Torres del Paine

I will be out of touch again as I embark on my first multi-day hike through the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile! If you don't know where I'm talking about, Google it... it's supposed to be beautiful. I'm doing the full circuit, an 8-10 day trek, but a group of 10 other people and I are planning/hoping for 6 days. We have to bring everything with us - tents, sleeping bags, stoves, propane, food for 10 days, etc... Pack is super heavy but I'm hoping to make it the 62 miles. The goal is to get back in time for superbowl sunday to see Rodgers take the Packers all the way! It may end up taking us the full 10 days though so if I don't post before then, don't worry, I will get through it eventually and I'll update as soon as I'm back in Puerto Natales safely :)

What are you doing this week?! Update me :)

So That's Antarctica

Antarctica. Gosh. What can I say? How do I describe it? I feel like it's almost too soon to talk about it.. like I haven't fully digested the last 10 days. But this blog is meant to tell you that I'm alive... so yes! I've survived the freezing cold weather, the icebergs hitting our ship, and the penguin poop. :)

Anyone who talked to me before January 18th, knew that I wasn't planning to go to Antarctica. I scoffed at it even because it was so expensive... I had heard trips cost approximately $3000-$7000 and it wasn't worth the travel time I'd have to sacrifice. But then one of my hostel mates had just gotten back and his sheer enthusiasm over his Antarctic trip was pretty much enough to convince me.. I tend to get super excited about things and it's rare for me to find someone who gets as excited. So I had to do it. I made the decision and the credit card went through at 12:30pm. Ship was boarding that day at 4pm. (Incidentally, for anyone planning a trip to Antarctica, don't book it ahead of time unless you absolutely have to... you'll save about 2k if you book from Ushuaia.)

The MV Ushuaia sailed from Ushuaia through the Beagle Channel and then through the notoriously rough Drake Passage. That first day on the ship, most people were in bed, sick. If you had the good fortune to be looking at the right place at the right time, you'd see someone get sick as you ate your lunch. They even taped up barf bags in the common areas and throughout the hallways. Ha. Seasick medication didn't even cross my mind... I've never gotten seasick and remain convinced that if you start to feel funny, jumping up and down does the trick.

I met a lot of really cool people on the ship and a bunch of us are staying in Ushuaia now, heading to Puerto Natales in Chile tomorrow, and planning to do a ten day hike together in Torres del Paine. There were a lot of 'characters' on the ship too... an incredibly rich and garulous art collector, a smelly Russian, slutty crew members, and more. 21 nationalities in all. A typical ship day: buffet breakfast (8a-9a), attend a lecture or two (topics included "Whaling in Antarctica" and "Penguins"), 3-4 course lunch (1230pm-2pm), lecture, snack time (430pm), nap, 3-4 course dinner (730pm-9pm), drinking.

I think I've been stalling and not telling you about Antarctica...I just don't know what to say still. It's an amazing feeling to be on your way to Antarctica because you're on a ship full of people who are just as excited you are. It feels even better to step on land, to take in the beauty of the glaciers around you, and waddle around like a penguin because you're dressed in so many layers. Penguins are awesome, btw!! In the last two weeks, I've seen Magellanic penguins, Gentoos, Adelies, Macaronis, and Chinstraps.

Everything is better because you're on Antarctica too!... snowball fights are more fun, butt-sliding down a hill seems cooler etc. Cameras also go nonstop... I took approximately 2500 pictures. A typical landing day: buffet breakfast (730am-830am), dressing in many layers and rented clothing (jacket pants, gloves, hat, boots), morning landing, lunch, afternoon landing, dinner. I think the only negative is that you're walking around in snow for a couple hours so your toes are numb and take forever to un-numb themselves. Oh, it was also a little bit scary to come back from a landing and see that a giant iceberg had hit our ship. Later that day, another iceberg hit the ship denting the rail. It kept happening... but the sound of the ship hitting icebergs throughout the voyage isn't something I'll ever get used to...

