Much as we were both perfectly content in Ubud with a steady diet of yoga, massage, nature and plant based foods, we are eager to discover more of Indonesia.
Flores is an archipelago of islands that has always interested us and one of those places that we have hoped to “get to, one day”. Well that day is here…
Ben has a work assignment that centers around island logistics and environmental sustainability. Indonesia, being comprised of 17,000 islands, is a good place to start his assessment. So this is a case of business and adventure converging nicely.
Just a short one hour flight from Bali and are in a whole new world to discover.
Let’s go!
On the plane we turn to the airline magazine map. All the white areas on the map, comprise the Indonesian archipelago of islands. Indonesia is a massive country in terms of the region, the archipelago covers from one tip to the other.
Out of the plane window, we get a first view of some of the small islands and are looking forward to some island hopping.
Just a little bit of history of Flores, over the past 500 years…
Portuguese traders and missionaries came to Flores, the 10th largest island in Indonesia, in the 16th century. During the Portuguese presence in Flores, local islanders (Larantuqueiros) became the dominant sandalwood trading people in the region for the next 200 years.
This group used Portuguese as the language for worship (as a result of the establishment of Dominican order), Malay, as the language for trade and various dialects as their mother tongue. Subsequent to the Portuguese presence, in 1854, the Portuguese “sold” the islands to the Dutch empire. A third foreign presence came during World War II, when the Japanese invasion force occupied Flores.
Finally, after the war, Flores became part of an independent Indonesia. As a result of this Portuguese/Dutch colonial phase of Flores’s history, the people of Flores are predominantly Roman Catholic, with a minority being Muslim.
Nothing more exciting to us than landing in a totally new place!
Small plane, short flight, tiny airport. Easy! The adventure begins…
Labuan Bajo is a small fishing village, reshaping itself into an eco-tourism destination due in large part to the magnificent set of small islands and marine life within short boat ride distance. There is a perpetual movement of small boats in and out of the bay.
The guest house we are staying in is perched on the side of a hill, and feels like a bird’s nest with a great view.
From our little rustic balcony on the hill, we notice a pink jetty going out into the water and set off to find it.
At the end of the jetty, is a little sitting area, perfect for watching the activity of small boats coming and going. Behind Ben, the hill where our guesthouse is located.
A girl in pink on the pink jetty ~ with her grandmother. We do not have language in common but nonetheless we share a few moments of enjoying the setting together.
One of many colorful old wooden boats which all seem to have a lot of history in their textured surfaces.
Labuan Bajo is going through a transformation. The government of Indonesia is eager to motivate international tourists to visit beyond Bali, which currently attracts the bulk of tourism in Indonesia. The Flores archipelago with its rich bio diversity has been targeted for development both by the national and local governments and we see plenty of evidence that change is coming.
A promenade is under construction along the waterfront, and we dodge the workers and concrete blocks, as we stroll alongside with children playing and people going about their day in the densely populated community that borders the water front. It seems inevitable that the waterfront community will be impacted by the forthcoming changes.
Tin roofs, wooden stairs, plastic tarp for shade ~ an example of what the houses on the waterfront look like.
Clothes hanging on washing lines, satellite dishes and pointy roofs.
Strolling along one of the two main streets in Labuan Bajo, there are many wooden original clap board houses which line the street, and some are still used as residential housing, while others have been converted into store fronts or small restaurants. Hopefully this architectural heritage will be preserved and not lost as Labuan Bajo develops.
As we walk through the streets of Labuan Bajo, in the mornings and late afternoons (avoiding the mid day heat) we find that the people which make up this community are exceptionally friendly and engaging. Everyone we encounter and attempt to interact with, responds with smiles and warmth. (Most foreigners are here very briefly as they are booking their scuba diving activities and head out to sea.) We are not in a rush to go to the islands and are enjoying interacting and discovering the local community.
Looking over the roofs of the houses one can see how close together these have been built. We slowly walk through the maze of narrow alleys to get acquainted with this community.
Three young friends take a break from the hot midday sun under the watchful eye of a parent.
A tailor passes down the skill of his trade, to his young son.
Strong faces reflect the indigenous heritage of these women.
A few women gather to sell vegetables and trade stories of the day.
A perfect metaphor for Labuan Bajo…. The authentic traditional straw broom working in concert with a modern day plastic scoop.
