Frangipani and Tumeric Reflections

March 28, 2011.




anak-anak (child)



I've just returned from being scrubbed with tumeric paste and massaged with frangipani oil in a tradition Balinese massage at the Bali Blessing Spa. On our final day in Bali, we decide to pamper ourselves. Mark gets a foot massage and I sign up for the royal treatment at the spa down the road. As I put my head on the massage rest, I notice myself gazing into a beautiful bowl of coloured petals on the ground beneath me. I smile. It's been the little things that make Bali memorable for me. For the next hour and a half, I reflect on my time here. I love the offerings around every corner. From simple palm leaf boxes to elaborate fan shaped designs, these bouquets bring colour, fragrance and ritual to the streets, shop fronts, car dashboards, and altars found at every home. Arriving at our hotel, we notice the offerings held by the two stone guardians in checkered sarongs. We learn that the black and white symbolize good and evil. There's seems to be a balance in the Balinese perspective on life. Visiting the shadow puppet makers we see how the leaf shaped kayon, representing 'the tree of life,' is peaceful on one side and angry on the other. The mandalas made of flowers in stone baths float in peaceful harmony. I love the everyday rituals that take place here- the daily offerings from dawn to dusk. Little things take priority and are done so mindfully. We wait patiently for Annie, our hostess in Munduk, to finish her offerings before she cooks dinner. Ribbons of incense greet us each morning as shopkeepers wish for a prosperous day. Each family has shrines to remember their ancestors. The past is not forgotten here. I become more aware of my grandma's beads around my neck. I smile at the yellow butterfly who offers a delightful whisper of her spirit in the flutter of its wings. Life is lived with meaning. Ceremonies abound. We excitedly follow a procession in Ubud and witness a cremation on the streets of Denpasar. On our road trip we drive pass many palm leaf decorations hanging from tall bamboo sticks. We are greeted with smiles at the gate. At Pura Besakih, we witness the strong faith of the Balinese people. Families and friends enjoy the ride in the back of pickups, smiling even in the rains. We see women balancing beautifully woven baskets of offerings upon their heads and notice the rice on their foreheads following their blessings. Children, anak-anak, are valued. Youth are treated with warmth and care. There's always a smile and a helping hand when we have Bella in tow. I feel a sense of family. The family unit that is seen riding together on motorbikes to families making the pilgramage to their holy temple together. The village is important. Community exists. The rice terraces, for example, work on the subak system, where everyone gets a share of the crop. Traditions are valued. Boys still learn gamelan and girls dance the legong. Although times are also changing. We hear the falling of a coconut palm from our hotel terrace. We see women carrying heavy rocks on their heads to build a new hotel in the once green rice paddies. Yet we also see signs of resistance. NOT FOR SALE stands defiantly in the paddy fields. The garbage is disturbing. There is an awful floatilla of plastic and garbage as we snorkel in Amed. We need to learn from the wisdom of the old Balinese folktale, The Gecko's Complaint. Grumpy Gecko, lacking sleep, complains to Tiger about the pesky fireflies who flash and flicker all night. When asked why they flicker, they tell Tiger they are only passing on Woodpecker's message. Woodpecker responds to Tiger that his incessant rat-a-tat-tat on the coconut palm is to kindly warn passerbys of the manure rolled by Beetle. When Beetle is asked why he is rolling the stink bombs, he responds that he's just tidying up Water Buffalo's droppings on the path. Water Buffalo tells Tiger that he is helping cover the holes left by the rains. Rain, of course, provides the puddles where mosquitos reside, mosquitos which land on Gecko's sticky tongue. Everything is connected. With this knowing, Gecko learns to live in peace with the fireflies. Indonesia reminds us with its natural beauty that we must be stewards of the earth. The earthquake in Japan and the tsunami warnings in Bali were humbling reminders of nature's power. Everything is connected. We need to do our part. Like the batik blocks stamping the colourful fabric of Bali, it is the people here who have made the greatest imprint on me. Smiles from strangers are easy to come by. The beauty of Bali for me remains in these smiles.

Bedhot

 March 30, 2011


Bedhot is old Javanese for creative. Here are our bedhot creations from our family batik class in Yogjarkarta.

sketching

 

 

 

practicing

painting

A Prayer in Stone- A Day in Borobudur

March 30, 2011.

A beautiful table top book entitled Borobudur: A Prayer in Stone welcomes us to our room at Manohara Hotel. We are in Central Java at an ancient Buddhist temple that dates back 1000 years. Our hotel is at the base of the temple and gives us unlimited entry. The room is pretty scarce but the grounds are beautiful. We enjoy a wonderful view of Borobudur from our table in the restaurant. We watch a movie about this Buddhist temple made up of 2 million stone blocks and shaped as a symmetrical stupa. There are 6 square terraces and 3 circular ones. Bella is especially interested in all the animal fables from the Buddhist tales, like the turtle who flies with the doves while holding on to a branch with his mouth. He starts to brag to friends below about being so high in the skies. Upon opening his mouth, he falls to his death. There's also the 8 legged deer who never tires. The king chases him on the royal hunt but cannot catch him. The king himself tires out. The deer forgives his predator and carries him back to the palace. Or the double headed bird who shares the same body. The top head does not share and eats the best berries. Jealous, the bottom head eats poisonous mushrooms and together they die. We head up the steep stone steps of the temple to look for these stories in stone.There are not many visitors here today and we have the temple pretty much to ourselves. We enjoy the amazing stone frescos which tell the story of the Buddha's life and lessons of karma. We are excited to spot the animals in the stories. The panels (1460 narrative panels and 1212 decorative panels to be exact) surround us as we walk the narrow corridors. The detail is amazing to think they date back so many years. The temple wasn't always like this. It was forgotten and lost in the growth of the jungles until Sir Stamford Raffles stumbled upon it in his travels in 1815. Over the years it has been restored and is now is a World UNESCO Heritage site. We see that the restoration work continues to this day.We watch workers meticulously cleaning the stone with single bamboo straws. In each direction, there are stone buddhas sitting serenely gazing across the lush green plains. In each direction, the buddhas sit with a chosen mudra, a symbolic hand gesture. There's five mudras in all for north, south, east, west and the zenith. Unfortunately, many of the buddhas have been beheaded due to thieves. The Kedu Plains which surround the temple are lush from the fertile volcanic soils. To the northeast towers Gunung Merapi, Fire Mountain, towering 2911 metres. It exploded recently this past January killing over 300 people. We witness the destruction in a village close by on our drive to Borobudur. The lava flows have taken out a section of the town. Ashes from the volcanic eruption also caused some drainage problems at Borobudur. In our visit, workers can be seen removing the bricks at the top three levels. At the upper levels of the temple, the square angles become round. There are 72 small latticed stupas containing smaller stone Buddhas within. The first level of stupas have diamond shape holes while the upper ones have square ones. The square ones symbolize the calm before enlightment. These stupas were believed to be laden with golden leaves in the past. In fact, the grey stone of the Borobudur is believed to be once washed in colour. A large stone stupa crowns the summit. It is empty to symbolize enlightment. From an aerial view, the temple is a masterpiece tantric mandala with perfect symmetry.Tantric Buddhists used the temple in their walking meditations as they ascend from the bottom levels of the everyday world to the never ending nirvana on top. Borobudur is indeed a prayer in stone as our table top book suggests. However, most of Java is Muslim now and all we hear are the prayers from the many mosques surrounding this 'Buddhist Monastery on the Hill' (Sanskrit translation for Borobudur).

