Driving through the narrow streets of Ubud trying to find our guesthouse, put a little fear in all of us but after passing through the rusty gates, we found a little paradise. And so explains the wonder of Bali… Still feeling enchanted after re-boarding the ship the day after our “Safari Under the Stars.” A few mishaps along the way didn’t ruin our evening. It took us 1-1/2 hours to reach The Elephant Park which was founded by Nigel Mason and has been documented on You Tube as “Operation Jumbo.” It is a touching story of how the elephants as this refuge were rescued and brought to Bali from Sumatra. By the way it should have only taken us 1/2 hour but our driver made a few wrong turns. Upon arrival we all hit the ladies ... read more

After boarding the boat on the Brunei River, we sped toward a mangrove area where we stopped to spot some long tail monkeys. Although we did spot some, the shots I got were of their backs as they stayed far up in the trees and were camouflaged by the leaves. Next stop a village over the river on stilts, where we were welcomed by a family to sit on their porch and enjoy some snacks they had put out for us. We were allowed inside to look at their house which was unusual indeed. It was very spacious as a family of 25 lives there. The two front rooms were very ornate. The whole house was air conditioned but not as fancy in the other parts of the house. They have running water and electricity but ... read more

Men on stilts, beautiful girls playing xylophones, dancers and costumed natives greeted us as we arrived in Manila this morning. It was a beautiful sight and made for good entertainment early in the day. Our first stop was the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial where 17,000 Americans are buried. It is was a solemn sight and the location is beautiful. A couple of hours navigating traffic,apparently snarled due to an accident, we finally arrived at La Loma, a marketplace renowned for its suckling pigs. We didn’t sample any… On to a Chinese cemetery where we found 2 story mausoleums, some with running water and air conditioning as the families tend to spend time there in reverence to their ancestors. We were told the Chinese are wealthy in the Philippines and their burial grounds show it. Lunch ... read more

Gray skies today as we headed out for our excursion but luckily it never rained. Apparently we missed an earthquake a couple of days ago. Pretty common here so we have been told. First stop was the National Palace Museum which houses all the treasures that Chiang Kai-shek took with him when he left mainland China. It houses some beautiful artwork. The place was totally mobbed mostly by Chinese coming to visit what used to be theirs. Went to a Michelin-rated restaurant featuring soup dumplings in the basement of the Taipei 101 building which was the tallest at one time. They make the dumplings right out where everyone can see them behind a glass partition. There was a market in that building and Jerry managed to buy a case of beer. He was the hit of ... read more

After an hour ride from Nagasaki to the Shimabara Peninsula, we arrived in Hell! Yes, that is the real name because the ground continually spews hot water and steam. The smell of sulphur was pretty strong but as we meandered along a pleasant and scenic path we didn’t notice it anymore. In one location, the water was bubbling on the surface which meant is was at boiling temperature. At a local restaurant, we were served a delicious although very Americanized lunch. The chicken which was delicious was covered with cheese and served on noodles with french fries. The salad was very similar to our tossed salad and of course, a lovely layered cake for dessert. The Japanese guide next to me didn’t eat what we did (she said she had allergies - probably to our food) ... read more