Hamilton Island is one of the Whitsunday Islands just off the east coast in Queensland and is close to the Great Barrier Reef. It is a mostly car-free island, predominantly covered with bush, and by-in-large a resort island. I have seen beautiful images of this area on a clear day, however the time I spent here was filled with clouds and rain. Thus, kayaking was the perfect thing for me to do on Hamilton Island this day because of the weather.
Meeting the group of kayakers I would be with for the 4 hour adventure. Since I was traveling solo, a kayak parter was assigned to me. She is somewhere in this frame but I hadn’t been coupled with her just yet.The torrential rainfall was great because everything was perfectly warm, the rain, the ocean and the air were all about 85 degrees F (or 30 degrees C). My partner had incredible strength. She was so strong that it required little effort on my part for the 4 hour excursion. Since she was unable to turn around, it was only the other kayakers that could see how easy this was for me.My kayak parter took this selfie image. Her name was Polina and she was from Belarus. Great accent, funny and one hell of a great paddler too.Bummer for these sailors. This ship ran aground in early 2017, but gave the appearance as though it had been there for years. As soon as the insurance pays off, this rusting and rotting carcass will be salvaged and removed. My guide said that the crew was safe when help finally arrived but that the crew was extremely drunk. He wasn’t sure if they were drunk before the crash, or if they were so upset that they went on a major bender after the collision.
Onto Billabong Sanctuary in Townsville, Australia. The animals here seemed to be enjoying the warm hard rain that persisted all day.
This sign, amongst others are prominently displayed near the crocodile areas within the Billabong Sanctuary.This specimen was approximately 12-14 feet in length.A group just enjoying the rain.Nice coloring on this one.The signs are serious. It’s easy to imagine that someone might stumble and the child on their shoulders could go right in as the chainlink fence is only 4 feet high. What a feeding frenzy that would cause. I bet some sick people would buy tickets for that. Better yet, the Sanctuary could use convicted offenders of crimes against children and sacrifice them. I would pay up for that.Cutest by far of all the animals I have seen.Close up of the “Mona Lisa” of koalas. For some reason she gets more attention than the other koalas. I believe I can see why. She’s a bit inscrutable, just like the woman in that famous painting hanging in the Louvre.
Darwin is located on Australia’s north coast and has a population of approximately 146,000. It is a mere 860 miles south of the equator and was one of the hottest places I’ve ever experienced. With temperatures above 106 degrees fahrenheit or 41 degrees celsius, relative humidity of 98 percent, and near cloudless skies, it was a roaster in my Zodiac. It is important to remember that in Australia everything can kill you. From the aquatic life in the sea (including sharks, stinger jellyfish, salt-water crocodiles, and some of the beautiful mollusks), to the creatures on land, like scorpions, spiders and snakes, just to mention a few. This is in contrast to the United States, where the largest threat to humans is posed by other humans. After a few days in Darwin I travelled to Cairns, Queensland which is on the northeast coast of Australia. With a population of approximately 148,000, it’s about the same size as Darwin. There are plenty of things to do here. The Great Barrier Reef with its 133,000 square miles is just off the coast. It is our planet’s largest single structure made by living organisms. Unfortunately, due to environmental factors the reef has lost half of its coral cover in the past 30 years.