In the early morning light, we ascend the temple again. Bella and I take our sketch pad. In the sweet light, we enjoy the stone stupas at the top. They are bell shaped and look like they are floating on stone lotuses. We see one stupa without its top. The buddha within sits peacefully in meditation. Bella decides to sketch it. I turn my gaze to Mt. Merapi which is not shrouded by clouds this morning. Stunning.
We return to our hotel for a nice breakfast buffet. Mark and Bella race in the gardens. I return to the temple wanting to retrace the steps of the pilgrams. They actually visit two smaller temples and cross two rivers before reaching Borobudur. I enter at the eastern gate and begin my silent walking meditation. Working clockwise, I observe the lower panels on the inner wall, then the upper panels. In the lower levels, the walls surround me on both sides with the light only coming from above. The frescos depict the world of illusions with beautiful dancing ladies and riches. Ascending each level, the stories speak more of knowledge and the path to enlightment. With the heat of the day and the tour groups, I get sweaty and claustrophobic. I cheat and miss a few laps here and there. I am glad to reach the 7th floor. It is amazing the feeling of freedom when I reach the round level of the stupas. The view is broad and I feel an ease of breath. The final ascent to the 10th level and the enlightened stupa is closed for renovations from the recent eruption. I guess enlightment will have to wait.

" I pay homage to the Cosmic Mountain of the Perfect Buddhas...endowed with the awe inspiring power of wisdom,- who profound caves are knowledge, whose rock is excellent tradition, whose brillance is owing to its relic: the Good Word whose streams are love, whose forests are meditation,- truly the Mount of Few Desires, which is not shaken by the eight horrible winds: the worldly qualities"

(the Raku Boko inscription, 792 AD, Central Java)

We're in China!

Greetings from Xian, the beginnings of the Silk Road. Yesterday, we took a local bus to see the Terracotta Warriors in the hills. Today, we are going to explore the Muslim Quarter of Xian. It's a bit of a shock coming from the tropics of Indonesia. brrrr...it's chilly and we'll need to get some warm gear for this next leg. In a few days, we board our first Chinese train on a 12 hour journey to Beijing. My parents will be meeting us there and joining us for the next few weeks. It'll be a little more posh than our regular digs.

I will be offline for the time that we are in China as we are unable to access this blog.
It will be back to ye old paper and pencil journaling for a while!

Bali Pathfinder- Road Trip!

Bali Pathfinder:

'the most reliable map for visitors regularly revised...all maps are hand drawings 

by Silvio Santosa, 10th edition.'

Bali Road Trip:  March 19-24, 2011.

With Bali Pathfinder in hand, I am given the job of The Navigator. Bella,
The Spectator, and the backpacks are in the backseat of Dewa's small jeep. Mark,
Zen Driver, calls driving the roads of Bali a 'dance.' With over 4 million people on this little island, driving is a tad congested. Not to mention the narrow lanes, driving on the opposite side, potholes, ladies balancing boxes of offerings on their heads walking alongside and motorbikes with families of four sharing the road. He is our hero.

Leg 1: Full Moon Rising
We get lost right away in the streets of Ubud. We eventually navigate our way out of town, heading west along the rice paddies. The full moon celebrations are beginning with decorative palm leave streamers hanging off tall bamboo rods at each village we pass. We stop at one ceremony and peek into the colourful entrance way. A friendly boy come out and puts his arm around Bella. Smile. Gamelan music is playing and a crowd gathers. We see similar decor all the way up to Danau Bratan, a volcanic lake in the Central Mountains. Along the way we stop to pick strawberries at Candikuning. We find a nice room at the Ashram guesthouse at the edge of the lake before the afternoon downpour. After the rains, Bella spots the swan pedalboats. We board the pink one and paddle towards the island temples. Mark is much too tall and is all cramped up by the end of the pedal. Bella finds some friends to play soccer and see saw with in lovely garden restaurant in town. It has a great rope course and giant swings. I talk to a spiritual healer who has retreated to the mountains for the weekend. The combination of the full moon, the changing of the tides and the moon's distance to earth (closest in years) all happening tonight has her worried about the energy fields and major catastrophes. I try not to tap into the nervous energy. The full moon rises. Swinging in the dark beneath the coconut palms gives us an amazing sensation. The fireflies flicker below us.

