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Indonesia
By: Holly
As children we dream of far off
places, exotic people and wild animals. My husband and I chose
to make our dreams come alive, we travelled to Indonesia. Bali,
Borneo, Lombok, Komodo and Sumatra are just the better known of
the 17,000 plus islands that make up Indonesia. These varied tropical
islands are spread across the Pacific from Singapore to Australia.
Of course we could not visit all 17,000 islands (maybe one day),
but we did our best to sample this diverse country, from the towering
volcanoes to the sand beaches and the steamy jungle, from the
quaint villages and ancient temples to the worlds most deluxe
resort hotels.
Bali
Bali is a magical place. It is a land of golden spires and tinkling
temple bells, tantalizing aromas and sumptuous cuisine. Ancient
Hindu traditions are part of daily life here. Our hotel room had
a fresh flower blessing at the front door. Music and dance are
also daily tradition. We enjoyed several performances, including
a classic Barong dance. Ubud is a delightful town, considered
the cultural heart of Bali. Many smaller villages known for their
artisans and traditional handicrafts are nearby. Shopping is exceptional,
local specialties include silver jewelry, wood and leather puppets
and hand woven fabrics such as batik. The volcanic highlands and
terraced rice paddies offer breathtaking natural beauty. Most
importantly, it's the people.... Everywhere you go a gracious
charm and hospitality greets you.
Komodo
We sailed to Komodo Island and
its National Park in search of the Komodo dragon, the world's
largest lizard, fully grown at 9feet long and 300 plus pounds.
I am happy to report that we found several dragons and lived to
tell!
Borneo
Off again, this time in search
of the wild orangutan we flew to Pangkalanbun, Kalimantan, on
the Indonesian side of Borneo for three exciting days. We traveled
by riverboat up to Tanjung Puting
National Park, home of the Camp Leakey Orangutan Rehabilitation
area. Approximately 50 animals come and go in this "open
zoo". We were lucky to meet up with 30 of them, from 3month
old babies
to Kosasi, the King, 35 years old and 350 pounds.
All in all, quite a vacation.....Too
bad it takes so long to get there.
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