Bali!

Nothing cures what ails you like a good dose of Bali.

Our experience in Bali has been a whirlwind of cultural activities, astounding natural beauty, and touristy lounging with fruity cocktails. I spent my first morning in Bali learning to surf on Kuta Beach-- mecca for surfers of all experience levels. Here's my initial assessment: surfing is hard. The whole "paddling" thing requires a surprising amount of arm strength, of which I have none. Then there's the whole "standing up" thing, which requires agility, balance, and concentration, of which I have none. And when (not if) you fall off the board there seem to be three available outcomes: you get dragged underwater by your surfboard, which does not suffer from the same lack of flotation you do; you get pummeled by the wave that was previously pushing you and the ocean acts like a violent netti pot, funneling salt water into every available orifice; or, if you have made it close to the shore, you hit hard sand and rocks with your bare flesh and then dive for cover because that surf board is coming to get you. Unfortunately tucking the board under your arms and prancing daintily to the shore only happens on Blue Crush.

Bruised and bloody, but I got up! Anyone with any actual surfing knowledge or ability is strictly forbidden from commenting on this photo.

After my victory over the waves, we headed out for a tour of a temple where monkeys roamed freely along the rocky cliffs. We were warned that the monkeys were naughty (one brochure said "brutal monkeys") and they lived up to expectations. While Clare was taking a picture of a monkey that had stolen someone's sunglasses, another monkey tried to steal Clare's camera case, and in the process he nearly pulled down her skirt. I slipped him a fiver and we decided to stay away from the monkeys after that.

As the sun set behind the temple, we watched the traditional Balinese fire dance, which involves a lot of chanting, some pantomine-style dance, and some people dressed like monkeys. We've noticed a somewhat loose translation of "dance" in this country-- most dance is really more like theatre, which generally involves dialogue in a language we don't understand. We were told the story was like Romeo and Juliet. I will have to take their word for that. But it was really lovely watching the sky as the sun burned off over the ocean behind the dancers.

After the show, we went down to Jimbaran beach on the southern peninsula of Bali for the seafood bbq. All along Jimbaran beach, restaurants set up tables right up to the waterfront. Before your meal you select your live entree from the tanks and they grill it up right there in front of you. Clare had a barramundi that really struggled for its continued existence and I had a rather placid lobster that went without a fight. While we ate, Balinese dancers performed on a nearby stage and musicians strolled from table to table playing (rather inexplicably) a number of country music classics. But not Cecilia. Alas.

Our second day in Bali was pure pampering. Facials and pedicures by the hotel pool, a swim when we got too warm, fresh mango as a snack.... and, of course, karaoke. This time it wasn't even our fault. Right down the street from our hotel is a bar called "Reunion Club Karaoke." We had no choice but to participate.

Yesterday was a bit more of a cultural adventure. We attended a Barong dance performance this morning-- again it was sort of a play-- which colorfully depicted the struggle between good and evil... and also possibly monkeys. I don't want to ruin it for anyone, but good wins. Then we watched some Balinese craftsmen making silver goods and paintings before making our way to lunch at a gorgeous spot overlooking an active volcano and volcanic lake. Not a bad view.

After lunch we went to a coffee plantation where they were roasting Balinese coffee. There we witnessed a time-honored tradition for true coffee connoisseurs. Poop coffee. Ok, technically it's called luwak coffee after the small possum-like animal that eats and then poops out the coffee beans before they are roasted into a local delicacy. Yes, that is a picture of luwak poop. I actually tried the luwak coffee in a sort of "when in Bali" moment-- it wasn't bad, though I wouldn't follow an animal around picking up excrement to drink it. Dunkin Donuts is still (marginally) more sanitary.

Poop aside, the plantation was really beautiful with lush green coffee and cocoa trees down the mountainside.

After the coffee plantation we strolled around the incredible rice fields and learned about the rice farming process. Nearly every home in the area around Ubud has its own rice farm and people use every inch of their land around their houses to grow as much rice as possible. The farming process is labor intensive and the work here is done by hand under a sweltering sun. But the Balinese people seem happy and they are unwaveringly kind and cheerful in their labors.

But even in paradise, there are harsh reminders of how complicated the world is. Our hotel turned out to be right around the corner from the site of the 2002 nightclub bombing that killed hundreds of people, including 7 Americans. There is a gorgeous memorial on the site, and people congregate around it, play music on its steps, and use it as a place for peace rallies.

Today was a bit more on the sun and fun side. We took a catamaran cruise out to an island off the coast of Bali where we spent the day kayaking, snorkeling and lounging on the beach. For lunch we had a seafood barbeque of giant prawns and fresh marlin. There were these two musicians on the boat who (this is becoming a theme) knew a shocking number of American country songs so there was some sing-along time as well.

I'm leaving things out, as well as a ton of pictures, because we're off to have our last meal in Bali and fish curry is the only thing I can think about right now. Tomorrow we leave for Phuket, Thailand. Expect more beaches, perfect sunsets, and good times.

Ta for now!