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I'm grateful for: Chinatowns! Lots of different cities have Chinatowns. If you find yourself in a city with a Chinatown, one thing you can know for sure is: there will be lots of restaurants selling inexpensive food and lots of stores selling inexpensive merchandise.

I'm currently staying in KL's Chinatown, and tonight I had a delicious dinner for under $2 and then bought a big bottle of Clinique perfume for under $10! I'm not sure how much that meal would cost somewhere else, but that same bottle of perfume would cost $80! Thanks for the savings, Chinatown!

Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia.

Grateful 228

I'm grateful for: Watching sunsets in new cities! It always fun to wake up in one city and then watch the sunset in another city you've never been to before... better yet to wake up in one country and watch the sunset in another country that you've never been to before, like today.

And despite whether it's a new city or a new country, or the same city or the same country, watching the sunset is always a good time!

Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia.

Grateful 227

I'm grateful for: Surprises! I randomly decided to check out what movies were playing in Singapore and was incredibly surprised to see that "The Avengers" was still playing at two theaters! I had really wanted to see "The Avengers" on the big screen, but thought I'd missed my chance, so I was really excited to see that it was playing! It's a small thing to be excited about, but little surprises like this are what make life so great :)

Singapore. Singapore.

Grateful 226

I'm grateful for: Massage chairs! My cheap hostel has an expensive massage chair - and it's free for us to use! Why did they decide to shell out a ton of cash for such a chair when the rest of the place is spartanly furnished? The world may never know. What I do know is it's amazing at getting the knots out of my back! Yay for free massage chairs!

Singapore. Singapore.

Grateful 225

I'm grateful for: Clean drinking water! It's very rare for me to find myself in a place where I can drink the water from the tap. Singapore is one of those rare places where it's possible.

When you grow up in a place that has clean drinking water, like America, it's easy to forget how awesome it is to have the privilege to simply turn on your faucet and drink the water. The awesomeness of clean drinking water is not lost on me after living in places where the water isn't safe and especially after volunteering with the Trailblazer Foundation where I helped build water filters for people who have never had the luxury of clean drinking water.

If you can drink the water from your tap, be grateful for it! Many people around the world would give anything to have access to clean water.

Singapore. Singapore.

Grateful 224

I'm grateful for: Sushi with friends! After a hectic day of travel, I made it back to Singapore and met up with Sarah and Melissa for sushi! It's good to be back in Singapore, and especially good to see friends again :)

And, the sushi was incredibly delicious! There was an endless variety going around on a conveyor belt, and each plate was only S$1.50. I ate lots of salmon and tuna, and I also tried salmon roe and jellyfish for the first time! (The salmon roe and jellyfish were both quite tasty btw.)

As an added bonus, it's nice that my two friends in Singapore now know each other! It's always fun when your friends meet your other friends and become friends! ^_^

Singapore. Singapore.

Grateful 223

I'm grateful for: Reunions! I've had the chance to have lots of reunions with friends during my travels this year, and it's been so much fun!

Tonight, I got to have yet another reunion, and even another TEFL Intl one at that! (In case you haven't been keeping up, I had another TEFL Intl reunion a few weeks ago in Singapore.)

Sarah (the only one looking at the camera in this picture) and I got to hang out in Kuta tonight, on my last night in Bali. This picture is of the last dinner we all had together - 3 years ago - at the end of our TEFL course. Can't believe that was 3 years ago now!! Hopefully, I'll see all of you again somewhere in the world :)

Kuta. Bali. Indonesia.

Grateful 222

I'm grateful for: Kind gestures! Today, I went to Menjangan Island. I was just going to hang out on the beach and go swimming because I couldn't really afford to pay to go there and also pay to go snorkeling. I thought that maybe I could find some goggles to buy so that I could see some things near the shore, but I couldn't find any to buy and the guy at the dive shop didn't want to rent me just a mask (without snorkel) if I wasn't going to pay to do the whole snorkeling trip.

A French couple that were staying at the same hotel as me and were also on the same shuttle bus to Menjangan, overheard the guy at the dive shop say this. Afterwards, when we were outside the dive shop, the couple came over and said, "We have an extra mask you can use." They handed me the mask, wanting nothing in return.

As it turns out, there was a great coral reef right by the shore on Menjangan, so I was able to see lots of cool things just by swimming around with the mask on. I had to keep coming up for air, but that was no big deal. It was still really awesome!

Then, after lunch, the Balinese guy leading the snorkeling tour said that I needed to come on the boat with them for the second part because the boat wouldn't be coming back to the beach area before returning to the mainland. I said ok, I would just relax on the boat or swim nearby.

