Spa-ing, Jakarta style

Surprisingly, I haven't yet bragged about the amazing spa opportunities here in Jakarta. If you love to indulge in a spa treatment from time to time but don't like the hit it takes on your pocketbook, then Jakarta is an ideal place to be. There are endless facilities and treatments to indulge in, and there is something to suit everyone. After more than 2 years here I have found my favorite spots for the different treatments, but I am still searching for just 1 location that does everything well and has the best atmosphere. I don't think I'll ever find it, but it's awfully fun to look!

My most favorite treatment is a plain old massage. The best massage I've ever had is in Eau Claire, WI from a professional massage therapist who is also a dear family friend. I don't think any massage will ever be as good as her's. However, while I haven't found a massage here that is as good as the massages you can get in the US, they are far less expensive and are often in more beautiful surroundings. The cheapest massages I've heard of in Indonesia are on the beach at a hotel or resort, but from women who are not affiliated with the hotel. One hour of massage from one of these ladies can cost between $2-5. Yes, one hour, on the beach, for less than a value meal at McDonald's.

In Jakarta prices are more, but not a whole lot more! I know of a business that will send a masseuse to your house for the bargain price of $8 for 1 hour. I have a friend who regularly uses this service - why I haven't yet is beyond me...! One hour massages at most of the salons cost well under $20. The price varies by a couple dollars (or by thousands of rupiah I should say), but this price seems to be fairly standard. It's more expensive in the hotel spas, as you would expect, and quite a bit more in the Bali hotels (although still cheaper than in the US). My favorite place to go is just 5 minutes away from my house (one of the benefits) at Allure Spa. I like the treatment rooms, they smell good, there are showers and a sauna, a cafe if I'm lucky to have that much time, they give you ginger tea, and of course the massages are very good. This place is hit or miss with the massage therapists, so I only go there if I can get someone I like. The cost for 1.5 hour massage: 240,000 rp or about $20!

Manicures and pedicures are also popular here. The best thing about having them done here is that you can have it done simultaneously during another treatment, such as getting your hair done, getting a cream bath (more later) or a facial. Indonesia is a full service sort of place when it comes to spas! This is a fortunate thing here as with wearing sandals year-round your feet can get pretty messed up fairly quickly. Almost all the hair salons and spas do manis and pedis, and I often get them done somewhere close to home to cut down on time. But my favorite place to get them is a spa called Rangoon Feliz. They are one of the fastest places (somehow most places take 1.5 hours to do a pedi) and definitely have the best atmosphere - nice decor, open room overlooking a tropical garden and with the soothing sound of bubbling water. It's very peaceful.

A wonderful discovery I had upon arriving in Jakarta is this treatment called "cream bath". If I ever wanted to open a salon in the US I would definitely import this treatment. First you have your hair slowly washed and deep conditioned. While they leave the conditioner on you sit in a chair while they massage your head, neck, shoulders and upper back for about 1 hour. And remember that they do several treatments at once? So imagine sitting there with someone massaging your shoulders, while another woman is giving you a manicure, and a third woman is giving you a pedicure, while you sip ginger tea (or champagne!) overlooking a beautiful garden. It is amazingly ridiculous, and feels so wonderfully indulgent! And it only costs about $10!

My mother's and mother-in-law's favorite treatment here is the facial. When we moved here one of J's colleagues recommended a woman from Mil-n-Mat salon for facials. She told me she was the best in Jakarta so I never bothered to look anywhere else. For about $20, not only do you get a facial (using a European skin care product), but you also get a fantastically relaxing head and face massage. It usually lasts 1.5 hours and it is wonderful. My mom and J's mom both loved it and I suspect it is at the top of their to do list when/if they come back to Jakarta.

Reflexology is also very popular here and you can find reflexology spots in most malls and neighborhoods. I think they're very nice, although J wonders why anyone would subject themselves to that kind of torture and actually pay for it.

