My Adventures and Travels

 No trip to Raja Ampat is complete without visiting the picturesque Fam Islands. Pictures don't do them justice, but here are a bunch of pictures anyway! First we went to the main Fam Islands hike. It was short and steep and breathtaking in more ways than one!  See the islands on the left of the 100000 rupiah note? They should look familiar! We also hiked up to the Star Lagoon. This was a much steeper scramble, not recommended for the unsteady, the flip-flop wearers, or those with a fear of heights. 

 Raja Ampat is known as a divers paradise. Several people asked me if it's worth going if you only snorkel and my answer is YES!! Raja Ampat is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet, and you can see a lot from the top! Of course, if you dive then you'll want to do so here as well. Here's where I went: Sauwandarek (most fish) Yenbuba (cool drop off, best to imagine creepy things lurking in the deep Melissa's Garden-nice with strong current. Reefs were a bit below so harder to see Lau Lau Reef then Friwebonda: AMAZING REEFS and by far my favorites I will now add the disclaimer that I am inexperienced in underwater photography, and my camera is a basic point-and-shoot that happens to be waterproof. 

 Listen, normally I am not the type of person to leave a whole post on a resort. Because,  1. I'm a teacher and I can't afford to stay nice places 😆 2. Actually I do budget a lot of money for travel but I'd rather go basic for 3 weeks than all-out for one week. This is an exception. When I checked into my room I felt like I should have been there on my honeymoon.  (There's always the future....Mr. Right, are you reading this right now?!?) Anyway I'm making an exception because otherwise what will I do with these gorgeous room pictures, right?? The place I stayed is called Papua Diving-and they have 2 places you can stay, Sorido Bay or Kri Eco Resort. Due to covid, Kri Eco Resort hadn't reopened-it might be where I had stayed if it was an option-so I stayed at Sorido! Without further ado, here are those pics.  While Sorido Bay had a couple of bungalows for families, I didn't see those. Most lodging is these smaller individual bungalows spread out along the b...

 Although I started the school year in summer of 2020, ie during covid, I decided to travel within Indonesia for the first time during our October break. One of the other teachers goes to Raja Ampat every year and was able to secure a deal if he could get a big enough group, and I jumped at the chance. Although getting here and staying here was NOT cheap, I didn't want to pass it up. Googling "Raja Ampat" told me all I needed to know!  Sad dock. We were literally loading which is why some people are still on shore. This post is mostly the nuts and bolts, in case you're planning a trip of your own. Raja Ampat is pretty remote. From Jakarta we flew into Sorong (4 hours) which is on the island of Papua. From there, the resort arranged our pickup from the airport to the dock. Which *may* have actually collapsed while we were actually standing on it getting ready to board our boat!! We took the boat about 1.5 hours to a govt sign in and to pay the fee for our "yearly ...

OK, I've actually been in Indonesia for almost a year. But it's been so pandemic-y I haven't felt like I've had a lot to share-and what I DO have to share ends up on social media. Maybe a blog is overkill. But I like words.  So here I am! Teaching internationally in Jakarta, Indonesia. I don't want to type an ALL ABOUT TEACHING INTERNATIONALLY IN INDONESIA post, but instead observations, snippets, funny moments, travel, and maybe (occasional) frustrations. Join me! OBSERVATION #1: Dogs in Indonesia Anyone who knows me, knows that Sweet Abby is my constant sidekick (except that one time when we were separated for over 6 months because she couldn't get out of the US). But, due to culture, religion, and just plain old lack of experience, Indonesians are generally wary of dogs. This can range from downright terrified to suspicious to curious to completely friendly. On top of that, the majority of dogs in Jakarta are miniature-sized so a golden retriever is relativel...

The "Camino de la Muerte" or Death Road is another touristy highlight in Bolivia. It's a bike ride, about 40 km, all downhill, where you lose a stunning 11,800 feet in altitude from the top to the bottom! For my friends not using the metric system, thats from 15,400 feet to 3,600. (Metric: from 4700 to 1200 meters) Fortunately, the road that is infamous for deadly accidents is a lot less deadly today. Mostly because another much safer road has been built-so the only traffic on the road now consists of mostly cyclists and the vans that transport them, with perhaps the odd tourist. However, in the past, the narrow, dirt road with blind corners required big buses to back up to find wide enough spots to pass one another-which all too often ended up in buses backing off the sheer side of the mountain. Again, choosing a reputable company seems important when your life is on the line (we used Gravity bike tours). They supply you with a bike, a suit to wear over your clothes for ...

If you go to Bolivia and you don't go to the Salt Flats, you are doing Bolivia wrong. Book with a reputable company and read reviews-some of the companies have complaints of their drivers getting totally wasted on the stops and obviously that is no bueno. It is a LOT of time in a vehicle, so be prepared for that. And the lodging falls somewhere between orphanage barracks and prison cells. I know, I'm really talking it up. All that being said, you must go!!! There's nowhere on Earth like it. From a train cemetary, to the flats themselves where salt is harvested, to the "islands", lakes full of flamingos, geysers and hot springs, and high elevation valleys, this is not a place you want to miss. Most tours are about 4 days. 3 is pushing it and longer might be better if you can handle "roughing it." As of spring of 2015 there wasn't even a hint of any sort of cell service or wifi anywhere and the flats don't seem like a place that changes quickly, so...

 After a night at relatively lower altitude (think around 11,000 feet instead of 15,000 feet), one of the teachers & I were ready to do some exploring while our friend rested. Here are some shots from around La Paz. We checked out Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon) and another hiking spot, Muele del Diablo (Molar of the devil).