Selamat Datang!

Welcome to Bali everyone!

Though our plane ride seemed endless, I was able to snag a window seat and watch as we flew over the beautiful tropical islands of the Southeast Asian Pacific. As we approached Bali, I could see hundreds of dolphins splashing about below us. My first breath of the humid air was shocking and made me panic a little. The air is so thick here, stepping off the plane was like walking into a sauna. We spent the next 45 minutes waiting in line to get our passports stamped with visas and searching for our luggage. Felice was waiting for us with her driver, Wayan, when we walked out of the airport. Wayan loaded our bags and drove us to the town of Legion to the hotel we would stay at for the next week. This first car ride in Bali was fairly nerve racking. The lines on the tiny, windy roads mean virtually nothing to Balinese drivers. There are no road signs or stoplights. Vans, small SUVs and motorbikes swerve in, out and around each other, honking occasionally to let their fellow roadsters know they are coming. The U.S. road rules would be considered outrageous to the Balinese driver. However, our driver Wayan was as cautious as the come in Bali. HE will most likely be the person to help us out when Felice leaves. We checked into our hotel, the Melasti (which was coincidentally the hotel Linds and Steph stayed at when they visited Bali), jumped in the pool to cool off and then crashed—exhausted from our journey and the tropical humidity.

The next morning, we followed Felice down the narrow, broken sidewalks to a little café where we ordered coffee and bowls of fresh tropical fruit. Both were the best I’ve ever had. The fruit here is unbelievably juicy and flavorful. My first real interaction with the Balinese people was with our servers that morning. They actually tried to buy us off of Felice. “I have one American dollar” one of them offered. However, Felice wasn’t willing to give us up for anything less than 4 sheep and a goat. So, they settled for a picture with us and a few laughs. After breakfast, Felice had to attend to the construction a her villa in Ubud (the reason we were staying at a hotel on the beach), so she dropped us off at a spa and bought us each a two hour massage, a body scrub and a flower bath…talk about living like royalty. It was the perfect remedy for jetlag. Three hours later, we left the spa dazed and decided to test our bargaining skills at the street markets. Talking the vendors down to at least half price for all these authentic Balinese items seemed rather impressive to me. Come to find out, half is too much and I was actually getting ripped off. So, the next time I shopped I was fairly ruthless. I’ve learned to start very low, raise a bit and they don’t like my price, walk away. Almost every time they will call you back and give you what you want. Thought both parties enjoy bargaining, I don’t mind paying a little too much because everything is extra cheap here anyway. 100,000 Indonesian Rupeeah, which is much more than a day’s wage in Bali, is only about 10 U.S. dollars. Quite a significant gap. While we waited for Felice to return, we played in the pool and ordered cocktails at the swim-up bar. We made our first Aussie friend, who apparently adores American accents. Fun fact…I’ve only met one other American in Bali. The majority of the tourists are Australians and Asians. I found out later, the surprising lack of American tourists is due to the two bombings that occurred in Bali in 2002. Considering Indonesia holds the world’s largest Muslim population and Bali is largely Hindu, the island was dubbed a terrorist playground by the U.S. government and is no longer recommended as a vacation hotspot.

When she arrived, Felice took us out to dinner at a little restaurant on the beach. Every time we’ve eaten out it has the equivalent of a gourmet meal in the U.S., but only costs about 5 bucks. Also, the water here is served like a fine wine. The bottle is brought to the table and poured into chilled wine glasses.

The next day, we accepted the fact that the ocean in Bali would be much warmer than that of the Oregon coast and bought surfing lessons. I was able to get up a few times, but I definitely wiped out more. However, we had a blast trying and now we can say we played in the Indian Ocean! I have to say, wiping out was probably one of the best parts anyway. Afterward, Felice insisted on treating us to another spa package. This time it was a twenty-finger massage, reflexology (the belief that every muscle in your body can be relaxed by massaging certain nerves in the feet), a manicure and a pedicure…did I mention Felice has told us we get to be princesses while we’re here? The rest of the evening was spent mastering our bargaining skills and eating another authentic meal.

The following evening we decided to check out the Balinese night life and went to our first foam party. When we arrived at the bar, we ordered some drinks. I think my favorite part of the night was when a maybe 12 year old Aussie boy pulled up next to me at the bar and said “hey, how’s your night going?’ Beer and cigarette in hand. Most people around me found that entertaining as well. We left the bar for a table and were immediately bombarded and severely harassed by an old Aussie fart. I have to say, I’ve never been harassed like I have been here—though more so by foreigners not locals and only in major tourist areas. That alone has opened my eyes a bit. Anyway, the bouncers got involved and we finally finished our drinks in peace and left for the foam party.

A foam party basically consists of a small room that is continuously filling with foam, drunk, soaking Aussies dancing and a few shysters on the side ready to dive and take you out when you’re not looking. I left with what felt like a busted knee and a broken elbow. Katie broke her toe and Meg walked away fairly clean. But the night was an experience and pretty fun on top of it all.

