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Page 4 of Dancing Dave Travel Blog Posts
WOMADELAIDE 2012: Staggeringly Good
Published: March 24th 2012Oceania » Australia » South Australia » Adelaide
March 24th 2012
WOMADELAIDE 2012: Staggeringly Good. Denise saw our luggage on the carousel at Adelaide Airport...headed for it...tripped over someone's foot...and recorded the following: "Got in a tangle with Baaba Maal, famous Senegalese rock star at Airport. I said "Sorry Honey" as I accidentally squeezed his bicep and chipped my nail polish on my left big toe. I think he felt my pain. ...Laila the Taureg." Later we met him again...at Womadelaide...Baaba Maal looked at me, smiled and said "I remember you"...I had to laugh...always nice to be remembered..! Our first visit to WOMAD...the brainchild of Peter Gabriel...the World Festival of Music, Arts & Dance...in OZ kicked off in 1992 in Adelaide's Botanic Park......now in its 20th year...Adelaide's Womad reputedly the best in the world... read more
BLUE GRASS IN BROMO: New Year 2012
Published: March 5th 2012Asia » Indonesia » Java » Bromo Tengger Semeru
March 4th 2012
BLUE GRASS IN BROMO: New Year 2012. We are in the restaurant at the Lava View Lodge overlooking the nest of volcanoes in the Tengger caldera below...four nights booked..."noone stays that long" they say..."most come to see the sunrise and then go". "We prefer it to traffic"...is my simple response. Who wants to sit in heavy traffic in cities...if you can enjoy this view?...which as it's wet season...is constantly changing . But the reality is we love every minute of it...would stay longer if we had the time...hoping four nights is enough to satisfy our souls...and remain etched in our memories. We toured, discovered and got into the many sights Bromo had to offer (see next blog)...fantastic...but probably our best times were partying with the locals...at night...with "Blue Grass"...while others probably sleep for want of anything ... read more
March 1st 2012
FACES OF JAVA: The Tengger. Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java...famous for its volcanoes...its volcanoes and its volcanoes...seduced to visit there by extraordinary photos on Travelblog...dreaming of that magic shot of a blast from Mt Bromo...like wheresjason caught...active in 2011...with Mt Semeru puffing merrily as backdrop. Well that was the inducement. I had no idea there was another reason to visit that area...overlooked in my research...not reported on actually...something that was there to be discovered...to be revealed in the doing...that would excite this portrait junkie. Not a something...but a people...the inhabitants of this nest of volcanoes...living and farming on precipitous slopes...in harmony with the volcano gods...the Tengger people. Not to be confused with the people of Nusa Tenggara Timur Provence...the Southeast Islands...includi... read more
February 20th 2012
JAVA...Erotic Temples. Solo... (Surakarta)...65 kms NE of Yogyakarta in Central Java... known as the Capital of Batik...one of the cradles of Javanese culture...also famous for Javan dance. It is also the home of "Jamiah Islamiah"...the radical jihadist group responsible for the Bali bombings. As a result...Joe said...Solo was often avoided by tourists. The bombing of a Protestant Church in Solo in September 2011...by a suicide bomber...seemingly did not assist the local tourist industry. But 36 kms East of Solo...on the western slopes of Lawu volcano...are two temple sites that are guaranteed to take your mind off fears of terrorism...and cast your mind to another time and place...unique in Java and S-E Asia...the erotic temples Sukuh and Ceto...one like a Mayan pyramid. Built in the 15th Century A.D...they are the last Hindu temples built in Java...before Islam ... read more
February 12th 2012
JAVAN MASSAGE. A massage is like a haircut...one of those things you need to do regularly...but often wait until you really need it...like when your hair is suddenly unruly...and it affects your wellbeing...muscles or hair knotted. And like a haircut...similar but different techniques...each time a new experience...result subjective. There we were at Pondok Tinggal... traditional Javanese style digs...in the village of Borobudur ...an oasis...a place for me to battle the wickedness of the World that had attacked my gut...a place to recover. Let me be clear...I'm no wimp...I'm a tough old rooster...never keep a good man down. But when its raining non-stop...no afternoon shower and fine up this day...no rush...got two more days here...might as well smell the flowers...and do as little as possible. So when Bari...the waiter...when serving iced strawberry jui... read more
