Penny We try to get away from very touristy places because they are often overcrowded, overpriced and not all that interesting.  When we arrived in Bali, we were bracing for the worst!  We expected to see thousands of westerners in Speedos baking their already red sunburnt bodies in the sun while locals tried to sell…

Joseph To a casual observer it appears that the Kei islanders are religiously devout people.  In the main town of Langgur there are several large churches and mosques; including a massive new church under construction that would be among the largest buildings on the island.  There are churches and mosques in even the smallest fishing…

Penny and Joe Where to go next was the question on our minds.  With so many different islands offering completely different experiences, it is tough to choose.  We again relied on our Lonely Planet guide book to help pick our next destination.  The Moluccas or Spice Islands are described as some of the most beautiful…

Joseph I guess traveling overland in slow buses gave me a bit too much time to think.  But recently I’ve been wondering why people in one region seem friendlier than those of another.  We’ve met friendly people in every country we’ve visited on this trip but there are definitely some places where people are more…

Penny and Joe Have a look at our new photo album – Indonesia (with extra photos of animals for my goddaughter Christina and friends!).  No photos in the post today – Borneo Internet is slooowwwww. For most, the name Borneo conjures images of remote jungles, wild beasts and indigenous people with bones through their noses. …

Penny Mom, don’t have a heart attack.  We did not get married and forget to invite you to the wedding! But in the eyes of some conservative Muslim people in Indonesia, it has been simpler for us to claim to be married.  Often, the first and sometimes only question that I am asked (mainly by…

Penny Indonesia is an interesting place. We arrived in Jakarta planning to spend two days in the city to organize our Indonesian itinerary and book our flights to New Zealand. After being in Jakarta for a few hours, we changed our plans and made sure to leave the city the following morning. What we saw…