Leg 2:  Sunrise Paddle
We wake up early. The moon is just setting over the ridge and the pink of dawn washes over the lake. We have arranged for a boat and oars. In the cool morning air, we paddle towards Pura Ulun Danu Bratan. A faint mist rises from the waters. At the temple we notice guardian stone frogs at the entrance. We then paddle through a grove of lily pads. We make our way across the lake and watch the fishermen in their canoes casting their lines.A great start to our day. Our drive continues along narrow and bumpy roads passing two more volcanic lakes, Danau Buyan and Danau Tamblingan. The view is spectacular. Reaching the mountain town of Munduk, we hike to the waterfalls. The spray is refreshing after a humid hike through the jungle. The rains fall again and we stumble upon a delightful guesthouse run by a lovely couple. We relax for the day and enjoy Annie's homecooking. In the middle of the night, Mark and I both wake up startled. We feel the tremours of an earthquake. Luckily, it was over in seconds. Perhaps the healer was right about the energy fields. After sampling Annie's homemade strawberry papaya jam we head down the hills and to northern coast.

Leg 3: Sea Salt and Snorkeling
We are greeted in Amed by a troupe of children selling sea salt in woven baskets. The next few days are very relaxing along this stretch of quiet fishing villages. It is nice to chill out after the chaos of the roads. We snorkel to a Japanese shipwreck and see a reef with clown fish and colourful parrot fish. The sands are volcanic shades of grey here. For all its beauty, there is unfortunately a film of trash here as well.We spend a morning picking up litter. At night, the homes on the mountainside join by narrow footpath light up like lanterns on a hill. Our evenings are quiet here. The calls of the gecko are our nightly lullabies.

Leg 4: Mother Temple
At an intersection up the mountain to Pura Besakih, a priest sprays Mark with some holy water. I guess we are being blessed. We see a lady balancing a pig on a platter. Babi Guling is a popular dish here. It's spit roasted pig stuffed with chili, tumeric, garlic and ginger. We pass. Along the way, we've managed to avoid Bali Belly. Eating at the local warungs, our standard chow has been nasi goreng and mee goreng along with banana pancakes for breakfast. Our best dishes were the gado gado with peanut sauce and apple fritters topped with fresh coconut and a smear of palm sugar. Less memorable ones were those doused with MSG and the french fries with ants. Pura Besakih is filled with activity after the full moon. Families make a pilgrimage here to visit their family temple and their caste temple. It is fascinating. Our guide Wayan, of the farmer's caste, fills us in on the rituals. We learn that the lava flows of Mount Arung's last eruption flowed east and left the sacred temple unscathed. We enjoy our time here very much. The rain pours and we rent colourful umbrellas from the savvy vendors.

Leg 5: Full Circle
We are back in Sanur after driving down the rough and windy Sidamen road. The rice terraces surrounding us are beautiful. The road is terrible. Reaching the eastern coast, the heat hits us. We started our journey here in Sanur when we arrived in Bali. It feels like we're back home. Dewa and his son come to pick up the jeep. I present him my yoga mat as a gift. Road trip complete.

Selmat datang

Selamat datang. Welcome to Indonesia...

