5 Best Tips for Kona Big Island Ironman Visitors

Welcome back everybody who is interested in Hawaii vacation tips!
After our recent post about '10 Best Hawaii vacation tips' today's post has vacation tips for those Hawaii visitors who are visiting Kona for the Big Island Ironman.

I can't believe it that another year has passed and Kona on the Big Island is once again preparing for its biggest Big Island event: the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon Ford World Championship. It's still 9 days to the Big Island competition of this biggest endurance race for triathletes in Kona Hawaii on October 9th but Kona is already hustling and bustling with hundreds of triathletes getting a feel for this year's race swimming the rough Pacific Ocean waters, running along Alii Dr or even trying a bike ride to Hawi.

Before I share my personal '5 Best Tips for Kona Big Island Ironman Visitors' with all of our Best Hawaii vacation fans, here is a great youtube video by everymantri.com which shows an interview with top triathletes like Craig Alexander, twice Ironman champion in the last two Big Island Ironman races. What does Craig think? Can he do it again? Get right into the Ironman mood with this interesting preview event video from Kailua-Kona Hawaii Big Island.



Having been to the Big Island Kona Ironman many times in the past, live and later on through TV and videos, here are 5 tips which pop up in my head for Hawaii visitors who visit Kona for the Ironman this year 2010:

1. When you stay at a Kona hotel downtown, don't even think about taking your car to get anywhere on the day of the Kona Ironman. You can't.

2. When you come from a place farther away on the Big Island, get early into Kailua-Kona like around 6am to secure a parking place and a good observation point in Alii Dr for watching the spectacle at 7am when thousands of swimmers jump in the ocean and fight for a top position. BTW, best top triathletes get a privileged early start before big crowd.

3. You stay on another Island and decide for last minute visit to Kona for Ironman and try to book a hotel room. Kona Hotels are solidly BOOKED for the Ironman weekend and most of the Ironman week. Try places north of Kona like vacation condos in Waikoloa Village (best rates, about 30min drive to Kona) or condos at Waikoloa Beach Resort (more expensive, about 30min drive to Kona). Another option for Ironman accommodations is South Kona.

4. Prepare yourselves for a long day in the hot Hawaii sun and heat: water, sun screen + hat are a must. Remember you'll have an early morning start and it will take a bit over 8hrs for the first men and about 9hrs for the first women to arrive at the finish line after the marathon.

5. Stay away from restaurants at the regular meal hours. They will be totally jammed. Plan your lunch for 2pm and your dinner for 9pm or even later. After the first huge Ironman excitement between 3 - 5 pm with lots of cheering, things calm down somewhat later but if you are in for the long haul, there are many more exciting moments coming before midnight when the Ironman cutoff (no more counting who comes in at what position) takes place.

Hope these 5 best tips for Kona Big Island Ironman visitors will help you make it through a day of unbelievable excitement and exhilaration. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacation
p.s.
Last but not least, get yourself a Kona and Big Island West Coast map to make sure you know which roads or highways are closed for the Kona Ironman race on Sat. 10/9. Also see Ford Ironman World Championship Road restrictions from Kona to Hawi.

Big Island Ironman Related Posts

Ever wanted to visit Big Island Ironman for your Hawaii vacation
2009 Hawaii Kona Ironman Visitors Information
Kona Ironman ccommodations
Hawaii Ironman Triathlon Kailua Kona 2006

Tags: Big Island Ironman, best Hawaii event, biggest Hawaii event

“Thunder Struck” in the Sidemen Valley

20-28 September 2010

“It looks like its letting up” Nick repeats for the 3^rd or maybe 10^th time today. It has been raining for almost three days and Nick is pacing from balcony to balcony, across the beautiful hardwood floors of our glass enclosed room overlooking the Sidemen Valley. I am comfortably reading my 13^th book of the trip under a batik quilt, reveling at the novelty of being chilly, and peeking out from time to time to enjoy the view through the open sliding glass doors that comprise two of the four walls of our room. Being marooned here in this villa, tucked serenely in the Sidemen Valley, couldn’t be more relaxing for me or more frustrating for Nick. While I contemplate taking yet another bath in our giant black stone bathtub, Nick exclaims that he must go on a walk before dinner. I accompany him and it actually does not rain for a full thirty minutes, allowing us to enjoy the indescribably green landscape of the now misty and soggy countryside.

After a night of lightning and thunder, we awoke to clearing skies and great expectations for a day outdoors. After breakfast, we put on our running shoes and hit the road for a long run across the rolling green valley. On this and other runs during our stay, we ran up and down hills, through small villages, encountered many friendly children, drying peanuts and cloves, an impromptu roadside cock fight, eight year olds riding motorbikes, disinterested dogs, and a rain swollen river. In the afternoons it usually rained and as such we read, ate lunch, napped, did yoga, waited for the clouds to clear for a good view of Gunung Agung, took additional walks, and used the internet while drinking banana lassi’s. We originally planned to stay here three days, three turned to six, six turned into nine. We love this valley.

The next few days were spent doing much of the same. We soaked up the bright green calm of the terraced rice fields. I repeatedly tried and failed to count the number of terraces visible from our balcony-there are just too many. The intermittent bursts of thunder became almost comical as they repeatedly caused me to scream or for Nick to literally restrain me from jumping out of bed in the middle of the night (some of you may be familiar with my easy to scare nature). One day, in between rain storms, we climbed innumerable slick-as-ice stairs up a nearby ridge to visit a beautiful spire-like temple visible from the valley floor below. After our exhausting hike, we made it back to Sawah Indah (our hotel) just as the rain started to fall, fat raindrops threatened to soak us in the seconds it took to climb the stairs to our patio entrance.

On September 23rd, we walked the perimeter of the valley (the first of many such walks) and in the process were able to enjoy the preparations and processions of the bi-annual full moon festival to honor temple guards. We saw young girls and women dressed in lace and batik sarongs, balancing tall pyramids of fruit, beautiful flower arrangements, mirrors, and rattan-woven baskets on their heads while they headed in and out of temples. Later that day, one of the biggest rains in our 28 year old hotel managers memory bulleted through the valley, resulting in landslides and roads sloughing off the hillsides. We watched from our terrace as the neighboring farmers braved the rain and cleared out the drainage systems that keep their terraces from flooding over and sliding down the steep incline. It was likely the hardest sustained (three hours or more) rain Nick and I had ever witnessed. Ah, the tropics!

