Day 238: Attacked in the Sacred Monkey Forest, Indonesia
We had a blast visiting the Sacred Monkey Forest, where tons of Macaques Monkeys reside. Before we even set foot into the forest, we were thrilled to see these playful creatures, running, jumping, swinging, and playing with each other. But…we weren’t fooled. We had done enough research to know they could also be somewhat sneaky (aka “little pickpockets”) as well as dangerous, scratching and biting at will. That said, we warned the children to keep everything in our vehicle and take only what they absolutely needed. We’ve heard of people losing their… Read More
Day 236: Exploring Indonesia – Bali and Ubud
Photoblog time. In and around Bali. Ubud, the cultural center of Bali, is most known for it’s arts, crafts, and rice paddy fields. You may also recognize it as the place Eat, Pray, Love with Julia Roberts was filmed. We chose to take a day trip to Ubud, as it was only an hour away from where we stayed in Bali. When we enquired at the hotel about hiring a taxi for a full day, we were told it would cost the equivalent of $100 USD. Not bad for a full day,… Read More
Day 232: Exploring Indonesia – Food and Friends
After leaving Australia and before flying to Thailand, we headed to Indonesia. First came Bali for six nights and then Jakarta for three more, to visit a dear friend, Becca, who used to attend our church in IL but now teaches in Jakarta. We had so much fun exploring Indonesia together, that it took me a while to put this post together. Note photo number three! Becca was teaching the kids about the “Shy Princes”, a plant that shrivels up with the slightest touch. Very neat! The next set of shots are of… Read More
Day 230: Loving the Long Tails!
Thailand…land of the Long Tail Boat. I’m not sure what it is about Long Tail Boats, but I think they are beautiful! Here is one at sunrise. We took this photo on the Phi Phi Islands (pronounced Pee-Pee) around 6 am. A very early ferry transfer is the only reason we were able to capture this photo! We really enjoyed sailing around the Phi Phi Islands on a Long Tail Boat. On this particular day, we visited Mosquito Island and Bamboo Island, but the most fun the kids had was just hanging out on… Read More
Day 229: Hiding Away in the Blue Mountains, Australia
We spent the last few days in Australia tucked away in a cabin in the Blue Mountains for a little rest and relaxation after the holidays and a ton of sightseeing. It was truly refreshing and very needed after much traveling, moving, packing, and exploring! We are thankful to our hosts (the Roberts Family) who dear friends from CA (thank you too, Elliotts) connected us with. Their beautiful, secluded, mountain retreat, set atop a cliff with stunning views of the Jameson Valley below, provided the perfect setting for a little uninterrupted family time…. Read More
Day 228: Kangaroos, Koalas, Wallabies, and Tasmanian Devils
Kangaroos, Koalas, and Wallabies. When you think about Australia, these are the animals that come to mind, right? Oh…and let’s not forget the Tasmanian Devil! Our family loves animals and we couldn’t wait to see these creatures up close and personal. A friend had warned us to be careful, though, as kangaroos were everywhere, and many people renting cars often hit them on the highways! After hearing that, we were sure we’d see them everywhere. Unfortunately, that is not how things played out. In fact, we only saw Kangaroos (and wallabies) once… Read More
Day 226: Sydney Photoblog
Sydney is one of my favorite cities in the World. It is just beautiful. The architecture, great shops and restaurants, and beautiful beaches are just wonderful, and the list goes on. We spent about three weeks in Sydney and the surrounding areas and it could easily have been another three, there is so much to see and do. That said, my post for Sydney is long overdue. It would take months to recreate our experiences here, both about the city itself, but then also about the special people we met, like the Gramlys and… Read More
Day 224: Phi Phi and Our Pint-Sized Skipper
Finally, after years of waiting, we sailed to the Phi Phi Islands, just off the coast of Phuket. We had a hairy drive over to their pier this afternoon, as the transfer should only have taken 30 minutes, but traffic was unusually bad, and the drive was over an hour. Our ferry was scheduled to leave at 1:30pm and we were still driving at 1:40! And our driver did not speak one word of English, so we had no idea if the ferry would wait for us. Thankfully, the concierge at our… Read More
Day 222: The Incredible Great Barrier Reef!
Okay, so this blog post is way overdue. I almost didn’t want to post it because I felt like my photos did not do the Great Barrier Reef justice. The beauty we experienced was indescribable and the memory will forever be with us. So…just a few tips and thoughts: First, you can snorkel the Great Barrier Reef from different areas, but we chose Port Douglas. We flew into Cairns first, picked up our minvan rental, and made our way north for about one hour. We chose to stay at the Sheraton Mirage,… Read More
Day 210: Taxis and the Mafia
Normally we arrange transfers for our clients, but on our RTW trip, we’ve tried to wing it as much as possible, because something as simple as trying to negotiate taxi fare can provide a great look into the life and heart of a culture. Well, we were not disappointed. We landed at 9pm Indonesian time, but it was already midnight in Sydney. Needless to say, we were all tired. As soon as we entered the taxi area, we were bombarded by extremely aggressive drivers, trying to win our business. One in particular was overwhelmingly persistent…. Read More
Deena Gainor
Six Hearts One Journey 
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