Beginning of the Indo

March 13, 2013 by B + B in SE Asia, Indonesia

We're in Indonesia with less than three weeks to go before we head home for the first time in nine months! We have so many emotions running through us right now that we're trying to slow down and use our time here to relax, reflect and prepare minds, bodies and spirits for re-entry.

But, old habits die hard. After a few quiet days in Bali (which is where we fly out of on March 14th), we got the itch to do some exploring. So we hopped a 4-hour ferry to Lombok, a neighboring island with a deserted Southern coastline.

We set up in Kuta, which shares a name but nothing else with Bali's famous party beach. It was just what we needed - beautiful, quiet, untouched and, outside of a few surfers and a friend of ours from back in Vietnam, all ours. We stayed with a local family for $8 a night, ate for about $2 a meal and found it pretty easy to settle into island life.

Brendan has been getting more and more comfortable shuttling us around on a scooter, so every morning we jumped on the bike in search of a new beach. We had no schedule and no agenda, with nothing to stop us from our pursuing our lazy adventures. Except of course for the rain (February is rainy season in Indonesia), which had plans of its own.

For the most part, we've been getting afternoon showers, short-lived and somewhat predictable. But, as we've learned over the last nine months, it's the unexpected moments that are most memorable.

After an incredible meal at Ashtari Cafe, we set out one morning with Marina (a friend we met on a trek in Vietnam, then met up with again several times in Vietnam and Cambodia) in search of a beach called Mawi, on the Southwestern tip of the island. The scenery was so beautiful on the way there that we kept stopping to take pictures. At one of our photo opps, women working in the rice fields started waving their arms at us. We immediately thought they were offended by the photos, but as they came near, we noticed they were using the palm-down, digging motion which actually means "come here" in a lot of SE Asian countries.

We sat down with them right then and there on the side of the road for a coffee break. We sipped extremely strong powdered coffee while they tried on every piece of clothing of ours they could get without taking the shirts off our backs (although one actually asked for that as well). They laughed as they passed around sunglasses, hats and headbands before returning everything and sending us on our way, amped up from the unexpected experience and the caffeine.

The extra energy came in handy when the road to Mawi suddenly became nothing more than a muddy path. I had to get off the bike and walk so Brendan could maneuver first our and then Marina's bike over the sketchiest parts. Then, we ditched the bikes altogether and decided to just walk the rest of the way. Marina broke her flip flop and I fell down completely, covering my entire backside with mud while Brendan and some locals looked on and laughed. When we finally made it to the beach, a huge storm blew in and left us stranded with about 13 locals in a bamboo hut by the water, thirty minutes from our bikes and another hour's ride from civilization. The wind was blowing so hard, the rain was coming into the wall-less hut sideways, soaking us but (silver lining) washing off a little of the mud on my clothes. We bonded with the villagers until the storm subsided, at which point they walked out with us. The man in charge placed his arm lovingly around Brendan while Marina and I followed with the women and children.

We didn't get much of a head start before the rain started up again. We pulled off to the side of the road, and we're immediately invited to seek shelter under another bamboo hut in the yard of someone's house. We were served fresh corn on the cob and talked about the weather with the dozen or so older men in the hut. When the downpour let up, we said goodbye, thinking we were leaving our hosts to their evening, only to have everyone follow us out. All the men there were also simply hiding from the rain, accepting and extending the generosity from the actual homeowners to us.

We finally made it home, unscathed and entertained by our misadventures. It was not the day we had planned, but was one of the best on the island and reminded us, yet again, that people are what make places so special.

Ode to Friends (Koh Lanta, Thailand)

December 13, 2012 by B + B

There once was a group of seven friends
Who traveled far and wide
To find themselves together again
In Thailand, side-by-side

After twenty-four hours in Bangkok
Thailand's capitol city
It was on to Koh Lanta
An island oasis in the Andaman Sea

But first, our stomaches called
For a dim sum breakfast surprise
So a quick stop over in Trang
Filled our bellies and left tears of happiness in Jimmy's eyes

Now, on to paradise
To blue water, white sand and sun
An MTV-Cribs worthy villa
And four days of "complimentary" fun

Spring rolls and sea kayaking
Snorkeling, scuba and island tours
Paper lanterns, fire shows and fireworks
And Happy Joints (a restaurant, of course)

We explored caves on Talabeng
Swam in beautiful Pi Lay Bay
Visited "The Beach" at Ko Pi Pi
And pissed a few jellyfish off along the way

At home, everything we wanted
Was just down Klong Nin beach
And, if not, Rick's personal concierge
Could always be easily reached

We hatched a plan to retire to the island
When we had some available cash
And open a sea-side restaurant
Called Gang Bangers and Mash

On our last night in paradise
We had a family dinner at home
And thought about how lucky we are
To call each other our own

To our amazing friends who traveled so far
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts
For making this week of our trip
One of the most special parts

Wild Coast Part II

November 23, 2012 by B + B in Africa, South Africa

Back in September, on a 22-hour stopover in Lusaka, Zambia between safari and Vic Falls, we met a fellow American named Anthony. He sat with us for coffee for a grand total of 15 minutes telling us a few stories about his year motorcycling through Africa. He also mentioned that his favorite spot, "the most beautiful place in the world," was on the Wild Coast in South Africa. As it ended up, that place was Lubanzi, which is only a four-hour walk from Bulungula and our obvious second stop on the Wild Coast.

