Blessed Bali by Mike

Whatever you think of when you hear the word “Bali,” you’re probably right.

Mystical island cloaked in green with rushing rivers and waterfalls flowing like the blood of the gods through the landscape?  Yup.

Magical land of dreams where nights are filled with ancient dances featuring slender men and women moving eyeballs and fingertips in time to hypnotic gamelan music?  You betchya.

Homeland of painters, carvers, sculptors, and craftspeople off all ilk who can turn a stick of wood into a miniature palace or a blank canvas into a nearly impenetrable jungle?  Check.

Temple-clad paradise where incense wafts heavenward and offerings of colorful flowers in banana-leaf trays dot the sidewalks all day long?  Got it.

What a testament to this little island haven that it is everything you expect it to be – and then some.  It might be the last place on earth that exceeds the expectations of earthlings.  In our six-day trip there, we went white water rafting; hiked up through a temple built into the side of a volcano as it was celebrating its once-yearly anniversary; ate at stunningly good restaurants; stayed at amazingly-affordable and oh-so-comfortable hotels tucked into the jungle on the side of gorges or perched next to rice paddies; and got tired cheeks from returning the exuberantly generous smiles of the Balinese people.

We are totally smitten and can’t wait to go back to the little town of Ubud that was our sanctuary during out stay. 

Here are some pictures of our timeless time there (click to make them bigger) …

              

         

         

 

P.S.  In one of our earlier posts, I mentioned that there would be an article published on the oh-so-stinky durian fruit.  It has now happened and can be found online at http://www.janera.com/janera_words.php?id=104.