Old Bali

Found in the East of Bali.  The place where the ancient Balinese people's power base used to be. 

It really is this green, still very rural.  Figures people the fields.  No machines.  The lady is picking small pink flowers for market and in the background are rows of groundnuts. I sat just looking at it for ages.  The landscape seemed alive with people.  And just so impossibly green.

And this is the reason that it is still a rural idol here,  well as seen by an alien from another planet,  Singapore!!!!  Mt. Agung.  At over 3000 mts it is the highest of Bali's active volanos.  Last time it lost it's temper badly in 1963/4,  over 2000 Balinese lost their lives.  Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Agung.

And down to the coast on the southern most tip of the island.  No black volcanic rock here.  All sedimentary rock,  pushed up no doubt by a bubble under Bali.

But the last word on Bali has to go to these guys.  Cute,  yes?  Oh no they are  not!!!!!!.  They are a thiefing gang of violent, antisocial thugs!!!!!  They nick anything and everything.  Within 5 mins Kok Wan had her hat stolen and Gek her glasses........ lifted right off her nose! Unfortunately for Gek,  the incompetant little tow rag dropped her very expensive, new, vari-focals over the cliffs edge, never to be seen again.  How come we could be mugged a monkey the size of a cat?  Who rules this bloody planet?????

Bali - Mount Batur trip.

Lunch in the cool mountians  with Kok Wan.  Well, on the rim of a dormant volcano, actually.  Very misty, it being the rainy season and all.

But we were in luck.....the sun broke through.  The lake is in the bottom of the huge crater.  Infact the crater is so big it has two smaller volcanos inside it.  No pic cos' of the mist on left of lake.  Long drive for a white out.

Gek has a new camera.  Lumix FS15 with 12 Mega Pix.  That is 4 more than mine.  Not that I'm envious or anything.  Size doesn't count, right?  Need proof? OK, which pic is 12 and which is 8?  I still love my camera.

But on the way back we stopped off at a coffee plantation.  These coffee beans have passed through a weasel!!!  What you are looking at is the equivalent of Vietniamese Weasel coffee....Balinese Luwak coffee.  I know,  but I didn't ask!!!!

But there was a man happily roasting some for the tourists.

Bali - Imagery

Imagery figures large in Bali.  And striking it is too.

Fancy this jumping out of your headlights on a dark night!!!  Who needed Tolkien?

Palaces have story boards  showing what happens to those who transgress the divide and moral law.

A frightening world of spirits and demons. 

Bali - Adrien Jean Le Mayeur de Merpres

A Belgium artist who "discovered" Bali in the 1932.  Discovered Balinese woman I think.

He painted this before he left Europe for S. E. Asia.

During the Japanese occupation of Bali in the Pasific war,  he was reduced to using sack cloth on which to create his art.

The museum's painting were displayed behind glass, hence the unsatisfactory pics.  For a clearer idea of his art please follow the link to http://blog.baliwww.com/guides/575.

Bali - Beach life

The beach.  Much like any other beach.  Empty though.

And some beautiful sun scapes.

We took lunch at a multi star beach resort.  T'was very nice too.

Modern art by acident ...........a very active sand crab and a very dead fish collaboration!