A bit of a worrisome situation we had to figure out…It all “goes with the territory!”

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We’re thrilled to be able to see sunsets from the veranda. The long stick to the right is actually the vine of a plant.

“Bali Sightings on the Beach”

With few tourists on the beaches here many interesting shells and mollusks remain on the beach which is nice to see.

We can only control so much in our lives. We try hard not to make errors when the consequences in planning our lives could result in added costs, time and undesired stress and frustration.

When we get into a “pickle” we reflect on what we could have, should have, done to prevent it. The lame excuse, “Well, I didn’t know,” doesn’t serve us well. We should have known every step of the way, especially as we become more experienced in traveling the world.

As we review the circumstances of our most current dilemma, in a quandary as to how to get a visa to Vietnam for the July 8th Viking Mekong River cruise, we can’t seem to embrace what we could have done differently.

The facts to accomplish this remain a hard reality: In order to apply for a visa for Vietnam with multiple entries in a 30-day period, one must send their actual passport to a visa service in the US or their home country or directly to the Vietnam Embassy.

As the sunset progresses, we’re in awe of its beauty.

How in the world would we allow ourselves to be in Indonesia without our passports in our possession, especially when in two weeks we have to drive two hours to another village to the Immigration office to extend the 30 day visas we have now, repeating this same action when we return in over three months?

Also, if we didn’t need to extend our Indonesian visas, we’d never allow ourselves to be without a passport in our possession while in a foreign country. What if one of us became ill and had to be airlifted out of the country or any of dozens of other possibilities? We’re never going to allow ourselves to be in such a position.

For citizens living in their home country, they can easily prepare the necessary documents, including their passports, mail them to a visa service and wait for the return of the packet with the new visa and their passport. 

Not us. Not only will we never leave ourselves in a foreign country without a passport in our possession but, we’re in a remote area of Bali. Receiving the return packet would take weeks to arrive, most likely never in time for our departure. 

Almost gone.

Nor would we have been willing to be without a passport while in New Zealand had we started this process earlier. Thus, we don’t blame ourselves for not starting this process sooner, two months generally is plenty of time to get a visa. In most situations, we’re easily able to acquire “visas on arrival” (VOA) at any given airport or cruise terminal.

Over the past several days we’ve made many phone calls on Skype: to Viking Cruise Line; to the river cruise representative at Vacations to Go; to the Vietnam Embassy in Vietnam; to the online visa company we’ve been using of late, CIBT. 

There is a such a thing as a “visa on arrival” at the airport in Vietnam through any of the dozens of unknown vendors online that provide a visa letter but the problem with this is twofold:
1.  Do we want to give such personal information online to what may be an unscrupulous company of which there are many? Of course not.
2.  “Visa on arrival” only applies to single entry visas for arrival exclusively by air travel at the airport. Our second entry will occur while we’re on the ship and the first visa would be useless.

The US State Department has considerable warnings and information about the difficulty of getting a Vietnam visa. Click here for details.

Me in the pool waving at Tom when he insisted on a photo. We spend lots of time in the pool, especially on days like today, hot, humid and many flies after last night’s heavy rain.

After hours of research, we came to only two possibilities:
1.  Take the risk on the “visa on arrival” single entry airport only arrival using what may prove to be an unscrupulous company and figure it out once we’re in Vietnam. Not an option.
2.  Wait until we get to Singapore on June 28th (late in the day arrival) and head to the Vietnam Embassy (a 40 minute drive from our hotel) the following morning, documents in hand and apply in person. A rush order takes three business days. Luckily, we’ll be within this window. 

The Singapore option provides us with peace of mind. No doubt it will have a bearing on our one week stay when we’ll certainly have a degree of concern over getting this accomplished. But, yesterday we called the Vietnam Embassy in Singapore and its sounds doable. They’re only open for visa applications from 9:00 am to noon weekdays.

We’re well aware of the fact that should we run into any unforeseen obstacles along the way, we could lose the IDR 92,989,424 (wow), US $6598, (plus the airfare we’ve already purchased) we prepaid at time of booking the cruise to take advantage of the “two for one/paid in full” promo at the time.

Yesterday afternoon, after we finally reached the Vietnam Embassy in Singapore, we sighed in relief knowing we had a plan in place. Once we arrive in Singapore we’ll stop at an ATM to get the appropriate amount of cash US $369, SGD 540 for both visas. 

Tom at the edge of the infinity pool while I took the photo.

Adding the cost of two round trip taxi rides to complete the transactions (returning in three business days to pick up the visas) which we hope to double duty to visit a few sites of interest along the return, its a much more expensive and time consuming proposition than we’d expected. 

As it turns out, Vietnam is one of few countries that makes it difficult for US citizens (and others) to obtain a visa which includes such countries as China, Sudan, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and others. Click this link for more detailed information if you’re planning to travel or simply curious. It’s rather interesting.

The difficulty of acquiring certain country’s visa is totally predicated by reciprocal agreements between the two countries.  As a result, Vietnam is on that “difficulty” list.

In the past few days, we also applied and received the renewal of our one year visas for Australia where we’ll be in and out of over the next year on many occasions (only can stay 90 days per visit). 

The back of Tom while in the infinity pool at high tide.

Today, we’ll apply for yet another required visa for Cambodia (easy online application) again for the Mekong River Cruise  and then we can put this out of our minds until we arrive in Singapore in 48 days, except of course, for the upcoming trip to the immigration office here in Bali within a few weeks.

Gede, our houseman and driver is out of town for a religious holiday returning late Friday. We’re scheduled to go sightseeing with him on Saturday morning at 10:00 am. We’ll prepare and upload the post before we depart and look forward to sharing new photos the following day.

We hope you aren’t faced with dilemmas today. But, if so, we hope you find solutions that put your mind at ease as well.

Photo from one year ago today, May 11, 2015:

Could this Yellow Candle flower we spotted in Kauai be more exquisite with its white blooms? For more photos, please click here.

The vast difference in the tides in Bali…Two “Bali Sightings on the Beach” photos today for a good reason…

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Photo taken from the second floor veranda at high tide.

“Bali Sightings on the Beach”

Look carefully at this photo we took yesterday. This kid is burying his dog in the sand. We were shocked to see this and wondered why he was doing this.  The dog yelped a few times.
We were relieved to see the dog was eventually released from being buried in the sand and seemed OK.Note tongue sticking out. We see this boy and this dog daily when he brings the buffalo to swim in the river next door.  More on that later.

Most of us beach lovers have some perception of high and low tides along with the fact that it “comes and goes four times and day” and that the “moon and gravitational pull” also have some sort of bearing. The specifics on this are vague for many, including us.

It’s surprising how close the high tide comes to the houses along this beach.

Since we arrived in Sumbersari, Bali ten days ago we’ve had the opportunity to spend considerable time observing the tide “coming in” and once peaked, “heading back out again.” In this location, which varies all over the world’s beaches, we’ve observed enormous differences between high and low tides.

