First day in Sydney, Australia

Good thing we happened to arrive at the Bali airport last night about four hours before our flight departed for Sydney, since we were in for a surprise. When we tried to check in we hit a snag. It didn't occur to us that we would need visas in advance to enter the country, but it turns out all foreigners need them. It was a team effort though to solve the problem. John and Elizabeth helped search for a WIFI site and outlets to get our devices charged, and we scrambled over the next couple of hours to get our visas issued on-line. What a pain but we made our flight!

We then took the red eye flight overnight to Sydney. John and Elizabeth were both looking forward to pulling an all-nighter to get in some quality movie watching time on the plane. Catheleen and I managed to get a couple of hours of sleep but the kids did manage to stay up for the most part. But everything has a cost, and they did end up crashing later in the day in Sydney.

We're staying downtown near the Sydney harbour. Again we're staying at a apartment we rented from the AirBnB web site. We're finding we're getting better value using this method than booking regular hotels, since he AirBnB places are usually more spacious and better priced.

Today we didn't venture too far from home. Just by walking around I felt more at home than I have in a while, more relaxed. The weather was cool today, a nice change from the previous three months. Coming from Indonesia, I appreciated everything we've been missing lately - wide sidewalks, sandwich shops, good coffee to go, grocery stores, an English speaking population. I think my favourite difference today was just being another person on the street making my way around town. Very nice.

In the afternoon John and I went down the street to see what we could see. John was thrilled to spot the three-story Apple Store, and he was happy to show me the new features on the latest iPhone. We also found a really good three member band playing on the street called CuzN - two guitarists and one violinist. They were selling their CDs between songs, and somehow I felt compelled to buy one too. I don't think I've ever bought music from a street performer, but there's a first time for everything.

Later Catheleen, Elizabeth and I took a walk to the harbour to see the iconic Sydney Opera House and harbour bridge. It was great to see the opera house from different angles as we walked along the harbour and under the bridge. The opera house with its overlapping shells looked good from all angles. We went again at dusk, and it was interesting to see how the building lit up as night fell. The harbour bridge was beautiful to see as well, and we could see people walking the top of the bridge.

Here's Elizabeth and I at the harbour front. It's just water in Elizabeth's Starbucks cup by the way, in case you're wondering if she's picked up a venti coffee habit lately.

Hunger Games in Southeast Asia

Admittedly I'm not actually starving on this trip. In fact, I've probably gained a few pounds, unless my clothes have been shrinking every time they come back from the laundry. But it does feel like I'm often staving off hunger between each meal. Yes it's a personal problem but I feel like sharing.

Catheleen mentioned yesterday that I am always talking about food. I think it's true. I usually start off by asking Catheleen whether she wants to go for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Then there's often the need to research restaurants in the area for good ratings, since apparently we can't keep going back to the same restaurant for all our meals. Next we decide when to go and whether everyone wants to go. Then there's the time needed for everyone to get ready. I'm not naming names, but let's just say some people take longer to get ready than others. Then we need to walk there, order, and wait for the meal to arrive. All the while I'm starving, or feel like it anyway.

Well you might suggest I pack snacks at all times, which I try to do. But we're lucky if we're even near a convenience store. Unless I start eating junk food, my snack choices are usually limited to nuts and, if I'm lucky, yogurt. What about going to market or a grocery store? Grocery stores are hard to come by, and we don't usually have kitchenettes where we stay. Say we did have kitchenette, we're not really equipped with the tools or skills to make use of the ingredients on offer at the outdoor markets. Do I really want a live chicken and a bag of rice?

I'll keep packing the snacks and hold out for Australia and New Zealand. Maybe we'll actually be able to go to a grocery store, buy ingredients we recognise, and cook a meal. I would settle for a bowl of cereal frankly with some fresh milk.

Here's that egg coffee I had a few times in Vietnam. Now that was good - tasted something like liquid tiramisu. 

Reflections on Southeast Asia - it's been a slice

We're taking it pretty easy for our last few days in Bali, before we head off to Sydney Australia on Saturday evening. We thought about going to the beach today at the end of the strip but we heard there were a lot of hawkers there. So we're spending another day at the resort by the pool, near the ocean. I really like this spot near the pool, next to the seawall. It has some beach sand in a contained strip, with some beach chairs and umbrellas setup here. It's like we're at the beach, without being on the beach. Very nice.

It seems to be low season here with few tourists. Sometimes we're the only patrons in the restaurant. Even so, there are many hawkers on the street as we walk to local restaurants and shops. As we stroll along, we are invariably asked every 50 or 100 feet whether we want to purchase sunglasses, whether we need transport, or if we want to go snorkeling. It looks to me like a great number of Balinese men around here are idle without much to do, at least at this time of year. Or maybe it's worth it for them to sit around most of the day, waiting for the odd tourist to show interest.

The meals we've had on the strip near the resort have been excellent - less so at the resort. On the strip we've had good breakfasts in particular with the best coffee I've had on this trip. We've also been to the Hungry Crocodile restaurant across the street a couple times, which has been consistently good. I particularly enjoyed the steak in a black pepper sauce.

So on our last full day in Southeast Asia before heading off to Australia and then New Zealand, with lunch over, it's a good time to reflect. I'm glad we came to Southeast Asia, having visited Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Singapore and Indonesia in succession over the last three months or so. I think we had a pretty good idea of what to expect, having visited Thailand a couple of times over the years. We expected and found new sights, sounds and cultural experiences, different and unique from experiences back home. We expected and found some adventures and hiccups along the way. We knew things wouldn't always be as comfortable as life back home. This is still the developing world after all (except for Singapore which is highly developed), striving to improve its standard of living and infrastructure. They are not there yet but they're working on it, especially in hard working Vietnam.

The weather cooperated for the most part, although it was a bit too hot for my liking throughout most of our time in Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. We sure did sweat it out, but it was always nice to come back to reasonably air conditioned accommodations at the end of the day. The first time we came to Thailand as backpackers in the '90's we didn't have much air conditioning; it was a relief to have it on this trip, especially with the kids in tow. We didn't experience the rainy season anywhere, which was a pleasant surprise. It really is dry here in Bali, with the brown hills, waiting for the delayed rainy season to turn the countryside lush and green.

I enjoyed learning about the history and significance of a new place or site, and I always liked observing what the locals were up to. We've talked to locals and fellow travellers along the way to hear some of their stories. Here in Bali we constantly witnessed the locals bringing offerings of flowers and incense to their small temples and spirit dwellings and making silent prayers. We've found the locals friendly and welcoming everywhere we've been. As we pass the Balinese we are greeted with smiles, with their hands held together at their face like they are praying; we try to return the greeting in the same manner.

