Chile! part one, Santiago and Valparaiso

Visions of Pablo Neruda

When we were planning our trip last year(or was it 2 years ago), I have to admit that Chile was Lysa's choice, not mine or Anika's. Lysa speaks fluent Spanish from many years of practice and she has always wanted to explore SA. We have been to other Latin countries most notably Mexico and Costa Rica. On those many trips we have usually enjoyed ourselves for a couple of weeks at a time on some nice beach ,or other relaxing locale. Each place has had its distinct culture of course, Mexico more raucus, Costa Rica more laid back for instance. But I had absolutely no mental picture of Chile. What little I knew was about their nature, most notably Patagonia. That knowledge was pretty limited however. Well, we each had our choices of destinations on this trip, this one was Lysa,s and I would make the most of it.

    Leaving New Zealand was hard for me. For the first time in months we could speak English. The country side was gorgeous, the people were friendly and there was so much more we could have done. We flew into Santiago Chile on a non-stop flight from Aukland,12 hours of relatively relaxing travel. I didnt sleep much, the in flight entertainment was too addicting so we were pretty beat when we arrived. One thing Chile is not known for is their cities. Natural beauty yes, cities, not so much. Over the course of my travel life I am learning to appreciate a good city more than in my youth. Good art food dance etc. is more attractive to me now. Santiago however is not described in glowing terms in the travel books. Lysa had booked us a hostal near the city center, "Rio Amazones". We got there by taxi. On the way through the urban landscape small things were making an impression, like the guy walking into the intersection to juggle knives for the waiting cars hoping for tips, or the street vendors selling lotto tickets or small bags of nuts. We were definitely back in Latin America!

Dogs of Chile(another post)

  Santiago doesn't impress like some major cities do. The appeal is more subtle and takes more time. I have learned to give places more time before making an opinion. The first thing you notice are the Andes looming in the background. Massive mountains in the distance promising adventure. Chile is shaped, literally by its topography. Long and thin, the Andes as its spine, relentlessly battered by earthquakes, seemingly always recovering from natural disaster. Santiago is the capital, home to Pinoche(thanks america) socialist governments and now some version of a democratically elected gov.  The military relinquished control about 20 years ago. Anyway back to my impressions of Santiago. Its worth at least a few days visit. Its a safe city, with good infrastructure interesting neighborhoods and good art.

Obey the Awe !

We went on a free walking tour which I recommend. We walked around with an English speaking guide, learned some history, saw some great street art, drank a pisco sour(the national drink) and met our soon to be friend Jeane, a firefighter from Southern calif. One thing not to miss is a tour of the poet and national icon of Chile, Pablo Neruda's house. Pablo Neruda was a nobel prize winning poet and statesman,who was at the center of art culture and politics during his long life. Born poor, he started writing poetry at a young age and was recognized early in his life as a great artist. He knew everyone, had a passion for his country, esp. the ocean, wrote great poetry, loved many women(often at the same time), collected things, and was a lightning rod for the political and cultural turmolt of his beloved country. He died the day after Pinoche took power in a military coup,some say of a broken heart. His home in Santiago is now a shrine to his life. We had a guided tour from a man with a passionate love for Neruda. It was a highlight for me. Although never having read Neruda, his power and influence and his emotional influence was very moving.

Walking tour of Santiago

Street art

Faces of Valparaiso

   Next stop Valparaiso. Even with 2 months to explore we had to make some tough choices. Most notably, North or South. We have found as family that too much moving around does not make for happy relationships especially with Anika. Fewer places longer works best for us. So we chose South. Attacama and the vast desert will have to wait till next time. Valparaiso is a couple of hours south of Santiago on the coast. It was once a major shipping port for goods coming from around the world. Its influence was greatly diminished upon completion of the Panama canal so its glory days are behind it. Whats left is an old colonial city on hilly terrain. Neighborhoods are defined by the hills, much like San Francisco. Valpo as it is called by some, has reinvented itself as a destination for people seeking escape from Santiago. It is picturesque, has great food, artsy neighborhoods, a still thriving waterfront and the most amazing street art I have ever seen.It also has the second of 3 Pablo Neruda homes. Our hostal, "caracol" was in one of the hilly neighborhoods just down from his house. We made a point of going, and again were not disappointed.  But wow the art is Awesome! Walk this city and every turn brings new artistic visions. its like a walking art museum except the art is mostly anonymous, and the variety is amazing. The spectrum of styles,from simple stencils to grand murals blew me away. I couldn't stop taking photos.

