Bali summary

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Last 2 nights in Bali and we are now at a touristy beach resort so time to sum up our time in Bali.

Bali is so very different to Java. As soon as we arrived we noticed how much more affluent it is. There are more cars, the buildings are mostly made of bricks and nobody looks really poor and things are definitely geared to the tourists - the source of most of Bali's income for the past three decades.

Bali is a mostly Hindu country and there are temples everywhere. In addition to the big and famous ones every village has quite a substantial one and every house has one in its garden. There are also shrines in the fields and also on bridges etc to ward off evil spirits.

The architecture is flamboyant with decorations on the corners of the rooves and on the ridges and around the doors and some of those doors are very ornate too.

As the Hindus do not have an aversion to dogs there are dogs everywhere - wandering and lying in the roads, sleeping in the shade. They are not very attractive looking dogs as I think there has been a lot of inbreeding going on.

The paddy fields have a different look, being narrow and curvy in many places unlike the straighter ones in Java. We also noted that generally a hillside of paddy fields will all be at the same stage of growth whereas in Java there were fields side by side at different stages of growth. I have guessed that this is because in Bali rice is grown on a more commercial basis whereas in Java people are growing it to feed their family so ensure there is a constant supply.

In addition to what I wrote about in the last entry we have visited a lot of temples and villages. This morning I went on a fantastic snorkeling trip, the water warm and the coral near the surface so lots of beautiful fish close at hand but unfortunately I forgot to put sun tan lotion on the tops of the back of my legs, so a little red now!

Oh yes, we like the local Bintang beer and the food of which we have been eating too much. Our colds are much better but the mosquito and other insect bite count continues to rise. And it is very hot and humid!

I've attached a load of photos to give an idea of what we have seen.

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Photos

family group
Monkeys are often found where cars stop and they know they will get fed

Balinese fisherman
From whom the guy in the previous picture had just bought the red snapper

huge butterfly
It must have had a7 inch wing span

my first ever swim in an infinity pool
At the D'Tunjung Hotel at Candidasa.

Comments

[Gloria]

HELLO!!!
Just want to say Hi .........Your photos are brilliant Sally. Am enjoying your travelogue. Does it mean now you're in Bali that you have your cozzie on and you're enjoying some R&R after all those early mornings! We missed you at book group of course. Lots of Love - Glor xx