Sol de Mañana geothermal fields,

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

Transfăgărășan Highway, Romania

Acknowledgements

Son Doong Cave, Quang Binh, VN

Dedication

Neko Harbor, Antarctica

always moving Foreward

Road of a Thousand Kasbahs,

Morocco

A familiar ping awakens me from a deep-but-brief slumber, and the rushing sound of a jet engine comes back into my consciousness. “Please make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright position, as we prepare for landing,” sounded the overhead announcement.

Some say sleep brings dreams of flying. For me, after ten months and 30 countries, my dreams these days were more ‘grounded’: at that moment, my mind had brought me to the comfort of my own bed—fully stretched out on my favorite memory foam mattress, covered under my cozy weighted blanket. I groggily commented to Eric that my face felt wet, and I had drooled all over my pillow... only for Eric to point out that it was actually his shoulder I had drooled on. “Wake up and look out the window, sleepy head. You can see KL below us,” he said.

It was a striking contrast to our eyes: Having just departed Cambodia's land of ancient temples, we were now soaring over Malaysia's sprawling capital of towering skyscrapers. Kuala Lumpur, a gleaming, cosmopolitan city, is so bustling that it has been called the "New York of Southeast Asia." Like NYC, its shorthand abbreviation, "KL," seems to be just as widely known around the world. At night, the KL city skyline sparkles as brightly as its Western counterpart—yet another “city that never sleeps." Similar to NYC and Bangkok, breathtaking views of this modern city are easily accessible from its many rooftop restaurants and bars (drink prices at the classiest bars, like Vertigo Sky Lounge, certainly rival Western prices). On the way up to an elevated park, we fell in love with a serene, curving staircase that illuminates in synchrony with calming classical piano music.

Even from the ground level, downtown KL is radiant. There is even an area known as mini “Times Square,” which is small but does somewhat resemble the one in NYC. Like any big city, it is easy to travel around using rideshare apps such as Grab, which is even more integrated than Uber, as both private cars and officially licensed taxis use this same app to acquire passengers.

Kuala Lumpur - part 1

Our Lessons

Kuala Lumpur - part 2

Our Lessons

A unique lesson learned on our first day in Malaysia: not all adjectives are created equal. For instance, Malay ≠ Malayan ≠ Malaysian!

Malay is a term to describe a person of the original native ethnic group that lived in Malaysia (similar to “Native Americans”).

Malayan, meanwhile, is a geographic term for anyone who now lives on the Malay Peninsula, regardless of heritage. To further confuse things, the Malay Peninsula is actually divided between the nations of Thailand and Malaysia; so a citizen living in the Thai part of the Malay Peninsula is Thai by nationality, but Malayan by geography.

Malaysian, finally, refers to anyone who is a citizen of the modern country of Malaysia, regardless of ethnic group. The country of Malaysia’s borders include half the land that makes up the Malay peninsula (the non-Thailand part) and half of the land that makes up the Borneo subcontinent (the non-Indonesian/Brunei part).

These specific distinctions took us a while to process... but it took no more than a second for us to become obsessed with the view of those two iconic Petronas Towers. With a sprawling park, dancing fountains, and a huge mall, the Kuala Lumpur City Center was a great first stop on our quest to explore this amazing country.

Kuala Lumpur - part 3

Our Lessons

Like bustling Bangkok, the malls in KL are grand, with endless sights and sounds—and most notably, an endless selection of delicious food. Indeed, more than any other city we’ve seen, KL’s malls all seem to be packed with multiple levels of high-quality but affordable food courts, restaurants, cafes, and dessert shops. We suppose some people do actually come to these malls to shop, but many locals simply go for the food—far different from the U.S., in which we can’t remember a time we went to the mall with the primary goal of eating. Our personal favorite: KL’s beautiful Pavilion Mall—where we lost track of time to the point that we spent the entire day indoors: eating, wandering, watching the new Dr. Strange movie in its grand multiplex theater, and then eating again!

KL is a “melting pot” of Asia: people's skin shades vary from black to uncomfortably white (seriously, it was difficult to find common skin products that did not contain some sort of "whitening" ingredient. For example, Eric failed to find a deodorant that did not advertise its positive whitening effects... on one's armpits?). Within this one city, cultures seem to be a mix of Far Eastern/Buddhist, South Asian/Hindu, and North African/Islamic. We were here during the Islamic celebration of Eid at the end of Ramadan, and the festive atmosphere could be felt all over the city.

Kuala Lumpur - part 4

Our Lessons

Because of its diverse cultures, there is a huge variety of smells and tastes in every street corner—a true happy place for street food enthusiasts like me! I loved the coconut-rice base of the traditional Malaysian nasi lemak platter; while Eric enjoyed the savory flavors of beef rendang. For a short while, we even became connoisseurs of pandan-flavored food: this leafy-vanilla taste is offered as a flavor option in just about everything here: pandan ice cream, pandan mochi, pandan bread, pandan rice, pandan chicken, etc!

We should also definitely bring the idea of a “32-cm ice cream cone” back to the States. Its watery-but-thick consistency helps it to pack tightly like a snowball as it gets dispensed from the machine, forming a tall ice cream tower before our eyes (actually, it tasted remarkably similar to the Polish Water Ice treats down at the New Jersey Shore… which apparently remains a protected small-family recipe!).

Kuala Lumpur - part 5

Our Lessons

As it turns out, British-style "afternoon tea" is cheaper and better in Malaysia. For less than half the price of basic “tea for two” in London, at the KL Grand Hyatt, we reserved a seat with a top-floor view, directly overlooking the Petronas Towers. This very classy restaurant had exceptional service, with 3 large tiers of artfully presented sweets and savory treats.

Distracted by our full bellies and the royal treatment we had just received, we accidentally got off on the wrong floor on the way out and found ourselves pleasantly surprised at the hotel’s picturesque pool deck, which included an unexpected Barbie-themed café, containing a large collection of rare multicultural Barbie dolls behind sealed glass.

While anticipating our upcoming trip to the jungles of Borneo, we were surprised to discover that we didn't have to venture outside of KL to experience our first of many fascinating Malaysian wildlife encounters. In the enchanting KL Butterfly Garden, we found ourselves getting lost in this tranquil enclosed greenhouse. As if straight out of a fantasy novel, here we met exotic butterflies who were friendly enough to land right on our hands, allowing us to examine their mesmerizingly iridescent wings up close.

Meanwhile, a trip to the KL Eco Park just next to our hotel took a delightful turn when we encountered a big family of wild Silver-Leaf monkeys, seemingly on an evening stroll along the parking lot fence. These were the most well-behaved monkeys; they simply sat and watched us, intermittently picking the bugs off each other’s backs. The gray-colored adults all had an eye-catching mohawk-meets-static-electricity hairdo… but their precious golden-orange colored babies stole the show. Cautious mothers adorably held their babies ever-so tightly against their chests any time a passerby got too close. Such a gentle species of monkey!

Kuala Lumpur - part 6

Our Lessons

Kuala Lumpur - part 7

Our Lessons

Sometimes “cheap” is indeed too good to be true: For the same price as the Grand Hyatt, we were excited to dine at a table 300 meters in the air, from the revolving restaurant on top of the famed KL Tower. The views from up here were indeed spectacular... but the dining experience itself was memorably unpleasant. Advertised as another classy “high tea,” we instead encountered a rushed buffet, closely packed tables, and nonchalant waitstaff who turned a blind eye to noisy children everywhere, running around with squeak-toy shoes and musical wristwatches.

This day marked an emotional loss for Eric, who had just finished saying goodbye to his beloved ‘Rova’ sandals (a knock-off of the popular Teva brand), which we had purchased for just $4 USD half a decade ago in Vietnam. These sandals proved to be tough as nails; they had joined us in over 40 countries, including countless rocky beach and river excursions around the world (living proof that sometimes "cheap" is not poor quality, but rather just a good deal!).

Kuala Lumpur - part 8

Our Lessons

KL is full of unexpected sights. For instance, an "upside-down house" can be explored next to the KL Tower. In the park, we happened upon a downsized replica of England’s famed Stonehenge—a little reminder that imitation is the greatest form of flattery.

Independence Square is situated in front of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building—named after the leader who galvanized Malaysia’s economic development, by building up the region’s tin-mining industry and infrastructure. In 1957, it was in this square that the British Union Flag was lowered, and the independent Malaysian flag was raised for the first time.

Kuala Lumpur - part 9

Our Lessons

KL's Chinatown is big, and to us, it was noticeably one of the cleanest we've seen in Asia. On top of this, we met several very friendly people while exploring the area. For instance, I was so touched by the random stranger who bought me a free tau fu fa (sliced silky-soft tofu covered with brown sugar sauce) at one of the oldest street vendors. Given its fame, the stall had a line that wrapped around the block, so her unsolicited gesture of buying me this dessert to try (when she had already waited her turn) was truly a tremendous act of kindness!

We additionally got to explore the oldest Chinese Taoist temple, Sin Sze Si Ya, which has been established since 1864. Inside, we found a slightly unexpected scene: it was quiet, but busy, with saleswomen sitting behind tiny counters in the back of this relatively small space. The floors were filled with scattered boxes of incense for sale, which worshippers would buy on the spot and bring forward as offerings (in addition to the added noise of these commercial exchanges, I was not accustomed to having to buy incense, which is usually supplied free of charge by Buddhist temples). However, moving past the vendors, we encountered a more familiar atmosphere: The air was heavy, with smoke and the strong smell of hundreds of incense sticks and candles. A hazy beam of sunlight shone through rust-stained windows, partially illuminating royal red and gold banners and curtains. It began to feel like a genuinely hallowed place, with a few quiet worshippers paying their respects adjacent to lavishly adorned shrines.

Kuala Lumpur - part 10

Our Lessons

Recently popularized on the internet, the century-old Batu Caves, located just a few miles outside of KL, have had an interesting past. Utilized for guano-fertilizer excavation in the mid-1800s, this 400-million-year-old cave was converted into a temple dedicated to the Hindu war god, Murugan. The cave's huge entrance is thought to be shaped like the vel of Lord Murugan’s spear. The site had a moderate stream of visitors until 2018… when the 272 steps leading up to the temple were suddenly painted in a now-Instafamous array of rainbow colors. While this has succeeded in attracting great numbers of non-religious tourists, a scandal ensued: The National Heritage Department accused the site of breaching the law requiring prior authorization for any alteration of a sacred religious site.

To us, this place was indeed beautiful from afar… but unfortunately, once we stepped closer, we noticed the unkept nature of these painted steps, which were riddled with garbage (and smelled strongly of it, too!). There were countless mischievous macaque monkeys in the area. Unlike the calm silver-leaf monkeys, macaques are known to boldly snatch things from people, including drinks and food. In spite of this, we saw many worshippers pausing to feed the monkeys, and we wonder if this partially contributes to the trash problem. We only hope that given its recent jump in popularity, finances may become available to hire staff to improve this place’s sanitation (perhaps the temple can instate an entry fee for non-worshippers?).

Mulu National Park - part 1

Our Lessons

Life on the wild subcontinent of Borneo can be harsh—or ultra-bougie. On arrival at the tiny jungle airport at the center of Mulu, we were taken to our first homestay, purchased online for a mere $11 USD per night. Though a quaint local place, the Mulu Village Homestay definitely had its limitations: electricity only 4 hours/day, and no running water... because the water tank had just collapsed the day before we arrived (our apologetic host, James, helped to get us bottled water and set us up an alternative bucket shower).

Opting for a more “comfortable” experience the second night, we switched to the Mulu Marriott… which was ironically located across a short private bridge, just a few feet away from the entrance of our first homestay. For a pricier $80 USD/night, the difference was night and day: A beautiful ‘stilted village’ of luxury hotel rooms over a lush pond, interconnected by wooden boardwalks, with a large pool, bar, and an amazing buffet breakfast. As Eric relaxed on our private balcony, I enjoyed a lovely jetted bath, followed by a rinse-off shower in a large stall surrounded by walls made of glistening black river stones (which I definitely also used as a back massager). Both vantage points simultaneously allowed me and Eric unobstructed views of a breathtaking forest of yellow-green water ferns.

Mulu National Park - part 2

Our Lessons

When compared to the two-day jungle trek we had previously taken to reach the entrance of the world's largest cave in Vietnam, accessing the world's second-largest cave here in Borneo was remarkably simple; in fact, it was a literal walk in the park. From the Mulu park headquarters, a half-hour stroll in sandals down a well-kept forested boardwalk led us straight to the mouth of the massive Deer Cave. Here, we were greeted by the overwhelming smell of bat guano. Trekking through the well-lit pathway inside the cave was a mixed experience; the incredibly high ceiling, illuminated by the receding sun, was a sight to behold, and we marveled at the massive stone stalactites high above our heads. However, other areas of the ceiling were covered in sheets of blackness—which turned out to be millions of bats! Instead of wood planks, the walkways below these areas consisted of a porous metal grid: designed to permit a constant rainfall of bat poop to drop through the cracks. Indeed, we saw huge sheets of coffee-ground-colored guano covering the earth below the path. Thankfully, we did not get hit by any falling droppings!

