Ripcurling Cosmos and Highlights

I haven't been everywhere, but it's on my list.

- Susan Sontag


"When we get out of the glass bottle of our ego and when we escape like the squirrels in the cage of our personality and get into the forest again, we shall shiver with cold and fright. But things will happen to us so that we don't know ourselves. Cool, unlying life will rush in..."

- D.H. Lawrence

See photos of Surfing Kuta and Rip Curl Pro Search

See photos of Last Days of Bali...



We were all very happy to get back to Kuta the next day...or more rather, the surfing, beach and nightlife! That night, we went for dinner at our usual place and then to Ocean Beach for the FREE FLOW – free flow is 2 hours of free drinks...not of the watered down variety - very popular! Marj and I danced ourselves into a frenzy, as we always did. I don't think I have ever had so much cardio what with all the surf days and boogie nights. We called it an early night so we could get a good surf day in before Marj left.

The next eve, Julien got some snacks and drinks and we had a floor picnic at d'Kubu to say goodbye to Marj. We went out for dinner and then to Paddy’s, a nightclub on Legian Street for one last night together. The 6 of us danced, took pics of each other, made fun and hung out. Marj and I went off to the Bounty later in the evening and danced til our heart's content.

We shared one last banana pancake together the next morning before she left and said our goodbyes. I wondered when I would see her again and what this leg of my journey would have been like without her. Marj and I had created a real female bond, one I had been lacking in my life and made stronger by our love for surfing, eating, drinking tea over endless conversation, dancing several consecutive hours until reaching complete exhaustion, traveling together and sharing the same digs for most of the previous 2 months in Bali. There have been many amazing things to come out of this journey, but the friendships made along the way, will be embedded in my mind and heart for years to come.



But as they say, every exit is an entry to something new. Lindsay, my extremely tall, provocative, outspoken, rambunctious, fabulously good looking friend arrived a few days later to continue on with the surf/dance debauchery. Lindsay is a writer, so we are collaborating on a contribution to Geist magazine using my photos and her scribblings from Bali! See her website here: http://lindsaydiehl.com.

On August 1 – I caught the biggest wave YET! This feeling is one that is difficult to put into words. It happens so quickly but the high remains for days, making you crave bigger and better waves. It is not hard to see why surfing becomes so addictive and has officially been declared a religion.

At night, I would lie awake and could still feel the momentum of the waves rocking me back and forth until falling into a deep slumber. Gliding along on the ocean's memory is understanding the power of nature, a catalyst in experiencing a unity with the universe and being totally immersed in the moment while everything else disappears around you.

I got a tattoo 7 years ago - a Celtic swirl, meaning, 'To rise above the material world and become one with the cosmos." I didn't know it then, but this would be the most accurate description of what the act of surfing means to me now.

Please read 'West of Jesus: Surfing, Science and the Origin of Belief' by Steven Kotler. Surfer or not, if you are the slight bit interested in science or religion, you will be more than enlightened and entertained.

Ernesto was always around to give me his constructive feedback – 'you look like a gorilla when you surf!' He was always after me to keep my hands up but I always had them flailing below me. I was just excited to stay on my board and graduate from surfing whitewash to REAL waves!

There were also days when I questioned whether I belonged on a board or not. I suffered numerous accidents and injuries while surfing as well: a broken finger, water in my ear canal, bruises, scratches, near drownings, collisions with other boards and my own, scrapes, broken leashes etc. These are the moments when you are reminded of who the boss is. But you keep getting back on the board despite the bad days you might have because it's all forgotten once you get back up again. And you always can get back up again.

Dan made his way back to Bali so we got to catch a few more sunrises and dances together. I was so happy to see him again – was sort of like seeing an old, familiar friend after having so many fleeting friendships on the traveling circuit.

As my flight to NZ drew closer, that feeling crept up on me - sort of like when you started seeing the back to school commercials on TV signifying that summer would be over soon. I knew inevitably that I would have to move on but it was going to be really hard to bid that charmed life adieu.

