Bali Continued...

Our time in Bali is beginning to come towards an end.  Our time here has been life changing.  Learning about the Balinese culture and traveling in Asia for the first time (my first time, not Sky's) has changed me in ways I didn't think possible.  It is so easy to go through life and never challenge, never question, take things for granted.  My time here has held a mirror up to some of the ways I have not been completely present with myself and I will leave this magical place with new tools and Ganesha (the Hindu god who guides people through change and helps to remove obstacles) by my side.  There are beautiful statues of Ganesha everywhere in Bali and I will always think back on them with love and acceptance.

Back to our travels... since I wrote last we have enjoyed fabulous food, massages, facials, lots of Bintang (Balinese beer) and even tried the local liquor Arak (I wouldn't recommend it, kind of like Tequila but not in a good way and you know how much I love Tequila).  We ventured out to the Volcano, Kintamane and had some beach time at Jimbalon bay.  Our first night here we met a new friend, Sampo, and he has been so great to us.  Taking us to see the sights, inviting us watch him play the Gamalon in the Barong dance and even hooking us up with a great place to stay. 

Tomorrow we are taking a Balinese cooking class and I promise to cook for you all when we get back.  Balinese food is delicious- lots of rice and fried noodles, tofu, peanut sauces, a hint of sweetness to most everything. So far the Nasi Goreng (fried rice) is my favorite but the fried bananas and black rice pudding with warm coconut comes in a close second.

Our next stop is Amsterdam where we will stay with good friends and travel around a few weeks before moving on to our next big adventure.

Love to you all,
Kaitlyn

Hello From Bali!

We flew into Bali 2 days ago and it has been a wild ride ever since.  We are staying in Ubud, right next to the Monkey Forest (they are notorious for stealing sunglasses right off of people's heads) and a short walk from the center of town.  Everything here is intoxicating- incense wafts through the air from all the offerings and the air is hot and humid, making everything a bit more relaxed.

It is such a small world- after our first day of wandering around town we went back to our hotel to find a friend from LA who is here on a yoga retreat- we've had a great time seeing the sights with her, practicing yoga and just catching up.  After  months on the road it is so great to have some time with a familiar face.

We don't have a whole lot of time in Bali but we will be back- this place is just too good.  Words will never do justice to the beauty here so here are a few photos so far:

The Barong Dance

One of the many offerings that are all over the place

Temple at Ulu Watu

Monkeys, monkeys everywhere

xoxo
Kaitlyn

Goodby For Now, New Zealand. Next Stop... Bali!!

I knew it would happen someday… it is time to say goodbye to New Zealand (just for now, I know we'll be back) and hello to new and exciting adventures.  Our time here has been a dream- the scenery and people here have made this place one of the best experiences of my life.

We are spending our last week in Auckland with friends we've met during our travels, I know I've only known them 3 months but I feel we'll be friends for a long time.  That is the beauty of travel, meeting new people and knowing that somewhere, somehow, your paths will meet again.  You all have an open invitation to come visit us in Seattle (you know who you are).  We'll never be able to repay your kindness but we will try our hardest.

To sum up our trip, here are a few photos I didn't get around to posting before.

Next stop: Bali!!

Sunset on the West Coast

Yellow Eyed Penguin in the Catlins

Nugget Point

Bye Bye Rita, Its Been Fun

Today we said goodbye to our van, Rita.  She went to a good home. 

Since I last wrote we've been driving along the south and southeast coast of the south island.  We spent a few days in the Catlins and saw yellow eyed penguins, hector's dolphins and got some good camping in.  After that we went to Dunedin for a few days, I got a few yoga classes in with Emma at the best little yoga studio in town and we went out to the Otago Peninsula to see some albatross.  It was a great week and a half.  We are now in Christchurch.  We've sold the van and are beginning to plan the rest of our trip.  We'll be flying to Auckland in the next few days and staying for a little while, visiting friends and hanging out for our final days in this amazing country.  After that we are probably off to Thailand and then Europe before hitting the East Coast of the states to visit some family and sleep on some friend's floors (you know who you are, love you!).

We are officially backpackers once again, it feels pretty damn good.

Love to you all,
Kaitlyn

Bluff and Stewart Island

Brace yourselves friends- this is going to be a long one.

Our journey to Stewart Island really began in Bluff, where we caught the ferry.  We decided to drive in a day early, partly to see Bluff and partly to get out of Invercargill.  The sun finally showed its face so we had a great day walking to lookout point, one of the southernmost points of the south island of NZ where, on a clear day, you could catch a glimpse of Stewart Island.  The coastline down here is so striking.  Large boulders and crashing waves.  If you are lucky you might find a  Paua (abalone) shell here and there.  The wind was a bit fierce so we didn't stay out on the point for long but long enough to watch a few albatross fly by and an eye kept out for the little blue penguins that are known to swim along these beaches (we didn't see any but I know we will at some point).

The ferry to Stewart Island was a bit rough but pretty still- a bit like the San Juans only bigger, it made me miss the pacific northwest a bit and dream of living back up there once our travels come to an end.  It is only an hour but it is some of the roughest water in New Zealand, the swells were pretty good size and I kept an eye on the horizon the whole time to avoid feeling sea sick.

After a quiet night at our hostel we awoke the next morning and headed to Ulva Island, a short water taxi away from Stewart.  The entire island is a bird sanctuary and we saw and heard all sorts of native New Zealand birds from the Weka to the Kaka.  We spent the better part of the day over there just walking through the forest and listening.

