When we arrived we checked into our new digs (in Little India, of course) and immediately checked out the WiFi. Thankfully it was super fast, so we sighed a collective sigh of relief and then got to work and was able to join the US work day.

I spent Thursday and Friday in the SG office. I enjoyed getting the inside scoop on what life in SG looks like. We went to lunch which always makes me happy. We had chicken & rice (a SG staple) and chicken curry. There is meat in nearly everything so Will decided to stay put in Little India. I found out that Singaporeans love shopping!! When asked what everyone was doing this weekend, nearly everyone responded with shopping. My kinda place! Everyone was awesome. The office has a great vibe, reminds me a lot of Austin. We were even invited to go for drinks after work which we gladly accepted.

Over our first few days in SG, we pulled a few late nights and put in nearly a week’s worth of hours in two days but it was worth it because we had a ton of fun over the weekend. We ended up splurging on the two-day Singapore Pass which got us in to most of the top attractions. We never do that because typically it’s pretty pricey, but we were only there for two days and were dying to see what the city looked like. I believe it was worth it! We had a lot of fun and did way more than we would have done without it. I guess it was good incentive to get out!

Here are a few pics from our tour – One caveat, my camera’s focus died! I had to manually focus all weekend. Bummer. And one more, I was sick as a dog over the weekend. Not sure what I had, but Will took good care of me and I felt good enough to sit on a sightseeing bus and look at pretty flowers

Saturday: Shangri-La Hotel (Dad and Grandfather had their photos taken here!), Botanical Gardens, Singapore Flyer and River Cruise

Botanical Gardens – The gardens are free to get into, however they charge for certain exhibits like the Orchid Garden. We got in with our pass and were very excited to tour around. If we lived here, we’d be at the gardens every day. So nice!

Mix of pictures from the SG Flyer (think London Eye), our tour bus and water taxi.

I believe this is the opera house:

The “famous” Mer-Lion, half fish, half lion. Will and I enjoyed saying his name… reminded us of Merlin.

STUNNING hotel, the Marina Bay Sands, yes that is a ship across three towers… over 5 billion to build. And that cool looking lotus-thing is the ArtScience museum.

Next to the hotel are some amazing shops. Right outside the mall is Will’s favorite fountain. The next pic shows where the water goes.

Singapore Flyer – Amazing views:

We looked down and saw these water dancers practicing for the water parade. The water was about a foot deep. It was interesting.

So Will thought the Singapore Flyer was lame and when I made him smile for the camera, this is what I got…

So I made him take another, which really got him fuming. So he took a bunch really fast just to irritate me, but look how happy he was!

Wheelock place! Just like my friend Meredith Wheelock.

We arrived during Chinese New Year week and were invited to a friend’s house for a little party. We recevied “ang pow”  – Traditional red envelopes w/ gift inside  – while we were there. Here’s mine:

Stunning view from the 72nd floor of the Petronas Towers. Holy cow.

Here I am at work, looking professional w/ my PGi 20 Years of Meeting’s Magic mug.  It’s my first time to see one because I ordered them right as we were leaving, and then had them shipped out while I was in between our EMEA and APAC offices. Pretty cool!

Here I am at lunch with a few of my colleagues from the office. They treated me to a traditional Chinese New Year dish which you throw up in the air as high as you can to make a tall pile. The taller the pile, the greater your prosperity in 2012.

Here is the STUNNING Islamic Arts Museum. Loved the building and especially the restaurant. Unfortunatly it was closed, but a took a few pics to help me remember it once we’re back home. Would love to bring in some of this goodness to the Ridgewood house.

Now we are at the Masjid Negara, the National Mosque. Check out my getup. 

Melaka was cool. I wouldn’t suggest anyone go to Melaka for their entire vacation since not much is going on there other than a few museums about Melaka’s history. We did however fall in love with the Melaka Zoo and what I would say is the WORLD’s LARGEST MALL… or the largest mall I’ve ever seen that’s for sure. Probably less than half as nice as the Galleria but more than 10x in size. It was shocking. They even had a movie theater, roller rink, archery and kareoke bar inside the facilities.

