G'day mates ! We couldn't resist :) Wow what a difference a day makes. One of the greatest gifts of traveling is the people you meet. While in Ubud at a Kecuck dance show we met Amanda from Australia. We shared dessert, dinner, a few monkey stories and her driver. Next thing we knew Amanda and Pete were picking us up from the airport, excited to show us around their home in North Curl Curl Beach, a short ferry ride from Sydney. We spent three days at their lovely home, where we so thoroughly enjoyed meeting their crew, Pete's mom Helen, son Nick, daughter Phoebe, boyfriend Matt and their "cheeky" grandson Marlon. Throw in a few friends, Brent and Mel, delicious home cooking, including steak on the barbie and we felt right at home. They took us to the northern most point in Sydney, we visited a national park and ate the best fish & chips at Pete's favorite lunch spot. From Amanda's house we took the ferry into the city, the perfect way to see Sydney for the first time. It's all right there in front of you, the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, skyline surrounded by water. We were a bit awestruck by the shear beauty, but no worries mates we got over it once we saw the prices. It's nice to report Sydney's economy is robust and flourishing. Highlights included a tour of the Opera House and our very first opera, walking across the Harbour Bridge, since we couldn't afford to walk on top and the Sydney Tower, couldn't afford the Sky Walk, but it looked great from the street. Loved the Royal Botanic Gardens & Art Gallery of NSW (New South Whales), Hyde Park, the Domain, Bondi Beach and the Fish Market, all FREE. What we really enjoyed was being on the water and taking the Ferry's to all the different neighborhoods and talking to the locals. The Aussie's truly are a friendly bunch. Now Mike can finally tell the difference between an Australian and British accent.
One side note to report. We survived an earthquake, 5.2 on the Richter scale in Bali and a dust storm in Sydney that turned the city red, sky orange and virtually shut everything down for a few hours. We're hoping not to encounter a Tsunami.
Shout Out Time;
- An, before you know it you will be in the blog and not reading about it. Can't wait to see you in Thailand. The Thai are known for their massage. Get ready!
- Wayan aka: Sharon, Maday aka: Michele and Momma aka: aunt Carol glad you're enjoying our stories.
- Liz & Rick, if you liked the monkey story you should have seen Mike wrestling with a surf board in Bali.
-Jan, your always our first responder. We can see you smiling as you read the blog, your beautiful notes always make Carin cry.
- J & H, love ya, miss ya, can't wait to kiss ya.
- A special shout out to our new friends Amanda & Pete. Save your money and we'll see you in Colorado.
KEEP THE COMMENTS COMING. We love hearing from you all.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
24 .... AND A LITTLE BIT MORE
A HUGE shout out to our little Jess on her birthday. As you begin your 24th year we are in awe of the wise little Buddha you have become. We left Rich and Hannah with specific instructions to shower you with tons of hugs and kisses. May your day be joyful and filled with laughter. We miss and love you so much.
A few stories as we sadly finish our travels through Indonesia;
In the small village of Tirta Gangga (Water of the Ganges) we met a young man busing tables at the Good Karma Cafe. His true love is taking travelers trekking through the rice terraces and villages that grace this part of east Bali. Like every hike it started with a steep ascent up a million steps to the most amazing view of green and lush rice fields that seem to stretch as far as the ocean . Komang, who goes by John, which sounded like Kong, knew everything about the plants, fruit and the people. He pointed out tiny red pineapples growing on the side of the walking path. There was coffee beans and cacao plants everywhere. Giant Jackfruit, some covered in bags so the birds wouldn't eat them, were twenty meters high in the trees. John showed us the ginger tree, snake fruit, (the skin looks like the outside of a snake hence the name), mangoes and pumpkins growing on trees ( yes that's right). Chickens, roosters and of course dogs ran about the paths. As we walked and talked, he shared with us his concerns for the very poor, elderly people living in the mountain villages, like the one he still lives in. There is no medical or financial assistance (ie. social security) in Indonesia. It seems to be left to the family to take care of their elders. In many cases these people have no family, therefore no assistance. John not only gives 30% of his earnings from trekking but tries to educate fellow guides and travelers to the challenges these people face. We saw it first hand when we stopped in a little village and met an 89 year old woman, partially blind and carrying a bucket of water on her head. She had just come from the river. Her hut, approximately 8' x 9' consisted of a makeshift bed, a small cooking area and a pot filled with rice, enough for two meals hanging on the wall. There is no indoor plumbing or electricity. With donations from travelers and his own money he provides her some food, medication, transportation to the doctors and anything else that she might need. There she stood bare feet, water on her head and the most beautiful smile, we felt privileged and touched at the same time. The human spirit is amazing. Sometimes it takes stepping into someone elses world to realize it. Spending this time with Komang and helping to support his "charity" was a gift.
