Flat Butt Day

OK, maybe we didn't pay attention to all the signs (there aren't a lot of road signs in Bali anyway and it rained most of the night...have I told you about tropical rain storms yet? Turns out the rainy season isn't over yet...read foreshadowing)

We headed out on our scooter for the far side of Bali yesterday, over 2 volcanic mountains passes (one of which Maura had to get off the scooter for it to make it up the hill and I had to push with my feet to assist the bike...the downside of automatic transmissions on underpowered vehicles). Bottom line is we got on our bike at around 9 am, spent most to the day on it getting back at around 6:30 pm, just as dark set in. We got caught in three downpours where we had to pull over, asked for directions from countless people that spoke Bahasa and not English (well one spoke some English but it turned out that they hadn't quite got the words sorted out for right and left) but we found that getting lost in Bali is a fun adventure and that, once again, we DO travel quite well together. We have different styles that compliment each other, suffice it to say that yesterday was more of a day where Rob's strength's were complimented by Maura's ability to read maps...

We found one of two places we were looking for. One was a sacred hot spring and the other a bhuddist monestary.

There are 2 black circles roughly painted by me. The one on the right is the adventure from the other day. The one on the left is from yesterday. Ubud (our starting point) is at the bottom of the loop connecting the two loops.

The kids we saw along the side of the road were SO friendly all so eager to show that knew at least one word of English..."Hello" said in the most wonderful sing song voice.

This pic was taken during a time where it was safe to bring out the camera...

Imagine the dark clouds being lower, or us being higher and then place a scooter with two foriegners right in the middle of it all...we were doing our best to navigate towards the bright blue you can see in the foreground...

The driver is in there somewhere...

The set of mountains in the background was our proposed route home. Needless to say we chose another option...

One of the many little villages we went through.

Hamming it up for the camera, pretending that I was the navigator...

The small river beside the hot spring

I think the rain gods conspired to make us feel at home. I wouldn't have felt like a hot spring at home without rain, threatening or occuring.

Water is heated bydragon breath ...

Overlooking the pools after a cup of tea, a banana pancake and some coconut crepes.
With generous tip $5 CND.

That is it for pictures. The rain and the push for home before dark was more important that photographic memories. Besides this was a day best remembered without total reliance on a camera.

We are at the Villa for one more night. We move to Amed tomorrow (on the map above it is to the far right of the two circles) and I begin my dive course with a company whose motto is "Make bubbles, not troubles". I like the approach, it reminds me of playing in a bathtub, the water here is about the same temperature. I do my underwater certification on a Japanese ship sunk in WW II and on a coral wall. I like it and hope my ears don't plug up too bad.

Maura just came in and has booked us into a two hour rafting excursion this afternoon...will the fun ever stop? I am sure the post trip depression this coming September is going to be a doozie...

Staying in the moment,

Rob