It's Time for a Tiger!

Beer – a beverage that transcends cultures, ignores borders, speaks all languages, and….tastes really good on a hot day.  

There are some things I miss from the US and can’t easily find in Singapore, but American beer is not one of them.   Though the price of beer is ridiculously high here, there are numerous regional brands from which to choose – as well as a wide variety from all around the world.  Heck, you can pick up a six pack of Budweiser at the grocery store (for $20) if you’re really homesick.

For me, I’ve tried to enjoy what is not readily available back in the US, and have discovered some new favorites such as Singha (Thailand), Asahi (Japan), San Miguel (Philippines) and Bintang (Indonesia), with the latter being my favorite…albeit not often available in Singapore.  There are also several micro-breweries on the island (two within walking distance from our home) and they offer a decent variety as well.

Asia Pacific Brewery, Singapore

But if you’re in Singapore, and I hope more of you will come visit us (hint), you have to drink Tiger beer.  It’s the national beer of Singapore, and though it’s not my favorite, it’s available everywhere and it’s cold – which is often more important than taste in a country this hot.  It’s been brewed right here in Singapore since the early 1930’s, and as the history enthusiasts (beer drinkers) that Jennifer and I are, we decided to pay a visit to the brewery.

The kids still had school while my company observed Deepavali, so this was an adult only trip, though the kids probably would have enjoyed it as well.  After booking our tour via the brewery’s online booking system on my iPad, Jennifer and I booked a cab via my iPhone and were on our way.  I mention the automated, mobile device laden process of getting to the brewery, because like everything else in Singapore, the brewery is ultra-efficient. 

Upon arriving, we completed registration and exchanged our government ID cards for a Tiger Brewery visitor pass.  My plans to get free beer for life through an undetected, untraceable “Strange Brew - mouse in the bottle maneuver” were thwarted right away!  Still, I looked forward to the tour and the 45-minute tasting session that would follow.  We were joined on the tour by only two other visitors, Brian and Clive from Australia.  Brian had been on this merry-go-round once or twice before, and was eager for the tasting.  Clive seemed more interested in the workings of the brewery.  We liked Brian.

The tour began with the history of the brewery, now part of the Asia Pacific Brewing Company, a joint venture between Heineken and Fraser and Neave.  We heard about the various brands produced by the Singapore brewery since 1932, including Tiger, Tiger Crystal, Anchor, Heineken, Baron’s Strong Brew and Archipelago – all would be available during the tasting.  Brian was happy.

We learned about the various awards the brewery and Tiger beer has received, and our guide shared some interesting stories about brewing during WWII, the changes that were made to the product, and how bottling changed during that time due to limited materials and resources available.  We were guided through several other exhibits displaying the malt, hops, water, and other ingredients used for the various brands, all with emphasis on high quality and purity. 

We had a quick stop to see the fermentation tanks, though it was rather uneventful as the tanks had recently been emptied and were being cleaned before the next batch was started.  Still, it was amazing to see all the automation in the brewery and to hear that less than 300 employees managed the 24/7 operation of brewing, quality control, bottling and packaging.  The emphasis was clearly on investing in quality ingredients and rigorous quality control, and automating the rest of the process.   As expected, the place was spotless and looked practically brand new even after years of production.

Pouring a perfect Tiger

After a brief video that described the bottling operation (starring our favorite video tour guide, Fred) I got a chance to learn how to pour a perfect Tiger beer.  Apparently, very few Singaporeans have ever tapped a keg or poured their own beer from one (probably because a keg has to cost at least $1,000 in this country!).  I received high marks in the eyes of our tour guide during my turn.  Afterwards, ahhh, my first taste of Tiger direct from the brewery.

At this point, we were free to take a look around at some other exhibits displaying the brewery’s history, awards, old school brewing equipment, etc. – and I whooped Jennifer’s butt in a table top game of “spot the faulty beer bottle”….twice.  A few minutes later we were escorted to the “Tiger Tavern” and the opportunity to taste a variety of Asia Pacific Brewery beers, as well as other beers and ciders from around the world.  Brian smiled.

