Culture Shock: On Arrival in New Mexico

Back in spacious New Mexico. 

5 months backpacking through Southeast Asia. 

But the worst case of culture shock hit me on returning home.  

Everything looked strange! 

So empty! 

Where were the street vendors? 

The small shops? 

The tuk-tuks? 

No trolling taxis? 

The noise?

The roads seemed so spacious. 

The countryside uncomfortably wide. 

Everything so brown and dusty. 

It was very unsettling. 

Even though I should be used to this feeling by now, it still hits me. 

New map! About a month each: Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia. 

Food tasted weird. 
Coffee. Even wine! 

Even New Mexico's famous green chile!

(Ok, green chile tasted good after a couple of days.) 

During the last week or two of this trip, I was ready to come home. 

Five months of traveling and making plans as we went.
It was harder than I'd anticipated. 

Incredibly cool, definitely. 

But traveling full time can be hard work.
Things certainly go wrong on a regular basis.  

Vietnamese fishing nets in the Mekong Delta.

After a few days of weirdness back in New Mexico, it began to feel good. 

It was spring! 

Green - well, kind of green. 

It's still a desert. 

And cool. Especially compared to southeast Asia.

Perfect timing. 

The garden was just beginning to bloom and grow. 
As the weeks passed, the rhythms and routines of New Mexico became normal again. 

It's good to be here.

"12 Things on a Tuesday" - Garden Life at Guadalupe Trail

I told someone - we're "letting our souls catch up with us" after this trip. 

Digesting the experiences. 

Appreciating all the abundance here. 

Toads, roadrunners, dragonflies. 

The dry sunny weather. 

Green chile enchiladas. 

And - so much SPACE. 
And - quiet.

Inle Lake, Myanmar. Sunset after a day fishing. And they'll row the boats home with their feet.  

I've been drawing a lot. 

Monks and markets. 

Boats and Buddhas. 

Temples and tuk-tuks. 

There are a million things to draw, now that there's so much time. 

Each drawing brings back memories. 

(And it's so easy to forget - how hot it was in Asia at times!)

Market women in Cambodia, selling fish. Fishermen on the U Bein teak bridge in Myanmar.

You can see all the recent paintings here:  

And if you click on a picture individually - there's a little explanation.  

Diving at Komodo National Park, Indonesia. Manta rays below water, Komodo dragons above.

Where to next? 
Not sure. 

For the moment, there are morning glories to train. 

Snails to chase. 

Walks to take and wine to drink. 

Bicycles to the local Growers' Market. 

And there's a toad who has to be rescued every morning from the pool and relocated to a safer pond. 

Time to chill.

I only have about 3500 more photos that I'd really LOVE to draw.

Stories about Indonesia. 

Komodo dragons. 

Living on a deserted island. 

Sailing through the Mekong Delta. 

All in good time. 

Thanks for following on the journey with us! 

On Motorbikes in Bali

It's true what they say about Bali. 

In spite of its popularity - there's something gentle and special about the place. 

They built the airport in 1960. 

Although tourism arguably started back in the 1600's, 

the airport still had a major impact. 

And - yet... 

We saw no beaches. 

No resorts. No hotels. 

Not many tourists.

We stayed in a traditional old house “Rumah Antik” in a Balinese village.
Sembuwuk, with a lovely Balinese family.

When we went out for a walk in the village, 

people stopped to ask where we were from. 

Where we were staying. 

They’re very curious. 

Everyone knows everyone else.

The white on the roads is the remains of the sheets of drying rice. Stan waits for me at the bottom of the village.

Gardens are filled with little shrines.

Each is dedicated to a different manifestation of a particular deity.

In fact, some gardens are quite crowded with shrines.

Full of local and ancestral gods.

You'd hate to offend a deity who might be helpful.

We rented motorbikes. Our host Gusti brought them to the garden. 

We set off through the rice fields and villages to explore the countryside.

