Life in Australia (and Nusa Lembongan)

It’s supposed to be summer here in Oz but today it’s rainy and cold, as it has been a lot since we arrived three weeks ago. Our first few days we spent in Melbourne with our friend Romi (whom we met in Thailand at the writing retreat). What a great city—lively street café culture, beautiful waterfront, incredible food—but I had a hard time enjoying it because of a bad cold. 

Melbourne

Now I am enjoying feeling well at our housesit in Ballarat, a small town two hours northwest of Melbourne. We took a train to get here, watching vast open spaces speed by, meadows and hills with oak trees reminiscent of Northern California.

For Australians, this cold weather is unseasonal. They associate Christmas with blue skies and barbecue. I kind of like December to be snuggly, so it’s fine with me. 

downtown Ballarat

We’ve been reading a lot. While I was laughing and getting teary over Michelle Obama’s memoir, Dave was doing the same with 84 Charing Cross Road. We’ve now switched books and are talking about them as we go. We’ve been logging three or four books a week, pulled from the house shelves, downloaded from the Kindle, or bought at one of the many “Op Shops,” second-hand stores that provide “opportunities” for people who need jobs.

Lake Wendouree

We have gone to the movies and also spent a day driving up into the foothills to a place famous for mineral baths. We spent two hours in the Hepburn Bathhouse and Spa, soaking in the various pools and steam rooms. And every day, rain or shine, we walk the dog—most often to Lake Wendouree, the jewel of this town, four miles in circumference and inhabited by thousands of birds: black swans and their downy cygnets, sacred ibises, kookaburras, all kinds of coots and ducks, and little songbirds. Dave has taken lots of great pictures, and we read about the birds in Liz’s (the homeowner’s) Reader’s Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds.

Gem is the dog in our care, and she is perfection, a papillon mix who barely makes a peep, follows me everywhere, loves to cuddle and play with her toys—and basically is pure love. We agree she is among our favorite pups we’ve cared for in our years of housesitting. 

Gem: a perfect name for her.

We did some tallying and discovered that in this time we’ve cared for 22 dogs:

·       6 golden retrievers

·       1 pug

·       1 bulldog

·       2 chihuahuas

·       2 pit bulls

·       1 cocker spaniel

·       3 poodle mixes

·       The rest Heinz 57

We’ve also cared for 7 cats and numerous birds, fowl, and rabbits. This has been the result of 21 housesits, 10 of which came through websites (mostly Trusted Housesitters) and the rest through friends or referrals.

In the 5 ½ years since we dropped jobs and home for this nomadic adventure, we have basically lived the equivalent of:

·       1 year in China

·       1 year with friends

·       1 ½ years of housesitting

·       1 year in our house in Mexico (spread out over the course of 3 visits)

·       1 year in Airbnbs, hotels, etc.

Our most recent hotel stay was between our housesit in Malaysia and Australia: a few weeks in Nusa Lembongan, an island off Bali. For about $25/day we stayed in a small resort with a pool right on the beach. Nothing fancy, but very easy. A dive shop was on the premises, which Dave took advantage of, diving with manta rays and other beautiful creatures. He was heartened to see so much healthy coral.

I took a lot of yoga classes, and we explored the island on a motor scooter, including taking a bridge to nearby Nusa Ceningan, which has stunning views of the transparently clear waters. Yes, the whole experience is as laid-back-heavenly as it sounds. Our friends Susanna and Doug, whom we’d met in Mexico, came to hang out with us for a few days; we snorkeled, got 7-dollar massages, and enjoyed sunset and dinner each night.

snorkel boat

amazing every night

As I write this, I’m stunned that Lembongan was just a month ago. There is so much change and movement in our lives that time kind of loses its meaning. “What day is today?” one of us will ask the other. Often. 

This housesit ends January 2. Usually with just a couple of weeks to go, we know we were are headed. But right now, we don’t. We have a few irons in the fire but nothing has been confirmed so we are in limbo. I have been obsessively checking my email for news. 

But then I remind myself that “waiting” equates with thinking some other time is better than now. Now is pretty damn good. We are healthy; as I am writing, Dave squeezes fresh orange juice in the kitchen, and Gem snuggles against my foot. 

Paradise Has Bugs

We are living in a penthouse in Penang, Malaysia, overlooking the sea. The living room's sliding glass wall opens up to the sky. 

living room view

We can see birds floating by below us.

Oh, and it's possible to get attacked by an acid-spewing insect called a rove beetle that scorches human skin. 

"I got burned on my testicles," casually said Ralph, the homeowner, from the paradise of his balcony. We were spending a day together getting oriented before he and his wife Junnie left on vacation. 

"And my armpit," he continued. "The burn transferred to my inner arm. Lasted for weeks. So painful. If one lands on you, don't swat it. Blow on it so it will float away."

I hope this glimpse from Google is the only siting I'll have.

Okay, that wasn't in the Trusted Housesitters description. Junnie taught Dave how to spray the balcony plants to discourage the pests. And we were instructed to keep the windows closed at night, since these menaces are drawn to light.