Ernesto, Rikkard and I took in some of the Rip Curl Pro Search at Padang Padang. The likes of Kelly Slater and Andy Irons were competing, but it was Bruce Irons, Andy's little brother, who claimed the trophy. There was some nice looking glass there - I had some serious lens envy and dreamed of what it might be like to couple my photography with surfing someday - ahhh a girl can dream.




Padang Padang is near Uluwatu, a famous temple, dedicated to the spirits of the sea, and known for the monkeys hanging about. Ernesto and I explored the temple which looms 70 meters above the Indian Ocean, and enjoyed the seascape. I avoided the monkeys this time around after my near death encounter at the monkey sanctuary!

SIDESTORY (you may not relate to this if you're male, but the females out there will! There was also a funny bikini waxing incident - funny NOW but not so funny at the time and not really fitting for a public blog):

I must mention doing one of the stupidest things I had done in Asia yet – I got my hair highlighted! I had been wanting to do it since I came to Bali and kept putting it off because I was afraid of what they might do to me . I was just going to go to Gloria Jean's to edit photos as I did every morning. I walked by one salon and resisted and then the next one, but the next had 3 extremely friendly ladies in front that said hello to me. They lured me in and had me sit down...and once you are sitting – well good luck getting out of there!

Perhaps deep down I knew it could end really bad but I had a small flicker of hope that it just might turn out ok. No more risky than getting my hair cut in Cambodia – which turned out a little lop sided but better than I thought!

After about 10 minutes of highlighting, she asked me if that was ‘good’? Ummmm....she had highlighted about 5 pieces and we had agreed on all over highlights. This scenario replayed itself several times with me having to ask her to add more. She of course then had to mention that 100,000 rupiah is very 'cheap cheap' for what I wanted. This is when I knew things were not going to end happily, for either party.

When going to the salon at home, I look forward to kicking back with a coffee and a magazine and listening to cool tunes....this was just plain stressful and SCARY.

When she washed it out and I sat down in front of the mirror, I kept my eyes closed for a long time, imagining the worst, so that perhaps the reality would then seem not quite so bad. It didn’t work. I opened my eyes to sheer horror. This was the most ungodly orange colour I had ever laid eyes on.





I asked her to shut off the hairdryer, moved ahead in my seat and all that I could say was, ‘IT'S ORANGE!’. I followed that up with, ‘It looks....awful!’ I pointed to the lady on the poster with the beautiful ash blonde hair and asked if my hair looked anything like that? She of course had the upper hand because she replied in Balinese again and I had no idea what she said, therefore could not come up with any kind of response that would mean anything. She then grabbed one of the foils and shook it in my face while I assume saying some not so nice things to me. She was PISSED. But so was I! I again had to remind myself, ‘T.I.A.!’ ...'This is Asia’. I made a motion to get out of my chair and she put her hand on the handle of the door and placed her body firmly in front. Apparently, I wasn’t going ANYWHERE.

She phoned her boss and went OFF on the phone. I then asked to speak to her boss who was surprisingly very apologetic and suggested I pay half – I agreed, threw the bill on the counter and hightailed it out of there!

As with all of my stories about previous conflicts with the locals, it's not the money, it's the principal! I went straight to my guest house and wrapped my hair in scarves until I could get my hands on some dye – another lesson learned in SE Asia (the hard way)!

Lindsay, Ernesto, Rikkard and his lovely and beautiful Balinese girlfriend, Ratih and I went out for dinner before my departure. Julien and Tom had left a few days prior and we were the only ones left. Ernesto walked me to Legian to hail a cab so I could catch an overnight flight to Sydney, Australia.

I said goodbye to Ernesto - one of the sweetest, most considerate, completely chivalrous, intelligent and passionate males I have ever met. He restored my faith that their are some good guys out there and I feel so lucky to have met him.

Farewell to warm waves, cheap food, boogie nights, beachy days, living in a bathing suit and sarrong, being surrounded by flowers, art and new friends...heaven on earth. I was upset, but so grateful to have been given this gift. I looked forward to what adventures would lie before me on the Shaky Isles...goodbye to my new friends and hello to a new country, climate and old friends.


