The following day we planned to head out early because we hoped to make it all the way out to the Blue Mountains, with a stop at Featherdale Wildlife Sanctuary on the way. The Sydney public transit system is so incredible! We were able to use our same transit passes to get all the way out to Blue Mountain – 2 hours outside of Sydney.

We were hoping that Featherdale would fulfill Clay’s mom’s wish to see “Australian marsupials”! Off we headed to Featherdale and, after a lengthy subway ride, a stop at the mall to get Clay’s mom some new running shoes, and a bus ride, we arrived at the Wildlife Sanctuary.

Featherdale was animal heaven for the boys! There were large areas where the wombats and kangaroos hopped around freely and the boys could pet and feed them. You could pet the koalas and get your photo taken (for free!) beside one. We spent several hours visiting the various Australian animals until our brains were saturated with animal information and we couldn’t cram in any more!

Clay’s parents caught the train back to town while we continued on to the Blue Mountains, hoping we still had enough time to see everything we wanted to. Our train ended up stopping for about ½ hour at one point, apparently waiting for a freight train to pass, and we were worried that we were cutting our visit to the Blue Mountains a little tight! We caught a bus from the train station and arrived at Blue Mountain’s Scenic World at about 3:30 p.m. “You might have time to take the train, the Cable Car and you might just fit in a ride on the Sky Rail if you don’t take too long on the boardwalk,” said the lady at the ticket counter.

“Let’s do it!” we said and ran to the train. The Scenic Railway is the steepest passenger railway in the world, with a 52 degree incline. It descends 310 metres through a cliff-side tunnel, emerging into the rainforest. Since it was so late in the day there were no lines and only a couple of other people boarding the train with us. What a cool ride it was! You could adjust your seat to have a “cliffhanger” ride and go down the mountain at a steep 64 degrees, or you could choose the “laid back” option of only 44 degrees! We, of course, had to try the “cliffhanger”!

Once at the bottom, we disembarked and headed down the boardwalk. We ran into a large group of Asian tourists and managed to weave our way through them so we could move at a good clip through the rainforest. It was beautiful! We wished we had more time. No time to stop and read the information placards….no time to stop at the mining display……We arrived at the cable car and waited for the next car to pull up for us to board. With a capacity for 84 passengers, the Cableway is the steepest and largest aerial cable car in the Southern Hemisphere. Just as the car arrived so did the Asian tour group so we all boarded together. Unfortunately it seemed no one in the group spoke English so when the guide began to explain the legends of the Three Sisters to us, they completely ignored him and continued talking. I looked at him empathetically. Being a teacher, there is nothing I find more irritating than when people talk over the person “in charge”. He seemed to notice my expression and came over and said, “I think I’ll just tell you the commentary!” So for the 545 m ascent I had my own personal guide! (Clay and the boys were huddled in another corner of the cable car taking photos.)

Once at the top, we noticed there were still about 5 minutes before the final Scenic Skyway left for the day. We were going to make it! Suspended 270 metres above the ravines, the Skyway provides breathtaking views beneath your feet through the glass cabin floor. The journey provides the best views of Katoomba Falls, the Three Sisters, and Jamison Valley stretching to the horizon. Leaving the Asian tour group behind us, we started our trip across the ravine. Our guide, Eric, was entertaining and informative. One of the things he told us about was how the falls are lit up at night and you can walk down to see them. “It’s a beautiful walk,” he said. “No, mommy!” came the boys pleas, knowing how much I love hiking…..for hours and hours. But it did get me thinking….. “Well, why don’t we just go for a short hike through the mountains now, then?” I suggested. Off we went! The mountains and the rainforest are truly gorgeous and I could have walked around them all day but by this point it was about 5:30 pm, it was soon going to be dark, and we needed to eat something. So, we made our way up out of the ravine to the bus stop. Hmmm….apparently the last bus left at 5:00 pm. There were no more buses until the next morning! Hiking back to town was our only option and not really too bad (in my opinion!). It was only 4 ½ km but it was totally uphill for the last 3! Since the train only ran every hour at this point we had to make sure we got there on time. We finally pulled into the Holiday Inn at 10:00 p.m. and everyone slept well that night! Clay’s parents were super pleased that they had decided to ‘call it a day’ after Featherdale!

