Bali Trip 2001

by Lisa - December 2001

DAY 1

We left Majuro Nov. 13th. Lon went into work (what a guy) for a couple of hours that morning. The bags and I went to the airport and got us checked in. Met back here at the house and caught a ride to the airport with Hirobo, Outrigger's Front Office Manager.

Arrived in time for a breakfast beer in the lounge (that, on top of a margarita and of course, my pre-flight Valium!). The plane departed about 10am and then it was hop-hop-hop to Kwajelein, Kosrae, Pohnpei and Chukk (formerly Truk ) before landing in Guam with an hour to catch our connecting flight. Lon was worried we weren't going to make it but I was confident. Plus, my buddies the Continental mechanics had been buying my drinks so what did I care! Majuro to Guam isn't considered an international flight, hence, no free liquor. Not so the Guam-Bali leg. We even had enough time for Lon to grab a Burger King burger at one of the food kiosks in Guam! The flight was not dull at all. Another of our mechanic friends was on that leg of the flight although he sat in first class, so we didn't get to visit with him much.

I believe there were two movies on that flight but didn't much care at that point. We arrived at Ngurah Rai International in Denpasar about 10pm. With the four-hour time difference between Majuro and Bali that put us at about, 14 hours of transit and wait time. Not like Guam to Bali only, which is right at five hours. But still well worth it!

We did exchange some money at the airport. Good rates and no sleight of hand work. We have never run into this problem but hear of people that do. I think you just have to be smart in your choice of where you make your exchange. Is 500RP (20 cents US) more for your money, really that important if you have to change at some shady place?

Our driver, Ketut Ciri (pronounced Cheery, which he definitely is!) and his wife and son were there to meet us. Had a homemade sign, "Lonny & Lisa Watne". Very cute! Much hand shaking and hugging and then off to his vehicle. Made Asmin and Indra (wife & son) and I piled into the back of the van. Lonny was so tired that as he started to get into the front seat he was on the right hand of the car so Ketut asked if he wanted to drive to the hotel. Ooops! Right hand drive!! His family got a big kick out of that! Only about a 15-minute ride to Rama Beach Cottages. Check in went smoothly and we said good night, making plans to start our day with Ketut about 9AM. Got to our bungalow and decided we should head out for a Bintang - the local beer. A pilsner, so light and crisp.......and COLD!!!

Walked up the street to the corner and around the block and the first place we came to was a seafood restaurant. The Bintang was only 15,000RP (about 1.45 USD, and that's for the large size, about 4 glasses worth!). Had two and just kicked back. The service was great and the wait staff very prompt.

Glancing around the restaurant we noticed the fish tanks for choosing your fresh dinner. The lobster tank had a price of 25,000RP (2.40 USD)!!!! Crazy!!! Two beers and we felt relaxed enough after the many hours it took us to get to Bali, so back to the hotel and into bed. All in all, the first 2 and a half hours in Bali had been excellent!!

DAY 2

We woke about 6:00 am, which is 10am here in Majuro so we felt like major slugs for sleeping in. Breakfast is served from 7-10PM so we showered and dressed and headed to the hotel's open-air restaurant. Lovely Gamelan music playing quietly in the background. Bells, chimes and gongs.

Recognized staff from our trip to Bali two years ago and they were very happy to see us. (Very pleasant and chatty.) Kept the Balinese Kopi (coffee, but more like espresso) coming. I immediately started in with the Balinese. Selamat Pagi (Good Morning). Napi Orti (How are you) Becik Becik (Very Good). They loved it as do I. Balinese is a pretty language as far as I am concerned and fairly easy to learn. There is the problem with having to speak low Balinese (to the common people) or the high Balinese (to the high caste people). Most of the Balinese I learn is the regular low-caste as that is who Lonny and I interact with more.

Breakfast was buffet style with many more selections than necessary. Traditional Balinese Mie Goreng, a noodle and veggie dish and then all the American food you could handle- from fruit and cereal, to eggs and meats,breads, sweet rolls and juices galore. We ate, but relatively light as we knew Ketut would take us to some place with excellent food for lunch. After breakfast we wandered across the street to the moneychanger and to check our e-mail. I wandered around the grounds outside and met the big cockatoo that roams free. The gentleman who runs the Internet cafe showed me how to call the cockatoo down from the higher branches and then we fed him chili peppers, of all things. Just popped them right off a plant growing close by and the bird (no name, I called him Bird) took it, peeled it and ate the seeds. Never even broke a sweat! Too cute!

Back across the street to the hotel and a short wait for Ketut. The day’s agenda would include places we hadn't been able to see on our first visit.

Headed off and almost immediately my neck started to bother me. Lonny's recommendation?-- Don't turn back and forth to look out the window at everything! Look our your side on the way out of Denpasar and then out the other side on the way back. You see everything and you don't end up with a headache! Good advice! So much to see, even just heading out of the city. All the hustle and bustle of a major city with a rice paddy or fish farm thrown in for good measure.

PLUS, the furniture factories along the way were to die for. We are talking seriously of talking to a freight forwarding company at some point and filling a container with furniture and assorted statuary and art work.

Heading up into the mountains of Ubud we made a few stops along the way. I had wanted to see traditional batik making so we stopped at a place not far from Denpasar called Phalam and were able to watch the ladies dripping the wax, using the special tool. They have to do both sides of the fabric and they work on a piece that is 2 meters by 1 meter. You do the conversion. The design is drawn on and then the wax is used to cover certain parts. Quite a process and incredibly beautiful fabrics. They offered to let me do it but I chickened out. I could just see me messing up a month’s work in a single swipe of the wax. Found two batik shirts for Lonny and a piece of fabric we will have framed at some point.

We headed to Celuk, which is the village most of the silver is made in. Each village has its specialty, whether it's making bricks, constructing birdcages, stone carving or batik. Ketut took us to a wonderful place, Adiprana Silver, where we were given a tour of how the jewelry is made.

The shop was full of a wide assortment of items from jewelry to silverware to decorative pieces. Balinese silver is 92.5% pure silver. Found three pieces of sliver we really liked for about a third of what we would have paid any place else in the world. And we paid in US Dollars here so it was even a better deal.

Next stop, Mas. The wood carving village. These shops Ketut was taking us to were all ones he'd used many times. He spent a lot of time finding the shops with very good quality at good prices. Most of the time if you go to Bali and take the 'tour-bus' type tour you will end up at shops that pay a commission to the tour company on every item sold. The prices will be somewhat steeper obviously. The one we visited was called Rai. They also have a furniture shop at another location. Here, there were four rooms of carvings, plus things outside in the courtyard. PLUS…a basement area where we found some beautiful old pieces. The prices on the old pieces were low enough we didn't even bargain on those. We did purchase several newer pieces, masks and boxes for Lonny's staff, and it is almost expected for you to bargain, which he did. I pretty much left that up to him as it was quite confusing with the exchange rate so high this trip and all those zero's. Like the silver shop, we got a better deal paying in US Dollars here. 7 boxes, a Garuda (bird) mask, a mobile of fish, two mask magnets (for the fridge), and two old large architectural pieces and I don't think we paid more than 65 USD. Plus, we were in the shop for so long they offered us something cold to drink. Jokingly I said I'd have a Bintang. And off she ran, returning with two veeeerrry cold beers. We wandered some more and visited with the shop owners who were getting ready for a big family wedding. Nice people.