Interestingly, we learned that the abundance of bat guano actually attracts animals such as deer, who lick up the guano to get salt and other minerals. The resulting abundance of deer, in turn, attracted hunters, who gave this place its name, "Deer Cave."

If weather conditions are right, the Deer Cave bats will all depart the cave at once, at the twilight hour to hunt—a much-anticipated phenomenon known as the “bat exodus.” Unfortunately, Borneo had other plans for us: the bats elected to stay safely inside the cave that evening, which we attributed to their intuition to avoid the sounds of rolling thunder that we heard in the distance. They say “a little rain never hurt anybody”; but perhaps the bats knew best that we were about to be in for one hell of an adventure...

Bear Grylls was right: the jungles of Borneo can kill you—for us, this proved to be a real possibility! We were told the weather in Mulu is “unpredictable”; but we didn’t understand the real impact of this statement just yet. We had flown here on a mission to summit the Mulu Pinnacles: one of the most vertical and intense hikes in the subcontinent. The journey requires a longboat ride up a narrow river; a 9-km jungle trek in which we had to carry our own overnight gear, food, and water; a brief night’s rest at a primitive campsite; and finally, an exhausting 1.2-km vertical ascent over just 2.4 kilometers' distance.

We set off optimistically, despite waking up to discover it had been raining. We were accompanied by two new friends from Singapore, who commented that the river looked higher today. Defying our boat driver's prediction of clearing skies as we set off, the rain progressed to a torrential downpour as we continued our morning ride upriver. As the winds battered us and the worsening deluge soaked through our flimsy ponchos, it became apparent that the rising waters had now reached the level of tree branches that typically extend high above the river. Our boatman continued to reassure us, navigating through rapids and around whirlpools, while dodging free-floating deadfall—downed tree trunks, which shot like javelins past our small wooden boat as we powered upstream. Proceeding with a scheduled stop at the beautiful Clearwater and Wind Caves prior to the main trailhead, our cave guide scratched his head and commented, “Wow, I’ve never seen this much water rushing into the cave!” Attempting to shrug off this slightly alarming development, we admired the mesmerizing sight of water pouring through every crack of the cave’s ceiling, shimmering in the dim light of the misty sky above. As the rain continued to pour, we were rushed back to the boat (which was now floating at an even higher water level than we had left it). Still hopeful, we continued onward until we reached the trailhead.

Mulu National Park - part 3

Our Lessons

Mulu National Park - part 4

Our Lessons

Our boatman swiftly bid us good luck and farewell as he dropped us off, unaided, and encouraged us that we could make the 9-km trek to base camp as long as we “go quickly,” before the largest river crossing at the 5-km mark overruns! He turned his longboat to face downstream, and the rapidly flowing river promptly whisked him out of sight. We were alone. The four of us stared at each other, with raised eyebrows but we were ready to start the journey… which ended just three minutes later!

After trekking a mere hundred meters, we encountered rushing water cutting straight across a part of the trail that was supposed to have been dry. Eric took a few steps in, only to discover this newly-formed river was at least the height of his thighs! As if Mother Nature was making a final attempt to knock some sense into us, it was at that moment that the large head of a snapping turtle emerged from the muddy water, directly in front of Eric’s path. The turtle stared Eric in the eyes, and I’m pretty sure I caught it sternly shake its head, as if saying, “No; just, no.” Eric backed away, and we returned, demoralized, back to the trailhead. With no cell signal, we counted our granola bars and wondered how long we would be here waiting. Luckily, the park service sent Suki, a ranger, to sweep the trail for stranded hikers. After quickly confirming our assessment that the trail was unquestionably impassable, Suki radioed his longboat to take us back to headquarters. Mission aborted!

While waiting for our rescue boat to arrive, Suki, shared with us that he is of Penan heritage: a formerly-nomadic people of this region, who were relocated to a “long-house” settlement by the British after Mulu Park became designated a World Heritage Site. Somewhat to our surprise, Suki says his people were generally happy despite this being a forced relocation, because nomadic jungle life was hard. Suki claims his community appreciated the clinics, schools, and other modern amenities that the British provided. His people have maintained a positive influence in the region through their participation in an ongoing fight against deforestation from commercial logging.

Mulu National Park - part 5

Our Lessons

The 45-meter tall limestone spires known as the Mulu Pinnacles are so awe-inspiring that they are depicted as a national emblem on the back of Malaysia’s $RM-100 bill. Determined to see this natural wonder with our own eyes, we decided to begin a second attempt at this hike the next day—this time, a successful journey.

With the sun shining and the river receding, we set out on a much calmer boat ride to the trailhead. This time, the path was no longer covered by water, and we slowly trudged through the muddy 9-km trail. Like the Amazon, the jungle here was dense and dark, and full of fascinating sights, including: massive bamboo, brilliantly iridescent blue butterflies, even a rare flying lizard… and, of course, leeches every step of the way, sucking and leaving bloody spots all over my ankles (their bites were unpleasant, but not harmful). Arriving successfully at base camp, we immediately took a dip in the cold river to wash off, then quickly set up our bug nets and padding over a barebones wood-planked sleeping area. After an intense safety briefing, we rested our heads, trying to ignore the giant flying cockroach buzzing around the light above and praying for the weather to cooperate for our real hike in the morning.

Beginning our trek before sunrise, we kept close track of the time and our speed. It was only a 2.4-km trail; quite short; but with a 1200-meter vertical rise, every step was a small battle. The narrow ascent consisted of spiky rocks, slippery moss, and tree roots. Along the way, we were reminded to keep an eye out for vipers, which are often camouflaged to resemble roots or leaves. We were accompanied by Suki, whose job included assuring that we had reached certain altitude markers before designated 'cutoff' times. This was mandatory in order to continue the ascent, to guarantee we would have enough daylight for a safe return. Rising above the thick treeline, our “trail” transitioned to a series of vertical and horizontal ladders, carefully wedged in between razor-sharp rocks and across otherwise impassable sinkholes. After 4 grueling hours, we finally reached the famous view of this spectacular geological formation: dozens of giant natural spires, jutting into the sky! Suddenly, it all felt worthwhile… but our journey was not over yet.

Mulu National Park - part 6

Our Lessons

Mulu National Park - part 7

Our Lessons

To avoid severe fatigue and injury, it is recommended that hikers make a gradual descent down the Pinnacles and rest for the night at base camp, before beginning the 9-km jungle trek back towards the trailhead to catch the boat returning to headquarters. However, given our one-day delay in starting the hike, this method would have caused us to miss our flight out of Mulu the next morning! Therefore, we decided to tempt fate and complete the entire return trip in one afternoon. Bidding Suki and our fellow hikers goodbye, we moved as swiftly as possible down the mountain. Unfortunately, the jungle humidity kept all surfaces slippery and wet along our steep, jagged descent, making it impossible to move as quickly as we had hoped. Using all limbs to brace ourselves on vines and branches, we miraculously arrived unscathed back to base camp by mid-afternoon. Emboldened, we packed up our supplies, donned our heavy bags, and hastily embarked on the long trek back through the jungle, alone.

Having calculated exactly how fast we needed to walk in order to reach the riverboat on time, Eric got us off to a brisk start, and we made excellent pace… until we reached some strenuous inclined terrain at the halfway point, and we finally hit a wall of exhaustion like we have never felt before! Drenched in sweat, Eric notes he had never been so pushed to his physical limits—that no amount of willpower could stop him from being on the verge of passing out! We took a much-needed break and Eric self-treated with makeshift “oral rehydration salts”: or rather, the salty flavor packet that came with our only bag of Ramen noodles! The fear of being stuck in the jungle at twilight motivated us to power onward—so quickly that no leeches got a chance to latch onto my ankles this time! We successfully arrived at the boat just before nightfall… and we were promptly greeted by the familiar onset of pouring rain. This time, we welcomed the rain with open arms, cooling off our overheated bodies as the boat carried us safely downstream back to Park HQ. Examining how pruny our toes were from sweat alone and how achy our joints were, we mutually agreed this was the hardest physical thing that we have ever done—and I will now think back on this experience when facing new challenges!

Mulu - part 8

Our Lessons

After getting out of the jungle completely soaked, we managed to dry all of our clothes and shoes under the industrial fan in our hotel room. The next morning, we headed to the airport, huddled under our umbrellas, in the face of more torrential rains, which had been pouring since the night before. We learned that the constant rainfall had been bad enough that it prevented the longboats from retrieving anyone who had stayed at base camp overnight (good thing we got out the day before!).

After a several-hour delay at the airport, our plane was given permission to take off from Mulu's tiny runway and pierce through the thick cloud-covered sky. This series of events was particularly fortunate for us, as trans-Borneo flights were still sparse during this post-pandemic period due to a deficit of tourists. In fact, our plane only had six passengers onboard—ironically, one whom we would later run into again by complete coincidence, in Easter Island, Chile! It is a small world after all.

Sandakan - part 1

Our Lessons

Far East movement: Surveying the skyline from the rooftops of the port of Sandakan (previous page) does not provide the most favorable impression of this historically important city: most buildings are old, in need of a paint job, or downright crumbling. We were told the reason for this is that in modern times, expanding businesses have found it easier to construct new centers farther inland, away from the eastern shores. However, less than a century ago, Sandakan was the premiere commercial and trading capital of Northeast Borneo. The city was so important, in fact, that our tour guide notes it was expanded over the ocean with landfill, by a distance of more than several city blocks over time, to make room for massive construction projects directed by the British. Prior to World War II, Sandakan had become the world’s largest exporter of hardwood, and it enjoyed modern developments such as telegraph services to London, as well as paved streets even before Hong Kong and Singapore had them.

Sadly, during the war, Sandakan's success was its downfall: it was a strategic target for the Japanese, who captured and converted a portion of the city into an infamously brutal prison camp for British and Australian POWs (thousands of Australians lost their lives here, and in fact, Australians still come to Sandakan as an alternative to Gallipoli, Turkey, to honor their fallen soldiers on ANZAC Day). Consequently, by the war's end, the Japanese occupation and subsequent Allied bombings had left Sandakan completely destroyed. After the war, a large Hong Kongese population, which had been moved here by the British, rebuilt the city in a primarily Chinese architectural design—which is why the town is still referred to this day as “Little Hong Kong” (the buildings here really do resemble old Hong Kong to us).

Fascinating history: our Mulu guide had mentioned to us stories of “headhunter” tribes and how, from a certain point of view, they were the heroes of the Allied World War II campaign in Borneo. The Dayak tribes—most notably the Iban people—were known for the practice of removing and collecting enemy warriors’ heads, as trophies and proof of their victories in battle. Apparently, the act of bringing a skull back to the village was considered to be a rite of passage for young men, and it could even be considered a requirement for permission to marry. Some Iban also believed that removing the head gave them possession of the spirit, which in turn would make the collector more powerful. The practice of headhunting had been mostly phased out by the 1900s; however, in the face of war, the British encouraged the Dayak tribes to bring back the tradition following the Japanese invasion of Borneo in 1941. Sporadic but horrifying stories of fellow soldiers being brutally decapitated while on jungle missions fomented terror throughout the Japanese ranks—and it is said that the resulting drop in morale contributed significantly to the Japanese army’s failure to advance further across Western Borneo!

Sandakan - part 2

Our Lessons

The Buli Sim Sim Water Village may seem quaint today, but it was in fact the site of the original town of Sandakan, founded in 1879. This authentic stilted village appears dramatically more developed today compared to the one we visited in Cambodia (Kampong Phluk). Located about 3 kilometers away from Sandakan city center, Buli Sim Sim consists of elevated homes and small businesses, interconnected with elevated concrete walkways that serve as pedestrian alleyways. It is a fascinating place to wander around, with surprisingly well-built homes that feature air conditioning and modern appliances. Locals come here to enjoy fresh, delicious seafood… and so did we, at the well-known Sim Sim 88 Restaurant, which stretches out on a long pier and is shaped like a boat. Here, we picked our own live fish and prawns, straight from the tank, which were cooked and seasoned to perfection. This was one of the best seafood experiences of our travels.

Kinabatangan River - part 1

Our Lessons

The Amazon of the East is a nickname for the lush ecosystem surrounding the great Kinabatangan River—an enormous waterway that meanders eastward all the way from the center of the Borneo subcontinent. Its weather and soil conditions have promoted the formation of flood plains and ox-bow lakes, which branch off the main river and provide calm, placid waters—ideal environments for rainforest biodiversity (in fact, 6% of all the world’s known species live on Borneo’s relatively tiny landmass!). Accessing this remote part of the world at the end of the pandemic was not an easy task, requiring multiple stopovers on a nearly empty small aircraft, followed by a heart-pumping minibus ride along poorly maintained roads. Being here, however, gave us a rare opportunity to see some of Borneo’s most unique wildlife in their natural habitat—including orangutans, pygmy elephants, proboscis monkeys, and sun bears. All the bug spray in the world did not seem sufficient for me on our small-boat cruise, but it was an experience of a lifetime!

