The Adventures of Whales

Watermelon Seeds...

the_whaleys — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 20:25:00 GMT

Where to begin?

After our stay in Phnom Penh, we took a bus ride down to a small, coastal town called Sihanuok Ville. We were excited to be in a quiet place right next to the ocean so for our first night we settled into a place called M*A*S*H. The place had good food and initially friendly service but little did we know it would become a brothel as the drunk mid to old aged white guys came tumbling up the stairs with their teenage cambodia girls. We left first thing in the early morning and were very polite to the guesthouse owner but i think she knew why we were leaving. The place had a weird air of oppression that hung around it. All in all, the free pool table was nice. The next place we checked into was much nicer and Elijah made sure with the owner before we booked that no "unregistered" guests were allowed. That afternoon we went for our last swim in the sea and were joined by afew local boys who got a kick out of Elijah catapolting them into the water.

In order to get to Kratie we had to go back through Phnom Penh and missed the first bus so we stayed two extra nights there before heading north. In Kratie we rented a motorbike and drove to a section of the Mekong River where endangered Irrawaddy freshwater dolphins live. We boarded a small wooden boat with an Italian fellow and our guide paddled out to where the fins and blow holes where cresting the water's surface. The experience was sureal. After that, we explored the surrounding areas on the motorbike and went back to our hotel to sleep.

The next day we took another bus to Stung Treng, just before the Laos border, where we met Mike and Lota, an English and Finish couple traveling on motorcycles. The following morning we borded a makeshift ferry and gently floated across the Mekong where we were politely met by a huge chunk of concrete used to bring the ferry to a jolting stop. From there we waited about an hour for a Toyota Camry that we packed 8 people into-two in the drivers seat! It was another hour to the border where the "men in uniform" demand 1 dollars to stamp each passport book but they aren't supposed to so we found our way around the first post. Elijah said he was a travelling journalist and we would kindly pay the 2 dollars but would need a receipt. The guy straightened up like he'd been caught and shook his head "no." So Elijah said he would just talk to his supervisor who was busy with the other travellers. The man paused for a minute and humbly gave us our passport without any hassle. The second post, however, was not as easy. We tried to pull the same trick but the man just pulled out a slip of paper, wrote Passport $1 on it and sent us on our way. Oh well. Once in Laos, the Camry driver told us the minibus driver who was supposed to take us the rest of the way went to the wrong border crossing. We waited another 1/2 hour until we climbed into the rattiest bus and lunged our way up the skinny washboard dirt road. We must have changed busses 2 or 3 more times before arriving at our boat crossing to get to Don Det island.

Don Det was a quiet simple island with bunglows built over the Mekong, each one equipped with a porch and hammock for our reclining pleasure. This little oasis also didn't receive power but for 2 hours late at night so none of the rooms had a fan. The next morning we rented two 1950 era, practically balloon tire, beach handled bicycles and had a ball pedaling to a waterfall and sanded area where we swam for a little while.

Mike and Lota were also staying on the island so we ate almost every meal with them and helped Mike fix a flat in his motorcycle tire. The last night we went to a new restaurant where we received a healthy dose of FOOD POISONING. Early the next morning I was tossing and turning until I finally threw up and Elijah's stomach caught up about 3 hours later. Even though we were both really sick we decided it was best to leave the island and head for Champasak. At that time we didn't know why we weren't feeling good and thought it might have had something to do with the lack of electricity, thus causing food spoilage. Much to our suprize it was way worse than that. In Champasak Elijah started throwing up and it was there he noticed about a dozen little, black, half watermelon seed shaped things in his barf which later he realized was RAT POOP! Needless to say, we stayed the next two days trying to sleep and frequenting the toilet in an air conditioned room. Elijah was feeling fit enough on the third day to ride another bike to the ancient Khmer Ruins contructed around the 6th century but they were just that-ruins. His health spout was short lived and he rejoined me later that day with vomiting and stomach knots-we think due to bad water. Unfortunely we spend most of that day in a bus that was on its last leg and broke down the whole way to Savannahket. Both of us nauseous, we stupidly rejected the overpriced tuk tuk drivers offer to take us 2 kilometers down the street to our guesthouse.We walked instead and, well, 2 kilometer turned into 3, then 5 and I was so weak and sick I threw up on the side of the road and Elijah had to lug my bag the rest of the way to the hotel and come back for me. We both fell asleep fearing the next day we would have to take the 8 hour bus ride to Vientaine and check into a hospital for an IV drip. We prayed that night in faith that the Lord loves us and would always take care of us and woke up the next morning with an appetite and full recovery, aside from weakness due to malnutrition and dehydration. Which brings us to today, where we spend most of it resting and using the internet and both of us are feeling much better and expect to be 100% by tomorrow.

We love you all and missed you, especially while we were sick.

