My morning spot at Sandat Bali in Ubud with Nyoman and Wayan. Off tourist path but close enough to walk there in moments. All the travel challenges were worth it…I WAS in BALI!
Daily life in Ubud. This is how women carry everything! Even tables! Or, 40 pounds of water in 5 gallon jugs. That weighs more than all the gear I travel with in my 36 liter pack and my 12 liter shoulder pack!
Out of practice because of covid, I’d not wandered with my pack for a couple years. Going to Bali was my first overseas trip in three years. I had to re-learn! It takes a while to get back into a travel groove once I get on the road.
Not traveling for 3 years, dealing with constantly changing covid restrictions, country requirements, airline requirements…the planning was INTENSE.
Thinking about travel from the comfort of home is sooooo very different than actually launching and going. And once launched, it’s imperative to keep a flexible mindset as thing constantly change, shirt and show up differently than planned. So planning is important and helpful, flexibility and adaptability perhaps more so.
Case in point..the DUH! image abore. Once I finally arranged things, once more, I had to change my flight last minute to fit within covid restrictions. At the airport, it was intense. Check-in was different. Flying internationally was different. Online check-in didn’t work.
Eventually, I found a helpful agent who motioned me over to him, beyond the “self-check” area. He simply needed to see my documentation. That was easy.
Going through security, I momentarily panicked…my backpack was not with me??? A quick breath and a moment later, I realized I had CHECKED it! Duh…but back into travel groove quickly.
This time...
It took quite an effort to plan this trip in only two weeks. Rather than booking a tour which would have cost me 6 times more, I booked my own arrangements. Coordinating with local tour operators or home stay’s took patience, communication and flexibility. Traveling single, I’d have to pay for two people unless I joined a group.
At first, Danum looked out of reach! The first quote I received was around $1,500! Yikes! I still had three more adventures plus Sepilok to coordinate! After a lot of searching, I found a direct contact to the Danum Valley Field Center and they were immensely helpful! I could have stayed in their dormitory but, because my knee was bothering me and i didn’t want to walk more than necessary…and…it’s my birthday, I paid a bit more to stay in a deluxe room with AC!
So long distance communicating via the internet and with WhatsApp, I connected with Sepilok Jungle Resort, Uncle Tan’s, Sukau Green View Bed & Breakfast and Danum Valley Field Center! Once I had firm dates to join another tour for Uncle Tan’s (my favorite), everything had an order to arrange around. A small glitch occurred with Green View filled up and I had to delay my trip a day. But, I found another homestay near them so that worked great!
From a cost stand point, that 10 days of adventure cost me roughly $725 US. That’s for everything…guide, food, lodging and most of the transport! And what an amazing experience it was!
Transport and major flexibility!
Grab, taxi, personal driver, community bus, public bus, walking, tour company transportation…all came into play. And only a few could be scheduled ahead. That’s fine with me!! I like interaction with the local community! People working where I stay have given me great advice! The Hostel in Sandakan had a public bus that stopped directly in front at 9:00 am and went directly to Sepilok! I watched the city go by, giving way to forest and palm oil plantations on my way to Sepilok. Fee: 10 RM or $2.25 US! That was easy. Not all of it was!
Caltulating in travel fatigue!
Uncle Tan’s picked me up at Sepilok. I was waiting for them as they were picking up other travelers. The “other’s” cancelled last minute so it was just me. And Uncle Tan’s honored the price they gave me for joining another tour! I had a private trip which was great! This is where one of the guides grew up in a small town (without a market) about 6 hours upriver. He really knew the forest!!
Car….boat…muddy makeshift jetty and I was at their camp. The flooding had washed away they jetty/dock so I had to go carefully!
From there, I was told the bus left the bus stop every 30-40 minutes. I was dropped, the guides headed off and I waited an hour. Then, I realized I’d been on the wrong side of the road. They don’t know because they don’t take that bus! A man asked me where I was going and offered to drive me to the next spot where I could wait for the next bus!
There, the same thing happened. The regular bus never showed, over an hour passed and a man asked if I wanted a ride to my homestay! YES!! In actuality, a very short travel day. In reality, we left camp at 8:30 and I arrived at my homestay around 2:00 pm! In two hours, I was on a boat safari where we saw around 45 pygmy elephants!
For insight into travel coordination!