Kinabatangan River - part 2

Our Lessons

We found out firsthand that Borneo’s Pygmy elephants can float… and… swim! These smallest, cutest elephants in the world are only 8 feet tall in adulthood, with large ears and round bellies. Pygmies are the gentlest species of all elephants, leading scientists to believe they are descendants of a domestic herd. In an amazing stroke of luck, our tour boat encountered a large family of these elephants crossing the river right in front of us. The adults were shockingly quiet and graceful as they swam; but the baby was still getting the hang of it, bobbing up and down awkwardly, his ‘trunk-snorkel’ making the cutest squeaky noise each time he took a breath.

Sadly, Pygmy elephants are endangered, with only an estimated 1,500 remaining in the wild, found mostly here in Borneo’s far-east Sabah province. Indeed, greater than 50% of all Borneo rainforest has been destroyed for land development… with more and more patches of deforested land being carved out of the remaining forest. This is a terrible set-up for dangerous human interactions with the remaining elephants, who are becoming forced to seek food and a sustainable home closer to humans than ever before. Increasing numbers of confrontations between elephants and local villages are occurring, sometimes with deadly results. Villagers are constructing homemade cannons to try to scare elephant herds, who graze on their crops; but this sometimes just injures them, or leads to deadly elephant attacks. Recently, there have been some initiatives to relocate these gentle giants; and some attention is now being given to the importance of sustaining the remaining jungle to avoid complete ecosystem collapse for the many species that live within. Unfortunately, locals are still pressured by the prospect of huge financial incentives to demolish their natural forests: We are told that currently there is still a fifty-times greater profit potential if one converts their jungle-covered land into a palm plantation.

Sandakan - part 3

Our Lessons

Save the planet for the next generation… or put food on the table today? As is always the case, deforestation is a complicated issue. Clearing a patch of Borneo’s life-sustaining rainforest to build a palm oil plantation—arguably an alternative ‘manmade forest’—may not sound so bad… After all, palm oil is pretty healthy for us. Furthermore, the pro-development website “Asia Agri” points out that the palm oil industry has helped lift millions of people out of poverty in Indonesia and Malaysia, which together account for around 85% of global palm oil production: “oil palm plantations have enabled tens of thousands of smallholder farmers to own their own land,” their website purports.

Although we understand this benefit, it is clear that if we humans do not develop land sustainably, we will be killing part of our planet, leading these valuable plant and animal populations to extinction within our lifetimes. It is now clear that palm plantations lack biodiversity and shelter to serve as a home for many animals. For instance, orangutans’ desperate attempts to survive on palm plantations have been well-documented; it leads to severe malnutrition and exposure to attacks by predators including humans, who see them as eating their source of income. Thus, continued deforestation will lead to the destruction of an ecosystem whose existence combats climate change and serves as one of the “lungs” of our planet. Yet, it’s not as simple as telling farmers to just “stop” destroying the forest; we must first ensure there are alternative ways for them to achieve financial stability for themselves and the families who depend on them. Alternative sources of income need to be explored. Further developing ecotourism in Borneo may be part of the solution, so that a well-maintained primary forest becomes a greater financial asset.

Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre - part 1

Our Lessons

The Orangutan, a.k.a. the “man of the forest,” is becoming “homeless” at an alarming rate! These amazingly gentle red apes are native to only Borneo and its neighboring Sumatra island. Similar to Pygmy elephants, their population is in serious decline due to human deforestation. We had the opportunity to see a few wild orangutans living happily in the untouched primary forest along the Kinabatangan River… and a much larger number living at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. Sepilok is a home for rescued orangutans: for instance, babies who were captured and kept as pets illegally (a tragically lucrative practice, which usually results in the killing of the mother orangutan, who fights to the death to protect her child).

We are told it takes several years before a baby orangutan can be safely released back into the wild. Dedicated trainers work with them daily. This is no small task, as orangutans’ brains are highly developed (they share 97% of DNA with humans). In the wild, orangutan mothers teach their children a complex set of skills, such as using tools, like sticks, for a variety of daily tasks. Wild orangutans need to be able to build multiple tree nests a day, allowing them to rest safely off the forest floor. Over time, these incredibly smart creatures can mentally “map out” the forest around them; in fact, they can remember over 400 species of plant and their cycles of reproduction, including which plants bear fruit on which months, of which year! The human trainers at these rehabilitation centers do their best to replicate the natural teaching of intellectual, social, and motor skills. In other words, these young orangutans literally go to ‘school’ full-time!

Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre - part 2

Our Lessons

Sepilok is a sanctuary without walls; technically, orangutans can leave, but they are not inclined to, due to the surrounding human population and roads. Watching them swing amongst the tall trees of this forest, and seeing them play on the man-made rope courses, was fascinating. Orangutans appear to be more graceful climbers than the gorillas and chimps we saw in Africa. Without a doubt, they are some of the most flexible creatures we’ve seen—capable of doing complete leg splits well beyond 180 degrees. Their feet are extremely… ‘handy’! Their toes include opposable “thumbs” for grasping, enabling them to use their feet interchangeably with their hands to perform fine motor tasks—like popping peas out from the pod, one by one, to eat.

The babies, in particular, definitely resemble humans, with less hair and very human-like eyes! The big males, meanwhile, truly look like ‘walking carpets’ with incredibly long ginger hair. Living up to 40-50 years of age, fully-grown males are just 4.5 feet tall but they can have an arm span of up to 7 feet. They weigh as much as 200 pounds, which is only half the weight of an adult gorilla. Only ‘dominant’ males develop aggressive, puffed-out cheeks, called phalanges; but all males can reproduce.

Orangutans have one of the longest childhoods: moms have only one baby every 8-9 years. The children stay with their moms for up to 10-12 years, and young adults still come back intermittently to visit their moms. Mom has it tough, though: orangutan dads are often solitary, so she will do all the child-rearing herself. Orangutan families generally avoid other orangutan families, they are not aggressive, and they stay in trees to avoid predators. If only we humans could learn to mind our own business, too!

Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre

Our Lessons

Despite its alarming decline all over Southeast Asia and China, there exists only one wildlife center in the world today that provides protection for the adorable Sun bear—the “world’s smallest bear”! Here at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, an elevated canopy walk has been constructed over the forest floor, allowing visitors to see these amazing creatures up close. During our visit, we learned so many facts about these bears: The name “Sun bear” comes from crescent-shaped marks on their chests, which are unique to each bear and said to resemble a ‘rising sun’ (or perhaps the blinged-out gold chain of a rap star, according to Eric?). Adult sun bears, averaging only 100 lbs, are often mistaken for large dogs in the wild. Their size allows them to be the only truly arboreal bears in the world: they live almost exclusively in trees, by building their own nests. It was so fascinating to watch a bear snapping and bending a collection of branches to create his home. A tree nest lets the bears sleep and eat in the same place, as their most common foods are fruit and termites. However, their favorite food is honey; and these bears are willing to withstand the stings associated with sticking their 10-inch-long tongues right into a bee’s nest to lap up the sweet stuff.

Other crazy facts about the sun bear: females can ‘stretch’ the length of their pregnancies, from 3 months to as long as 8 months, if they feel the environment isn’t hospitable for delivery. And although they have poor eyesight, their sense of smell is over two thousand times greater than humans. Their constant, adorable nose-wiggling in our presence was no doubt a response to the odor coming from Eric’s hiking shoes :)

Wisdom from the leader in his field: in a stroke of luck, during our visit to the Centre, we ran into the founder himself, Dr. Wong Siew Te. In a tragically familiar story, we learned from Dr. Siew Te that deforestation is not the only threat to the survival of these cuddly bears: the risk of capture and being sold as pets also exists. Captured babies are rarely well-cared for by inexperienced owners once they get bigger, and they usually end up in cages, malnourished, and abused. The bears we met here are mostly rescued orphans who fell victim to this fate, and many have suffered permanently stunted growth. The goal of the fenced-off Conservation Centre is to release as many bears as possible back into the wild safely, but this process can take years of gradual rehabilitation to the environment. Of the 55 bears obtained since 2009, only 11 bears have been released by the time we visited in 2022. Dr. Siew Te discussed his struggles to obtain adequate funding to expand and maintain the Centre, which have worsened since the onset of the pandemic, due to a decrease in tourism revenue. Pre-pandemic, this place was packed with tourists; today it was basically only us walking around, accompanied by two expertly trained conservation guides at the canopy walk. Dr. Siew Te hopes that visitors like us can help spread awareness of these endangered bears, including their essential role in spreading seeds and controlling the termite population—just two examples of how they play a vital role in balancing this delicate ecosystem.

Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary

Our Lessons

A mammal with an unusually large nose and a reddish skin color—no, it is not Eric, it’s the charming Proboscis monkey of Borneo. These guys are just a laundry list of fun facts: Their large noses are an evolutionary adaptation, as their ladies like the deeper, ‘sultry’ noises that echo through only the biggest nasal passages (they sounded less like sweet Romeo and more like grumpy Squidward to us!). In addition, they have engorged potbellies; a result of a special bacteria contained in their stomachs, which allows them to detoxify harmful chemicals in the leaves they eat, but unfortunately leave them full of gas. Despite appearing like out-of-shape old men, they are able to leap very long distances. In fact, another way proboscis males show their strength is by seeing who can jump farther from tree to tree. In the past, locals called them the “Dutch monkeys,” because, during the period of colonization, they believed the appearance of Dutchmen closely resembled that of the proboscis monkey—with large noses and rosaceous skin!

El Nido - part 1

Our Lessons

El Nido, the northernmost municipality of the Philippines' western Palawan island, is known for its picturesque beaches, rock formations, and crystal-blue waters. Given its popularity with tourists, we, therefore, were surprised that El Nido's town center was actually quite 'barebones': consisting of a mixture of wood and concrete buildings that seemed haphazardly patched together, separated by mostly unpaved roads and narrow alleyways. A medley of delicious-smelling seafood—mixed with the odor of trash, and plenty of flies—permeated the air as we walked the main street. We wonder if the infrastructure is so unstable due to the frequent typhoons that happen here; apparently, two particularly big storms have occurred in just the last year and a half. One tour operator mentioned that his large party boat, an icon for the city, was destroyed in the last typhoon; now, this source of revenue has been washed away. Without prompting, the phrase “climate change” seemed to be brought up by just about every local we spoke with. We were told that the rains here come earlier, more often, and are more severe just about every season now.

Instead of traditional tuk-tuk taxis, with a symmetrical design and balanced center of gravity, here the only taxis we encountered were motorcycles, equipped with an unusual retrofit that we had never seen before. Every motorcycle had a custom-painted, covered passenger cab, which bolts to the bike's frame and envelops the driver as well as two to three passengers seated to the driver's right side. Like in Cambodia, there was a clear overabundance of these motor taxis lining the streets, in comparison to a relatively low number of tourists during our visit.

El Nido - part 2

Our Lessons

This beach town relies primarily on tourism and judging by the number of unoccupied tour boats we observed, it is hard to imagine how difficult recent times must have been for local businesses. During the pandemic, there was a near-complete absence of tourists for almost two years straight. Walking the long, commercialized path leading to Las Cabanas, one of El Nido’s nicer tourist beaches, was depressing: Of the dozens of storefronts we passed, perhaps only two or three were still running; the rest were closed and completely emptied out.

El Nido - part 3

Our Lessons

I will fondly remember the Philippines as the first place I went scuba diving. The experience was unforgettable. Eric was hesitant to take us diving at all—given that I can't really swim! As it turns out, one does not need to be a proficient swimmer in order to dive, due to the scuba suit’s ability to maintain buoyancy and serve as a life jacket if needed. For just $100 USD per person, we had a full-day introduction to diving, which included three 40-minute dives along El Nido's pristine coast. Our Palawan Divers private guide provided the two of us with meticulous instruction, assuring we were confident with every skill before starting us off in gentle waters. He kept constant eyes on me, always aware of how I was doing. He taught us hand signals, which he used to give us tips and remind us to monitor our equipment (We honestly did not realize what a fantastic opportunity this had been until we were plunged into a poorly supervised diving experience while exploring the Great Barrier Reef in Australia).

Seeing marine life so up close and so clearly was easily a thousand times better than snorkeling. The water here was pristine, and the view was especially beautiful mid-day when the bright sun showed off the incredible iridescent colors of the area’s tropical marine life. At 50 feet below the surface, we heard the gentle rumble of speedboats violently splashing above our heads, but this far down, the ocean remained completely calm (providing a completely new and amazing perspective of our underwater world). I am ecstatic about this newfound hobby and look forward to more dives in the future.

El Nido - part 4

Our Lessons

A crown-of-thorns is a venomous, 21-armed starfish that has unfortunately thrived as a result of the pandemic's food scarcity. Their overpopulation is particularly problematic because they feed on coral reefs—attaching themselves to a piece of coral and literally sucking it dry. Indeed, we saw many of them wedged between the corals here. They have flourished due to the disappearance of the triton snail, a type of giant conch which is its natural predator. Tragically, during resource shortages at the height of the COVID-19 lockdowns, locals resorted to hunting these snails for food at a pace never seen before. Now, the crown-of-thorns are spreading rapidly, with few predators. They are hard to kill: like many starfish species, attempts by amateurs to cut them apart only worsen the problem, because each piece can regenerate into a new crown-of-thorns! In 2022, our tour team made us aware of efforts being rolled out by local authorities: dive teams would be sent to locate and inject doses of vinegar into the crown-of-thorns, which kills them. This painstaking process requires divers to scour the ocean floor for them, one by one.