We decided we should learn a little bit about the history of Sydney, and after some research I settled on the Hyde Park Barracks Museum – which I thought might appeal to the boys. This was the location to which convicts were sent from Britain and it had been converted into a museum. There were three floors at the museum and we ended up spending a few hours there. It was very well done, with each visitor receiving his/her own headset system. You would press the number on the exhibit you were standing beside and the commentary would come through on your headset. This allowed each of us to move through at our own pace and to repeat the commentary on anything we didn’t quite understand or wished to hear more about. On the upper floor, they had recreated the dormitory for the men and boys. It was a room filled with hammocks, which you could lie in and listen to the story of some of the people who had resided there. What an interesting way to experience history!

While on the ferry on Sunday, we had come across some friendly Australian travelers, who gave us their tickets to the Sydney Wildlife Zoo because they were not going to be able to use them. We decided to head here after visiting Hyde Park. Considering this “zoo” is set up in the middle of the city, it housed a rather large collection of animals and a lot of information. It was a great way to be introduced to Australia’s animals.

Sydney is the home of the world’s largest IMAX screen, which was showing “Egyptian Mummies”. Since we are planning to visit Egypt on our world trip we thought it would be informative to see this movie. It did not disappoint. We enjoyed all 45 minutes of it and for once I didn’t find the 3D glasses made me feel ill!

Although the weather was a little cool, on Tuesday we decided to do the famous Bondi shore walk. We ate our picnic lunch, huddled in a picnic shelter on the shore of Bondi beach and the boys spent an hour or so dodging waves, while still wearing sweaters and windbreakers! We then made our way along the shore from Bondi beach to Bronte beach. There were several art sculptures on display beside the shore and numerous benches so Clay’s parents could stop and take breaks along the way.

We had also received 2 for 1 tickets to the Sea Life Aquarium so on Wednesday we thought we’d make a visit. Fortunately I had looked online to find out all of the “keeper” talks, since they had no signage to let you know about them. We were able to hear about the Little Penguins, the Dugongs, and see them feeding the sharks. It was surprising how we just kept winding our way through this large complex. There was a lot to see and learn.

After lunch we caught a ferry out to Manley. It was a beautiful day but still a little cool. Once we arrived at Manley beach, however, the boys were quite keen to spend time jumping in and out of the waves. Clay and I enjoyed just sitting back and watching them!

While I was very excited to be heading to Australia, I was not thrilled about having to take an overnight flight to get there. Overnight flights can be OK if you’re on them long enough to sleep but this flight was only 6 hours, which meant we would be lucky if we managed to get 3 hours sleep or so, by the time we got settled, had a snack, and then had to get ready for the landing. Clay’s parents were flying at almost the same time as us but on a different airline so we would have to wait for them at the airport in Sydney.

Sure enough, with the exception of Connor, who managed about 5 hours, the rest of us did not get much sleep at all. By the time we arrived at the Holiday Inn in Sydney (about 10 a.m. Australian time) we needed to have a nap or there was no way we would make it through the day. Fortunately, we have spent enough time together that we are all well aware when we are cranky. Even the boys said, “We won’t say much because everyone is in a bad mood!” And they were pretty much silent all the way to the hotel!

A 3½ hour nap definitely helped, although we knew it would take a few days before we really adjusted to the time difference. The next day we were ready to explore the area. We were thrilled to learn that on Sundays you can get a public transit pass for $2.50/person, so we purchased one for each of us and headed off to check out the opera house!

We each kept remarking how easy it was to get around when you could read all of the signs and speak to people in English. It felt like we had come home! The weather was just perfect – about 21 degrees with a breeze so every once in a while you needed to put on a light sweater. Clay kept jumping around, grinning from ear to ear, shouting, “I love this weather!”

With our Sunday pass we could use trains, buses, and ferries, all for free (or for the $2.50 we’d paid) so it was easy to travel around the Sydney harbor. We had a tour of the opera house, had lunch at a local pub, took the ferry to Darling harbor and walked around…..and at this point Clay’s parents started to look a little weary! We are quite accustomed to walking to get from place to place when using public transit in various countries, but his parents, nearing eighty were finding it quite a bit of walking. They decided to head back to the hotel while we ventured off for yet another walk – this time across the Sydney harbor bridge. What a wonderful introduction to Sydney!

Since Clay’s parents had heard about how much we’d loved our “rice farming” experience in Laos, they suggested we visit some places in Bali where we could learn about the local products and processes, such as coffee making, Batik making, and silver jewelry making. Clay’s dad chatted with our driver and he assured us that knew exactly where we should go. Off we headed!