We arrive in Bali a few days following Nyepi, the Balinese New Year. In preparation for this day, villages across the island create massive ogoh-ogohs, scary looking demons from the underworld. They are paper mached, painted devil reds and ogre greens and then don with hairy wigs, buggy eyes, razor teeth and talon like claws. On New Year's Eve, the ogoh-ogohs are paraded around town in a loud procession, to drive their evil spirits off the island. The gamelan ensemble is called baleganjur and is made up of gongs, cymbals and drums. Following the raucus, all is silent come midnight on New Year's Day. Nyepi is a day of fasting and reflection for the Balinese. It is to be spent in silence. Streets are empty. No fires are lit. Tourists are not allowed out of their hotel compounds. Even the airport is closed. Upon arrival, we soon discover there's an endless list of Auspicious Days on the Balinese Calendar. Take March for example. The best days to cut your hair is on the 16th or 29th. Lucky days for proposing to your girl are the 3rd and 27th. If you want to dig a well, it's the 1st, 4th or 18th. The list goes on. The Balinese calendar uses the Wuku sytem, based on the week. There are 30 weeks in one cycle, known as an oton. 2 otons make a year so a Balinese year is 420 days. It is the Saka year 1933.
We also get aquainted with the Indonesian Rupiah. One Canadian dollar is about 8 000 rupiah. A fresh fruit lassi is about 18 000 rupiah. A plate of nasi goreng is about 20 000 rupiah. A decent hotel room runs for about 200 000 rupiah. We rent a jeep for 125 000 a day. A sarong cost as low as 10 000 rupiah to the fancy 500 000 batik cloths. The money is colourful like ours. The coins are very light weight.
Our adventures here begin in the family friendly beach town of Sanur on the east coast. We stay at a guest house called Segara Agung on the recommendation of Nico's(Bella's schoolmate) grandmother. It has a beautiful garden and most importantly, a swimming pool. The blanket of heat here reminds us of our beginnings in Singapore. We are sticky once again. Before long, Bella meets Axel, a 4 year old from France. They spend the afternoons playing Marco Polo and Follow the Leader. Before the heat of the day, we enjoy morning strolls on the beach. Wooden boats with curious eyes and smiles give the shores a happy feeling. Mount Agung majestically rises in the backdrop and we can see Nusa Lembongan in the near distance. Seaweed collectors wade in the shallow waters and fishermen cast their lines. The ladies all want to braid Bella's hair. The beaches of the grander hotels are being neatly raked and umbrellas open as comfy lounge chairs are set up. There is an earthquake north of Denpasar the evening we arrive. It is very deep and we do not feel any tremors in Sanur. The earthquake in Japan hits 24 hours later. Tsunami warnings are issued in Indonesia. We are nervous being so close to the sea. We lug Bella's lifejacket around town. We are on edge for the night. The tsunami alert is over the next morning. We still head for higher ground in Ubud for peace of mind.
The drive up north to Ubud is lined with villages specializing in various crafts- basketweaving, batik, ceramics, beadwork, painting, silver, wood and stone. Mark is fond of the many stone Buddhas lining the streets of Batubulan, known for its stone sculptures. We see a few remaining ogoh-ogohs standing in the village squares. Our driver tells us not to be afraid as their spirits have already left the island. We find a room down a quiet alley in Ubud, off the busy and commercial Monkey Forest Road. It borders the rice paddies where we spot some colourful kingfishers and a procession of ducks. At night, the frogs croak loudly and we count the gec-ko chorus. I believe 7, 9 and 10 gec-ko chants are lucky. Our first outing takes us towards Ubud Palace. A procession is taking place along the streets. We see a giant toy tiger and a clamber of drums are followed by a clan of well dressed women and men in checkered sarongs. Bella is excited to follow them. We head up a big hill and then over the old suspension bridge. The procession now packs into a caravan of trucks and are off. We wave goodbye. Our stay in Ubud centers around the local library Pondok Pekak. It means 'Grandfather's little resting house in the rice field.' I try to imagine the Ubud in Grandfather's time. The rice field is now lined with fancy boutiques, internet cafes, art galleries, fine dining, spas and hotels. Of the fancy places, we love Kou, which specializes in jams, salt and soaps. Every day, we head in for a taste of the Milk Caramel and the Passionfruit tangerine jam. We buy small blocks of rose petal soap to spice up our backpacks. There's the occasional monkey that wanders across the road along with the many stray dogs. At Pondok Pekak, there are great classes to learn about the Balinese culture. They hire local villagers. Bella takes gamelan lessons with daddy. They bang away with their mallets and finish the lesson with a great duet. I try some Legong dancing with Bella. Happy, our teacher, rides up in her motorbike with her daughter and a friend. We are impressed with her flexible fingers and facial expressions. The girls, Bella and I learn the dance to the Welcome song. The music plays. Bella gets grovin' and mama, I'm afraid, is not so graceful but has fun nonetheless. We meet Wayan the fruit carver. I like him right away and arrange to have him as a guide. He takes us to some of the popular sites on the outskirts of Ubud. At Goa Gajah, the Elephant Cave, we put on our sarongs and selandongs (sashes) before entering. We are early and it is quiet. Bella enters the musky ancient cave by herself. Inside rests the trinity of the Hindu faith- Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu. At Gunung Kawi, we hike down a steep stone stairway to another ancient temple. Lush green rice terraces border the path along with many shops hoping to sell sarongs, carved coconuts and crochet purses. At the Tirta Empih we watch a family bath in the holy waters. Wayan tells us that if children have illness, bad dreams or other such ailments, their parents would often take them here and standing beneath the spouting fountains. Bella is intrigued. She had a bad dream the night before and decides to get wet too. Along the way, we sip samples of lemongrass and rosella tea along with bali coffee with its residue of grinds. We see a paradoxurus also known as a luwak. It's a small civit mammal that eats the ripe coffee cherry. Then a unique fermentation happens in its tummy and it poops out the pea berries intact. Luwak coffee is one of the most expensive coffees in the world. It supposedly has a caramel rich taste but I have neither the money nor the digestion to sample it. We then venture up the road to Danau Batur, a volcanic lake. Gunung Batur, at 1717 m, rises on its western banks. The view is spectacular. The tourist trap buffet lunch is horrible with soggy noodles and greasy fried bananas. We end the day at Wayan's home. We meet his family and his beloved pig. He teaches me how to carve watermelon into a nice rose design. Bella learns the art of carrot and turnip carving. She creates a pretty veggie bouquet. We spend a few more days in Ubud enjoying the cultural offerings. We watch a shadow puppet play known as wayang kulit and go backstage to see how the puppet master does his craft. The kerosene lamp burns brightly and lights up the stage for the show. I find a kindred spirit in my daughter as we wake up early to check out the local markets. We purchase a sampling of fruits in season- snakefruit, rambutan, mangosteen, plantains and starfruit for our still life drawings. We see the pail of eels and baskets of fresh fish. We visit the lady with the palm leaf boxes filled with pretty flower petals. Bella buys some lotus blossoms. We head to Pura Taman Saraswati, the Ubud Water Palace. The waters from the temple feed the lovely lotus pond, all in honour of Dewi Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom and the arts. We bring our watercolours and get a table at The Lotus Cafe. The waiter asks for a painting. Bella is thrilled to give her sketch away. We enjoy the organic yoghurt and wholesome tempeh curries at Bali Buddha. It doesn't have Wi Fi like the other restaurants, wanting its customers to engage in conversation. I like that. On the community board outside, I see an ads for Green Camp- a family weekend with an environmental conscience. It is to happen at an alternative school with structures made entirely out of bamboo near Ubud. I am excited and sign us up. It is a little pricey. Unfortunately, we are the only family signed up and the camp is cancelled. Hopefully, the green movement will keep moving forward. Luckily, I meet Dewa at the guesthouse. He has a nice aura. We share yoga poses. He cannot afford the Western yoga classes here and goes to the holy men instead. We decide to rent his jeep for a week and tour the island. Our next adventure is about to begin on the crazy roads of Bali. Time to find to map.

Road Trip!

Jukurrpa is the aboriginal word for story. Let me tell you a jukurrpa about a road trip up the Pacific Coast from Sydney to Brisbane.
It begins with our fine looking camper van named Jucy...

Leg 1: On the Road Again

Yipee!!! We finally get out of Sydney after a long and expensive stay. The Jucy lady shows us the workings of the van. Mark is impressed with all its neat compartments- stove folds out in back, cutlery in neat little compartments, cups on hangers and ladder to climb to the penthouse. Bella's eyes light up at the DVD player by her back seat. I'm just glad to turn the ignition on and get out of town. We carefully navigate our way across the Harbour Bridge. We feel smug, avoiding all the tolls along the way. We drive for awhile with the sprawling suburbs of Sydney by our side. We reach Newcastle, passing mounting piles of coal along the port. At the park a nice fellow tells us to check out his hometown, Nelson Bay. We bunker down there for the evening. The massive sand dunes of the Worimi Conservation Lands, also known as the Stockton Dunes, beckon us to explore come dawn. It's amazing to think that these dunes are alive and constantly in flux with the wind and weather. We trudge up along a ridge and get an amazing panoramic view of the region. Occasionally, fighter jets from the Australian Air Force whiz by overhead leaving an thundering echo.We spend the day wandering the dunes and beaches. Bella skips happily along the beach sands. We notice strange looking purple jelly like creatures brought in by the tide. That night we sleep well, exhausted by our sand treks and skipping. Mark finds a beat up boogie board on the side of the road and is excited to use his duct tape repair skills.

