Wanderlust is an incurable disease!

Our trip to Kenya
We flew Rwandair back to Nairobi and spent the night once again at the Hilton garden inn
In the morning we were picked up by Gamewatchers, a company I used in 2017 and also in 2019.
Driving through Nairobi on the new expressway had us a Wilson Airport in just over half hour or so. The airport has changed since I was last there and the restaurant is bigger now and upstairs where we enjoyed some coffee and muffins for breakfast

The Kenya Air plane was much bigger than the Safari Link I flew last time, it left 20 minutes early and four stops later we were landing in Nabosho, a conservancy near the Massai Mara . A land rover was there to meet us and the drive to Porini Mara Camp was delightful with so many wildebeest and zebras with many many newborns. Pumba ( warthogs) we’re also in abundance with lots of babies as well.

Our camp is very small, only eleven people at present, and we are tent number 5. A single and queen bed is inside, desk, chair and full bathroom, but all environmentally friendly. We have fresh drinking water put into our tent twice a day into decorated wine bottles. There are lights that work, from solar, and if we request a shower a bucket of warm water is put into the water reserve at the top of the tent at a time we specify.

Lunch is served outside at 1PM near the river overlooking a hill with wildebeest, zebra and giraffe wandering by

Our jeep mates are two women in the Canadian military, Rebecca is 38 and in intelligence living in Qatar. Her wife Tish is 48 and also in the military stationed in Croatia, but they are from Comox, an hour from where we live which is so ironic. We became great friends right away.
The other couple, early 50s were both pilots for Qantas airlines. The six of us laughed and had so much fun over the next couple of days. We were all so happy to have such a wonderful like minded group.

We had two game drives a day, 6:15AM until around 11 in the morning, stopping for a outdoor breakfast around 9AM. Eggs, bacon, toast, potatoes, pancakes, coffee etc and fruit and juice. Quite the spread

We saw a lot of animals and as I say this time of year there are tons of babies. Lots of food for the carnivores.

One morning we came upon a lone female lion who was calling for her pride, she was separated. Our driver Stanley and spotter Dalton went looking for the pride and we came upon 17 lions of various ages from 2 to adult resting in the grass. As soon as one got up to move the rest followed and all 17 walked towards our jeep and passed by. It was amazing. The pride is a group of 25 in all.

Lots of lions, but only one shy cheetah in this area. We had a leopard in our camp at night after monkeys, but never saw him.

We spent three nights here and enjoyed it so much, but a great deal had to do with our amazing travel buddies. Food was good and they catered to my vegetarian needs . I am vegan at home but flexible with dairy when I travel.

Stanley and Dalton drove us to our next camp, Porini Lion Camp, with a game drive on the way.
I have been to this camp twice before and some the long time staff recognized me which was great. The kitchen and dining staff, James and Daniel were so engaging and full of fun just as before. They remembered I was a “grass eater” and again catered to my needs
Our driver was Julius who was my driver in Amboseli when I was here in 2019 and the spotter Wilfred was our spotter here at Porini Lion the same year

Our tent was similar but the furnishings and camp is upscale from Porini Mara, and also quite a bit bigger. 10 tents I think. We left out tent flaps up all the time for air flow and did not have as much privacy as the Mara Camp. Both camps had their good points but I do have a great fondness for Lion camp, for one reason I love the cats and there are just so many in this conservancy.

We chose not to do the offered game drive in Massai Mara because I did go last time and did not like it. So many trucks at any sighting. 10 or more. In the conservancy you can only be here if you are in a camp here, and maximum five trucks at a sighting, and you don’t have to stay on the road like you do in the park, you can drive across the field to get a closer look. The rangers were very active at many of the sightings counting trucks and chasing off those who did not belong.

Again same routine, 6:15 AM game drive, bush breakfast, back for lunch at 1, rest until 4 for the evening game drive and sundowner ( drink of choice and snacks) and back for dinner at 8PM

The weather was unseasonably warm ( low 30s) which was only an issue during our down time at camp. It was also very dry, it had not rained in Nairobi and some of the other parks for a year. Amboseli was having some problems with the animals dying and suffering from lack of water and food
Our area still had watering holes and was quite green

Three nights here again. We rode with a man around our age from Germany, an avid safari goer with expensive and enviable cameras and lenses. We had a slow start but we eventually got along quite well and had a few laughs, but not like our group from Porini Mara.

So many cats, and many with babies. Lions cheetah and leopard were a daily sighting.
Two brothers looking for each other by roaring, so we followed and when they found each other it was amazing. They almost hugged and kissed. It was so touching to see how much they loved each other

We saw one lion with a fresh kill of a zebra, a hyena with a wildebeest kill and hyenas circling a young leopard which had us on the edge of our seats but mom was hissing and keeping them at bay

During the night we were serenaded by lions roaring close by and hippos eating grass outside our tent

Three nights were up and after a morning game drive we were taken to a different airstrip and flew back to Wilson on a smaller 15 seater I think.

We arranged a day room with Gamewatchers at the Sheraton four points near the airport which was a great idea. We relaxed, repacked, had lunch and waited for our midnight flight back to London

We used our points to upgrade to business class on British airlines which was another brilliant plan as we were able to lay flat and sleep most of the way.

We had an amazing safari , again, and will cherish my memories photos and videos for years to come .

Feb 14, 2023.

A long time friend and I flew from Vancouver to London on Air Canada.
We decided to overnight in Heathrow at the Hilton garden inn right in terminal 2 which was great. Comfortable beds, great pillows and towels and fantastic food in the roof top restaurant.
Linda and I had our first adventure in 1973 after graduating high school backpacking through Europe. Now 50 years later we are going on another big expedition to Africa.

The following morning we flew BA to Nairobi and decided to spend two nights there to try to get over our jet lag before the hike. Being retired we have that luxury. Again at the Hilton garden inn but near Nairobi Airport, and we’re happy with everything. We did have to show our Covid certificates upon arrival at airport. We had purchased East African visas ahead of time and it all went seamlessly

Our full day of relaxing was spent by the rooftop pool and a short trip to the Nairobi national museum which was well worth it.

At 11AM the following morning we flew to Kigali on Rwandair and with the time change arrived at 11:30. We needed to produce a negative PCR test to the rangers tomorrow taken the day prior to seeing the gorillas and upon arrival saw some booths near security that said “free Covid tests”. There were quite a few booths and a number of attendants but no patients. I asked them and sure enough they gave us each a test for free! Our driver was amazed, he did not know they were offering free ones. They may have only been supposed to be for locals, not sure. They cost $50USD at the hospital. They gave us some codes we would need to check the results on line in 3hours.

Our driver was Norman from Gorilla trek Africa and he met us at the airport to take us on the 2 1/2 hour drive to Tiloreza, our home for the next two nights. I had used Gorilla TA in 2019 and thought they were great so used them again. We used the ATM outside the terminal to get Rwandan cash for the tips.

The scenery of course is breathtaking , I had forgotten how incredibly beautiful it was.

Our hotel is very small, a nice pool, rooms all on the ground floor. The food was good, not amazing but good. Staff were wonderful and our room was large and nice.

The staff checked our Covid results on the Internet and thankfully we were negative and good to go. We were so relieved and then just chilled for the rest of the night

Feb 19, the big day has finally arrived. This is my friends first gorilla trek and first trip to Africa. I have done two previous treks to Uganda and one in Rwanda and found the one in Rwanda so much easier so chose to come here again.
Our lodge provided us with gators and after much agonizing about footwear I once again just wore my gortex hiking runners. We only travel with carry on so not much room for extra boots.
I love people watching at the meeting point, some folks look like they just came from a shopping trip to LL bean in all their crisp brand new safari gear, while others are in yoga pants and white runners

Our group was to see the new family Muhoza. A silverback broke away and found 10 females to join him and now have 8 youngsters making a family of 19. One baby was born that morning. This was supposed to be an easy trek as they were last spotted close to the base of the mountain and rarely go high.

The gorillas had other plans. We drove up an extremely rough road for about twenty minutes or so until we got to the potato fields. One of the rangers rode with us which was great because we learned a lot from him about the gorilla family we were about to visit . There were seven of us, we hail from Canada, a fellow from Columbia, woman from Mexico City and another couple from Israel. There was one other fellow but never did talk to him. We were by far the oldest, actually I never saw anyone else much over 60. We are both 69.
Linda and I were the only ones who hired a porter, mine was a young woman who did not speak English and Linda had a lovely young man.

I was just in hospital in Bangkok for a few days at the end of my trip to Asia in November for a sudden and unexpected back issue where I couldn’t walk for a few days. I was advised not to come on this trip but this was all paid for and non refundable. I did lots of physiotherapy and small hikes beforehand and took drugs in the morning . I knew I could do it.

We started to walk down a flat path for about 15 minutes and the ranger was talking to the trackers constantly. Patience was his name but he admitted he didn’t have any. He suggest we sit and wait for a half an hour cos the gorillas were still travelling and had headed up the mountain.
Patience finally heard from the trackers and we walked back to where we started, much to the surprise of our drivers. From there we walked through potato fields for another half hour or so and then headed up the mountain. It was very steep and there was not a path or trail of course, just what the guys had macheted through for us. It had not rained for a few days so it was hot but no mud. I was grateful for the gators and I had brought garden gloves for the stinging nettles which were needed.