From the main floor veranda at high tide. There’s only the small distance of grass separating the pool from the ocean.

As a result, we started taking photos of this natural phenomenon, finding ourselves in awe of this daily event we may have taken for granted in the past. Our world is amazing in so many ways.

In many locations we’ve lived near the beach, but too far to notice these changes. On six occasions we’ve lived on the beach, some sand, some rocks and some, where the tidal changes were less evident.

The highest point of the tide with only the narrow strip of grass separating us from the sea.

The most dramatic tidal changes we’ve seen in the world have been here in Bali, which inspired us to share these photos and information with our readers today.The best information we could find online was at this US Nasa site. 

Not only did we like the clear and concise description of the world’s tides, but the included photos offered an opportunity to put this phenomenon into perspective. See below for details as we’ve included some of this information. For more details, please click the link:

Another high tide view.

“Tides and Time

High tides and low tides come and go, as the level of the sea goes up and down. This cycle of two high tides and two low tides occurs most days on most of the coastline of the world.

Why is that?

Tides are really all about gravity, and when we’re talking about the daily tides, it’s the moon’s gravity that’s causing them. As Earth rotates, the moon’s gravity pulls on different parts of our planet. Even though the moon only has about 1/100th the mass of Earth, since it’s so close to us, it has enough gravity to move things around. The moon’s gravity even pulls on the land, but not enough for anyone to really tell. When the moon’s gravity pulls on the water in the oceans, however, someone’s bound to notice. Water, being a liquid and all, has a much easier time moving around. It bulges toward the moon, and that bulge follows the moon as Earth turns beneath it. That explains the first high tide each day, but what about the second high tide? The ocean also bulges out on the side of the Earth opposite the moon.

Wait, what?

If the moon’s gravity is pulling the oceans toward it, how can the ocean also bulge on the side of the Earth away from the moon? It does seem a little weird. Gravity is the major force causing tides, but inertia is playing a part too. Inertia is matter’s resistance to change. It wants to keep doing whatever it’s doing, whether that’s moving in a straight line or staying still, until another force acts on it. While the water closest to the moon is getting pulled, the water farthest from the moon is staying right where it is. Both sides are experiencing gravity and inertia, but one always overpowers the other. On the side of the moon, gravity wins. On the side away from the moon, inertia wins. These two bulges explain why in one day, there are two high tides and two low tides. 

Are these high and low tides the same height everywhere on the planet?

No.  If Earth were perfectly round and completely covered in water, then high and low tides would be equally proportioned everywhere. But Earth is not a perfect sphere, and there are big continents getting in the way of water flowing and bulging in the direction of the moon. That’s why in some places, the difference between high and low tide isn’t very big, and in other places, the difference is drastic.

The tide had started going back out.

Does anything else affect tides?

The sun has a part to play in tides as well. For instance, when the sun’s gravitational pull lines up with the moon’s gravitational pull, the tides are more extreme.  Wind and weather patterns also can affect tides. Strong offshore winds can move water away from coastlines, exaggerating low tides. Onshore winds can push water onto the shore, making low tides much less noticeable. High-pressure weather systems can push down sea levels, leading to nice sunny days with particularly low tides. Low-pressure systems that lead to cloudy, rainy days, often cause tides than being much higher than predicted, so watch out!”

These descriptions are exactly what we needed to further explain the tides. We hope this information has been helpful in clarifying it for our readers as well. Today, at almost 11:00 am, we see the tide rapidly moving closer to our villa. 

As the tide begins to recede.

Its expected to be at its highest around 11:30 am, the time of day we took the high tide photos we’re posting here. Six hours later it was at its lowest as also shown in our photos.

After the tide recedes at the end of the day.

Have a beautiful day, hopefully with an opportunity to observe one of nature’s magical phenomenon’s whether it’s the full moon rising, a sunset or a changing tide.

Once the tide recedes, we can see the sandy berm once again where most of the activity of humans and animals takes place at varying times of the day when the tide is low. We’ve yet to see any activity during the high tide which convinces us that locals pay special attention to the tides.

Photo from one year ago today, May 10, 2015:

Tom waited with me in the exam room at the urgent care center in Kapaa, Kauai when I was having lower abdominal pain which later proved to be nothing worrisome after I had a CAT scan in Australia in July. For more details, please click here.

Part 2, the villa’s menu options…Food around the world…

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Tom’s plate with Blue Fin tuna made with a tomato, lemongrass sauce, spicy vegetables with a side of coleslaw.

“Bali Sightings on the Beach”

Each day when the tide comes in before noon, the sea is as close as 10 meters to the edge of our pool. When it recedes, it leaves behind ocean refuse and trash. Each day but Sunday our pool and landscape guy, Ribud, cleans the beach in front of the house. Yesterday, (Sunday), we captured these three dogs playing after the tide had gone back out, leaving a muddy play area for dogs.
Yesterday, we enjoyed the quiet Sunday at home with the staff off for the day. I made the bed. Tom made coffee (as always) and did the dinner dishes. The only food prep necessary was to make the salad, heat the veggies and fish and we were good to go. Swimming in the pool and doing research while lounging  in the cabana, out of the scorching sun, has totally entertained us.
My plate with fish and veggies.
Of course, food made fresh that day is always the most desirable. The precooked tuna was a little dry after we reheated it in the microwave, but, we ate it anyway, happy to have a good meal without much effort. I think I’ll become spoiled with the thought of not cooking until July, only reheating a meal for Sundays when the staff is off.
The daily stir fried veggie platter laden with Balinese spices, is a dish we both love.

In a way, the heat, humidity and ants have made cooking less interesting for me over these past years of living on several tropical islands where these three factors are always to be expected. Add the difficulty of finding some ingredients we use in cooking “our way,” it makes the process even less appealing. 