I think that wherever your journey takes you, there are new gods waiting there, with divine patience -- and laughter.

- Susan M. Watkins

Boat Trip Day 3 and 4

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart."

-Helen Keller



See photos from Boat Trip:

Boat Trip Day 3

Boat Trip Day 4


Day 3

We docked at a small island and hiked up the top of the mountain. It took some time getting used to the overwhelming beauty that lay before us. The mountains poking out of turquoise waters and clear blue skies serving as a backdrop to the stunning ocean scape that beckoned our eyeballs!

Much time was spent taking in the view until again we were torn away to go back to the boat.


Our next stop was Komodo National Park. We were told that no tourists had been killed by Komodo Dragons since the 70s but a villager was killed only a month prior. Was this supposed to be comforting?

We did our small hike around the island and no sign of Komodos but were told that we may have better luck at the next island – Rinca. We were really excited to find public restrooms with real toilets and running water. This was the first time any of us had seen ourselves in the mirror. I have to say, it was quite freeing not having a reflection of yourself to deal with – an excellent excuse to be au naturel and we were all in the 'same boat'.


Back on the boat, we made our way into a little cove just in time to watch the sun set behind the the large mounds surrounding us. Marj and I took this as an opportunity to go swimming. We were told to do so at our own risk as there is always a chance that Jaws could be lurking beneath. The water was deep and we were quite literally in the middle of nowhere but it was so much fun that we had little time to worry about it. I love Marj for always bringing out the little girl in me!


Day 4

I woke up the next morning and watched the sun rise. The sea was rough and the wind whipping. My hair blew all over my face and I laid their on the deck peering out to sea in complete bliss before anyone else awoke. I love being near, in or on the ocean and the experiences with her on this trip had been deep and memorable..I counted my many blessings. I thought of my mom and dad a lot on that boat because I was there only because of their unending support.

We were called to breakfast (banana fritters!) and set off for a hike around Rinca Island where we got a healthy dose of Komodo Dragons seriously getting down with their bad selves! Even if we hadn’t seen them, the island itself was uniquely beautiful – a landscape that I could not liken to any other.

Komodo Island National Park, a World Heritage Site, is 200 nautical miles east of Bali and is located between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores, all of which are part of Nusa Tenggara. About 3 to 5,000 Komodo dragons live on the islands of Komodo, Gila Motang, Rinca, and Flores. The species is in endangered status due to a lack of females for reproduction, human encroachment, natural disasters and of course poaching.




Komodos can live up to 50 years. The first 5 years of their lives are spent high up in a tree where their mother cares for them - after that they are on their own, spending most of their time solitary, until mating season arrives. Males outnumber females 4 to 1 (sounds much like Kuta!)...so come mating season - the women look a little worse for wear.

Komodos lie in wait for their prey camouflaged in the grass. When the unlucky victim wanders by, the dragon flings its serrated teeth and sharp claws at its prey. If its prey escapes, its luck will run out within about 24 hours for it is not the bite that will kill them but the saliva, which has over 50 strains of bacteria. Komodos will follow their dying prey for miles until blood poisoning sets in.

A Komodo dragon can eat up to 80 percent of its body weight in a single feeding and males can measure up to 9 feet and weigh 550 pounds after a hefty meal.

Marj and I spent most of the rest of the afternoon under the sea in a plethora of multi-coloured sea life. Our interests are so similar it makes it ridiculously easy to have fun with her. If you are ever in need of constant giggling and high spirits – Marj is your go to girl!

We got to Flores, our final destination, in the late afternoon and set out to find accommodations. Even though the situation had grown more favourable due to the boat being in the harbour without the wind, constant yammering of the boat engine and random wave spilling over us, none of us were too keen to sleep on deck again.

Despite its name, Flores was not what I had hoped. It reminded me of the Asia I dislike – the garbage. The concept of putting garbage in a receptacle just isn't a high priority. Their was only a handful of guest houses to choose from and after walking around for almost 3 hours, we accepted defeat and looked forward to another FIRM sleep on old faithful!

