Wildflowers on the Bay

We drove up Highway 101 on the northern California coast this morning and were pleasantly surprised by the the profusion of wildflowers on display along Bodega Bay. I'll let the pictures do the talking. Enjoy!

Funny Job Ad

Saw this job ad for the Pony Express at the hardware store in Old Sac today. Really interesting criteria. Do you think you're up for the job?

WANTED
Pony Express
St Joseph, Missouri to California in 10 days or less

YOUNG, SKINNY, WIRY FELLOWS
not over eighteen. Must be expert riders, willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred.

Wages: $25 per week.

Note: This is one job that I'm definitely not qualified for. Young? Skinny? Orphan? :-D

Old Sacramento

It's Memorial Day weekend so we decided to head to Old Sacramento for a taste of good ol' fashioned Americana. There were hot dogs, ice cream, salt water taffy and jazz bands that really added to the party atmosphere.

Old Sacramento sits by the American River and is a recreation of the town during the days of the Gold Rush in the 1850s. In fact, it was the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in Sacramento that led thousands along this dusty trail to seek their fortunes. This was the era of wild lawless adventurers that have long captured my imagination. Today, the old paddleboats, railroad and rustic buildings are all operational, and lend an authentic historical feel to the place, even though it's filled with tourists.

Aunty Jo Jo taking remedial classes at Old Sacramento Schoolhouse

We also enjoyed a side trip to the Schoolhouse Museum that shows a replica of a one-room schoolhouse found throughout America in the late 1800s. I got a chance to play Laura Ingalls from "Little House on the Prairie" as I squeezed into a school bench and started writing alphabets on the slate. How cool...we should have more living history museums like this. Love it!

By the shores of Tahoe

Imagine sitting still on a pine log staring at these breathtaking views....

...sigh...that's exactly what my family had the privilege of doing as we headed up to Lake Tahoe earlier this week. Breathtaking views of Sierra Nevada in the background while crystal waters gently lap the shores of Tahoe in the foreground. This is just the kind of nourishment my soul needs.

Aunty Jo Jo and Julie playing by the shores of Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe is the largest freshwater alpine lake in North America and is located about 2 hours north of my sister's place in Sacramento. It's shoreline is shared by the states of California and Nevada. Tahoe is the ultimate winter playground for residents of the Bay Area and as you can see, it's gorgeous (and very quiet) in the spring months too. We spent a couple of hours picnicking and enjoying the views at Baldwin Beach in Emerald Bay.

But Lake Tahoe is only half the equation. It would be remiss of me if I didn't also extol the beauty of the Sierra Nevada mountains. The drive up the mountain is really breathtaking and the views provide a glimpse of paradise. So that we may believe.

Sights & Sounds of Vegas

Okay, so this is Vegas. Entertainment Capital of the World. These are the sights, sounds and impressions that have been forever seared into my memory.
1) There are slot machines everywhere - starting with baggage claim at the airport

2) There are more casinos than convenience stores from the Strip to Fremont St

3) Wherever you turn, there is unmistakable glitz and glamour. Ranging from vintage ritz at Caesar's (left) to glamorous chic at Wynn's (right)

4) They also seem to love their statues with Julius Caesar, Hadrian and real-life street artists at the Venetian. Some were very cool; others somewhat creepy :-)

5) And last but certainly not least, it is hot, very HOT. We had temperatures of over 100F/36C daily and it was amazing to hear the radio DJs describe it as a "wonderful" sunny day! We drank about 3 litres of water daily and slapped on tons of body lotion to prevent drying out. Phew...

Dancing fountains of Bellagio

It is much too hot to walk around Las Vegas in the daytime with it's 100F heat. But when the sun sets, it's cool enough to stroll around and enjoy the sights. And there are no sights as breathtakingly beautiful (and free!) as the dancing fountains of Bellagio. Enjoy the video...

Viva Las Vegas

The best advice I received about going to Vegas is "Don't think - just enjoy yourself" and I've been doing just that. After all my European & Asian travels, it's easy to look at the Las Vegas strip and see kitsch, tacky & loud. But if you set aside cultured adult tendencies, and embrace your inner gambler, this city is fun with a capital F.