Each day, the Ketuts present us with this itemized list of the cost of the ingredients to make  the meal(s).  The “petrol” at the bottom of the list is the daily cost of fuel for their motorbikes, IDR 10,000, US $.75.  For two meals for both Saturday and Sunday the total cost was IRD 185,000, US $13.87  Unreal, eh?
Over these past many moons of travel, we’ve talked to more and more people who prefer not to cook.  Either they’re busy while still working, often with young mouths to feed or, like me, simply have lost interest in spending long periods in the kitchen. 
Dinner menu, Page 1.
It’s no wonder prepared meals are readily available in the markets, along roadside stands (in many countries) and a wide variety of fast food and other dining establishments to suit the needs of most diners. Unfortunately, such meals aren’t an option for us, other than occasional pre-cooked organic chickens made without wheat, sugar or starch.
Dinner menu, Page 2.
My lack of interest provides me with little excuse not to cook. Our way of eating requires homemade meals while we’re living in most countries. I have no excuses. Always on a mission to spend as little time cooking as possible, when we’re preparing our meals, we have a few dozen options we tend to repeat over and over again.
Dinner menu, Page 3.
Here in the villa in Bali, it’s not a lot different for the cooks. In perusing Part 2 of the menu, posted today with choices of dinners and desserts, it’s easy to determine the options suitable for us are few. As a result, we’ve all been creative in designing the perfect meals. None of the desserts are adaptable.
Dinner menu, Page 4.
Thank goodness we purchased the mince (ground beef) that Gede picked up in Denpasar this past week or we’d be alternating chicken and fish, night after night. That could get boring for these two months. So far, it appears the only fresh fish available is Blue Fin tuna and small prawns.  Perhaps, there will be more variation in time.
Dinner menu, Page 5.
Today, Monday, we devised the menu for the week, although the two Ketuts don’t require that we do so. Monday and Tuesday, it will be chicken, veggies, salad; Wednesday and Thursday it will be hamburger patties with bacon, cheese, onion, salad and veggies; Friday and Saturday it will be prawns with veggies and salad; Sunday we’ll have our pre-made leftover ground beef dish which is in the freezer along with sides of veggies and salad. 
Dinner menu, Page 6.
In actuality, we’d be happy to repeat this weekly menu over and over. As long as the meals are befitting my way of eating, more variety is hardly necessary. The cooks seem fine with our repeats understanding the degree of limitations.
Dinner menu, Page 7.
There are no restaurants or resorts nearby and if there were, we doubt we’d be able to dine out when most Balinese meals contain lots of carbs, starches and sugar.
Dessert menu, Page 1.
Tom’s sunburned feet are healing and soon we’ll get out to take more varied photos and get more cash. In the interim, we’re having so much fun watching the activity on the beach in front of us and swimming in the pristine pool, we’re supremely content. 
Dessert menu, Page 2.
During these past few days, we’ve been busy applying for visas for our upcoming Mekong River cruise and booking many flights necessary over the next several months.
With the slow signal, this is a time consuming process.
Dessert menu, Page 3.
Happy Mothers Day to all the moms out there. May your day be filled with love and wonderful surprises.
Photo from one year ago today, May 9, 2015:
View of the drive to the Kilauea Lighthouse in Kauai when it was closed on a Sunday. For more photos of this popular historic location, please click here.

Part 1, the villa’s menu options…Food around the world…

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The two Kataks and Ribud (the pool and landscape guy) holding up the three kilo Blue Fin tuna for last night’s and tonight’s meal. After it was cleaned and filleted there were two huge portions which we’re sharing each night.  Such wonderful people!  Such fabulous fish!

“Bali Sightings of the Beach”

Crab trail and buffalo footprints in the sand.

Today is the first day we’ve been entirely alone in the villa. The staff hung around last Sunday to make sure we had everything we needed to settle in including a nice Sunday dinner. The fact they gave up their regular day off meant a lot to us. 

We could have easily figured out everything on our own as we often do when the owner, the manager, or other staff isn’t handy to show us “the ropes.” Somehow we always manage.

The two cleaned fillets.  Hard to imagine we could eat one of these between us, each of two nights, but after picking out bones, and the less than desirable darker flesh commonly found in fresh tuna, it was the perfect amount. Adding the fabulous vegetables and coleslaw, it makes a perfect meal. The cost of this fish was only IDR $145,000, US $10.85. There’s no cost for the cooks preparing our meals other than IDR $10,000, US $.75 daily for fuel for their motorbikes. We’ll provide tips at the end of our stay.

In a previous post, we mentioned, we wouldn’t be cooking until July 23rd when we settle into the house in Phuket, Thailand for almost six weeks. We were wrong. We’re on our own on Sundays going forward for the remaining seven weeks in Bali, this time around.

Breakfast menu, Page 1.

Actually, I don’t feel like cooking. As mentioned, the kitchen is the domain of the two Ketuts, not mine, and with the number of ants roaming around the counters, the less I prepare the better. Oh, I’m used to ants, even those crawling on me but they’re annoying when preparing food when all they want to do is crawl inside the dish I’m preparing.

As a result, yesterday I asked the two Ketuts to make the second portion of the fish and another plate of vegetables for us for tonight’s meal. Today, I’ll make a fresh batch of coleslaw which I can complete in less than 10 minutes, most of which time is spent fine slicing the cabbage. 

Breakfast menu, Page 2.

Last night, before the Ketuts left for the evening we gave them money for Monday and Tuesday’s roasted chicken and vegetable dinner. Each day before they arrive at the villa they visit the early morning markets where they purchase locally grown vegetables, meat, and fish. They bring us change or ask for more cash if they were short. Daily, they provide us with an itemized price list of items they’ve purchased.

If necessary, they stop at the tiny market for grocery items such as soaps and paper products. From what we’ve seen so far, these little markets also carry a wide array of “junk” snack foods that are purchased by tourists and locals alike. Obesity and type two diabetes are as prevalent in Bali and the mainland of Indonesia as in many other parts of the world.

The lunch menu, Page 1.

Yesterday, they visited the fish market and again picked up a huge Blue Fin tuna as shown in today’s main photo. After thoroughly cleaning and deboning it (mostly) we were left with two huge filets, enough for last night and tonight’s meal.

They’ve explained that most guests chose from the menu requesting three meals a day, each with two or three-course, all of which they prepare six days a week. With our one meal a day, they’re able to spend less time here in the villa with us, mostly cleaning in the mornings, leaving midday, and returning per our request at 4:00 pm to prepare dinner.

The lunch menu, Page 2.

We requested our dinner be ready at 5 pm each night, a little early for us.  In doing so, they can be out the door earlier to return home to their families. They clear the table after we’ve eaten, wash the dishes, bring in the chaise lounge cushions and beach towels and close the huge accordion glass doors for the evening before the rampage of mozzies begins. 

By 6:30 pm, we have the evening to ourselves. We avoid opening the exterior doors or stepping outside until after dark when the mozzies are less frenzied. There’s a nighttime security guard that sits on a chair all night a few doors from our villa, guarding the few villas along this narrow road. 

The lunch menu, Page 3.

Today, we’ve included a portion of the villa’s menu options from which we’d choose if we could eat the items listed. Tomorrow, we’ll show the dinner and dessert menus.  

Instead of choosing items on the menu, we pick and choose adaptations of the items offered, ensuring they don’t include any sugar, starches, or grains, all with minimal carbs. So far, it’s working when I’ve had no ill effects. 

The lunch menu, Page 4.

We thought it might be interesting to share Part 1 of 2 of the menu today and tomorrow for our “foodie” readers. For those of you with less interest in food, soon we’ll be back with more of “your type” of stories and photos.

The lunch menu, Page 5.

We want to thank all of our new readers we met on the most recent cruise (and past cruises, of course) for stopping by and checking us out. Our stats have indicated a huge increase in hits over the past several days. 

We’d love your input via comments at the end of each day’s post or, by email (see links to both of our email addresses on the top right side of any day’s post).

The lunch menu, Page 6.