Our first few landings were on the Antarctic Peninsula so we were all very excited to get on the actual continent at Neko Harbour. We got to experience an avalanche. Very cool. The best day, though, was when the sun finally came out. Glaciers and icebergs are beautiful, but when the sun shines on them, they are breathtaking. My photos, of course, dont do it justice but I think thats the best way to describe it to you. (They aren't up yet, coming soon though!) We sailed through a narrow strait - the Lamaire Channel with snowy glaciers and mountains around us. Later that day, we took a zodiac cruise around the icebergs. So. Incredibly. Amazing. The landing that day at Charcot was probably the most beautiful place I've ever been. Well done, Antarctica.

So am I glad I did it? Yes! Will I go back? Definitely!!

Next stop: Torres del Paine National Park!

Antarctica

Quite possibly the post impulsive thing I´ve ever done, but I leave today at 4pm on a ship bound for Antarctica!!! I´ll be aboard the MV Ushuaia :)

I won´t have any access--to anything really--until I´m back on January 28th, but I will be thinking of you and hoping thing are wonderful for you back at home! 

A Sea Lion Headbutted Me

17 hours on a bus to get here - not bad at all! They give you dinner (but I was asleep) and then packaged snacks: one alfajor and one tostado dulce (sweet toast). A traditional alfajor consists of dulce de leche sandwiched between two cookies that is then dipped in chocolate. It sounds good.... but it's not. I even bought the best alfajor brand to try: Havanna. I'm just not impressed. Basically, the only time I eat them is when we get them on bus rides and I wont be getting food for another ten hours.

I ended up spending four nights in Puerto Madryn when I only intended one at first. There were no buses down to Ushuaia so I couldn't leave for a few days. It's actually a good thing because they've been protesting in Chile and people were stuck further down south for 5 days! I also heard they took some Dutch tourists hostage, but I'm not sure that that's true. Gas prices have risen 300% or something and people are mad! So, in case you guys are getting bad news about shenanigans in South America: I haven't been taken hostage in Chile. I was not struck my lightning in Buenos Aires (I think three people were recently?), and I was nowhere near the flooding in Rio.

So Puerto Madryn. It's supposed to be the dive capital of South America but everyone I've talked to has been disappointed with the diving. I was too. We went down about 25m to see a ship wreck. The water was freezing, the visibility was poor, and we were only down for about 25 minutes. We didn't even get to go inside the ship because it was really dark down there. I Did get to see swarms (?) of what I can only describe as little lobsters - about half the size of my pinky. There were thousands of them about 2-3 meters deep that would surround us and swim in our faces.

But the highlight of my ocean adventures was getting either kissed or headbutted by a sea lion. I signed up to do a snorkel-with-the-sea-lions tour that wasn't the most amazing thing ever, but really cool to do. I think I'm a little jaded because the first day, we took an hour boat ride to the sea lion colony, got into the freezing water, and then weather conditions were too dangerous for us to do anything. So they got us back into the boat and we sat there freezing for an hour... fingers and toes numb, and constant, hard spray from the ocean because it was so choppy. I haven't been that miserable in a long time... But the next day, the weather was fantastic and actually swimming with the sea lions was cool! 2-4 would come around us at any given moment and bite us (didn't hurt) or just swim around and play. I had my face in the water at one point though and a sea lion came up to me, hesitated for a second, and bam! Kiss or headbutt? Not sure :)

One of the big reasons to visit Puerto Madryn is for the nearby opportunities to see animals. Unfortunately, it's not whale season which is one of the biggest draws. We even waited around two hours to see orcas snatch baby sea lions, but no luck. I guess Willy wasn't free today. It was really sad though, there were two dead baby sea lions and birds were feeding on them - the sea lions just let them! :( Because people I had talked to were disappointed with the tours, I ended up renting a car with some new friends and spent about 12 hours driving around Peninsula Valdes. We saw unidentifiable birds, penguins, sea lions, elephant seals, cows, horses, llamas, sheep (ugly when shaved) and an armadillo! All day I wanted to see the armadillo and I even called to it in Spanish. Then randomly, one was crossing the road and stopped in front of my window for a picture. What a nice armadillo. They are surprisngly small, only about the size of a large guinea pig. Toninas are a type of dolphin that I think is only found in the Patagonian waters... I didn't see any there but I saw three while crossing the Strait of Magellan.

