Asia

“Would you like to try something special?”

Wayan, the driver I had hired for my last day in Bali, said with a sly smile. Not quite sure what he was hinting at, and certainly not wanting to commit to something “special” sight unseen, I asked for a bit more info. Read More

If there was one thing that was clear from my brief time in Ubud, it’s that the people of Bali are very connected to their spiritual side. So it seemed like a worthwhile idea to do some wider sightseeing of at least a few of the many Hindu Balinese temples (referred to locally as “puras”) in the area. Read More

I honestly may have a problem when traveling someplace new, in this case the town of Ubud on the island of Bali. I just find it impossible not to land without some kind of preconceived romanticized idea of what a destination will be like. As you can imagine, this has a tendency to sometimes leave me feeling disappointed after I’ve explored around a bit. Not that I don’t like what I find. Quite the opposite actually. It’s just different.

So when it came time to start planning for Ubud, thoughts of rolling rice fields, healthful organic cuisine, and endless yoga studios began to dance around my head. All very relaxing.

Call me an optimist. Call me a romantic. Call me a…sucker? Read More

Hey all! It’s once again Friday, which gives me another opportunity to give you all a sneak peak into my current happenings. Today I’m coming to you all from the sprawling city of Jakarta, which thus far has been a completely different change of pace. Between checking out temples in Bali, climbing volcanos in Lombok, and viewing wild orangutans in Bukit Lawang, my experiences have all been rather rural affairs.

Jakarta on the other hand, is as urban as urban gets. Read More

Hey all! It’s once again Friday, which means that I get another opportunity to provide a sneak peek of my current adventures. This week I’m hanging around Bukit Lawang, a teensy river town deep within the jungles of Sumatra. There are supposedly some rare surprises swinging around in the trees here,  which sounded like a perfect reason to check this place out for myself. Read More