nomad4ever

Actually I wanted to post this one here 3 days ago. But nothing worked – obviously.

An earthquake disrupted internet services in Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Indonesia and Japan. I currently still have heavy problems accessing my e-mail not to talk about websurfing. Seems to be one of the biggest disaster since 1999, when a major internet outage occured in Asia.

written by Chris

Countries around the equator are very different from each other. Latin America is a green jungle-hell and Central Africa is as diverse a landscape as it can get; ranging from deserts to dense forests, savannahs, high peaks and deep valleys.

The Indian Ocean with its Maldives and the scattered Pacific Islands are a different story again; and then there is South East Asia – that’s where I stay.

One thing all those regions have in common: they are damn hot all-year-round, you are perspiring constantly and need to re-plenish your minerals and body fluids. Otherwise you are getting into the dangerzone of dehydration. You definitely don’t want that!

written by Chris

Today after lunch, I was just sinking in my arm chair to read ‘The Bali Times’ – it suddenly became a bit hectic in our yard. The cat was running around scared and began hiding combined with some desperate meowing, followed then by an awakening hunting instinct towards the bushes and palm trees in our yard.

What was going on?

Armed with a broom stick I parted some leaves around the plants and noticed some moving shiny brown body. Very slim and lots of curves. The centerfold of the month? No!

written by Chris

If you are coming to Indonesia on a Visa-on-arrival procedure, you have no choice but to travel out and back in to Indonesia to re-new your visa. This usually after 3 days (USD 10) or maximum 30 days (USD 25), depending on how long a visa you paid your US Dollars for.

Visa on-arrival or extendable visa?

That’s something similar I used to do when still living in Phuket/Thailand. Every month you just travel to one of the surrounding countries, cross the border, the officers at the checkpoint stamp you out, you enjoy a few hours in Myanmar, Malaysia, Cambodia or Laos – and back you travel to Thailand. New stamp, new visa. Now it’s a bit more difficult, as Thailand recently changed their visa regulations.

written by Chris

Michele Koh, a Singaporean who currently studies in London, has an interesting blog called ‘The 11th House’. She wrote a nice article about the best ways to explore a foreign country. I’m happy that she allowed me to re-publish that post here, as it fits thematically with my blog as well.

It’s best to read, when listening to Zamphir’s pan-flute epos ‘The Lonely Shepherd’; which most of you will remember from the movie ‘Kill Bill Vol. 1’, although the original version is at least from the 1970’s. Another alternative is Leonard Cohen’s ‘Waiting for the miracle’. Ready? Okay, here we go:

written by Chris

Nick, over here at Baliblog, wrote an interesting post about moving to and living as a foreigner in Bali. He is now here about 4 years and compares the changes after his first visit in 1993 and today and covers a lot of interesting areas, like

• Getting hold of money
• Local transportation
• What’s the food like?
• How does the climate affect you?
• Internet Access
• Meeting people
• Whom can you trust out here?
• Staying in shape
• What to do all day?
• Longevity
• The Balinese People

written by Chris

No, not the old Police Song! But why not? Our recent day trip around Bali took us to Lake Batur (Danau Batur) and Mount Agung (Gunung Agung), the highest peak (3014m) on Bali soil in the north-eastern part of the island.

Amazing scenery! It really looks like your are on a different planet. But wait – first you have to get there.

written by Chris

Bali is a rich island – and rich in natural wonders that is! You have volcanoes, resulting in black sandy beaches at the coasts, large green fields and valleys, jungle hills with deep rivers, cool water falls, hot springs and mysterious lakes in mountains of mist.

To visit those lakes, you have to travel north from the main tourist areas. A good way to do that (in case you don’t have any detailed map; there are not many around anyway) is to follow the road signs to Singaraya (the biggest town at the north coast).

written by Chris