Leg 2: Bluebottles??!!

We continue down the Lakes Way along quiet winding roads lined with gum trees. Seal Rocks greets us at the end of the trail. The beach is quiet with a few fishermen casting their lines. We continue on to Forster to have afternoon tea with Ian's mom Shirley. She is an avid croquet player with a great sense of humour. We set up camp in the next town of Tuncurry with pelicans greeting us from the shore.We ask the Aussie family dining in the communal kitchen about the strange jellylooking creatures we saw at the beach yesterday. They tell us that they are bluebottles and to avoid them at all cost. We were lucky to avoid their nasty sting.

Our journey continues up the Pacific Coast Highway to Port Macquarie. We visit the Koala Hospital which rescues and rehabilitates koalas hurt in the wild. Removal of koala habitat is the single biggest threat to their survival. Other threats are bushfires, dogs and motor vehicles. We are impressed with the care here and touched with the personal stories of the many koalas like Hansel and Gretel, two joeys rescued from their mamas' pouches after a tragic car accident. We end the day at Hat Head National Park, situated at the end of a quiet stretch of farm road. We are rewarded with a gorgeous sunset. The following morning we enjoy a short hike to The Gap and watch the surfers in the waves below.

Leg 3: Waterfalls and the Milky Way

Heading inland, we catch the tail end of the farmer's market in Bellingen. Bella scores on finding fairy books for a buck. Bellingen has an artsy funky feel. We enjoy a swim in the community pool followed by delicious muffins at the local cafe. We continue our drive upWaterfall Way along winding narrow lanes to Dorrigo. We camp at the trail head of Dangar Falls. We are the only ones here tonight.  The Milky Way is like a soft brush stroke across the starry canvas of night. We wake up in a blanket of mist in the early morning but it all soon disappears with the rising sun. We are greeted once again to the lovely rolling hills and the cascading falls. We spend the morning exploring the rainforest of Dorrigo National Park. The skywalk offers an incredible view of the Pacific coastline. We continue down the path and spot colourful parrots in the canopy.We then drive down a long and winding road back to the coast. There's lots of stray cattle on the roadside. Bella falls fast asleep.


Leg 4:  Blinky Bill and Lightning Rods

We drive along a windy stretch of road to Yamba. Fields of sugarcane bend with the winds. We camp beneath a giant norfolk pine, making great fairy wands for Bella. There's a wicked lightning storm tonight and the rain pours. We are glad to be in the penthouse of our Jucy camper watching Blinky Bill, the Aussie kid's classic about an adorable koala who outwits the dingos. The storm passes and we jog along the jetty in the morning. Waiting for our laundry to dry in the sun, we jump the waves at the sandy beach. Mark finally gets to try his duct tape boogie board.


Leg 5: Staying with the Belletts

The next leg of our road trip finds us in Lennox Head.We have been invited to stay at the Bellett's house. Laurie worked at Mark's school a few years ago as a librarian on exchange. What a wonderful welcome. Laurie takes us to the tea stained waters of Lake Ainsworth to kayak and paddleboard. Kerry leads us on a hike along the gorgeous windswept trail of Lennox Point. Ash and Matt are both in highschool. Bella enjoys playing catch and cards with the boys. We even get a birthday invitation to Verity's birthday in the countryside. Bella is thrilled with the game Pass the Parcel. I celebrate my 43rd birthday here with wonderful memories of Marco Polo, lemon cupcakes and great company. We visit Byron Bay just up the road. It is busy with backpackers but we enjoy the delicious organic curries and kormas at the Hare Krishna restaurant. We actually prefer the more mellow town on Brunswick Head a little further north. It's home to the Bikes and Kites Festival and we see the coolest felted bike on the streets. Inland we visit Crystal Gardens in Mullumbimby, situated in hills overlooking the ocean. The setting is stunning. Bella and I walk the labryrinth to the rose quartz crystals. We chant OM at the Blessing Buddha pond. We then indulge in scrumpitous afternoon tea and scones and admire the grand amethyst stones.Mark enjoys the drive in Lucy along the quiet country roads.

Leg 6: The Old Fig Tree

Our road trip ends in Brisbane where we spend a night. The ferries are still not running at full capacity after the floods. There's lot of repair work down by the river but life continues on. We purchase a set of fairy books for the road ahead. At the giant old fig tree in the heart of the city, Bella discovers an amethyst stone tucked in its gnarled roots. Hmmm..there must be faeries down under too. A magical ending to our story in Australia.

Leg 7: Road Block

The airport at Brisbane is an adventure in itself. Upon checking in, we discover that Virgin Air will not let us board without an outgoing ticket from Dempasar, Indonesia. It is in the very fine print of their contract but not in the visa information of the Indonesian Embassy that we checked out beforehand. The next hour is like being in the Amazing Race. With the clock ticking, we had to hand them proof of an outgoing ticket. Asia Air puts us on endless hold so we hang up. The airport computers are malfunctioning. We waste all our coins.We down a cup of flat white.The adrenaline is running fast. At the Quantas counter, we are offered killer expensive tickets which we can't afford. Luckily, the lady directs us to Flight Center. We manage to print out a ticket to Hong Kong just in time. With minutes to go, we run like the wind to our gate. Final boarding call.... we take a breath, relieved to be on board. We wave goodbye to Australia as we head into the skies for a 6 hour flight to Bali.

blessings buddha pond

kayaking the tea tree stained lake

Blinky Bill fan

paddle board at Lennox Head

the old fig tree, brisbane

zonked...

lots of beach time

duct tape repairs

showering off the salt

morning mist at Dorrigo

Dangar Falls

The Adventures of AstroBoy and the Cosmo Girls Down Under

City Edition: February 15-22, 2011.
Setting: Sydney, Australia; population: 4,504,469; latitude: 33 degrees S; longitude: 151 degrees E

The Characters:
Astro Boy: enjoys the lights of the big city, can be seen eating take out pesto pizza while crossing Sydney Harbour Bridge, works on muscles down by the bay alongside with fitness junkies and their personal trainers

Cosmo Girl, Jr. : loves the glam and glitz of city life, poses in front of city grafitti, admires the selection of handbags at Coach and spares no expense to take the pedicab down to the action down at Circular Quay

Cosmo Girl, Sr.: a tad grumpy upon arrival, noise and bustle leads to constant headache, appalled by the exorbitant city prices but slowly acclimatizes to city scene to enjoy cosmopolitan life down under

Our story board begins smack in the heart of Sydney. Our plans to stay at relatives have fallen through and we are left stranded looking for affordable accomodation. Our plan to dash out afer a few days in the city have also been delayed. All the budget camper vans have been rented out. The following journal entry tells about our adventures in this cosmopolitan hub Down Under...