Our first stop was at the silver jewelry making facility. In a large warehouse, each worker sat at a station polishing, cutting, or setting jewelry pieces. The gentleman who welcomed us when we entered did not provide us with much commentary about the process, but he was quick to escort us “upstairs” to the two-story shop with thousands of pieces of jewelry for sale. The contrast between the “showiness” and coolness of the shop area, compared to the hot and dusty workplace was quite evident but beyond that I’m not sure the boys learned too much about making jewelry!

Next, we zoomed on (as much as you can “zoom” in Balinese traffic!) to the coffee “plantation”. Again, we were greeted warmly as soon as we pulled into the parking lot – as though they were expecting us; even though we’d just driven in off the street! Clearly, this was yet another common tourist stop! A young lady walked us along a pathway that led through a series of cages housing birds, luwacs, and other local animals. She told us a little bit about coffee making on the way but she spoke quickly and softly so only those of us standing close to her were able to pick it up. She explained how the luwak eats the coffee beans and they pass through its system and out the other end. Their digestive tract contains certain enzymes that help to break down the coffee beans and make them usable for human consumption. Luwak coffee is considered a specialty coffee and runs for up to $100/cup in places like New York City. Animal rights activists have waged campaigns against the coffee because they feel that the luwaks are housed in poor conditions, rather than allowed to roam freely through the coffee plantations, as the coffee producers claim.

Our next stop was at a Batik making shop. This consisted of a large shopping area and outside of it there was a sheltered spot where you could watch some of the locals making the batik fabrics, using the original wax technique. The boys found this quite interesting, and marveled at the detail that went into the designs. I think they would have been interested in giving it a try but that was not an option at this location.

The following day we decided to head to Uluwatu. It is a place on the south-western tip of the Bukit Peninsula of Bali, Indonesia. It is home to the Pura Luhur Uluwatu Temple and is the number four surf destination in the world for surfers of all abilities. We were able to walk around the coastline for about a km for so, admiring the absolutely gorgeous views of the ocean and the cliffs. The boys were mesmerized by the waves crashing on the shore and Caleb commented that he could “sit there all day watching the waves come in.” At about 5:15 pm we went to get tickets for the Kecak dance that was to be shown in an amphitheater overlooking the ocean. At about 6:15 pm the dance began, just as the sun slipped below the horizon. What a beautiful sight. Yet another day when we counted our blessings.

On Wednesday, after Clay visited the chiropractor to adjust his ailing back, we all headed back to the Green School for a tour of the campus with the Schools owner, John Hardy as our guide. Since we had arrived late to the Green Camp, we had missed the tour of the school and I really wanted to learn more about it. The rest of the family was quite interested as well so we all decided to take part in one of their daily tours. Touring the Green School has become quite a popular family activity in Bali, so we were part of a large group of about 60, all keen on hearing what John had to say. Fortunately, the school was accustomed to a large group size and we were each given a headset to wear so we could hear the commentary as we walked along. John Hardy, as you might expect, came across as quite an eccentric, out of the box thinker, and incredibly proud his Green School creation. Being an educator I was really hoping he would delve a little more into the running of the school itself: the daily routine, the curriculum, and the goals of the program. Instead the tour was really focused around his anecdotes about the building of the school and the reactions he received when putting forth his innovative ideas. We did walk through the Green Camp area as well, so the boys enjoyed showing Grandma, Grandpa, Auntie and Uncle where we had stayed and where we had completed some of our activities.

The Green School is only about a ½ hour drive outside of Ubud, so at the completion of our tour we drove into Ubud for dinner and got tickets for one of the dances at the Ubud palace.

For our final full day in Bali, we decided to visit the Bali Safari and Marine Park. Originally I had strayed away from the safari, thinking that it seemed unwise to pay money to go and see African animals in Bali, when we would be seeing them in Africa in a few month’s time. After reading more about the park, however, it looked as though there was a major focus on Asian animals, and I was interested in seeing the show that took place at the theatre every day in the centre of the park. The Safari park was expensive, but I was quite impressed with the layout and care that had been put into the park. To get our “money’s worth” I noted down all of the keeper talks that took place throughout the day so that we could visit as many as possible. I find that when I ask the boys about their experience afterward, they can usually remember things that they have heard about far better than the things they just read about on their own.

