A New Bungalow in Paradise -Sunday, June 22

A New Bungalow in Paradise -Sunday, June 22

When we return form our Island adventure, we will need to find a new place to stay, since our lovely bungalow villa is reserved by someone else. We spend the morning looking at properties. There are many options, and I enjoy walking along the raised paths between rice paddies in search of our new Shangri-la. We look at two hotel options, lovely rooms overlooking manicured gardens, but two rooms will cost us $80.00 a night with breakfast, and Tabra assures us that we can find something nicer for less money, so we continue our search. Wayan's cousin owns a property very close to Tabra's, a cluster of opulent bungalows nestled in a lush garden setting with a jewel of a swimming pool. We choose this one and pay a deposit. Our two story bungalow sits above the others, overlooking the pool below. Several open air teak decks, covered with terra-cotta tile roofs extend from both the upper and lower floors. A small separate room, with windows on all sides, is connected by a teak walk way off of our second floor master suite. John will sleep here, above the tree tops, enjoying a 360 degree, tree top view beyond and below.

We begin the morning at the Art Museum. I know very little about Indonesian Art but the collection is wonderful. Ancient as well as contemporary art is represented. I am surprised to see that many of the 20th paintings are influenced by the French Impressionists. An upstairs room houses an impressive collection of Balinese Keris, intricately embellished jagged swords. An upscale resort is steps away from the museum and we eat lunch at their open air restaurant. It is very expensive by Balinese standards, but the food is supurb.

John came down with a cold a week ago, and now Art and I have sore throats. Ordinarily this wouldn't concern me, but we leave for Komodo Island on Tuesday so Tabra takes us to her walk in clinic. I was hoping the Doctor might prescribe an antibiotic as a precautionary back up, but instead he gives us a gargle and a lozenges. We sped the afternoon wandering side streets in Ubud. It is a beautiful city seemingly in a state of continual festivity. The family compounds are behind stone gates and every courtyard has several shrines. The slanted afternoon sun bathes the streets in a dramatic warm light and I take photos in all directions. We are pressed for time and eat a hurried dinner at a simple cafe before parting ways with Tabra. Tonight we are going to a Big Bamboo dance performance and she has seen several of these already. Wayane drives us to the open air theatre just out of town. This performance is a series of separate dances and although the costumes are lavish, and the dancers lovely, I am somewhat bored. I am surprised and pleased that John is enjoying the dance, enchanted by the lithe and supple beauties with seemingly disjointed fingers that curve upward as they dance. A bamboo "orchestra" accompanies all of the dances, keeping rhythm with bamboo xylaphones. We are invited onstage for a final dace and an immense, floor to ceiling xylophone is unveiled, its powerful sound and rhythm reverberating through the night air.