As for our regular readers, wow! You continue to hang with us, many of who’s been with us since the beginning of 2012. Thank you for making us feel as if you’re right beside us, day after day, more friends than one could ever expect in a lifetime. The journey continues.

Happy Mother’s Day today for all the moms in this part of the world where it’s Sunday and again tomorrow for all the moms on the other side of the world where you’ll celebrate tomorrow.  May your day be as special as YOU!

Photo from one year ago today, May 8, 2015:

Beautiful purple flowers we encountered on a walk in Kauai. For more photos, please click here.  (Error correction from yesterday when I mistakenly posted this photo which was meant for today. A new photo for the appropriate date has been replaced on yesterday’s post. Click here to see the correction..

Improvising as we go…A constant in our lives of travel…

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The large expanse of the river one door from our home on the beach.

“Bali Sightings on the Beach”

This was moving in the river next to our house.  Must be some kind of peculiar fish.

It’s Saturday. The WiFi is slow today. It took almost two hours of trying off and on to download today’s photos.  With many workers off for the weekend, they may be spending time online having a serious impact on our ability to connect.

In the event you don’t see a post on any given day within three hours of the usual uploading time, please accept our apologies and know we’ve been unable to get online and will be posting as soon as possible.

As mentioned in yesterday’s story about the culling of dogs in Bali, life isn’t always as easy as it may seem living on a tropical island. Of course, we’re grateful for the conveniences we have, the wonderful staff, and the overall comfort in our everyday surroundings.


The mouth of the river close to our house which many locals use each day.
Compared to anywhere in the world, there are inconvenient aspects that one can’t help but notice; the mosquitos day and night; the flies, particularly while dining; and the constant heat and humidity. 
Bali is located 8.65 degrees south of the equator, which translates to 960 kilometers, 595 miles. As a result, it is hot and humid every day, raining occasionally, although it isn’t the rainy season at this time.
When most tourists travel, they stay in hotels often with air conditioning in many common areas and dining halls. For us, with no AC on the main floor, there is no air-con (other than in the master bedroom). As a result, we fully experience the heat and humidity.


Flowers growing in the yard.

We stay outdoors from early morning until after dinner when the two Ketuts close the glass and wood accordion doors to keep the dusk-time mozzies out of the house as much as possible. We keep the bedroom door and windows closed at all times for this reason.

Do we get used to it?  A huge portion of our travels consists of living in ultra hot/humid weather conditions for most days and many nights without AC in the bedroom, only a ceiling or floor fan to blow the humid air over us. 

Used to it? I suppose we are since we keep finding ourselves in similar locations, well aware of the weather conditions long before we travel to a new country. Oddly, we don’t consider it an obstacle or a sacrifice, certainly no more than the reality of the cold climate, we tolerated in Minnesota; for Tom, all of his life; for me, over 40 years.

Side yard at the house, lush and green.

In this past week since our arrival, we’ve lived entirely in swimsuits, handwashing them at night. The suit I washed last night at 7:00 pm, is still on the clothes rack, remaining soaked in the high humidity. Luckily, we each have enough swimsuits to get us through in hot and high humidity locations.

With no English-speaking TV, we have no reason to ever turn it on, other than to plug in the HDMI cord to my laptop to watch our remaining downloaded shows. Downloading more movies and TV shows is nearly impossible with a slow connection. 

In the evenings, we watch a few shows, but most likely will run out before we depart at the end of June. We’ll find other sources of entertainment once that occurs. As always, we’ll figure it out.

Fluffy white spring flowers beginning to bloom.

Some of our readers have written inquiring as to how we’re managing the food situation. Over two years ago while living in Morocco, we had a full-time cook, Madam Zahra, who adapted the starchy, sugary, grain-laden Moroccan meals to my way of eating.  

The cooking seems to be even easier here in Bali as the two Ketuts aren’t having any trouble adapting the meals to befit our diet. Since the house rules stipulate that all guests are served the same dishes at each meal, Tom is surprising me by eating everything they make. 

When we’re cooking our own meals, I often adapt items that he prefers within the framework of our dietary restrictions. Here, he has no such choices and we eat what’s put on the table, all appropriately modified for us.  It’s working better than we expected. The meals are comparable to those we’d discover in a high-end dining establishment. Need I say, we’re loving every meal.

The rocky end of a point while on a walk on the beach.

Tonight, I’ll finally take photos of our meal before we dig in. Other nights, we’ve been so distracted by the beautiful food put in front of us, I’ve failed to take photos. 

Tomorrow, we’ll post the photos along with the menu offered to guests (without dietary restrictions) from which they’ve improvised most of our meals.  Please check back for the exciting offerings.

Regardless of some necessary adaptations common in most locations, we are content and relaxed in Bali. The daily swimming in the pool is keeping us active and hopefully fit a degree. Once Tom’s sunburned feet are totally healed, we start walking again. It was a fluke that happened and it won’t happen again.

Today, we have several tasks to accomplish; booking future flights, applying for a visa for Vietnam (for the upcoming Mekong River cruise in July), and a new visa for Australia that soon expires (good for one year, which has almost passed). Hopefully, we’ll manage to accomplish these tasks online with the slow wifi. But, if not, we’ll save it for another day. 

Sometimes saving a task for another day makes sense, especially when we plan to accomplish these tasks well in advance. Keeping stress at a minimum is always our goal thus we avoid waiting last minute for anything (if we can help it).

May your day be low-stress as well!

Photo from one year ago today, May 7, 2015:

Tourists stopping to read a sign on the Kauai Path.  Notice the cross on the shore, most likely as a memorial to a swimmer’s death in the sea in this area.  Please click here for more photos.

Heartbreaking “Bali Sighting on the Beach”…Paradise isn’t always as pretty as it seems…

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We’ve seen no less than 20 dogs wandering the beach each day, some looking fit and healthy while others are scrawny and unfit. The beach in front of our house is clean and pristine, cleaned daily by house pool guy, Ribud. However, other beachfront areas aren’t maintained and are littered with trash and various items washed ashore.

Watching beach life in this remote location is different than observing beachgoers anywhere else in the world we traveled to date.

“Bali Sightings on the Beach”

Sorry, the photo isn’t clear. We were too far away and my hands were unsteady after seeing the dog shot.  This guy picked up the dead dog by one hind leg and placed him in a laundry bag as he carried him away. More on this below.

Before we get into today’s story, I want to mention that we placed an order from BaliBikeRental.com for a hot spot rental for the remainder of our time in Bali. Their driver made the four hours (each way) harrowing drive to deliver the device for which we paid IDR $3,885,577.50, US $291 plus an additional IDR $1,068,200, US $80 for a deposit.

Alas, the driver arrived with two devices to ensure at least one would work, but neither would acquire an adequate signal. At that point, we were worried we wouldn’t get our money back or be charged a high transport fee. Much to our surprise, we were refunded the entire amount including the deposit 

Although these dogs seem friendly and harmless, many have rabies and other diseases.

