BALI TO TOKYO

This trip actually was before our Texas trip from March 6 - 25. It was not one of my better travel experiences which will become clear as this post continues. We spent 20 hours on airplanes getting to Denpasar, Bali, for our cruise the following day. Our prearranged driver met us along with hundreds of other drivers and tourists. I reserved the Villa d’Carik through Booking.com. It was only 13 miles from the airport but took over an hour to arrive. The road ended and there was no hotel or resort in sight. I thought, “What the hell have I done?” The last quarter mile was accessible only by golf cart which we found out via phone calls.

Our driver, who barely spoke English, wanted a photo with us after the golf cart arrived. I'm surprised I looked this together after flying forever with no real sleep, enduring the humidity and being upside down with the time.

The Villa d'Carik was quite remote. It is on the grounds of a Hindu temple. The owner told us that his family owns the temple. It was a beautiful setting but it took until the next morning to really enjoy it.

Our room was nice but not super modern. We were told to use the mosquito net around the bed and the bathroom left a little to be desired. We plugged in our phone charger and the extension cord sparked, popped and emitted smoke. The owner came and brought us a new one. No harm, no foul.

The pool that our room overlooked with rice fields in the background.

Breakfast on our lanai. The owner made us omelettes since there was nowhere to eat for miles. They also had 4 or 5 dinner choices for a small fee. Breakfast was included.

Large koi fish were all around the temple grounds.

Part of the Hindu temple on the grounds of Villa d'Carik.

Darrin's girlfriend, Patricia, had been in Bali last year and recommended a guide, Deva. She put us in touch with him via What's App. We had made arrangements for him to pick us up in the morning for a tour of the area and then dropping us at the ship.

Lou wanted to see the rice terraces that Bali is famous for. These are some of the best, Tegalalang rice terraces near Ubud, Bali.

Water lilies.

This is a waterfall that Deva took us to see but I can't remember the name. Lou hiked all the way down to the waterfall and back up. I sat in an open air bar and had a cold beer for $2.

Lou, Deva and me at the rice terraces. Deva was personable, knowledgeable, helpful and a really nice guy. If you ever go to Bali, let me know and I'll give your his contact info. 

Deva had us at our ship, the Oceania Insignia, right on time. There were no lines and we literally walked onto the ship without any delays. Later we discovered that of the approximately 700 passengers, 400 of them were on an ‘around the world’ cruise. They were sailing for 175 days and had been onboard for a couple months.

The pool deck. It was never a problem to find a lounge by the pool since this crowd wasn't too into music and partying poolside like most cruise ship clientele.

The main dining room. We liked that it was all anytime dining and never seemed to be more than a minimal wait. But, as you'll read below, I didn't get there until over halfway through the cruise.

Our oceanview cabin. It was nicely decorated but smaller than many we've been on. The bathroom and shower were especially tiny.

This is where it gets interesting. We were treated to an unexpected dinner in the Italian specialty restaurant our first evening onboard which was great. My usual cruise breakfast of a made-to-order omelette and bacon the next morning was also delicious. About 2-3 hours later I was sicker than I’ve ever been in my life. I've since learned it is not uncommon to pick up "Bali Belly". I’ll save you all the gory details but whatever I had wanted out of my body immediately.

I literally slept for 3 days in our cabin, drinking water and trying to eat at least a little something. I think I'm the only person who went on a cruise and lost 7 pounds! On the third day I thought I might try to go up on deck (near a bathroom) and sleep up there for awhile. Lou came back to our cabin after breakfast, said he didn’t feel well and laid down with me about 10:30 AM. We woke up at 6:30 PM. Fortunately, Lou's illness only lasted a couple days and wasn't as severe as mine. 

We had changed a couple of our shore excursions to less strenuous ones. There were two sea days that I slept through. I missed one excursion in Surabaya, Indonesia, so I decided to try the Brunei museum and city tour we had signed up for.

