Reasons to love Bali (pt 2)

Any tips on how to use a camera would be GREAT-ly appreciated.....also on how to arrange flowers on a page? (nuff said!)

Bali = done Loved tick

UK = present

India = Tuesday

until then = ......Zzz....

modern 'bali' art (is rubbish?)

Rock can be thus....

......see statues .......

..(Looks like someones pleased (...ing?) himself) -

Bali art is quite varied, and pretty ace too! - each town seems to specialise in a different style. I really like the stone statues + photo'ed loads. The wood carvings are just as cool (ugly?), and the boats are painted in a unique stylee Ieye:

Paintings range from trad to modern, with a touch of...

And, of course, the art of dance + song. I'd like to write a piece on the fantastic (seriously!) Kecak dance as performed by a 100 piece male choir (?)....

Chak Chak Chak Kecak Chak?

Chicky Chak Chak ........Kecak Chak?

Chickty Chickty Chickty Chak Chak

Kecak Chak?........KECAK CHAK!

Chak Chak Chak Kecak Chak?

Chickty Chickty Chickty Chak Chak

Chak Chickty Chak Kecak Chak?

Kecak Chak?........KECAK CHAK!

also popular is the slightly poppier....

chkchkchkchk

kecak!.........

KECAK!

chkchkchkchk

kecak!.........

KECAK! (repeat to fade....)

Also dance about in a Ramayana stylee - a TRULY memorable nite out?- KECAK CHAK!

Leave out the trooser snake jokes!

Bali Nature - a many splendiferous thing it be! (says I!) - Tried to make friend + influence this lil' fella at Monkey Forest. (does he look happy to you?):

From fur to skin on a different scale:

Couldn't leave it at that, so here's a nice one of my new Python mate:

Met my new pal at Tanah Lot, a temple famous for many shots with beautiful sunset at rear shame it was raining when we got there. Figured B/W apt for this 1:

Couldn't let this critter segment lie without a personal fave.....

Gecko's rule!

Reasons to love Bali (pt 1)

Bintang 3-d (don those funky lil green n' red glasses to view.....alternatively drink 6 cans o' the stuff!)

Pertiwi resort pool - just outside our room....the sky, like the water, = blue (+ warm!)....there is nobody else here......Wish you were......DONTCHA!

Barong play is classic dance representing fight 'twixt good + evil. Barong (mythological animal) is good. Rangda (!...?) (mythological monster....Raaaaarr!!) is evil one. Features impressive debut from none other than.....

a) Ali.......(after a few days with me en-solo!).......

b)........Tiger - (yikes....?) goodie though!

(Also features my favourite character - Dewi Kunti ! (REALLY?) leading to many moist moments for our female viewers!)

+ The gr8test single string geetar player in the southern hemisphere (possibly).....Performing live at a Barong dance venue near you now (if you live near Batubalan!).....twanggg!!!!

4 bintang + a nasi goreng to go......

India.....UAE......Oman......Blighty......Singapore......Bali!

(Time=abstract concept at the mo.....feels later + a bit earlier all at once)

Me = FRIED.....

(as is the following):

SELAMAT PAGI...!!!!! (apparently) - Balispeak = mornin'

Sooooo....Bali,.....Beautiful Bali (well, the bit in the mid round Ubud's nice enough!) + our resort (pertiwi) is situated on the coolest street.....MONKEY FOREST ROAD - cool pool, + beautiful gardens full of colorful flowers where lizards sunbathe 'midst fish-filled ponds + fountains spout as frogs jump from lilly to pad + butterflies....um?....flutter?.....peace shattered by blunderingnoisyclumsytouristtwat with camera clickclickclicketyclick!

Ubud is all peace + quiet + hawkers + virgin sacrifices (probably). The stall lined streets sell wares produced locally + they are v.arty. I like the grotesque wood carved masks that they say scare off evil spirits (hasn't worked on Ali yet! (hahaha!))

The local folk offer quaint little 4"x4" bamboo trays to their gods with rice + cake + flowers + burning incense atop. They place these by statues; temples; on cars; tables - Hindu Elephant Like God Thing Ganesha......YOU ROCK!

Terror in Me Kazi! - (terima kasih?) i am told this means thanks. Havent plucked up the courage to use yet as:

a) I might laugh hysterically!
b)recipient may grab huge machete like object + rush to the bathroom expecting some pygmy-beast to attack
c)might receive in response 'flipflip hallyhallywagwag!' (or somesuch)

I triumphantly purchase an ugly bug-eyed mask (with fangs!) as Ali agreed to the deal as long as i dont put it up b4 xmas (as if!). The gappy toothed hawker had been bugging me for days - start price 200'000 - bought price 80'000...! (Barter that!!!) self-satisfied smile evaporated as waiter announces that a good deal would have been 50'000 - ho-hum 4 pound 50 for a hand-carved maskbatbugeyedfangything (in wood!) that will scare off bad spirits from its future home (somewhere at the back of a dusty cupboard still wrapped in this self-same newspaper) seemed a bit of a bargain to me!

Left Ubud + the midday drive to Sanur + our beach hotel was a fascinating slideshow of colours. Rice paddies shared land with temples + ravines + statues; as palms stood high in banana groves in a green tropical world under blu skies. Our environmentally friendly gas-guzzler belched the occasional (atmospheric?) smoke-ring into the mix as farmland became a tourist land; forest became settlement + nature gave way to billboards + shops + highways + hotels.

I'll miss You (u) bud! (geddit!)