Can I drink the water now?

The Last Supper, Bali

After about 33 hours of travel, we have arrived back in Boston to weather our pilot described as "brisk." We were surprised to see our bags roll off the belt knowing that we best incinerate the contents anyway.

So, want to go to Europe in a couple of weeks?  Perhaps...

Infrastructure, Where Art Thou?

Gili Trawangan, Lombok, Indonesia

We departed Bali's interior for some more beach time (yeah, yeah, we know) and took a speed boat to Gili Trawangan which is actually part of Lombok, Bali's neighbor.

Future driftwood



Gili T has no motorized vehicles of any kind, which is really peaceful and quaint, especially if you're into eau d'horse.  This gem of an island can be circumnavigated by foot in less than two hours, depending on how many tourists are attempting to ride bikes for what appears to be their first time ever on anything with wheels.  There is only one path that runs the perimeter, so we found it a bit odd when we were asked for directions by another traveler that had somehow gotten lost... perhaps he actually sampled the heavily marketed Magic Mushroom Shake.

Ensuring goat kebab stays off the menu

Prawn cabaret show is a blast, really

 

We've learned that there are two ways to approach accommodations in southeast Asia - live in forced austerity and pay 20-30 bucks for a room OR pay just slightly more, but vastly less than anywhere you could find in the US, Caribbean, etc., and have your own villa with a pool.  Don't bother betting on which direction we've gone in.





They call it happy hour for a reason you know

Lombok, Indonesia

Next stop Lombok proper.  Mostly Muslim population which really only presented itself with the 5am call to prayer at the mosque next door.  Don't worry, I was already awake slathering on sunscreen.

This photo will hopefully make you
question your own life choices

Not pictured:  constant barrage of beach hawkers

Outdoor bathrooms are fun, especially if
you're fond of house pet-sized scorpions

And they said you couldn't spend a whole month in Bali

Kids: Making everbody's photos better since 1826

We visited Ubud, which is in the mountainous center of Bali:



Nick: magnetically attracted to plam trees all over the globe



No one could bring themselves to tell Jimmy he was different

We heard eerie yoga incantations emanating from this house.
Just like Cambridge.

We learned why the Balinese are more famous for their beautiful dancing than their music (lets just say it's not for the faint of heart):



Glad we finally made it to the Polynesian Show



This looks like more fun than ballet

We learned that rice paddies are not for the navigationally challenged:

I swear we passed this shrub earlier...

Actual exchange in the rice paddy:
Us: "Which way to Ubud?"
Balinese man: "You're IN Ubud!"

We ventured further afield to the small village of Munduk, Bali where we got back to nature in a rice paddy bungalow:

Got anything thicker?

View from our bungalow. So totally Eat, Pray, Love.
Minus Javier Bardem.
Unfortunately.

Clove trees

Irish Spring ad

Snakeskin fruit

Coffee beans

No caption required for this photo

Ditto

Northern Vietnam

Hmong women walking to market

Once we finally learned the secret to crossing the street in Hanoi (attach yourself like a barnacle to a local, and cling for dear life), we decided to push our luck and head north to Sapa, Vietnam, near the border of China. After a bumpy journey on the overnight train (say what you will about the French, they make top-notch roommates), we found ourselves in Sapa, surrounded by emerald green rice paddies, shrouded by mist. A ton of mist. Actually, we didn't actually see the green until the mist lifted the next day. But it was beautiful.

Where rice is born



Shoulda sprung for the gortex sneakers



 We visited a Hmong Village, where the women wear amazing colorful costumes. Sorry, no photos of that. A minor extortion event at the hands of our tour guide kind of killed our buzz. But we give the Hmong a mulligan on that one. And we had a great time anyway.

These piglets did not extort us

Next stop was Halong Bay, Vietnam, where we cruised on a beautiful wooden boat most excellently named "The Dragon Pearl." Argh, matey.

The Pirates of the Caribbean Ride was better
before they tacked on that Johnny Depp part

We kayaked sportily around Halong Bay which is mystical and spooky.

A land called Hanalei
 (wait is that in Hawaii?)
(I noticed a lack of "spirit of aloha")

All this mist is bad for my Seasonal Affective Disorder

Vietnam was amazing and challenging. We ran in to one or two American vets who had served in the war, and it was moving to consider what it must be like for them to be experiencing this place after so many years.

This tiny woman rowed us in to her floating fishing village for a tour.
 She shredded it. 



Cat wondering how it ended up living in a floating village



The Hanoi Experience

No more taxis.
That restaurant is closed.
This way is much faster.
No change.

Sure.

Hanoi is pretty intense. Much like Bangkok, Hanoi has its own special grind.  Crossing the street is an event here - no stoplights at all, just cars, buses, and thousands of motorcycles honking and daring you to dance through frogger-style.

Very interesting being here in Vietnam, you kind of get the feeling [REDACTED BY THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM] and in some ways [REDACTED BY THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM] so all in all its really just [REDACTED BY THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM].

Anyway, some great architecture from when the French laid claim.  Good, cheap noodle soup and hidden cafes that would seem filthy at home, but somehow romantic here.

In Sapa now, up near the border of China.  We'll talk about the overnight train bathroom another time.



Are those guards still following us?



Lunch hour

Eat your heart out Lonely Planet

[THIS CAPTION CENSORED]

Where did I leave that Cipro?

Finally, that water puppet show is over