Just for fun - photos

For 3 weeks I tried to get a picture of one of these terrific, 20-foot tall bamboo creations (they mark a celebration). Well, this is the best I could do; sums up my experience of Indonesia -- tradition and modernity, side by side. Oh, and the tradition isn't easy to catch.

Ganesh, Ganesh, Bali's favorite Hindu god, have I ever seen you so decorated and lovely? Only in Bali.

Fans were a great hit with the women of our group. They really did help with the heat and humidity.

The big Bali resorts, including Canada's Four Seasons, with their manicured lawns and swish lawn chairs, are to the left, just out of the picture. These men continue happily with their fishing trade. Power! They get the beach and ocean every day, year after year.

Goodbye to my not-so-swish Dili hotel room. It was in a cast-off UN bunker. Nice and clean though, and very cozy. I'll never forget the big cans of Raid and Off. I suppose in case of mosquito infestation -- and I shouldn't joke. John, another staffer, came back with something that sounds suspiciously like dengue fever, caused by those little skitters. 

Eva Airlines. A joke for my duaghter Eva; may she travel it someday. Now 3 times a week to Taipei, non-stop, as of this week! Great innovation, as the hardest part of my trip was the 4-5 hour layover in Vancouver in the wee,wee (yawn) hours.

At the nice, cheap, old Bali stopover hotel, far from the beach, but comfortable, with two frangipani trees and many water features, including a fish and turtle pond, and this pool. A real find. Thanks Edna!

Did I say how beautiful East Timor is, along with its people?