Published in the Bali Advertiser
Seventy four thousand years ago Sumatra was rocked by one of the biggest volcanic eruptions of all time. Anthropologists believe that the resulting dust cloud that covered the earth killed most of the planet’s population. From the mouths of hell sprang the tropical island paradise of Samosir, perched in the middle of Donau Toba the world’s largest crater lake. Continue reading “Donau Toba, Sumatra”
Teenage sisters are leading the fight to clean up Bali with their campaign Bye Bye Plastic Bags. From flash mobs, to collaborations with the Balinese Governor, to a standing ovation at their recent Ted Talk in London, the girls are also inspiring youth around the world to make a stand for what they believe in.
Colourful plastic bags are gleefully handed out across the island, used once and then abandoned. They flit across the emerald rice fields, float from wave to wave in the churning sapphire sea, and smoulder in smoky backyard fires. Of the 700 cubic meters of plastic garbage (that’s like a 14-story building) generated every single day in Bali, only about 5% of plastic bags are recycled.
“We all love Bali as the island of temples, smiles and rice fields, but now it’s more famous as the island of garbage,” say Balinese sisters Melati and Isabel Wijsen. Three years ago the girls, then aged 12 and 10, decided that enough was enough, and set out on a mission to rid Bali of single use plastic bags. They might have been young, but as students of Bali’s renowned Green School, they knew a lot about the problems with plastic, and had the enthusiasm and courage of youth to fight for what they believed in. “Seven years ago Bali wasn’t ready, but we have been boiling up awareness. Now it is ready,” they tell SBS. “We are already seeing increasing awareness in the villages, people are starting to realise that rubbish isn’t going away, they have to take responsibility.”
Operating under the banner Bye Bye Plastic Bags the girls launched a petition on Facebook one evening to ban single use plastic bags from Bali. To their astonishment 6000 people signed overnight and to date their team of teenage volunteers have collected more than 80,000 signatures (on and off line.) They also stage beach clean ups, eco festivals and educational workshops, speak at international conferences and have established a plastic-free pilot village. Again and again they have discovered the incredible power of social media to reach a global audience.
For two years they tried, but failed to get the attention of Bali’s Governor Pastika and finally decided to imitate their hero, Mahatma Gandhi, and go on hunger strike. Actually, their parents vetoed the hunger strike idea, so they opted instead for a food fast – refusing to eat between sunrise and sunset. An announcement was made on Facebook and within two days the sisters were sitting in the Governor’s office. He was impressed by the “Child-led social initiative,” and offered his full support. The girls now work with the Bali Provincial Environmental Agency, who made an official statement in 2015 that Bali will be plastic bag free by 2018.
“We have had kids reaching out from all over the world,” say the sisters. “Our campaign is encouraging people to become leaders, kids are beginning to realise they are the change- makers.” Branches of Bye Bye Plastic Bags were recently launched in Myanmar, New York City and Australia – by 16-year-old Billy Barge. “The girls inspired me to get up and make a change,” he says. “We can’t sit and watch our inheritance crumble away in front of us. Kids have the power to make a change.” He encourages anyone who wants to get involved to contact him at Bye Bye Plastic Bags Australia.
17-year-old environmental activist, Suman Khadka also collaborated with the girls to set up Bye Bye Plastic Bags Nepal and in so doing forged a connection that would bring much-needed aid to his mountain village following last year’s cataclysmic earthquake. With most of the village destroyed, and many dead or dying, Khadka posted an urgent appeal for help on Facebook. Melati responded immediately. “I hardly knew her, we had only connected through Facebook,” says Suman, “But she was ready to help. That moment was so incredible that it cannot be expressed in words it can only be felt. It was one of the happiest moments of my life.”
Swinging into action the girls raised $40,000 in just over a week. They wanted to personally deliver the money to Nepal, but their parents worried for their safety, so instead their Dad and some other parents of the Bye Bye Plastic Bags team volunteered to go. The group from Bali went on to visit Nepal three times, treating people in a makeshift first aid clinic and distributing over 20 tons of rice, hundreds of food packages, tarps, water filters and lanterns.
