The Day I Almost Died

I wanted to pick a quiet part of Bali before I tested my motorcycle skills on the 'wrong side of the road'. While in Korea, I'd almost forgotten how to drive; so to drive a motorcycle in the left lane on a busy Indonesian road was out of the question.

Thankfully, Rach and I survived our trip from the beaches of Singaraja up to Git Git, a small mountain village. The best part of it all is that now we have a great video to show for it.

Three dollars and a tank of gas seemed reasonable enough for the day.

Git Git & Twin Waterfalls

-Git Git Air-terjun, Bali-

While the tallest waterfall in Bali, Git Git Air-terjun, is greatly dwarfed by the Canadian grandeur that we are accustomed to. Yet it held a certain charm as it was the first jungle oasis that we have been able to trek to.

-Twin Air-terjun, Bali-

Makeshift bamboo bridges and palms tied together to aid fording made for an ideal trek through this lush monkey and snake infested jungle.

-Twin Air-terjun, Bali-

Standing 40 meters high it's water pounding down into a deep tropical pool, not a soul in sight on a blistering hot day, it made for a great place to swim. Or so we thought. Five minutes later with leeches on my feet I was rethinking the idea of swimming in a third-world jungle stream. I suppose the old rule, 'it's nice to look at but don't touch', applies here.

-Git Git Air-terjun, Bali-

Two Days in Singapore

By night...

-Merlion, a common fish (symbolizing the cities humble beginnings as a fishing village) with the head of a majestic lion ('Singa' literally means lion and 'pura', city). Legend has it that in the 11th century a prince visiting the peninsula, yet to be named Singapore, claimed to have spotted a mystical beast, the lion. He was so enthralled with this animal that he named the city after it, hence Singa (lion) pura (city).-

Last winter vacation, Rachel spent a day in Singapore with a few of her friends. This year, Rachel decided that I had shaped-up enough to visit this beautiful city. I needed to be told more than once not to push and shove, spit or litter but I managed not to offend anyone in a city where chewing gum and failing to flush the toilet can get you a heavy fine.

During our short visit we managed to get together with a great family who took us out for some great Thai food and some great dessert. We had a great time with these great people. Note, my vocabulary is profoundly limited from my experience of teaching in Korea.

- Clarke Quay, bustling with activity on a warm tropical night.-

And by day...

-Getting our first sunburn of the trip on the banks of the Singapore River.-

-Old Supreme Court Building-

-Posing in front of the Esplanade-Theatres on the Bay. The original architectural design boasting a complete glass dome roof would have rendered this concert hall a greenhouse. In the 'correction' of this flaw, aluminum sunshades were added to the structure. Only now, the glass beneath is near impossible to clean.-

-Trev, avoiding some shopping on Orchard Road.-

Indonesian Islands

-Gili Air-

After two weeks in Indonesia, we hopefully managed to take a number of pictures that will interest you and cause you to yearn to travel. This is just a teaser package, a few shots taken from the our trip. We hope you enjoy the pictures.

-Pura Ulun Danu Bratan (Hindu-Buddhist Temple), Bali-

-Danau Bratan, Bali-

-Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave), Ubud, Bali-

-Gili Air-

So Long Suckers...

Here's to all of you who are stuck in the cold and snowy Northern Hemisphere. For those of you who didn't know, we were lucky enough to escape to the sunny beaches, warm tropical rains and busy markets of Indonesia. We have posted a couple pictures of our motivation for traveling.

Waiting for the airport limousine to arrive.

Warning: Korean Content

For the last couple weeks, I've been teaching only a select handful of student during their winter break. As these winter camps are not a mandatory part of their schooling process the students that come are generally the ones that crave learning. Yet, because this is their vacation, I strive as much as possible to make their time with me a little more entertaining. To accomplish this I've been playing short films and music videos through out the session just to keep the excitement level up.

On that note, I want to introduce you to the number one most requested song.

Warning: Korean content.
Viewer discretion is advised.

The Rest of the Story...

New Year's didn't end at The Shilla. No. We carried New Year's on as long as we possibly could. After leaving our evening of high-class socializing we headed on down to the streets for some good old noribongin' (karaoke) and a midnight snack at the Kimbop Chunggu. On the stroke of midnight we all rushed into the street to hoot and holler in the new year. Notice the lack of Koreans on the street behind.

-Rach, Trev, Jess Becker, Ruda, Jess Crew, Nate and Hilary-

-Hilary and Jess Becker-

Happy New Year to you all!
We wish you health and happiness for this year to come. All the best to you and yours in 2008.