40 is Fabulous

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  Gili Trawangan, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia
Thursday, January 29, 2009

(Sorry....for some reason am unable to load photos....will try again soon. Please read anyway! :)  )

Jan.22: I can remember back to my high school days in the 80s when I
would calculate what year I would turn 40. The year 2009 sounded almost
otherworldly back then; like a futuristic time that would never really
arrive. It was too far off to perceive as being plausible. Yet a blink
later here I am, on the sunset of my 30s. In regard to the myriad
scenarios I imagined over the decades about what my life might look
like at this stage of the game, the reality could not be farther from
any of them

Black Lake

. This is not a bad thing. It is just a thing. And as I sit
here in this remote, isolated mountain village on the island of Flores,
where there are no telephones and no banks and no tourists, I struggle
not to let myself feel disappointed about how my birthday plans are
turning out. This is not the hotel I dreamed of - not even close. There
is no decent restaurant. There is no place for us to buy supplies for
our sunrise trek to Kelimutu tomorrow. The cartel that the villagers
have formed guarantees that we pay exorbitant prices for everything,
no matter who we try to bargain with.


But as I let these thoughts and emotions simmer, a peaceful
realization: these- the struggles and disappointments and unfulfilled
dreams of my perfect special day- are but a reflection of the bigger
picture of life on whole

Green and Turquoise Lakes

. Life never turns out as we planned. But that
doesn't make it bad. The only option is to play the cards we're dealt
to the best of our abilities. Take a situation and make it good. I am
so fortunate to be here (to be anywhere, really) - on this stunning
island in the middle of the ocean. I am alive and healthy and blessed
and happy and so far away from the confines of my former life. My
friend flew half-way around the world to spend my birthday with me. He
arrived with a backpack full of french cheeses, bread, sausage, wine
and chocolates, which we consumed in short order and with big smiles.


This night will absorb the last moments of my 30s and the day will
dawn on the first hours of my 40s tomorrow. My day will be what it will
be

My birthday "cake"

. We are where we are and we have what we have. Just like in life, it
is my attitude that will determine how things turn out, not material
goods or other distractions. My birthday, like life, may not be perfect
or quite what I had imagined. But that doesn't make it any less
spectacular to be present for.


I will have a very happy birthday.

Moni, Flores, Nusa
Tenggara, Indonesia: Jan 23: A 4am wakeup and a 4:30 am departure had
us at the summit of Kelimutu volcano with our new Swiss friends Charly
and Monique before 6 am. Here at the volcano, set into deep craters,
are three coloured lakes of astonishing beauty. The lakes change colour
periodically; and though nobody knows why or how for certain, it is
believed that dissolving minerals are responsible. Locals hold Kelimutu
sacred, believing that the souls of the dead go to these lakes: young
people's to Tiwa Nuwa Muri Koo Fai (Turquoise Lake), old people's to
Tiwi Ata Mbupu (Brown Lake) and those of the wicked to Tiwi Ata Polo
(Black Lake)

Rice Fields, Moni

.


I wanted to be here to witness the sunrise on this day in
particular. Not only is it fascinating to watch the sun play off the
lakes as it rises higher in the sky, but from here one can see for
miles in all directions. Here, with this unobstructed view, I was able
to witness something even more extraordinary than the shifting colours
of the lakes: my life - 40 years of living - stretching out towards the
horizon. I could plainly see how ever day, month and year had led to
this place and to this moment. My future, my fate, my yesterday and my
today, my here and now, have been and always will be, hurtling towards
me at the speed of light.


The rest of the day was....well, we'll just say it's a birthday I
won't forget anytime soon

Riding on the Bemo

. We made the best of what we had to work
with, and the joyously young-spirited Charly and Monique were a big
help in that regard. There was a birthday "cake" (see photos), a dinner
(we are not at all sure we didn't eat dogmeat) and, in tremendous
contrast, a bottle of Veuve Cliquot champagne (Fab fit so much good
stuff in that backpack!).


When examined on a micro level, as I said, there are
disappointments (on birthday, in life). But when I look at the big
picture of both of these events, how could I feel anything less than
totally blown away?

-----------------------------


Jan 29: The days prior to my birthday were spent chilling out in
ultra-touristy Kuta Beach, Bali, and in trying to get to the island of
Flores in time for my birthday (no small or inexpensive feat). After
Flores we plodded our way back west to Lombok and on to the teeny
island of Gili Trawangan

Sunrise, Turquoise Lake, Kelimutu

. Touristy, laid-back, expensive, but with some
good snorkeling. Today I thought it might be brilliant if we hit the
ocean with our snorkel gear early in the morning for the best chance of
viewing sea turtles and other more rarely-seen ocean life that tends to
go into hiding when the sun gets too hot. I was right - there was all
kinds of fascinating marine life at this time of the day, including
about a billion jellyfish of every size who took to treating us to
dozens of stings all over our bodies. At least we got to see one turtle
before we floundered our way frantically back onto dry land.


It's hard to believe that we've already been in Indonesia for 2
weeks and that I don't have more to report or more photos to post.
Truthfully, a large chunk of our time was unfortunately spent in
transit with a lot of that transit taking us to completely forgettable
and depressing towns like Maumere and Ende on Flores for flight/bus
connections etc. There hasn't been much to photograph, and as far as
activities go, so far Indonesia has been much more about taking in the
spectacular landscape than anything else. Life is also incredibly hot
here at the Equator and it's tough to find energy to do much of
anything between 11 am and 4 pm. Despite it being the rainy season
there has been only 1 day of solid rain (the day I arrived). The rest
of the time, it rains (hard) at night or in sudden, short and violent
cloudbursts during the day. If I had to choose one word to sum up the
food so far, it would be "disappointing". "Nasi Goreng" (fried rice) is
the typical Indonesian dish, so nothing interesting to report there at
all. Here on Gili T, western food dominates - everything from fish and
chips to Mexican food to pasta - so it's hard to get a feeling of what
the true cuisine - or the people, for that matter - is truly about.


We'll keep plugging away and see what interesting experiences we
can uncover in our remaining two weeks. We're off to the even tinier
island of Gili Air shortly, and then eventually back to Bali to explore
the east and north coasts.

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