Contrary to popular belief most round the world backpackers are aged 23-30 they make up over 50% of the travellers. And nearly 25% are aged over 30 which is not the usual stereotype teenage university student image.

The reasons for this may be the availability of time and money, a real round the world trip can not be completed in the summer break and even a gap year is not sufficient to see “everything” There are more countries than there are days in the year so choosing and planning would take up a huge amount of time.

The first thing to decide is will you start in Europe or have you already spent a lot of time visiting counties on the continent. Most round the world trippers are by no means first timers so they have properly earned their stripes by travelling within Europe.

Assuming you are skipping Europe the next thing to decide is which way round and how far north and south do you want to go. The possibilities really are endless so a good place to start is with a list of must see country’s and sights. Many people will list the world’s great sights the pyramids, Machu Picchu, Ankor Wat exotic destinations such as Bali, Rio, Bohol, Chiang Mai.

Again there are thousands of such enticing locations, it would take many years to enjoy them all, so start with a huge list that is broken down into continent, region and country. And gradually break it down to a manageable list, remember that visiting Ankor Wat may be a must do, but if you then have no time to experience Cambodia and it people and other interesting sights are you getting the full experience.

You need to allow plenty of time to experience each place you visit and you also need time for travel. Backpackers tend to take cheaper transportation, cheap is usually slow, so it takes time.

Now that you have your final list you need to plan a viable route, it is very obvious that a route should be as practical as possible following a clear and simple path that is basically only in one direction. This is where you can meet your first problems, is one place you want to visit way off the path of all your other locations, if so is it still high on the agenda.

Another problem is flights, a round the world ticket that is highly flexible is the best option, unless you have a huge amount of time to take boats it is often the only way to jump for example from South America to Asia, boats are not also the cheapest option unless you are able to work your passage.

Booking flights as you go could be expensive although with clever planning and making use of “no frills” airlines around the world it is now possible without breaking the bank.

Flexibility is also essential in flights and other travel plans is also essential because your plans will change, nothing is more certain. You decide to spend a month in the country of your dreams only to find after a week that you hate the place. You need to be in a position to move on to another country that you thought would just be a passing through experience and ends up being the best place on your trip and you spend six weeks there.

Planning and flexibility are the keys to a successful round the world backpacking trip, a reasonable amount of cash is also helpful but as most travellers are experienced and older so should be in a position to have an educated guess as to the amount need for the trip of a lifetime.

When you are in Bali, there are some dos and don'ts that must be observed, especially when you are in their places of worship. For a start, show respect for the local customs, traditions and religions. Don't honk, especially if your car stuck behind a local processing at walking pace. Instead of getting all worked up, get down for your car to observe there religious events discreetly and join in only is you are invited.

Avoid stepping on offering places on the roadsides, in front of shops or anywhere you may find them. If you want to take a picture, ask politely for permission first.

Wear appropriately decent clothes if you are planning to visit the many temples there. Never stand in front of a priest in the temple or talk loudly when prayers are being conducted. It is a big no-no to walk in front of worshippers in temples.

Don't take a picture when prayers are going on. If you must, don't use the flash light. It is also illegal to consume alcoholic beverages in temple and within its grounds.

For the Balinese who are mainly Hindus, temple and holy place are revered, so if you are not sure about their practices ask your travel guide or speak to someone at the hotel where you are staying.

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Slippery yet beautiful trails, high rivers and washed-out bridges offer a spectacular ambience of lush countryside. Captivating sounds of gamelan, the traditional Balinese musical instrument, provide a terrific "bonus" at the end of your day in the colorful mountainsides of Bali. So take your next holiday beyond the ordinary, beyond the beaches and sprawling night clubs, beyond shopping and themed resorts, beyond the trappings of modern life… and step into the mythical landscapes, rich with enthralling beauty and charming rituals.