My latest discovery in the realm of self pampering is a "fish spa". This concept is an import originally from Turkey, and is becoming popular all over Asia. Basically, you sit with your feet in a pool of water where 100 or so Garra Rufa fish (also known as Dr. Fish species) nibble at your feet! It is by far one of the most bizarre sensations I've ever experienced. It didn't hurt in the least as they fish don't have any teeth, but it tickles and is just very odd. In the beginning I felt a bit hysterical having all these tiny fish nibble at my skin, but by the end of the 1/2 hour it did feel kind of good, and my skin felt nice and smooth afterwards. Evidently this treatment was historically used to treat some skin diseases, and now is also used for relaxation, exfoliation and to promote blood circulation. It was quite an experience that I'm glad I've had, but if I have time for a spa treatment I'd definitely prefer something else. Plus, at 120,000 rp ($10) for 1/2 hour it's actually on the expensive side. For anyone who is fairly ticklish on their feet, this would be pure torture.

Fish spa therapy

Our little Balinese dancer

A couple weekends ago was Chinese New Year, a fairly big holiday here in Jakarta due to the large population of Chinese Indonesians. As it was a 3 day weekend and we didn't do much for x-mas this year, we decided to take a long weekend and head to Bali. There isn't one perfect place in Bali, so when deciding which part of Bali to go to for this trip we had to decide what we really wanted...best culture, go to Ubud...best nightlife, go to Seminyak or Kuta...best place for quiet, beauty and relaxation, go to Nusa Dua. There are other areas of Bali too of course, like basically the entire island since all the above places are in the southern part of the island. We haven't yet ventured to the north or east parts of the island, which are also supposed to be wonderful. In any event, we decided to return to the first place we went to in Bali, to Nusa Dua (it's on the southeast corner). We wanted quiet, beauty, clean clear beaches, and an easy place to take the kids. Nusa Dua Beach Hotel was the perfect place.

Unfortunately I was recovering from a virus and was pretty miserable the first 24 hours or so. Our first full day there was also cloudy and rainy, and we didn't have many plans for rain, so we were a bit stuck. To fill the time we took walks and played at the playground, and for dinner we headed to the area mall. This is a bit sad, but with the rain there aren't a lot of options with kids. Thankfully the following morning was bright and sunny, and we headed straight to the water after breakfast. One thing we love about Nusa Dua are the clean beaches and calm water - perfect for kids! And as usual, the kids had a great time playing in the sand and C enjoyed getting in the ocean. LC, on the other hand, is still very hesitant about the idea of all that water, and water that moves and makes noise! He preferred to be held the entire time he was anywhere near the ocean. Both boys preferred the pool to the sea, so most of our water time was spent poolside. Nusa Dua has a beach pool, so the kids could play in the sand both outside of the water and inside the pool. They both loved this, especially LC. We love it too because for at least part of the time we parents could just sit back and watch them play in the water. C also had fun paddling around the pool with his floaties and jumping into the pool. LC of course had to copy C, so he was jumping in as well (big difference being we have to catch him).

For dinner that night we took a taxi over to Jimberan Bay, which is on the southwest side of the island. It's a great spot for watching the sun set, as it is a wide open beach with several restaurants that all have tables and chairs right on the beach to provide everyone with a front row seat. These restaurants serve fresh seafood, which you get to hand pick and they bbq for you. We came here with J's parents in Oct. '07, and we ended up at the exact same restaurant (our taxi driver picked it). When we arrived at the restaurant, C informed us that this is where his grandpa hurt his finger in the car door. Mind you, this happened 16 months earlier and we probably haven't mentioned it once since then. C's memory is unbelievable! Unfortunately the beach was far dirtier this time; it was filled with all kinds of trash. Other than that though, we had a nice time enjoying the beautiful sunset, salt air, and good fresh fish and prawns. There was also some Balinese dancers giving a performance at the restaurant. We just saw a bit before we had to leave, but LC was totally transfixed. Balinese dance is quite interesting. The dancers tell a story with their bodies as usual, but they also use their eyes a great deal. It's amazing how expressive they are with just their eyes. The dance is also unique due to the arm and hand movements, which remind me of Egyptian or Thai movements (if that helps at all...). Here below is a video I got off of YouTube.

We spent our last morning in Bali in the pool. J stayed in the room to pack and I took the boys to the pool. All I have to say is thank god for floaties! It makes a big difference with the ratio of 1 swimmer to 2 non-swimmers! From there we got ready and went to the airport and had another easy, non-eventful flight home (we love Air Asia, but some of our friends have had bad experiences with flight delays, etc. ). All in all another successful Bali trip!

