Indonesia: Adventures with Apes, Arts & Dragons
Friday, July 23, 2010
Bali:
The thousand hours of flying and the hundred hours in transit were worth it. We made it to paradise. We’re at Hotel Tugu Bali for our first two days in Indonesia, before we meet up with our group. This intimate “resort” is typically Balinese in ambiance and artistry, with an abundance of meticulously tended mega-flowers, over-grown foliage, and large heavy stone sculptures of mythical birds and bulging-eyed guardians. Perhaps there are twenty or thirty rooms — it’s hard to tell because each room is approached by its own narrow winding stone path and each is surrounded by a high wall. Within those high walls are gardens and moats with shimmering fish, and doors into cool interior bedrooms with high ceilings, king-size canopy beds and back doors leading to private pools.
Somehow, we’re managing.