Slowly, Slowly - Reflections from Our Trip -7/20

I hope that I never forget this trip - the busy streets filled with food-cart vendors and motorbikes & cars with the constant sounds of horns signaling their presents, the artsy shops and rice terraces of Ubud, the cool breezes and lush mountains & valleys enclosing Munduk, the lakes and natural hot springs flanked by craters and active volcanoes of the central mountains, the white sand stretching out to the turquoise waters of the Blue Lagoon in Padangbai, the ubiquitous Bob Marley tunes playing in the background on Gili Trawangan, the feeling of walking on the pure coral beaches that surround Gili Meno, the marvelous skies with trippy clouds, brilliant stars and serene sunsets of Lembogan, and the surfers disappearing into the night off the towering cliffs of Bingin.

But, even more than those memories, I hope to never forget the kind and beautiful people that we met that helped guide us in our journey and those that added a helping hand or added some flare to our experiences. I hope to never forget Gede, our driver that led us to and from Munduk. In addition to his kind and helpful demeanor, we occasionally would witness his playful sense of humor, like when he informed us of how Bali's most expensive coffee, Kopo Luwak, is harvested (from the feces of an animal they call a luwak). Kutut, our guide to the top of Mount Batur who held unwavering confidence and patience for us as we slowly made our way up. Darta, dive master at Padangbai who had a warm smile, joyful eyes, and helpful spirit that was both reassuring and comforting when breathing air from a tank under water in our first dive. Jay, the no-nonsense, organized, best-dressed (nappy underwater attire) dive master whose patience was the perfect balance to Eurie, the carefree, Scandinavian, self-entitled "water clown" who bubbled with enthusiasm when describing the beauty of local marine life. We also received a hardy "hello" and helpful hand from our waiters, hotel staff, and the countless strangers with whom we crossed paths, who regularly had to point us in the right direction. We also had a wonderful shared experience with people that came from all over the world to see this beatiful country. We compared travel itineraries with a couple from Japan in a spa in Ubud, relaxed in the hot springs of Munduk with a group of Australians, discussed the best places to travel with some Americans on our hike to the waterfall, fell off the beaten path with a mother and daughter from Switzerland, made light of our boating and transport experiences with a young French couple, dove with some honeymooners from the UK, and watched a Scadenavian learn French in a dive company that was managed by a German. We also had the delight of having our friend Mindy along with us through much of the trip serving at times as our guide, photographer, and co-adventurer. Everywhere we went we witnessed the great melting pot of languages and culture.

It's easy to look at a place like Bali and find fascination in all that is different: food, religions, rituals, dress, the vegetation, climate, language, calendar--are all so different. And, yet, in looking through my photos and reflecting on the trip, I can't help but notice all that we have in common. I saw little kids playing in tide pools that reminded me of my girls enjoying swimming in Plainfield's aquatic center in Indiana. I saw two boys have stick fights that totally mimicked Charlie, my 5-year old nephew, with his Star Wars saber. And, as I watched a young lady and man playfully laugh at each other, I couldn't help but think of Tonya and me taking classes together at Purdue more than 15 years ago.

There were also the moments when I was reminded how fortunate I am, and my girls are, for being born in America. Throughout the trip, I was saddened to see woman carrying enormous loads on their head, with men directing them at times as if the women were mere pack goats. I listened to a thin, elderly Balinese man that was trying to sell us some type of healing oil, made from tree sap, to Tonya. He carried a smile on his face and held a demeanor that me think he was happy to just to rise to see another new day. At the end of our conversation he asked where we where from. After we responded, he looked at us with his deep brown eyes and a dreamy smile on his face and said, "Ah, America. You are such lucky people."

A phrase that I heard often on this trip spoken by those that helped me was, "slowly, slowly." I heard Gede say it before we opened the back door of the taxi on a busy street. I heard Kutut say it as he coached us through our steps up the mountain. I heard the guide that we encountered on our trip to the waterfall as we came upon the narrow paths. I heard Darta say it right before we started to descend below the waves in the Indian Ocean. The words are spoken as if they hold greater meaning than simply slow your pace. The words seem to guide not just the movement of your body, but it guides your state of mind. The people of Bali are both kind and playful and seem proud of what they have, rather than disappointed in what they don't have. They are strong and determined, yet seemto avoid the rat race mentality or hurrying through life. They seem content in the moment.