So, what does 2016 hold for these teenage Balinese eco warriors? “Our goals are education – because that’s where the change will happen; going global; and making sure that our voice, the voice of the youth is heard on a political level,” say Melati and Isabel. “Us kids may only be 25% of the world’s population but we are 100% the future.”
My Days as a Deadhead, published in Farang Untamed Travel 2005
Jerry Garcia, singer, songwriter and founding force of the Grateful Dead was a larger- than-life character, hailed by many of his fans as a Messiah-like figure. When he died in 1995, 20,000 people gathered in San Francisco for a candle-light vigil. Shortly after, the band announced their split and to many it seemed like the end of an era. But time has proved otherwise Continue reading “Living with the Dead”
The jungle rises steeply in front of us and we cross the river balanced precariously on a dug out canoe. The wall of dense green foliage looks impenetrable but a narrow, muddy trail has been carved out and the ranger leads us to a small clearing and a feeding platform. We only have to wait a couple of minutes before an orangutan comes swinging gracefully through the trees. It’s a female, and her scrawny baby clings on tightly as she stuffs bunches of bananas into her mouth and scoffs handfuls of milk from the rangers bucket. Continue reading “Into the wild: Sumatra”
Published in Bali Advertiser
Dawn is breaking over Labuanbajo, as we settle into the small outrigger which will take us to Rinca island, home of the legendary Komodo dragon. The early morning silence is shattered when the boat captain fires up the outboard motor, it’s a noisy beast and conversation becomes impossible, but it doesn’t matter as the scenery unfolding before me is so spectacular that I am rendered speechless. The boat cuts across the deep inky blue water and weaves through the jagged volcanic islands that make up Komodo National Park. It is dry season and the islands are parched and barren, some are little more than big piles of black lava rock. Others have strips of dazzling white sand and a smattering of palm trees, while the bigger islands have villages of stilt houses. Continue reading “Labuanbajo, Flores”
There are few places in the world that evoke a sense of wonder like Greece. From ancient monuments to the mighty Gods, to the deep blue sparkle of the Aegean Sea. To windswept islands where white washed houses hug the cliffs, to the cosy tavernas that serve up homemade Ouzo and crusty white bread with Kalamata olives and pungent feta cheese. While the lure of basking in the sun on a rugged island has always been irresistible, I finally managed to drag myself away from the beach and head to the mountains. A picture spotted on a postcard had drawn me to the fabled monolithic rocks of Meteora, where monks have long sought solace in the monasteries that perch like birds nests on top of them. Continue reading “Meteora”
A few years ago my friends had a ‘decadent dessert party’ and we all took along a dessert of our choice, not surprisingly there was a lot of chocolate – including my own triple chocolate cheesecake. What had started as a very chilled affair suddenly turned into a mad crazy night of dancing, Continue reading “The magic of raw chocolate”
At Desa Seni the path to well being is scattered with flowers…..
As my friend and resident Kundalini yoga teacher Daphna says, “It’s a place of peace and joy, from the moment you enter any stress evaporates…. it’s a happy place.” Continue reading “Desa Seni Magic”
I was nervous and jittery as we began our descent into Nadi, it felt like I was going to meet a lover, my heart was beating fast and when we finally landed it took all my self control not to push past all the people in the aisle. At last I was down the stairs and on the tarmac taking big deep breaths of Fiji…. warm damp air tinged with just a hint of sugar cane.
I was determined to stay detached, after all I had only come back for a few weeks to look after my friends resort www.navutustarsfiji.com and to finish research on my book about my former life here. I mean, what could happen in three and a half weeks…..? The only thing is I have gone and fallen in love all over again…. Continue reading “The enchantment of the Yasawas”
Today I went back to Turtle Island….. its been five years since I left this island paradise, but as I walked down the dock it was like I never left at all. Just like the old days Richard was waiting for me in a cart to take me on a tour of his gardens – his pride and joy.
Richard Evanson is the most amazing and inspiring man I have ever met, and it was thanks to him and his vision of creating a community owned resort in the remote islands that I first came to Fiji. Continue reading “Return to Blue Lagoon”
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