So, we've done the batik, the silver and the wood. Now it was lunchtime so we drove on into Ubud and Ketut took us to Warung Murni. Can't tell you exactly where it is but ask anyone in Ubud and they can tell you. The staff was friendly and outgoing. The food was wonderful. Our only complaint was that we didn't have room for any dessert, which they had displayed in a case near the entrance (smart move! ). Now that I think back, we never had dessert the entire trip! The food is just too good without it! Lovely setting, over looking lush greenery and a ravine with a creek at the bottom. Started raining while we were there but that only makes things greener. Ubud is north of Denpasar and in the hills so it is much less humid and cooler there. Great shopping in Ubud but we were about shopped out at that point and still had the sightseeing part of the day to do.

Went first to Tirta Empul, the Sacred Springs. This is a very holy place and major pilgrimage site for the Balinese. They will come here and take water home for their family shrines or to make offerings at their neighborhood temples. We were invited to drink from the fountainheads, which we did. The lower pools are where people can go in the water and move from stone spigot to stone spigot, down the line as a sort of cleansing. On a level above this pool is the main pool, the one where the springs feed into. The rain had let up to a drizzle by then but we still weren't able to spot the two black and white eels that live in the pool. We were able to see the water churning up the sand as it bubbled from underground. President Megawati's Summer Palace is located on the hill above Tirta Empul so that was kind of interesting to see. We learned from our driver that her mother was Balinese.

From Tirta Empul we went to Goa Gajah, the Elephant Cave. I was expecting a cave with an opening big enough for an elephant to walk through but this isn't the case. The Elephant refers to Ganesh, a Hindu deity. There is a bathing pool and a number of rock- cut statues scattered about. The cave itself is ornately carved on the outside. You walk down a short length of corridor where it opens up to your right and left. Sort of like a letter T. There are several cut out areas in the rock that probably all held statues at one time although now only three of them are in use. This temple dates from the 11th century.

It is important to note that we always travel with sarongs to wear when entering holy places. Lonny still rents a sash if necessary at certain places but we have found this is generally only for temple celebrations. I also take a t-shirt with sleeves so I am able to cover my shoulders upon entering temples. You won't be kicked out of a temple for not following the Balinese dress code but it is important to respect the culture and religious aspects of any country you visit.

We arrived back at the hotel and had thought we would wander down to Kin Khao, a wonderful Thai place not far from the hotel. Unfortunately, we were both so tired we opted to go across the street instead to SA Café. Great food, good prices and cold Bintang. And so concludes the first full day in Bali.

DAY 3

Same morning routine, although we found ourselves waking slightly later than the day before. Kopi and breakfast, followed by a quick e-mail check (across the street) and some money changing (again, across the street). We have used this guy many times for exchange and have always got the best rate for the 100 USD with the large president head. Better rates for crisp, clean notes. I even ironed the ones we took with us! Also, in regards to moneychangers: We have never had problems being shorted.

Met again with Ketut. Planned to start a bit earlier this morning as we were going to Besakih,( north and east of Denpasar about 2 hours.)- The Mother Temple at the base of Mt. Agung. A very holy place for the Balinese. Besakih is comprised of 22 separate structures dating to the 14th and 17th centuries. As I understand it, each town in Bali has a temple area that they make pilgrimages to.

Drove through some beautiful and interesting countryside. There was a lot of sidewalk construction going on. Covering up the little canals that run along either side of the streets. As a word of caution always watch where you are walking in Bali. Not only could you trip and fall as not all the sidewalks are in new condition, but you also want to be careful not to step on the offerings the Balinese put out in front of their homes and shops. Not good Karma!!

We arrived at Besakih just as a light rain started to fall. Parking is about a kilometer from the main entrance and the street on the way up is lined with shops. We tend not to shop at tourist stops only because sometimes the quality is not what it is at other places. True, you'll usually find good prices so the choice is yours. There is always some place else in Bali to find whatever it is you see at a tourist stop.

On the walk up, we were joined by a young boy who decided we needed a guide into the temple, which was fine with us. We had our sarongs on but our driver, Ketut, did not. When it came time for us to enter the main part of the temple complex he ended up borrowing the boy’s sash.

By this time the rain was coming down pretty good, but we had brought umbrellas. It is after all, rainy season. And you are in the mountains. There are many “umbrella renters” there, so no worries if you haven't brought one of your own.

Once we got into the main complex we were surprised to see more shops and places to get drinks and snacks. We walked all the way to the top and had a wonderful view of the temples below. Going into the top temple is fine, as long as you don't go past the statue inside the door. Any religion may pray there and if you have a guide he will direct you to the head priest where you may make your offering. Lonny made an offering to the priest and then also made a separate offering to the temple. The priest blessed him and then allowed him to pray. While Lonny was praying the priest came and visited with our driver and they had a lively conversation. I know Ketut was telling him about our love of Bali and all things Balinese. Pretty soon he came over to me and gave me a business- type card. It only had his name on it, not phone, fax and e-mail, which was good as I think it might have spoiled the moment somewhat. After Lonny was done with the temple offering we all shook hands and the priest invited us back. Very lovely man. And as we stepped between the gate to start our return down the mountain the rain stopped. Just like that. I would never assume to make a connection between our offering and the weather, but we choose to take a little bit of responsibility for it nonetheless. We still weren't able to view the top of Mt Agung, which is the highest peak in Bali and an inactive volcano, as it was still shrouded in spotty clouds. We decided it really didn't matter as we were feeling very harmonious with nature and not the least bit inclined to be grumpy about a missed photo opportunity.

It was close to lunch then so Ketut drove us a short ways down the hill to Tirta Tantam, ( I may have the name of the place wrong but know Tirta was part of that as that means water ). Balinese buffet style. The service was wonderful and the food plentiful and delicious. And need I say? The Bintang was cold!

From here we drove to Klungkung, in the eastern part of Bali. This area was a focal point of art and culture in the Gelgel Dynasty. Kherta Ghosa , or Royal Court is here. As with all temple or other such complexes there is a small entry fee. Most places run about 30 cents or so. As you enter there is a large open structure in the center, surrounded by fountains and water sprays going straight into the air. The swallows (birds) were having quite a time darting in and out of the mist, perhaps their version of a shower? The building to the right of the entrance is the justice building and the ceiling is covered with ornately painted panels depicting the story of justice.

