Adventures that happen... And Islands... There are Many!

The Komodo dragon was the reason for the mini cruise I took from Buan Bejo to the island of Flores, which was once ours...

The traditional boat offered the minimum comfort expected...

The trip went well, although from the beginning I realized that the safety rules were not the best, considering European standards...

When, on the way back, the sea became rough and the waves grew to an almost frightening size...

I left the upper part of the boat that I had adopted as my habitat and went to the place I considered safest, i.e., next to the control cabin...

The waves were relentless and a large sailboat that had been rescued by our boat was leaning dangerously towards us...

Fortunately, it was safely delivered to another boat somewhere in the rough sea...

I admired the skill of two precocious sailors who, in a very fragile little boat and with only the help of ropes (for me they were ropes, not cables), unhitched and hitched the sailboat to one and the other boat...

Fantastic!

I remained seated on one of the benches next to the captain, because the storm was relentless...

And then a larger wave threw me (and the heavy bench I was holding onto) onto the table in front of me...

The pain was intense and prevented me from immediately responding to the guide, who, in a flash, appeared to ask how I was doing and recommend that I go to the cabin...

Damn! It's basic: On boats, equipment must be secure, especially when the sea is not flat!

For the remaining 3 hours of the trip, I remained lying down in the cabin, avoiding movement and, above all, taking deep breaths...

After being hauled off the boat in excruciating pain, I went to the local hospital, where a kind doctor treated me very well!

(interesting fact: the young doctor asked me beforehand about the possibility of being assisted by a nurse men ...)

Thank the gods, nothing was broken! Only 3 days of pain was predicted...

The deadline has passed and the pain has reduced significantly... but, as a precaution, I have abandoned the plan to visit Suwali Island...

I will be relaxing in Bali ...

I also plan to visit other islands in the vicinity of this one...

After all, around here: Islands... There are many!

On the dragon trail...

For Two Days...

A Sea was my Land and a Boat my Home...

Between Night and Day, the landscape was colored purple...

It was the call of the Mountain...

With the light of the Sun, the velvety islands paraded gently, always different in their similarity...

It was the incentive to the Silence of the Coves...

It was the invitation to Dive into the warm Turquoise Green Waters...

On the night horizon, the bright points confused me:

Were they Boats that were Flying? Or Stars that were Floating?

The waves entrusted me to the World of Dreams...

It was the place of pink sands...

It was the place of summer deer...

It was the place of frightening dragons...

Those fantastic lizards that have been carrying chromosomal information since time immemorial...

It wasn't a Dream, it was Reality...

And, arriving at the starting point, on a Sunday morning...

The boys and girls played in a different way...

That will also be the Future of our Tomorrow...

Fortunately, there was a smile in their eyes...

Sweet Easter!

I wish you a super peaceful Sunday with your family and/or friends!

May it be a day full of good memories!

Big kiss from Bali (this time Easter will be different...)

And I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all the direct and indirect feedback I received!

Bali... much more...

In addition to its pleasant beaches, Bali is full of spirituality...

And despite the isolation to which the island was subjected for countless years, today it reflects cosmopolitanism thanks to the tourists from all over the world who visit it...

Fortunately, the villagers of Penglipuran no longer need to live in windowless houses made of bamboo... They have been preserved and support several shops!

Some Ancestral Rituals...

Today, the Bali Aga people claim this origin and, isolated by the Kintamani mountain and Lake Batur, maintain some ancestral customs...

Whenever one of their members completes their life cycle, they are covered in a white cloak and placed in a prism-shaped bamboo frame that is left in one of the 11 available places next to the Taru Menyan tree... (in addition to 1 place reserved only for the chiefs of the tribe)

This is the Terunyan cemetery, one of the 3 of this people...

The others are reserved for their members who died young or by accident, i.e., without completing their life cycle (e.g. without marriage) ...

(Scientists claim that the absence of bad smell in the cemetery cannot be explained solely by the scent of the Taru Menyan.)

On the road ...

Nature offers Earth and Water...

Man manages the portions...

When Earth is scarce, Man conquers the Mountain...

When Water is excessive, Man redistributes it...

The fields become lakes...

And the Earth, grateful, reflects the Sky...

Fhotos

On the Island of More Than a Thousand Temples...

