The Lows and Highs of Tembagapura

We've had our ups and downs over the past couple months.  Here's a recapitulation.

Low:
Our quiet little neighborhood got totally invaded.  :-(  Normally there are no cars on our street.  Yeah, well check out what happened in February.

How many cars can you count in our front yard?  :-(   It was like this every day in February.
 (Yeah, my wife was pissed.)

But things finally calmed down and things are almost back to normal.  :-)

High:
Enjoying our front porch.  My wife has a thing for porches, and sitting out on them.

Note the awesome crate being used as a footstool.  My wife loves rustic crates.

High:
We walked down to the village of Banti a couple weeks ago.

Communities of panners.

Local kids recognize Leslie from her volunteering at their health clinic.

The tailings river.

And we found some friends from the Baliem Valley!

High of Highs!:
We finally got to do some real, high, alpine hiking today!!!   Woohoo!   Check it out!  :-)

The Dog's Tooth in the background.  It looks like it's really close but that spire in the background 
("The Dog's Tooth") is really like about a half mile away.  It's really big.  Hard to tell in the photo though.

The Fairy Lakes in the background.  Incredible views.

There were some heated arguments about what our actual elevation was and whose GPS was better, but we all agreed that our highest point was over 15,000ft.  Woohoo!

An ode to Grandma Rosemary

Grandma Rosemary Sangster; September 14,1928 -  February 18, 2012 

Last month I had the opportunity to travel back to the States on a last minute mission to re-certify my WEMT. Also during this time I spent some good time with family in San Diego.
One memorable visit was with my Grandma Rosemary. Grandma has been defying death for the past three years in some pretty incredible ways! When D & I left for Indonesia in July '11 we said 'good bye', thinking that was our last time to be with her on earth. However, Grandma had different plans! She clung to life and allowed me one last visit before she passed. The following is an interaction between myself and Grandma on one of her last lucid days:

L: Grandma, it's almost Valentine's Day!


G'ma: What?!


L: Valentine's Day! Do you have any plans for the day of love?


G'ma: Everyday is a day of love for me.


L: Well said Grandma... 


    (Grandma smiles big at me and I am reminded of the years of joy and love she has shared with me and others through her beautiful smile.)

L: You still have a smile that can light up the room Grandma!


G'ma: Awe, thank you! I try to always stay positive.


G'ma: That's true. You have been my role model in that.


    (Grandma's smile grows bigger and her eyes fill with tears... mine do too.)

A few days after this conversation, Grandma Rosemary was no longer able to talk, laugh or even smile.
The things in life that were most valuable to her were no longer accessible to her on this earth. She couldn't stay here with us any longer. She will be missed...

Ancient Temples of Central Java

We had started off our Christmas break by going to Yogyakarta, Central Java.

Welcome to Molioboro Street!  (watch out for the becaks)

Prambanan  -  ancient Hindu temple, circa 850 CE

I still have a thing for ancient stone structures.

Then, we were off to Kopeng to conquer Mt. Merbabu  -  a little over 10,000 ft. elevation.

Take a guess at what they serve at this lovely restaurant.  :-)

Started at sunrise.  A beautiful morning!

Great views all the way up.

And a fabulous climbing partner!

No, this is not Mayan, Incan, Aztec or any kind of Meso-American temple!  This is Central Java:  the 

Sukuh Temple, circa 1430 CE.

And a Stony Brook Reunion!!!  My old friend, Henny, from way back when I was an innocent undergraduate.

No, we didn't hit a Star Trek convention.  Javanese weddings are very "interesting".   :-)

And one of my highlights:  Borobudur Temple - a Buddhist temple, circa 800 CE.

Rising in the morning mist, the silent giant looms.

Shout out to WCNI, New London!

Amazing relief sculpture, hundreds of yards of it!

And the Unfinished Buddha...

Merry Christmas - Jungle Style

During the months of December and January we were on the move around Indonesia! Along the way we were greeted by a collection of reunions, temples, close friends, new friends, diverse flora & fauna and cultural diversity.
To begin the blogging updates of our recent adventures we'll share with you about our Christmas celebrations while in Sentani, Papua with good friends. It's been 2 years since we last saw D & T Wisley when they came to San Diego to officiate our wedding!

Our time in Sentani was marked by sweet reunions for D as he reconnected with old friends.

Here in Papua many households and/or villages will make these Pondok Natals (Christmas shacks) at Christmas time.

More reconnecting!

One of our memorable adventures was a day trip to Lake Sentani. Everyone pulled together to make the boat operational, the food tasty and the fun huge!

Tammy & Sean pitching in...

Dave pumping things up!

Contemplating the integrity of the swinging vine on the palm tree...

YIPPEEE!!!

 Good family fun!

Merry Christmas from the kampung!

D's friend Ahky preparing for his church's Christmas pig feast!

 

The prep...

And some of the help!

After wrapping the meat and vegetables up in banana leaves, layering in red-hot rocks and wrapping it all up in grasses they let it cook for about 3 hours. This is a bakar batu (which means it is cooked with rocks).

 

Once everything is cooked the men unwrap the meat and the women begin pulling out the food and sorting it.

Even Leslie jumped in to help out!

With everyone seated in their appropriate pods, the food is distributed and we all ate together!


After sharing in the traditional Papuan Christmas celebrations, we had some good 'ol American style Christmas traditions! 
 

 Unwrapping gifts Christmas morning

Joseph sharing about Jesus' birth at church. 

  Then we went surfing!

A delicious Christmas dinner shared with good friends!

 
Feel the love!