The food has been excellent on our trip for the most part. The Indonesian food has not been as varied and interesting as the Vietnamese or Thai cuisines, but it's been good nonetheless. I think that is why there is more variety on the menus in Bali and Java, where we could usually have French, Italian, or American meals at just about every restaurant.

One of the main things I wanted to get out of our trip to Southeast Asia and the Pacific was a career break with some time spent with Catheleen and the kids. I was I little worried whether we would all get along for this long but I was hopeful. I think this has panned out just fine so far. John and Elizabeth certainly had to rely on each other for companionship, and I'm happy how well they've gotten along most of the time.

I have always thought of travelling as a good opportunity to gain a better appreciation for my home country, by learning how others live. Travel opens the mind. I hope we have learned a few things - I think we have. The people we came across were happy for the most part, although we've seen some poverty and hardship, especially in Laos and Vietnam. I hope the kids better appreciate how lucky we are to live in Canada, with everything it has to offer.

Overall I've enjoyed the time spent in Southeast Asia, but I must admit I'm ready for Australia and New Zealand with its spring weather, and with its food, language and infrastructure so similar to Canada. I haven't worn long pants since we left Canada though, so I'm wondering if they will fit; but that's what we call a personal problem. At least I won't have any more excuses for not running.

Here's Elizabeth and John with their endless horseplay at the pool. Best friends?

Stepping stones and democracy

We've been at our resort on the east coast of Bali for a few days now. You can't always be sure what to expect when you book a place though. We thought this place was more of a condo, since we rented I through the AirBnB web site directly from the owner, but it is more of a hotel resort. No matter, it turned out to be an excellent choice. Our rooms have great views of the ocean, and when the tide is high we can hear the surf pounding against the hotel's retaining wall, and see white water shooting up past the railing. The place is pretty quiet. There are not a lot of other people here, which is nice. The first night we were here we had dinner at the pool by the ocean and listened to a really good guitarist sing songs from the '80's and 90's mainly. I think they were targeting our demographic.

Today we hired a driver to take us to some of the sites in the area. We first visited the Taman Soekasada Water Palace in Karangasem. The place was built in the 1920's by the local king for this eastern part of Bali, known as the Raja of Karangasem. The grounds were very beautiful with a large rectangular water feature and bridges leading to a rectangular island in the middle. On the island was an airy building which housed the king's bedroom and a family room. The focus was more on the grounds than the building, and we enjoyed walking around to the various water features and gazebos. Everywhere we went the view was amazing. I wonder what I would have been like to be the king, going for a stroll along the many paths. As Mel Brooks said in the movie History of the World Part I (an oldie but goody), "It's good to be the king."

We next took a harrowing ride on a narrow road up and down the side of mountains along the shore on the way to a black volcanic beach in Amed. The views of the ocean and shores below were spectacular. Every little beach we saw along the way was packed with fishing boats. The boats were not like any fishing boat I have ever seen. Each of the boat hulls were about 15 feet long and four feet wide, shaped like a banana, and painted white. There was a pontoon made out of a wide piece of bamboo attached to each side to maintain balance, each placed about five feet from the hull and attached with cross beams and line. The boats were all equipped with a small outboard engine and a brightly coloured sail on a 15 foot mast. The masts and rolled up sails were detached and lying on the hull. It was a striking site to see so many fishing boats all lined up on the beach. We must have passed many of the fisher men's houses in the hills, which were very modest and basic.

We stopped along the way at one view point with a cloud free view of the Gunung Agung volcano. It was something out of a movie with its perfect conical shape and black sides, rising 3,000 meters to dominate the island. The volcano was thought to be extinct before it last erupted in 1963, killing about 2,000 people and devastating the agriculture in the area with ash and debris. It still belches a little smoke and ash on occasion.

At the beach in Amed we had lunch and enjoyed some snorkeling. The coral wasn't as beautiful and varied as that around Gili islands, but we did see a large variety of strange and colourful fish. We even saw some bright blue starfish under rocks which were unusual. It was also nice to see so many local Balinese enjoying the day snorkeling with their families (it's a national holiday today). It seemed most of them couldn't swim and so were snorkeling in orange life jackets.

On the way back to Candi Dasa we stopped at the Taman Tirtagangga Water Garden, which was built in the 1940's, again by the Raja of Karangasem. I guess he liked water features. The grounds were once again unique and beautiful. The kids especially liked one of the rectangular ponds where you could step from pillar to pillar in the pond. The pillars were only an inch or so above the water, and you couldn't see the pillars below the water line, so it gave the impression that the octagonal tops to the pillars were floating stepping stones on the water. It was fun to walk along the stepping stones, with three foot long black and gold coloured coy swimming in the pond below.

I was glad to hear that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2015 went to The National Dialogue Quartet in Tunisia for its contribution to building democracy in Tunisia following the 2011 Jasmine Revolution. I didn't know much about Tunisia, but learned that its new constitution was drafted in early 2014, and free elections were held later in the year. It's the first free and fair elections the country has had since gaining its independence in the 1950's. The Tunisian constitution is one of the most progressive in the region and guarantees civil liberties including freedom of expression and equal rights for men and women. Islam is the official state religion, but is not the source for law, and religious or non-religious freedom is protected.

Hopefully Tunisia can stabilize as a secular democracy as other Muslim majority states like Turkey and Indonesia have managed to do. It a good example for other countries in the region. As one pundit said, Tunisia proves that democracy is possible in the Arab world.

Here's a picture of Elizabeth on the stepping stones.

Glass bottom boat and anniversary

Yesterday we went snorkelling on a glass bottom boat. The wooden boat was pretty basic with a couple of glass boxes covered in algae which prohibited much of the view. And I wasn't impressed when we were more or less crammed in with 50 other people, but all was forgiven after we arrived at our first snorkelling site. We were diving in the middle of the ocean between two Gili islands, drifting with the current. We followed our guide, who was an expert at spotting turtles on the sea bottom that I couldn't spot. He would then dive down 20 or 30 feet to nudge the turtle, who would slowly swim away. What a thrill to swim with the turtles. Sometimes they would swim to the surface to catch a breath, and one time John was able to touch one and then swim along with it.