We appreciated Melaka’s speedy internet, cleanliness, love of malls and AC and night markets. Here are a few photos of our 5 days in Melaka:

Right outside our hotel, River One Guest House, located in Chinatown:

We were hungry when we arrived and found only a few places open. We tried Dim Sum for the first time and we Dim’t Likeit. : (

So we tried lunch #2… and that wasn’t so great either, but we ate it and looked forward to lunch #3, at an American favorite, Pizza Hut.

Really cool night market! We loved shopping around and everything was so cheap!! 60 Cents for earings, $5 for sandals, $1.50 for sunglasses, etc.

Will the tourist, looking awesome.

Really cool dragon lizzard like thing just walking around outside our hotel.

Below is a recap of our time in Munnar, Alleppey and Kochi and Kollum.

Day 1: Leave Varkala Beach for… Somewhere North

We woke up early and took a 45 minute (and 80 cent) train to Kollum where we had hoped to take an 8-hour day cruise/ferry to Alleppey. Unfortunately the ferry was sold out when we arrived so in true trekking fashion, we quickly recalculated and back on the train and headed to Kochi where we planned to catch a bus to Munnar, India – Home of cool weather, mountains and endless acres of tea plantations.

Our train to Kochi was equally cheap and surprisingly very enjoyable. We arrived a the train station in Kochi and a very helpful local couldn’t bare to see us manage on our own, so he called a tuk tuk for us, paid for it, and personally delivered us to the Kochi bus station. So nice!! We exchanged names, he gave me his Facebook URL (awe) and convinced him we would be OK on our own. Harder than you think.

We had about 20 minutes before our 5 1/2 hour bus ride to Munnar. Just enough time to try out the local eaterie. We discovered Parotta (delicious doughy/flakey South Indian bread) and curry in a bag. That’s right… curry… just right in the little baggie tied up and waiting for you. Just open it up and pour it onto your bread or rice.

So glad I got over my bagged curry prejudice and had lunch. It was the best curry we’ve had since Bangalore.

We got on the bus and after a few stops, a busted tire and a bathroom break, we arrived in Munnar, 7 1/2 hours after we departed Kochi. It was dark when we arrived, so we worked our way through the packed streets, and quickly found a place to get dinner – A highly recommended vegetarian restaurant Guru Bhavan. It was not great, but that is OK, we had more important things to worry about like finding a place to stay that night. After an hour of walking around the town and asking the hotels if they had vacancy, we quickly realized that Munnar was not just our holiday destination but that of nearly every family in India.

There were thousands of people walking around town and hundreds of party-bus-like-creations honking their horns and playing music. The local tourists were really enjoying themselves. The town itself really isn’t that great. Slightly dirty, a little polluted and not pretty. I was confused, but decided to keep my questions to myself.

We finally found a place to call around for us and we landed a room just outside of town. I swear it was the last room available for miles. We were very excited.

A photo that our new friend insisted he take for us. Thanks guy.

Nothing like a flat tire to make your Indian bus experience complete.

Thankfully Will had a little snack.

Back on the road.

The temp is dropping and the palm trees are traded out for more leafy trees.

Day 2: Discovering Munnar

We set the alarm for 7AM and woke up right on time. I think Will’s eyes were already open when the alarm went off. We were very happy to leave our strange hotel situation.

We had a cup of local tea and hired a driver for the day. We had no idea what awaited us on the road and wow… let me just say that Munnar might be the most beautiful place we’ve visited on our trip. It has to be a three-way tie between Ireland, Austria and Munnar.

I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. Good golly! We loved every second of our drive.

We found a place to stay that night while touring “Top Station” the end point for most Munnar touring. We fell in love with this sweet place, Periyar, run by two brothers. They took to us as well, sharing their campfire, giving us the inside scoop on life in Kerala and answering all of our questions about Indian traditions. They even taught me how to put on the traditional Kerala “man skirt.”

Peaceful, Top Station really is the best place to stay. Forget Munnar town and plan on finding your accommodation in the clouds, surrounded by local wildlife (bison, goats, furry squirrels, etc) and with the most stunning views.

