Two Sides of the Coin

It’s been a busy few weeks and writing blog postings has not been part of the equation. We’ve just completed almost three weeks in Indonesia with two weeks in Bali and another four days spent on a couple of the outer islands and the comparisons could not be greater. Many of our travels were with a group of fellow Canadians. As tensions rose high with the US there were a few interesting encounters but I'll leave that for another day.

Bali, though beautiful, is extremely crowded and the traffic is horrendous near the major centres. Scooters must number 10 times the number of cars on the road and everyone over (and under) the legal driving age has one.

In addition to being CHEAP, it is HOT and HUMID! Initially I found the beaches somewhat disappointing, but what was lacking in beach ambiance was made up for with our excursions to the rice fields, waterfalls, temples, mountain forests and sweaty hikes. Jennifer did Batik and cooking classes with the flavours of the local markets, while I did swimming pool discovery and sun worship. For me, the rice fields are always extremely enticing. The serenity and peaceful "Zen" sensation brought on is something that I have always wanted to experience again since our travels to Thailand and Viet Nam. I could spend the afternoons just looking out over the terraced green paddies listening to the gurgling of the water passing from one rice paddy to another below.

You have to admire, but at the same time wonder why the locals would toil their entire lifetime in a back breaking, hot and humid work environment, planting and harvesting the fields day after day, year after year. Necessity of survival is I guess the simple answer.

Of course I had to pass out the traditional Canada pins and the kids are always appreciative, though sometimes a lesson on where Canada is on the map is a necessity.The people are the nicest you will encounter anywhere. To the point that it became somewhat annoying when they couldn’t do enough for you and you just wanted them to go away. Always smiling and greeting you at every opportunity it is no wonder that cruise ship companies seek them out for service. Then you have the flip side of the coin when you venture off the familiar trail and head to the islands and secluded locations in the 17,000 island archipelago. An hour’s flight from Bali to Flores and then a 20 minute fast boat ride to the island of Seraya Kecil. WOW, WOW, WOW!! (See video)

This is my idea of a beach getaway with cozy little whitewashed and thatched roof beach bungalows right on the beach, a couple of lounge chairs and hammocks in front of your porch. The tropical fish are jumping or swimming through the air with the colorful coral and warm clear waters all around. All the while, you sip on your favorite cocktail or in my case the local Bingtang beer. Then there is the traditional "happy hour" stroll up to the hilltop and the breathtaking sunsets which one never gets tired of.

I had never heard of the Komodo dragons before but an excursion to the UNESCO World Heritage site Komodo Island did not disappoint. There are about 2500 of these carnivorous creatures that roam the island and we were fortunate to get close enough for the all important photo op.

The snorkelling here is second to none and the coral is alive and colourful as opposed to other snorkel destinations around the globe. Bobbing and floating without fins or life jackets is as close to feeling weightless as I will experience. Not to be missed were excursions to the Pink Beach and a hike up Padar Island. A real bonus was the swimming with the Manta Rays. When one is snorkelling twenty feet above the Mantas, one is not too intimidated but when dozens of them decide to come to the surface, it’s time to get back into the boat. The guide was absolutely giddy with excitement with the huge flying bat like fish swimming all around. He said he had never seen so many at one time and he was a professional scuba diver.

As wonderful as that all was, I think my favorite experience was a trip to a small deserted private island. The water was absolutely fabulous and the white sandy beach was right out of a postcard. When it was time to go I said they could come back and pick me up tomorrow but our guide wasn’t so sure about that.

It’s been a wonderful trip to Indonesia and if not for the distance I would certainly return. Who knows? Tyler and Rachel are weighing their options and one of them is staying in Australia. If that happens, we may be back. If not, it’s been a great visit back to New Zealand with the grand children as we look forward to coming home this weekend. So that’s it for now. NAU MAI!!