We went to two locations before lunch and two places in the afternoon. At two locations we searched and found turtles, who rested deep down on the seabed. The other two times we saw some spectacular coral and fish. The coral was more varied in shape than at our last snorkelling trip in Thailand. Whereas much of the coral in Thailand reminded me of big brains, here near Gili most of the coral was more like crisis-crossed miniature trees, in varied colours from pink to deep purple. It was more like the coral I've seen on documentaries. John was getting good at diving, and liked to swim down into the coral canyons to get a better look at the fish underneath the coral.

This morning, before we checked out of our hotel, we met our neighbour. He is Canadian from Toronto, two months into a year long trip around the world with his two sons, aged 8 and 10. It was sad to hear that his wife had passed away two years ago. He and his two young sons were retracing some of the places his wife had visited when she did some travelling years ago. It was interesting to hear his travel plans. He had already been to Australia and New Zealand to visit family, and planned to visit much of south east Asia before moving on to Africa and Europe.

We certainly enjoyed our time on Gili Air. It is a very small island in the early stages of developing a tourist trade. Some things are rudimentary, but that just adds to the charm for the most part. Catheleen and the kids especially will miss the many cats we met on the island. In front of our hotel room in the bushes we meet a tabby mother cat with a kitten. The kids would coax the kitten out of the bushes to pet it, much to the nervous dismay of the mother. The sales approach here was always low key, and I liked the international feel where the tourists came from everywhere. Nothing against Australian Legian and Kuta at all, but I do like to see a mix of tourists from all over.

We took the fast boat today from Gili Air to Candi Dasa this afternoon, on the east coast of Bali. The boat was more choppy this time than when we took it to Gili Air. On this trip the bow of the boat would occasionally become airborne and then come down in a teeth shattering crash. Catheleen and Elizabeth enjoyed their time on the top of the boat, watching Bali appear in view through the mist. John and I preferred to be below.

We're now in our new location, more of a resort than just a condo rental. It's very nice though with nice views of the ocean and easy access to the pool from our rooms. We took the room above and the kids are in the room below. It's more of an older crowd here than at out previous locales. We got a kick out of the '80's music they were playing at the pool this afternoon.

So today is our 19th wedding anniversary, and we've had a great day today, spending time with each other and the kids. Thank you Catheleen for 19 wonderful years and here's to many more to come, full of adventure and wonder I'm sure. I love you very much.

Here's are the kids at lunchtime on our snorkelling day, happy they found a big sea shell.

Galloping ponies and Thanksgiving

The seafood is very good here in Gili Air. Yesterday we had excellent fish tacos, and the night before Catheleen had Mahi Mahi in a garlic sauce which she said was good. Today before the sun had set we went out to get some gelato ice cream. Along the way we saw today's catch on display for dinner at one of the restaurants. The seafood included multi-coloured parrot fish and bright red grouper fish. We've done some snorkelling off the beach over the last couple of days and I'm pretty sure we saw similar fish while they were alive. Catheleen said she wasn't interested in eating the fish after seeing them swim among the coral, but don't think I mind.

This afternoon we witnessed how some of the fish are caught as we sat on the beach enjoying lunch. About six men, each with 25 foot poles, waded out about 100 meters through the shoals up to their waists and cast their lines into the deeper blue water. This is the same place we were snorkelling earlier and the fishermen were sharing the space with other snorkelers.

Today's activities were pretty low key after we slept in. The kids could barely make it for breakfast at the hotel before breakfast ended at 10:00 a.m. I could barely return the bikes we rented yesterday before they were due at 9:30 a.m. I think this place makes it hard to get going. I mean, I could go running, but ... meh. We tried to go snorkelling today on a glass bottom boat but we were too late for today's outing, so we scheduled this activity for tomorrow. We'll somehow need to make it to the rendezvous tomorrow morning before 9:30 a.m. I'm not sure we're going to make it.

Today we saw one of the horse drawn carts galloping along with a couple of tourists in the back. Where were they hurrying too? The gelato place? They're not running out of ice cream. I saw a sign today that sums up the feeling of this little island for me, "Beer is not the answer, it's the question. The answer is yes". It might be tough to get back into that whole work thing after this trip is over.

We ended up at my favourite spot from two days before, where we again staked our claim to a bamboo platform under a tree next to the beach. We rented our snorkelling gear from the guy next door and enjoyed the day snorkelling and relaxing. Elizabeth spent most of the day on the beach catching crabs the size of her thumb nail. They blended in with the sand, but she would walk around to get them to move, and then she would catch one inside an overturned shell before releasing it.

We stocked up on cash before we arrived at this island, which turned out to be wise move since the few ATMs here don't want to dispense us anything. While at the ATM today trying all our cards we saw a posted note from some dispirited traveller saying that the machine didn't return her VISA, and asked the operator to return it to her. Next to this note was another note from a different traveler that said she had the lady's VISA and provided her an address to pick it up. There were no other notes but I hope it all worked out. I can imagine it must be very tough to lose your card, especially if it is your only source of cash. That's a cautionary tale for all travellers - always have a backup plan if your card is swallowed.

So this weekend is Thanksgiving in Canada and it makes us think of home. While I understand the weather is a little cold and wet in Ottawa this weekend, it still would be nice to spend time with family and friends. Catheleen and I reminisced today about past Thanksgivings at the farm in Mayo, Quebec, where we enjoyed the hospitality and company of family, enjoyed the farm and surroundings, and experienced the fall coloured leaves. We'll need to have something for dinner tomorrow night in celebration. No turkey here though so we'll need to stick to Nasi Goreng (fried rice with chicken), and perhaps pretend it's turkey with stuffing. Or maybe we'll just have the fish.

Here's a foot selfie.

Gili Islands - relaxing on a mile long patch

Tuesday evening John and I went for dinner by ourselves and listened to some Singaporeans perform a Karaoke version of "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond. The whole place was getting into the groove with its catchy (or kitschy) "Sweet Caroline, Ba, Ba, Ba...". All the while we watched the Just for Laughs show from Montreal where pranks are pulled on Montrealers, without any speaking or commentary. I wonder whether this show is popular elsewhere. It seemed to be popular here - everyone was watching it, including the local staff. I always get a kick out of the Americana and sometimes Canadiana on display when I'm abroad. Yesterday in a convenience store I heard a couple of Balinese girls who were minding the till sing along to an Avril Lavigne tune. They hardly spoke English, but that didn't matter - they liked the song.