My porter was awful. I have had porters before but I think this must have been her first day. Because of my back issues I welcomed the help, but she would grab my hand pull me and went too fast. When I let go of her hand she would walk in front and just let the branches hit me in the face and chest.
We got to a very steep part, straight up and the soil is so rich that it just falls way when you try to climb it. She was yanking on my arm and almost pulling it out of the socket. I actually yelled at her, I was so frustrated and worried about being hurt. Unbeknownst to me the ranger assigned a second woman to me as well. She was yanking on the other arm and grabbed so tight I ended up with a huge bruise
Finally Patience came and told them how to just lend an arm for support and let me pull myself up which was great
The other woman then grabbed my ass from behind with both hands and literally pushed my fat ass up that hill which I appreciated. I think the really steep part was around 30- 40 minutes but it is really all just a blur and I was not looking at my watch.

As I say it was very steep but now we were heading crosswise. Patience told us to put down our walking sticks and water bottle and get our cameras as we were there. He took my hand and assisted me the rest of the way.

Our first encounter was a mom and young one who we watched for about 10 minutes, and then made our way down the hill to find more moms and babies eating, sleeping, and playing. One gorilla was heading down the hill but we were in her way so she climbed a tree and went over us.

Working our way down the hill we find the silverback and more females and babies eating and chilling. Linda was sitting down taking a photo when I looked over and saw a big female walking right towards her. The ranger came and put his hands on Linda’s shoulders and was talking ,( grunting) to the gorilla letting her know ‘everything is okay’ . She passed mere inches behind Linda and I was able to get it on video.
A little later another large female came and sat right beside me, maybe a foot away, to eat some especially tasty bamboo. The ranger told me ‘quick stand up’ which is not an easy feat at my age.

We had to wear masks while we were with the gorillas as they are susceptible to our illnesses especially Covid. One guy continuously had his mask below his nose and Patience kept telling him to wear it properly and five minutes later it was down again. I eventually even yelled to him ‘ put your dam mask on’! Idiot
All too soon our hour is up and we make our way back to the parking lot. It was much easier going back because we had been slowly following them down for the past hour. It was a wonderful and very close and intimate visit.

We met a woman the next day who had asked for a challenging hike and it ended up to be a half hour walk through a field that was right beside the hotel they were staying in! The gorillas decided to come down that day.

So you just never know if your request for easy will be hard or hard will be easy. The gorillas don’t follow the script

Later in the afternoon we went to the Guardian Village which was fun, explaining life in Rwanda. There was dancing, singing and drumming and a mock marriage procession where I was the bride and carried to the honeymoon suite to meet my new husband. Great fun and a good income source for these people who used to be poachers

The following morning we did the Golden Monkey trek which was supposed to be very easy and just over a half hour apparently. But once again they decided to head up the mountain. It was on an actual path unlike the gorilla hike and after going through the potato fields we made our way up the mountain for about an hour. It was very hot and again no rain. We hired porters again and this time my guy was fantastic.
I felt like I was completely beat up after two challenging hikes in a row ( for me) but so happy I did it.

The golden monkeys were very cute and fun to watch. They are endangered and only found in Rwanda and Uganda .There were a few dozen together in the area we were in.

We said goodbye to Rwanda after our short visit and caught the 5:30PM flight back to Nairobi .
It was such an amazing experience once again.

We were never asked for our yellow fever vaccine card, only proof of Covid vaccines upon arrival in Kenya which surprised me .
We headed back to Nairobi to start part two of our adventure.

November 11 to November 15, Days 41 to 45

We flew from Hanoi to Siem Reap in the afternoon and the arrival process was very smooth and fast for the visa on arrival. After we picked up our luggage we had an arranged pick up from Memorie D'Angkor Boutique hotel.
The staff at the hotel were wonderful and we were upgraded to a large suite which was nice.

The hotel arranged a car for us the following morning for 7AM to take us out to Banteay Srei before the heat got too intense. First stop was to get the Angkor pass. A three day pass for $62 USD good for any three days out of 10. I see Lana is anxiously waiting behind me for her pass ha ha.

The crowds were not too bad which was nice, but it was very hot and humid even at that early hour.

We stopped at a couple of more sites on the way back, but came back in the early afternoon for lunch and a rest in the room to read and escape the heat.

A tuk Tuk was arranged for 8AM the following morning to visit Angkor Wat. I was feeling pretty bad from this cold so told Lana and Doug to go on without me and I just rested in the room. These are Dougs photos.

That evening we took a Tuk Tuk to an Indian restaurant that was good and then walked around Pub Street for a bit. It was pretty crowded with lots of partiers.

I felt a bit better the next morning so we all filed into the Tuk Tuk at 8AM and went off to Bayon temple, one of my favourites. Again the crowds were low but the heat and humidity very high. We walked around and over to the Elephant Terrace and then to Old Tom.

Ta Prohm is my all time favourite and we arrived there just before noon. When we got there the crowds were very light, but a few smaller groups from France arrived and it got a lot busier. I love this temple.

In the evening we took a tuk tuk to the Apsera Theatre to have dinner and watch some Cambodian folk dancing in a beautiful small theatre. The show was around an hour and a half and we really enjoyed it.

Our short trip to see the temples of Siem Reap was over and we flew to Thailand for a few days to end our farewell to Asia trip. Thanks for following along. Until next time.....

Vietnam.
November 01 - 11
Days. 30- 40

We flew Singapore airlines from Bali to Singapore with a two hour connection to continue on to Hanoi. Great airline, wonderful staff, lots of leg room, good food and pretty much on time.

After arriving in HoChi Min city, ( Saigon) we got some cash from the ATM and grabbed a cab to Solex Hotel in district 1, not far from the airport. The hotel is not near anything but it is just a place to sleep for the night and squeaky clean, affordable and just fine with us.

The included breakfast in the morning was so,so. We arranged for a driver to pick us up at 8. He was not there by 8:20AM so I phoned and he had been sitting outside since 7:30 and not bothered to come and let us know. He did not speak English or even attempt to communicate which made for a very long 3 1/2 hour drive

Our destination is Can Tho, in the south of Vietnam on the Mekong river at a small homestay called Green Village Mekong. The driver stopped the car and pointed to a long path and gestured that we take our luggage and walk the rest of the way.
I don’t think so buddy.
I gestured for him to call the homestay and in less than 2 minutes Thy (pronounced Tea), our hostess, was there to greet us. He ended up maneuvering the car down the small road/path to drop us in front.

Tea is the most enthusiastic bubbly woman I have ever met. Her English is perfect and her sense of humor wonderful
An ice cold glass of lime juice is there to welcome us and was so very appreciated. There is a main thatched building, two stories which houses the kitchen dining area, reception and lounge. Upstairs is their own living area I think. She has a very cute young daughter around four years old but she was not feeling well so rather unhappy. Another young boy around 7 is also there, it is a family run business.

Our cabins are spacious, thatched roofs and walls, with a number of gaps to the outside, a veranda over the river with chairs and hammocks to relax
Rustic and charming

A lunch of fried rice and vegetables was served and then relaxing on the veranda until four when we set off down the river in a small wooden boat to explore. Another young couple from Barcelona joined us

Everyone on the water is so friendly, smiling and waving as we pass, young and old alike.

So much garbage though. It is heartbreaking
These people are quite poor, if your house is on the water you don’t pay the taxes you pay if it’s on land.
We see people bathing in it, getting water for dishes etc , washing clothes and fishing in it. Some have gardens in the water out front of their homes growing water vegetables. Not only is there lots of garbage in the water, I wouldn’t be surprised if the sewage from these homes doesn’t go here too. Makes me feel so blessed to have been born where I was.

A gas station on the water


We cruised for two hours and watched the sun go down
Our driver stopped at a park and got us each a freshly pressed sugar cane drink which was quite sweet but good.

Dinner tonight was a hot pot on each table with vegetable broth and fresh vegetables to add to it. There was rice and pork on the side. Meals are included here as there is not much close by.

Our second day at 5:30AM we make our way into the boat again for our morning adventure just as the first light is showing. The couple from Barcelona joined us again

Every morning farmers come from the areas around with fair sized boats to this part of the Mekong to sell their fruits and vegetables to people on smaller boats who buy for their restaurants mostly. They hang what they are selling on a large pole.
Potatoes , oranges, pineapples,mangos and so many vegetables are in large bags waiting to be sold. They arrive at 5AM and usually sell out by around 10.

Our boat pulled into an area where there were many other tourist boats all huddled together. We just push our way between them to get to this small boat with a young couple selling a soup to everyone for breakfast. He would make the bowls of broth, meat , noodles and vegetables and she would hand it to the patrons and then collect the money. Sometimes the bowl is passed from boat to boat to get to the customer. They do a thriving business it was very busy. I did not have any as it was a meat stock, but the others enjoyed it, somewhat.

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Next stop is on land at a rice noodle factory. It was very interesting how they made them and let us participate. Some are dyed with plants to be pink, green, purple etc.

Last stop was a huge land market where our guide, Peter, walked us through explaining many things. Peter is a high school biology teacher who loves his job but also loves guiding a few days a week. We really enjoy his wit and incredible knowledge

There are lots of variety of meat hanging for sale, god knows what some of it is. It was a tough go for me for part of it. Lots of fish, frogs, snails snakes.
Most are alive until you want to buy them.

