"Rahajeng Semeng" From Bali!!

Good Morning from our new home for the next two weeks! It's a bit soggy here this morning. We had such good fortune last night when we arrived because our driver said it had been raining all day long ... until we landed. And, we were so very fortunate that we got to sit outside with our friends from our Koh Samui trip.

Apparently, the break in the rain was a real gift because it has been pouring here for the last number of days/weeks. We heard there was a cyclone south of here that is reeking havoc with the weather. Eeeeek. Even though it is the rainy season, the locals are saying it isn't typically this bad!! I'm hoping we are on the tail end of that kind of precipitation.

Regardless of the inclement weather ... it is still warm. It's just super humid!! My eyeglasses fog up every time I leave our room or exit any other air-conditioned space! I may need to just take them off because it is not fun wearing glasses in the rain either.

Upon exiting our room, we discovered a lovely gift of Macroons tucked under a pretty mesh dome. We thoroughly enjoyed our breakfast this morning! It looked and smelled different than the Thai foods. We weren't even sure what was in some of it.

We learned in our orientation with Lucy (our W&A guide) that we should absolutely NOT eat the street food. Not only is it fiery hot from all the herbs and spices that they use, but it is not certain to be sanitary. The restaurants use bottled water, but one cannot guarantee that the street vendors will as well.

Lucy spoke about something called "Bali Belly". She said that Thai food is spicy due to chilis (generally) but the generous use of many different spices and herbs in Indonesian cooking can be very hard on the digestive system. She suggested that we try the Nasi Goreng or the Soto (a local chicken soup) or the Crispy Duck or maybe the Suckling Pig. She suggested we might like to try something called Salak ... it is a fruit in which the skin looks like a snake. I might pass on that one. I'm guessing the old boy will be all over it though. Given that much of Bali is Hindu ... pork is on the menus. Apparently, most of Indonesia is Muslim ... so you won't find it in the rest of the country being offered like it is here.

It was so fascinating to learn about the customs and traditions here in Bali! She shared that the Balinese are always pleasant, gracious and smiling. They are encouraged to do so in order to increase the positive energy in the world and protect from the negative forces. Actually, we learned from Lucy that the definition of 'Bali' is " a return" which reflects the Hindu belief in karma. That is ... whatever you put out will return to you. So, every act of smiling is viewed to be an invitation for good karma. In general, the culture is not focused upon accumulating money but believe happiness is the most important thing to pursue in one's life. She indicated that the people are very relaxed here ... everyday is Sunday.

Lucy shared that sometimes the Balinese are "too friendly" and if they think you are attractive, they might want to take a picture with you. Then, they will post it on social media! And, contrary to customs in Thailand, eye contact is considered very welcome here as long as you have exchanged a warm smile FIRST.

We also learned that it is customary to reach out and point with your right hand (ONLY) and use your right hand for engagement with things and others (ONLY). People who are left-handed are trained to use their right hands instead. Sheesh. My heart goes out to all you lefties!!

It is okay to hug others as long as you have an appropriate connection with someone. It is not appropriate to ever touch someone else on their head. This is the part of the body closest to the gods and not for touching by other humans. One more tidbit that Lucy offered was that we should never walk alone!! Apparently, it is just not safe.

It was so great meeting the rest of our group this morning. It is much smaller than our group of 18 in Koh Samui. Their are nine of us here ... a couple from Nova Scotia (Frank and Dale), a couple from Quebec and our friends from Koh Samui (Danielle and Raymond) and Wendy and Debra (Kelowna) and Kathy (Abbotsford). And, of course, our most lovely Wheel & Anchor rep (Mara). She is an Aussie and has such a wonderful energy about her. She indicated that she will be give the first round of "shouts" (drinks) when we meet for cocktails. Any further shouting will be on us!!

We headed back to the restaurant for lunch. We would have gone down the street but it started pouring again. The old boy loved his Balinese pork skewers and I quite enjoyed my Nasi Goreng with chicken. It tastes a bit different than the Nasi that Oma used to make. We always thought Nasi was a Dutch dish, but perhaps it originated here?

The rain let up so we headed down the street to snoop around a bit. The shops are filled with lovely artisan crafts and home decor items. It reminds me of Chang Mai in Thailand. It has a very upscale feel to it here. Well, at least down the road from our resort in Sanur. Perhaps it would be different in another part of Bali.

We sloshed about in the flooded streets. We had to wade through water that came up to our ankles to get into one shop. A lady that we passed quipped "It's not that bad ... just pretend it's Venice!" Good reframe!! It actually feels like Venice right now! 😉

We found ourselves in "The Pantry" and discovered they had many exquisite items people may use in cooking their dishes. And .... you are not going to believe it ... but ... they had a GIGANTIC assortment of Fisherman's Friends. They had even more flavors: blackberry, mandarin& ginger and just a few bags of spearmint left. I fell in love with the spearmint in Denmark, but haven't seen them since. So, I have a whole new bunch of tastes to enjoy.

They also had a wine cellar. We took a couple of bottles to try. It looks like they get a fair bit of wine from the neighbors in Australia! I do enjoy a nice Australian white or red. And, we picked up a block of cheese to pair with our wine ... and ... some sour cream and onion Lays. Yes. Lays potato chips can be found in Bali!

We were supposed to meet on the rooftop for cocktails at 5:30pm, but with the weather ... we met in the lobby instead. We ended up going to the Tree Bar. They have live music every night and tonight was country music! The band was absolutely phenomenal. We were up dancing and every one was bopping along at the table to the great tunes they were gifting to one and all!

We had a chance to get to spend more time getting to know each of the nine people in our group! I think we are going to have a fabulous time! We have a great group of people!!! I need to sign off now, though, because we have an early morning excursion tomorrow! We are off to our Balinese cooking class with Mara, Debra and Kathy. We are meeting at 6:50AM!

I think I am going to love Bali ... just an instinct ... even if it keeps raining!

Sending hugs across the pond,
❤️ k&j ❤️Leia mais