Hola Everyone! As mentioned before I was unable to write my blog in Cuba so I am catching up here in Mexico where the internet is better. What a wonderful time we had in the small town of Vinales a few hundred kilometers west of Havana. It was very refreshing to see the simple way of life here. Many rely on horses and buggies for transportation and oxen and carts are used in the countryside with the farming industry. The area around the town is fertile tobacco growing land used mostly for cigars leaves. The scraps are used for cigarettes. Apparently in Cuba all the cigar production is done by hand and uses no chemicals in the process. Hense the cigars are all natural and are of the finest quality. As well, 90% of the nicotene ... read more

Well it's been 3 months and I am writing our last travel blog for 2014. In one way the time has gone by quickly but it seems like we have been away forever! Our two weeks on Lombok has been a great way to end our trip with lots of R & R and time for enjoying the local people and exploring the island. I have determined the climate is perfect on Lombok. It's hot but there doesn't seem to be that intense heat that can tire you out. Perhaps the humidex isn't as high? There always seems to be a gentle breeze that keeps it a little cooler. it's very enjoyable sitting on the pool deck overlooking the ocean. We haven't had any rain this week which is typical this time in April as the ... read more

We arrived from Bali on the speed boat safe and sound to the island of Gili Trawangan last Tuesday. The Gilis Islands actually consists of three small islands of which we are on the largest and most developed. Gili Trawangan is a very cool little island. Only a few kilometres long there are no cars or motorbikes. The only modes of transportation are foot, bike and horse & buggy! There is only one rough road that goes around the island with a few narrow lanes branching off. We rented bikes the other day and rode around the island. It was fun except there were a few spots where we had to push the bikes through sand so it was a good workout. When we arrived we hired a horse and buggy to take us to our ... read more

Our holiday in Bali continues! This week we had the chance to catch a glimpse of family life in Bali. We were very fortunate and honoured to be invited to Ane's home (Ane is the lovely lady who sells drinks on the beach and supplies chairs and umbrellas to the tourists). She has become a friend and we enjoy sitting at her place for a few hours everyday and have some good conversations. She has picked up some english just by dealing with the tourists so we are able to visit quite well. Anyway, she wondered if we would like to come to her home and visit her family. Of course we jumped at the chance. Her husband and older son (17 yrs) picked us up at the beach and drove us a few kilometres on ... read more

Hello again from Bali! After a few weeks of hanging out at Kuta Beach, we find ourselves into a daily routine. It's funny how even on a holiday a routine seems to develop for us! We spend the morning enjoying our patio and pool while we do our social media and phone calls to family and friends. Next, we make the 20 minute walk to our place at the beach where we enjoy people watching, reading, talking with the local people and vendors and enjoying a few beverages. I had my eyebrows plucked the other day. You can get absolutely any service on the beach. Warren even had his ears plucked!! We have a late lunch on the beach at a local stand (noodle soup, rice & veggies etc). Some days I walk across the street ... read more

Well here we are in Bali. Hope everyone is surviving the wicked cold if you're back home. Think spring!! We had a smooth trip down to Bali from Thailand flying from Phuket to Kuala Lumpur and onto Bali in a few hours. The first thing we noticed was the humidity compared to the dry heat we experienced in Thailand. Bali is on the end of the rainy season and rains often through the night but is clear and sunny during the day. We're very happy with our Balinese style cottage hotel. The buildings and grounds are decorated in marble, carved wood and fancy concrete mouldings. The pool just outside our room is surrounded by lots of greenery and shrubs. For me it is paradise as I am a pool conisure! Our cottage is spacious, clean and ... read more