But lots of fruit and vegetables too, Peter bought quite a few different fruit to eat on the ride home. Some new ones for most of us and very tasty.

It was a great morning, and we were back just after 10:30AM. We just relaxed the rest of the day. The skies opened up in the after noon so we had great timing.

Hoi An. November 4-6. Days 33-35

The little girl liked to sit on our big suitcase while we were waiting for our transfer to the airport. When we walked out to the road to meet the car she laid on it for a ride. I said to Thy that her daughter may have to come with us. She said “ Yes please”. Ha ha. It had been a rough couple of days

After our one and a half hour flight from Can Tho to Da Nang an arranged car was there to pick us up which worked out well. Immediately you saw a difference here, roads were better, buildings in better repair and less traffic. A large new divided highway with two lanes each way almost the entire 40 minute drive.
We had to walk a bit when we arrived as the road in front of the hotel is being redone. All streets in Hoi An are being raised a foot and a half or more as there is much flooding here every Fall. A few weeks ago they were under a couple feet of water, people took boats down the streets to get around. Typhoon Nori struck.
Another one was supposed to be here now but thankfully diverted. This part of the trip was always up in the air, weather dependant. Glad it worked out for us. Some years the water is 6 feet inside the buildings. People move everything up to the second floor.

We walked around the town, and then went for a late lunch early dinner at Morning Glory in the old town. It was just as great as I remembered it from five years ago. I had two appys, garlic eggplant and spring rolls which were very different from any I had had before. I licked the bowl.

Dusk meant that all the lanterns were lit on the shops and the boats on the water. It is quite magical. There are many couples dressed in Vietnamese matching outfits, wedding or engagement photos being taken. We walked through to night market. Block after block of stalls selling the same things. I had to have a banana pancake as we had done this before five years ago when I was here. It wasn’t as good as I remembered it but still fun to have. A crepe with Nutella, banana and coconut flakes.

There was a place on the river on the second floor where we had a cold drink and people watched for a half hour and then off home.

Doug and Lana spent the day looking at some of the heritage buildings and temples in the old town. I had done this before and woke up with a nasty cold so just hung out by myself most of the day.

There was a bit of a party in front of our hotel, lots of men eating, laughing and cheering. The residents and business on this block put on a dinner for the workers who fixed the road as a thank you. How nice is that?

We went back to Morning Glory for the same thing again for dinner

Hue
A car picked us up and we we drove for three hours on an amazing new highway with almost no traffic. The freeway took us through the Marble Mountains and it was very beautiful.

Tonight we will stay at Hue 1962 Inn, a small quaint place not too far from the citadel which is where we want to visit. Our arrival was around 2 so we figured we had plenty of time to grab a bite to eat and then start our sightseeing.

The young man at the front desk speaks virtually no English. He said there are so many resteraunts close by and gave us directions
We walked for over an hour, we never saw one place to eat. We don’t have wifi, cos we are Canadian and it is too expensive so we tried to ask people.
Nobody spoke any English and we don’t know any Vietnamese. When we gestured they would point, but it just meant we would keep walking
I saw a couple of older tourists and asked them. “ no there really are not any restaurants here, just street food.” And coffee shops but they don’t carry any food. Not even a croissant
I am getting really frustrated now, and Hangry!
We were now lost, no google maps and no Vietnamese
Finally I spot a pizza joint! I don’t care at this point , just feed me
We were able to get on wifi but by the time we were done and heading out to the Citidel it was going to be dark in a half hour and we were not sure how to get back.
We looked very lost, arguing about what to do, and having disagreements between ourselves when a man can and asked if we wanted to have a cyclo ride to the hotel. He said he would call another guy and take us and after some arguing between us and negotiating with him we were off
Doug and I in one and Lana in the other. These are basically pedi cabs.
We were actually not that far from our hotel after all.

Hue
I did not want a repeat of yesterday so last night I booked a car and driver to take us around to all the historic sights for the day. We went to a pagoda, three different tombs and finished off at the citadel. He even found us a place to stop for lunch which was appreciated

The buildings and architecture were amazing and the tile work and ceramics incredible. Most were from the 16 th century
We had a flight to Hanoi tonight which left on Bamboo Airlines, a new player in the Vietnam airline market. I thought they were great, but I thought all the flights we have taken have been fantastic and pretty much right on time
We arrived into Hanoi just before 10PM nd were met by our arranged transfer and then to our hotel in Old Hanoi

Hanoi November 8-11

Doug and Lana did a walking tour this afternoon. Unfortunately I am feeling very sick and so stayed back in the room. I have a terrible cold but really just feeling generally unwell. Thankfully I have done this walking tour before. I hope I am better tomorrow.

Halong bay cruise

Jane and I did a two night three day cruise here five years ago and it was one of the highlights of Vietnam for me. We did not have the time this trip so I looked into many options and found what I think was the best. Jade sails was a full day tour that had seven hours on the water, most only had three or four
We were picked up from our hotel at 7:30AM and taken by luxury 7 passenger van on the new freeway which only took two hours. The ship holds over a hundred guests but we were only 27 today which was great for us
The dining room inside is where we met first and the ship is very new and modern with floor to ceiling windows which was great. There are two upper decks as well.
We starting cruising around 10:30 AM

A buffet lunch was served at 11:30 and it was amazing. Lots of seafood and different delicacies but they really catered to me and another young woman who was also vegetarian bringing us lots of plates of fantastic food. I shared with Doug and Lana it was too much food but so appreciated. The staff were all young and enthusiastic and had a small amount of English language
Our ship mates are diverse in age and nationality.

A while later we stopped and some people who lived on the water in this area came by with wooden row boats. We were joined in our boat by a couple from England and thier son who has been living in Vietnam.

Our boatman rowed us through some tunnels into a bay that was so beautiful and peaceful. He asked if anyone wanted to try to row, looking right at Doug. Not sure if he gets many takers, none of the other boats participated, but Doug did a great job and rowed us for around 20 minutes. It is not as easy as it looks and I think the boatman was very impressed and sat back and enjoyed the relaxation for a bit

The next stop was for kayaking or swimming. Lana went kayaking for a bit but Doug and I are both now felling pretty crappy so stayed back. This was a followed by relaxation on the deck and then a cooking demonstration and participation class that Doug did well at making spring rolls. Another spread of fruit and spring rolls as we sailed back into the harbour and watched the sun set. They brought me some vegetarian ones

All in all I don’t think we missed out on anything from only doing a one day tour. It was the perfect amount of time and we were back at our hotel at around 8PM

Hanoi. Last day. It will be a low key day, I really hope we can shake this cold before we get to Cambodia
We fly tomorrow afternoon and start Tempelling the next day.

October 22 to 28. Days 19 to 25

We said good bye to our wonderful staff at Satori and met with Eka for our drive to our next location, Lipah beach in Amed.
Taking our luggage down to the parking lot by motor bike

Sideman was a bit of a diversion but I was told how beautiful the countryside was and it did not disappoint.
We pulled off the road to walk through some ones rice field for a bit. Once again the drive was on very twisty narrow roads up and down the mountains.

Around four hours later we checked in to Bintang beach villas, a small resort with 9 units. We had two clean, spacious rooms each with small fridge and kettle. The staff was so wonderful here. My only complaint was intermittent wifi, but that seems to be it common in a number of places. We were spoiled in Ubud.

Right out front is a beautiful coral reef which is why I chose to stay here. Fall in the water snorkelling
Fish and coral I have never seen anywhere else, it was wonderful. The beach had black sand which was like walking on hot coals. But in the water it was white sand. We saw a number of large turtles too.

A fellow on the beach took us out in his jukung pontoon boat around a couple of bays to where there was a sunken Japanese ship not far off shore. Cost was 500,000 IDR. These boats are quite small and unique and rather challenging getting in and out of especially for us old folks.

It was great snorkelling and a wonderful coral garden with so many amazing fish. The problem was the current was so strong we would just get swept right by it and when I tried to turn around to go back it was like a very strong lap pool, I was giving it 150% but not getting anywhere.

I finally grabbed onto the pontoons and our boat driver trolled Doug and I over to where we started and we were able to hang out there for a bit. Lana did not want to go back in at that point.

We ate at only a couple of wrungs as we enjoyed them so much. One was Wrung Indah on the beach and they had a great vegetarian curry for only $5
We really enjoyed talking to the family members who owned the place.

The other was Arung Warung, we went here twice for dinner and once for lunch. It was so good, fusion Indonesian food. The owner/ cook had perfect English so we could ask lots of questions. I had a jackfruit dish one night and then vegetable teriyaki rice bowl twice and veg spring rolls with her own siracha sauce which I could have eaten with a spoon it was so good.
And as a bonus at night her husband played music and sang covers which was great. He was a fantastic guitar player.