Tiger Tavern

The Tiger Tavern was really pretty cool.  Think Irish pub in the tropics.  Leather seating, a dark wood bar, a pool table and a dart board provided the Irish feel, while multi-lingual signs and photos of several local golf courses with swaying palms made sure you didn’t forget where you were on the globe and just how hot it was outside.  We sampled a little bit of everything including each of the beers brewed onsite, as well as a few others that were brewed elsewhere and that I had never tried before.  We also had a very enjoyable conversation with Brian and Clive, learning about their travels and recommendations both in Australia and the rest of South East Asia.

At the end of the tour and tasting, we stopped by the Tiger Den, a small shop loaded with Tiger Beer paraphanalia.  Don’t be surprised if a few of you find something under your Christmas tree this year from “the den”.

Though I still prefer a bottle of Bintang, Asahi Superdry, or even a can of San Miguel Light over a Tiger, I did thoroughly enjoy our visit to the Tiger Brewery and have somewhat of a new appreciation for it.  For those of you who visit, rest assured there will be a cold one waiting for you in the fridge and this tour will be among several experiences we hope to share with you to get a “taste” of Singapore.

A Tale of Two Field Trips

Since I am probably feeling just a tad guilty for being unable to go almost anywhere with my children for two months (if you're new to this blog, read this), I signed up as a chaperone for both of their recent field trips.   (Note:  A gecko just ran across the wall as I'm typing this!) 

So bright and early last Monday morning, I headed to the school to join Sophia and her 4th grade class on a trip to the Marina Barrage.  STOP...back up...Monday morning?  I don't even schedule a hair appointment on a Monday morning.  Even if we we have to eat cereal with water for dinner, I'm not going to the grocery store on a Monday.  Yes, yes, yes, I know Jason has to go to work, but let's face it - I'm useless on Mondays.  Putting on make-up and having to converse with 9 and 10 year-olds who are not mine is not on my to-do list.  However, watching the Vampire Diaries is.

Anyway, I got to the school and found a cozy spot in the outdoor "Parent Cafe" to sit and *wake the heck up* with a latte.  I've given up daily coffee here because I refuse to pay for it, so this plan actually worked! Forty-five minutes and some friendly conversation with another chaperone later and we we headed up to the classroom.  Sophia's teacher, Mr. Wood, then spent some time explaining the field trip.  The children were to bring their iPads, take pictures and notes and then later use the information to answer some questions.  Techonology in action!

So a short bus ride later we arrived at the Marina Barrage.  The Marina Barrage is a dam built at the confluence of five rivers and is Singapore's 15th reservoir. It provides water storage, flood control and recreation attractions.  It is also a popular place to fly kites!  The students had been studying how the distribution of resources affects communities, so this fit in nicely with the unit.  The facility really is impressive.  It includes huge outdoor spaces (with great city views), fountains for the kids, an art trail and a high-tech "Sustainable Gallery", which showcases the country's efforts to become environmentally sustainable.  Our tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly and he took the classes (two came, the other two were going another day) on a one-hour tour.

The tour guide discussing sustainability.

Sophia's friend, Saga, thanking the tour guide for the class.

The kids were very well-behaved and seemed to be interested in the tour.  Shockingly, not one iPad ended up in the reservoir.  Or was used as a weapon.  I did, however, catch one sneaky kid playing a game on his while the guide was talking.  Nice try though.  And I had to tell another one about 15 times to lower his voice.  The Jennifer you know (and hopefully love) is still alive and well. 

Today was Cooper's field trip (Thursday!!).  The day started out the same (Parent Cafe...latte to wake up), but the destination was different.  This time the buses (all five second grade classes attended this) headed to Changi Beach for clean-up duty.  Each grade has a volunteer project and the second grade will be doing three beach clean-ups throughout the year.  Armed with gloves and trash bags, the little ones set about to pick up "anything they could identify that wasn't broken glass".  I was hoping they wouldn't happen upon some used syringes, but we're not at the Jersey Shore circa 1988 so I felt pretty confident. On the other hand, it is the largest container port in the world, so just about anything else *does* wash up.  This particular beach was not one where you'd want to swim.  I was a little mortified that this didn't stop a few locals. 

Large container ship floating by!

Mrs. Roth's second grade class

It was hot.  Crazy hot.  Hotter than it's been in weeks.  But we did our duties, had a snack, spent a few minutes on the playground and headed home.  Again, the children were very well-behaved.  Judging from the bags, some kids were definitely more into the task than others.  One cute little girl had spotted some garbage in the water that she was patiently waiting to wash up to retrieve.  Right before we left she was delighted to find it had made its way to the shoreline.  The *weirdest* things we saw were these sea creatures that looked like centipedes (see picture - and they were everywhere!).  If anyone knows what they are, please tell me!

