Padangbai. The Indian Ocean. Not the surfer’s paradise on the west coast, but the diver’s paradise on the east coast. Japanese, Dutch, Australian – the latter, big with blond hair and sun reddened skin, out for drinks after a day of diving. And me, escaping the jungle and the insects and the lizards and the … More Bali – 9
There is a long, dense line of volcanoes running through Indonesia, and Bali has its fair share – two live volcanoes on this 2,000 square miles island. We left home around 10 am and drove north through Kintimani, down into the crater created long, long ago by Gunung Batur (5633 feet), an active volcano that … More bali – 8
Finally! I made it to a gamelan concert and dance. We were invited by a friend of a friend from California. The first orchestra to play was a group visiting Bali for a month from the US, studying Balinese music. The performance was great, and it looked like they were having tremendous fun. Then the … More bali – 7
My friend the tree frog that lives in the kitchen light fixture I didn’t drink any tea after dinner last night, so I didn’t have to worry about snakes and lizards and things that go bump in the dark when I walk downstairs to the bathroom at 3 am! I plan to be just as … More Bali – 6
Yesterday was temple day for us. It was an eight-mile drive to Tampak Siring and the most impressive ancient site in Bali, Gunung Kawi. The site sits in the Pakerisan Valley, through which runs the same river we live on in Tegallinggah. We parked our car in the lot next to all the seller’s stands, … More bali – 5
My computer doesn’t like the electricity here; it hums and vibrates when it’s plugged in, and feels like a live thing under my fingertips. I hope it doesn’t explode before I leave for home! There are no building codes or permits for anything in Bali. If you want to build a house, you just build … More Bali – 4
...Kopi Time 