In the world of two foodies and a bonafide chef (Rob is a classically trained French chef from L’Ecole Escoffier in Paris), our morning started off beautifully. I was up earlier and approached a fisherman who was in front of the house asking, “Beli ikan?” Buy a fish? He presented me with his catch – four fresh squid. I asked him to hold on a minute while I grabbed my Suami/husband from inside. Rob rolled out of bed, put some shorts on and quickly came back home with four live squid that he purchased for $50,000rp or $3.75 USD.

 

Clearly, a bargain. We were both so excited. We hadn’t had squid yet since we arrived in Indonesia. Rob began breaking them down, setting aside the tentacles and 2 of the steaks cut into strips to batter & fry with salt and pepper.  We immediately fried that fresh meat and it was SO GOOD! I can’t rave enough about how fresh and delicious it tasted for breakfast!!!

The other 2 steaks were braised for several hours with ginger, chili, shallot, soy and garlic and made a delicious dinner over rice.  Operation squid was a success and we hope to repeat it.

We have already dubbed tomorrow, “day of the goat” since we plan on getting 1 kilo when  we head to Alas market in the morning to prepare 2 separate ways for lunch & dinner.

I forgot to add a few photos last night from our sunset view on the pier. It was quite beautiful 💓🌅

Happy Friday the 13th everyone!

Lacy: This same date last year, as we had hiked nearly 400 miles through the Southern California desert’s Pacific Crest Trail, we  certainly could not have anticipated that one year later we would be almost half way around the world and enjoying a 26 day stay on one of Indonesia’s most beautiful and cherished islands.  Trading in the crunch of dirt and sand under our hiking shoes for the feel of sand between our toes and salt water on our lips as we snorkel. Moving out of our 50×80 tent and into an island Earthship. Leaving behind our gloves and jackets for bathing suits and sunscreen. Yes, we brought our hiking poles as we intend to conquer some Indonesian elevation this summer!

Ever since we embarked on our journey from Dallas to California to begin the Pacific Crest Trail on March 13, 2017 we mark the 13th of every single month and note how long it’s been since we started this adventure together. Today is THIRTEEN months! WOW! During those months we hiked 800+ miles of the PCT (I have hiked well over 1,000 between all our travels), climbed Mt. Whitney, road tripped across the country covering California, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, up to the NE and enjoyed every single season along the way to its fullest by being in the right location at the right time. Spring blooms in the Anzo Borego Desert, summer time from Lake Tahoe to New Mexico, experiencing the leaves turn colors and drop in Hunter, NY and finally the magnificent winter wonderland that followed in those same mountains.  Opening ourselves up to different places and experiences & following what we felt drawn to along the way directed us to Taos, New Mexico where we fell in love with the Earthship design, it’s promise of sustainability, respect of the environment,  and just downright sensibility. Pursuing that knowledge and attending the month long academy program in November gave us the opportunity to maintain and improve the very Earthship we woke up in this morning on the tiny island of Kenawa.

And so here we are, feeling unbelievably fortunate and blessed for where we have been and WHERE WE ARE. Our day today was so special that all 3 of us, Rob, Teri and myself, all commented that we feel like we are kings and living in paradise. The morning started with a 9am boat ride towards Mandiki, also known as Stone Island. It’s not far, but it took us across the west side of Kenawa which we had not previously traveled. We were able to get a closer look at the surrounding islands we have viewed for the last week and a half as Suji helped us learn their names: Pasarang, Belang and yes, we are staring right at Lombok and Rinjani.

That huge mountain is indeed the second highest volcano in the country at 12,000+ ft that we will climb this summer. It’s so big and magnificent rising out of the sea even this far away. It would take an hour and a half to get there in the boat we were in, 2 hours by public ferry. We were all on cloud nine surveying the islands around us from a different view and we hadn’t even completed the 20 minute road to Mandiki yet. Mandiki is basically just the top of a mountain sticking out of the ocean. You wouldn’t get on the tiny thing with one wind blown tree crowning the top, but the snorkeling surrounding it was spectacular.