Lysa, talking with Pablo

 Many of these photos I posted on facebook and a few I will post here. Posting here takes a long time so I'm somewhat restricted. Again we did a "free" guided walking tour and recommend it. Free essentially means you are free to give a tip or not. We do of course, usually about $10.00 US for a 4 hour tour. Ben, our bi lingual guide was somewhat new, didn't have all the facts available but made up for it in enthusiasm. We saw parts of the city we otherwise would have missed. I asked him to explain why so much street art is found in Valparaiso. Some of the early murals were sponsored by a grant from the university in the early 70's. From there others just started appearing. Also there is a lot of street "tagging that was occurring. To combat it property owners would commission murals on their buildings. There is a credo amongst street artists and taggers. Taggers wont(or shouldn't) tag over art. So street art prevents tagging!  One experience we didn't get to try was the Ascensions they have all over the city. They are mechanical lifts on the side of the hills to get people up and down to their neighborhoods. Some are private others public, relatively cheap and also sporatically available. The one on our tour had a long line so we chose to walk instead. Often, when i say "we" i mean Lysa and I, not Anika. We often invite Anika but have learned to not always insist she join us. its often not worth the battle. We have concluded that our expectation when traveling is not necessarily hers. We have come to terms with that reality. I must say that being with Lysa without anika has also made our time together more fun
  Valparaiso is a charming small city easily walked and definitely should be on anyones list of must visit while in Chile.

New Zealand and Beyond

I am writing this from my limited memory of the past 6 weeks and apologize for any gross omissions. I usually preface my blog posts with an excuse for my lax standards of alacrity, and this is no exception. The combination of spotty internet with my own personal laziness is a combination guaranteed to create delays.

Overlooking the Cormandel

   Upon returning from our hastily arranged trip to the US we were all in a stupor. The return home while vital was also very taxing. We were now in the position of recovery, and unfortunately our reentry into New Zealand was not smooth! Prior to leaving we made reservations at the same charming hostel for our return, however something was not completed and they had no record of our reservation and no room at the Inn. we were immediately thrown into scramble mode(with no sleep). After many phone calls made by a sympathetic hostel worker another place was found for us for the night.

Kayaking along the Abel Tasman

  Because our time in New Zealand was abbreviated we were forced to make some tough choices as to what to do and see. We concluded reluctantly that the bulk of the South island would have to wait for another trip and we headed North from Aukland to a connection Lysa made through Servas. An all day drive later found us on the northwest coast in a small village called Opononi. The sand dunes were majestic and our accommodation included a kitchen so life was beginning to settle. The next day was a travel day as well, to our hosts Rod and Margie Davies. Rob and Margie live in the far North near picturesque Kaitaia. They are a couple about our age who have 2 grown children and have supported themselves with their pottery. They live up in the hills in a simple home they built themselves. This couple welcomed us into their home and made us feel comfortable immediately. They are emblematic of many people we met in NZ; simple, gregarious, funny, down home. They have been living the right life,growing their own food, raising a family being a positive influence to the community, and running their pottery. In the day(70's) their main income was domestic pottery, plates,bowls, cups, etc. However with the onslaught of cheap ware from China they shifted their focus to decorative products and have weatherd the world economy. There is an expression in NZ called the "tall poppy complex". Don't call attention to yourself(like the tall poppy) or you will likely be cut down. Humbleness in all things. Our fine hosts, and many others exemplified this dictum well. Rod and Margie shared their lives with us and also allowed us the space to recover and relax. many thanks!
   Our next destination was the Cormandel Penninsula. Highlights there included smoked mussels, a clean hotel with kitchen,(very common in NZ)a search in vain for one of the worlds most beautiful beaches, and a fantastic trip to one potter's fantasy made real. Rod and Margie strongly recommended we visit this man's place while in Cormandel and we are glad we did. "Driving Creek Railway" is the life's work of one man. What started as a simple pottery grew into a hand built railway that courses up the mountain and the restoration to native forest what had once been deforested. It was an amazing example of the humble plans and work of one man realized.
    Cormandel also is the location of hot water beach. As you know we search out hot water whenever we can. Findind it on a beach is a unique experience. After a fantastic lunch we rented a shovel and heade down to the area where at low tide people dig out a depression in the sand and enjoy bathing together while the waves roll in and conspire to wash away one's endeavors. Man against nature and we know who always wins that competition. All in good fun however and worth the effort.

Our yoga studio

   After Cormandel we headed south to the geothermal town of Rotorua. Rotorua besides having prolific natural hot water is also the home to a strong Mauri community. Look up the history of the Mauri's. Briefly they are the same Polynesian people that explored and settled islands in the pacific all the way to hawaii and Easter Island off the coast of Chile. Surprisingly, New Zealand was the last place they discovered about 800 years ago. They were many tribes until the inevitable incursion of the Europeans,then united in an attempt to retain something of their original domain. Unlike in the US they weren't herded onto reservations and have to a degree maintained their soverienty while also assimilating into the greater population. Besides the thermal springs the highlight for me was a guided Mauri village tour. I was somewhat reluctant because I feared a Disney version of Mauri culture. The tour was more genuine in feeling than that and we learned about the customs and ways of these proud people as well as enjoying a traditional Hangi feast of pit roasted meat and vegetables. A traditional greeting in Mauri is Kia ora which translates to Be well. It is used as a greeting and farewell much like Aloha in Hawaii.