I really liked Puerto Madryn. I felt good when I was there and not really stressed at all. Cars actually stop for pedestrians here if that's any indication (this is pretty much unheard of in Argentina). I met a lot of cool people in my hostel and while sea lioning and now I have friends to visit in Europe!

Next stop: The end of the world!

Mar del Plata

I had less than 24 hours in Mar del Plata, but they were great!

One of my roommates, Eyal, was just waking up (around 10pm) when I arrived. He was super nice: He shared his pasta dinner with me, gave me a peach, and then we watched the Oregon game while drinking Quilmes (Argentine beer). I stayed up all night with Eyal and other hostel mates - from what I remember there were Brazilians, Argentines, Americans, and a guy from Colombia. I think I'm going to like this hosteling thing. :)

Sunrise was set for 5:40am and I was determined to see it - well, I was awake anyway. Because I'm on the Atlantic coast, the sun rises over the ocean... very strange since I've been on the west coast my whole life where the sun sets on the beach instead of rises! It was quite beautiful.. though I admit I missed a little bit of it waiting in line for McDonald's.

Hostels del Mar was the most expensive place I stayed so far and the bed I spent the least amount of time in: 3.5 hours. After that nap, I went to the last stop Bus 211 would take me. The bus (2 pesos) drives up the coast and because this is a major holiday season for Argentines, rich and poor alike, the bus was jam-packed until people were able to get off at different beaches.  I was on the bus for about an hour until La Serena, the last stop. I picked up fruit (super cheap!) and then just walked for hours on the beach. It was too hot to lay on the sand and I didn't have a towel, but walking was great.! This was the first time I could just walk and walk and not worry about getting back to my car or have to worry about time. At one point, an older lady stopped me and (i think) said I looked just like her daughter or her daughter's friend or something. We walked together on the beach just talking for awhile. It felt really good and I even enjoyed the kisses on the cheek this time. It was such a nice way to spend a Tuesday afternoon... how's work everyone? :)

After walking a few miles, I caught the bus to the Puerto and had lunch: paella and calamari.  was expensive ($78 pesos) and not so good. I've been finding lately that I can't eat much of Argentinean food...  I just feel unhungry after a few bites. It's very strange, but I'm sure I'll adjust. Before catching the bus to Puerto Madryn I stopped to get aloe.... apparenty the sun is stronger here so my sunblock wasn't enough. Sunburn on my shoulders (when I have my 25lb backpack to carry) and the backs of my knees (when I have a 17 hour bus ride ahead of me). Not fun. But all in all, Mar del Plata was a good way to start my trip. I can't explain why Argentinians flock here for vacation, and I probably wont be back here, but I had fun!

62 Hours Without a Bed

It's been a really long and tiring three days.. so this post is a rant of sorts. It's long. :) I left Indonesia in the afternoon on Saturday (Jan 8) and because of the time difference, landed at LAX Saturday night. I got very little sleep and watched six movies instead. Six! I also ran into a friend, Tiffany Sin, at the Hong Kong airport (there's something to be said for up-to-date statuses.... her gchat status said something about waiting for a flight at HKG and we happened to be in the same gate area, flying on the same airline and equipped with the same cameras! So random!

While in LA, I spent time with family who stayed up all night with me (thank you!!) and then dropped me off at the airport at 5am. At this point, it had been about 36 hours with only 2.5 hours of sleep. I slept on my flight to DC in preparation for my 8 hour layover. Then, Tami came--totally out of her way--to spend a couple hours with me at IAD. Thanks Tami!

