WEATHER HERE IN BALI! HOT AND HUMID!

Morning offerings are prepared by each house; laid daily in front of house, temple, store entrances, in front of statues. Swept up at the end of each day! Darta's elderly mother used to prepare these; now they've hired another worker to help her.
 

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A few comments: We've been here now for a week. Every day dawns cloudy but turns somewhat bright, even sunny occasionally! By 10 however, it's very humid! So you try to get out early and do some walking through the rice fields, down through the market, or up and down the streets. Yesterday we were out at the Monkey Forest - about a 1.5 km walk by 9 a.m. And were pretty drenched from the humidity!

Near one of the temples. Could only go in if properly dressed - with a sarong and tie - we weren't dressed!

In a courtyard, they were running all around, as tourists tried to get photos.

Doing some grooming!

Monkeys near stone carvings. Over 600+ monkeys live in this forest! Very well fed!!

Some creepy stone carvings near the temple.

Monkeys main food is sweet potatoes. We were told they will grab anything! Hid necklace, one grabbed for my pocket where phone/camera was!

Every afternoon since we've been here, it pours!!! Except the day we hired a driver - we had pretty good weather that day and were able to see the mountains without too much fog! There is a volcano that erupted here in 1963 killing quite a few villagers. Thought to have been dormant.

So right now at 5:34 PM on Saturday evening it's POURING off our balcony. And we had to change our plans because of the weather. Darta told us he had a group of Australian students arriving tomorrow the 12th so we had to find other accommodations from the 12th to the 15th. Marilyn and Charmagne recommended taking a 1.5 hr ferry to a neighboring island - Gilli Aire. There are 3 little islands off the coast of neighboring island of Lombok (a MAJOR volcano erupted here last year I think it was!!). This little Gilli has no cars, no motor scooters (you take your life in your hands here in Ubud with the narrow streets and traffic! So many tourists can rent a moped and whip around, driving on the left side, no license needed. Betty and I decided to pass!! ) There are only horse carriages allowed on Gilli Aire. Sounded very peaceful, with snorkeling (have to watch out for sea urchins!)

So we had a driver/friend of Marilyn's Ketut (his wife is due imminently with their first baby; she used to work here) who has 3 cars available, to get us a busride to the ferry and ferry tickets. We each gave him $60 (600,000IDR - Indonesian Rupiah - $1=13320 R - we still don't have the currency down pat!!). But after 3 days, he said the ferries have stopped running; the waves/ocean is too rough. So we can't get there. I just cancelled our reservations (will probably have to pay a cancellation fee on my credit card).

OUR RUMAH RODA "FAMILY"

Betty, Clarke College friend from 55+ years ago;  Marilyn, from Wellfleet, traveled to Australia/NZ with; she's come here for past 6 years for 2-3 months. Her grandson lives in Phillipines so she visits there when she comes.

Darta - patriarch of family. This was his family home; his wife came from across the street! His son works here but lives elsewhere with wife and son. His daughter lives elsewhere! Full of wonderful history, culture, stories!

Ketut's wife - she's 28, going to have a little girl soon!! their first. She used to work here. Great hospital nearby, people pay what they can afford. Baby can't touch the ground for 6 months!!  

Phyllis, German holistic doctor, lives in Turkey south of Istanbul! Ex-wife (married for 13 years) of Oscar below but they are still good friends.  Charmaine friend of Marilyn's (that she met here and meets here every year) from Sydney, Australia. She does yoga 3 times every week. This place (Ubud) is into organic food, spirituality, yoga, meditation, all kinds of arts but especially batik and wood carving.

Ketut, our driver and soon to be father (he's 31) and Oscar, former Belgian diplomat. He told me the highight of his career was helping behind-the-scenes negotiations between Chinese diplomats he met in Berlin and Kissinger/Americans to bring about opening China (Nixon era). He was toured around China and America both after that happened! 

Sidewalk and motor scooters!

Scooter traffic!

Temple entrance in town.

Tomorrow we have to move across the street because Darta has a full house with the Australian group. Then Ketut will take us down to Sunur for our 3 days at the beach! Off to dinner! Rain has paused!