Malaysia is number 11 of the 12 countries included on this year’s trip. Sri Lanka, the next destination, is the 12th and our last stop for 2026. And I am never travelling like this again! It has been exhausting. I cannot begin to imagine how many planes we’ve been on, nor how many different apartments …
Author Archives: janie.weeks
Glad we don’t have monkeys!
Like most tourists who spot monkeys for the first time, Stan and I were thrilled when we found them here. We snapped photo after photo while exclaiming, “Wildlife!” Now, after spending 9 months in this part of the world, seeing a troop of monkeys, especially macaques, is almost like seeing a flock of pigeons or …
October 20, 2026 – Better than best, just a bit of time with Tessa
First of all, this little human being, our grandaughter, is mine. Stan would say she is his. But I saw her first as she took her first breath. I was the first to hold her. She was a premature, a bird-like baby, entering the world and struggling to survive. And now, 23 years later, Stan …
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Yada, Yada, Jakarta &Yogyakarta – October 14, 2026
This one is going to be short and sweet. The last two weeks have been really nice and a big change from city life. In a 3-day, 2-night boat trip on an advertised delux pinici boat that turned out to be a dilapidated wooden boat, the Princess Lala, porting from Labuan Bajo, we did some …
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What a Life!
Among the random things Stan and I have learned as vagabonds is that a person can grow accustomed to almost anything. On our trip this year, we sleep in a new bed almost every two weeks. Some are just adequate, but some are ones I’d like to take with us everywhere. I am always puzzled …
September 23, 2026 – Jakarta
Whew, this city has everything, especially people; 11 million people live in the city, and 46 million live in the expanded metro area. And it has traffic, lots of cars and motorbikes, zillions of them. The city recognizes the problem and is addressing it with a growing modern electric transit bus system and rapidly expanding …
September 18, 2026 – Note to Self
These days, whether or not a visa is required, an e-Arrival card or E-doc completed within 72 hours of arrival is necessary for entry into Australia, New Zealand, and most Asian countries. It records passport information for immigration officers and how, why, and when a visitor will arrive and depart. These are free and can …
September 15, 2026 – Bako National Park, Sarawak Borneo
The park is a 45-minute drive from downtown Kuching. Then it’s a bit of a complicated process to register as a guest at the park, paying for the boat, then paying for the park entrance fee. All paid, all registered, we boarded a beautifully maintained motorized blue-and-red wooden long boat for a 25-minute high-speed ride …
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September 14, 2026 – Kuching, Borneo
Yes, we are back in Borneo. Better flights took us this way, and we looked forward to learning about more Malay culture and having other city experiences. As soon as we landed around 10 pm, we noticed the dense, foggy-looking air. It is raining in Kuching today. It rained at about this time yesterday as …
September 6, 2026 – Oh, Sumatra!
I am still excited about our day in Sumatra yesterday. The cow races were absolutely the most thrilling event I’ve seen since stock car races! Farmers, instead of downhome boys in raggedy stock cars, compete against neighbor farmers in the dirtiest game on earth! They each have a pit crew and a pair of cows …