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Five Tickets To Roam, Monte Rio, CA (2025)

03/18/2025

Day Two of our Everest View Trek was from Phakding (8,563 ft) to Namche Bazaar (11,286). Today's trek was longer (took us about 9 hours with breaks and a stop for lunch), and more uphill (about 830 meters net elevation gain). It also boasted more suspension bridges, more yaks and donkeys and some amazing vistas.

03/17/2025

Day One of our "Everest View Trek" was from Lukla Airport (elevation 9,383 ft) to Phakding (elevation 8,563 ft). The trail is largely flat or downhill and typically takes 3 of 4 hours on average. We went at a slow pace and finished in an above average time of about 5.5 hours. 😜

03/15/2025

INDONESIAN CULTURAL OBSERVATIONS

As we wave goodbye to Indonesia in our rearview mirror, it’s time to reflect on some of the cultural observations we made over our past month here. First, though, my usual caveat about these culture posts; these are meant to be causal observations with a dose of humor and not judgements or indictments. In addition, for this installment, it is worth noting that Indonesia is made up of 17,000 islands so this post is not so much about Indonesian culture as it is about one specific part (Ubud) of one specific island (Bali) out of that 17,000. So think of this as more like a “Dave Barry’s Guide to Foreigners in the Jungles of Central Bali” rather than a National Geographic in depth exploration of Indonesian culture.

CANANG SARI CULTURE

While Indonesia is a predominantly Muslim country and the island of Bali is a Buddhist enclave, one of the most visible cultural aspects of Bali, and likely many parts of Indonesia, comes from a Hindu tradition. Every morning you can see homeowners and business proprietors laying out small, handwoven palm-leaf trays containing flowers, rice, incense and other symbolic items. These Canang Sari are an expression of gratitude to the gods and are an important part of Balinese Hinduism.They are placed daily, usually in the morning, to maintain harmony between humans, nature and the divine. You’ll find them everywhere—on sidewalks, in front of businesses, and even atop scooters (yes, really). Stepping on them is considered bad luck, but given their sheer abundance, it sometimes feels like an obstacle course for the uninitiated.

MOTOR SCOOTER CULTURE

When we first arrived in Denpasar and made our way to Ubud, I asked the kids, “Notice anything different from Vietnam?” Their unanimous response: “More cars, fewer scooters?” That was true—briefly. Then we hit Ubud, which might have more scooters per capita than anywhere else on Earth, including Florence, Italy.

Fifteen years ago, Ubud felt like a serene, mystical paradise of lush rice fields and peaceful temples. That’s still there—buried beneath an avalanche of scooters. The narrow rice-field footpaths, once tranquil walkways, now function as high-speed highways for two-wheeled transport. Many of the riders are Grab drivers ferrying young foreigners in yoga gear—presumably en route to yoga or meditation sessions—on their pollution-spewing bikes. The irony is not lost on me.

To be fair, the scooter drivers are unfailingly polite, even when zooming past pedestrians with mere inches to spare. But if you’re looking for a peaceful stroll, let’s just say you’ll be practicing mindfulness in a whole new way.

GRAB CULTURE VS. TAXIS

Speaking of Grab, Southeast Asia’s answer to Uber, it’s absolutely everywhere in Bali. You can summon a car, a scooter, or even use Grab Express—a service that will fetch and deliver literally anything. Case in point: When we were in Denpasar shopping for hiking boots, the store didn’t have Finley’s size. Rather than spending two hours in traffic to retrieve a pair from another location, we paid for them remotely, and a Grab driver picked them up and delivered them to our door for a fraction of the cost. Interestingly the scooter drivers are always clad in long black pants and what appears to be a winter weight ski jacket with the green and white Grab logo and colors, even in the oppressive heat. Yikes!

Meanwhile, traditional taxi drivers are... struggling. They still call out for fares, sometimes even promising to match or beat Grab prices. But since Grab doesn’t require cash and is ridiculously convenient, taxis have been left in the dust. The desperation is real—so much so that they even proposition me while I’m out for a jog. “Taxi, sir? Taxi?” they call, as I huff past them, drenched in sweat. I guess it’s possible that I am not running fast enough to pass convincingly for a jogger or maybe they just subscribe to my motto “If you don’t ask, you don’t get”, throwing it out there like some transportation Hail Mary. Admittedly there were times when I was so hot and tired on a run that, unbeknownst to them, I entertained taking them up on their offer.

