May 25, 2026

May 25, 2026

This morning we drove seven miles north of our Sanur, Bali hotel to attend a Barong and Kris (dagger) dance show. Barong is a mythical monster who battles the forces of evil. The best part of the show is when our guide gave us a behind the scenes look at the actors' preparation. Aimee, the crafter, was particularly interested in a lady weaving props for the show out of palm fronds.

After the show we drove to the western shore of Bali to visit Tanah Lot Temple. It is spectacularly located on an island just off-shore. It can only be visited on low-tide. A few years ago erosion got the best of the temple base and Japan donated money to restore the island's integrity.

I was initially irritated by a kite flyer blocking my view of the island temple. As I walked to a better vantage point, I thought that it was a pretty cool looking kite, shaped like a sailing ship. I should have gone back to see if he was selling them. We finished with lunch at a restaurant with a view over the ocean.

When we travel we try to learn a few words of the local language. Usually Hello/Good Morning and Thank You. In Malay and Indonesian, it is Selamat Pagi and Terima Kasih. In Balinese it is Om Swasti-astu and Suksma. The Bali greeting actually means ‘May you be well’. While driving we passed Swastika High School making me think the words must be related. They are. Swasti-ka is a common Hindu symbol meaning Good Luck.

Bali traffic is ridiculous. It takes us just under two hours to drive the twenty miles back to our hotel. After resting a while, we went to the beach bar for Happy Hour and to watch the sun set behind our volcano neighbor. Thankfully the volcano is not smoking. I asked Aimee if she wanted Sex on the Beach. Shy Aimee said she preferred a Mai Tai. After a few drinks, I got her to agree to Sex on the Beach. She loved it.