Still in the Monkey Forest....

Are you yawning or do you want me to back off?

Debbie trying hard not to get the skeevies.  Look, that monkey is being so polite.

She's got the skeevies and the monkey already has eaten the banana.  Now what?

Get off of me, oh please just get off of me.

Mom looks like she is looking for something:  'Did I have a diaper? Do we use diapers? What am I looking for?'

Bug check in the middle of the road.

Are you going to buy more bananas or what?  Make a decision already.  I am trying to be patient here.

I have amazing shots of babies playing together on the branches but I am not sure you can see what is going on unless you make this photo bigger.  Just wait, I am going to force you to look at all of my monkey forest shots. By the way, it is really called the Monkey Forest.

'Where do you think you're going young lady?  Get back here.'

Awww.  It was so exciting to be so close.  We even got to watch them bath in a little lake taking big jumps into the water.  You really need to be a good photographer to catch those shots!

In the Monkey Forest...I know I shouldn't have done this but i love monkeys

This girl grabbed my Purell hand wipe right from my hand and the other one wanted to know about the cool new toy...

They can get fierce.  Look at those teeth!  sorry that it is a little blurry but I got a little nnnn-nervous.

I know I shouldn't have been giving this a go but I was curious...

Getting bugs picked off can be so relaxing

Ok, lady, where are you hiding those bananas?  I know you have more.

Give it to me!

Hey, it's not so bad hanging out up here on this crazy lady. I have to say it is so amazing how human like their fingers and toes are.  It is utterly fascinating to me.  I know I look like crap but it is 90 something degrees outside and very humid.

Awwww, baby monkey interested in my shoelaces.

These guys seem awfully close to figuring out how to make fire.

The family that naps together; 'you can lean on me'

mmmm, tasty Purell hand wipe.  She ate the entire thing.

General pleasures of Bali

The manicurist on her way to take good care of Debbie

Debbie enjoying her manicure while she enjoys the view and a cocktail as well.

The two of us with a frog sculpture outside of an outrageous silver shop where we spent millions of rupiah.

More monkeys!

On our way to Ulu Watu to watch a performance of Bali dancing that tells a wonderful story there were monkeys everywhere just hanging out waiting for tourists to hassle.

A random local guy with a random monkey.

A monkey doing it's thing very close to a woman doing hers.

Yes, we did more than shop.  This performance at Ulu Watu was outstanding and truly inspired me to buy more stuff.

Women doing production work of earrings, etc.

Watching the women working on the fine silver work.  This is an earring.

Hey, baby!   Better hang on while mom is distracted checking out all the humans.

(I am having some technical difficulties due to blogging outdoors in a major thunderstorm but being as stubborn as I am I am going to post this anyway.  I cannot separate the captions at this point so it may seem a little disjointed).  These are monkeys enjoying the cliffs at sunset as we walked up the hill to see the show. This last monkey on the rock looks so Wizard-of-Oz. 

Bintang Beer and Beauty...While I am writing this I am sitting in the fancy restaurant at my hotel outside, under a thatched roof while it thunders, lightning and pours rain! This is a first. it is pouring all around me as I eat my broccoli cappucino with truffle oil

After a lovely evening sitting on the beach in Jimbaron eating "live" lobsters and drinking beer we had a sunrise breakfast planned on the private beach near our hotel.  (This is a picture of the stretch of cabanas on the sand)  That night on the beach sitting in our sinking chairs facing the waves they asked us if we wanted live lobsters or dead ones.  Which ones would you have chosen?  I went to the tanks and discovered that they had two different varieties,  so we wanted one of each.  We added some giant grilled clams with chili butter while we waited for our lobsters to be steamed with garlic and lemon grass for the more delicate variety and chili paste on the grill for the heartier guy.

 If you want vegetables you need to buy roasted corn from the vendor on the sand. they divide up the labor so everyone can have a little business if they so desire.  The Bintang beer and peanuts is from a separate business;  the bill came to $2,700,000. What kind of money is that that you need to?  Geez, that is well over $200! I think we should have chosen the dead lobsters and risked our lives to save a lot of rupiahs.  It has been challenging for us to figure out the money:  8800 rupiahs equal one dollar.  That is way too much math for me.  

Our breakfast bento box with an egg sandwich in that bagel that was outstanding, exotic fruit salad, really gross muesli (who eats that stuff anyway?), a vanilla muffin, the freshest croissant and an entire banana baked inside that first pastry of course enough butter to slather your entire arm.

Two chairs set up in front of our cabana just for us and yes, that is the sun rising.  Amazing we got up for it and we were thrilled that we did.

Their Mis en Place for our breakfast service

Don't you want this every day?

Debbie getting ready to rinse her feet with the water and ladle they provided.  She just loved that touch.  it was nice to rinse your feet so you keep your bed nice and pristine while you gaze at the ocean.  These cabanas looked hidden in the sand when we arrived because they are at the back of the beach surrounded by these lush plants.  Inside these plants were all sorts of birds making all sorts of silly sounds. After we spaced out for a good long while Debbie motivated me to go into the Indian ocean.  We stayed in the water for almost 2 hours.

I am high above the Ayun River floating in my private infinity pool watching the lightening storm...

However, this is not a picture of the place with the private infinity pool.  This is a picture of the place we stayed before the place with the private fancy pool.  This is Bambu Indah, probably the most unusual place I have ever stayed.  It is an "eco hotel" owned by a famous jewelry artist named John Hardy and it appears that he lives on this same property because we accidently found our way to their family kitchen which was way cool.  Our Afrika house was way cool too.  This is a picture of the "hotel" grounds overall.  There is so much to catch up on!!  Bali has been nothing like what I imagined  but it has met my expectations on memorable accommodations...

Sitting on the stoop of our Afrika house with our driver, Putu

The library in the lobby

The yoga space and whatever space.

Our room which had two net-covered beds on the floor with lamps inside making it the best fort.  This shows you the lovely table which had African antiques, hot water for tea, a refrigerator under the table, a beautiful carafe filled with water and wireless internet.

The reception at Bamboo Indah.

Every house here has statues.  There are SO MANY statues.  Isn't she great?  They all mean stuff but I don't know what she is about.

I should buy these guys and put them on either side of my Bali Pavillion

Many people dress their statues.  This island is mostly Hindu and these statues protect the house.  The black and white stands for the good and bad decisions we make and then the Karma we serve after making these decisions.  There is black and white checked fabric EVERYWHERE.  I love these guys.

Many homes of the wealthy are adorned with wooden sculptures around their compound that are so expressive.  Yes, I bought a couple of wooden sculptures to add to my house!  How could I resist?  These amazing wood carvers are all over the place in plain view.  I expected Bali to be like Greece with rice fields but it is nothing like that.  It is chock a block full of people, chickens, motorcycles, stone carving, wood carving, silver smithing, more chickens, crowing roosters, painters, poverty, more and more and more motorbikes and more and more and more.  It is even hard for ME to take in and I love over stimulation.  this place has been utterly overwhelming.

In front of our Afrika House there were a few tiny tables and chairs set up over the roaring river with this itty bitty teeny tiny wire separating you from certain death.  It was a spectacular view of rice fields and valley.