Our first keeper talk took place at the piranha tank where a hunk of chicken was thrown in for the fish to eat. The boys’ eyes popped out of their heads as they watched the piranhas aggressively attack the meat, water splashing right out of the tank and all over them. I don’t think they’ll be swimming with any piranha any time soon!

Next, we ventured off to see the general animal show which gave an overview of all of the Asian animals featured at the park. The girl did an excellent job of commentating in both Indonesian and English and the show was well choreographed, with birds flying in from various directions, guinea pigs marching across the very front of the stage, snakes appearing in the crowd, and orangutans waving at us. Definitely not the same as seeing these animals in their natural habitat but we did learn a lot.

Following the animal show, we boarded the Safari bus that took you through 3 different areas: Asian animals, Indian animals, and African animals. The animals were all easily visible from the bus and appeared very active (considering it was the middle of the day). Some great photos were taken by all!

Unfortunately Connor came own with a fever at this point and we had to slow our pace a little and give him some medicine, but he is a real trooper when he is not well and insisted on continuing on to see the rest of the park.

After lunch we all went to see the “Bali in the Park” show.  I was not sure what to expect but had read some great reviews about this presentation, which was supposed to tell us about the history of Bali. The theatre was incredible. You walked through a cave-like entrance filled with vines and then entered the main seating area. In front of the stage there was a water feature which looked like a small lake. A live band played off to the side of the stage where we could see them.

The show began with a lively overture during which all of the performers and animals (elephants, monkeys, snakes…) in the show paraded in front of us. I was absolutely amazed at how the show flowed and the incredible sets that they used. The lake in the front served as a place for boats and ducks at one point. Shadow puppets told part of the story on the big screen. It was a real cultural production and all of us came away very impressed.

The next day we had to say farewell to Clay’s sister and brother-in-law. We were all sad to see them go. It was fun sharing our travels with family. But we were also excited about our next stop: Australia.

Traveling can be hard work. Sure, we post the beautiful photos of places we’ve been and tell you about our exciting adventures, but “behind the scenes” there is a lot of planning, organizing, and reading that is going on, on a daily basis. Among the four of us, I am the planner and organizer. I have created the draft itinerary for our trip; I book the places we will stay and plan our routes to get there; I figure out what there is to do in the area. I enjoy planning and like to know that we’ve used our short time in a place wisely. The more frequently we move, the more work it is. And yes, there are times that I get tired of it! (more on our “big blow outs” later!).

Arriving in Indonesia was a nice break from the planning. Clay’s dad speaks Indonesian, so suddenly we had a “translator” in our midst, as well as someone who was somewhat familiar with the culture. Clay’s cousin had asked us for places/attractions we were interested in, a few months back, so I’d already sent the list along. Now, it was just a matter of coordinating it all. I was quite happy to settle into a back-seat-role and let someone else do the coordinating, but very early on I could see the stress that this was causing. Everyone naturally turned to Clay’s dad, since he was out translator, to make the decisions about where we should go and when. With 8 of us offering opinions, this was a rather daunting task! And of course each of our families had slightly different expectations for our time in Indonesia. Our family was used to using the first couple of hours in the morning to get some school work accomplished (more on our routine later) and then heading out for the day. We knew, however, that school might need to be put on hold for the couple of weeks we were in Indonesia. Clay’s sister and brother-in-law had taken their vacation time to come and visit, so they were happy to go at a fairly leisurely pace. Clay’s parents were eager to have us learn as much as possible about Indonesia in the time we were there, but they were uncertain as to the best places to visit to do that – except that Clay’s mom knew she wanted the boys to see at least one or two Balinese dances. And of course the heat made everyone lethargic and cranky at times!

So, Clay’s sister and I ended up taking on the job of researching and suggesting an itinerary. It had been reassuring, however, to see that I wasn’t the only one who sometimes found the planning component a bit frustrating!

At the completion of the Green Camp, we were met by our driver (arranged courtesy of our generous Indonesian relatives) and taken back to “our villa” in the town of Seminyak, outside of Denpasar. This villa is owned by one of the relatives and she kindly said we could use it while staying in Bali. Clay’s parents, sister & husband had been staying there while we were at the Green Camp.

Walking into the villa was incredible. The main floor is built around a swimming pool, with natural rocks and greenery jutting out from the edges. There are two bedrooms on the main floor – where Clay and the boys would be staying. The eating area was built into the floor – Japanese style. The second floor had two more bedrooms and a very large sitting area. The rooftop had another sitting area and also looked down onto the pool. There are many times on this trip that people have told the boys how lucky they are, and the boys look at them as if to say, “I don’t always feel that lucky!” but we all knew how lucky we were to be staying here!