Our disappointment was offset by a having a nice little dinner together filled with laughter and chattering. Ernesto tried to teach Marj and I ze French accent – frustrating for Ernesto, funny for us! It warmed my heart to be part of this little group. I couldn't remember the last time I had felt this happy.


The sleep was not surprisingly much deeper when the boat was still, and we were awoken at 5:30 AM by the crew. On the bright side, this was prime picture taking time and I took full advantage of it.

We had breakfast and got transport out to the hotel that we booked the night before which was out of town. We watched the sunset and took photos of the fishermen on the beach that night and all the kids running amok. I had to take a moment to remind myself how lucky I am to have had this experience. I thought of what I would be doing in Vancouver at that moment....and didn’t miss that life one teensy smidgen of a little tiny bit.

"Travelling is like flirting with life. It's like saying, 'I would stay and love you, but I have to go; this is my station.'"

-Lisa St. Aubin de Teran

Ro and Dunc Visit, Marj Returns, the Gillis and the Boat Trip!

...life is short and the world is wide.

- Simon Raven

Click below to view photo albums: 

Ro and Dunc Visit, Marj Returns and the Gilli Islands

Boat Trip Day 1 and 2

Ro and Dunc Visit

Rosie and Duncan, the couple I had met in the Perhentian Islands, Malaysia, had arrived in Indonesia and popped down to Kuta from Ubud for a little overnight visit. They met me at d'Kubu for lunch and Duncan delivered another one of his CLASSIC phrases!

He had gone to look for a guest house while Rosie and I finished up lunch. When he came back, he looked quite traumatized and serious, caught his breath and announced, 'I have seen some THINGS...!!'. Rosie and I thought he had come upon an extra especially dirty guest house? But alas, it was more traumatizing than that. Many of you may know that when dogs mate sometimes well, things get...stuck. For someone who has not seen or heard of this – it can be a confusing scene.

It went something like this - Duncan was walking down one of the Poppies Lanes when he heard a surfer let out a dramatic, disgusted, 'Duuuuuuuuuuude!'. Duncan turned to see what dude was 'Duuude-ing' about and it was 2 dogs running awkwardly stuck together seemingly trying to disengage...I can only picture this in my head and what I see is not pretty!

We spent a good deal of time trying to figure out how this situation came about. Being a cat owner all my life, I had no idea what had gone on, but have since gained the knowledge - I am sure many of you know. For those that don't, here is a more detailed explanation (warning: it is a very detailed and graphical explanation): http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Do-Dogs-Get-Stuck-Together-When-Breeding?&id=1872658

The three of us caught up on our travels since we last saw each other in Malaysia and spent the afternoon cruising around Kuta and later watching the sunset at the beach. That night, I took them to Ocean Beach for dinner where we met up with some other friends from the UK they had met prior. We got a great table with cozy cushions and watched a couple of the nightly shows that Ocean Beach puts on – traditional Balinese dancing, fire shows, hip hop, gymnasts etc. After watching the spectacle, we carried on to the usual places – Poppy's, The Bounty and finished off the night dancing at Sky Garden.

The next day, I learned that Marj would be returning from Thailand! This had not been in her original plan so I was surprised and delighted to hear the news. I sadly said goodbye to Rosie and Duncan with hopes of seeing them in Australia or New Zealand, as we were all going to be settling in one of the two places eventually.

Marj Returns

When Marj arrived back to d'Kubu the next day, we went for dinner and caught up on all the happenings over tuna steaks and cokes! We went out and met Levi and Murray and their friends at Sky Garden and danced like crazy women, followed by more crazy women dancing at Paddy’s and Bounty into the wee early morning hours - another STELLAR night.

"We should consider every day lost in which we do not Dance at least once." - Nietzsche

We decided we would meet the Belgians (Ernesto, Julien and Tom) at Gili Trawangan, where they had gone the day before. We booked our flights and went to the beach in the late aft for sunset...as we always did, then to Sky Garden for espresso drinking and emailing friends and family..I know it sounds lame but somehow Marj and I had oodles of fun just doing nothing.