El Nido - part 5

Our Lessons

While diving across the sea floor, we saw many fascinating sea creatures that we had the privilege of seeing here. Some of our personal favorites included:

Feather stars: We initially thought the slender, brilliantly yellow-and-black striped arms of these animals were a type of seaweed, swaying gracefully with the ocean current. In reality, they are echinoderms, a type of starfish. They feed by gripping their footlike extensions to a hard surface and then extending their wavy, feather-like arms to serve as filters. As ocean water passes across them, they gather drifting particles to eat. In this state, they really do look like plants… but if disturbed, they can let go of their rock and actively swim away!

Moray Eels: Yes, I saw a huge eel in the shallow seaweed along the beach… and the scary part is that he definitely saw me as well! His beady, white eyes stared straight at me from just a few feet away. Luckily, moray eels are relatively timid, and the panicked flailing and screaming of the snorkeler next to me, who also spotted it, was enough to make him recess into his home between the rocks.

Snake sea cucumbers: Growing as long as 10 feet, these striped sea cucumbers really do look like snakes, which also scared the bejesus outta me . They have a mouth full of fifteen tentacles, which move independently to pick up and eat particles of sand. Sea cucumbers eat, process nutrients from, and excrete large amounts of sand daily. The excreted sand helps to increase the nitrate content of the sea floor—in turn, helping coral and other species to thrive.

Giant puffer fish: It is generally rare to see puffers that are close to 3 feet long… but diving in El Nido, this is not uncommon. It takes a tremendous amount of energy for these fish to perform their signature “puffing up” maneuver, so they will not arbitrarily do so, except when feeling threatened. We kept our distance, just in case, as their spines secrete small amounts of tetrodotoxin (the reason that people die when consuming puffer fish cut by undertrained sushi chefs).

Clownfish: So many; so cute! When I approached too close to the brown and purple sea anemones which these fish called their home, the dominant clownfish in the group would often charge right up to my goggles, staring me down to defend her family. We learned that the dominant clownfish is always female, because clownfish are protandrous hermaphrodites (meaning, they are born male but can change sex later in life—therefore, in Finding Nemo, Marlin would have transitioned to female shortly after his wife's death. This would have made him Nemo's ‘mother,’ rather than his ‘father.’)

Special thanks to fellow adventurer Bruce Wynia (www.mytravelpatch.com) for all of these amazing underwater photos!

El Nido - part 6

Our Lessons

Unfortunately in El Nido, where most restaurants have open-air seating, we commonly encountered unwanted ‘interruptions’ as we ate our meals next to the beach. Frequent ‘visitors’ to our table included persistent flies, stray dogs, beach vendors, and small children asking for change.

After finishing our meal, we saw a couple of the young kids who had asked us for money previously, sitting next to their mom on the street. The mom had a makeshift shop, selling dollar trinkets—and she continued to do her best soliciting passersby, while simultaneously breastfeeding a third child, her baby. We never give money to children directly, because we have learned that it encourages parents to send their kids to the streets to beg (instead of going to school, doing homework, or simply learning by exploring and being a kid). But seeing this mom working so desperately and selling so little served as a gentle reminder of the empathy we need to feel for struggling parents—even those who do encourage their children to beg. Surely, teaching this behavior to one’s child would be a shameful, regrettable moment in the life of any parent. But if faced with the prospect of no food on the table, and the fact that a cute child’s face could earn more donations than an adult, it likely becomes a difficult decision.

El Nido - part 7

Our Lessons

El Nido is definitely one of our top places to go island-hopping. As beautiful as the beaches and mountainous landscapes can be from the comfort of a lounge chair, we quickly realized how much we would have missed if we had simply chosen to relax on the sand all day! There are too many reefs to be snorkeled; caves to be explored; and coves to be discovered—so many, that even their names get repeated. On one day tour, we were taken to two unrelated coves: one named “Hidden Beach,” and the other named “Secret Beach."

On a Western budget, these tours were also memorable for how incredibly affordable they were. On average, we spent only $20 USD per person for each of several unique full-day guided group cruises. Each cruise included stops at several picturesque islands, as well as a hardy seafood lunch, served on the boat. The weather was consistently perfect, with the beaming sun illuminating the vibrant colors of the ocean and providing crystal-clear visibility of marine life. An unbeatable price for such a great experience.

El Nido - part 8

Our Lessons

What are those unique bamboo “stabilizer” bars on all the boats, we asked ourselves? It turns out these modern renditions of ancient Bangka boats were some of the first ocean-voyaging vessels in the world. Providing enough support to avoid capsizing on the high seas, they allowed the seaborne Austronesian Expansion to occur between 3000 to 1500 BCE. We are told that similar variants of these boats can be found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Pacific Islands (Polynesia)—since all of these cultures originated from the same wave of ancestors, the Austronesians.

El Nido - part 9

Our Lessons

On our last day, we explored the nearby islands on our yellow kayak and found ourselves surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery. We relaxed on the soft, white sand of Paradise Beach, completely free and absorbed in nature. Our shady spot under a large tree provided a perfect view of clear turquoise water and green mountain peaks. Eric hoisted me up onto a swinging rope, allowing my toes to just skim across the warm water below. Feeling like children without a care in the world, we wished we could freeze this moment forever. Alas, the sound of mischievous monkeys roaming the forest behind us served as a reminder to keep a close watch on our possessions, even in the absence of humans.

Manila is yet another city that has striking disparities between its neighborhoods. Without a doubt, there is a lot of money here—as demonstrated by its many shiny highrises and beautiful modern shopping malls. Some areas are incredibly beautiful and far cleaner than many other major Western cosmopolitan neighborhoods, with the potential to have every convenience at your doorstep... if you can afford it. Notably, nearing the edges of these wealthy regions, there are tons of huge apartment buildings—clusters of symmetrically designed monoliths (perhaps people living here constitute the ‘middle’ class? We are told it is unaffordable for many Filipinos to own property in the heart of Manila's nicest neighborhoods, but this does not preclude them from visiting). However, we also found that getting from one ‘must-see’ area to the next necessitated taking a taxi through far less-developed neighborhoods.

Manila - part 1

Our Lessons

Manila - part 2

Our Lessons

For us, there was a particularly dramatic difference between the ‘touristy’ and ‘non-touristy’ sections of Manila's Chinatown. Following our GPS to the recommended Binondo and Chinatown Walk attractions led us through a shiny Chinatown gate, a lovely pedestrian lifestyle mall, and high-end outdoor dining. However, venturing just a few blocks west towards the locally recommended Divisoria Mall presented us with a completely opposite perspective.

Along this area, dense, makeshift residential shanty towns precariously leaned over stagnating canals, which smelled strongly of sewage. As we walked the narrow sidewalks, we stepped around countless people sleeping on the street in the middle of the day, and children asking for food and money. Here, no taxi cars can be found, as apparently locals cannot afford an actual taxi and visitors are rare. Instead, small motorbikes with even smaller, precariously welded sidecars seem to be the norm for transportation. Passengers in these sidecars sit just a few inches off the ground, squeezing their hands and legs together to fit under the sidecar’s makeshift plastic covering in the rain.

For hauling heavy loads, other motorbikes have been retrofitted with disproportionately giant sidecars, the size of pickup truck beds. We witnessed some of these sidecars stacked so high with supplies that the motorcycle driver had to stand up on his already-elevated seat, in order to see above his massive payload to steer the vehicle (these are probably the biggest loads we have ever seen a little motorcycle carry!). Truly, stumbling across this off-beaten path of Chinatown was a heart-wrenching experience for us… one which reminded us again that poverty is a problem all around the world. Moments like these signified how important it is for all of us to advocate for leaders who demonstrate both compassion and insight into how to best utilize their countries’ resources—to end the cycle of poverty and to provide opportunities for success.

Manila - part 3

Our Lessons

Oddly, everywhere we went in Manila, we saw the face of American Jeeps. This is because the vehicles used for public transportation look like elongated 'jeep-vans' with bench seating. This is no coincidence: After World War II, hundreds of US military jeeps were left in the Philippines. Since the Filipinos' original buses and cars were mostly destroyed in the war, citizens started using whatever was left. They resorted to retrofitting old Army jeeps with larger posterior cabs and using them as public buses—endearingly known as Jeepneys! Today, there are multiple manufacturers in the Philippines that create their own designs of Jeepneys (from what we can tell, the United States corporation “Jeep” is not at all affiliated with this). Each private owner then takes on the task of completely customizing their own Jeepney with colorful designs and accessories. The end result is a mosaic of Jeep-like buses, darting and racing each other across all of Manila's main streets. Honestly, they look quite uncomfortable inside: they are loud, poorly ventilated, and clearly without A/C (we witnessed passengers perpetually wiping their faces with towels in the May heat). However, for a local on a regular commuter path, this is clearly the most economical way to get from A to B.

Manila - part 4

Our Lessons

Our Filipino friends living in the U.S. enthusiastically told us that shopping and eating are the top things to do in this city (and it did not disappoint!).

One thing is for sure: The Philippines is an ube-loving country. Although similar in flavor, ube is not taro; ube is a brighter, royal-purple yam that is known to be sweeter than taro. Signs advertising purple ube ice cream, ube cake, and ube smoothies are ubiquitous… and it was a flavor we simply could not get enough of. Other favorite foods of ours included sisig: a Filipino dish classically served on a sizzling-hot plate, most often consisting of chopped pork, onions, and chili peppers, seasoned with calamansi and topped with egg (corned beef sisig became Eric’s go-to meal). We also loved the lechon (roasted pork), as well as any meal prepared with adobo seasoning. I particularly enjoyed the buko pie (a custard pie made with soft, young coconut meat), as well as halo-halo (a dessert composed of mixed jellies, crushed ice, and condensed milk… similar to Vietnamese chè). Finally, our food tour would not be complete without stopping by Jollibee, which was less than a block from our hotel. We Americans have had ample opportunity to try this Filipino fast-food chain in our own country, but somehow the fried chicken and mouth-watering 'burger steaks' smothered in brown gravy tasted even better in Manila.

Manila - part 5

Our Lessons

While living in Manila, we would discover that our nice downtown hotel was actually in the middle of the city's "Red-Light district," known as Makati. However, its dubious night scene would not be as obvious as we might have expected, based on our experiences in places like Bangkok (where women would openly line up in the streets, waving potential customers over). Exploring early on a Saturday night, we did pass by some closed-door “gentlemen’s clubs”; however, the majority of bars seemed well-lit, well-decorated, and with open windows. The streets were fairly clean, and there was some police presence. There were a few ladies on street corners promoting their ‘services,’ but they were discreet; and they did not approach or look at Eric when we walked hand-in-hand. Overall, for us, Makati ended up being an unexpectedly fun, safe-feeling area to go bar hopping.

As we wandered through Manila’s historic fortress area of Intramuro (“between the walls”), our eyes took in the colorful, Spanish colonial-style buildings—charming, and similar in design to other former Spanish colonies we have visited around the world. We noticed the frequent monuments and street names dedicated to Dr. Jose Rizal, an ophthalmologist who was considered a national hero for his advocacy and political writings during the times of oppressive Spanish rule.

A darker part of this tour was our visit to the bullet-ridden colonial Fort Santiago. We learned that in 1945, following the liberation of Manila from notoriously brutal Japanese forces, the U.S. Army discovered 600 decomposing Filipino corpses locked within the fort’s dungeon. Apparently, conditions inside were so cramped that all prisoners died from suffocation and heat exhaustion.

Manila - part 6

Our Lessons

Manila - part 7

Our Lessons

Scattered throughout Fort Santiago, we unexpectedly encountered eighteen human-sized "bird nests," constructed from large interwoven tree branches. This art exhibition was a symbolic tribute to all mothers—our personal mothers, and the mothers of our homelands. We learned the nests are meant to symbolize 'cradles': one cradle for each of the eighteen regions of the Philippines. By no coincidence, this exhibit was on display the same month as the Philippines' national election. In a written description, the artist conveyed a message of hope and identity to fellow Filipinos during these trying times:

“It is not just the elected leaders whom we should depend on when it comes to caring for our nation. Each and every one of us is the true ‘mother’ of our homeland. Our patriotism lies not on our loyalty to a person, but on our loyalty to our country. Our leaders will continue to change, but that soil we stand on will remain. We are Filipinos not because of our government or the authorities who lead us; but because we are who we are. Our constant need for the comforting ‘cradles’ in our homeland can only be satisfied when we are able to look within ourselves, do what we must, and surrender not to man but to God.”

