Another day, another boatload of excited but tired passengers from Bali arrive on the island. The transfer boat pulls up alongside the floating jetty and the newcomers stand up to… [Continue Reading]
Category: things Indonesian
A little (big) love story
Once upon a time there was a Welshman who loved to ride bikes, climb mountains and dive in the ocean. Steve had been through a lot; a life of service,… [Continue Reading]
A non-first-world problem
Last night, with literally just a few hours notice, the fresh water supply on our tiny island of Gili Meno was turned off by order of the government. Today nobody… [Continue Reading]
Changing the world one pony, and child, at a time
It’s hard to teach old dogs new tricks, right? Even more so if there’s big odds stacked against you. Odds like culture, religion, superstition, tradition, poor education and poverty. Horses… [Continue Reading]
SpiRITUALity – Made’s cremation ceremony
Prologue Made died on a moonless, windy evening in July. It happened so chillingly fast. He’d suffered a sudden attack of excruciating chest and stomach pain at home for half… [Continue Reading]
A tiny tourist island… with no tourists
Gili Meno, the tropical island that’s been my home for the last five years, is tiny. I often walk around the whole island, barefoot-in-the-sand-at-sunset, and my phone shows me it’s… [Continue Reading]
TIME OUT
We didn’t really need the virus to slam its huge sinister foot on the world’s brake pedal, making the world skid and slide to a slower pace, to know that… [Continue Reading]
When the going gets tough, the tough get cooking (Coronavirus blog-story #2)
“I told you something like this would happen!” Ayu whispered to her colleagues. One of her friends shushed her. It wasn’t in their culture to question or complain or even… [Continue Reading]
Made and the crying turtle
“I’ll never forget the tears coming out of his eyes,” Made says. “Pleading he was. Pleading for me to help him.” Made has told me this story many times. The… [Continue Reading]
To be or not to be… hairy?!
“I love your body.” How often has someone said THAT to you? If you’re lucky, a lover has (and you received it with grace and appreciation and belief). But it’s… [Continue Reading]