Next came a 10 hour flight to Buenos Aires. It was now Monday. I was feeling really excited... this is it! the start of my trip! I paid the $140 entry fee, got my passport stamped, collected my baggage, went through customs, and was on my way. *About the entry fee: This is not a visa. Rather, it is a reciprocity fee that you only have to pay if you are from Canada ($75 for single entry or $150 for multiple entries for 5 years), Australia ($100), or the US ($140 for multiple entries for 10 years). Also, you only have to pay it if you fly into Ezeiza, not if you cross into Argentina overland or arrive in another airport.

Originally, I planned to stay one night in Buenos Aires and then head over to Mar del Plata, six hours away from Argentina. Instead, i decided to skip Buenos Aires (and just see it later for a week in March/April) and head straight to Mar del Plata. There was even a company, Manuel Tienda Leon that would take me straight from the airport to Mar del Plata. I thought it was going to be easy but I landed at 11am and the next bus wasn't until 6pm. Crap. But I had a back up plan! I knew I could take a Manuel Tienda Leon shuttle ($50 pesos) to Retiro and a bus from there to Mar del Plata. I felt savvy-ish because I had pesos (thanks Ben!) and was all ready to go whereas these other Americans looked a little confused and definitely lost on the exchange rate.

All confidence pretty much disappeared after that. The bus to Retiro stopped at the Manuel Tienda Leon station where half the bus, including me, was unaware that you have to get off the bus and board another to your final destination. I finally got to Retiro which, for me, was a super overwhelming mess. A "hot mess" if you will. There were long lines for all the different bus companies that service Retiro with no signs to indicate which companies were going to which destinations at which times. Some companies listed destinations on their signs, but no departure times. So to find out, you had to stand in a long line and ask. I picked a shorter-lined kiosk that listed Mar del Plata departures every 30 minutes. Looked promising. But then the lady said there were  no departures until 2:30pm, an hour and a half away. I asked if there were other companies with earlier departures, and she said she didn't know, go ask around. So I did.

I stood in another long line for someone to tell me 2:30pm, and another long line for someone to tell me 3pm. I went back to the first lady who said that now, there are no longer spots for the 2:30pm, now 3pm. I go back in line for the other 2:30pm bus but now there are only spots for 3:30pm. Gah!!! So I go back to the lady again hot, frustrated, and tired, and get a seat for the 3pm bus. But this lady spoke super fast so it was hard to understand. I was really confused and pretty much felt like an idiot. I also havent had to use the Spanish alphabet in about 8 years so spelling my name was a really hard! I ended up with something like Kimberli Wiesprock. Pretty close I guess. Perhaps the worst part is that different bus companies sell tickets for each other, so I shouldn't have bothered standing in those other lines and just gotten that first 2:30pm bus ticket. I ended up with a ticket on the 3pm Mar del Plata bus ($148 pesos) on the Condor Estrella line, bought from the Dumascat kiosk. Are you confused? I was!

Now I had a bus ticket with more than an hour to kill. I was super hungry and decided to get lunch. At this one place, I didn't know whether you order at the cash register or if you just sit down. So, stupidly, I tried to order something at the register and the guy looked at me confused and told me to sit if I wanted to eat it there. I didn't know they had a menu, so I picked something off the wall: milanesa con papas fritas and a 7up. It was okay. I think milanesa is a chicken-fried steak which i would pretty much never knowingly order. It was about an $11 meal. So I'm sitting there eating my not-so-good food and in walks this couple - they are American. I immediately dislike the girl because she gets to see a menu, she has a spanish-savvy boyfriend who is making everything easy for her, and she's painting her nails in the restaurant. What a bitch! To be fair, I was tired, grumpy, and alone, and she seemed to have it all..

Once on the bus, I had a Cama-Ejecutivo seat which was actually really comfortable. Of course, I was in the wrong seat, but a quick switch and we were on our way. They passed out little snack packs with a bunch of baked goods. I didn't end up eating any of it because I slept most of the bus ride. The bus stopped at a place that could have been Mar del Plata but wasn't (= more confusion), and then I finally arrived in Mar del Plata. I went to a kiosk to buy my next bus ticket to Puerto Madryn ($262 pesos - Don Otto). This experience was painless! Success!