A week later we have yet to see one. We hope to keep it that way. This morning, Oscie the dog woke us up by barfing next to the bed.

Who me?

Such is the glamour of housesitting. 

Then there's the fact that this condo is on the 28th floor. Thus the view. And the elevator. Not my favorite mode of transportation. Funny how I can travel the world virtually fear-free but I step into an elevator and it's hard to breathe.

I used to have paralyzing claustrophobia. And it seemed to be getting worse. Hypnotherapy helped a lot. So did a variety of other visualization practices. I learned that escaping uncomfortable situations makes it worse. So I've continually put myself in the backs of cars, crowded vans, middle airplane seats and the like, acclimating and calming myself with various techniques--to the point that I rarely feel claustrophobia's clench anymore. 

Except on elevators. Over the years, my avoidance method has been to take the stairs. However, 28 floors is a bit much. So being here for a month is giving me the opportunity to dust off any lingering particles of enclosure anxiety. 

This must be the wisdom of no escape these Buddhists keep talking about. 

Before Malaysia, we spent a month in Thailand, by way of a one-day stop-over in Singapore.

A bit of the Singapore we saw.

Returning to S.E. Asia hadn't been in our thoughts until we were invited to our friend Mark's 60th birthday party on Koh Phangan, an island in Thailand. We love Mark and we love that island, so we put a pin in it and other plans unfolded. 

Our first stop was Koh Samui, a Thai island a short ferry ride from Koh Phangan. We stayed on south Lamai Beach, far enough away from the throngs for privacy but close enough for easy access to cool stuff. Most days I walked down the beach then up hilly streets--past a golden temple where people prayed and a muay thai studio where people beat the shit out of each other--to an open-air yoga class. 

Lamai Beach

After yoga, I'd eat a delectable smoothie bowl, write in my journal, and read. Then I'd walk back, dipping in the ocean along the way.

Dave spent much of his time doing his advanced diving certification. He did well choosing Koh Samui. It's not a big diving destination, which meant his dives were uncrowded.

Renting a motorbike and getting around was easy. We fell in love with green coconut curry and Thai massage, especially the massage on the beach near our bungalow, overlooking Grandmother and Grandfather rocks.

Pooch near Grandmother/Grandfather rocks.

Something we saw on a bike ride.

We had guessed that after leaving Mexico, packing up in California, and flying internationally it would be a good move to rest up before Mark's party. How right we were. Mark's event had morphed into a week-long Burning Man, a 24/7 extravaganza of art, workshops, ecstatic dance, yoga, live music jam camp, thump-thump-thump electronica, and people from all over the world. 

It was the kind of you place you let your hair down and did things like posing nude with a panda head on. Four of Dave's fraternity buddies were there, so it was also a reunion of sorts.

Mark, Craig, Wade, Bill, Dave

I was lucky to be able to teach yoga in the mornings--amazed that people who danced and partied all night showed up.

It was epic. And exhausting. I ended up with an ear infection. Over-the-counter antibiotics (that cost $15) quickly fixed me up.

flying to Phuket

Next we hopped over to Phuket, on the other side of Thailand, with Dave's college buddy Craig. We'd been there before and spent a few days showing our favorite things to Craig: a sweet resort with an herbal steam room and killer breakfast, the Big Buddha, Nai Harn and Karon beaches, temples...and this view reached on motorbikes.

Kata Noi in the background

Another draw of the area was that a family we'd met in Mexico had recently moved to Phuket. So after Craig left, we headed north and spent a few days at Nadia and Rob's home. Rob, who does international peace-relations work, was on assignment in Kenya. But Nadia (who trains humanitarian workers) welcomed us with open arms, even though we'd met her only once before. 

Phuket

We also got to spend time with their daugthers: a 14-year-old who just returned from teaching art therapy to children and HIV+ women in prison in Africa, and a 17-year old who recently developed and implemented a school project to build roads for a poor community in northern Thailand. I just had to put that out there because, yes, they are incredible people.  

Nadia took us shopping at the local market:

...took us to a gibbon rehab center and on a waterfall hike:

With Nadia and her friend Peggy

...and introduced us to amazing Thai food.

Dave and I also bicycled through the National Park along Nai Yang beach.

All of this was great--but the best part was talking with Nadia. We conversed intimately about our pasts, our travels, our inner explorations. We all inspired each other.

And now after that month in Thailand, we are in Malaysia, rooted 28 floors up. Our days are filled with everything from editing books (me), to photography (Dave). And we do yoga, swim, walk the dog, read--cook, clean, shop, you know, the usual stuff. This improvisational life is not quite vacation and not quite your conventional existence. We are creating it as we go, bugs and all.

Wide Sky

wide sky

It's about 1,000 miles from the border to the tip of Baja. In May, we again took the drive south from California. We followed a different route, crossing at Mexicali to explore other parts of this beautiful peninsula. 

Right before we left, I happened to mention to a client that we'd be driving through San Felipe.