So, as I return from this trip, I know that I will be slammed back into my real world, where I wear dress shoes to work instead of flip flops on a beach, where the hustle of my morning routine often prevents me from finishing my cup of coffee, where I go to bed at night thinking about all the email messages, projects, and responsibilities that wait for my attention the next day. I hope that I can heed the advise of all those that guided me on this trip. Slowly. Slowly.

The motto has less to do with time management or reducing the number of hours worked in a day (although I do need to find better balance). The Balinese seem to work rather long hours every day of the week. But it is their thankful, reflective, joyful spirit that allows them to enjoy, almost savor, the moment they are in - truly living in the moment. So, I leave this trip, proud to be an American, thankful to be married to my best friend, comforted in knowing the girls had a wonderful time at their grandma and grandpa's house the last few weeks, eager to give them a big bear & snail hug and listen to their stories, and yes, even ready to return to work.

Slowly. Slowly. I'm ready to come home.

A boy playing in the tide pools of Bingin. 

A girl listening to the echo of her voice from (yes, you guessed it) a Pringles can at the pier in Padangbai. 

Boys in a pretend sword fight defending their "castles" on the beach of Gili Trawangan.

A boy glancing out of his hut in the rice fields of Jatiluwih.

4 woman carrying a lava rock up the beach in Lembogan. 

An anniversary so nice, we decided to have it twice - 7/20

Yesterday (7/19) morning we made our journey by boat then taxi to our next destination, our final stop in Bali: Bingin, which is on the northwest shores on the small peninsula at the South of Bali. Our trip there was rather uneventful, which we found refreshing.

Our cottage here is gorgeous, complete with a private pool and private gazebo, tucked in a rather unmarked village on the top of the cliffs that overlook the ocean. Beautiful. It's the perfect place to relax and reflect on the amazing journey that we've had the last two weeks. It's also not a bad place to celebrate our anniversary, which is today, July 20th. I remember the morning of our marriage, 11 years ago, Tonya and I went snorkeling in the tide pools of the lava rock on the Big Island of Hawaii. I remember thinking then, "How many guys get to go snorkeling the morning of their wedding day with their best friend, which happens to be the person that I'm marrying." I remember how happy and how lucky I felt that day. Last night, nearly 11 years later, I was sitting in a bar on the cliffs of Bali drinking a Bintang with my same best friend, my amazing wife, watching the sun drop, seeing it steal the light from the dozen surfers trying to catch just one or two more waves. And, as I glance at my phone while typing this, I see the pictures of Anna Mae and Lizzie, and the resemblance they hold of Tonya, and again am reminded that I'm the luckiest man alive.

Our flight goes from Bali to Hong Kong and leaves Hong Kong just before midnight. And, then time actually will stand still for us as we fly to the US, getting into LA before midnight, still July 20th with just enough time for me to make another toast to celebrate our 2 week trip and 11 year journey together.

Shores and cliffs of Bingin.

Bingin beach made up of entirely tide pools.

Tonya checking tide pools in Bingin.

Celebrating 11 fabulous years. (Fabulous for me. I would like to think Tonya would rate them at least above average.)

Enjoying an amazing Bingin sunset.

Up a Creek with a Paddle - 7/18

Today was a day of a lot of paddling. Having recovered from our sea legs, we were ready to hit some waves again - at least some smaller waves that find their way to the shores. So, we started by renting a 2-man kayak. Tonya jumped in as the bowman (person in front) and I was the muscle in back, the sternman. Having this new title, I found the urge to bark out orders like, "hard left now". But, the conditions really didn't warrant my "sternman voice." The waves were rather mild, so we just cruised along checking out one of Lembogan's largest crop, seaweed. Perhaps I'm easily interested, but I actually found the seaweed farms rather amazing. The seaweed covered the floor of the ocean in the shallow waters in very straight organized rows - complete with stakes and twine marking the rows. It was as straight and organized as an Indiana cornfield, but all underwater. So, me and my bowman just rowed up and down the rows of seaweed for about an hour.