A few side notes about the day

• We visited the Kundali and Manupatty Dams and some tree with huge beehives.
• We rode horses through the tree plantations – Will rides like a pro. Despite years of horse back riding, I still can’t command my horse. Near death experiences were had. Very thankful to have avoided the Munnar Hospital.
• We tried a traditional Thali lunch.
• We loved our driver. He was so nice and eager to show us his beautiful country.
• Our Periyar brothers showed us the secret plantation treks. We spent two hours before dinner walking with the locals is the most gorgeous place in the world. Seriously amazing.
• We had a wonderfully spicy and delicious dinner at Periyar, and watched the sun set.
• Enjoyed a few beers and fell asleep on some of the world’s hardest beds.

Day 3: More Munnar & A Tea Museum Visit

I woke up at 6AM to see the sun rise on the top of our hotel. It was amazing. I ended up taking a little walk while Will was waking up.

We took the city bus down from Top Station into Munnar town to go to the Tea Museum. Highly recommend the tea museum. We watched a 30 minute video about the region, the tea industry and Tata… who owns pretty much all of India apparently. We watched tea leaves being processed and enjoyed a cup of very fresh tea.

We headed back to Top Station on the city bus, which we are starting to fall in love with, and enjoyed another walk around the near by tea plantations followed by an even spicier dinner. God we love this food.

A few side notes about the day:

• Riding the city bus around Munnar is like a tame roller coaster. I could ride it all day, every day. It’s so much fun. Our tickets were always 50 cents or so.
• The state of Kerala is super conservative so things like co-ed hand holding, kissing, and hugging is not acceptable. Neither is drinking…especially for women. I think we lost some friends in the kitchen when we busted out our beers.
• The location is known for tea and passion fruit. I had never had passion fruit until our trip to Munnar. Love how crazy they look. They were delicious and all of 10 cents per fruit.
• We bought a bag of masala cashews and cashew white chocolate. Both were amazing.

Day 4: Journey Back “Home”

We tearfully said goodbye to our Periyar friends and headed to the bus stop back down to Munnar where we would catch our bus to Alleppey to catch that day cruise we missed on day 1. We were lucky travelers – We had a “parcel” of rice from the Periyar kitchen. The cook made it for our journey.

The day was fairly uneventful. We loved the city bus back down to Munnar and it was really easy to make our way to the bus station where we boarded our bus to Alleppey.

We arrived in Alleppey around 6pm and found a hotel we had heard about from friends in Varkala Beach, Sisir’s Palace (you know, like “cesar’s palace”…but not at all).

We enjoyed sitting in bed, bouncing between the Discover Chanel and National Geographic and talking about how much fun we had that week. We watched some program about elephants in India, and bears in Sweden. It was cool to think that we had been to both locations.

Just one side note: I accidently left my nice jeans on a bus. Long story… but they are no longer with me. Tear. I’m sad only because they were my favorite jeans on this trip. Alas.

Day 5: 8 Hour River Cruise to Kollum

We woke up early (around 6AM), to the sound of loud music, doors slamming, yelling, laughing, stomping, etc. I checked it out around 6:30 and of course it was a local family enjoying their relatives at a family reunion. The kids were chasing each other around and having fun…at 6AM haha.. Oh my.

We caught our ferry at 10:30 and cruised the “back waters” of Kerala for the next 8 hours, stopping for lunch and a tea break.

It rained all day, but it was a nice break from how hot it can get on the coast. We enjoyed seeing these back waters everyone was telling us about. Very pretty, but also just an interesting look into rural life in South India. Lots of things were witnessed. Some won’t be mentioned here. But all in all, a nice trip.

We arrived in Kollum right on time at 6:30PM. After an hour tuk tuk ride back to Varkala Beach, we were back “home” ringing in the new year

Example of a house boat – Luxury lodging at around $100 – 200/night. A stark contrast from our $12 ferry.

Typical view of the back waters.

Good night, Will.

Rainy day on the backwaters

Backpacks hanging out to dry.

“Famous” Chinese fishing nets.

Very thankful for the time off from work to really see India. Can’t wait to go back to Munnar again. Who’s coming with me?!

It was a bit strange, celebrating Christmas away from all of our friends and family but it was certainly an experience we’ll remember for years to come.

