http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/valeriavine/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from valeriavine en-us Thu, 31 Dec 2009 05:57:55 +0000 Thu, 31 Dec 2009 05:57:55 +0000 I've got the house to myself and here are some solo adventures I've been having ..... with myself.Yes most people know that I come from a very spoilt culinary er... situation but that doesn't mean I rough it when I'm left to my own devices. Yes I've had the odd pizza or two but I do work a rather full full time job.Pacific oysters have been my little treat of late and I buy half a dozen and slip http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Wollongong/blog-424359.html I actually found out that Dad had been admitted to hospital on the day after I arrived in Bali. I almost packed my bags immediately and headed back to Australia but held on a while in the hope that it would be just a short acute episode.Well it wasn't ..... and Dad was in ICU care for 14 days. During this time he was mostly consciously intubated and communicated in writing. I may as well have http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Concord/blog-410111.html the work begins................. I originally met Carol in India when we both attending the 90th Birthday celebrations of BKS Iyengar. She is one of the few senior Iyengar yoga teachers in Australia and a really lovely person. She runs the Darwin Yoga Space and when I heard she was leading a retreat in Bali I jumped at the chance. Typical yoga day6.15 7.15 PranayamaMeditation7.30 http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Indonesia/Bali/Ubud/blog-409065.html It's not just Bali..... I notice this as soon as I reached Indonesia. People just respond with a smile. I am told that in Bali there is a smile for every emotion. Everyone just smiles it could be the guard that checks the front seat and boot this is done religiously now since the bombings as you enter the carpark or some random person riding by on their bike who happens to catch your eye. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Indonesia/Bali/Ubud/blog-405191.html I have definitely less photos of Jakarta but that doesn't mean I'm having any less fun here. I've replaced eating with shopping as my new obsession Well maybe I have them both running concurrently but Jakarta is definitely the place to indulge the latter.I love SHOPPING i love it I love it I love itJakarta is such a blast I didn't realise h http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Indonesia/Java/Jakarta/blog-404337.html So sad to leave Penang. I've done so much. I've eaten soooo much. I think if I really want to laze about doing nothing I wither need to plan at least 3 weeks in the same spot or just have a home vacation. But staying with family who have given me a lovely place to stay and taken me to the best places to eat and shop has hardly been a stress. I feel thoroughly spoilt and yes THAT was the object http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Penang/George-Town/blog-404225.html After playing Indiana Jones till 1am last night we woke up a little hung over from too much screen staring and clambered sleepily to our Xbox consoles..... yes this is very sad.At midday hunger forces me and Kerri out to forage in a food hall somewhere. Felina has long since left the house to have lunch with some other friends.Kerri not quite the consummate host like Felina leaves me to my device http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Penang/George-Town/blog-403884.html Had breakfast at the local market with Flea then off to Gurney Plaza to watch Monsters Vs Aliens in 3D with Paige.Me and Kerri have been sucked into a weird vortex of computer game mania where we need to play computer games every single moment that we are not specifically required to interact with society. Somewhere in between level 4 and 5 Ah Khoo took us out to an amazing seaside restaurant whe http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Penang/George-Town/blog-403878.html Morning Practice 630am 830amMy final day with the dentist. I have seen her every day since I arrived and shall miss her as a part of my daily routine. My teeth are looking greatOur mission today is to hunt down the best PAN MEE on the islandAND buy Chinese Herbs for Mum and some special dietary supplement powder stuff for my Bro.Later Ah Khoo takes us out to dinner of frogs and eels.....the http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Penang/George-Town/blog-403740.html Got up and did a yoga practice this morning for an hour. Lots of leg stretching after that long plane ride. I totally forgot about my dental appointment that I had teed up in Australia with Dr Khoo. I am going to get all that amalgam they stuck in my teeth as some kind of preventative filling technique way back in the 70s. I haven't seen the dentist since I last saw her when I was last out her http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Penang/George-Town/blog-403512.html It all started with a mammoth 2 our yoga practice at 530 looking out to sea as a storm slowly approached from the horizon and arrived just as I was getting into my final savasana.830 b'fast atthe Market wtih Felina1030 sort out Felina's phone credit in town bump into Chris who owns a beauty salon1200 Dental appointment the drilling begins130 Wonton Noodles in the Kopi tiam coffee shop http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Penang/George-Town/blog-403515.html Well here I am in Jakarta writing about Penang.....I've really enjoyed my visit in Penang and wish I had more time but I guess that's the best way to leave a place. I stayed with my cousin Felina and her daughter Paige in her new beach side appartment which she has just finished renovating. Penang as always has been about family and food and this visit has been no different except that I have mo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Penang/George-Town/blog-403504.html About to leave for the airport in an hour after I eat something. This time I'll be going to Penang Jakarta and then Bali for a yoga retreat. I't s going to be a very relaxing holiday sort of the antidote to India which was just ssooooo jam packed full of India India India. Will be visiting family for the Penang and Jakarta bit which already puts me into the blase tourist category. And Bali w http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Wollongong/blog-401357.html First lets just get one thing straight......we are not blown to smithereens and do not intend to be in the past present or future. incidentally do you know that there is no such thing as a smithereen the word only exists in plural...... if you know where that quote comes from you will also know the paper back travel companion I am traveling with.The Taj Mahal like the Taj hotel is a famous la http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Agra/blog-350577.html I'm on the verge of leavingteetering on the edge of somethingnot quite herenot quite there........................................I have packed ridiculously light and may suffer hypothermia along the way as well as very bad fashion. I've not booked much in advance just the plane tickets and one internal flight form Delhi to Mumbai which I think I'll try and change when I arrive. I have also boo http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Wollongong/blog-347771.html what you've got I don't need and what I need you don't have she said to himand he got into hisclothes and into his car anddrove down the streets ofnightthinking what I got Ineed in fact i need it moreall the timehe parked outside the barwent inhad a whiskey with beerchaserthen went to the phonedialed thenumber.hello shesaid.hello he said Iwon't be back.What about your clothesth http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/blog-211461.html We parked in Gladstone St opposite the Craigo Mills home to the Omeo dance studio started by Roslyn Crisp. We were after the best Turkish pizza in Sydney at Saray on Enmore Rd. ldquoI thought she looked like spastic puppet pulling her own strings or like she was doing some kind of epileptic tai chi.rdquo Brett searched for words to express how he hated Rosrsquo performance in a kind of con http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/Newtown/blog-165488.html Kitchen momentsnbspAustralasia raquonbspAustralia raquonbspNew South Wales raquonbspWollongong raquonbspWollongong By valeriavineMay 28th 2007Valeria Vinefeast your eyes. It was all delicious. http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Wollongong/blog-165483.html the fermentnbspAustralasia raquonbspAustralia raquonbspNew South Wales raquonbspWollongong raquonbspWollongong By valeriavineMay 27th 2007Valeria Vinethings I am fermenting....ginger BeerolivesKombucha tealove it........ http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Wollongong/blog-165470.html Wonderful WollongongnbspAustralasia raquonbspAustralia raquonbspNew South Wales raquonbspWollongong raquonbspWollongong By valeriavineMay 27th 2007Valeria VineI am sometimes struck by just how beautiful it is.Cooled to the bone stillness body miltedand shed of the day's sloughweighing our clothes to the floor.Does a tongue start behind the teethand end somewhere beetween the thi http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Wollongong/blog-165474.html