Foreign food and lots of walking in Bali - and then we're home again.

Wednesday, July 13, 2022

We're halfway through our holiday in Bali. It's incredible that we live in such a beautiful and diverse country, with this tourist destination a quick flight from home.

We walk 18,000 steps - to the bus terminal and back, to a German restaurant for lunch, through the traditional market in Denpassar, and to supper at an artisan pizza place. We finish with a deep tissue massage ($17) that almost tears my muscles off the bones. It's just what I need. And the walk home is short. The day in pictures:

Temples and beaches. Everywhere.

The waves roll in with clouds overhead. Surfers ride the waves and splash into the sea.

Streetside, a pig's head reminds us that pork is available everywhere. In Bandung, the Muslim majority means you have to search hard for daging sapi (pig meat). Want some suclin pig? Bali is where you'll find it.

There's a duck or two hanging in the windows.

The rivers drain the daily rain.

People sit here and there, waiting. Many are out of work until the tourists return.

Exotic flowers are everywhere.

In all shapes.

And all sizes. These are as small as buttons.

There are gas stations - and portable gas stations like the one below.

Many craftsmen depend on wholesalers like this one to move their good locally and abroad.

You can find all kinds of foods, catering to Indonesians and tourists.

Totals are rounded up or down on the bill: the .025 at the end of your number is only worth 2c, so why bother?

Thursday

We're both sore from the deep tissue massages last night. I dust nutmeg and other spices off my PJs and the towel I slept on. A hot shower loosens up muscles and washes away the herbal potion on my back.

On the porch, we eat mango yogurt and a breakfast cookie. The handyman who will fix the doorknob shows up to see what's needed. W heads out to have the lockset he bought revised by the lockshop. It lets him walk an extra 6000 steps. But it's no-go. it can't be reversed.

I choose to stay in until the 50-minute walk to lunch. The eatery is the last thing on this week's checklist. W, who says he has no agenda, likes to explore from morning to night. I need the exercise but things are starting to look the same on every corner and in every window. And I need rest - though our Bandung porch is more relaxing than anywhere else.

I'm amazed at how much more fun it is to be able to chit-chat with Indonesians in bahasa Indonesia. Even my limited words make a difference.

Over 14,000 steps ... 7 miles. I'm walked out for the day, which I'd planned as a rest day. We do enjoy walking, esp with the brisk wind at this time of year.

On every hand, there's skill and craftsmanship with local materials. Some arts are passed down through families. Look at this rattan creation around  coffee shop entry!

The glass-blowers do amazing work. Buy either the 15" vase or the triple-decker on wood for $17.

There are button stores.

And shell crafts.

It's fun to spot things that have disappeared from American streets, like this VW "Thing."

We indulge in Gusto's Gelato to cool us down.

A new Hindu temple is being built along the main road. Sexuality is a big part of Hindu worship. Naked statues, wooden and stone penises, and other body parts are sold in every souvenir shop.

Down the street, we spot this sign on another temple.

Phonetic spellings on signs are part of the fun of reading English in other places.

Friday

My phone keeps ringing. I'm on someone's spam list. One day I get 20 calls. Usually I get 5-10 in a day. I'm considering inviting them to love God and follow Jesus. That will probably take my number off their list. Perhaps an offer to pray for the caller as well? Can't hurt.

We have a wonderful breakfast  W has Eggs Benedict with lots of sauce. I order avocado toast. The eggs are perfectly poached, the avocado is not too squishy, and the whole-wheat toast is crisp. The tomato and edamame are tasty additions.

W hurries back for a Zoom work call while I finish my tea. We can't skip this annual meeting even on vacation. It takes 2 hours to get through the business. Nice to see everyone's faces, even online. Afterward, I catch up on my journal, make a few strokes with watercolors, and rest.

"Want to walk to lunch?" It's just a few miles away so we do. There are statues everywhere.

The Italian place is highly rated but the food is ok, not stellar. I have ravioli.

We order a $5 pizza for supper. that's delicious.

There are shops on both sides of the street.

Saturday

Our early morning walk on the beach is stunning. Water flowing in an out on the shore creates these patterns of light and dark. I keep thinking how I'd love the shapes on wallpaper or a backsplash.

The textures and layers of the view are spectacular. Sand, foam, waves, and a sky billowing with clouds. God unveils his creativity every morning, whether or not someone notices.

It's dark though the sun's come up. Winter in Bali is cloudy most of the day, which means it's cooler.

A tractor's tires make amazing patterns on the beach. It will be gone in 10 minutes: the tide's coming in.

We find the hotel, pack the last few things, and say goodbye to the beautiful setting.

The airport is full and the lines long. The young couple in front of us intrigues me. She's in full black garb. He's in a T-shirt and shorts. Hmmm. I suspect one is more comfortably dressed for the tropics than the other.

It takes less than 2 hours to fly to Bandung. We stop at the grocer to stock up for the week ahead. When we get home, we unpack laundry and gifts. This beaded placemat is destined for Texas.

Once everything is put away, I unroll the canvas from the art market. The intersection of lines in the middle and the disappearing neck of the upper bird confuse the eye. Can you spot the changes between the first and second photo?

I add yellow, green, brown, and a few white lines to sort out beaks, necks, and branches. 10 minutes of small changes make it more coherent. There's more to do but I'll have to think about it.

Our late lunch is simple: bread, a beef patty, and mango juice. We are feasted out.

Read more:

*Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever. Isaiah 55:6-13

*Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe. 1 Timothy 4:7-10

Prayer: Dear God, you who love us and call us to yourself, we admit that we cannot save ourselves. We believe in the provision you made in your Son Jesus, confessing our sins and accepting your forgiveness. And we commit to living for you, today and in the future. Amen.