Of course, we felt bad. It wouldn’t work in this remote location for us and for the efforts of the company. But, the honorable company, BaliBikeRental.com, immediately refunded our entire payment inspiring us to mention them here. 

If you’re looking for a motorbike or hotspot rental while in Bali, this company appears highly reputable. They’ve never had a request for a device from this remote area in the past and didn’t realize it wouldn’t work. Apparently, they work well near the resorts and Denpasar, the capital city. 

As a result, we have no choice but to use the slow wifi signal in the house, which works off and on.  Downloading photos is challenging which I will do late at night for the next day’s post. We’ll do our best to get at least six or seven photos posted each day along with our stories.

Not only do the dogs wander the beaches searching for food, they often play together and roll in the sand. They drink the water in the river and go into the river water to cool off but we’ve yet to see one enter the ocean.

On to our story of the day…

As much as we’d like to assume living each day in Paradise is perfect, as our regular readers so well know from experience, we tell it like it is…the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The beach in front of our house is a constant stream of activity, some interesting, some mundane, and some shocking. We’ve seen children as young as four or five years old, alone playing on the beach with no parent in sight. 

We’ve seen naked young boys between five to nine years old, swimming and playing in the river for hours at a time, alone without adult supervision, later to throw on their shorts and wander away. 

As we closely watch the activity on the beach, we wonder which dog will be “next.”

We’ve seen “seedy” looking characters on the beach, occasionally looking our way. We’ve seen an endless stream of motorbikes traveling up and down the beach all day, into the early evening. 

We’ve seen moms and kids walking along the beach, women with pots on their heads, and as shown, buffalo and horses being escorted to the river for a cooling soak.

Of considerable interest to us both, dog lovers that we are, we’d enjoyed watching the seemingly friendly busy dogs running up and down the beach, searching for tidbits of food and companionship, mostly with one another.

The dog on the right is with the guy who brings the buffalo to the river each day. She plays with the other dogs while he cools down the buffalo, catching up with him when he departs. 

For safety’s sake, we’ve avoided getting too close not knowing if they’d become aggressive with humans, although they seemed oblivious of people on the beach. 

Nor, did we want to encourage any of them to hang around refusing to leave. We made the wrong assumption that most of them belonged to local homeowners. How wrong we were! We’ve since discovered most are feral dogs, born near the beaches and left to fen for themselves as soon as they stop nursing. 

On Wednesday afternoon we were lounging in the cabana with the camera in close proximity. My eyes were peeled on a dog wandering the beach in their usual helter-skelter pattern in a sniffing frenzy. Suddenly, we both heard a quick “splat” and the dog began yelping miserably.

Coconut husks are used in many ways, including being made into fiberboards for construction.

We didn’t know what to do. Watching the dog teeter to and fro, within 30 seconds, it fell to the ground.  Someone had shot the dog! Horrified we looked down to the beach to a house no more than three doors from us to see a guy in a red shirt with some type of pellet gun in hand. We couldn’t do a thing but watch and wait. He saw us watching with our camera in hand.

Moments later another guy walked over to the dog, picked it up by its hind leg placing it in what appeared to be an open weave laundry bag. The dog was dead from what we could tell. Had it been an annoyance? Had it bit someone?

Gede (had also misspelled his name as “Gaday”) was gone to Denpasar and we couldn’t ask him. The two Ketuts don’t speak English well enough to be able to answer our questions. Egon, the owner, was on his way back to Holland with his family. We had no choice but to wait.

Hindu temple on the road into town.

By the next morning, after thinking about this overnight with a heaviness in our hearts, Gede arrived and answered our questions. Rabies is rampant in Bali. Dogs are “culled” in an attempt to lessen the risks to humans and other animals. 

The guy in the red shirt was an indication of a vet using a “tranquilizer” type gun to shoot the dog. Some are tranquilized and tested for rabies and vaccinated if healthy and others are shot to the death if rabies is suspected. 

How this determination is made, is unknown to us. We surmised most are shot to death unless they have a collar, may belong to a local resident, and have already been vaccinated.

It is traditional in the Hindu faith to have numerous statues in the yard of their homes as a means of expressing their love, faith, and devotion to God.

This explained the horrific sighting, but it still left us reeling and sad over this reality. In the wild in Africa, we watched animals hunt and kill, accepting this reality making us able to watch and take photos knowing this is a reality of life. 

Now, as we’ve observed this dog culling, we feel sad over this reality as a part of life in Bali, not only in the busy cities but also in remote areas such as we’re living in Sumbersari, Negara.

Many object to the culling stating it’s a poor means of protecting against rabies. See this link for more information. We’ll reserve our opinions for a future date when we know more as we continue to research and speak to local citizens.

This photo was taken from the backseat of the van of the road as we exit the property to head to the village. 

This morning we noticed two little girls no more than four or five years alone running along the beach.  We’ve never seen unattended children of these ages alone on a beach. Its the nature of life and culture in Bali, one we must accept.

Obviously, if a child or adult needs to be rescued from the sea, we’d be all over it.  We keep our eyes peeled when anyone enters the sea. But, as for the dogs, we can only continue to observe them, never knowing, only accepting, their eventual fate.

We’d planned to get out today or tomorrow but much to our surprise, Tom has a sunburn on his feet (the first sunburn he’s had in our travels) and is unable to put on his shoes for a few days.  In the interim, we’ll stay put until he heals.

Then again, staying put certainly is no hardship. There are plenty of passing pleasant experiences to observe each day on the beach as we continue to revel in these extraordinary surroundings.

May you revel in your surroundings today!

Photos from one year ago today, May 6, 2015:

There’s never a shortage of roosters wandering about in Kauai when there are literally thousands of feral chickens and roosters on the island supposedly as a result of hurricanes destroying chicken coops over the years. For more photos, please click here.

Life in Bali continues…New house photos…Second floor photos yet to be posted…

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These two stone elephants spew water into the two Koi ponds on either side of the entrance walkway. We’ve yet to share photos of the massive second story which we’ll soon post.

“Sightings on the Beach In Bali”

Two teenage boys walked this young white horse down the beach to play in the river next to our house. He seemed to love cooling off in the water.

We chose this remote location for several reasons. We’d read there was a lot of crime in Bali, close to the popular resorts. Secondly, cost was a factor as always and we wanted the most “bang for the buck” which we accomplished ten fold. 

Pretty flower arrangements and decorative items tastefully fill the house in the Balinese style. The green tube in the corner is actually a light fixture.

Thirdly, with the awful traffic in and within hours of Denpasar, there would have been awful stress each time we ventured out, especially for Tom who despises traffic defeating the entire purpose of being in a paradise-location.

The Buddha fountain stopped working.  We mentioned this to Ribud and today, he cleaned the hoses and filters and now its running again, creating a pleasant sight and sound.  The maintenance here is impeccably performed by dedicated staff.