Wednesday morning we took a fast boat to our next stop, Gili Islands. I was a little concerned when the staff offered anti-nausea medication to everyone in the waiting area. I think this is the first time I've been offered drugs as part of a transport service. I declined, since Catheleen had her own stash of motion sickness medication, just in case. After the boat started up, I took one from Catheleen just in case. This was a fast boat which holds about 20 people and took only two and a half hours to travel around 100 kilometres. As it turned out the sea was relatively calm and nobody felt ill, which often happens on this ride. So we were able to sit up top and enjoy the thrill of going fast, white water splashing up the sides of the hull, all while watching the volcanoes, mountains and shoreline of Bali pass us by.

After a stop at a slightly larger Gili island, we arrived at the little island of Gili Air, which has a diameter of about a mile. The brochure for the speed boat said that these small atolls are a favourite paradise island escape from Bali. Which is odd, because I thought Bali was supposed to be a paradise escape. I must admit though that we did want to try a more remote and basic place with modest accommodations and small hotels - a vacation from the vacation so to speak

So here we are in Gili Air, a pretty basic island locale indeed. My first clue that things would be different was when the boat beached itself so we could get off from the bow of the boat, since there is no wharf. Our hotel was only 100 metres away, so we carried our luggage off the sandy beach and rolled it as best we could along the sandy cobbled roads to our destination. Along the way we gave way for a few bicyclists and horse drawn carts to pass. With no motorized transport allowed on this island, this is how people get around, although I have noticed a few silent electric scooters - they kind of sneak up on you. In any case, the lack of regular motorcycles especially makes for a more peaceful and stress-free time. Something in short supply in most of the places we've visited in South East Asia.

Even though it's off season, the tourist industry is booming everywhere we go in Indonesia. This place is no exception, with a number of new buildings going up in the vicinity. On this island I regularly see men carrying bags of concrete from the boats across the shallows, up onto the beach, and into waiting horse carts. I regularly see these horse carts going back and forth with rebar and other construction supplies, all pulled by small horses or ponies. This morning I saw men loading up garbage onto a boat for transport off the island. I'm glad to know the garbage isn't being piled up or burnt in the middle of the island somewhere. I also saw a large fishing boat being constructed out of long 2x4 and 2x6 lumber. The locals were making the hull using standard construction tools one might use to construct a deck or shed - they were making the hull flat and wide. This makes sense since the tides are big, and the boats are often stranded on their sides during low tide.

Last night John and I went out for dinner down the unlit road from our hotel. It was the first time I could see the real charm of this place. I'm sure if we ever come back things will not be the same, since more development will likely take place by then. But being here at this time in this place, it was special to me. I think it boils down to crowds (not a big fan), so the quieter the place is the better. We walked along a meandering path near the shore to the first place we could find with live music. Along the way we looked up to see the Milky Way in the sky, which was brightly illuminated this night. We experienced good music and good seafood, all within a basic restaurant/bar on the sand with tables, benches and lounging platforms made of bamboo. It reminded me somewhat of the first time we visited Koh Phangan in Thailand in the late '90's, when there wasn't much development and where we often ate at basic restaurants on the beach.

This morning we walked around to the other side of the island, which didn't take long, and found a place to spend the day. We sat on a bamboo lounge platform, ordered some food and drinks throughout the day, and enjoyed our time walking the beach, snorkelling, and just relaxing. When we were snorkelling, we saw a lot of tropical fish among the coral, and a few small jellyfish too. It was a bit disappointing to see the jellyfish, but we just stayed vigilant. I don't think they were a hazard anyway; I'm sure I must have collided with a few but I came out of the water unscathed as did Catheleen and Elizabeth.

I spent the rest of the afternoon in this spot, looking out onto the receding tide, with the jingling sounds of an occasional horse drawn cart passing behind me. Bob Marley music was playing faintly in the distance, mixed occasionally with the distant call to prayer from a faraway mosque.

Here's John, who showed up late in the afternoon for lunch, after doing some successful geocaching today.

Hawkers and fat burgers

While we're having a good relaxing time on the whole, there are regular annoyances. The beach is the great selling feature of Legian. Otherwise the area is a bit too touristy for us with little to offer in the way of local culture. The hawkers are everywhere we go and a constant irritant. I suppose they get enough business to make their sales approach worthwhile. Sitting on the beach, I am asked to purchase either a watch, sunglasses, hat, ice cream or massage on a rotating basis. I'm pretty sure the same guy who had asked me to purchase a hat an hour ago asked me again. Another guy asked John if he wanted a henna tattoo with a typical sales approach- "Boy! Tattoo?" John laughed afterwards and thought it was odd that the seller thought he would have the money or decision making power for that.

The ATMs have been another pain here in Indonesia. It took awhile to catch on, but I learned that the ATMs from the big three banks do not work for me. In fact, one of these banks would not only not give me the cash, but would debit my account anyway. Only after two or three business days would my account be credited back the amount. Since then I've learned that I can use some of the ATMs in the convenience stores to take out small amounts at a time in small bills. After getting enough cash the last a few days my wallet is so thick I close it properly anymore.

Well, I think that's enough whining. I mean, we are here in Bali after all. On Monday the kids couldn't go surfing as planned since the water was too rough. But we enjoyed our time at the beach anyway, and we enjoyed venturing out into the waves up to our knees. When we went any further the lifeguard would whistle at us to get out. He warned us there was a riptide right where we were, but if we moved down the beach a hundred feet or so we would be okay to go in up to our waist. On Tuesday afternoon the weather wasn't quite as rough so we rented a surfboard for John and a boogie board for Elizabeth. After an hour John had enough with surfing so we switched him over to a boogie board too. Catheleen and I also tried the boogie boarding, but after a short while I was happy to sit in a lounge chair under an umbrella and watch the kids fill their shorts with sand in their attempts to ride the waves. They had fun but I'm sure we'll hear all about the war wounds later.

A few nights ago we were at the Fat Bowl restaurant for dinner, which offered some pretty good meals by the way. Two Australian guys at the next table each ordered the Fat Burger, which consisted of a one kilogram beef patty on a bun the size of a dinner plate. Their buddies were egging them on, but they each only managed to consume about half the burger. They didn't look like they were feeling too well afterwards. Last evening at a local restaurant we noticed suckling pig on the menu, which is a local specialty. With one or two days notice and a minimum of eight people, you too could arrange for a whole roasted pig, head to tail. Sure enough a large group at the restaurant had ordered the pig, which was served with an apple in its mouth. I personally don't like my dinner looking back at me, but to each his own.

Back to the newspaper, the Jakarta Post is just a head shaker every time I pick it up. There are continual stimulus plans in the works to boost the Indonesian economy, even though it is growing at around 5%. I guess that's just not good enough. One scheme is to grant amnesty to all those convicted of tax evasion, fraud, etc. so the perpetrators are incented to bring their ill-gotten gains home from abroad. A lot of this money resides in Singapore. The thinking is the government could take its 15% tax on the repatriated money to help boost their coffers and help fund stimulus efforts. I'm not sure this will deter future law breakers but the government must only be planning one step at a time.