Love d&e

Gallery: Southern Loas

the_whaleys — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 13:30:00 GMT

A good place to get sick

Gallery: Northern Cambodia

the_whaleys — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 13:20:00 GMT

A Nice Place

Gallery: Angkor

the_whaleys — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 18:59:00 GMT

Palaces

Angkor Temples

the_whaleys — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 18:50:00 GMT

We finally made it to Cambodia. The border crossing was a little annoying due to corrupt males in power. The man at the counter said it cost 1000baht ($30USD) to get our visas processed in 3 minutes. Or we could follow the government posted sign directly above his head that said $20 and have it back in 3 hours. So we got a group of travelers together and laughed loudly for an hour, hoping to make them uncomfortable enough to bring our documents back, but it didn't work. Being loud is considered out of place. We waited almost 3 hours. After they finished lunch, a man brought out all of our visas at the same time, even though others hadn't waited as long. Foolishness.

We all jumped into a bus to a taxi stand where we shared a 3.5 hour ride dodging 6 foot in diameter pot holes almost a foot deep. The road is purposely kept in a state of decay because the commissioner who says which roads get paved, is being paid off by the airline companies so more people will fly. More Foolishness. We stayed in Siem Reip, home of the Angkor Temples. There were so many temples and the tickets were expensive so we just saw Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom. These palaces were built in 8000AD and each king had a hand in putting afew more up. The ones we saw were practically in ruins. People have been coming in and desecrating the whole place, even using it as a toilet. Some of the temples were originally built for hindu religions and the buddhist took them over, recarving their own idolic images.

On our way to Angkor Thom, we saw the Buddah Monkey (aka fattest monkey we have ever seen, possibly a rival gang banger of P.P. Chub Masta Fat) All this ape did was sit on the side of the street and collect fruit from the tourists. Another more fit monkey decided to climb up my leg and onto my shoulder to see what i had in a bag. We didn't know they were that friendly and would not try to bite us until a baby monkey perched itself on my other shoulder and discretely tried to look at my face. We had alot of fun playing with them after that. And it was certainly one of the highlights to our trip so far.

The next day we took a cramped, sweaty, bumpy bus ride to Phnoem Pehn, the capital. Here we have been relaxing. Cambodia has been the hottest, most dry place yet. People close up shop from 11 to 2 because of the heat, so we got a room with a TV to entertain ourselves. Unfortunately, the power goes out for hours at a time about 3 times a day.

Besides the greeting we had getting into Cambodia, the Cambodias them selves have been extremely friendly and seem to have a progressive attitude. We have seen a lot of road and building constrution. The price that is quoted is normally a very good one and leaves little room or need to bargain. Most people are looking for the repeat busness instead of the big sale. I read an add in a tourist magizine writen by the local goverment, that asked tourist to not give money or food to childern or woman, because this would encourage them to stay on the streets instead of becoming part of a goverment program aimed at helping them.

Cambodia also has a bit of a scary aspect. On the drive to the Capital there where many anti gun signs, and in the lobby of our hotel there are a few adds for gun, rocket, and granda test ranges. I think there is an ample supply of arms, and with the mix of poverty, it's a bit unnerving. Books recommend not to go out late at night and after 11pm the front door of our hotel is locked and an armed guard sits out front all night. That in addition with the fact that there are thousands and thousands of undetinated land mines all over the country makes Cambodia a little scary. -But Hey, if anyone wants a "Danger Land Mines, Cambodia" t-shirt let me know.

Love D&E

Ps We could not put up all of our pic's because the connection was to slow.

The Red Light District

the_whaleys — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 22:22:00 GMT

Last night we went to the Red Light District (aka Prostitute Road). See, we found ourselves here due to the previous nights events. While we were walking back to our hostel down Khoa San Road, we were stopped by the sight of 3 street preachers. Both Elijah and I, starved for fellowship and swooned by the Truth, lingered to hear more. When Henry finished Elijah approached him and curiously inquired "What organization are you with?" We were both taken back by his answer "None, we are just here because we love the people." We chatted for a few minutes then departed with a smile, handshake and card with his information on it. That night we emailed Henry with hopes of meeting up again before we left Bangkok.

The following afternoon we arrived via taxi on the other side of the metropolis where we met all- American Henry, his expecting wife Amy and their toddler William. Henry, his cousin Brian and friend Tony (half Vietnamese, half American) go out every night to different part of where ever they are called (currently Bangkok) and preach the Word, straight outa' the Bible. This is all they do! And they aren't the ones who go out screaming "burn sinners burn!!!" So we talked with his family for a few hours then met up with the other gentlemen for dinner and a night on the town.

After a delicous American meal at Gulliver's Travels, we went to Sukumvit Rd where all the Muslims gather. The three of them took turns preaching at the entrances to roads followed by a quick trip to 7/11 for a drink to coat the throat. People respond in all different ways. Most just walk by. Some stop and listen for a few minutes, others have questions, and there's always the one who takes the time to disengage himself from whatever he is currently preoccupied with, to shout "no one's listening!" which i found profoundly humorous due to the fact that he's the one who obviously heard enough to respond.

There were a few interesting things the evangelist told us about the Muslims.

1. Muslims dont turn off when you open the Bible, because they say they "believe" it too. Their version is a little different though.

2. Muslims believe they (or whoever) should die if they loose an argument about their faith. So if you get into a debate with one, he is coming to you with his life on the line. Due to many reasons i dont understand the depth of.