It was hard to ignore the political situation during the time that we visited the Philippines, as every news channel was headlining the recent presidential election of Fernando "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.—a man of whom Filipinos' opinions varied sharply. He succeeded Rodrigo Duterte, who attracted international condemnation for his “war on drugs," which included as many as 30,000 extra-judicial killings (and infamously stern orders to his officers, such as, "If it’s drugs, you shoot and kill. That’s the arrangement."). Nonetheless, some Filipinos respected Duterte's passionate attempts to reduce crime.

Marcos Jr. took over in mid-2022: a particularly challenging time given sky-high food and fuel prices, and increased poverty rates resulting from the pandemic. He follows a dark legacy: Marcos's father, a former dictator, had ruled the Philippines with widespread corruption and human rights abuses. Marcos Sr. was eventually ousted and sought asylum in Hawaii, taking with him billions of dollars stolen from the Filipino people. Now, Marcos Jr. successfully returned his family to power following what was regarded as a highly successful propaganda campaign, perpetuated through social media. Critics of Marcos Jr. have accused his campaign of 'whitewashing' tragic stories of Filipino citizens who were imprisoned, tortured, or killed during Marcos Sr.'s period of martial law (our minds reflected back to current attempts by Serbs in Bosnia to reframe that genocide as a mere act of 'retaliatory killing').

"Judge me not by my ancestors, but by my actions," Mr. Marcos Jr. wrote in a statement—words, perhaps, we should all live by. Since that time, Western allies have praised Mr. Marcos for his tough stance on Chinese territorial disputes; others have criticized him for domestically maintaining the status quo in the face of profound hardship for many Filipino citizens. We wish the best for the Philippines in the upcoming years.

Manila - part 8

Our Lessons

I dedicate this page to professing my belief that Filipinos are some of the nicest, and most genuine people we have met. We witnessed many acts of kindness during our time here, but we were particularly struck by the generosity of our taxi driver, who pulled over to the side of the street to give change to a man begging for money. As a female traveler, I loved that this was quite possibly the only country we visited in which the majority of people, particularly those in the service industry, respectfully focus their attention and conversation toward the woman of the group first, rather than the man. While in Malaysia waitstaff and business owners would always direct questions at Eric and say “Sir,” here in the Philippines, the common greeting would be "Maam" (pronounced like 'Mom,' with eyes always directed at me), or sometimes “Maam sir” to address the two of us. As one (Wikipedia) author stated: “The Philippines is described to be a nation of strong women, who directly and indirectly run the family unit, businesses, government agencies, and haciendas... Compared to other parts of Southeast Asia, women in Philippine society have always enjoyed a greater share of equality." Eric, perhaps feeling left out, seemed to appreciate more than ever a comment from a passing traffic officer: "What a handsome man. He has such a good-looking nose!"

Singapore - part 1

Our Lessons

Even before hearing "It's a Small World" being played loudly in Singapore's iconic Supertree Grove, we could not shake our favorable first impression that this entire nation kind of resembles an amusement park. Never mind the endless shopping and entertainment accessible within moments of leaving our gate; what really makes Jewel Changi Airport stand out is the fact that it is structured around an enormous multi-level indoor greenhouse. In fact, it features the world's largest indoor waterfall, which drains 40 meters from a cylindrical ceiling in the center of the glass-enclosed transit hub. The airport is also unique in that security is next to the boarding gates—allowing travelers and casual shoppers alike to enjoy the mall. This is certainly the only airport we've ever been to where we stayed for a few extra hours after getting off the plane, just to relax and enjoy the sights, sounds, smells, and flavors!

Singapore - part 2

Our Lessons

Every piece of downtown Singapore seems like it was perfectly planned—in some ways, truly bringing to mind a Disney theme park. Vertical gardens can be found on almost every street corner. Pedestrian pathways interlinking different areas of town provide scenic views, are lined with flowers, and connect green spaces—and it’s great to see how fit and active the population seems to be, with multitudes of joggers and bikers taking advantage of these spaces. We particularly loved the view while biking across the Marina Bay harbor along a helical bridge, resembling human DNA. On a short walk west, we encountered old Chinese buildings with colorful fresh paint, which helped even the formerly chaotic Chinatown feel vivid and new. On top of this, everything seems to run efficiently and conveniently. For instance, we could swipe into any public transportation using only our credit card, without having to figure out how to buy a separate Metro card. Buses and trains could get us just about anywhere we wanted to go, and they come regularly and on time. Quite similar to our transit experience in Thailand, trains, buses and passenger terminals are sparkly clean here—a testament to the courtesy and mindfulness that has become a social norm for Singaporean people.

Singapore - part 3

Our Lessons

What is your definition of “freedom”? Freedom to do and say anything? Or is it perhaps, freedom to feel completely safe? In this imperfect world, one Singaporean friend made us think twice when she proposed, “Maybe real ‘freedom’ is the ability to walk alone outside at any hour of the night and not have to feel like you need to ‘watch your back.’” Certainly food for thought… although honestly, in contrast with Western stereotypes of how Singapore maintains law and order by becoming a "surveillance state," we actually did not feel like we were being watched, nor were there any obvious restrictions on normal activities. Were we able to jaywalk? Actually, yes. Could we drop trash on the street? We did not try it out of respect, and we were told that there is, in fact, a law that says you could be fined for throwing gum. However, our local friends assured us that no police officer would bother to chase us down for doing so! Interestingly, our friends commented that they could not even recall the last time they saw police with guns. To us, Singapore did not feel like any sort of “police state” whatsoever. On the contrary, it seems like people follow the rules because they generally don't mind—perhaps because they realize that everyone benefits collectively from following the rules. Brainwashing, or education? The latter, we would propose, given how economically successful this free capitalist society has become.

Singapore - part 4

Our Lessons

Weird history: Singapore never wanted to become a country. The island city/state was inaugurated by their first prime minister in 1965, when he tearfully delivered the news that their city had been unexpectedly ejected from the country of Malaysia, as a punishment for taking a firm stance against an increase in national taxes.

The new country quickly developed a reputation of ruling with an iron fist; however, its leaders also recognized that, based on its ideal location, Singapore had the potential to become a global trade hub. To accomplish this dream, Singapore’s government opened its ports and economy to the world: taxes were lowered, capital restrictions were minimized, and liberal immigration policies were implemented. Together, these policies have led Singapore to become one of the most successful and truly ‘cosmopolitan’ places on Earth. Furthermore, because the first prime minister of Singapore was Chinese, the nation has had a history of being particularly welcoming to Chinese people. As such, it is considered a ‘haven’ where Chinese citizens typically compose the upper class and do not experience undue hardship or discrimination (a regrettably common issue for well-meaning Chinese immigrants living in many other parts of the world).

Singapore - part 5

Our Lessons

Singapore’s government has embraced the idea that the success of its citizens brings success to the country as a whole. With this in mind, Singapore provides significant social support, while still maintaining its capitalist roots. For instance, the government provides ample funding for a cutting-edge education system—one which is said to be truly “meritocratic” in nature (in which hiring decisions are made based on a candidate’s ability, and not by favoritism or bribery). We are told, in fact, that the government even gives incentives for workers to pursue supplemental skills training —thus encouraging higher education even after they have joined the workforce! Amusingly, our local friends point out an imperfection in the system: getting a young child accepted into a prestigious elementary school (prior to that child having built up any 'merit') requires parents to build their family's reputation in unusual ways. For instance, it is not uncommon to see busy parents performing volunteer jobs at the school that they eventually want their children to attend, in order to increase their chances of acceptance!

Once their child is accepted into a quality school, Singaporean parents are known to turn up the pressure at a young age. We are told parents put tremendous stress on their children to succeed here. It is typical for children's schedules to be crammed with extracurricular activities, which they are expected to do as perfectly as their schoolwork.

Singapore appears to have lots of public housing and a very low rate of homelessness (over a week, we only saw one person sleeping on the street, and he appeared to be drunk, rather than homeless). Standards of living as a result are generally quite high; however, we have read that a high level of inequality continues to exist.

Singapore - part 6

Our Lessons

So, what is so unique about Singapore that has led to such tremendous economic success, we asked? Its strategic location for trade and friendly policies towards foreign investment are commonly cited reasons… but many other countries have these advantages as well. Scholars speculate that perhaps two additional factors are giving Singapore its “winning edge”:

First, The Economist writes that Singapore has an efficient and “honest” government, which has led to long-lasting stability and dependability: features almost universally enticing to growing businesses, which are logically drawn to countries where they can feel comfortable that tax and trade regulations will remain unchanged a long time to come. In fact, it is speculated that the actual form of government does not matter much, as long as it is predictable. Even a world-leading democracy like the U.S. may seem less appealing for investment if its business-related laws continue to change with every election cycle!

Second, Singapore’s high-quality education system has consistently ranked near the top on the PISA Worldwide Ranking (which assesses the education systems of different countries). Education’s benefits are two-fold: obviously, it creates skilled workers, who tend to be more productive... but educating one person also has “positive externalities,” which means that an individual’s advancement in education will also help others. “For instance, a highly educated person may be more likely to set up a profitable business that would, in return, give a job to other people” (EHL Insights, 2019). As we have observed all over the world, quality education is the key to greater success for the whole society!

Singapore - part 7

Our Lessons

Given the strength of the Singapore Dollar, we were pleasantly surprised to find that visiting here can be quite affordable as a tourist. On one hand, the movie Crazy Rich Asians was truthful with its depiction of the city's plentitude of high-end products and fine dining, which can be very expensive. However, on the other hand, the city has an abundance of amazing free attractions to be enjoyed. For starters, the well-known Gardens on the Bay definitely lived up to expectations. With $0 paid, we spent hours roaming around this beautifully landscaped public park, staying through the evening to watch a mesmerizing light show that occurs nightly at its central Supertree Grove. In our opinion, this was one of the best music-coordinated light shows we have seen (even in the absence of pyrotechnics).

Meanwhile, just on the other side of the 'sky-boat' shaped Marina Bay Sands resort mall, a second nightly laser show illuminates the building and fountains. This show is strategically positioned so that it can be seen anywhere from the inner harbor; however, it was hard for us to keep our eyes on just one attraction, because there was simultaneously a free fire-dancing show being performed at an outdoor amphitheater along the Esplanade! We remained well-fed throughout these experiences, as it turns out food options are diverse and healthy even on a budget (more on this later).

Singapore - part 8

Our Lessons

Singapore is a delight for the eyes year-round, but being present during its annual i-Light festival was particularly magical. In addition to the city’s many usual attractions, i-Light incorporates a series of illuminated exhibitions into the landscape along the Esplanade. Built entirely from recycled materials, each artistic creation is meant to whimsically represent an aspect of nature, to promote sustainability and eco-consciousness. Particularly memorable was a collection of hundreds of small golden-yellow bulbs attached to rotating wires. This clever construction allowed each bulb to bob up and down in a seemingly random formation, creating an ethereal illusion of wisps or fireflies dancing over an open field.

Singapore - part 9

Our Lessons

Having experienced Singapore, we affirm that fast food really can be both delicious and healthy. Certainly, the fact that the country is truly a "melting pot" of cultures contributes to competition between the world’s best cuisines. Perhaps it is for this reason that Singaporean food courts, also known as “Hawker centers,” could not be more different than the typical U.S. food court (and the limited and mediocre food choices it usually offers). In a Hawker center, one can find people of every class in society coming for a quick bite, because local chefs are always competing to find ways to keep their best recipes authentic and cost-effective. Their efforts do not go unnoticed: it is common to find multiple Michelin Star-awarded food stalls hiding away in a single Hawker center… and in spite of their fame, most award recipients continue to sell their amazing dishes for just a few dollars. Hawker centers are essentially the closest Singapore gets to 'street food,' since vendor carts and stalls are prohibited on streets and sidewalks. One benefit of this is that having vendors in a clean facility with regulatory standards (and drinkable tap water), allows tourists like us to feel comfortable trying any food without fear of upset stomachs. Best of all, the choices for healthy food are abundant, and just as cheap as the unhealthy/greasy options. If there was one country that could serve as a guide for the U.S. to reshape its fast-food industry, Singapore should definitely be it!

Some of our favorite foods in Singapore included: deliciously flavored soft chicken served over rice (creatively named, "chicken rice"); egg noodles with roasted duck; sauteed stingray; amazing egg tarts; and hands-down the best soup dumplings we have ever eaten.

Singapore - part 10

Our Lessons

Two highly memorable bar experiences in Singapore:

1. Atlas: we would rate this the most authentic Great Gatsby-style lounge we have ever seen. Taking in the lavishly embellished Art Deco geometry and impressive ceiling, sipping a cocktail here made us feel like VIPs in one of New York City's most exclusive speakeasies.

2. Spago at Marina Bay Sands: Laughing that we were living my best "Crazy jobless Asian" life, we enjoyed a classy evening of (one) drink atop Singapore's most iconic landmark. The views here were amazing, but the full menu was, not surprisingly, prohibitively expensive on our travelers' budget!

Walking west, away from Marina Bay and up along the Singapore River, we found countless waterfront restaurants, with good food, views, and spirits.

