Turnbull Family Pacific Tour 2015

I like to learn a few things about the places I visit to gain a better appreciation for my surroundings. I have to admit I didn't really know much about Indonesia before we arrived. We are enjoying our stay here, but now that we've been here for almost two weeks and plan to stay for a couple more, a few questions have come to my mind. Here in Java we're reminded five or six times a day by the call to prayer that this is primarily a Muslim island, yet the island of Bali is primary a Hindu area. Why is that, and do the various groups in Indonesia get along? Why are the people here better off than say Vietnam, but not as well off as the people in Thailand? And why is Indonesia, a vast collection of islands, one country and not many? I found some answers, but it's complicated. The various religious groups in Indonesia tell a story of empire and trade spanning thousands of years. Buddhism and Hinduism originated from India and made their way to Java and Sumatra via merchan...

Modern urban environments like Singapore have their charms, but I prefer a rural setting most of the time. When we take a holiday we usually try to strike a balance between time spent in the countryside and time spent in the big cities. There's usually a tug of war being city and rural time, since Catheleen and now John usually prefer what the cities have to offer. When we're home and weather permits, I really like to spend time at the cottage, closer to nature than life in the city. Even when at home in the city, when the lawnmowers aren't mowing, it's nice to sit quietly in the backyard on the deck, with a view of the surrounding trees and garden, listening to the cardinals come and go while the squirrels scurry by across the canopy of trees. I'm not a huge nature lover on its own. I do like to go for a nature walk or a hike on occasion, but I'm not a camper. I avoid the odd suggestion from Catheleen that we give it a go. I've never tried glamping (camping...

Yesterday we hired a driver to take us around northern Bali to see some of the sights and sounds. We visited a couple of temples of course. I thought one temple was particularly beautiful since it incorporated the natural landscape. It had massive statues carved out of the cliffs, along with whimsical rice terraces forming loops and waves around the palm trees, and waterfalls running down the surrounding forested cliffs. It was also nice to see that the temple was well used, with many people making offerings for sale in the community, or making special wedding decorations. It looked like a community effort. The men in Bali often wear sarongs at the temples and elsewhere. So I purchased one, since the shorts I was wearing were not sufficiently modest for the temples. Catheleen bought one too, and I made sure to purchase one made for men. I don't know what the difference was between the two, but I was assured I had the right one. Later on we stopped at a viewpoint overlooking a lake ...

Having visited other places in South East Asia, it is only natural I think to compare them to Bali. I can only imagine if we had come to Bali straight away from Canada, with no other experiences in Asia to draw upon, it would have charmed and amazed me as an exotic and beautiful place. I am still charmed, but it's a subtle spell. Just for fun imagine you didn't have to concern yourself with working for a living. Where would you live? Perhaps some in Canada would choose a tropical paradise like Bali, but I don't think I would like to live anywhere else but Canada. The main reason is Canada is my home, plain and simple. It's where I feel most comfortable, in a culture and environment, both urban and natural, I understand and like to think I appreciate. Perhaps the winters are a bit long for my taste, and I wouldn't mind skipping the odd one, but I think I would feel out of place without the seasons. I'm sure most of the Balinese would say much the same thing about...

John and I went exploring yesterday for a geocache, which we found in a school for the mentally disabled, sponsored by the Sjaki-Tari-Us foundation. John was very happy since he found something in the cache called a geocache coin , which is supposed to have a mission assigned to it like "bring me to every continent". John was thrilled because this one from Germany and did not have mission yet, so John can make one up. I was interested to speak with one of the teachers from the school. She said the school was founded and sponsored by people from Holland. The Indonesian government does provide some schooling for the mentally disabled, but it's limited to kids ages 7 through 10. This school provides schooling for kids outside of these age ranges. Last night we attended a performance called the Kecak Fire and Trance Dance, which was definitely worth seeing. The local community puts on these performances in a number of temples in the area. We were told at the end of the perf...