Another crazy story involves shenanigans between the police and the Corruption Eradication Commission, which has been in operation for the last ten years and appears to have done some good work prosecuting graft cases. It's well trusted among the general population in any case. The commission has been rooting out corruption within the police department for years, but the police regularly retaliate by bringing charges against the commissioners. The latest row has two commissioners charged for alleged fraud committed years ago when the commissioners were lawyers defending or prosecuting clients. The charges are likely based on fabricated evidence if the police's past actions are any indication. The current president was elected last year on an anti-corruption platform, so this appears to be a test for him. He can protect the commissioners by directing the Attorney General to dismiss the cases. But by doing so, the police could always come after him on charges of one sort or another with the potential for impeachment action. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

Australian rules in Legian

We've been staying in Legian, Bali the last few days. The weather is perfect with sunny days and consistent highs of 28 with lows of 24 Celsius. The kids had two days of surfing lessons, two hours each day. They acquired a lot of rashes and scrapes from their lessons though, so they took a break today to rest and heal up. John's fingertips were scraped up somehow, and when he did his math homework on his iPad later in the day he complained that some blood was streaking his screen - yuck. They might try skipping the lessons tomorrow and we'll just rent the boards. I might try a boogie board - that's more my speed I think.

We have been strolling along the beach near sundown the last couple of days. The first time we walked along the long beach we went south and walked through a couple of small streams which were emptying into the sea. After the second stream we noticed a sewage smell. We cleaned our feet after that and started walking the other way. There is definitely room for infrastructure improvement here, especially to maintain such a beautiful beach.

The late afternoon was also the time for the local Balinese to flock to the beach. Many local families had headed out to enjoy the sand and sea. Local teenagers were playing soccer games up and down the beach, and Australian kids were kicking footballs around. Locals and tourists were jogging along the flat and wide beach which was ideal for running. We saw people riding horses, and there were a couple of weddings going on. A lot of people were lounging or sitting on beanbag chairs having a drink.

We saw one guy walking along with what looked like a weasel or otter following him. We were so transfixed watching the animal pass that we didn't notice a huge wave coming our way that soaked us. The wave immersed the weasel as well, but its owner just plucked it out of the sea before it was sucked back into the ocean by the riptide. The animal was happy enough and they continued their walk together.

The waves are calm early in the day and pick up for ideal surfing later in the morning. After that the conditions get rougher. By late afternoon the waves are truly awesome in power, and break with such strength that it creates an ominous low rumbling sound. It reminded me of huge white galloping horses. We saw a few foolhardy souls trying to surf these waves, but they didn't have much success. I thought they were risking their lives. The whole beach was marked with red flags, some with skull and crossbones, to warn people not to go out there.

The North Queensland Broncos beat the Brisbane Cowboys 17 to 16 in the National Rugby League finals at the Sydney Olympic Stadium today. The only reason I know this is because we're in Legian, Bali, where the tourists must be 95% Australian with a few Kiwis mixed in. There always seems to be a rugby or Australian-rules football game going on that fills the pubs along the streets with cheering fans. Just this evening we were walking home from dinner when we heard yelling coming from a bar. It turned out to be a large older man who was demonstrating the Haka, based on a Maori war chant, which is always performed by the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team before the start of their games. I think he was doing his old team proud.

That's the thing about this place. We're more exposed to Australian culture here than Balinese culture. I don't know how many times someone has called me mate - ga'day mate! The kids have been playing with some Australian kids at the hotel pool, and it's fun to listen to them exchange stories about their homelands. One kid wanted to verify Elizabeth's claim, and so asked Catheleen if it's true that people in Canada really pour maple syrup onto the snow and then eat it. He didn't believe it.

The Australians have great beaches themselves but must come here to stretch their tourist dollar further. It's calmer here in Legion but I understand there is some hard partying going on nearby to the south in Kuta, where the terrorist bombing took place back in 2002.

Here's Elizabeth showing us how it's done.

Prambanan, surfing and remembering the past

Yesterday was our last day on the island of Java. We had a late flight, so we were able to visit Prambanan, a 9th century Hindu temple compound, on the way to the airport. It contained about six stone temples, all tall pointed towers that we could walk around and into. There were statues in the temples dedicated one way or another to Hinduism's expression of God as the creator Brahma, the preserver Vishnu, or the destroyer Shiva. I understand this temple was built shortly after the Borobudur temple was built, partly as a response to the Borobudur structure. Funny to think that groups were competing in the 9th century on the island of Java to see who could build the most impressive architecture. But I suppose this has been going on in many places for a long time and is still going on today.

There were few tourists at the site so we were able to walk around freely and visit each of the temples in turn. The reliefs on the temples were my favourite part since they were artistic and varied, describing parts of the epic story Ramayana with its battles and adventures. Like Borobudur, there is a hierarchy where the zones become more holy as you move up from the lower to the upper levels. I found the lower levels more interesting though, and I wonder if the artists who made this temple felt the same way. Although it was hot, I think the kids enjoyed the site. At least they liked having the run of the place since there were many levels and places for them to visit on each of the towers. They also liked a deer park on the premise where the deer all had white spots like Bambi. I wonder what kind of deer they were.

Our flight was delayed, but we eventually flew back from Java to Bali and settled into our hotel in the town of Legian along the south-east coast. This is a beach town and known for its surfing. The next day the kids had surfing lessons and had some success riding the waves. I didn't see it, but they both said they managed to get up on their feet a few times. I've never been at a beach that was conducive to surfing but it's big in many parts of Indonesia. We're here for a few days so maybe I'll give it a go. Good thing we have travel health insurance - I might need it.

While Catheleen and I were watching the kids take their surfing lessons, we experienced a lot of hawkers trying to sell us this or that. One lady wanted to give me a massage, and was very insistent. I wasn't interested, but she still started massaging my neck and arms while she was talking to me. Talk about a proactive sales approach.

I had some time to wander about today and just relax. In the Jakarta Post the front page article was about President Jokowi of Indonesia, who attended an annual ceremony in memory of seven generals who were killed in a botched coup in 1965 blamed on the Indonesian Communist Party. The article cited rumours that Jokowi might apologize to the families of the victims who perished in the anti-communist purge that followed the failed coup. As many as half a million suspected communists were killed in the purge. About 5% of the population of Bali perished, who suffered disproportionally. Some parts of the country still seem to be torn up about the incident, although the general population doesn't know much about it. It's hardly mentioned in the schools' history books. As it turned out the rumours were false, and the President had no intention of acknowledging or apologizing for the purge.

