Bali in a word was - incredible.
I cannot describe what a wonderful sense of relaxation that it inspired. Frangipani flower in the hair serves as testimony to this! I am not into things mystical, but I am told that it sits on one of the meridiens of energy in the world. This piqued my interest because I must say I have never experienced a place of such peace, kindness and beauty.
At the recommendation of an Indonesia coworker I hired a guide, Eka. Eka provided such amazing insight into the culture, history and lifestyle of the Balinese. He was a gentle, softspoken man who radiated optimism and happiness. Having lived in Bali his whole live he shared with me known and unknown places alike.
I could go into great detail on each place, but this is a blog not a novel....so I will share with you the highlights:
- I saw the process of how Indonesian batik is made - from the weaving process to the intricacies of layering the wax on for different effects.- I visited a wood carving center and saw them working on everything from tiny carvings to elaborate room sized pieces in teak and mahogany that can take years to complete.
-I saw mined silver ore and how it is proc
essed and eventually becomes jewelry.- I visited an active volcano, how cool is that?
- I saw several temples buried deep in the hills in the jungle that somehow seemed to make all visitors reverent with its beauty.
- I visited a coffee plantatio
n and sampled aromatic Balinese coffee - done in what I 
would describe as the Turkish style of grounds being mixed directly with water and settling in the bottom for a very potent drink.- I devoured the traditional, local roast duck and a ginger drink with such a bite that it made me shiver.
- I saw 2 traditional Balinese dances - one with fire. I thought it would be fun to sit in the front row until the smoke forced me to move back.
- And then of course, I spend some time on the beach. While the beaches were gorgeous, I would say that the most unique experiences were not near sand and sea.
So, what is next? Well, I have a few trips planned in the coming months. Again leveraging some Thai holidays whose significance is unknown to me...headed to Hanoi, Vietnam; Vientiene, Laos; Singapore; and some Thai islands.
Sometimes I wonder how I became so lucky to live a life like this....but I do not pause too much to question my good fortune, too much to see and do! In the midst of all of the incredible experiences I am having, I do often think how special it would be if some of you were here to share it with me.
Hugs and kisses to you all,
Joanna
(who for some reason is now being called "Jo" by nearly all - I did not endorse this! But somehow it seems this is the way of SE Asia...very casual and somehow so relaxed that the extra 2 syllables of my name are simply too much work)