Rob thinks this tree on top makes it look like a chia pet! Suji dropped us off close by the island so we could take in the coral and bigger fish and just hung out as we enjoyed. I have been a little fish myself here in Indonesia and love being in the water. I’m infatuated with the snorkeling here. Every day is better than the last. I see bigger and different fish each time I go out. Today, the ocean floor was littered with clusters of my blue starfish friends. Very different. I must have seen several dozen. The biggest change here was the force of the current. It was very strong compared to “our island.” I had difficultly swimming against it or staying in one place (which miraculously is never an issue on Kenawa and I can soak in any one image as long as I desire). But the current wasn’t any bother because Suji and his brother just slowly followed us along as we moved with it so we would never be far from the boat if we needed a break. I looked up once and I was the only one in the water still. Rob and Teri were relaxing in the boat but I was far from done. I hung on to the outrigger with my face under the water in the deeper parts feeling the water course over my body as the boat moved to a better part to take in the underwater world. I must have snorkeled there for over an hour before climbing in the boat and giving the OK to start our trip back home. I rode on the front of the boat on the way home taking photos, soaking in the morning sun, the view and loving life. It kind of reminded me of being on the boat we chartered for several days when we were in Hawaii for our honeymoon. Great memories. No question I’m going to look back on this month with a smile in my heart. Right after we pulled onto shore by the house the 3 of us prepared to snorkel even more. It was only 11 and the sun was still raking in through the sea beautifully. Teri went in front of the house and Rob and I walked down the island to hop in at the tip where it’s deeper, the fish bigger and the coral a little different than out in front of our Earthship. Pole spear in hand, Rob tried to get our dinner. I let him know I was going to let the current carry me the 1/2 mile back home. What a difference the current is here. I actually had to help swim part of the way back because it wasn’t strong enough to take me back in less than an hour. Ha! We are so spoiled here. I love it!!! I saw a couple of fish on my float back home that I made a note to tell Rob about.

Today was a great all over work out with the amount of swimming I did. A little work on the cisterns rounded out our day. We watched the sunset off the pier while enjoying a Bintang, looked at the dark sky and the bright stars that filled at while hugging and saying happy Friday the 13th, 13 months of excitement.

I have so much more I could say like how special the sky is at night here with the millions of stars I can see without light pollution, how I enjoyed watching the sunset again this evening while cleaning up the worlds trash off this beach or that the new Florence and the Machine single came onto today to just be the cherry on my sundae, but I’ll end on this note…

Whether we are hiking through the mountains in Southern California or living in this magical snorkel paradise in SE Asia I am blessed because to have my best friend with me. The people you are with ALWAYS make the experience. And I am one lucky girl to have found this man to share all this with. Today was a great day!

Rob: In the later part of the afternoon today a group came by the Earthship. We are getting used to this, so it seemed kinda’ normal. They all introduced themselves, we shook hands and I invited them in for a look around. They were very inquisitive, but in a manner different from regular tourists. They were really eager to chat and I was so proud to help them learn more about why these homes were built here of tires and bottles.  It was done by so many volunteers for them and their country to try to literally and figuratively turn the tide from recyclable material floating around in the ocean to building something sustainable and beautiful. I quickly leaned that it was a teacher from Lombok who had brought a handful of his best students specifically to visit the Earthships on Kenawa. We talked about the water collection, solar power and sewage processing systems in more detail than normal. They spoke a lot amongst themselves in excited tones and seemed to be genuinely impressed and inspired. They excused themselves quickly after taking a few pictures and I wished that they had more time to stay and talk. It was so rewarding to help them see something new – a really great part of a near perfect day.

 

 

Alas Market by Rob

At 8am friend/coordinator Suji and our boat arrived to take us to Alas and the market. Alas is a small town about 30 minutes drive from Poto Tano Harbor which is also just a 10-15 minute boat ride from where we live in Kenawa Island. I had asked Suji to help us get a car for the trip as the communication was a bit hard to work through about motorbikes. I wasn’t sure if we would have our own or if we would both be clinging to the back of a scooter with a 13 year old kid at the controls. It’s a common sight to see a family of three or four, 2 live chickens and groceries zipping along well over every intended limit of the motorbike. The car was great and truly needed as we also bought some larger items we needed to work on the Earthship house. I later found out that we would get our own motorbike next time, thus relieving some of my stress. This got us thinking about renting or buying a small motorcycle to continue our trek after our time on Kenawa.