We did what most people do here – We started our morning with a traditional Indian breakfast, hung out at the beach, surfed, sipped tea, checked out the local “Christmas tree” and nativity scene,  watched Home Alone 1 & 2, etc. The usual.

Even though I was dearly missed many of the things I associate with Christmas – Gingerbread lattes, my Shane & Shane Christmas CD, fires, present wrapping, and family – Will made my Christmas extra special with a surprise necklace for me. He had held onto it for 6 months, since our time in Austin. I was so surprised (and moved!), I cried. So sweet of him to think of me.

We also gave each other a 500 rs ($10) limit to go shop for each other on the beach. There are a thousand little shops that pop up every morning and sell all sorts of native things. We met back at our hotel and exchanged our gifts. It was fun.

Will got a pair of pants that he had been eyeing. They are a cross between linen and muslin. They tie in the back, and I think local fisherman wear them. I got the baller bicycle that I had been eyeing as well. It’s about a foot long and 9″ tall. Can’t wait to see it in Ridgewood house. Merry Christmas to us!

We had a gorgeous ocean view, live Keralan music, and delicious fresh seafood. We toasted our bizarre Christmas and sat back and enjoyed the whole experience.

We always try to travel in the morning so we can be online for US hours. Our mornings always ended up being a fun time of road tripping and exploring.

Dijon was breathtaking! Not sure why we don’t have any photos of our robotour. The town really is unreal. Lots of ornate buildings tucked away in narrow streets that wind throughout the city. Definitely a fun place to have happened upon.

Just a few photos of where we found a place to work.

Our favorite way to find a good (and inexpensive!) hotel is to book on Booking.com. They have “fire” sales and we’ve been able to stay in the most amazing places for just $40 – 50 USD a night.

On of our most cherished Booking.com finds was in La Giettaz, France.

We had just crossed over the Italian border, on our way to the Paris office when we landed on La Giettaz. It’s a tiny little town in the French Alps. Gorgeous scenery and a lovely little deserted ski town.

We enjoyed living in luxury, as the only couple in the hotel. No one spoke English, but the internet was AMAZING. Happiness!

Here are a few pictures of our digs, a morning hike around the town and what happens when we don’t see a washing machine for 4 weeks.

After celebrating the Knodel we got in the car and headed south toward our next stop, Zurich, Switzerland.

We stopped in Innsbruck for a hike and so more of our favorite European country.

Here are a few photos:

We’ve also discovered that WE LOVE AUSTRIA! The stunning alps, crisp air, technicolor green fields, and electric blue skies.  Austria is truly an outdoor’s man’s paradise. We kinda knew we loved Austria after spending a few days in Vienna in 2009, but we solidified our obsession on our drive from Munich to Zurich.

And what’s Austria without St. Johan’s annual Knodelfest?! Never heard of the Knodel? Neither had we until we accidently stumbled upon this small-town festival from  yesteryear.  The Knodel is a baller little ball of dumpling like consistency… it’s a cross between Thanksgiving stuffing and mashed potato. And the real magic happens when they put the soup/gravy over it. Each knodel has a different gravy and some knodel’s have insides like fruit fillings (we stayed away from those).

The festival is also for the cows. When they all return safely from pasture, there’s a big celebration and they dress them up and ring a lot of bells.

You can find my Blog.PGi.com post on Knodelfest here - http://blog.pgi.com/2011/digital-nomad-tip-11-the-future-of-teleworking/ and here on Blog.iMeet.com - https://blog.imeet.com/5-questions-with-cora-rodenbusch-world-traveler/

Here are a few picture of the festival. That amazingly quaint house half way down is where we stayed. Will’s friend from Zurich was in St. Johan for the festival and offered to let us stay at his friends house, right in the middle of town. Lucky us! And love the photos of the performers – We’ve got a few dancing boys, yodeling ladies and accordion playing men.

Merlin was so happy.

We finally made it to our new digs, a campground near the center of town. Our arrangements were a bit non-traditional but we didn’t have too many options. It was Oktoberfest and we were lucky to have even found a place to park our car.

We happily pulled in and found our spot and got ready to go to the Oktoberfest fair grounds.

Here are the photos of Hotel Merlin and our first ever Wiltoberfest in Munich!