On another day, we purchased beautiful handmade tiles (about $0.80 apiece) from the same tile maker who makes the beautiful tiles that cover the floors and bathrooms at Sawah Indah. Nick kept me about my senses as I considered buying enough tiles to fill an imaginary kitchen floor in a home we do not own. Talk about the potential for buyer’s remorse.

In the evenings, we drank beer, and arak cocktails, watched the sunset, and anticipated the rain as it moved across the valley. We learned the joys of watching it head straight for us, a million pin pricks in each of the hundreds of terraced rice fields. Watching weather arrive is a strangely fulfilling experience when you have nowhere to go and nothing to do.

Traipsing the Tourist Trail in Bali

19 September 2010

Since our next destination, the Sideman Valley, is difficult to access via public transportation we took the opportunity to bundle our transport with a visit to a few tourist sites along the way. We first visited Goa Gajah, a Hindu cave complete with intricate carvings and rampant, inelegant tourist development. The approach to the site involves wading through dozens of souvenir stalls trying to sell you the exact same things-sarongs, cold drinks, carvings, jewelry-you name it. At one point, a man dressed in traditional garb attempted to get us to “pray” with him for a price. Why Indonesians allow this type of development and behavior at important and beautiful spiritual sites is lost on us. But I digress- thoroughly harassed and unimpressed by this site we made our way to yet another temple.

Gunung Kawi is a beautiful complex of massive temples carved into rock faces along a river. Braving the persistent rain and trinket vendors (omnipresent, yes they are) we made our way down a series of stone staircases past picturesque rice terraces. It is poetic how this staple of Asian cuisine is grown in such a beautiful system of terraces, canals, and levees harmoniously complementing the steep jungle cloaked hillsides. Rarely does one see such an attractive form of agriculture. After meandering among the temples and rice fields, narrowly dodging a torrential downpour, we made our way to a restaurant overlooking the picturesque Gunung Batur. Sitting down to our overpriced and severely disappointing buffet lunch we stared at a dense bank of clouds, fog, and rain. As we finished lunch, and had endorsed a “better luck (lunch) next time attitude”, the clouds began to part. Over the next few minutes the beauty of the volcano, the clear blue lake below, and the surrounding volcanic landscape revealed itself before the clouds returned.

Most of you are probably familiar with Jack Nicholson’s character in the movie “The Bucket List” and his obsession with the rarest of coffees, kopi luwak. “Kopi luwak,” Nicholson would affectionately exclaim as he poured himself another expensive cup of joe. Late in the movie, he is shocked to learn that kopi luwak makes its way through the digestive tract of a civet, an animal that looks like a cat. Heading down from Gunung Batur, we pulled into one of the many coffee plantations lining the road to sample some Balinese coffee. Walking in toward the café we got our first glimpse of the kopi luwak producing civet, it’s a cute, little, fuzzy cat-like creature who were disappointingly asleep in their cages (they are nocturnal). Okay, ladies and gentlemen, this is where it gets interesting. Kopi luwak is rare and expensive not because of how it is grown, but how it is processed. Enter the aforementioned civets. Each day, these cute little creatures are fed coffee berries (I am not sure whether or not they like coffee or if anyone has bothered to ask them). The coffee berries then pass though their digestive tracts, intact, but are processed in the way only a civet can process them. Excreted out of the civet, the beans are collected, cleaned (hopefully very well), and roasted just like any other coffee bean.

We have seen kopi luwak (kopi = coffee, luwak = civet) on the menu several times during our travels in Indonesia. Previously, given its exorbitant price (as much as $12 per cup), we didn’t give trying kopi luwak much thought. Sitting down at the café we were shocked at the price of civet coffee-just $3 (they are like drug dealers trying to get you hooked on the good stuff at an introductory price)! Faced with its affordability we now had to make a big decision. Do really want to try coffee that has been shot out the back end of a civet with God knows what else? After a short period of deliberation, we ordered “Dua (two) kopi luwak.” With great suspense we eagerly awaited the world’s rarest coffee. Staring at our pots of kopi luwak we looked into each other’s eyes, took the plunge, and poured our first cups. It smells a lot like, well, coffee. It tastes like a really strong cup of French Roast with rich, earthy, smoky overtones. Kopi luwak tastes nothing like civet shit…or does it?

The coffee plantation proceeded to then stuff us full of their other products including “female” coffee (you botanists out there can go ahead and debate the difference between male and female coffee), ginseng coffee, hot chocolate, ginger tea, and lemongrass tea. Thoroughly caffeinated, we then wandered around the plantation’s gift shop. In a prominent location we spied their display of kopi luwak. A small sachet of coffee a la civet clocks in at nearly $35 for just a few ounces. While this is a bargain compared to the $50/cup you can expect to pay back home, I think we will stick to plain old Balinese coffee.

We arrived at our destination to the amusement of our driver who was incredulous at the name of our hotel, Lihat Sawah, which literally means “See Ricefield”. Relaxing here in the Sideman Valley, it has now rained for 30 hours straight. Last night, with the after effects of kopi luwak cursing through my body I could barely sleep. I lay awake watching the flashes of lightning and, from time to time, reflecting on the world’s rarest cup of coffee.

-

tourist attractions in Indonesia bengkulu

List of tourist attractions Bengkulu Bengkulu and interesting for a holiday destination and this tour could hopefully increase the knowledge of tourists who like to vacation.

Bengkulu Province is located on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. Bengkulu has the potential to attract tourism to Pengemar traveling. Starting from Bengkulu natural attractions such as Long Beach and White Sand Beach is a favorite for holiday resident of Bengkulu. The beach has always attracted tourists who love the beach panorama.

Sightseeing Indonesia in Bengkulu anywhere that can be made a place for family recreation? The following is a list of tourist attractions in Bengkulu and tourist attraction in Bengkulu who often visited by tourists.

Long Beach Bengkulu.
To reach this beach is easy, has many means of transportation to and from this beach. The distance is not too far from the city of Bengkulu, which is only about 3 km long beach is a cheap vacation spot for people of Bengkulu on a holiday. Here are also available hotel facilities and restaurants for tourists who want to stay. Some of the facilities of the hotel is a parking lot, there is a swimming pool and cottages.