He was a different guy than the one in the dive shop that wouldn't rent me a mask. He saw me earlier when I was swimming and knew that I had a mask now, so he said "Hey, I have an extra snorkel. I can hook it to your mask. Just don't tell anyone." So when we got on the boat, he gave me a snorkel.

Then, a lady from Quebec that was also on our boat had a sprained ankle and couldn't wear her fin on that foot, so she said, "Why don't you take my other fin. Then, we will each have one."

Thanks to these three kind gestures, I ended up snorkeling in the best coral reef I've ever seen! There were SO many cool sea creatures there!! And the Balinese guy leading our group was a really great guide; he pointed out all kinds of interesting things that we might not have noticed on our own!

Such a great day and a great end to my time in Bali! And it was all thanks to the kindness of strangers - strangers from three different continents!

Lovina. Bali. Indonesia.

Grateful 221

I'm grateful for: Relaxing at the pool! It's hard to believe that it's been 4 months since the last time I was poolside! Swimming in the sea is great, but sometimes it's nice to not be salty and sandy.

It's additionally awesome to have a pool at the place you're staying so that you don't have to search for a pool and pay fees to swim. This is only the 4th time this year that I've found an affordable place that came with a pool. Score 1 for cheap places with pools!

Lovina. Bali. Indonesia.

Lessons learned from travel #4826832

The other day when I mentioned that lots of families asked me to take pictures with them by the lake in Bedugul, I didn't mention the fact that all of these families were Muslim. When they approached me to ask me to take pictures with them, they of course asked where I was from. When I answered, they said (in broken English), "Oh, America! USA! So happy to meet you! Thank you for taking a picture with us! Thank you for giving us this memory!"

This was only 5 days after the attack on the embassy in Libya. And yes, in case you're wondering, they do get international news here. Every newspaper here has been running front page stories about the murders at the embassy and the movie that the attack was supposedly in response to, and yet these Muslims upon meeting an American were incredibly happy and wanted to shake hands and take pictures. Their smiles were full of warmth and gratitude as they talked to me and thanked me. This particular family even put their arms around me when we were taking the picture, and so I returned the kind gesture.

So for anyone that thinks all Muslims around the world hate America, I can tell you from firsthand experience that is simply not true. People are people no matter what country they come from or what religion they are or any other such factors. There are bad people everywhere, and there are good people everywhere. In my experiences, the good far outweigh the bad.

I hope this picture can help everyone remember, during a time when it might not be so easy to do so, that we should never judge a whole country or group of people based on what a few of its members say or do. Feel free to share this to remind others of the same thing.

Grateful 220

I'm grateful for: Watching the sunrise! I don't often wake up in time to watch the sunrise, but on the rare occasions that I do, I really enjoy it :)

This sunrise was particularly beautiful given the amazing scenery. And it was really peaceful, as I was the only one around.

Nothing like enjoying the calm of an early morning, while watching the first rays of light appear. Great start to the day!

Bedugul. Bali. Indonesia.

Grateful 219

I'm grateful for: Relaxing by the lake! Today, I traveled to Bedugul, a small town on Lake Beratan. Once I arrived, I walked down to the lake and found a place to stay right on the lake. This is the view from the place!

In addition to great views, there are gazebos to hang out in by the lake; there is a small lakeside restaurant that serves inexpensive food; and best of all, it's a rather secluded place, so I was the only one around for most of the day! It was so peaceful relaxing by the lake and admiring the beautiful views!

And if relaxing by the lake in perfect solitude could get any better, there were strawberries being sold all over town, so I bought two boxes for $1.50 (total) and ate them by the lake. They were so tasty!

Note: As you may already know from some other pictures that I posted, this day just kept getting better and better. Highlights include finding my last name carved on the bedpost in my room and walking around to the busier part of the lake where I met lots of friendly locals.

Bedugul. Bali. Indonesia.

The craziest, most serendipitous experience ever!

The explanation to the craziest, most serendipitous experience ever:

Yesterday, I traveled to Bedugul, a small town in Bali that doesn't get that many tourists. When I arrived, I walked down to the lake and checked into a place called The Ashram. There are 27 rooms at The Ashram. When I checked in, I was the only person there. The guy at the counter randomly grabbed a key and showed me to my room.

I dropped my bags, sat down on the bed, and started unpacking the few things that I needed. While I was doing this, something in the corner of my eye caught my attention.