The Strip by day: Luxor Casino & New York, New York Casino

A familiar feeling seized me the moment I caught sight of Las Vegas Boulevard from the plane window. It was the scene from the opening credits of CSI - the original series. Be ready for an assault on your visual senses when you first drive down the Strip. It's one incredulous OTT (over-the-top) experience after another. From the Sphinx at Luxor to the NYC cityscapes to Venetian Palazzo, you really have to see it to believe it.

Aunty Jo Jo at the Venetian Grande Shoppes & St Mark's Square

The Venetian was our first stop and we all fell in love with it at first sight. It really is Venice at its best- with the pretty gondolas and classical buildings in airconditioned comfort, minus the canal smells! :-) The casino was pretty good too. I made $150 at the slots. Beginners luck...let's hope it lasts for the rest of the trip.

Exciting SFO arrival

I arrived in San Francisco on Thursday morning to discover a bomb threat at the airport. It was my first ever....so cool!

We took almost 2 hours to clear immigration and another 2 hours for us to claim our baggage. Despite the chaos and lingering fear, it was interesting to watch the behaviour of my fellow travellers. The frequent flyers appeared calm and almost blase as they waited patiently for instructions. Other passengers including some mainland Chinese were anxious, loud and clucked anxiously to one another about their stranded luggage. They were persistantly crowding around the exits causing unnecessary confusion.

Meanwhile, the immigration officers went about their business efficiently and as politely as they could, given the circumstances. Lufthansa ground staff were the most service-oriented; coming up with announcements for their passengers every 30 minutes. Sad to say, Singapore Airlines staff were nowhere to be found. I only managed to scrape together some information by eavesdropping on the conversations of flight crew who were milling around the airport.

Random Bali snippets

As I wrap up my holiday in Bali, here are some random things I've noticed:-

• Paradise is not an overrated word when describing Bali
• Every other person is named Wayan. This is because there is a set order of names for Balinese families:- Wayan (first child), Made (second), Nyoman (third) and Ketut (fourth). What happens if there's a fifth kid? The cycle starts all over again!
  
• Having a daily massage is not a bad thing. In fact, it's a necessity
  
• Riding a motorbike along the paddy fields with a fresh breeze brushing your face is the best feeling in the world
• You can live life at whatever pace you choose - scheduled or unscheduled
• Kuta & Denpasar are best avoided unless you like dour aggressive street vendors
• Don't count on getting any service in the tourist areas if you're not "white". We had the worst experience in Ku De Ta, an upmarket club in Jimbaran Bay and Uluwatu, a premium linen shop in Ubud. We were totally ignored at both venues in favour of Caucasian tourists.
  

Balinese delights

You didn't think I was going to let this holiday pass without blogging about food, did you? Not a chance! I've tried quite a few mouth-watering delights starting with papaya juice for breakfast, which has been a "moving" experience :-P

My favourite Balinese dish so far has got to be babi guling or roast suckling pig. And not just any babi guling, it has to be Ibu Oka's. This world famous retaurant is located in Ubud and serves the yummiest porker ever! Never mind that we're in the middle of a swine flu pandemic, this dish is worth it. The meat is so juicy, it almost melts in your mouth. And when it's covered with a spicy bumbu (sauce) served over hot rice with some lawan (vegetable & coconut salad) and crackling on the side....sigh....enough said.





Ikan pepes is a delightful Balinese dish made by baking fresh local fish with pepes(spices) wrapped in banana leaf. When I had it for lunch last Tuesday at Pondok Minah, it was served with kangkong (local watercress) in a spicy peanut sauce over hot rice. Simple fare that's unbelievably tasty!








This is a bottle of Arak Bali that I won at a lucky draw on Sunday night. It's a locally-made rice wine with 36% alcohol content. After having 2 shots neat, I came pretty close to passing out. Still, it helped me make a few friends at the resort when I shared it around :-)

It tastes quite similar to Japanese sake or Korean soju except for one thing - this one burns!