This past weekend at home was much less interesting. One fun thing though is that LC started to dance a little differently. Every time we played music he would start doing this funny thing with his arms, almost like he was doing a jig. It took me a few days (duh!) but I finally realized that he was dancing like a Balinese dancer! So now our little 19 month old Bahasa Indonesia speaker can also dance Balinese!

Update: For the last 2+ weeks (since I wrote this post) I have been trying to take video of LC doing his Balinese dance. However, it seems I realized what he was doing too late...he hasn't done it again! And he won't do it. So sorry folks, I can't get my little Balinese dancer on film to demonstrate his wonderful dance...

School Days

My baby started school last week. My baby who isn't such a baby anymore is now going to C's school, to the Toddler class, and I can't quite believe it. The last year and one-half has really flown by. It seems like just yesterday we were in Singapore enjoying our temporary existance - J was far from work and on administrative leave, C was getting to play and do a lot of fun things and be with his dad a lot, and I was reveling in the honeymoon period of having a brand new sleeping baby and being blissfully high on hormones. And now he walks and talks and plays with all of C's toys, and goes to school.



Getting in the car on his first day of school...he couldn't wait long enough for me to take a photo!

I was with him part of last week and he definitely seems to enjoy it. How could he not being surrounded by loads of new toys and activities and children his own age?! He was a bit too impatient with circle time and had trouble sitting still (big surprise!), but otherwise he really did a good job. His teacher is Miss Ani, who was also C's teacher when he first started at this school. LC is only going 3 mornings/week, which is plenty for me right now. I have to admit I'm having a bit of separation anxiety myself... The house was so quiet this morning! I do welcome having 3 mornings/week completely child free, but it will also be an adjustment.

Having fun playing with all the new toys

Eating, one of his favorite activities, with his new friends

Developmentally LC continues to soar. Physically he is in the 95th percentile for weight, and 50th for height and head circumference. He doesn't seem to have quite the big noggen that C has, but close, and he certainly makes up for it everywhere else! He loves being active and trying to do everything that C does, including jumping from anything he can and running everywhere. Verbally he seems quite proficient, as he understands just about everything in both English and Bahasa Indonesia, and has quite a large oral vocabulary as well. He tells us to "sit here" and "go car" and the most recent additions to his vocabulary are octopus (octpus) and please - 2 good additions if you ask me! He's a bundle of joy and fun and is definitely the cutest 1 year old on the planet. He also might be the king of fits, but fortunately and thankfully they don't occur too terribly often.

So both my boys are in school. I can see why parents of older kids say that it goes by so fast - it feels that we're on a speeding train that will never slow down...

A new era

Yesterday (for me!) an estimated 1.5 million people braved the cold, crowds and long lines to witness first hand a most historical event in USA's history - the swearing in of its first African American president. While it doesn't matter to me what race Obama is, I do recognize the significance it bears and how greatly this shows just how far my nation has come. What matters more to me though is the end of the Bush era, the end of a leadership that was the most tyrannical, blind, selfish, narrow-minded, elitist, and hateful that I have ever had the misfortune of witnessing in America. There is very little that Bush did right, and the wrongs that he committed will take far longer to repair than was taken to make. But I have hope that at least some of those wrongs will be righted, and that today starts a new era filled with hope, light, fairness, inclusiveness, diplomacy, civility, and intelligence. I am not naive, I know that things will not be made perfect nor will it or can it be done quickly, nor is Obama my perfect ideal of who a president would be, but I do have hope and I do believe that he will do a lot of good in the next 4-8 years. Mostly, I am so happy to feel hope and to be positive about the direction our country is now going, rather than the despair and anger and frustration I have felt for 8 years. 8 years!

I had high expectations of watching the inauguration on tv. However, being 12 hours ahead of Wa, DC, and feeling quite sick all day, I couldn't make it past 10 and didn't see anything other than the first crowds and the long lines for the metro (subway). I would have liked to be there in person, but even if we still lived in DC I don't know that we would have gone. I suppose it would have depended on daycare first of all... There were parties here in Jakarta as well. There was a gala event at the Ritz Carlton hotel that was to broadcast the swearing in, and there was also a free event at the J.W. Marriott that was also going to broadcast the proceedings. That would have been fun. Instead our evening transpired like most do, and there was no cheering or fanfare. But I was there in spirit.