The locals roads are filled with horse carriages, motorbikes and small buses.

Ok. Back to the market itself. Being the tallest, whitest person anywhere I go, I hear “Hello Mister” often. I always reward the polite and just “Hello” calls with a genuine smile and happy wave that have always been returned, so far, with smiles twice as big as mine. Our first stop in the sprawling market area were the fresh produce stalls. They are clustered together in a warren of buildings and open areas mostly covered by low tarps or thatched roofs. Each purveyor has their own area and selection.

Lots of locally farmed vegetables, next to an almost identical group of veggies except you can also get eggs, next to one with only spices and next to another with just chilis, but 12 different kinds. Rows of stalls with clothes and housewares were separated from the meat and fish area. Some fish were beautifully fresh and some were definitely yesterday’s catch. “City” chickens with white breast meat are a small farmed version of what you would see in the States and “Village” chickens are an even smaller wilder breed that can live roaming free eating anything and everything.

We passed on the fresh meat this time but know that we will carefully select some goat on our next visit. I don’t know if the Goat Butcher understood me when I told her that I’ll be back next week but I hope her shop is still in the same place. We did stock up on more veggies, eggs, soy sauce and instant coffee. More coconut biscuits, which are our afternoon or bedtime treat. A different type of egg noodle to try and some curry paste rounded out the vegetable market spree.

I also have a new favorite fruit that I could eat everyday. We were making our way around the market and back out on the road when we came across a fruit vendor selling a rainbow of unfamiliar shapes and colors from the back of her little mini truck. Snake Fruit or locally, Salak, is fantastic. It has a hard brown snake like skin over a medium firm white fruit that tastes just like strawberries. Crunchy, slightly juicy, strawberries. Awesome. We need to find her again so I can try several others I looked up on my phone afterwards.

Lacy skipped breakfast knowing we would be eating at the market. We had noticed several roadside vendors on our fast pass through Alas on our way to the Island last week. Last week… amazing that we’ve already been here a week. Brunch was already planned around something hot, grilled and decidedly non vegetarian! Across from the vegetable market our sights became fixated on a particular cart creating a wafting of animal fat smoke from a little wood fired grill that also had a small shady place behind it.

Full and interior views of the Warung (cart) from the other side of street.  We happily ate tucked away in the shade. 

Warung Kambing carts are a type of cart that sells grilled goat satays. There can be 3 of the exact same type lined up side by side waiting for the lunch crowd. We ordered the one and only house special and it came hot and grilled with a spicy peanut sauce and side of rice. We missed getting the brothy soup made from the bones that Suji also ordered to go with everything, but I won’t skip it next time. Very, very satisfying. And… at 20,000 Rupiah or about $1.50 US, it was a delicious bargain.

One very important reason that we chose to go to this market was to search for a “salad bowl”. Specifically a stainless steel bowl that was 60cm wide. We knew it would be hard to find, not having the luxury of wandering around in a cavernous restaurant supply warehouse in some major US city. In Earthship building, these have become a go-to to cover the top of the water cisterns. As the roof slope and shape gather every drop of rainwater possible, it is channeled through broken coral stone to slow it down and let sediment fall out. It then needs a sunlight blocking method to run into the cisterns. Stainless steel bowls with strategically drilled holes and layers of loose stone or coral are the perfect way to catch water without silt or sediment while protecting the precious water stored from sunlight and algae. We were lucky to find giant cloches that would normally be used to cover food from flies here during outdoor meals. They already had the tiny holes drilled and are exactly the same size as the 60cm opening of the cisterns. I guess I know what home improvements we will be working on for the next few days. 🙂

After enjoying one of the best snorkeling afternoons yet we enjoyed yet another great view of the fishing boats from our front porch as we relaxed after the market.

