Life in Kerobokan

It's been forever, but we've finally completed our sentence in the sky cell.

The dreaming track's been quiet during our working sojourn in Melbourne, but a surprising vista appeared as we rounded its latest bend. It's certainly not the view we expected...

An amazing confluence of dreams and work as well as the recent sad events in Kyrgyzstan mean we're going to have to delay our much anticipated Kyrgyz Horse Exedition for at least another year. In the meantime, our thoughts are with our friends there and we pray the current turmoil settles quickly and that reconciliation and peace deliver a happy future for all in that truly beautiful land.

Late last year we returned to Indonesia to join Sea Trek's Phinisi schooner Katherina, and sailed from the Kei Islands near Papua through the remote islands of the southern arm of the Indonesian archipelago to Bali. I promised our fellow voyagers I'd post long and loud about the wonders we encountered and feel bad that our return to city life saw me fail miserably to live up to my word. If any of you are still hoping, I'm back to working on that now.

On our last night in Bali at the conclusion of that trip, Amber and I were sitting in a cafe in Ubud and I dreamed aloud about living there. Amber thought a bit about that, the wheel was set in motion and six months later - here we are! Amazing.

Yep - this post comes to you from our new home in the rice fields of Kerobokan. Our rather sterile one bedroom Melbourne skycell (where not even a roach dared set foot) has been replaced by a house with three cats amid rampant plant and animal life. Most of the animal life is wondrous and enchanting, although some of the smaller flying denizens... not so much.

Our Melbourne routine of a crowded commute through cold dark city nights to snuggle up in front of the big screen for an escapist hit of anime or "Breaking Bad" has been replaced by a motor cycle ride from the office to the beach for a sunset swim, an evening meal on the sands and a leisurely ride home through the aromas of a warm tropical night.

Something so good is just made to be shared. So any time any of you are so inclined, simply pack a bag and come on over. We've heaps of room and we'd love to have you stay.

By the way, if anybody knows who the Balinese equivalent of Guan Yin (the Chinese Buddhist goddess of luck and fortune) is, please let us know so we can make an offering. We owe her big time!

Life in Kerobokan: It's not a sentence, it's a whole new story.