FIRST NAME NAMING CULTURE

In Bali, many people share the same first names because the traditional Balinese naming system is based on birth order rather than unique personal names. The four most common are:

Wayan (or Dede/Putu) - Firstborn
Made (or Kadek) - Secondborn
Nyoman (or Komang) - Thirdborn
Ketut - Fourthborn

If a family has more than four children, the naming cycle typically starts over, sometimes with “Balik” (meaning “again”) added to the name. So if you meet a "Ketut Balik," congratulations—you've just encountered someone who is at least the eighth child in their family.

Since these names are so common, Balinese people often use nicknames or attach a family name to differentiate themselves. Prefixes like "I" (for men) and "Ni" (for women) can also be added, which helps, but let’s be real—if you yell "Wayan!" in a crowded market, at least five heads are going to turn.

YOGA! YOGA! YOGA! (or THE SPIRITUAL ARTS CULTURE)

You can’t talk about Balinese culture—especially Ubud—without mentioning its deep connection to spiritual arts like yoga, meditation, and Kirtan (devotional chanting set to music). There are almost as many yoga shalas in Ubud as there are Grab scooters, and it’s a wonder how they all stay in business.

While I’m not a particularly devout yogi, I do consider myself an "experientialist" and took full advantage of my time in Ubud to explore these practices. I purchased a five-class pass at the impressive Alchemy Yoga & Meditation Center, which I used for yoga, meditation, and a Kirtan session. I also attended a free silent meditation session at Bamboo Spirit, which—perhaps as an incentive—was followed by a free vegan buffet.

While these experiences weren’t all a perfect fit for me, they did offer fascinating insight into Ubud’s spiritual scene. One observation? While attendees came in all shapes and sizes, the vast majority were young, fit women in their 20s and 30s. Clearly, the path to enlightenment comes with an unofficial dress code of yoga leggings and sports bras.

Bali is an enchanting mix of ancient traditions and modern quirks, and while not everything is idyllic (cough scooter traffic cough), it’s a place that leaves an impression—sometimes literally, if you misstep onto a Canang Sari. Would we return? Absolutely. But next time, I might bring a helmet just for walking.

03/13/2025

We arrived in the ancient city of Bhaktapur, Nepal just in time for the Holi Festival, a Hindu celebration of the coming of spring involving colors, music and unity.

We ventured to Durbar Square early when a lot of families with younger children were out celebrating, but as the day wore on we saw more and more teens and then the adults started coming out. We were back in our lodgings before the real mayhem started, but I went back with my camera to capture some of the action. But even the latter action wasn’t too crazy. Apparently the celebration is Bhaktapur is tame in comparison to larger cities like Kathmandu.

In any case, it was a very auspicious start to our month in Nepal.

03/12/2025

Our last Worldschool Field Trip in Bali. We went to the Junglegold Chocolate Factory followed by a visit to the Taman Ayun Temple, a significant cultural and historical landmark located in Mengwi, Bali.

Junglegold was super interesting. They showed us what a cacao plant looks like - and tastes like! - and walked us through the process of how they make organic, non dairy choclate. We also got to taste all 16 of their chocolate varieties and make our very own chocolate bar! This company uses all sustainable practices and actually gave life back to the local farmers who weren't making a lot on rice cultivation. The now make cocoa and coconut (which they use for milk, sweetner).

Taman Ayun Temple translates into "Beautiful Garden" and was built in the 17th century serving as the royal family temple for the Wengwi Kingdom and is reknowned for its traditional Balinese architecture and expansive gardens.

03/10/2025

Last night I attended a Kirtan at Alchemy Yoga & Meditation, my local Shala where I’ve been dabbling in the spiritual arts while living in Bali. I had never heard of Kirtan before, but someone I met at a silent meditation session at Bamboo Spirit recommended I try it. Kirtan is a form of devotional singing or chanting that involves call and response with a lead singer and is a central practice in Bhakti Yoga. According to the Alchemy website, Kirtan is meant to elevate consciousness, open the heart and create a meditative, communal experience.

Despite the website description and recommendation, I really didn’t know what to expect. Those of you who know me well know that I do like music, but I am not very spiritual and not a super big chanter. Then Francesca told me she heard that people dance around singing Hare Krishna – which I imaged looked something like that scene in the movie Airplane! – and I was like “I’m out!”. BUT…..I consider myself an experientialist and so I decided to go for it just to see what it was all about. And I am very glad I did. It was actually very powerful and moving.