Delightful Ubud Art Scene

High on the slopes, just around one hour drive from Denpasar, the capital of Bali, Ubud is not only a delightful mountain getaway but also the center of art and culture in Bali. Dozens of art galleries, workshops, boutiques and cute novelty shops, big or small, locally-owned or internationally-owned, adorn every bit of the main streets in Ubud. Just easily stroll down this trendy neighborhood and you're going to want to stop at every shop and every stall you pass!

What's more, artists from all over the world regularly exhibit their work here in Ubud. One of the most popular galleries that regularly show masterpieces from well-known artists is Puri Lempad. This is actually the family residence of Mr. I Gusti Nyoman Lempad, a celebrated painter and sculptor best known for his famous ink drawings of Balinese Hindu scenes. In this house, Mr. Lempad dedicates the spacious front foyer of his house as a gallery initially to display his family collections and also as a creative space for him to paint or sculpt. Lately, the gallery is often rented to conduct various public exhibitions and art events. What's more remarkable, Puri Lempad is always open because the family still lives there. So as long as you visit at reasonable times, you are always welcome here at the Lempad's house. With so many fancy galleries that cater to modern tastes, the Lempad's house continues to carry on a simple yet captivating art tradition as if nothing has changed!

Puri Lempad Bali

Jl. Raya Ubud, Ubud, Bali

Phone: +62 (0) 361 - 975618

Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary

Open daily from 8 AM to 5.30 PM, the Monkey Forest or Mandala Wisata Wenara Wana is a vast 8-hectare forest in the heart of Ubud, occupied by lots of adorable monkeys. An undemanding trail festooned with towering trees presents an easy 30-minute walk around this forest while listening to the calming sounds of nature and watching the monkeys playing blissfully among the green and flourishing branches along the trail. Bananas or rambutan can be bought at the entrance to feed the monkeys. A small reminder however, even though these monkeys are quite friendly, you should be careful when you are carrying a bag of bananas or other treats for them as they can be very insistent to get them from you. Also make sure that you don't wear any accessories, such as earrings, necklaces and bracelets. The monkeys love to get their hands on these!

Monkey Forest

Jl. Monkey Forest

Padangtegal, Ubud, Bali

Phone: + 62 (0) 361 - 971304

Email: info@balimonkey.com

www.balimonkey.com

Exotic Bird Park

Take the opportunity to use your arm or shoulder as a place for birds to land and rest their tired wings. At Bali Bird Park, this is the perfect place to do so. Enjoy around 1,000 vibrant multi-colored birds singing wildly and flying freely from branch to branch, and sometimes briefly land on your arm or shoulder. Located not very far from Ubud, an early morning visit to Bali Bird Park offers a chance to have breakfast in its open-air restaurant while being enlightened by songs of paradise performed personally by the birds. For families with young children, this is definitely the place you don't want to leave out of your itinerary. Open daily from 8 AM to 6 PM.

Bali Bird Park

Jl. Serma Cok Ngurah Gambir

Singapadu, Batubulan, Gianyar
Phone: +62 (0) 361 - 299352

The Spiritual Bedugul

Cold winds blow gently over the fertile land around still dark green waters of Lake Bratan. A Balinese temple, Pura Ulun Danu, soars arrogantly at its side, an architecture representing constant struggles to eternal enlightenment. Its "sister" lakes, the twin Lake Tamblingan and Lake Buyan, sit quietly in a nearby grassy landscape. In a striking combination of beautiful scenery and rich heritage, whether you choose an effortless walk around Lake Tamblingan or a 25-minute canoe trip across Lake Tamblingan to Lake Buyan or a more rigorous hike in the vicinity of Lake Bratan or a visit to the temple to silently chant a solemn prayer, an afternoon trip to the lavish countryside of Bedugul can turn into centuries-old spiritual voyage into the deepest soul you didn't know you had.