Towards the back of the complex is a museum. We aren't talking Smithsonian here, but a small intimate building. I think there were only 3 or 4 rooms of items to look at. Our only complaint was many of the artifacts did not have explanations in English or any other western language, so at times we were completely unsure of what we were looking at. But again, like with a cloudy Mt Agung, in Bali you go with the flow. While we were wandering around Kerta Ghosa the call to prayer began from a mosque just down the street. In Bali, the Hindus and Muslims seem to have gotten past whatever differences the rest of the religious world believes to be worth killing or dying for.

Across the street from Kerta Ghosa is another structure, but we weren't sure what significance it played. The shape is a tall black obelisk. Inside was a depiction of the royal family from the time of the Royal Court and many small dioramas lined the walls. Unfortunately when we were there the lights weren't working so once you moved away from the door you really couldn't see anything.

Time to head back to Denpasar, but on the way we stopped at Sinteg Art Work, as we had told Ketut we were interested in purchasing paintings again this trip. The shop had an assortment of different artists and styles. We are more interested in the classic style of Balinese painting and opted for 3 pen and ink type prints, all of Rama and Sita, Hindu fateful lovers. Like our Romeo and Juliet. We also found a beautiful depiction of a Balinese dancer in pen and ink but with some color added. All framed. One is quite large and they wrapped it as a carry on, complete with handles. The others fit into our suitcases but nonetheless the people at the shop wrapped them as if we would be mailing them. As we left, the owner gave us an unframed print we had been looking at but had decided not to purchase. Two of the smaller prints were in frames we weren't quite happy with but the shopkeeper was happy to allow us to choose two other frames and they re-framed them right then and there. Very reasonably priced and perhaps we could have got the price down further but we have always felt the art we purchase is well worth the price quoted.

Returned to the hotel and decided to shower and then walk the short distance into Kuta proper as we really hadn't been able to do any bartering type shopping yet and we did have gifts to by. Unfortunately, by the time we got down there, the Art Market was closed and we didn't see anything we were very interested in at the shops that were open. Did stop into Matahari's, the big department store in the middle of Kuta Square and bought some bottled water and then wandered and looked at all the souvenir stuff. Some nice things and would be great for last minute shopping, as the prices are higher than on the street and fixed (not haggling). We still had 3 more days in Bali so we passed on shopping there. As we were clear down in the heart of Kuta, decided to just eat at Chi-Chi's, the Mexican place. It was as good as we remembered. The wait staff all greeted us upon entering…some in Balinese and others in Spanish…kind of cute. We sat in the back air-conditioned section. There is a large open-air area as well but we were tired from the day and not really in the mood to sit and inhale exhaust fumes. 3 mixed drinks, a Corona, an appetizer and two large entrees and I think the bill was about $20 USD. Crazy!!!!

Thought about grabbing a cab back to the hotel but stopped for ice cream at Baskin-Robbins (yes, they are in Bali) and ended up walking all the way. It really isn't that far anyway and gave us that much more time to see, hear and feel life on the street in Bali.

As we had friends who arrived that evening but were staying at another location we decided to give them a quick call. They had just arrived and were exhausted from the long flight. Told them to get some sleep as we would be there at 9 AM to pick them up for Barong Dance performance and then we were all going to a cremation ceremony.

Another excellent day.

DAY 4

Up early again, but slightly later than the previous day.

As we were moving from the hotel in Tuban to a place in Nusa Dua (south and east of the airport) we repacked bags with our up-to-now purchases and then headed to breakfast. Lonny and I both ate light as we knew we would be going to lunch with our friends, plus we had the cremation at ten-ish and didn't want to end up uncomfortably full. As we were going to be gone most of the day the hotel kindly allowed us to leave our bags in the room until we returned later to collect them, as we didn't want to have to drag them around with us all day. (Rama Beach Cottages in Tuban, contact Pucaksana at r_baruna@dps.mega.net.id or check out their web page at www.ramabeachhotel.com)

We headed to Sanur to pick up our friends, Craig and Ivy, who were staying at Grand Bali Beach. Met them in the lobby area and we were off to see the Barong and Kris Dance in Batubulan. We were running just slightly late so missed the first act. As with most Balinese dance, the Barong is the story of the eternal fight between good (Barong) and evil (Rangda ). The music is beautiful and the dancing quite graceful. The entire production is colorful and energetic and makes for wonderful photo opportunities. Again, shops line the entrance to the performance area but we bypassed these. Craig and Ivy were just getting their first taste of Bali and the available crafts and gifts but we made them hold off until later. The cost for the four of us was less than $20 US. Well worth that, and more!

We found Ketut in the parking area and headed for his home and the cremation. He lives in Denpasar in an area called Pemogan. We weren't able to meet his family and visit his home during our last trip so this time we had brought gifts for his three children, him and his wife. We apologized to Craig and Ivy for the slight detour but they were interested in seeing Ketut's home and meeting the rest of the family as well. His home sits off of the road - a short walk. Extended family live in homes built very close, very much the 'compound' concept you see all over Bali but without the stone walls surrounding the homes. His wife and two daughters were there waiting, but like most families, the 11 year old son had wandered off with friends, so there was much hollering for 'Nyoman'. We also met his brother and sister-in-law and their children as well as his mother.

We removed our shoes and entered the small but clean and cozy abode. We had told Ketut not to go to any special trouble for our visit. There was no reason to entertain us, as we were part of the family. His wife brought out soft drinks and bottled water and some delicious cookies. We sat and visited for awhile. We passed out the gifts we had brought - notebooks, folders, pencils and sharpeners for the children… woven flowers for Ketut's wife to wear in her hair (although for cremation, not appropriate) and for Ketut a t-shirt from The Outrigger Hotel, where Lonny works. There was much thanking and hugging. It was very special.

By then it was time to get ready for the cremation. The children were not going, although in the end, the son, Nyoman did wander down to the cemetery with one of his friends. Lonny and I had our sarongs and I had a t-shirt to cover my shoulders. Ketut and his wife, Made Asmin brought out sarongs for Craig and Ivy to wear. Ketut wanted Lonny to wear one of his own special sarongs, which Lonny did proudly. Ketut also brought out a beautiful Batik shirt for Lonny to wear as well. As this was a big ceremony we all wore sashes as well. Ketut fixed the traditional headscarves on Lonny and Craig. We sure looked Balinese as far as our dress was concerned!

It was about a kilometer walk from their home to the cemetery. We walked from Ketut's home to the main road and joined a large procession as it passed by. Ahead of us was the Bades, or cremation tower. The height of the Bades is reflective of the wealth and import of the deceased individual. It is not uncommon for other families to exhume deceased loved ones and join in with a higher ranking person's cremation although they still must pay their share of the cost and for many Balinese families it can be quite a burden on their finances. The cremation ceremony is a very important ritual to the Balinese as they believe that burning the body frees the soul to return to the five elements, air, earth, water, fire and space. Cremation is at the same time both a somber and joyous occasion. Somber in the sense that you will not see the attendees dressed in the gaily colored clothing you see at most other temple celebrations but joyous because the departed is beginning his new life in a better place.

