Beautiful Bali

Balinese Chickens

We arrive glistening in Denpasar at 8:30 Saturday morning. We exit the back of the plane onto the tarmac and are welcomed by a heat wave. Finally, warm again. A bus takes us on a brief ride to the terminal entrance which, of course, is an ancient looking temple gate. After security we are greeted by our driver, Putu Ali, and his adorable 5-year-old son - who begged to go with him to the airport to avoid school. The children attend school 6 days a week here. The little cutie already knows English and greets us excitedly with a hand shake.

Alley to our B&B

The one-hour drive from Denpasar to Padang Bai, where we will be staying for our first few days, is dizzying from the flurry of cultural sights. Towering, colorful statues of Vishnu encompass several round-abouts. Motorbikes dodge in and out of traffic at an alarming pace. Some are laden with impossibly large loads of groceries, "cow food" or even families of five. Helmets and traffic signals are merely a suggestion. Women carry wide baskets of produce on their heads. Chickens line the streets, clucking with great commotion from under their upside-down grass baskets. They are kept this way to make them more aggressive for cock fights, which are illegal but take place nonetheless.

View from Lemonhouse

Despite all these cultural differences, there are similarities too. Ali's baby boy loves SpongeBob and watches it religiously before school each day.

Ali takes us up 68 narrow, steep stairs to Lemonhouse. The hotel is more of a big house with just three double rooms and one four bed dorm, perched atop a hill overlooking the village and the Indian Ocean. Our room is the most beautiful we've stayed in since we left home 9 months ago, and the bed and breakfast atmosphere is a welcome respite from the crowded, noisy hostels we've become accustomed to. At $24 a night, we're looking forward to a month or two of leisure and sightseeing in Bali. Ben and Clare, our happy hosts, are more than helpful getting us settled in town.

Blue Lagoon

Upon check in we make a German friend and he shows us town - a small fishing village. We head to lunch at Topi Inn. Delicious chicken satay for just $5 USD - one of the pricier items on the menu. Then we climb a hill and descend a few stairs into the turquoise majesty of the Blue Lagoon. A small bay with excellent snorkeling and water so clear you're not sure its there. Vendors approach us on the beach offering everything from hand made wood necklaces to massages.

Dinner again at the Topi Inn, we're wary of getting sick from the local water and on our first few days we're exercising caution as we choose our food. We set out with our friends from the hotel, including a salmon farmer from Tasmania and share our meal over international banter and a few large Bintang.

Topi Inn

Hindu is the primary religion here. Prayer is called out over the village microphone 3 times daily. I listen to the Basa Bali (local language) chanting while I brush my teeth and enjoy our beautiful balcony view. I accidentally use the sink water instead of our bottled water and spend the night hoping I don't get sick, which everyone tells us is inevitable. But I wake up and feel great. Phew.