Singapore - part 11

Our Lessons

An indoor cloud forest: is this our future? What about a mall designed from an old city street, where old-style buildings and the street itself have been weatherproofed with a glass ceiling and treated with air conditioning? If a utopian/dystopian future brought on by climate change involves sustaining life by taking things that were once outdoors and bringing them safely indoors, Singapore is definitely ahead of the game. Sadly, the reality behind Singapore's admirable motivation to add greenery to its concrete jungle is the fact that 90% of its natural forests were destroyed during the island's early years, to make space for human industry. In the current day, reminders of the importance of advocating for sustainable climate policies can be found in just about every public green space. Although they cannot reverse the deeds of a past generation, we applaud Singaporeans for reminding us that "prevention" is more cost-effective than "fixing it later."

The 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians brought Asian Americans to the forefront of Hollywood. It reminded Westerners that many Asian cities—indeed, entire countries—simply do not fit the gritty "third world" stereotypes repeatedly portrayed in old cinema. On the contrary, we would comfortably say that cities like Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Bangkok seem more modernized than even our beloved New York City in many ways; and I was thrilled to see a movie that depicts this side of the story. For this reason, I particularly enjoyed our quick stops at the church where the movie’s wedding took place, as well as the location where the main character won a game of mahjong against her future mother-in-law (and realized that being herself was enough ♡).

Singapore - part 12

Our Lessons

Eric’s curiosity led us on a detour toward an unusual series of inter-connected skyscrapers. Although I was initially reluctant, in the end, his little side-quest did not disappoint. The buildings, we would learn, are a series of 50-story residential towers known as the “Pinnacles@Duxton” complex. After casually entering the lobby and taking one of the elevators to the top floor, our hearts sank as we discovered the roof entrance was locked. In a stroke of good fortune, a kind resident opened the door for us—granting us access to “the world’s longest sky garden ever built on skyscrapers,” spanning 500 meters across all seven towers. Strolling the length of this luxury sky bridge was unforgettable, granting us unobstructed views of the city in all directions.

Singapore - part 13

Our Lessons

Singapore - part 14

Our Lessons

Singapore, we were informed, is also the place where one can set foot on the “southernmost tip” of continental Asia. As we enjoyed fun moments exploring the ritzy Sentosa island with our globetrotting friend Toni, we could not help but struggle to process how this tourist attraction is truly considered “southernmost,” given that any map clearly demonstrates that the enormous Asian islands of Indonesia are farther south. The reason, it would seem, is that the term “continental” Asia excludes islands not connected to the mainland by a bridge. Seems like everybody wants their place to hold the title for something!

Singapore - part 15

Our Lessons

Biking around the Marina during sunset was captivating. You never know who you are going to meet again when traveling, and indeed the kinship we forged while weathering the jungle monsoon of Borneo led us to reunite with Sheng and Chun, the couple who shared this experience with us, and who incidentally lived in Singapore! Given our shared love for adventure, perhaps we should have been less surprised that our friends had us pushing our leg muscles to their limits—biking over 20 miles, across all of the city’s iconic bridges, weaving between hoards of locals who enthusiastically packed the sidewalks to enjoy the evening i-Light exhibitions. Touring the town with this charismatic duo, and letting them show us their favorite food spots and local dishes, comprised some of our fondest memories during this visit.

Singapore - part 16

Our Lessons

The grandeur, comfort, convenience, and creativity of Singapore’s malls cannot be overstated. Even as we peacefully collected our thoughts in the Orchard Mall’s public library, we could not help but feel mesmerized by the pleasing curves of its illuminated bookshelves. Although relatively small, this was definitely one of the prettiest libraries we have been to.

Some say that Melbourne is similar to San Francisco: A funky art scene, creative graffiti, and lots of gourmet coffee shops create a “hipster” vibe. Food is delicious and expensive in both cities. Both Melbourne and San Francisco have large Chinatowns, and are famous for their trolley and tram systems… although Melbourne gets a winning point from us, because its tram system is completely free for everyone throughout the main downtown area.

People seem genuine and openly friendly in Melbourne. Its inviting downtown consists of a central business district, with modern, tall buildings. It is intermixed with many older-style brick buildings from the earlier part of the previous century.

Melbourne - part 1

Our Lessons

Melbourne - part 2

Our Lessons

Although Melbourne has many government and religious buildings constructed in old classical stone architectural design, it is worth remembering that very few structures here were actually built before the 1800s. Having traveled through so much of Europe and the ‘old’ world, it is interesting to reflect on the fact that Australia was even more of a ‘new world’ than the Americas—at least from Europe’s perspective. Indeed, Australia was only colonized after Great Britain lost the United States’ war for independence. In their search for a new colony to supply resources and taxes back to England, the British monarchy noted that Australia had not yet been heavily populated by any European power. Thus began the aggressive influx of British citizens—some of whom moved by choice in search of opportunity; while others were forcibly shipped over to serve out prison sentences.

Of course, Australia was not really a ‘new world’ to all humans. In a familiar story, the British colonists forced the native Australian Aboriginal people off their lands in droves. Sadly, it is particularly difficult to ignore the Aboriginal Australians’ “we got here first” argument, in light of modern genetic testing, which has revealed that they indeed became genetically isolated approximately 58,000 years ago—confirming they have inhabited these lands tens of thousands of years before other ancestral groups! In fact, Aboriginal Australians are said to be “the world's oldest civilization.” The current politics of this is complicated, but we found it encouraging to have at least observed acknowledgments of colonial crimes against the Aboriginal people, enshrined in various monuments across the city. We encountered the most striking example of this upon entering Saint Paul's Anglican Church in the center of town: As we passed through the doors, we were greeted by the sight of an enormous globe rotating around the center altar—the highlight of a church-wide effort to recognize the struggles that all refugees are facing around the world. The exhibit was accompanied by a written acknowledgment, featuring refreshingly direct words to the Aboriginals: "We are sorry.”

Melbourne - part 3

Our Lessons

Melbourne is truly a melting pot of cultures and food. I was initially surprised to see so many of my own Vietnamese people and Vietnamese cuisine here, but then we learned that many Vietnamese refugees had migrated to Australia after the Vietnam War. Melbourne is known for its coffee and croissants, and we indeed had some amazing coffee in Melbourne. Unfortunately, the food here is expensive: $7 to $9 USD for a cup of coffee seems to be normal. We are told that many Australians earn a relatively higher base salary compared to Americans; thus these prices may not seem quite so high to locals.

Soccer/Football/Gridiron? Aussies appear to have a huge obsession with AFL: the “Australian Football League.” AFL football is quite different from American NFL football (sometimes called “Gridiron”): AFL rules require 18 players to be on the field, with shorter intervals in between plays, which occur more spontaneously with less strategic planning. We are told it is also common for opposing AFL players to push and shove each other randomly, which leads to frequent brawls that sometimes spill over into the audience! Meanwhile, like us, the Aussies use the term “soccer” to describe the game played at the World Cup.

Melbourne - part 4

Our Lessons

Built along the high cliffs of its southern coastline, the Great Ocean Road is one of Australia’s gnarliest highways. For us, a single-day trip down this road, which extended all the way until 2:00 AM, was a highlight of our experience in the Victoria Province. Interesting sights included a stop at a golf course inhabited by kangaroos; meeting wild koalas alongside the road, and a beautiful cruise along the gravel trails of Kennett River Park. Here, we drove past majestic eucalyptus trees shrouded in clouds. We took cover from the misty rain under the umbrella-like leaves of giant tree ferns, a primeval species native to eastern Australia that is as old as the dinosaurs.

The main event of the Great Ocean Road was at the end of our crazy-long drive: its massive, iconic cliff faces and jagged island plateaus. Each imposing formation has been given an imposing name, such as “The 12 Apostles” and “Razorback.” A constant barrage of wind and tall waves crashed along the sheer cliffs, many of which have eroded and fallen. Landscapes constantly change here, and even within our lifetimes, some formerly famous arches have collapsed from the constant pounding of the waves. The weather, constantly switching between rain and shine, led to a particularly beautiful drive along the highway due to the presence of countless rainbows. The cliffsides and the fauna reminded us somewhat of the Cape Town coastline.

Melbourne - part 5

Our Lessons

Having just come from the northern hemisphere, a sharp 5:00 PM sunset in June was a serious bummer; but it gave us ample opportunity to make a second, nighttime drive back through Kennett River Park. Despite my hesitations, Eric was determined to take me to a precise location within the park, which he had learned about through obsessive research on internet forums. Without a single wrong turn along the muddy pitch-black path, Eric led us to a wet, mossy rock face, enshrouded in ferns. Turning off our headlights produced total darkness… until before my eyes, the gentle blue glow of thousands and thousands of glow worms began to appear! Apparently, glow worms require very specific dark, windless, moist conditions to thrive: spaces where their bioluminescence can successfully attract unwitting flies, which entrap themselves in the sticky threads that the worms dangle vertically below them. This makes glow worms a rare sight outside of caves—one which local Aussies were quite shocked to hear we had found without a guide! Glow worms only exist in Australia, and more prominently in New Zealand; and since the latter was still closed to foreign travelers, Eric was resolute in finding them here. As we gazed with wonder into this magical blue “starfield,” I understood why.

For us, moments like this brought to mind news headlines from 2010, which covered a curious syndrome sometimes referred to as the “Pandora Blues.” At that time, James Cameron’s movie Avatar immersed viewers in a breathtaking world, whose creatures lived in harmony with nature—a world so beautiful, that many viewers reported sadness and longing after leaving the theater. Some fans experienced chronic depression and hopelessness, after concluding that Pandora is a fantasy which we humans will “never experience.” To those who despaired, we would emphatically assert that the contrary is true: We have experienced Pandora’s beauty in places, and in people, all over this Earth. To find it, one must risk stepping off the beaten path, away from one’s comfort zone; at times, one must let go and trust a stranger to show the way; and one must let down one’s guard, to be filled with awe by the imperfect perfection that surrounds us. In this way, “Pandora” is real; and we can feel empowered by stepping up and teaching others to step up to protect it.

Great Barrier Reef, Cairns - part 1

Our Lessons

Suba diving the world’s largest coral reef was a privilege like no other. Embarking from the small coastal town of Cairns, we took expeditions to Norman, Saxton, and Hastings reefs… enormous, yet just tiny fractions of the vast 1400-mile stretch of coral that makes up the Great Barrier Reef! Objectively, we would say that the coral here was not the most vibrant that we have seen; however, the massive size of the reef itself far exceeded anything we have explored before. In fact, since coral is alive, the Great Barrier Reef is known as the “largest living object that can be seen from outer space.” In some ways, the Great Barrier Reef can be compared to a living, breathing ‘metropolis.’ Microscopic coral, too small for the eyes to see, have secreted calcium over millennia, forming ‘towers’ as they have stacked higher and higher, one on top of another. As we dove through the reef, we were literally navigating a maze of coral, which almost resembled the high-rise buildings that flank pedestrians on both sides of a New York City street. In the reefs we visited, these coral towers rose 20 meters up from the sea floor, reaching all the way above the surface of the ocean at low tide (literally, a “barrier”). What an unforgettable experience.

Great Barrier Reef, Cairns - part 2

Our Lessons

Although we were already familiar with much of the marine life we saw here, everything was just bigger in the Great Barrier Reef! This is the first time we encountered truly giant sea clams, with mouths spanning 4 feet in diameter! Unlike their smaller cousins in El Nido, we found some of these giant clams living in isolation on the sea floor (apparently, hiding from predators amongst rocks and coral is not necessary given their size). These omnivorous clams have pipe-like siphons, which expel bodily fluids and draw water in, to filter-feed on plankton and other small prey that swim nearby. These clams are hinged, and they close rapidly when they sense our shadows overhead. Despite their intimidating appearance, we learned giant clams close their shells for protection, not to trap large prey; in fact, we have observed that the biggest clams can no longer seal themselves shut completely. However, this did not stop fellow travelers from excitedly spreading the unlikely story of a snorkeler in Bali, who reportedly drowned in 2010 after getting his fist trapped in a giant clam... a nightmarish tale!

As we navigated the ocean floor, we encountered many large parrotfish, whose scales displayed a mesmerizing array of colors. These fish may seem humble as they lazily swim, munching on bits of coral and debris, but they have a secret accomplishment to be proud of: Parrotfish are responsible for creating our beaches! These fish and other reef herbivores help to maintain coral reefs by grazing on algae that might otherwise smother the coral. Their unique teeth allow them to specialize in scraping off even the finest, filamentous algae that grow within coral skeletons. Their feeding does result in a bit of collateral damage, however: parrotfish often ingest chunks of coral, as well. Luckily, they have evolved a special set of “teeth plates” in their throats, which allow them to grind up the ingested coral with ease. The ground-up coral eventually gets pooped out as fine, white sand. Over time, this sand adds up to the point that scientists now estimate up to 70% of the sand on the beaches in the Caribbean and Hawaii has been excreted by parrotfish!