We stopped for lunch along the way.

We weren't even sure if it was a restaurant. 

They grew vegetables and fruits. 

They didn’t speak English, but the food was delicious.

Bali has splendid natural beauty. 

Volcanoes and rice terraces. 

Spice farms and coffee plantations.

Foggy calderas and torrential rainstorms.

Waterfalls, caves, stone carvings and gargoyles. 

Incense, painted ceilings and calligraphy. 

Rice drying on narrow roads. 

Huge forests of bamboo, filled with colorful butterflies.

The frequent favorite - Ganesh.

Yes, we spent a morning in Ubud, with its Serenity Spas and Yoga Barns and Meditation Centers and chic boutique hotels and upscale shops and motorcycles and traffic and tourists and cafes and restaurants and guys holding “Taxi” signs and it’s all quite noisy and crowded. 

Luckily, we first went the wrong way, and walked through a local part of town, which was quite enjoyable. We visited temples and museums and had the necessary de-tox fruit shakes, but after lunch, I was ready to leave.

For me, Bali was offerings, towering fruit plates on women's heads. 

Small banana leaves with sticky rice in front of every home, shop or statue.

This offering was found on a wooden footbridge. To appease the trolls? 

Often, the streets were filled with processions.

Lots of drums and special clothing. 

Festivities, long skinny villages with thousands of hanging penjors.

A lot of islands have good beaches - but - not many have this. 

Women in handmade ikat sarongs with colorful sashes. 

Men in long skirts, with small pointed hats. 

We were also required to wear a sash entering holy places.

Penjors - made of braided palm leaves - line every street.

There are 4 castes in Bali - people's names often denote their caste. 

Or their position in the family, regardless of gender.

 "Wayan" means first born.

There are names for first, second, third and fourth born. 

If there is a fifth child, he or she is called Wayan Balik, or Wayan Again!

There are no last names, but everyone gets a new name after they die.

Our host, Gusti Made - "Second-born leader of Wasya caste".  And Stan.

In the afternoons, it RAINED.
Not like New Mexico.

In 30 seconds, drenched.

On motorcycles?
VERY drenched.

After visiting a number of other islands in Indonesia, we returned briefly to Bali on our way north. The second time, we rented yet another beautiful villa, nearer town. It was CRAZY beautiful, so we barely left home.

Very welcome after some of the more primitive places we've stayed in on other islands. 

We TOTALLY enjoyed the luxury. 

Bali is a Hindu island. 

It's different. 

Most Indonesian islands are Moslem. 

No sticky rice offerings. 

No decorations or temples. 

No colorful towers of fruit on women's heads.

We never even SAW one of the famous Bali beaches.

At a civet cat coffee farm in the highlands. 

So - our Bali Experience may have been unusual.

Still - that's okay.
I wouldn't have changed it. 

Cambodia - Frogs on a Stick and Crocodiles

The buildings across the street from our "penthouse".

In Siem Reap, I saw a hostel advertising its "penthouse".

Complete with private swimming pool.
Private roof terrace.

After 2 months' of traveling, this sounded pretty good.
 I jumped at it. 

The price: $28. a night.

Everything our "penthouse" claimed was certainly true.
But - it was still pretty rough. 

Not exactly 5 star!

Oh well. 

The view was fun.

Fish is king in Cambodia.
It all comes from the Mekong. 

And - when the river floods, it fertilizes the fields of rice.

Handy system - rice and fish. 

It keeps Cambodia alive.

Well - except for the occasional "frog on a stick" snack.

Okay, and maybe toasted snakes and scorpions on sticks? 

(And yes, those ARE tarantulas, too.)

But - most of the time, it's fish.

Fish and crab market in Kep.

And - always - plenty of rice.

Back to the Mekong:

Everyone is curious about us.

Kids think we're very funny, especially Stan. 

And he encourages it, by making funny faces and joking around.

It's been a tough year on the Mekong, with drought. 

