Missing… Presumed Having A Good Time

This was A day to be remembered. An amazing wedding in an amazing place. Destination weddings RULE! I had a linen suit made in Hoi An just for the wedding. The only problem with making a white linen suit and dragging it across 3 countries stuffed into my bag is that it’s made of linen. As I’m sure u know, linen is lightweight, but not wrinkle-free in any sense of the word. So I tried to get my hotel to press it for me by 4pm so I could get to the wedding in time. It came back pressed, but it still looked like a train wreck. Of course, I was running late, but couldn’t show up in a pimp-daddy suit all wrinkly like it had been stuck in my pack since Vietnam. So out comes the iron and my ‘excellent’ ironing experience (maybe twice in my lifetime). Now I know why people bring girlfriends to weddings. LOL Anyway, I’m supposed to be at Karma Village to catch the bus at 4:30. I get downstairs at 4:20 and the taxi still hasn’t shown up yet. I finally get in a taxi at 4:25 and hand the guy 50 thousand large to get me the 3km in 5 minutes. Miraculously, I made it and hopped my scruffy backpacking ass on the bus in a wrinkle free linen suit to a round of whoa, dude, holy shi… 45 minutes later after riding up hill in the “Little Bus that Could”. We made it to one of the most spectacular places that I’ve ever seen set on the cliffside of Ulu Watu the Istana Hotel has to be the most beautiful setting for a wedding. I kept asking myself why Bob didn’t just have the wedding at the Karma Villas where most people were staying. As I stepped on to the grounds of the hotel, my question was clearly answered with an emphatic THIS IS WHY!!!! http://www.photofactorybali.com/bobanddenise.htm The pictures on this site are awsome! The ceremony couldn’t have been more beautiful. They must have ordered the ‘beautiful sunset in the west with a full moon rising in the east’ package. I don’t know if they had to pay extra for them because both were beautiful beyond words. For a moment, I was a little concerned that it might rain. Dark clouds had formed all around the resort and heading our way. But for a small fee the Istana has a shield that blocks dark clouds from crossing its property. I know this because I saw the dark clouds stop and literally turn away from the resort before heading out to sea. The shield must have a daily rate because exactly at midnight, the heavens opened up and just poured 7 hours of rain onto the property in the matter of minutes. But by this time most of the guests had departed and the rest of us diehards were gathered in the main lobby area trying our best to finish off all the alcohol we had brought from the duty free shop. All in all a beautiful day that really left not for want. Congratulations! Bob and Denise. Thank you for inviting me to share in your special day.

Bali Hai June 9th

I finally arrived at the only time spot that I have on my trip. Since I left ‘home’ some 15 weeks or so ago, Bali was the only place that I knew I would go for sure and that there was a drop-dead arrival date of June 10th at 5pm for my buddy Bob and Denise’s wedding. I arrived just under 21 hours before the wedding just in time for their welcome to Bali cocktail hour at their colossal 4 bedroom villa at Karma Village Jimbaran. This place is the type of place that you would see in lifestyles of the rich and famous. I swear I heard Robin Leech on the soundtrack as I walked into the villa. I was waiting for the paparazzi to jump out of the bushes to see who was staying there this week. No celebrities this week. Just some of the best people in the world. We had a few cocktails and watched the start of the World Cup on a giant 42-inch widescreen TV. Of course the cocktail ‘hour’ lasted a bit longer than planned and seeing as the next day was going to be a pretty big day for the hosts, we decided to go to someone else’s slightly less colossal villa to continue the festivities well into the nigh… morning.

The next day started off at 5am. We got up before the sun to catch it rise above Ankor Wat. This was an even more amazing sight. Not only for the sunrise, but the throngs of people ... [Continue reading this entry]

On the bus ride from Phenom Phen to Siem Reap, we met a few Quebecois.  At yet another planned bus stop, Asim must have been really hungry because the only food that she found edible was a bag of fried ... [Continue reading this entry]

The capital of Cambodia. When I finally arrived in PP, we were so tired and really just wanting a shower and a bed to lay down. So we took pretty much the first place we saw. I ... [Continue reading this entry]

Against my better judgement, I decided to take a 2 day journey up the Mekong Delta on a boat up to Phenom Phen.  I had pictures of Apocolypse Now running thru my head and the Rolling Stones playing in my ears.  ... [Continue reading this entry]

The food in Saigon was very good. Unfortunately, it took me to my last days in country to find the best bowl of Pho in Vietnam. Phuc Dat! To be honest tho, the best bowl of Pho I've ever had ... [Continue reading this entry]

OK, a little bit of catching up now that I've left the slow internet hell of Bali and am back in Malaysia.  I know it's out of order, but hopefully u'll all be able to follow without too much trouble.   I decided to rent ... [Continue reading this entry]

Well after the bus ride from Hell.  I arrived in the beach party haven of Vietnam.  I got a place on the beach across from the Sailing Club for my $4 limit.  The Sailing Club is the nightlife of Nha ... [Continue reading this entry]