White Sand Beach Bengkulu.
Location of White Sand Beach is located close to the ocean ports Baii Island. The distance of this coastal town of Bengkulu, with only about 19 km. Access to the White Sand Beaches are also easy, tourists can use any vehicle because the road to the beach is very good. The beach with white sand is a lot at tumbuhi spruce and has a beautiful panorama.

Rat Island Bengkulu.
An interesting nautical tourism in the province of Bengkulu. Apart from Rat Island, in the surroundings there are also several small islands. Many beautiful reefs around the island. To menujun Rat Island tourists only takes 1 hour boat trip by boat from the city of Bengkulu. For tourists who like the marine world, a vacation to the island of Pulau Tikus is suitable for Rats have an interesting potential for marine tourism.

Tropical Rain Forest Park Bengkulu.
The distance is about 16 km from the center of Bengkulu city. Tourists who want to visit here could use a tool vtransportasi anything. Tropical Rain Forest Park is an observation area is very suitable for camping because it has a beautiful natural panoirama.

ada dinda ada rusuh

adinda says:
oooh
WAKAKAKA sialan adek lu
Fiona says:
HAHAH iya emang
HEH BERANTEM YUK
MAU RUSUH KAGAK?

You have just sent a nudge.

adinda says:
HAYO
Fiona says:
HAYO SINI
adinda says:
SINI LU RUSUH SAMA GUA
eh bentar
ini fiona ato dito?
Fiona says:
HAYOOO TEBAK
SIAPA COBA?
adinda says:
ah kelek
fiona
!
Fiona says:
BERANI ?! BERANI ?
KETEK BABILU
adinda says:
ANJIR PALELU
Fiona says:
HEH..SULEHA!
SINI MARI KITA TONJOK2AN
adinda says:
HEH SULE
HAYO!
GUA BAWA EMAK GUA NIH
Fiona says:
SUMPAH AKU LAGI PENGEN BRANTEM NIH SAMA DINDA
adinda says:
BANYAK TATONYA
Fiona says:
DIN BIAR KELIATANNYA GAHAR AKU NGOMONGNYA PAKE GUA YA?
NAJIS
adinda says:
sippp
Fiona says:
NAJIS
adinda says:
eh bentar nonton acara juber di mtv
Fiona says:
NAJISDINDAJELEKKAYASULENAJISS
juber?
eh terusin dulu berantemnya mang
dasarrr molorr
IH JUBER?
JUSTIN
wkak
adinda says:
hahahah yoiii
seru dah liatnya bocah gawul
hahaha udah ah ayo kita lanjutin ributnya
SINI LO ANAK MANA LO?
Fiona says:
NAJISLUSUKAJUSTINIHDIH
BLEKETEKKK
ANAK MANA?
adinda says:
HEH SIAPA JUGA YANG SUKA WOOO
Fiona says:
SOK GATAU
adinda says:
ANAK GANG CEMARA NIH
Fiona says:
NAJIS IH DINDA KALOLUADADIDEPANKU
BAKAL AKU PELUK -.- HAHAHAH
KAGAK AH KETEKLUKANBAUDIN!
adinda says:
HEH KETEKLU LEBIH BAU FI!
APA LUUU
Fiona says:
IHDIH SOK WANGI
EMANG PAKE MINYAK WANGI APA SIH LU DIN?
NYONG NYONG YA?
MINYAK NYONG NYONG HAHA?
adinda says:
WOOO GUA PAKE MINYAK WANGI KOK
YANG DIJUAL DEPAN MESJIT TIAP JUMAT
WOOOO
Fiona says:
IHDINN
HAHAH MAU DONG
MAU DONGDIN!
berapaan?? wkakakakkaa
adinda says:
taudah sebotol goceng kali
HAHAHAH ITU KAN BUAT MAYAT FIII
Fiona says:
najis murah bgt
MURAHANNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!
NAJIS SI DINDA
adinda says:
YANG PENTING WANGII
HEH SINI MAJU LOOO
(bawa celurit)
Fiona says:
HAYOO SINI
TUBUH GUA KEBAL DIN!
TAHAN APAPUN
TAHAN CELURIT TAHAN AIR TAHAN PANAS
HAYOOO SINI MAJUUUU BOS
eh ngomong2
unyu emotionnya unyu unyi bgt dech

You have just sent a nudge.

Fiona says:
wei?
adinda says:
hehe iya dong unyu kaaan
EH MANA SENJATA LO
Fiona says:
unyu inyi manyi moeeh
adinda says:
unyuminyimainimu loveeer
Fiona says:
catch ya basndsanfdhj
adinda says:
hahahaha juber
Fiona says:
HAHAHAH ONELESSLONELY GIRL
NAJISAH
adinda says:
ifsihalaif if if sihala letme go (-_____________-)
hahahahaahaha
cieee bieber fever nih kita
BELIEBERS NIH YE
Fiona says:
NAJIS DINDA
eh inyi manyi
eh bagi unyu unyu emotions dongs wkaka
adinda says:
ƪ(♥ε♥)ʃ
nih bentar gua minta kakak gua lagi
Fiona says:
HAHAHA NAIISSSSS DAH
adinda says:
HAHAHAH YOIIII
ih kamu unyu banget sih :3
HUAUAUAHAHAHAHA
pasang di pm yuk fi elu pasangnya dinda unyu banget sih :3
gua pasangnya fiona unyu banget sih :3
Fiona says:
OKEEEE
WKAKAKKA
adinda says:
MWAHAHAHA
Fiona says:
MWAH

MUACH
INYI MANYI MOE LOVER
wkakakka najisssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss


* oke percaya atau tidak itu adalah saya haha -_-

Uber-relaxed in Ubud

12-17 September
We arrived back in Bali from Flores and almost immediately got into an argument with some taxi drivers. To be honest, we were not excited to be back in Bali. Our four days in beautiful Sanur a few weeks ago made us weary of touts and budget busting prices. Weary is actually a word we have started to use more often than we should.