We arrive in Sydney after a short flight from Melbourne. We take the train from the airport to King's Cross Station. As we emerge from the escalator we discover that we have landed smack in the Red Light District of the city. Luckily, the neon signs are not glowing at this time of day. We see the Police Station near the fountain and are told by fellow tourists that it use to be one of the most corrupt branches of bad cops in the 70's. Not much comfort there. Rounding the bend to Macleay Street, the scene is much better behaved. Bakeries with freshly baked sourdough loaves, wine shops and bohemian chic fashions line the window front. We spot the nice looking Macleay Hotel. Mark reminds me that we are in the 'lodge' further down the lane. Surprisely, our accomodation is quite reasonable and situated in an old heritage building. Our room is simple with two double beds, a fridge and a sink. It even has a balcony overlooking the street. We head over to Woolworth's to stock up on cereal and sandwich amenities to save on money. We discover a set of stairs leading down to Woolloomooloo Bay. We pass the grey naval fleet and the fancy finger wharves which are restored warehouses turned to chic apartments jutting out like fingers into the harbour. It's like viewing Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous right before your eyes. A fancy yacht pulls into the marina with finely dressed people sipping fine beverages. We walk on to the Royal Botanic Gardens. At the entrance is a native Bottle Tree, used by Aboriginals to tap water from its trunk. On the bench beside it sits a couple feeding the friendly cockateels of the park. We join the walkers, joggers, picnickers and businessmen talking on their Blackberries on the path. Rounding the bend, we spot the sails of the Sydney Opera House for the first time. It is quite a stunning site. We walk towards the sails and enjoy cheese sandwiches at the steps. We learn that this landmark houses 1000 rooms and has the electric bill of 15000 homes. Circular Quay is the central port to catch the local ferries. A huge cruise ship is also docked there. Tourists enjoy street entertainers along their stroll as they lick very expessive gelatto cones. Two brothers are playing a cool fusion of digeridoo and modern techno music while an interesting Latino dancer is spicing things up as he salsas with a blond hair mannequin who is attached to his shiny dancing shoes. Bella feels the latin groove and joins in. I take a break and view the Annie Lebowitz exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Down the way at The Rocks
we stroll the cobblestone streets and take part in the Moonlight Market. The Rocks use to be home to blue collar workers and convicts. Now it houses museums, art galleries, fine dining joints and fancy boutiques. It is also home to $2 oranges and $3 bottles of water. Sydney is blowing our budget as Bella chows down on homemade momos and we dine on roasted pumpkin wraps. Artisans are selling everything from freaky looking masks to beautiful opal studded earrings. Bella watches in awe as the glassblower shapes a pair of Cinderella shoes. We visit the 1816 Cadman Cottage, the oldest sandstone building remaining in the city. It is here that Bella forgets her Hello Kitty purse with precious Zhu zhu inside. We return a few days later in our backtrack to happily discover its whereabouts. Bella and I tour Susannah House, home to working class families in early 1900's. Annie, our guide is passionate to keep the history alive. Bella is most intrigued with the old fashion tops and hard boiled lollies in the 1915 corner store. We walk down George Street lined with banks, businesses and brand names. Mark gets a tutorial at apple store while Bella and I sample Darrell Lea licorice across the street. Mark looks at his watch and leads us to the Queen Victoria Building to watch the clocks chime. These are no ordinary clocks. They are the  finest specimens of clocks commissioned by Her Majesty the Queen. He is giddy to see the panels open when the hand strikes the hour. I am amused just to watch my man (who never takes off his ironman watch) in action. Unfortunately, the door is jammed on one of the clocks, leaving it to our imagination as to what peeps out. We do watch the panels depicteing English colonization on the other masterpiece of time. The Queen Victoria Building is known to be one of the most beautiful shopping centers in the world after millions of dollars were spent on its renovations. Light streams through the stain glass windows as we ascend the arching staircase to the baby grand piano on the top floor next to the table of diners enjoying artisan coffee. Bella loves the handbag display at the Coach store.
We board our Hop On/Hop Off red double decker to learn more tidbits about the city. We learn that King's Cross was once Queen's Cross, that Platform 1 at Central Station still bears the scar of a bullet from an early worker's uprising and how payments of rum carved out the initial infrastructure of streets in the city. We pass the National State Museum of New South Wales and over top of Captain Bligh's original log stored in the archives 5 stories below. We view the iconic Coke billboard that turned off for the first time as few years ago during Earth Hour and check out the luxiourious casinos at Darling Harbour. We find ourselves 'stuck' in the city for a few more days as all the budget camper vans are rented out. The days of travelling spontaneously and booking on the spot seem are becoming obselete with the Internet and advanced bookings. We are given the boot from Macleay Lodge as our room has been booked online. We pack our bags and head to a Backpacker's hostel down the street. Our room is on the top 'party floor' and is infested with fruit flies from the rot in the fridge. The manager is very apologetic and offers us free Internet cards and deoderant drops. We make the best of the situation and spend most of our times outside the premises. We catch the fitness craze and head down to Elizabeth Bay in the mornings to work out. We take advantage of Family Funday Sunday and buy cheap tickets to Manly Beach. We walk down The Corso and follow the fountains to the surfing beach. We are careful to swim between the red and yellow flags. We are impressed with the young kids training to be life savers as they dive into the waves and do laps around us. It turns out to be a great outing, finishing with a spectacular sunset over the Opera House as our ferry docks. We also spend an afternoon jumping the waves at Bondi (meaning water breaking over rocks) Beach and view the posh Eastern Suburbs on top our double decker bus. The Glebe Market on Saturday is filled with incense, handmade jewellery, used books and vintage clothing. Mark purchases an Astro Boy t-shirt from the stalls. He is now known as Astro Boy to us. We head down to a rather stinky fish market by the pier and then board the tram to City Hall. It is Saturday and the town is bustling with activity. I notice that Michael Buble, Dr. Zhivago and the First Emperor of China and his Entombed Warriors are all in town tonight. Unfortunately, we are not invited. Instead find ourselves donning on 3 D shades to join in the fun with. Gnomeo and Juliet at the air conditioned theatre. We head back to the train station and to our 'party floor' at the hostel. It is surprisely quiet as many have hopped on the party cruise tonight. On our final day we decide to take a ferry across the bay to the freaky looking clown welcoming us to Luna Park. With the rain beginning to drizzle, we walk over the Sydney Harbour Bridge during rush hour. This steel structure is known as the 'Coathanger' to the locals. It's packed with serious looking jogging commuters and hundreds of squashed cockroaches. Bella is estastic and wants to do the  bridge climb to the top. Luckily for me, she is not old enough. I dare not look down.