3. If Americans would have begun this war with Iraq and or any other Muslim country from an islamic perspective it could possibly be over. Case in point: Muslims have incredible respect for courage, that is why they blow themselves up in the name of Allah and all that sort of stuff. So when they see American troops with tanks and army protection garb, all they think is how scared we must be "hiding" behind so much armour. They think of us as cowards which makes them want to kill us even more. The real kicker is that if our armed forces threatened to kill any muslim who rose against us with bullet dipped in pig fat, or dig up the bones of the Muslims who have aready died trying and rebury them with pigs, they would back down immediatley due to their belief in unclean food. If we just flew over their country and pushed dead pigs out of the planes it would have more impact than bombs. Muslims can only imbibe "Halal approved" food- pigs being one of the forbidden. They believe if a human body comes into contact with that of a dead pig's, the person will go staright to hell when he/she dies, and the topic of hell is another black hole itself. As difficult as it may be to believe, it worked in Israel when the Muslims were bombing the Israeli's busses, to combat the explosions, they put pigs in their public transportation and the Muslims retired that method instantaniously.

After Sukumvit, we made our way to the land of lust. One by one the preachers projected words of grace and a way out. The crowd here was a little different in that alcohol is as abundant as the area's visitors. People are more inclined to shout and laugh and even make bowing motions as they stumble by. One male came out of the bar to tell Tony to shut up. Another got right in Brian's face sniffed his Bible and pulled on his tie. It's hard not to chuckle. This behaviour just shows an obvious searching for acceptance. The group we went out with prepared us before hand telling us sometimes the people get out of hand. There were many accounts of groin grabbing and other violating acts, so Elijah and i just kinda stood back and caught the action on tape. Fortunately none of that happened while we were there. Most of the people who react just pass by with nasty looks on their faces. There have been other times when the guys have been punched, arrested, put in jail, and all other kinds of threats.

I personally wanted to get into the dirt, so i walked over and tried my best to communicate with some of the hookers. Most of them are my age(21) or younger. They seem like totally normal girls, just going to work. But you and I know somewhere buried inside is a person who has felt like "nothing" for so long they dont feel anymore. We sat and talked until the owner of the hore house told one of the dancers i had to buy a drink or leave. The guys were done preaching so i told the girls to have a nice evening and caught up. I never thought i'd ever shake hands with a hooker, but that was the reason i went in. I just wish i knew Thai better

Elijah got the chance to talk with one of the males who had a female with him. It was blatant the guy had had many guilty arguments with himself by the conversation the two of them had. The male explained how he and all the other males participating would rather be there than home with a nagging wife and kids. He elaborated on how he was providing for the woman here who really needed it and bringing more money to poor Thailand. He wondered why more "men" didn't. It was very disconcerting to see the lack of feeling. I personally didn't feel like i was in a dirty, raunchy place, just an apathetic one.

One thing that was really supreme was that i was scared at first to go. I was instantly filled with rage and jealously when i thought of one of the prostitutes grabbing my husband. I thought i'd either cry at the debauchery or knock someone out, even to the point of abandoning the evening. But when i prayed for courage and wisdom, and went out in faith God All-Mighty filled me to the brim, so much that i even forgot my fear until i looked back on the venture. It was like i could see right to the heart of the splatter. I had a love for them realizing i, in different ways, was still the same at one point in my life and if Christ could love and forgive me & not mention it again, why couldn't i reflect that? There will never be a reason not to.

Tony, before Transformation, was a hate and anger filled pro-kick boxer who knows some of Thailand's dirty little secrets. He told us that there is a maffia that has boys who go and collect money from every person trapped in the filthy ring. Tony said most of the amputies begging on the black sidewalks were made that way by the devils. I guess the maffia cuts their limbs off and comes through at the end of the night and collects their portion of the donations. So instead of tossing a coin in the little plastic cup the preachers buy the people food and drinks instead and pray for them. At one point Tony informed us we had just passed a tuk tuk driver who was selling children. COME ON!!! It gets worse, but the present nausea in my guts kept me from asking. As you can see there is a definate need for a Saviour.

Regretably we forgot to take pictures but will have a lot of footage to show and upload to Utube when we return.

All in all, it was a totally original experience we will never forget. Also, feeling the boundless power of the Holy Spirit was a thrill and addictive. It was as if new blood was pumped through my veins. Our teeth cutting experience in Indonesia paled in comparison to the readiness i have now. Another note that struck my heart strings was if this man can stand on the corner of a counrty that is not his own and shout the Gospel, i can surely be kind to my neighbor and love my enemy- like the scammers in Sape or the taxi driver who just needed the extra dollar enough to short change me. I guess what you receive into your spiritual life will produce into your natural one.

Having said enough, we will try to leave for northern Thailand tomorrow. Thanks for keeping up with us. If anyone would like to email us since the comment posting isn't really working-

Elijah's address is elijahwhaley@gmail.com

and mine is helianthusdch@msn.com

PS, if anyone wants to visit Henry's webpage the address is www.Hispower.org. The testimonials are freeing!