Green View called a bus, reserved a ticket, and a driver took me to the bus stop…sort of! He stopped along the way. I was told it took 90 minutes to get to the bus stop. Time was tight. He pulled to the side of the road waiting for someone. Multiple phone calls, the word “bus” and after 10 minutes, we were off again. Really off!! He flew down the road! Then waited for me on the correct side of the road until the bus arrived and I was safely on and moving! My seat mate immediately pulled out a phone and asked if he could take a photo. I was the only tourist. As smoothly as that worked, travel that day still took a little over 5 hours! But…I found a massage place and had a great massage so things balanced out!
Leo and Lan from Uncle Tan’s seeing me off! Right smack in the jungle! The most primitive camp but my favorite. The birds and animals are right above me! In the trees, flying, squawking and crawling! Awesome! On the shore of the river! An hour boat ride to a secluded ares not shared with 12 other boats. Knowledgable guides! Perfect for me!
Last week....
I left Green View for Lahad Datu last Saturday. That was a five hour travel day. I saw NO other tourist in Lahad Datu! The only stress…being told last minute that the bus I planned to take wouldn’t work. I spent hours trying to find an alternative which I was unable to! Finally, they wrote back after they had a discussion about what to do. Since they were the ones who recommended the bus that didn’t work, they were providing a driver at no expense to me to get me back for an earlier bus. Great!
We left at 8:30 for the rough 3 hour ride to Lahad Datu. I waited two hours for the bus to load and depart. The ride described as 2 1/2 hours took over 4 1/2. Then I waited for a Grab driver to take me to my hotel. Over 9 hours traveling! I was happy to be back at my hostel in Sandakan!!!
The next day, I had coffee with Michael at Roastery. He was sad! The day I wrote him that I would be back in two days, he got word that his close friend died of blood cancer. He was 24 and was only diagnosed five or six days before. Suddenly, he’s gone. A stranger now a friend shared this with me! I’m honored he felt he could talk to me about this. We in the US don’t deal with death all that well.
After, I found a foot massage place. My knee was swollen and really tender. I did not do the two final walks at Danum Valley because of the pain. My massage therapist was a reflexologist who studied acupuncture and knows his points! After an our of him loosening up things that had tightened form hiking on muddy trails, I instantly felt the difference!
Final travel day tomorrow!
I left Sandakan early because it was the first day of Ramadan. Before 8:30 I was in a car on the way to the airport. I arrived back in Kuala Lumpur after 5:00 pm. Full day. The third full day of travel in the past week! It does take time to recover from four travel days in 8 days!
Tomorrow, I fly to Bali! Early morning departure to the airport. Check in and fly. Then deal with immigration in Bali since their E-visa system is not working for me. Then a car to my hotel in Sanur. Then, chilling and resting up for three days. YAY! Sitting and not moving so much!!
And that is after a morning acupuncture session! It’s my third time this trip at the clinic which is a 5 minute walk from here. The first two were related to jet lag! This one was for my knee. I’ve had acupuncture for it before but this was different. The doctor asked questions and probed with is finger to find areas that were sensitive! He then picked two target meridians where the energy was not flowing. Because of that the energy got stuck in the knee area, it could not move down! He needled accompanying areas on my arms and other leg to help! I could feel tension in the lower leg release during the session.
Then, when I asked, he showed me two specific areas to press and massage on my left arm, for my right knee, while continuing to walk. I found the points he showed me and they were really tender!
I love learning things I can to do help myself!!! He gave me some other tips for sleeping and for soreness in my left little toe! Awesome!
Walking back felt different!!
Last day here in Kuala Lumpur!
Final Evening Walk!
Next! Photo's below are what I'll see in Bali!
Birthday
I’ll be staying in Sanur first to relax on the beach and such! Beach or pool, can’t decide!?!?! So, yes, both!
I hope to see Eddy Monday and have an acupressure session at his clinic and some Prana energy from him!
And my friend Iwan is back in Ubud with a new coffee house I’ll visit. Then, I’ll see Mary Lee and other friends as I relax for a week or so and work with Nyoman. I learn so much when he works on me. That’s him in the photo below!
Coming soon! Birthday beach time in Bali!!
What a treat! I’m planning to go to an awesome Italian restaurant and have some gelato for my birthday dinner. That’s the one I ate at last time, for the first time. Initially, I went for gelato. Then, their menu looked so good, I returned. That evening, I took a bite of my pasta dish and everything went into slow motion! It tasted so awesome, I wanted it to last as long as possible!! Slow bites, chewed slowly, savored, and then, repeat!
Bye for now!!
