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Ubud: My Paradise

When the taxi drove into Ubud I immediately felt something different. I was excited to see the streets lined with unique shops and restaurants,which looked more like what I was used to in the States. It felt comfortable to me and I was excited for a bit of “normalcy”. Of course Ubud is not like the States and the further we drove to our hotel the more I realized how special it is. The outskirts of town are a beautiful mixture of rice paddies, rocky hills, temples, or handicraft shops.

There is so much to say about Ubud so bear with me if I get long in the mouth on this post. I am not sure if there are many places as special as Ubud. Not only is it beautiful, unique, surrounded by holy places, beautiful mountains, waterfalls and artisans, it is slow, comfortable, and embracing. The spirituality of the people who inhabit this gorgeous island, enhance every thing. There is nothing that isn’t gorgeous, or respected.

The seven days we spent in Ubud felt like a month and a minute all at the same time. I experienced so much, learned so much and relaxed so much but it also was over before I was ready. I left a lot still in Ubud, including part of my heart.

The first night we went out to eat in town. There are great organic, vegetarian, French, Indonesian, Italian and fine restaurants all through Ubud. Each one is unique and beautiful. After dinner we walked until we found a cute little gelati shop and then decided to head back to our hotel. This is when fate smiled on me. We hopped in a taxi and as he drove us back to our hotel he told us all the places there were to see in Bali and offered to take us to see them. (This happens with most taxi drivers) As happens when things are going the way they should we immediately hit it off with the driver and proceeded to spend the week with him. Kadak Ata was a blessing for us. He taught us so much, showed us so much and laughed a lot with us. He made our trip in Ubud, and helped me to realize very special dreams. I cannot write about our time there without thanking him for his kind, generous and beautiful heart that opened a beautiful world for J and me.

Deciding what to do in Ubud is not easy. There is so much to see and do. We decided to take the road less traveled and try to go with Kadak to see as much non-touristy places as possible. Instead of going to the Tegenungun waterfall we had Kadak take us on a two hour drive to a sight with 5 waterfalls. On the way we stopped on the road where there were two gorgeous columns, these are present when you leave one district, county or city and pass into another. At the stop there was a beautiful little area where fresh water ran from the mountains, which surrounded us. There were 2 cement “rooms” where the water would flow through pipes and create “showers”. There were no ceilings, and as we took pictures of the rain forest and mountains surrounding us we realized there were two women taking showers and washing their clothes in these “rooms”. (This is a very normal occurrence in Bali, we saw people bathing in the natural springs on the side of the road by the town of Ubud, in rice paddy fields and by rivers.)

Our next stop was a temple on a lake (Pura Ulun Danu Beratan). This is evidently a big deal but for me it was overcrowded. As beautiful as the lake and the building it was it felt more like a little tourist trap than a holy place.

Next Kadak wanted to show us an abandoned hotel, a very grand place, left abandoned before it was completed. It was falling apart despite the millions of dollars the Kings son had invested before abandoning it. The views over the valley were incredible, rice paddies, mountains, farms, and rivers in lush greens highlighted with beautiful flowers.

Finally (our two and a half hour trip had now turned into more like 3 and half hours) we arrived at the waterfalls. We hiked down for about half an hour, ignoring the fact we were going to have to hike up. The sheer majesty of the two waterfalls and their neighboring three was breathtaking. The powerful force would drench you just with the spray coming off of the falls. There were tiny bridges and rivers to cross on the way, all surrounded by gorgeous mountains covered in the beautiful forests only Bali can offer.

We spent time shopping, wandering, and visiting the monkey forest on another day. The monkey forest is right in the town of Ubud, but for me it was too much. The monkeys were aggressive and it was quite full of people even in the off-season. The scenery is beautiful, including one very Raiders of the Lost Ark looking area.

We also visited the various temples, Tirta Empul and the Goa Gajah or Elephant Cave. All of which were incredibly beautiful and quite serene (go in the mornings to avoid the bus tours coming from the beach). We were able to witness a religious ceremony, get blessed, and watch the locals do their purification in the holy water. There is so much respect for spirituality and religion here you can’t help but feel how special everything is. The beautiful flowering offerings adorn the temples, and people (including me) walk around with dried rice on their foreheads after blessings.

My pictures will have to suffice to describe the beautiful lush green of the forests, and mountains, which make up the island of Bali and surround all of Ubud.

Natural & Spiritual healing are a very big deal in Ubud, which means medicine. The locals seek out natural and spiritual healers for most things. The medical doctors here even refer patients to the natural medicine men. They also have a ton of yoga places and meditation places too. So I was very inspired to have my own personal experience.