It was quite a walk under the blazing sun along the paved road. The heat radiated around us and the cremation hadn't even begun. Thank goodness Ketut and his wife insisted we take water with us. As we walked his wife tore sections of newspaper for Ivy and I to hold over our heads to try to alleviate some of the direct sun.

We arrived at the cemetery with a few hundred Balinese and a smattering of tourists. A large group of musicians sat to one side under the Banyan trees playing gamelan. The body was removed from the Bades, this one being three stories high and exquisitely decorated with brightly colored paper cutouts and woven offerings. The Banjar of Pemogan, were in charge of moving the coffin from the Bades to the funeral pyre and then removing the body from the coffin, (which was filled with ice as the deceased had been waiting for 4 days for the ceremony) and placing it into the structure that had been built from banana trees. I can't really describe it better than to say it was a rectangular box shape, open on the bottom and about 4 banana trunks high on each of the four sides. Ketut told us there was a grating of some sort that prevented the body from just falling though as the cremation progressed and we could see the rebar barely poking through the sides of the 'box'. The Banjar, which is like a local parish made up of men from the village, were all dressed in black shirts and dark sarongs. They surrounded the deceased and arranged garments and the like. Family members came up and placed what looked like offerings in with the deceased. The priest all dressed in white sprinkled holy water and chanted mantras. I was a bit taken aback by some of the tourists who went right up to the foot of the 'box', muscled their way in and holding their cameras aloft, began video taping the event. It wasn't so much that it seemed morbid (as the four of us in our group each wandered a bit closer to the center of the attention but never got closer than perhaps 10 or 12 feet.) ,it just seemed to us more a lack of respect. Makes you wonder if these people behaved the same way at Uncle Marty's funeral!!

The time had come for the fires to be lit. No lighting piles of kindling here. Instead there were two large gas canisters at the head and foot of the 'box' with hoses attached. At the end of each hose was a burner. The hoses were snaked around and the burners were connected to the bottom of the 'box'. The gas was turned on and a ‘black shirt’ stood at either end and lit the burners with a three-foot long torch. It sounded like F-15 fighter jet afterburners.

It took quite awhile for the flames to actually take hold, surely due to the temperature of the body. There was quite a bit of smoke that was carried away by a gentle but constant breeze. As the blaze continued to grow the Banjar set about getting the Bades ready to add to the pyre. They were very careful to remove a sarong or sash that had been attached to the very top of the Bades prior to it being set afire. Ketut explained to us that this was a very old garment, what we would call a family heirloom, and would be returned to the family.

The four of us must have looked quite a fright by that point. Hot and sweaty and out of water. Ever vigilant, Ketut mentioned that it would be all right and not considered bad manners if we wanted to leave at this point. He would accompany us back to the house but his wife would stay with other members of the village. The four of us agreed we should go ahead and leave at this point. Craig, Ivy and Lonny all mentioned an 'aroma' although I was totally oblivious to it.

So, Ketut and his band of sarong-swathed followers trooped back to his home. The walk back was quite different than the walk we had made only a short time earlier. No longer blocked by the funeral entourage and most of the village folk, the road was once again teeming with traffic. Cars, trucks, motor scooters, bicycles. We proceeded in single file along the edge of the road, hoping none of the vehicles had side mirrors that stuck out just a tad bit too far! Ketut deviated slightly from the original way from his house by walking us through a rice paddy near his home. Considerably cooler than continuing our trek on the pavement. Whomever said, " Cotton breathes " has never been to a cremation in Bali. We were drenched.

Ketut's two daughters were back at the house and turned the fan up when we straggled into the house. We peeled the sarongs and shirts and sashes off. Tried to fold everything up neatly but really it all needed to be washed or at least rinsed and hung out to dry. And I think we all felt the same way. Ketut had planned to take us to a sarong dyeing factory close to his home, but as usually happens in Bali, the time got away from us. We decided to just head down to Jalan Legian ( Legian Road or street ) in Kuta. There was a restaurant across the street from The Bounty we had eaten at on another trip and thought it would be fun to return. Unfortunately when we arrived the place was closed. But not to worry in Bali… The streets are literally lined with a wide choice of eating establishments. And they all sell COLD BEER. Which was really going to hit the spot.

We randomly choose a restaurant. Think it was called Reggae Burger but I don't recall seeing burgers on the menu. And as I mentioned there are so many places to chose from it's possible the sign for Reggae Burger stuck in my mind. It was basically across the street from where we had wanted to eat ( Espresso Bar & Pizzeria just at the entrance to The Bounty.) Great Indonesian food. We all had an entrée of either noodles (Mie) or rice ( Nasi ). Craig wanted to try the corn soup, so he ordered a bowl of that. Then we also ordered two satays, a chicken and a beef. All this plus 2 large Bintangs ( Bir gede dua-----Two large beers ). And then two more for good measure. Craig picked up lunch as we had sprung for the Barong Dance entrance fee. And the tab came to just slightly under $20 for the four of us. Amazing!!!

Getting close to the time we need to return to our hotel to pick up our luggage and head to Nusa Dua.

Ketut had parked up the street a short way, which gave us, time to wander past the shops lining the street. Craig had forgotten his sunglasses but was able to purchase a brand-name pair for considerably less than he'd ever seen them priced before.

One short stop, or so Ivy and I thought… Cigars & Cigars. The Cuban cigar shop in Kuta.

Ketut found the shop easily enough. Located in a small shopping center, laid out like one of your fancier malls in the US. Don't ask me what else is located there. Saw a gourmet food shop and that was it. We were on a mission. Or at least the guys were. Cigars & Cigars is a small, intimate shop. The walk-in humidor takes up most of the shop space. And it's packed to the brim with Cubans only. The guys were in cigar heaven. Ivy and I left them to it and wandered outside. All this talking of smoking left us both wanting a cigarette break! Craig made his choices fairly rapidly. Lonny, on the other hand was shopping for himself as well as for a friend so he took somewhat longer. Cohibas, Romeo & Julietta, Hoyo de Monterey, Punch, Upmanns. They had just about everything. Andre Irawan, the salesman on duty was polite and answered all of the guys’ questions. For those of you interested, the website is: www.pacificcigar.com

Back to Rama Beach to pick up our luggage and say our good-byes. Craig grabbed a quick haircut at the hotel salon while I went to the room with the bellman for the bags and Lonny handled the check out. Stopped down the street at Subrata leather shop to pick up the two passport wallets we had made. We had something we used but made of vinyl so we gave that to Wayan, the leather tailor, to use as a pattern. They turned out even better than we had hoped. And at $15 apiece they were a real bargain. As we live in a warm climate we weren't much interested in the rest of the leather goods but you can have just about anything made out of leather. Bring along a picture and they'll be happy to make a pattern. We ordered the passport wallets and had them in our hands less than 24 hours later.

The four of us had talked earlier in the day about getting together for dinner but during the ride to Nusa Dua, perhaps one half hour, we finally admitted to ourselves and each other we were exhausted. The heat of the day had really taken it's toll so it was agreed we'd each do our own thing the following day and then get together for dinner. As Lonny and I had only some gifts to pick up we offered Ketut and his mini van to Craig and Ivy, so they could get out and see some sights.