 

 

The Earthships attract quite a bit of attention on the island with their unique shape and bottle work that glows in the sun. Boats arrive almost daily with small to large groups that wander the tiny island and pass our homes on the way to climb the single hill and take in the 360 view of the surrounding islands.  They would attract a certain amount of attention anywhere they reside due to their unique shape and obvious use of materials you wouldn’t typically see used in the construction of a home (tires, glass bottles, cans…), but since these are 2 of the only structures on the island and certainly the only 2 Earthships in all of Indonesia they get “oohs” and “aaahs” from every passerby as well as the obligatory photo or 3.

Left: bottle work in WC  Right: in shower room

 

The sunrise illuminates the southern wall creating a beautiful frame for the ocean between.

And yes, they call it the “hobbit house.”  When we are home we invite the visitors into the home to experience the interior and explain how these are entirely autonomous buildings without the need to be hooked up to any sort of existing infrastructure. Electricity is provided from the sun and stored in batteries, water is harvested from the rain (we are at the tail end of the rainy season) & stored in 2 large cisterns and filtered through a series of pumps.  The tires create a structure that is stronger and more durable than typical homes and can withstand hurricanes and earthquakes. Various humitarian relief projects have been completed or are currently underway let by the pioneer, Michael Reynolds, to bring this concept to areas in need. We attended the Academy with a group of students from Puerto Rico who are now leading such an effort back home in conjunction with Earthship Biotecture. The results are amazing as it takes the debris from a storm that ravished the area and provides a home that can withstand yet another upcoming hurricane season without having to be fearful that there homes will be destroyed.

Welcoming visitors…

Yesterday, as Rob, Teri and myself cooked dinner on the veranda to the sound of the tide coming in and the sunset creating a pink sky, we were greeted by a large international group that had just arrived to the island. Barefoot and in bathing suits, approximately 20 people walked the shore in front of the house. We waved and welcomed them all in so that we could explain what it was they were marveling at. A young girl said this was something she was  very interested in. I explained the Academy that we had attended to her and wrote some information down for her to follow up on. As the boats typically arrive around 5 so that the passengers can climb the hill and enjoy the sunset view, they soon left to do that just that.

Views from the hill…

We were pleased that the captain, a local Indonesian from Lombok named Omar, stayed behind to chat while we prepared our meal. He explained that his large boat typically takes 20-40 people at a time for 3-4 days around various islands. They provide all accommodations and food for the entirety of the trip for the equivalent of $120 USD. Yep, things are crazy inexpensive here. Rob and I are thinking of hopping on one of these tours as our exit off the island on the 28th and landing on another island.  This particular boat is going to Moyo next. Omar spoke perfect English and invited us to stay at his home in Lombok when we get there as he lives right on the water and is one hour from the Rinjani trek we plan to do while here. Rinjani is the second highest active volcano in the country at 12,000+ ft elevation. One of the tourists we met tonight said he climbed it and it was an incredibly steep and difficult hike, even with porters. He was glad he did it and would never do it again. Sign me up. I’m itching for a climb that kicks my ass.  We took Omar’s number and may have him pick us up from our island at the the end of the month and stay at his place before climbing. It’s great to soak in all this information from the comfort of our veranda as people visit and pass by.  As this group descended the hill and walked back down the shore to board their boat and eat dinner we were told, “We thank you for what you are doing. The whole world thanks you.”  Those words brought a smile to all 3 of our faces because we all passionately believe in the sustainability of these homes and the importance of living in this manner.

Working in the sun

Indonesia’s numerous islands straddle both sides of the equator so not surprisingly the sun is very intense here. We knew it would be and came prepared with SPF protective clothing and lots of reef safe sunscreen. The temperature is between 80-87 degrees F with humidity at 75-85% daily. It’s hot and sticky. Thankfully, we have the ocean to cool off in and the much desired afternoon cloud cover that rolls in. The monsoon season has passed, but we are still getting occasional afternoon/evening showers that we love. It cools the day off and brings a breeze. Eventually the humidity comes back through, but we are sleeping just fine with a light sheet over us. The heat limits how much work we do outside in the middle of the day, but the snorkeling is perfect with the cloudless sky and sun shining through to illuminate the fish at this time. We have been diligent about sun protection and happy to report no sunburns have occurred. Hoping it stays that way!

