Day 4 - Bintan Island, Indonesia (22 July 2019)

We paid for the breakfast at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, and it was quite the upgrade!  It was a fantastic breakfast buffet that had fresh everything:  fruit, pasteries, cereal, omelets, etc. Tami made a comment that most counties eat the same sort of food for breakfast as the rest of the day. It was delicious!







After checking out, we loaded our bags on to the bus and drove to the ferry terminal...except after unloading, we found out it was the wrong one. 

So, we quickly loaded our luggage back on and drove to the correct ferry terminal on the other side of Singapore. The drive was beautiful, and we made it in time to drop our bags and go through security to get on the ferry.  The ferry ride only took 45 minutes before we docked in Indonesia!



















After dropping off our luggage at the beach cabana reception, we headed over to the main lodge for lunch. It was an enjoyable lunch and conversation.  While there, an afternoon thunderstorm rolled in and out. You could feel the thunder boom in your chest while the rain poured on the roof. Delightful!





















We gathered indoors after lunch to discuss the books we had chosen to read for the trip. I was in the group that talked about a school in Cambodia, and a brief history of the county. It was a good discussion!  

As this is an alumni trip, we all came together to discuss how we have utilized the information learned from the various Global Education Allies trips. It is pretty impressive to me how many educators have had such incredible experiences on three continents in the past five years. 

When that was completed, we walked over to the reception for the beach cabanas. They’re super cute! Tami and I got the one up a decent set of stairs, but the air conditioning was on when we walked in to drop off our bags and help cool us off for a few minutes. We are in the one with the red door and shutters. 













We gathered by the reception to load the bus for our resort pass. I wasn’t sure what we had signed up for, but we were broken in to teams and completed various fun activities!





















We were shown a shortcut back to the cabanas, where we freshened up and appreciated the air conditioning. About half our group then walked over to the main lodge for dinner, which was also delicious!  







We finished the night bowling, and it was really fun!  I had to put on my knee brace for it, but our team won by two pins!





We traipsed back through the woods to get to our cabanas for the night. 



Bintan Island, Indonesia is full of beauty and fun activities. The people are so friendly and helpful.  I don’t know what language they speak here, as there are so many languages in Indondesia. However, I did ask how you say ‘thank you’ and it’s pronounced something like, ‘Teh reema kah-see.’  So, I’ve said that about a hundred times and hoped for the best. 

Tomorrow we are doing water sports, spending time on the beach, and I’m wrapping it all up with a massage!  Can I get a hallelujah?!?


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