We made our way to Ubud from the airport (about a 1.5 hour drive) and lucked out at Shanti Homestay with a beautiful bungalow with attached kitchen for about $25 a night! Attached kitchen!! I write this post from our back garden patio where we just enjoyed lunch and a coffee. After two and a half months of eating out, we were thrilled to have the opportunity to self-cater and cook some meals of our own. In addition, our hosts cook us the best breakfasts, usually a scramble or pineapple pancake with a large plate of fruit, we have had on the entire trip. After one night we decided to stay a week.


Ubud is a pleasant town and has more shops than even the most dedicated shopper could handle. There are also some beautiful countryside walks to enjoy, a forest full of monkeys, and plenty of transit touts to avoid on the streets. We spent the first few days literally wondering through the hillside enjoying the never-ending rice fields and river canyon views. We've exchanged books in used bookstores, Nick cooked us some delicious pasta, I've bought more jewelry than I should, and I enjoyed a great yoga class.

The highlight for both of us was a Kecak performance -monkey chant dance - we attended in one of the local temples. Kecak is hard to explain, but it sounds to us like the word "kecak" (pronounced "kechack") repeated over and over by sections of performers at different tones, at different speeds, in whispers, and in screams. The leaders of the group yell loudly to change the speed or intonation of the sound. All the while the performers are sitting cross-legged in a circle and swaying side to side, back and forth, hands up, hands down, laying down, etc. etc. etc. This seems like chaos, but it is expertly performed and is something that we will never forget. This particular performance molded kecak and the ramayana story together. At the end of the performance a man came out and danced wildly through a pile of burning coconuts, kicking husks this way and that, some practically landing on tourists laps. This was quite amusing.

We will spend a few more relaxing days in Ubud - more hiking and yoga - before heading northsouth to the Sideman Valley and then north to Lovina. We have lost our weariness and have fallen in love with Bali after all.

Tweet 'Experience the Real Hawaii' Big Island video

Dear Best Hawaii blog visitors,
Our Hawaii twitter ohana is growing. When I came across this well done video about the Big Island National Parks and heiaus, I promised @PuukoholaNPS to share it with our Best Hawaii Blog visitors.

Of course, I also went ahead and shared a tweet with all my Hawaii Twitter friends:

Via @PuukoholaNPS Have you seen "The Real Hawaii"? http://ht.ly/2DL0o Great Big Island video Hawaii culture #HawaiiTravel #HawaiiCulture

Hope many of our Big Island visitors will find this video and see it as an invitation to our many Big Island National Parks. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacation

Big Island Vacation Related Posts

10 Best Hawaii Vacation Tips
Best Big Island Hiking 2
A Guide to your Big Island vacation

Tags: Big Island National Parks, Big Island vacation, Heiaus Big Island

Crossing Flores Island, Part II: Bajawa to Maumere

Other Titles: The pleasures of being patient.

9-12 September

After returning from our trek and staying at the more comfortable and hospitable Silverin Hotel just outside of Bajawa, the staff helped us to flag down a shared taxi for transport to the town of Moni. This method of travel is very efficient but initially appears dubious at best. After strapping our bags to the roof, we were loaded into the “way back” of a 6-8 passenger car (the size of a hatchback). We headed off and my eyes widened as I counted how many people were in the car – 1 adult and 2 children in the front passenger seat, 2 adults and 3 children in the middle seat, and 3 adults (ourselves included) in the back seat. A total of 12 people including the driver! We were in for a cramped, kid puking, 3+ hour ride to Ende, where we would pick up another shared taxi on to Moni. Luckily, we were sitting next to a very nice man who was a tour guide and spoke great English. The car we found in Ende was itself one of the highlights of my day. This was a large SUV, pimped out (as so many of the cars and bemos are on Flores) with stickers emulating broken windows and giant slogans like “Casanova” or “Don’t Touch” printed on the front window, a booming sub-woofer in the back, and a driver that could not have been more than 17 dressed like a total gangster. I felt very bad for the 90 year old man sitting next to Nick. We drove through the pouring tropical rain, passing actively eroding hillsides and dodging large boulders – sometimes as they fell from the roadside. All this while rocking out (I had my ear plugs in for awhile as I was sitting on the sub-woofer) to a mix of classic rock, rap music, and sappy Indonesian ballads.

Arriving in Moni in the early evening we were very road weary and starving (we skipped lunch)!! We ate dinner, arranged for a 4:30am motorbike transport to the Kelimutu Lakes, were invited to a Idul Fitri (end of Ramadan) party the next day that everyone was very excited about because they “had not drunk any alcohol for one month” (but we thought most Muslims did not drink alcohol?), and went straight to bed.

Early morning and our first motorbike ride of the trip (first ever for Nick). It had been raining nonstop for a few days, so we were worried about the dark 13km ride to the trailhead and whether the lakes would even be visible at sunrise. Miraculously, the rain stopped long enough for us to arrive at the lakes and enjoy them before starting up again on our way down the hill. The lakes are stunningly gorgeous. The Kelimutu Lakes are three crater lakes of three different colors, literally right next to one another. Opaque turquoise, chocolate brown, and dark blue/black. The local people believe that these lakes are the final resting place for the souls of the dead – the young go to the turquoise, the old to the brown, and the wicked to the black. I will say it again – they are stunning. I think you can see them in the aerials on Google Earth or Google Maps – find the town of Moni, Flores, Indonesia and they should be nearby.

After breakfast, and in a break from the rain, we walked to a nearby waterfall and then the whole length of the small town. On the way back to our hotel we started to talk about how we wished that there was a store in town or a market because we hoped to by some Ikat weavings before we left Flores. Before reaching our hotel we decided to stop at a restaurant for a cup of kopi susu (coffee with milk), it was closed because of Ramadan but the woman across the street offered to make us coffee and then asked “You like Ikat weaving? Jenny have Ikat to sell from my village. Come to Jenny house”. As everyone in the town had been overwhelmingly friendly, we did not hesitate to go to Jenny’s house, have some coffee, and do a little shopping. Jenny turned out to be the woman we met on the street, who, to our amusement, continued to refer to herself in the third person throughout our conversation. Jenny’s family was from Nggela Village and she had many weavings made by herself (“this made by Jenny”) and other members of her family. The weavings were beautiful and very good quality, we bargained for awhile and enjoyed talking to Jenny over a delicious cup of kopi susu (coffee with milk). After about twenty minutes we finally got her to agree to our low offer. I usually do the bargaining, but Nick’s foray as the “bad cop” or strict husband today really helped us make a great deal on these weavings. Buying things in this manner is a true pleasure.

