Last Day Vietnam: Water Puppet

Our Last Day in Vietnam, we made sure we watch the Vietnamese Water Puppet in the Old Town, Hanoi. We booked for an evening performance. Below, in the lobby of the theatre, are some puppets for sale. I bought one.


Vietnamese Water Puppets on stage:



The Puppeteers:



The Vietnamese Water Puppet Musicians:



I am waiting for the show to begin:




We had dinner the same night at this fabulous restaurant called
The Green Tangerine which was featured in the book " 100 Things to do before you Die"
Food was Asian Fusion ( Vietnamese/ French) They also have a good selection of wines.





The Green Tangerine :




One of the appetizers we ordered: soft shell crab with mango sauce:




Bart and I love Vietnamese Food:

Our last day in Hanoi, Vietnam, we also just relaxed during the day by the pool:



Madonna Davidoff in a Typical Balinese costume

Madonna Davidoff in a Kebaya:

I am wearing the traditional balinese temple dress called kebaya.





April 18


My last walk to the rice field with friends from Holland, Yvonne , an Occupational Therapist and Parham, a Physchologist from India.
Yvonne and Parham carrying a coconut seedling that will grow into a big coconut tree:



We stopped at a warung-balinese local store in the middle of the rice fields, for drinks:


Madonna,(left) Yvonne(middle) Parham(right)



on the way we stopped again at artist Nyomans studio and gallery.
Nyoman also teaches traditional Balinese painting technique:


Nyomans Paintings:


More farmers :









A tree house in Bali:










After the morning walk, a dip in the pool at Ubud Bungalow:


Then at night, I had dinner with Robin , a writer from Turkey and SanFrancisco who now lives part of the year in Bali and again with Yvonne from Holland. We ate dinner at Noori's near the Neka Museum in Ubud, known for its famous Grill and martini.


Tour of Gianyar Regency, Bali

April 17, 2009
On the way to Gianyar Regency, outside of Ubud, Maritel & I hired a private van with driver to take us around. This is my Maritel's last day in Bali before she goes home to Australia.





Below two landmarks entering Gianyar, Sculpture of Arguna



and Sculpture of Visnu:



More Balinese landscape:




We stopped to buy some Sarongs and souveniers at Sukawati Market:









I bought a kebaya (temple outfit) and a Balinese headress which I tried on myself below:







We proceeded to a Balinese Temple and wearing our sarongs and sash:



Below, Madonna in the Temple:




Maritel ,my friend, in the Temple below:





We had lunch at MAHAGIRI a restaurant that serves buffet overlooking the panaromic view of Mt. Agung, the biggest sacred volcano in Bali

Lunch was typical Balinese and Indonesian cuisine of nasi goreng, rendang, fish and chicken sate with peanut sauce, chicken curry,s oto ayam ( balinese soup) and several trpical fruits like snake fruit ( a fruit that has a skin that looks like snake skin--delicious. And of course ,we finished the meal with delicious strong balinese coffee and tea.

Madonna with the view from Mahagiri Resort & Restaurant:





The view with Madonna & Maritel below:




The view with Mt. Agung:



After lunch we went to see one of bali's waterfall:


And on the way to the water fall, we saw some Balinese preparing for the ceremony for the Besakih temple carrying their offerings:





Then we stopped at a weavers workshop:

At the workshop was a balinese instrument called the Gamelan.
With myself and Maritel trying to play the gamelan:








Then, back in Ubud, Maritel and I getting ready for a nice dinner in town :




Bali Palm Reader



As I have planned, I went to visit Ketut Liyer the Palm Reader of Ubud, Bali.

I am glad that I went to his home early since I was the second person there and more people were coming from all over the world:


Ketut Liyer's home and gallery with some of his mystical paintings:



Ketut Liyer reading my palm: He says I will live to be 103 years old and that I will have good Karma when I get reborn and that I should persue a carreer in publishing ( I'm already an illustrator) I wonder if he says this to everybody...
Anyway, wether I believe his predictions or not--at least it was fun to see him.
He is now 90 years old.

Below, Liyer reading my Palm:



Liyers hand and mine:



I sketched him while reading other people's palm and I let him sign my skctch:


In exchange, at the end of our palm reading session, Liyer ask me to sign his guestbook:



After my visit to Liyer, Yvonne from Holland whom I met at the reading, decided to eat lunch together at a Warung ,a local balinese foodstand:





A typical Warung Balinses Food: Nasi Campur:





After lunch, I took a walk to Monkey Forest:



More street scenes of Ubud:





When I reached Ubud Inn, I tried playing with the ANGKLUNG or balinese xylophone:


In the evening, I met up with my good friend Maritel foran aperitif at Cafe Wayan:

Good chilled Mojitos:



Then for dinner at another restaurant:



Here we are ending the evening by listening to live music at the Jazz Cafe:


Asian Trip 2009 First Destination: Bali

APRIL 9, 2009:


Here I am waiting to board the plane at JFK airport:





I'm now waiting for my flight to Singapore with stop over in Frankfurt, Germany. I'm writing this at the gate, waiting to board my plane. I've been lucky so far. I was able to get a window exit seat from my flight from NYC to Singapore. Although I checked in only one luggage, I'm glad that the lady in the Singapore Air counter was able to let my luggage go directly to Bali so that I didn't have to haul it the whole time I am in Singapore Changi Airport. Hopefully, if my plane is on time, I expect to land in Singapore very early in the morning and my flight for Bali won't be until night at 7:30 pm.

I got a window seat:







A Stop-over in Frankfurt, Germany. It will be an 11 hour flight from Germany to Singapore, where I will take another plane for my first destination -- Bali.
Arrived in Germany watching the screen for my connecting flight to Singapore:



My plane in Frankfurt:




Waiting in the boarding gate: I changed into my capri pants since
I know that when I in land in Singapore, it will be very hot and humid.



How I amuse myself during the long flight,
I did a drawing of a girl I saw traveling with her parents:






Below is my miniature art studio which I used inside the plane: The size of the sketch pad is 2x 3 inches, the colored pencil set is the size of a business card and the mechanical pencil is only 3 inches long. I also have a portable brush pen where I can put water inside: no used dipping it in water.



An aerial view of Europe: