Purple sand and more in California

I recently took a trip to the West Coast to see family and friends and attend a wedding in Pt. Reyes. Although geographically, this trip has nothing to do with S.E. Asia, I probably interacted with just as many Vietnamese people, and my experiences were too beautiful not to share.

My trip began in San Diego, and I traveled northward to Seattle, WA via buses and trains. I've been to California on at least 20 separate occasions and lived in Orange for a year, but I never made much efforts to see the state's natural beauty. It's easy to forget how beautiful coastal, mountainous California can be when you're lured by the city lights, but I had a little taste last month when I visited San Diego, Orange County area, Pt. Reyes, and Big Sur and of course, on the scenic bus rides.


Big Sur, right smack in the middle of the state's coast. I had read in that it was jaw-dropping, and it was. Off in the distance, you can hear seal lions calling from below.




















I had no idea I would stumble upon purple sand at Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur. I collected about three pounds into my hat. At the end of my trip, my backpacks weighed a total of 80 lbs thanks to additions like sand, books, jars of peanut butter, pickles, etc. Worth it!


































































Hiking and camping at Pt. Reyes.


















Hello starfish! (Pt. Reyes)

















On a Vietnamese bus from Orange County to San Jose.


































My cousin's daughter, Johanna getting a kick out of my teenage mutant ninja turtle mask. So glad I carry odds and ends.























The city of Laguna Beach has implemented laws to protect the marine life. Sadly, you'll hardly find any seashells; if you do and you're caught taking them, you'll be fined something like $250 per seashell. Tours are given about the species and habitat in the tide pools.





















One of many sea anemones found at Laguna Beach.


















I attended mass at the Mission San Diego de Alcala. The basilica was founded in 1769 as the first Franciscan mission in the then Las Californias Province.






















Large hacienda doors open to quite a narrow church.

Cambodia travel photos

A never-been-seen selection finally posted. For all Cambodia photos, click here.

My original blog post about Cambodia, read here.

A bus ride from Svay Rieng (bordering Vietnam) to Kampot. My first scene of dusty Cambodia, and I loved it!


















(While on an eight-hour junkle trek) in Ban Lung, Ratanakiri province far northeast, illegal logging and deforestation abounds.























A secret underground temple underneath Wat Ek Phnom's colossal Buddha in Battambang city.























Bamboo train in Battambang. I was told there aren't any breaks, so I decided to save my $4 for a rainy day.























That rainy day arrived the next day: a flash flood lasting two-three hours in the capital, Phnom Penh. Many NGOs are working to find solutions for the city's prevalent drainage problem.


















I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful -- and bumpy -- eight-hour boat ride. From Battambang to Phnom Penh.


















Another view.


















One of the many wats (temples) inside the magnificent Angkor Wat complex.























Many youngsters found around the complex are forced by their family to sell things or beg for money.























The beach at Sihanoukville on the South coast.


















On a boat ride in laidback Kampot in the South.

Does Bali live up to the hype?

[I apologize for not posting this sooner. I suppose a blog post about my final destination signifies an unwelcome reality -- the end of my travels. Nonetheless, I am happy to share my last experience as well as photos and commentary on food, quirky moments, how to bargain, etc. Thanks everyone for your love and support during and after my travels. Please stay tuned!]

Bali has always evoked much intrigue for me. Everyone knows it’s the premier beach and surfing destination. When flipping through fashion magazines, designer brands emblazon on their ads plainly but proudly, "sold in London, Paris, Bali."

balinese customs
I choose to spend my remaining 10 days of backpacking here. A few steps removed from the black- and white-sand beaches, I witness a funeral procession that is of striking contrast to American funerals. The celebration is vibrant, festive, and loud, replete with town folk, music, smiles, and a not-so-occasional ice cream cart. Heading the parade are six men carrying a gargoyled statue and the urn inside a shrine. The men and women are both wearing sarungs (a long wrapping skirt) with sashes around their waist, and headdresses. I love the colors and patterns.

Incidentally, I come to Indonesia during the Ramadan season. Whereas most of country (80-90 percent) is Muslim, more than 90 percent of Bali’s population practices Balinese Hinduism – a fusion of local culture and religion rooted in Hinduism, Animalism, and Buddhism. However, the Balinese still observe Ramadan out of respect by fasting and praying, and no cock fighting (a very popular pastime in Bali.)

living local
At this time, it is my sixth month of traveling Southeast Asia, I have forgotten what a breeze feels like; so I take a local bus into the highlands of Tirta Gangga – the site of a royal water palace and spectacular rice paddies. The newly-wed Balinese couple who rents me a guestroom treats me like family. After we eat dinner, I help make ceremonial offerings for an upcoming Indonesian holiday. The people of Bali are very proud of their heritage. As such, they maintain what we may consider a highly ritualistic and superstitious mindset. For instance, in the first three months of a baby’s life, he/she cannot touch the ground and must be held at all times. At puberty, there is a tooth filing ceremony. When eating or touching, only the right hand can be used, because the left hand is considered dirty. My new friends are gracious when I forget.

On my last night in Tirta Gangga, I develop a wicked headache and body aches. The wife insists on rubbing medicinal ointment on my back. My mom also uses this traditional technique. In Vietnamese, it is called cqo gio. The ointment is applied and scratched repeatedly into the skin with a spoon, or coin. I am surprised and thrilled to learn yet another similarity of customs across Southeast Asia.

go to Bali
I miss Bali. It’s worth the visit especially if you are short on vacation time. I recommend avoiding the main tourist areas of Kuta and Ubud in order to experience, as the locals say, the real Bali. It is a tropical beauty with a rich and captivating culture. Renting a car, or 4x4 is an easy way to hightail it out of the tourist spots. Bali is small enough that you won’t lose too much time driving around. (It’s quite possible to drive around the whole island in a day.) Talk to me for tips on bargaining (as locals tend to overcharge exorbitantly), logistics, and places to go and see.