Tidal mangroves with many salt-water crocodiles. They are just extremely hard to see as only their eyes are above water. They are known as “ambush predators” because they remain completely still and then ambush their prey. Good thing these large reptiles don’t know the Zodiac is made of rubber.Crocodile Dundee. His real name was Greg and he was the real deal, from the accent to the hat. Great guide through the mangroves. And we never got lost.This explains the lack of people walking around. What an awesome site. Then I discover it was not alive. An incredible letdown. But I was intrigued and later discovered that a real crocodile emerged from the waters in this frame only 6 years ago. It was this size (4 meters, or 14 feet). The croc was captured, transferred to a sanctuary, and now immortalized in this croc sculpture.Cigarette machine with a stern warning. Because a pack of cigarettes can cost $32 (that’s USD) you rarely see people smoking here. Because the deterrent of death is not strong enough, the Aussies imposed a very high cigarette tax.My copter ride to and over the Great Barrier Reef. Parts of the reef are unfortunately dying as a result of climate change and pollution. No jokes here as this is an extremely sad situation. Mass coral bleaching caused by elevated ocean temperatures, although not an annual occurrence, is happening more frequently.Close up of Green Island. The diving and snorkeling is amazing here.Another shot of Green Island on my approach.During low tide my copter can land on this sandy atoll. Unfortunately the tide wasn’t low enough. I had all my gear and everything. What a letdown, but since my pilot got me back without incident I still gave him a great tip.Both sand expanses and bleaching can be seen here.Waterfall at Barron Gorge on my way to and through the rainforest.Another image of the falls. Unfortunately this day the river was in a low flow mode. But still a very stunning falls.Another view of Barron Gorge which carves its way though the rainforest.Boris the spider. Not too poisonous, if this White-tailed spider bites you, you have a day or so to seek medical attention, other spiders can be lethal in as little as a few hours.Crashed plane in what was at one time an uninhabited jungle. Now it’s a tangled sculpture.Hippie village A/K/A Kuranda Village. This place is authentic flower-power. I think many of the people who live in this tropical environment are some of the same people who attended Woodstock in 1969. It also appears that old hippies don’t age very well.Street scene in the Village.No flower-power time capsule would be complete without a shop selling dream-catchers and incense.Great warning in Cairns. Quite a spectacle too. These bats were in almost every tree, but only in a small 2-3 block radius.Just hanging out. Since the bats sleep upside-down there is little chance of being nailed by bat-shit.In flight is where you must be alert and on guard for being hit by their waste. These bats have some crazy radar and as a result are incredibly accurate.Good bat form. Great posture and neck extension. The wing span was approximately 2-3 feet. The judges gave it a 10. Holy bat-shit Batman.
Interesting posting in the toilet. No comments here. As they say a picture is worth a thousand words.
I was able to Zodiac to a couple of the smaller islands in the Gilis. While not one of the main islands, these were beautiful and more desolate. Not much to do here but dive or snorkel, and admire the beauty of what is above the ocean and below.
Approaching the beach in my Zodiac.Beach sceneAnother image.Nice swimwear. Not too much need for sunscreen.Photo opportunity.My snorkel mate leading the way.Swimming through thousands of fish in this school was a great sensation. Very trippy.More colorful fish. I could have stayed in the 84 degree water for hours. The fish just kept coming. By the way, my underwater camera is The Olympus Tough. Great piece of equipment.
Home to the famous Komodo Dragon, these lizards are also known as the Komodo Monitor. They can grow up to 10-12 feet in length and can weight some 150-250 pounds. Fossils very similar to the Komodoensis have been found in Australia dating back greater than 3.8 million years ago and its body has remained pretty much unchanged. These creatures can live for between 30-40 years. They were thought to be deaf, however they do hear, albeit poorly. However, their sense of smell is particularly acute. They are able to detect carrion from as far away as 2.5-6.0 miles. This is their mainstay as far as diet.
My approach to the island.Another image of Komodo island.Great cloud formations.The tongue is very sensitive and helps them detect food which is close. But it is their sense of smell which allows them to find most of their food. They can be fairly quick as well.Serious claws on these monsters. Their sense of smell is so acute that if you have any open cuts you are strongly urged not to come ashore. For women this also applies to menstruation.Forked tongue can be 12-15 inches long.Perfect photo opportunity.Sign designating it as a World Heritage Site.Parting view of the beast.The Pink Beach is only a 15 minute Zodiac trip away. Awesome reef here for snorkeling or diving. No Komodos on this island either.Beautiful fish feasting on the reef.Another colorful specimen.Nemo is talking to me.One more just for added color.
Kopi Luwak is coffee that includes part-digested coffee cherries eaten and then defecated by the Asian palm civet (also known as a mongoose). Fermentation occurs as the cherries pass through the animal’s intestines, and after being defecated with other fecal matter, they are collected. Producers argue coffee beans are improved by this process. Part of their reasoning is based upon the belief that the animals are selecting only the best cherries (almost like Juan Valdez). Because of the high cost of production, it is one of the world’s most expensive coffees and can sell for as much as 350 USD per pound. It is produced mainly on the islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali, and Sulawesi. I did have the coffee here and I wish I could say it’s worth the price. However, the whole experience is quite interesting and if you are ever in this area it’s worth the time for a quick visit.