We would spend our day snorkelling and swimming out front for a few hours, then reading by the pool with a dip now and then to cool off, followed by dinner and early night. It was so relaxing once again

One day we did venture out for some sightseeing. We left at 8:30AM to head for the Gates of Heaven, Lampuyang temple. We hired Wayan for the morning and he dropped us in the parking lot. We had to take a small bus up the twist and turns of the narrow road to the top of a mountain. From there we had to walk. A woman asked if we would like a motor bike ride the rest of the way for 5,000 (4.50 CDN). We said no thanks. Ten minutes later we had wished we had said yes . It was an incredibly steep hill to walk up and we were pooped by the time we got to the top but happy to be there, a sweaty breathless mess none the less.

This is probably to most popular and famous instagramable place in Bali.
I had number 154 for a photo. We came early to beat the crowds, so we thought. It opens at 8 and we arrived just after 9. They said it would be about a two hour wait.

Problem was there were groups, so a group of eight people would have one number so it was deceiving how long the line up would be

Some young men sat in front of the gates and one would call out a number. 88. ( shit this will be a while)
You would go up to the gates after giving one of the young men your cell phone. They would yell out next pose, next pose. You were allowed a total of four, some took more. If you were a couple you had four together and four each alone. It was a process but these guys moved everyone along and did so in a very kind and caring way.

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We love the pictures though so in the end I guess it was all a worth it. Thankfully it was an overcast day, which meant that unfortunately you could not see the volcano in the background but it wasn’t super hot.

fruit seller on the way down. Durian really does stink even with the skin on

Next stop Turta Ganga, Hindu water park. This was a beautiful park with lots of statues and pools with stepping stones. Fish food was sold to get that perfect photo, but that meant these were very well fed Koi and some the size of a walrus.

We invited Wayan to join us for lunch, which is expected when you hire a driver but he was the only one who really expressed his gratitude for it.

It was in the temple grounds so far more expensive than usual but the food was good. In the end for the four of us for a good lunch and drink including tip it was $44, or $11 each. Our big splurge.
We loved Amed and the people here were all so incredibly lovely.

This is how much of the goods are transported in the smaller areas

October 28 to Nov 01. Days 25 to 30

After six nights we hired Wayan to drive us to our last stop, Sanur. It took about four hours but we stopped on the way at an indoor market to buy some oranges. People come to sell thier local produce starting at 4AM every morning.

We then stopped at another water park, Tasman Ujung.
Lana climbed to the top of these stairs but coming down would have been too difficult for me because there was not a handrail.

Sanur is very busy with so many tourists compared to Amed. We have a decent room, at Besakih Beach hotel which has a pool and restaurant
located on the beach. There is a boardwalk in front that goes for quite some ways past shops and other places to eat.

On our second to last day Lana and I did a day trip to an island close by, Nusa Penida.
What an ordeal it was for me, by body does not have the flexibility it once did, the car accident a year and a half ago has really messed me up. I am glad I did it, but there will not be a repeat performance of this kind in my future I don’t think

A van picked us up at 7AM to transfer us to the ferry terminal, which was only about a 10 minute drive. He parked quite a distance and then we walked the rest of the way, which seemed to be the way it was everywhere today.

Doug decided to stay back at the hotel and did not join us

Waiting for an hour we see the outdoor area in organized chaos as different tour groups arrived as well as individuals waiting to go to one of the islands to stay.

Four other people from India were going to snorkel with us. None had snorkelled before and one did not even know how to swim!
A woman arrived and yelled “ok let’s go”
We have to remove our shoes at the terminal. I have very sensitive feet, riddled with arthritis so there was no way I could walk in bare feet the rest of the way so I put on my flip flops. Glad I did cos we had to wade into the water and there was lots of rocks and pieces of coral to step on.
These people must have feet of leather.
The waves were active, we lined up to wait our turn in water up to my thighs until we got to the back of the boat and now it’s my turn to board
Someone took my backpack for me, there was a small area to step on but my legs are too short, I had to kneel and then go from there. A guy on board holds out his hand, another from the other side and I hoist myself up. They took my flip flops and put them in a big bin while we found our seats.

The boat probably held close to eight hundred passengers, half being on the top deck
It was supposed to take just over a half hour, but it was an hour and a half later that we arrived.

We did not go up to the beach like the other fast ferries for some reason and had to transfer to smaller boats which took us in. The boys on the boat had a real hard time securing it enough on the beach for us to get off, and then we had to go in, without shoes, to the beach. The waves were higher and stronger here. But I managed to do it without having to take a swim.

When we left Sanur the guide took our photo and sent it to our guide on NP so he was there to greet us and help us find our shoes and take us to the snorkel shop to get geared up.
Once again we wade out to get on another boat with 8 others to begin our snorkel tour
The guide says they did not see any Manta rays yesterday and hopes we are luckier. So do we.

The ocean is very choppy as we are slammed into the waves heading south to our first stop, Manta Bay. Other boats are heading back and the drivers are holding up fingers and doing thumbs up so I am assuming today has a good sighting.

Pulling into the bay I am not sure I will go in. This is the roughest water I have ever been in. But the Indians gear up, put on a life jacket and are excited to go. And they have never snorkelled before!

Lana gets in, which I am very proud of her as she is not a confident snorkeler even in calm waters. There’s a young guy built like Arnold Schwarzenegger travelling on his own and he jumps in without a life jacket. As I am going down the ladder to get in, he is trying to come up
“ I need a life jacket” he says.

I went in without one but it was very choppy. The others on the boat were all huddled together around the guides and some floatation rings, and the guides kept calling me over to be close to them. I stayed away, the swimmers were scary. So nervous and grouped together , getting a fin in the face if I got close. No thanks. I kept saying I was fine on my own. Lana and I kept watch over each other

Then I saw one. A manta ray about 5 or 6 feet in diameter, swimming close to the surface.

I have snorkelled with mantas before in other places, but these were different and bigger.

Then I turned around and four were swimming straight for me, just below the surface. The first one came almost right up to my face before diving just a few inches below me, and the rest followed.
Thankfully I had the presence of mind to snap a couple of photos with my underwater camera. That was worth it right there!

We went to three other snorkel spots , Lana and I did not got into the first one, ( I am a snorkel snob and it has to be good for me to make the effort)

The next two were okay, but again high waves and strong current.
The last one the current was so strong that we just jumped in and the boat picked us up down the way. Didn’t even have to swim.

It was sad though the amount of plastic garbage in this area. It really took away from any beauty of the reef for me.

I spent some time talking to “Arnold” , who’s name was actually Sergio. He was around 38 I would imagine, from Brazil but now living in Australia where he has his own martial arts studio. He was kind of moping at the front of the boat so I went up to talk to him and found out he was very seasick. He was quite embarrassed I think , this big strong guy taken down by some waves. He never went in the water again. More on him later.

We showered off and our driver, Wayan took Lana and I on private tour of the island for a few hours. Every first child in Bali is named Wayan, so there are a lot of them. They also have second names but I think they must only be used by close friends and family.

If we thought the roads in Bali were narrow and twisting, Nusa Penida was wild. The car had to stop many times to let someone pass going the other way and there would be less than 1/2 inch between them. On one corner the other car scraped Wayan’s mirror. But neither of them said or did anything, just kept driving. They are all just so chill.

If a car came around the corner too fast, or too far over Wayan would comment that they were probably from Bali. Local people know how to driver there. There is a car ferry that comes once a day.
You can not rent a car on NP which is a good thing, but you can rent scooters and there were many tourists on them. Mostly young people, but then most of the people on NP and the ferry were around 30ish. Lana and I are by far older than anyone. As a matter of fact the guys working on the snorkel boat called Lana and I ‘grandma’

We stopped for an included lunch at a tourist place and saw some of our other snorkel mates. Sergio was there and having lunch and said he was feeling a bit better which is great.

Kelingking beach was our first stop, one of many very popular instagram spots. It is just gorgeous. There is a path and stairs to go down to the beach but our grandson Silas did this a few years ago and suggested, as did our guide and everyone else, not to do it. It is a dangerous path.

Next stop Broken beach, or Manta bay which overlooks where we were snorkelling. We got vertigo just looking over the edge, and no guard rail of course. But the view again is spectacular

Last stop is Angel Billabong, another gorgeous view. The pathways were very steep and not in great shape but Wayan took such great care of me. I am okay going up hills, it is going down that is a real challenge .

Farming is the main industry in the island, after tourism. The rolling hills with so many tropical trees is just breathtaking. Wayans family farms corn and other crops. There is not enough water to grow rice here. He said monkeys are a problem for them though. Their farm is near the jungle and the monkeys come in a steal bananas and mangos. Like our deer and rabbits to some degree
There are so many monkeys in Bali

The people of Bali really rely on tourism, for many everyone in the family is involved somehow, drivers, guides, hotels and resteruants. Shop keepers as well, so two years of no tourists due to the pandemic really took its toll on folks here. They are all just so happy and grateful to have us back again.

Time to get back on the boat. Even more wave action now, I have to step up onto this small step beside the engine that is hip height. Try as I might I could not do it, my hips are just so screwed up from the accident.

All of a sudden someone from behind lifts me up and places me the boat! I found out it was Sergio, to my rescue. Rather demoralizing but I was grateful none the less.

It was after 6PM when we finally got back to the hotel, exhausted. A quick change and Doug joined us for dinner, once again across the street at Mona Lisa. And again it was amazing food and service.

Today is Monday, October 31. They don’t celebrate Halloween here that we can see, maybe some tourist places but it’s not a Hindu or Balinese thing.