Post Office Cove, Ulva Island

Native New Zealand Bush, Ulva Island

New Zealand Robin

Weka Bird

ARE YOU STILL READING?? THIS IS THE BEST PART-
Saturday morning we woke early and headed to the wharf where our boat for the day, the Argo was awaiting our arrival.  We climbed on and a short ride later we were out in a quiet bay and preparing to dive.  This was no ordinary dive however, there was a cage involved... and great white sharks... and it was awesome.  When Sky planned this trip I had no intention of getting in the water with the sharks but once I saw them my curiosity won out and I suited up and got in the water.  The sharks were about 4-5 meters long and perhaps the most graceful creature I have ever seen in my life.  They were a bit curious about the cage but mostly just minded their own business, circling and swimming about and looking for fish.  You could see in their eyes that they knew exactly what was going on, they were watching us as much as we were watching them.  My respect for the ocean and the beings within it grew ten fold today.

The boat, 50 ft. fishing vessel from the 1940s

The cage...

Let the adventure begin!

Here they come...

I just couldn't say no to this chance :)

That's all for now- today we are off to watch a local rugby match, in the rain.  Much love to you all.

Kaitlyn

Invercargill?

We've spent the last few days in Invercargill- Sky worked on the film for a couple days and we have a ferry to Stewart Island tomorrow.  Our time here has been... interesting...  it inspired this Haiku we wrote at the pub last night :)

Invercargill

Surley sprawl, little big town
Monopoly of the mundane- raining chill
Drowning with beer our boredom

Off to more exciting things!!

45 Degrees South (Te Anau and Milford)

I swear, just when we thought things couldn't possibly be any more beautiful, we made it to the Fiordland National Park.  Mountain peak after mountain peak, lakes, rivers, glacier basins, sunshine, waterfalls, this place is amazing.

We left Queenstown Sunday morning and made the drive out to Te Anau to see the town and pick up some last minute supplies as there are no stores to speak of once you get to Milford.  We had lunch there and then began the drive to Milford.  It is only 110kms but even the sign posting says to expect a 2 hours drive.  It would have been easy for it to take 8 hours, every corner we took was more beautiful than the last and we must have pulled over to take photos every 10 minutes.

After a quiet night in the Milford Lodge we were picked up and taken to the wharf to get on a boat for a day of scuba diving for Schuyler's birthday.  The water was really cold, about 15 celsius but the dives were amazing.  The sound has a layer of fresh water over the top which traps in a certain amount of light and heat so animals and corals that would normally live much deeper can thrive within about 16 meters under the water.  We saw crayfish, nudibranches, black coral (which is actually white, it turns black when it dies) and even a seal diving for fish.  In our time out of the water we saw huge waterfalls (even got to go swimming under one) and enjoyed some great time on the water.

The next day (our last day in Milford) we woke up to some of the heaviest rains I have ever seen.  We spent a good part of the day in the lodge just watching the rain fall and sipping tea but we did get out on a short trek to see some the bigger waterfalls in the area.  The waterfalls here only come out when it is raining so we felt pretty lucky to get to see them in full force.

Today we are in Te Anau after a beautiful night on Lake Manapouri.  We are spending the day here as I'm teaching a yoga workshop tomorrow morning and then heading south for more adventures.

My love to you all,
Kaitlyn

The Road to Queenstown

After leaving beautiful Glacier country we had a long day of driving through the mountains and decided to top at a campsite along Lake Hawea for the night.  It was like living in a postcard, calm, flat waters surrounded by mountain peaks and warm sun all around.  The beach was possibly the best place to skip rocks in the world, it was quiet and peaceful.

On our way to the lake we made a stop of for some Whitebait Patties.  Whitebait are little fish that are mostly used for bait but eating them in patty for was a true kiwi experience.  They were pretty good- a bit weird looking but delicious.

After the lake we spent a good part of the day in the town of Wanaka, just about 55kms from Queenstown.  Spent some time wandering along the lake and packed a picnic to take to a nearby winery before getting back on the road to spend in the Queenstown to gear up for a 4 day stay in Milford.

Glaciers!!

Wow!! What an amazing thing to see.  After we arrived and found a campsite in the town of Franz Joseph at the base of the mountain we headed out for a hike that took us within 100 meters of the glacier.  As we walked in we could feel the cold air rushing down and see just the peak of the glacier itself.  Getting closer we had a full view of the entire front of it.  Icy blue and beautiful.  So strange to think that just yesterday we were warm on the coast and walking along the beach...

Down the West Coast We Go!

Well, it was impossible to have sunshine everyday on our trip and when it rained, it poured.  Road closures, landslides and flooded campsites awaited us as we made our way down the coast from Motueka to Punakaiki.  I guess it was better to have it all at one time, it is now sunny again and we are in Hokitiki for a quick stop before making our way off the coast and down to the glaciers for a bit of hiking and exploring.

As promised however, here is a little more about the west coast:

Even though it was pouring down rain we made a stop at Bulller Gorge and cross New Zealand's longest swingbridge.  It was a bit scary and slippery due to the rain but we had a great time.





Once we hit the coast it was still pouring down rain but the rock formations and bush were just awe inspiring. 

There are very few towns on the west coast.  Greymouth is the biggest and it has a population of less than 10,000 but we had to stop for a few supplies and while we were there we took a tour of the Monteith Brewery, one of the bigger NZ beers but still made by hand in their craft style brewery.  Oh yeah, and they let us sample... a lot.

Perhaps I missed my career calling, I feel pretty comforable behind the bar...

Until next time, xoxo
Kaitlyn