Most tourists stay in the many lovely resorts south of Denpasar, close to the airport, restaurants and most tourist venues. We have no doubt we’ve done the right thing staying in the quiet area as we languish in the pool hours each day, enjoying hours of mindless entertainment with one another.  

We don’t even mind there are no English-speaking TV stations. Instead, late in the day we plug in the HDMI cord to the TV and watch online news through various media outlets. After all, we still prefer to stay informed as to what’s transpiring in our home country as well as throughout the rest of the world.

Usually, a vacation home’s kitchen is my domain spending pleasant time preparing meals. Now, I spend no time prepping food when both Ketuts chop, dice, cook and clean up. Tom’s enjoying not having to do dishes. We attempt to clean up the table after dinner but they insist we relax.

We have no interest in visiting caged non-indigenous animals in zoos, bungee jumping, or scuba diving.  Physical adventure type attractions could put a quick end to our travels if I injured my spine which remains as delicate as a toothpick, although pain free. I haven’t spent five years eating this way and taking care of myself to have it all fall apart.

Of course, we’ve had our fair share of adventure type activities that we’ve been able to do along the way, feeling fortunate all turned out well. As a long-time reader of our site, you’ll have seen many of such photos.

 Gede explained we’re coming into the blooming season. We look forward to seeing many more flowers in Bali.

In Bali, dining in restaurants would be prohibitive for my way of eating, although we have no doubt the food they prepared could be delicious with the local spices we’re savoring in this villa with our two Ketuts cooking each night.  (Now, I’ve discovered once again I’ve been spelling their names incorrectly.  Plus, the pool guy is Ribud, not Libud). 

The two closets in the other bedroom on the main floor with the en suite bath to the right. Our bedroom has identical closets with the en suite bath to the left. We each have plenty of storage space for our limited wardrobes.

Dining here is comparable to dining in a fine restaurant with the extensive menu we’ve been able to adapt to work for us along with the skills of our two cooks. We couldn’t ask for more. 

Besides, we’re able to dine in our swimsuits to stay cool and face the infinity pool and the sea while dining engaged in idle chatter. Luckily, after all these years together, we still can spend an entire day engrossed in what we consider interesting conversation. Our lifestyle is an easy segue to endless pleasant and often productive planning and discussion.

The bed is very comfortable with perfect pillows, bedding, and duvet. Although we each sleep less than seven hours each night, we’re feeling refreshed.

Without laundry, cooking and cleaning, we’ve resorted to swimming in the pool and walking on the beach each day for a degree of exercise. I’ve even instituted an additional 30 minute a day exercise program in the pool, adding more movement to my otherwise lounging day. 

A vast array of Buddha representations are found throughout the house and on the grounds of most properties.

Last night around 10 pm, Gede arrived with our 10 kilos of mince (grass-fed ground beef) packed in ice in a “chill box” arriving perfectly chilled. At a cost of IDR $1,700,000 (including gratuity), US $127, the 22 pounds translates to IDR $77,188, US $5.77 per pound. This will last for the remaining time in Bali, (this time around) giving us a few more dining options.

Unusual bedside lamps in the second main floor bedroom, typically colorful for the Balinese style, comparable to those in our bedroom.

Yesterday, a heartbreaking situation occurred on the beach which we’ll share tomorrow including a photo.  Paradise isn’t always perfect and these realities we encounter along the way, although at times sad, add to the depth of our experiences in seeing the world in a clear perspective.

May your day be clear and bright!

Photo from one year ago today, May 5, 2015:

Tom walked to the shore in Kapaa, Kauai to check out the views at the beach located in the small town. For more details, please click here.

Unusual currency requirement in Indonesia…We’re figuring it out, as always…

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Gede stopped at the side of the road when he spotted this monkey and baby  We had no idea we’d see much wildlife here. Of course, we were thrilled!

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

Our new feature for Bali leaves us wondering which photos to post first as we continue to be amazed by the activity on the beach both day and night. Last night we took this photo from the veranda of our cabana, with the beach in the background. 

Each day brings a series of surprises we never expected in Bali. Sure, we anticipated lots of sunshine, hot, humid weather, balmy breezes and an endless array of colorful vegetation and people.

Little did we know we’d encounter wildlife, especially on a drive to the village or by staring out to the sea from our veranda.  The camera is always close at hand.

Archway over the road intended to welcome visitors from the local harbor.

Arising no later than 5 am these days we’re often out of bed while it’s still dark. This morning, I was antsy to get up and online during the better signal periods of day on the very slow signal to complain to one of our credit card companies that their two cards weren’t working. 

Once again, they assumed the cards were stolen when we used them in many locations. They put a temporary hold on them. Why didn’t they email and tell me instead of leaving us embarrassed when they were declined at a register in Denpasar? 

Another mom and baby.  Note the funny hair pattern on the baby’s head.

We accept the reality that few card holders, other than business travelers, use credit cards in such a variety of locations. After the call, the two cards are working again but will be of little use here in Sumbersari, Negara, Bali, a relatively remote location with none of the local shops accepting credit cards.

As a result, using cash is the only way to make purchases in this location including some of which we’ve paid in cash thus far:

1.  Prepayment for food the cooks purchase from local vendors each morning for our meals which is usually under IDR $132,680, US $10, per day
2.  Pre-payment for any items we want picked up for us in Denpasar (the harrowing four hour drive). At the moment, we’re awaiting the delivery of 10 kilos of ground beef to last for these first two months at an estimated cost of IDR $3,000,000, US $211 which we gave Gaday in advance unsure of the actual cost.  He’ll either bring us change or require more cash to cover the cost.  We’ll report back later when he returns today with a cooler filled with the meat, packed in ice for the long journey.
3.  Transportation to the ATM, sightseeing or shopping, usually no less than IDR $100,000, US $7.54, for up to an hour outing; IDR $250,000, US $18.84, for a half day;  to a maximum of IDR $500,000, US $37.68, for a full day outing.
4.  Payment to the “tourist police” for protection at the house. (We just paid a one time fee for these first two months of IDR $60,000, US $4.52).
5.  Laundry charges twice a week for our clothing only. (No charge for bedding and towels). Last night we paid both Ketuts IDR $54,000, US $4.08 for two loads of laundry.

This photo is blurry when taken while moving when it was captured.  Check out the look on his face! He looks worried. We keep our distance. Wild monkeys are known to bite humans and carry many diseases including Zika virus which has been prevalent in Bali for many years, not only just recently.

The funny aspect to these charges is the low cost for all of these products and services along with the huge amount of local currency required to make these purchases based on the exchange rate. The required denominations for the currency is astounding and was confusing the first day or so.

Another confusing part is the fact that we, nor any other traveler, can get more than about IDR $4,000,000, US $301 at any given visit to an ATM. This is based on rampant illegal activity in Bali.  As a result the machines are set only to dispense a certain amount of cash from each ATM which varies from location to location.

An ornate house along the road to the village.