Today we are just relaxing and packing up. Our Bali holiday has come to an end.

Reflections:
The people of Bali are the kindest, happiest and most chill of any place I have been. I never heard a harsh word or raised voice while I was here. And I think it must rub off on the tourists too, as almost everyone of them is also very laid back.

The countryside is spectacular with its rice fields, rolling hills and tropical vegetation.

Hindu temples everywhere, but different from India’s. Very beautiful.

The food is so delicious. It’s not often as a vegetarian/ vegan I can enjoy such a variety of incredible food. In one month I only had one meal that was not great.

Inexpensive. Holy cow. I wish I lived closer. I can see why the Australians are here so often, for some it is just a four or five hour flight. Apparently it is more expensive than it was pre pandemic because like everywhere else the prices of fuel and everything else has gone up, but still so affordable

Sanur, and I imagine Changu and anything close to Denpasar, the capital, are quite a bit more expensive than the other places we went. But still, affordable holiday for sure.
Bali has been incredible, and we are so glad we came. Having close to a month here really made us feel like we have been to Bali.
Tomorrow we start the Vietnam portion of our trip.

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October 14 -17 days 11 to 14

Our second week in Ubud we did a lot of relaxing, swimming, reading etc. Sometimes we would walk into town now and then and go for another amazing lunch somewhere. We did a bit of shopping but I pretty much just bought some jewelry. Most of the tourists here are between the ages of 20-30 and size zero. Earrings always fit.

One day Lana and I decided to head to the Ubud Aloha Swing which is where you sit on a swing and they push you out high over the Telleganan rice fields. You have probably seen young girls and their instagram posts of this but we decided to have some fun and do it as well. We did the full meal deal with the dress and flower crown and all. Doug was very patiently waiting with Eka our driver.

Kumulilir coffee plantation was our next stop. We had a tour of all the plants and herbs grown and learned how the coffee is roasted in the small villages. They grow arabica beans but they also have a small animal, a Kopi Luwuk who eats the coffee bean, partially digests the outer part and then poops out the bean. This bean ends up being roasted and is the most expensive coffee in the world. You may have seen the movie ‘The Bucket List’ with jack nicholson playing a millionaire enjoying his special coffee when Morgan Freeman tells him it’s Poop Coffee. (Great movie if you haven’t seen it).

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Doug tried a cup and said it was not that special. Maybe even kinda shitty. Ha ha

We had a tasting tray of teas and coffees. We each ended up buying some tea. We enjoyed lunch but it was the spiciest meal we have ever had.

The next couple of days were very rainy, torrential. We hung around at home, I read a book in two days, we watched the Earth Chanel, documentaries and did not much of anything else, there were rain warnings . Looking at all the beautiful photos of home and the great weather on the island right now makes it harder to take.
Apparently the weather has never been this bad here in October
I did go next door for an amazing massage. 1/2 hour for 70,000 IDR ( $6.50 CDN)

Tuesday October 18, day 15
Another rainy day. We went off to the Puri Lukisan museum to see some paintings and art, some dating back to the 13 th century. Very sad though, the buildings are not in great repair and I don’t know how this art survives the high humidity.

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We were in the last building and going to head for the restaurant when the skies really opened. I have never seen rain like that before. We waited inside the building for about 45 minutes and then decided to go anyhow. The water on the sidewalk was mid calf so we walked barefoot, the water rushing and pouring down the stairs. We are drenched, our small travel umbrellas not offering much cover

Lunch and warm tea were welcomed while we waited it out. Eventually the water receded and the rain was just a normal medium downpour.
We had hoped to go to the grocery store but the main road was blocked off, we saw a fire truck and front end loader heading down the street to deal with a landslide close by at a school. A wall collapsed. We heard that no one was hurt. It was a soggy walk home, stopping off for take out dinner on the way.

Wednesday October 19, day 16

Breakfast was prepared for us this morning by Wayan and Putu again and is was delicious as usual. The weather was good so we took advantage of it by swimming in the pool for a few hours and reading our books.

The skies opened at 2PM but only for an hour.
The farmer next door is plowing up all the fields. He does it barefoot as it is so muddy. The white egrets and ducks follow after him looking for the good stuff he is churning up. The fields are planted twice a year. It doesn’t matter the season, just every six months .

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We have lots of critters around and in the evening a few come inside the house, frogs, toads, lizards and geckos. That we know of. Could be Others.
The other morning I woke to a very loud “OhOh. OhOh”. Not sure what that was, I think a gecko of some kind but it was in our bathroom for a while.

Doug went to a sound and meditation session and Lana and I walked over to Sweet Orange again for some late lunch and take out dinner, trying to avoid the rains. It was a lovely late afternoon

Doug really enjoyed his sound and meditation.

October 20, day 17

Lana and I headed down the hill at 8am as our little area was just waking up. We were picked up by our transfer in front of Starbucks at 8:30AM and there was another woman in the front from Amsterdam. She was around our age and we were all off to spend the day doing batik. I had booked this the night before to take a class at a place called Five Art Studio which was located twenty minutes out of the centre of Ubud in a beautiful rural area.
We were joined by another couple our age from the US, a younger woman from France and a young Japanese couple. None of us had any batik experience so we were all novices ready to learn and there were five young men ready to help us.

We each chose a drawing that we liked and then traced it onto cotton fabric.

Now came the hard part. A small utensil was used with a well for hot wax and a sharp end to paint the lines. You had to hold both the pen and the design at a 45 degree angle or you would drips large blobs of wax on to your cloth.

There were lots of happy accidents that ended up being part of the design.

When that was done we went downstairs to apply the dye and paint our picture. The studio was located in such a beautiful setting with orchids and wonderful vegetaion everywhere.

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After the wax was removed by the heat of the sun, the fabric was sealed with a glue and we were all finished. The entire process took about four hours and was a lot of fun.

Lana and I asked to be dropped off near the palace and walked to Sami’s Warung for some of the fabulous jackfruit tacos we enjoyed so much a few days ago. Doug was there waiting for us.

Lana bought another pair of pants and a dress and I bought some pants and a carving of a flying angel who will grace my office.

The rain held off but OMG it was so humid I was melting. We could not get into the pool fast enough. Kasey, the owner of our villa, came by for a couple of hours and we had wonderful visit. She has been everywhere in the world and so she was a lot of fun to talk to.

October 21, day 18. Our last day in Ubud.
This morning was clear and offered a decent sunrise. I sat on our deck at 6 Am for an hour or more.

Putu and Wayan made us our last breakfast as we leave Ubud tomorrow. It is going to be hard to get used to a regular place without a private pool and staff. We have been so spoiled.

The morning was a spent at Kasey’s, the owner of our villa and five others close by. She is in a four bedroom unit , villa banana, a short walk from us and it is stunning.

The rains came again this afternoon, we had hoped to go for a hike but it was a no go, but at 4PM they stopped so we were able to head into town and go for dinner to Lazy Cats Cafe, a vegetarian resteraunt. The food was amazing. I am turning into one of those people who takes photos of their food 😁🍵🍔🥗

Across the street was Pura Dalem Temple where we watched a Kecak Fire and dance show. It was great and very different from the other show we saw.

At the end a fellow was running into the burning embers and flames of the burning coconut husks. It was quite a performance.

The rain held off all evening and we even had a dry walk home. The last time we need to walk up that steep narrow path dodging the scooters.
Tomorrow morning we will make our way east to the beaches of Amed. Ubud was a wonderful and relaxing two week stay, but now on to the next chapter.

October 9 day 5

We are sad to pack up and leave this morning but excited to see what new adventure await us.

Our new driver Bandi arrived to pick us up at 11 AM and we set off south through the twist and turns of the mountains. It was a very lush and picturesque drive, but I was sitting in the back seat and after a couple of hours had to switch to the front. The roads are extremely narrow with hairpin curves every few minutes. I don’t get motion sickness often, but this was just too much for me.
I am not sure how any foreigner can drive here, even the motor scooters which are the most popular mode of transportation zipping in and out of traffic look so scary to me. Dogs wandering on the sides of the road all seem to have such great road sense. I cringed a few times thinking we might hit one or two
But we aren’t going that fast, traffic is quite often gridlocked.

I had arranged a couple of stops for our long drive to Ubud and the first one was Handera Gate, which a Hindu temple gate and a very popular instagram photo stop. There was a line up and we watched all this beautiful young women with their lovely gowns posing for the iPhone. We realized we should have dressed up for this photo shoot.

Most of Bali is Hindu and the majority of sights and temples are all Hindu temples, Ganesh seems to be the fan favorite seeing the little elephant everywhere. A lot of Buddha faces and statues as well. Christians and muslims are on the island and all the religions live in harmony they say.

Bandi pulled off to the side of road to give us a view of Beratan lake. There were quite a few people at this rest stop enjoying refreshments from small cafes (warungs) nearby. There were three men, 2 of them very well dressed in Balinese outfits, one black and one white. We were told the one in white was a was a holy man. He really took to Doug and I, wanting lots of photos taken, he kept putting his arm around us and getting very close. He did not speak English but the others did and said he was 70 years old and had travelled to England, Canada, USA and many other places. They were going to a wedding that we had passed in the next town. It was hard to tear away from these guys, they became our new best friends

There was also a couple of guys at this pull off with a python and flying fox (Bats) to have photos taken with. I was convinced by him to hold the bat and have my photo taken which I am surprised that I did.