Clamming near Wellington

   Continuing South our eventual destination was the town of Nelson, on the north tip of the south island. Nelson was recomended as the santa Cruz of NZ, and we planned to stay for about 10 days over Christmas. The summer weather we were anticipating had thus far eluded us as we experienced the wettest summer in recorded history. Thats nature! We did get a much needed respite from the rain in sunny Nelson. Our appt was rented to us by Dierdre and Wally, another fine example of understated Kiwi charm. Dierdre and Wally lived in the house and the appt was carved out of one side. They were gracious hosts and invited us to enjoy Christmas dinner with their family. Our place was next to the river swollen earlier with the historic rains. Evidence of the storms were still everywhere, including massive landslides throughout the area. Days were spent relaxing in town,swimming in the local pool, visiting beaches, eating good food at home and at restaurants, yoga and walks. Another highlight not to be missed in Nelson is the "Wearable Art Museum". 20 or so ago a local artist had the inspiration to have a fashion show composed of local artists displaying their prodigious talents on the runway. Over the years the event grew and ultimately became an intrnational phenomenon, attracting artists from around the world. The collection of outragious costumes ultimately led to the museum display of previous years entrys. Eventually the event became too small for sleepy Nelson and has moved to Wellington. The museum remains and is worthy of a visit.
   A side note re. museums in NZ; almost without fail the museums we visited there were fantastic! From the wearable art to the Te Papa in Wellington, the Bathhouse museum in Rotorua and the national treasure in Aukland, the museums delivered the goods at a reasonable price.Go!

Hunterwasser bathroom

   Yoga is one of Lysa's life passions and one I have recently embraced. As such we look for opportunities to indulge in the local flavor. Lysa went online and found a yoga retreat for us high in the mountains for the New Years transition. Both Lysa and anika have described this in detail on their blogs but let me add that while not what I expected it was everything I needed. Simple food,amazing location,meditation and yoga. Anahata yoga is yoga in the complete sense of the word. It was a lifestyle of internal investigation maintained by a small group of followers and their spiritual teacher. The dogma was kept to a minimum and the residents were universally kind. I would go back again as a respite from the chaos of the world we inhabit. Several days of mindful living put us all in the space of gratitude. Even Anika enjoyed the harmony, lack of internet, and connection with others. Well, as change is inevitable we reluctantly bid farewell to our mountain retreat and transitioned back into travel mode. Off the mountain, through the hippy town of Takaka, and north toward Aukland we headed. We had one last adventure in store before leaving NZ. Blackwater rafting in the glowworm caves of Waitomo! Almost too fantastic to describe, the caving trip was a true once in a lifetime adventure. Our NZ guides were in good humor as they oufitted us in wetsuits for our descent into the cave labyrinth. Picture an underground river system carving caves through the rock.Pitch black narrow tubes opening up into huge internal cathedrals lit by the glow of luminecent bug larvae. All thi while floating on your back in your own inner tube. Add the mandatory blind jump off a waterfall into the pools below! All in good Kiwi fun. Amazing! Well our time in NZ unfortunately was drawing to a close. While the Landscape of this place was fantastic it is the people here which made the greatest impact on me. I believe the splendor of the place coupled with it's relative isolation and its mauri influence has combined to create a people of genuine kindness with a understated pride and willingness to share their beautiful country. KEA ORA.
   PS after having reviewed our pictures I realize how much I didn"t describe. Included on that list were clamming with Anika's home school teacher Jasmine and her husband Clark, who visited on holiday,the purchase of an awesome wool vest at the farmers market in Nelson from a German woman who raised the sheep,sheared the wool,spun and weaved the vest from her sheep named Finnagan, and a visit to the most fantastic bathroom built by a famous artist named Hunterwasser. Also family kayaking and hiking along the Abel Tasman trail and visiting Hobbiton, the location of the Lord of the rings movies.
  We are now into our second week in Chile! Suffice to say"muy simpatico".description to follow at a later time. Remember to do something kind today and Obey the Awe!

Japan and beyond

It seems as though I preface every blog entry with some sort of an excuse for why my posts are so infrequent, and here I go again. By now you probably know that my computer skills are rudimentary at best. Even writing the word r u d i m e n t a r y takes me forever!  The superficial excuses include my lack of skills, and other things not always under my control. Japan is an enigma. It is first world and high tech and at the same time old fashioned and maddeningly complex.