A little later we decided to give paddle boarding a try. I marched our big boards down to the beach feeling a little like Potsie, from "Family Days" who tries to use an ironing board in place of a surfboard. This is a surfing town, with some real waves and some real surfers. So, let's just say that you make yourself known as a tourist when staggering to the beach with an overgrown board and a paddle to the portion of the beach with no whitecaps. But, I quickly got over feeling a little nerdy (I have lots of experience) and jumped on my giant board with the safety strap wrapped around my ankle. I wasn't sure what to expect. My first impression was that it was easier than expected. I balanced on the board and dipped my paddle from left to right. I was obviously a natural, born a gifted paddle boarder destined to set new recor..... Splash. That's pretty well how it went. One minute I was thinking how easy it was and the next minute I was underwater. Unfortunately for me, I was in the area they refer to as Laceration Point (!!) which I quickly learned probably has the name because of all the large rocks on the ocean's floor. The water was only probably waist high where I fell, so my foot instinctively must have sprang outward trying to gracefully manage my dismount. But, my foot quickly pounded into one of the big rocks. There was no real damage, other than a very sore, and probably bruised bottom of my foot. But, even after paddling around for a couple hours, I realized that it might be some time before I set those new paddle board records.
After catching the residual colors of another gorgeous sunset, we walked the beach and went back to the Pondok Baruna Warung (restaurant), the same place we ate last night, for the best fish curry I've had.
We went to bed with the sound of some large critter scurrying just above the ceiling in our cottage, but I had my ears focused on the sounds of the waves pounding the shore just a few steps from our cottage door and drifted off to sleep.
Another good day.

Don't we look like naturals?

A Big Ocean, A Lot of Motion, and a Little Commotion - 7/17

Today was mostly dedicated to traveling to Lembogan, another island just off the Southeast shores of Bali. We paid a person to shuttle us to Gili Trawangan, where we could catch a larger boat to Lembongan. While hanging out at Gili T, we had a few drinks and lunch at an Irish pub. It was a great view with good food. My only complaint is that a dying cat lay under my chair the entire meal. Incidentally, I've now seen a rooster in a grocery store, cats in restaurants, and a some stray dogs wander into a bank. (There are a lot of stray dogs and cats. It is rare for people here to actually keep them as pets, so they roam the streets much like... well, the chickens.) The strongest part of all this is that it is so prevalent, it really doesn't even seem strange. I've also seen Bali's only venomous snake--the one the guide book says "no worries, rarely seen"--during our hike up Mount Batar (in a tree) and the occasionally lizard in our hotel rooms and one freaky looking scorpion-like critter in our bathroom in Munduk with a thousand legs that hissed when I killed it. I actually have enjoyed seeing the wildlife (I still giggle every time I see a monkey), but I will be perfectly happy if we go the entire visit without seeing a cobra or Komodo dragon (which are present on the Gili islands).

Our trip on our boat to Lembogan was quite a joy ride. We were told it would be a "three hour trip". Well, I should have known that any boat ride going on a three hour tour may very well end with me trying to make a radio from coconuts on a deserted island. Although the Indian Ocean is the planet's smallest ocean, I was reminded today that all oceans are rather large, quite capable of making some impressive waves, mother nature's gentle way of reminding us who is really in charge. We, the 15-20 people on the USS Minnow, apparently drew short straws. Because there was a boat about twice our boat's size that we thought we were going to board, until we were herded into our little capsule. In truth, on shore the boat seemed rather nice with airplane style seats for each of us - nestled inside a cabin.

But, after about 15 minutes, I quickly realized this was not just a ride on Dad's pontoon through Patoka. I've been on larger fishing boats before and I've felt the swale from waves before. But, mercy. This felt different. The captain of the ship sat inside where we were all sitting, on a chair perched up to see out the front. The rest of us basically watched him rise in the air as the boat would cross a wave, and then feel our hearts jump to our throats as it fell back to the surface - with a thunderous smacking sound as it met the water. At impact, water would shower the windshields and would spray inside the cabin finding any opening it could in through our windows. Rise, fall, smack, squirt. Rise, fall, smack, squirt. The cycle continued only increasing in frequency and intensity. A few times the smacking sounded like cracking. I looked back only hoping the passengers behind me where still there. They were, both with white faces, with their hands clinching the top of my seat. Some of the waves began to roll us slightly sideways. I looked at the captain. He genuinely looked worried. His hands were moving all around the steering wheel, like a kid only pretending to steer a play car. I was getting accustomed to the rise, fall, smack, squirt pattern. What I did not like was feeling the boat enter a wave partial sideways and how it spun us with such ease. I also was not comforted by the look on the captain's face. There was a sign in the front of the boat that read "life jacket is under the seat." I decided this was a good time to verify. I found the life jacket in front of me and pulled it out - and kept a firm hand on it. I asked Tonya to do the same.

