Date:  Sept 18th

Type:  Theme

RE:  Indonesia

By:  Holly

As children we dream of far off places, exotic people and wild animals.  My husband and I chose to make our dreams come alive, we travelled to Indonesia.  Bali, Borneo, Lombok, Komodo and Sumatra are just the better known of the 17,000 plus islands that make up Indonesia.  These varied tropical islands are spread across the Pacific from Singapore to Australia.  Of course we could not visit all 17,000 islands (maybe one day), but we did our best to sample this diverse country, from the towering volcanoes to the sand beaches and the steamy jungle, from the quaint villages and ancient temples to the worlds most deluxe resort hotels.

Bali
 
Bali is a magical place.  It is a land of golden spires and tinkling temple bells, tantalizing aromas and sumptuous cuisine.  Ancient Hindu traditions are part of daily life here.  Our hotel room had a fresh flower blessing at the front door.  Music and dance are also daily tradition.  We enjoyed several performances, including a classic Barong dance.  Ubud is a delightful town, considered the cultural heart of Bali. Many smaller villages known for their artisans and traditional handicrafts are nearby.  Shopping is exceptional, 
local specialties include silver jewelry, wood and leather puppets and hand woven fabrics such as batik. The volcanic highlands and terraced rice paddies offer breathtaking natural beauty. Most importantly, it's the people.... Everywhere you go a gracious charm and hospitality greets you.

Komodo

We sailed to Komodo Island and its National Park in search of the Komodo dragon, the world's largest lizard, fully grown at 9feet long and 300 plus pounds.  I am happy to report that we found several dragons and lived to tell!

Borneo

Off again, this time in search of the wild orangutan we flew to Pangkalanbun, Kalimantan, on the Indonesian side of Borneo for three exciting days. We traveled by riverboat up to Tanjung Puting 
National Park, home of the Camp Leakey Orangutan Rehabilitation area. Approximately 50 animals come and go in this "open zoo".  We were lucky to meet up with 30 of them, from 3month old babies 
to Kosasi, the King, 35 years old and 350 pounds.

All in all, quite a vacation.....Too bad it takes so long to get there.