Bali

Thursday, November 26, 2009…..Happy Thanksgiving

We are on the island of Bali…many people’s idea of paradise. It is lush island with beautiful beaches that can be used for relaxing, swimming and excellent surfing, snorkeling and scuba dives.

Unlike the rest of Indonesia which is mostly Moslem, Bali’s religion is a mix of Hindu and local animism. The native people are friendly and accommodating. There is a large population of expatriates living full-time or part-time here as well as a major tourist industry.

My friend Danny lived here for 5 years before coming to the USA. One of his friends is Del, who works part-time for the Washington State in mosquito control and lives 6 months of the year near Ubud, Bali in a small village where he leased some land from the village chief and built a small lovely house which he rents out when he is in Washington State during the summer. The location and views of the local rainforest are remarkable.

Ubud is in the center of the island and is an area filled with native and foreign artists...painters, sculptures, fabrics.  You can stroll around central Ubud and the surrounding villages to see some lovely creations. It is far from the beaches and the tourist here is respectful and culturally attuned…unlike the trendy resort areas.

Here are some local Balinese teen-agers:

Del’s house:

Bathroom decoration:

Back yard:

Front porch:

View out the bedroom window:

A view of the house from across the valley…you can see how it is located on the top of a piece of land that sticks out into the small river valley:

Decorative figure on wall:

Local rice terraces outside of Ubud: