I wake up early and drive my scooter for what it seems like an eternity. The sun was slowly rising when I turn left at the round about with the giant God Statue, the gigantic and beautiful Archer Patung Arjuna. By the little amount of honking in the street, it was clear that the only people awoke were going to work.
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Impossible to be in Ubud and not think about Elizabeth Gilbert, the writer of the best seller and autobiographic novel “Eat, Pray, Love”. Continue reading
“I am Muslim!” Said proudly the taxi driver who was driving me from Ubud to Canggu. “And you?”
“Hmmm… I try to take what I think is the best from every religion, but I am not from one confession really!”
The taxi driver didn’t talk to me until the rest of the trip. He looked obviously upset! Whatever is your religion in Indonesia, you HAVE to have one.
I like taking the little roads when I visit a place but you never know if there will be a treasure at the end of the alley or if you’ll find the dump of the city. A nice and sunny path in the rice fields can turn into a muddy grey road. That’s when you regret to have come so far because you think you’ll never find your way back on time before sunset or because you feel that this dude working on the field is looking at you in a strange way.
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In the end, the only landscapes I saw of Java was when I arrived by plane and behind the mini van’s window who drove me from Jogja to Bromo and from Bromo to Ijen. I don’t feel like I’ve been able to experience the real countryside lifestyle but when we came back from the first hike of the tour, I start speaking with the guys working at the hotel we were staying at.
Early morning, Vento woke me up at sunrise. She drove me to the first floor to grab a quick but huge breakfast and she dragged me to the bus station. It was hard to follow her as she is a two meters long legged girl, and I’m more the 30 centimeters kind…
A stop in a Monastery. Not the most famous one but the more authentic and the cheaper (free is cheap no?).
You have to know that in Myanmar you have to be a monk twice in your life. Once before you reach 20 years old as an apprentice, and another time after that to be ordered as a Monk.
Some men decide to be monks after being married so you’ll see often daddy taking care of their sons or daughters while wearing the orange or purple costume.
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Hasina is the only woman bike taxi in Mandaly.
When she told me that, I had to hire her services for the day, I had so many questions! In the end, it was like spending the day with a new friend.
Single mum, she is working everyday to show around her city and the area to the tourists and it looks like she enjoyed it so much that it was a pleasure to ride from a place to another with her.
You start your day by a little visit of one temple. Then you continue your way by exploring some more temples. Not enough? No worries, Bagan has 2834 more just waiting for you.
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Like every Buddhist places I’ve been so far, I notice that a strong and peaceful feeling invaded me as soon as I stepped in. It is maybe all the prayers and the meditation done in one place, or the contact of the cold stones on my barefeet, or maybe this vibrant and intense gold shining over the white stupas and pagodas…
The Wanderlust Queens Project 