"That's where my sister has a house," she said. Soon she emailed me to tell me her sister would love for us to spend a night for free. While I'm grateful, I'm not surprised anymore by such generosity and serendipity--something about a traveling life seems to invite magic.

Bahia Concepcion, one of our stops on the drive down.

It had been two years since we'd been to Casita Once, our little place near Todos Santos. The minute we hit Baja Sur, I rolled down the window and breathed in the unique mix of salt air, heat, dust, warm breeze. I was reminded how I love this place where desert-meets-ocean-meets-cerritos (hills). 

sunset at playa de Cerritos

More than ever before, we have felt embraced by the community here. We spend many days improvisationally. Someone will rap on our gate and say, "Wanna play backgammon at the pool?" At the pool, someone will say, "Come over for dinner. We have fresh fish." And then we will say, "We have cole slaw." And someone else will say, "We'll bring dessert."

In between, Dave has been doing a lot of home and garden projects. I have been editing books and teaching yoga twice a week.

evidence of Dave's green thumb at Casita Once's entrance

We've been re-connecting with old friends and meeting new ones. Some are on vacation here. Some own places or are building them. There's lots of construction around and lots of new restaurants going in.

with new friends Mike and Marla at the site of their home-in-progress

We've also had visitors. Craig, one of Dave's college buddies, came for a week. At the same time another of his old friends, Paul, was here, checking on his new property in Todos Santos where he is building a home. We are happy to have another friend-as-neighbor.

Jimmy, Craig & Paul, and me on Manny (short for Mantequilla).

Our three nephews also visited. My sister Ann lives down here--and her sons, Beau and Brock, have been coming to this area since they were kids. It was the first time for my other sister's son, Evan, to visit. Can you tell he loved it?

with Evan (19), Brock (25) & Beau (27)

Dave got this great shot of Beau 

One Sunday I went with a few friends to the local church. It was sweet to hear the congregation sing in Spanish and to watch two children who, upon being baptized, were lifted up and applauded. Witnessing this community and family love, my heart broke again for the children separated from their parents at the border.

proud father and priest

We continue to be amazed at what a great place this is, rustic and embracing and, in the ways of the desert, beautiful and harsh. There are cacti and snakes and bugs. There are so many birds and palms and papayas and crashing waves and abundant fresh food.

locally grown

papaya in our orchard

Punta Lobos, where every afternoon you can buy just-caught fish.

gila woodpecker

caracaras (iconic birds of Mexico) at their nest

We had forays out of our area. Lee-Ann, who attended my writing retreat in Thailand, just happened to be in San Jose del Cabo! So we drove down there (a bit over an hour on a nice highway) to spend an evening of live music, food and conversation in the downtown.

San Jose del Cabo

For Dave's and my sixth wedding anniversary, we drove five hours to Loreto, on the Sea of Cortez. (Again, we were generously offered a free place for few nights, by friends we'd housesat for earlier in the year.) In Loreto, Dave reconnected with Juve and Sarah. He'd not seen them in more than ten years, when they'd done a kayak trip.

Salud! Juve and Sarah now own a dive shop in downtown Loreto.

Another day, we arranged to have a ponga pick us up for some time on the water. The captain showed us two geologically fascinating islands--Carmen and Danzante--and stopped for some beautiful snorkeling.

isla Danzante

My favorite moment was on the drive back when we spotted a huge pod of dolfinas. They surrounded the boat, squealing and jumping. I asked the captain how many there were. I thought he said, cincuenta (fifty).

"De verdad?" I said. "¿No mas?" (Really? No more?... It had looked like hundreds to me.)

That's when he explained he'd said sin cuenta...literally, "without counting." Too many to count. Yay, I learned a new idiom!

dofinas...sin cuenta

Another of our adventures was a day-long (dusty, exhilarating, exhausting) group quad ride into the Sierra de Laguna mountains. At one point, one of the vehicles got stuck in the mud and needed to be pulled out with our wench; Dave got a down-and-dirty lesson on how to use it.

stuck--but still posing for a shot!

lunch in the shade

Sierra de Laguna from the quad

In our short three months here there have been lots of gatherings. At one, we celebrated my sister Ann's birthday with a great group of people at the amazing and delicious Free Souls.

Another favorite moment was experiencing a Mexican family band: the parents and their five children. They played the most unique arrangements of rock classics, from La Bamba to Stairway to Heaven.

Monster Band

It seems that the theme of our time here has been community. We have been hiking together...

San Pedrito hike

...playing music together...

Todos Santos ukulele group meets every Monday.

 ... and just hanging out together.

with new amiga Susanna

Not many of our friends live here year-round. Even the permanentes tend to spend months away. There have been a lot of hellos and see-ya-laters. 

And we are following suit. In a few weeks, we fly away. For the first time, we are not driving back up Baja. We are storing our car with plans to return in March.

Dare I say it? This place is starting to feel like "home." I use quotes because I'm still not quite sure what that word means for my wandering soul. Dave says home is wherever his toothbrush is.

Maybe my home is Baja. Or maybe it's the world. Or maybe it's the wide sky inside.