We continued to bounce through the waves. As we could see land ahead it seemed it might be calming a bit. But, about that time at the end of our rise, fall, smack, squirt, we received a bonus squirt, then a spray. Tonya noticed the top of the window at our seat had actually popped out of its runners. So now with each smack we were greeted with salt water in our laps. A couple of the the crew went to work on the window. Tonya and I got out of their way and stood hanging on to a pole inside the cabin. One of the crew members actually climbed on the outside along the edge hanging on to the boat, while being pounded with water, trying to fix the window. They continued to work on the window, but despite their best efforts, on a smack the window jarred from their hands and disappeared quickly into the waves.

The fresh air felt good, despite the water. I think it also helped the guy in front of us who held a bag open waiting for it to catch his lunch. And, now that Mother Nature had our attention, she also showed us her mercy. Suddenly all seemed calmer. Even with the window gone, we were just getting an occasional mist. The smacking was not nearly as deafening and the land ahead quickly pulled us forward. So, with only the loss of a window, we pulled into our shore, with us all eager to plant our feet on the solid ground.

Our luggage was stored in a compartment at the top of the boat underneath a tarp. But, that apparently was still within the waves reach, because the luggage and all the clothes inside are completely wet.
But after another amazing fish curry, a few Bintangs (local beer), and an amazing sunset, I again go to bed tonight with a smile on my face and keen awareness of my many blessings.

The treacherous trip. I'm looking at the guys working on the window that was jarred loose. 

Touring with Turtles - 7/16

Today had several highlights. Perhaps the best part was getting to see Anna Mae and Lizzie (and you too Mom and Dad) this morning via FaceTime on my iPad. It's good to know they are having so much fun at their grandparents. Anna Mae and Lizzie, it was good to also meet your new stuffed bears.
We had two more dives today. The best one was the second one where we went about 55 feet deep hovering along a huge bank of coral. We saw all kinds of fish. Some of my favorites included a scorpion fish that has a bunch of spikes protruding, disguising itself as coral. We also saw a giant moray eel, that was pretty cool and a little freaky. But the sea turtles stole the show. We saw more than a dozen sea turtles, with shells bigger than my body. We hovered just a few feet from them watching them relax, while other fish chewed plankton off their shells. My favorite was seeing one glide through the water directly behind Tonya slightly turning in her direction, as if he was saying "What's up, Dude." (I may have watched "Finding Nemo" one too many times.)
After the dives, we walked to the other side of the island and saw a beautiful sunset. We returned to eat at Mahalia's, this time opting for the grilled Tuna and seafood curry. We are now about to dig into a Lombok style pizza back at our bungalow.

Sunset on Gili Meno Island from within a little bungalow where Tonya, Mindy, and I enjoyed some drinks.

The sunsets are so amazing that even this rooster stood gazing at the horizon. (Free roaming chickens are pretty well everywhere throughout Bali, as a common source of food for people.)

A big boat, a little boat, and a really small horse - 7/15

Yesterday, much of our day was spent getting to our next destination: a small island off of Lombok called Gili Meno. But, I think much of the joy of this experience is the journey itself, not just the destination. We had to take a big boat to an island called Gili T. The trip itself was rather rough, with waves occasionally showering the windshield of the large boat, spilling into the cabin.

Gili T looked like a great backpacker place with small Reggae-type bars along the coast where we ported. While sitting on the beach, I noticed that there was a little commotion on the little road. There was a group of about 8 police officers surrounding a tall Caucasian wearing a large sign around his neck that read: "I am a thief. I steal from people." The police apparently were parading him up and down the main road. I found this to be a rather interesting approach to dealing with crime.

We took a smaller speed boat to the island of Gili Meno. We put the luggage on our back and jumped into the water at the shore and scurried up the beach thick of coral. There were some nice resorts, and maybe a dozen people lounging in chairs gazing at the teal water roll onto the shore.