I had looked up online how to get from the bus station to the hostel... it was about 1.2km away and walkable. I started walking. I didn't recognize any of the street names though and I felt like a target with my big backpack and foreign face. It was also close to 9:30pm and dark at this point. I walked back to the bus station and took a taxi. As I sat there, I was hoping I communicated my destination correctly because the taxi ride was much longer than I was expecting. So I'm wondering if he's either cheating me by going the long way or if i told him the wrong place. Turns out, all is good. It's just that there are two bus terminals in Mar del Plata and I didn't come from the one close to the hostel.

I arrive at Hostels del Mar and Patricio at the reception desk kisses me on the check. Oh right, they do that here. But as he's checking me in, the hostel doesn't have my reservation. Awesome. Lucky for me, they have an open bed (70 pesos). Patricio carried my bag upstairs, I locked away my valuables, and finally felt like I could breathe again.

Welcome to Argentina.

Indonesia, A Summary

I'm not sure if my other posts convey this, but I love it here. I originally planned to live here for two months in January and February of 2012, it looks like I might make an additional visit if my cousin gets married. Exciting! Yes the traffic is terrible, spraying on deet everyday and still getting 10 mosquito bites sucks, and it makes me mad that they would charge me twice as much because I'm a foreigner, but I feel happy when I'm here. I think a big part of it is feeling part of a big family and all the chaos and love and good feelings that come with it.

Funny (and possibly had-to-be-there) Moments:

- My sister showered and got dressed for the day. But sometimes she doesn't dress that well... :) So she was ready to go and sitting on the couch. Either my cousin didnt know she was ready or didn't approve and said "change your clothes" very matter of factly as if my sister were still dressed in PJs.

- Stacy and I were in the car with my two cousins Jessica and Desy. Desy was telling us her Chinese name and what it meant it English. Her: "Brrr" Me: "Brrr?" Her: "Brrrl" My sister: "Brrrl??".... Us: What??! And Jessica yells "Spell! Spell! Spell!" so that we'd get it.

- My uncle pointed out a couple girls in the mall talking about how people adopt the latest models (fashion). Then he said "they wear the latest models but the body is not suitable for it." the things family says sometimes...

(okay those three were definitely had-to-be-there...) lol

- When I got sick in the car, my cousin asked me if its because I ate eggs and fruit for breakfast. (because that's not a normal/good breakfast?). They also kept telling me to cover up because the wind, which is mean in Jakarta, had entered me.

- My family explained the almighty cebok (pronounced CHeh-bok) to me and my sister, complete with hand gestures. (Cebok is the way to clean yourself without toilet paper - also the reason why Indonesian's wear the wedding band on the right hand.)

Interesting Things (to me):

- When I saw my cousin texting/chatting on her phone (which children and adults alike do ALL the time) I saw her typing wkwkwkwk (pronounced wekwekwekwek). That would be the Indonesian version of hahaha. :)

- Once you turn 17, Indonesians are required to carry an identification card that lists your religious affiliation.

- Voodoo is rampant and a lot of people believe in it/practice it. A corrupt judge, for instance, always took bribes from the guilty party - he was known for it. His three children died suddenly without explanation. It is said that his children were cursed, probably voodoo. Some people actually have voodoo pieces of metal inserted in different parts of their body... As an example, someone might have voodoo inserted in their mouth perhaps to sweet talk people and be able to convince them to do something, like give up all their money. That can happen apparently, someone could convince you somehow to just hand over your credit cards and cash without you remembering it happening.

- Tampons and Coppertone Sunblock, to the best of my and my family's knowledge, are nowhere to be found.

- Chief doctor at a hospital makes approximately 2,000,000 million rupiah a month (~$200)

Oh Indonesia! See you soon. Pictures are up for anyone interested...

I have arrived in Argentina, btw. Here I go!

