Because I Want A Skyline
“Why go to Kupang?!” Z asks, rhetorically, standing skinny in his Simpsons PJs. “Why go to Kupang?! Because we’ve been in Kefa long enough. I’m...
Tagged: culture
My Father, The Headhunter
Kores holds his father’s weapons proudly in his hands. A short, broad machete, wrapped up in ikat cloth and string, and two crude wooden spears....
The Sunday Six: Things You Might Not Know About Bali
1: Everyone Has The Same Names If there’s one thing you’ll notice on Bali holidays, it’s that everyone seems to have the same names: Nyoman,...
On the Up in Flores
It is a bright, sunny day and a beautiful ride. I’m starting to feel that the jinx that has befouled our overland mission from Bali...
The Great Hot Springs Disaster
The rhythms of life at the convent in Ruteng do not encourage sloth. The sisters start their day early, in their cells up the hill,...
The Sound of Silence
On Saturday, town was so quiet you could literally hear the silence. Not the usual raucous night-time non-quiet, the squawking yabber of geckos, the surprising...
A Cremation in Bali
The three giant black bulls had been sitting in state outside Ubud Palace for a day or so, golden necklaces adorning their necks, their dangling...
A Walk in the Rice Fields
When she was a little girl, Su’s father built her a little tower on stilts in the rice paddies. Not to play houses — unusually...
Like Jane Austen But Not: The Single Gal's Guide to Travelling Asia
1: Avoid Spaghetti Straps Shoulders are an erogenous zone in many cultures. Particularly shy ones. In South-East Asia, nothing, and I do mean nothing, says...
Tales from the Moluccas #2: Happiness on the Riverbank
Lima has just discovered clothes. Three months ago, in fact. Compared to the itchy bark loincloths he used to wear, they’re remarkably comfortable. An excellent...