And now, China is building dams upstream. 

The river is low. 

Water hyacinths clog it.

Kids wait to push boats that get stuck in the  mud - ours included - for a small tip.

It's slow going.

Buying snacks in a floating shop.

Here's what our "parking" space looks like - everyone coming to market.

A lot of homes are in and on the water.

The whole family, and family business. Working together. 

Then - a mystery: 

We kept seeing these wooden pens.

Usually right up against the houses.

All different sizes.

Sometimes they'd SHAKE violently! 

What in the world - ?

Turns out, they raise CROCODILES in those cages.

Right up by the houses. 

Right where they wash their clothes and where the kids swim.

They grow them.
Then sell them to the Chinese.

I'm sure a croc or two escapes now and again.
I can't even THINK about it!

Yikes.

And of course, all the young Cambodians want to move away from the river life. 

To the big city.
And get a motorcycle.

They can buy new ones from China for about $300.
With financing.

We always seemed to wind up in Siem Reap again.

Mekong sunset. 

Probably not particularly romantic for those fishermen. 

They do this every day.

But - for us - it looks pretty incredible.

Here are some of the drawings and paintings I made along the way.

Gili Air - Mushrooms and Monitor Lizards

This is the first time I've worried about getting a sunburn IN the shower. 

In our rented cabin. It's a definite risk.

We're in Gili Air. 

East of Bali, off the coast of Lombok.

It’s gorgeous. Total tropical paradise.

Not many people here. 

So we rented bikes - $2 a day - in Yahuuut.

 (yes, 3 u’s!  I wonder - what is the story on THAT?) 

Needed bikes to explore the island and find some place to stay. 

Came across Island View Bungalows on the quiet windward side of the island.

Bungalows - lovely gardens - privacy. Little wooden shelters on the beach to drink beer.

Watch the sun set. 

A sleepy bar, and a bevy of young men from Lombok.

They couldn’t be more helpful or friendly. 

Breakfast comes with the room. Served anywhere we like. 

On our balcony, at the beach, in the bar -

The "main road" goes through Island View Bungalows. 

In the first 5 minutes, I see a LARGE lizard, maybe 4-5 feet long, with a long forked tongue. 

Not at ALL like an iguana. 

It was crawling through the garden near our bungalow. 

My first Komodo-style dragon! 

Although I think it’s a monitor lizard. 

Which I guess a Komodo dragon is, too. 

It slid under one of the bungalows. -Glad it's not ours.

Our bungalow. A/C. Hammock on the balcony. On the beach. $42.

There are no cars on the island, so no need for roads. 

No cars, no motorcycles, no dogs. 

This is the main road. 

"Downtown" Gili Air.

There are tracks - and trails - for bicycles and horse carts. 

Even our scuba equipment is transferred by horse cart.

We got on our bikes and explored the island. It isn’t big. 

It's only about 2 hours’ walk in total circumference. 

It’s gorgeous, almost empty, not expensive. 

I think it might be rainy season.

There is a mosque and a school in the middle, and about 3-4 villages. 

They’re simple places. Everyone says hello. 

Women wear scarves or more. It’s a Moslem island. 

The tourists - mostly young backpackers - are on the edges, at the beaches. 

The locals all live in the interior, in the villages. 

Not a bad system. 

Gili Air is one of 3 tiny Indonesian islands. 

Gili means "small island".

We took a ferry from Padang Bai in Bali to get here. 

At some point, I got a call from Kilian - “Are you ok?”
I had no idea there’d been a 7.8 earthquake off the coast of Sumatra.

That's pretty big.

(Don't even THINK about tsunamis-!)

No sign of any earthquake here...

I told him we'd been invited to a "trance" party on the beach tonight by a gang of young travelers. Most of the visitors to Gili Air are young backpackers. It's firmly on the "Banana Pancake Trail". Complete with mushroom shakes and all that. 

(Magic mushrooms grow wild here. They even put them on pizzas.) 

