Gypsy Girl

Early Monday morning, we boarded our flight from Denpasar to Central Java on Lion Air. Finally. The Borobudur. I could almost touch it. Our flight was fairly short and as we landed in Jogja and stepped into another world again. Java is another world so it seemed to me. With Mount Merapi hovering in the distance, the beautiful Call to Prayer sounding off in the background....Bali seemed so "far away" when we landed in Yogyakarta. The humidity was extremely high (as usual) so we decided to check into to our hotel and relax the remainder of the afternoon. We stayed at a decent hotel near the Sultan's Palace. The accommodations were good for the price and the staff were extremely friendly. Apparently, there are lots of students in this city and it's apparent with all the ... read more

Yesterday the festivities were in full swing for the Balinese New Year's Eve festival... starting at 4 a.m. in the morning. I love Bali and I love their traditions....even the ones where you bang the pots in the wee early morning to scare off the evil spirits and wake up slumbering tourists like myself. Before I even opened my eyes, I heard the roosters going and the clanging of pots and drums. I couldn't help but laugh because any other place in the world, this scenario would not have flown so well within any city, village, town. Have I told you I loved Bali? At 7 a.m. I headed down for my cup of coffee and met humidity and the smiling faces of the family members living next door. Staying here in a home stay and ... read more

Good Morning Bloggers! So yesterday was another gorgeous winter day in Sacramento. With nothing better to do other than making our way to H Street for crepes at Crepe Escapes, we decided to get on the road and make our way down to the Freeport/Clarksburg area to check out the Old Sugar Mill Wineries. I had read an article last year about a wine and chocolate event held at a place called "The Old Sugar Mill" - now the location name was enough to get my curiousity up to explore and research but now throw some wine and chocolate into the mix and I was intrigued. Now I'm not a big wine lover or "winophile" as I dub those who seem to never get enough of the bottled stuff. But I do appreciate a nice glass ... read more

Day ??? - I think it’s irrelevant by now but its Monsoon Saturday for me! I’m sitting here inside my room with the sliding doors wide open and I’m listening to the rain which has been non-stop for hours. I woke up at 5 a.m. again because the downpour was so loud and my stupid cellphone kept vibrating on the nightstand next to me. So I was up before the Sun….again. But it was nice to hear the rainfall and the birds sing so early in the morning. The view from my room is very beautiful - though it doesn’t overlook the beach - I have this view of the mountain and the misty fog that sits on top of it every morning. The hillside is completely dark green and all I see are palm trees ... read more

I arrived in Phuket yesterday after a quick flight from Chaing Mai. The weather was overcast and it was obvious that it was raining off and on. Phuket’s airport is about 45 minutes from downtown Patong. I was able to get a metered taxi for 400 bahts which was cheaper than the other independent taxis who will approach you the moment you leave the airport. I recommend the metered taxis and as you leave the entrance of the airport, they have a sign and a small line to your right as you’re walking out. I researched a few - ok, a gazillion hotels - in the area of Patong Beach. Originally, I was planning on staying in Krabi but it was low-season and I figured I could deal with the crowds in Patong. I was right, ... read more