simplicity

    These are all just excuses however. Without going into too much detail, our lives have been altered by a recent event in my family. We were called back to the united states about 2 weeks ago due to a serious illness of a family member. We spent time around Thanksgiving in Columbus Ohio where most of my family lives. Seeing my family under these conditions around the Holiday was both difficult and profoundly moving and positive. I am still attempting to assimilate the new reality of our condition and the lessons and yes even gifts to be gleaned from this unexpected turn. Life is short, we never know where it will lead us. We pretend we have a solid grounding and we go along with the illusion of permanence, until something happens to shatter that picture and we are left with the new reality. There is no future, there is only NOW. Love is the only constant, everything changes all the time, sometimes for the good, sometimes not. Cherish what is real. Our mortality is a curse and a blessing, but there is no denying it. We will be in the US until the 4th of Dec. then resume our travels in New Zealand. The 2 things iIwas looking forward to in Japan were gardens and onsen. The Japanese revere nature. Probably because of their numbers and relatively small land mass the manicured garden has been elevated to an art form like few other places. Even the most modest of homes has some homage to nature, be it a garden,flower arrangement, or water feature. Typical gardens attempt to find a balance between the natural and the manipulated,never entirely wild or completely manicured,as if people really are an extension of nature and not separate from it. The skillful use of stones, gravel, plants and water are vital elements of the Japanese garden. Gardens can be exceedingly simple,with the skillful placement of a few stones or incredibly expansive, with changing vistas, water features, and skillful use of plantings. The intent is usually to invoke nature without strictly duplicating it. My favorite gardens were in the city of Kyoto, the capitol of Japan prior to Tokyo. The absolute favorite was the Katsura Villa. To get a ticket to see this garden we first had to go to the the imperial palace in downtown Kyoto, request tickets for a future time(tickets are limited)and hope for an opening. We were in luck, but due to some arcane reason Anika could not join us. Adults over the age of 20 only! Dont ask me why, perhaps they feel younger people wont appreciate the garden enough. The tour was in a group of about 25 people,almost all Japanese with a Japanese guide. We got audio info by pushing buttons on our devise. I believe based on the interest of the crowd and the length of the guides talk that the Japanese received the better tour. No complains however, the grounds were stunning

one more bridge to cross

     Now on to Onsens! Onsen proliferate in all areas of Japan, and range from the simple, natural to the complex. They can be found in large cities as well as the countryside. Practically any where in japan, if you drill down, you will find hot water. In many places drilling is not needed, the water is percolating out of the ground. As onsen are a fabric of Japanese life they come with rituals refined through the centuries. onsen are a social hub of Japanese life. They are usually though not always divided into men's and women's sides. Before entering the baths strict rules of hygiene must be observed. rule # 1,you must be absolutely clean before entering the water. This usually requires at least 15 minutes of careful scrubbing in the shower. Showering is done sitting on a small stool with a bucket for water and a wall mounted shower wand. Several cycles of scrubbing and rinsing are required. Once your skin is tingling with cleanliness you are ready for the soak. Often many options are available to you. In our favorite onsen in Kyoto the choices included small tubs with mineral water, large pools both inside and out, individual jaccuzi jet tubs, freezing cold pools, saunas and steam, foot soaking pools, and areas to lie down where hot water flowed across the floor! When bathing the men carry around a small "modesty towel" used to cover that area needing coverage, but not taken into the water. My favorite ritual was the regular sauna routine given by the staff attendants. On the men's side at regular intervals a staff member would walk through shouting out something which inspired nearly everyone to enter the sauna. Being the curious person I am I followed. Picture a sauna laid out in a semi circle, with four different seating tiers. The capacity when full was about 40 men. 2 attendants march in and start a friendly back and forth banter. After a while one of them applies aromatic water to the sauna rocks producing a dense steam. Then, one by one the staff approaches each person and asks if you want him to fan you with his giant hand held fan. Everyone complies and the fanning proceeds for the next round lasting 15 minutes or until your stamina expires. The staff leave as quickly as they arrived and the sauna resumes its role as viewing space for the wide screen TV show with quirky reality being the norm. Ahhh.
     What struck me the most about my onsen time was how natural it felt to be there and how much a part of everyday life social bathing is in Japan.
   While our time in japan is over, our memories are strong and each of us are dreaming of our return to this amazing land. I want to extend a special thank you to everyone who made our trip memorable, but especially to our fantastic host, Shige.Without his hospitality our trip would not have been as meaningful or enjoyable.
  On a final note, be sure to express your Love and appreciation to all of the people and experiences that make our lives worthwhile. we can not predict what comes our way but we do have control over how we respond to it. Life if an amazing miracle. obey the awe!

Japan, it's complicated,and expensive,and Amazing!

Greetings from Japan! We have been here about 10 days now and this is the first time I am able to post a blog. Leaving Bali was hard,because as much as I complained about certain things in my last post we made strong connections there with locals and other visitors. Like Joni Mitchel sang; you dont know what you've got till it's gone. Bali was so Easy in hindsight. Things that we took for granted there are amazingly complex here.

Mt. Fugi from the bullet train

     There is no such thing as a soft landing in Japan. After a long flight with a layover in Malaysia we arrived in Tokyo very late and very tired. We were fortunate to have a connection in Tokyo, thanks to Lysa, who met us at the airport. The man is a university professor and an ex student of Lysa's Uncle. His name is Shige and having him meet us was a blessing. Lysa had been in email contact with Shige,so we had a place to stay on the west side of Tokyo on campus for a very reasonable price. Shige whisked us there and we collapsed into our new home with no energy to spare. Shige is very concerned about our welfare and I'm sure feels personally responsible for making Japan manageable for us.  OK, here's the complicated parts.... Getting $ is much more of an ordeal here than in either Bali or Thailand. We discovered that the only places our bank card works is at the post office and 7/11 stores. We tried several other ATM's before we figured that one out. Making a phone call is a complex undertaking. Shige insisted that we have our own phone(more for his peace of mind). Buying a phone is a complex and expensive ordeal that took several hours,tons of paper work and more money than I want to admit. I heard we could rent a phone but Shige insisted we buy one and put us on his family plan. Using our computer to connect to the internet, which is vital, has also been a challenge. Very few places offer wi/fi our usual method,and internet cafes are non existent.