If it’s Sunday; its Time to Go to (Christ) Church

Ever since our eldest Brad, came home from his bike tour of NZ with a picture of the Church of the Good Shepherd on Lake Tekapo, we have been smitten. Our route from TeAnau via Queenstown, first led us to Lake Pukaki. Absolutely stunning with its blue green waters and a backdrop of snow tipped mountains. The portrait was complete with deep blue skies, dotted with puffy cumulus clouds. Lake Tekapo did not disappoint as it too was magnificent. We spotted the Church of the Good Shepherd with its infinite photo opportunities, Mission accomplished!! It was a relatively short drive the following day to Christchurch and ironically it was on a Sunday. Since our last visit 11 years ago, following the devastating earthquake 3 years prior, Christchurch has been completely transformed. It is a vibrant modern city, though traces of the destruction are still quite apparent. It was lots of fun travelling around with Sue and Eric on the Hop On Hop Off tram. Canada had just beaten the US the night before in the Four Nations Cup final. I felt it my duty to make a public service announcement on the tram's public addresss system highlighting the Canadian triumph over the Americans. I did ask the conductor for permission. Go Canada GO!! CA..NA..DA, CA..NA..DA!! Four Americans got up and left the tram LOL. As all good things must come to an end, we said our farewells to Sue and Eric that evening. They were on their way home the following day after their month long tour of Australia and New Zealand. We opted to stay an extra night while we relived some old memories and created some new ones. It was up early the next morning to catch our 07:00 train north to Picton following the Pacific Coastal Route. The service was wonderful, the food amazing and the scenery outstanding. Its hard to beat a firstclass train journey on an iconic, scenic route. The train is definitely one of my favorite modes of transportation. We met up with our ferry for the return journey, sailing once again across the Cook Strait en route to Wellington. One more night with Tyler, Rachel and the girls, then another early rise for our three flights to get to Bali, Indonesia via Auckland, and Singapore. Nau Mai!!

div>

Fast Forward

It's been a hectic two weeks since last making contact. Trains, planes, automobiles, ferries and helicopters to name a few. After crossing the Cook Strait by ferry to the southern island we rented our car in Picton and headed west to Nelson to meet up with Sue and Eric to do our 10 day circumnavigation of the island. It was a busy time as I ceded driving responsibilities to Eric while I sat back to enjoy the fabulous scenery. On our first day we decided to do a three hour speed boat tour of the Abel Tasman National Park near Nelson. TIme for secluded beach stops got me thinking that this location would be a great one for a SUrvivor series.. If hiking and camping is your thing, then this region is well worth looking into. The Kiwis take pride in their National Parks and public access to all is definitely welcomed. The coast line and beaches are fabulous without the crowds you would expect to see on a beach holiday. Fortunately the Americans have not taken over and it is basically the Aussies and Kiwis who are on holiday. The Chinese and Japanese bus loads are not here either but they are on the horizon as we will find out later. New Zealand's wines are renowned worldwide and can be evidenced by 100's of vineyards and 1000's of acres of vines. Responsible forestry is apparent in the high mountain passes with wine harvesting on the low valley hillside slopes. Great wines and spectacular views. What more could one ask for? I know the Americans are here but at least they seem to have gone into hiding, keeping a low profile.

Everyday we would drive between 5 and 6 hours with stops along the way for photo shoots, coffee and of course a pastry. The Franz Josef GLacier was a primary focus and it was Eric who initiated a helicopter tour of the glacier along with a trip to the Fox Glacier and a view of Mount Cook thrown in for good measure. We would never had initiated this on our own, but thanks to Eric's persuasiveness, it was an experience to remember. I never thought I would fly into and land on a glacier but alas another checkmark was added to the list.

Queenstown stands alone at the apex of New Zealand tourism. Any imaginable activity from bungee jumping (maybe next time) to cycling can be found. Jennifer and I opted for the afternoon lake cruise on the old steamer to a small animal farm, followed with afternoon tea and scones. Eric and Sue decided to do the jetboat tour and shopping and we all decided to meet up for happy hour and dinner. The place is flooded with students on visas working in all the cafés, bars and restaurants. Lots of French, Japaneese and the odd Canadian thrown in for good measure. I'm doing my best to get this blog up and online, since my laptop screen got busted (my own fault). Having no USB port to upload photos onto a mini Ipad is proving to be a problem and frustrating. At least I am managing to get some phone pics up. Better than nothing I suppose. One of our main focuses has been to get to Lake Tekapo which we will continue onto afrer two days in Queenstown. Can't wait to show those pictures to you. Nau Mai!!