Admittedly, when it first started I thought it was going to be like Leonardo DiCaprio’s experience with that cult like group led by Tilda Swinton in the film The Beach, with everyone waving their jazz hands in the air, and there was some of that, but the lead singer, Ellen Arthur, had such an amazing and powerful voice and when the whole group sang the responses, it gave me chills. And I would be lying if I said I didn’t get up on a few occasions and danced around myself. I would definitely go again. Has anyone ever been to a Kirtan?

I included several clips for anyone who is interested. Some of slower chants, some faster with people dancing, etc.

03/08/2025

SUNRISE HIKE: This morning at 2am we headed out for our last training hike before our 5 day Nepal trek in a couple of weeks. We hiked up Mt. Batur, a 1,717 meter volcanic peak that is the 3rd highest in Bali, behind Mt. Agung (3,031 meters) and Mt. Batukaru (2,278 meters).

While the kids have done longer hikes than this 5 hour round trip, they had not ascending anything like this before and we are so proud of how they went out of their comfort zones and pushed ahead and completed the climb. Poor Austen didn't want any of it and there was a fair amount of tears, but she kept putting one foot in front of the other and the smile on her face when she reached the top was priceless.

03/06/2025

Some final images from Vietnam - of the landscape and people of this amazing country.

03/03/2025

Traveling for a long time with little to no separation from their siblings can leave the little ones feeling the need for some one one Mommy or Daddy time. So every so often Francesca or I will do a 1 on 1 "date" with one of the kids to ensure that we are focused 100% on them. Recently I had my latest 1 on 1 with Austen where we enjoyed a very special "floating breakfast" with the spectacular Balinese rice terraces as a backdrop. We also went to a silver jewelry making workshop where Austen made a ring and I made a bracelet for Ryan.

02/27/2025

I am finally getting around to our Cultural Observations post for Vietnam. It seems many of our friends really like these culture posts. As a reminder, these are not all "cultural" in the typical sense of the word and none are meant to be taken in a negative light, but merely just some observations from an observant family of travelers. :)

1. HONK IF YOU LOVE….WELL JUST HONK AT ALL TIMES!

When we first arrived in Vietnam, we found it charming and considerate that cars and the ever-present motor scooters would give a friendly “beep beep” as they approached—whether from behind or straight ahead. But as our time "in country" went on, the constant honking, especially in situations where it was clearly unnecessary—like when we were simply walking on a sidewalk—became a source of deep irritation, mostly for me. I honestly cannot fathom a logical reason for honking when there’s no real need. It seems to have become such an ingrained habit that it happens automatically whenever someone approaches another person on the road. For all the incredible aspects of Vietnamese culture, this is one tradition we won’t be missing.

2. WORK-LIFE OVERLAP

Many businesses in Vietnam—at least in the places we visited—are small, family-run operations, often housed within the family home. The storefront is in the front, while the living areas are tucked behind it. But in many cases, the family’s daily life is in plain sight, so as a customer, you might see them eating together while you shop. More than once, we saw shopkeepers napping on a couch in the store, only stirring when they heard a customer walk in. We mentioned to our European traveler friends that this would never happen in the U.S.—you’d never see a store owner sleeping in their shop or their family dining in the next room – and they agreed that wouldn’t happen in their countries either. At first, this aspect of Vietnamese culture felt unfamiliar, but over time, I’ve come to appreciate it. Now, I find it endearing—a charming glimpse into the life of the shopkeeper that makes me feel an extra connection to them.

3. ICE CREAM TRUCK MUSIC ON GARBAGE TRUCKS

This is almost too cute to handle! In Vietnam, garbage trucks don’t just rumble down the street—they play cheerful music, much like an ice cream truck. Instead of leaving you with the usual impression of something ugly and unpleasant, they create an oddly delightful association. As they haul away the trash, you can’t help but think of delicious ice cream instead. I inquired about this and was told that in Vietnam there is often not a set schedule for garbage pick up so residents need to be alerted to the truck’s arrival, hence the music. Apparently Fur Elise by Beethoven is the most commonly used song, but other cheerful melodies can be heard as well.

4. RODENT CULTURE

Rats, rats everywhere! And mice! And all kinds of other scurrying creatures. They were all over our Airbnb house and made frequent appearances in the restaurants we visited. Of course, Vietnam isn’t the only place with a rat problem—if you’ve ever been to New York City, those oversized “cats” you see in the subway and near garbage cans are, in fact, rats.