While the overall Flores population is reportedly Catholic, this small waterfront community, is clearly predominantly Muslim.
The face of Indonesia. Nearly 50% of the Indonesian population is under 25 years old.
A brand new wooden bridge is part of the infrastructure development we are seeing all around the waterfront. We cross over to explore the other side, where there is another cluster of houses.
The bridge is clearly an addition which the locals are enjoying, especially at sunset. A group of girls befriend us for a few moments of laughter. They are not at all shy and are eager to have a chat and practice their English.
Children rule here ~ makeshift toys, tires, bicycles, plastic buckets, marbles and a whole lot of laughter.
In front of all the houses on this side of the bay, there is a natural sand playground for the kids.
Talk about being color co-ordinated with one’s house!
Seems like very few foreigners walk around here. We get a few surprised and amused looks… Someone asks us if we are perhaps lost?
We stop to watch a spirited game ~ a combination of volleyball and soccer ~ using a homemade bamboo ball.
A dramatic sunset closes out the day in the bay of Labuan Bajo.
It is fitting to end this post on Labuan Bajo by sharing the haunting call to prayer which dominates the landscape, several times a day. Three mosques, three competing imams. The one that breaks the night’s silence at 3:45 am is particularly melodic.
Great destination. We were lucky enough to travel to Flores by boat.
A boat adventure is still something we look forward to doing at some point in the future. Maybe hitch a ride with Lisa Dorenfest and the Captain 🙂
Peta
You are welcome anytime 🙂
Great post, all color. Curious about how the women respond to you showing your beautiful hair. No morals police telling you to cover yourself? It looks very relaxed, so I’m kidding, but interested.
Seems like you arrived at an opportune moment where you could enjoy some of the new infrastructure before the unique is lost.
Love all the smiles you got shining your way.
Sharon thanks! It is very relaxed and in answer to your question, we have never experienced that actually with Muslim women anywhere. They don’t expect others to conform to their definition of modesty, it is something they live by.. And in fact the Indonesian version of the hijab, as you can see in the photos, does not cover the face, just the head.
It definitely felt as though things are going to change soon as Labuan Bajo starts to become more popular and attract more visitors. We even saw an empty just built space, all glass, with a Starbucks sign. Just seemed so incongruous with the environment, but it is probably inevitable. So glad we got to see it before it changes forever.
Peta
How exciting to see someplace new. The pictures depict the relaxed atmosphere. I love the little girl in pink on the pink jetty. They obviously don’t mind having their photos taken. Enjoy your new adventure!
Darlene, you are absolutely right about the fact that the locals do not mind having their photo taken. In fact, they seemed delighted that I would want a photo of them. The photo of the little girl in pink is my absolute favorite portrait shot in a long time! So thanks for giving it a shout out 🙂
Thanks for stopping by to read us and leaving your feedback.
Peta
What an interesting and beautiful place! And you are wise to spend so much time with the people who actually live there. That’s the best way to experience any place, I think. Thanks for sharing the photos!
Thanks Ann. One of our very favorite things to do is to explore a new neighborhood and try to understand or at least observe the way of life and cultural differences without rushing to any so called “tourist sites”. (These we tend to avoid. Hence having never been to the Taj Mahal or the Eiffel tower!)
After spending time in the local community we set off for a few grand adventures. Stay tuned.
Peta
Peta and Ben, this is so interesting. Love the photos capturing the soul of the place and the people who live there. So special to experience this. Love reading and sharing your wondrous lives! Hugs
Thanks Janice for such lovely compliments. So glad that you found this post so interesting and enjoy following our Green Global Trek!
xoxo
Peta
Love this reportage. I will be going there in March, during a trip to Bali to visit my sister. We’re going to see the Komodo dragons. 🙂 But we will surely spend time in this little village before/after. I love how you showed the everyday-ness of the village.
Thanks J.D. so glad you enjoyed this post and the “everyday-ness of the village”.
We saw the komodo dragons too, that is upcoming. Was not my favorite part, but definitely interesting nonetheless. If you can, try to find the little rustic guesthouse on the hill overlooking the bay… aside from the view, it is in a great location for exploration of the community.
Peta
I’m super jealous, Julie! Flores (and Bali, of course) float near the top of my own wish list, but it’s just so far and daunting. How lucky to be able to meet your sister there!
It IS far from the U.S. Just move to Sri Lanka and then it will be in your neighborhood Lex.
