Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Kiteboarding, Surfing, White Water Rafting in Bali, Indonesia

Kiteboarding, Surfing, White Water Rafting 08-04-10

We spent the last couple days surfing on an island called Lambongan which is about 15 miles off the coast of the south eastern side of Bali. The island was unique because it had no police (to steal our $) and no proper road system which enabled us to tour the entire island on a motor bike (Honda Scooter). We spend two days roaming the coast on semi-paved small foot roads and we traversed the circumference of the island while stopping at little cold drink stands and spectacular lookouts. There were quarter mile long foot bridges no more than 5 feet wide that we were able to take the scooter across and look down to absolute crystal clear ocean water. It as the clearest water I have ever seen, comparable to a very clean backyard pool.

Early this morning we braved the sketchy 60 minute boat ride back to Bali where we spent the morning @ Sanur Beach kiteboarding. I got my fix and we headed to Kuta where we arranged for some White Water Rafting action tomorrow followed by a $5 hour long massage. For a total of $25/person we’re picked up at our hotel (hotel is on the sand = $10/night), driven an hour north into the wilderness, fed lunch, taken rafting, then returned an hour south to our hotel :) It is quite satisfying how far the dollar goes in this part of the world.

The bandwidth in Bali is almost worthless (dial up slow) so we are unable to effectively upload video until we get back to the mainland. So photos are the best we can do for now. Cheers! *Dustin

Sunday, August 1, 2010

The Wonders of BALI, Indonesia

Kuta, Ubud, Sanur & Legion regions of Bali

Here are some photos taken from the past couple of days. The stunning jungle pictures were taken in Ubud where we stayed for one night. Right now we are lounging listening to a local reggae band play Bob Marley and UB40 cover songs. The weather is absolutely perfect here. I am wearing a sarong and Dustin is wearing shorts and a t-shirt. The air is not as humid here as it was in Thailand. Although there are many tourists in Kuta Beach, we haven't run into one American in Indo. It's actually quite refreshing to hear such an array of languages spoken on every street corner and in every coffeeshop.

This trip has been wonderful thus far. We have taken many more videos and photographgs but it just takes a long time to upload them and to find places with decent internet connection. So for now... love love love!!

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Monday, July 26, 2010

Phuket and all its glory

Hi from Patong, Phuket! It has been quite a rainy day which has left us not having much opportunity to wander the streets. We were able to take a moto drive this morning to go and see the "Big Buddha" which is considered the largest buddha in Thailand. It sits atop one of the highest mountains in the area with terrific ocean views. On the drive back through Kata and Karon Beach, we stopped at hotspot called After Beach for lunch. We were a little surprised to see that the entire restaurant was run by none other than the Thai "Lady Boys" the equivalent to a drag queen in the states. The view from the restaurant is stunning and I will include that video soon. This afternoon we returned to the guesthouse and relaxed while the rain came down for quite some time. Once it cleared we headed back out for dinner. I am having such a great time and we are probably going to go bungy jumping in the next few days!

Happy 23rd birthday to my beautiful sister, Katie! Hope you celebrate in full.

Mama, I miss you lots and please give Nellers a squeeze and kiss for me.

Daddy, Love you and hope all is well.

Below are a couple of videos we shot last night while walking around the bustling streets of Patong Beach.





Friday, July 23, 2010

Last day in Phi Phi... Headed for Phuket!

I've lost track of the day and therefore can only tell you that it is about noon here on the islands and we are sitting in a small bar/restaurant watching the rain and wind come down hard. Everyone is sitting underneath the shops and bars watching and waiting for the storm to pass. Our boat leaves at 230 for Phuket where we will stay for a few days and then head to the east side of Thailand.

Dusty and I spent the last 3 days diving and depleting ourselves of all our energy. He obtained his "Advanced Open Water" and I obtained my "Open Water" license. I spent a total of about 20 hours doing the theory (bookwork), the pool work, and the actual skill work in the ocean. It was quite daunting at first, as I was not the biggest fan of the ocean going into the training. But with lots of encouragement and a fabulous dive master from Zimbabwe "Benji", I successfully earned by certification after 3 long days. It's such a unique experience breathing underwater for such a long period of time (each dive we are underwater for approx 60 mins). There is a whole world that exists in the ocean and it was incredible to see the fish, sharks, jellyfish, coral, and plant life that flourishes at such great depths. Below I have included a short video of our afternoon spent on Maya Bay, the exact beach that the movie "The Beach" was filmed. I have also included a photograph Dustin took of my horrible mosquito-infested foot. The "mozzies" here are HORRIBLE! If it weren't for the healing Tiger Balm, I would be miserable all day everyday. The balm hepls with the itching but they are still a pain to deal with. Plus they make my legs and arms look horrendous. I suppose this is the price you pay for this wonderful life.

I am looking forward to seeing and wandering around Phuket for a few days. This trip has most definitely been life changing and we are only 2 weeks in.

Cheers mate! A


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Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Amanda's kicking tail and getting her Open Water Diving License

After meeting an Irish dude (dive master) last night at our local on-the-sand beach bar and discussing some of the advantages of diving near Koh Phi Phi (as opposed to diving on the eastern side of Thailand at Koh Tao) we decided to start scuba a little early. After a few minutes in the pool for a "try dive" followed by lots of smiles and "yeah I definitely want to do this" Amanda decided to get her Open Water Diving License. I will be along side her the whole time and will be getting my Advanced Dive License simultaneously which entails some pretty wild dives like a 130ft deep dive, a night dive, and a dive at a ship wreck, mastering the dive computer, rescue divng etc. (6 individual advanced training dives and some book work). The cool thing is the Advanced certification is through PADI which is the dive standard worldwide and it will give me the ability to guide other open water divers when we get back home! It also bumps my credentials up so I can do more intense super deep dives and it allows the use of special air like nitrox for long duration deep dives. Check out the video below of Amanda's first experience with a regulator and fins at the most beautiful pool I have ever visited (you can watch them in HD if you have a fast fairly new computer). *Dustin




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Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Check out the below videos of some of the last few places we have been. The first two are in Bangkok and the last one is a good video of this morning in Koh Phi Phi. Amanda is beginning to show signs of never wanting to leave the island :)







Phi Phi

Hello from Koh Phi Phi!

Greetings friends and family. We are on quite possibly the most breath-taking and beautiful island of the entire world sipping a blended frozen fresh mango mojito and munching on a ham, egg and cheese "toastie" which is more or less a grilled panini. Have you ever seen the movie "The Beach" with Leonardo DiCaprio? That film was shot on this exact island where the sand is white and the water is clear blue. Many professionals in the tourism industry would call this location "the" most beautiful place on the planet. It is a little after 8pm local time and the night in phi phi is just getting started. We are sitting beachfront looking out onto the water at a bar called "the Sunflower" and our bungalow is nearly 15 steps away. They are playing Coldplay music and Euros are shooting pool next to us. I am wearing my bikini suit as the weather is about 80 degrees and the water is near 95 degrees (practically too hot). Check out the videos below. They are a glimpse into the life we are living for the next 4 weeks. Love and miss you all.