The islands of asia- PLEASE READ FROM BOTTOM TO TOP

Finally we went to Koh Lanta to meet up with a friend who we were volunteering with up in Cuzco, Peru. We had already done some elephant riding before Koh Lanta but we decided to do a little more... And this time I went in the front and drove the elephant like a maniac!

Then we decided to go to a much quieter island that has no cars or motorbikes and has excellent snorkeling. Yes, it was Gili Air.

First it was the famous island of Bali. The snorkeling was soooo nice but I'm glad we weren't staying in Kuta or Seminyak because they are so busy!

paradise above and below

Gili Air was paradise.

Here are some of the things that made it awesome:

the snorkeling was AMAZING!!! You could see turtles off the beach.

Cats everywhere!!!

no cars or motorbikes but there are horse carts and bikes.

everyone is so calm and doesn't give the big sales speech.

Gili air was the vacation from traveling that we needed.

Idle Thoughts on Gili Air

Little things that have crossed my mind during our stay on Gili Air:

- there's a large group of Russian travellers at the place where we are staying. Listening to actual Russian being spoken is surprisingly interesting. Thought about bragging about Olympic hockey gold but then the World Juniors happened.

- Gili Air is now my default destination for hiding out immediately after winning the lottery to get my head together. No cars and you can still get internet. Interesting mash-up between the new school and the old

- I have gone cold turkey on my chocolate milk addiction. Sadly I was up to 2-3 containers a day in Australia.

- finished Keith Richards "Life." Good read.

- can't believe I have gone the whole trip without losing or breaking my crappy pair of sunglasses. I'm sure I have jinxed it now.

- People say Chinese food in China is completely different than the Chinese food we get at home. I wonder if it's the same with Thai food?

- we have come across many signs here advertising places with magic mushrooms for sale in various forms. Just another example of how I know I am no longer in Canada.

- nice to see the Canucks playing better. Big statement game coming up in Beantown. Sadly I will be on a plane to Phuket and will have to catch the score later (must resist urge to insert happy face icon).

- RIP Life is Good beach towel. You were a valued companion on this journey. I'm a little jealous that you get to stay behind on Gili Air.

Keeping Busy in Bali

Aside from lounging poolside and the time we had at the Blue Lagoon, we have managed to experience some of Bali's other attractions.

One of our first excursions had us take in a traditional Balinese dance that dealt with the never-ending struggle between good and evil spirits, and featured a stunning performance by a monkey.

After the show when we were trying to get the a picture with the monkey, we were suddenly swamped by photo requests from other Asian tourists. Our guide later explained to us that these tourists were from Java, and apparently not many tourists like us go to Java. As a result, when these people meet tourists like us, they love to get pictures with them so they can prove to their friends back home that they actually went somewhere.

We also visited the Elephant Cave temple, where aside from melting in the heat and humidity of the moment (ok - it was just me having an implosion), we discovered that for foreigners to enter a temple the wearing of a sarong was required so as to cover up your knees. Also, and perhaps a little more socially awkward, woman are asked if they are currently having their period and if they are they cannot enter the temple.

The day's adventure ended with a drive to see the local volcano and have lunch, which resulted in our first brush with the "rainy season."

The best meal we ate in Bali was one that we all had a hand in when we took a cooking class with a Balinese woman who, along with her husband and members of their extended family, set up a school in their home.  Can't imagine we'll ever be able to replicate the amazing results of this meal at home but we do have the recipes and will eventually give it a try.

Heather and Chloe spent a day in the Balinese countryside on a cycle trip that took them past rice paddies, small villages and chicken farms.  The tour ended at the owner's home with an amazing meal cooked by his wife.

For the last day of 2011 we decided to look for an exciting (and hopefully memorable) Bali activity - a high ropes course about an hour and a half drive from our villa.  With about 15 minutes left in the drive we became aware that the sky overhead was darkening somewhat, but it was only really "misting" when we got to the park. The course looked very exciting (and very high up, not necessarily what those of us with height issues would be good at) and being hardy Vancouverites we figured we could handle some moisture. Unfortunately, as we walked closer to the gate the weather gods decided to let loose and remind us again that this is the rainy season

Huddled under the mini-overhang trying to stay dry

So now plan A was toast. We drove to a water temple as a back-up but no dice. As we headed back and the idea of driving for about 4 hours but not actually doing anything took hold, we came up with one last idea. The Monkey Forrest Temple in Ubud was going to be our last chance.