Bali is home to the Hindu minority of the Indonesian people, and given that in every home there is a temple used for family ceremonies (e.g. weddings), it is easy to understand the estimate of the number of temples/shrines on the island: around 20 thousand!

I would like to highlight the temples of Kehen (near Ubud) and Pura Dalem (Ubud), where, in one, I found the symbol that, in Sanskrit, svtika, means "Good Luck"/"Well-being" and, in the other, I attended two night shows (Kerta and Kecak/fire dance).

Ver Fotos

Bali... over here...

A day in the company of a guide who dreamed of the past...

Dharma, an ageless man, was the result of an arranged marriage between his grandparents who belonged to the 6th generation of a family from the island of Java...

He married by his own decision and has 3 daughters...

This guide told us many things about the places visited and about current Balinese society, among which I would like to highlight the following:

Marriages are freely chosen, but after marriage, the newlyweds go to live with the boy's family;

A man may marry a second time, as long as his first wife expresses her consent (in writing, I asked for such confirmation...);

All children must go to school for several years.

Answering the question about how the arranged marriages of previous generations worked, he said that at that time there was no TV or internet... people only knew the reality of their villages...

And when asked about his dreams/desires (I was afraid that the language might betray the objective of the question given the first answer obtained), he said that he has no dreams for the future, that he only dreams about the past...

Because if he dreamed about the future, he would run the risk of being disappointed whenever reality diverged from the dream...

The past is more important, because it determines the present...

After all, it is so simple...

(Dharma, as a Hindu, believes in the existence of a single God who presents himself in different forms, as well as in reincarnation, stating that a human being may come to be reincarnated as an animal or even a tree... it will depend on his conduct...)

On the way to the Domes...

Parts of everyday life spill over into the narrow streets of the less privileged neighborhoods...

Among the overlapping roofs, minarets and domes of multiple colors and shapes rise up...

It is life marked by religion... Or religion marking Life...

Fhotos

Next of the hijabs...

Beautiful waves frame the feminine faces of complacent empathy...

They say they grow up dreaming about using them...

On the balcony of a house, children of different ages wait patiently for their meal...

A silhouette of a busy woman does not notice my approach...

I gesture to one of the children to ask for my permission to record such a unique daily life...

The child, with some concern, questions the woman, who promptly gives me a NO...

The woman has seriously damaged eyesight...

Disturbed, I thank her silently...

Back at the accommodation, a poster had been altered... only in the image of the woman...

And in the accommodation, a young non-native traveler wears a hijab...

A strange pillow hanging from her backpack is in disrepair...

You will stay in the room that had been mine...

Stories that remained unknown...

The Earth offering the Heavens...

With the increasing light of the sun, Bromo, Seremu and Batok gain color, shape and volume...

The effluvia of Bromo and Seremu rise gently and metamorphose into clouds...

It is the Earth offering to the Heavens...

The ancients say that there are Angels within it...

In the Yogyakarta Sultanate...

A place of war and power games...

Time of Sultanate and Principality...

Reorganized sovereignties: Special Region of Yogyakarta!

Sultan Hamengkubuwono X (crowned on 03.10.1998) lives in the Royal Palace / Kraton, part of a complex built according to Javanese architectural lines and in order to protect the daily life of the court...

Of course I did not meet the sultan, nor any other member of the royal family...

All that remains is the record of one of his humble servants...

On 05.05.2015 the sultan renamed Princess Mangkubumi as Mangkubumi Hamemayu Hayuning Bawana Langgeng ing Mataram, which places her in line to inherit the title! Until now, this possibility was forbidden to women!

Photos

Yogyakarta - A city surrounded by temples...

After a particularly dull Jakarta, I headed to Yogyakarta by bus on a predictable 6-hour journey, but it took about 16 hours... It was worth having Jenny and 2 other young Dutch people with me, otherwise it would have been terrifying...

Here, temples are kings and the Borobudur/Prambadan duo did not disappoint...

Morning coffee on Setumbo Hill was a majestic experience...

I was the only participant on the tour...

All children of the same father/mother...

The tribe would certainly not find their Queen of Java funny:

Singapore - Side B...

I arrived at Singapore airport with the usual time in advance:

The soft sound of a piano stood out over the refreshing melody coming from its imposing waterfall...

Without ordinary souvenir shops, Giant Monitors, assisted by assistants, provided all the necessary information...

A Brave New World!

