2011 December ----- I arrived in Munich on 19 December, and despite not seeing each other for 39 years, Hermann & I recognized each other immediately. He took me to a small Christmas market, where my attempts at vegetarianism were shattered by a nice fat red sausage washed down with a mulled wine. The Christmas... Continue Reading →

2011 February 10 ----- We took a taxi to Sanur and caught a boat to Lembongan, 1.5 hours to the south and slightly east. This is a small island where the busiest street has no street lights, the major mode of transportation around the island is motorbike and no one seems to be in any... Continue Reading →

2011 February ----- The weather was bad in northern Bali, so we returned to Ubud. Len & Michaela were still at the same home stay and saved a room for our return. We really did nothing in Ubud, except take some incredible walks though rice fields and along ridges. One can follow a side street... Continue Reading →

2011  February  ----- Because of the rain and poor beach, we decided to move west to Lovina, another 3 hours along the northern coast of Bali. We found a great little bungalow near the beach. While having a welcome mixed fruit juice with the hosts, we decided to take advantage of their driver and tour... Continue Reading →

2011 February ----- We took a taxi to Amed (3 hours away for $30). We had an excellent driver who spoke really good English and turned out to be a tour guide for us, as well. Firstly, he asked us if we had ever heard of Luwak coffee – made famous by the movie “The... Continue Reading →

2011 February ----- UBUD We took a 1.5 hour taxi to Ubud, as it was the same price and much faster than taking a 'bemo' local bus. Most homes in Indonesia have stone/brick walls around them, with many small buildings within the compound that house the extended family as well as a private temple. Many... Continue Reading →

2011 January ----- We then flew to Denpasar, Bali, while Len & Michaela decided to brave the 20 hour bus ride. We spent the afternoon on the beach watching the surfers gracefully riding the 2 meter waves. Because of the massive waves and resulting undertow, it was nearly impossible to go into the water to... Continue Reading →

2011 January ----- After some weather delays in Edmonton then again in Vancouver we got to Hong Kong 40+ minutes late for our 1.5 hour lay over/ transfer.  Hong Kong was great in having reps waiting at the gate with people's names and destinations on placards, waiting to whisk us to our transfer flights.  We... Continue Reading →

2010 September ----- When we got to Kolkata I guarded the bags while the kids went to find a hotel.  One thing that was noticeably different in Kolkata was the lack of cows in the street.  Apparently, the city has removed the cows - maybe to a pasture??:)  The other thing was that the rickshaws... Continue Reading →

2010 September ----- It had been raining the entire time we were in Pelling. The washed out road situation did not improve. In fact, the roads were the worst any of us had ever experienced not only in India, but anywhere. My sore arm and elbow really took a beating. By the time we got... Continue Reading →