Love, d&e

The Grand Palace, Bangkok Thailand

the_whaleys — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 10:23:00 GMT

Before i start to tell you about the Grand Palace, there are afew Singapore details i missed. If you have to be stuck in an airport, the one in Singapore is the place to do it. The food is affordable, ranging from runny eggs in a cup to McDonald's to gelato and pastry shoppes. There are clothes, perfumes, purses/bags, makeup, jewelry, bookstores, candy shops. They have recliners with alarms, foot massagers, internet, lounges, tv screens where they play movies, and the best part is, all the luxuries are free. The airport is huge! We have been stuck there for a total of 18 hours and still didn't see all of it. They have a prayer room and upstair, set away, is upclass lounges, a swimming pool, and even a place you can take a shower.

This was very nice because we booked our tickets over the phone with a bonafide space cadet. Our flight from Bali to Bangkok was scheduled for March 16 at 10pm, with a layover in Singapore until 7 the next morning. When we arrived around 1am in Singapore, we took advantage of the recliners and foot massagers and fell asleep until 5:30am when we awoke to acquire our boarding passes for the flight to Bangkok. Because the airport is so huge, we stopped at an information center to find out where to pick up the passes. Instead the attendant informed us that our flight had already left the day before. What had happened was that the girl who arranged our flights, (despite the 2 times we reminded her to check the dates) booked both flights for the 16th. So I tried to explain the dilema to the Jetstar attendant who told me to call the actual company we booked the tickets with. Finally, after finding the phone number on the internet and figuring out how to use a credit card payphone, i called and Aaron booked us for the next flight at 9:20am to Bangkok free of charge and hassle. It was crazy but we can only laugh now.

Moving on. Yesterday we visited the Grand Palace. It is one of the top highlights in Thailand. About 6 square acres of Thai history, elaborately decorated temples of glass and ceramic mosaic, and a healthy weapons museum. Every building is covered with gold paint, intricate murals, goblin looking creatures and buddah. In the last major temple housing the emerald buddah, you have to silently walk through, being sure to never point your bare feet directly at the buddah. It was impressive because the emerald idol dates back to some time in the 1500's. The whole place was elaborate and the pictures do not do it justice.

We love you all and are counting the days,

love d&e.

Gallery: The Grand Palace

the_whaleys — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 09:31:00 GMT

The Grand Palace

Gallery: Ende and Beyond

the_whaleys — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 13:49:00 GMT

Three Lakes

Maybe It Was All Worth It

the_whaleys — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 15:49:00 GMT

After spending more than ½ a day on the rusty-bottomed ferry, we arrived in beautiful Labuanbajo, Flores at 2:00am. We woke up the hotel attendant to book rooms and only to sleep in them for 4 hours, because we had to catch the next charter boat at 6 am for Rinca, to see the Komodos. We left, finally, and after about 1 hour of sailing we turned back again because the waves and storm were too much for our second little charter boat. An agreement was made with our captains to try again at 5:00 sharp the next morning.

Once we docked we set out for lunch and the weather broke almost immediately and it was blue skies and sunshine for the rest of the day. Unbelievable! By now it was too late for Rinca, so we paid a few locals to motorbike us to a beach. After 30minutes of clinging to the back of an Indonesian man as the bike bounced up and down a rock filled dirt road, we arrived. There was a sunken boat right on the coast and the “beach was so filthy we had to take a picture. Our group decided to find somewhere better and on the way we climbed up a cone shaped hill to view the panorama.

The next morning we left the hotel at 4:30am to try again for Rinca. We waited for the boat owners until 5:45 when Dave walked to the office and found them both asleep.

The only places in the world where these Komodos live is on Rinca, Komodo, and small parts of Flores. So this was a once in a lifetime experience. When we landed we were all so excited to see the dragons we walked right past the 6 foot monster that was waiting for us at the park entrance. Most of the Komodos hung out around the offices, probably because they get food. This is where we saw most of them, aside from 3 while we were trekking. We also saw huge buffalo, monkeys, and a viper, as well as the evidence of deer and wild horses. We were all very glad to have reached the island but their were no real “wild animals” and it was a little too tourist friendly.

On the trip back, our captains stopped so we could swim and explore around a tiny island. The designs on some of the shells we found looked fabricated they were so perfect.

That night we said our goodbyes to the group and got on the bema that left at 6 am the next morning. On this trip we met our new traveling companions, an older Dutch couple named Eric and Harma. The trip took 10 hour and we get stuck in Bajawa, because there was no direct drive to Ende. Dave caught up with us there and we had dinner before he continued his motorbike ride to Ende. The next morning we snaked back down the mountain for 5 hours until we arrived in Ende. Everyone here smokes at the same time, all the time, and the women who don’t smoke chew betel nuts. A bright red narcotic nut that turns anything it touches candy apple red. There were so many of these women in a market we crept through. They looked like Asian clowns with those crimson lips, a chicken in one hand, a bag of stinky fruit in the other, a blanket wrapped around their waists and a basket balanced on their heads.