An unexpectedly memorable part about scuba diving in Cairns was the recklessness of the experience itself. En route to the reef, countless passengers got seasick because of the intense ocean waves. Passengers who stepped outside completely missed the noisy “Intro to Diving” lecture, which was being shouted by a single crewmember, who was already struggling to be heard over the noise of the engines to a room of 30 first-time divers. Once anchored, large waves crashed up onto the back of the boat, battering inexperienced tourists who struggled to properly affix their masks and regulators. Seeming to ignore their confusion, dive guides coaxed the alarmed newcomers to make a head-first jump into the water after only a cursory equipment check! Once four first-time divers were in the water, they were quickly grouped with just one dive master, who was given the overwhelming task of monitoring everyone’s safety despite minimal time to practice using their equipment. In the end, many first-timers who had paid to dive on this trip felt so intimidated that they elected to stay on the boat, rather than partake in this life-or-death activity! We were so appreciative of the excellent instruction we had received in El Nido just weeks prior—this was the only reason we were able to stay calm amidst the chaos and actually enjoy the experience.

Great Barrier Reef, Cairns - part 3

Our Lessons

Our encounters with land animals in Cairns were limited, but Eric could not help but ‘deep-dive’ into the science of a very interesting species of ant, which we repeatedly came across: the Green weaver. These ants have a unique way of fusing the leaves of trees together, to create spherical nests. Once a suitable home is identified, workers lock arms to form a chain of ants, strong enough to bend small outer branches towards each other. They then align the living leaves on these branches, arranging them in a circular cluster which they hold together for hours at a time. During this time, ant larvae are carried over to this new nesting site. As it turns out, weaver ant larvae excrete silk—allowing adult weaver ants to use them as a handheld ‘sewing machine’! Adults hold the larvae and carefully guide them across the edges of leaves, using their silk to literally ‘stitch’ adjacent segments together... and the end result is a silk-covered ball of leaves in which the colony lives!

Getting a bit closer than we probably should have, we saw dozens of green-abdomined ants standing guard on top of these nests. We later learned that these ants can be very territorial, thus creating a symbiotic relationship with the tree (which gains a long-term defense contract in exchange for providing the ants a home). The consequences can be harrowing for an unwitting human trying to pick fruit off an occupied tree: Swarms of hundreds of green ants will jump off branches to attack any predator they perceive as a threat to their tree’s wellbeing! One Aussie chuckled as he explained that this inevitably leads to what locals call the “Queensland Green Ant Dance”—which involves the unlucky victim running around, hopping and slapping their arms, searching for the nearest swimming pool to dive into.

Great Barrier Reef, Cairns - part 4

Our Lessons

Cairns had a small but beautiful gallery of Aboriginal art. We spent a morning admiring these colorful combinations and curving geometric patterns, which the artist creates using solid and dotted lines that flow in close proximity. Some paintings feature easily identifiable images of animals and the natural world, while others are completely abstract to the untrained viewer. We are told that each color and pattern traditionally has a very specific meaning, which Aboriginal Australians derive from the interpretations of their dreams.

Sydney - part 1

Our Lessons

It is sometimes joked that Australians and Americans have a ‘secret crush’ on each other, and as a result, they like many of the same things. Keeping this in mind, we could not help but notice the many similarities between the two iconic cities of Sydney and New York. Both feel modern and cosmopolitan, with beautiful waterfronts, bridges, and green spaces. Both feature neighborhoods with older brick buildings, dating back before the early 1900s; and both lean heavily on classical architecture in their downtown/financial districts. Some even see parallels between the Sydney Opera House and the Statue of Liberty: two famous illuminated landmarks along the water that define their respective cities. We would probably give a winning point to Sydney for cleanliness (though neither city is as clean, nor modern, as Singapore).

We particularly enjoyed exploring Sydney’s most historic parts, such as George Street: a market-lined boulevard that stretches the entire length of the old town. Most impressive was a now beautifully restored hillside area called “The Rocks,” where Australia’s original settlers were forced to live (“forced,” because these white settlers were the prisoners shipped from Great Britain to begin colonizing their new territory!).

Sydney - part 2

Our Lessons

Other striking observations about Sydney’s public spaces:

First, there seem to be many innovative, interactive playgrounds for kids, including zip lines and real-world science-related playground equipment: for example, a stream of water with multiple canals, and rubber stoppers that allow children (and Eric) to enjoy seeing how the flow changes when the flood gates are opened and shut!

For a moment of tranquility, we spent time in the Chinese Garden of Friendship: a lovely walled garden, that provides peace in the middle of a bustling city.

The beautiful public Green Square Library south of the city center was one of the most welcoming libraries we’ve seen for school-aged children. It featured ample colorful, well-lit areas to work and study, with interesting books for all ages. With so many fantastic public spaces, Sydney seems like a great place to live and raise a family.

Sydney - part 3

Our Lessons

Perhaps this was just our experience, but we were encouraged by signs of gender equality in the workforce during our time here. For example, we saw multiple female delivery workers and female construction workers—something that remains quite unusual in the U.S. (A quick internet comparison of workplace gender equality in U.S. and Australia seems to yield mixed results, with the only consistent consensus from year-to-year being that both countries need continued progress).

Overall, Sydney seems to stand out in our minds as an ‘inclusive’ place, with a lively LGBTQ scene, particularly south of the central business district. As in Melbourne, hipster vibes abound in this region. Embracing the mood, we ended up spending over an hour browsing an enormous warehouse selling vintage goods, entranced by the store’s unusual collection of artifacts and trinkets from a bygone era.

Sydney - part 4

Our Lessons

On our first night in Sydney, we chuckled that the Universe must have caught on to our love for ‘illumination,’ and so was guiding us to the right places at the right times. Just as we had fortuitously arrived in Singapore during the i-Light festival, we likewise had the good luck of traveling to Sydney during Vivid: yet another annual city-wide light spectacle! And in this post-pandemic year, Sydney had gone all-out: the streets and buildings were decked out with various immersive and colorful light displays, stretching east from the Sydney Opera House, all the way west to Darling Harbor. Some of these exhibits were huge: the Opera House and the Contemporary Arts Museum had morphing psychedelic projections covering their entire facades. In addition, dozens of coordinated searchlights had been placed all along the harbor area’s rooftops and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. This was truly an awe-inspiring event that was clearly meant to unify the town, bringing everyone together to enjoy one extravagant light show.

Sydney - part 5

Our Lessons

Although on the eastern side of Australia, Sydney’s location on the water offers plenty of unforgettable sunsets. Some of our personal favorites: the view from “Mrs. Macquarie's Chair” botanical gardens lookout point (best views of the sun setting over both the Opera House and Harbor Bridge); the rock cliff just north of Hornby Lighthouse (the most secluded, with simultaneous views of sunset over the harbor and nightfall over the open sea); the rooftop of the old Palisade Hotel in the Rocks (for the best cocktails and views of the city); and a well-timed walk along the Sydney Harbour Bridge itself.

Sydney - part 6

Our Lessons

An inexpensive bus ride from downtown brings city dwellers to Sydney’s rocky eastern shoreline, where one can enjoy the beautiful Bondi Beach… or go for a swim in one of Sydney’s famous "rock pools.” Seriously, what a great concept: why waste time building a freshwater pool when one can carve a seawater pool at just the right height along the shoreline, so that the ocean can automatically keep the pool filled and refreshed? A lovely cliffside jog brought us to one of the area’s most classic ocean-fed pools: Bronte Baths. Powerful ocean waves crashed up against the pool’s rock walls, creating a breathtaking scene. Upon approaching, we noticed that the beautiful blue-tinged water of this pool was fairly devoid of swimmers. The reason was immediately obvious: despite it being ‘T-shirt weather’ in the sun, June is winter in Australia… and the water was really cold! Not to be outdone by the few brave souls who were nonchalantly swimming laps, we stripped down to our bathing suits and charged into the chilly water. While we will definitely not be making “Polar-bear plunges” a regular hobby of ours, this proved to be useful mental preparation for our upcoming trip to Antarctica...

As we rode up the beautiful, windy roads along the eastern Sydney coast heading towards the aforementioned Hornby Lighthouse for sunset, we passed by countless wealthy neighborhoods, with homes high up on the cliffs. We pondered why there is so much similarity between the shoreline of Australia and that of South Africa: craggy coastlines, beautiful golden-brown rock faces, and rough waves spraying refreshing mist into the air.

Sydney - part 7

Our Lessons

Aside from Vegemite and kangaroo meat (horridly malty and pleasantly tender, respectively), we did not encounter many uniquely “Australian” foods during our time here. Instead, as if it were truly ‘America's younger brother,’ just about every cuisine in Australia has been imported from another culture. Like Melbourne, there seems to be a major Asian presence, especially post-war Vietnamese citizens. Delicious phở soup is easily accessible, and boba tea could be found on every street corner as we walked down George Street. Just like in New York, tons of great prohibition-style bars can be found here (despite the fact that liquor was never prohibited in Australia!). Our favorite ‘speakeasy’: Uncle Ming, a Chinese “red light district”-themed bar that was indeed very red inside.

This may sound crazy, but it needs to be stated for the record: Some of the best dumplings we’ve eaten, in the whole world, were found in Sydney! Eric and I both swear that Uncle Ming’s made the most delicious shumai dumplings we have ever tasted (so nice, we ordered them twice). Then, on a separate night, we happened upon Laneway Dumplings And Momo, a small outdoor shop with weathered hanging lanterns and cheap tables in a back alley off of George Street. Bravo, once again Sydney: this homely spot succeeded in making our absolute favorite pan-fried pork-and-chive dumplings, ever (all for a small price of $6 USD for 16 dumplings!). (Disclaimer: The award for best soup dumplings still goes to Singapore!)

We also found a delightfully hearty ramen noodle soup at Gumshara in Chinatown. In another ‘first,’ this was the only ramen restaurant we have ever eaten at in which the soup base is so thick and flavorful, that they offer a side of extra diluted broth to water it down. Drank all your broth? No problem; the server will replenish your bowl, free of charge. Finally, a bowl of ramen that completely satisfied my hunger!

The only problem: food really is expensive here! Although we had difficulty coming to terms with the fact that much of Australia’s Asian food was overall even better than Singapore’s, we definitely did miss the cheaper prices at Singapore’s hawker stands.

Sydney - part 8

Our Lessons

Sydney - part 9

Our Lessons

Featherdale Wildlife Park: hands-down the best “hands-on” zoo we have ever been to! On arrival, the cheerful ticket agent encouraged us to buy a cone filled with food pellets, telling us that we may “feed and pet anything that hops” as we roamed around. To our surprise, it turns out a highly under-promoted feature of this park is the fact that it consists of areas where domesticated kangaroos and wallabies roam freely amongst the visitors! These animals are very friendly, gentle, unafraid of humans, and well-cared for by the staff. Upon walking into the kangaroo area with food in hand, within seconds we were surrounded by these courteous marsupials—some of whom were almost as tall as me, but politely waited their turns for me to offer them a bite to eat. I particularly fell in love with a mother kangaroo, whose baby joey peeked his head out of mom’s pouch to see what all the excitement was about! In another area, the wallabies (smaller marsupials similar to kangaroos) seemed a bit more timid, coming out intermittently for food but then hopping back behind fenced sanctuaries, which had openings large enough for wallabies but too small for humans. This was a clever design, which allowed these animals to feel secure that they don’t have to be handled if they don’t wish to be.

Sydney - part 10

Our Lessons

Equally exciting was a genuinely up-close-and-personal koala experience, which allowed us to get a one-on-one encounter with a zookeeper and her habituated koala named “Byron,” who has learned to remain content around strangers as long as he was simultaneously being fed! We were advised it was okay to pet Byron, but not to hold him; we obliged, and he was indeed completely docile around us. Koalas, we learned, are absolutely adorable but not the smartest. They thrive in wild environments with plentiful eucalyptus trees, but they will not eat any other foods. In fact, koalas' brains will not even identify eucalyptus leaves as food, if they have already been pulled off the branch. This means a koala will starve if only offered picked eucalyptus leaves on a plate or in a bowl!

Sydney - part 11

Our Lessons

Less pettable but equally amazing to meet were Australia’s native wombats, echidnas, Tasmanian devils, cockatoos, penguins, emus, cassowaries, and kookaburras sitting in their old ‘gum trees’ (a broad term colloquially referring to eucalyptus trees). Guests are even allowed to enter, unattended, into a double-fenced lorikeet enclosure, where these brilliantly rainbow-colored birds flew all around us.

An odd cinematic tangent about kookaburras: despite being found only in Australia and not in jungles, producers of early Hollywood movies like Tarzan and the animated Jungle Book (which took place in Africa and India, respectively) used clips of the bird’s distinctive 'laughing' call to set the mood for the films’ "exotic forest" scenes. Since that time, countless movies featuring a "jungle scene" have continued to re-use the same "Laughing Kookaburra" stock sound effect in the background (without ever showing the bird on-screen). Case-in-point: a kookaburra laughing can be heard in the Raiders of the Lost Ark prologue when Indy is searching for the idol in the Amazon. Jurassic Park (Costa Rica) and the new Jumanji (South America) are more modern examples of the audio clip’s use. Today, some film directors have acknowledged that the sound is out of place—yet continue to include it anyway, because “Laughing Kookaburra” has become so iconic in the minds of viewers that a jungle scene just doesn't seem 'authentic' without it!

