Ramadan and terrorism... no it's not the Middle East

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Palau Batam, Indonesia: Sept 30 – Oct 7

We took a fast ferry 45 min. from Singapore to a little island resort where we are spending the week. We were upgraded to a one bedroom suite which gives us a lot more room and our own kitchen… even his and hers bathrooms. The resort is quite nice with a huge pool and a lot of amenities though it is a bit run down. Indonesia’s tourism industry has taken a blow over the years with the Asian economic crisis, terrorist bombings, and environmental disasters like the recent tsunami. Indonesians are very hospitable and especially love children. Zachary knows everyone here and is the little prince of the hotel. While we’ve been here, more bomb blasts have hit Bali and though we are no where near there it still hits home.

Today was the first day of Ramadan which continues my Ramadan curse. Ramadan is the Islamic holy month where everyone fasts – no food, alcohol, sex, basically anything pleasurable. Unknowingly, every time I go to an Islamic country it is always Ramadan so it is no surprise that I will be spending this one in Indonesia and Malaysia, 2 of the very few Muslim countries in the region. Boy, am I lucky. I am not a fan of Ramadan in any way.

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