But here’s what stood out to us: we didn’t notice nearly as many rodents in Thailand, the Philippines, or Indonesia. And I have a theory. In those countries, cats roam freely, keeping the rodent population in check. However, in Vietnam—especially in the countryside where we were—you rarely see cats wandering around. Few people keep them as pets, as they have historically been considered a food source. No cats to hunt the rodents = a rodent problem.

Now, to be fair, cat (and dog) consumption is on the decline in Vietnam, and it’s more common in the north than elsewhere. But I can’t help but think there’s some truth to my theory. It’s hard to ignore the pattern—plenty of stray and pet cats in Thailand and Indonesia, yet very few rodents. Meanwhile, in Vietnam, we saw no cats… and a whole lot of rats. Coincidence? I think not.

5. THIN BUILDINGS

As you bike or drive through Vietnam, it’s impossible not to notice the strikingly narrow, towering houses lining the streets. Ryan was the first to point it out, and soon it became a topic of conversation among our Worldschooling friends. Curious, I did some research to see if this was an actual architectural trend—and sure enough, it is. These buildings, known as “tube houses” (nhà ống in Vietnamese), are the result of a mix of historical, economic, and practical factors.

One of the most obvious reasons is limited land, especially in big cities—so rather than building out, people build up. But the most fascinating reason? Historically, property taxes in Vietnam were based on the width of a building’s frontage rather than its overall size. To minimize taxes, people constructed narrow but deep homes.

Additionally, this design ties into Vietnam’s work-life overlap culture mentioned above. Many of these buildings double as both homes and businesses, with shops or restaurants on the ground floor and living spaces in the back and above. It’s a smart and efficient use of space, and once you notice it, you see it everywhere.

02/25/2025

Last week's Jahns Worldschool Field Trip was to the Sacred Monkey Forest Santuary in Ubud, Bali. This enchanting place is a protected home to over 1,200 Long-tail Macaques that rule the roost in this mix of nature, culture and wildlife.

The forest spans about 12.5 hectares and is filled with towering banyan trees, ancient statues covered in moss and scenic bridges crossing small streams. But the stars of the show are definitely the monkeys. Guests are not supposed to engage with the macaques, but there is no rule against them engaging with guests, which they often do (see video in separate post).

We had the girls do a research paper on the macaques and here is what they came up with (see pics of their reports below):

- Long-tailed macaques are native to Southeast Asia.

- They are social creatures living in large groups.

- Baby long-tailed macaques are usually born black, but turn gray as they get older.

- They are very protective of their food.

- Long-tailed macaques are omnivores.

- They like to groom each other.

- They open nuts with rocks.

- Females give birth to one or two babies per year.

- Long-tailed macaques are very cute.

NOTE: The monkeys are not captive in the forest, there are no fences, but they tend to stick around where they have a definite food source. Occasionally you do see them wandering around the streets outside of the sanctuary among the human pedestrians.

02/24/2025

A week ago we decided we had to see Mt. Everest so we amended our upcoming Nepal itinerary to include a 3 day trek to Namche Bazaar/The Everest View Hotel to see that beautiful peak. Since the kids hadn't yet started preparing for their Inca Trail trek to Machu Pichhu in April, we instituted a crash training course here in Ubud, Bali starting with this leisurely 4 mile rice field trek and culminating in a trek up to the top of Mount Batur, a 5,633 ft. volcanic peak. Here's hoping we can get in shape by mid March. 🙂

02/20/2025

If you grew up in the late '60s or early '70s, deep in the Cold War era, the word Vietnam likely triggers an instinctive reaction—one shaped by war, brutality (on both sides), and the looming specter of communism. That’s certainly true for me. And while I’d love to say I’ve shed those ingrained associations, traveling in Vietnam has proven otherwise.

Despite visiting the country many times and having nothing but positive interactions with locals, I still catch myself reacting when I see the red flags with the yellow hammer and sickle or socialist posters. (See? I almost called them propaganda posters.) I even Google-translated some, only to find their messages fairly benign. Yet decades of Cold War-era conditioning doesn't fade overnight.

I compensate, perhaps absurdly, by being extra nice to locals—as if that might somehow make up for the unconscious biases they don’t even know I’m wrestling with. I wonder, do other Americans from my generation experience this too? Or is it just me?
Curiously, when I asked my European friends what Vietnam evokes for them, the war was a historical footnote. Mostly, they picture a tropical paradise with beautiful beaches, not unlike what I think about when I hear "Thailand" or "The Philippines".