The rest of the day we spent with our newfound Indo friends, celebrating the end of Ramadan and watching a bunch of young Indonesian men sing karaoke and get fall on the floor drunk on arak (homebrew palm liquor) and beer. Meanwhile, their wives, mothers, and sisters made them food and tried to ignore them – I was the only girl invited to the party. On that note, I was actually happy to be a girl in this culture today; it was much easier for me to refuse drinks while Nick was expected to partake in round after round of shots…He made it through very drunk but relatively unscathed.

The next day we headed down to Maumere on the coast – our final stop before flying back to Bali. We arrived at the Gading Resort outside of town and settled into our beachside bungalow. We spent the rest of the day staring at the beautiful blue water and distant islands, snorkeling, and relaxing. In the morning, we ran on the beach (we are now officially in training for our Nepal trek) and stared at the water some more before heading to the airport. Bali, here we come!

Great moments that I missed:

Watching music videos while riding in the back of a pimped out bemo. Everybody loves Shakira.

Watching a group of young boys vigorously shake a bemo as they fueled it, because they think that shaking it will allow more gas to get into the tank

Seeing a teenager dressed like a perfect drug dealing gangster in a village that barely has electricity let alone a serious gang problem (is this Compton?)

Car surfing – 10+ people riding on the roofs of cars on steep, windy roads, in the rain

Road Work – Waiting for 20 minutes while men perched precariously 50 feet up on a vertical slope (no ropes) pushed large boulders off onto the road to prevent future landslides and rockfalls

The incredible, impossible to describe, scenic nature of Flores Island

The smell of roasting coffee wafting through the car or bus/window over and over again as we cruised along the highway

The woman we rode with from Moni to Maumere who had a full set of diamond “grills” on each of her upper teeth.

Many of the men you meet on the street (and on buses) are carrying an unsheathed parang (machete) at least 2 feet long. Somehow, this does not alarm us at all.

Seeing an entire driveway, sidewalk, or lane of the road filled with cloves or coffee left to dry in the sun.

Trekking Back in Time to Belaragi

8-9 September 2010

Life in Belaragi, Flores continues pretty much the way it did centuries ago. Houses are made completely of wood, bamboo, and palm. No metal screws or nails are used in construction. Absent also are electricity, telephone lines, television, and many other modern conveniences (and hindrances). If you squint slightly, you are transported back hundreds of years in time. The air is clean, water is clear and abundant, and the pure black night sky escapes light pollution. Belaragi is surrounded by dense rainforest, high forested peaks, distant volcanoes, and from the edge of town you can see the azure Sawu Sea.

We met our guide, William, outside our hotel in Bajawa. After talking to him about hiring a bemo to take us to some of the traditional villages outside of town he mentioned that he was guiding a hike to a remote village near Aimere on the coast the following day. Our interest piqued, he showed us a picture of Belaragi on his cell phone. Immediately, we knew that Belaragi had to be the next destination on our trip across Flores.

Belaragi receives few tourists. It is only reachable by a long, steep hike, and this makes it inaccessible to all but a few intrepid tourists. It is not featured in any guide books, and as far as we know it might not even appear on any maps. William is the only guide who leads trips to Belaragi. He began leading trips to village four years ago, and Rachel and I constituted the eleventh group of tourists (fewer than 30 people total) to visit Belaragi.

The trail to Belaragi starts from William’s house a village on the outskirts of Bajawa. William informed us that the hike is approximately 8 miles and usually takes anywhere from 6 to 12 hours, depending on fitness level, weather, and the trail’s (or lack thereof) condition. As we walked up a moderate incline past tiny old women carrying massive canes of bamboo on their heads or shoulders we hoped that we would not repeat the fate of the only other group of tourists this year and arrive at Belaragi at 9 pm. After an initial incline the trail turns steeply downward. The path is narrow, steep, slick, rocky, and bordered by dense, mostly-untouched rainforest. As a result of the heavy rain the day before, the trail was muddy and slippery in sections. Picking off leeches, at times we felt like we were walking on ice covered with motor oil, and both of us slipped and fell straight on our butts several times-thankfully avoiding injury.

After stopping for lunch at the home of a farmer who lives three hours down the trail, we began to take notice of the dark, thickening clouds that were quickly approaching us and hastily made our way on the progressively overgrown trail. It soon became quite clear that, barring a miracle, the fair weather that had graced the first part of our walk was soon to vanish. With our porter hacking away at the thick grass and fallen tree branches with his parang (machete) the tropical downpour descended upon us. Covering up with rain jackets and stowing everything in plastic bags we were soaked in seconds. Water dripped down our legs and puddled in our shoes. For the next two hours we bushwhacked in the heavy downpour as thunder erupted right above our heads. We crossed flood swollen streams, shin deep, and trudged along the muddy trail, which itself filled with water and flowed with ferocity in sections. Looking like drenched rats, the rain finally abating, we emerged from the rainforest awestruck by Belaragi.

Shedding our packs and wet clothes we became mesmerized by the most beautiful of Ngada traditional villages. Two parallel rows of attractive wooden huts flank the village’s central area, a wide swath of bright green grass between. Words cannot adequately describe Belaragi’s spectacular natural setting, and rarely does one see a man-made settlement that complements its surroundings so gracefully.

Nobody in Belaragi knew we were coming (there are no phones), and, quite frankly, nobody seemed to be moved or impressed by our arrival. There was no fanfare, no weavings shoved in our faces from expectant sellers, no offers of cold Coca Cola’s or snacks. How refreshing! Gradually, word circulated that there were a couple of tourists in town and a few of the villagers came to greet us, and brought us glasses of sweetened, local coffee. The hut where we would spend most of our time was built “several hundred years ago” and consists of a large front porch, a living/sleeping area, and a kitchen. The entry way to the kitchen is surrounded by ornate, symbolic carvings and is deliberately constructed so that you must bow upon entering, in order to show respect to the family’s ancestors. Although Belaragi is officially Catholic we witnessed very few signs of Christianity during our visit. Villagers still ascribe to many traditional, animist beliefs and rituals. Carved, wooden totem-like poles are constructed to honor male ancestors, and small thatched huts pay homage to female ancestors. Figurines and/or small wood houses placed on top of each house symbolize social standing and pay respect to ancestors. Respect for past generations plays prominently in everyday life.

