And now for something completely different....

Yes, we are searching for the perfect hot and humid place to live (in the process of checking the Puerto Vallarta classifieds for available places to rent), but when you get offered a free lift ticket at Snow Summit because it's your birthday, it's time to brave the cold and have some fun. It WAS cold, but it was sunny and beautiful, and skiing was a blast.

Last stop- Dreamland

 We had a week to go before our flight home, and we were tired of planning- "where should we go and how do we get there..."- so we decided to plant ourselves somewhere nice for a week. We picked Dreamland, Bali. A 4 star hotel (it was still only $60/night) with an ocean view, a good buffet breakfast, a large TV with cable, free wifi, a full gym, and a large pool to do laps. It was away from everything, could have been anywhere in the world, but but it didn't matter- we were done "traveling", and were on "vacation!". The beach was beautiful, (but the waves were too big on some days to even play in the water - "no swimming allowed" flags were up). So we just relaxed, and enjoyed doing nothing for a week. Great way to end a wonderful trip.

Ubud

We worked our way back to Bali from Lombok, since we'll be heading home from the airport in Bali. I guess I thought before coming to Bali that it was all about the beaches, but I now realize that it's really all about the culture, and Ubud is the cultural center. The temples, the ceremonies, the beliefs of the Balinese people are fascinating. The religion of the majority of Bali's population is a mixture of Hinduism and ancient animistic religions of the native Balinese people, and it's such a large part of their lives, it's evident everywhere. Every household has multiple shrines, and offerings are made every day. The culture is portrayed in dance like I've never seen- the "cak" of kacek is mesmerizing, legong is beautiful. Ubud isn't just a place, it's an experience!

Kecak-  Known as the Ramayana Monkey Chant, the piece, performed by a circle of 150 or more performers wearing checked cloth around their waists, percussively chanting "cak" and throwing up their arms, depicts a battle from theRamayana where the monkey-like Vanara helped Prince Rama fight the evil King Ravana. However, Kecak has roots in sanghyang, a trance-inducing exorcism dance.<sup>[2]- wikipedia)


Legong- A refined dance form characterized by intricate finger movements, complicated footwork, and expressive gestures and facial expressions.-wikipedia)</sup>

Kuta, Lombok

Mangroves

"hello!"

finding the next secluded cove

making friends

the beach

From Gili Air, we went back to the main island of Lombok, south to the town of Kuta (not to be confused with Kuta, Bali). Kuta, Lombok is a laid back surfing town. There are goats on the streets, cows on the beach, and it's possible to walk around the rocks from cove to secluded cove...

Gili Air

Our room at Eazy Gili Homestay

The "big" market

Next island in the archipelago- Lombok- and off the northwest coast of Lombok, there are 3 small islands, called the Gilis. We picked the smallest- Gili Air- 90 minutes around by bicycle, no vehicles (only horse drawn carriages), and intermittent electricity. Our hotel had a cold salt water shower, and even so, the tank ran dry at one point. (What do you want for $5.70/night?) But it was the most relaxing, wonderful place. Snorkeling off the shore was excellent and we ate all our meals in ocean front restaurants for a couple of bucks. We went for a day or two, ended up staying six. It was hard to leave.

The Beach

Bali

 Next in the archipelago of Indonesia is Bali- 

First stop was Kuta. Like many beach towns, there were lots of shops and tourists. We'll be back to Bali, since we fly out of here, so we decided to keep moving after a couple days. 

Kuta Beach, Bali

We went to Padengbai, where we spent the night in order to get a ferry to the next island in the morning. In Padengbai, we stayed at a funky little inn (starting to get that island feel), and snorkeled the Bloo Lagoon, where, after passing a bit of flotsam and jetsam, we saw beautiful live coral and lots of colorful fish

Zen Inn, Padengbai, Bali

breakfast in Indonesia

pineapple pancake

Most hotels in Indonesia include breakfast, and it's always "pancakes", which are actually more like crepes- usually made with a choice of pineapple, mango, or banana. And, of course, java coffee, which is coffee made with powdered grounds that settle in the bottom of the cup- you learn pretty quick to NOT take that last sip.