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Published: August 10th 2008
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Well we have had another great day yesterday on our way to Lovina. we travelled all through the middle of the country with our driver Ketut very Hati-Hati (carefully!!!) we stopped at the volcano museum and there were some great exhibits in this modern museum. would be lots of fun for the kids. we eyed out the monster Batur which until very recently has been erupting on a small scale. You can still see the lava flow as new growth has not taken hold of it yet. the surroundings were spectacular with the mountains surrounding the lake. it was lovely and cool up here. as we drove through this very fertile area there were lots of mandarins (naartjies to us locals) on the trees and in the market stalls along with tamarillos - which i had never had before but they are like granadilla and of course the usual other fruits that we have become used to seeing. Lots of fields of tobacco here too. they mix their tobacco with cloves and this is the clove growing area and picking season so i kept asking Ketut to point out the clove trees and was not dissapointed. they are very tall and
making gado-gado
very yummy salad made on the street in Kuta you have to pick the buds before they become flowers. they are creamy in colour and i picked a sprig. the air around the area is infused with the scent of cloves its heady and lovely. you see the cloves drying on the side of road just like all the other crops - rice, tobacco, beans etc.
we arrived in the afternoon at the place we had booked which was a little dissapointing but we walked around and found a much better place right on the beach which we have booked for tonight. so today we are moving today. i did spit the dummy a little and decided not to stay at all at the first place so we actually moved right away (we had to pay of course but what the hell i could not do the grotto once i had seen the other places) it goes like that sometimes.
still struggling to add my pics (help eve)
well i might just have done it and got one on but its not in the text but in the photo box. at least this computer is a bit more lively as there is broadband of sorts and most of the keys in the typewriter work. for those pernicity few that are worried about a few typo's you can just worry about them ok!!
well we are firmly ensconsed in our room right on the beach. I have become firm friends with Saree sarong, the sarong seller, Sumi the massage lady, their friend the fruit lady cant recall her name at the moment, and of course their children who are selling lovely shell and bead necklaces which is obligatory to buy one from each child so as not to offend any feelings! they set up shop each day under the big tree opposite our room on the beach and catch all going to and from the hotel. They are all good natured and we got really close last night when i showed them my pictures from home. they really liked that. tonight i am buying a half a jack fruit and we are going to have a sunset party!!
this morning we went for a snorkel with Ketut the fisherman who is Sumi's husband. it was just Terry and me in his boat. they are long and narrow with stabilizers on either side. my biggest question is 'Do you have a ladder?" as getting in and out is a little difficult for me at the best of times. thank goodness he did and we had a great time. terry pointed out to me there is a lot of soft coral amongst the hard coral which is good sign that they reefs are coming back. as long as the water does not get too hot - as with global warming -then there is a chance for recovery.
well as we were going through a duck withdrawal we decided to order it for tonight (you have to order it a day before here ) when we had lunch yesterday at a local warung that was very good. so tonight after sundowners we are heading up the road. we have had great meals at the local cafe in fact called Bintang Cafe (bintang is the name of a local and very popular beer) I had some delicious tuna last night very professionally cooked.
the nice thing about staying in one place for awhile is the locals get to know you and you can have a bit of a rappor with them. The Balinese people are just so friendly you can quite understand why people love coming back here time and time again.
so let me know if you got the pic's and i will write in a few days time again. xxxlee
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