Harmonious Village Life of Penglipuran

Set in the midst of Bangli District, 45 Km from Denpasar, Penglipuran Village has become one of the most sought-after tourist destinations in Bali. The ancient village provides a time-capsule vision into the harmonious Bali before it became Bali as we know now. Bali Aga, as they call themselves, literally means Original Bali. This village consists of communities that still practice their old traditions and rituals, as practiced by their ancestors since long before teachings of Hinduism came to the island. Therefore, Penglipuran Village is the only village in Bali that does not recognize the caste system, the pattern of social classes in Hinduism.

All of the houses in the village are neatly structured on a leafy hillside and very clean, each with bright red brick fences around it. Every house also features a traditional kitchen surrounded by bamboo walls, which is separated from the main house, while most of the main houses now have adopted semi-modern styles. Your visit to the village will be warmly welcomed and you can even drop in to each of their houses. Explore the narrow ancient pathways and the down-to-earth characteristics of the people will charm you to death and you can't help falling in love with them. This is the true Bali!

Recommended Museums & Art Galleries

Agung Rai Museum of Art (ARMA)

Pengosekan, Ubud

Phone: +62 (0) 361-976659

Email: info@armamuseum.com

www.armamuseum.com

Gaya Fusion Of Sense

Jl. Raya Sayan, Ubud

Phone: +62 (0) 361-979253, 979252

Email: gaya@gayafusion.com

www.gayafusion.com

Museum Puri Lukisan

Jl. Raya Ubud

Phone: +62 (0) 361-975136, 9711159

Email: museumpl@indo.net.id

www.museumpurilukisan.com

Neka Art Museum

Jl. Raya Sanggingan, Ubud

Phone: +62 (0) 361-975074

Email: info@museumneka.com

www.museumneka.com

Puri Lempad Bali

Jl. Raya Ubud

Phone: +62 (0) 361-975618

The Blanco Renaissance Museum

Campuan, Ubud

Phone: +62 (0) 361-975502

Email: a-blanco@indo.net.id

www.blancobali.com

Submerged, pristine marine empires await passionate divers. Countless fish and invertebrates that shelter among and encrust the rugged surface provided by the clumps, shelves and branches of corals are overwhelming in shapes and colors. All reminds us of a time when all life on earth existed in shallow, tropical seas. Amidst political issues, stability and safety of the nation, as well as the slowly recovering struggles from the last monetary crisis, I'm still able to find lots of love and hope in this beautiful country, especially when I'm underwater!

Consisting more than 17,000 islands, Indonesia IS the largest archipelago in the world, with at least 80,000 kilometers of coastline. As an Indonesian, I think it would be a total shame not to explore the rich waters of Indonesia. And it would be even more shameful to leave the explorations and discoveries to foreign divers who have enjoyed underwater adventures for decades in this country. So here I go. I'd like to think that I'm one of those avid divers who will jump in the clear blue waters of Indonesia at a drop of a hat. And you should too.

Just imagine, about 4,000 different fish species are found in Indonesian waters (over 25% of the planet's fish species), in comparison to the 1,000 found in the Red Sea or the 400 from the Caribbean. Apart from this, invertebrates proliferate throughout the hundreds of patch reefs, sheer walls and barriers reefs. Colorful nudibranch, pipe fishes and pigmy seahorses roam amongst the chrynoids, gorgonias and soft corals, a whole rainbow hue covering the entire extension of the reef walls. Big fish pop up every now and then, offering superb sights of big tunas, shoal or barracudas, manta rays and sharks galore. It is also possible to sight a rarity such as dugong, the impressive marine herbivorous relative of the manatees and the unique survivor of the syrenid order. And of course, let's not leave out the exciting possibilities to spot several species of cetaceans, from tiny porpoises to the huge Sperm whale.

Dive Bali

Bali, the Island of Gods, is located in the Lesser Sunda region, midway along Indonesia's southernmost chain of islands between Java and Lombok. The south coast of Bali just touches the easternmost edge of the Indian Ocean, while the north coast looks onto the Java Sea. To the southeast lies the islands of Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Penida and Ceningan, all of which offer excellent diving. The eastern coast offers Amen and Tulamben, while in Bali's northwestern waters lie the gorgeous Menjangan Island, a part of Bali Barat National Park, a protected conservation area.

