Bali and Gili Air

These photos are from December and January - Our last pre-COVID vacation. 

We met my brother and parents in Bali and also spent some time on the nearby island of Gili Air.

Our blog has been neglected recently for a number of reasons. We cancelled trips in the spring to Ireland and to Egypt and expect it might be a bit before we travel again.

Anyway, here is a smattering of photos from that time. Bali is a magical place; we could see why some travelers come and never leave. Some areas are quite touristy.

There is also plenty of opportunity to wander out into the rainforest and rice paddies. 

                  Statue in the Tourist town of Ubud

Cock fighting is one popular activity we did not participate in. Handsome,  well-cared for roosters were on display everywhere - Cata had plenty of opportunity to perfect her rooster crow.

She also had lots of time to enjoy the beach and get buried by Uncle Ben

  We met a local crafter and bee keeper while on a trek though some farm land.

Larry, Ben, and Matt  visited a property with a fishing pond for some pacu and catfish action. It also turned out to be a mushroom farm.

Arcata makes some friends while the adults take a cooking class. Local food, by the way, is pretty awesome in the areas we visited - one of many reasons we hope to return to Indonesia some day.

Roadside stop for a durian snack.

                   Ben and Cata go for a hike through the countryside.

Obviously it is bad form to take photos with a fogged up camera lens. 

In Indonesia, local homes and tourists rentals alike incorporate the outdoors into living spaces. 

In many cases, only the sleeping area is completely closed off. 

A truly enjoyable part of travel here is cooking, eating, and relaxing while taking in the flora and fauna; electrical storms and in this case, the smoking volcano behind Kristi. 

We did notice the pleasant open spaces were not always the most baby safe spaces. Unprotected balconies, insects, and in one case a pit viper were worrying at times.

The Gili Islands a shortish boat trip from eastern Bali when the seas are calm and even closer to the large Indonesian island of Lombok.

These islands are small; horse carts and bicycles are the only way to get around on land. The Gilis are a popular tourist destination, although we hit Gili Air during the low season and found it to be pretty sleepy. A lot of people come here to party, but it is also a great place to dive, enjoy the beach, and cruise around on a bike.

                                          Horned Seastar

Lobster peering out of it's hidey-hole and a little tridacna clam.

                                              Daytime Moray

Coral seems to be in pretty rough shape just about everywhere we go. We saw a decent amount of live coral snorkeling from the beach and some nicer coral gardens on the days we paid to go diving.

                                         Spanish Dancer eggs

Dive Time

Cata wrangles a beach kitty. This one had fleas, but was still seemed healthier then your average stray Kuwaiti cat.

Kristi made a rookie mistake on our first day at the island. This awesome pattern is still vaguely visible on her back 10 months later.

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

A few weeks ago we returned from a quick trip to Jordan.                         

Time and toddler limitations put some restrictions on what we were able to do.          

Jordan has many options for outdoorsy travelers. We opted to visit the city of Petra and the Dead Sea.

Eating good food is one of the things we love about living in the Middle East. A selection of Mezzes, like the one above, is never a bad snack choice. Cata also indulged in one of her favorite things - eating any kind of food.

 Scarves for sale in Petra and olives growing around the city buildings.

Ancient Petra lies in a canyon below modern Petra which exists mainly to cater to tourists. Petra was the center of the Nabatean civilization which dates to 300 BCE. Many tombs and temples are carved into the sandstone.

Kristi and Cata pose by an old olive press.

The drive from Petra over the Jordanian Highlands was especially scenic.

The Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth (about 430 meters below sea level) and is really a lake with no natural outlet. The fine silt that accumulates is thought to remedy all manner of aliments. Most impressively, the high salinity makes if possible to float effortlessly on the surface.

Ile Maurice-Mauritius

We opted to spend part of our summer vacation in Mauritius. 

This was our first trip to an African country. Mauritius proved to be a strange and beautiful  place. This French speaking nation was uninhabited before European colonists began settling there. Subsequent waves of emigration have been largely Chinese and Indian. 

The food, people, and culture are definitely eclectic. We ate a lot of delicious seafood like octopus curry and a lot of Chinese noodles and rice.A beach destination proved to be a great way to enjoy traveling on a year old baby's schedule. Cata began the vacation mostly crawling and ended it mostly walking, including right into the Indian Ocean.  She played in the shallow water gleefully and loved the sand. One day blurred into the next and  mostly consisted of exploring the beaches within a few minutes drive of our apartment, in Grand Baie, in the far north part of the island. We did drive to the Southern part of the island to explore Black River Gorges National park and also went on a catamaran cruise, but we mostly enjoyed the relaxed pace and lifestyle the island promoted. 

Mauritius was once home to some very unique mega-fauna, including a now extinct species of giant tortoise.  These Aldabra tortoises live in a reserve which is open to tourists. 

Chinatown in Port Louis

Cata loves the beach.

Each day offered a beautiful sunset

Hiking Le Morne Brabant, a small mountain that is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.  It is believed that a group of runaway slaves jumped off the cliff into the ocean rather than be recaptured. 

Madrid

 Recently we spent a week in Madrid.




We are still learning about how to travel with a baby. 

Fortunately, Madrid turned out to be a beautiful city full of old buildings, artwork, and amazing food and drink, which made it fun and easy with Cata. 

 In fact, going out for tapas is the perfect activity to do with your baby for a few hours between naps.

Our favorite place for tapas and amazing Spanish wine was the Mercado de San Miguel.  The best red wine in Spain is from the Rioja region, and is usually only 2-3 Euros a glass; cheaper than the tapas!

 

Smoked salmon is a common tapa.  Oxtail, or "rabo de toro," is also popular. It is slow cooked or braised and served as a stew or as a "tostada."

El Retiro Park

We took one day trip to the ancient city of Segovia.

Segovia still contains medieval walls and buildings, as well as the remnants of a Roman aqueduct. The aqueduct has over 160 arches and was built the first century AD, making it around 2,000 years old.