Days in Bali

In Ubud market, making acquaintance with a little baby girl.

Among baskets in the market.

Lu is fascinated with statues. Here he's leaning on a stone tiger in Neka Museum.

Eating babi guling by Ibu Oka, the most famous place in Ubud.

Walking down the streets of art shops.

Walking in the countryside with a little friend, one of our hosts of Pondok Langon.

Come papa!

In the Lotus Garden, Ubud.

Everywhere in the sky enormous kites waving graciously. Sometimes they're so big that they've got to be carried by trucks!

The monkeys. It reminded us of The jungle book and Mowgli being kidnapped by the monkeys of the lost city.

In the temple of the Forest Monkey.

To enter Hindu temples we have to wear sarongs.

Some rice field landscape.

Poli, one of the dogs of the house where we're staying. I just love her, she's so sweet. I miss having the company of cats and dogs.

Arriving in Ubud.

Days in Bali

I felt the urge to share with you this picture. Maybe it seems an ordinary picture taken from a tropical landscape but from here it looks very special. Lu just fell asleep looking at it. Under our mosquito net, though we're almost not bothered by them over here, lying together looking at the pinkish coloured sky I just wondered what impressions and sensations will be impressed on Lu by all these experiences, and scenery and people... there lying in bed it felt really nice, all so peaceful: the late afternoon warmth, the bats flying in the sky, we could already hear some of the first sounds of the night which are quite a few here by the rice fields, my mind easily wandered off in romantic thoughts of impressions and sensations and epic childhoods.

We're leaving tomorrow and I can't help feeling a bit of sorrow, we like it here. Living so close it'll surely be easy to return some other time. The sky is already dark, the choir of bugs, frogs, lizards and birds is singing attuned and it's time to have some rest. Wishing you a lovely evening wherever you are, snuggling with someone special. Lots of love. Sampai jumpa everyone (just another 'see you later' that we learned here in Bali).

Days in Bali

We didn't make it for the dance, which is quite a pity. We're told that it is spectacular and Li is very enthusiastic about dances also. Instead we met a lovely couple from New Zealand while having dinner in a warung. They have a little boy the same age of Lu. They're also in holidays but for quite some time now, a couple of months and they've been travelling around Asia. We just went on chit chatting while the children played together. In the end we felt like enjoying our new friends rather than going to a show a midst a crowd of other tourists. Ubud ended up to be a bit disappointing at first because it seems all focused in selling stuff to tourists but after a while we came across beautiful places, and beautiful things and mainly beautiful people. We feel blessed for such inspiring encounters. I just hope you all are enjoying life! Selemat malam everybody!

Yes, we've got beautiful pictures of these days just didn't make it YET to post them! They'll come.

Days in Bali

Did I tell you that we were going to Bali for some days? Naughty ;) So here we are in Bali for a week now. If Java is Indonesia well then Bali is something else or if Bali is Indonesia then Java is a completely different country. We landed last Saturday in Denpasar, Bali and there at the airport was Ketut and Mupu the driver that would take us in a 3 hour journey by car all across the island. We had a rough idea of what was expecting us but reality was about to be revealed to us there at the end of the road trip to Kali Manik, near Kalisada. There was heaven! Well at least for us, surely for others other descriptions would fit. For us it was just perfect! We wanted to get away from big cities, noisy roads, polluted air... what we call civilization. We wanted to get away from it all and there we managed to do so. There we met Silvia and her friendly staff that received us as being part of the family. Silvia is the 'architect' of that idyllic place and has been living in north Bali for more than 20 years now. Kali Manik is peace and quiet between beach, pasture and mountains. There we spent the most invigorating four days and we feel very happy and lucky to have found such a place and lovely people. At the moment we're staying near Ubud, in the middle of rice paddies. Ubud is the art center of Bali and maybe you heard of it for it was where Julia Roberts shot "Eat Pray and Love", the movie. It is a very touristic place still we managed to stay away from the big commotion and just going there to feel the atmosphere whenever we feel like it. Today we're planning on going to watch a traditional dance, that I shall tell you all about it later.
I know that posts have been very scarce here in Days and I thank you all for sticking with us. Suksuma!

Independence day

Dirgahayu RI! Long live Indonesia!

Hanging the Indonesian flag on Independence day in Jalan Kenari. 

