Fai Quan
formerly known as "Prosaic Traveller"
Bali – Rice Fields
Each section of the rice fields is separated by a row of thick vegetation. The one paddy per family will yield approximately 6 metric tons of unmilled rice per hectare. They would go through two to three growing seasons per year.
Bali – The Village of Penglipuran
The Village showed us how the Balinese people live.
Each home consists of a very large yard with separate buildings for different parts (kitchen, living room, bedroom, etc.) of a house. When you enter through the front gate of the yard, you are actually entering their residence.
You will see photos of a home that we were invited to tour.
A street view of the village. No roadways for vehicles except a motorbike.
A typical front entrance
The Temple at the end of the street
The Mom of the home
The kitchen cupboard
The prayer room. I found that these rooms were always the best maintained.
The kitchen
Cooking something
The backyard
The prized pig is an investment for the family. Where we would buy GICs, they would buy a pig.
Children of the home
Roosters
The prized motorbike
Rooftops of the neighbours
Bali – Luwak Coffee
The first time I heard of Luwak coffee was in Toronto ON. We had gone to a posh deli in Yorkville. A friend of ours showed us the $600 per pound coffee. Apparently, the beans were fed to a cat and then extracted from the cat’s feces. Now, why would anyone want to spend that much money on coffee?
Here was an opportunity. Visiting a Spice Farm, they specialized in Luwak Coffee. However, this cat they were talking about was no where near what I think a cat should be. More like a racoon, if you ask me.
For $3 per cup, my husband and I were the only ones in the tour group that was willing to give it a try. I was pumped to believe I was going to taste the best coffee in the world. Unfortunately, I’ve had better. It tasted like a plain dark roast coffee.
You start with the bean
You roast them. The basket in the far right side contains the feces.
Luwak coffee. I’m not sure what the fuss is all about.
Like a wine tasting party, this is a coffee/tea tasting party.
View of a tropical forest from our picnic table where we tasted various coffees and teas.
Bali – Dogs
Dogs roam free on this island. They had tried to implement laws to control these pets, but the people refuse to follow them.
Two problems have developed from this: rabies and motorbikes.
Rabies was not a problem until foreigners started bringing in rabid dogs from out of the country. Any dog without a collar is an indication that the pet may have rabies. Animal control would capture the dog, give it a rabies shot and then release it, hoping it will find its’ way back home.
The second issue is the collision with motorbikes. Not only would the dog get injured but chances are the motorbike rider will be hurt also.
Dogs are not known to be aggressive. We’ve encountered many just strolling along the beach or sidewalk. They would just ignore you and walk right by without a sniff.
Bali Sea
A early morning playful Doggie time in the Bali Sea
A collarless dog out for a stroll
Manitoba, Canada (1) – An Aerial View of Southern Manitoba
A trip from Winnipeg to Saskatoon in a Cherokee piloted by my husband, I was able to capture some wonderful terrain. Curving rivers, rolling hills, large lake and flat plains make up much of the gorgeous views.
Curvy Assiniboia River runs through Saint Francois Xavier
The bottom edge of Lake Manitoba
Plains located on the western edge of Lake Manitoba
Approaching Riding Mountain National Park
A meandering stream down the Riding Mountain National Park
Saskatchewan Canada (2)
Saskatchewan is known for its’ wide flat land.
A lonely bale of hay.
Canola fields
Sunset on the prairies
Winter. The only colours visible on an overcast day is white, grey, brown and black.
It’s an overcast day
The crooked bush. The grove of deformed trees, located near Hafford, SK., has been a curiosity for a large number of geneticists. From genetic mutation to alien visits were used as explanation for these trees. (I liked the alien idea myself.)
A stone angel sits amongst the trees
A small lakes surrounded by evergreen trees are predominant in Northern Saskatchewan. This area is Elk Ridge, which is a small Golf Community.
In Northern Saskatchewan, the foliage is deep in greenery.
A closeup view of the beautiful north
Mushrooms that are probably not edible but sure are pretty
Waskesiu Lake is part of the Prince Albert National Park. This park is one of the most popular summer resort in Saskatchewan.
Waskesui Lake
Not only evergreens cover the north, Birch trees are in abundance.
and bogs
Saskatchewan Canada (1)
Saskatchewan is my hometown province which is situated in central Canada.
I am fortunate to be married to a pilot who has access to a Cherokee. The aerial shots you see here were taken on an outing when my husband wanted to log some hours. I went along for something to do.
This shot shows the flatness of Saskatchewan where you can see for miles and miles (or in my case, kilometres and kilometres).
Another shot of a prairie landscape. A number of years ago, Saskatchewan was known for its’ golden wheat fields. To diversify, the farmers had to change their crops. They have become more yellow fields of canola.
A couple of years ago, Saskatchewan received more rain than was needed. The photo below depicts all the little pools of water that to this day, they still exist.
A waterlogged province
Saskatchewan also has its’ fair share of hills and valleys. The Fort Qu’Appelle Valley is situated near the southern part of the province.
The South Saskatchewan River. The U-shaped lake to left is Pike Lake Provincial Park. A beautiful lake park where many people from Saskatoon call their year-round home and would commute to Saskatoon to work.
The Riverside Country Club is located just south of Saskatoon edge.
Flocks of Snow Geese take refuge at one of the many lakes.
Harvest time in Saskatchewan. You can tell it has been a moist year. Even after the crops have been taken off, any leftover vegetation has turn to green instead of brown.
Highway 101 USA
Finishing the last leg of our baseball adventure, we rented a car and drove from San Francisco to Portland. After a one-night stop in Eureka CA, we took the scenic route along the coastline. We did a couple stops along the way to appreciate the sea stacks, ocean, beaches, trees and sand dunes.
The photos are taken just north of Eureka CA and end at Eugene OR sand dunes. If you want a relaxing and fun road trip, this is the one. I’d do it all over again.
Bridge at Coos Bay
Fai Quan 