After a much longer anticipated stay in Sydney, the city is beginning to charm even me. We enjoy our evening walk through the gardens, get our bearings on the transit lines and discover interesting niches around town. We rub the lucky boar's nose at the Sydney Hospital and enjoy Emperor Puffs at a take out window in Chinatown. At dusk, we are regularly entertained by the bats flying above the silhouettes of skyscrapers. A quirky older gentlemen on King's Cross chats away with me as I sip my cup of flat white. I tell him about our upcoming road trip to Byron  Bay. He tells me about the UFO's. He was once a bus driver and tells me to watch out for these unidentified discs on the drive up the coast. He grins and says, just you wait. I can't wait to jump in our camper van now!

(sorry it's taken me so long to post this log. I've been having bad blog karma I guess. I've lost my aussie entries twice and finally have some time to retype it. )

Waddle, Snooze and Gurgle

February 12, 2011.

There's 70 000 Fairy penguins and 50 koalas on Phillip Island. Not to mention, 346 bird species and 25 000 seals on this 10 000 hectares island with 8 000 permanent residents. Even before crossing the bridge across the channel from San Remo, we find ourselves in the company of pelicans waiting for their daily feast of flathead fish from the fisherman. Giant stingrays can be seen gliding in the waters by the pier. The Fliedners have a caravan in Newhaven on Phillip Island where we set up home for a few days. Phillip Island is about an hour and a half from Melbourne. Aunty Georgie kindly drives us down and shows us her lovely place in the Big Four Caravan Park. We enjoy the comforts of the caravan with all its amenities. Bella loves the PILLOW, an aussie style bouncy castle. I am reminded of my days in good old Namaste (my beloved orange VW camper) at the Richmond Trailer Park. The people are very friendly. The retired couple staying next door are on their way to the Jazz Festival in the Grampians. They are always smiling. A family from Deniliquin in New South Wales set up an enormous tent across the way. Brad and Angela tell us it's their first time at it but they look like pros. It's a four bedroom suite with separate mosquito netted dining room in front. It is in stark contrast with the scence unfolding in the adjoining campsite. Three young European travellers are just unpacking their newly bought pup tent, suited for one. A tight squeeze for two. We are equally impressed that the 3 of them and their large backpacks can fit into it. They seem to remain friends although we notice that by day 3, they have purchased another pup tent to set up. Bella soon makes friends with Peta, the four year old across the way. They ride their bikes, lick ice pops and jump happily on the pillow. We hire a car and visit the heritage farm on Churchill Island. The homestead has been there since the mid 1800's and the land is spectacular. The sheep and highland cattle are grazing in the pastures as we approach and all sorts of birds can be seen in the mudflats. Gnarly ancient moonah trees frame the vista. Bella and I milk the dairy cow. Bella is not keen about it and tells us that she prefers to be a 'city girl.' I quite enjoy the experience myself. We walk through the beautiful gardens and check out the shadow on the sundail. We watch the border collies gather the sheep and spot a few wallabies in the fields. We stay for  the sheep shearing demostration and sample some lanolin cream. We attempt the boomerang throwing. Bella does pretty well with the kid version. Mine ends up in the horse paddock in the neighbouring field. I climb over the fence to retrieve it. I figure I'll give the whip cracking a skip. That evening we make our way to the Penguin Parade at the Nature Reserve at the other end of the island. The stands are packed with tourists like us, waiting with anticipation for the fairy penguins to emerge from the waves at dusk. I wonder what the penguins are thinking about the strange creatures on land. At around nine that night, we see flashes of white in the surf. They come together in small groups waddle up the beach and then up towards their burrows in the sand dunes. These penguins are the smallest in the world, about a ruler's length (30 cm) in height. We get our best view of them along the dim lit boardwalks and hear their calls from their homes in the sand. The next morning we head to the Koala Conservation Center. Bella is intrigued by the fact that the babies are born the size of a jellybean and spend the first 6 months of their lives in mama's pouch, latching on to mama's nipple. We learn that koalas sleep for 20 hours of each day. We head out onto the boardwalks in the groove of eucalypt trees. There are nine koalas and a few babies in the park. It's a game of I Spy the Koalas who are snoozing away in the trees. We are excited to spot them along the boardwalk. We get a close up view of a mama and her baby snuggling and enjoying some eucalyptus leaves. It's a perfect example of attachment parenting. I watch for awhile, impressed with the bond of mother and child. The koalas are my highlight on Phillip Island. Mark enjoyed the peace on Churchill Island. As for Bella, it was the PILLOW. Leaving the island on the bus, we spot the Giant Worm Museum at Bass. There's no live speciman there, as the Giant Gippsland Earthworm is very reclusive and rarely seen. Also known as Mega scolides australis, this blue grey worm can reach lengths of 3 metres. They live in water filled burrows in the Bass River Valley which sometimes echoes with their gurgling noises. You may wonder about my odd fascination with the worm. Playing a game called "What's Your Inner Animal?" I reckon that mine's the earthworm. Simple but hardworking and trying her best in her humble way to make the earth a better place. Anyways, we leave the beauty of Phillip Island to return to the city. I imagine the Giant Gippland Earthworm giving us a goodbye gurgle.

