11 DEC 08 - Kedins Resort, Kuta, Bali

We're back in Kuta Bali! We are staying at a different accommodation this time around however. This place is a little down the ally from where we stayed a couple weeks ago. And it's easily the best value we have had on our entire trip. There's a big pool, air con, a big bathroom and free breakfast; all for about $10 a night. The only thing the room doesn't have is hot water, but that's the thing with budget places, you have to give and take the comforts things.

Yesterday was a hellascious voyage back from Lombok. The distance by sea that separates the island of Bali and the island of Lombok is about 35 kilometers (a little more than 21 miles). The nasty ferry we took went about 5 mph which made it a very long and exhausting trip. By US standards, there is absolutely nothing I can even compare the conditions on this ferry to. And I'm even imagining what it'd be like to sneak onto a box car carrying dead rotting animal carcases, deficate and piss in the corner when releaving needed to be done, biting into a living rat for a snack and discovering the vagabond sharing your space with likes to snuggle on long trips.

I am telling you, there is nothing like a trip on this ferry that will turn you into the kind of adult you used to scoff at when you were a teenager. I'm refering the kind of finicky person that absolutely requires a/c in ther resort rooms, needs all the vacation comforts easily accessible at the 5 star resort they are staying at and will only eat foods they are fimilar to from home. It's gotten almost to this point for me. I think Heather gave way a long time ago... Yes, I believe it was a month ago when she scooted the bed across the room so that when she had to visit the bathroom for the hundreth time during the night, all she would need to do is hedgehog roll her deathly nauscious body off the bed directly to the toilet. I think that was probably when.

What's so frustrating about this russian roulette game of consuming food is that once you get it, it seems to never go away. You begin to wonder if maybe their is something systemically wrong with your body. You begin to peruse the internet for treatments for symptoms you are having. When one thing doesn't work, you try another. And having a nurse for a wife is only so beneficial. Don't get me wrong, if there was an all-star team for nurses, Heather would consistantly be on that team. I am very proud of her sucess as a nurse and I know she is one of, if not the best, best nurses in her units at any given time. But one of her recent diagnosis brought me to a place in my life that I'd never thought I'd be. I'll save you the particulars but the end resulted with a first time encounter with a sapository and me walking like Steve Urkel for a couple days!

This is a view looking down into a ravine at one of two waterfalls at the base Mt. Rinjani. The mountain is the second highest in all of Indonesia. We had to hire a local guide to take us down but it wasn't because it was dangerous and difficult to find but because it's another way for locals to generate revenue.

Easily the best time I have had on our trip was visiting Monkey Forrest. All along the road that cuts across the NW base of Mt. Rinjani are thousands of little monkey tribes. Nobody knows how many monkeys there are but they hang out in definite groups of 12-20. As we were feeding one group bananas, a half dozen other tribes were squeaking and hollering all around off in the distance. These monkeys are amazing. I would hold out a banana chunk and each monkey would come up to me, politely take a chunk, show me their teeth and take a couple steps back to meticulously peel and scarf it down. Some of the younger monkeys were a little more skiddish and they would be more grabby. One guy was tugging on my shorts from behind to get my attention. The best part about the monkey groups is the Chief monkey. Each group has one and he is the biggest. Of the two spots we visited, the chief monkey was always the first to approach us and both chiefs were very polite. (Polite in the sense of being calm, appreciative and very nonchalant.)

I think this monkey is a pregnant monkey.

I saw this mama monkey with her two young-ans. When I aimed my camera from about 20 feet away, she saw me and stepped in between me and the babies. She wrapped them up and starred at me until we left.

Now, we are living up the last two full days in Indonesia before we fly to NZ on Monday!!!