Family and Friends

cl The only transport besides bicycles on Gili TrawanganPicture above my bed....looks like someone on mushrooms made it but I think it warded off creepy crawlies out of my room so I liked it.


A baruga, comfy resting spot on the north end of the island.



Sign at the bar Rudys.
Perama boat over to Gili, very relaxing and rustic but we made it!

A quote I love and had to share-
"You can kiss your family and friends good-bye and put miles between you, but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart, your mind, your stomach, because you do not just live in a world, a world lives in you". :)

Gee I have been a little negligent on here haven't I? Guess I am having too much fun in Gili Islands, Lombok! I will post pictures once I get somewhere with better internet service.
Well you'll be happy to hear I did accomplish something, I read a book called the Shack, by Wm Paul Young, where the above quote came from. I strongly recommend everyone read it, it's an awesome fictional story that will make you laugh, cry and answer some of those unanswered questions you may have.

So to fill you in on my doings for the past week, I ended my time in Candidasa with breakfast on my veranda before hopping the Perama bus to get to Gili Trawangan, on a 4 hour tour....lol Gili / Giligans Island....if you remember that show and it's theme song, makes a person a little apprehensive as the 'maintenance' on machines here isn't as detailed as ours! Then to boot a couple of days after I got here the boat actually did break down half way here and now I am stranded unless I want to blow my budget and go by speedboat, take the ferry which sounds dreadfully painful or wait until Sunday. I was hoping to leave Friday as Island life can get a little tiring.....yes it can! Salt water showers, parties at a different bar every night, not that I attend them all but there's a great little Irish pub that has become my favorite!! It's great here, slow paced, no motorized vehicles only these poor little horses that pull carriages that fit about 3 people swishedly.....I opted out on renting my own bike for the week! I love it and went all around the island today, took almost 2 hours with a couple of stops for amazing views and a drink of water!
Have met some amazing people including my first Canadians, they live in Edmonton! Plus a friend of my daughter's who Kylie had met in Australia and I recognized her from pictures on facebook! It was so surreal, such a small world too and I could have just hugged this young lady, (actually I believe I did). She filled me in on how Kylie is doing and just raved about her and made me miss her even more! Many other people too in so many walks of life, lots of Europeans and a few more Canadians too, we're all so excited to meet up with each other! It's like a family reunion! haha
One thing that they really promote here is their magic mushrooms, they actually make them into mushroom milkshakes! Once I can post pictures I'll include one of a funny sign. It's funny they promote it like crazy even though drugs are illegal here but the killer is there are no cops on the island! I've seen a few 'crazed' people and heard a few stories....so NO I haven't tried them and I'm not just saying that cause my parents/kids are reading this either! lol

OK enough work for now, internet is a bit slow but I will try to write again sooner and let you know how I got off the island! :)

Thanks also to everyone concerned and that have written me about Thailand. I have neglected reading up on my world news since I've left Singapore and now maybe I will do some. I am to fly into Bangkok from Indonesia on December 14th and do a GAP adventure tour in Northern Thailand for 2 weeks and then meet up with a friend, Brian, from the Calgary Outdoor Club on the 30th to see southern Thailand and Malaysia for the month of January. I know GAP will not run a tour if it's not safe and I may have to look at setting up a plan B! I will play it safe and keep my wherabouts posted.

Love and hugs to all :)

More Culture!

Yesterday I went on a tour with my guide Nehgah, whose name I still can't pronounce after numerous trys and laughs so I call him Ric.

First we went to a little village called Tenganan, the inhabitants live according to their ancient Bali Traditions and ceremonies (which include fighting against each other). They do geringsing (double Ikat) cloth weaving with a wooden machine. It takes about one week to complete one of these shawls and they are hoping to sell them for about $150,000 Rupiahs which is about $15 to us. Makes you feel kinda bad about bartering over the price when you see the work involved in a literal sweatshop!

An earthquake destroyed the village about 6 years ago and they along with neighboring villages all rebuilt it, that is their culture.

Then off to the Kings Palace we went. It's called Puri Agung Karangasem my the town called Amlapura. (are you keeping track of all this? Maybe get a map....) King Anak Agung had 10 wives, 16 sons, 19 daughters and just passed away in 1967.

After that we went to a Water Palace called Tirta Gangga. This is where all the villages get their holy water for any of their ceremonies. It's absolutely beautiful with all the fountains, water lillys and pools and statues of the good gods and the evil gods.