I was very excited about the Green Camp in Bali. In fact, it was the Green Camp around which I initially built our world trip itinerary. They only offer the camp on certain days of the year and I really wanted to make sure we were able to attend, so I booked the camp several months before our trip began.

I first came across the Green School a few years ago, when researching a variety of alternative schools. At that point they had not yet quite begun construction but they had the plans in place and a site picked out. Over the years I have watched (online) as the school has grown from its initial 40 students to over 400. Green School has won an award for being “The greenest school on earth”. The structures are built entirely from bamboo and sustainable resources, and students learn about eco-friendly practices throughout their day-to-day routines. The school is an international school, with its own curriculum, and is comprised of students from a variety of nations. Many families have made the decision to move to Bali so their children can attend the Green School, as opposed to the situation at other International Schools, where the families are posted there for work opportunities.

The Green Camp came about when families would visit Bali, hear about the school, and want a similar experience for their children; but they were unable to move there. The camp allows families to come and have a taste of the Green School experience but it runs as a separate entity from it – with its own buildings and accommodation, adjacent to the Green School.

Traffic in Bali is no better than in Jakarta, so it took us over an hour to get to the Green Camp from the Denpasar airport. We were already arriving late, due to the timing of our flight, and I was wishing that I’d planned for us to arrive the day before, as I hate showing up late for anything!

After traveling out into the country side, past several rice fields, we headed down a small laneway where there was a sign pointing to “Green School”. It was looking a little more rustic than I had expected, but as you know I don’t mind rustic!

We pulled into the rut-filled dirt parking lot beside a hand painted sign that read “Green Camp”. We were met by a camp guide who showed us to our “cabin”. It was constructed of bamboo with a high ceiling so the heat could escape, similar to the design of a yurt. There were 3 sets of bunk beds in the cabin and a bamboo shelf. We proceeded to unpack and then met our guide for our introduction to Green Camp. He explained the grounds and how to use the compost toilets. Having traveled for 3 months, with a variety of toilet styles, having to use one toilet for pee and another one for “the other” followed by a sprinkling of saw dust, did not phase us!

Just as our orientation talk came to an end the other campers returned from their hike and we had a chance to meet the families with whom we would be spending the weekend. There were 6 families in total, and 19 people. We were pleasantly surprised to find another family from Canada at the camp. Not only were they from Canada – but from Oakville as well! And the dad is a teacher doing a sabbatical year, the same as us! The two boys were each a year younger than ours. It was great to share stories and plans. Perhaps we’ll even cross paths again!

The first night concluded with a family campfire. The camp counselors played games with everyone and ended the campfire with marshmallow roasting. I was getting a good feeling about this camp!

Unfortunately, Clay had put out his back the day before we arrived at the camp and it was really starting to bother him, to the point that he could barely walk, and getting up and down was a chore. He made it down to the dining area for breakfast the next day but decided he’d better rest his back while we set out for the day’s activities.

Our first activity was to take a 30 minute bus ride to a local Balinese village. We were met at the village by one of the locals who took us to his home. He explained to us the design that homes in Bali follow. It was really interesting. When you walk through the front gates into the “home” you will see several buildings. He compared to the design of the home to the parts of the body. Each home has a temple, which is situated at the north-east (or north-west if north-east is not possible). The senior members of the family (e.g. grandparents) have a room/home along the north. The younger generation have a room/home on the west. There is a separate room or home for the kitchen. And each home has a main, central open room with a bed for celebrations and special occasions. Any pets, cows, pigs, etc are on the west side behind the houses.

After the Balinese home visit, we walked past some incredibly large Banyan trees, and into some rice fields. Our guide explained the Balinese “subak” (irrigation) system – how the farmers get holy water to put on the rice fields and how they cooperate to irrigate the fields.

Next was the family egg drop competition. Each family was given an egg and 5 minutes to find natural materials off the ground and create something that would prevent the egg from breaking when thrown from a tree top. Connor spotted a Jack Fruit and we were able to dig out a section, put our egg in, and then fill the hole with leaves. Fortunately, when the jack fruit was thrown by our guide, from the top of the nearby tree, despite rolling for several feet into a ditch, it managed to survive unscathed!

We continued on through another rice field and down an embankment, until we arrived at a river where we enjoyed a picnic lunch and a chance to body surf down the river in the current.

