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Mount Bromo and Leaving Indonesia
“I don’t want to own anything until I know I have found the place where me and things belong together. I’m not quite sure where that is just yet. But I know what it’s like.” — Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany’s More Java Moving across Java, I took an overnight train from Yogyakarta eastward to Malang. Midnight training across Indonesia isn’t a bad way to get around, but arriving at a train station at 10pm and trying to sleep in an upright seat for 11 hours is not my favorite. It’s as comfortable as you’d expect. So not very. Malang is one of my last stops in Indonesia. I’d…
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Yogyakarta and Central Java
“Live your life by a compass, not a clock.” -Stephen Covey Waking up in Java It was before dawn in Yogyakarta when my alarm went off. The sun still lay sleepily below the horizon while I sleepily got dressed. It was 3am. On this day, I was scheduled to meet a van filled with foreigners and a local tour guide at 3:30 am. We were headed to Borobudur Temple. A.k.a. The largest Buddhist temple in the world. I came to Yogyakarta to see Borobudur. And a few other things. But mostly this temple. Yogyakarta is a medium-sized and relatively calm city in central Java, the biggest island in Indonesia. The…
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Yoga Retreating in Indonesia
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” Confucius Diet, Exercise, and a Life of Travel I am an active person. Before embarking on this year of life and world exploration, I was a runner, cyclist, short distance triathlete (though I do not care for the swimming), occasional rock climber, and general cardio connoisseur. I’ve woken up at 4:30am to make a 5:30am spin class. Got home at 9pm on a Wednesday night because I stopped on the way home for a Yoga HIIT class. Whatever that means. I don’t do these things because I’m a natural athlete who just loves cycling so…
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New Years in Ubud
I know I’m WAY behind on this Blog, but good things are worth waiting for, so keep your pants on. Cassandra Johnson Leaving the Resort After spending Christmas by a Hilton Conrad pool in Nusa Dua in Bali, Vinisha, Ali and I made the journey to the faraway land of Ubud, Bali. It’s a deceivingly short 45 kilometers between the two cities. But don’t let that fool you. It takes damn near all day to get there. Balinese residents have had the pleasure of living in a peaceful, tourist-free oasis existence until just recently. Because of this, there are no wide-laned highways transversing the island. It’s blatantly obvious that the…
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Christmas in Bali
Stories from my time in Bali, Indonesia