At the end of the day we headed down a bumpy road to Partai Putih (White Sand Beach). Here Ric introduced me to his buddy whose name I love and can actually pronounce, Santa! Santa took me snorkeling and we saw all kinds of colorful fish, coral reefs and one really big turtle! I wouldn't have noticed him cause he was laying on the bottom of the ocean and blended right in but when Santa dove down and nudged him a little he swam away. He was probably about 3 feet long. Maybe I didn't notice cause I was too busy watching Santa with his spear that he asked if I minded if he brought along. I was making sure I wasn't going to be the catch of the day! As a result he didn't catch anything but when we got back to the beach he cooked me up an awesome snapper with vegis and rice (of course). Santa owns his own restaurant business on the beach that he runs all day and then comes and works as a chef at 6pm in the homestay that I am at. The people here work so hard, 7 days a week and 2 jobs. They laughed at me when I said we work 8 hour days.

Well my last night here, I'm off to Gili Islands, Lombek which is like another province in Indonesia but I will be back to Bali soon!

Cheers!

My Home in Candidasa, Bali

Arrived here about 4 days ago and just love it here. The pictures show my place with the veranda thru the coconut palms. Voted as 2nd best garden in Bali and that even included the 5 star resorts. Very peaceful and very nice people, the owner is Balinese and owned the land and didn't overdevelope it with buildings.

Some observations for Bali now-

Your meals are cheap but your drink (one drink) can cost as much as your meal! :(

Bali is mostly Hindu people so much more relaxed than the rest of Indonesia with what you wear except when you go into temples, must have covered shoulders and knees. The rest of the time you can wear beach wear and even then you are melting!

It doesn't just rain here, when it starts to rain that means you run cause it suddenly downpours and that could go on for 1/2 hour to a couple of hours.

Instead of having flowers on your pillow every night like in Mexico they put fresh flowers in a bowl on my veranda table, not sure when but they're always there first thing and I don't even hear them!

Lots of people, male and female here called Ketut and Made. People name their first born Wayan , second born Made, third born Oman and forth born Ketut. Not sure after that and not sure why I've only met Ketuts and Mades!

They have small geckos here called chechas, kinda white in color.

Til next time, hope you enjoy reading this and that you are all doing well!

Peace in Bali

In case you are wondering why I haven't written was I wanted to wait until I had something stimulating to tell my readers! Other than the usual, lying on the beach, eating and drinking....I arrived in Bali a few days ago (I can't remember dates, good thing I'm keeping a diary that's the only way I know what day it is!) I went to Sanur, I heard it was a sleepy town and thought that would be a good choice after Singapore to unwind. So being a sleepy town meant no real wild nightlife is all. I found but it was a very busy, noisy, hectic pace with hawkers constantly bothering you and not alot of friendly people other than a Swede family and some people from England I met. So after 2 days and slightly sunburnt I decided to hit the road to Candidasa which is on the east coast. It is a quiet village as well with less hawkers, noise and hussle bussle. I found the most relaxing quiet little hideaway called Kelapa Mas (Golden Coconut) Homestay. It's a beautiful place on the ocean with a coconut palm garden that I look at from my veranda. All this for about $12/night which includes taxes and breakfast!! My neighbor is a girl from NYC who has been here for a month just 'being', she's into meditating. The people here are so friendly and from the heart, they all ask me 'what is my 'program' for the next day?' What I need a program? Sounds like work to me! I told them to sleep and read and that is what I did today on my veranda listening to the ocean waves. Tomorrow I am going on a tour and the next day I plan to get a massage (about $7 for an hour), so now I can tell them I have actual plans if they ask me again tonight. Funny everyone asks me "Are you alone?" It's not usual for people especially women to travel alone here. But they ask more out of caring I think and they seem sad for me but I just smile and say 'Yes' or if it's a guy asking I say 'not for long' I'm meeting my friend. And I have been meeting friends from all over the world, haven't been lonely yet but it's sure nice to have the internet to keep in touch.
Well off for dinner, last nights cost me $5 for a Mahi Mahi meal in a really nice restaurant with Legong dancing. It's an Indonesian dance that is almost like the slow Hawaiian dancing that you see at Luaus.
I will try to add some pictures soon when I find a more modern computer.....Cheers! :)

Singapore Zoo and my Last Night in the Big City

Very beautiful, I can see why it is one of the world's famous! Open and lush with a rain forest atmosphere. Instead of cages they basically have huge moats all covered over with bushes and vines so it feels as though you are walking thru a jungle (only on cement pathways).

Attached is a picture of a Komodo Dragon and of the giraffes only look at the background.

The other pictures are of May, my roommate from Malaysia. We went down to Clarke Quay, the restaurant/party district and then for a cruise down the Singapore River. Also Christmas Lights were strewn all across Orchard Rd, the main shopping street in Singapore.

Getting tired of the hustle bustle of this big city though, it is indeed very Western with all the designer stores/malls and Christmas displays and advertising.