We arrived at the Nusa Dua Beach Hotel and Spa and were stunned with the opulence. Outdoor architecture reminiscent of the Balinese Temple designs. Young women dressed in traditional costume to shower us with flower petals. Water fountains, orchids, gamelan music. We bid our good byes and made a dinner date for 7 pm the following evening.

Lonny had been fortunate to meet the Director of Sales and Marketing for the property, at a hotelier class in Honolulu this summer. He had extended a warm invitation for us to stay at Nusa Dua Beach on our next visit for Bali. Nusa Dua is a bit south of where we wanted to be, so we only booked there for the last two nights. Would have been fun to stay there the entire trip but finances sometimes allow only certain extravagances.

We were warmly greeted at the front desk but then led to a private check in area as we had reservations for a Palace Suite. We were shown to comfortable seating and cool drinks soon arrived. The butler (yes, the butler!) brought the guest registration and we just sat and luxuriated for awhile. According to the literature we were given “ As a privileged Palace Club guest please be sure to take advantage of the following exclusive benefits:

Private check-in, 24-hour butler service, Complimentary Breakfast in the Palace Club Lounge (6-11am), Complimentary Afternoon Tea (also in the lounge 3-5pm), Complimentary Cocktails (lounge again, 6-8pm), Complimentary pressing of 4 garments and a Private Library of CD's. Videos and Books for our personal in room use.”
Okay… so we died and went to heaven. Time to head to the 'suite', shower and get back for those 'complimentary cocktails'! Our room was at the far end of the building. Next to us was The Residence, a private villa available for rent. We stepped into the room and couldn't do more than ooh and aah. Entered into a small foyer with a ‘guest toilet’ to the left. The table on the right had fresh roses. The foyer opened onto a large room with dining table and chairs at one end and a living room arrangement at the other. Fresh fruit in the dining area and live orchids in the living room section. At the far end of the room were sliders covered by teak sliders with moveable louvers.

In the middle of this room was the door to the bedroom and bath. The bed was turned down and a Balinese woven offering was laid on one pillow. The headboard and spread colors were purple and gold. Very regal. A stereo and another television across from the bed. Writing desk on the same wall. Fresh orchids and chrysanthemums. The bathroom was to die for. Tub on one side of the room, shower on the other, divided by the vanity. The toilet was off to the side of the shower, tucked into it's own room with a door. More closet space than I have at home. Over the tub were louvered teak sliders so you could open it up and see across the room out the bedroom sliders. What can I say…we were impressed. And we've stayed at a lot of nice hotels.

Lonny showered but I opted for a bath. There was a selection of bubbling gels and shampoos, etc. Samples of the items used in the spa. I choose the Lychee Bath Gel. Washed my hair in the Carrot shampoo. Would try the Lime next time. Relaxed enough at this point…. could have just crawled into bed but those complimentary cocktails were calling our names and they were, after all, COMPLIMENTARY!!!! We dressed, resort casual and headed back to the lounge. There were already a number of guests there but we found a table out on the patio. Placed our drink orders and were asked to fill our plates at the 'complimentary' hors d’oeuvre table. I can't even recall what all was offered. We aren't talking veggie sticks and ranch dressing though. There were chicken breasts rolled up with spinach and cheese. There was shrimp. Cheeses and fruit and a variety of breads. There was just a lot of stuff!

The group of people were mostly couples, but not just young honeymooners…. a wide range of ages. Conversations going on between tables. Where are you from? What have you done so far? We were pretty amazed at the people that hadn't really been out of the hotel much. One couple was doing a 3-hour massage in the morning. All I could think of was how much sight seeing I could accomplish in 3 hours! The people we spoke to were amazed we'd spent the morning at a cremation. The flip side of that was Lonny and I were amazed these people weren't inclined to leave the hotel. To each his own.

Drinks and snacks had given us a little burst of energy so with map in hand we wandered about the property. Quite a lot of people out around the cultural theater as a dance performance was just over and they were moving onto the buffet. Nine food and beverage outlets on the property. From burgers and pizza, international and gourmet. Two pools, three if you count the one at The Residence. Beautiful gardens. Their website is: www.nusaduahotelandspa.com

We worked up an appetite with all that wandering about so stopped at Sandro's, the poolside pizzeria. Shared an appetizer and a pizza and a two draft Bintangs (no bottles here). I think the tab was around $15 US, higher than outside the hotel but still relatively inexpensive. Great service as always. Great way to cap off an interesting day. And we still had two days to go........................

DAY 5

Another beautiful morning in Bali. Had a wonderful night's sleep and woke early again. Not a lot of people stirring that early but the hotel grounds people were already hard at it, sweeping leaves from the lawns, cleaning pools and raking (yes, raking!) the beach. We showered and dressed and headed to the lounge for breakfast.

There were already a number of guests, some just starting breakfast, others just finishing up. The staff greeted us warmly, we said our good mornings ( Selamat Pagi ) and asked for Kopi. They always bring milk or cream but we are fans of deep, dark coffee so prefer ours 'straight'. I think the Balinese get a kick out of that.

The buffet table was set with all manner of sweet rolls, cheese, yogurts and cereals. Also slivers of salmon and an assortment of local dishes as well. The bowls of fruit were to die for. Peaches , pears , grapes, pineapple and several different melon varieties. I went straight for the strawberries. An item difficult to get back on our island. I opted for a huge bowl, accompanied by a croissant. Lonny created his own yogurt mixture. They had the small containers of yogurt but also a huge bowl of the stuff that you could then add your own ingredients to.

We had just returned to our table out on the patio and our waitress asked if we'd like eggs as well. Fixed anyway you like with a choice of toast if you choose. We LIKE this complimentary stuff!

Ketut was taking Craig and Ivy for the day. We had mentioned Ubud and perhaps the volcano as places to see but left it up to them to plan their day. We'd be meeting at 7pm for dinner.

We, on the other hand had planned a trip into Legian as we still had some shopping to do. We finished with breakfast and drank one more cup of Kopi for 'the road'. We returned briefly to the room to collect what we needed for our trip into Legian and then proceeded to the lobby to request a taxi.

The hotel contracts with a company, so you tell them where you need to go and they have a price set for your journey. Legian is about 30-40 minutes away depending upon the traffic and the cost was just under $8 US. Pretty reasonable we felt. The taxi was clean, the air conditioning worked and our driver, Ketut (that would be easy to remember!) was charming.

We passed a number of shops that looked interesting but we were on a mission so asked Ketut to drop us at JL. Double 6. We like the sarong shops there and always seem to get good prices and large selections. We arrived about 10 and Ketut offered to return to pick us up when we finished. Lonny and I decided 3pm would give us plenty of time to shop, then return to the hotel, rest, shower and meet our friends for dinner.