Here we are at Prambanan, with me wearing the required sarong.

Indonesia - it's complicated

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 merchants along the naval Silk Road. Buddhism is only practiced by a tiny minority in Indonesia today, mostly Chinese immigrants, but it played a much larger role in the past.

Yesterday we visited one notable temple called Borobudur, which has the largest and best collection of stone reliefs of any Buddhist structure in the world. It was covered in jungle growth and trees until the early 1800's when the British and later the Dutch took an interest in uncovering and repairing it. It caused quite a sensation in Europe at the time as the first example of a large and sophisticated ancient civilization in the area outside of China - this was before Angor Wat was uncovered in Cambodia. The temple was built in the 9th century as a homage to Buddha and as a site for pilgrims. Pilgrims would circle around this large step pyramid, which is in the shape of a stupa when seen from afar. As we moved around the large structure along the bottom level we saw really intricate stone reliefs covering the walls. The lower level reliefs showed the desires of daily life and its struggles with good and evil. By the time we moved up a few levels we were supposedly looking at a world of forms, a higher plane of existence closer to reality. Here we saw reliefs of holy men praying, contemplating and teaching. When we reached the two top levels we were looking at the "formless sea of nirvana", which was represented by statues of gods and holy men in stupas that you could peer into.

It was a good site to visit, and we followed the pilgrim's path around the structure to get a sense of what it might have been like to be a pilgrim in the 9th century. One difference was the Indonesian students we met along the way. I think they had a field assignment to practice their English, and so we were stopped a few times to answer basic questions about who we were and where we were from. We were asked to sign their score sheets for school, which we happily did, although I signed more score sheets than students I spoke with; I think they were working the system. It was nice to talk to them and take some pictures of us together.

Anyway, back to my history lesson. Hinduism was especially prevalent in the western half of Indonesia from 1200 to 1400, when the Majapahit empire spread from Java to conquer and rule much of modern day Indonesia. Islam made its way to the islands of Sumatra and Java at first via Muslim traders from western India and later from the Sultanate of Malacca in modern day Malaysia. The remnants of Majapahit culture retreated to Bali by the 1400's and is the reason Bali is a Hindu dominated island today with a culture much different from the rest of Indonesia. Islam became dominant in the western part of Indonesia by the 1600's and spread further over time to be the dominant religion today where 90% of Indonesians subscribe to Islam. Next the Portuguese and then the Dutch entered the scene, and the islands of Indonesia were controlled by the Dutch from the 1600's until around World War II. At that time the area was called the Dutch East Indies. During this period Christianity spread somewhat into the eastern portion of the islands, which had mostly subscribed to animist beliefs up until then. The islands were briefly under British control in the early 1800's and Japanese occupation during World War II.

The local resistance to the Japanese during World War II led to resistance to Dutch rule after the war. The Indonesians then won their independence in 1949. After some turbulent and violent years in the 1960's between local communist and anti-communist parties, it has settled down into a more or less stable, secular democracy. This has been especially true since the Suharto regime ended in the late 1990's. Since then, freedom and governance have improved for the most part.

There are still some areas of concern among freedom watch groups including government corruption, some curbs on freedom of the press, and some restrictions on religious freedom. One quirk is that the Indonesian constitution only recognizes six official religions: Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism. Those who subscribe to another religion or have no affiliation are subject to discrimination and in some cases repression. The source of this odd situation? At the time of independence a compromise was made between some Muslim groups who wanted a Islamic state based on Shariah law and other groups who wanted full religious freedom. The compromise they settled on seems a little muddled to me.

However, there are pockets in the country where the rules don't apply. On our way to Indonesia from Singapore, I read the Jakarta Post, and was surprised to discover that people were being publicly caned per Sharia law in one part of the country for misdemeanours such as couples hugging in public. There are also a few extremist groups in Indonesia, and there was a terrorist bombing in Bali in 2002 which was claimed by an extremist group. But for the most part Indonesia is a safe place to be.

The country was very poor through its colonial period and started to improve its economy starting in the mid 60's after some changes were implemented to stabilize the economy. Since then, thanks to oil production, manufacturing, and crop exports, the economy has improved and the official poverty rate has dropped from 60% to 15% since the 1960's.

On a trek today through the countryside, we saw some of the crops grown here. Even though the land is very steep and mountainous, much of the land is under culivation. We saw terraces 10 feet high so farmers could squeeze in another rice or tobacco crop. The land seems so fertile and well irrigated. We saw endless crops of rice, tobacco, tomatoes, cassava, chilli peppers, green beans and other crops we couldn't identify. We also saw banana and papaya trees. I could see though how undeveloped some practices were. I saw water buffaloes pulling wooden plows, and ladies making gravel from rocks on the side of the road using hammers. In town yesterday I saw four men with sledgehammers and long iron spikes breaking up some asphalt in the middle of the road. At an average wage of $2 an hour I believe, I can only guess that this is a cheaper alternative than having one guy with a jackhammer do the same job faster.

By contrast, Thailand has been developing their economy in fits and starts since the early 1900's when serfdom was abolished, and Vietnam has only opened up their economy for the last 20 years. This mostly explains why Thailand is richer per capita than Indonesia, while Vietnam is poorest.

Here is Catheleen near some water buffaloes on our trek through the countryside today.

Meandering thoughts on outdoor living

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 with beds and tablecloths) or flash packing (backpacking with nice hotels at the end of the day), but I see the appeal. One thing on my list is to build more decking and stairs from the cottage to the lake so I don't have to walk on the grass or rough paths so much. In other words, I like to be around nature, but not on nature.

So what does my meandering preference for decks and backyard gardens in Canada have to do with our visit to Bali and Java? Well in Bali, the building styles of upscale houses, museums, temples, and resorts usually combine gardens and nature with open air buildings. If you believe everything you read, the Balinese have cultivated an aesthetic appreciation that keeps society, architecture and nature in harmony, in line with their Hindu and animist influences. Westerners have been waxing on about Bali harmony and beauty since the 1930's, when some Western artists started coming here and mixing and matching styles with the local Balinese artists.