I ready to move onto Bali tomorrow and find a little hut on the beach! :)

Too much culture? I think this is just the beginning.

So far I have managed to cover alot of Singapore and I think I have seen most of the highlights thanks to a wonderful lady, Margaret who is living here with her husband Dean and are both originally from Scotland. In one day we toured via the MRT (Mass Rail Transit) to a famous shopping plaza Tangs which we only had an ice coffee at the Marriot and then off to the Singapore Botanical Gardens inside of which we also saw the National Orchid Gardens (Singapores flower) and the Ginger Gardens (who knew there were so many types of ginger!) Then off to another coffee house (TCC- The Coffee Connosieur), going to keep using jet lag as an excuse whenever I can! We also managed to get my first Singapore drink in at Raffles Hotel at the Long Bar. Something every tourist has to do apparently is visit this famous hotel and have a $26 Singapore Sling (that really wasn't that tasty but heck it had alcohol!) With being such a prestigious and beautiful old hotel I was kinda surprised that while drinking your expensive drinks in the Long Bar (all booze in Singapore is very expensive $13 for just a vodka, $12 for their beer called Tiger) everyone is quite thrilled that they get to eat peanuts and throw the shells on the floor.....I said we get to do that in Calgary but usually at dinghy little pubs!

Then we walked and walked some more over to the Singapore Flyer which is like a huge enclosed Ferris Wheel that gave us a great view of the city all lit up at night.

The next day was my real 'culture' day and it actually started out sunny! Walked up Bincoolen Street and off the beaten path and found Sri Krishnan Temple. I could smell that wafts of incense long before I turned the corner and then was amazed by the number of people mid-morning worshipping to the temple and then appearing to turn and bow to the sun all with 5 sticks of lit incense in their hands. Then I carried on to Little India which was very crowded and very smelly with lots of food vendors and shops. Met a very friendly monk who invited me to come and stay in Chang Mai, Thailand at his temple and kept saying free bed free food, all for nothing. He seemed a little too friendly for a monk but he had the right costume....

Then I met up with my tour guide Margaret again and we hopped on the MRT for Chinatown and looked at all the different fruits and stalls.

Saw the most beautiful temple called Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum and must have spent 2 hours there touring the 5 story building, watched part of a service, toured the museum and on the rooftop an amazing orchid garden with a prayer wheel in the middle. We were told the wheel is for people who can't read or don't know how to pray. You walk around it 3 times and the praying is done for you, I walked a little extra.

After that we headed to the hot nightlife spot of Singapore called Clarke Quay along the Singapore River but we had no life left in us once we had dinner and a quenching Tiger beer so headed off home in a taxi! Can I still say I am suffering from jet lag? Or can I use the excuse of walking miles in 30 degree weather? One day I will party again!

We did see a fun place called the Clinic....a restaurant using hospital furniture including wheelchairs....a little creepy but cool at the same time.

Singapore Starbucks Barista thinks I'm Looney!

Well here I am, day 2 in Singapore and just about over my jet lag I am hoping!
Can't beleive how different and how much the same this country can be as home! Found a Starbucks across the street and got my usual non-fat skinny vanilla latte and asked for loonies back as I need them for the computer! I started to laugh and explain he just looked at me funny as he handed me my change....
Some observations I've made in my first day here is- WOW are the sidewalks slippery! It had been raining and I was wearing my flip flops (in November!!) :) and did some fancy little dance steps but managed to stay upright thank goodness. So then of course I had to go looking at some shoe stores for something with a better grip and.....
Observation #2- they have the most amazing sandal selection here!! Which for a sandal fetish person with only so much room in her backpack can be a scary thing!
Observation #3, english everywhere which is great! Signs, menus, songs playing, but the groups of people are all speaking some type of Asian which makes it very hard to eavesdrop!
Observation #4- it's true, gum is illegal in Singapore, went to 7-11 and they have none but they did have about 30 varieties/types of Mentos! They also had a Caramel Kit Kat bar but they were $2.60 singapore dollars which is about $2.20 CAD, okay so I decided I'm pick the mentos for just over a dollar. Won't be getting fat on chocolate bars here that's for sure!
Another observation is that Christmas over here is huge and they decorate here big time! I will try to get some nighttime pics to post as all of Orchard Rd is doned with streams of lights and decorations.

Meeting some very interesting people along the way so far and fortunately it's been overcast so the slowly getting adjusted to the heat. Off for lunch with a fellow to give him his solar light for the Light Up the World Foundation I've been involved with and then to tour the city with a friend's friend!
That's all for now!
Ali
(In case you haven't heard, my new traveling name. I can say "hi I'm Ali' and people can ask, 'Are you Ali?' without any funny or awkwardness! And in some cultures, 'gay' is not a good thing!)