Finally - Congratulations President Obama! We welcome you to the privileged office of being the president of the USA, and are thankful that you do indeed view it as a privilege and not your right. Good luck to you, as you have a very, very tough road in front of you.

Finally...Cambodia

The peanut gallery is growing restless for this post, and since this gallery consists largely of my family I'd better listen up! You know though how much more daunting a task is when it's large...it's been difficult to get this post started. We spent an amazing week in Cambodia in October with J's parents, and we saw and did so much it's difficult to find the time to describe it all.

I am sensing I am becoming a bit too cavalier about the packing routine. "Oh, it's just 5 days in Asia...not a big deal. Yes, it's with 2 small kids and yes, it's an international trip, but it's just 5 days and it's a relatively short flight". Um, yeah. Well, you can probably guess that this arrogance was a hindrance when the day before we were leaving it took me hours to pack and I ended up forgetting quite a few necessities. Serves me right, I know.

The flight did go smoothly however. We changed planes in Singapore and had enough time to eat and let the kids romp. Singapore airport is a great airport. It isn't massive, but it has plenty of shopping and restaurants, as well as a kids play area. It is easy to find one's way and the growing familiarity is comforting. We met up with J's parents there. They were coming off of a massive Asia cruise (visit their website for details of their adventures) that conveniently ended in Singapore. They had already been to Indonesia to visit us so we thought it would be fun to go somewhere in Asia where we haven't all been. If you know J's parents and their love of travel, and you know our love of travel, you may guess that this doesn't leave us with a whole lot of options. It was between Cambodia and Malaysia and obviously Cambodia was the winner.

We flew directly from Singapore to Siem Reap, which is the nearest town to the Angkor temples. I found Siem Reap to be a surprisingly nice town - one that still holds some colonial romanticism while still being obviously Cambodian. From what I understand the town has grown exponentially in the last few years, filling up with numerous hotels to accommodate the growing number of tourists. I'm sure to frequent visitors the town is worse for wear because of it, but to me it didn't seem to have a bad effect. Or maybe I just wasn't there long enough. There were several good restaurant options, a nice new museum, some shopping, and it was easy to get around. All in all a good town. And this being our first stop in Cambodia, this is where we discovered how delicious Cambodian food is! We ate very well while we were there and I'm wondering if there's anywhere in Jakarta where I can find a Cambodian restaurant...

The highlight of this part of the trip, and really the whole trip, were the temples of Angkor. If you've heard of them, you probably heard they were amazing. And simply put, they are. There are some 1,000 different temples (all generally known as "Angkor Wat" or Angkor temples, but Angkor Wat is actually just one temple. Angkor is derived from Sanskrit and means city) which were built between the 9-13th centuries. The temples are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and are the #1 tourist destination in Cambodia.

The first thing I noticed about Cambodia was how nice their airports are. I suppose I was expecting them to be more like Indonesian airports (run-down and uncomfortable) because Cambodia isn't a rich Asian country, but instead they had wonderful style and were very clean and updated. The day we arrived we had little time left in the day to do anything other than make sure our hotel's room A/C was fixed (Cambodia is very hot and humid!) and go out to dinner. And this was fine with all of us as it had been a relatively long day (as traveling with 2 small kids can only be...) and we knew we had a big day ahead of us.

The next morning we started out relatively early in order to get a jump on the heat. We met up with our guide who would show us some of the temples over the following 2 days. We knew that 2 days only to see the Angkor temples was not nearly enough; however, we doubted that our kids' patience levels would last any longer. And, we weren't sure ours or J's parents' would either given the heat and humidity. In the end we were all satisfied with 2 days as we were able to see 6 major temples and our kids didn't hate us at the end of it.

Our first stop was the south gate of Angkor Thom, which means "the great city". It is an enclosure for the Bayon temple. The south gate is entered by way of a bridge with many statues lining the bridge on either side. The gate is enormous and beautiful, and it was brimming over with tourists. And while it was really gorgeous, we didn't stay long because it was so annoyingly full of tourists. So we walked through the gate and met up with our car on the other side, and headed off to our first major temple of the trip - Bayon.