During most of our time in Belaragi we did very little except relax and make small talk (through William and our rudimentary Indonesian) with the villagers. For the first time on this trip we honestly did not feel like tourists. The whole time in Belaragi we felt like welcomed guests-sort of like when visiting the home of a distant relative. The hospitality of the villagers was most apparent at dinner. We sat and watched as dinner was prepared over an open fire inside our hut (no gas or electric stoves here). Preparation commenced with the ritualistic, somewhat gory, sacrifice of a chicken, followed by the burning off of its feathers over the cooking fire. The chicken was then gutted and the entrails were presented to a village elder, her teeth pitted and her mouth stained red from chewing betel nut, for inspection. Over the course of several minutes she examined the chicken’s heart, intestines, and other parts to make sure the sacrifice was successful and that the chicken did not contain any bad omens (like fortune telling via dead chicken). Our chicken having passed the test, dinner was prepared. During the preparations for dinner, a commotion outside the house alerted everyone to the fact that a 1-meter long python had found its way into the covered storage and hen house just outside the back door of the house. The snake was killed and everyone went back inside as dinner was almost ready.

Our meal began with the flinging of rice in the air, and prayers and offerings presented to the ancestors. Rituals completed, we feasted on an ungodly amount of tasty purple colored rice, cassava leaves flavored with papaya flowers and coconut, tasty chicken, chicken juice (a thin, tasteless soup), and a boiled egg for Rachel. Mental note, never finish your glass of chicken juice or it will be refilled. All of this was washed down with copious amounts of arak, a strong, local palm liquor, which superficially resembles weak tequila and makes you grimace and convulse after taking a shot. We talked with the people of the village for a few hours, translating through our guide, and eventually our sleepiness was noticed by the group, who sent us directly to bed. Pumped full of rice and shaken by arak we retired to the sleeping/living room, in the company of several villagers too drunk or stuffed to make it back to their own houses. The combination of the candlelight and quiet chatter and laughter lulled us to sleep after our long day.

The next morning started at dawn with cups of coffee. Sitting outside with several of the villagers, bathed by their constant cigarette smoke, we gazed as the first morning sun hit Belaragi. Breakfast was served several hours later (we are learning true patience here in Indonesia) and consisted of tasty purple rice, boiled cassava, and eggs. We sat on the ground in a circle, as we had at dinner the night before and gave our thanks, through William, to one of the village elders. He wished us happy and safe travels and asked us to come back soon and bring a large group of our friends and family. Any takers back home?

As we said our goodbyes and started our two-hour downhill walk to the bemo awaiting us at the first patch of good road, life continued in Belaragi as it has for centuries. We learned that the money contributed by our visit will help to make improvements to the standard of living in Belaragi. As is the case in many traditional villages across the world, much of the younger generation chooses to live closer to a town where modern amenities, education, and health care are more available. We realize that this beautiful, traditional way of life will disappear if the younger generation chooses to abandon Belaragi. While this is sad, all people deserve access to education and health care. Our great hope is that, someday soon, a school, health clinic, and better road will be built so that future generations will continue to inhabit the homes of their ancestors and call Belaragi home.

Our visit to Belaragi refreshed us and enriched our understanding of Ngada culture. In this world of ever-expanding tourism it is difficult to stray from the beaten path. Down a slippery, muddy trail and through the pouring rain we found a small patch of peace, solitude and authenticity in Belaragi.

Ide bisnis Usaha kecil di Rumah

Mencari ide-ide untuk bisnis kecil dan usaha kecil dari rumah. Banyak bisnis yang bisa di kerjakan oleh semua orang yang ingin menjalankan sebuah bisnis atau memiliki bisnis sendiri di rumah.

Mencari ide bisnis tidak sukar, yang paling sulit sebenarnya bagaimana mengelola bisnis agar bisa tetap survive dan bisa tetap hidup, sehingga mampu mendatangkan penghasilan untuk memenuhi kebutuhan hidup yang kian sulit.

Pada waktu memulai menjalankan sebuah bisnis di rumah adakalanya anda atau saya mengalami kesulitan dalam memutuskan bisnis apakah yang paling sesuai untuk kita. Apa lagi saat bisnis berbasis rumah sudah berjalan, pasti tantangan yang akan di hadapi akan lebih banyak. Karena menjalankan bisnis butuh rencana, maka kita perlu berhati-hati dalam memilih bisnis yang akan kita kerjakan.

Mencari ide-ide bisnis kecil yang bisa di kerjakan di rumah membutuhkan perencanaan yang matang. Apalagi jika dana atau modal yang kita miliki untuk bisnis kecil terbatas. Kalau kita mampu melihat keadaan lingkungan kita, sebenarnya untuk mencari ide-ide bisnis kecil sangat banyak. Apa saja bisa di kerjakan kalau kita memiliki bakat bisnis. Jika tujuan pasar bisnis anda hanya di lingkungan sekitar tempat tinggal anda, maka perhatikanlah produk atau jasa apa yang paling di sukai dan berpotensi untuk di jual.

Apakah anda ingin berbisnis produk rumah tangga, menjual makanan atau minuman, membuka jasa pencucian pakaian, reparasi alat rumah tangga, atau menjual apapun yang memungkinkan untuk di jual dan di butuhkan oleh seluruh keluarga. Kalau anda jeli dan mau mencari ide-ide bisnis kecil, apapun bisa di bisnis kan.

Crossing Flores Island, Part I: Labuan Bajo to Bajawa

Alternate Titles: “Have Crackers, Will Travel” or “The Trans-Flores Shakedown”

4-7 September

We spent nine days traveling between Labuan Bajo and Maumere on Flores Island. While we had originally planned to do this via an expensive private car (about $100 a day), we learned shortly after arriving on Flores that there are shuttle buses and shared taxis along each leg of the journey. These mini-buses or cars have a lower probability of having chickens or pigs as passengers and extra people sitting on their roofs, and cost little more than the public bus (about $12-$15 for a 3-4 hour ride for both of us). The roads on Flores are rumored to be horrible. Having now completed the journey we are pleased with how smooth the roads are , and still horrified with queasiness at the omnipresent eye popping thousand-foot drop offs and never-ending hairpin turns. For these rides we obsessively carried crackers to settle our stomachs and took motion sickness pills to ward off any possibility of illness. Despite the many twists and turns, we are so glad that we traveled through Flores independently. Along the way, we were able to meet and befriend so many nice people, soak up both modern and traditional cultures, and sample the beautiful vistas that make Flores such a great place to visit.

