Short moment of silence…

...for Iran, and Neda. I am awash with grief for a woman I have never met, and would likely never meet. I can't say it better than said by, of all people, farkers (posters on fark.com, who have been faster and more accurate with information than any news source), so I'll lift a post that … Continue reading Short moment of silence… →

Bali – First Impressions (Kuta, Legian, Seminyak)

Arrival We left Auckland at 630am; it was 3 degrees Celsius, crisp and clear. 24 hours later, we landed in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia; it was 29 degrees Celsius and sticky as hell. A sheen of insta-sweat covered my skin - poor Rhys broke out in hives (like he does). Everyone was smiling. Everyone. This was … Continue reading Bali – First Impressions (Kuta, Legian, Seminyak) →

Adjusting to Asia

Man, it's hard to get used to Bali. Everywhere I walk, someone is asking me for something and trying to get my attention. Not in a poverty way, but in a 'buy my stuff' kind of way. Aside from the beach and Barb's home, all I've seen of this country is row after row of … Continue reading Adjusting to Asia →

Phone Number – Quick Update

A lengthy Bali update will follow, but wanted to share this with friends and family. Thanks to Barb, our awesome CouchSurf host here, we have a mobile phone now! Incoming texts are free, not sure about whether incoming phone calls are also yet, please note this number down for any emergencies or if you really … Continue reading Phone Number – Quick Update →

Into Indonesia

Quick update from our new country! Kuta, Bali, Indonesia (that's city/island/country) is a crazy place. I've never been ANYWHERE in Asia so I'm in a bit of a culture shock. Indi is absolutely loving it, as she felt New Zealand was too easy. We're staying with an amazing woman tonight (and she picked us up … Continue reading Into Indonesia →

Oz is a pain in my ass.

Why is it that Murphy's Law seems to rear it's head most in airports? I don't know what it is about the most efficient means of modern transportation that creates an almost inevitable comedy of errors. We had thus far been able to avoid flying - not because we particularly dislike planes, it just worked … Continue reading Oz is a pain in my ass. →

Early Reflection: NZ Edition

I'm sitting in an airport cafe in Melbourne, Australia awaiting a connecting flight to Perth, Australia where I will connect with yet ANOTHER flight that will take me to my final destination of the day: Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia. I had to get up at 3:00 this morning in order to get things in order, get … Continue reading Early Reflection: NZ Edition →

More Piha

This place is in my head, and I am resolved to return to New Zealand someday. We leave for Indonesia in about 36 hours, which I am very excited about, but five weeks in NZ (and four days in Piha) isn't nearly enough. These have been a few beautiful days, though, perfect notes to end … Continue reading More Piha →

Second entry on my list…

...of places I would love to live one day: Piha Beach. (First entry was La Mision, Baja). (Pictured: South Piha Beach) The rest of New Zealand (now, granted, we haven't yet visited the South Island) has been lovely, but hasn't grabbed me like this place has. Piha is heaven. It's nestled in the Waitakere Ranges, … Continue reading Second entry on my list… →

Some Random Bits

*Dr. Pepper doesn't exist here. When we were in Wellington, the bloke we were staying with had a side job refilling vending machines. He had just discovered Dr. Pepper and had purchased a case. It was absolutely maddening to think of someone who'd never had a Dr. Pepper, or anything LIKE it, before. My brother … Continue reading Some Random Bits →