We started at the top of the street and walked down one side to do some scouting out then crossed and walked back up the other side. We found the sarong shop we wanted to purchase from and set a price but told her we needed to go purchase a Bali Bag and would return later.

There are an incredible number of shops along the street and we only walked as far down as the Bali Subak Hotel before crossing and walking up the other side. We had been looking for more shadow puppets to add to our collection and found a wood shop with a varied selection. The shopkeeper even had a large number hidden away and he brought them all out and we laid them out on the floor to make the choice somewhat easier. We prefer the shadow puppets that are made entirely of wood and are flat, as opposed to the ornately dressed ones with round heads. We finally made a decision and purchased a set. It was difficult though. The shopkeeper was an older gentleman and was fairly tickled by the little bit of Balinese I knew. I firmly believe that if you have the capacity you should learn at least a few phrases in the native tongue of any country you travel to. The locals tend to find this endearing and in a place like Bali, known for it's populace of hawkers (somewhat pushy street vendors) , using a bit of Balinese tends to put the hawkers off as they assume you have probably been to Bali many times so you know the routine. This is what we've found to be true anyway. Learn your name in Balinese. Lonny and I are both Wayan, first born. Tan Suksema (Suk Samoe) -No thank you. Suksema ( Suk Samoe) -Thank you. Rarisang -Please. It will make a difference.

Found another small shop and bought a butterfly ornament to hang from the ceiling for our granddaughter. I had a sarong a friend had brought me from her trip that I was trying to find more of. No one we showed it to seemed to recognize it. I wasn't sure if that was because they preferred we buy from them or that they really didn't recognize it. As we worked out way back up the other side of JL. Double 6, one woman did recognize it and sent us on up the street a bit to Dolphin. These sarongs are made in Bali but then sent to Java where parts of the designs are cut away and then, using black crochet thread, are filled back in. You end up with a mosaic effect sarong. Obviously not appropriate for wearing but incredibly beautiful hung against a light colored wall or thrown over a chair or sofa. We bought 10 of them, planning to keep a couple and give the rest as gifts. They are very unique.

There are several bead shops on this street as well and as they make lovely gifts for staff we popped into one we'd used before and bought several strands of brightly colored beads. We have found that the more you buy the better the price will be. We choose less than 10 strands but it was still a bargain at slightly less than $1 US a strand.

At this point, it was Bintang break time and lucky for us we happened to wander buy an open air place along the road. Popped in and ended up having two! Bintang just always seems to hit the spot, which I am sure other Bali travelers can relate to.

I had wanted to purchase some Bali dresses, little cotton sundresses, for myself. I have several but you can't ever have enough! Found a shop on the corner that had all manner of clothing plus the Bali Bags we were looking for to use to transport our sarongs. Bought two bags, one small and one large, plus a shirt, a vest, 4 dresses, a batik shirt and a crocheted top. All for about $28 US. We did barter a bit for a couple of the items but all in all the prices quoted ($3 US for a dress) were more than reasonable. We don't see any reason to not pay a fair price for merchandise. These people, after all, are trying to support themselves. We get our biggest jollies watching people bartering in 5000RP increments. Come on people, its only 50 cents US, a Dollar Australian. That amount of money goes a lot further for the Balinese than it does for us at home. We feel the point is not to get the lowest possible price but to get a FAIR price.

We took our purchases and packed them into the smaller bag. It was getting to be almost 1pm so decided it was time to get the sarongs and head up the street to meet our taxi guy.

We were purchasing 100 sarongs for resale in a gift shop so like I mentioned the price came down quite a bit. There were many designs to choose from and I decided to get 5 each of 20 designs. I would point to a sarong on the wall and the sales girl would go straight to the stack and pull 5. Lonny was in the back of the shop and he was doing a cursory check, just to make sure there were no dye runs or spills. If he kicked one back she grabbed another for him. He kept track of the number we had as I continued to pick and chose. Took awhile to amass 100 but we did it and managed to fit them all down in the two bags. We paid her and thanked her and headed up the street to JL. Legian to meet our cab. We were a bit early so thought we would grab another Bintang. But when we got to the top of JL. Double 6 ,where it runs into JL. Legian our taxi driving Ketut was already waiting for us down the street a short way.

Crossing the street seemed to be somewhat of a problem and I'm not quite sure if there was a lot of traffic due to the time of the day or if there is generally a lot of traffic in that area.

Ketut could sense we weren't quite Balinese enough to just dart out in front of traffic so he bravely made his way out into the middle of the street to stop traffic for us. What a guy! We loaded the day’s purchases in the cab and climbed in.

And then we were off back to the hotel after a quick stop at a moneychanger. We paid Ketut directly this time (as opposed to paying the hotel for the ride this morning), obviously not to be shared with the big boss, and Lonny gave him a nice tip as well. We generally tipped 20,000RP notes. I know that doesn't sound like much to us but to the Balinese it's quite a tidy sum.

As we pulled into the hotel portico the bellman was quick to take our purchases and place them on a cart. We surely could have hefted them back to our room ourselves but: as the old adage says: When in Rome.............

Made vodka and tonics (did I mention we brought a bottle with us, as spirits are fairly expensive in Bali) and Lonny showered while I bathed. Sat on the lanai (porch, patio, terrace) and watched the activity below. Dusk was slowly coming upon us and the bats were starting their feeding frenzy. Wonderful for keeping down the mosquito population and more entertaining then watching or listening to a bug zapper doing it's job. We figured we'd head to the lounge for cocktails and leave a message at the front desk for Craig and Ivy to call us when they arrived.

Tonight was Salmon Night on the buffet table and there was salmon of every kind. Poached and peppered and smoked and pate. Prepared in ways I never would have imagined and we are from the Pacific Northwest, home of several varieties of salmon.

We sat on the patio again, and again conversed with other guests over cocktails. It got to be 7pm rather quickly and we assumed that the time had probably gotten away from Craig and Ivy with their day of touring and shopping. While I was chatting away, Lonny snuck away, only to return shortly to say our friends were waiting for us in the lobby. They hadn't checked with the front desk so they were just sitting there, patiently waiting. We were apologetic, but they said it had been no problem. It was nice to sit by the lotus pond, listening to the gamelan, letting the cool evening breeze carry the scent of tuberoses gently past. This is truly heaven!

We had talked about Italian (La Luciolla ) for dinner but then I had seen something about a Mexican place called Poco Loco, which was close by in Nusa Dua. We arrived within about 5 minutes and were greeted warmly by the wait staff. 7pm must be early for dinner in Bali because we were the only ones in the place. The restaurant is set above street level and must afford quite a view given its open floor plan. That night we were treated to a spectacular lightning display in the distance.