After lunch it was time to return to Green Camp where we had a 5 minute washroom break and met at the yoga studio for our introduction to “laughing yoga”. It was an excellent session and I can now say that I’ve found my favourite kind of yoga! Our instructor had the most infectious laugh and the boys thought it was hilarious! We learned how to laugh in a variety of ways: child laugh, young man laugh, old man laugh. And nicely intermingled between the laughter were a variety of yoga moves.

As soon as the yoga wrapped up, we had to head to the common area for natural dye making. Here the guides explained why and how natural dyes are made, and they set up stations so that the families could make their own dyes and use them to paint designs on cloth bags.

There was no time for a break – it was on to the Balinese martial art of Mepantigan, or mud wrestling. We returned to the yoga studio to learn the different moves that are used, and the corresponding calls. Then it was off to the mud wrestling pit! A large vat is filled with mud and everyone steps in. The leaders call out the directions and everyone follows along. Soon people are being flipped into the mud, here there and everywhere! Our boys decided to stick to the observation deck, along with Clay and I. We already spent a week getting the mud out of our bathing suits after our last mud bath experience!

The day is still not over! For dinner, we  make our own pizzas and have them cooked in a wood fire often.

Next, it was time for the night safari. We all bring our flashlights and head out for a walk around the campus to see what interesting creatures we can find. Our guides point out a toad, which secretes a poisonous liquid when touched. They hold it up for us to see and a white liquid comes flying toward us. Apparently it won’t make us too sick but it will kill a snake if it eats the toad. We then find two pit vipers, and fortunately they stay in the tree at least a couple feet from our path! We also come across a couple of lizards and a gold backed snake. Not bad for our first night safari!

Day two is just as jam-packed. After breakfast we learn about the plants in the garden at the camp. All of the food that is served comes from the garden. We go on a scavenger hunt to find as many leaves as we can in the gardens and bring them back. Some are easy, such as chili pepper, and pineapple but we struggle to find cinnamon and Thai basil.

After leaf identification we have a lesson on compost making. Everyone is taken down to the cow barn where we mix up leaves and cow manure to make some compost. This is followed by a visit to the green house where some lettuce seedlings have been growing and we take them back up so the kids can plant them in the garden.

After our Balinese lunch on the ground, on banana leaves (called Megibung) we begin the family Egg Slide Challenge. Each family is given some bamboo stakes, 4 banana tree stalks, and some elastic and we must try to create the tallest slide to roll an egg down without breaking it. We were doing really well with our design until the banana stalks started to sag and the whole thing collapsed!

Next it was back to the kitchen to learn all about chocolate. We had a brief lesson on the history of chocolate and we each took part in making our own chocolate sauce. Some people had to roast the beans, others peeled them, at another station you had to crush them and sift them. Our efforts were rewarded with some delicious chocolate sauce that we poured over ice cream!

It was time to say goodbye to our new friends. What an incredible experience. We all learned so much and had an enjoyable time doing so. I would definitely recommend Green Camp – to those who enjoy a rustic experience that brings you closer to Mother Earth.

We arrived in Indonesia aboard an AirEgypt A330 Airbus with all of 12 other passengers. Each of us could have had our own section and multiple seats to ourselves if we wished. I wanted to run up and down the aisles but the flight attendants gave me this warning look of “I dare you to make trouble because I’ve really wanted to try those take-down moves that security taught me” so I thought better of it.

Once we collected our luggage and passed through customs we spotted Dad who greeted us with a big smile. It was nice to see family after two months of traveling! Mom joined us from another gate and we were introduced to several cousins who had come along as well. We all piled into their two vehicles and they dropped us off at the Grand Tropic Hotel and Suites, a place that would be much more convenient for us to congregate and from which to launch our daily excursions. Compared to some of the accommodations we had been living in, this seemed like we had been dropped into the lap of luxury.

The next day it was our job to go back to the airport to pick up Jen and Feroz. We arrived at the airport a little later than their scheduled arrival time and they arrived a little earlier than that so we kind of did this Laurel & Hardy routine of “just missing each other”. Thanks to Jen’s resourcefulness she managed to contact me on my new Indo mobile number and we were soon on our way back to the suite. That evening we met with a good chunk of the Indo family at this fancy fish restaurant. We really don’t know what it was called but “fancy fish restaurant” means there was this massive 3D fish structure on the top of it advertising their main dish. And what a dish it was! They fried the fish and presented it in such a way that went beyond cooking and into the realm of artwork. We also had every manner of other seafood piled on the table and it was a sort of “tapas-style” where you helped yourself to a little bit of everything.