February 7th 2012
BOROBUDUR: Universe on Earth. To reach enlightenment at Borobudur...claims to be the largest temple in the World... the largest Buddhist...the Universe on Earth...the pilgrim must cross a river...wading in waist deep water...visit a small temple...wade across a 2nd river...2nd temple...then Borobudur...the object of the quest. On entering the temple site...a ritual is to be followed. I had travelled from the land of Oz...but a few hours away...I knew I had problems...would I achieve my quest? The wading seemed out of the question..! On leaving Candi Sewu (see Previous blog), the only vendor within coo-ee, ...cold drinks...we sweating profusely...faces red as...iced tea for Den & Joe...Bintang for me...pulled from icy water under one of the piles of carved stones...I need this. This was only my second beer in Java...don't tell Cockle...but it ended up being my last. ... read more
January 29th 2012
PRAMBANAN...Romance in Stone. There was a king with a beautiful daughter, Sita (Dewi Shinta)...so beautiful that he devised a contest for the strongest to win her hand...he who can draw the magic bow. The strongest in the land failed...to the king's surprise. Step forward Rama...strong of mind & heart...who pulled the bow...fired an arrow...became eager to possess his bride. To attract Sita, Rama ordered one of his followers to change into a golden deer...that entranced Sita with its beauty...so Sita asked Rama to capture it for her. While Rama hunted the deer...Rahwana, a rival King ...desired Sita for himself... kidnapped Sita & flew to Sri Lanka. Rama had to get her back...didn't he..? A love story...but no ordinary love story... Ramayana...carved in stone...over 1,000 years ago..on the largest Hindu Temple complex in S-E Asia..Prambanan. ... read more
January 19th 2012
JAVA...Am I Police..? I think in a previous life...I must have been a policeman...not necessarily investigating serious criminal matters...no...I think I was probably a traffic cop...one who specialised in directing traffic. Either way, I seem to have a genetic disposition to such matters...though I am unaware of any forebears who were members of the Force. In many countries I have travelled...we are warned "Do not take photos of police, soldiers or Government institutions". Remember they wiped your photo of a Consulate in Lusaka, Zambia. And there was that soldier in Kenya that demanded my camera at the gate to Maasai Mara alleging I had taken a photo of him..."News to me...you're not getting my camera". "Give him your camera"...my pasty companions on the safari truck screamed, as the soldier came on the truck demanding of me. ... read more
January 13th 2012
KRAKATAU...What a Blast..!!! Our first trip inspired by Travelblog... December 2011/ January 2012 "Climbing volcanoes in Java and reaching enlightenment at Borobudur...someone has to do it Tour". What better place to start than the A-lister of active volcanoes... Anak Krakatau... the Child of Krakatau? And quite an adventure it was..! Situated in the Sunda Strait between Sumatra and Java...about 50 kms off-shore from Carita Beach, West Java ...our dream destination ...but must be approached with care...as it is notoriously..."D for Danger." In May 1883 three volcano islands started erupting resulting on 27 August 1883 with the loudest explosion in modern history...a series of 4 explosions...the blowing up of these islands...the eruption of Krakatau. Shock waves were recorded as circling the globe 7 times...tzunamis up to 30 metres... read more
BELLA...R.I.P. A Cat's Story
Published: January 10th 2012Oceania » Australia » New South Wales » Sydney
January 10th 2012
BELLA...R.I.P. When we travel, our cats go to vacation care. Last thing we want is they die while we are away. Bella died peacefully at 8.30 a.m. on 9 December 2011...our beautiful girl...next to our bed...warm...fur soft as ever. We remember you fondly for the joy you have given us...there was no better hunter...we think of Rocco...who will miss you cuddling up with him at night...R.I.P...Rest in Peace...Bella the Hunter...Bella the Beautiful...thank you for our time together...sleep peacefully...our darling little girl. I have had a cat as a pet most of my life...but one chose me...for a special relationship...and that was Bella. There was "Puss" when I was a kid...came from next door...wouldn't go home...remember in shame I threw some rocks at it on Day 1...but it was determined to pursue Adoption Proceedings ... read more
My wife Denise & I like to travel "on paths less travelled" that capture our imagination, inspire my photography & where we mix with locals & remain safe.
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