Magome at dusk

    Unfotunately, Lysa was not feeling well for the first couple of days and that added further stress to our adjustment. There were moments, I admit where I was longing for my simple life in Santa Cruz.  Anika and I had an exploratory day together that gave me some confidence that we would survive Japan. We took the JR train into downtown Tokyo for a shopping adventure. The JR train system is amazing efficient and helpful for visitors. We made the effort before arriving in Japan to buy rail passes which has been very useful, although expensive. We went to the uber trendy Shibuya district and followed the cute fashionistas to "109", a shopping mecca for the younger set. Anika was in heaven and she turned some heads herself, being one of very few western kids. There are surprisingly few western travelers in Japan. We have only met one other couple from the US and a few European visitors. Japan is set up for the Japanese and they know how to enjoy their own country.

Inuyama Castle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dinner in Magome

  After a few days adjustment, we were ready to explore the country. Lysa being the research and plan person had laid out some potential itinereries and after much back and forth with Shige we had a plan. Shige was sure we would get lost at every turn and lobbied hard for us to stay in Tokyo and do day trips. While that may have suited Anika, it wasn't what we had in mind. We set off with our new phone, tons of cash from stockpiling, and our rail passes. Our first destination was the Kiso valley, near theJapan alps. The town of Magome would be our first night away from Tokyo. Magome is a beautifully restored town on the old post road from Tokyo to Kyoto. We spent the night in a "minshuku" which is a lodge that offers tatami style rooms, and 2 meals in a rustic building.  The Japanese have elevated dining to an artistic and gastronomic delight. There were at least 12 different dishes at most meals, even breakfast. Magome is a pedestrian heaven, no cars strolling wonderland. Every view is magical. We were starting to fall in Love with Japan! The next morning we sent our bags ahead to Tsumago, another link on the post route, and walked the 5 miles through the country side at our liesure. We past old buildings, farms, waterfalls, and Shinto shrines before arriving at our next days lodging. Both towns are picture perfect and a throw back to days past. Such a relief from our first days in Tokyo. Next was the town of Inuyama, known for the oldest remaining castle in Japan and the 3rd most admired tea house and garden. We happened upon a street festival showcasing the towering floats built in the eighteenth century, adorned with carvings and topped with "kurukari dolls",fantastic mechanical dolls that do elaborate performances. These floats are so large it takes a team of 20 or so men to pull them down the street.

Takayama

   We stayed at a "youth hostel" more like a hilton, which also included two lavish meals,for 2 nights. The following day our plan was to head to Takayama a small city with much to offer. Getting there turned into a major fiasco which I was entirely responsible for. As I mentioned we are traveling by rail with a pre purchased Japan Rail pass good for 21 days. These tickets are like gold and cost as much. They are also non-replaceable if lost. We had a 9:00am train to catch and got to the station with time to spare.  Money....check, passports...check...Railpasses no check. I looked every where, they were in my possesion last but were not to be found. Picture 3 desperate travelers frantically searching all of their belongings, tearing through their luggage, while sympathetic locals wander by. It was a travelers nightmare. Lysa kept saying I told her I put them away safely but where? Finally I looked in the one place I should have looked first. They were in my money belt where I keep extra cash. I was giddy with relief when I found them but we missed our train by minutes! My family was forgiving of my blunder but it cost us several hours. We are now in Takayama. We are staying at a Buddhist temple,with tatami rooms, a kitchen and wi-fi access! Takayama is a city of 100,00 people with lots to see and also many nearby day trips. We explored the Japan alps, which reminded me of the Sierras.
We left Anika at home to skype her friends and catch up with email. There is so much to do and see everywhere we go, we already know we cant see it all and we vow to come back. We all love Japan, for different reasons. Anika for Tokyo and shopping, Lysa and I for onsen, history, nature,food,and culture. In my next blog i will report on our onsen experiences. Suffice to say AHHHH.
   One final note before I sign off... a big warm Birthday greeting to my friend Karuna.  Obey the Awe!