Tonight - or early tomorrow am - is apparently a full solar eclipse. 

However - we decline - a cold shower and a glass of wine in our air-conditioned room just sounds SO much more appealing! We'll get up early to see the eclipse.

So here we are tonight. Under the mosquito net, which gives it all a privacy and intimacy that’s kinda cool. Inside the net: My Kindle, phone, and computer - and an almost empty glass of Bintang beer. 

Most visitors pass through the Gilis quickly. Since we're here longer than most, we get to know the fellows working here. They're mostly from Lombok - (I remember an older man we stayed with in Malaysia complaining about those charming boys from Lombok who come over and steal the hearts of their daughters in Malaysia-! He was quite serious.) 

One night, the lads caught a large tuna, and asked whether we wanted it to share it - grilled or sushi. We got both. With a Bintang beer. On the beach. With a view of Gili Meno in front of us.

UNDERWATER:

The diving and snorkeling here in Indonesia is impressive. 

(and I grew up in the Caribbean!) 

The dive instructors are often young Australians. 

Full of energy, very professional. The gear is usually good. 

The undersea wildlife is amazing. 

Plus, the wooden boats are just - fun. 

Today - Stan did a refresher course, since he hasn't been diving since Roatan. 

Diving:   490,000 rupiah (just under $40), including dives, boat, equipment, wetsuit. 

Can’t complain. 

The boats - including dive boats - are often handcrafted outriggers.

FOOD:

The food in Indonesia so far has been good: Nasi Goreng, Mei Goreng, Gado-Gado. 
Spices and noodles and rice and chilies. 
Not a lot of choices, but it’s filling and good.

 Most restaurants on the island are about the same, pretty simple but lovely, little bamboo platforms out on the beach. 

Tonight, had gin and tonics and Greek salad and spring rolls and satay - what international fare! 

Dinner main course is about 35,000 for something Indonesian (less than $3) and up - for fancy stuff. Wine is very pricey here - we’re trying to stick to beer. But the local beer is good.

THE PLAN:

 It's month 4 of our SE Asian trip. 

We've been playing it by ear for the last 3 months. 

At times, this feels like the BEST possible way to live! Always something new. 

Constantly learning - exploring - being challenged by the unknown. 

Finding unexpected corners of paradise, like Gili. 

It takes time to figure out where to go next and how to get there. Especially in this part of the world, where we really don't know our way around. We don't know what's possible. 

Also, Indonesia is HUGE. 

Good-bye to all our Island View friends...

So we're off to Flores. 

It's only the next island but one. 

You'd think it would be easy! But - it's not.

By boat it would take 3-4 days, sleeping on the deck. 

That's not for us. 

We start with a horse cart to the ferry port at 7 am.

 Found a seat on the public ferry, after having to climb aboard through the water. 

Thinking about a ferry crossing on a public boat, I was a bit apprehensive, after the regular reports of overloaded Indonesian ferries capsizing in rough waters and people drowning. 

But Lombok isn’t far, and it turned out the ferry wasn’t half as crowded as the one yesterday. 

Not as rough as I’d feared, either.

There were a couple of other travelers on board, but for the most part, all local. 

Women in headscarves, workers going home on their day off. 

The fare was 12,000 rupiah to Lombok. About 85 cents. 

We were met at the Lombok port by someone who handed us off to someone else who handed us off to a driver who took us to the airport at Bandera. (Can't believe that worked.)

 'Taxi' stop in Lombok. Stan's pants wet from getting off the ferry.

About 1.5 hours' drive or so through the mountains. 

Our plane was delayed, so no rush. Our connecting plane in Bali was also delayed. (we have to fly back to Bali in order to fly east to Flores.) Both planes are prop planes, about 80 passengers, almost all locals. 

The further east we get into Indonesia, the less I know about it. 

I have NO idea what tomorrow will look like.

That's fine by me.

Life is good.