Our next stop was Ulun Danu Beratan which is a Hindu temple located on Beratan Lake. It was very busy with bus loads of people, many Muslim groups as well as others. It was a beautiful setting and we spent about an hour walking around the gardens, but now we are starving.

Bandi took us to a big restaurant but I didn’t like it, it was a Buffet with tour groups which I hate, so we found a very small Warung on the side of the road overlooking some fields and had a great lunch.

Arrival in Ubud was through a bunch of back roads which was very scenic and avoided a lot of the gridlock. Ubud looks very busy, many shops and cafes everywhere and lots of people. We finally arrived at a small parking lot and there were three people waiting for us with scooters. Our villa is up a a narrow winding path that is not wide enough for cars so we now travel the rest of the way by scooter.
As I got on the bike the skies opened. I said let’s go anyhow, the rest went under cover. Our suitcases were in a wagon at the back of one of the bikes and stayed under cover
The ride up the path was a bit hair raising, the rain got heavier and heavier. When I finally arrived at Satori villas I was dripping wet
Our villas is lovely, overlooking rice paddies and on the path to a famous walk called Kajeng rice field. We have the entire villa to ourselves , living room kitchen and huge outdoor deck with dining area. The second floor has two bedrooms with private bath and another deck overlooking the rice fields where we can watch the ducks and geese take care of the pests for the farmers

We have a private pool and a little casita with another king bedroom and private bath, outdoor shower, but we won’t be needing that
Doug Lana and our luggage arrived when the rain slowed down. Our three staff, Ketut, Wynan and Putu can’t do enough for us but left us to settle in.
The weather went from bad to worse. Thunder and lightning and torrential rain like I have never seen. It was so loud and the sky stayed lit the lighting was so constant.

We had a bit of fruit and chips that we brought with us and that would have to do for dinner because we were not going anywhere
Tried to have an early night but the thunder was so loud it was not possible for a while. When it stopped we had major fireworks happening close by for over half an hour and then very loud electronic music, boom boom boom until around 1AM or so.
One of the Kings children just got married and this is day three of celebrations. I didn’t mind, I kind of liked it remembering when I was younger and loved to dance to disco music
I did finally get to sleep.

October 10 day 6

A lazy morning. I sat on the upstairs patio looking out over all the lush vegetation and flowers around our property. We had a video chat with our son Taylor which was great. The rain stopped and we were hungry after only having fruit to eat, so we made our way down the foot path, dodging scooters on the way, and walking past many little shops and Hindu temples on the path.

This is an entrance to a resteraunt

We passed a ceremony of cremation with a procession that we were allowed to take photos of. Yesterday Bandi said that many people are buried when they die but every five years a lot of villages will have mass cremations and celebrations. We assumed this was one of them.

We met two young women from England who suggested the Lotus Cafe would be a good place to stop and they were right. It was lovely, overlooking a beautiful lotus garden with Saraswati temple in the background. This is known as Ubud water palace. Ubud is actually pronounced Eww booed.
Vegetarian food is on the menus here and so wonderful for me. I enjoyed an amazing Pumpkin spice soup ( happy Canadian Thanksgiving today ) and veg spring rolls with a lemongrass dip. The others had a chicken curry and we all had a ginger honey lemon iced tea. We will be back here for sure, it was fantastic food


After some photo taking we made our way down the very narrow, sometimes disappearing sidewalk passing many restaurants and shops. There are a steady stream of motorcycles and cars and people,noise fumes and very humid hot weather. We are melting.
Lana and I ducked into a jewellery store, ‘ Filthy Gorgeous Accessories’ The air conditioned store was such a welcome relief but the jewellery was divine! Lana ended up buying some earrings and Doug came in and bought me a stunning set of earrings and necklace and chain as a belated birthday present.

A grocery store was needed and after walking the narrow roads trying not to die for a half hour we grabbed a ride from a guy who took us to ‘Bintang’ a large store and he waited while we bought some provisions for the villa.

On the drive back traffic on the Main Street was stopped and a policeman held up,his hand for us all to wait as some kind of ceremonial processions went by. Apparently this happens a number of times a day.

He dropped us off at the parking lot but we were not able to reach our ‘staff’ to pick us up so we slogged the groceries up the hill which seemed to be so much further than it actually was.
The skies opened just as we got in the door, but we all put on our suits and jumped into the pool to cool down. Heavenly

Low key night

October 11. Day 7

A lovely lazy morning included a video chat with our son Mica and grandkids. After breakfast we turned right instead of left leaving our home and walked on the footpath past many beautiful rice paddies, some almost ready for harvest . This is known as Kajeng rice fields walk .

Eventually we came upon a popular warung called ‘Sweet Orange’ and stopped in for a cold drink and appy. Both were so delicious and we know we will be back again. It was hot but not too bad today, a bit of a breeze now and then. It’s the humidity than can take it’s toll.

When we got back home we were melting and the cool water of the pool was a very welcome sight

A nap followed by a light dinner and we set off to the Royal Palace to enjoy some traditional Balinese music and dancing. We got there very early after paying our 100,000 entrance fee ($9 Cdn). Chairs at the side, front row were scored which was great because they were covered and the skies opened to a downpour near the end of the performance. We really enjoyed the music and the dancing. We were glad for the brochure of the story of what we were watching which really helped make it much more enjoyable.

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Thankfully we packed our umbrellas as it was a wet and soggy walk home.

As we sit contemplating going to bed we are serenaded by so many critters in the fields nearby. There are these little frogs that sound like lambs bleating, cicada's, geckos , something that sounds like it has the hiccups, confused roosters and so many sounds which are un identified. It is a loud and lovely chorus 24/7.

October 12. Day 7

Putu and Wayan arrived at 7AM to cook us breakfast this morning. Such luxury! The smoothie was dragonfruit banana and ice and was divine. Cost was 150,000 for the groceries and we gave them an extra 100,000. ($22 Cdn total) and enough left over for us for a couple more days too. We will also give a big tip at the end of stay as well of course. We will probably arrange this again one morning.

Doug and I then spent some time on a video chat with our youngest son Reese this morning who is at our house watching or dog Maggie on the first shift. All seem to be doing well.

Lana needed to find a bank or ATM so we set off to find one. It took four tries until we found one that worked, but success at last. Doug went off on his own for a bit, Lana and I went back to the jewelry store and she bought more earrings, and then we explored the Art Walk, a series of vendors down the sides of a car free road. We thought it would be artists selling their wares, but instead it was just more of the same of the road we travel every day, trinkets and clothing that is very low cost. We both bought some earrings and Lana got a couple pairs of pants.


The humidity was very oppressive again today. Doug seems to be staying cool as a cucumber while Lana and I are puddles on the ground.
Traffic on the Main Street is crazy busy.

We met back at The Lotus Cafe again for lunch which was again fantastic

There was another processions on the road, police stopping traffic. This one was mostly men, not sure what it was about.

A stop for a small gelato for the walk home was in order. The woman suggested I try matcha sesame, to which I turned up my nose but tried it anyhow. OMG. Amazing
Hot walk home up the hill so it was straight into the pool and a quiet evening once again.

October 13, Day 8

Located at the bottom of our pedestrian street is a taxi stand where we arranged a driver to take us to Tirta Empul Temple, a Hindu Balinese water temple famous for its holy spring water. This temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, God of water. The drive there was on small roads with lots of twist and turns that took us outside of the city and provided wonderful views of the countryside and small towns. We went though an area where there were so many shops selling art and home decor that looked like they would sell to other stores.

Lana and I were salivating at the shopping opportunity but only bringing a carry on suitcase saves us from ourselves.

We arrived at the temple in around half an hour or more and it is packed, tourists of course but many devotees as well. There was some kind of celebration with many people in their beautiful traditional dress and the woman with large offerings balanced on their head. Tourists could also go into the water for purification but we did not, it is really a spiritual event in my opinion and left for those of the Hindu faith.

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It was a very special place for sure. We really enjoyed being here
Everyone had to wear a sarong, and if you didn’t have one they provided it for you

Walking the gauntlet, exit through the gift shop, we each ended up buying some articles of clothing and then met up with our driver, Eka to head for lunch. Eka is a lovely young tourism graduate, 29 years old with a great command of the English language and so enthusiastic. We took him for lunch at a small warung we found at the side of the road overlooking the rice fields of Tegalalang, which we will hike another day.

Arriving back home we had our afternoon swim and then relaxed.
A great day once again.

After two years of planning and many changes along the way we are finally in Bali.

October 1, 2022 . Our journey begins with a flight on a small float plane from Nanaimo to Vancouver airport on one of the most beautiful days of the year. Flying low we were able to see at least half a dozen humpback whales breaching and spouting which was just an added bonus to a short 20 minute but fantastic flight.

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We checked into our airport hotel and met up Lana, all of us coming a day early to make sure we were on the right side of the water for our flight tomorrow.

October 2. Our economy class flight on Japan airlines was lovely, smooth and uneventful. After 11 long hours we arrived in Tokyo to connect on JAL to Singapore. We had a 1 1/2 hour connection in Tokyo, which we needed to get to our next gate, it was a long walk
Another 7 1/2 hour flight and even though I took a sleeping pill did not get much of any kind of sleep. But again no complaints about Japan airlines.

