Took a big trip. Went to Bali for 3 weeks. Met up with the Cases on tail end of their Southeast Asia Tour. Flew out 2 days after school ended, more like 1 day (we left at midnight via EVA Air). 15 hour flight was uneventful. Had a 5 hour layover in Taipei. Airport food there was amazing. Bodes well for the 22 hour layover we're doing on the way back. Another 5 hour flight and we're in Bali. It's hot. Have to find our transportation, and we join up with 4 british kids (reminds me of Skins), and we van it to the camp. We did 2 weeks of The Mighty Roar Bali Marine Conservation Volunteer project. Usually it's gap year British kids, just finished their A levels. But it's a 3 hour drive from Denpassar up to Tianyar. We were expecting rustic accommodations, something like camping structures, open air, mosquito nets. What we're greeted with instead, besides the Cases waiting up for us at 10pm, is something like a resort. Turns out they're renovating it, and it's been open for like 3 weeks. And it's got an infinity pool. A very nice surprise. Still no A/C or hot water, but that wasn't that bad. Volunteer work was actually pretty taxing, although the 6 of us (Ryan, Lisa, Zoe and Tracy, Lucy and myself) did scuba training that first week, so we mostly missed out on the structure construction that Jackson and Tayton did. The basic idea of the program is creating an artifical reef structure to replenish the local coral reef. So we make basically small tables out of concrete in the morning, then a day later have to dig them or others that have dried out of the ground and move them closer to the beach, then the next day move them onto boats to get dropped into the ocean, and then the last day diving down and arranging them on the sea floor. That was M-Th. We did training dives in the morning, and actually did a couple to a shipwreck. So we're certified divers now. All that work was only really an hour or so each morning and afternoon, and otherwise spent time in the pool or playing games or catching up and talking. That first weekend we went to Amed Beach. That weekend I got sick, first the flu, then Bali Belly, but I recovered by that Tuesday. But it was nice to have air conditioning and a hot shower. Best dive was that 2nd Thursday deployment. I forgot my GoPro, so I could just enjoy, and the conditions were clear, and not that rough. The second friday we went to Kintamni for a night, staying at a place with hot spring fed pool. On the way out we stopped at a coffee plantation that served Luwat coffee (the one were the cats eat the coffee berries and the beans that come out the other side are used). It's nothing special. Then we moved on to Ubud, staying at a really cool AirBnb, a real oasis in the middle of the city. Nice to eat some different foods. Although the first couple of days Jackson got Bali Belly, so he was bed and bathroom bound, but it wasn't all bad because he was in A/C and had good WiFi. It was pretty relaxing there, started watching Happy Endings. After 4 nights there, moved on to Nusa Penida via a ferry. Accomodations were pretty cool, up in the hills, each cottage had an outdoor bathroom with shower. Again a nice pool. Only 1 real restaurant though, but good enough. Fed a cat there each time we went. Went snorkling the morning of the only full day, and pretty rough going but we actually saw manta rays and a sea turtle. So that was pretty cool. Then a car to a ferry to another taxi to the airport and a final meal with the Cases before we went to Taipei and they went on to Japan. Got to Taipei, got a taxi, odd hotel (random 9th floor of a structure). Got some sleep and then tried to eat our way through our stay, which was difficult because we didn't have any cash (NTD) and the ATM card was locked because of suspicious activity on it, so had to stick to places that took credit card. Also it was really hot. But we managed best we could and still got some good stuff to eat. And then we made it back to the airport with another 4 hours to spare and ate some more good food in air conditioning. Then another 15 hour flight home home. The actual travel parts were all pretty smooth and uneventful. Taxi home from O'Hare was only 29 minutes. So that was Saturday night, and then Sunday we went out to the in-laws because Gabe and his family were in town. And now back to normal, albeit severely jet lagged. So that's the last 3 weeks. Before that, was pretty consistently swimming for exercise. Lots of driving for Lucy's practices, less driving for Jackson's because his team got a slot at Lakeview High School (walkable). Lucy got a new/used road bike for her triathlons. School ended.
