Lacy: Today we experienced the HOTTEST temperatures on the island so far  at 95.1 degrees and 60% humidity around noon. Rob and I were sitting in the shade of the porch trying not to melt from this intense heat; me reading my book on Indonesia and him doing a crossword puzzle I found yesterday in a newspaper I picked up during our layover in Hong Kong (naturally, I was hanging on to this month-old newspaper because who knows what I may need it for! Indeed, it has been useful for soaking up oil when frying fish…and now a crossword puzzle 😋). I am on my fourth novel of the month and need to find another English book soon!  Fortunately, the temperature dropped to the upper 80’s a couple hours later for an afternoon respite before big black clouds, rain and cool breezes rolled in around 6. Yay! Despite the heat, we are still absolutely loving being here on Kenawa. Yesterday was absolutely spectacular because we had cloud cover all day long which was accompanied by a another cool breeze then and the preceding evening. Such a treat to have 3 nights in a row of really pleasant weather for sleeping.  Tomorrow we are leaving the island for 3 days and 2 nights. Teri was intent on having her parents fly from China to see the Earthships here and they arrived this morning on Lombok island where she traveled to pick them up and bring them here tomorrow. She asked us if we would be willing to stay in a hotel for 2 nights so that her parents could stay in our place and get the complete Earthship experience. We already had plans to rent a motorbike for most of Wednesday, my 35th birthday, and go visit a waterfall an hour + away to celebrate.  Since there is a hotel, Whales &  Waves, in the same general area as we planned to go, we agreed.  We haven’t had any cheese since Mojo island 3 weeks ago and I am craving that and bread.  While I do really enjoy the local food, a little bit of home would taste really good right now so I am hopeful that the restaurant at the hotel has some Western options.

Rob: Rice or Noodles

Making brunch or cooking dinner is our daily wind down and relaxation time. Often it involves a cool but not quite cold Bintang Beer picked up from Mama’s little stand. Out of all the things we have been cooking, we have found a few favorites that I’m certain we will carry forward in our life and travels as some of our new comfort food meals.

One is similar to something we already make at home it with a spicy 🌶 twist. The cucumbers here are hard fleshed. Fragrant but way more firm than we are accustomed to eating. They need to be marinated for a bit to soften them up. 50 / 50, sugar / vinegar with salt and pepper works great. Add fresh tomatoes, shallots and a few seeded chilis and our sweet, salty and vinegar salads are very refreshing.

We crave getting fresh Cumi, Squid, from a local fisherman. A quick battered, fried and salted treat that we could eat any time of day.

When we can get fresh beef or goat from the market, my new Indonesian mortar & pestle comes in handy. It helps make an awesome fresh ground peanut & sweet soy sauce to go with thinly sliced and literally hammered meat in the wok. Served with lots of fluffy white rice!

Our other rice favorite is shredded cabbage with onions, garlic and chilis cooked in a little oil on a blisteringly hot wok. A big bowl of half cabbage and half rice will fill you up and keep you regular. 😀

Noodles with chicken broth, onions and over easy fried eggs may be our most common lunch / brunch food. It is simple and fast to make. There are many types of noddles here but the thicker, hand cut and rolled egg noodles that soak up the onion and chicken flavor are the best. Woks make great fried fresh eggs too.

You know, I once paid $75 to have a 7 Euro loaf of Pauline bread Fedex’ed from Paris to Dallas. Could someone please send me a couple of Double Double Animal style In-n-Out burgers?

With the welcome cloud cover, I enjoyed being a dork with Gizmo yesterday morning…

Last night a group of 50ish scouts camped on the island near our place. This morning I saw them gathered and a banner at their camp indicating that today was “Clean up Kenawa Day” for Earth day. How wonderful. Cleaning up trash from the island in the brutal heat this morning, they too cooled off after in the sea.

Rob & I enjoy talking with Mama Kenawa, 1 of the handful of year round inhabitants on the island, who moved here with her husband and 14 year old daughter 4 years ago

Turkish style coffee begins every morning here

To be followed by delicious meals…fried a fresh mackerel yesterday