Our first stop was the Royal Regalia Museum in Maura, Brunei. They didn't allow any cameras inside but I snapped this before I knew that. I managed fairly well staying near bathrooms for the hour long tour.

I will apologize now because I don't know half of what I saw on these excursions. Most of the time was on the bus and these photos were taken out of the window as the bus drove along.

Another interesting building in Maura. Brunei is located on the north coast of the island of Borneo. From what I've heard, Brunei is one of the richest countries on earth.

Since I managed fairly well in Brunei, I decided to go ahead and try the Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, bus tour the next day.

These dancers and musicians greeted us on the dock as we exited the ship. 

Again, these photos were mostly taken from the bus window but I managed to get a few good shots as we toured Kota Kinabalu or "KK" as the locals call it.

They have some beautiful and different architecture in this part of the world.

They seemed to be proud of this round building. The bus made a short stop and we were able to get out for a photo op.

Suddenly about 3/4 of the way through our tour, I needed a bathroom - now. I had plenty of supplies with me but this was an emergency. Our next stop was a Marriott Hotel for a drink on the top floor with views. Long story short I made a beeline for the bathroom. I came out and told Lou I needed to get back to the ship. He and the guide were already on it. There was a taxi waiting, 10 minutes and 10 dollars later I was back on the ship and called the medical center.

Half an hour later, here I was, getting IV fluids and meds for a bacterial infection, nausea and pain. Dr. Roy and his staff were fantastic. I wanted him for my regular doctor. Of course, my sweetie, had to document it with a photo. Yes, everyone, including Lou told me I should have called the med center earlier but being a typical woman, I believed it wasn't necessary. 

With all my IV meds and oral antibiotics to kill the “h. pylori bacterial infection”, which was confirmed the next morning, I was starting to feel better. I decided to skip our two stops in the Philippines since I was still gun shy after the Kota Kinabalu fiasco.

The oral antibiotic made everything taste terrible. Even water tasted awful! I finally made it to the dining room for the first time on day 9 of our cruise. I ate little bits of dinners that tasted crappy. Those of you who know me, listen to this, I didn’t have a glass of wine for 10 days and didn’t want one! When I finally tried one it tasted bad, too.

I finally ventured out when we reached Taipei, Taiwan.

Some of what we believed were condos in Taipei.

 

More different buildings in Taipei.

The National Palace Museum was the highlight of this tour with nearly 700,000 artifacts in its permanent collection.

An entire room on display in the National Palace Museum.

The National Opera House and National Theater on the grounds of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall.

Lou walked all around the large memorial grounds and climbed quite a few stairs to explore everything.

One of the entrance gates to the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. 

Lou got this photo out of the bus window as we drove past the Taipei 101 skyscraper, currently the 10th tallest building in the world. Unfortunately, he didn't have an opportunity to head to the top. We did get out before China bombed them and we managed to miss the strongest earthquake in 25 years that toppled buildings and killed 9 people by 10 days.

Our last two stops were in Japan. First up was Kagoshima followed by Tokyo. Both Lou and I enjoyed Kagoshima the most with our tour of Samurai gardens and the Chiran (Kamikaze) Peace Museum, plus an active volcano next to our ship.

The skyline of Kagoshima from our ship.

Walking to the Samurai Gardens.

This house in the Samurai Gardens is just for display and no longer lived in but several of them were still inhabited by descendants of the Samurai.

A walkway along the street that housed about ten Samurai homes and gardens.

One of the well groomed gardens.

Looking through windows we could see some of the displays created by the owners.

A garden entrance with cherry blossoms in bloom.

The Chiran Peace Museum for Kamikaze Pilots was built in 1975 to commemorate the lives of the 1200 pilots who died at their own hands. No photos were allowed inside.

Sakurajima Volcano is one of the most active volcanos in the world. When our ship arrived in the morning none of that steam was erupting. This was taken upon our return in the afternoon.

A close up of the steam erupting from Sakurajima Volcano.