Our first stop was in Ruteng, a stopover to save us from a 9+ hour ride to Bajawa. After an impossibly windy 4-hour bus ride, we arrived on a rainy afternoon at the Catholic monastery that would serve as our guesthouse for the night. After settling in, we wandered through the market a few times, gawking at the pig’s heads on the tables and marveling at the diversity of bananas for sale. Eventually we bought some bananas and then actually had to supply them to a restaurant later when I ordered a banana pancake and they were, miraculously, out of bananas. This is a common theme in Indonesia; the restaurant that is out of bananas when just a block away is an entire block so full of bananas that you cannot walk on the sidewalk. It is like the coffee plantation that runs out of coffee (Damn you, Arabika!) or the seaside restaurant that is out of fish. Alanis Morisette could write a song about these conundrums! But I digress… While in town we had to work hard to avoid picking up a guide, as almost everyone on the street wants to be your guide or help you find transport. Most of the people we meet are overjoyed to meet us and want us to write letters to them from home, while, in stark contrast, others literally stare us down. What we hope to be “looks of curiosity” appear to be an “I hate your guts” glares (we still do not understand what is going on here). After exploring the town, we walked up a small hill called Golo Curu that has sweeping views of bright green terraced rice fields and is accessible by foot from town. Along the way we enjoyed the company of a gang of between 3-20 children at a time –most too young to be considered guides- shouting “Hello Mister” at us and giggling. We referred to them affectionately as the “Ruteng Clan”.

The road to from Ruteng to Bajawa was equally as chaotic, but even more so because our driver was about 10 times more reckless. Somehow we completed the quoted 6-hour bus ride in just 3 hours. Happy to be off the road and arriving before dark, we ate guacamole (Yes!), drank beer, and enjoyed the cool climate and laid back atmosphere of Bajawa. The next day we struggled to find a guide, which was actually shocking to us after the pestering atmosphere in Ruteng! We met a guide named William who arranged transport for us to travel to a few of the traditional villages near town and to a hot spring near the town of Soa. William would later be our guide to the remote village of Belaragi and the coast beyond.

That day (September 6^th) we went to two traditional villages - Luba and Bena - which are known for their picturesque dwellings and Ikat weavings. Luba Village, accessible via a dirt footpath about five minutes off the main road, was less touristy than Bena. When we arrived, a few children came out to play with us (we kicked a piece of fruit around for a few minutes) and the women in the village stopped what they were doing (weaving or cooking food) and hung up their Ikat weavings for us. The weavings are very bright and colorful and it was very interesting to be able to watch the women weaving. We purchased a colorful Ikat piece in Luba village, woven by a woman we met that day. Bena Village is just a few minutes down the road and is situated right below the magnificent Inerie volcano. As this village is just off the main road it receives many visitors and most of the traditional houses sell weavings, vanilla bean, or other trinkets. See more about the traditions of the Ngada people in the post titled “Trekking Back in Time to Belaragi”. After lunch (guacamole again!) we headed to a hot spring near the town of Soa. We relaxed in the interconnected pools and avoided the torrential afternoon rain as best as was possible.

The next day, we were abruptly woken up just before our alarm (at 6:30am) because the owner of the hotel we were staying at wanted a bucket that had ended up in our room the night before (we bought some hot water from them to take a shower) to wash his car –this is something that I imagine would never ever happen anywhere else. Indonesians are confusing to us at times. After this, we were more than ready to recharge our town-weary selves by trekking to a remote traditional village called Belaragi.

10 Best Hawaii vacation tips

Dear Hawaii visitors,

Summer is coming to an end on the Mainland with cooler, rainier days announcing fall season for most of our 50 states. NOT so for Hawaii. Hawaii vacation in sunny warm weather all year round becomes again the top topic for family vacation plans for this fall and winter season. Our '10 Best Hawaii vacation tips' were put together to make sure you and your family will enjoy your best Hawaii vacation on your next trip to Hawaii.

When preparing our today's Hawaii travel and vacation tips and ideas, I became fully aware that this is actually what our 'Best Hawaii Vacation Blog' is all about: sharing our travel and vacation tips with all of you who are getting ready to visit Hawaii. It got me by surprise that we already listed 63 posts under 'Hawaii vacation tips' among them such interesting topics (randomly chosen) as:

How to find peace in Hawaii?

5 Things to pack for your Hawaii vacation

Hawaii Volcanoes Videos

How to visit Haleakala on Maui?

So, what's so different with our today's post from all the 'old' Hawaii vacation tips? I'd say Hawaii visitors will get basic, easy-to-follow Hawaii vacation tips at one glance. Here are our '10 Best Hawaii vacation tips' to make your Hawaii vacation easier, healthier, safer and cheaper:

1. Take snacks with you to the beach or on your island trips

Snacks like homemade sandwiches at your vacation home kitchen or granola bars, trail mix or fresh fruit. Don't count on finding restaurants or affordable food places on your island adventures. Bring your snacks, safe big, and of course, you won't go hungry!

2. Take plenty of bottled water with you

when going to the beach or on road trips around the Hawaiian islands. To buy a single bottle of water on the road will cost you much more than a 6-pack at WalMart or worse, you might not even find a place to buy water. The hot Hawaii sun can dehydrate you within 1/2 hr!

3. Stay away from soft drinks

With their high sugar content, soft drinks will make you actually make you thirstier, plus bottled water is generally healthier and cheaper.

4. Get a small cooler on your Hawaii vacation

Most Hawaii hosts offer small coolers to their guests anyways. If not, ask them. Otherwise when you stay at a hotel, we recommend to buy a small cooler at WalMart for about $5. It will keep your food and water cool + fresh, especially when on road trips or on a hidden beach.

