The last sweltering days of Delhi... and we went on a bicycle tour with the kids.
After three years, we finally thought they were ready to face the frenzy of Old Delhi.
There is a Dutch guy, Jack Leenders, who just started doing guided bicycle tours (you would have to be Dutch for that) and we decided to join one. Our two fellow-riders were British, visiting India for a week and wanting to experience it to the fullest. Well, no better start than a bicycle tour through the busiest, filthiest, oldest part of town!

We started at New Delhi station and immediately got stuck in traffic; there is a busstop there and buses push their way in and out, with pedestrians, riksha's, tuctucs, cars and obviously us trying to sort of wiggle in between. It took us 15 minutes before we could hit the roads, immediately being surrounded by honking cars and scooters and all sorts of vehicles passing us by left and right! What excitement!

The bicycles are of Indian manufacturing which makes them so basic that nothing can break, but also fairly uncomfortable...thank got they have good breaks and bells! Especially the bells...you NEED them!

We did not stay on the big roads and soon were zigzagging in the small streets of the bazaars, trying not to hit any cows, goats, dogs, garbage heaps, and people...what a mess! What smells! What intensity! There Delhi was, in all its long-gone beauty, leaving on big chaos behind that was right in our faces! I have lived here for three years now but I never experienced India so close as I did this time on the seat of a bike!

Roos, with her lushy 16 years, was obviously the attraction of the day. Even though she (sort of) covered up, the men she encountered all changed into drooling fools, mouth wide open, staring after her as if they had just seen one of the wonders of the world pass by. It was really funny! Roos decided that next time, she'll wear a Burka.

We stopped for Chai while riding through the quiet lanes of the Civil Lines district (where the expats used to live at the end of the 19th century), stopped for breakfast at Karim's, "the" Moghul restaurant near the Jama Mashid, and finally were able to safely yet stiff get off our bicycles at New Delhi station. It has been by far the most exciting trip I ever took in Old Delhi!

(for those interested: www.delhibycycle.com)

Been to Bali again...
The kids visited us for their summer holidays, and as in India the temperatures are still soaring (and India is not REALLY a country to relax) we decided to go to Bali with them.
After all, us living here is the perfect opportunity for us, and them, to see parts of the world where you would otherwise not go so easily!

We had our usual stopover in Bangkok, this time with healthy kids, and did what one does in Bangkok: took a trip down the river, visited Wat Arun and Wat Pho, had sushi, and went shopping. Especially the shopping part appeals very much to the kids who are in the shop-until-you-drop phase...and with a clothing size that let them fit it all!!!!

Then onto Bali, where we had rented a car and toured the island. Bali is very different from north to south; the south has white beaches, lots of hotels and upscale restaurants, and surf-dude beaches. The north is rugged, volcanic, dry and quiet. No fancy restaurants here, but clear water, corals, endless amounts of fishes and dolphins. We got up before sunrise, squeezed into a little narrow boat, and went out to sea to watch the sun come up and the dolphins surface...and it was fantastic! So quiet and peaceful, I could have watched forever.
Finally the middle of Bali is covered with rice paddies, friendly and tranquil and green. The heart of the middle is Ubud, a small friendly town where the local intellectuals, artists and yoga-practicioners reside....and the occasional full-moon worshipper...but the real attraction of Ubud -at least for the kids- was of course the extensive shopping area which is filled with little nice shops. Had a great time!