Our first priority in Ende was to book airplane tickets out of there. The further you get from the mainland, the more aboriginal things get and the thicker the mosquitoes. Somewhere along the way, one of these little bloodsuckers bit my foot so I scratched the top of it off. I had an anklet on which irritated it so I removed it in Labuanbajo. By the time we arrived in Ende, my ankle had swollen to 3 times its size and felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to it. I was so overwhelmed with pain I thought I was going to lose my foot. So we went to a doctor who gave me some antibiotics, pain reliever and anti-inflammation salve. It was just an infection that got out of hand and I am doing much better now. Lesson #1: always take plenty of water with malaria pills. Lessons #2 don’t charter a boat with people who lie. Lesson #3: Don’t itch mosquito bites.

By far one of the most exotic things we have seen probably ever, was Mount Kelimutu, a dormant volcano that created 3 unspeakably huge crater lakes each filled with an abnormal water colour due to miner and oxygen content. We rented a motorbike and left at 3am to see the mountain at sunrise. The first lake looked like liquid jade, the second a bowl of chocolate pudding, and the third black with red around the rim. After we took pictures and did some videotaping we rode the bike to Moni, where we had lunch, then headed back to Ende. Being purely exhausted we crashed until dinnertime, where we went out with the Dutch couple to a Chinese restaurant.

Waking up early for the 11^th morning in a row, we boarded our 7:30 flight back to Kuta, Bali. The turbulence proned, prehistoric metal hunk, some might call a plane took off . I doubt it was even checked before it flew that morning. We walked right onto the runway along with some dogs and children who used the road as part of their passage to school. The flight took 1-½ hours to cover 500 miles, which previously took 6 straight days.

Upon arriving in Bali, we slept most of the day and got my hair cut. The nest morning we rented a motorbike with a surf board holder so Elijah could go to Dreamland. IT was very awkward and we knocked over another guys bike but he was very nice about it. We promptly returned the bike because it was just too much of a risk. Instead we took a bemo to Denpasar and walked through the unimpressive 4-story market. Hoping to buy some clothes, instead finding cheap floral island printed T-shirts and Muslim sarongs.

The day ended with dinner and a walk on the beach. Today has been raining so we will try to surf tomorrow. Our flight to Bangkok is on the 16^th and we don’t have much of an itinerary from there besides to see Cambodia, Laos, and northern Thailand. We cut Vietnam from the trip because of the $100 visa fee and the lack of time.

Since we arrived in Indonesia there have been-

3 planes crashed

2 ferries sank

1 land slide ( which we drove through)

1 flood

1 earthquake

and

1 volcanic eruption

..and the weirdest part is, the people have been the worst part. We are commonly charged 3 times what the locals pay for transportation, hotels, food… even when the price has already been agreed upon. We have been lied to and cheated on a daily basis from bus rides, to restaurant owners, and merchants.

The filth of the towns and some of the beaches has at times been overwhelming. The local food gets old quick and that’s all there is.

The untouched natural landscape has been mind blowing. Some of the islands we have seen look like no man has ever set foot upon their shores. We actually saw living dinosaurs that move as if they are puppets in an old Godzilla film. We stood on top of a volcano, whereby simply turning our heads we could see 3 wildly coloured lakes with the ocean as a backdrop. Surfing and riding horses through the sea have also added greatly to the rich adventure of our experiences in Indonesia.

Indonesia it’s not a place we will recommend traveling overland or really by air because that was the scariest plane I’ve ever been on. Maybe pictures are the best way to visit. It has definitely been an adventure.

Bali Dreams To Sorry Sape

the_whaleys — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 15:45:00 GMT

A lot has happened since we arrived in Indonesia. Two childhood dreams were attained during our stay on Kuta, Bali. Elijah rented a surfboard and with his previous experience snowboarding and summers of skateboarding, was able to catch a wave on his very first try. Its not the best season for surfing in Bali, but Elijah still had a lot of fun and surprised himself with how well he did.

The next day we did one of my lifelong dreams-horseback riding on the beach. We found a reputable place where just a guide and us could gallop through the waves. Fortunately for me, my little white horse, Mega, loved this idea and took me on a great 2-hour ride.

So, pleased with our accomplishments and refreshed by the beach, we set out to the next major island, Lombok. The bemo bus took 2 hours to reach Padang Bai pier. From there we boarded a ferry and floated for 5 hours to Lembar, Lombok. This was the start of the craziest traveling (mis) adventure yet.

This ferry was pleasantly uneventful, but the moment we exited the boat in Lembar, the eventfulness started. We arrived late and there were no other travelers heading the same direction as Danielle and me, so the local drivers wanted to take advantage of this by increasing their rates by 4. When we asked where the hotel was, we received a different answer from everyone. Some said the price for accommodations was outrageous and others said there were no hotels. The truth was there where a few local hotels and they were nice and well priced.

The next morning we left for the opposite coast of Lombok. We dealt with a few liars selling tickets, but we ignored their “advice” and made it ourselves to the ferry leaving for Poto Tano, Sumbawa. From Poto Tano we drove to the capital where we needed to make a bus change heading for the last city, Sape. I had been told that we could get a bus directly to Sape. But when we got off in the capital, with rain pouring down, 6 men tried to force us into a bus to Bima (which was only part of the way to Sape). We did not get on that bus only to find out there was no direct drive to Sape, we had to stop in Bima. So we had to wait 6 hours for the nest bus. Then it was a 9-hour ride to Bima where we had to wait another 6 hours for the next bus to Sape. Miserably we sat there but the local Indonesians kept us company.