Something else that we love about Bali is the name system. It's real easy because they only use
4 names, the same for boys and girls, Wayung, Maday, Komang & Ketut, in the order that they were born and then it repeats. This was a blessing for Mike because he always had a
1 in 4 chance of getting it right. (Not so good with remembering names) The only problem is if you're in a crowd you might get 20 Wayung's answering at the same time. They all have these American nicknames like Eddie, John, Eric .. which we found to be very funny.
We took a 10 hour trip to Meno Island, which could have taken 5 hours but Mike folded under the relentless sales pressure and bought the slow ferry, slow bus and slow boat ticket. Carin had to really let this one go as she was not feeling well, hot and hungry. She had plenty of time to let it pass on the white sandy beaches of the quietest of the Gili Islands off the coast of Lombok. No cars, no scooters no one older than 30 and no electricity half the time, but great snorkeling. Yes snorkeling again. Lovely and restful. Carin booked the trip back, much better!
Back to Ubud to finish eating in the restaurants we missed the first time, see another Balinese dance show, a little last minute shopping, motor biking and relaxing (yoga & meditation) at the Ubud Sari Health Resort. This was all in preparation for more relaxing at our final destination, the beaches of Seminyak in south Bali, where the beach is big and the waves are awsome.
A few "small" shout outs;
- Congrats to Corinne & Garrison on tying the knot.
- Doug, Thanks for telling me about your crazy brother after the fact. Anything else I should know?
- Britt, School first blog second.
- Mom & Joe, The place were staying right now reminds us of the Club. We keep looking around for Koko.
- Love Me aka Karen, Thanks for keeping mom part of our trip. Please get her on the Internet so she can see the pictures. Judy and Joe are willing to help.
-Ivi, We have resurfaced. Congrats to Michael the Bar Mitzvah boy or should we say man! Loved seeing all of you in the pics.
And last but not least Hannah - Your e mails and phone calls are such a source of happiness to us. Keep working on your booty pop.
A few stories as we sadly finish our travels through Indonesia;
In the small village of Tirta Gangga (Water of the Ganges) we met a young man busing tables at the Good Karma Cafe. His true love is taking travelers trekking through the rice terraces and villages that grace this part of east Bali. Like every hike it started with a steep ascent up a million steps to the most amazing view of green and lush rice fields that seem to stretch as far as the ocean . Komang, who goes by John, which sounded like Kong, knew everything about the plants, fruit and the people. He pointed out tiny red pineapples growing on the side of the walking path. There was coffee beans and cacao plants everywhere. Giant Jackfruit, some covered in bags so the birds wouldn't eat them, were twenty meters high in the trees. John showed us the ginger tree, snake fruit, (the skin looks like the outside of a snake hence the name), mangoes and pumpkins growing on trees ( yes that's right). Chickens, roosters and of course dogs ran about the paths. As we walked and talked, he shared with us his concerns for the very poor, elderly people living in the mountain villages, like the one he still lives in. There is no medical or financial assistance (ie. social security) in Indonesia. It seems to be left to the family to take care of their elders. In many cases these people have no family, therefore no assistance. John not only gives 30% of his earnings from trekking but tries to educate fellow guides and travelers to the challenges these people face. We saw it first hand when we stopped in a little village and met an 89 year old woman, partially blind and carrying a bucket of water on her head. She had just come from the river. Her hut, approximately 8' x 9' consisted of a makeshift bed, a small cooking area and a pot filled with rice, enough for two meals hanging on the wall. There is no indoor plumbing or electricity. With donations from travelers and his own money he provides her some food, medication, transportation to the doctors and anything else that she might need. There she stood bare feet, water on her head and the most beautiful smile, we felt privileged and touched at the same time. The human spirit is amazing. Sometimes it takes stepping into someone elses world to realize it. Spending this time with Komang and helping to support his "charity" was a gift.