Finding Nemo

I found Nemo while scuba diving in Manado - my first dive since getting certified in October. The island of Bunaken is world renowned for its diving and I did three dives with a dive master and two Germans. They were three really cool dives. I saw a lot of fish which, unfortunately, I cannot identify. But I definitely saw Nemos, Triggerfish, and a Mandarin. I saw really awesome coral, sting rays, and eels too. Visibility was great! The highlight for me and my zen moment in all of Indonesia was watching a sea turtle swim past me. It was so calm and graceful, flapping its arms/wings (?) slowly and deliberately... If you flap your arms three seconds going up and three seconds going down, that's what it looked like. Really spectacular!

A three hour flight from Jakarta, the city of Manado is very beautiful. It's surrounded by still-active volcanoes, hills, and more greenery than you can imagine. We were staying up on a hill in neighboring city Tomohan, where the weather was actually cold at times - not at all what I expect from Indonesia. People in Manado like to eat and they like their food spicy. I had heard the the food is so so good there... but I wasn't so impressed. They do have a lot of fish and things to try that I've never had before. For one, dog. I didn't try any though my host had some in the freezer... (eee!) They also eat bats, but we couldn't try any because the store was closed. Apparently, they grab the bat by its wing, slam it down to kill it, and then cook it. So sad! A cooked bat costs approximatey $2.

There are less strange things too, that I was actually able to try: Mangga Dodol, a super aromatic and sweet mango is one you can only find in manado and the city makes an excellent Kelapertart (coconut-ish pie). We had a roasted pig for dinner one night but it was too fatty for my taste, especially the skin. Jojo, I bet you would have loved it and all the eating in this city. :)

Randomly, we went to the zoo at night when it was already closed. They let us in the cage with Tarsius' (dwarf monkeys). They are kind of cute, but kind of creepy too - with big bug eyes and heads that can rotate 360 degrees. I don't think we were technically supposed to be at the zoo since the animals were sleeping, but I also saw a Cus Cus, a Musang/Luwak (the animal that poops out the special coffee), and a pig unique to Sulawesi.

Another random story: My host told us about an area of Sulawesi in which the dead walk to their graves. I don't fully understand how it happens, but its voodoo or black magic or something that is used to make them walk. There are places cut out for them in the mountains and they are able to find their rightful place. Crazy!

The last day in Manado, we saw a lake with three colors and then rushed around town like mad women on the hunt for food. Our flight was at 2pm, and at 1:00pm, our host insisted we stop and eat Bubur Manado. (Congee a la Manado with a mix of squash, spinach, corn, rice and noodles.) After lunch, she wanted to pick up Nasi Kuning (Yellow Rice) but we said no, better to head to the airport (!). But, we still had to stop for Kelapertart and were still half an hour away from the airport!! I'm all for making the most of your time in a new city, but this was cutting it close even for me. Luckily, we made it to the airport in time (15 minutes before the flight) and we've safely arrived in Jakarta.

I have mixed feeings about Manado... I loved the diving, I loved trying new things, and I loved our hosts! Everyday was beautiful and almost every place was beautiful. But, me, my sister, and my cousin felt either really sleepy or headachey pretty much the whole time there... possibly explained by the elevation, but maybe something in the air? I developed something like an ear infection too! And, let's just say I was a little too efficient with my bowel movements for the four days there... (sorry if that's TMI).

New Years and a Wedding, Indonesian Style

NYE: I think one of the big things to do in Indonesia for New Years is go to Ancol (pronounced AHN-chole)... there's a beach there... bars... and Disneyland. I didn't go there. Apparently, you have to head over in the morning on New Years Eve or you just can't get in. Either they close it early or the traffic is impossible - I didn't get a clear answer. But there was a wedding rehearsal that morning so it wasn't meant to be. Instead, my sister, a lot of cousins, and I went to Kelapa Gading, a mall.

