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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”
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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).
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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:
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| 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. |