There are no automobiles on this island. Other than foot, the main means of transportation are little horses that pull little carts or carriages. One of the drivers of the carriages asked where we were staying. We shared that we were staying at the Nautilus bungalows. He informed us that they were on the other side of the island. Although it is only about a 30 minute walk, we opted to jump in the carriage with our luggage. I asked the driver along the way how many people live on the island. He quickly responded: 272.

We arrived at Nautilus which are quant little cottages right by the beach. After unloading, Tonya and I walked around the island some more investigating diving options. We had a fabulous dinner that included grilled grouper and prawns at a restaurant right by where we are staying called, "Marrillas". The food was fabulous, but the setting was equally impressive. Tonya and I sat alone in these little huts (that look like small raised platforms) that are positioned so they are barely within reach reach of the waves.

I learned that the island got electricity about 4 years ago.... An island of 272 people, with gorgeous beaches, friendly people, and, yes even Wifi. This is my kind of place.

Today we are going diving again. 

A view of Gili Meno island from our small boat 

Me in a little carriage with a even littler horse.  

Salt Lake on Meno Island

Diving in Pandang Bai - 7/14

Today we took in some totally new sights - views from within the Indian ocean. We thought that we better brush up on some of our diving skills, so we began our day at 8:00 AM at Gecko Diving, for a quick course in diving. It was a needed review for Tonya and me and a quick overview for Mindy, who had never dove before. We met our dive master, Darta, who had us sign some papers, watch some videos, and help us pick out our wetsuits, masks, and fins. Within an hour, though, we were in the bay practicing removing our regulator, clearing water from our masks, and checking our underwater buoyancy. 

Although Tonya and I felt we had forgotten much of what had learned when getting certified 10 years ago, it did seem to quickly come back. I still was rather nervous about breathing underwater again. Mindy did great. She mastered the skills on the first try and was ready to do some diving.

We had a brief wait, but at 10:00 AM a boat picked the three of us up along with three other divers - one from Australia, two from Holland. We had a short ride to our destination - just by what they call the Blue Lagoon. We watched the three guys do a backwards roll off the boat. Darta and a couple other crew helped us get suited up and instructed us one at a time to roll into the ocean. So, Tonya, then me, and then Mindy rolled into the light blue water.

Darta led us in our descent. As my head submerged in the warm water, I immediately was welcomed by small group of fish and some coral. Sadly, there was a lot of dead coral, so the vibrant colors that we had seen in Cozumel 10 years ago were more impressive to me, but this was still nice. I concentrated on my breathing and blew out my noise equalizing my mask and my ears. Slowly we went down. Because of our limited experience, we only went about 30 feet.

But, it was so peaceful to be in a world with the fish - beautiful colorful fish that just kindly separate as you gently float through their surroundings of some tall coral. Some of it still looks very vibrant.
We continued our dive for about 30-45 minutes (I think) and then reboarded the boat. The three other guys on the boat quickly talked about the two small sharks that they had seen. Apparently we went by them as well, but unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), I didn't notice them. I'm fine that they didn't bother introducing themselves. The boat was having some engine problems, so we had to end our diving for the day. Although I was ready for another dive, I also wasn't overly disappointed - since I wanted to slowly build back confidence any way.

After lunch at the Gecko dive shop, Tonya and I went for a short walk to the beach of where the boat had taken us. Mindy had swallowed a little water when laughing under water, so she decided to stay in her room. The blue lagoon beach was beautiful. It was nice to sit there and listen to the waves hit the shore. It also was surprisingly not very crowded. An old man came up to me wanting to sell some of his carvings. I listened to him tell about his children and grandchildren and was generally impressed with the carved jewelry box that he was selling. But, I continued to say no thank you. But when he showed me a carved bamboo whistle for $40,000 rupiahs ($4 US), I couldn't resist. I offered him $3, which he at first rejected. But, when I started to walk away, he was quick to say OK. 

We spent the evening relaxing. Tonya had a pedicure and we had a great dinner.  So, the day ended with me feeling good about the review of our diving skills. Now, I just need to learn how to play this whistle.

Bay view.

Tonya and I with Darta, our dive master. 

Blue Lagoon beach in Padang Bai