For more Bali photos, click here.

Palau Menjangan (Deer Island) near the northeastern Bali. Jaw-dropping snorkeling: walls several meters long of coral to explore.


















Hiking to a waterfall in Munduk, a beautiful hill town with more types of flora and plants than there are locals (slight exaggeration, but the variety is quite impressive.)























My first Bali sunset: Lovina beach in the northeast. For the most part, black-sand beaches are situated in the north and white-sand in the south.























A cockfighting match, a very popular pasttime (I apologize for those that may find this photo and activity offensive. I must say I didn't enjoy nor appreciate this very much.)


















The Balinese couple I am renting out a guestroom from prepare food and offerings with relatives for an upcoming Indonesian holiday.























Folded palm leaves stuffed with food and spices are offered to the gods in hopes of warding off evil spirits.


















This cutie is part of the extended family of the lovely couple.


















Families also prepare a big meal in honor of the holiday.























I join in on the tasty family meal. Many locals eat with their hands, as is the case in all the countries I visited with the exception of Vietnam, which has a historically strong Chinese influence. Hence, the chopsticks.


















The wife teaches me to fold palm leaves for offerings.


















The restored sacred royal water palace in Tirta Gangga, highlands in the east.


















Farmers are giving up on growing Balinese rice, in favor of easier-to-grow imported foreign rice.




















The aftermath of a funeral procession: the urn and shrine are washed away in the river.























I am told Bali has its own pineapple.























A local weaves baskets for cockfighting roosters.























Note the low clouds that seem to be sitting on the land -- like a step away from heaven.

Most beautiful and last-visited Indonesia

Indonesia is everything I was hoping for in Southeast Asia and more beautiful than I could imagine. Scenery I saw elsewhere was gorgeous, but it was ten times better in Indonesia. The abundant natural beauty along with the cornicupia of cultures (170+ languages) is so exotic from anything we know. Plus, there are volcanoes!

During my tour of Bukittinggi, a mountain town in West Sumatra, I learn just how different Indonesia is even apart from Southeast Asia. The indigenous Minangkabau people have a matrilineal and Muslim culture. My guide, a self-proclaimed jungle man, asks me what I think about a man having more than one wife. He presents this hypothetical scenario: a female friend’s husband dies, and she has many children. The family is poor. Who will take care of them? If his current first wife is a good and generous woman, she will allow him to marry this friend, so he is obliged to financially care for that family.

Dhany also tells me fascinating stories about spending two years learning to eat fire and Indonesian karate in which one ultimately faces a wild tiger. Part of the programs he offers to tourists includes a chance to meet one. It requires travelers camping five days in the jungle. Meanwhile, he will get in touch with a “magic man” who has relationships, or connections (if you will) with the tigers. The magic man can tell if the animal is feeling aggressive or friendly. When the tiger is ready for socializing, the magic man will let you know, and you can touch, pet, even hug it. Unfortunately, it is my second day in Indonesia -- and I am already running out of time -- so I opt to visit bats and buffalo in the Sianok Canyon and trek through jungle surrounded by 10 to 30 feet trenches in complete darkness (Ok, that was unplanned, but I survive.)

Coincidentally, my new jungle friend recently married an American -- from Houston -- from the town of Clear Lake where I attended high school! He may move to Texas. He says I am family now; I know his town. He pours kopi (coffee) from the teacup onto a curved dish. As he takes a sip from the dish, I imagine Dhany doing this at Starbucks. Can he adjust to American life? I am astounded by the possibilities.

Many travelers consider Indonesia too developed, too "touristy" therefore discount it, but to scratch it off is a mistake. There is a reason the country is a premier destination -- spectacular scenery, exotic cultures, friendly people, and delicious cuisine. It’s the best of Southeast Asia in one (albeit huge) country. As a backpacker, Indonesia is more expensive (by Southeast Asian tourist standards), but one must simply bargain harder and politely. I only visited Sumatra, Java, and Bali, but I hope to return to Sumatra and the other islands I didn't have time for.

I am back in the U.S. now and am adjusting myself. I plan to continue blogging. I spent 10 days in Bali, so a separate post will come shortly. And, I know you all are hungry for a post on food (pun intended), how to bargain, what I got out of my travel experience, and more!

Click here for more Indonesia photos.

Smoking Ijen volcano in East Java.


















Locals carry 80-plus pounds of sulfur from the opaque teal crater down the volcano daily.























I thought I died and went to heaven when I saw the shimmering vast crater lake, Minanjau.























My guide Dhany in the beautiful mountain town of Bukittinggi in West Sumatra. He may be moving to Houston to be with his wife who is a professor in town.























Rice paddies, a mosque, and village in Bukittinggi.























Me on Dhany's Texas-themed motorbike. Yeehaw!
























The bizarre Rumah Gadang architecture found in Sumatra (pictured here in Koto Gadang famous for its silver jewelry.)


















For my birthday, I visited two volcanoes during sunrise: Gunung Bromo (below) and Ijek both in Java.


















Gunung Bromo up close during an a once-a-year Indonesian holiday.


















As the Lonely Planet guide described so well, a sense of an end-of-the-world feel at Gunung Bromo.


















A different, desolate view of Bromo.























Clouds always seem to sit on the horizon in Indonesia -- one of my favorite scenes especially during sunrise and sunset. (Mountain adjacent to Bromo.)


















This machinery utilizes buffalo power to press sugarcane.























On a bus ride through the jungle to Ijen.


























Most touristed attraction in Indonesia, Borobudur temple (UNESCO World Heritage site) in Java.