The weather changed from hot and humid early on the cruise to pretty chilly in Japan. Our panoramic Tokyo tour was overcast but the rain held off until the next day when we flew home.

Our weather in Tokyo was quite gloomy and didn't make for great photos. At least we stayed dry.

Tokyo Tower is a great place to see the surrounding areas of Tokyo. Lou had been up in the tower years ago but it was part of our tour and up we went.

A soccer field surrounded by large city buildings. Tokyo is the most populous city in the world with approximately 37 million people.

Another view of the city from Tokyo Tower.

Me at the top of Tokyo Tower beginning to feel somewhat human again.

I spotted this bright green Lamborghini out the bus window and snapped a photo.

The New National Stadium built as the centerpiece of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

One of the shopping areas in the late afternoon. 

Our flight home the next day was much easier than getting to Bali. Tokyo to Los Angeles was only nine hours. We arrived early and were able to change our Southwest flight to Sacramento to an earlier flight which got us home by midday. After all the mayhem on this cruise and our Texas eclipse trip 10 days later, I'm glad to be back home for awhile. 

HEY, Y’ALL – IT’S AN ECLIPSE!

We spent a week in Texas centered around the total solar eclipse on April 8^th. Our first day began in Fort Worth with a tour of the Bureau of Printing and Engraving. No phones or cameras are allowed anywhere on the premises so we don’t have any photos to share. I enjoyed the quaint downtown area of Fort Worth.

The huge shiny silver cowboy hat was a centerpiece of Fort Worth's Sundance Square. This time of year the flowers are blooming everywhere in Texas.

The Will Rogers Memorial Center hosts numerous events. We stumbled onto a cutting horse event and a dance competition in two of the buildings.

Walking around Fort Worth we stopped at Riscky's Barbecue restaurant for lunch not realizing it is a popular institution with several locations in Fort Worth. It was founded by Polish immigrants in 1927. The food was great and the decor was lots of fun.

I particularly liked the cowboy boots lined up above a window in the restaurant.

One of my favorite places in Fort Worth was the historic Fort Worth Stockyards. It was packed with tourists but was still a fun place to visit. I fell in love with a burgundy top with blue feathers and conchos decorating the front that I found on the clearance rack. Yes, I bought it.

The Fort Worth Stockyards embodies the Western heritage of the Texas cattle industry. Now it is a popular tourist attraction with an old west theme.

There is a small herd of Texas longhorns that are on display. A few are even tame enough to be saddled and let visitors sit on them for a $10 photo op.

Twice a day there is a "cattle drive" but that term is used lightly. It consists of 3 or 4 cowboys on horseback that walk several blocks down the street with 10-15 longhorns moseying along,

My favorite cowboy!

Day two was spent sightseeing in downtown Dallas. It is a huge city and Lou did a great job driving in an unfamiliar car in congested traffic. Our first stop was the George W. Bush Presidential Museum and Library on the campus of Southern Methodist University.

The entrance of the George W. Bush Presidential Library. We have visited quite a few Presidential Libraries. Lou is on a mission to visit as many as possible and I go along for the ride. I usually learn a little bit more about our previous presidents during these visits.

George Bush was a huge baseball fan. This is his collection of autographed baseballs including stars from Hank Aaron to Frank Robinson to Willie Mays. Goerge Bush said he never dreamed of being president as a kid but wanted to be Willie Mays when he grew up. 

I was only 13 when President Kennedy was shot and killed in a motorcade in Dallas. I clearly recall being in Home Economics class when the principal brought in a transistor radio to tell us about the assassination. Over the years I've hoped to see Dealey Plaza in person and I did, 60 years later.

The skyline of downtown Dallas with the Reunion Tower on the left. 

The former Texas School Book Depository where Lee Harvey Oswald fired the fatal gun shots that killed John F. Kennedy. The actual window is on the far right side of the sixth floor which is the second floor from the top. It is the only square window on that floor just above the tree.

