Khadija and I visited six countries in November and December. The December newsletter recounted our experiences in Bhutan, Brunei and Bangkok. Here we are sharing the second half of the trip in Bali, Timor-Leste and Taiwan.

BALI:

Somehow, neither Khadija nor I had ever been to the geographically sweeping and highly populated country of Indonesia until now. We decided to go to Bali mainly because it had direct flights to Timor-Leste, our next destination. We were worried that we’d be drowned not by ocean waves but by a sea of tourists. We found two things. First, it’s touristy, especially in some locations. Second, more importantly, it has a unique Hindu culture where daily life revolves around traditional worship and the temples, monuments and landscapes are incredible.

The Elephant Cave is located near Ubud and built probably in the 11th century. The complex was discovered by Dutch archaeologists in 1923, but some parts were not uncovered until 1954. The temple’s doorway is a bizarre but compelling sight, the head of a frightening yet friendly creature, perhaps an elephant.

Bali is one of the top spots in the world for amazingly scenic rice terraces, such as these in Tegallalang. Bali has a complex irrigation system called "subak", where forests protect and funnel the water supply; rice is planted on terraces or paddies; canals, tunnels and weirs direct the water and temples either mark the source of water or act as a drainage basin. The system was developed in the 9th century.

TIMOR-LESTE (EAST TIMOR):

Portuguese sailors first came to Timor Island around 1511 but it wasn’t until 1642, they started using military force to subdue the island, in competition with the Dutch who eventually recognized their sovereignty over most of the island.

In 1975, Portugal began a process of decolonization and East Timor became independent. This lasted a week, then Indonesia invaded and occupied the country. Despite tens of thousands of troops and modern weapons, they could not subdue the resistance which was greatly helped by the mountainous terrain which provided hard-to-access refuges (Ukraine is mostly steppes and lowlands and doesn’t have this advantage when combating the Russian invasion). In 1999, Indonesia relented and the population voted 3 to 1 to become independent. In 2002, independence finally was achieved and the UN recognized it as the 191st member state.

Unlike other places with a plethora of attractions, life is fairly basic there as they work to develop their newly-made country. The most fun we had was riding the "microlets", mini-buses that make up the main form of public transport in the capital of Dili. Each trip costs only 25 centavos (local coins equivalent to 0.25 $US). East Timor uses its own coins and $US notes.

Microlets have tight seating for about 12 people on 2 benches and the routes have no fixed stops. To stop a microlet, you flag it along its route and hop on when it stops. When you are about to arrive at your destination, you tap a coin on the metal railing to request a stop. We squeezed in and met so many wonderful people while scooting around the city.

TAIWAN:

The highlight of our visit to Tainan, Taiwan's second biggest city, was watching a procession of costumed people and musicians walk from temple to temple, morning to night. These celebrations were under the banner of Taoism (or Daoism), a diverse philosophical and religious tradition indigenous to China, emphasizing harmony with the Tao 道 (way, road or path).

During the weekend, we dodged waves of devotees, who spent several months making their costumes, marching to a sequence of 25 temples.

UPCOMING TRIPS:

I’ll be traveling to Prayagraj, India for the Kumbh Mela, widely regarded as the world's largest religious gathering extending 45 days with over 100 million attendees. I was there for two weeks in 2019 and photographed extensively. During my ten-day trip, I plan to add to my photo collection and publish a photobook on the event. Afterwards, Khadija will meet me in Bangladesh, a new country for both of us, where we’ll visit for ten days. Then on our way back home, we’ll touch down a few days in Mumbai, then fly to Frankfurt to explore western Germany and Luxembourg for a week.

RECENT POST:

Read about our experience in Djibouti, a tiny country with outsized contrasts, which makes it so interesting to visit. It has a small economy but borders on the entrance to the Red Sea, one of the busiest shipping routes in the world. The military is staffed with half the personnel of the New York City Police Department yet hosts military and naval bases of several countries. There are long stretches of flat, arid land which skirt flora-rich and sizable mountains, the highest over 6,600 m / 21,500 ft. About two-thirds live in the capital of the same name and ten percent live as semi-nomadic pastoralists. There are streetlights and thoroughfares in Djibouti City and otherworldly landscapes a few hours away. The official languages are Arabic and French but Somali and Afar are the most widely spoken.

A highlight was the fanciful Lake Abbe where the 1968 “Planet of the Apes” movie was filmed.

PHOTOGRAPHY:

My beautifully printed black and white “Station to Station: Exploring the New York City Subway” coffee table book is still available. Click here or email me for a signed copy, not available anywhere else!

RECENT BOOKS​:

I just finished “The Magic Bus: On the Hippie Trail from Istanbul to India” by Rory MacLean. In the 1960s and 1970s, hundreds of thousands of young westerners in search of enlightenment blazed the “hippie trail” that ran through Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Nepal. The author revisited the trail around 2004, where he encountered a few of them visiting or living there. I went to Pakistan and Iran in 1999, India for the first time in 2003, Turkey in 2008, Nepal in 2017 and Afghanistan in 2024. It was fascinating comparing the different cultural and political environments for each country when the hippies traipsed through, when the author traveled there and when I visited.

SOCIALS:

My website www.ExploringEd.com with detailed posts on our trips.

FB: @Ed.Hotchkiss.3 and @Exploring Ed Travel | IG: @Exploring.Ed.Travel​

DONATE:

Fueled by powerful winds and dry conditions, a series of ferocious wildfires have devastated neighborhoods, destroyed thousands of structures and tragically injured and killed many people. However, another round of fire-igniting weather could continue the destruction.

Here are three organizations that are helping the affected people of Los Angeles. I just contributed to all of them and urge you to also support them.

​Project HOPE is on the ground in Los Angeles, actively distributing hygiene kits to displaced families and children, procuring high-need items for shelters and health clinics, supporting health workers administering care to people affected, and mobilizing mental health support in response to the historic fires.

The California Community Foundation Wildfire Recovery Fund complements immediate relief, addressing the long-term recovery needs of neighborhoods long after media attention has shifted away. Their disaster and recovery efforts support an array of critical recovery services, including housing, case management, mental health, and medical care for displaced residents.

The American Red Cross is working 24/7 with partners in Southern California to make sure people have the support they need in the face of the Palisades Fire, Eaton Fire, Hurst Fire, Lidia Fire, Sunset Fire and Kenneth Fire.

Happy Traveling 🌏… Exploring Ed