Candi Dasa-Update w/ photos

It's been a couple of days since we posted--on Monday the bloggers were sick, and then yesterday we spent the day on a long expedition down to the ocean and to Manjangan Island to snorkel. It took all day and the internet was down when we got back.

Here I am at the Monkey Temple, en route to the snorkeling, with the two little Totoros who have been traveling around with me. At this temple I watched a monkey dart across the road, grab a bottle of water from a snack cart, run back, twist off the top, drink the water and throw the bottle away. He did not pay for it.
Kate Munger, our truly fearless leader, is behind me. Thanks to her, and to Made Surya, we do not feel like tourists here, but like guests--sometimes like visitors. It is their hope that we travel as "diplomats of the heart."  They model this, and their generosity and sweetness to all the people who help us--drivers, divemasters, staff at hotels--is joy, joy, joy. 


Another picture of the Totoros (who are having quite an adventure!):

Today we had another long drive from Munduk to Candi Dasa, stopping at a temple, a fruit and flower market, and the home of a well-known woman painter.  Anne bought one of her paintings. She is 82 years old, I believe.

We are now in the Very Glorious Super Peaceful Lotus Bungalow Hotel by the sea...the infinity pool looks like it flows right into the ocean. Tomorrow we will be relaxing and can post again.  It is lovely to be back in the sun. In Munduk we were living in a sponge--though it was wonderfully strange and beautiful as well.  All of our clothes are damp and some rather smelly. Here is one of the cottages we stayed in:

Our trip down to West Bali yesterday got us into the sun too.  Here's what the little boat looked like on our half hour trip to the island.

 This was our dive master, Wayan, with Ruth.  He had the world's most delighted smile. He referred to himself in the third person, one of the many lovely things about him.

Snorkeling was incredible--I loved swimming out into cobalt space as the island fell steeply away into darkness below, past the slices of light that were zebra fish, out into the silent, blue unknown. Wowzer.

Misc:
One third of Bali--most of western Bali--is a national park.

In Bali you can't build a building higher than a coconut palm.

There is a government commitment to plant one million trees here every year, and each Friday all the government officials go out and plant trees.

There are only four first names on Bali--firstborn is Wayan, then Made, Ketut, and Nyoman. Same names for both girls and boys. If you have more than four kids, you start over. So, you immediately know someone's birth order when you meet them. We call our guide Surya, to distinguish him from the thousands of other people named Made. 

It's time to go to bed. I'll be back tomorrow. My dear, dear longtime friend Fred passed away yesterday, back in Portland, and I've been singing for him in my heart all day.