Hi Lexie,
Just saw this comment. I’m on my way to Bali…via Chicago right now. You’re right, such a long way, and I’m not sure I’d be motivated to do it if my sister didn’t live there.
J.D. the long trip is TOTALLY worth it. You shall see! Enjoy, you are in for a huge treat. And do visit our favorite plant based restaurant in Ubud if you get the chance, it is called MOKSA.
Peta
Do you have a YouTube page?
Lori, funny you mention that.. we have hundreds of small videos from our years of globe trotting and nomadic life and are thinking of a way to share them that is viable.
Peta
Talk about Peta being color co-ordinated with the plane!
Great pictures and peek into the country and people. Keep traveling – remember, I’m living vicariously.
Ha ha thanks Judy! Pretty funny being color co-ordinated with a whole fleet of planes. And not only that, but the plane has my initials PK on it!! Very fitting.
So glad you are enjoying our adventures… stay tuned for more!
Peta
Some wonderful photos here. You’ve really captured this sweet town. I’d love to explore more of Indonesia.
Thank you Alison, that is a lovely compliment.
So much still to explore in Indonesia. Such a fascinating country. However, we only had a one month visa, so we had no choice but to move on (for now).
Peta
Lovely post. It really shows what this place is like – in real life, not from a tourist point of view. I love that. And everyone looks so friendly.
Thanks Tracey.
We are not big on doing tourist things for the most part and would way rather get to know a small neighborhood. The community was so small that after a few days all the locals were recognizing us and greeting us. It was one of the friendliest places we have ever been. One could tell that the people were not overexposed to the ugly side of tourism, as this is not a very visited place (right now). So they enjoy and welcome the interaction.
Peta
Oh my. I am sinking into this land that I never knew about. You two are my history/geography/philosophy teachers as you share your travels and insights with all of us here on your blog. I love this land. I love that you two were the few Caucasians walking freely and welcomed in this hot lovely place.
Is there poverty here? Most are Roman Catholics now, you say? And yet the call to prayer is so powerfully beautiful. What a young populace – it shall do well.
Thank you, thank you for these amazing photographs.
P.S. I love your comments on my blog and I hope you see my response to them – not sure you get them.
Such a flattering compliment Pamela. Thank you!! We learn as we go, which is one of the main reasons we both love travelling so much. One cannot learn from a book what one learns from experience.
Re your question about poverty. It is all relative, right? Many would consider this community to be “poor” ~ most of the houses are very close together, basic and rustic. Yet, they have electricity and running water and a roof over their heads. There is plenty of food as it is primarily a fishing village and the kids go to school (we saw a few groups in uniforms). Compared with places in India or Nicaragua, Flores is definitely not “poor”. So it is hard to answer your question. Returning to the history/geography/philosophy part… Indonesia has been on a growth streak, especially since the young, smart and telegenic President Widodo has been in power.
The community on the waterfront is predominantly Muslim. The statistics show the dominant religion in Flores to be Roman Catholic. We did see a few churches when we went on an adventure into the countryside, so we can assume that most of the Catholics do not live in the waterfront community but in other towns and rurally.
Ben & Peta
Ah, thank you for explaining this to me. So true – poverty/being poor/being rich, etc is all in the perspective.
I love this post feeling as though I am wandering with you. such an authentic look at the people and i love them asking if you are lost. This is when we know we have found a gem because tourists are so rare.
The bird’s nest guest house looks like paradise.
The stat about the population being 50% under age 25 is an interesting one. Is that from short life span or huge families?
Thanks Sue. It is very true that when you find a place that has not been over exposed to tourists, the people are less jaded and welcome interactions and are as curious about us, as we are about them.
Your question led us to do some digging on the demographics. Seems that the statistics of 50% under 25 is now outdated and the median age, while still young, is 30 years old. Perhaps more interesting now that we are reading up on this is that the balance of population rate of birth, death, migration etc all combine leads to one new Indonesia every 11 seconds. NET. A baby ever 7 seconds, but an ADDITIONAL Indonesian every 11 seconds. If you think about it, that’s quite significant. Already standing at 270 million, Indonesia is on the path to soon surpassing the United States, which currently stands at 330 million.
The guest house was very charming and oh the view! It also took some getting used to the 3.45 a.m. call to prayer, which was so close by, that there is no way we could sleep through it.