The Bayon temple was built starting the end of the 12th century. It was built as a Buddhist temple and is famous for the faces on many of its towers and its abundant bas-reliefs. Bayon temple is impressive and amazing, and is a must-see for any visitor to Angkor temples. However, it was also the most taxing temple and the hottest - there were few opportunities for respite from the sun and there was quite a bit of climbing. There were also a lot of tourists, so it was very crowded. We also tried putting LC in the backpack carrier and unfortunately he wasn't a great fan. So between the heat, the physical exertion, the crabby kids and the equally annoying tourists, it was one of our least favorites. And this is a shame, because it is definitely considered to be one of the very best temples.

From the Bayon we walked a short distance to see another structure (the Royal Palace?) which we decided not to explore, and also the Terrace of the Elephants. This monument is a 360 meter long sandstone wall covered with reliefs of life-size elephants that date back to the end of the 12th century. We (just me and J's dad) didn't spend very much time here because the rest of the family was back in the air-conditioned van and we were growing jealous. So we took a fairly cursory stroll by the wall and then took sanction in the A/C as quickly as possible.

After a short drive we reached our next destination, Preah Khan temple. This ended up being one of my favorite temples, mostly because there were so few tourists there, there was a nice long shaded walk to get to the temple, and the light in and around the temple was amazing. Unfortunately the kids were restless by this point and weren't very interested in exploring the temple, but they were happy to sit outside, eat bananas and charm the Cambodians.

Preah Khan, which means the sacred sword, was built as a Buddhist temple, monastery and center of learning in the 12th century. It is a large complex of buildings and corridors and land. It is set deep in the forest and there were gorgeous old trees everywhere, and the light diffusing through the trees and into the corridors was mythical. The flooring was uneven and a bit treacherous for J's mom, so she stopped part way through and instead had a very pleasant conversation with a Cambodian man. J stayed back with the kids most of the time, so J's dad and I were left to explore the temple for the group. It took us a while, but it was well worth the journey.

After visiting Preah Khan we headed back to Siem Reap to grab lunch and a nap. The necessity to allow LC to have a nap every afternoon proved beneficial to all of us - the heat and humidity along with physical exertion tired us all out, and we all crashed in the afternoons.

Once we all recovered from the morning and were well fed and rested, we left for the piece de resistance - Angkor Wat itself. This magnificent temple must be considered the temple of temples, for it really is extraordinary. Angkor Wat, which means pagoda city, was built in the first half of the 12th century as a Hindu temple and is the largest complex at Angkor. For far more detail and photos, including a couple nice aerial shots, click here.

To reach Angkor Wat you have to cross a huge moat, which is really more like a lake. The immensity of the temple seen from across this "lake" is humbling. Once across the moat you enter through an opening in an enclosure that encompasses the entire complex. You then walk on a stone walkway for several hundred meters to the temple itself, which consists of a 3-tiered pyramid and central shine. There is much to describe when speaking of Angkor Wat - many beautiful bas-reliefs, tall stone towers, numerous causeways and steep stairs, beautiful light and shadows. However, it is a place to be felt, not described. The photos above may help you get a bit of that feel for it though, I hope.

(I am starting to loathe having to write this post, so I'm afraid I'm going to try to wrap this up quickly, which means I'm going to skim over the rest of the trip. Sorry, but I started this 1 month ago and now it's 2009 and time to write something else!)

Our second day of temples included a long drive out to Banteay Srei and Banteay Samre, and in the afternoon a visit to Ta Prohm. Banteay Srei was beautiful - red clay and intricate beautiful bas-reliefs in every nook and cranny and facade. Banteay Samre was the least interesting temple we visited; however, it was also the least populated so it was also beautifully quiet and serene. I checked it out quickly, but mostly my mother-in-law and I stayed outside with the kids and tried to relax from the heat.

Banteay Srei

Our final temple was the favorite of the group. It was amazing. This is the temple that was featured in Tomb Raider. There are huge trees growing through the roofs of the temples, and roots draping over the sides. It was also towards the end of the day and a storm was coming in, and the whole atmosphere felt otherworldly. It was built in 1186 but was not well maintained. As such over the centuries the surrounding forest moved back in and has taken root, literally. For me, the result gives it a far stronger spiritual presence and a feel unlike any of the other temples.

