5 - 6 Sept. 2012 Bali

5 - 6 Sept 2012 Bali Hello again to you all. So here I am in Bali for 8 days on a trip arranged by my good friends from Perth,WA, Sean and Jodie. In our favourite bar in Phuket, they introduced me to their, now my, friend Ketut from Bali. Ketut has organised airport transfer, accommodation, food and day tours for my stay here. The perfect host, he waits two and half hours until past 2am at the airport for me after delayed flight and massive slow queues at immigration. In the car, a cold beer from an ice box awaits, I have never appreciated a bottle of beer as much as this one, a perfect welcome. In my room in Jepun Bali, he gives me the ice box with more beers, a local mobile phone to use while I am here and arrangements for breakfast. Brilliant. Later that morning, after a breakfast of chicken legs, rice and vegetables (+ a spicy sauce...too hot for me, I had to scrape it off!), Ketut drives me to the villas he manages then to his nearby home where I meet his wife and daughters 6 and 3. He has a lovely home and family. Next I change some Pounds into Roupees, 15,000 to the pound, I am a millionaire!, some shopping and back to room for more SLEEP. That evening it's a long walk on Echo Beach a 10 minute walk away from Jepun, followed by a pizza in the restaurant next to my room, then more SLEEP. Next day Thursday, after breakfast, Ketut takes me on a tour. First to a Batik factory and shop, where a lady demonstrates the dying process used on a variety of materials used mostly to make clothes. It involves different colour dyes and wax and is very meticulate and time consuming, but the final product in its various forms is stunningly beautiful. Then to a fine art studio, I have never seen anything like this before. In a very large house, room after room after room with every wall space filled with original paintings of all sizes, traditional Bali and modern. They have 150 artists working to keep the walls filled as they sell from the displays. Some pictures take 6 months to complete they are so intricate. Amazing, striking colours, designs and images, many exceptionally beautiful. They sell for thousands of US dollars, I'm sure they are worth it, but decided I have enough pictures for Rivendell. Now we visit a display of wood-carvings, a Bali speciality. Incredible sculptures, some small, some very large indeed. Horses, dragons, a crocodile, everything you can think of, often in dramatic poses, carved in various hardwoods. All perfect in detail, wonderful stuff. Then LUNCH in a very clean tourist restaurant, pork, rice and veg., excellent. (Ketut has TWO portions!, I am full after one.) Next we go to Mandala Wista Wenara Wana which, I'm sure you will know, is the Sacred Monkey Temple and Forest. Huge trees, hundreds of macaques, a river gorge, stone carvings of gods and animals everywhere, and temples including the large main one and a funeral temple. I love this place, natural and ancient. I only get lost for a short time and find my way back but I am longer than Ketut estimates so he comes looking for me! We find each other, no problem, and drive back to Jepun. That evening I walk alone to Canggue Beach and village, next on from Echo Beach. I am looking for an internet cafe but don't find one. My evening meal in an Echo Beach restaurant next to the beach, listening to the waves crashing on the sand and rocks, is chicken and cashew nuts plus extra vegetable. Very tasty, and I treat myself to a special nutty magnum chocolate covered ice cream for afters. Happy happy. Afterwards I walk inland to a bar called Deus where I find they have internet but it is too close to closing time to use. I have one more beer, but I think one too many. I have to concentrate very hard not to fall into the rice paddy fields which come right up to the narrow grass verge I have to step onto when a vehicle passes on this narrow unlit country road. I get back OK and soon go to SLEEP. I love Bali Take care you all. John