Beginning of the coffee encounter. These are some of the plants producing the fruit.Along the path to roasting. This is a fairly small operation and appears to be utilizing the same techniques as were used 200 years ago.This sign says it all… The literal translation is Bali “Cat shit” coffee.Aggressive mongoose. Definitely not to be accidentally cornered, or confused with a cute and friendly feline.Docile mongoose. Although not in a cage, I still would not pet this one. But look at that cute tongue. I almost couldn’t resist, but I did.These are the “Shitty beans.” You can see the clusters. If you didn’t know otherwise, you might think the clusters were granola bars. And then there’s the job of separating the beans from the “S*@T.The gardens below the processing area.The Roaster, seen here with a curious visitor. She even had most of her teeth. The visitor, not the Roaster. Also note the ergonomically designed tree stumps they are both seated on. The Roaster enjoys hours and hours of pain free use with this stump. If OSHA existed here the coffee would definitely cost more.
Moving on I travelled to the locally famous rice terraces. Tegallalang is one of the more scenic rice paddies that I was able to visit. There are two varieties of rice grown on Bali. One is non-GMO (genetically modified organism) which yields three harvests a year. The other is GMO and produces four harvests annually. It’s impossible to tell the difference, except that the GMO rice has two heads.
Shot from above these very beautiful paddies.Another image.Close up of the young rice plants.
I will be traveling to the Gili Islands and Komodo Island. So look for some action from there.
While here in Bali I was extremely lucky as one of my sponsors pay for a stay at this “Five Star” small boutique resort in Ubud. With only 46 rooms and villas it has a very intimate feel. The Balinese staff are so attentive and friendly. They really made me feel as though I was a part of their family during my stay here. The views around and from the property are amazing as the property borders and is perched atop of a 100 meter high gorge. Koi ponds abound the property and many of the villas. The Como Uma resort is only a 10 minute drive from the center of Ubud, which has lots of bars, restaurants, shopping and of course, temples.
There is a “sister” property about a 20 minute drive from Como Uma by the name of Como Shambala Estate. It is much more quiet and a bit more exclusive with only 30 suites and villas. This property is much more a retreat from everything. I visited that resort for a day and had an incredible experience hiking 525 steps down to a series of fresh water ponds for swimming and soaking. The ponds are in the jungle and about 15 meters from a raging river. See some of the images below. Because I was visiting at the end of the rainy season, the waterfalls were both frequent and flowing.
Approach to the pool area at Como Uma.The pool at Como Uma.Restaurant surrounded by koi ponds.View from restaurant.Walkway to my villa.My humble abode. The air conditioning was critical as the temperatures and humidity were pretty high.Villa view into the jungle below. The plunge below was almost straight down and approximately 250-300 feet.Villa infinity plunge pool. Appears like a luxury, however it is totally required if you want to spend time outside.Better view of the nearly 100 meter plunge to the jungle floor. The birds could be heard 24/7. Really felt like a jungle. Also interesting to note that at least for me the mosquitos were non-existent.One of the guests. Loved the colors of these snails. Also a pretty good size for escargot.Yoga studio atop the gorge. Really conducive for this activity.Spa reception area and surrounding koi ponds. I was so relaxed just sitting here, I didn’t even need to get a massage.Koi ponds in Como spa area. Amazing architectural design for this part of the resort.Market in Ubud Center. Almost everything sells for half of the sticker price.Friendly young merchant. Cute but not too talented. I offered to buy some stuff just to get him to STOP singing.One of the many temples in Ubud Center.Main Street in Ubud Center.Another shot of the street scene.Beginning of the walk down to the ponds. “Take me to the river.”The walk. “Drop me in the water.”Waterfall on the way down.First pond encounter.Another pond. All of these are few by rainwater flowing from the jungles above.Yet more. As can be seen here, not to many people. Maybe it’s the 525 steps to get here.Another shot of a pretty magical place. I was able to spend several hours here and enjoyed every moment.
Nyepi is the Balinese “Day of Silence” that is commemorated every new year. I travelled to mountains in Ubud to witness this event for myself and was not in the least disappointed. The celebration taking place in the following images happened the night before the “Day of silence.” Each village has its own parade. “Ogoh-ogoh” are the statues or floats built for the “Ngrupuk” parade which takes place on the evening before the “Day of Silence.” Most of the “floats” are created each year and then burnt as an offering of purification, as the entire parade is meant as the purification of the natural environment of any spiritual pollutants emitted from the activities of beings (especially humans). The predominant religion on Bali is Hindu and everyone is extremely peaceful.
The “Day of Silence” observed from 6AM to 6AM the following day and is reserved for self-reflection. Consequently, anything which may interfere with that is restricted. The main restrictions are no fires, no lights, no working, no traveling (airports are closed), no street travel (except for emergency vehicles), beaches are closed, no entertainment, and for some no talking or eating.