Overall, I loved my time with the kids.   I hadn't spent any time in either classroom this year, so it was important to me to get to know their friends and teachers.  I was very impressed with how both teachers kept the classes organized and under control.  The biggest difference between the trips was the bus ride. Cooper couldn't wait to sit with me and gave me multiple kisses on the way. Sophia sat as far away as possible. Oh the heartache! Guess my little girl is getting too cool for mom.

Okay, Cooper just walked in the door from school with a big smile on his face and said, "I think you're the best mommy a boy could ever have.  I love when you go on field trips with me."  Okay, sign me up for the next one.  Even if it's on a Monday morning.

Family Friendly Cliff Jumping at Ariel's Point, Philippines

You'd think a rickety boat, rocky ocean cliffs, an open bar and two young kids would be a recipe for disaster, right?  Well, our family day trip to Ariel's Point in the Philippines, and its ocean jumping platforms, was anything but.  In fact, it became the highlight of our vacation.

We had read about this "eco-adventure destination" a few weeks before our trip to Boracay, but with kids aged 7 and 9,  we weren't sure it was an appropriate attraction for us.   After all, Boracay itself offers multiple soft sand beaches, crystal clear waters, and more fruity boat drinks than you could imagine.  It's famed "White Beach" has consistently been rated among the top beach destination in the world and is crawling with locals peddling everything from shell necklaces and knock-off sunglasses to island hopping and other water activities - most of which don't require you to sign an insurance waiver.

After thoroughly enjoying the powdery sands and blue waters of White Beach for several days, we decided to check out Ariel's Point to make our experience in the Philippines complete.  I mean, why not?  When's the next time I'll be in the Philippines with an opportunity to jump from a rocky cliff into the blue waters of the Philippine Sea?

Getting There:
Once you've travelled to Boracay itself, getting to Ariel's Point is a piece of cake...though I dare say the boat trip to and (especially) back from Ariel's point is one of the highlights of the adventure.

After paying 1500 pesos per person (about USD $35) at Ariel's House Beach Bar on White Beach, we made our way toward an "interesting" looking wooden boat anchored just off the beach at Station 1.  There, our adventure began as we carried towels, cameras, and a change of clothes over our heads, through chest-high water to board the boat.  Moments later, the engines started, the bar opened and we were on our way.  (Note:  Jennifer dropped her iPhone in the water and it still works perfectly!)

There were approximately 50 other passengers on the boat - a very diverse slice of humanity - and everyone was extremely friendly, engaging and ready for a great time.  We all joked about the suspect sea-worthiness of our transportation and bonded over the rum and San Miguel that was liberally available onboard.

Leaving the busy waters of White Beach behind, we cruised along the coastline of a region call Buruanga, part of an island just south of Boracay.  The scenery was amazing with small huts and a few private homes dotting the jungle cliffs and beaches at the water's edge.  Once we reached Ariel's Point we all hopped off, following a set of very safe, well defined stairs that took us through a small cave and to the main diving and sunbathing platforms.   (Travel note:  Cameras, phones, dry clothes etc. can get wet boarding the boat.  Don't ruin your day with a broken camera or phone - leave it at home or be prepared to hold your valuables up out of the water as you get on and off)

Activities:

After getting settled and finding a place to sit and call "home" for the day, the Ariel's Point staff gave a few safety instructions, pointed out the bar, diving platforms, ocean kayaks, snorkle gear, the bar agai, and announced what time lunch would be served.  (Did I forget to mention the approximately $35 we paid per person included the boat ride, BBQ lunch, open bar, and all water activities?) 

Ariel's Point is surrounded by beautiful blue waters teeming with fish, has a secluded white beach just around the corner, and ocean kayaks, snorkel gear, and sunbathing lounge chairs are available at no charge.  I'd love to provide some perspective on these activities, but for us, the entire day was consumed by dives from the five platforms (ok, we only actually jumped from three of them).

So let's get to it!  Shortly after getting settled, the baking, mid-day sun made it prime time to make the first jump of the day.  First off, I was pleasantly surprised to see at least two lifeguards in the water below the diving platforms at all times.  Although our kids are both pretty strong swimmers, and have proven they are comfortable jumping into the ocean from a decent height (see Batu Batu post) it was great to see that Ariel's Point takes safety seriously.

