Better!

Hi friends and family! We are all better and are happily in the mountains of Java outside Yogyakarta after a rough, dengue-fever-filled start to Asia. I got hit first (and ended up in the hospital), followed by Ryan, and then Baker.

Okay, quick dengue crash course for those interested. Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne virus that lasts for 7 to 10 days. It takes you through many symptoms, and the only treatment is to make the patient as comfortable as possible. First comes the vomiting (1-2 days), then the spiking fevers (up to 104 degrees) with headaches and crazy pain behind your eyes (2-3 days). Finally the pain stops but you stay on bed rest and drink 3 liters of water a day while your thrombocytes/platelets (the things that make your blood clot) plummet. During this time you can't even brush your teeth because your gums are susceptible to endless bleeding. The final symptom is a full body rash, which signals you have about 1-2 days to go. It's really something.

I went to the hospital because I couldn't stop vomiting long enough to keep down any fluids or meds, so I needed an IV line. Our amazing guide, Arta, stayed with me the entire time. Ryan and Baker toughed it out at the hotel. Ginny and Lu took care of each other, with some help from art supplies sent by the wonderful Kalina.

We lost nearly two weeks of our trip, and if there was a way, I would have just brought everyone home. But with so much support from our people at home, we made it though and have continued on our journey through Asia.

As many of you know, the day we got out of Bali was a happy day! We flew to Yogyakarta in Java and stayed in a mosquito-free hotel downtown. The kids and I learned to make Batik in a village called Kotagede. I was pleasantly surprised that only one kid (take a guess...) dripped boiling wax on himself (you guessed it!) multiple times.

The following day we toured around the city. We rode tuk-tuks to the Sultan's palace, which was really fun.

We also visited Pranbanan temple, the largest temple in Indonesia and second-largest in Asia after Angkor Wat. The kids were melting by this point, so we only saw two of temples in the complex before calling it a day. (I'm calling that a win.)

Of course, before leaving Yogyakarta, we toured the Monggo chocolate factory and made some of our own chocolates.

Then we were off to Magaleng, a small city outside Yogyakarta. On our way, we stopped in Candirego village and toured around in a horse drawn carriage (honestly, a bit much, but the kids loved it). We visited a local family who makes tempeh by fermenting it in banana leaves, and we met another family who recycles plastic bags into really cool totes and purses. The highlight, however, was a stop in the center of the village to play traditional gamelan music with local kids. Lu, Ryan, and I rocked the xylophones, while Ginny banged them gongs!

It was so joyful and fun, and we didn't sound half bad (the local kids definitely carried the group)!

The following day we toured the Borobudur temple, the largest Buddhist temple in the world. It was build in 778 AD and was rediscovered in the 1850s. There are 504 Buddha statues in the temple, with different hand positions depending on the direction the Buddha is facing. I loved walking around the levels of the temple, admiring the intricate stone carving adorning the walls.

The kids even got into it, which was incredible considering it was 95 degrees!

It took us a long time to actually leave the temple because so many people wanted to take photos with us, or more specifically, with Ryan and Ginny. Ryan is comfortable with the attention, but Ginny is a bit overwhelmed by it. Locals tell her she looks like Barbie or Elsa, and she doesn't know how to respond. We're working on it, and all advice welcome!

Today was our final day on Java before heading to Lombok tomorrow. We went on a bike tour of Nglipho village.

We stopped at a local pottery studio so the kids could learn some skills from local artists. They had such a great time and ended up making some pretty solid pottery! Unfortunately we couldn't bring it with us, so it looks like we'll be taking some pottery classes in Seattle when we get home.

We are so incredibly grateful for our health and for the support of everyone who pulled us through the last few weeks! We love you all and miss you!!

All my love,

Madeline