Sydney - part 12

Our Lessons

Night at the Australian Museum: A weekly after-hours event allowed us to explore this place’s expansive natural history collection free of charge, alongside live music and a cash bar. Strolling through the museum’s large collections, we marveled at a lifesize recreation of a giant wombat: a bear-sized koala ancestor that was likely hunted to extinction by Aboriginal people perhaps 15,000 years ago.

We spent time in front of the museum’s interactive touchscreen exhibit, which demonstrated the effects of climate change around the Australian continent. It can feel sad and scary to face the harsh reality that these changes will continue to get worse in our lifetimes... and we are not the only ones who think so. Climate change "fears" seem to be a very prominent theme here in Sydney. The museum exhibit notes that "some may feel hopeless, like it is too late" to fix the climate while showing ways we can still do our part. At the Sydney Opera House, ads were prominently on display for a prime-time show dedicated to “managing anxiety in a world of fear about climate change.” Bank billboards encourage customers to direct their financial investments towards institutions that work to “save the world, not ruin it.”

Our personal take on all this: Yes, increasingly certain predictions of civilization-altering climate change should give us anxiety! Perhaps the key to finding inner peace is not through meditation, but rather by educating ourselves on how scientists hope to mitigate the problem, and by individually taking small actions to support and advocate for groups and leaders who are taking larger actions.

Sydney - part 13

Our Lessons

The tragic story of the “Stolen Generation,” a crime against Australia’s Aboriginal people: We learned that between 1910-1970, Aboriginal children were forcibly taken away from their native families and distributed to European orphanages or European foster families. The rationale, it was purported, was so that this new generation could benefit from being raised in a more “enlightened” European culture. Though it sounds absurd in hindsight, European families were convinced that their cause was noble: a way to “save” these children from growing up in “primitive,” “unacceptable” conditions. This heartbreaking action was sometimes referred to as “white-washing.”

Our lighter-skinned tour guide was a descendent of the stolen Aboriginal generation—a product of his “white-washed” grandparent marrying a European. Interestingly, his mixed mother, born into European culture, elected to return to her Aboriginal roots and married a pure Aboriginal man, his father. However, his mother later put him up for adoption to get him away from his dad, whom our guide stated was a "bad man." Our guide reports he was lucky because he subsequently was adopted by a loving family in Sydney. He admits that his lighter skin color and “Westernized” upbringing have without a doubt given him many advantages in life, as it is human nature to focus and discriminate against anyone who appears “different.”

Our guide shared that today, many Australians still look at strangers with classic Aboriginal features, and instinctively think: “troublemaker; thief; addict; uneducated; lazy; unproductive.” He admitted these stereotypes were true for his father, and he even agrees that they are probably true for a higher proportion of Aboriginal people. But what would one expect from a group who has suffered tremendous economic oppression and social isolation—a group who has been forced to live on undesirable land and had resources taken from them? Brutal treatment and the complete disruption of a group of people, through colonization and war, produces more than a simple ‘scar’: it also leads to behaviors that may initially promote survival, but later become socially maladaptive. It leads to trauma, depression, and jaded mindsets that will be passed on for generations. Under these conditions, such groups will ultimately fail, if not given the appropriate opportunities to break the cycle.

Sydney - part 14

Our Lessons

Fortunately, we were informed that Australia’s current government has been making its biggest attempts yet to amend the past. A constitutional “referendum” is slated to be held in October 2023, to vote on allowing a cohort of Australian Aboriginals to represent their people and voice their opinions in the Australian Parliament. Proponents argue that giving tribes a voice is crucial, as each tribe is culturally different, with unique situational needs. It is the government's job to ask representatives from each tribe what they want most and to seek ways to adapt.

Communication will be key, as not all requests may be viable: For instance, we are told that some Aboriginal people still live on reserved lands known as “missions,” and that these people would like to have more of the historical lands stolen from them given back, so they may return to more “traditional” ways of living. This is complicated, however: imagine trying to live off a piece of returned land in a traditional way, when the rivers surrounding you have been overfished, and the animals you hunt cannot repopulate because they are not able to thrive in the urban spaces beyond your borders. Other Aboriginal groups, we are told, just want the opportunity to keep their cultures and traditions alive, while living a comfortable suburban lifestyle. Right now, even this is extremely difficult, in the face of socioeconomic barriers.

Perhaps, current initiatives could focus on returning land when able; but more critically, making equitable education and opportunities available to those Aboriginals who wish to remain partially integrated. As always, education must also be extended to the “privileged” population: for if we know nothing about someone “different” from us and if we cannot imagine ourselves in their shoes, it is our nature to continue giving preferential treatment to those who seem most "like us.” In our travels around this beautiful world, we have found that outward appearance is rarely indicative of the many similarities we share on the inside.

Sydney - part 15

Our Lessons

One face that is just a bit too different for us to ever understand, however, is the face at the entrance of Sydney’s Luna Park. Frankly, passing under its beady eyes and glowing teeth to enter the park is purely terrifying. Turns out the 30-foot-tall “smiling” face has had 8 facelifts over his lifetime so far, with the latest one in 1995. The design is based on Arthur Barton's 1960 "Old King Cole" face and in our opinion, it belongs in a scary movie instead of a children’s amusement park!

Having visited two of the most infamous places where Australian troops lost their lives during World War II in Turkey and Borneo, it was humbling to pass through a large stone memorial constructed to honor these fallen ANZAC troops. Its unique central room contains samples of soil, which had been taken from one hundred battlefield sites of significance around the world. The memorial’s website explains, “The intention is not to glorify war, but to acknowledge the common experiences of loss and grief of all people involved in conflict as a basis for empathy and understanding, a way to remember our joined history, and to acknowledge sites where many who made the ultimate sacrifice still lie.”

Viti Levu Island - part 1

Our Lessons

"Bula” from Fiji! Every morning, stepping out of our bungalow, we heard this warm word of “hello” being proclaimed enthusiastically by everyone on the island—even when Eric was not fully awake yet!

A small bungalow right along the pristine Natadola beach was a perfect place for us to rest in our 35th country. Waking up to the sounds of ocean waves and the sight of turquoise-blue water felt like paradise on Earth. As we rubbed our feet into soft white sand, mixed with smooth fragments of colorful shells and pink coral, time slowed down for us. Literally, this is the slowest six days we've had since starting our journey exactly one year ago. No city tours; no history lessons; no running around looking at monuments. Here, we simply explored the ocean floor instead... and in this so-named "Coral Coast," what we saw was truly amazing!

Viti Levu Island - part 2

Our Lessons

Natadola Beach is an enormous "U"-shaped beach filled with beautiful scenery. The left side of the beach is occupied by two resorts—our small earthy Yatule Resort, and the enormous Intercontinental Resort—featuring more food options, multiple live bands playing at the resort’s multiple pools, tons of light pollution, and horseback tours (which left intermittent trails of horse poop that luckily got washed away by the ocean waves).

On a clear night, we left our resort with two new Filipino friends to go stargazing. Attempting to escape the floodlights from the resorts, we walked a mile, to the farthest end of the beach, until we were stopped by high tide and a sharp rockface. We laid down and enjoyed a beautiful view of the Milky Way and counted almost a dozen shooting stars from this darkest, farthest corner of Natadola Beach. However, the inner adventurer within Eric kept wondering what was around the bend. On the map, past the rockface was a place called “Dubua Point,” which appeared to be a local, completely unexplored beach (at least, ‘unexplored’ in the sense that there were no photos posted online of it!).

Viti Levu Island - part 3

Our Lessons

Eric insisted we return in daylight to find Dubua Point, and the journey turned out to be a very memorable adventure. This time, it was low tide, and our walk along Natadola Beach led us across a tidal pool that stretches the northern length of the beach—which revealed a plethora of marine life within our hands’ reach! Fields of hundreds of brittle stars waved their dancing arms at us. Small sea snakes literally jumped out of the way ahead of our steps. Sea cucumbers sat comfortably in the shallow water, extending their black tentacles to filter bits of sand. Thin sea slugs moved elegantly like wavy cuts of ribbon, dancing and squeezing around any obstruction in their paths. Stubby, rock-shaped crabs camouflaged themselves indistinguishably next to actual rocks. Some crabs even played dead until lifted up by Lan’s stick, which triggered them to jump immediately into a defensive stance. Carefully stepping around wildlife sometimes meant treading along patches of "bubble" seaweed, which popped beneath our feet.

Viti Levu Island - part 4

Our Lessons

We then put on our water shoes and crossed around the rocky outcropping, triumphantly reaching Dubua Point. This beach turned out to more closely resemble a mangrove swamp. During low tide, the muddy sea floor was dry and walkable, which gave us the opportunity to see even more fascinating sea creatures! This included mudskipper fish, hopping from one puddle to the next to avoid our shadows. We encountered tiny mud-colored crabs, which all appeared to be carrying something bright orange—but on closer inspection, this was actually the crabs’ dominant claw, which was different in color but the same size as the entire rest of their bodies! These are “fiddler crabs,” and we learned the males use these brightly-colored claws both to defend their territory and to energetically “flag” down prospective females from afar.

As we walked along, we curiously encountered dozens of faint, star-shaped outlines in the sand. Eric dug beneath one of the imprints, and pulled out a live starfish! These “sand-sifting sea stars” are able to bury themselves completely under the sand—a skill that incidentally helps keep sand beds aerated, clean, and algae-free, making them valuable assets for saltwater aquarium owners.

Upon climbing up some rocks, we were surprised to see horses standing in a pasture of freshly-eaten grass. Looking down from this small vantage point gave us a breathtaking view of the low-tide sea in front of Dubua Point: a perfect combination of tropical trees and crystal-clear water, spotted with dark streaks of rocks, seaweed forests, and coral. The stillness of the shallow tide provided a perfect mirror reflection of the blue sky.

Viti Levu Island - part 5

Our Lessons

Departing our bungalow with snorkeling gear in hand, it took no more than a few minutes of swimming in either direction for us to reach some of the most colorful coral reefs we have ever seen. Unique to our travels, here we observed numerous adjoining clusters of distinctly-colored coral, which seemed to have gracefully taken turns overlapping and intertwining with one another as they had grown, forming an entire color spectrum before our eyes. Although we sadly brought no camera with us, these memories will stay in our minds for a lifetime: Large rocklike brown-and-white coral blocks layered with streaks of pink and violet; Geometric orange micromussa corals dotted with patches of brilliant fluorescent green; Red sea fans gracefully dancing around the blue rays of the sun above; Fish of all colors peeking out amongst the waving folds of yellow soft coral and purple sea anemones. A large 2-foot-long pufferfish with a black-and-white pattern swam leisurely below us, while smaller golden puffers hid at eye level under the shadows of large table coral.

As we explored deeper, we were intrigued as a large school of zebra-striped fish approached us, encircled us, and started swimming laps around us. We marveled in wonder at this moment of oneness with nature; then became perplexed as to why these fish wouldn’t leave; and finally asked ourselves if we were about to become their next meal! Luckily, after several minutes, the fish dispersed, and we later discovered that their behavior was the result of resort tours, who often distributed pieces of bread for snorkelers to feed groups of fish at this location. Thus, these ‘affectionate’ fish were just using us for food!

Eric claims his proudest moment of the day was when he finally spotted a black-and-white nudibranch! These “sea slugs” come in just about every color and look like aliens from another world. Historically, the two featherlike appendages sprouting from their heads were thought to be antennae, but we now know they are actually a set of anterior gills. Observing this illusively tiny creature was a huge victory for Eric, who had been meticulously searching patches of coral for them ever since I told him that I had spotted two in the Philippines (without knowing what they were!).

Approaching the shore once more, Eric floundered in the shallows like a beached whale—belly down, snorkel still on, trying to get his last glimpses of marine life before we departed the island. Unfortunately for him, I had already taken my gear off and started walking ahead... and as luck would have it, my pace was perfectly timed with that of an octopus, who writhed and slapped his tentacles against the shallow rocks as he scooted past me. My first-ever octopus sighting!

Viti Levu Island - part 6

Our Lessons

One note about Viti Levu Island: Our self-imposed period of ‘isolation’ at Yatule Resort could have almost felt like an obligatory ‘quarantine,’ save for the fact that the natural beauty that surrounded us meant we had no desire to leave! Aside from the resorts and some nearby farms, there was no other civilization within walking distance. Growing tired of a-la-carte resort food, one day I joined a couple of guests on a thirty-minute car ride to the closest food market. Later, these friendly Kiwis would help Eric build an impressive beach bonfire. Our travelers’ spirits aligned as we talked, laughed, and joked over a raging blaze… with no one worrying about just how big the logs we added were! Junior, one of our native Fijian resort workers, shared with us stories of his home village, while also getting us excited for daily beach volleyball (a sport which Eric subsequently discovered was one of his wife’s many skills. Even after 6 years together we still surprise each other sometimes!)

Viti Levu Island - part 7

Our Lessons