It’s been a few days since we arrived in Minneapolis. I am counting the days before we leave for warmer weather. We were born and raised in the midwest which unfortunately is not helping us cope with todays -16 °F temperature. It’s only been four days, but I cannot remember ever feeling this cold for this long. Getting out of the house is a commitment that requires planning. Walking and driving to the shop is like being on a frozen…
Midway through our Bali adventure our health went from bad to better to worse over a three week period. It started with me having what we thought was a basic cold consisting of severe morning headaches, cough, sore throat and fatigue. A week after I started feeling better Mike became the next victim. His cold took him out for days, he was laid up in bed too weak to do anything but sleep. Mike was my ride driving the scooter…
We planned our trip to Indonesia to be 39 days, nine days over the amount that the visa on arrival (VOA) permits. Before we left I had read that you could get a 30 day extension and that it was pretty easy. Some even said you could just get it on arrival by asking the immigration officers as you entered the country. That turned out to be untrue. Once we got settled I asked our hosts and other travelers what…
We had a beautiful Christmas Eve celebration in Seminyak Bali with some old and new friends. We had representatives from Minneapolis, Sydney and Berlin. Our celebrations consisted of cocktails, a traditional Balinese dinner, poppers, a white elephant gift exchange and swimming in the rain. A Christmas Eve surprise was a phone call with one of my best friends, Madelon, asking me to stand up in her wedding! I was so honored and delighted. The Christmas Eve menu was chicken satay, nasi…
On Monday a few wrong turns made for an interesting ride home in the rain. We were warned of the throttle and brake being on the same handle. It took us the fourth scooter ride to make the common mistake of using both. It happened during our rainy 45 minute trip back from Ubud to the villa. At a right turn, Mike accidentally braked and gave gas at the same time which sent the scooter scraping into the left curb. No injuries,…
Bali is known for their naughty monkeys and depending how you look at it I was luckily or unluckily to have an encounter. During our day long tour, our driver took us to the Scared Monkey Forest in Ubud. In this area the monkeys are considerable nicer than in other parts where the monkeys are trained to snatch your glasses from your face, slide their hand down your pocket to steal your wallet or grab your camera. To get the…
The pace in Bali has been a nice change from our last few weeks in New Zealand. We found a wonderful Villa on Airbnb called The Wooden Villa, located in Ketewel, which is north of Sanur. The Villa is owned and recently renovated by a Polish couple who have lived here about a year. We have a bedroom with our own bathroom, shared living room and access to the kitchen. Breakfast is included in the price of $24 USD a…
During our journey across New Zealand we were welcomed by many caring and genuine people who stole our hearts. New Zealand’s landscape from north to south is magical! This is the first time we have seen so many breathtaking views and diversity from one country alone. We can’t wait till we return. Mike and I brainstormed a list of things we found fun, unusual and unique about New Zealand. In general, we feel it sums up our experiences of the…