On our last day Kadak picked me up early. He was taking me to a local spiritual medicine man. We had received permission the day before for him to see me. I did not want to go to someone who became popular from movies or was using his gifts for fame or wealth. Kadak brought an offering for me to give to the spirits and I brought money for the medicine man. It was a very special time for me, a gift Kadak will never understand he gave to me. Kadak sat in the room with me translating and helping to interpret everything the medicine man said to me. After our visit I was to get purified so we bought another offering and headed back to the holy waters at the temple ???? I had to go under each of the 13 fountains to be cleansed, purified and renewed. I can tell you it was an incredible experience, like meditation standing up.

For both J and me Ubud was more about a feeling than anything else so I apologize for not being able to represent that accurately here. Hopefully my pictures will convey, and if you ever get a chance head to Ubud, call Kadak and lose yourself in the beauty of this island and the amazing people and incredible culture. Hopefully I will see you there!

We stayed at this wonderful hotel: Hotel Villa Ubud (We loved it here!)

Call Kadak Ata!: Bali Belly Tours (He is also great for just getting around town too.)

The Island of Nusa Penida

The first images I saw of Nusa Penida sold me on a visit to the island. The dramatic cliffs, beautiful waters and special tucked away places are truly some of the most magnificent places I have ever seen. I can’t imagine a trip to Indonesia without a stop at Nusa Penida.

A day trip to Penida from Lembongan started out with a trip on a local boat full of women bringing their large baskets back from the morning market. They carry them on their heads after selling their goods to the locals on Lembongan. On the boat it was pretty funny to sit with them. They didn’t quite know what to make of us and I felt a bit like we were invading their daily lives.

The trip is short, about 20 minutes. Our driver was waiting for us when we arrived so we headed off to the Bat Caves (correctly named Goa Giri Putri Cave) first. I had no idea what to expect at the caves to be honest and the surprise was actually really nice. The drive from the dock to the caves was beautiful. We drove along the ocean where people were harvesting seaweed and drying it along the mountainside. It is so beautiful to see the cloth laid out with all of the seaweed being bleached white from the sun. It looks like a quilt along the ocean front.

To get to the Goa Giri Putri cave you have to be covered (it is a temple) and then walk up the side of a pretty steep hill. Once you get to the entrance they point at a little tiny hole and tell you to climb down it (which actually means slide down it). I wasn’t sure J could do it since he is clausterphobic and 6’4″, the hole was seriously tiny. However, he would not be deterred, even once he made it through the first one and had to crawl on hands and knees to make it through the second hole. Once you make it through the tiny holes the space opens up to a HUGE cave. There are some little paintings here and there along the walls as we walked towards the main alter. There is almost lighting in the massive caves even now so photos were impossible. The altar is Hindi and has been there for over 100 years. During WWII the caves were used by the locals to hide from the invasion of the Japanese.

At the exit of the cave there is a Buddhist temple. I was surprised to see them both in one place but our driver explained that that is how it is, they respect each others religions and wanted everyone to have a place to worship. In the Buddhist temple there were mosaics on the floor and beautiful statues.I was really blown away by the caves, which were so simple but really held a feeling of safety and reprieve from all of the history of protecting the locals.

Next we were on our very, very bumpy, like hit your head on the top of the car bumpy, way to Angel’s Billabong, Broken Beach and Kelingking Beach. All three were seriously so beautiful it was worth every bump, divit and hole in the road to get there.

Kelingking Beach was our first stop. We had seen it from the water when we were diving. The coast line looks like a big whale from the water and from the top. The views here were absolutely incredible. I stood on the edge of the cliff overlooking the white sandy beach at the bottom. The breeze blowing through me as the waves lapped against the shore. The sky was completely clear as I watched the water move and crest. I could do nothing but observe the awe-inspiring view from this perfect place. Even though there were other tourists I felt alone, like time had stopped and it was just me, the ocean and the glorious landscape. A few people are brave enough to walk out along the spine of the whale, I however chose to stand in the moment, for as long as I could, and take it all in.

We agreed to even bumpier roads to get to Angel’s Billabong and Broken Beach after the promise from our driver that they were even more spectacular. He was right.

As we walked towards Broken beach I found a perfect moment in time. Have you had one? It was just me on the edge of this beautiful pool, standing over it, watching as one giant manta ray soared through the water. No one was around, no one made a sound, it was just me watching this amazing creature gliding around the blue green waters in search of food. I was mesmerized and so completely grateful for the show. The waves find themselves inside of this pool, gently they come in and move out revealing a beautiful sandy area with black rocks glimmering in the sun. If ever there was a place I wanted to swim, to just be with the water, the manta and the peaceful sound of the waves it was in this secluded pool. Instead I had to be content to watch from above until the heat of the afternoon sun, and J’s complaints of being too hot pulled me from the moment.