So, I’m opening this up: Fellow Americans of a certain age, does this resonate? And for non-Americans, is Vietnam just another travel destination, unburdened by the weight of history?

02/19/2025

We spent our final day in Vietnam in Da Nang, a coastal city about 30 minutes north of Hoi An. As usual we packed a lot into a single day including a incredible interactive 3D Art Museum (see pics below as well as the cool AR video clips). We also took in come cultural sites like the impressive "Lady Buddha" and some fun entertainment like visiting the Vincom Mega Mall and an escape room, confirming that Team Jahns is horrendous at escape rooms.

I have also included here some pics of Ryan's 10th bday that we spent a few weeks earlier in the Da Nang Hyatt Regency. Check out the short video of the 3D little Fench chef they projected onto the girls' real plates on a real table as part of a cupcake decorating workshop. I've never seen anything like it!

02/17/2025

We spent a lovely day at Mia Mai Art Studio on the island of Cam Kim near Hoi An, Vietnam. The owners, Meigo from Estonia and his wife Sam (pronounced Sham) from Vietnam have an amazing space in nature where you can paint on canvas, tote bags, t-shirts, fans, etc in any number of tranquil settings including a tent, riverside picnic table, bamboo deck and a tree house. We spent a full day relaxing and painting and ate some vegan food at a nearby restaurant.

02/14/2025

This week's field trip was a bike tour on Cam Kim island in Hoi An. Hoc, the owner of Buffalo Adventure Tours and or guide for the day did an excellent job of mixing exercise with cultural experiences.

The kids got to see how the Vietnamese rice paper is made from which they make noodles and make some themselves, they got to see how the ubiquitous straw mats are made and help make one of the mats, they visited a local carpenter, learned how to do some basic carving and carved some souvenirs for themselves and they rolled their own spring rolls, cooked and ate them.

They also got to ride (and paddle) the fun bamboo basket boats - boats that were developed during the French occupation of Indochina to avoid paying French taxes on standard boats. Clever villagers! While many tour operators have these boats on their itineraries, they are actuallly still used today for fishing, etc.

Hoc is a local and knows the area well and made it seem like as much of a local, organic experience as possible as we seemed to be visiting local villagers who he knew personally and we rarely saw other tour groups while on our journey.

The best part was we got to share it with our new friends, The Fosters - Americans, but incredibly their kids - ages 13, 11 and 5, have never lived in the US as their father's work had them overseas until this year when they will move to AZ after traveling.

02/11/2025

Ryan and I spent a fun "boys weekend" in Hanoi visiting my nephew Kevin Jahns who teaches in a middle school there.

Francesca Yango Jahns and I had been to Hanoi 16 years ago, but I don't remember it as being such a fun and vibrant city. Maybe a lot has changed there in 15 years or maybe we just went to different places.

As it was, we had a delightful mix of touristy things like the "Train Street" (see previous post), the Water Puppet Theater, Citadel, Artillery Museum, night market, Rickshaw ride, etc as well as some local (or at least expat local) things that Kevin was able to show us like a Bia Hoi (fresh beer restaurant), a "Bun Cha" (grilled pork over vermicelli noodles) restaurant, an expat board game speakeasy called QuestHub and lighting off fireworks on the banks of a manmade lake in a random park.

As always, we packed a lot into a few days - here are some pics below - and it was great to see Kevin (it had been a few years) and see Hanoi from his perspective.

02/08/2025

This is probably the most crazy tourist attraction I've ever seen. It's "Train Street" in Hanoi where a locomotive comes right down a street lined with cafes, restaurants and bars several times per day. Tourists fill these establishments to take pictures and videos when the train goes by. They also put beer bottle caps on the tracks to be flattened into a little souvenir and some knuckleheads even try to touch the train as it flies by.

It was definitely faster and closer than I had expected and, of course, there is NO WAY this would ever be allowed in the US - way too much liability especially with people consuming alochol and absolutely no security to ensure people's safety. Miraculously no one has been killed (yet) - according to ChatGPT - although there have been a few injured tourists and the city does shut the practice down from time to time after an accident, but I'm sure the lost revenue is so acute that they quickly lift the ban.

Ryan and I went twice, once during the day and again at night to take my nephew Kevin who lives in Hanoi, but hadn't seen it before (he doesn't do too many touristy things).

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