On the bus ride from Bima to Sape we picked up a Czech guy named Dave. He would soon become our good friend and the only person we could trust in Sape.

We arrived in Sape, the armpit of Indonesia, at 10am. It is a port city that harbours the ferries for Sumbawa to Flores and Sumba. Across from the harbour is a very poor fisherman’s village. Sape’s center is the dirtiest place I have ever seen, where the goats that wander the street freely eating the garbage are the only ones cleaning up the mess.

As soon as we exited the bus there was an on slot of men telling us that the ferry was not coming. From our past experiences, Dave, Danielle and I, just assumed they were lying. The ferry never came that day so we slept outside with the locals in hope that it would arrive at night.

The next morning another bus arrived with 8 travelers expecting a ferry that we knew may never come. After talking about our options for a while, we agreed to charter the boat form the locals that they had been pushing so hard. Now the reason the ferry was not coming was because of 4 meter swells (12feet). But the boat captain assured us he could stay close to the islands and make it safely.

Hiring the small boat was quite expensive $200. and half had to be paid upfront. So we paid our 10$ a person and got in the single engine 25ft x 7ft boat. We got 30minutes out before the captain said we had to turn back. There was no room for disappointment as we where overcome with fear as we gladly returned to shore.

When we got back, getting a refund was an impossible task. At one point in our battle to get any money back, we were told how lucky we were to only be cheated out of such a small amount. The man said there had been tourists that get killed and all their money is stolen. The best we could get was them to sell back the gas they bought for the trip. The ferry arrived the next day and it was a 16-hour ride. We were so stupid to ever think that little boat could have made it.

Gallery: Labuanbaio/Rinca

the_whaleys — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 15:00:00 GMT

Beachs and Dragans

Gallery: On the road/Sape

the_whaleys — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 14:41:00 GMT

None

Gallery: Indonesia

the_whaleys — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 14:43:00 GMT

Indonesia

we were like gods

the_whaleys — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 11:32:00 GMT

Our flight to Bali, Indonesia was scheduled for 4:30 pm on Feb 25 so we arrived at the Singapore airport at 12:30 so we would have enough time for the check in. While we were waiting, a gentleman told us the flight had been rescheduled for 7:30 . So we wandered through the airport for a while longer, smelling the different perfumes, looking at the clothing, checking out the lounges-this airport seemed to have pockets of business everywhere. Then we were informed over the loud speaker that the flight would not leave until 9:30, so we recieved a complimentary dessert and drink. We also found the movie room. We boarded the plane and took off for Bali, arriving around midnight.

Noramlly for a room we pay around $10 US for a decent but plain mattress, usually with shared bath. When we were dropped off we were offered a 5 star room for $10. Painted walls, huge bath room, two beds, fan, walk out balcony, breakfast, pool, furniture... Howerever we do not spend enough time in the room to warrant all these commodities, so we moved to basically the same thing (no pool) for 1/2 the price. Indonesia is going to be very affordable, so if anyone wants anything be sure to let us know!!!

The first day as we were walking to the beach, two women grabbed us by the hands, acting so eager to see us, and proceeded to pull/lead us into their shop. They kept saying that because it was our first time in Indonesia they had a gift for us. They had made bracelets for the newcomers. Then she suggested she paint my nails, and Elijah got a manicure too. It was like some kind of celebration. Then another girl and two guys show up and they all start pampering us. Finally i asked if all this beautification was part of their gift, the woman said "yes" and proceeded to work as quickly as she could. As you can see in the picture, she was doing a very cute job on my nails, so i asked again if this was all part of their gift. The one girl looked up at me as said " you give me a little bit of luck. You know because this is my business." So i made them stop because we could clearly see where this was going. We practically had to beat them off to get out of the shop, the whole time they were insisting they get money. So i kindly explained to them that where we come from a gift means you dont expect anything in return and that deceit would never bring them any luck. Elijah agreed to pay them a little because they seemed to need it so badly-so does everyone here! They were very upset but finally left us alone.

Everywhere you go the people hound you and grab you and insist you walk through there little shop that looks identical to everything you've seen so far. On top of that, all their t shirts are printed with horribly grotesque sex sayings and scenes. Then another shirt will be hanging right next to it with some wise Confuscious saying about love and peace. All this while they are sending up little food and inscence sacrificed to their HIndu gods.

It would be nice to do some shopping but when you are barraded by every person, even small children, it makes for a less then pleasant experience. Actually you just want to leave. If you do find something you want its a five minute haggling ordeal.

Other than that, Elijah got to play in the water on a boogie board and I sunned. The food has been excellent and the weather is great.

Today we found out information about the Pasola we are going to in the second week of March and about horsebackriding on the beach. Later Elijah will attempt the surf board for the first time ever and i will meander about.

We will write again soon.

Love, d&e

PS when we find a more modern computer system we will upload some pics.