A short walk through the woods and we came upon the most beautiful lava rocks. Evidently we were there at the right time of day, when the tide has gone out and we were treated to a beautiful display of glistening rocks with small pools of water left behind. We made our way to the glory of Angel’s Billabong, a pool that exists at low tide where you can carefully climb down the lava rocks, and float to the edge of the cut out, and watch the ocean. There is a small window here because as the tide rises it comes through the cut out raising the water to levels which are very unsafe for humans. Until that time J swam to the edge, and enjoyed the view. The green water surrounding him as floated, were the perfect portal to see the lava formations under the water. Somehow they naturally formed these levels of green, blue and black, all of which beckon you to enjoy a swim, and take in all that this world has to offer.

I can tell you our experiences in Nusa Penida were extraordinary. The relatively untouched island has so much to offer, it is impossible to leave there without a new appreciation for the planet on which we live. On this day, as we rode the boat back to Lembongan, I felt, to the very core of my being, the blessing I have of being able to make this journey.

A trip to Lembongan is not complete without a trip to Nusa Penida. If you are as lucky as we were it is also worth it to dive along the reef. We were able to go with a dive master, just the three of us, to swim as the current would take us. The colors, the creatures and serenity did not let us down. There was as much beauty below the island as there is above.

The Island of Nusa Pineda

The first images I saw of Nusa Pineda sold me on a visit to the island. The dramatic cliffs, beautiful waters and special tucked away places are truly some of the most magnificent places I have ever seen.

A day trip to Pineda from Lembongan started out with a trip on a local boat full of women bringing their large baskets back from the morning market. They carry them on their heads after selling their goods to the locals on Lembongan. On the boat it was pretty funny to sit with them. They didn’t quite know what to make of us and I felt a bit like we were invading their daily lives.

The trip is short, about 20 minutes. Our driver was waiting for us when we arrived so we headed off to the Bat Caves first. I had no idea what to expect at the caves to be honest and the surprise was actually really nice. The drive from the dock to the caves was beautiful. We drove along the ocean where people were harvesting seaweed and drying it along the mountainside. It is so beautiful to see the cloth laid out with all of the seaweed being bleached white from the sun. It looks like a quilt along the ocean front.

To get to the bat caves you have to be covered (it is a temple) and then walk up the side of a pretty steep hill. Once you get to the entrance they point at a little tiny hole and tell you to climb down it (which actually means slide down it). I wasn’t sure J could do it since he is clausterphobic and 6’4″, the hole was seriously tiny. However, he would not be deterred, even once he made it through the first one and had to crawl on hands and knees to make it through the second hole. Once you make it through the tiny holes the space opens up to a HUGE cave. There are some little paintings here and there along the walls as we walked towards the main alter. There is almost lighting in the massive caves even now so photos were impossible. The altar is Hindi and has been there for over 100 years. During WWII the caves were used by the locals to hide from the invasion of the Japanese.

We agreed to even bumpier roads to get to Angel’s Billabong and Broken Beach after the promise from our driver that they were even more spectacular. He was right.

I can tell you our experiences in Nusa Pineda were extraordinary. The relatively untouched island has so much to offer, it is impossible to leave there without a new appreciation for the planet on which we live. On this day, as we rode the boat back to Lembongan, I felt, to the very core of my being, the blessing I have of being able to make this journey.

A trip to Lembongan is not complete without a trip to Nusa Pineda. If you are as lucky as we were it is also worth it to dive along the reef. We were able to go with a dive master, just the three of us, to swim as the current would take us. The colors, the creatures and serenity did not let us down. There was as much beauty below the island as there is above.

Lembongan: Our Glorious Week

Picking which islands to see in Indonesia is not easy. First, there are so many-there are almost 9,000 named islands and an estimated 9,000 or so more! Second, they are not all easy to get to but all offer something amazing. So I decided to just go in a line, Labuan Bajo to Lombok, Lombok to Lembongan and Lembongan to Bali. This turned out to be a pretty good strategy for us (Lombok wasn’t our favorite island for hanging out or diving to be honest, but it was good for some R&R).

We took a fast boat from Lombok (4 hours) to Lembongan. I can tell you that picking a fast boat in Indonesia is about as easy as shooting fish in a barrel. There are so many boat options and many of them are NOT good. The safety standards in Indonesia have not caught up to much of the rest of the world so boats can often sink, catch fire, be overcrowded without enough safety equipment etc. (So, be careful when booking if you are going. Google ratings/TripAdvisor ratings are a big help here.).

When we arrived at the Lembongan port we were later than expected and the tide had started to go out. When the tide goes out in Lembongan it really goes out (more on this later in the story). This meant the Captain and crew had to figure out how to get us to shore. Their best option was to call in smaller boats who could drive us most of the way and then have all of us (fully clothed) jump out of the boat and wade the rest of the way. Luckily I had opted for shorts that day as the water came up past my knees. Getting the luggage was even more of an adventure. The smaller boat took our luggage after us, then put it on a very small boat which could come all the way to the shore, then people pulled it onto the beach so they could unload our luggage right in the sand. From there we had to get it to the street. After we shook the sand off our clothes, our skin and our luggage we were on our way to the sweetest little island.

