I love Bali. Once a bit off the beaten track, it's a magical place with warm, friendly people; delicious, spicy foods; and amazing nature and culture.
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| View from homestay in Ubud |
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| Paddies near Ubud |
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| Rice paddy walk |
Coming here with little planned beforehand, things came together serendipitously. I spent most of my time in Amed (beach town known for excellent snorkelling and diving), Ubud (arts and culture centre surrounded by rice paddies), and Candikuning (a city in the hills/mountains surrounded by lakes). I've had so many special experiences in Bali—walking in the rice paddies, listening to the tropical birds, watching beautiful fish while diving and snorkelling, and eating so many delicious foods (some of the very best and least expensive food I've ever had)...
...but my heart is most imprinted by the many people who took me under their wing here in Bali. Many thanks and blessings to all these people:
-Martin, my Couchsurfing host from Jakarta but living near Ubud who hosted me and his friend Marina (also from Java), and took us on an adventure to the island of Nusa Penida where we slept under the stars on the beach with nothing but sleeping bags and went exploring and snorkelling.
-And Marina who taught me many Indonesian words and who I had a blast exploring with.
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| Martin and Marina |
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| Camping on the beach at Nusa Penida |
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| Snorkelling at Nusa Penida |
-Wayan Sumade, dive-master and reggae band
vocalist/guitarist from Amed, who brought me diving and to see his reggae
band perform in Amed.
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| Sumade's reggae band in Amed |
-Fabien, Couchsurfing host from France who hosted six French people and me in his home in Amed and took us diving and gave us great advice for exploring.
-Lili from France who also stayed at Fabien's and who I had a blast exploring the area in and around Amed with.
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| Helping in Fabien's garden with Lili |
-Sri, Fabien's Balinese neighbour who brought me along to celebrate Galungan (most important Balinese celebration) with her family, lending me a top to wear with my sarong and bringing me to the temples with them.
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| Getting ready for Galungan |
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| With Sri at the temple |
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| With Sri's family for Galungan |
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| Sri's youngest son, Dikha |
-Tikha, singer from Amed, who taught me many Indonesian words and who I had fun playing pool with while listening to reggae.
-Ketut and Luh Susana, the bemo (cheap local transport) driver and his wife who, after chatting on the ride, invited me to stay with them in their home in Bondalem with their family for a day and night before bringing me to my destination the next day, showing me all around their village and feeding me delicious foods.
-Made, the son of the hotel owner in Candikuning who brought me with him and his mom to the local vegetable market and to his family's home to visit; and Made's friend Gede who brought me to see a group of young men practicing traditional Balinese ceremonial music one night, where they were practicing outdoors.
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| Made's family getting fruits/veg ready for delivery |
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| Nighttime music practice |
-The kind Balinese couple who picked me up while I was waiting on the road for the bemo to Denpasar and brought me where I was going along with them in their car.
-The two young men from Java who I chatted with over dinner at a warung (small roadside food stall) and who then paid for my noodles.
-The woman at the laundry shop who did my laundry and then refused to let me pay.
Next, I fly to the island of Sulawesi and will take an eight-hour bus ride to a village near Tana Toraja, where I'll stay with a family and help teach English in the village.
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| Ujung Water Palace |
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