Over Christmas, I had a very cool experience with Sea Eagle, a company that sells inflatable sports kayaks and other boats. It was such a great experience that I wanted to share it with others. So here it is! My Sea Eagle Kayak story It was the summer of 2011, and Sam and I had been…
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After recently spending a week in Japan, here are ten things we learned as tourists in Japan, in no particular order. If you’re going to Japan in the near future, hopefully, these silly observations might help get you oriented quicker. Also, if you are going to Japan in the near future … then we are…
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In preparation for my second Liberty Frye series book, Liberty Frye and the Sails of Fate (scheduled for release on May 2!!), I’ve collected a few more reviews for the first in the series: Liberty Frye and the Witches of Hessen, in the hope that the same reviewer might then be able to review the…
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Important Bali Temples and Holy Sites: the Hyped This is a follow up to my previous post on obscure Bali temples and holy sites. I 1. Pura Ulun Danu Beratan (a/k/a Pura Ulun Danau Bratan) Perched on the shores of Lake Bratan and encircled by forested mountainsides, Pura Ulun Danau Bratan is one of the more…
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My previous post on the Jatiluwih rice fields and their interlinking water temples made me think of all the beautiful Bali temples and holy sites Sam and I have visited over the past few years — some before we ever came to live in Indonesia. Our list is still super sparse when compared to the huge…
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Indonesia has the world’s third largest tropical forest, after the Amazon and the Congo. And lucky us, we currently live in Kalimantan, a/k/a Borneo, where the rain forests cloister species still being discovered; currently our island — the third largest in the world — is home to a huge range of flora and fauna found nowhere…
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The Jatiluwih rice fields of central Bali are a stunning destination, and a wonderful reminder that there is more to the Island of the Gods than parties, shopping and beaches. Jatiluwih Rice Fields UNESCO Designation The Jatiluwih rice fields also happen to be part of a UNESCO World Heritage designation celebrating the Balinese Subak System….
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A little bit of magic happened to us a few weeks ago when we stumbled upon a home based Bali coffee factory. Some of the best memories in life come from random, unexpected experiences. Am I right? It isn’t that planned activities can’t lead to great joy, but here’s the thing: you planned for it…
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Indonesia air pollution is a major topic this year, especially for those of us living under the smoky clouds. Unlike countries such as China or the USA, where air pollution is caused largely from coal factories and automobile exhaust, here in Indonesia, the major air pollution culprit is slash and burn farming. Slash and burn…
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Two things I love the most about the tiny, mountain town of Munduk: the amazing hiking and the day-to-day activities going on all around. Here, for the most part, people couldn’t care less about the ogling tourists in their “Bali” pants, snapping photos beside waterfalls and limitless scenic vistas. Whatever. They’ve got coffee cherries to…
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