Two days in Brisbane

While we were in Singapore Pak Edu had to conciliate a very important trip to Brisbane, Australia. There Pak Edu together with all DeforestAction partners launched the EarthWatchers application. Just check Pak Edu's presentation: EarthWatchers launch.

I just can't wait for the next post from Pak Edu which will be over the Ensaid last traditional tribe.

Jerson and drought days

Yesterday it rained, it rained for the first time in three weeks, Alhamdulillah. It rained the whole evening, it's a blessed rain. Those have been weeks of heat and drought putting Muslims even more to the test during this special month of Ramadan. We feel the city center even more busy during the hours of fasting which seems a bit odd. We also noticed that the queues at supermarkets are longer which seems even odder. Something peculiar is that all restaurants, cafes, snack bars and so have curtains all around in respect for those who are fasting and when the drums echoes in the Mosques' speakers the curtains open and we witness the moment of berbuka (fast break). We were told that Ramadan seems to be suffering from the same evil as Christmas. It's getting a bit too commercial and people are 'called' to consume leaving the spiritual cleansing aside.

Today while in the angkot to the city center we were surprised by someone speaking Portuguese to us. Jerson (if I got it right) is from East Timor and is at the moment living in Jakarta. I was particularly enchanted by this person (so far away from Portugal or other Portuguese speaking place) sharing the same language. We chit chatted all the way until we got out. It was a very pleasant talk and in the end I felt very curious about getting to know East Timor. He is from Dili and is a Franciscan seminarist. He told us that a lot of people speak Portuguese there and that since Ramos Horta is president, East Timor has developed a lot. What a fine encounter, we might visit East Timor one of these days!

Sampai nanti everyone!

Meeting with Cathy day

Selamat malam! Today the children and me met a very enthusiastic woman. In the end, Li said she would like to go and visit her in Australia, where she currently lives. Cathy is her name and she is the producer of the EarthWatchers action movie. Pak Edu, Cathy and others from DeforestAction Project had been together for the last 4 days in the area of Sintang, West Kalimantan (the land area of DeforestAction) to talk with the local population about their situation in their forest. From what Pak Edu told us their stories are quite sad to listen to for their feeling of helplessness and their only request was letting the world know what is happening to their home. (I believe Pak Edu will post about his adventure in the jungle soon). But as I was saying, Cathy was very interested in knowing where was the office of Pak Edu and Pak Budhi and so came to Bogor for a quick visit. We toured a bit in the city center and end up in a restaurant which is a tipical long house of the Dayak people (the one they met in the jungle). We had a very pleasant lunch together. We shall meet again, so we hope.

Sampai nanti everyone!!

More:

a bit over the career of Cathy Henkel

The DeforestAction movement

Collaborate for change

Days update

We're back to Bogor for some days now. Everything went OK in Singapore, which is a very different country compared to Indonesia. We went there for our visa was about to expire and that was the easier way. Our permanent visa is taking longer than expected. Back 'home' we just dove into Ramadan, which has started the 1st of August this year. Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar and also the month of fasting. Muslims fast from dawn to dusk, no food nor drink.

So since we arrived we've been experiencing how Ramadan is lived at least here in our neighbourhood. Muslims are encouraged to read the Qur'an so in the evening by the time of the last prayer of the day the recitations are longer on the speakers. Sometimes I've the feeling they go all night long. Around 2 am or 3 am (I cannot precise) someone passes in the streets singing and playing drums for people to wake up and start preparing breakfast (I believe I never payed attention to this word: break-fast!! The evening fast.) which is before sunrise. At dinner, just after sunset when finally Muslims can eat and drink again, they start the meal with dates (like the prophet Muhammad) and nata de coco which I came to appreciate a lot. Nata de coco is a fermented of coconut cream and it looks like coconut jelly but maybe a bit harder.

We're not fasting but I am trying to eat less and to fast from not so positive thoughts and feelings to help redirect my heart away from worldly activities, cleanse my inner soul and free it from harm (in source).

I cannot help myself from sharing what is in my heart today. I've learned that a dear friend of mine is gone. I received this news with some commotion in me though I knew she was ill for quite a while now. So today like in some other days she has been in my thoughts. I've very fond memories of her that I shall keep forever. I just wonder how it will feel like when one day I'll return to Portugal and she won't be there anymore. Today I celebrate her life and having met her. Thank you. May you rest in peace, dear Trisha.

As-Salamu Alaykum everyone (Peace be upon you)