Having identified the area for my check-in,  where I was unable to complete the process...

So, one of the flight attendants, smiling and politely repeating "no problem", directed me to a counter not immediately visible, where I was handed over to another flight attendant...

The latter, with her face framed by her hijab and without smile, identified the problem: I had a flight out of Indonesia scheduled for a date after the deadline for entry visas!

Calmly and with a smile reflecting the previous service, I explained that it was possible to request an extension, as clarified by the Embassy...

Not convinced about this possibility (she refused to read the explanatory emails I was carrying), she decided to consult someone else, leaving her workstation with a frantic step and holding my passport in her hand, the color of which stood out against her shapeless brown tunic ...

She returned, after a while, calmed down (perhaps not convinced) and completed my check-in, not failing to warn me strongly that from that moment on I would be at my own risk...

This incident took me back to thoughts I had during my brief stay in the cosmopolitan city I had left behind...

Surrendering to Side A of Singapore for its lightness and order, I relegated the Invisibles …

All Those who do not live in the beautiful and imposing buildings, who do not frequent the luxurious shopping malls and who perform all the essential but less appealing work for the functioning of the "miracle" of Singapore...

Finally, All Those who, on their weekly rest day, picnic on the asphalt...

NOTE: I am already on the island of Java where Muslim women have been very friendly, such as the duo Ami & Dw

Singapore - A lesson in architecture...

The buildings rise elegantly into the sky...

The contemporary coexists harmoniously with the well-kept old...

There is space and time for sustainability and multiplicity...

The planning was thoughtful!

There was vision and imagination: Marina Bay Sands - supreme admiration!

Fhotos

Hanoi - Time to say goodbye...

I say goodbye to a city that, despite the daily challenges of crossing the streets (I even honked at a distracted driver...), transmits a special tranquility... perhaps because of its restful lakes... perhaps because of the sweetness of its inhabitants... perhaps because of all of this and much more...

After all, Hanoi is a vibrant and charming city! A place where it feels good to linger...

I leave a photo of offerings to the gods at the Quan Thanh temple:

PS: there was also another type of offering...

The magic of Ha Long Bay...

The fog reduces the resolution of the landscape...

The reliefs become diffuse and the Universe becomes Unicolor...

The boats glide towards their destinations...

There is enchantment in Ha Long Bay...

Photos

Luon Cave / Ha Long Bay

Hanoi - A city of contrasts...

Traditional vendors walk the streets...

Girls dressed in tulle take photos...

A military groom is tender towards his beautiful bride...

Photos

In Vietnam... Being Vietnamese...

By force of circumstances... I would say!

I had signed up for a cruise around Ha Long Bay, and the operator was supposed to pick me up at my accommodation....

As the bus was big, so a man came to pick me up on a:

That's right, it was on this motorbike that the man who called me MAME took me to the bus to head to Ha Long Bay!

Ninh Binh... slide down the river and climb the mountain...

Territory of disunited mountains surrounded by the Red River ...

A brown river... nutrient for the soil... food for men...

Sliding through the waters is like entering the intimacy of the mountains...

Illuminated stalactites and lost temples are revealed...

Climbing the mountain... reaching the watchful dragon of the ancient capital of Vietnam...

A perfect setting for King Kong - Skull Island!

And even at the top of Mount Mua we found someone dressed up... Honestly, I thought the boyfriend wanted to check the photos ... but the result was this:

Of course, if I had known, I would have also worn a headdress to hide my messy hair... Sorry!

Photos

Vietnam ... Again ...

It's no mistake, the return to Hanoi was the result of that it was not possible to include the tour of Cambodia and Laos in the Round the World ticket!

So I took the opportunity to take a few more trips around the city and beyond...

I would like to highlight the balloons and umbrellas of the imperial citadel of Thang Long, the boy/teenager participating (I would say rebellious...) in a ceremony at the Vu Thach Pagoda ... and also the Hoan Kien Lake where people stroll peacefully... and where I like to have lunch...

Photos

Loose Tales -Delicacy in poverty ...