I certainly admire and appreciate the places and grounds we've visited in Bali and Java. We visited one striking place in Ubud Bali called the Agung Rai Museum of Art (ARMA) along with an adjacent resort. It was truly breathtaking in its beauty. Perhaps tourist dollars helped make the place possible, but the building architecture, gardens, and landscape of the museum and resort were stunning, both by day and when lit at night. The place combined outdoor pavilions, lily pad ponds, bridges over streams, rice paddies, and unique buildings blended into the landscape. There was a massive retaining wall over a rice paddy that was really beautiful - the wall included evenly spaced statues of ladies carrying pots, where water flowed out of each of the pots. We followed the meandering paths, leading to creative statues throughout in the surrounding gardens and bushes. I could go on.

But Bali doesn't have a monopoly on aesthetic beauty. I should think most places and cultures in this world try to combine architecture with natural settings and gardens in some way that is intended to be pleasing. Which styles and cultures you might like the best are a matter of taste and opinion; I think they all must have their appeal.

Being just a few degrees south of the equator, Bali benefits greatly from a climate that doesn't vary much throughout the year other than a wet season from January to March. So for most or all the year the Balinese can enjoy their outdoors and fine tune their harmony. Good for them. I think I'm just a little jealous because the winters in Canada are a bit too long, and so I don't get to spend as much time outdoors on a deck as I would like.

Here's John on a country road in Java today. We greeted most of the people we passed on the road and small villages on our long walk, who I don't think see many tourists in these parts.

Northern Bali and first day in Java

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 next to an active volcano. I don't know when the volcano last erupted, but it was some time long ago. We could see the black lava covering one side of the mountain from the last flow.

One of our last stops was at an agro tourist plantation where we saw cocoa plants, vanilla beans, coffee plants, and the process to make Luwak coffee. The Luwak animal looked like a weasel, and we saw cages of them where they eat the coffee fruit and poop out the coffee beans. Who would have come up with this in the first place? Some brave or foolhardy soul I'm sure. But it's supposed to be the best coffee, so we figured it was worth a try. We saw how they cleaned the beans, dried and removed the husks, and then the beans were roasted and ground. We enjoyed the view over the mountainside while sipping some of this coffee. It was good but it did have that ick factor for me when I thought about it. The kids aren't big coffee drinkers but did enjoy a taste sampler with cocoa, vanilla, and many other teas.

As we waited at the Bali airport for the short flight to Java, I stared out at the surf. The airport runway was built out into the sea on reclaimed land. We're flying on Lion Air. I can't help but recall that two years ago one of these planes didn't make it onto the runway and ended up in the sea. Nobody was killed and it was remembered particularly for the help provided by the locals, who rushed to the scene by boat from the surrounding area to help rescue the passengers. But our flight was without incident and we made it to our next stop near Borobudur Java, a Buddhist temple site we want to see.

Along the way from the airport though the city of Yogyakarta, we saw and heard people playing music on the street using drums and cymbals like Caribbean music with their steel drums. There was also a holiday parade going on. We didn't see the parade, but along the way we passed a couple of jeeps, one with people in combat fatigues carrying machine guns, and another jeep with what looked like a General in back and a large machine gun mounted to the front of the jeep. We were told by the driver that they were not military or militia, but were civilians dressed up for the parade. What a strange thing to see.

The hotel we're staying at is unlike anywhere else we've been. We're up in the mountains with views of the surrounding volcanoes and rice fields. We have our own villa, which looks to have been someone's cottage at one time, with its own private backyard, coy fish pond and even a coop with some fancy pigeons. Looking around the garden, we've spotted banana, orange, and jack fruit trees, and some other fruit we haven't identified. This place is rustic, with no air conditioning or screens on the windows. We have mosquito netting around our beds so we'll see how well we sleep tonight. It's a pleasant temperature up here in the mountains and should actually get cool at night.

On our way to lunch at the hotel restaurant, we passed cages of love birds and other birds. The owner is a French man, and with his wife from Indonesia they seem to love birds. When we had lunch at the hotel restaurant we witnessed and heard a group of about 20 motorcyclists roar past the hotel and then back again, making a lot a noise revving their engines. We asked the hotel owner whether there was a parade or festival going on today, but he wasn't sure. He said the local village would often organize these rallies for different days and times, but he couldn't keep track, since there were so many events.

As the sun started to go own, we heard the Muslim call to prayer, with chanting and singing from the nearby mosques. Being on top of the hill, we could hear the prayers coming loudly from three or four different directions. It was a new experience to be surrounded by it. It was as if the whole land was praying, which I suppose was the case. Elizabeth thought it was somewhat frightening, but I thought it was soothing, especially when the singer was talented. I'm not sure I will find it so relaxing though when I'm woken up tomorrow morning. It must be an effective way of remind all it's time to pray, since it's not something that would be easy to ignore. We are definitely in a strange and exotic land.

Here's a picture of our Luwak coffee experience.

The charms of Bali and your neighbourhood

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 this island. This is their home, their culture, their natural environment. Why would they live anywhere else? In Vietnam I had the sense from a few people I spoke with that they would consider moving elsewhere for a better life if they had the opportunity. I don't get that feeling here in Bali. The Balinese seem to be quite comfortable in their environment. It shows in many ways. For example, the way they interact with foreigners like me, calm and gentle, greeting me with big smiles. It's like they are happy. I think that's it. And I think foreigners who come here for the spa treatments, yoga, guitar lessons and what-not are drawn here to capture some of that happiness.

Here's the big life lesson you can glean from the Balinese if you're paying attention. Slow down and take it all in. As we would say, "stop and smell the roses". Or as one guy here put it, "stop and listen to the brook". That's the best advice I've received here since "try the curry" - it's tasty by the way.

We ran out of time to get the golden hour tour from a local art collector and curator named Rai Agung, who runs a great art museum here called ARMA. But I know where he's going with his tour where he shows people his favourite misty forest at dawn and points out the "beauty and poetry" of early morning village life. He's from here, he has cultivated an appreciation for the place over a lifetime, and he's happy to share his joy with others.

As I sit writing this, the sun is starting to set, and sunlight is peeking through the clouds to reflect golden across the water-soaked and newly-planted rice paddies. The swallows are having their last dance over the fields, catching their dinner, before it's the turn for the bats to put on their show. The breeze is cooling as the leaves move without a rustle. It is silent, save the sounds of nature's crickets, birds, and a rooster in the distance. Two smaller birds are picking at the insects in the field, occasionally turning to each other to sing a song or grouch at each other. The moon is almost full and on the rise, soon to ascend directly over us later this evening like last night. Catheleen is on the same path, about to go out with Elizabeth to the next village to watch the white cranes leave the rice paddies en masse to roost for the night in the nearby trees.