We were very happy to arrive in Singapore just after midnight on October 4 th, losing a day in the process
While checking in for the flight in Vancouver the gate agent said we needed to download and fill in the health and Covid info app for Singapore. It was long and cumbersome but we managed to complete it just before boarding the plane so arrival in Singapore was easy. A scan of our passport and the official had all of our information in front of him, Covid vaccines etc, and in no time we were off to collect our bags.

Yotel was a very short walk located in the Jewel terminal and although each of our two rooms were very small, they were clean soundproof and the beds comfy. Money well spent
The Jewel is an area in the Singapore airport much like the blodel conservancy in Queen E park Vancouver. Lots of lush greenery and a waterfall that flows upside down but was not turned on yet. A very calming place

Day 1. October 4. We woke after a wonderful few hours of sleep and made the short walk to terminal one to find Scoot airlines. Checkin was very slick and easy, all done electronically. A bit of a walk and another electronic security and passport check and we were off to our gate , after a short caffeine stop at Starbucks

Our gate was the very last one, quite a long walk but we made sure we had lots of time. Good thing because when we got there I went to use my phone and it was nowhere to be found.
Panic set in. I retraced my steps and ended back at the security checkpoint but naturally could not go to the other side . There was an info desk so I asked the young woman to phone and see if it was found on the other side, which she did and told me to wait ten minutes
No. Nothing fitting that description

I hoofed it back to the gate, dug out my iPad, connected to Internet and signed onto “find my phone’ which I should have done to begin with but had decided to panic instead.

The app took me back to the info desk and showed that it was actually indeed located just a three minute walk on the other side of passport control. I showed the young man, he phoned over and lo and behold it was there. Apparently the first girl was checking at a different check in point. Gotta love technology. Another young man came through security and handed my phone to me, a very relieved and grateful woman I must say
I did my best impression of a fast speed walk back to the gate and arrived just in time to board the plane, a sweaty breathless mess, but a happy one. Thank goodness I allowed an hour to check in. A good lesson there.
Our Scoot flight was on time and uneventful, arriving in Denpasar a bit early.

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Photo is of Singapore harbour

I really don’t remember the order of the series of events as they happened, but after deplaning we came to an area where many tourists were gathered around an information board about how to fill in the PenduliLindungi arrival app. We tried for about five minutes with no success, I remembered that trip advisor folks said don’t worry about it, so told my crew to just forget it and we set off and found a woman sitting at a desk with a sign that said ‘ health check’ or something. I showed her the app on my phone, she just shook her head and said to pass her my passport and copies of my vaccine. Bing bang boom, and we are good to go

Another fellow directed us to the lineup for old people and families with children to get the Visa on arrival which was great cos the other lineup was huge

I think we picked up our luggage after that, then the customs form was filled out and after just over an hour and a bit we were outside the terminal. I may have missed a step but it was not too hard to figure out in the end

I have been to many airports in the world where you see folks holding up signs as a meet and greet but nothing like Bali. There were hundreds, eight deep in a long line of smiling faces holding up small signs and the passengers arriving doing the slow walk eagerly searching to recognize their own name

I finally saw mine, “Mrs Debbe” and after a smile and nod from me a lovely young man approached us and took one of our bags and whisked us away to the car park.

I booked this transfer last week with Klook ( again thanks TA) for only 200,000 IDR, ( $18cdn)

The drive to Tanah Lot took over 3 hours, traffic was especially bad he said, but we didn’t mind as we looked out the windows enjoying our first glimpse of Bali and all the buildings and temples along the way. We were finally here!

Arriving at Tanah Lot the car was stopped by an official to have us each pay 60,000 IDR as our hotel was very close to the temple and this was the entrance fee

A lovely young woman greeted us at Natya Tanah Lot hotel with a delicious and welcome glass of cold ginger, mint and lemongrass drink.
Both of our rooms were lovely very clean, spacious and a five minute walk to the temple. It was a great decision to spend the night here.

It is now 5PM, we are starving but decided to head to the beach right away before sunset. There were many people there of course but we were in awe of how beautiful it all was and hiked around to many different vantage points to take a lot of photos and enjoy the different views. We are all just so grateful to be here.
Dinner at the hotel and then an early night

Day 2, October 5
Woke to torrential rain so went for breakfast before heading back to the temple. This turned out to be a great decision because when we were done the rain stopped and we enjoyed the views with a different light with less people.

A car was arranged through our next hotel to pick us up at 11 to head north to Pemuteran. It was a very narrow twisty road through many hills with rain happening on and off throughout the journey. Seeing the many small towns and lush vegetation made the almost three hour drive very enjoyable. A welcome stop was at a small warung ( restaurant) on the way for some tea. It was located high in the hills overlooking a rice field and we took the opportunity to stretch our legs and walk on one of the terraces for a bit taking many photos
It is all so beautiful

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A couple more stops at some fruit stands to pick up papaya little bananas and mango and finally some 0 percent beer for me and regular for Lana at a small grocery store before we checked into our home for the next four nights
Amertha Bali Villas.
I had booked this almost two years ago Hard to believe it was only $128 a night

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It was just what I thought a villa in Bali should look like. We were so happy to be here
Two large bedrooms facing the private pool and patio area. There is a living room kitchen area between the bedrooms and two outdoor showers. The landscaping is gorgeous.
We were happy to spend the rest of the afternoon in the pool and lounge on our patio. Pure heaven

Dinner was at the hotel. It was okay. Not great but handy. An early night for us again

Day 3 October 6. Swam ate swam and ate again. Lunch consisted of fresh fruit, beer and taco chips. Dinner at the hotel was better tonight
A lovely relaxing day in paradise. Wifi is great. Weather was hot then wind cooled it down. It was sunny and rainy
A wonderful day

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October 7, day 3

What a great day. After breakfast we went on a snorkel tour to Menjangan island on a small motor boat with Karang divers who left from our resort There were four staff and the three of us who snorkelled with our own guide and there was also a guide for two divers who were from Germany.

We had two stops for an hour each with a break for lunch in the middle. Lots of coral, although disappointed the colors were not that bright, many colorful fish though. We also saw a few turtles and a couple of smaller sharks.

There was a bat cave in the cliff as well with hundreds of small fruit bats who were flitting about being very vocal.
The dark fringe around the mouth of the cave are the bats hanging upside down

It was around 1 pm when we returned and all had a nap for a couple hours this afternoon. After all that swimming we were tuckered out

Timo, one of the guys from Germany is staying at our resort so we invited him to join us for dinner at ‘Joes’ a small place close by that advertised live music on Friday nights.

The food was wonderful, great conversation and the band was fantastic. Four young Balinese men who had such a huge library of music and the lead singer had an amazing voice with incredible range. Their name was ‘Fly’ and their set was two hours or more.

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October 8 day 4

On the beach next to our place is Biorock coral reef structures. Doug and I walked over and I snorkelled around while he swam. Interesting place. They are trying to build up the coral reef again which has been destroyed both by man but mostly by global warming. They have built a hundred metal structures and domes under the water and have them connected to electricity powered by windmill and solar. The chemical reaction to the metal is a good environment to have the coral grow. There are 16 projects in Indonesia so far and it helps keep the beaches from eroding when you have coral reefs. This is all run as an NGO and by volunteers.
This is me dressed to snorkel so I don’t get fried in the heat

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Later a lunch of fruit, ice cold zero beer, peanuts and taco chips on our patio. Yum
Followed by Swimming and relaxing at our pool.

Tonight we went with Timo to D’Buco for dinner and it was fantastic. Down some back alleys, hard to find but worth it. Appy ,main ,dessert and beer or soft drink for around $15. Tomorrow we say goodbye to this amazing villa and head off to Ubud.

My husband and I just spent three wonderful weeks in Hawaii and wanted to share our trip highlights.

Background. I was a sales rep for Aloha Airlines, and also for a short time Hawaiian Airlines out of Vancouver back in the early 80s for 15 years. I would go to the islands five or more times a year on business and holidays and my husband and I also spent our honeymoon on Maui and Kauai 37 years ago. At the end of my time with Aloha I created my dream job of taking travel agents to the islands to go on snorkel tours, helicopter rides and wine and dine them for a week. Unfortunately I got laid off 25 years ago and other than a short stop over on the way back from Tahiti we haven’t been back since. I could not afford to travel here in that style any more if we were paying for it. . We chose to explore many other parts of the world instead.

Details: We flew WESTJET from Vancouver to Kauai on Feb. 19th and then returned Maui to Vancouver on March 11th. We flew with Hawaiian Air in the middle.

Car was booked with AVIS thorough Costco and I kept going back to check the prices as they kept falling so I would cancel and re book. By the time we left it was half of the original price. We chose a small economy car as there was only the two of us and it was great on gas, parking and negotiating the narrow roads.

Kauai

The Islander on the beach on the coconut plantation was a great place to stay for our first week in Hawaii. At night we left the patio doors open and could hear the surf breaking on the beach through the patio doors. The sun came up in an explosion of color every morning at around 6:30AM and we shared in its majesty while enjoying a cup of Kona Coffee on the patio.