After a day in the imperial city, hungry but not wanting to question a late dinner, I decided to look for a banana seller who was always at the market after hours…

She was an ageless woman who was showing off huge bunches of green bananas, so I asked her if she could possibly sell me 2 ripe bananas… She replied, with gestures, that she didn’t have any…

As I was getting ready to leave, the woman, also using gestures, asked me to wait a little… She got up and went to get 2 pleasantly bananas that were in the back…

Of course I offered to get them, asking, using gestures, how much they would cost…

The saleswoman, again using gestures, said that they were free and that she would get me a bag (plastic… it’s part of this part of the world) so that I wouldn’t get dirty, emphasizing, using gestures, that her hands were dirty and I was clean…

I was very touched by her attitude and decided to make it up to her with a cake I had bought from a shop similar to a bakery that was nearby… When I offered her the cake as a way of paying for the precious bananas, I received a big smile in return…

And it was in a ceremonious way that we said goodbye…

Thinking about it: I should have bought 2 cakes… I ended up with a deficit… Anyway, not everything is perfect!

And you might ask: How can I be sure that the dialogue developed in sign language will be translated correctly? Well, I’m not sure, but I believe that the heart is the best way to read people’s attitudes…

Hué / Vietnam, on 15.02.2025.

Laos - Luang Prabang - Sai Bat - Frenzy and Staging... Yes and No...

Without daylight, I walk along the main street to reach the last of its temples...

I follow the little chairs lined up on carpets... the habitat of the offerings...

Women and families wait peacefully in Luang Prabang...

The gong sounds... monks line up at the entrance to the temples...

The Sai Bat (Rice Donation Ceremony) is begining!

Monks with bare feet silently collect the gifts and return to the temples...

Post Scriptum:

Among the participants in the Sai Bat, an ageless woman had two plastic containers that did not match with the offering baskets...

They were the receptacle for certain offerings from the monks...

The monks and nuns also play with the offerings...Humor is always welcome!

But I believe that, at that same time and in other places, many other monks of all ages would cultivate a genuine spirituality...

Photos

Laos - Luang Prabang - Between rivers... between temples... between monks...

City bathed by 2 rivers of 2 colors...

The blue (Nam Khan) remembers the place where I started... the brown one (Mekong) remembers the place where I arrived...

The flower-filled houses coexist with the temples... Buddhism predominates...

I move freely between temples...

The monks, like any other teenagers or boys, make themselves themselves available for photography ...

Photos

The mystery of the Apsaras...

I said goodbye to Siem Reap with the grace of the Apsaras...

The emotionless faces guide us to look at their hands that tell stories of other times and other worlds...

Photos

Still about Cambodia: Angkor ... Captivating...

Basically, all that remains of the ancient capital of the Khmer empire is its temples...

Built in stone, they resisted the gradual invasion of luxuriant nature during centuries of abandonment,,,

The alternation of religions gave way to the tolerant sharing between Hinduism and Buddhism....

I imagine the coming and going of thousands of workers who, for gratitude and devotion, committed themselves to the Herculean task of building it...

Roots have crossed Mother Earth and resemble divine hands trying to uncover the secrets of men...

Territory of disputes between kingdoms became a stage for the celebration of love...

I expected to find Harrisson Ford... I didn't...

Fhotos

Siem Riep ... Small is beautiful ...

The city has lightness… sip coffee by the river…

In its surroundings, fishermen build their houses to protect their families and their meager possessions from the excess waters of the rivers during the monsoons...

In this dry season, the houses resemble pigeon lofts and the people squatting on their porches look like birds ready to fly...

On Sundays, children free from school happily climb the structures…

There are programs to support children's education: https://pcef-cambodia.org/

Photos

                                          Phnon Penh, another Asian city…

I continue to be treated by MADAME and I like it! (I’ll have to warn the people at Sacolinha that “Menina” has long since become inappropriate!)

In addition to golden temples with indecipherable names, the highlight is the imperial palace with its harmonious buildings and gardens…

Monk teaches his disciples stories drawn on the walls...

Fhotos

Hué - Outside the forbidden city …

An Asian city crossed by the river “Perfume“…

Streets decorated with large flower boxes hidden by the anarchic parking of motorbikes…

Despite the dazzling Vietnamese beauty, Western aesthetics continue to exert their fascination…

At the time to say good by, the receptionist May asked if she could hug me…

Photo

Surrendered to the Forbidden City...

The imperial city of Hué is home to a series of palaces and temples that protect the Purple Forbidden City where the daily life of the imperial family took place...

The structures are arranged geometrically over a perimeter of almost 2.5 km and are connected by extensive corridors flanked by grand gardens...