Gili Trawangan

The next morning we flew off to the Gillis! The views were stunning - white billowy clouds and a volcano looming in the background. We landed in the Lombok airport but then had to take a taxi to the ferry, which would take us to Gilli Trawangan. Things got a little ugly here, but I won't go into details – no different than any other trip in SE Asia – someone always wanting to 'take you for a ride'!

Marj and I found a guest house and went straight to the beach. The currents there are really strong, so you could float a mile down the beach without swimming – kinda dangerous, but supah fun! Tom started talking about a boat trip they were thinking of taking that included Komodo island and asked if we would join them. Marj and I were up for anything – we both wanted to see more of Indonesia and she especially wanted to see the 'Red Beach', so we booked the tickets that night to leave early the next morning.

Ernesto, Julien, Marj and I walked to the end of the island to watch the sunset and took many photos – we were like a little camera club. Another beautiful Asian sunset shared amongst international friends.

We went off to have a fresh seafood buffet at a laid back restaurant just off the beach – where you could sit on cushions and just chill. The 5 of us had many laughs and shared many stories. I went to bed very excited for what was to come. Unfortunately, Marj and I were kept awake most of the night by loud chanting (was a Muslim holiday) into a megaphone and then a rooster cock-a-doodle-dooing at our front door (T.IA. - This Is Asia)...

The Boat Trip

We met the boys in the morning at the boats to head back over to Lombock and then to the capital of the island, Mataram. We got groceries for the boat and bought our plane tickets to fly back from Flores – our final destination (and found out later that we were each overcharged $50!).

We finally arrived to our home/boat for the next 4 days. This was no luxury boat my friends. It had a common area/deck and above the kitchen was another deck that had a canopy over it – the sleeping area. The only privacy anyone could have was in the bathroom, which was basically a hole in the floor with an enclosure around it. There was no shower, no soap, no faucet, no mattresses, no fresh water. None of this bothered me however I wasn’t too keen on the probability of looking like a hairy mammoth by the end of the trip!

We all sat a little dumbfounded on the deck trying to absorb that this was going to be where we were living for the next 96 hours and that we better well learn to like it if we didn't yet! And then we set forth out into the 'mighty ocean' (as said by the Mango on SNL). The 5 of us hit the front of the boat and took many a photo for there was little else to do!

That night, we thought we would sleep on the bottom deck, while everyone else slept on the top deck. There wasn’t a lot of room upstairs so we thought this was a good idea. It wasn’t. Because we were travelling through the night on rough waters, Marj, who was closest to the bow was getting splashed by each tall wave we encountered and had to move to the top at some point in the middle of the night. We were all a little worse for the wear after our first night at sea but each of us was slowly getting our sea legs.

That day, we docked at a magnificent, isolated island and hiked to a waterfall. Ernesto, Marj and I climbed to the top of it and found a pool of freshwater to go swimming in. Ernesto took pics of us posing and swimming until we got called back to the boat. I could have spent the entire day there. The water temperature was perfect and the pond was surrounded by lush greenery with little sparks of sunlight darting though.

We spent most of the rest of the day travelling to get to Komodo Island with a stop at a huge saltwater lake. Marj and I were a couple of jellyfish for almost an hour giggling, talking shit and telling secrets – it's what we do! It is so amazing to have a friend like Marj who is totally in the moment with you and offers unending support, no matter what.

I made myself at home at the front of the boat with my book and some tea when we got back. Ernesto came and joined me and soon enough we were both asleep in the sun.... until a huge wave came and splashed over us filling our temporary makeshift sleeping sanctuary into a shallow pool. Ernesto laughed very heartily at me as I had not a dry spot on me! It was at this point that I felt what seasick was like but recovered after watching the sea's horizon for awhile. Everybody either read or took naps that whole afternoon.

That night, we all had dinner on the deck – all of us sitting in a circle surrounding the food under a full moon! I wondered where on the Indian Ocean we were and then decided that it didn't matter. There was no other place I would rather be.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.

Explore. Dream. Discover.

- Mark Twain