While mostly underdeveloped Lembongan offers more in the way of charm, great food, beautiful scenery and great diving than most places we have visited. The loving kindness of the Indonesian people abounds here where the sunsets will take your breath away, the view of Bali at night knocks your socks off and where you can easily get a whole bag of laundry done for 3.00.

We spent our time in Lembongan exploring the island by golf cart-causing quite a few traffic jams on the one road on the island-as we tried turning around at the dead ends, swimming, shopping, eating, and diving. While we had some incredible dive experiences, swimming with giant manta rays, drifting along huge turtles in the current, seeing an off season baby Mola-Mola, and taking an exquisite private dive along a gorgeous untouched reef, what left us speechless every night was the low tide followed by an ethereal sunset.

Every night the tide begins to recede about 7:00. It continues until about 20 feet of the water has gone out past the break. It leaves behind small little pools of water where some locals come every night to try to find little shrimps to use for fishing bait. The boats stack up on the sand bars, waiting for the water to come back and fill the area with life again. Occassionally a boat will be caught unawares and then the crew is left to try to push it out to the break or worse, leave it sit until the morning when nature will set it back on its rightful path. Watching this phenomenon from the restaurants on the cliff was truly spectacular and inspiring. I sat with my camera trying to capture each detail, each change in lighting, and scenery. Then on the last night we sat on the shore just to watch as everything changed, Bali became visible and the sky shone bright orange.

The island does not disappoint with its beautiful temples-they are in every single yard as it is a law to build one when your home is built-yummy beach front restaurants, and adorable children running along to say hello and welcome you to their little piece of heaven.

Driving around the island we came across a Veterinarian who was spaying and neutering dogs on the side of the road. When we stopped to ask about it the founder of the organization Paws for Lembongan explained to us what was happening and why. There is a stray dog problem on this island. The locals can not afford to spay and neuter dogs so the population of dogs can get out of control. When this happens the government sends people over from Bali to poison the strays and get the population back under control. Paws for Lembongan raises money to bring a Vet from another island over and spay and neuter the stray dogs and the local dogs when they have the funding. Their goal is to get the stray population under control so there is no more poisoning. The Vet comes and performs the surgeries for only a few dollars per animal, on the side of the road. Then they are cared for on the side of the road until the come to and are then released. They have a GoFundMe page if you are moved to donate. I can tell you their mission is purely from the heart, with every dollar going to supplies for the surgeries and transportation costs for the Vet.

I feel so lucky to experience the lives and stories from each place we visit, but sometimes the truth is hard to see. I find a cause or two or three at every and have to remind myself that I can’t be involved in everything no matter how much I want to. I often wonder though if each of us gave a little time or money to the cause we are most passionate about, if we purchased responsibly (not supporting low wages, chemicals, or slave trade products) could we truly change the world in this generation? Each little thing we do affects change sometimes so small we don’t see it, but it does change the momentum.

A Week In Labuan Bajo

After our 5 day trip to Bukit Lawang we were scared that nothing else in Indonesia would measure up, until we went to Labuan Bajo. This quiet little fishing town on the island of Flores was the perfect place to spend a week. Never in my life have I seen views like the ones from our hotel, Villa Dominik. If we had done nothing else but sit and watch the world go by on this gorgeous island it would have been absolutely perfect. Of course, we didn’t do that and it was still perfection.

The town of Labuan Bajo is located on the western end of the island of Flores. We flew on a tiny plane from Bali, about an hour and a half flight. Then we headed to one of the most beautiful places we have ever stayed, Villa Dominik. The drive there was breathtaking as the views of the ocean and the surrounding islands entered our views. The road winds around to share glimpses of the “downtown” area, the marina and the islands that softly expand out into the beautiful Indian ocean.We continued to weave our way through the area until we ended up in the “downtown” which is not much more than a small street filled with restaurants, cute boutiques and dive shops galore. While it is still a bit rustic the shops and restaurants could rival any we have seen elsewhere.

We chose to stay in Villa Dominik because it was located on top of a hill which overlooked the surrounding islands, the mountains and a small valley below. I spent a lot of my time looking at this view from the pool and never got tired of it, especially at sunset.

My main reason for going to Labuan Bajo was Manta Point. It has been my dream to dive with the giant manta rays, along with every other large creature under the waters surface, and this dive site is a great place to do it. The current is strong but for me I didn’t care if I had to be strapped to the boat, I was going to dive with giant mantas. So when our second day in Labuan Bajo arrived I was so excited to get up and dive.

We had about an hour and a half ride through the various islands I had been gazing at in the ocean. We climbed up to the top deck, laid in the bean bags (under a cabana for those of you worried about my sun exposure) and watched the mountaineous, mostly uninhabited islands pass by.

