Sol 61: Coming up on three weeks in Bali. We’ve had some highs and some lows. The awe at the constant beauty around us has not waned. It seems every time I look up I see something unique, amazing, delightful or a bit different and quirky.
The bargaining never stops.
New Kite Flying Friends
My husband is tallying a list of ‘things I have seen being carried on a scooter’ and it just about contains everything possible. I’ve seen tiny, tiny babies nestled between ma and pa, panes of glass being held aloft, piles of branches, sticks and grass, complete mini-stores where one might make a meal or sell you a plethora of snacks. All of this wheeling by you.
Dewi makes the best meals!
The places we have stayed have been varied from an estate/villa such as the place we are at now to a house in the middle of a more tattered neighborhood where our point woman was amazing. She arranged for our boys to fly kites with her sons and made the best Nasi Goreng.
Emade, our amazing driver from Ubud. Email him for driving at nyoman.wati72@gmail.com
We ended up leaving early though as we found a dead bird under our bed and a bird nest above our son’s bed in the thatched roof that was less than sanitary. Bird poo on your sheets and pillows? We had to draw the line somewhere. The host (whom we never met) told us by email ‘that is nature’ and I am inclined to think it is but, it doesn’t have to be on my son’s head.
Dinner on Jimbaran Beach.
We are getting more adaptive in the heat. I wouldn’t say more used to it. You can see why people have plunge pools to dip into and wash off the heat of the day.
Monkey back rubs at the Monkey Forest Sanctuary.
We can see Mt. Agung from our current house and she is still resting. We are grateful for this but, also are acutely aware that there are several thousand people still living away from their homes out of the evacuation zone in refugee camps. This is heart breaking and a struggle.
Jatiluwih Rice Terraces
Our boys have adjusted to mom and dad being the guides/teachers for the interim.
They are adjusting and we are soaking up our last week here as Friday, we head to Malaysia
There are very typical Bali experiences I am committing to memory. I share 10 of them with you here.
- the sweeping up of all the flowers that fell overnight with a broom made of palm leaves.
- the sweet smell of incense and tiny offerings that show up before most doors or walkways.
- the low, guttural mooing of the cows with giant bells around their necks.
- the assortment of flying bugs some bedazzling with colorful, sparkling wings and others just larger than I have ever seen before.
- houses with open walls that get transformed in the evening to a closed in space with the pull of a curtain.
- the frogs that take up residence in the bathrooms or guarding the end of our bed.
- the offer of a 100 cab, scooter rides if you are merely standing on the side of the road.
- the vibrant color of fruit smoothies that rival any modern painting
- the intricate carvings in wood and stone that are done with a hammer by the roadside
- the absolute kindness of most people who wish to see you well.
Canyon warning the rabbits they may become pets or someone’s dinner.
Nothing like seeing a structure that is over 600 years old when your own country’s european settlement history started after this temple was built.
My new favorite Pringles flavor?
Doorway to our current bedroom.
Boys paying respects by wearing a sarong and really looking good while doing it!
Night food market.
Grilling the meat and using the fan to bring in the customers as well as spread the smoke.
Kelvin in his element with the cutest photo bomber in the back!
Tenenungan Waterfalls
Reading Kindles while waiting for a ride.
Family photo
A huge shout out to our friends Robyn and Mark who hosted us a couple times in Australia. We want them to know we so appreciate them!! Happy Wedding next month!
This academy opened the world of possibilities for us to repackage our trip, ideas and come up with an alternative plan (note: not to be confused with alternative facts).
Changing jobs, leaving schools, packing up, preparing goodbyes and selling belongings. We still have a lot to do but, we have a couple of Homeland style planning boards with tasks that we are following up on.
And an even bigger deal when we try to do it in three days in a country we haven’t driven in together (Kelvin was there on his own in 2001), driving on the ‘other side of the road’ for us Yanks and in a camping vehicle we have yet to rent or even select. The situation gave Kelvin and I some pretty funny conversations as we were trying to rationalize a mammoth drive to get in between locations for a place to stay.
It sounded good but, we were coming from Hawaii and wouldn’t be there for the first two days of her trip. She, again kindly, offered to make her trip work with ours so we can be her support and she ours.
It’s one thing to throw things in a backpack and dig out my passport but, an entirely different kettle of fish to be arranging four flights to another country with visa applications, baggage requirements, thoughts about timing, food accessibility, world schooling plans, accommodations and time changes for all of us.
Baby’s R Us with the crib my in-laws had bought us.
ckets that will transport our family to the other side of the planet.
that radiated from this little boy along with the furnace heat from his body. It was like a living hot water bottle. I figured there would come a time when he wouldn’t come find us in the night and so, I always welcomed it.
Now, at the end of Obama’s presidency I feel a strong sense of melancholy when I look at Oakley. To us he is a living representation of length of Obama’s transition, presidency and tenure.
I have memories attached to all these stamps.
arsenal of event evidence in our phones, let alone our computers. In a minute I can pull up a 1000 video snippets from the last years.
Our boys have now folded our plans into their everyday discussions. “So, next year at Christmas time, where will we be?” or “How will we celebrate Thanksgiving when we are not in America?”.
That the small choices we make everyday can have small but, longer effects. We often look around us in exasperation and think, “How did we get here?” and think of the roads or choices not taken. We think big change only comes from big changes.