Saying Goodbye to Bali

Happy loading bricks

Hello friends, It is with mixed feelings that I write this last blog entry before leaving Bali. Yes, Bali is an amazing island with natural beauty, charm, kind people and a complex and enthralling culture. Much of these comments I had heard from friends who have been here before we left on our trip. What I also heard was that the first time was the best for most travelers. The common lament was how much it had changed since their first visit. I took that info in with a grain of salt because what place ever really stays the same,change being the only constant. There is change, and then there is the kind of change I see happening in Bali that I fear is destroying its appeal. First it is important to understand that Bali is a relativley small island, being approx 300 miles in circumference. That means that any sort of rapid development without planning for infrastructure improvements can be devastating. Unfortunately this is what I see going on all over the island. The roads are narrow and windy,with the burden of too many cars, scooters, BIG buses, and lots of huge sand and gravel trucks. Throw in to the mix a kind of casual disregard for what we would consider good road ettiquette and you have the recipe for chaos. There is a general neglect to considering the pedestrian as any thing other than a nuisance,sidewalks are rare and often landmines of potential danger. Parking lots are nearly non existant so the accepted practice is simply to stop in the road and let the other drivers worry about how to get around you. This is very common,so it doesn't take much to create gridlock. I am amazed at how casually people accept this as the accepted norm. I'm afraid in the states riots would break out and blood would pour over common practices here.
   OK I am on a bit of a rant here and there is plenty to commend but while i am on the ranty side... We as a world culture must come to terms with our plastic trash,specifically the single use plastic bag! The plastic bag is overwhelming our planet with lethal waste. bags are everywhere flying in the breezes, clogging the waterways and eventually finding their way to the oceans where they linger forever. In Bali you will see men on motorbikes who work as scavengers scouring the landscape for anything they can sell for recycling,metal,cardboard, even plastic bottles, but they dont collect bags because they cant get any $ for them. There were so many occasions when we were touring that we would be looking out over magestic rice fields or towards the volcanoes or at the beach and then look down and see the plastic litter strewn about.  We are ALL part of this global problem and I believe the solutions must be global in scale. All products including the bag must have the cost of their nuisance built in to the upfront cost of the item. Only one part of the solution, and please don't misunderstand, I don't mean to imply that the Balinese are any worse then any other people. One explanation I have heard before ,
esp in regards to third world cultures is that things like the plastic bag came suddenly into their culture and they haven't adjusted yet. Think the U.S. 40 years ago compared to today. Before ,when their goods came in natural materials such as banana leaves throwing them on the ground was no big deal. Now with 30 million people and gobs of visitors the effect is overwhelming.
    Lastly I fear that the onslaught of visitors is going to ruin the very thing that attracted people here for so long.  Tourists will simply stop coming and find the "next Bali". Maybe that's a good thing, I don't know
     Now on to a more positive spin. We experienced some amazing culture and explored many stunning places in our time here. As I mentioned before, Ubud was our home base and as such we were able to connect with the place and its inhabitants. Lysa and I in particular were struck by the kindness and hospitality of the people and their willingness to share their lives with us. Our driver friend Radde invited us to attend his family purification ceremony, which takes place on the beach about 45 min. away from Ubud. When I say family I am talking about 2,000 people! All related some how. Picture a caravan of cars trucks scooters and buses winding their way with all the items in hand for a full blown religious gathering the likes of which I have never seen. We were one of very few outsiders invited to attend.  I still am boggled by the amount of energy that goes into maintaining their religious culture. The benefits are obvious...the sense of community, and of belonging to something larger than themselves must bring comfort. We in the West are such an individual first culture and i am not sure if one or the other is better,we could of course  learn from both.

Purification Ceremony

   Another highlight would be the time we spent in the coastal village of Ahmed on the North east of the island. Ahmed is still calm and quiet, the water is warm and blue, the coral and fish were stunning. We spent our brief time there snorkeling in some of the finest coral I have seen anywhere! Lysa especially was in heaven having had her fill of the relative bustle of Ubud. Lysa made a beautiful connection with a young girl and her family. We met them while investigating the local salt production operation on the beach. We are talking old style, primitive labor intensive salt production. Lysa will i am sure describe it in further detail. The young girl was happy to show us the means of production and there was an undeniable spark to her personality.
    Another fun event we participated in was the Ubud readers and writers convention. International writers converged here for a week of book launches, workshops and special events. We saw a poetry slam and also went to the street party. Lots of fun, Reggae music(it's everywhere) along with more traditional offerings. I was pulled out of the audience to dance with a woman doing traditional Balinese style dancing! I did my best white boy imitation as I am well beyond feeling embarassed about such things.
    Lastly before I go to sleep, I have been contemplating happiness, what it means , what we need to be happy, and my perception that our western culture has significant wealth but not corresponding happiness.  The people of Bali and Thailand in contrast have much less wealth but seemingly more happiness. Remember these are generalities based on my personal observations. One concept from Buddhist philosophy is the notion of suffering and its origins. The Buddhist would say suffering(unhappiness) stems from our striving and clinging to our picture of the way things should be and not accepting things as they are. In our culture we are taught that we can all achieve greatness, usually defined in terms of personal wealth and power. That of course can lead to bitterness when we discover that no, we cant all get rich. We tend to also sacrifice many other things to strive for the illusion of success. We give up often deep connections to friends, community,family the planet etc. You get the picture,even if we achieve wealth we are not happy, we are taught to keep striving and of course now we must defend that which we amassed. So ,how to be happy esp. in such chaotic times? I am not sure I know but I believe I have a direction, and I also believe that I have been incredibly blessed in my life and Luck also plays a part as does the concept of Karma.  I have many friends and Loved ones that also help show me the Way to a Life of deep connection and fulfillment. Thank You  All. Next stop, Japan!  Remember to Obey the Awe! 
                                   Dave