I'm sure the ARMA guy could point out the beauty and poetry of this setting better than me, but I get it. I should invite him to a golden hour tour from my deck at the cottage in Ontario in the summer, or a nature walk though Gatineau park in the fall.

Every place has its charms if you open your eyes.

Special education and a fire dance

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 performance that the proceeds will be used to help build a temple. The area already seems to have an endless number of temples, but what do I know.

We bought our tickets, an attendant put a flower behind our ear on the way in, and were seated within a small Hindu temple courtyard on makeshift benches. The place was packed by the time the show started, with people seated on all four sides, wherever they could squeeze in. Some of the last people in sat on the only places available, the stone throne focal point of the temple. Even this sight of 300 people seated within a partially lit and ancient temple at night was strange and unique, all of us with flowers in our hair. Maybe my imagination was running wild, or perhaps I shouldn't have purchased the big beer on the way in, but it reminded me of something out of a cult movie, like the second Indiana Jones movie Temple of Doom. There was no doomsday here this night, but as I often repeat, you would never see this in Canada due to health and safety concerns.

The performance started after a man in a traditional sarong (which is the custom here) lights the candles on a statue in the middle of the courtyard. The candles burn brightly. Then an orchestra of 100 men, all bare chested and wearing checkered sarongs, enter and sit down around the statue. Throughout the performance they chant, sing, sway and raise their arms to the fire. This is the only music for the performance, since there were no instruments. Occasionally they would stand or lay down on each other. A most strange mix of sights and sounds, but mesmerising after a while.

The actors come and go throughout the performance, telling an adventure story from the Ramayana epic, as kings, evil demons, monkeys and others play their part in the capture and rescue of a princess from the forest. The lady actresses were well dressed in ornate costumes with golden dresses and headpieces, and performed slow dance movements with their arms and head most of the time. Again, very mesmerising.

Next came the most dramatic performance, the Fire and Trance dance. They first set up shallow metallic barriers around the courtyard, and then a pile of coconut shells were placed in the middle and lit on fire. Some of the orchestra men return on one side with some percussion instruments, and began to chant and bang their instruments. Next a shirtless man enters in bare feet, standing within a frame with a head and tail made of reeds. He was apparently in a trance from the chanting and he proceeded to walk and dance around the red hot coals. Then he kicked the coals toward our side of the courtyard, and a great mass of sparks flew up on high in this otherwise darkened courtyard. What a dramatic and startling experience to see the sparks fly! Some of the coals struck the barrier and made it through the cracks next to the audience's feet. He scattered the embers in other directions and then walked on the remains. The coals were swept into a pile by attendants and the horse man repeated the performance a couple more times. Once the burning coconuts were mostly extinguished, he lay down among the orchestra members with his blackened feet exposed, and seemed to receive a blessing.

The kids were concerned about his feet, and hoped they were okay. They were too shy to talk to him after the performance however and ask him. After the show we all streamed out of the temple, and enjoyed a late dinner down the street. What a unique way to spend an evening.

Here's John with his geocache coin.

Bali Bird Park

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 of the macaws and to pet the cockatoos, who liked a good scratch behind the neck. Catheleen was instructed by one white cockatoo, who pointed with its claw, to pet a little to the left. Some of the birds were allowed to roam free throughout the park, including peacocks and crowned herons, which looked like they had golden spikes on their heads. We had lunch in an open air restaurant when another demonstration started up. Here we had large birds flying within inches of our heads. Very exciting but I'm glad we had finished lunch before the demo started.

Later a peacock wandered into the restaurant and we had a good laugh as it tried to get at a french fry from under the table where two young Japanese ladies were sitting. Later on we saw a bird of prey demonstration, where owls, hawks, and large eagles swooped around us. My favourite part was seeing a flock of four South American Macaws, which flew around and up above, back and forth, in perfect formation.

The kids were big on volunteering for the demonstrations. At lunchtime John held out his arm while a large horn billed bird flew in from its handler who was far away to land on John's arm. John didn't get much warning about what was going to happen, so he found it pretty startling to have this large bird fly straight at him to land on his outstretched arm. Elizabeth volunteered at the end of our day for a bird of prey demonstration. She also didn't know what was going to happen to her. A lady before her had volunteered to hold a tray above her head while the handlers dropped pieces of meat on the tray one at a time while we watched Asian eagles with tan bodies and white heads swoop in quickly to scoop up the meat off the try with their claws. The announcer then said for the next demo that there would be no tray. Elizabeth was picked from the audience. She happily went along with it but was feeling much trepidation when the handler dropped a piece of meat on her head. Quickly an eagle swooped down and plucked the meat off Elizabeth's head. A bit scary for her but it turned out okay.

Next stop - Indonesia

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 new rice seedlings, and watched the sun go down. 

Our first outing to the town last night was very pleasant. There was restaurant after restaurant, all well appointed places where you  eat in the open air. The weather was perfect, one of the few times on this trip when I wasn't sweating though dinner. It's a little cooler in Ubud compared to the coast because it's about 500 meters above sea level. 

My first impressions of Bali are very positive. The people are laid back like Laos or Thailand and offer great service with a smile. The Balinese people here are Hindu mostly, which is unusual I think since Indonesia is mostly Muslim. The people seem to be very spiritual, and typically make offerings twice a day. Just walking down the street at noon today, I passed a lady praying at a street corner, and watched her place an offering on the street among the many already there. The offering consisted of a banana leaf fashioned into a shallow square box with toothpicks, in which housed some flowers mainly. 

This morning we visited the Monkey Forest Sanctuary, which was fun if slightly unnerving. Once we entered the park I was immediately accosted by a monkey about the size of a large cat, who jumped on my shoulders. I wasn't sure what he wanted, so I leaned over to a stone railing so he could jump off. He didn't want to leave his perch on my back but eventually left, but he hissed at me when I tried to pass. I figured he wanted my water bottle so I gave it to him. He was satisfied and twisted the cap off, tipped it over, and started drinking. I guess he was thirsty. 

Catheleen and the kids had similar experiences. When we sat down the monkeys would eventually wander onto us and sometimes rifle through our pockets or try to look under our clothes for food. We bought some bananas and this is when to monkeys went crazy and jumped on our heads when necessary to get the bananas. It was a strange experience to be surrounded by so many monkeys. 

The park itself was very beautiful with its nature paths set amongst various Hindu temples. The place was littered with stone statues and bridges, some of which were encased in tree roots from the surrounding jungle. It reminded me somewhat of Angor Wat in Cambodia.