As a traveler and non-Hindu person I was confined to my hotel, but free to do what I wished within the premises, although there was no social media on the internet. Before and after Nyepi many purification and offering rituals take place.
Typical float, but this one depicts both positive and negative. Not hard to decipher which is which.Preparing for the parade. Interesting to note that when carried during the actual parade the height of these floats often exceeds that of the power lines suspended above. Consequently, a person equipped with a 6 meter bamboo pole escorts the floats as they proceed. His job is to lift the power lines high enough to allow the floats to pass underneath. As you can well imagine this really impedes the parade’s flow.Warming up before the big event. Many times children are carrying the floats, although it takes about 30 or more of them.Everyone participates in this event. Young and old, boys and girls, rich and poor, tall and short, thin and fat, smart and dumb, conservatives and liberals, slow and fast, nimble and awkward, straights and gays alike. No one is prohibited from participating.Rainbows of colorful clothes adorn these young children. Another thing I noted was that even young children roam unescorted by parents. The biggest danger here is not posed by other humans, but rather by being hit by one of the ever present scooters and motorbikes.Typical village street and again the flow of scooters here is relentless. Nearly impossible to get an image with a street without one of the ubiquitous scooters.Celebration with both positive and negative representations. The goal is to vanquish the negative and create a balance with God. This parade after nightfall felt like a scene from a James Bond film.Quite obvious here is the tongue on this bull. Not really, but the penis evidenced here dates back to early Brahman’s practice of worshiping the penis of the supreme god, Shiva. Quite a sizable “Johnson” on this bull.The negative representation is depicted in the float above.The negative representation in real life. Quite theatrically, this guy moves and dances in a very menacing way.The positive representation (in the form of these dancers) is meant to vanquish the negative and follows the menacing dancer above.Some of this is probably frightening for young children and babies. Although this child looks pretty unaffected by it all. Hard to miss the smart phones (which look like juxtapositions) in the context of this image.
I am traveling though Bali for a bit and will be posting more. So if you’re interested please click back in when alerted. Until then, be safe.
This city plays host to three of the most popular religions on the planet. This is no more apparent than in the Old City of Jerusalem. Before I write any more of this installment, it is imperative that the readers know that this author is agnostic, bordering on atheistic. It will help to explain my perspective and the somewhat irreverent tone of what you are about to see and read. One of the days I spent in Jerusalem happened to be Good Friday, which this year happened to coincide with the Jewish Passover holiday. As is typical the Muslims were also observing and obeying their rigorous religious rituals that day. It was a “Perfect Storm” of religion.
As a result of having thousands and thousands of people here, the narrow streets were incredible congested and not passable without an abundance of patience. The military and police presence was strong and omnipresent. At times the crowds were restrained by military barricades. It caused me to feel both safe and threatened simultaneously. I was more concerned with being trampled than shot, stabbed, or blown up.
Because it was Good Friday I encountered a procession of at least a thousand or so Christians moving through the narrow streets reenacting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ (see image below). The dress and look of all three religions is each uniquely bizarre. But in my view the Jews win what appears to be a competition of sorts.
The Western Wall (A/K/A the Wailing Wall.) This is known as the Western Wall because it it the only remaining wall of the original temple. Interesting to note, because there are male and female sections for praying, transgender people have been prevented from praying here. In 1995 a Jewish transgender woman was denied access. Therefore, one might surmise that transgenders don’t belong in any of these religions.The Jews take Passover very seriously. Not only bread, but beer too is forbidden to be consumed. Consequently, I frequented many of the Arab establishments.A common site, burnt piles of bread before Passover. Over the top! I suppose the trash isn’t an option because a weaker jew might be tempted to dumpster dive and pick out the discarded bread.I’m not sure if this “Wailer” was surprised by my camera or maybe something bigger is going on here. I think a possibility is that he realized just how frightening religion can be.The mosque known as Dome of the Rock.Looking east you see Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Redeemer Church, Hurva Synagogue and the Basilica of the Agony. All major religions are represented. Also, note (as I learned during my stay in the West Bank,) that roof-top black water tanks indicate the residence of a Palestinian. Here you can see just a few.Military and police exercising crowd control during the Christian procession. Just like traffic lights control automobile flow, the military controls the religious flow here. First Christians then Muslims were allowed to pass. This took place in the Muslim quarter of the Old City, hence not to many Jews. Thank God, haha.The wall of the Old City. The lowest levels of the wall date back to the the period before Christ.Theatrical reenactment of the crucifixion procession. Complete with escorting Romans and music. The players in their portrayal were very enthusiastic.Close up of the star of the show.Wow! I wish I could say that these Jews set themselves apart, but they don’t. All of the orthodox Jews look and dress in this fashion. You’re never too young to begin growing those peyot (pronounced “pe’ahs”). Orthodox Jews grow these because of the Biblical injunction against shaving the ‘corners’ of one’s head. Sounds completely rational to me.These are Christian Ethiopian worshipers bowing toward their temple which was already jam packed with worshipers. I encountered this ritual almost immediately after the crucifixion procession. It seems that at almost any moment in the Old City, a group is worshiping something.This unknown tourist, who resembled Anthony Bourdain made blowing the shofar (a ram’s horn) look easy. He was surprisingly quite good.