Our stay in Jakarta was short (4 days) and much of it was spent meeting up with the Indo side of the family for lunch or dinner or sometimes both and when they weren’t at work and finding interesting spots for the eight of us. One spot was called The Pandora Experience. Barb may have written earlier about us going to Escape Hunt in Bangkok where we were locked in a room and had to solve a mystery following various clues. The Pandora Experience was similar but much more intense because it had a Jack the Ripper theme to this particular episode. It also had multiple rooms on many levels that required us to climb, crawl, and duck in and out of in order to solve the complex riddles to escape. We’ve even thought about starting one up when we get back to Canada as the idea of devising clues and riddles has piqued the boys’ interest. Obviously I can’t show any pictures from the adventure as no cameras are allowed (not even mobile phones) so the adventure stays fresh and new for others but here’s a photo of us outside the facility which is basically a black, iron door. Yes, it looks sketchy but it’s really a bona fide business.

The next stop on our world tour was Jakarta, Indonesia. Clay’s dad was born and grew up in Indonesia and we were very excited that he, Clay’s mom, Clay’s sister and her husband, would all be meeting us there. Clay’s dad has been back to Indonesia a few times and has visited his cousins and relatives who still live in Jakarta, but Clay hasn’t been there since he was 8. We planned to stay 4 full days, 5 nights in Jakarta. It wasn’t long, but when we had originally planned to come the relatives had said we could stay with them and we didn’t want to overstay our welcome.

As it turned out, four days was perfect! We were greeted at the airport by Clay’s parents. Our flight was delayed 3 hours, so it was already late by the time we arrived. The traffic in Jakarta is TERRIBLE so it took a while to get to our hotel from the airport. As it turned out, the relatives decided it would be best if we could all stay together (rather than a few of us at each of their homes) so they put us up at a beautiful hotel suite, complete with kitchen and pool. They had also arranged for us to have a driver and vehicle during the time we were there. Wow! We were spoiled!

When we pulled into our hotel at 10 p.m. we were greeted by a group of Indonesian relatives. Several of them spoke no English but they were incredibly kind and friendly. They had purchased us SIM cards for our phones, brought us groceries to put in our kitchen, arranged for us to have breakfast buffet at the hotel restaurant, and offered to do our laundry for us if we had any. Oh my goodness! We were a little overwhelmed! We weren’t sure whether we were coming across as grateful enough or even what was the culturally appropriate way to show our gratitude. The boys, on the other hand, were exhausted, and found it all a little too much – with their cousins so eager to learn about them while they were just wanting to sleep! I tucked them into bed in their room and hoped the relatives would understand. Finally, at close to midnight everyone left and we headed to bed.

The next day, Clay’s parents had a family event to attend and we were tasked with the job of going to the airport to get Clay’s sister and brother-in-law, since they were scheduled to arrive on a flight just after lunch. This was not too difficult since we had a driver and vehicle! Although the driver only spoke a little English we were used to communicating with lots of hand gestures!

I had been told that being fair skinned and blue eyed, I might stand out a little in Indonesia but I figured that since Jakarta is one of the most heavily populated cities in the world there must be a lot of fair blue eyed foreigners by now! I also knew that Indonesia was predominantly Muslim (which is why the boys came running into our room the first night at 4:30 a.m. wondering what the noise was – the call to prayers). What I didn’t realize, however, is that for some reason, even though I could walk around in the malls of Indonesia and blend in quite fine, the airport was quite a different story.

Clay and I arrived at the airport and since there were two different gates from which his sister could exit, we split up. Connor and I went to one side and he and Caleb went to the other. As I walked in to the waiting area, the 100 or so women squatting on the floor, waiting for family members to arrive, all turned to look at me. They were covered from head to toe in their Muslim attire. I, on the other hand, had not thought through my airport outfit very carefully and was wearing a skort (above the knee!!) and a tank top (without sleeves). Clearly this was not the norm! Children were pointing and people kept staring. A couple of people came up and asked if they could get their photo taken with Connor and I. I did my best to use Connor as camouflage – putting him in front of me to cover my bare knees but I don’t think it did much good! Of course, we couldn’t find Clay’s sister and brother and law for well over a very long hour!!!