We were very lucky as we pulled up to Manta Point you could see the giant manats off the side of the boat! Once we jumped in the water and descended we were in the midst of them. The whole dive was amazing, including the mating dance of four of the mantas who swam in circles over our heads. It is probably the most graceful thing I have ever seen in my life. I didn’t mind the scratches from the coral floor as I grabbed hold, or the struggle to find coral strong enough to hold me as I stared in wonder. None of it mattered as the Mantas swam so close to us I could feel the water change around us.

We also visited Komodo Island to see the dragons, which to be honest was quite underwhelming, for me anyway. They look like giant lizards, but are so mean they eat their own young. We walked around with a guide for about an hour, a very hot and dry hour, until we boarded our double decked dive boat to head back.

Unfortunately it was our one and only day of diving as J. got very sick and was unable to do much of anything for about four days. We did manage to get out into town for lunch and coffee a few times. On an island that doesn’t get much rain during May it managed to pour rain every time we left our beautiful hotel. The rain came down in sheets, turning everything grey and flooding it with much needed water. Luckily afternoon rains only last for half an hour or so and the rivers of water rushing down the streets were quick to run off into the dry ground.

We felt so at home in this quaint little village, each restaurant owner/staff was so friendly and helpful, the dive shop staff lounging in bean bags along the road drinking an after work beer, and the curious children saying hi as we shopped all made us feel so at home, and quite devastated to leave.

~The easiest way to get there is to fly from Bali or Lombok. A 20 minute cab ride will have you in the downtown area of Labuan Bajo. We absolutely loved everything about Villa Dominik and can’t imagine saying anywhere else. You can’t really go wrong with the Italian restaurants downtown or Bajo Taco. Cafe In Hit was our favorite coffee shop in town. Diving-well for us there would be no choice but Komodo Dive Center.

~If you decide to fly it is worth noting 2 things. The cheap airlines have very low baggage allowances and charge a lot for going over. Also, there are airlines in Indonesia who are not allowed to fly anywhere else in the world due to their horrible safety ratings. So check out their ratings if you are as hesitant to fly as me. We found it was worth paying extra for a better airline, higher baggage allowance, better safety ratings, and actual service on the plane.

Hanging with Orangutans in Bukit Lawang, Sumatra

For over a month I looked forward to our visit in Bukit Lawang with the Orangutans. It was one of those dreams that is so far back in your head because you don’t know that you will ever be able to do it. Now here we were trekking through the rain forest of Sumatra on our way to see Orangutans.

We hired two guides through our hotel, Hotel Orangutan, to lead our hike. Their jovial spirits, love of community, respect for the animals and nature, as well as their incredible kindness would prove to be one of the best things we have experienced on our travels so far.

They led us through the rain forest explaining how the orangutan population in Sumatra is in severe danger from the palm oil plantations who are coming in and mowing down tons of rain forest and planting palm oil trees which offer no ability to live for orangutans, tigers, elephants and hippos who traditionally inhabit the area. This of course fueled my fire against palm oil. Evidently the area we are visiting was visited by Leonardo di Caprio for his amazing documentary Before the Flood.

Throughout our trek our guides sang American Christmas carols which they adapted to trekking songs by substituting the lyrics with ones about orangutans, jungles and bananas. It was hilarious and made the trek even more enjoyable Despite their orange colored fur they can hide very well in the trees making it hard for us to find them. . We walked for about half an hour before we came upon our first mommy orangutan and baby high up in the trees. She noticed us immediately and watched with caution as we observed her and her baby in complete wonder and joy. The mother always stays with her children while the man leaves after they consummate. While protective of her baby she did let him swing through the trees and after a while come down close enough to try to grab the hat from J.’s head.

Once they tired of us they moved on and we circled back to look for more orangutans. We were so thrilled with the mom and baby we had seen we felt a little greedy hoping for more, and yet we got them! Within a few minutes sitting on a log was another mom and her baby. They stayed for at least 10 minutes while we stood only 10 feet away from them!

Our guides would not let us touch the orangutan and while we wanted to (and saw people do it) they informed us that we can easily give orangutans diseases and illnesses they are not equipped to handle. Also by frequent human interaction we can put them at risk for interacting with humans who may not be as friendly. I was sad to see and hear of guides who do not respect this.

We went on to see about 6 more mommies with their babies. While taking a rest in the forest eating the most amazing pineapple slices with passion fruit squeezed on top (try this seriously it is so delicious!) J. mentioned that he would love to see a male orangutan. Off one of our guides went to look for one. We were told that if we found one and the guides said to move we needed to move immediately. Do not ask why, do not stop for pics, just move. We agreed thinking they were being a little dramatic. Which of course was because we were not currently being chased by a male orangutan. Fifteen minutes later when we were and they said move, we couldn’t run fast enough! As the male ran behind us we saw that he was over 6’ tall and very wide. This will make you run and climb faster than you thought you could believe me. While we weren’t afraid he would maul us or anything we certainly didn’t want to get close enough to see what he would do. After running several times our guide found out why the male was chasing us. A group had waved bananas in the males face and then ran off without giving them to him (they never ever should have teased him with bananas!) so our guide pulled out a banana, gave it to him and the orangutan stopped chasing us, and sat on a log for at least 15 minutes while we took pictures and watched him. It was hard to make the decision to leave but we knew it was what was fair for the orangatun.

