'Round the World with David and Ron
The Boys are Abroad!
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10/28/07
Bali aka a little slice a paradise
Filed under: Singapore & Bali
Posted by: @ 10:33 am

Hello All, I am not good enough to be here! Bali is indescribable. I am pretty sure this place was designed by god for a couple of friends of his. Adam and Eve, you may have heard of them. It is our last day here and I am sad to leave. Such good people, good food, good art and good vibe.

I don’t ever want to leave. If I relax anymore my cells will separate and I will have to be taken to the plane in a bucket. Every morning around the place we are staying they go and make little offerings to the gods.

They put two offerings on top of each other. Little palm leaf baskets made fresh every day.

They fill them with flower pedals and a bit of rice or a cracker and some incense and then sprinkle them with holy water. It is beautiful to watch the woman in her colorful batik Sari performing this ritual with such care. The top offering is to the gods of goodness and the one underneath is to the evil spirits, to keep them at bay and from what I can see it is working. Each morning the air is filled with the smell of incense and the path is littered with these gifts.

I am staying in the art neighborhood where wood carvers, beaders, silversmiths,weavers and dyers sell there wares from there store fronts…and again in front of each store on the side walk, these lovely little arrangements. So beautiful and soooooo peaceful…

until I step on them or trip over them. I just cant seem to stop doing it and it makes me crazy.. I feel like such a damned oaf, and fat american. Oh why can’t I just once be one of the cool kids! Yesterday I went to a chinese healer who washed me with leaves and some green stuff and then gave me this to drink and that to snort and finished with a massage that sent me to another place. But there again, as we are about to get started I start to worry that I didn’t bring enough money so I am trying to ask how much its going to cost and if she takes Visa… she rather curtly replies NOT NOW… I am sitting in a little reception area and she is doing something behind me and I can’t exactly see what… language can be an issue so I am thinking that perhaps we aren’t understanding each other and wondering if “NOT NOW” means I don’t have to pay until the services are rendered or if her credit card machine is broken or if the internet is down, so I persist. “When its time, can I use a credit card?… you know VISA?”… I say it nice and loud so she understands better. I can hear her rummaging around with something and again she says “NOT NOW!!! ” So I get myself turned around where I can see her and there she is standing in front of her alter trying to be serene with incense in her hands… PRAYING. Oh god why do I have to be such a bafoon! I did finally get her to laugh with me about it later but I love it so much here and I want to come back but I am not sure they will be glad to have me.

The other thing is they all weigh about as much as my leg… if you stop at the knee. Oh well. Tomorrow is India and dental work… I hope I don’t turn up on the evening news.

Much love

David

So David got the first words and I get the last. Bali is indeed an amazing place. Janet DeBoer you are sooooo right about this place. We got recommendations from Janet out our lodging at Alam Indah. This was the view from the breakfast table every morning.

We stayed in a little arts community village called Ubud.

Our resort was a quick walk down to the Monkey Forest. The Balinese believe that the macaque monkeys are the spiritual protectors of the temple located in the forest and so are protected.

I’ve not spent time around monkeys before. Quite amazing creatures. I understand many other cultures consider them pests. I can see why but was fascinated nonetheless.

We met some amazing and warm, welcoming people in Bali.
Andrea is a Canadian who is teaching at an international school in Singapore and will be taking a sabbatical to volunteer in Africa working with inner-city kids and elephants. Sounds way too cool. So was Andrea. We hope she reads this and sends us her email.(you’re welcome at Ron and David B&B anytime!)


This is a local celebrity who we got a chance to meet. Mr Ketut Liyer was colorful, warm, and reassured us that we were “good men.”

We both realized the first morning that we would be coming back and for a much longer period of time. 6 days wasn’t enough to scratch the surface. oh well that part of what this trip is all about. To see snippets of the world.off to India for teeth and more snippets.

2 comments
10/24/07
Singapore Sling-Shot
Filed under: Singapore & Bali
Posted by: @ 9:52 am

So I’m still running a country or two behind with the blog. I gave you a teaser by posting the pics first. I got a couple of comments, one in particular asking why I’m showing a naked picture of Mickey Mouse with a partially naked man in the foreground???

As it turns out, we got to Singapore after our fast and furious trip through New Zealand. We arrived after a Ten hour flight from Aukland. Bleary-eyed and looking forward to a good nights sleep…we were told we could stay at the Changi Airport Hotel. So I didn’t book us a room, I mean it was only going to be less than 24hours, right? Alas, no room at the inn… So, bleary-eyed we stumble over to the booking counter and she gets us a room for $120/night which turns out to be the WORST room of the trip so far located in the Red Light District. The hall noise was amazing, finally quieting down after midnight. The pillowcases were made out of tissue paper. Ick! We lasted about 6 hours and had to vacate. Which means we woke up bleary-eyed and went exploring Singapore before s/afternoon. Singapore is a City state located at the tip of Malaysia and just north of Indonesia.

This is the place where they will give you a ticket for chewing gum or cain you for spray painting graffitti on cars. Mandatory Death Sentence for Drug Trafficing. I was a little nervous about my injectible arthritis medications, but no problems. It turns out Singapore is beautiful, filled with trees, hot, and interesting. Before we actually got to Bali, we considered coming back a day early to explore some more…but Bali was awaiting us. They dry their clothes in a most unique way. David thought I was having a petit mal seizure when I saw these close racks(I’m alway looking for innovative ways to dry my clothes…hate the electric dryer)

We ended up walking around until the shops started to open up around 10am. We went down this Alley and found a section of the city with all the religious houses all on a street. This was the Hindu temple.

next to it was the Buddist temple, and next to it was a christian and then moslem house of worship. All very civilized all living next to each other.
Imagine.
We ended up at a coffee house(no starbucks in site)and loved the decor. Ultra modern, hip and cool. Cute waiter as well.


As for that first pic, It was just a fluke. I thought the poster was a interesting commentary on US mass media/mass marketing and as I took the pic this guy walked in the picture. I didn’t even realize he was there until after I downloaded the image onto the computer…really was too funny. I don’t know if he knew I took his pic, if he was imitating Mickey or what. But it’s also an interesting commentary on our trip to Singapore. later, ron

3 comments