She's got her Ticket

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I have a bit of a traveling addiction, and, ah, yeah. I went to, ah, Bali this summer. -Fisher Stevens

After a long commute I finally arrived in Bali to a warm welcome by my friend. At first glance it is a typical asian city: motorbikes, gridlock and storefrontsthat you know will house people and motorbikes after closing. We headed off into the night to explore the beach, the town and all the hopping places on the strip. A perfect intro to a place that is going to be very special. The next day we taxied to Denpasar , the capital city to visit the museum and follow a walking tour outlined in our bibles, the Lonely Planet. We visited the state run temple , outfitted in the official sarong and belt before we entered the outbuilding museum to learn about Bali’s history and culture. The walking tour had us cross uncrossable streets so we had to ask security in sign language to help us navigate the ocean of motorbikes and cars at one corner. We then followed the roads to typical Balinese markets where we saw very few tourists and a glimpse into Balinese ways. We visited a very strange palace, once ruined and restored but now houses birds and dogs in cages , called a hobby by the caretaker dressed in traditional garb. Later we had dinner in a warung, serving homestyle Balinese food. The following day was a cooking class at the famous Casa Luna from the Fragrant Rice book, but we did not get to meet Janet the author. We did get to help prepare and eat food usually reserved for ceremonies and parties. Tonight we had more friends flying in and after a reunion we partied back on the strip where there are live bands and dancing everywhere.

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