Lombok

off to Lombok- a small island off the coast of Bali. We had heard so many fun things about this place, we couldn't miss it. Even if we had to fly over for only 24hrs! It was worth it. We spent the day traveling to the local villages for a more off the track feel.

Ricardo and I on Kuta Beach

with my new friend Eddie

Demi Moore, Ghost, that's all they kept saying as I was talked in to making my own pottery.
locals working the rice fields

Vacation Time! We begin with Sunshine.

For the first time, in a while, I left a place craving more. I love indonesia. The people are helpful, friendly, and live with smiles on their faces. And there is so much to see- beaches, mountains, villages..... After spending some time in Jakarta for work, I had the opportunity to spend 5 days on the islands of Bali and Lombok. I also was lucky enough to have a special guest join me for a few weeks! Let's start with Bali...

Our first 2 days we stayed in Nusa Dua at the Hotel Nikko- the hotel was built on the cliffside overlooking the Indian Ocean. My favorite part- the amazing seaside massages, Ricardo's- the super cool slide

Uluawatu Temple- I wanted to take more creative pictures, but we had a slight issues with the Monkeys. They were everywhere and would take any loose items: hats, cameras, even an earring from a lady who kindly warned us to not have anything out. Nonetheless it was breathtaking. (the Temple, not the Monkeys)

We arrived to Bali during Nyepi Day (Balinese New Year and Day of Silence). This meant for 24 hrs the entire island shuts off with no electricity and everyone staying in their homes. The goal is to make the evil spirits believe no one is there, more spiritually it is a time for reflection and meditation. Even for tourist you are not allowed out of the property. The previous day there are many festivals and parades where Ogoh-ogoh's are built and paraded thru the towns.

back to Jakarta

after Qingdao it was straight to Jakarta for the 2nd week of our workshop. I must say- Southeast Asia has won my heart! We loved these guys and once again had a great week. I hated to leave- but vacation awaits!!

dinner at a local rib joint

enjoying the last night out- how fun are these gals?!!

and this would be me trying cow brain!! ahhhhhh

Chickety China- Part I

My first trip to China. A week of work. and a visit with my old friend from Charlotte, Roy Wu. We arrived on the last day of Chinese New Year, just in time for Fireworks! It was cold in Qingdao though, so most of our evenings were spent trying out local Chinese cuisine- no General Tsao's, but we did have fun with the chicken feet and ox tongue!

S.A. and Mozambique: The rest of the story

Although it was a short stop over, the trip was an unforgettable experience! We sadly left South Africa and drove to Maputo, Mozambique for a 3 day workshop. Now that on the otherhand...... something i'll never forget as well. Though it was more the frustration of being held up in customs for 3 hours, not being able to get anything accomplished, and knowing that you were being taken for every penny you had! I can't explain to you what it was like to go from a luxurious safari reserve to the Mozambique border crossing. Surreal. Luckily the workshop was a success and we were able to enjoy a few nice evenings out with our African colleagues- enjoying the Maputo Prawns!

"Roughin' it" on the evening drives with our ranger and tracker (note the nifty makeshift bar they arranged for us!)

Birthday breakfast (his) with my traveling partner Anders

Traditional song and dance from local villagers (this topped it off for me!)

One of my favorite things to do was capture shots of our wonderful meals

and then there was Maputo! just a shot while driving thru to our hotel.

with our colleagues from Maersk Mozambique

these were the Prawns!!!

S.A.: The Animals

Breathtaking! Courtesy of my new Nikon I was able to capture some amazing shots! My new favorite animal- the Zebra; their skin is sooo beautiful. The toughest tracking- the leopard; our guides were determined for us to find a leopard and even went off on foot to hunt it out of the bush. The reserve is known for sighting "The Big Five", and we were lucky to catch them all in the 2 days: Rhino, Buffalo, Lion, Leopard, and Elephant. The Zebras and Giraffe's were our added bonus. and the Baboons wouldn't sit still long enough for a good shot. I have some nice bird photos as well- but they just didn't stack up against these beauties! Kruger park is roughly the size of Virginia, so while there are some fences keeping the animals out of the local villages, they have great freedom to roam around in the wilderness. (and no animals were harmed in the taking of these photos =)

South Africa: The Place

off to South Africa. We had a training in Mozambique the next week, so we took a diversion to spend a few days on a Safari. loved it. I cannot even explain how amazing the place was. and so thankful that I bought my new camera before the trip. We spent 2 nights- all inclusive with meals and drinks, morning safari (5:30am) and night safari (sunset), with guide and tracker. Awoke in the morning to the baboons running around the roof and terrace and led back by security in the evenings "just in case".

Ulusaba Safari Lodge: Sir Richard Branson's Private ReserveRock Lodge- the sister lodge where we enjoyed a nice lunch