5. Stay out of Hawaii sun between 11am - 2pm

When hanging out on our Hawaiian beaches, try to find a shady spot to settle down, especially during midday hours. You can even find at WalMart a cheap beach umbrella for sun protection. A hat (best with neck protection) and high SPF sunscreen are a must for Hawaii. Always reapply sunscreen after swimming, even when sunscreen says 'waterproof' on label. Make sure that your kids stay protected from strong Hawaiian sun. One can even get a sunburn in Hawaii from sun reflection!

6. Don't keep valuables in your car

I lot of Hawaii visitors think valuables are safe under their front seats when they go to the beach or for a hike. Unfortunately they are not. This is where thieves always look first. Carrying a backpack will help you keep your valuables safe.

7. Visit Hawaii restaurants at lunch time

Just like on the Mainland, visiting a restaurant in Hawaii at lunch is a great idea for vacation and can save you lots of money. The amount of food you will get is mostly the same as for a dinner entree at night but it's mostly 1/3 or even half the price of the dinner meal. No reservation is necessary and often you don't have to wait for your favorite ocean front table. If it's a very popular restaurant, you might want to show up before 12 noon to avoid the busy lunch crowd.

8. Carry your Hawaiian Island map

and your Hawaiian Island Revealed guidebook with you on road trips, so you will always know know where you are and what to see and to do in the area. Never go on a road trip without your bathing suit, a towel and a beach mat!

9. Talk to Locals

Talk to your Hawaii vacation rental hosts, shop assistants at markets or when you meet people. They happily share with you: best beaches in the area, affordable local restaurants, farmers markets for fresh fruits and more.

10. Hang loose, sit back and relax

Finally, relax and let go of your Mainland tension. No tight schedules in Hawaii! Give yourselves plenty of time to enjoy the ocean waves, the balmy breezes, a good book or just do NOTHING!

If you have more Hawaii vacation tips, please, share with our Hawaii blog visitors. The more, the better. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii vacacations

More Best Hawaii Vacation Tips posts

3 Best Hawaii Vacation Tips for Thanksgiving

How to save money on gas in Hawaii
A visit to Waikoloa Village

Hawaii Vacation with Kids

Have fun at Christmas in Hawaii
Hiking in Hawaii

Tags: 10 best Hawaii vacation tips, Hawaii travel

Hello, Mr. Dragon

1-3 September 2010
Because Indonesia consists of over 17,000 islands, it would be a shame if we didn't even attempt to explore a few of them by boat. So, after arriving on Flores Island and the shockingly trash-ridden beach town of Labuan Bajo we arranged to charter (ahem) a boat for three days to take us to Komodo Island, Rinca Island, and at least a handful of others. On this fancy, and frankly over budget, excursion we would see Komodo dragons in the wild, snorkel 2+ times a day, and enjoy some serious leisure time (just in case we weren't already relaxed enough).

Arriving at the dock off the main (and only) street in downtown Labuan Bajo, we were greeted with a sight that only Dr. Seuss or maybe a few other seasoned travelers that we know would not bat an eye at. The dock was missing boards (more than 10 in some spots), slopping to the left here, the right there, and generally a laughable sight. We were assured that it was perfectly safe and led (sometimes by hand) to our boat about 50 feet away. With a dock like this, what kind of boat would you expect that we had chartered? Once on the mid sized tug-like boat, we were lead to our tidy cabin (simple bunk beds), told that we would be leaving shortly and that we should take a seat on the park like benches that took up most of the space on the bow of the boat. There aren't many who can say that they have spent the majority of three days sitting on a park bench, but Nick and I can now join those proud few.

We soon arrived at our first of many snorkeling spots alongside one of the many tiny islands in between Flores and Komodo. This spot, like all of the snorkeling we did on this particular trip, was totally amazing. The reefs were amazingly intact and full of every color you could ever imagine. Seriously, pick a color any color - we dare you! Our favorite spot of the trip was definitely "Pink Beach", named thus because a red coral species washes ashore and mixes with the sand, turning it a dainty pink color. Pink sand beach!! I could hardly believe my eyes. These diverse coral rich sites are hard to explain. We took our Panasonic "underwater" camera with us on once and got some great photos - check out the Picasa album.


As an aside our "waterproof to 10 feet deep, shockproof" Panasonic Lumix did not survive it's second underwater foray and has yet to turn on (and it's not the battery). If you have a suggestion for a good point and shoot camera with video and maybe underwater possibilities let us know ASAP.

The other half of our trip was spent trekking on Komodo and Rinca Islands for a chance to see Komodo dragons!!! We were lucky to see them at both Komodo and Rinca-- and boy are they big! They can grow up to around 3m, live up to 70 years, and weigh about 100kg. Oh yeah, and they can run between 15 and 20 km per hour. If you are ever in a sticky situation with a Komodo, climb a tree and climb it fast! It's poison and bacteria ridden saliva won't kill you for about five days, so you will probably have time to get to a hospital. Probably.

On these palm studded islands we encountered probably around twenty dragons, all doing pretty much the same thing - resting (or pretending to rest as our guides warned). We were led by young rangers with long forked sticks to protect us from an approaching dragon. You wonder what kind of protection a long stick might have on a 100kg hungry dragon? Surprisingly, one touch from this stick and a dragon is completely demoralized - he looks away away, closes his eyes, and in some cases actually skulks away in shame (or the perception of shame). It comes to my mind that this tool could be useful to young women in bars.


Nicks love of photography certainly peaked the interest of a few of these dragons. While we maintained a safe distance, Nicks "get on the ground" approach for perspective purposes (I imagine) puts him into a size class that appealed to many of the dragons. They would start smelling the air with their forked tongues, get up off their bellies, and start moving towards us - I mean Nick- at a slow yet deliberate pace. Lucky for us, our rangers were well trained and expertly wielded their forked stick.

After three days of floating in the Flores Sea, snorkeling in pristine coral reefs, observing amazing and unique wildlife, and pretending not to notice the thousands of cockroaches on our boat, we were saltily ready for a shower and a more comfortable bed. While a little rough around the edges, we compare our experiences here in Komodo National Park to the Galapagos Islands. Some of you may know that Darwin's contemporary and co-discoverer of the the theory of evolution developed many of his ideas exploring the Indonesian Archipelago. Looking out at this beautiful bay studded with islands thinking about Darwin and Wallace, endemism and evolution, Komodo Dragons and marine iguanas comparing Komodo and the Galapagos seems appropriate.