Our week was spent exploring various beaches and trails at all points on this northern most island. Each area had a different charm, the North, Hanelei and Princeville being very junglelike and green.
Poipu beach was great for a swim a couple of days, and the McBride Gardens were beautiful. We had a volunteer take us on a tour and explain the various plants to us as well as some of the history regarding the first peoples to the islands.

Waimea canyon was just as breathtaking as I remembered from years ago. There are wild roosters and chickens everywhere, more roosters than chickens as I think the later get eaten. The roosters are very colourful and I spent a couple of afternoons trying to paint a picture of one.

A Whale of a time in Maui

Accomodation:
Maui was a one bedroom at Kahana Villa and then Paki Maui. They were both fine but next time I want an ocean view.

Food: Because we had kitchens we made most of our own meals. Shopping was done at Safeway Lahaina and the Farmers Market in Honokowai. (which was great). I am really going to miss fresh papaya and pineapple every day

We did go to a couple of restaurants and those we really enjoyed were : Fork and Salad in Kihei (twice), The Flatbread Company in Paia. CJ’s Deli in Kaanapali and the Lahaina Fish Company in Lahaina.
I am a vegetarian /mostly vegan and did not have any trouble finding items on most menus.

We also went to Frieda’s in Lahaina, the most expensive and least impressive. Not much flavour or pizzaz in the food to me.

Beaches: I love to snorkel and my husband loves to swim so quite often that is what we would do. Our favourite beach was Kapalua beach and as long as we arrived before 9AM we usually found parking in the free lot or on the street without a problem. Got to swim with turtles, saw lots of colourful fish, octopus and some coral that still had colour.

We stopped at a few between Ka’anapali and Kihei just for a swim and they were good as well as the beach on Kaanapail in front of the Sheraton at Black rock. Again we went early and found parking in the free lot. I was not impressed with the snorkelling there.
But nice swimming and a beautiful beach.

We also stopped for a swim near Wailea and noticed the water felt warmer down south .

Weather: There was a couple of days of high winds and one day that also included a lot of rain but most days we just had a gentle shower here and there. Or a short deluge which seemed to start and stop out of no where.
The temperature was great for us. We don’t like a lot of heat so the 25 C ( 80F) temps were perfect. Lots of clouds rolling in and out but that is pretty normal and it kept it cooler as well.

Tour: We only did one tour a Saturday snorkel tour to Lanai with Sail Maui. The boat held 49 but there were only 8 of us which was nice. We saw a few whales of course and the snorkelling was pretty good, but not amazing for me. The crew and the boat were great however. Next time I would opt for a whale watch with the whale foundation.

In the early 80s I drove the road to Hana and vowed never to do it again, but I wanted to see the rainbow eucalyptus so we went. I bought and downloaded the Shaka Guide which was great. It pointed out things and where to stop and on the return gave a lot of interesting information about the history of Hawaii. Highly recommended . The road has improved immensely since then and we enjoyed the trip. Next time I would like to spend the night in Hana to have a lot of time at the park just past there. I came back to the condo with a beautiful tropical bouquet that I bought on the side of the road for only $5.

We really enjoyed spending time in Paia town and next time want to also visit Makawao as it looks great.

We did quite a bit of driving and exploring which included the beautiful Iao Valley.

One night we attended a slack-key performance at the Napili Kai Beach Hotel . My husband is a musician so this was a must for him and did not disappoint. Very talented and entertaining men and a couple of hula dances from a lovely woman as well.

On our last day we attended a two hour free lecture at the Humpback whale foundation in Kihei and it was fascinating. The woman giving the talk was not only informative but delivered with such humour and personality that it made it that much more enjoyable. I learned so much and have now decided that the humpback is my favourite whale.

My overall impression: It has been 25 years but to me Hawaii has not changed. I still get that feeling of Aloha here. Everyone is so nice and friendly and seem happy. I never heard a cross word or people getting angry. As a tourist I feel very welcomed.

Sitting on the beach I am not constantly saying ‘No thank you’ to beach vendors.
If someone is friendly and comes to chat with me its not because he wants me to visit his uncles carpet shop.
Not that there is anything wrong with either of the above. it just make Hawaii such an easy vacation.

And the beauty of the islands are unlike anywhere else. The many shades of blues in the water, the various kinds of palm trees, the spring flowers coming into full bloom and lets not forget the whales. Sitting on the beach and watching the whales breech and tail flap over and over again is truly magical. I can never get enough of it.

So Maui we shall be back. Maybe even next year. I missed you and love you even more than I did before.

Aloha, Debbe.

As a group of 10 long time friends we decided that we would celebrate our 65th birthday close to home on Swanson Island. Our 60th was spent on a 7 day Alaska cruise so decided to stick with the ocean theme. All of us have been friends for at least 50 years or more.

One of our original crew, Katie, had a bad accident a week prior and couldn't come which made us all very sad. A last minute replacement was found through one of the ladies, and even though she was was a few years younger we let her come anyhow..

We overnighted on Quadra Island and had a 6PM briefing at the local hotel from our tour company, Spirit of the West Adventures

Day 1. We left our cars at the ferry terminal at 8:15 AM and then transported our luggage down the ramp to wait for our boat. I packed more for this four day trip than I did for six weeks in Africa and Europe! As there is no electricity things won't likely dry when they get wet, and the fog and ocean air will make your clothes feel damp quickly. Not to mention the possibility of capsizing your kayak.

Our small boat arrived and we loaded on not only our own luggage and beverages, but also the food and supplies for the camp as well . Our cook Sara was joining us on the trip had a snack prepared for the journey. She was also a 1954 baby which was terrific. The weather was perfect and we enjoyed a wonderful mystical fog resting on the top of the water and islands until noon. Whales, black bears sea lions and seal spotting just added to our excitement on our three hour journey to camp.
Having 10 of us meant that we would have the camp all to ourselves.

In the distance we can see a hot tub on an rock outcropping sheltered by Flower Island in front. Guests on the beach with their belongings are waiting for the boat to take them home after we disembark. After our captain Dave anchors we wait for the small tender to arrive and transport us to shore, taking two separate trips, followed by our luggage and supplies.

Everyone forms a human chain to pass the luggage and totes from the boat to the bottom of the trail up to camp.

Once everything is brought up we have an orientation and then proceed to check in to our tents. Some of us have singles and some doubles. The tents are on platforms and have two twin beds with small tables inside. Solar panels provide us with lights and plug ins for recharging our camera batteries. All are nestled in the forest with ocean glimpses but close enough to hear the whales blowing during the night.

There are two outhouses and two out door showers with hot water on demand. Creek water is used for washing, but fresh water is brought in each trip from Quadra for drinking

Lunch was served in the dining area and then everyone , except me, went for a short kayak lesson and paddle. I had a short sleep in the room before dinner.

Happy hour was enjoyed in the Freshwater Lounge where we were served a beautiful assortment of cheese fruit and nuts with wine. My friend and I brought birthday hats and leis to start off our celebration in style.

An amazing dinner was served, along with a birthday cake and then followed by a hot tub for some. A long but wonderful first day.

Day two.

Morning coffee on the deck was followed by a delicious breakfast in the dining area. We suited up for a day of paddling, with a skirt, rain pants, water shoes and life jackets donned. Some of us chose doubles and others in single kayaks and off we went to explore the area. The different skill and experience levels meant that we travelled at a fairly leisurely pace with one guide in the front and the other in the rear.

The water was flat calm and after a short time the fog lifted and it was a very warm and sunny day. There have been some grizzly bears in the area so our lunch on the beach was canceled and instead we had a short snack visit on a beach and then a late lunch back at camp. Some of us switched from a double to a single kayak or vice versa after the snack. Black bears were seen close to where we had our break but all of us are used to them so were not too worried about it.

A tradition from our 60th birthday, we wore our Fascinators for the paddle today.

A few went out for a kayak again after our late lunch but the rest of us hung out at the hot tub and spent time socializing until dinner.

Day three. An early kayak trip this morning was enjoyed. Once again the weather was great , around 18 C but no rain which was a bonus.

After lunch we were picked up by another boat and a local man, Bishop, took us whale watching for a few hours. And what a trip it was!! Orcas everywhere around us. At one point we were getting sore necks trying to look in every direction at the 35 or more surrounding us. They were mostly resident but we also saw some Biggs (transient) and humpback as well. Even our guide and Bishop were getting so excited to see so many in one place. It was a real blessing for sure and so very exciting.

Lots of babies as well.

The scenery around us was breathtaking with all the mountains as well.

Day four, departure day

A pre breakfast paddle was arranged, but the rain last night was so loud on the roof over the tent that I didn't get much sleep and no one else went either. Our guides boyfriend had arrived the day before so the two of them were able to get out on a romantic early morning paddle. We let her think that it was the plan all along and his idea.

We enjoyed a leisurely morning taking in the last few hours of this island paradise. The rain had stopped and the sun was peeking through the clouds.
When the next group arrived, five couples who were college friends from the 70's, we put our leis around the neck of each of the men to welcome them which they found fun.

Once again the human chain brought all their gear in and ours went back into the boat for our journey home.

What an amazing place we live in! The weather co-operated, great food, friends , paddling and whales. What more could you ask for?