Melaka Malacca

Caught my eye.

Dried seafood stand.

Dessert place inside old colonial home. This is the courtyard of the house - open to the sky. 

Adding my favourite part - the rose petal syrup! Tastes just like roses. 

Ice Kacang - a Malaysian dessert made of shaved ice, agar agar (seaweed) jelly cubes, flavoured syrups, and a variety of toppings. Far superior to ice cream in 40 degree heat in my opinion. 

Rosa, Azul, Verde, Turquesa.

Old|New

I really wanted to ride one of these! 

So I did.

Visited Melaka (also known as Malacca). A historic coastal city with Portuguese, Dutch, and British influence. A beautiful town, with lots to see and do. Quirky, boheimen, and a place where old and new are in a constant dance with each other. 

Cambodia

Angkor Thom temple. Stunning. 

 Guide said this depicts a woman and her midwives. 

 Bayon temple. Guide made me do that. 

This is at Ta Prohm (the ruins where Tomb Raider was filmed). This is inside the "echo chamber". You can hear an echo if you hit your chest with an open hand, but only in this one spot inside the temple. It's true! 

 Angkor Wat.

Surreal. Ethereal. Inside Angkor Wat.

 Siem Reap night market. Cigarettes, jewellery, "guard dogs". 

Ranbutan fruit. 

Gross. But we did it.

 Feels like hundreds of hungry little suction cups. 

Creepy looking narrow staircase in our hotel led to this attic. 

Mango salad (shredded green mango, basil and mint leaves, with crushed peanuts and sesame lime dressing and an avocado smoothie. 

Being "in traffic" takes on a more literal meaning when experienced from a tuk-tuk. 

Housewares department. View from moving tuk-tuk. 

Quick trip to Cambodia with a friend! Too many pictures of me, but it's tough with only two people. We loved Cambodia. Great people, food, and sights. The temples were absolutely stunning. 

The full spectrum

Jalan Alor for dinner, then my favourite French bakery for brunch the next morning. KL has it all! Time to hit the gym...

Making Dragons

A finished Penjor (at the airport)

Galungan is the most important ceremony for Balinese Hindus. It is a time to honour the creator of the universe, and the spirits of ancestors. The ceremony represents the triumph of good (Dharma) over evil (Adharma).  In preparation for Galungan every Hindu family prepares a "Penjor" - a beautifully decorated bamboo pole. According to the man we asked, the Penjor represents a dragon, which symbolizes goodness. Some of the materials used are: bamboo, palm fronds, rice panicles, and banana tree trunks. As you can see from the pictures above, it is a family event. We were grateful for the opportunity to witness this Balinese tradition. 

Canang Sari

This is a home in Tenganan village. Notice the small offerings placed near the door.

These little palm leaf boxes filled with flowers, and usually a piece of candy or something sweet, are found everywhere in Bali. Our guide said they are placed in front of the home to ward off "bad magic", in front of businesses to promote prosperity, and in cars for good luck while travelling. The vehicle we were travelling in had one pinned under the windshield wiper. This offering is called canang sari and is practiced by Balinese Hindus.

Bali the Beautiful

Lotus Cafe. Great little place located right in front of Ubud Palace (Puri Saren Agung).  

Chicken Satay with peanut sauce. My favourite. 

Browsing.



Found on one of the many winding roads of Ubud.

Inside the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary.

Sacred pond in Monkey Forest.

View from cafe in Ubud.


Thankful for a break from the heat.

On July 12th we drove east from Ubud to Amed stopping at several temples on the way. Sarongs are mandatory for entering temples.  Here is our guide helping Ryan with his. According to our guide, a man's sarong is pleated in the front, and a woman's is pleated on the side. 

Goa Gajah Temple (also known as the 'Elephant Cave'). This temple was mentioned in a Javanese poem from 1365 entitled 'Desawarnana'.

Inside Goa Gojah there are several hollows lining the walls. Our guide said that people would sit in these hollows and meditate - sometimes for one or two years at a time. We were lucky enough to get there early, and we were able to spend some time inside the temple by ourselves. It was eerie but beautiful.

Impromptu dancing outside Goa Gojah temple. Notice the two "drummers" on the far left. 

Klungkung Palace 

 Former royal palace Tirta Gangga. Like a dream.

Fish in the ponds of Tirta Gangga.

Terraced rice paddies in the valleys just before reaching Amed.

These things that look like baskets are actually "chicken houses". If you look closely you can see that there are chickens inside. These chicken houses are everywhere on the island. Cock fighting is very popular in Bali (even though it's illegal).

View from our villa in Ubud.

Floating flower art. 

Egg delivery.