. Their Sept. 11th. It brought back memories of an assignment I was working on for Transitions Abroad, language study in Madrid. A piece also is on GoNOMAD archives. I was staying with an elderly couple in an elegent apartment in the Salamanca area. There was another American student staying also. This was during the Bush and Gore recount. Daily we suffered through questions and comments from the other students from around Europe. We both had finally had enough and said so. It was the last time the blue and red states united totally. Except of course after the days of Sept.11th. Tolerance is best learned at home.

Find discount flights to Madrid

Singapore Sling

Two days till I fly the longest commercial air route in the world. Fortunately it is on the consistently number one, Singapore. It is 18 1/2 hours from Newark to Singapore. Long haul for a pack a day guy! The fact that I am flying Raffles Class certainly will take the sting out. This airline is so together that I can place my dinner choices today, Lobster Newburg or Filet? Those are two out of six that caught my eye. To check out how badly I will suffer click on http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/app/saa?hidHeaderAction=onHeaderMenuClick&hidTopicArea=CabinAmbience-RafflesClassTour&currentSite=global

After a few days in Singapore I am headed to Batam, an island located 12 klicks out of the city on the South China Sea. Hey, I’m working! Sure I will post some mishaps along the way. I guarantee it!

Help is on the Way

As Max and I headed to our homes after the NY Times Travel Show we talked about how lucky we were to do what we love, write and publish. It sure isn’t for the money! We talked about the great contacts and friends met while searching out new destinations to visit. The conversation soon veered to our respective entry into the travel writing and editing game. Who published your first piece? Who was the editor? Then finally how did you get past the writers catch twenty-two. The please, “query with clips request”. It seemed insurmountable at the time.

That conversation led to a plan to help perspective travel writers get a little help. The plan is a mixture of grant and contest. For info check www.GoNOMAD.com or www.travelwriters.com Travel writers is also a good place to get inside info on the travel writing lifestyle. Read the bulletin board and get some great info.

In the Beginning

After wandering through the NY Times Travel Show yesterday I thought about all the places left to visit. Then I thought about all the places I have been to as senior travel editor for www.GoNOMAD.com. I am used to doing articles but blogging will allow me to fill in the little observations of destinations. That special moment when a cold beer, great view and local newspaper merge. So many quirky moments slip away while away. Spending a great deal of time on the road lends itself to lots of reading. I hope to share some of the best and worst travel writing I encounter.

Over the last few years I have loved checking in some very special blogs by Jen Leo, Rolf Potts and Max Hartshorne. In that spirit I hope to let people get a glimpse into the on going global tripping that my life as a travel writer is. Both good and bad. The tourism boards and CVB boards and people that live the travel writing life.