Adventures in Bali: Part I

We decided to do our holiday traveling early this year, and found ourselves in amazing Bali for a week. It is a place full of culture, and the people are incredibly friendly. We were met at the airport in Denpasar by Catut, the driver from the hotel we were staying at, and he gave us an excellent Bali foundation on our three hour drive east to Amed. The terrain is mountainous, and covered by lush vegetation. The eastern part of Bali is known for growing peanuts and rice, and the rice paddies are beautiful.

Catut told us a bit about his family, that they are farmers, and some of what they grow are mango and potatoes. We commented that mangoes are a favorite of ours, and Catut drove us to his house to get some on the way to the hotel! He invited us in, we met his family, and held his baby son Gede, while his older son Wayan ran around showing us the pigs and chickens that also live with them. We had tea and mango, and it was such a unique moment to share with him and his family. They were so hospitable, and the mangos wer delicious also!

We got to hotel Uyah, and made our way to our room, or bungalow, as they called it. We had a great view of the ocean from our door, and could hear the sound of the waves against the beach. Wow! The hotel makes its own salt, and they had troughs set up that they pour ocean water into. As the water evaporates, the salt is left in the bottom and can be collected. There are people

working late into the night and early in the morning to maintain the troughs when the sun isn't it's hottest. A lot of the kids around Amed sell the sea salt to visitors in the hotel or along the road. Often you can find it in well decorated boxes.

A few other trivial tidbits about Bali from Catut: They grow coffee in the north, fruit in the west, and the center is known for culture. We also learned a bit about the school system, as we were stuck behind about 30 motor bikes one day, and they were all school kids driving home after classes. School starts at age 6 and finishes at age 15 unless you continue at the higher level. Teachers pay a sum of money in order to become teachers and then make quite a nice living. So, in that regard, Bali is ahead of us priority wise.

And finally, I think this guy should visit the Iowa State Fair next year. This farmer brought his pig over to "make babies" with the pigs living across the road from our hotel. In all fairness, I don't think he will be alive for the fair next year if he is successful at his mission today, as we saw his brother being carried by two men hanging upside down from a thick tree branch a few days before.

To be continued in Part II .....