Amed & Tulamben

Amed and Tulamben provide a picturesque combination of 30-meter-long coral walls, drop offs and slopes that are easy to access from the shore. These areas are actually Bali's greatest underwater charm, with their wide range and variety of sites. Experienced divers can tempt numerous sites, including Jemeluk Beach, Shipwreck, Gili Selang, Amed Wall, Tulamben Wall, Monkey Reef and Balu Kelebit. As you probably can guess, a dive on the 110-meter steel U.S. Liberty shipwreck from World War II, is the most favorit dive site of all times!

Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Ceningan

Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan and Ceningan is within easy access from Tanjung Benoa using dive operator boat or live-aboard vessel, or from Sanur by a traditional boat or jukung. Off vertical drop-offs. Over sand slopes. Off limestone shores. In roaming currents. In quiet bays. Along deep, coral-covered ridges. In short, all tastes are accommodated here. Furthermore, between June to November, if you're lucky, you can possibly encounter the rare, endangered and magnificent mola-mola (oceanic sunfish). Several recommended sites include Blue Corner, Crystal Bay and Manta Point.

Menjangan Island

It is easier to access the Island of Menjangan from the small town of Banyuwangi in East Java, rather than from Bali. But despite the long detour, its waters promise superb slope and wall diving all the way to 40-meter deep! Schools of big fish can be found easily here, hiding in numerous coral alleys decorated with sea-fans, hard corals and soft corals, quietly waiting to ambush their preys.

Padangbay & Candi Dasa

These two sites are only recommended for experienced divers due to the wild currents in both locations. But for those of you with Advance Open Water Diver qualifications, Padangbay and Candi Dasa, which are set between Mimpang Island and Tepekong Island, both display unique marine biodiversities, including plenty of “Nemo” or anemone fish, sweetlips and also sharks. Definitely worth fighting the currents!

Dive Banda

Dark blue waters of Banda Sea, blue as far as you can see. The depth and the vastness of this particular ocean is nevertheless quite intimidating. But out of the blue, six tiny islands come into view, out of nowhere, in the middle of nowhere, with a towering volcano in the middle of them all, like a confident guardian, humbling you infinitely. The historic Banda is where this nation started. The spice race around four centuries ago had led European traders to this unknown part of the world, looking for cloves and nutmegs, eventually causing the entire Indonesian archipelago to fall under Dutch colony for 350 years. Now, these islands are still regularly visited by people from all over the world. No longer by traders, but by divers! Why? Because this is simply… heaven.

Tanjung Burang

From afar, Banda Besar Island or also known as Lonthoir Island looks like a big wall hiding and protecting the smaller Neira Island and Mount Api from gusting wind and riotous waves. This biggest island in Banda extends its invitations to divers to its underwater treasure in Tanjung Burang. Ride a speedboat to reach this northernmost tip of Banda Besar Island to dive with thousands of marine organisms, such as gorgonias, sponges, crinoids dan ferns in the depth of around 30 meters.

Batu Kapal

If you enter Banda Islands from the north, this location is set in the "mouth" of Banda Neira, sandwiched perfectly between Neira Island and Mount Api. Above its waterline, Batu Kapal is only a small uninhabited rocky boulder in the middle of Banda Sea. But underwater, it offers a dramatic topography, displaying breathtaking underwater kingdoms, consisting of two drop offs that strategically divide this site into two zones, outer zone and inner zone. Dominated by intriguing black corals, marine lives such as mantas, gorgonias and sponges burst richly in vivid existence between these two zones. Pure volcanic diving sensation!

Run Island

The underwater delight surrounding Run Island provides plenty sites for everyone, from the amateur snorkelers to the most daring advanced divers. The "floor" of Run Island is carpeted with fertile underwater garden, offering an unmatched sense of wealth and beauty unknown to other parts of the world. To reach Run Island, just hire a speedboat from Banda Neira or hop on a regular fishermen boat from Ay Island.