The Reunion Tower features a 360 degree view from 470 above the ground. Lou loves to go up in anything high so, of course, we spent some time enjoying the views of Dallas.

Somewhere between the two cars on the road is where the president was killed. The "grassy knoll" is on the lower far left corner. There were still numerous tourists visiting the site over 60 years later. In fact we didn't get to go to the Sixth Floor Museum because it was sold out. But seeing the exact location where history took place was good enough for me.

The iconic Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge spans the Trinity River.

A view of downtown Dallas from the Reunion Tower observation deck.

The Dallas Cattle Drive sculpture in Pioneer Plaza is comprised of 49 larger than life cattle and 3 cowboys on horseback. It was pretty impressive.

More of the Cattle Drive Sculptures that cover a 4 acre area. Pioneer Plaza is the second most visited tourist site in Dallas. The first being Dealey Plaza.

This time of year all the Texas wildflowers were in full bloom creating some beautiful landscapes. They covered the sides of highways and the medians between freeways attracted lots of tourists looking to capture the wildflower photo ops.

I rarely have the patience to figure out the names of most flowers we see on our travels. Plus I wouldn't remember them all anyways but I can certainly enjoy their beauty.

These are Texas Bluebonnets that are all over the state this time of year.

Every freeway median is ablaze with color from the wildflowers.

Another lovely flower that I have no idea what it is.

One of Lou’s Bucket List items was to see a total solar eclipse in person. Unfortunately, we were on a cruise during the Oregon solar eclipse in the U.S. in August of 2017. This time we planned a full year ahead to be in the middle of Texas to view the eclipse.

We drove about 80 miles from Austin to Fredericksberg, Texas, to Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park. The town and park were hosting an eclipse viewing party for 1200 cars right in the middle of the longest totality, just over 4 minutes of darkness. We found our spot and backed the car into it. Lou is ready with his glasses to view the sun safely. Everyone loved his shirt.

Lou set up his camera on the tripod with a special filter to black out the sun enough to photograph the eclipse. It was a lot of fun to chat with people who were all here for the event. We all shared an amazing experience together but will never see each other again.

I handheld my camera for these photos as it was closing in on totality. There was a fair amount of overcast but the sun kept emerging to let us enjoy the experience.

Another of my handheld shots.

One of Lou's photos as the eclipse progressed with his filter that blacked out the background.

Total darkness descended quickly about 1:30 PM as the sun was totally blacked out for just over 4 minutes. Just as quickly the light reappeared back to daylight. Everyone hollered and cheered as we shared this experience. I can certainly understand how the ancient people must have thought the world was ending as the sun disappeared into darkness. Immediately the mass exodus of cars began. Fredericksberg did a great job of organizing this event. We didn't encounter any traffic from Austin to the park and only minimal traffic leaving. And it was all free.

But, following the eclipse, the traffic really kicked in. What should have been a 4 hour drive to Corpus Christi turned out to be almost 6 hours before we pulled into our hotel well after dark. First up the next morning was a visit to the USS Lexington aircraft carrier. This is Lou’s thing so I saved my walking for later and read in the car for a couple hours.  

The USS Lexington, a 1920s era aircraft carrier is now a museum for the public to tour. Lou thoroughly enjoyed his time roaming around the ship.

Lou collecting another vile of sand for his collection. Being along the southern coast of Texas he added three more samples to his shelf,

This is called a Laughing Gull. They are the common gulls in the area and look quite different from out California sea gulls.

The waterfront of Corpus Christi where we sat to eat our lunch.

After lunch we did a loop drive of about 50 miles that took us to Aransas Pass where we boarded a car ferry across to Mustang Island, one of the barrier islands that protect the southern shore of Texas. The tacky, little beach town of Port Aransas on Mustang Island made us smile with the kitschy storefronts and decor.

One of the many crazy entrances to a shop or restaurant in Port Aransas.

The Aransas Pass Lighthouse seen across Corpus Christi Bay.

