LaurenW
Lauren W Joined: May 16th 2008
Logged in: October 22nd 2010
Logged in: October 22nd 2010
Travel Blog Posts
Oh my Buddha
I made it! Three days of trekking through remote jungle terrain, staying with a hill tribe village, all while carrying a 20 lb pack and I made it back to civilization in one piece!! I am a little sore today but it was well worth the experience of a lifetime. I don't want to get ahead of myself because I have done so many things during a short amount of time. I have joined a new group and we have started the "getting to know you" process. I think days of not showering and hiking through mud has helped expedite the process:) We started the tour at the river Kwai where we stayed on a bamboo raft houses on the river. It was in the middle of our first night that I had my first real ... read more
My favorite mode of transportation
I think the transition from volunteer into backpacker only took about 24 hours! As much as I hated leaving Bali, the nomad life of Thailand has been a nice change of pace. After finishing some last minute shopping in Bangkok the next step was an overnight train to Khao Sok National Park. It is the oldest evergreen rain forest in the world. Just driving to our accommodation was breathtaking. You could tell you entered the jungle when the rain started. I knew it was going to be rainy season but I had no idea that by rain they meant torrential sheets of water that came at a moments notice soaking your clothes within seconds! We didn't let the rain stop us though, as soon as we settled into out bungalows we all put on our swimsuits ... read more
The streets of Bangkok
Tuk tuks buzzing by, the bells on food carts jingling, the chatter of the streets filled with tourists are just a few of the changes I have encountered over the past week. Being in Thailand is absolutely wonderful, but getting used to the fast paced way of life is something I haven't being looking forward to. But if I have to do it, I guess Bangkok isn't a bad way to go! I have joined a tour group of 9 other backpackers ranging from 19 to 55 years old. I had been so preoccupied in Bali that I barely had any time to think about what I was going to do once I got here to Thailand, so having someone do all the worrying about transportation and accommodation seemed like the perfect plan! My first of ... read more
Labor Support
It is difficult to believe my stay at Bumi Sehat is over. As everyone warned, time flew fly! As I look back on the past six weeks, I have no regrets about my experience. I have been able to see birth at its purest form and have my heart open to these women in such a way I didn't think possible. Volunteering not only helped enrich my knowledge of the field and allowed me to share my trade with those who haven't experienced what a doula and massage therapist does, but I have learned so much about myself as a person. I don't think the true realization of how I have changed will manifest until I am back home and put my new tools to use! I am forever grateful to have worked with such an ... read more
Tanah Lot
One of the great things about Bali (which is about the size of Delaware) is that you can see many of the tourist highlights in one day! Being in one place for several weeks allowed me to see the Indonesians in their day to day life and get a true perspective of the islands culture. It also allowed me to make some Balinese friends, one of which offered to drive me and a few other volunteers around Bali for the day. We started off the morning at 9am by attending a traditional Balinese Barong dance. There are several different dances, each telling a different story with ornate costumes, precise movements and beautiful gamelan music. I have never seen anything like it before in my life, it is definitely a must see if you ever make it ... read more
The entrance
I've been here now for over three weeks so I feel like I can give you a pretty accurate description of what I have been doing here at Bumi Sehat. I wanted to wait to write about my clinic life until I had immersed myself into their daily routine and really blended in. Before I go any further I wanted to thank all of you who have supported me though out this journey. Without your love and generous donations I would not have been able to do or experience any of this! This is such a life changing trip and I am eternally grateful to everyone of you! I wanted to share a little bit about what my experience has been volunteering here at the clinic and what I have been doing more on a daily ... read more
Mr. Ketut Liyer
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Have you read it? If not, then you will have no idea what I am talking about. If you have, then you might appreciate the fact that I went and saw Ketut Liyer! I started reading Eat, Pray, Love back home but I decided to hold off and read the part about Bali until I was here. I am so glad I did! It is amazing to live in the same town that she was in, and walk through the amazing places she described. There have been many times I feel as though I have stepped into the book. If you want a more eloquent version of where I live then I suggest to pick up a copy because what I write can't even compare! I had just finished the ... read more
No Worries
I'm starting to get into a routine at the clinic. The midwives have been wonderful, we spend much of our idle time practicing our English and Indonesian translations and pronunciations. I am even picking up a few words and phrases here and there, but I still don't leave the ashram without my Indonesian phrasebook! Over the past week I have begun to familiarize myself with the area (I live in the Nyung Kuning Village in Ubud) and started to do a little exploring. It is only about a 20 minute walk through the Monkey Forest (I will explain more about that later) to get into the main town of Ubud. Ubud is the cultural and art hub of Bali. Every store is filled with beautiful woodcarvings, paintings, and clothing. There has also been some western influence ... read more
Patio Door
Life in Bali definitely takes some time getting used to. It's not so much the rustic style living, or the cold showers or small reptiles crawling in your room- it's learning how to slow down your pace of life! I thought, I am a pretty adaptive person and I would have no problem adjusting into island time. But here in Bali, it is the epitome of island time! I walk into clinic (which is across the road from the ashram) ready to dive in head first to help out any way I can. I quickly learn that it is impolite to just do "something" and the best thing I can do is sit, observe (learn of course) and assist when asked. I have been told that once the traditional midwives become accustomed to me that I ... read more
Ganesh
Where am I again? Can I really be in Bali?! It's hard to believe I made it to Indonesia in one piece, with no travel delays or lost baggage. I hope this is a good sign for what is in store for the next 10 weeks. I settled in my seat on the plane with full intention to optimize my 12 hours of not being able to move with some much needed sleep! Eight hours into the flight I am awake as if I had 5 cups of coffee. The excitement of the months ahead must have finally set in! The next 12 hours luckily were a bit of a blur. I landed in Tokyo, scrambled to catch my connecting flight, piled in the next plane with all the tourists going on vacation (boy, we are ... read more