When I first looked at the room to see if it was ok, I noticed that people had carved their names on the door and on the rickety, old furniture inside the room, but I didn't really give it much thought. As I sat there unpacking, I guess that I could see the bedpost clearly enough in my peripheral vision that I subconsciously read what was carved on it. Because before I even turned my head, I knew what it said.

There in a dusty, old, rundown room in a little, untouristed town in central Bali was my last name clearly carved on the bedpost to the bed I now found myself sitting on.

Now, if my last name were Smith or Jones, I might agree that this isn't the absolute craziest thing that could happen to someone, but my last name is Gaines and that's not that common, so this is the absolute craziest thing that could happen.** Talk about serendipity!

At that moment, I knew that I was exactly where I was supposed to be in the world. The only question that remained was who was this Gaines that came before me and left their name for me to find?





**I really can't properly convey how mindbogglingly strange this was!! It was so strange that it was like something out of a sci movie. I started having weird thoughts about whether I had mastered teleportation and time travel in the future and had come here before and left myself a message by carving my name on the bedpost of this secluded lakeside room or perhaps I was inside the matrix and had left myself this note as a sign or perhaps I was having a total recall experience - was this real or was this recall or... yea, there's really an endless list of scenarios here, but you get the point.

A great day in Bali!

Made it to Bedugul. Checked into a room that's right on Lake Beratan with an amazing view of the mountains behind the lake. Had the craziest, most serendipitous experience ever (explanation coming soon). Hung out by the lake all day - so beautiful & peaceful! It's so peaceful in part because there are virtually no other tourists here. Because there are no tourists, I got asked by many locals to be in their lake pictures. They were all really nice, so I obliged. Made friends with a Malaysian lady who is, I think, the only other person staying at the place I'm staying. Made plans for tomorrow with new friend. Put on jacket and long pants for the first time in 6 months - it's cold at night here in the mountains! Now, enjoying dinner before an early night. Have to be up for the sunrise at 5am! The sun rises behind the mountains and the lake, supposed to be gorgeous. That's all for now - no pictures because they're all on my camera and without wifi in my room I can't upload them. I know the suspense is killing all of you... ~_^

Grateful 218

I'm grateful for: Afternoon tea with friends! Today, my German friends (minus Ann, who already retuned home - we miss you, Ann!) and I met back up in Ubud and had afternoon tea at my favorite spot.

Delicious mint and rooibos tea, scrumptious scones and pastries, free newspapers and magazines, and great conversation - what more could you ask for?

And thanks to the wide variety of English language newspapers that they had available, we got to continue the conversation we started at lunch about Libya. It's always interesting to read the news when you travel and see how differently events are portrayed from place to place by the media. It's also interesting to talk about said events with people from all over the world. Gives you good perspective!

Ubud. Bali. Indonesia.

Grateful 217

I'm grateful for: Cheap travel snacks! On days like today when I'm stuck on a boat and a bus and a ferry all day, I need snacks to tide me over between missed meals. Luckily for me, a nice man was selling fruit for cheap on the ferry before it took off. I got all this jackfruit and five big slices of cantaloupe for less than $1! Thanks for helping me survive the 5 hour ferry, Mr. Fruit Man!

Gili Trawangan > Lombok > Padang Bai > Ubud. Indonesia.

Grateful 216

I'm grateful for: 4 years of continuous adventures! As of today, it's been 4 years since the last time I lived in the USA!! It's hard for me to believe this is actually true, but it is! Passport stamps don't lie! ^_^ (top right corner, purple stamp: 2008. SEP 13)

What a great 4 years! Looking forward to many more adventures and many more passport stamps!

Gili Trawangan. Indonesia.

Grateful 215

I'm grateful for: Pancake Trangbulans! I already mentioned these when I wrote about being grateful for night markets, but they're so delicious, I thought they deserved their own post :) Seriously, these things are incredible.

I can't properly explain how they're different than ordinary pancakes, but they are. They're much, much better. Addictingly so. The best decadent indulgence around!

Gili Trawangan. Indonesia.

Grateful 214

I'm grateful for: Snorkeling trips! Today, we went snorkeling at Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, and Gili Air. All of the snorkeling spots were awesome, but the turtle spot was incredibly amazing because I got to hang out face to face with a sea turtle!

Some people in our snorkeling group swam down and tried to touch the turtle, and it swam away. So I waited until everyone left, and the turtle came back up. I swam down but didn't try to touch the turtle, so it just floated there looking at me... until I couldn't hold my breath anymore and sadly had to leave my turtle friend behind. Those 30 seconds were so cool though! ^_^

Note: I don't have an underwater camera, so I couldn't take a picture, but this is a picture I found of a Gili sea turtle. Photo credit: http://www.gili-paradise.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Gili_turtle.jpg

Gili Trawangan. Indonesia.