Settling into Bali

Classic Rice field view

Well, we have been in Bali nearly three weeks now and i am just getting to this blog entry. My apologies to all my expectant readers(I can dream cant I?). Either we have been staying very busy with lots of engaging fun or we have been bored to tears and ther is nothing to say about it. I choose option one. First let me express how easy it is to be in Bali,specifically Ubud where our home base is. Ubud is the kind of magical place with its own cultural identity plus a healthy dose of visitors who appreciate it and the amenities that go with them. There is a vibrant yoga,dance art music,spa, food  culture here. Did I miss any of my own personal favorite things to do? So with only a little effort Bali is wonderful. One intention of ours when traveling is as much as possible to try to engage in some culturally enriching activities which help us appreciate the people we are visiting. Lysa being the ever intrepid planner and researcher found out about the local library and the community events board there. We made it one of our first stops in Ubud and it definitely set us in the right path for finding things to do. Lysa found an amazing batik painting class taught by a family of artists in there home compound. Imagine nearly one on one attention from a master artist in his home for about $7.00 an hour. Needless to say Lysa was in heaven and stayed enroled for 4 days and created some amazing works. She even convinced me and Anika to go one time. The help from the artist was just what you would want,helpful suggestions,but not too intrusive. Plenty of instruction in use of tools and supplies and time to work at your own pace. Another enriching class I enjoyed was wood carving. Again the instructor who was about my age was amazingly skilled and encouraging. He gave me just enough help to make sure I was engaged and challenged but not overwhelmed. I have worked with wood before but have always wanted to learn carving but was too intimidated. Nyoman was the carvers name and he came from a family of carvers. He was using tools his grandfather had made and his 22 year old son is also a carver. Again for $7.00 an hour I was working with a master. I told him I wanted to carve a Buddha mask and showed him a pendant as an example. We started with a round chunk of wood with the bark still on and took it from there. He also lent me tools so I could work at home. I have gone 3 times over the past 2 weeks and will go at least once more.

Lysa creating

Buddha emerging

       One thing about being in Ubud is that it is so easy it can be hard to motivate to see other parts of the island. Days can go by going to yoga class, eating lunch or dinner out ,carving, reading etc. We do have our driver Rhadde who not so subtly lets us know how much he needs the work and with Lysa's enthusiasm we have managed to see a bit of the surrounding countryside. On one excursion we visited the"Mother temple" of Bali up near the volcano Arung.( Bali has 4 active volcanoes). The Balinise people, being hindus have an interesting relationship to their temples. Rhadde told us there are 4 kinds of temples in bali each with there own ceremonies and responsibilities. There is the home temple, the village temple ,regional sacred temples and the mother temple. Everyone in bali is expected to visit the mother temple at least once a year. And of course every tourist is expected to visit it as well and leave a very generous donation. Not only is there a modest entrance fee, after paying at least twice for parking, there is an expected donation to the village, and also to the temple itself. I should say that it is actually a number of temples perched on the side of the volcano. The expectation to pay at every opportunity and the various vendors in your space can take some of the spirituality out of it but that is the bali way as our driver says. The views are beautiful but at the end of the day we left with a bit of unease about the experience.

Blessing the dead

    On Sun. we went on a rafting excursion. We called the tour company directly expecting the best price that way(no middle man). I tried to negotiate with very little sucess,we arived a a price and organized the trip. We were picked up in Ubud, drove about an hour and were given the usual gear and instruction. The walk down to the river was a marvel in concrete stairway engineering. The drop was at least 500 ft down a narrow gorge to the river. I was thinking at least I wont have to walk up that at the end(wrong).  The scenery was fantastic tho the river was a bit tame with not a lot of recent rainfall. Picture a deep narrow river gorge with lush jungle vegetation and the occasional terraced rice farm thrown in for decorative contrast. Drop in a few monkeys and some Aussie yahoo types and you get the picture. Not too cultural but plenty of fun. Even Anika seemed to enjoy herself. I was told later by Raddhe that we paid too much and that he can always get us a better price and make a little himself. The Bali Way.

