Revenge of the Traveller

I have neglected my writing for months. I see two attempted posts languishing in my blog archives. You see, border restrictions relaxed in March, so we hopped on the travel bandwagon alongside other cooped-up Singapore residents. Since then, we’ve been to Australia (twice), Sri Lanka, the US, and Dubai. And I am trying to figure out how to squeeze in more travels before we depart Singapore for good this summer.

Yes, you read correctly. Skip to the last section if you need the immediate scoop. For more on our travels, read on.

Sri Lanka

After months in orderly Singapore, I was hungry to experience the real Asia. Sri Lanka checks all the boxes in terms of variety, wildlife, culture, and beaches.

We visited three of the 22 national parks: Wilpattu, Minneriya, and Yala. It’s a birdwatcher’s dream, with eagles, falcons, pelicans, flamingoes, orioles, kingfishers, and peafowl galore, to name a few. Plus we saw elephants, crocodiles, water buffalo, deer, mongooses, and exactly one elusive leopard in distant tree branch repose.

Buddhism permeates the country, with stupas and statues of the Buddha dotting the landscape. No one embodied the Buddhist virtue of loving kindness more than Weere, our chauffeur/guide. A teacher, ambassador, and trusted caregiver rolled into one, Weere adjusted to suit our interests and whims, administered a local medicinal brew when we got whopping colds, and ensured we had fuel – quite a feat, as we would come to learn.

And the beaches! Long stretches of white sand, blue water, and warm Indian Ocean. For our last few days, we chilled at a swanky boutique hotel on Ahangama Beach.

A big part of our travel joys are people encounters. We spent a couple boozy nights with a bunch of Belgians at Kandyan Manor Homestay, a sprawling country house now in the hands of its fourth generation owners. And most unexpected: friends from San Francisco just happened to be in Sri Lanka, on the exact same route, at the exact same time! What are the chances?

Now for the downside. If you have followed South Asian news, you will know that Sri Lanka is in a deep economic and political crisis. There are widespread shortages of fuel, medicine, and other staples. People wait in long queues for fuel and milk, sometimes getting turned away when they finally reach the front. At one petrol station, I counted 68 trucks, buses, cars and tuk tuks lining the road – and that was just in one direction. The Rupee lost 33% of its value in the two weeks we were there. We saw protests and demonstrations, mostly peaceful. According to recent news reports, these have turned violent and bloody. Difficult times, for a country that is rich in natural resources with much to offer.

Am I glad we went? Absolutely. Did I feel safe and welcome? 110%. Would I return? YES.

Australia

When we moved to this part of the world, Australia was frankly not on the go-to list. It’s a long flight no matter where you go (eight hours to Melbourne and Sydney, five to Perth). But Tom’s work has taken him there a few times, so naturally I had to tag along.

Australia, mate, you did not disappoint. When I tell my Aussie friends that I feel like there’s a love affair between Americans and Aussies, they give me a peculiar look. Maybe it’s one-sided, but I swear people we met seemed to love that we were from the States.

We visited Melbourne, and added a weekend trip on the Great Ocean Road; Sydney, with its world-famous Sydney Opera House and Bondi Beach; and the Margaret River area, wine country about 260km south of Perth. There is endless rugged coastline, nary a ship to be seen on the horizon (unlike in Singapore, where ships rest on the waters like cattle grazing on a field). The people are tan, athletic, friendly (“how ya goin?”), and funny. In Melbourne, we busted a gut at a Comedy Show as the entire audience released post-lockdown tension. It was refreshing to sleep with the window cracked open to let in the breeze, see heaps of kangaroos, hike, drive long stretches of open road, check out Cape Leeuwin, the south-westerly mainland point where the Southern and Indian Oceans meet, and experience Australian warmth and hospitality.

Australia faces similar challenges as the United States, especially when it comes to Indigenous rights and police brutality. We saw a gripping play in Sydney called City of Gold. Some of the scenes were reminiscent of what has happened in the US in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death. And much like I’ve grown accustomed to hearing in Seattle, acknowledgement statements – such as this one at Sydney Opera House – are becoming more widely used to honour the traditional custodians of the land.

A vast country, I realise we just scratched the surface. But oh my, I’m so glad we did.

Dubai

When my friend Rhona moved from Singapore to Dubai last summer, I told her I would visit. It’s easy to tack on a long weekend layover, if you fly from Seattle the long way round to Singapore.

Dubai. One of the seven emirates comprising the United Arab Emirates. It grew from a small fishing village to a glitzy, cosmopolitan city that caters to financial services, shipping and trade, and tourism. The buildings are ultra modern and futuristic, including the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. Wealth is widely displayed – yachts, luxury vehicles, upscale boutiques, to name a few trappings.

Similar to Singapore, Dubai relies on foreign talent and labourers. Evidently there is an “expat corridor” between Singapore and Dubai, with people serving assignments at one and then the other. Just as Singapore is attractive for its close proximity to travel throughout Southeast Asia, Dubai’s location is ideal to explore the Middle East, Africa and Europe. You exchange heat and humidity for a dry heat, and shades of green for different hues of browns and pinks.

Our Upcoming Departure

Back to our plans to leave Singapore. Tom’s two-year assignment ended in February, and after long deliberation, he decided it’s time to leave his company for something fresh and new. After nine years at Ekata, opening the Asia Pacific office, getting through what we hope are the last gasps of the pandemic, and seeing the company through an acquisition, he is going to take some much needed time off before embarking on a new adventure in the fall. We’re not ready to announce it publicly yet, but here’s a hint: the location starts with an “S.”

Until then, we will continue to log some air miles to see what we can.

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