Ben & Peta
I honestly felt a frisson of excitement and anticipation myself as I saw you stepping off that little plane, Peta! Nothing better than walking down a stairway or ramp into a whole new place.
I think I might go to Flores JUST to stay in that guesthouse you had – wow – what a tranquil view! The people photos are great; the young people in particular look so open and warm. Flores has long been on my travel wish list (and I HAVE to get to Bali – it’s one of those places I can’t believe I have not seen yet).
Loved this whole post (and happy to see you have postponed the komodo dragons – eeek)
Lex, when I spoke to my youngest son on the phone and he asked where we are going next and I told him we were about to get on an hour long flight to Flores, he said “Uh oh, it’s going to be one of those small planes!” Ben took the photo of me happy to be off the plane so I could send it to him on whatsapp. But yes, totally agree that the best moment is when one arrives in a totally new place.
The guesthouse was so charming… and we enjoyed sitting on the balcony and watching boats come and go. Flores goes down as possibly the friendliest place ever. The people are not jaded by tourism and are eager for contact with foreigners.
Thanks for the positive and enthusiastic feedback Lex.
Peta & Ben
That balcony sells it to me right away! What a beautiful place to stay.
Anabel, we spent quite a lot of time just sitting on the balcony watching the light change and the boats come and go. Nothing fancy, but full of charm and the location takes the prize!
Peta
I fear that should I ever make it to Indonesia I’d be one of those stopping only briefly in town before going out to sea to dive. Or closeted away at some rustic resort between dives. It seems like that’s the difference between being a tourist, as I usually am, and a traveler, as you are; you go to those places where there are just locals who wonder if you’re lost. You get more the true flavor of a location.
Ah Dave, too funny. We are both chuckling over this.
No worries, after a few days of hanging with the locals and getting lost, we were out to sea on an adventure. And what an adventure! Stay tuned….
haha
Peta
Your home overlooking the water looks idyllic, Peta. It’s lovely that you and Ben reach out to the locals without any self-consciousness. A smile or two can say a lot. 🙂 🙂
Johanna it really was the perfect place to stay. Interacting with the locals, no matter where, is a highlight of travel for us. I have always found a smile goes a really long way. When there is no language in common, or obvious cultural differences, a smile is a universal sign of friendliness.
Peta
My best friend and I went to Flores in 2014. We began our week-long journey from the city of Maumere in the east, climbed a volcano with three crater lakes (each has its own color), went to a beach filled with blue pebbles, tasted one of the best coffees I’ve ever had, hiked a small hill to see a spider web rice fields, visited interesting traditional villages, and ended the trip in Labuan Bajo — our base to explore the nearby small islands which have amazing underwater scenery. I know that this part of Indonesia, especially the western part where Labuan Bajo is located, has experienced a rapid growth of its tourism industry. Hopefully this will not leave the local people behind.
Bama stay tuned for our upcoming adventures inland and to the islands. Sounds like you had a rich and busy week. It seems not only Labuan Bajo has experienced rapid growth of the tourism industry but as well, all the boats and scuba diving trips have increased ten fold in the past few years. The conversion of fishermen to eco tour guides is quite incredible. We have to hope that the pristine coral reefs will not go the way of those in Thailand which have been significantly damaged by tourism. So close by, and yet so different. We had the experience of snorkeling and free diving in both places and the contrast in the health of the reefs was astounding.
Thanks for stopping by to read us and leave your comments.
Peta
I’m so glad you managed to visit Flores and venture beyond Bali on this trip. And, always nice to be able to combine work and pleasure. Well, if you can’t just do pleasure, of course. 🙂
I like the bright flip flops everyone is wearing. And, if you’d told me ten years ago that Flores might become a tourist Mecca, I wouldn’t have believed you. When my ex and I visited one of the islands by ferry in 2001, it was not developed at all. Actually, many places in Indonesia I visited were devoid of western crowds. And, I do remember the fondness of being photographed by the local people. No digital cameras back then, so it’s probably even more fun now, as you can share the photo shoots with them.
Liesbet, we were thrilled to finally get an opportunity to visit Flores.
The islands are still not developed at all, as much as we could see from our (upcoming post) boat trip adventure. However, there are many boats that go back and forth taking visitors to the different islands. The greatest change probably since 2001 is that the Chinese are now travelling en masse and changing the face of tourism globally (and not in a good way I might add). Our hope is that the coral reefs stay pristine in the face of diving tourism and do not befall the same fate as those of Thailand (right next door).