But really, don't even think about safety before you jump - just go!  After waiting in a short line, I took the first plunge off the lowest of the platforms - about 10 feet - followed somewhat reluctantly by my 7 year-old son, Cooper.   My 9 year-old daughter, Sophia, was a little more scared to jump but after several attempts, she too let go and plunged into the water.  After that, the two laughed, splashed, and jumped again and again for the rest of the day.

There are five platforms at Ariel's Point, ranging from about 3 meters to 15 meters in height.  Personally, I worked my way from the 3 meter platform, to the 4 meter platform, and eventually to the 6 meter platform.  The 8 meter and 15 meter platforms, however, simply loomed too large for me.  It doesn't sound that high, right....well, stand on the 6 meter board and look up at the 15 meter....then tell me what you think.

Food & Drink:

About an hour after arriving, lunch was served consisting of BBQ chicken, pork, fish, pasta, fruit, rice, and a number of other local Filipino favorites.   In very informal fashion, the food was served buffet style on a set of wooden tables.  After paying only $35 USD for the full day, we weren't expecting much by way of quantity or quality, but we were not disappointed.  The chicken and fish were delicious, as was the selection of fruit.  Even the kids, who don't always love "non-western" style dishes really enjoyed the BBQ lunch.

And of course - the drinks.  Water, soda and fruit drinks were available for both kids and adults - literally as soon as the engine turned on at White Beach and not stopping until we arrived back at White Beach 6 hours later.  Rum and San Miguel were even more abundantly available for the adults.  Everything in moderation, right?

Closing Time:
Like all good things, our day at Ariel's Point came to an end.  As we began to gather our belongings and head to the boat, the sky opened up and it began to rain.  While this may sound like a disappointing end to the day, it was actually the beginning of a very memorable, fun ride back to Boracay.  After navigating the cave, some waves, and the plank back to the boat, we saw a beautiful rainbow fill the sky over Ariel's Point as we took our seats on the boat.

With all passengers and crew accounted for, the engine started and the bar opened.  The 50 or so passengers, now bonding over the experience of jumping into the Philippine Sea, ordered drinks for one another, laughed, shared stories, and took pictures.  The kids on board (four total) were all smiles as well, full of pride from overcoming some fear and enjoying the jumps into the ocean themselves.
As the boat sailed farther away from Ariel's Point, the sun began to set and the group of "20 somethings" on the upper deck came to life.  An impropmtu game of "spin the bottle of rum" broke out, only occasionally interupted by a dance-off to "Gangnam Style". 

Upon reaching White Beach 30 minutes later, everyone hopped off - no longer very concerned about getting their belongings a little wet in the process.  At this point, the sun was pretty low in the sky, and we headed to one of our favorite little restaurants for some dinner and to watch the sunset.  With this view, need I say anything more?

My last word of advice...if you're planning a trip to Boracay, I highly recommend you book a visit to Ariel's Point early in your trip.  After a day of excitement, exhilaration, and meeting new people, you may want to go more than once!

For more information, visit the Ariel's Point website.

Birthday Party - Singapore Style

I'm just going to start by saying this. Yesterday was the best day ever.

Most of you know that I detest children's birthday parties.  I always joke that if (when) I go to hell, I'll be stuck at at birthday party with a bottle of wine but no corkscrew.  The mere mention of "Chuck E. Cheese" makes me break out in hives.  Well I can safely say that I now detest MOST children's birthday parties, but certainly not all.

Sophia was invited to a birthday party for her best friend, Saga, at the Mana Mana Beach Club in East Coast Park. We had never been over to the East Coast so had no idea what to expect. We also didn't know whether we should just drop her off, or stay at the party. We had planned to hang out with a friend of Cooper's (who had a sister invited to the party) but ended up with the best of all worlds.

Saga's parents, Pete and Liisa (that is not a typo, she is Finnish), were fabulously gracious hosts and had a table for the parents who wanted to stay, complete with a steady stream of your favorite beverage. That, combined with the great conversation and tropical beach backdrop made for an unforgettable day.



Those are the girls out there!