 

Completing my second cup of coffee as I finish this post and about to take a skinny dip in the ocean to smart my day. Wishing everyone a week filled with curiousity, gratitude and fulfillment.

Much love, Lacy XX

Our first five days on Kenawa have gone by quickly. When we pulled up to the island on Monday I think both mine and Rob’s jaws dropped at the site of the Earthships and the clear water ten steps from the door of the closest one. We were greeted by Mama & Papa Kenawa who are the only 2 actual residents of this 32 acre island. With their help, and Suji’s, we unboarded both houses and began exploring our new home sweet home.

 

Rob and I took the house closest to the ocean since it has a king size bed and Teri took Earthship 2 just a few steps farther back. The bottle work in the houses is really the main feature (I promise to take photos for next post). Each morning that I wake up all I need to do is open my eyes and I can see all the beautiful glass bottles lit up with the ocean in between. That’s how close we are. I hear the tide rolling in when I wake up in the middle of the night, watch the sky turn orange across the water if I wake early enough and all without moving at all. All the doors are screen to allow the wind to flow through the house and leaves the view unobstructed.

We spent our arrival day cleaning the house, settling in and discovering what was already here for us to use. The batteries that charge from solar power were drained in Teri’s house, but we charged them over the next day and got them back up and running. There is plenty of work for us to do this month, but not without ample time to enjoy this island each day as well. The water is so clear and remarkably stunning. Our living room is on the front veranda where we spend most of our time. That’s also where we make all of our meals. Mama Kenawa has a shop a two minute walk along the shore where we can always grab a meal
or a mildly cool beer, but so far we have been making our own meals. We all know Rob loves to cook and we stocked up on noodles, rice, vegetables, lots of hot chilis and other assorted items before arriving. The food is very very inexpensive here.

Every evening he begins his relaxation time of cooking and I’m the happy recipient! We even had a little baby tuna one evening that was so fresh and delicious. My favorite part of the island so far is the snorkeling! I’m in love. Every day we have a “snorkeling date.” This morning I couldn’t wait and rolled out of bed, into my swimsuit (which isn’t always required- the first day we snorkeled naked) and off to see my beloved fish. By far, I see more zebra fish than anything else. Schools of them! But there are so many different and brightly colored fish and I see different ones every day. What makes me smile most are the HUGE bright blue star fish. They are a foot long across and just splay out on the coral for me to see. I will become brave enough to use my waterproof phone case and take photos to share. I would love to share what I am seeing. Mostly our days consist of a bit of work (today we began to repair a roof leak on Teri’s house), snorkeling, admiring the shells and coral, cooking, chatting with visitors to the island, reading and watching stunning sunsets. Island life is nice. It’s relaxed.

Since the island is so small we easily walked around it in 45 minutes on our first morning here. Magnificent views surround each part. I especially love the mountains on the surrounding island. I truly am a mountain girl at heart. Upon climbing the one hill on the island to watch the sunset last night we counted 13 distinct islands that we can see surrounding us. And when we look down I can see the green and blue ocean beckoning me to explore it underneath. Today we did just that and chose a new piece of shore to snorkel from. We plan to snorkel around the entire island discovering each new piece of coral reef it has to offer. Today’s adventure was just what I needed. The water was deeper, the coral larger with huge mushroom fans and the fish bigger. Rob plans to come back and use his pole spear to catch these bigger ones for dinner one evening. The cherry on top though was that we swam all the way to the tip of the island and then had to decide how to get back to our place – swim or climb the steep cliffside of the back of the hill. Naturally, we chose to climb the cliff-face which was a little precarious (my dad would say “be careful and don’t make worry!” just like he did when I climbed a mountain by myself this winter and came back covered in cuts and bruises because I recklessly went up farther on the ice than I should have). From shore line to hilltop today. It was spectacular and yes, we saw 2 more big blue starfish.

As I finish writing this, the daily rain just stopped (usually happens for 30 minutes towards the end of each day as the rainy season ends), the air is cooling and a full rainbow just faded. Rob is cutting shallots and preparing dinner while the tide recedes. I didn’t see the starlings tonight like I normally do at dusk, but I’m sure our morning dragonflies will welcome us tomorrow.💓🌸☀️