The relatives had organized a family reunion to coincide with our visit to Jakarta. It was planned for Wednesday, so we were asked to keep that day open. After picking up Clay’s sister and husband at the airport though, Clay’s parents informed us that we had all been invited to dinner by a few of the cousins so they could meet us. So off we went to a local restaurant to meet “a few” cousins. When we arrived there were about 8 tables put together end to end and we were welcomed by 29 relatives! They ordered the food for all of us and we enjoyed an incredible meal of fish that had been fried into a fan shape (Gurami?), coconut juice, rice, sate, and much more. There was so much food!

During the course of our four days in Jakarta, we commented over and over again at just how kind the relatives were. They showed us what true hospitality is. Each day, even after they had worked all day, they would invite us out for dinner. They brought us groceries, arranged for us to see the sights, and checked in with us to see if there was anything else we needed. We got to meet the entire extended family at the family reunion (about 100 people) and were treated as though we were the royal family on tour!

By the end of four days we, and the boys especially, were exhausted by the late nights and busy days. It was time to head to Bali for the Green School Family Camp experience.

Our apartment was in the centre of Bangkok, on a small street, with a delicious outdoor curry restaurant across the street, our morning Pao stop around the corner (pao is a chinese bun stuffed with different meats), and a local market covering about ½ a city block adjacent to us. It was the perfect location, with the subway about 2 km walk away – not too bad in the heat! You didn’t have to travel far, however, to experience the whole different world of the malls of Bangkok! They seem to take their malls very seriously. There are local malls, where you find reasonably priced items in stalls, similar to a market and then there are, what we called, the “expat malls” which are very similar to the malls we have in Ontario. Here, the prices are similar to home, if not slightly more expensive. The malls, rather than stretching out, seem to soar up and up, some of them with more than 15 floors! And it seems that they try to group stores together by theme so you have the clothing floor, and then the camera shop floor, etc. After the “expat malls” we found there were even more upscale malls for what we could only assume were the wealthy. One mall was based on the theme of an airport and each floor was a different destination. You could travel to San Francisco, complete with the Golden Gate Bridge stretching across the centre! There was a London floor with shops inside a double decker bus.

We, of course, were not interested in shopping – our two duffels are already full and we don’t plan to add another! Nor are the boys big shopping fans! However, we found that some of the attractions we were interested in were located inside these malls. One attraction we decided to give a try was “Escape Hunt”. You may have heard of escape games before, but we had never tried anything like it. The four of us were “locked” inside a room and given an hour to try to solve a crime. There were clues hidden around the room and often the clues led to a secret code that would help you to unlock another room. Once you reached the final room and figured out the solution to who committed the crime, you received a key to unlock the door so you could escape from the room. It was great fun! The boys were a little nervous at first because creepy music played the whole time, and a big clock was counting down on the wall, but once we got the hang of it, we were so busy solving puzzles, that we forgot to be scared! We made it out in 61 minutes (which officially meant we didn’t solve it in time – but they said it was close enough!). You can find Escape Hunt games in several countries, and there are other companies similar to it as well.

Another activity we decided to try while in Bangkok, was Kidzania. This is another company you can find in various countries, but there are none in Canada and we decided this was the best place to give it a try. Kidzania took up the whole floor of one of the malls and it was enormous. It is a city for kids, with all of the stores and buildings built to 2/3 of the regular size. The kids are given a cheque for $5 Kidzo when they enter the city. They must begin by cashing the cheque at the bank. Adults are not permitted to enter any of the buildings because the whole idea is that the kids learn how to do things independently. The boys were a bit hesitant at first, especially since it was all so foreign to them but they soon got on board! You could choose a few       activities for which you would spend your Kidzos, or you could get a job and earn more Kidzos. The boys decided they should find a job and collect as many Kidzos as possible. Their first job was at a Honda dealership. They had to design cars. They were given uniforms to wear, shown how to use the car design software, and 10 minutes later, they came out with their own car designs and 10 more Kidzos. Next they were off to become doctors. They had to remove someone’s liver, which they both found a little disgusting and they decided that perhaps becoming a doctor was not for them! We ended up spending the whole day at Kidzania, with the boys trying a variety of careers: interior designers, secret agents, cell phone repair workers, journalists, and much more. Caleb used a few Kidzos to scale a city wall and they combined their Kidzos at the end to purchase a light up ball. I loved the concept. What a great way to expose kids to a variety of careers.