It is always fun to share photos with locals and in this case, we had quite a few people come and ask us to take a photo of them as they were clearly enjoying the process.
Peta
Aaah Peta and Ben. Another beauty!! Those pics and your descriptions of them deserve to be in a proper book that more people can see. These pics and your descriptions of them are ”National Geographic” worthy.
I love all the kids and the way they make the most of the little they have. And the sunset and the colours and the friendliness of the people. Love the PK plane with your co-ordinated outfit. Only part i would avoid is the dreaded midday sun😡 (You’ve seen what that does to me.) Love you.
Thanks Roch for stopping by and leaving evidence of your traveling with us 🙂 And thank you for the high compliment with regards to my photos. From your mouth to National Geographic’s Ears… 🙂
I did well to match the plane huh?
Very accurate observation re the kids… they use what they have as most Western kids did, prior to being saturated with electronics. “Necessity is the mother of invention”.
Not a huge fan of midday heat either ~ that’s when we try to escape to the balcony with the view…
Nice comments, thank you.
Pete
I’ve heard so much about Labuan growing up, so it was such a delight to read your post about it.
Really like that shot of the girl in the pink dress. ‘enjoying the setting together’ – reminds me of how we can simply enjoy each other’s presence, each being who they are. It’s such a pleasant thing.
True that Labuan is in the shadow of Bali. From what you described, Labuan has a lot to offer from beautiful waters to humble markets and friendly locals. Here in Australia we don’t hear much about Labuan, and if anyone wants to go to Indonesia, they’d probably say Bali (some in Australia also think Bali is a separate place from Indonesia altogether…).
Safe travels for the year ahead, Peta and Ben 🙂
Mabel thanks for your interesting insight.
Flores has only recently started to get tourism in meaningful numbers at all… We really wanted to get there before it gets to the point of mass tourism. With Chinese travellers en masse, the total travelling population is just going through the roof. Once the Chinese discover a place, they start coming by the bus load and that inevitably affects the dynamics between locals and foreigners.
Very interesting about Australian perception. You are right, that currently they tend to confine themselves to Bali, which is for most a “safer” more known choice.
Thanks Mabel, to you too.
Peta & Ben
Wonderful photos, Peta. I love your red dress. It really fits in well with the vibrant colours all around you. Flores looks like a very relaxed and relaxing place and although the local people obviously have little in the way of worldly goods, they look happy and content with life. Your balcony looks out onto an absolute piece of paradise. Lovely post as always. 🙂
Thans Sylvia. The interesting thing about the view from our balcony was that on one side, we overlooked the village and the mosques and the tin roofs and had all the associated sounds of village life rising up. On the other side, if we just pivoted a bit left, we had a smattering of small boats, the ocean and the islands yonder. The kind of view one could watch for hours and never tire of it. Always changing….
(We did chuckle at the thought that if this had been somewhere in the Mediterranean, the same balcony we had at budget rates, would no doubt be unaffordable for us, and we would be looking at multi million dollar yachts instead of wooden fishing boats). Quite happy with this very particular view!
Peta & Ben
What a beautiful place to stay and base yourselves – the view is glorious.
Thanks.. we did love it. Same view in the Mediterranean would be unaffordable as a place to stay…
Peta
Awesome trip, great photos. My company is called Junglewood.ca. We manufacture bamboo products here in Canada and have spent time with some beautiful Indigenous people from around the world. Not sure if you were in Bali but they have some incredible bamboo homes and the Green school. My web page has to be updated but if you go to Junglewood.ca you can read “The Bamboo Trail” I’m looking forward to your next trek. Keep up the captivating photos. Thanks, Robert
Thanks Robert for stopping by to read us and leave your comments. Seems we have bamboo in common. We first visited Bali specifically to visit the Green School, as at the time we were focused on the construction of low cost bamboo housing for indigenous populations, victims of hurricane destruction, in Nicaragua. There was the beginning of demand for higher end bamboo luxury homes and we wanted to learn from the best by seeing the quality and designs achieved in Bali.
Thanks for the compliment on the photography.
Peta & Ben
I do love your charming bird’s nest – what an astonishing view, like looking out at Brigadoon.