Last night we had a great meal at an Italian restaurant, although we may have eaten too much. The portions were much bigger than we thought. No worries, we had left over pizza the next day. After dinner Catheleen and I wandered around. I don't know how many Hindu temples there are here but they are everywhere. It's an interesting mix to see restaurants and shops squeezed in on the street between temples. We definitely had the feeling that we were far from home, but yet we had a sense of relaxation. Today we visited the Bali Bird Park . It was an excellent day where we saw up to 250 species of tropical birds from Indonesia and around the world. Many of the birds we visually stunning with such brightly coloured feathers. But the best thing about this place was the close interaction we had with the birds. Something I suspect would not be possible in Canada for health and safety concerns. I think the locals are less fussed about that here. Upon arrival we had a chance to hold some...

It's our second day in Bali, an island in   Indonesia. We flew here from Singapore yesterday, and we're settling into our surroundings. We're planning to stay here in Indonesia for about a month, with most of our time spent in Bali and some time spent in Java. We're currently in the town of in Ubud , a little bit inland. I really like our accommodations. The room is its own building, surrounded by gardens, stone walls and gates, all overgrown with plants, trees and vines. This morning as I sat on the veranda I looked out over the stone gravel path, strewn with fragrant yellow flowers that fell overnight from the tree above. I gave a flower to Elizabeth and she put it in her hair - she looked very pretty with a big smile on her face and a flower in her hair.  The resort is set in the middle of working rice fields, which I think is unique and scenic. Sitting at the pool, I looked out across the terraced rice fields, where a few workers were preparing the fields for ne...

One reason I like to travel is to confirm that Canada is the best country in the world to live in. Kidding aside (sort of), when I travel I do try to keep an open mind to how others live, and then ask myself if they are on to something. For example, throughout the world I'm often impressed with the food on offer and wish we Canadians would pick up a few lessons from abroad. Maybe a few less hotdogs and fries and a few more fresh tasty meals instead - just a friendly suggestion. After enjoying another great meal at a mall food court in Singapore, jammed packed with the locals, I have to chalk one up to the Singaporeans. Great food, variety, quality and prices - and even a beer stand to get a bottle. Would it be so wrong if we could get such treatment in Canada? Cleanliness? Have to give Singapore another point. Yes Canada is pretty neat and tidy when we're not dealing with 'snirt' - that's my name for the mix of snow and dirt that we drag into our malls and busines...

Yesterday in Singapore we spent the day at Universal Studios . The place was like Disneyland but better with all sorts of themed streets and rides based on various movies. We bought express tickets which allowed us to jump the queue, which was well worth it. John and Elizabeth's favourite ride was a roller coaster ride in the dark based on The Mummy movie, where we found the Book of the Living to banish the mummy and save the world. I liked The Transformers ride that made it feel like we were battling transformers. There was a Jurassic Park ride where dinosaurs started running wild while we floated and splashed along a river; I was soaked both times we rode it on the final plunge down the rapids. Catheleen was smart and wore a rain poncho, avoiding the deluge. There were also two incredible roller coasters based on the Battle Star Galactica television series where we needed to empty our pockets before riding, since it flipped and turned us upside down and inside out. This ride was ...

From the moment we boarded our flight to Singapore from Ho Chi Minh City I felt more relaxed. I started by reading a Singapore newspaper called The Straits Times. Here was a press discussing the country's general election results from just a few days before. What a change from the dry newspaper I read in Vietnam, with its reports on official government meetings and statistics showing how the country is improving in various ways. After arrival at the swanky Singapore airport, we passed easily through immigration control. We were greeted by a friendly immigration officer and waited briefly for our passports to be stamped while enjoying some candies on offer. Afterwards were got to rate our experience on touch screens - we ranked it an excellent experience. Much different from the long stares John and I received from a Vietnamese official before he stamped our passports one last time before letting us board our plane. The only indication at the Singapore airport that we were not in so...

We just left Vietnam today en route to Singapore. It's as good a time as any to reflect on our time spent in Vietnam. It seems visitors either love or hate their stay. I suppose it's easy enough to have a bad time or opinion. Just don't keep an open mind to other ways of living, or just focus on the lower standard of living. We were in the developing world after all without all the comforts and amenities of home. There would be a lot to complain about if one were so inclined. It was hard to communicate with the local people most of the time. The traffic was tough. It was often hard to walk on the street let alone cross it. We spent weeks walking in single file most of the time like we were holding a rope up the mountain. There was the constant beeping from motorcycles, mopeds and cars passing by at close quarters. There was the lack of safe work practises in the street. Just yesterday Catheleen was crossing the street when a wire from above fell on her feet; I don't kno...

