Return of the Mummy

"Yah, my sister died on this ride" I lied to the trembling people behind me. We were currently on the mummy ride at Universal studios Singapore.

"What, no, I want to get off" She said. But it started to move before she could say anything to the ride person. It moved for about 10 seconds and stops. Now me, I have been on this ride 5 times before and this hadn't happened. But they soon got it to work and we started to move. There were scary voices and a man tied up, having his soul sucked out of him. Then we entered a room with a skull talking. 

"Work for me and have everything you ever imagined!"  The lights turned on to my left and right. 

"But if you refuse..." Two big scary monster thing jumped out. The women behind me screamed. Then we started going fast and crashes into a wall. Then a black beatle came out of the crack, then thousands started running after us. The lady wouldn't stop screaming. We started going backwards and fast. Then we stopped. And a creepy voice said,

"You dare refuse me! now..."  There was a pause. 

        "Your souls are mine," he yelled. We started speeding up really fast then faster. We entered a red skulls mouth and we were speeding down really fast in pitch black. Then we stopped. The lights turned on, their was a man who said some stuff and then caught on fire. This was normal but the women screamed, and the man laughed. Then we went down a dark fast twisty part. The ride finished after that. It was my favorite ride.

- Mira                                                                                                                                                                                    

Adventures in Palau

We've recently arrived in Singapore after a very active and adventurous week in Palau. Nadia provided details on Palau in her post this week so I'll only provide a few more photos and note that Palau has definitely been one of the highlights of our trip.

It's really nice to now spend time in Singapore with my sister Ann and her husband Michael and my niece and nephew Thani and Demetri. My other niece Zarima is DC attending university so we unfortunately won't get to see her on this visit.

Enjoy the pics.  Cheers, Rob

Exploring water caves 

Synchronized cliff jumping 

Endless cruising  on crystal clear waters 

Shuttled with gear to reef for snorkeling 

Mira climbing Banyan tree in forest 

Dinner on the beach with our guide Mac 

Mud baths for Mira, Mac and Maya 

Beautiful Palau 

 Our kayaking team

On route to dive with manta rays 

Camping on the beach

Camping and the Sea

Forgive the long silence from us.  We were essentially offline for the seven days we were in Palau – but it was a magnificent week!  I have been in heaven being active with the sea and camping in the wild – not only that but it was a week full of new things.  All told, those are probably my three favorite activities:  being active in the sea, camping in the wild, and new things.

I was waterlogged for much of the week.  We kayaked around the Rock Islands of Palau for four long and full days, had four hour-long scuba dives over two days, and had many, many long snorkels in the sea and in marine lakes around the islands.  While wet, I saw all sorts of new things including:  dancing manta rays doing flips while feasting on plankton; giant clams which were so big that Maya could lay down inside them (really!); tiny colorful nudibranchs swimming in marine lakes; batfish camouflaged among leaves floating in the harbor; two new varieties of Cassiopia Andromeda upside down jelly fish; and the amazingly colorful and tiny mandarin fish of Palau.

I also relished the solitude of camping on deserted beaches with my family.  Having lived in a big crowded city in the desert in Jordan for the five years leading up to this trip, I couldn’t get enough of everything about these seven days: the glorious shades of blue and green of the water; being in “the now” as we gently paddled for hours through isolated, quiet lagoons; the sounds of the colorful birds in the thick trees; fruit bats and white-tailed tropic birds gliding over peaceful forests and bays; and watching the sun softly rise over untouched beaches.

It was a glorious and rejuvenating active week in Palau.  I’m ready for more days like these!

Love and Peace,   Nadia

Java

Recently I found myself at a local travel agent in Bali. booking plane tickets to Yogyakarta, when I noticed a quote on a calendar on the agent's desk. It read:

"We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us". ~ Anonymous

I couldn't agree more. The quote is succinct and captures the essence of why Nadia and I committed to this big adventure we're on with the kids. I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to do this with Nadia, Maya and Mira.

We've just completed a fulfilling week in central Java visiting amazing temples, exploring Yogyakarta, jeep riding on an active volcano, rock climbing at the coast, and even learning the traditional and time intensive way of making batik.

We're now in Micronesia and excited to go diving tomorrow with manta rays and on large WWII shipwrecks.

Here are a few pics of the  past week.   Cheers, Rob

Prombanan Temple, (Hindu) built in 900 AD 

Borobudur,Temple (Buddhist) 

Yaya sisterhood 

4-wheeling on Mt. Morapi volcano, Yogyakarta 

Fisherman harvesting crustaceans, coast of Java 

Mira rock climbing (falling here) 

My first attempt at batik. 4 hours work 

Maya making a friend

Hip pedal cars, we rented one and cruised

Glow

There is a warm glow around the city,
As lights shine through haze,
Occasionally one flickers off,
Occasionally a flip of a switch turns one on,
But it makes no difference,
To the warm golden city,
The shine doesn't brighten,
When a light flickers on,
The glow doesn't dim,
When a light is switched off.