Singapore

the_whaleys — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 21:50:00 GMT

It is amazing all of the weird stuff people have found to be beautiful throughout history. Upon leaving Kuala Lumpor, we arrived late in Melaka, Malaysia. On our first full day there, we visited a museum with the cities history, a kite collection and a whole floor dedicated to piercings, tatoos, scarifications, neck and ear lobe stretching, teeth blackening, filing, removing and jewel implanting, bodypart thinning and thickening...forms of "beautification" for both men and women. After this interesting excursion we were going to see a Ripley's Believe it or Not, but decided we had seen enough ghoul for one day.

The room we stayed in was very "indian"-huge doors and windows, blue walls with patterns around the windows, and our very own walk out porch. It was the nicest and last room available. I guess another party had reserved it but they never showed and we arrived late enough in the evening to take it. It just shows us in another obvious way how the Lord's hand has been on this entire trip. He has not only "supernaturally" provided for our needs, but He has taken special care of us aswell it seems.

Melaka was far nicer and smaller then KL. We had fun walking through the airconditioned malls and site seeing. The weather here is a little out of season aswell, say the locals. Much heavier rains and more frequently, as we experienced this, our last night in Melaka. Heavier rains than i am even used to, but oh so soothing.

Singapore is rich, full of skycrapersm almost as expensive as America and incredibly clean. I have even found myself looking for trash, it seems to be few and far between. This is probably because there is a very hefty fine for littering..........spitting, jaywalking, undesignated smoking & drinking, chewing gum, putting your feet up, among many others. The jaywalking wouldn't be so bad except that there are shopping malls, food vendors, museums and boutiques everywhere. And, the only places to cross the street are as few and far between as the trash. And you can only cross when the little man is green. We both feel like little test mice in a maze. Its like the dictatorship has put so many rules on common day activities that take a person's ability to make his own simple decisions away. Some say they wouldn't be surprized if the citizens had an uprising some day, and others even expect this. The law perfects nothing. It is nice to see things so clean, but stressful to follow such a fine line.

Thank God we live by grace!

Today we walked through some very beautiful malls and saw some mindblowing Chinese art. Unfortunaley we could not photograph it. But for example, an intricately carved, jade sphere, with 5 more completely revolving smaller identical spheres inside. All hand carved from one chunk of jade. Another gentleman was tapping picture perfect images off a piece of marble. What he removed became the highlights of the picture. He had one of an apple with dew droplets on it- it looked flawless and worth about $800. Even still, generation after generation has perfected the are of paper cutting. An entire very difficult picture is cut from special rice paper without folding it, with these primitave looking scissors. Next to that pagoda, was a man painting Chinese art on glass globes FROM THE INSIDE with a tiny brush through a small circular opening in the globe. Most of the stuff we saw I have never even thought of before and exceeds my wildest ideas of art.

After that, we walked to another mall that had a library and read afew magazines. As we were heading to China Town, we stopped to feed the giant Koa fish. It was there we realize the rain slicker i made for the videocamera was not with us. So we retraced all of our steps and still cant find it. We are hoping it turns up somewhere in our hostel because that was the last place we saw it.

Aside from all this, we leave on a plane tomorrow for Bali, Indonesia. We are both expecting a big, yet relaxing change from what we have experienced culturally so far. It should be a good turning point for our journey and probably much needed seeing as how we are both a little jaded.

Thank you for your prayers, they are much needed and appreciated!

Love, d&e

Gallery: Singapore

the_whaleys — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 21:30:00 GMT

Just 2 nights and 3 days

If your having a bad day, Read this

the_whaleys — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 22:30:00 GMT

We have all seen a movie where some unfortunate guy falls through the floor of some cheap motel, yeah? And he lands right next to the naked newly weds.

I can only tell you a few things about the character that falls through the ceilling, he is German and he is Drunk. But this is what he looks like.

And no he is not laughing, he is actually in quite a bit of pain/shock at that moment. Not as much as he should be (BECAUSE HE IS DRUNK), but he will feel it plenty later.

Alright here it is. On this trip so far Danielle and I have only woke up before 7:30 twice, and one of those times was this morning. I wanted to get up early so we could get tickets to go into the KL Twin Towers. Some how I woke up at 7:30 and jumped in the shower. As I was showering, Danielle thought that I would appreciate if she woke up and started getting ready. When I finished my shower I went back to the room where Danielle and I started talking about our day. Then in a moment it sounded like the roof was caving in. We both cowered against the wall as the ceiling above our bed gave way to a human body moving at the speed of gravity.

As soon as I saw that it was a body crashing through the ceiling, I had two instant reaction. One was to put out my arm in a protection type move, the other was to release the most girly scream I have ever heard.

The man landed right in the middle of our bed, in the sitting position. And we where wide eyed and naked like two little field mice cornered by a cat. I am not sure what the first words where but all the German could get out was "You guys are so lucky!", while I'm thinking "Dude, You are so unlucky".

After we made him put a shirt over his head so Danielle could dress. Then all the backpackers came to see and take pictures. One girl told me that she heard the crash but it was the "girl's" scream that made her think a bomb had gone off.

The German was drunk at 7:45 in the morning and decided to try and climb up to the pateo area on the roof. So stepped out over our roof jumped up and grabbed the ledge above. When he lost his grip he fell back to the roof that could not support his weight, then half of him hit a concrete ledge 5 feet down the other half hit the hanging ceiling in our room. And he fell through, and I'm sure he is in a lot of pain but he did not break anything, and I think he will be paying for the damages.

