The Bali trip was great!

 My Host “Mah-day” was most gracious and hospitable.  Before I arrived I had e-mailed to Mah-day that I needed for him to get me a car, a driver, and a hotel reservation.  He responded that don’t worry about car rental and driver, I’ll drive you around when you are here.  I was both pleased and at the same time concerned.  I did not know to what extent he would be able to drive me around.  I was expecting to have a driver available as long as I needed him so that I will have total flexibility.  As it turned out my concern was unfounded.  He had taken the all five days off from work while I was there to drive me around and explore Bali.  He showed up every day whenever I wanted to start the day typically around 7:30 – 8:00 AM and some days we did not get back to the hotel until 11:00 PM and he could not wait to get back next morning, the same routine.  Hospitality of such degree is not part of Western culture and tradition.  Had it not been for our own tradition of similar hospitality it would have been very hard for me graciously accept and appreciate his hospitality without making him feel that I am feeling obligated.  I felt that the friendship and the bond that was created during our days in Bintan is what resulted in his heart to do want to do this for me and I wanted to make sure through my own conduct that I was  a gracious recipient of his kindness, generosity and hospitality.  I know fully well some day in the future I’ll have the opportunity of reciprocating.  Mah-day enjoyed spending the time with me as I did with him.  It was like two old friends getting back together after a long time and time passed too fast.  If we knew it was over time to leave Bali.

 

I really enjoyed the whole Bali experience and expect to be back there in the future for longer stay.  It just so happens, I just recently read Liz Gilbert’s best seller, “Eat, Pray, Love”.  Where she writes about her four month stay in Bali in exquisite details – talking about Bali’s culture and history.  As a result I was better prepared to experience Bali than I had been to many other places.  I told Mah-day that I have four interests that I want to explore in Bali: play golf, explore the resorts in Bali, explore the beaches and natural beauty of Bali, explore for some accommodation for future longer stay in Bali, and buy wood carvings of Bali.