We stopped to view the Aransas Pass Lighthouse and Corpus Christi Bay where we were treated to some pelicans and dolphins cavorting in the water.  

One of several brown pelicans enjoying the afternoon.

This is Lou's photo of three dolphins. They were all over but elusive to get any good photos since you never know when they will surface briefly.

Our last stop today was the Padre Island National Seashore visitor center to relax and enjoy the lovely scenery before heading back to our hotel and Lou’s birthday dinner.

The beautifiul, relaxing view from the Malquite Visitor Center in Padre Island National Seashore.

We scored a couple of rocking chairs to enjoy the shoreline in the above photo. Lou set his camera on the railing and pushed the timer button. Just as it snapped this picture the camera fell off the railing onto the deck. Fortunately, it is a tough camera and still functioned just fine.

Today was Lou's 69th birthday. I found this restaurant on the water that is "a favorite of locals and tourists alike" called Harrison's Landing in Corpus Christi. My pasta alfredo with blackened chicken was delicious. Lou chose the fish and chips.

The next morning we drove 110 miles to Port Isabel, just across the causeway from South Padre Island. Point Isabel Lighthouse is open to climb so, of course, we had to do it. Even though my feet are in bad shape with the neuropathy if I have something to hang on to (usually a railing or Lou) I can manage. The 75 steps to the top were easier than I expected!

The Point Isabel Lighthouse.

Lou climbing the spiral staircase to the top of the lighthouse. 

We made it to the top and were treated to some wonderful views. 

This is the view across the causeway to South Padre Island. That is Pirate's Landing, a restaurant and shopping area on the left with the pier and red buildings. The buildings in the foreground were the lightkeepers house back in the day but is now a museum.

Following the lighthouse we headed to the South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center for a fun time taking pictures of some wildlife and lots of gorgeous birds.

The South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center was a special treat. There is a 3/4 mile boardwalk that meanders around the Laguna Madre waterway which attracts lots of different bird species.

The center is home to several alligators as well. This guy was enjoying the sun with his mouth open which helps to regulate their body temperature and breathing. 

We saw several really large tortoises housed at the nature center, too.

The highlights were the birds. There were hundreds of species listed. This is some sort of heron, I think. Again, I doubt I would remember all the herons, egrets, gallinules, etc. that we identified.

Another heron or egret. 

No idea what these are but they were pretty cool.

This guy looks like he is mad at the world.

I especially liked the colors and wispy feathers of this one.

This is a Common Gallinule - we did see the sign with his or her picture.

Another interesting bird that stayed put for my photo op.

These are Roseate Spoonbills. They were really far away and we had to zoom in a lot which made it hard to get any good photos. Plus they were facing away from us. Lou caught this as one of them spread its wings exposing the pink color.

Our farewell dinner was at a place on South Padre Island called Louie's Backyard, so of course, we had to give it a try. Louie took a rest in this big chair.

After dinner we drove to a public beach and enjoyed the seashore for awhile.

Our final day before flying home this evening, we headed south to Brownsville which is only about 25 miles from Harlingen where we were catching our flight. Brownsville is the southernmost town in Texas and right on the Mexican border.

This is part of the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park. The first battle of the Mexican American War happened in this location in Brownsville.

Our final stop before heading to the airport was the Iwo Jima Memorial in Harlingen. Harlon Block was one of the Marines who hoisted the flag on Mt. Suribachi. He was a native of the Harlingen area and is buried on the premises of the memorial.

This is the original plaster sculpture in Harlingen, Texas, created by Felix de Weldon. The one in Washington D.C. is a bronze cast from the original sculpture. Harlon Block is the Marine in the front on the left of this photo.

Harlon Block's gravesite. He died in battle a few days after raising the flag and was buried on Iwo Jima. His body was later brought back to his hometown of Harlingen.

We had to pull off the road to get a photo of these prickly pear cactus in bloom.

I snapped this photo of some small wildflowers near the prickly pear. It amazes me all the different, unique things that show up in nature.