Other than that, it has been rainy so we saw Ghost Rider on one of the worlds largest IMAX screens and got a chance to play in the empty theatre before the movie started. We also witnessed a few costumed dragon dances in celebreation of Chinese New Year. We visited the Batu Caves, where hundreds of Hindu's come to offer food sacrifices to there many idols. The monkey like to steal the grub, so we got a big kick out of entertaining them. We also waited forever to enter a Muslim Mosque.

This city has been dreary and at times difficult to be in, so we will leave tomorrow.

We miss you all

Love , E&D

Gallery: KL

the_whaleys — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 20:10:00 GMT

KL is....something

Caves and Tea Plantations

the_whaleys — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 14:20:00 GMT

About a week ago we left Georgetown, Penang and traveled east in an overnight bus to woman-unfriendly Kota Baru. The journey was supposed to take 5 hours and it took 10. It worked out well though because we hopped right on to our 6:30am express train through the Malaysian Jungle to the small town of Jerantut. From there we were shuffled into a minibus with a Swiss gentleman named Christian and were dropped off at an extremely organized traveling center, only to be load again, like sheep, into a regular bus and unloaded in Pahang. Again we were rushed into this 30'X 4' long creeky, open wooden boat with a tin roof. We were sitting right in the water. One false move and we were going under. Then he took off at 30 miles an hour. It was a little bit of a rush because this culture is soooo laid back and they take a tremendous amount of time to even bring you a menu in an empty restaurant.

So we whip up this river with 20 other people and 300lbs of luggage. It was very relaxing. We saw water buffalo, bright blue king fisher birds, otters, and a huge monitor lizard. Three hours later we arrive in the middle of the jungle in Taman Negara National Park. This was one of our favorite places yet. There was sooo much free stuff to do. We had to buy a park pass and the boat ride was expensive but well worth it.

On our first full day in this jungle, we went to a canopy walk made of rope, alunimum ladders, and 1X10 wood planks. It was like walking on the tree tops, at some points about 100 feet in the air. Then we hiked at a 70+/- degree incline (It was more like climbing up tree roots and vines) for about 45 mins. It lead to a spectacular view. Mountains as far as the eye can see. Continuing on, we climbed back down the other side and finally reached a part in river where we could swim. The water was a little gross but it felt so good.

For our second day, we hiked an easier trail to an unexpectedly difficult cave. FULL OF BATS. So we crawled through it. There was a rope to guide us and it lead to some unbelievably small, dark places. Big enough only to squeeze through! It was one of the most extreme things either of us have done. Expecially Elijah being clostriphobic and videotaping half of it. Earlier in the walk he did manage to tape some gray gibbon monkeys peering down at him from a tree- churping and clucking to one another, and some really pretty butterflies, one who loved the camera!

We left on the third day at 7:30am and transfered from Jerantut to Temerloh, from there to KL (Kuala Lumpor) the capitol of Malaysia, then up, way up to Cameron Highlands. It was one of the most stressful times of our trip. The people are helpful but one thinks you have a ticket while the other doesn't, you rush to get food only to find out you cant bring it with you, so you try to eat it before you leave in 10 mins and it tastes like poo, You have to run back and forth across 4 lanes of traffic made into six, everyones going in a different direction and, you have no idea where you are. But we managed and got along well, given the circumstance.

We finally arrived, after dark, in Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands. Our bus weaved up the hairpin turns for about 2 hours. This place is like being in Vail, Colorado except no snow and we can affort the ritziness. Its sooooo beautiful. It will provide a nice little retreat from our vacation/ trip, we are so spoiled. We ended up staying at the same place as afew friends we met on the bus trip here. Except we are in the attic! The little half room is so cozy and its alittle chilly up here so its very "mood setting". We had amazing Indian food for dinner with our new aquaintainces, then stood around a fire and went to bed. Today we will explore this little town. There are also alot of treks to take and Cameron Highland is famous for being a tea plantation, so we will enjoy a good cup and a scone with jam. These sweet luxuries we take for granted at home!

We bought tickets home! Well kinda.

We bought airplane tickets for Feb 25 from Singapore to Bali, Indonesia. We want to try to catch the Pasola. Which translated to "the spear". 100 men on horseback believe that they must spill their opposing tribe's blood to appease the gods and so they may have peace for one more year. The tradition begins when these neon coloured worms come out of the sea and flood the shore. The tribes and their preists go to the water and wait for these worms, between the first and second full moons of the year. Then they actually battle one another. Tourism has dulled the tradition, because they have to blunt their spear ends, but it should still be shocking. Our travel book says it will outdo all expectations. So we have decided to speed up our trip through Malaysia to Indonesia. We have until March 18 to enjoy crazy Indonesia, where we will try to surf. The food is also supposed to be excellent.

On the 18th we fly back to Bangkok, but sorry, only to explore the northern region of Thailand and enter Cambodia, Loas, and Vietnam. Its funny, at first we thought 4 months would be plenty of time and we are realizing it is barely enough.

Whew, a lot to say. But most importantly, we love you all and miss you terribly

Love, D&E