We spent the next day snorkeling. From the boat, the water just looked a green and little murky, but as soon as I put my face in the water I was surrounded by beautiful tropical fish. I saw schools of colorful fish, seastars, seasnakes, eels, etc. a scuba diver gave Katie and me some bread and the fish just swarmed. That was probably one of the most majestic experiences I’ve ever had. When we finished snorkeling the boat took us out to Turtle Island where we got to play turtles, seahorses, a giant fruit bat, an iguana some birds and a monkey. That evening, Katie and I went out again, made some friends and danced all night.

The following day, which would be yesterday, Wayan picked us up and we drove to Ubud. We will be staying here in Felice’s villa—Villa di Sawa—for the remainder of our trip. I like it much more here than at the beach. It is quieter, more traditional, we are further into the jungle/surrounded by rice fields and there are very few tourists and tourist attractions. However, it is way past my bedtime and I need sleep before I can continue.

Wam fuzzies to you all!

Meg

Adventuras mexicanas

SUP SUP!!!!111!1
Not-so-breaking news: I´m in Mexico. Ahorrita, en Sierra Norte de Puebla. But I´m not going to write about this because I´ve only been here for 3 days.

I flew to Mexico City from Puerto Vallarta, where I stayed for threeish weeks. I was living in Bucerias actually, which is located 30 minutes north of Vallarta in Nayarit. I spent my time there volunteering for PEACE Mexico, a spectacular organization with which you should all get acquainted. I lived in the house of two California surfers who have lived in Bucerias for 20+years. They still don´t speak very good Spanish. It was pretty plush, a cute old-Vallarta cottage with a little pool in the backyard (yes, I hosted many pool parties).

I came to Vallarta to help with the women´s coop, but, funny how things change, I spent most of my time working at the free spay and neuter clinics. For 4 days at a time we would set up a clinic in either a house, store, or government building in one of the little pueblos close to Bucerias and spend the days operating on local cats and dogs. My job usually consisted of the pre-op, giving the patients tranquilizers, and then anethesia, antibiotics, and painkillers. I also got to use my dog grooming skillzzz (I never thought those would come in handy!) to cut the hair around the incision areas. But I did get to help with a few operations and let me just say that the machos (males) are a lot easier. Less parts. I thorougly enjoyed myself at the clinics and made some really good, and silly (SCORE) friends.

I did work with the women as well. Some locals get together and craft 3 days a week together and do solo projects at home for extra money because they are all housewives. They can bring their kids to the workshops, and I think most of them participate primarily for the gossip. They like to gossip about each other from across the table, which is always fun. There were 2 business minded ladies I got to know as well, and they want to start small businesses with future microloans from PEACE. They make picture frames, jewelry, newspaper bags, pottery, etc. The list goes on. PEACE sells their products at the store in Punta de Mita and its kiosk in the Vallarta airport. I liked getting to know the women and it was interesting for me to see how much child-bearing was a part of their lives. Practically all of it, that is. Some of them were 25 and already had 3 kids. It makes me thankful that in the States it isn´t unheard of to be single at 30.

Hmm I have a lot more to say but I have to go. I wanted to fill you guys in a bit though. Don´t think I´m not thinking of you because I am, all the time. Paz y amor friends!

Elsa

OCF

Go to the fruit salad booth by main stage! I worked there the last three summers.

Frisco burger's are awesome too.

I hope you go!

turtles and sea lions!

First of all I am so happy for you Meg, how cool that you are in Bali already!!! Please keep us posted.

I am at the Galapagos which has been so good. I have been working here for a week translating for a group of journalism students from U of O. They are really good people and talking to them just reminds me of the awesome/crazy times we had in Eugene!

Translating has not just meant that but also to join them in all their trips so today we went to the "kicker rock" close to San Cristobal where I am and we snorkelled and swam with sharks, sea turtles, colorful fish and very very playful baby sealions... it is really good! I was getting tired of the city already.

This adventure however is very short, I arrived last Sunday and will go back to Quito tomorrow. On Monday I will be working for a teacher that just started "community tourism" and I will be teaching some spanish for students that come from the U.S and then we will go to the subtropical forest for a couple of days (to Mindo). After that, which is a week, I will start a formal internship in Quito, I just got accepted in one that I applied. I wish I coud stay in Galapagos for longer though...

I really wish we could all be here, I am serious, we should organize a trip to the Galapagos, we can do some volunteering and also visit and have a great time!!! Ok, please keep that in the back ( or really present) of your mind!

Send you all a big sea lion hug!

BREAKING NEWS!

I'm in Bali!

More on this story later....

a million ways to be COOOL

Dinosaur Day

I am on the' special day' committee at camp.

So obviously I am creating "Dinosaur Day".


All the best,

Hales.