Grateful 213

I'm grateful for: Island hopping! One of the best things about being on an archipelago is getting to hop from island to island. Today, we went to Gili Meno to check out the beaches there. Verdict: Gorgeous!

Gili Trawangan. Indonesia.

Grateful 212

I'm grateful for: Night markets! Great food. Cheap prices. Enough said!

This night market happens to be right next to where I'm staying - great food at cheap prices right by my bungalow, even better!

The stand pictured here is amazingly delicious. Its deliciousness is only paralleled by the pancake trangbulan stand across the market. Mmmm... so. good!

Gili Trawangan. Indonesia.

Grateful 211

I'm grateful for: Lazy island days! Today, we spent the whole day relaxing on the beach, doing absolutely nothing, and it was amazing! Couldn't ask for a more perfect place to pass the time :)

Gili Trawangan. Indonesia.

Grateful 210

I'm grateful for: Boat rides at sunset! After a 7 hour ferry ride and a 2 hour bus trip, this 45 min boat ride was the end of our travels from Padang Bai (Bali) to Gili Trawangan via Lombok. A beautiful finish to a long day!

Padang Bai > Gili Trawangan. Indonesia.

Grateful 209

and I took a day trip around eastern Bali. First, we went to Tenganan, a traditional village known for its weaving. Then, we went to Tirta Gangga to see the water palace (pictured here). Lastly, we went to Goa Lawah, the bat cave, to see thousands of bats fly out of the cave at dark.

In addition to all of this, we drove past lots of beautiful beaches and rice terraces; ate tons of amazing fruit; sang along to old Boyz II Men, Phil Collins, and Whitney Houston songs that our friendly driver played for us; and got to wear the new sarongs that we haggled for this morning. An all around great day!

Padang Bai. Bali. Indonesia.

Grateful 208

I'm grateful for: New friends! I arrived in Padang Bai, checked into the dorm at the Lemon House, and immediately made some new friends! We all went to a BBQ together, and then went to hear some live music at the reggae bar on the beach. We've planned to do a day trip tomorrow, then take the boat to Gili T together the next day, and then share a room in Gili T. Awesome when things work out like this!

Padang Bai. Bali. Indonesia.

Grateful 207

I'm grateful for: Big porches! It's always nice to have a big front porch to sit on. Even nicer when it faces an amazing smelling garden. (Have I mentioned lately how good the garden smells?) I'm definitely gonna miss this porch at the lovely Budi's Guesthouse.

Ubud. Bali. Indonesia.

Yoga @ Radiantly Alive

6 days. 18 hours of yoga. Good times. Great fun.

In one week, I did Vinyasa, Restorative, Yin, Ashtanga, Iyengar, and Hatha yoga (some of them multiple times), as well as Shakti dance, meditation, and Tai Chi classes.

Definitely made good use of my unlimited pass - $27 well spent!

Grateful 206

I'm grateful for: Energizing smoothies! This "green super food" smoothy with papaya, apple, banana, ginseng, spirulina, maca, bee pollen, and ginger helped give me the energy to do lots of yoga today. It doesn't hurt that it tastes great too. Healthy & delicious - a great combination!

Ubud. Bali. Indonesia.

Grateful 205

I'm grateful for: Free breakfast! It's always nice to get a free meal included with the price of your room, but I especially like this breakfast because they give you a whole thermos of tea with your food. There's enough tea in there to sit around drinking cups of tea for half the morning!

And since the breakfast table is outside in the (ridiculously good smelling) garden by the fish pond and waterfall, it's a relaxing place to waste away the early morning drinking tea while catching up on email, reading the international headlines, or making friends with fellow travelers that are also enjoying copious cups of tea from their thermos.

Ubud. Bali. Indonesia.

Grateful 204

I'm grateful for: Yoga acrobatics! I had an awesome time at my Iyengar yoga class today! First, I got to do a lot of backbends, and then I got to hang upside down from ropes doing acrobatics for almost half the class. Fun times!

Not to mention, my teacher was a hilarious guy from Spain. Everything he said was funny, and so we all spent most of the class laughing :)

Note: I'm not in this picture, but this is exactly what we were doing, except without the wall. Our ropes hung from the rafters in the middle of the room, so we were completely suspended. The picture is from: http://www.iyssb.com/fees.html

Ubud. Bali. Indonesia.