Dive Komodo

Diving in Komodo National Park is definitely world-class diving! Situated 200 nautical miles east of Bali, between the islands of Flores and Sumbawa, the islands of the dragons, Rinca and Komodo Islands, are only two of the 175 islands in the Park (about 90% uninhabited). Both above and below the sea, Komodo represents a unique range of geological and biological diversity. On shore it is an amazing museum diorama of the Mesozoic-era dry tundra and reptilian supremacy, with the Komodo dragon, the world's largest living lizard, as its symbol that has claimed international fame, as well as a UNESCO World Heritage status.

In the sea, it's vibrant color and exotic life will enchant divers and snorkelers alike as endless schools of fish ride the waterways rushing up from deep sea vents. Below them the seabed is covered with a thick carpet of florescent corals and marine invertebrates, providing an underwater photographers paradise. The waters that surround the island are turbulent and teeming with unparallel marine life. The corals in Komodo National Park are pristine, with mantas, sharks, turtles, dolphins, dugong, many pelagic fish to the tiny pygmy seahorses, nudibranch, frog fish, scorpion fish and many more. You name it, Komodo's got it.

The sites vary from gentle easy coral slopes to heart-pounding adrenalin current rides, from the warm waters of the Flores Sea in the north to the chillier waters down south in the Indian Ocean. The underwater terrain is so varied with sheer cliff walls, pinnacles, sandy flat bottoms, underwater plateaus, slopes, caves, swim-throughs, channels, all with varying colors, sizes and types of corals, both hard and soft.

Bidadari Island

Angel steps, huge towers of stone, encrusted with hard and soft corals, fully covered in nudibranch, small caves and overhangs make this a very interesting and beautiful site, Dusky sharks, bumped-head parrot fish are among the bigger creatures you can see here. Cathedral Coral, a gentle slope covered with table corals of every color and schooling fish, a towering spire of coral with a small cave at it's base, all creates a home to some huge lobsters.

Sabolo Kecil & Sabolo Besar

Sabolo Kecil is a slope on the east side of this tiny island, with two underwater mounds at the southern end with fields of garden eels and sea pens. Schools of round bat fish are often seen coming quite close for some nice photography. While Sabolo Besar offers steep slopes off the southern and western sides of the bigger island, with fabulous coral coverage and a good chance of spotting Scorpion leaf fish.

Sebayur Kecil, Tatawa Besar & Tatawa Kecil

Sebayur Kecil features walls and slopes of every kind of coral you can imagine, teaming with wide variety of marine life. Mantas often seen here. Tatawa Besar's slope is packed with soft corals slowly changing to hard corals along the further end of the slope. Swim with lots of shoaling fish, rainbow runners, fusiliers, as well as turtles and black tip sharks. For advanced divers, never ever miss diving at Tatawa Kecil, which is also called the Current City. As the name implies, the site is washed by very strong currents, which is why it is among the many world class sites in the Komodo National Park. Schools of pelagic fish patrol the waters, which is best dived at slack tide.

Batu Bolong

A little further west from the Current City, a small rock outcrop with a hole through it is the surface mark of another world class site, only to be dived at slack tide or with a current not long from stopping or starting to run. These giant slabs of rock which disappear into the depths are an amazing sight to see, covered with every form of marine life and patrolled by giant trevallies, Napoleon Wrasse, sharks and turtles, with schools of barracuda sweeping in and out to check out the divers.

You will also often see the iconic Manta Rays at many of the sites. Whale sharks also have their season here, while whales and dolphins are often spotted from the boat. Furthermore, diving the Komodo National Park provides some fantastic conditions:

• Water temperature: 20 - 28 degrees Celsius (68 - 85 °F) , cooler water is experienced on the southern sites. Full 3 mm wetsuit is recommended. More active people will prefer a sports suit / skin suit in northern sites.

