Sunset in Lombok

Mountains, ocean, palm trees and a sunset with virtually no one around. It can't get much better than this!

snorkeling off the coast of Gili Meno

Gili Meno is the quietest of the three islands. However, the snorkeling was fantastic. Many exotic colorful reef fish were just within my reach. Gili Meno has a population of about 500 residents and you could be a real Robinson Crusoe if you desired. The beaches were the best of all three of the islands, but we only stayed for lunch and then back to snorkeling.

Swimming with the turtles off Gili Meno

One of the highlights of a day of snorkeling was being able to see these huge turtles swimming freely in the reefs off Gili Meno.

Views from my rooftop terrace Gili Air

After a long day of snorkeling it felt great to rest up in the trees, with a cool breeze and a book.

Sejuk Cottages Gili Air

Set back from the beach in a quiet coconut grove. The stylish, well presented thatched cottages this is owned by a Frenchman. The first picture is my tree top veranda complete with hammock. The other picture is my front porch overlooking the salt water pool.

The Road from Sire to Sengiggi in Lombok

The road is very scenic, slaloming around the contours of a succession if cove beaches. We came by boat to an empty beach with a car waiting for us. Regina says we seemed like we were escaping from one country to another!

Two animals along the road to Lombok

No lounge chair for me!

This is what I am sitting on and that's my view as I write this. Not too shabby!

View from my cottage in Lombok

Last full day and I'm sitting at the beach writing this. I havent' had access to internet for three days. Havent' seen cars or motorcycles for that many days either, it's been delightful. The ocean is calm, the breeze is delightful and I dread the long trip back to Cirebon tomorrow. It will take close to ten hours. The ocean is behind the pool- you can see the blue.

Laundry Room

While I do some laundry here behind the house, Ms. Regina has been very gracious and allows me to have her maid wash my clothes in her washing machine. Cold water is used in both this and washing machines. I however boil my water before I put it in the bucket. Needless to say, laundry can take up quite a bit of my time.

Golden Mushroom (Jin Zhen Gu)

These are Japanese mushrooms that are deep fried. They are very tasty and a great choice after working out!

Angklung

This is a musical instrument made of bamboo tubes set at a specific pitch in a bamboo frame. You shake it from side to side to create the music. Unlike me, who first tried it by shaking it up and down. The second grade class used these to perform "You are my sunshine" (and don't pretend you don't know that song!)

Mangosteen

It has a hard thick skin and has only been legally imported into the US since 2007-where in NYC it went for as high as $45 a pound! It's a very subtle taste and the number of leaves on the outside let you know how many sections of fruit are inside.

Mango from a friend's tree

Who knew that there are three varieties of Indonesian mangoes. This one is was an orange color while another one was yellow. Both are incredibly sweet - and nothing like the ones we buy in the States. Amazingly, fruit is eaten in the afternoon and is not considered a breakfast food. In fact, I was told I had a strong stomach because I eat apples and mangoes for breakfast!

Nasi Kuning- My favorite Indonesian Breakfast

Yellow rice (Nasi Kuning) is typical Indonesian food. It's rice cooked with tumeri, coconut milk and spices. Besides being a favorite breakfast staple it is often served at celebrations because the yellow mound of rice looks like gold and represents wealth and prosperity. It is often served with shredded omelette, potato fritters and sambal (a chili based sauce used as a condiment) . We get it from a street vendor wrapped in brown paper and then wrapped in newspaper. It's very filling, delicious- but I'm not sure how nutritious!

Hong Kong from the Airport

The flight from JFK directly was to Hong Kong was uneventful. However, at about hour 13 of a sixteen hour flight I was ready to climb out of the tin can that was zooming across the sky. I was tired of sleeping on my neighbor's arm, and having my legs bumped (thankfully I was an aisle seat) every time someone walked by. I did get to see two movies that I had wanted to see - so that was a plus.




I was also quickly reminded that western breakfasts do not exist in Asian countries. So for the four meals I had on the two flights- I've completed my quota of rice for the summer!

Rappers Indonesian Style

Rap music was very popular this year. And I know it is hard to believe, but I had to show some of the students how to move! These Primary five students along with their other classmates created a video about saving the planet from destruction. Afterwards they sang and danced about the importance of taking care of the earth.

End of Year Celbration and Graduation

Here in Indonesia, they usually have the end of the year celebration at hotels. Here is the stage with a big screen so the people in the back (that was me) could see what was going on. The fresh flowers were replaced an hour before our festivities began.

End of Year Celebration

The end of the year performance is a big deal. Children practice for weeks, and the costumes are very elaborate. Each grade did a performance, creating a show that lasted close to four hours. The amazing thing is even though the parents want the performance and are willing to pay for elaborate costumes, they don't think it necessary to sit and watch. They walk around, talk, eat, and take pictures of their children who are not on stage. The little girl was in a performance of "You are my sunshine". The two boys were in a performance the Disney movie "Mulan".