Unfortunately no Bintang at Poco Loco but they did have Corona which we all opted for, keeping with the Mexican spirit of the place. Ordered a nacho and cheese appetizer, which we consumed rather greedily. The waitress took our entrée orders and brought another round of Corona. We settled in and Craig and Ivy began telling us about the day they had, the things they'd seen, the stuff they'd bought. They loved Ketut. They loved Bali. Craig had started this trip with the attitude he would just be crossing another country off his list of places to visit. We'd even invited him over for dinner one night prior to our leaving to try to make him understand the errors in his thinking process. He wasn't about to get into the swing of things and that was that. Very quickly though, after being in country, his attitude had changed 100%. He loved Bali. He loved the people. He loved the culture. He loved the shopping. He loved the prices. Another convert. Lonny and I felt justifiably satisfied. True, we weren't able to change his mind before he arrived. The truth is, Bali changed his mind. Bali will do that to you if you allow it to. Don't try to make it what you think it should be, don't fight it. Just go with the flow and let Bali work it's magic on you. It will you know.

Dinner was fantastic. Huge portions of good food. Once again, we'd blown our chance to have dessert. Thought maybe the four of us could share a single dessert but that wasn't even do-able! Troopers that we are though, we had room for one more beer, with Ivy opting for a Singapore Sling, which in some circles could be considered dessert!

So, at least 5 rounds of Coronas (keep in mind it's an imported beer so somewhat pricier than Bintang), an appetizer and four healthy sized (healthy in this case meaning huge!) entrees. …oh yes, and Ivy's 'dessert' drink… tab was about $40 US. For four people. It boggles the mind, doesn't it?

The place had started to fill up about the time we were finishing up. My theory is most of the tourists we saw were European, so the time difference worked in their favor. It was earlier in the evening to their body clocks. The four of us we working with a time difference that ADDED four hours. So at 10pm, it felt like 2 am to us. Not late to a lot of people but late enough for us.

We found Ketut waiting and we piled into the mini bus for a ride back to our hotel. When we arrived we asked Ketut if he minded us taking Craig and Ivy up to show them our room. Didn't want him being too late in getting home. But he said go, have fun, don't hurry.

Needless to say, they were both as impressed with our accommodations as we were.

They needed to get back to their hotel and Ketut needed to get home so we walked them back down to the lobby and said good night. We made arrangements to meet up at the airport the following evening for our flight home. They would be taking a shuttle from their hotel and we had asked Ketut if he would pick us up around 7:30. That would give us 2 and a half hours to get through whatever security the airport had in place.

Lonny and I wandered back to our room, sated from the evening's meal. There was a slight bit of melancholia in the air as we both thought ahead, to tomorrow, and it being our last day in Paradise...at least for this trip. We decided tomorrow would be a day of relaxation, after morning shopping of course. We would actually get to the beach and get into the Indian Ocean. Maybe even get into the pool. We laughed at the fact that we hadn't been in a swimming pool since our last trip to Bali two years prior. Amazing how crazy one's life can get before they even realize it. Bali, although vibrant and alive, can force one to slow down and smell the roses, or in this case tuberoses!

DAY 6

Woke slowly as I really didn't want morning to be dawning so soon. It was after all our last day in Bali. Lonny was already up and about and had called to order Kopi. I heard room service making the delivery and could smell the heady aroma of Kopi emanating from the other room. Lonny delivered coffee in bed and we set about discussing how we would make the best use of our remaining time in the country. Showered and did the normal morning routine of the lounge for breakfast. We ate light knowing we'd be heading out into the heat and humidity shortly. I had to have more of the strawberries while Lonny did a small plate of assorted fruits and cheeses. We said our good byes to the morning wait staff and thanked them for a lovely time.

We thought about taking a cab from the hotel but the shopping street is just beyond the entrance to the hotel and we did want to get some photos of the property so opted to walk. With bottle of water and camera in hand we set off. It was still early enough in the morning that the heat wasn't too oppressive yet. Nusa Dua is certainly what I would term a ritzier area of Bali, home to more of the luxury hotels. Once outside the main entrance to the hotel you walk past landscaped green areas that could be parks. We noticed uniformed security people stationed along the way. Not obtrusive, just there I suppose if someone needed assistance or perhaps directions. Walked past the large water fountain and statue in the traffic circle. These are located throughout Bali and they are all different and quite beautiful.

As we did on JL. Double 6 we wandered down one side of the street and then back up the opposite side. Had only a couple more items on our list to purchase but ended up wandering for about 3 hours. It is so very easy to lose track of time here. Found a cute woven bag for beach use and a couple more Bali dresses. During yesterday's sarong purchase had completely forgotten about a friend's request for 3 maroon sarongs for use in her car as seat covers. Had an awfully hard time finding three of the same amongst these small shops. Would find one and then explain I needed 2 more and the shop girl would ask us to 'watch the store' and off they ran, (and in some cases hopped on their scooter,) to ask other shop keepers if they had matching ones. One girl came up completely empty, another was able to find two. We were close to running out of time and shops when this particular girl was able to round up two more just like the one I had chosen. Were happy to be able to give her something extra for all her trouble.

Lonny had the same difficulty finding woven table mats of the same shape and design. He wanted some with carvings of Garuda, the winged god figure but no one had anything like that. Then he decided geckos would be interesting but again, not an option. He finally decided upon floral designs, each one of the six differing slightly in their carved central design. Looked diligently for a Batik fabric bed quilt but if we found the right size it wasn't in colors we liked and if we found appropriate colors it wasn't the right size.

I would have to say that what I learned from this final crazed shopping journey is this: Don't wait till the last chance you have. If you see it early in your journey, buy it!

It was almost one by this time and definitely time to head back. Again we talked about getting a cab but we were so close we choose to walk it instead. It had warmed up considerably since our walk down to shop but the thought of relaxing on the beach with something very cold to drink, spurred us on.

Got back to our room and had a vodka tonic while we allowed the air conditioner to do its thing. I think we both could have spent the rest of the day stretched out in front of the television but we were not about to waste a minute.

Bathing suit clad we headed to the beach. Somehow, in the short period of time we were inside the sky had clouded over and towards Denpasar it looked dark enough to be night, although it was only about 2pm. It was not raining though ,so no reason not to assume the position and relax, right? We had just gotten comfortable when Lonny noticed an intriguing kite being flown down the beach. There were a couple of hawkers wandering down close to the water but there were also helmeted hotel employees who kept them behind an imaginary boundary line. Lonny called to the boy with the kites but he only approached up to that line and then motioned for Lonny to come down to him. We were totally unfamiliar with this sort of thing in Bali but understand at a resort such as Nusa Dua Beach that the clientele certainly don't want hawkers up in their faces while they try to catch a few rays.

Lonny sat and talked with the boy about his kites. They struck a deal but Lonny realized he would have to return to the room for his cash. The kites were such a good deal I asked if he would get two, which he did. Knew they wouldn't fit in any of the bags but I still had another carry on that I could claim.

We sat under the clouds on the beach and watched as Denpasar got some much needed and no doubt appreciated rain. We had time to each have a drink and to wade about in the Indian Ocean before it started to sprinkle rain lightly on us.

