It’s hard to believe that we have already been in Bali for a month. But today, as we packed up our backpacks again, took one last swim in our pool, and gave our hugs and thanks to our new friends at the Lafyu Bali House, we realized that it is almost time for us to leave.
For the past six months, we’ve been living out of our backpacks, moving nearly every day from hotel to pension to albergue to tent to tea house. But when we came to Bali, we decided to cool our heels for a bit, unpack our bags, and live somewhere for a month. And we are so glad we did.
Now, of course, since this has been a month of entertaining guests, we have found ourselves traveling around the island much more than we expected. And since we have had no wifi, it’s been tough for Andrew to work from home. But today, when we gave Dayu, our landlord and host, our appreciation gifts (Tibetan prayer flags from Nepal and a Camino Compostella charm), and as she returned our gift with cinnamon sticks and aromatic leaves from her garden, we were overflowing with appreciation.
This family opened their home to us, invited us to participate in birthday parties and to make offerings at their family temple (after teaching how to make an appropriate offering, of course), and welcomed us to join them as they built their new community road. Dayu took me for scooter rides to her favorite farmer’s market, negotiated a bomb-ass rental car deal for us, and explained every plant in her garden, picking coconuts from her tree for our final breakfast.
The neighbors asked us to join them for conversation and song in their English-speaking school, to come to their home for a massage, to come to their wedding, to share in some spicy meatballs on the street with them.
We had time to make friends. To get comfy.
The neighbors asked us to join them for conversation and song in their English-speaking school, to come to their home for a massage, to come to their wedding, to share in some spicy meatballs on the street with them.
We have so enjoyed our time in this amazing little pocket of the world, Sambangan, and we have committed to coming back with our kids, but to stay longer next time.
Thank you, Singaraja, for your many gifts.