Some interesting links:
1. This one is from th Phillip Island Nature Parks:
http://www.penguins.org.au/home

2. Yes, it's the worm fascination again:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZig6EL5B6A

3. What's Your Inner Animal?
http://www.worldwildlife.org/inner-animal/inner-animal.html

Victoria: The Place To Be

February 3, 2011.

We touch down in Australia the same evening that Cyclone Yasi hits Queensland. Luckily, we land in Perth on the other side of the country with not much turbulence. We have a couple hours lay over before catching the red eye to Melbourne. Radar scans of the incoming storm flash on all the screens as we wait. The Australians are a hardy and optimistic lot. With its share of natural diasters from floods to fires, they seem to brave these elements with a certain calm and perseverance. On Mark's previous travels to Australia, he witnessed some of the bush fires as he biked the Great Ocean Road. We begin our travels this time in Melbourne with the skies opening up to record the heaviest rainfall in sixty years. But this is no match for the incredibly sunny welcome we received at Mark's cousin Georgina's home in Beaumaris. Aunty Georgie, Uncle Ian and Marianna make us feel right at home. One of my favourite quotes hangs on her wall, 'We cannot all do great things in the world but we can do small things with great love.'  Georgie does exactly this. Georgie spoils us with her gourmet vegetarian pastas and curries. Ian has us chuckling all the time with his quick wit and funny jokes. Bella bonds with her cousin Marianna (aka Mazz) right away and is intrigued to meet her bearded dragons (lizards) Beaui and Bondii. There's also Ginger the cat and Suzzie and Hamish, the two Scottish terriers. Marianna is just started grade 7 at a new highschool. It's a bit of a transition but you can tell she's excited about the new experience.The Fliedners live in a wonderful neighbourhood where friendly smiles often come through the front door to join in the conversation. Ashleigh (aka Ash) and Micaela (aka Mic) haul over a cot for Bella to sleep. It becomes Mark's bed of course in the continuing saga of the family bed that never weans. Later, Ash and Mic walk over with a most enormous bag of Barbie and Barbie paraphenalia that makes Bella's eyes pop out of her head. The contents are emptied and the girls get into the business of setting up shop. Bella is in total girly land and loving it! Pretty soon, Barbies and Kens are enjoying a hot tub party on the living room floor. Friendly and outgoing Vanessa also comes by to join in the fun. The girls make chocolate cupcakes, topped with licorice bites and marshmallow puffs. They entertain us with funny stories about the history of each cupcake during dessert, followed by a sugar high. Then there's Cam who is very, very energetic and funny. Bella seems to have a secret crush on him as she holds his hand throughout the aquariam and decorates his hair with all her accessories. One evening Mark is all tangled up in a game of Twister with the kids and we laugh hysterically as we watch Ian make faces in the game of Go Ape. Over a dinner of yummy falafels and hummus, we groove to Aussie tunes like My Boomerang Won't Come Back and Give Me A Home Among the Gumtrees.  Bella plays 'the chair' which is very hard to explain except to say it's very entertaining. Janina, another one of Georgie's wonderfully spirited friend, treats us to a delicious Thai meal. Her two kids Riley and Mia are equally wonderful. Pascale, Georgie's neighbour and good friend, with her smiles and happy spirit is always full of laughs. One morning, Georgina brings us to the factory outlet  to buy a rashie for Bella. She spoils Bella with a lovely new outfit. Another day we have an adventurous car ride to Marianna's riding lessons after the rains. Thompsons Road has turned into Thompsons River and Ian cautiously manoveres his new Volvo around the puddles. We hold our noses as we passed along fountains of spurting sewage. Ian rolls up his window just in the nick of time as Mr. LandRover arrogantly passes, soaking us with smelly water. It is a valiant attempt to reach the stables, but we eventually have to turn back in the last few kilometres of flooded country road. No horseback riding today, but good company. Another adventure takes us to the Melbourne Aquariam where cheeky Gentoo penguins and the more dignified King penguins welcome us upon entry. The tropical fish and beautiful coral make us want to get our diving certificates. We learn about billabongs and tropical reefs. We are intrigued to touch the egg cases used by sharks. We learn that the Murray Cod is Autralia's largest freshwater fish, growing up to 118 kilograms. Our visit ends walking through a glass tunnel surrounded by sharks- the Whiskery, the Grey Nurse, the Sandbar whaler, the Port Jackson and the Hammerhead, all of which can be found in Australian waters. Later that day, we venture into Chinatown. We have picked the busiest, not to mention the loudest day to visit. Drums bang loudly as the dragon dancers parade down the packed streets. They stop at store fronts and make lots of noise to bring prosperity for the year. Lettuce and red pockets dangled from the entrances. Drums bang, dragons dance and firecrackers explode in frenzy of excitement. The streets are hazy with smoke and red bits of paper litter the streets. We plug our ears when it gets a little too loud. We enjoy dumplings, noodles and sizzling hot plates. The place is packed. The poor waitress hasn't eaten all day and we set our table because it is so busy. The food is tasty and we have a bird's eye view from the second floor of the golden, black and red dragons proclaiming Gung Hay Fat Choy down below. We also take a stroll down to St. Kilda for the annual fair. The afternoon begins with some african drumming and dancing. The Monster bikers rev their engines and do crazy stunts flying through the air. Marianna gets our hearts pumping as she spins in circles on the FreeStyle ride and shoots up like a cannon ball 100 metres in air. Bella enjoys rockclimbing and the pink Fairy Floss. We celebrate our last day here with Valentine 'love in' with lots of love decor and lemony cupcakes. So as far as this tale goes, it doesn't matter how rainy and damp our beginnings in Australia were. We had a fabulous time with the wonderful people we've met here in Victoria. There's always a laugh or crazy adventure in the streets here. Did I mention kayking in the streets? The license plate of the state claims "Victoria-the place to be." A fitting statement indeed.








Victoria-The Place To Be