Maya

Happy place

"Canon ball SPLASH!" I screamed clenching my knees to my chest. I made my way to the bottom of the pool. I sat. It was as if time stood still, no sound, no movement other that my own. I watched the shiny shimmer of the sun's reflection on the bottom of the pool. It was a pattern of squiggly lines that moved in different directions. Water is a time stopper. The only thing that makes a sound, or moves is you. I went up for air and as soon as my ears came up from the water, I was struck with the sound of screaming babies, shooting, wining, and movement. So I went back down. Down, to my happy place, down to be one with nature. 

-Mira 

Yogya

After spending a little over two weeks on "vacation" in the southern international tourist areas of Bali, it is a big relief to now be in Yogyakarta, the artistic and cultural capital of Java.  This tranquil city is full of religious and Dutch colonial history, and has an existence independent of foreigners.

The Special District of Yogyakarta is ruled by a much-loved, tenth generation Moslem sultan, who's family lives in the raton (royal palace) next to common people in a neighborhood surrounded by thick walls (the former city walls).  Our guide, a third-generation palace worker, said the sultan was "no different than everyone else", and that was why his children went to a government school with all the other kids and he flew to Jakarta on commercial airlines.

The girls and I have loved learning about Islam in Indonesia, where women wear strapless tops, minarets are shaped like lotus flowers, people are proud of the country's former female president, families burn incense and make flower garlands to offer god once a week, and the entrance to cemeteries are guarded by dragon statues.

Inside the royal palace, they beat this 200 year old drum five times a day to call people to prayer!

There are nearly as many pedi-cabs as there are cars in the city.  These are part of the transport system for the public (not for tourists), as are the horse-drawn carriages.  They're eco-friendly and keep down the noise pollution!

Entering the old city via the common local taxis

When visiting the Taman Sari Water Castle (part of the royal houses) today, I was very much reminded of Jerash Castle, in Jordan, as well as the walled city of Jerusalem.  These 250+ year old buildings had plumbing, spas, and amazing ventilation to combat the heat.

The Taman Sari, where the royal family used to go to relax away from royal duties

Beautiful windows inside the Taman Sari

We also visited the Hindu Prambanan Temple, built in 900 AD.  Over 90% of the visitors here were locals.  The government is busy restoring parts of the temple that were destroyed in the big 2010 earthquake.

Sunset at Prambanan Temple

I highly recommend Yogyakarta - and I haven't been to the most famous tourist sites yet - the Buddhist Borobudur temple or Mount Merapi (the active volcano)!

Nadia

Spring

She turned towards the sunlight,
And shook her yellow head,
She then whispered to her neighbor,
The spring is here.
Winter is dead.

Maya

Bali High

Our time in Bali has been quite relaxing and enjoyable. Our first few days were spent on the north east of the island in a small diving village called Amed. We had basic accommodation looking out at the sea and spent our time diving and snorkeling right off the beach. I also had the change to rent local outrigger canoes to fish with Maya (late afternoon) and Mira (first thing in the morning watching the first light hit a 10,000ft volcano called Mt. Aging).

We then moved southeast to a place called Umulas where we had a house for two weeks. The place was great - lots of outdoor living space, a pool, and nice grounds. The most exciting part was having good friends from Rhode Island, Jay, Denise, Charlotte and Jimmy Robbins join us. It was so nice seeing the kids having so much fun with their good friends and for Nadia and I to catch up and spend time with our good friends Jay and Denise. Some days we would go to the beach and the kids would surf, other days we just hung out at home. Not having to pack an unpack for an entire two weeks was also a major plus of having the house.

We did manage a trip to Ubud, in the center of the island, where we hiked through terraced rice paddies and visited a couple of interesting temples including one that was 1100 years old.

Now we're in Sanur, on the southeast side of the island where Maya and I spent the late afternoon on an exposed sandbar/reef and saw incredible starfish, pufferfish, eels, manta shrimp and much more. We'll spend one more day here before flying to Yogyakarta on Java where we hope to visit Borabador, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.    Cheers, Rob

Kuta Beach

With good friends from home

Family diving in Amed, north Bali

Sunset at Amed

Fishing with Mira at sunrise from outrigger canoe

Beautiful corals just off the coast

Rice terraces

Late afternoon surf

Adventures

"Mira! Mira!" Screamed my dad he was waving his hands around like he had a bullet on his hands. I ran over and saw a lady with two snakes, one big yellow and white one around her neck, and a brown one around her wrist. My eyes widened.

"You want hold?" She asked. 

 I smiled and nodded. She took the large flexible snake off her neck and put it around mine. 

The snake was not at all what I expected.  It was warm, and not slimy at all.  It was a little bit soft but was very firm. I smiled for my dad's photos, then I handed over the big yellow snake to Jimmy.  

