Bali Take Two

Dear Readers,

I just learned that you can't add text once you've added pictures first. I tried my best but couldn't get the text added. So you will have to look at the pictures after you read this.

Day Two in Bali. After a night of no sleep, I went to the buffet breakfast that the hotel provided. It was a strange combination of American, English, and Japanese food. Some Singaporean thrown in too. One day when they ran out of baked beans for the Australians, then subsitituted green beans and thought no one would notice. The donuts were good. The staff played with the children and helped them carry their food. I thought that was a nice touch. All day Japanese tours rolled in.

We met our tour guy (now dressed in local custom) for our tour. The company had messed up the tour I had paid for and we decided to go on a completely different tour. Instead of a half day tour, we got a full day. First we drove out of the town and up toward the highlands where rain drifted in and out of black clouds. The only sign of civilization was in the town. As we drove on, houses became shacks, buildings devoid of windows, people sleeping practically on the road. One electric line wound up the mountain until I finally saw it draped through tree branches and not on poles at all. People traveled on motorcycles with no helmets. They bought gas in glass bottles (illegally). there are no real laws here, you must understand, the goverment makes the laws for all the people but it is up to them if they want to follow them or not. Everything can be debated and people pay their way out of anything.

Why is Bali so poor when Indonesia has large oil and natural gas reservoirs? Greed, explained the guide. No money makes it to Bali. It ends up in someone's pocket. School is mandatory until 9th grade. College is only for hotel and tourism business. The Hindu caste system is alive there and so people are forced by society to remain in the miserable lot they were born into. Also, the people spend all their lives saving up pennies to paid for their relatives' cremations. I can't overstate how much their religion controls their lives. This is another example of how religion can suppress progress and keep people living as though it was still the 10th century AD. It's extremely sad. Education is supposed to be available to everyone and is available to no one. The money to build schools is in someone's pocket.

We stopped at a silver store on way to the volcano and bought some Christmas presents. chickens were everywhere. By the way, they keep cocks in baskets for the cock fights in the temples. Betting is allowed for three times, after that they can be arrested. Supposedly these cock fights are tied to religion. By the way, there is a Bali dog, one kind many colors. People eat the puppies on occasion (there's too many and they carry rabies). What I found interesting about this dog is that the people refuse to feed their dog. They are sent out to find their own food so that's why the garbage is so little. The dogs eat it. At night they wander home.

We stopped by Elephant Cave Hindu Temple. This temple (9th century) was recently destroyed by a volcano eruption. They dug it out and restore some of it. The monks and priests had carved their statues right out of the lava. Now I had to wear a purple cloth tied around my waist to respect the temple gods. I also had to say I wasn't having my period. (like they would know!) Anyway, we respected the temple, put on our skirts and off we went to visit with the Hindu gods. They had three wooden sticks they were making offerings to in the cave. I about lost it. These sticks represent the trinity (Shiva, Vishnu, and Someone Else). They place skirts on the idols and sometimes little umbrellas on their heads. The black and white material symbolizes ying and yang. There was a Buddhist temple on the other hill for those who were alittle rebellious.

The volcano was huge, fog on top. It is still active and you can see the lava flows over the land in 2000. It's been quiet for ten years. People plant tomatoes and peppers and chilis and corn on the lava soil whereever they can. There's a hotel with a hot spring at the base and Steve took a dip in the water. Then we were served lunch steamboat style. They took a pot of boiling water and added stuff like eggs, vegetables, beef, chicken, noodles and gave us a bowl of rice. I was alright with the coke and rice.

On the way back we stopped by a batik shop (they make the fabric in Indonesia) and bought some for quilting. We also picked up some wood carvings. In the end I enjoyed stopping by a art shop where they had beautful large canvas paintings in all styles. I just like to look.

It was late when we got back to our hotel. We opted for pizza hut where we had a pizza with corn on it. Why corn you ask? Because they grow it? They also had hot dog pizzas. I passed. I asked my tour guide who is obviously Hindu why suckling pig is such a hit here. Aren't they supposed to be against eating any kind of meat. No so, he said. Their particular branch eats meat including pick. If you eat beef, throw some rice on your head before going to the temple. You are forgiven. I see, I said. The cows still wander free in the street, even in town. That's Okay, Mika said, we can eat them later. Alright. I said. Hinduism sure is flexible.

That was the end of the second day.