This requires that we’ll need to get cash much more often than in the past when we freely used credit cards for most purchases. We’re figuring it out as we go. Most tourists come to Bali, staying in resorts where none of the above cash expenditures would be necessary. 

The beautiful difference for us as opposed to staying in a hotel or resort is we have an exquisite house all to ourselves, professionally prepared meals, a daily pool and landscape guy, a driver and two lovely dedicated housekeepers and cooks who serve our every need. 

This house, owned by a local property tycoon is elaborate in its Hindu design.

(No, we don’t ask the staff to “wait” on us. We make and serve ourselves beverages and still “pick up” after ourselves. Although, if we don’t fold a bath or beach towel neatly, they discretely do so when we’re not looking).

Could be a family…

In a few days, we’ll need to get more cash and plan to do some sightseeing in the process, stopping at an ATM along the way to reload several more millions IDRs (Indonesian Rupiahs). 

Again this morning as I write here, we’re sitting in the two comfy chaise lounges, sipping our coffee while facing the pool and the sea, a short distance from the edge of the infinity pool. The sound of the surf, the birds, the geckos and on a clear day, the sight of Java across the sea, makes this one extraordinary experience we’ll never forgot. 

This is the closest ATM which only dispenses IDR $4,000,000, US $301 per customer per day.

Knowing we’ll be back again on September 1st is no longer a concern as it was before we arrived and is now laced with thoughts of this treasure to which we’ll look forward to returning for an additional 59 days. Pinch me! Are we really in paradise? I think so.

Have a beautiful day wherever you may be and thank you for sharing this life with us. Without all of YOU it would be difficult to document our daily lives to this degree. Knowing YOU are there drives us to experience more, observe more and of course, take more photos. If YOU’LL keep coming back, we’ll keep going!


Photo from one year ago today, May 4, 2015:

I gave Tom this haircut one year ago. This was him before the cut.  After my cut, he had professionals do it. I suppose I don’t blame him. For more Kauai photos, please click here.

Unique new feature added while in Bali…More house photos…

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Reclining Buddha. Eighty percent of the population in Bali is of the Hindu faith. This restful pose reminds of us the pace here; calm, relaxed, and stress-free.

“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”

Pinch me!  Is this real? We could hardly believe our eyes when we saw two buffalo walking on the beach with their owner. He’d brought them for a swim in the river next to our house. The black spot in the ocean is a small buoy. This is our first photo in our upcoming series of photos of “Sightings on the Beach in Bali.”

Oh, please, there’s so much to write about Bali, I don’t know where to begin. We’ve been out and about already but still, have much more to share before we even get to that particular round of photos.

We couldn’t wait to share the details of our meals which are varied and interesting and somehow befitting my way of eating with some modifications by the two conscientious cooks, Ketut and Ketut k whose names I been spelling wrong over the past few days. I’ve since gone back and corrected them. In fact, their names are: Ketut

(As an aside, let me explain about duplicate names in Bali, quite the oddity by our standards: All Balinese people are named one of just 4 names: Wayan, Made, Nyoman or Ketut. Both men and women. 

What a view!

Many are given nicknames to differentiate them from others in close proximity with the same name.  I’m not quite sure how Gede and Ribud’s names fit in but most likely they are nicknames).

Tom finds himself enjoying foods he never considered, including last night’s fresh Bluefin tuna (common in these waters – safe to eat) caught first thing in the morning. Only on a few occasions, in all of our years together (25 as of June) have I seen him eat fresh fish without a batter. He actually liked last night’s fish. 

The large mirror in the living area on the main floor.

I failed to take photos of our meals when we were so busy admiring and eating what we’ve been served each night. Going forward I promise to do better, as we continue to determine which possible menu items fit into our way of eating.

In respect of Ketut and Ketut’s schedule, we’re eating early, usually no later than 6:00 pm. They stay during dinner, out of our dining area while quietly waiting to clean up the dishes and be on their way. They have a magical way of staying unobtrusive. 

Each of the four bedrooms has a similar double sink en suite bathroom. Everything is pristine in this four-year-old house.

The only adjustments we’ve made to accommodate them is to wander outdoors when they arrive at 8 am (not hard to do in this paradise-like environment) while they clean. Thus, we make our way to the cabana, shaded from the hot sun and yet even closer to the sounds of the surf only a short distance from the edge of the infinity pool.

I’m still wearing the FitBit we purchased in Darwin but ashamedly hardly making it to 3000 steps a day when absolutely nothing is required of me in daily household tasks. As we’ve settled in, we’ll soon start walking the neighborhood, taking photos, and sharing them with all of you, hopefully getting some much-needed exercise in the process. 

View from the entrance to the house. More interior photos will follow in days to come when we’ve yet to take photos of the kitchen, the living room we use, and the entire upper level.

(Good thing I didn’t have aspirations about joining a health club here. It’s non-existent, let alone a grocery store anywhere in the immediate proximity with familiar foods we use). 

The local markets don’t carry beef, chicken, and certainly no pork which isn’t a food option here. Balinese people use a small number of protein sources used as an adjunct to a meal, not the main item. Mainly they cook chicken and fish purchased from local vendors only available early each morning, none of which is available at the local markets). 

We can hardly get through the photos we’ve already taken since our arrival. Without a doubt, we’ll have an endless stream of photos both during this two-month stint in this house and again when we return on September 1st to fill a two-month gap. 

Each day, except Sundays, the staff cleans the house, makes the bed, and prepares meals as requested. Today, we asked that they close these windows during the day to keep the bees, flies, and mozzies from the bedroom at night when we use the AC.

As we anticipated arriving here, we hesitated over the return in September, especially during the harrowing four-hour car ride, wondering if we would feel like coming back. Now, almost three days since our arrival, we both have no doubt we’ll look forward to the return. How could one not fall in love with this tropical paradise? 

I could go on and on today, but we have plenty of time to share our perspectives and enjoyment of this dream-like environment. It makes us feel as if we’re on an extended honeymoon, only adding to our already playful and joyful daily interactions with one another. If one is seeking romance and/or peaceful reflection, this is the place.

This is where we sit to dine each evening, keeping the huge sliding doors wide open for the breeze. At dusk, we close the doors to keep mozzies outside.

Using cash is prevalent in this remote location. Each evening after dinner, we pay cash for the cost of groceries for our next night’s dinner which the cooks purchase fresh each day, as mentioned above. They provide us with an item-by-item receipt of each item purchased,  giving us the change from the morning’s shopping. At that point, we dole out more cash for the next night.

Each time we venture out we pay for the cost of the use of the owner’s vehicle, an air-conditioned van that will be driven by Gede to our desired locations. Depending on how long we’re gone, we pay cash accordingly. More on that later.

Today, I’d intended to explain the currency exchange which is a complicated and unusual scenario in Bali. Due to today’s longwinded post, I’ll cover that in tomorrow’s post.