It was drizzling a bit when we got there but that wasn't going to stop us. We entered the temple grounds and almost immediately said hello to more monkeys than we had ever seen. All of them just strolling around, taking food and eliciting shocked cries from older female visitors who hadn't read the warnings that the monkeys actually will climb on you.  Which once you see how big some of them are (and how big their teeth look) can actually be a bit scary.

Our next adventure, Gili Air!

Happy New Year 2012

Can't quite believe it's 2012 - well, for us anyhow.  Most of you are still sleeping or possibly planning your party or deciding what to wear and where to bring in the new year, or perhaps enjoying a drink or two awaiting the moment when you can crack open the champagne and kiss your family and friends.

Happy New Year to all of our friends and family (and to those of you who we don't know but have somehow found our blog)!  We love you loads and wish you were here to celebrate with us! xoxo

Blue Lagoon

Chloe has been itching to go snorkelling since we arrived here in Bali but there never seemed to be a good time.  "It is cloudy so you won't see much" the driver told us the first day we suggested going snorkelling.

It's the rainy season here in Bali!

"There was a heavy rain last night so the sand will be all stirred up and you won't see much" he replied the next day.  "There was a heavy rain last night and this morning so there will be lots of garbage from the river in the bay," was the last answer we were given, to which we replied, "Let's just go and look."  We threw our masks and snorkels in the back at the last minute just in case!

By the time we arrived at Blue Lagoon the rain had ceased, the water was fairly calm in the bay and there weren't too many people at the beach.  Perfect!  We stripped down, put on our masks and snorkels and waded into the warm water.  We swam about 3 meters from the beach and we found ourselves in an underwater paradise.

We were all in heaven and having practiced our diving over the past few weeks, we even looked like we knew what we were doing!  (Well, at least 2 out of 3 of us did,... I'm not sure what ballet I was trying to perform!)

By the time we were finished our fun, the sun was shining and the crowds were beginning to arrive so we took our leave of Blue Lagoon with a much better understanding of the abundant life and beauty that lies just beneath the surface!

Be careful what you wish for redux

Like my daughter I too had a dream. I dreamt that one day, I would be asked to come in off the sidelines and join with the locals as they played the beautiful game (aka football, aka soccer).

The other night we were coming back to the villa from a walk on the beautiful black sand beach when we saw that the locals were starting up a game. As we walked closer it happened. One of them kicked the ball off the field and towards the ocean, just ahead of where we were standing.

I saw this as a sign from above. Quickly I raced over to the waters edge and rescued the ball. Standing a little ways from me was one of the players. He motioned me to kick it over. Heather quickly added her verbal encouragement. I did a quick drop quick and managed to (barely) get the ball back to the field. I must have been ok, because the guy turned to me and said "Do you want to play?" (or something to that effect I am sure).

I didn't wait. I entered the field, tried to say hi to my new teammates (limited english) and it was game on.

Very quickly I realized that I was wayyyyy over my head. The feeling really sank in when they did a corner kick that I tried to head (my limited natural vertical jump was very impeded by the sand), missed, and had to move quickly to avoid being run over by the Bali guy who was at least 3 feet up (and successfully made contact).

The locals were all very nice. They would pass me the ball and even tried to set me up for a goal (which I whiffed badly on). After a few minutes I could tell that they had finally realized that I really had no game. I stayed a little while longer, got in the way and had a few balls hit me, and even managed to pass (kind of) to a guy who passed to a guy who actually scored.

Then It was time to leave the party. I said thanks to the guy who invited me over, and didn't look back as I headed for a medicinal soak in the villa pool. Mission accomplished.

Twas the Night Before Christmas...

At least for a couple of more hours and then we wait for Santa to find us. We were fortunate that the staff let us "liberate" a Christmas tree and move it into our villa.




Merry Christmas to all ....