We trekked back taking in the beautiful waterfalls and rain forest in complete amazement over what we had just experienced. We have seen a lot of animals on this trip but seeing these amazing creatures in their natural habitat was one of the most incredible experiences we have ever had. They are graceful, completely silent as they move through the trees, and just as funny as you would imagine. They swing upside down, play with leaves and branches and were just as curious to watch us as we were to watch them.

There is a sadness here with the locals because they know the population is dwindling and that as they lose more and more of their land they also lose these gorgeous creatures who have always been a part of their culture and their community.

If you are interested in seeing them you can read my post about traveling to Bukit Lawang. Definitely hire a guide who respects the culture and is knowledgeable about the animals and the community. It is worth every penny and will give you the experience of a lifetime! Then you can join us in the outrage over palm oil….

(Credit for some of these pictures goes to one of our guides who took my camera a couple of times to get a few shots.)

The Rubber Industry of Bukit Lawang, Indonesia

As we journeyed through the Bukit Lawang rain forest on our first trek all of my thoughts were on orangutans. Would we really see them up close, and if we didn’t could I be mature enough to be grateful for the experience and the hike anyway? Then our guides started to show us the amazing things this local culture does. As we entered the rainforest, after walking across a rickety bridge, over some serious rapid waters, they showed us a wall of vertical gardening, all done in old plastic soda bottles. For them growing whatever they can on their own is quite important as earning money here is not easy. The cost of land, and the ravaging of their property for palm oil plantations each make life more difficult than it was 5 to 10 years ago.

The deeper we walked into the forest the more their dedication to sustainable living and building became evident. They have a deep respect for their environment and leaving as small of a footprint as possible.

This knowledge led to my surprise at seeing a man cutting small channels into a field of trees. I couldn’t understand why they would damage the trees, which help make up this beautiful forest. I stopped to take pictures of the small valley of trees all with what looked to be white tracks running along the bases. The man who was cutting the channels used a small curved knife to gently cut into the trees. Then at the bottom he placed small bowls made from coconut shells. As we watched I could see a type of white milky liquid slowly running through the channels and into the bowls. This milky liquid, which moved slower than the drip of maple out of a maple tree, was rubber. Each tree is a rubber tree, and the locals come and cut small channels, shallow enough to not hurt the tree but deep enough to allow the liquid rubber to be forced through the channel and into the bowl.

Each morning they come to their trees to pull the milky substance out of the bowls and make sure there is still liquid flowing from the tree. They do this seven days a week 365 days a year. It is hard work with unfortunately very little financial return. The amount they can capture will most often not buy enough rice for a family for one week. Yet, in this region where they have lost a lot to the big palm oil manufacturers it is one of only a few options they have for making a living.

While I saw the trees and the knives, the bowls and the process as beautiful, they see it as a necessity in order to feed their families.

Each Friday they go to the local market with huge blocks of rubber balls mashed together. They put them on the back of their scooters as they ride to the market hoping they have enough to buy food for the week.

The experience at the market was shocking to me. The smell of all of this rubber is absolutely disgusting. After I stopped gagging I was able to observe how the process works. The men and women gather, chain-smoking cigarettes, maybe out of self-defense to overpower the atrocious smell, and wait their turn at the large scale. Two men man the scales, tell the locals how much their rubber weighs and what they will be paid for it. Some local women felt cheated and a little argument ensued which in the end, was won by the man with the scale. Once weighed the rubber is hooked to a large piece of bamboo and carried away to make room for the next block. This process goes on all day, leaving some disappointed and some relieved, perhaps even happy.

It isn’t the hardest way to make money, but it definitely is an extremely low paying fete. For a weeks worth of work they make less than twenty dollars on average. While the cost of living in Bukhit Lawang is extremely low 20.00 per week is not enough to live on yet the people maintain an overall happiness and joy for life. I am not sure what the future holds for the locals as more and more of their land is gobbled up by palm oil producers but I left here knowing it was worth my time to read labels and send a message to these producers by not buying products with palm oil, lack of demand may help to slow down the raping of this environment and allow the locals to adapt and find other ways to make money.

(Our amazing guides were from Hotel Orangutan. I can’t say enough good things about their knowledge, kindness, and respect for the beautiful environment around them.)