With our visit to Ta Prohm, our temple exploration came to a close. The following morning D and I fit in some more shopping to the market, and then in the afternoon we all left for Phnom Pehn. We arrived in the evening rush hour, and felt like we were back in Jakarta with the endless traffic and roar of motorcycles. We made it to our hotel and found that it was very centrally located, within walking distance of the Royal Palace and a row of nice restaurants. We filled our 2 full days in Phnom Phen with a visit to the Royal Palace, a tuk-tuk ride around the city, some more shopping, lots of walking, lunch at the Foreign Correspondents Club, and dinner at a wonderful tapas restaurant. We had a nice time in Cambodia's capital, but I wouldn't recommend it as a tourist stop. In retrospect I'd rather have spent those 2 days in Siem Reap or another place in Cambodia, or in Singapore.

Before bringing this post to a close, I want to talk a bit about the land mine victims and other victims of Pol Pot's regime. One of the main reasons to go to Cambodia is to learn more about this time, to go to the Killing Fields, etc. Unfortunately we weren't able to visit any of these historic places, as we were afraid that they would scare C. But we were still surrounded by some of the effects of this time period, by seeing limbless men and women trying to make a life, the poverty, the organizations that have popped up trying to provide these victims with aid. Many of the street musicians we saw were landmine victims, and there were many children roaming the temples and streets looking for handouts. Some of the shops we visited were organizations formed to employ mostly victims in order to provide them with a living. One of the shops we visited is part of the Tabitha Foundation. The site is: http://www.tabithastore.com/, and they had a huge selection of crafts for sale. Many of their products are made out of hand-made Cambodian silk, which is exquisite. Another Cambodian organization I've heard of is Riverkids, and they also have online shopping. Their site is http://riverkids.myshopify.com/ Please consider both organizations the next time you need to do some shopping.

And if you ever have the opportunity to visit the Angkor temples and this beautiful country with fantastic food, you should definitely take it!

Christmas in Indonesia - Top 10

Top 10 Reasons to love x-mas in Indonesia:

10. Low demand for x-mas hams

9. The ants take care of the cookies left out for Santa

8. Seriously low risk of Santa coming down a working chimney

7. You don't have to water a plastic x-mas tree

6. You can convince the kids that the minor earthquakes are really Santa's sleigh landing on the roof.

5. Hours of fun listening to Indonesians attempt to sing the word "Wenceslaus"

4. Mosquitoes don't just spread malaria; they also spread holiday cheer

3. Prayer call is still at 4:30 a.m., but the mosques blare Jingle Bell Rock

2. New this year: Bird flu-free egg nog

1. After the Hanukkah blow-out, x-mas is soooo mellow

(Courtesy of my husband)

Happy holidays!

Ho Ho Ho!!!

C has been so much fun this x-mas season. He's singing x-mas carols, talking about Santa daily, writing letters to Santa, counting down the days until x-mas, etc. He was excited for tonight, x-mas eve, to sing songs and leave cookies and carrots for Santa and the reindeer. And of course he is beyond excited for tomorrow morning (and J and I fear the early hour the morning may start).

I have a feeling with him that the Santa ruse won't last many years. He's already asking so many questions about Santa and x-mas eve - why does he go down the chimney? will he still come even though there's no snow? how does he fit all the presents into his sack? - that I guess he may figure it out early. I hope he doesn't, but he's too smart for his own good sometimes. I already think that next year we'll need to make sure to wrap Santa's presents in all different wrapping paper; I can just imagine him asking us how the gifts from Santa and his family are wrapped the same.

LC on the other hand doesn't have a clue. But I'm sure tomorrow morning he'll have a grand time ripping open the presents and playing with all the new toys. Unfortunately he has no patience whatsoever though so I'm imagining some temper tantrums as we wrestle with the god awful wrapping manufacturers cement their toys in.

And now J and I need to finish wrapping a few gifts, fill the stockings, and have a night cap.

Wishing you a lovely x-mas eve and a very merry x-mas (or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or whatever you may be celebrating this time of year)!