Something else that we love about Bali is the name system. It's real easy because they only use
4 names, the same for boys and girls, Wayung, Maday, Komang & Ketut, in the order that they were born and then it repeats. This was a blessing for Mike because he always had a
1 in 4 chance of getting it right. (Not so good with remembering names) The only problem is if you're in a crowd you might get 20 Wayung's answering at the same time. They all have these American nicknames like Eddie, John, Eric .. which we found to be very funny.
We took a 10 hour trip to Meno Island, which could have taken 5 hours but Mike folded under the relentless sales pressure and bought the slow ferry, slow bus and slow boat ticket. Carin had to really let this one go as she was not feeling well, hot and hungry. She had plenty of time to let it pass on the white sandy beaches of the quietest of the Gili Islands off the coast of Lombok. No cars, no scooters no one older than 30 and no electricity half the time, but great snorkeling. Yes snorkeling again. Lovely and restful. Carin booked the trip back, much better!
Back to Ubud to finish eating in the restaurants we missed the first time, see another Balinese dance show, a little last minute shopping, motor biking and relaxing (yoga & meditation) at the Ubud Sari Health Resort. This was all in preparation for more relaxing at our final destination, the beaches of Seminyak in south Bali, where the beach is big and the waves are awsome.
A few "small" shout outs;
- Congrats to Corinne & Garrison on tying the knot.
- Doug, Thanks for telling me about your crazy brother after the fact. Anything else I should know?
- Britt, School first blog second.
- Mom & Joe, The place were staying right now reminds us of the Club. We keep looking around for Koko.
- Love Me aka Karen, Thanks for keeping mom part of our trip. Please get her on the Internet so she can see the pictures. Judy and Joe are willing to help.
-Ivi, We have resurfaced. Congrats to Michael the Bar Mitzvah boy or should we say man! Loved seeing all of you in the pics.
And last but not least Hannah - Your e mails and phone calls are such a source of happiness to us. Keep working on your booty pop.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
BITTERSWEET
Rachel believed that everyone has a creative side. Maybe that's why Ubud reminds us so much of her. This small city in the central mountains of Bali is an expression of art and beauty. Painters, woodcarvers, silversmiths, bead makers, sculptors and weavers line the streets and small villages surrounding the town. Balinese dance exemplifies the culture and traditions. Music streams from the cafes and restaurants. The countryside filled with rice terraces, gigantic palm trees, rivers, and temples takes your breath away. Even daily offerings to ward off evil spirits and thank the gods are a work of art. The true beauty of course, is in the spirit and open hearts of the people who live here.
A few funnies..
* rented a motor bike to get around with Carin on the back pinching and screaming all the way because Mike was driving like a local
* were " attacked" in the Monkey Forest Sanctuary when a gray monkey stole Mike's water bottle right out of his hand, opened it and quenched his thirst
* almost attacked again during breakfast in the hotel when a really big monkey climbed up the stairs to the outdoor dining area, where we were sitting and decided to have breakfast, more specifically our breakfast. Mike, the big protector, jumped up leaving me to fend for myself and hid behind the 5 foot, 90 pound waitress carrying a tray of food. When asked about his bravery (lack of) he blamed it on our dear friend Jan Snooks and her monkey story, which flashed before his eyes.
* We took a jungle hike led by Ketut our very cute, energetic guide. After a fairly challenging climb up to the top of the rice fields and then a treacherous decent down to the rivers edge, Ketut proceeded to remove his new sneakers and shorts informing us that the bridge hadn't been built yet and it was only waist deep. Carin's eyes perked up (like saucers), thought surely she heard wrong and asked very calmly, "isn't there any other way back?", mind you this is after 3 hours of trekking. Ketut all of 5'7, 140 lbs, smiled and offered to carry her across. Needless to say we kept our clothes on and had a refreshing dip.
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