Gede, holding our fresh caught Blue Fin tuna that we had for dinner last night, prepared whole with onions, garlic, lemongrass, lemon, and local spices. Our cost for entire fish…US $3.04, IDR $40,000 (Indonesian Rupiah); for the entire meal (for two) US $8.12, IDR $106,900 (more on exchange rate coming soon).

As promised yesterday, today we’ll begin posting a new concept during the time we’re in Bali, entitled, “Sightings on the Beach in Bali” which will consist of photos we’ve taken during the day or evening from the veranda of the property. These individual daily photos will be presented below the main daily photo.

These “Sightings on the beach in Bali” may include such simple sights as a unique passing boat, dogs playing on the beach, or a woman carrying a pot on her head. 

Or, these sightings may prove to be much more entertaining and interesting, some of which we’ve seen thus far as shown today in our first in this series.  We hope you’ll enjoy this segment during our first 60-day stay. We’ll continue with our year-ago photos, now that we have a better wifi signal.

In essence, paradise is a sensation, not a place. May your find paradise in your hearts today and always.

Photo from one year ago today, May 3, 2015:

With the help of friend Louise in Kauai, she’s identified this bird as a Chestnut Mannikin we encountered in Kauai one year ago. Please click here for more photos.

Our new home in Bali…The story begins to unfold…Many more photos to come…

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Buddha statue by the pool is a fountain that runs continually.

In the dark, at the culmination of the harrowing four hour drive, our driver made the ascent down a narrow single lane road toward the sea. The road was so narrow, he had to get out to ask a neighbor to move a vehicle to allow us access.

As soon as we exited the van, both Ketuts greeted us with this tray with ice-cold washcloths, fresh flowers, a lit candle, and two glasses of sweet tea.

Moments later he pulled up to the house, lights illuminating an exquisite scene and for the next two months, we were home. With a sense of trepidation, I exited the car, legs cramped from sitting so long, took a deep breathe and smelled the fresh ocean air as a sense of relief washed over me.

Greeted by two lovely Balinese women, coincidentally, both named Ketut, one held a tray with  fresh flowers, ice-cold washcloths, and two wine glasses filled with sweet tea. Sadly, I declined the sweet tea but instead requested water. The spring water is safe to drink here.

The infinity pool is more beautiful than we imagined, the surface like glass, clear and cleaned daily.

During the four hour drive, we never stopped for water or a bathroom break, both of which were of my immediate concern, although I graciously held back to allow them their usual ritual of showing off the house. 

We’ll continue to have our coffee here on these chaise lounges each morning.

Our house man, Gede, (sounds like ga-day, the popular Australian greeting over which we all giggled when he explained) wanted to ensure we had a full tour including the opportunity to decide which of the two floors we preferred for our primary living quarters. There were four bedrooms from which to choose, two on each level.

It wasn’t the easiest decision even after we narrowed it down to two of the four, each with ocean views, all with en suite bathrooms. The only question, when the upstairs was slightly more appealing than the main level, was, “did we want to manage the oversized risers for the flight of stairs to the upper level?”

The covered huts and cabana poolside.

After careful consideration, we decided to stay on the main floor in the bedroom with the pool and ocean views.  With no railing on the open side of the staircase and only partial railing for the remainder, these factors contributed to our decision to opt for safety (old-timers that we are) to stay on the master bedroom on the main floor.

Doing so was no sacrifice, by any means. The sound of the surf, the views of the pool, Jacuzzi, and raging surf hardly are a sacrifice. Both floors had a separate living rooms and although a single house, we are free to use the other living room at any time if we so chose. There’s AC in that living room which when its especially hot at night, we may use.

We considered using the Jacuzzi last night but it was raining. We have plenty of clear nights ahead of us.

After the tour and room decision dinner was served by both Ketuts including a small whole roasted chicken coated in delicious gluten/starch/sugar free seasonings and a platter of the most delicious vegetable dish either of us had ever eaten. We asked for the same veggies at each dinner.

They cleared and washed the dishes leaving us to unpack and settle in. In no time at all, we were mostly unpacked, saving the remainder for the morning since we were anxious to let the family know we’d arrived. 

Peering across the pool to the ocean is a breathtaking scene.

As expected in this remote area, the wifi is slow and unpredictable, although not anywhere near as inconsistent as on the ship. In the next few days we’ll decide if we do in fact have to order the delivery of a hotspot device which we’d investigated months ago.

The rest? Heavenly. Oh I know, I’ve said this in the past. And yes, we’ve lived in some magical places, each with its own unique offerings. But, I must admit, this may be the most beautiful vacation home we’ve rented in to date and the setting…directly on the ocean with an infinity pool as the preface to the sprawling sea only steps from our door.

We’re located in the following area as described in Wikipedia.

“Bali Strait is a stretch of water separating Java and Bali while connecting the Indian Ocean and the Bali Sea. At its narrowest it is 2.4-kilometre (1.5 mi) wide. The Bali Strait is one of the five bodies of water surrounding the island of Bali: Lombok Strait to the east, the Badung Strait to the southeast, the Bali …”

Tom’s foot as we had a short stint in the sun yesterday afternoon. No sunburns for either of us.  We’ll move over to the cabana for shade.

At night we can see the lights of Java, Indonesia across the bay. On a clear night in the near future we’ll share photos of that view.  Amazing.

The household staff includes four; two Ketuts, Gede, Ribud (the pool guy) plus a driver on call (for a small fee). With several beautifully prepared instruction booklets available, we have most answers to our questions at our disposal. Yesterday, we made a list of questions for Gede who helped us in every way.

No, it’s not perfect. As is the case for each property, there are nuances to which we’ve already begun to adapt including; no English speaking news or any channels on the TV; Ketuts don’t speak much English (one, only a little); it’s hot and humid during the day (no AC in the main floor living areas except in the bedroom); there are ants, spiders, mozzies, flies with no screens (we keep doors wide open all day) and again, no coffee pot. 

The cabana is quite appealing where surely we’ll spend time reading and relaxing while in Bali.

Thank goodness for that silly little coffee filter we purchased long ago and had yet to use. Tom, as always, is masterful in ensuring we have the perfect coffee each morning.

After dinner we’ll use the Jacuzzi, swim in the lighted pool and lounge for the balance of the evening to watch our favorite downloaded shows using our HDMI cord for the TV while relaxing on the comfy leather sectional with an appropriate coffee table on which to set our beverages.

There are endless nuances which we’ll continue to share in days to come including the monetary exchange which requires a bit of a learning curve. Tomorrow, we’ll share a funny story of our first foray to an ATM in Indonesia and a trip to a grocery store in Denpasar. There’s always a learning curve to some extent, most of which makes us smile.

May your day find you learning something new that makes you smile!

Tomorrow, we’ll be starting a new feature to our site that we can hardly wait to share, all about our Bali experience. Please check back!

Photo from one year ago today, May 2, 2015:

View along the highway to Hanalei, Kauai. For more photos, please click here.