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!!