The Beauty of Bukit Lawang, Sumatra, Indonesia

Finding Bukit Lawang was absolutely some of the best luck I have had while planning our 8 months away this year. I have no idea how I found it, honestly I think it found me, and the minute it did we were booked and counting the days.

Honestly I had no idea what to expect from Bukit Lawang, I knew there was a hotel and wild orangutans nearby, that was it. For the first time this trip I didn’t do any research. So we traveled on our 18th anniversary through 4 countries and 19 hours to get there, more proof of my determined personality. We arrived at night in a complete downpour, after a 4 hour drive.

At midnight we waited under a makeshift bamboo stand trying to stay dry while the amazing staff from our hotel came to meet us. We followed them down small cobbled lanes, along what sounded like a roaring river, trying not to slip in the puddles as our clothes began to cling to our bodies. In the darkness and the sheets of rain we couldn’t make out much of our surroundings which definitely added to the mystique of the Sumatran rainforest.

Unfortunately for the poor men who worked at our hotel, Hotel Orangutan, we were booked in the room at the top of 127 stone steps. As they gallantly threw our 60 lb a piece luggage on their shoulders and began trekking to the top J. and I cringed, and then we heaved and gasped as we followed them, carrying only our umbrellas and backpacks.

The next morning we awoke to the most amazing view, a gorgeous rain forest at our door full of lush green plants and incredibly vibrant flowers. The river raged below us (way below us) as the sun rose through the trees and over the incredible mountains surrounding us. As the morning unfolded and we left our hotel the surprises continued. Somehow after all of the flights, and drives we had landed in the most perfect spot on earth. As a child we used to go to Universal Studios in L.A. all the time ( I grew up out there) and we would see fake towns, fake houses, fake weather, all set up just so. This is how Bukit Lawang feels. It is so perfect it seems as though it were put there just for you, like there is no way it can be real. Each flower, bush and plant is perfectly manicured and placed to compliment the stone homes and small bed and breakfasts that line the narrow cobblestone path.

As we walked through the tiny village (there are about 100 people who live in this part of the town) people greeted us warmly saying hello. The monkeys ran along the electrical wires overhead and the lizards crept along the fresh grass. No, I am not joking it was seriously this perfect!

During our five day stay in Bukit Lawang we spent hours at the small restaurants sipping their amazing tea, or eating the incredible local food. The crisp morning air gave way to a warm humid day before the evening rain came and cooled everything down for the evening.

We hiked along the river twice enjoying the waterfalls, the gorgeous rain forest and the lush green mosses growing along the rocky mountain path. I don’t know if you have ever felt completely safe, and completely at peace and total relaxation, but if you haven’t then get to Bukit Lawang.

We spent time with people we met from England, watched the rain fall through the trees, and the monkeys run through the forest, oh and of course caught up on some Netflix too while the rain fell in the afternoons, just long enough for us to rest.

On the second day we went trekking in the woods to find the orangutans which is a complete blog post on its own. Then on the fourth day we set off for the local market in the neighboring town. We were greeted by the incredibly pungent, and honestly very disgusting smell of rubber the locals had mined from the nearby trees (also another blog post). I couldn’t help but stop to watch as they unloaded their bricks and waited to get paid enough to hopefully buy rice for their families that week.

The stalls were merely tarps on bamboo posts with women and men seated on the ground selling their beautiful peppers, spices, fruit and fish to all of the local residents. Men would drive up with women and babies on their mopeds, woven baskets on the back waiting to be filled. Deep inside the market were stalls filled with what seemed to be second hand clothing. We also found many eyes staring at us, and children running up to say hello. It was clear they didn’t see many white Americans in this mountaintop village. I avoided the stalls with the masses of chickens in cages, waiting to be sold and slaughtered for someones dinner as we walked to the end. No one spoke English but we were still able to buy some amazing fresh orange juice from a street vendor, and some cakes from little boys making them in their grandfathers stall.

As we sat at a picnic table watching the world go by it was hard to not laugh at all the people staring at us and then waving hi as they realized we weren’t aliens.

The day we left it felt like we were leaving home. The four hour drive to the Medan airport was not only a sad one it was also quite terrifying. For those of you who have not been to Indonesia you have yet to experience the insane driving of Sumatra, especially Medan. We did find ourselves in a few front yards as roads were just randomly closed, we we would be in five lanes of traffic on a three lane road and often smashed between 5 or 6 mopeds on either side of our van which was sharing a lane with a small lawry. The adventure left us weak in the knees but definitely took our minds off of our aching hearts.

To get to Bukit Lawang you can fly into Medan in Sumatra and then hire a driver to take you to Bukit Lawang. We stayed at Hotel Orangutan and loved it!