It’s so interesting to see people engaged in the work they do, especially teaching it to their children. The photos of the grandmother holding on to and looking adoringly at her granddaughter, the one of the boy watching his father sew, and the woman trimming vegetables with her betel juice (?) stained fingers (not nail polish, I don’t think.) They all convey the sense of timelessness, acts that can be found all over the world in different clothing.
This is a culturally rich post, perfect for the first one of 2019.
Sharon you totally get what we tried to capture with our photos. Sometimes culture comes across more clearly through a handful of selected photographs than through a bunch of words about history and religion etc.
The photos of the grandmother and the little girl, for me, encapsulates everything about Labuan Bajo that we wanted to share with our readers. Yes, you are correct that the woman has bright red betel-stained fingers. She also has a type of natural sunblock “paint” that women use in Myanmar as well.
Good start to 2019!!!
Peta & Ben
Robert again, I just realized after reading your bio that I met you in Granda,Nicaragua through Jan Van Bilson
Small world indeed! Jan Van Bilsen is not only a great guy but a wonderful bambusero. He helped us tremendously in the initial stages of our bamboo set up in Nicaragua, and for this we are eternally grateful.
Sadly, even if our bamboo business had continued to grow (we ran into investor related drama), the recent political turmoil in Nicaragua would no doubt have killed the business.
Ben
Every single time I click into your world, Peta, it’s like a small prayer.
Thank you for enriching me, dear. I feel as if I’ve been someplace magical, special, poetic.
Also, where are all the furry pets?!!
XXxx kissssssssss from MN.
Thank you Kim for such lovely comments. So glad to have enriched you through this post.
An unusual animal upcoming in the next post, but not exactly furry as you will see!! Stay tuned….
xoxo
Peta
Your post brings back great memories. We took the same flight as you a few years back, stayed near the top of the hill in a lovely place overlooking the water, explored the city, visited the island to see the dragons and went snorkeling. By far, the highlight was the snorkeling trip – spectacular. Our first, and still only, view of seahorses! Certainly mixed feelings when we saw the dragons waiting for scraps of food by the cooking area.
Steve, thanks for reading us and leaving your feedback.
Prior to going to Flores, we had not met anyone that had ever been there, so it has been interesting getting comments on our posts from others that have travelled to Flores as well. Our next post covers our snorkelling experiences (spectacular agreed!!!) and our Komodo dragon visit, as well as an on land adventure, coming up soon, so do stay tuned…
Peta
Just before several months, we traveled to Bali, your trip reminded me the time I spent with my friends in Bali.
Hi Dimitri,
Welcome to Green Global Trek. Thanks for stopping by to read us! So glad our post brought back good Indonesian memories. We did a few posts prior to this one on Flores, which cover our time in Bali… (you can check the archives to find these)
Peta
Have been really enjoying reading your blogs .,fantastic .
Hi Erica
Welcome to our Green Global Trek, so glad you are enjoying our posts. To receive them automatically when we publish new ones, you can sign up on the left hand side of the blog.
Peta
It appears I skipped ahead and almost missed this beautiful post. Labuan Bajo has clearly changed since I was there—certainly don’t remember that pretty pink jetty and it was slim (and poor) pickings on places to stay. I want to return and stay in that gorgeous perch! I love all your people photos; they makes this post so endearing.
Caroline there are still not that many places to stay, but am sure more than when you were there! We loved the location, view and shabby chic decor of the perched guesthouse, and it was very reasonably priced as well.
Thanks for the lovely compliment on the portrait photos! I am very happy with the collection and I really enjoyed taking all these photos because the people seemed to enjoy the attention as well.
Peta
Your guest house is stunning! A bird’s nest with a great view indeed! Seeing your pictures of the anchorage there brings back great memories and deepens my longing to return to that part of the world. It is so incredibly special as you have illustrated here with the vibrancy of the landscapes, houses, boats, skies, and people!
Once again, it is your people shots that carry the day for me. I really felt a connection with the people there and your images remind me of long meanders through the streets for Labuan Bajo and the smiles I met along the way.
Lisa, you would be surprised at how much Labuan Bajo has developed and what is being planned, including a Starbucks near the water front. We just hope that along with all the development that the waterfront community does not get dislodged as so often happens. The people truly were what made this place so special for both of us. Probably one of the friendliest places we have been. It seemed to us, that this is most likely because most people have had limited contact with foreigners and that seems to make a big difference.
Getting compliments from you on the photographs is pretty meaningful. Thank you!
Peta