The Monkey Store

Quick update.

Ashley and I made it up to the crater and back safely. Navigating the narrow Indonesian roads is white knuckle all the way. It was some sort of holiday so we spent the whole time dodging crazy traffic and huge processions of people carrying massive food and flower offerings on their heads to their local temples. The crater gorgeous and surprisingly cold as its so high. There were little towns tucked inside the massive crater, along the lake, as well as restaurants perched along the craters rim. Yesterday we took a van back to Kuta to meet with my Aunt Jill last night.

Jill arrived last night after 27 hours of flying straight from her job as a dentist in bush Alaska. The bad news is that her bag didn't follow her. She was forced to leave it in Emmonek due to weight issues with the plane, and it never caught up with her due to the baggage handlers forgetting it was on the next flight, so it was sent back to Emmonek. She arrived this morning with only the clothes on her back, her camera, and her passport for the next month of traveling. Luckily Kuta is virtually one giant shopping center and she has managed to put together an entire outfit form flip flops to sunglasses for only $15.

This doesn't really fit with anything but I thought I would mention the pet monkey who we always see at this little restaurant we eat at here in Kuta. The monkey belongs to one of the customers and it wears a little collar and is usually on a little leash. If you put your arm out she will climb up your arm and sit on your shoulder. She is the most hilarious pet I've ever seen. We asked the owner where you get a monkey, and he said," Well you just go get one at the monkey store." Apparently they are pretty common pets around here.

Tomorrow we are flying to Flores were we will be diving and snorkeling. From there we will work our way back west to Sumbawa, Lombok, and eventually Bali where we fly out to Singapore on the 30th of  March, then home on the 5th of April.

Garrett