Eleven Tips for Traveling in Sri Lanka

Don’t take the local buses. They are completely packed and often don’t really have any air ventilation. We saw people literally hanging out the sides of the buses because they were so packed.
We found so much value in hiring a driver. We learned a great deal about the culture, and were able to stop along the way whenever we wanted to. (I have a great recommendation for one if you want to message me.)
Always make sure your shoulders and knees are covered before going in to temples.
Take stretchy pants because you will probably eat a lot!!!!

There is a pretty big climate change from the mountains to the beach so if you are doing both make sure to bring a light jacket with you.
There aren’t any money changers except for the airport so plan on using your debit card to get cash.
Almost no one takes credit cards so have cash on hand.
There aren’t a lot of restaurants in most of Sri Lanka so make sure to read the reviews on your hotels food. (We found more restaurants at the beach and Ella than anywhere.)
Take toilet paper and handy wipes and don’t drink much before your journeys. Toilets are not easy to come by.
Embrace the culture. The people are amazing, the food is delicious and their culture is really enchanting. Take the time to talk to the locals and really learn and experience all Sri Lanka has to offer. We felt completely safe here and never found anyone to be rude or bothered by talking to us.

Most people speak English, even if it is just enough to get by, and most signs are in English and Sinhala so it is easy to get around and explore.

Hiking In Sigiriya Sri Lanka

J. and I are not climbers. We like to walk anywhere, and trek through jungles and rain forests but climbers we are not. So climbing the Sigiriya rock in the hot sun was a little daunting for us (especially for J. with his fear of heights). However, as with all things in Sri Lanka we were blown away by the experience.

In Sigiriya there is an ancient city built on and around this 600′ high rock. It was built by King Kassapa in the second half of the fifth century. He overthrew his brother and then became incredibly paranoid that his other brother would seek revenge and overthrow him (which did eventually happen) so he built his kingdom on top of this rock so he could see his enemies coming.

The walk up to the rock is flanked on both sides by what used to be gardens. The old stone walls section off each separate gardens. You can only imagine how beautiful it would have been. After the gardens you walk through two large rocks, and then look up to face the climb that stands before you. At this point one must let go of apprehensions, of what we know as building practices and trust that the stairs and path have been here for a long time, it will last at least as long as you are visiting.

The climb up the side of the rock is absolutely intimidating, even for me who has no fears of heights. It easy to stay distracted as you climb because each level offers you a landscape that will take your breath away. The lush green valleys, the lakes of Kandy, the gardens of Sigiriya, and the large rocks close by all distract you from the metal stairs connected only by steel rods drilled into the rock, the steep and narrow spiral staircase suspended in the air, and the stone steps carved thousands of years ago which are better accomplished with no shoes on (a trick we learned from the locals at Adam’s Peak-Big Buddha Foot).

About one third of the way up the rock are old frescoes painted on the side of the rock. When you think they were painted onto the rock over 1600 years ago it is absolutely amazing that so many of them remain in such good condition. The spiral stairs are worth the risk to see the colors, figures and stories of the people from so long ago.

Once we had seen the frescoes (and defied logic to come down the suspended spiral staircase) we made our way around the rock on stone stairs. There is a platform there with two large lion feet, this is the official entrance into the kingdom of the King. Evidently here the wasps become quite deadly and aggressive…

While we were resting on this platform we looked up to the top and started to psyche ourselves up for the climb up, in the sun, the flimsy metal stairs. The views soften the voices screaming in your head that this is probably not a good idea. But, then you reach the top and you know it was worth it. Unfolding in front of you is a series of ruins, which once held this incredible kingdom. There are layers here, some of which used to be pools, gardens, temples and homes. The Kings throne is even still there. Standing in front of it you quickly realize why he built here. The views are incredible! You can envision what it was like then and how easy it would be see an army coming for you.

While we balked at the 30.00 per person entry fee it is justified as you make your way through. It is one of the most immaculately maintained places we have seen.

Standing at the top you can’t help but lose words as you take all of it in. We spent a lot of time trying to figure out how they got all of the materials up there and created such a masterpiece. The breeze at the top makes the heat more bearable but I would still say it is best to go first thing in the morning.

As we walked down there were several women in tears because they found the flimsy, yet somehow stable, metal stairs a bit too much to handle.

At the bottom it is worth the time to visit the museum. I was very impressed by the design of the building but even more so by the treasures it holds. Also, making your way to the museum can help you avoid the gauntlet of souvenir stalls waiting at the exit.

If you go take water. You can fill up at several tanks on the top and the descent. It does get hot in the sun and you are doing a lot of climbing so take care to be hydrated.

Also, there are some people towards the top who will try to befriend you and give you information and tell you they are official guides but they are not, they only want money. We just said no thank you and walked away quickly once we reached the top. We did complain at the bottom to the tourist police and they were already sending someone up to get him because others had complained. The Sri Lankans take the harassment of tourists seriously so police should be quick to act.

There are plenty of taxis and tuk-tuks to take you there and back to your hotel so don’t hesitate to stay as long as you like and really enjoy the area.