Just one more of this spectacle. I couldn’t resist.
This city is holy to both Christians and Muslims. It is the birthplace of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Son of God to the Christians, and a divinely inspired prophet to Muslims. The city has a long pre-Roman history dating back to the 14th century BC.
Market on the way to the Nativity Church.Omar Mosque adjacent to Manger Square.The Manger just outside the Nativity Church. Everything is life-size.
One of the earlier “Pope Mobiles.” Here an unruly tourist violates the rule of boarding the vehicle itself. He was quickly escorted away.Home to somebody.View of the Bethlehem neighborhood. In the distance is an Israeli settlement located in the West Bank. Even from a distance one can see these are well built.
Young Palestinians aggregating to protest conditions in the West Bank.
As with any coin, “The Wall” has two sides. I traveled to, and spent time on both sides. The Wall is a separation barrier in the West Bank along the Green Line. On one side are (the Israelis), who consider it a security barrier against terrorism, while on the other side are (the Palestinians) who consider it an “Apartheid” wall. At its completion it will be 440 miles in length, most of which is and will be constructed on Palestinian land. The Wall’s construction began in 2000 during the Second Intifada. Since it’s construction began the incidence of suicide bombings initiating from the West Bank has decreased significantly. But while the barrier was presented as a temporary security measure in a time (2000-2006) of heightened tensions, it has since been rapidly associated with a future political border between Israel and Palestine. I take no political position with regard to the Wall.
Street view of the Banksy Hotel (A/K/A The Walled Off Hotel). Notice the Wall on the extreme right of the frame. The streets are mostly rubble left over from some shelling in the not too distant past. The limited but good restaurant features a “Walled Off salad.” Needless to say, these people still have a sense of humor.View from my hotel room at The Banksy Walled Off Hotel. These watch/gun towers are manned 24/7 by the Israeli army.Another balcony view. Beyond the Wall lies Israel.These tourists are viewing The Wall from the Hotel’s patio. As you can see the Wall is at least 15 meters (or 45 feet) in height. It is topped off with high gauge razor wire. The Palestinian side is covered with graffiti from writers from all over the world, most writing in sympathy for the Palestinian cause and bringing messages for general peace.Artwork in the Hotel’s lobby. Depicted is an artist’s conception of an Israeli tank bulldozing a Palestinian home. There is within this small hotel an awesome museum which chronicles the entire period of the West Bank from the 1940s to current day.Quirky artwork. Notice the surveillance cameras mounted as though they were hunted trophy animals. Nice assortment of slingshots too.He greets you at the door to the Hotel. Reminds me a bit of the Grand Budapest Hotel.Behind this false bookcase you find the staircase to the rooms. This hotel seems to be a mix of crazy, reality, fantasy, and a dash of Addams Family thrown in.Another lobby sculpture. The tear gas being sprayed is dove feathers. Quite the juxtaposition.Some of the Wall’s graffiti. The quote reads “We can’t live, so we wait for death.” Very sad and very true.View from an apartment rooftop in Aida, one of the first Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank. Here we see one completely torched watch tower. The green space on the other side will belongs to Israel, after the one muslim family living here vacates the Israelis will take over.Remains almost everyone’s hero here. No not Ringo Starr, Yasser Arafat.A walk along the Wall.View of Aida, Palestine. The black water tanks designate that the occupants of the homes are Palestinian. This rule also applies when in Israel.This little girl, at least for the moment has something to skip about.Another street image.This walking tour I took led by a local man was riveting.
My next stop is the Town of Bethlehem, birthplace of you know who. It is only a 45 minute walk from the point of Wall where I now stand. So look for it pretty soon. Of course I’ll send you a heads up email if you are registered on my site. Thanks for clicking in.
