Indonesia!

 

"This doesn't seem too smart," I thought perched ALONE on top of a male elephant with giant tusks. I remembered back to Tom being hospitalized after being thrown when his horse spooked in the Dominican Republic. "What happens when an elephant wigs out? How the heck do you stop a 10,000 pound Sumatran elephant?! What are hospitals like here?" 

One of the coolest things about Singapore is island-hopping is a weekend ritual and every island is a different country. Our first such trip was spent in Bintan, Indonesia - a resort island just off the coast of Singapore in the South China Sea. Going here for the weekend is comparable to going to the Hamptons for the weekend from New York except when you arrive, you're immersed in a whole new culture.

To get there, we boarded a ferry for a high-speed, 45-minute ride. Outside, the water was dotted with MASSIVE ships and barges. Inside, the boat resembled an airplane with the somewhat similar seats. A movie screen played "Tom & Jerry" and "Daffy Duck" except Daffy was named Tang in the subtitles and the dog was Gufi. Even more bizarre? The subtitles often said, "Shit" for Daffy's exclamations. Thank goodness my kids can't read yet! The Asians aboard roared with laughter at Tom & Jerry which was far funnier to me than the cartoon.

The whole thing was quite civil - til we got to Indonesia where we had to apply for visas and go through customs. It should have been quite simple except that my passport is out of pages for visas! After lots of freaked-out customs agents conferred, argued and conferred again, they finally agreed to put the visa on a page where it didn't belong and let me into the country. I need to visit the US Consulate in Singapore this week!

We stayed at Bintan Lagoon Resort, a 4-star resort. In it's day, it was probably 5-star, but the place is a bit tired. Even so, it was pretty darn nice with two pools, lots of restaurants, bars, nightclubs, shops and the like. It also had a kids club where Maisie could hang for free. We paid a babysitter $8/hour to take Hudson there, too, while we had massages. Wahoo! 

The worst part? The food wasn't all that good. It wasn't terrible, but the food is SO good in Singapore that Imy expectations are really high no. I'm spoiled! Remember, the Dutch colonized Indonesia so they have amazing Indonesian food in Holland. Bintan? Not so much, but the talcom powder-like beach was so fabulous it didn't matter. Truly, the sand was soft and fluffy and stuck to everything. The beach was pretty much deserted for most of the morning except for a bunch of tiny crabs who fascinated the kids to no end. Slathered in sunblock, we baked in the hot morning sun while Asian tourists walked in the water cowering under umbrellas.

The fact we were swimming in the South China Sea was totally lost on them. I thought it was so cool! I expected the water to be all murky and gross, polluted from the massive barges. Instead, the water was crystal clear and Galveston-warm. I was in heaven. The kids? Not so much. We went all that way to see one of the nicest beaches on the planet and they wanted to go to the pool. Go figure. Then again, there were two, extremely kid-friendly pools complete with waterfalls and water slides.

The exciting news? Maisie was swimming without any flotation device! She's been able swim for a while now, but she didn't think she could. Hudson can now swim on his own with just a swim belt and wants absolutey no help. Living in apartment with daily swims in the pool has been so good for them!

Hudson also learned to order in a bar, shouting at the bartender, "Excuse me! Another milk, please!" Soon he'll ask for another beer in several languages. Maisie had her first Shirley Temple. Big mistake. She kept asking for them in what seemed to be a Brooklyn accent. "Shoiley Temple please." Ha!

The absolute highlight were the elephants located at another resort. Six Sumatran elephants put on a little show for us and one other dad and his two sons. One elephant put a basketball through a hoop, delighting Hudson to no end. Maisie and I danced with an elephant. Tom tried to field soccer balls kicked by an elephant. I asked one elephant to add 2 plus 2. Maisie took the number 4 out of her trunk once she finished the equation. Another elephant played the hormonica. The show ended with the ultimate photo op. They even dressed up Hudson and Tom. I loved Hudson's turban!

Riding the elephants was darn cool. I mean, really darn cool. I'm a bit jaded after all those years as a feature reporter. It's hard to beat driving race cars before sunrise, but this was definitely one for the memory books. Maisie and her daddy climbed on top of a female elephant. Hudson was supposed to ride with me, but he was TERRIFIED! The poor thing doesn't even like pony rides so sitting atop an elephant was absolutely horrifying for him. He shreiked and, if he could have, he would have climbed inside me. Afraid the elephant would spook, I handed him back to the elephant trainers. I was about to get off, too, but the guys whisked him away and he was laughing before I was out of earshot (I'd love to know their secret). I may have been a bad mommy, but I left him to the men and headed off into the jungle for my 15-minute ride. Maisie loved each and every second of it and kept screaming, "Yeehaw!" She cracks me up!

When I mentioned to the trainer that I grew up on the back of the horse, he slid off and let me ride alone for most of the "trek." Uh - elephants are far wider than horses and lumber along totally differently. For "reins" I held a skinny piece of rope.  I'd like to think I looked like Reese Witherspoon high up on Rosie in "Water for Elephants," but I know that's not the case. Bintan jungles are steamy. I more closely resembled a gal who just left the steam room. Nice. I finally had somebody taking pictures of me in Asia - the elephant trainer, not my husband - and I looked like a sweaty mess. 

When we got back from the "trek," we bought some baby bananas and fed our giant new buddy. Maisie was very brave. Hudson ALMOST fed one - then chickened out at the last minute!

It was all goofy stuff, but really nice to see. Sumatran elephants are in danger of extinction and while shows like this are a bit degrading for the elephants, they at least are looked after. I didn't see any of the bruises many trained elephants have. Their ears are smaller and back are more curved than African elephants. Also, only the males have tusks whereas both sexes have long tusks in Africa.

We took the last ferry home as all the others were booked. The kids got to bed at 11, 4 hours later than usual! Hudson went back to his pack and play after sharing a twin bed on the floor with his sister on Bintan, his first night in a big boy bed. Friday night, he wandered the room all night. I've been expecting days of tired kids and total tears, but only a few minor meltdowns the past few days. Maisie did another self-portrait, this one of herself smiling. Whew.

Today, we're back to reality in Singapore. Odd that an apartment on the other side of the planet is home - at least for a while. Another thing to love about Cheryl? The apartment was immaculate when we got home. Today? She did all our vacation laundry! WAHOO!!!!