The theme of the party was sailing - Saga takes weekly sailing lessons at the club and wanted to share her knowledge with her closest friends. (Note: Saga's 12 year-old sister, Astrid, was also celebrating her birthday as well.) The girls took out the sailboats, two to a boat, and luckily my slightly apprehensive daughter was paired with Saga the pro. Watching them was awesome, out there sailing around, and sometimes being capsized and getting the boat turned right again. Sophia loved it, and of course asked for lessons afterwards. While this was going on, Cooper and his friend Daiki were running around the beach trying to split coconuts by banging them against trees (no dice).  Those two could definitely tour as a comedy team.

 

Where the parents hung out

 

Sophia and her friend Momoko

 

After the requisite cupcakes and singing, the girls also played for quite a while in the beach club pool.  I must admit I witnessed some impressive backdives!  The party ended at 3pm, but only for some.  Anyone was welcome to stay longer, but it ended up being Pete, Liisa, Jason and me (of course) sitting and chatting for four more hours.  Cooper, who didn’t have a bathing suit, decided to go swimming in his shorts, and the girls took the sailboats out some more.   

Random wedding, they welcomed all us strangers!

The environment at the beach club is just great.  It was casual and comfortable, with all kinds of families hanging out, kids playing in the sand, boogie boarding etc.  As we were leaving, a wedding had just begun, and we were taking pictures like they were our friends or family.  I have to admit it was quite heartwarming (you know I’m a softie). 

But the true reason it was the best day ever was meeting new friends who after one day already feel like old friends.  In fact, Saga ended up sleeping over and we met Pete and Liisa this afternoon in Little India for some shopping.  Our afternoon there will be the subject of the next post!  Stay tuned…

For more information on the Mana Mana Beach Club, visit their website at ttp://www.manamana.com/

Sun was starting to set

 

Saga, Sophia and Milo the Portuguese Water Dog

 

Cooper and Milo (Saga's dog) - Cooper was wearing Jason's new board shorts since his were all wet!

Cooper had a long day!

 

 

Fall Break in Boracay

Well, well, well....it's been awhile.  A whole month without posts!  I guess that's what happens when you break your leg in two places and can't go anywhere to write about.  Have no fear, the drought it over.

Still limping around, I accompanied my family to Boracay Island in the Philippines for the October school fall break.  I was in no way full strength, but I pretended I was, so enough about that. 

The Philippines is an archipelago comprised of 7,107 islands (I know!) and is the 12th most populated country in the world. Nestled among that crazy number of islands is Travel and Leisure Magazine's 2012 pick for the #1 island in the world, Boracay.  Boracay is about 4.5 miles long and just over a half-mile wide at it's narrowest point. Most people think of Boracay as a party beach for the 20-something set (Google "party beach" and you will see!) but trust me, families can have lots of fun here too.

I will be honest. Getting there feels like you're starring in "Planes, Trains and Automobiles", except it would be titled "Planes, Boats, Buses, and Taxis".  We left Singapore at 10:30am on a Sunday, flew  to Manila, then connected to Kalibo, another island.  We then hooked up with our transportation tour company, Southwest Tours Boracay, Inc, and they shuffled us and about twenty other tourists to a chartered bus. Including a 15-minute restroom stop (where beer and snacks were also sold - bonus!), the trip was about 1.5 hours. A 10-minute boat ride was next, and we were on the island of Boracay (finally!). One last open air taxi with another lucky couple and we were dropped off in a dark alleyway with our luggage. Price note: the entire round-trip transportation to and from the airport cost our family $75USD total. Crazy cheap!

We were a little apprehensive while walking down the alley to our hotel, but all anxiety went out the window when we came to the entrance.  It was a quaint, stone-lined path with flowers hanging from the roof, with the most friendly staff imaginable awaiting us at the other end.  Our hotel (small resort) was called 7Stones Boracay, and is located on Bulabog Beach.  Bulabog is on the opposite side of White Beach, the most famous Boracay attraction.  Only a five-minute walk from White Beach, Bulabog is known worldwide as a kitesurfing beach due it's breezy nature.  The sea is also not great for swimming there due to the seaweed, but that's where the negatives end.  Trust me, White Beach is great for the day, but when you have a family and need to relax, it is nice to come back to the 7Stones sanctuary!  There was a great pool in the middle of the complex, hammocks and lounge chairs on the beach, a pool bar and a FABULOUS little restaurant. 