• Visibility: 10 - 50 meter all year round. Traditionally clearer water on northern sites.

• Current: Komodo experiences a strong tidal flow. However, not all sites are affected by current. Drift diving is excellent. But during spring tides, some sites are impossible to dive. Particular attention is placed on diving the correct sites at the most suitable time to ensure optimum conditions, in accordance with the preferences of the group.

• Night diving: The night diving in Komodo is breathtaking. The sheer beauty, color and diversity of life makes it a must see for all divers.

• Walls: There are numerous walls to choose from. Both drift and static wall dives are offered.

• Canyons: Huge chasms drop thousands of meters, fringed by extraordinary coral gardens.

• Critters: Found in all locations, offering encounters with unusual marine species.

• Others: Seamounts, fringing reefs, gutters, muck, and sandy locations are also found in the archipelago.

• Snorkeling: Komodo has one of the world's most famous snorkel sites (Pink Beach). Also a number of other first class locations.

 

The bus stops at some invisible sign. People get on board, while a few old women and young girls get off, to pick herbs along the side of the road. They smoke their thin, hand-rolled cigarettes; they talk and laugh and then they get back on the bus again. The chickens in their wired cages on the floor talk amongst themselves, subdued but obsessed - like soft-spoken professors who secretly watch and yearn for the flesh of young students. The goats at the back of the bus moan like the wind that is caught in the branches of tall trees, like the creaking doors of old churches that have stood empty for too long. The bus rides on, stops, stutters, moves on, till it comes to the beach, where we get off. You carry two chickens; I try and lead a stubborn goat. A hut, two chickens and a goat: we are slowly settling down.

The fishermen carry their nets, filled with early morning light, to their ships, while they sing their songs of Gods and wine that wait for them to return. Later, on the beach, fires are lit under large gridirons, sprinkled with oil. The smell of shrimps and fish, the many herbs and spices now rises up to Heaven, weaves its way through the clouds and the stars. Everything is now a dance of hungry scents. I watch you slowly peel and eat a shrimp. The oil trickles down from your lips, over your chin. When I kiss you I can taste the waiting sea. You feed me another shrimp; now you taste the salt on me. We walk on, hand in hand.

(I tell you how in Cuba, long ago, I saw from my hotel balcony the young hookers walk along the beach; their bodies a prayer, the rum a church; their clients fat and greedy and eminently forgettable. The drums, the fires, the naked breasts and the sweat, the rum, the sea. You laugh. We walk on. Cuba - my whole life; what made me and what brought me here: a balcony from where old shades of me now watch the two of us move on, away from all that came before our time began.)

We walk along the flood line and we talk, like slow-reaching waves, of old and secret places, of mountains and forests, of the old, stone hearts of London, Paris, Prague. We stop and look out over the ocean: a self-portrait in waves, with a ghostly, Rembrandt touch. All is quiet now. Smudges of seagulls move through the air like stars, like shadowy ships - like the centuries that pass so swiftly and so silently, leaving no imprints on water or sand. This is where we find ourselves, where we've decided to be for now, perhaps forever.

Much more important though, now and always: you. The fires and the shells and the call of the dark and the leaves of the deeply bent trees in your hair; the laughter and warmth of your hunger and waiting; the salt on your breasts, the moist on your lips and your opening flesh. In between all that I ever was, all I ever saw or did or thought or wrote, between everything and the sea, the sand and all that I may yet become, you wait for me, forever.

This island, this forgetting, this evening sky is nothing without your shadow, your thirst on my lips; my hunger and your body; your flesh now waiting and the world that now enfolds me, making me your own, your story. When I enter, when you take me in, it's like the dimmed but sacred footsteps of priests in silver stone cathedrals, like the light of the moon on the waves that lazily await the tides, like the wind that softly touches the leaves and smells of all tomorrows. When I come, come home in you, your warmth, I am all that I could ever hope to be.

