Rose and Ron Krumpos in Indonesia

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Indonesia

Supper at sunset on Tuban Beach on Bali
Cathay Pacific - a Thai International pool partner - hosted us from Hong Kong to Bali. There we were guests of the Kartika Plaza on Tuban Beach, in a brick bungalow with a thatched roof. We had an early supper so we could later attend the Ketjak (monkey) dance...just as exciting as the colorful Barong dance the next night. The dining room faced West to the Ocean and - at just 10 degrees south of the equator - sunset lasted 'forever.'

Rose wanted to enjoy the unspoiled white sand beach in front of our hotel, but Ron - who escorted two tour groups to Bali - kept her busy visiting the many interesting sights on the island. Tuban was adjacent to Kuta Beach...the favorite of hippies and nude sunbathers. Since our trip, 47 hotels (8,100 rooms) have opened there. Many public beaches are now crowded with tourists, but most of the new luxury resorts have their own private beaches.

Rijstaffel at exotic Tandjung Sari near Sanur Beach
We had one dinner near Sanur Beach at exotic Tandjung Sari, its cottages covered in frangipani and hibiscus. Its lovely courtyard restaurant is an elevated, circular terrace. A specialty was rijstaffel, 15 Indonesian dishes served individually...like satays, stews and curries. Lunch was at Puri Suling, Bob Hargrove's charming restaurant, by the Elephant Cave. Bali's tropical splendor was only surpassed by its serene, spiritual and artistic people.

Rose had rijstaffel at Bali restaurant in Amsterdam (Indonesia was a Dutch colony until 1949). We shopped at the artist villages of Ubud and Mas; superior quality and fantastic values. Indonesia has 13,000 islands and has the world's largest Muslim population, but most of the Balinese are Hindus. Bali is called the "Isle of the Gods." It was a Paradise on Earth with clean air, pleasant weather, dependable rainfall, plentiful food, and lush flora.

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