John started wearing a face mask in Laos when he wasn't feeling well. He said he wanted to "keep the germs away". He has recently focused on the fact the tourists usually pay more for things than locals, and so he wants to get local prices by going undercover. When he explained this to a fellow tourist from Australia I was speaking with, she hinted to John that his hair may still be a giveaway. I see local ladies riding their motorcycles and mopeds completely covered with no skin showing. They'll wear cloth masks, jackets and even coverings for their hands. I'm told lighter skin is a sign of beauty here, and so women are trying to avoid getting a tan. This might explain why I see so few locals on the beach. Maybe they are on to something since too much sun is damaging. I'm always amazed by what I witness everyday on the back of a motorcycle. Everything I could possibly imagine and more is carted around on the back of them. Just yesterday I saw a live pig in a ...

Last night as we walked around the old city after dinner we saw a game of Bai Choi being played in a square. It was a bit like bingo but with music, singing and dancing. Each contestant received cards with Chinese chess pieces on each card, and the dealer randomly drew bamboo sticks from a box which bore the name of one of the chess pieces. The dealer or his assistant would then sing a folk's song about the piece.  I learnt later that the songs conveyed values like love, friendship or patriotism but with some fun mixed in. When a contestant had a match they called out and received a yellow flag, and when someone was the first to receive enough flags they won a small prize. The people playing the game seemed to be having fun and it was quirky to see the performances. There was another game down the street that anyone could play since it needed no Vietnamese language skills. Players would put on a mask so they couldn't see and would take a whack with a stick at a small hanging...

We went to An Bang beach today, and as I arrived I felt immediately at ease. The ocean front was very beautiful with its fine tan coloured sand, refreshing ocean, cool breeze, and views of islands ahead and the skyscrapers of Da Nang in the distance to the north. But what struck me the most is how undeveloped the beachfront was. Besides lounge chairs, sun umbrellas and some really basic looking restaurant buildings made with bamboo and straw façade over correlated sheet metal roofs, there wasn't much else here. I'm sure that will change soon enough but it was a nice change from the usual built up beaches we've visited over the years. As we left the taxi and walked onto the beach we were greeted by someone from one of the nearby beach restaurants who wanted us to use her lounge chairs and sun shades in return for having lunch and drinks from her restaurant. We agreed and spend a good day at the beach. The kids stayed nearly the whole time in the ocean enjoying the waves. On...

Yesterday we flew south from Hanoi to Da Nang and took a taxi to Hoi An , which is a much smaller place than Hanoi or Da Nang. The town name translates to "peaceful meeting place". It's a UNESCO world heritage site for its well-preserved South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. Not too many of these old cities remain that haven't either been rebuilt as a more modern place or destroyed by one of the many wars. The reason for its preservation is a combination of factors, including the silting up of the local river, which made the city a sleepy place for a couple of centuries. On the way to our hotel by taxi from Da Nang, I spotted locals harvesting rice from the paddy fields. The fields were golden coloured from the ripe crop and had been drained of water to make for an easier harvest by people and machines. The machines on the field were being used to cut the stalks, and the people were carrying large bundles of yellow stalks laden with...

Yesterday evening on the boat we had another excellent meal with a wide variety of seafood, including local oysters served in the half shell and warmed briefly with fried and dried onions and garlic on top. The prawns were interesting since they were served with shells, heads and tentacles intact. Catheleen is pretty good at removing the shells and everything else, but I find I'm not in the mood for shrimp once I've witnessed this carnage. When the tour guide asked us if we had any food restrictions, Elizabeth piped in that, while she is not allergic to seafood, she doesn't care for it. John only likes shrimp and tolerates fish, so after a few courses of seafood, while Elizabeth was getting substitute chicken and beef courses, John wished he had also made the same request as Elizabeth. At dinner we spoke to two Canadians named Cory and Luke, the only Canadians we've seen for quite a while. They were on a ten day trip to Vietnam, and had just returned from trekking to a ...