Bali, where the old Gods walk the beach and pass through the forest in their enormous silence, far removed from the people and their hunger and their prayers, where the sand and the stars, the wind and the water are free of time: here is where I write you. Here is where I wait and breathe. Here I cast these images: the bats that dance in the net of a full moon, the smell of the sea, the slow, majestic turning of the earth, the songs of the fishermen now going homewards, our hut with its candles, two chickens and a goat - but these are images bereft of meaning without your presence, without your touch.

Bali bound, this is where I go
and where I come to pray:
to walk within your sight,
to live and die and rise again;
to be with you, my love.

We stayed at the Aston Bali Hotel in Benoa, It has marble tiles and walls throughout the public areas and all rooms look over the ocean or the gardens. What luxury, buffet breakfast every morning from 6.30 to 10.30. I would often be there at 6am and the coffee was ready. I would sit a while writing before I got stuck in. There was always fresh fruit, two kinds of juice, my favourite was banana. (Who would have thought that bananas would make a drink? ) plus the usual western selection of cereals. I thought it funny to see a bowl of coco pops along with cornflakes and other western breakfast cereals. Every day we had the choice of bacon, boiled eggs, omelets, hash browns, several rice dishes, noodles, vegetables,. toasts etc. etc. We always sat outside and enjoyed the warmth of the morning, knowing it would get a lot hotter.

All our other meals were eaten in local restaurants, where I discovered many things I liked. Satay, small pieces of meat on a skewer brought to the table on a ceramic dish with the hot charcoal in the bottom and with peanut sauce, gadi gadi, local veg. with rice and sauce, egg rolls, 3 for 4,000 rupia, (7,000 in a dollar Canadian) Prices varied from restaurant to restaurant. I tried lots of fruit that I had never heard of before. I would buy it in local markets. Durient comes to mind. As the strangest one. It is shaped like an egg, about 10' long and 6 - 8 ' across when you cut it open. Way bigger than any fruit that shows up in our fruit bowl. I will send a photo by email. You spoon it out and it has a light taste, not sweet at all and the consistency of brie cheese.

The Balinese people are very open and friendly. Big smiles and waves any time of day. Many of them get around on scooters and small motor bikes. It is quite hair raising to see a dad driving, one of his children in front of him, hands on the handle bars, mum behind with a young one between her and dad There is a lot of traffic but I did not see an accident and we went many miles on tours and with a local man. The roads are narrow and it was amazing to see large coaches overtaking bikes, pedestrians and scooters as if it was one way traffic. Very skilled drivers.

Many people speak English and that was a great help, as neither of us speak Balinese or Indonesian. We were the first customers of a waiter and ended up going out with him and his friend for the day. His name is Kadek and we went to his village, nearly a 3 hour drive and met his parents and small son. The family lived in a traditional house, they had power but no running water. His mother works in the rice fields, but his dad has not worked for a while due to a knee injury. They do not have medical, or insurance as we do. He was married by accident, a phrase used all the time, meaning shotgun wedding and his wife left him, so his parents bring up the child. He left his village to get a job to contribute to the family income. He visits at least once a month and is very grateful to his parents. They speak no English, but made us feel welcome..

We went up into the mountains and saw monkeys that are so tame they come down from the trees when vehicles pull in. Fruit grows al through the forest, bananas, jack fruits, durien, snakes skin and others. Farmers grow rice and coffee on a grand scale, also spices, vanilla and cloves, to name the ones I remember. We visited temples, farms, stone and wood carvers, a waterfall, dances, the beach, parks and markets. Not all in the same day. Kadek wants to be a guide and it was his first time with tourists. We do have his email address and will keep in touch.

The monsoon season starts in November, but we only saw rain on our last two days. It runs down the streets and families wash in the streams and drainage channels. It is an ancient system of irrigation used by all the villagers. In the towns the rubbish gets swept out of the ditches and the streets cleaned.

There is no Christmas in Bali as 95% of the population is Hindu.