along the way: January 2016

Bali - Days 20 - 27

Monday, 11 January 2016

After seven blissful days in Bali, we have now begun our journey home. It was a great way to wind up our honeymoon adventure and a lovely change of pace. Even if we hadn't wanted to slow down, the heat simply forces you to move at a different speed.

The resort where we were staying really made the holiday extra special for us. Nicky had stayed there twice before and had promised Paul in their early days together that they would experience it together one day. The Balinese are such happy, kind people and the staff really try to make you feel at home. With nearly 80% of the food served having been grown in the gardens of the resort, and a real emphasis on sustainability and community, it was a very wholesome experience.

(Our house for the duration of our stay. All of the guest accommodation are traditional houses

which, along with the furniture, were brought over from Java, and were originally

built a couple of hundred years ago.)

(A couple of other rooms available on the resort)

(Vegetable gardens)

(A Hindu prayer box is positioned on each building in the resort. A fresh offering is placed in the box each morning, and guests are given a chance to make an offering at their own house.)

(Going coconuts for coconuts)

While in Bali, we celebrated Paul's 30th birthday! Celebrations included birthday cake for breakfast accompanied by a staff sing along, and a long, 16 course lunch in a town called Ubud. It was a meal to remember!

(A selection of some of the courses from Paul's 30th lunch)

Our time in Bali brought back a lot of memories of our trip in 2013/14. On the roads, there seems to be some kind of chaotic order to how the drivers make their way around. Wherever there is space, be it on your side of the road or on a pavement, drivers will take the opportunity to grab it and keep moving forward. Motorbikes and scooters are cheap to run and are therefore the most popular mode of transport. Street vendors sell all kinds of local specialities, some even selling their goods off the back of motorbikes with a little fire burning at the back to keep the food warm. And there is development going on everywhere. Our driver to Ubud talked about how he remembered his village when it was surrounded by rice paddies, and is now surrounded by building sites instead.

And so we now find ourselves in Singapore for a night, followed by one final overnight in Tokyo before the 12 hour flight home. It's been a real adventure and we go home with many wonderful memories and a sense of gratitude for having been able to see a little more of the big wide world! Thanks for tuning in!

Naoshima Island - Days 18 & 19

Sunday, 3 January 2016

After four trains and a ferry ride, we arrived on the island of Naoshima on new years day. Naoshima is a small island just off the southern coast of Honchu and is small enough to walk across in 30-40 minutes. It's worth noting that the four trains we caught that day, along with every other train we've caught here, were not a minute late. Even Paul, with his innate German punctuality, is impressed.

Naoshima has grown in popularity as a tourist attraction in recent years thanks to its impressive collection of art exhibits and public art. The original idea was to create a special environment where children could gather and experience landscapes and learn about the environment but it has developed into that and more.

(Honmura Harbour at Naoshima)

(A squid explores the waters at Honmura Harbour)

In addition to a large mountain top gallery with magnificent sea views dedicated to an art collection that includes the likes of Andy Warhol and David Hockney, there was also a clever initiative put in place, the Art House Project, where local and international artists were invited to choose a derelict site on the island and create a piece of art for their chosen space. It has resulted in run down, centuries old buildings being given a new lease of life, along with providing additional jobs for locals who works as stewards at the sites.

(An old Edo Period shrine that has been redesigned as part of the Art House Project)

(A house which once belonged to a dentist, now covered in salvaged ship materials and

contains a floor to ceiling replica of the Statue of Liberty inside)

(Street art)

(Peaking over garden gates)

(A sweet welcome at a guesthouse)

(A scuplture on the coastal walk. The artist manages her mental health through art,

recreating images she sees when hallucinating.)

We had such a good day exploring all the sites and the indoor and outdoor galleries, taking the coastal route and walking along small beaches. Some of the artworks were really thought provoking and the quiet island setting was a lovely spot to mull over those pieces that left an impression on us.

We left Naoshima this morning for our final stop over in Fukuoka before flying to Bali. Naoshima was a beautiful setting to wrap up our time in Japan.

(A final pumpkin photoshoot before hopping on the ferry)

(Arriving back into the port of Uno on Honshu)

Osaka - Days 16 & 17

1 January 2016

Following two nights on Mount Koya, we arrived in Osaka on 30 December.

(Views from the train leaving Mount Koya)

(Journey to Osaka)

(One way to pass the train journey)

Maybe it was that we had arrived in the city during one of Japan's biggest national holiday periods, or maybe we had just been fortunate with our experience in other Japanese cities to date, but we found the city centre of Osaka to be grimy and, at nightfall, pretty seedy. It wasn't what we expected of the country's second largest city but perhaps it was just bad timing on our part.

On the positive side, we arrived to good weather and made our way that afternoon to the northern end of the city where a large park surrounds the old castle - Asia's largest. It was closed for the new year period but could be seen from many parts of the city and looked pretty imposing. We joined the thousands of people strolling, walking and running around the park before taking a river boat ride to see the city from a different angle.

(Sunshine calls for ice-cream)

We took NYE's day as an opportunity to relax and wander the quieter streets before heading out for a nice dinner. With an early start the following day, we brought in the new year on Australian time, watching the fireworks over Sydney Harbour online. 2015 was a very special year for us and we look forward to‎ what lies ahead in 2016.