Today was day two of our cruise within Ha Long Bay. I started the day with Tai Chi on the deck. I can't say I did it any justice, but I followed the instructor's moves as best I could. It was good to start the day with a little light exercise. In the morning we took a day boat through the bay past some of the two thousand islands that cover the area. Our destination was Cat Ba Island for some biking and touring. On the island we took a newly built road five kilometres inland to a nearby village - the old lower road was still under water. There was a lot of rain and flooding in the area about two months ago that has yet to subside completely. The last time it happened was about 90 years ago, and it has really hurt the villages on the island, who are only now getting their houses and rice paddies back. We took three bikes out, with Elizabeth on the back of our guide's motorcycle on the way out and John on the way back. Riding on a motorcycle was again a highlight for the kid...

We took the overnight train from Sa Pa to Hanoi, and then travelled by bus to Ha Long Bay to start a two-night cruise. Our guide Nam was very friendly and informative, and tried to give us a sense of life in Vietnam in general and Hanoi in particular. He said people in Hanoi might wake at 4 or 5 AM and begin the day with some exercise. On our taxi ride from the train station in Hanoi around 4:30 AM we saw this first hand, with runners and cyclists dominating the street traffic before the sun rises. After exercise, people might have a noodle soup called Pho for breakfast. At the hotel this morning, while we waited for the bus to pick us up, I watched the scene across the street, where two ladies had set up shop on the sidewalk for the breakfast crowd. A mother arrived with her young child and ordered something that looked like porridge, and sat down on one of the ubiquitous small plastic stools that are everywhere. She fed herself and her child while a school age girl ordered the same...

As we ate breakfast I peered out the hotel window, past the mist and dragon flies, and saw the same group of hill tribe ladies sitting down on the side of the road as usual for this time of day. They were chatting with each other, some sitting on the ground, and a couple sitting on overturned wicker baskets that they carry on their backs when walking around the town. They passed the time talking, laughing, and making their handicrafts. Even when strolling they are not idle. Rather, they stretch and wrap yarn from rough pieces of hemp, all the while on the lookout for prospective customers. I usually see them with blue hands, since they dye the yarn themselves, and the dye comes off easily. I've heard that if you buy a bandana you'll likely end up with a blue forehead. Catheleen had purchased a couple of small hemp purses and tried soaking and drying them to set the colours. I wouldn't normally pay attention to something like this, except that the bathroom sink was full yest...

Today we visited Cat Cat village, a small village down a mountain slope, well set up for easy tourist access with good stone steps all the way down the village and along a river. Catheleen and Elizabeth had already been there yesterday but I talked them into joining John and me today. The kids wanted to take a motorcycle taxi ride to the place but I insisted on a car taxi. It was a moot argument as it turned out. After a one kilometre car ride the road was blocked and we needed to switch to motorcycles or walk. I enjoyed the short motorcycle ride with John and I on separate bikes. Once Elizabeth heard a motorcycle ride was back in play, she and Catheleen agreed to join us, and they took a motorcycle ride down to meet us. We later took motorcycles back up to Sa Pa. Zoom zoom. The village was worth the trip for the views of the terraced rice fields alone. I had no knowledge of how rice was grown or harvested before this trip. I had some vague notion that rice grains grew in the root of ...

Today John and I visited a large park which ran along the side of a mountain, in search of a geocache. While we sat down to rest, a young girl in a white dress sat down on our bench next to John and smiled. John smiled back awkwardly and the girl then inched closer. Then I noticed her mother smiling with a camera in hand. She took a picture of the two of them together, and then the girl put her arm around John for another photo. After a few more photos the girl sat next to me for another shot, and then the father replaced the girl for a final picture. Catheleen was touring the nearby town of Cat Cat at the time with Elizabeth, and they had a similar experience when two girls each took selfies with Elizabeth. I find it very strange to be a tourist attraction when we ourselves are tourists, but most of the tourists are Asians so I suppose we are an oddity around here. I find it exasperating that there are no price tags for most items in the stores I visit. It appears that the price for j...