Steve's Adventures 1988

1988

I first met Indonesia in 1988. At that time I didn't even want to travel outside Australia, but I was leaving Melbourne for Perth, my girlfriend Kathy wasn't going to come with me, and she suggested we "do Bali" together for 18 days, before we say goodbye. How could I refuse?

I was upset by the hassling of Kuta, and by the poverty I saw while travelling around (so _this_ is the third world?). I also fell in love with the open friendliness and the personal and scenic beauty I found there.

This temple is Pura Ulu Danau,
near Bedugul on Lake Bratan. The carved monkey was
in a shop in Mas, I think.

It would take a long time even to begin to understand this strange new country. Some of my feelings might be conveyed to you by this picture of two children we met while driving ourselves around Bali.

[Pic: Legian sunset] Legian Sunset. [Pic: monkeys in grass,
preening] Monkeys beside the road in Central Bali. [Pic: Ricefields in the
valley] Ubud view [Pic: Silhouette - raking
the sand] Nusa Dua Sunrise

[Pic: Lake in volcanic
crater] Danau (Lake) Batur [Pic: Statue] Nusa Dua Gatekeeper [Pic: Sunset
on the beach] Legian Sunset

Back in Australia I took a couple of short courses in bahasa Indonesia and started to read all I could find about my new friend, Nusantara.

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