 Then I asked if I could hold the brown one. She nodded and placed him around my wrist. This snake was a bit more aggressive. His head kept on wanting to go to mine, but I obviously didn't want that. 

Then the women carried on.  It ended. 

The Wonderfull adventure just ended, and all I had to do then, was wait for another.

Mira

Warrior Princesses

As you know, I'm a bit of a feminist and somewhat into women's rights.  I think about this often as I raise my two daughters, especially as they get older and especially when we're in places in which women have many fewer rights than men - and Bali is no exception.

It isn't obvious, but women in Bali are second-class citizens.  While it is a Hindu society, traditionally, it is not unlike places of other religions, whether Christianity or Buddhism or Judaism or Islam.  Traditionally, wives are raised to serve their husbands needs before all else.  Traditionally, sons are much more treasured or prized than daughters.  Traditionally, men eat first and women eat later.  Sons are given meat and daughters eat meat only if there is enough.  Traditionally, men are allowed as many wives as they want - so long as the first wife approves, at least in theory.

My daughters continually surprise me.  They have confidence.  They are adventurous.  They try new things with gusto.  I'm impressed and amazed.  They are warrior princesses.  Who are they and how did they get that way?

I was reminded of this today, as I was reading this passage in a book both Maya and I are currently reading:

   What separates a warrior woman from the rest is her courage to push the boundaries.  It's about caring less what others expect of you and more about what you expect from yourself.  It's about being brave and living your truth, and being the best that you can possibly be.  If you expect life to be a glorious adventure then go out and create it.  It's your journey, so begin it.    Bali Hai:  A Woman's Journey (by Odyle Knight)

Nadia

 Maya, the warrior princess

Fearless Mira

Moments

My fingers slide down the side of my board as I dive under the foaming white water.  The water is dark and cool as a wave roars over me. My body erupts onto the surface and I power forward over the surging ocean.  My arms ache from paddling all day and my belly stings as a rash forms where the rough wax rubs.  Yet I continue to paddle, my torso screaming with the movement of my board.

A wall of water emerges out of nowhere.  It surges toward me, growing ever bigger.  I spin my board around and paddle like my life depends on it.  I no longer notice the salt that burns my eyes, I just pull myself forward, forgetting everything except for me, my board, and the wave.  The nose of my board dips forward, and foam laps at my ankles.  Then all of a sudden I am a part of the ocean.  I travel up and down the wall of water, getting to know every inch of it.

Time slows when I am on top of the world, everything seems perfect. There are hundreds of other surfers in the water, but in the moment, they don't exist.  It is just me and the ocean. A cool ocean breeze blows through my hair, the turquoise water glints underneath the sun, and the crowds of the beach seem miles away.  This is what I live for.  I go to bed every night with sore muscles and stinging rashes, all for these moments, moments where the pains of life are unknown.

Maya

The Temple

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.  Ok, here put these on and I will wait outside" exclaimed our guide. I took my wrap from his old calloused hands and walked to the changing room.

"Eeeeeeeeek!  Oh my god, I'm so exited!"  screeched Charlotte.

I giggled.  We were going to clean ourselves. Which means that we would have no karma no bad luck nothing, we would be just like a new born baby. We got changed into the cheap purple sarongs and tied a yellow piece of fabric along our waists.  I placed my dry clothes in the back of our locker, and slipped on my flip flops. We all walked towards the door to enter the crowded room where we would become babies.

"Ok, so first you put your hands together and say oooommm oooommm oooommm 3 times, then you splash your face 3 times, after that you gargle 3 times and drink the water three times, then finally dunk your head under," the guide exclaimed. I couldn't help thinking that if a lot of people were doing this, then it was spit water.  But I just ignored that and continued listening to the guide.

"But first, we are going to give an offering" We all followed him towards the door.  I stepped through it opened up to three pools with fountains flowing from the front.

"Ok here, here, here, here, here, and here" he gave us these small square containers made out of straw with flower petals in it.  The guide gestured to sit.  We sat.   I was exited for the next 15 minutes.

"So we go one by one, you make a wish then place your offering on the table.  But first, we meditate."

I was so excited.  We all followed his directions.

"Stay completely still and completely relaxed.  Say om 3 times."  We all said om.  I could feel Jimmy next to me giggling.

"Listen to all the sounds around you."  I heard the crowd talking.  I heard people saying omm, I heard the water from the fountains hitting the water.  I heard small children splashing around.  I heard around 50 different kind of bird sounds.  I was very relaxed.

"Ok now you," said the guide, tapping my mom.  She got up and rested the offering on the table.

"Now make your wish," he said.  My mom closed her eyes for a few seconds turned around and sat down.  Then it was Denise's turn, and Maya's, and Charlottes, and Jimmy's, and mine.

We then got into the pool and followed the guide's directions.  It was a very new and fun experience. 

Mira