We weren't really sure what to expect of the walk from Bulungula to Lubanzi. We only knew that if you follow the coastline, you'd eventually find it. After our traumatic taxi experience, we decided to play it safe and hire a guide - a 19-year-old boy from the village - to lead the way. And, after making the trek, we were glad we did. There are no established trails and the chosen route took us along the beach, up hills, across rivers and through pastures. It is definitely doable on your own (again, just follow the coastline), but was nice to just be able to enjoy the moment and the amazing views and we were also more than happy to support the local economy. We had packed light knowing we would have to carry all our stuff with us and our guide nicely offered to carry my backpack, leaving me with Brendan's pack and Brendan with the big bag. The help was amazing and let one of us (let's be honest, Brendan) avoid carrying two bags, but we found out the hard way that if a stranger carries your stuff for a four-hour hike, it will probably end up smelling like him. The walk was gorgeous, and guide or no guide, smelly back pack or no smelly back pack, it's totally the best way to travel the Wild Coast.

We arrived at Wild Lubanzi Backpackers and were treated to a welcome beer - the first of many during our stay - and took a look at our new home. We didn't get far on the tour when we saw a somewhat familiar face. Anthony from Zambia, the reason we went to Lubanzi, was back at the lodge for a second stay! And we could see why. Lubanzi is strikingly beautiful. The lodge is set on a high cliff, overlooking not only the beach and ocean, but also sheer cliff faces on the other side of the valley. In the morning, we could see whales breeching and dozens of dolphins playing in the surf from the picture window in our room. It's unreal and immediately comfortable all at the same time.

But, the best thing about Lubanzi is the people. It runs like one big, dysfunctional family. The owners, Aiden and Rahel, live on property and have built the lodge one room at a time. It seems like they've purposefully kept it small, quiet and off-the-beaten-path enough to maintain an intimate vibe (as much for them as the guests). You have to work to get here and if you're not willing to or want to be catered to once you're there, it's probably not for you. Along with Aiden and Rahel, the lodge-family included two volunteers, Kyle and Kelley, Anthony and Cashew and Carab, two huge Rhodesian Ridgebacks that have the run of the property. We helped out in the kitchen, picked herbs and veggies in the garden, grabbed ourselves beers (marked down on a ledger, of course) and settled in to the slower pace. A few days later, a Polish couple who had also been recruited by Anthony joined us at the lodge and brought the rain with them.

It rained for days with no relief, leaving me, Brendan, Marta and Maciek stranded at Lubanzi with no way out. The roads were too muddy for their car and the ground was too soggy for us to walk. It definitely sounds worse than it was. Lubanzi is a great place to be stuck. We had good food, good company and, despite the clouds, a pretty good view of paradise. We got out and walked the village when we could. We played Brandy Dog - a game that we will definitely be bringing back to the states with us. And we drank a lot of beer. So much, in fact, that we ran out and the guys had to make a daring run to the shebeen in the rain. Even though they nearly got the car stuck and had to carry three cases of beer uphill, through the mud for 20 minutes, it was a successful mission. Until we drank it all that same night. Trying to make sober fun, we set up a sheet, hooked up the projector and popped some popcorn for movie night. All-in-all, we had a fun lock-in for three days, but the four of us were getting antsy.

Our chance for freedom came the morning after movie night. The skies cleared for a few hours, long enough to make the roads somewhat passable for Marta and Maciek's small rental, and they were nice enough to let us hitch a ride. As soon as we were out on the main roads, the skies opened back up. We drove for two days and over 1,000 kilometers and there was not one break in the rain. There were "waterfalls" everywhere - sheets of water coming down the cliffs to the road and down the other side. It was so bad, that a bridge on the road we were driving washed away - less than an hour after we had crossed it. Luckily, Maciek is an excellent and cautious driver - and he and Marta are wonderful company. We kept ourselves entertained with good conversation (mostly about travel and food), made a few stops and found our way to Plettenburg Bay where Brendan and I threw in the towel and bought tickets on the night bus to Cape Town. Mary had told us that the weather at home was sunny and with seasonal depression disorder setting in hard, we needed to get there fast.

We pulled up in Cape Town at 10am the next morning, just as the first rain drops were falling on the city. If we weren't so tired, we would have cried. Maybe I even did. It turns out, the rain had been some of the worst in the Eastern Cape's recent history. Roads were washed away (our bridge had actually made national news), villages were cut off from food and people were stranded. We considered ourselves extremely lucky to be back on somewhat dry land with family and our hearts went out to those still on the Wild Coast.

Even though our excursion to the Wild Coast was cut short, it was well worth it and lived up to its name in more ways than we could have imagined.

Noordhoek Beach

October 30, 2012 by B + B in Africa, South Africa

There is no shortage of beach options in Cape Town - the city nearly surrounded by water, so you don't have to look far to find waves and some sand. But, Noordhoek Beach is a must see. Getting out there is one of the most beautiful drives in the city, curling around the side of cliffs past Hout Bay, overlooking the Atlantic, and ending in a 16km white sand beach with clear blue water.

Not a bad way to spend an afternoon. Especially if you bring beach bats and a frisbee, which we've begun to master (note from Brendan that he is already a frisbee champ).

The water is freezing, so we didn't do much swimming, but there was a cool breeze, cold beers and good company to keep us comfortable.