Going to the mall is THE thing to do in Indonesia and going on NYE was no exception. We had dinner in the food court :) This mall had a "Creating Food Adventure" section where you put money on a card and swipe it at different vendors selling anything from an iced mung bean banana thing (es kacang hijau) to satay kambing (goat shishkabob). I chose vendor Pangsit Njonja Njoo for no other reason than that the sign read "since 1938." I ordered the Mie Babi Tjintjang and the Pangsit Kuah ... something like ground pork over noodles and wonton soup.... It was probably one of the best meals I've had on this trip, and for only about $3.30. My sister, on the other hand, chose wrong: For some reason, she got the Chicken Piccata - enough said.

After dinner, we pushed through the crowds towards the entrance of the mall's big NYE show.... It was hot and crowded and not where any of us wanted to be. I was thinking to myself "really? NYE at a mall?!" (Boo!) The show also cost 100,000 rupiah (~$10) to get in-which is relatively expensive here; we opted instead to buy some beer/wine and go back to my uncle's apartment.

It was close to 11pm at this point and we couldn't get a taxi. We also didn't know where to buy alcohol! My cousins don't drink .... my sister and I are the naughty kids from America who do lol. Our uncle came to pick us up because a taxi tried to charge us a "ridiculous" flat rate of about $4. But once in the car, at 11:40pm or so, traffic completely stopped. I don't know where the traffic started, but we were completely stuck as far as I could see in front of us and behind us. NYE stuck in Jakarta traffic... somehow very appropriate ... it ended up being awesome!

It was everything I wanted... to watch fireworks in a crowd of people and celebrate with my sister. Close to midnight, we got out of the car and joined other people to watch fireworks exploding right above our heads. Incidentally, Indonesian people do not count down... So, my sister and I had our own mini countdown about two minutes past midnight when we realized it wasn't happening. Immediately after the fireworks show ended, horns started blaring as people were ready to be on their way. It was a good night! In summary: first dry NYE in seven years, no countdown, midnight toast with iced lemon tea, closer to fireworks than i've ever been and a pretty awesome night :)

A Wedding: The morning of Jan 2, two women came over to the apartment to do everyone's hair and makeup. A wedding is a big deal here. My uncle said that you see pictures of people in albums that look nothing like them because they are so made up... big poofy hair, fake eyelashes etc.. So everyone got dressed and made up and went to the church for a two-hour Catholic ceremony. I didn't understand much of what was happening. Some observations: the groom kisses the bride on the forehead instead of on the lips, people pray (seemingly) spontaneously, and a lot of songs are sung throughout the ceremony. We got snackboxes as wedding favors... awesome!

The reception was scheduled for four hours after the ceremony...still slightly jetlagged, my sister, mom, and I took a nap messing up our poofy hair. But back at the apartment, everyone was getting touchups and changing into evening attire. Most of the women wore long ball gowns circa prom (for me) 2002-2004. Both the bride's mother and groom's mother wore a lot of jewels to represent wealth and prosperity for the newlyweds. My cousin said that approximately 600-800 people would attend the reception. Here is how they all fit: the reception was basically standing-room only and people migrated from one food station to another. The food was really good - lontong cap gomeh (sticky rice with five different sauces), dim sum, and satay especially.

Right at the start, the bride, groom, and their families made their entrance and there was a small "show." The bride and groom kissed (on the lips this time) while flares fired and cheesy music played. Then, the bride and groom slowly brought a knife down the side of a fake cake. Not sure why. They each took a bite of their own cake, but since there was no real cake to speak of, no one else got cake. There were tons of desserts, but I guess in Indonesia, there's not one cake that everyone shares. Next, the bride and groom each poured one bottle of wine down a stack of champagne glasses. Why? I don't know. They didn't drink any of that wine. The toast was dry for everyone except immediate family. But, since no one really drinks alcohol, they each took a tiny sip and that was pretty much it. I don't know why but this tendency towards sobriety fascinates me! First dry wedding I've ever been to! Wedding in summary: No alcohol, no cake, and aching feet from standing, but wonderful to see all my family dressed in their sunday best and it was also probably the best wedding food I've ever had! Cheers to the newlyweds :) Can't wait for my next Indonesian wedding in hopefully November of this year.