Where do baby monkeys come from?

Jul 032011
 
Where do baby monkeys come from? | Monkey Sex in Ulu Watu, Bali, Indonesia

We were enjoying the view from the cliffs of Ulu Watu in Bali – it was a beautiful moment until…a slight interruption.  Just then it occurred to me that I was surrounded by monkeys…and they seized the moment.  I was photographing a monkey on the edge of the cliff, when another jumped on her from behind. Then two other monkeys having sex too. Then two more. Where am I??

Where do baby monkeys come from? | Monkey Sex in Ulu Watu, Bali, Indonesia

Mommy, where do baby monkeys come from?

These monkeys were in their natural habitat, so anything goes. Including this first photo. What, you’ve never seen monkeys having sex?

 

Macaque monkeys have a Discovery Channel moment at Ulu Watu, Bali Indonesia| Photo by Todd L. Cohen, 50and50by50.com

a Discovery Channel moment for the monkeys at Ulu Watu

Forget doggystyle – this is monkey style!

 

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My View from the Air

Jan 102011
 
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Oh-bah-ma! New York, New York!

Jan 102011
 
When I tell local Indonesians I meet that I’m from NY, I get an immediate response of word association of everything that comes to mind for them at a rapid pace. Typically it starts with them excitedly  blurting out
“Oh-bah-ma!!”
Immediately followed by “New York, New York – Sinatra!”
Or singing Alicia Keys’  chorus line from “Empire State of Mind,” which is funny because they both have a strong accent and are typically way off key. The combo is quite entertaining and didn’t get old even after having this happen nearly two dozen times in just a week.
Sometimes this is followed by “US and A!” cheer, and then random facts that they know about the US.  ”50 States!”   One guy started naming random US state capitals. One guy started rattling off random cities he had heard of, that we have 100 senators, and the NY Yankees.
Interestingly enough I found I got a warmer initial response when I said I was from New York rather than from America or the US.
Has anyone else had an experience like this?  Is this typical for countries in SE Asia?  I think I remember Ross mentioning it on his travel blog, at HowWasYourTrip.com.  Let me know if this has happened to you.
Like my experience in HK, I met such wonderful people here (both travelers and Indonesians).  Some of them I’ve been staying in touch with (and some will be perhaps by reading this blog).
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Wings Air — Cheapest Flight I’ve taken

Jan 102011
 
Wings Air - a prop plane to get us from Bali to Java

My flight from Bali (DPS) to Java (SUB) was $29 on Wings Air. That’s the least I’ve spent on a flight up to this point. It’s a prop plane. That’s right, we’re flying a plane with a propeller. Hope we make it!

Wings Air - a prop plane to get us from Bali to Java

Wings Air. It's a real plane. Just with propellers. Can this thing fly?

“]Closeup photo of the propeller of the Wing's Air prop plane

Closeup photo of the propeller from the plane. [It was taken through an airplane window so it's a little grainy

You can see the propeller on the Wings Air plane pictured above. I had last taken one on my trip through Belize and that was an adventure!  Scary!  I’ll post about the Belize adventure after I finish posting about the 15-country Asia trip.

My $29 Wing's Air prop plane flight

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Seafood dinner for less than $4

Jan 092011
 
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Learning Indonesian

Jan 092011
 
If you’re going to be in a city for a few days, it’s always appreciated when you take a moment to learn a few key phrases. That’s particularly challenging in a country like Indonesia, with so many languages being spoken (Balinese and different dialects of Bahasa Indonesian were most common in Bali).  But it’s important.
Regardless of what city I’m in, I find myself saying Thank You quite a bit, so in Indonesian, that’s “Terima Kasih.”  Pair that with a warm smile and they’re likely to response with “Sammah Sammah” – You’re welcome. For some reason in Bali the word kaliren (hungry) came up a lot.  ”always kaliren!”
Special thanks to Afit, Nadya, and Dina, for teaching me their language.
Note: neither of those last two phrases came up accurately under Google Translate, but I was using them every day in Java and people seemed to know exactly what I was saying.
Like my experience in HK, I’ve met such wonderful people here (both travelers and Indonesians).  Some of them I’ve been staying in touch with (and some will be perhaps by reading this blog).
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Slideshows: Monkeys in Bali

Jan 082011
 

Both photo galleries from our day with the monkeys on the cliffs of Ulu Watu are below  – click SL for slideshow, and FS for full screen mode.  Read more... (649 words, 10 images, estimated 2:36 mins reading time)

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Monkeys Everywhere!

Jan 082011
 
Baby Monkeys at Ulu Watu! | Macaques in Bali, Indonesia| Photo by Todd L. Cohen, 50and50by50.com

Monkeys in Bali – I found myself surrounded by macaques (monkeys) in Ulu Watu, in Bali, Indonesia. They were everywhere!  I had never seen so many monkeys in the wild, in their natural habitat. Photos of these Long-tailed macaques from Bali are below:

Monkeys at Ulu Watu! | Macaques in Bali, Indonesia| Photo by Todd L. Cohen, 50and50by50.com

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Monkeys (macaques) at Ulu Watu, Bali, Indonesia

These baby monkeys (baby macaques) were so playful - Bali, Indonesia (Ulu Watu)

These baby monkeys were so playful - macaques in Bali, Indonesia (Ulu Watu)

Bananas for Monkey Lunch Break for this macaque, Bali, Indonesia (Ulu Watu) Bananas for Monkey Lunch Break in Bali, Indonesia

Can I help you? Monkeys in Bali macaques

Can I help you?

Monkey (macaque) laughing, Bali, Indonesia (Ulu Watu)
this monkey started laughing so hard he appeared to fall off the branch and roll, and then kept until 2 other monkeys joined him in the laughter.

monkey (macaque) - Bali, Indonesia (Ulu Watu)Monkeys (macaques) at the cliffs Ulu Watu, Bali, Indonesia

A couple of monkeys (macaques) at Ulu Watu, Bali, Indonesia

Photos of long-tailed macaques in Bali, Indonesia at Ulu Watu.  Read more... (229 words, 38 images, estimated 55 secs reading time)

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SCUBA surprise – is that a shark??

Jan 072011
 

Imagine looking in a cave-like crevice and realizing for the first time, you’re face-to-face with a Whitetip Shark!  When you’re a beginner SCUBA Diver, you have plenty of things to worry about – equalizing, breathing, buoyancy… but sharks??

It was my last dive of the day after getting Open Water Certified – while I cognitively understand the basic essentials of SCUBA Diving, I’m still very much a beginner. I needed to get better at everything – breathing, equalizing, buoyancy, but it’ll get better with experience.  I was really nervous and that might have overwhelmed my excitement.

Each time you dive you follow a “Dive Master,” regardless of your experience level. This is someone that knows a lot more than me and the dive site really well. Beyond looking out for your safety, they act as your guide, and point out things that you should notice. Especially in my first few dives, I barely noticed anything, hyper-focused on breathing properly and equalizing.  Read more... (937 words, 11 images, estimated 3:45 mins reading time)

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Learning to Surf in Kuta (Bali, Indonesia)

Jan 072011
 

I learned how to surf for the first time in Kuta, on the island of Bali, Indonesia. Surfing was really challenging!  I went surfing for the next few mornings and eventually go the hang of it.

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