bits on bali

Bali! Such a different culture was exciting for us to see, and so beautiful, with active traditions, daily rituals & ceremonies, temples everywhere, and constant adorable offerings with banana leaf trays they make & fill with flowers, biscuits, candies & insense, and leave them everywhere - on the street, in our rental car, etc. It's pretty endearing to me, such care involved. And the people are so kind and gentle, which is good because the island is really overpopulated! Waste management issues, compounded by the rainy season were alarming, and limited the desire to swim much at all, even though some of the waves looked enticing. The focus was more on the culture, learning a bit of Indonesian, meeting up with dear friends from Maui - Ishiah, Nala, and Alan, which was the sweetest & I'm so grateful for. It's really amazing & magical to me, kicking it with familiar people in such a foreign environment. Sure hope it happens more & more!!! Found some great yoga classes, healthy food & kind folks in Ubud, as well as a fantastic capoeira crew in Seminyak. I kind of wish I could've stayed longer to settle in a bit more & take advantage of all that's there, as well as go to other islands in Indonesia, but ... with the opportunity to come to Papua New Guinea and be hosted by a local, I couldn't pass it up!