Time to head to the pool and the cover of the pool side umbrellas. No reason not to stay out doors. Lounged some more. Ordered some food. Had another drink. Played in the pool. All the while the rain stayed in mist-like form which actually seemed to take the humidity down a couple of notches. It was really very pleasant.
We stayed till about 5 when we groaningly agreed it was time to come back to earth. That would leave us time to shower, pack our wet clothes, call the bellman for the bags and head to our last complimentary cocktail time in the lounge.

Tonight was featured a sushi sampler of majestic proportions. Shrimp sushi, salmon sushi, vegetable sushi, and octopus sushi. More differing types of sushi than I have ever seen in one place, including sushi bars! Actually neither Lonny nor I had much of an appetite given we'd just had a late lunch. Plus the fact we were feeling blue about our imminent departure. We each sampled a couple of items though, just to be polite.

Too quickly it was 7 and time to head to the lobby. We were able to take care of check out there in the lounge so everything was pretty much taken care of by the time we were ready to head off. We only waited briefly for Ketut, who arrived with his wife (she’d never seen this hotel and she really wanted to say good bye to us as well) to take us to the airport. We chatted all the way to the airport, partly because I think we were all sad about Lonny and I leaving Bali and were afraid if we weren't busy talking, we would be dwelling on that. Bali is no place for sadness.

We arrived at the airport in plenty of time. We hugged and said our good byes. I told Ketut not to be sad because we would return someday. Tiang Tan Matamu-We will miss you. And then there is my favorite, Tatuam Asi, a Sanskrit phrase meaning what's mine is yours. You are family. We loaded the bags onto carts and as we headed into the terminal turned one last time to wave. Please if you ever need transportation in Bali give Ketut a call. Tell him Lonny and Lisa and Craig and Ivy said he was the greatest. You can contact him in country at 72-4929 or from out of country at 036172-4929. Mornings between 7 and 9 am are generally best to reach him. He also has email now and can be reached at bestbalidrive@yahoo.com

The routine at Ngurah Rai International is this: first thing into the terminal, you're bags are X-rayed. All your bags, including carry on items. Then to the ticket counter where Lonny was almost begging the agent to bump us off the flight. We got our seat assignments and headed up stairs to the gate. We had over-estimated how long all of this would take. By a long shot!

We went through immigration and paid our exit fee, now at 75,000RP but I believe that goes up to 100,000RP January 1 of 2002. Then on around the corner to have our passports stamped. I was speaking in Balinese to the man handling our passports and an older airport security man behind him laughed and said, " He doesn't speak Balinese." Which is not all that uncommon as I understand in schools they teach Indonesian. This older guy was getting quite a laugh about how I could speak Balinese and this younger officer could not. So I would say something and the older man would laugh and translate. I do believe I saw the younger man blush ever so slightly.

Next stop the Duty Free Store at the airport to purchase Bali Moon Liquor. It is only made and sold to the hotels, it's not available commercially. The Food & Beverage director at the resort was kind enough to make a phone call to the owner of the company that produces it who was happy to tell us we could purchase at the airport. Which we did. We also managed to find one or two other items at the airport shops. This was a good thing as at that point we had used every inch of carry on space we had left in our packs. We had talked about taking some Bintang home with us but Craig said something that we had to agree with. Bintang is for Bali. It probably wouldn't even taste quite the same if you drank it some place else in the world. And since we had no more room, we went to one of the airport drink places and tried to spend most of our remaining Rupiah on Bintang.

Our flight was due to leave at 10:45pm so I think it must have been around 9:30 when we decided perhaps we should wander down to our gate. All this time we had wondered about Craig and Ivy… thought surely we'd see them wandering about. As it happened they were already in the boarding area as we sauntered by. We waved and continued on through the security checkpoint right outside the boarding area.

You go through the metal detectors and your carry on is once again x-rayed. Then it's on through to the actual boarding area where you go through a physical search of your carry on luggage. They had three stations set up so there really wasn't much of a wait. They were not letting anyone through without a thorough search. Even airline and airport employees were subject to the same scrutiny as passengers. We felt completely safe. Lonny and I were at different stations at the same time. My searcher says I can only have one lighter with me (I have two, always losing one it seems). I started to hand him one and then said, ‘excuse me, that's my husband. Can he have one also??’ Yes actually that worked. Lonny had some snacks we'd carried, foil wrapped and they had him unwrap one to see for sure what it was. Like I say, they were very thorough which is a good thing.

We sat with Craig and Ivy who claimed they looked all over for us, obviously not completely all over. It was late for the 4 of us (add in the 4-hour time difference) so we were ready to get the show rolling at this point. They called boarding for our flight and once again we showed our passports and boarding pass.

Boarding the plane we were greeted not only by the flight attendants but also by one of our Continental mechanic friends, Peter Lum, who occasionally makes the Guam to Majuro trip. Lonny had told him what day we were flying out so he knew to expect us. We took our seats and as soon as the rest of the passengers were settled in we were taxing for take off.

A flight that late at night is generally pretty quiet.. This one was no exception. Craig and Ivy seemed to be dozing but Lonny and I were not able to get much sleep. Which actually turned out to be a good thing as this was the night of the big Leonid Meteor shower and we were going to get to watch it, up close and personal. About 4am Guam time one of the flight attendants came by, (I think looking for passengers who were awake), and mentioned the meteor shower was happening right outside the window.

Spectacular isn't a strong enough word to describe another once in a lifetime opportunity…the cremation being the first, on this particular trip. I had seen meteor showers, feet firmly planted on the ground several times in my life, but nothing comparable to this. This was like the most fantastic laser light show you'd ever seen. From the ground, when you see a shooting star, generally you see white and perhaps if you are lucky a good-sized tail. From up here the colors were ever changing. Golds, blues and greens. Tails that seemed to go on forever. And some so bright you could blink and blink again and when you looked there was still a mark in the sky where the meteor had just been moments ago, burned into your retina for a time. You couldn't keep count of how many there were as they came so quickly, one after the other. At times five at the same moment. There was still a little ambient light from inside the aircraft so I took one of the blankets and made a viewing tent of sorts up against the window. Wow! I heard later from mechanic friends that the view that night from the cockpit was really something and that a lot of videotapes had been made. Even without the benefit of video it is something I will always consider lucky to have seen… and truly unforgettable. In our Bali-esque state we looked at the meteor shower as our gift from Bali.

Nothing beats being harmonious with your surroundings.

We arrived in Guam and said our good byes to Ivy, who lives there. We had plenty of time until our connecting flight back to Majuro and as there aren't any REAL fast food places here we all opted for Burger King at the Guam airport food court. Yummy! We even ran into a couple of people we know from Majuro who would be on the same flight back this morning.

We boarded and settled in for 5 fairly short segments on the Island Hopper flight. Tony and Julius were our mechanics on this return leg. The flight was pretty full the entire trip, which made it a bit difficult to stretch out and get too comfortable. Plus it's not easy to sleep when you just get relaxed and it's time to land again.

We made it back to Majuro (a bit early, thank you Continental). We weren't off the plane yet and already missing Bali.

The good thing is, we know we will be back sometime in the future…