We ate breakfast every day at the on-site restaurant, called the 7Note Cafe.  Most days they offered a great brunch, and on less occupied days, they still offered the a la carte menu.  The prices here were very reasonable too, well....anything is reasonable compared to Singapore!  Our friendly bartender, Jovet, suggested we sign up for the "romantic dinner", which while sounding cheesy, was a great deal for a 5-course meal at $95 (all prices quoted are USD), *including* a bottle of wine!  Seriously, I was giddy when I heard this.  So we signed up.  Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate, so we had to move it from the beach to (at Jovet's suggestion) an unoccupied room across from ours so we didn't have to eat with the kids!  They had it set up with all lantern light, flowers etc. and Jovet had the kids come over midway through to give me the roses that Jason had thought to buy.  Cheesy - yes.  Totally enjoyable - yes.

The rooms were great here too.  We had a suite, which was a regular room with two double beds connected with a suite with a bedroom, living room, kitchen and veranda.  All for less than $200 a night.  I swear if it wasn't so hard to get here, we'd be back over and over again. 

More important than the rooms or prices, though, the staff was the best part of the resort.  As I said, Jovet was awesome.  Flor, Ed, Jay... we were on a first name basis with almost everyone.  The last night, Flor actually stopped by to say goodbye since she thought she would miss us the next day.  You do not get service like this in the United States.  The last day we also met the owners of the resort, a lovely Canadian couple.  They asked us AND our kids what could be improved, and we helped select new paint colors for the restaurant! 

Okay, enough about the hotel. 

So walking between our hotel and White Beach was interesting...lots of chickens.  And unfortunately, lots of poverty.  This isn't a place where the resorts are separated from the locals.  It's all integrated, which I was thankful for.  It is important to me for the kids to see how most of the world lives, and they definitely got a dose of that here.  The funny part of this is that one day, actually it was Wednesday, the chicken squawking almost stopped.  I think Tuesday night is chicken dinner night.

So most days we wandered over to White Beach.  On the first day we were a little displaced, as we had a stack of hotel towels but nowhere to call home or find shade.  So we holed up at the Red Coconut Beach Hotel, striking a deal with friendly servers Rodele and Rodolfo.  If we ordered food and/or drinks we could use their beachfront lounge chairs.  DEAL!  And this happened every.single.day.  Their bartenders were also obsessed with "Gangnam Style" and had a pretty funny routine down. 

 

 

While at White Beach, we decided to do one activity a day, mostly watersports.  The first day, we did a family banana boat ride.  Holy crap.  I thought I was going to get thrown off, which means I was sure the kids were.  It was fun, but FAST.  And a little scary.  But of course I'd do it again.  The next day we went parasailing.  Cooper was in heaven.  He said "this is the best day of my life", and "I wish we could stay up here all day".  I am pretty sure this was his superhero dreams coming to fruition - he was finally flying!  Sophia loved the parasailing, but isn't a fan of choppy boat rides.  But all in all, a very successful day.  The following day, Jason took a kitesurfing lesson, and then complained about the pain for two weeks. To his credit, it did look really, really hard. 


 

 

Besides White Beach, the other popular beach in Boracay is Puka Shell Beach.  About a 20-minute tricycle ride away (about $4), it is a much less populated beach with some souvenir stalls and a restaurant.  We brought some lunch, a blanket and relaxed until the afternoon rainstorm drove us out.  The kids found a rope swing which of course provided much entertainment. 

 

You may wonder, "what is a tricycle?"  It is pretty much the only mode of transportation on the island.  It is a motorbike with an attached sidecar, and they are EVERYWHERE.  (see pic above)

On Friday, we went cliff jumping at Ariel's Point, but Jason is writing a separate post on that, because it *deserves* it's own post.  That was one crazy day!

Lastly, we did the "Zorb".  It's a huge plastic ball with water in the middle.  You get in and they roll you down a hill.  Yes, it was hilarious.  It was also at the golf course there, which was a gorgeous backdrop. 

Truly the best part of the vacation was the people though.  I think most people in Southeast Asia have been really, really nice, but I admit to a soft spot in my heart for the Filipino people.  One night, Sophia and Cooper were playing outside our hotel and some local kids walked by.  Five minutes later, they were all racing up and down the beach (one boy seriously might be in the Olympics someday...).  It just doesn't get better than that.