BALI, INDONESIA

We have a house in Canggu, Bali. The house is gorgeous, two pools, two outdoor kitchens, ten bedrooms, a maid and a guard who makes us feel safe. Not that a guard is necessary in this town, but it does make me feel good to have him around. The weather is so far superior to where I spent the last two months. It is in the eighties and we even get a cool breeze from time to time. The surfing is good. The beaches are nice and I have been told that the diving is wonderful.

But, you knew there had to be a but, the traffic is horrible. The streets have no side walks and there are holes and deep ravines where you are walking and the cars/motor bikes do not stop when you are crossing. It is hair raising when you try to just cross the street. The tourists on the motor bikes are the worst offenders, because not only do they not know the rules of the road, or the conditions of the streets, or the where they are going, but most of them are drunk, particularly at night. It feels as if you are taking your life into your hands when all you want to do is take a short walk to a restaurant or to the local beach. And because of all this traffic and insufficient roads leading out of this town, it takes hours to get anywhere. To go diving you have to drive a good two hours. To get to a different beach in a different town it takes hours. Not because of the distance, just because of the unbelievable traffic.

We took a cooking class in an area close to Ubud. We went to the local market to see the way the locals buy their provisions. The food was good, do not get me wrong, but it was being taught to cook in an ancestral family home that was so interesting and rewarding. The Balinese culture is one to be emulated. All generations live within this compound. The grandparents, parents, children, brothers and sisters. The remains of their ancestors are kept there as well. Each nuclear family unit has their own structure containing the bedrooms, but they all share the same bathrooms, dining areas and kitchens. They have an area to worship their Gods, which they do daily. They make offerings to their Gods with food, flowers, incense and other items. They even make offerings in the kitchen in order to honor the sentient beings that are being cooked and eaten. Their beliefs and customs are so very interesting and comforting in their own way.

Today we went to a Melukat ritual. This is a ritual that is used to cleanse the mind and soul. It was located at a beautiful Waterfall. The ceremony was done in the waterfall where you cleanse your mind by screaming as load as you can. After that, you are supposed to do something that makes you happy, like dance, sing or laugh. We made offerings to various Gods. We were doused with holy water from the waterfall and with young and old coconuts. The whole experience was magical.

Do I like Bali, yes. Would I come back, yes, but only to a different area. I would need to find an area that has less traffic and is less built up. This area is going through a major growing spurt and I would really like something a little more laid back and secluded.

I am having fun. Tomorrow I go surfing, the next day I go to a jewelry class. And then on Friday off to Borneo to see the Orangutans. I am living my life to the fullest! Not thinking about my medical condition. Just living, enjoying and trying to laugh often. Find something to bring you pleasure. Laugh with a friend. Live your life as if tomorrow you would take your last breath! Because there are no guarantees in life. So live!!

Life is not merely surviving!!!