So Long Bali

We arrived in Bali on the wake of new terror alerts. Foreigners were being advised to avoid crowds, restaurants, bars, clubs, airports, etc. We had arranged for a guide to give us a full day tour focused more on culture, temples and nature. Nyoman was waiting to pick us up at the port and we decided to go to our hotel in Nusa Dua to drop off our luggage first. We were then whisked away through Denpasar and headed for Ubud.

Our first stop was the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary; it is an amazing place where monkeys rule and the jungle is the setting for temples and animal carvings and statues. Totally reminiscent of one of the Indiana Jones movies for which I'm sure it was the inspiration, except this is the real thing.

We had taken no more than fifty steps into the sanctuary when from the canopy high above a well directed missile hit me on the head; yes, monkey poop. I didn't particularly mind the baptism but it fell on Blake to clean it off (thank God for wet wipes).

Then off to the home of coffee farmers. Here I had my second taste (the first time was in Vancouver as a Christmas present from Blake) of Luwak coffee (these are the coffee beans that get "special" processing through the Luwak's digestive system before being washed and roasted) as well as other delicious teas and coffees. It was also an opportunity to see a typical family home which consists of seven structures including the family temple. All the structures within the walled compound are oriented according to Hindu feng shui and usually house several generations of the same family.

Then we were off to Pura Tirta Empul Temple, known for its sacred spring water believed to have healing powers. This is where Nyoman swiftly wrapped a Sarong around Blake's waist, giving him no opportunity to complain, as a requisite for entering the temple.

Pura Gunung Kawi Temple, stunning 11th century royal tombs carved on the cliffs through which the Pakerisan river runs.

From there we went to the Tegalalang Rice Terraces. First we stopped for lunch and were greeted with magnificent views of the terraces. We then drove ahead for a different perspective.

 

Finally, a stop at Tegenungan Waterfall. It is the end of the rainy season and the falls are heavy with mud coloured water fed by the rice paddies run-off. It is an impressive sight which marked the end of our day.

All in all it was an exciting day full of wondrous and spiritual sights. The Balinese people are primarily Hindu and their deep spirituality is felt throughout, from the twice-daily offerings to their gentle manners.

This is the end of our adventure and it has been a great one. The cruise was excellent, we particularly enjoyed how balanced the itinerary was and the people we met. Australia is a place we'll want to go back to; it is a big country with much down-to-earth charm and natural beauty.

Thanks for following along!! till the next time.

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Beware the Dragons

We'd been primed for our next port; one of the lecturers on board (the guy who was doing the series on Steve Irwin the Crocodile Hunter), showed an episode featuring the Komodo Dragons. These things are nasty! There are approximately 5,000 of them and can only be found on five islands in Indonesia.

They really are a throwback to the dinosaur era; they look like humongous lizards wearing chain mail, can crush a deer skull in their jaws and even though they have the power -and the teeth and claws- to kill just about anything, they don't even need to. Their saliva has over 50 strains of powerful bacteria; all it takes is a small wound and a lick and you're as good as dead. In fact, that is how they kill their prey for the most part: they wound it, infection sets in and very soon dinner is served.

Komodo Island is all about the dragons. It is a national park and nothing else. There are a handful of inhabitants who depend on the dragon tourist industry. It is highly regulated, mainly for safety reasons -the safety of the dragons, that is- as they are a protected species. No one is allowed on the island unless they are part of an organized tour. The tour consists of a nature walk on designated paths from where you can see the dragons which, if necessary, can be kept in check with long sticks carried by the guards. You will also see deer (the dragons' main source of food) as well as wild hogs and various species of birds. The tour concludes with a forced march through the souvenir stalls but what the heck, if you've come all the way here you gotta see the Dragons!

We're now on our way to Bali, the last port of our cruise. We'll have a guide to show us around all day Monday after we disembark, my last post about our experience will be from our hotel. Till then!

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From Oz to Indonesia

After our day at the Reef we left for Thursday Island. We had a day at sea which followed pretty much the same pattern as all other sea days but there's nothing wrong with that in our view. We finally arrived at Thursday Island but after some attempts to secure the ramp to the local ferries that would be used to tender people ashore, the captain aborted the effort due to some very heavy swells and choppy seas. We were far from devastated as the truth (don't tell the Thursday Islanders) is that apart from having been a defense post for Australia during WW2 there's not a whole lot happening nowadays. So we set off for our next destination: Darwin.

Sailing away from Thursday Island There was a magnificent moonrise with moon rays and all.

 

Darwin has a population of approximately 135,000 and is the most northerly port city in Australia, we're talking about frontier town here. We went on a tour of Litchfield National Park famous for, among other things, beautiful waterfalls and humongous termite mounds. The tour was long but good and included Barramundi fish for lunch.

There were lots of big bats and amazing panoramic vistas.

Next up, our last day at sea and then Komodo Island!


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