Me waiting for the Burn

   Something I was able to experience on my own was a huge cremation ceremony. Lysa was a bit under the weather and Anika was inclined toward a death ritual. I was there on the street for over 3 hours. I watched them put the finishing touches on a huge movable tower which carried the emains of the person. The local holy man did an elaborate blessing. The whole village seemed to be involved in one way or the other. A local gamelon music group provided the lyrical sound track and large paper mache puppets were also part of the mix. Oh, and I nearly forgot to mention the 25 foot long bull that eventually became part of the  procesion that worked its way down the street to the temple where it was joined by several other towers and animal figures which were all eventually burned! It became a carnival like atmosphere of competing gamelon groups from different villages and their entourage of animals and towers. Not one but 6 people's remains were burned on that day, a once every few years event. WOW.
Well, I haven't described the half of it but my brain is fried and it will have to wait. Please see Lysa's blog for her take on things esp. our visit to the "Green school"and possibly culinary adventures. And if you want to know what goes on in the mind of a 13 year old girl visit Anika's blog. I am having fun learning about myself, reading and missing you all. Love,Dave aka H2ot

Thailand to Cambodia to Bali

Cambodian Dancer

 Last impressions of Thailand... The 4 pillars of Thai culture at least from my perspective are 1. the Temple, 2. the cuisine, 3.massage!, and 4.the Royal family. The Royal family attain almost sacred status amongst the people. Although we have our biases based on our democratic background I must say that the monarchy has done pretty well by the people. The Thai people were never colonized, and they managed to stay out of the major strife we created in the region, nosmall feat considering the influence of the US and China being so close. I have extoled on the cuisine ,massage, and the temple in earlier blogs so now to describe our exit from Thailand. One can only spend so much time languishing on the island of Ko Chang esp. considering the rainy weather. Almost on a whim, we checked out a tour package offer to Angkor Wat. I am not much for the arranged tour thing but seeing the ruins was appealing and getting there on our own seemed beyond our personal talents. Angkor Wat is a massive temple ruins that should be on any travelers must see list. The tour was pricy but it included everything;4 days and 3 nights travel, border crossing(no small feat), hotel accomodations, meals and our guide. Travel there took most of a day and as in many travel situations you have to sometimes accept that things are not always in your control and to have faith that they will work out. This day was a perfect example. From one stop and transport exchange to the next it seemed as if by magic the next person would show themselves and lead us to our destination. Having no decisions to make takes a little getting used to, but all along the chain of events we made it across Thailand, the border into Cambodia and finally to Siem Reap, the city nearest the ruins.  Please read Lysa's blog at Lysasbigtrip.blogspot.com for more details and pictures.
       One thing I have discovered is that having a knowledgeable guide can enrich the tour experience profoundly. Our tour guide Art was an exceptional example of this. Without him our tour would have been overwhelming but not nearly as enriching. Art had a true Love for his culture which he shared with us in many ways. His knowledge of the ruins was vast but he also brought his own perspective into his descriptions of the people the environment and the place. The Cambodian people have a complex and often painful history. Art was able to explain it and also share his emotions around it. The reign of Pol Pot and the legacy of the killing fields is still a fresh scar on the psyche of their country. An entire generation of inteligent people was wiped out in a fashion similar to the attrocities of WW2. The US contribution to the pain inflicted here is also very troubling. Given their recent history it is impressive how kind and willing to share the people are.

A Family rooted in history

    Well ,we spent one whole day touring the ruins. One thing I hadn't known is that Angkor Wat is actually a series of temples covering an area approx. 2x1.5 kilometers. It's HUGE. The ruins tell many stories of the Hindu religion but they also reflect the transition to Buddhism that happened there. Cambodia like Thailand is predominantly now Buddhist.

Apsara, Hindu Dance Deity

That evening we were treated to a meal and a dance performance at a nearby restaurant. The dancers did a series of performances in various costumes reflecting the rituals of everyday life as well as more stylized routines.
 The next day Art took us out to the lake where we were able to experience a fishing village floating on its banks. Each year this massive lake swells and recedes with the rain and the village is in movement with it. The lake is responsible for much of the fish eaten throughout Cambodia. The lifestyle of the people here is much unchanged over the generations(save for the boat motors).

Another pretty face

After the village we went to visit an art center where the local crafts of painting, metalwork, and carving are taught to the next generation of artisans. The workmanship was amazing. I now regret not buying anything but our capacity to schlep is limited. Throw in lunch and the cultural museum and we experienced near overload. I almost forgot to mention that we were on this tour with 2 others, a man from Australia and a charming youngish woman from England,on her first holiday away from home. We especially hit it off with Erin and when Anika discovered she is a Doctor Who fan we knew we had a friend.
  It is getting late and I am getting the signal to wrap this one up. So to conclude,yes you must go!  Cambodia was the best part of Thailand.
    After a couple days back in Bangkok we are now on the Indonesian island of Bali! Wow! is all I can express for now. Hindu culture, very dense. We are settled into a house for a month in Ubud, known for its rich cultural offerings. From here we will take day trips with our new best friend and driver Radde. Radde helped us find our house and also rented us a small scooter to get around on(just around town, dont worry Mom). We have already seen a beautiful Kecak dance performance as well as being accosted by monkeys at the sacred monkey forest temple. One aggresive fellow mistook Lysa's camera bag for food, jumped onto her snatched the bag and took off down the hill with me in pursuit. Not sure what I was thinking I would do when i caught up to him. Fortunately one of the locals gave me a cucumber and we negotiated a trade. Dont turn your back on a hungry monkey! More to come. PS Welcome back to the default world to all my friends returning from Burningman. Obey the Awe!  H2ot