Each door gives access to others... labyrinthine spaces reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland....

In its exterior, the imperial palace was decorated with animalistic ceramic shapes reminiscent of Bordadlo, Gaudí...

In the interiors, floral motifs predominate with the filling of great French and Italian houses...

East and West reconciled... Refinement and good taste flourished...

A space loved by natural people, who, dressed to the nines, resurrect their former splendor!

Stray photos tell Enchanted Stories....

(Sad to know that reconstruction was only possible in a part of the imperial city...)

PHOTOS

Hanoi - A bustling but affable city...

The train also passes here.... and the esplanades multiply at the stop...

Crossing the streets of Hanoi is a major challenge given the constant frenzy of traffic... cars, buses, motorcycles, bicycles and other pedestrians dodge each other... hopefully always!

People are sweet and very available for photography... and of course I took advantage of the photo sessions at Hoàn Kiếm Lake...

In restaurants, cafes and bars, tourists mix pleasantly with the locals! There are loving ties between the West and the East...

The water puppet theater is magnificent! Perhaps due to the peculiarity of its handling (in water), ILLUSION is even more effective!  Also, the contribution of traditional songs and music will not be insignificant. (fortunately I didn't notice where the headphones were being lifted with the translation... because then I wouldn't have heard clearly the fantastic sound of the voices)

Photos

My little bag ...

After having traveled through Frankfurt, Istanbul, Moscow, Frankfurt
(according to the information received) I finally met her again in Hanoi...
It is perfectly understood!

Thailand - Extra Program

The detour to Bangkok allowed me to take a few strolls around the city of golden temples and also a trip to the floating and railway markets, where everything was changed ...  markets, only for tourists ....

Photos

"Your bag will be on board VN036/11FEB for your pick up at Hanoi HAN airport. " e-mail from Luftansa

At the starting point...

I arrived in Hanoi, but not yet with my suitcase...They will tell me something shortly...

I'm waiting, but tomorrow I'm going to buy some new clothes...

Fortunately, medicine,chargers and equipment came in the backpack with me ...

In the kingdom of Thailand, the picturesque can be expensive...

As I couldn`t flight to Hanoi, I needed to change my flight... but they couldn't do that...

Therefore, without a changed ticket, without a visa, without a suitcase and without winter clothes to enjoy Istanbul, I decided to travel to Bangkok using a super cheap ticket!

Decision made, arrival early in the morning!

Without anything planned, I started to book accommodation in the city and having verified that the price of the corresponding transfer was higher than the average price charged (according to the information available on the internet), I decided to venture into public taxis!

My driver spoke rudimentary English, so I was unable to negotiate an acceptable price, worse: I didn't understand the estimated value for the service...

However, the taxi was very peculiar: its roof was completely filled with banknotes carefully preserved in plastic and its dashboard supported an authentic sanctuary filled with statuettes of gods and goddesses, as well as a photo of the owner in his version from far away in time.

Although my taxi driver's English was very poor, I made an effort to maintain a conversation... until I heard a Madame uuu...arii bitifuliiiiii... (I never will be able to say again the word correctly)

And when my driver pointed to the GPS with his pinky with oversized rings (one of them with the shape of a strupa buddhist ,,,), I realized that I had arrived at my destination!

I paid what was indicated on the meter plus 150 Baths (I don`t know why?), which represented almost €5 more compared to the price I would paid if I had contracted the service via hotel...

Worse: It wasn't on the right street!

Fortunately, a young receptionist at a hostel showed me the right direction: a street parallel to that one, but separated by a complex of temples...

Still in Istanbul

Hello!

Are you expecting photos of Hanoi? No, I am sorry!

The reality doesn't always go as planned, in this case, because of Turkey's control over entry visas into Vietnam (true!), I was unable to fly to Hanoi on 02.03.2025 and even though the Vietnamese authorities ran out of time to issue that document, I'm still in Istanbul waiting... (I already have material for the page “it happened, but it shouldn't have…”)

A stay in Istanbul would even be excellent if I had my winter clothes stored in my little suitcase (more precisely, packed in the hood of my snow jacket), my little suitcase flew to Hanoi after a quick visit to Moscow... (according to the information provided by the Airport), i.e., the suitcase traveled on its own!

I sincerely hope to meet my little suitcase again in Hanoi in the conditions in which I delivered it in Lisbon...