Authors note: This is most definitely not a sponsered post. I received no consideration for this post! For the last three weeks I have made the family compound of Dewa Nyoman Jati my home. Jati is a highly regarded painter and has work displayed in the permanent collection of the world renown Neka Art Museum. […]
The Gili Islands, often referred to as just ‘the Gilis’ are three small islands a ways east of Bali and actually quite close to the larger Indonesian Island of Lombok. To get there you can take a slow ferry (several hours) or a fast boat (about 45 minutes) to Gili Trawangan, the first of the […]
Bali has a unique style of food. I am a chef. Bali has many great restaurants serving unique, fresh and flavorful dishes. Many of these establishments and their chefs offer cooking classes. I recently signed up for Alit’s Warung Cooking Class which is run by Alit. A warung is a small family owned business, usually […]
I have been a docent in Big Basin Redwood State Park, California’s oldest, for 10 years. When I am not traveling, I lead monthly interpretive hikes in the majestic redwoods. As part of my training and study, I learned that of the three species of redwood that have survived since the Jurassic Period (65,000,000 years […]
I did a Jet Boat ride on the Rogue River in Oregon a couple years back with a good friend. It was wet, wild and lots of fun. So when the opportunity arose yesterday to do another one, I jumped at the chance. A little research revealed that the Jet Boat was invented in New […]
I confess, I am at least a month behind in posting my myriad adventures in the beautiful land of all things Kiwi. The twofold reasons are 1) I have been busy traveling and doing wild stuff and 2) sporadic connectivity. I will continue to have many stories to tell for some time. However, three days ago I […]
Dateline: Deep Cove When I was hanging out in Te Anau before and right after my Milford Sound trip, I met John, a very friendly and helpful bartender at the Fiordland Theater. While drinking local craft beer and using their rather fast wifi, we talked a lot about Doubtful Sound. He had told me about Deep Cove […]
Day Two on the Navigator I awake early and peek out the port hole by my bunk. By dawns light I see we have anchored in a beautiful sheltered cove overnight. My three bunk mates are still asleep. I slip out grab a hot shower, my camera and some coffee and am first out on […]
Doubtful Sound, Fiordland Doubtful Sound is remote and deep in the heart of Fiordland, a national park and World Heritage Site that encompasses over three million acres. It is difficult to get there which is why it receives a small amount of visitors compared to the very popular Milford Sound further north. The sound, […]
New Zealand Loves Rugby During my recent stay in Dunedin I had the opportunity to see a rugby match with my wonderful host family the Cookes. It was the 2012 Super 15 kickoff for New Zealand fans with the Otago Highlanders (the local Dunedin team) taking on the Australian New South Wales’ HSBC Waratahs […]