“The bamboo which bends is stronger than the oak which resists.  Real power comes from flexibility, not rigidity.”
~Japanese proverb~

Water gently cascades over rocks, witness to the dawn of humanity.  Thick lush forest envelopes the earth.  Bowing to the wind, velvety green bamboo reveals the wisdom of it’s existence.  Be flexible, not brittle in life.  Change.  Join in the flow.  It is said one can never step in to the same river twice.  Ever changing, the river reminds us that whatever is needed is already in process. From this still essence answers are revealed, if only we take the time to listen.

A leaf drifts silently on the breeze joining the current and toppling over the cascade.  Impermanence.  Exquisite butterflies dance endlessly, rejoicing in their amazing lightness of being.  Freedom.  A lacey butterfly lights on a leaf fluttering in the wind; once a sullen caterpillar just tolerating life in the dark corner it had created for itself. 

Squirrels use the express lane along the sleek bamboo;  chattering, with not much to say.  They are always collecting and surrounding themselves with consumables.  Planning for the future that never comes. Preparing for the winter that never arrives in the tropics.  Too busy to enjoy right now.  Are we any different?

Thoughts of the day knock on my door, but no one is home.  Silence is sharing its wisdom.  Soon birds rejoicing in the beautiful day stir my soul.  Yes, rejoice and be thankful.  The truth is always simple.

Our green bamboo grotto offers refuge from the commotion of Ubud.  Bali is one of the most highly populated islands in Asia.  The joke is that someday it will sink under sheer weight.  Historically an agrarian society the more children, the more help in the fields.  Birth control initiated in the 70’s is finally showing  results, with young families preferring 2 children.  The new philosophy: fewer children means a more prosperous family.  Named for the order in which they are born ‘Putu’ and ‘Made’ are common but the names for 3rd and 4th born ‘Nyoman’ and ‘Ketut’ are fading away.

Mysterious Bali.  Immersion in the Balinese culture is always at your fingertips.  Wherever you go, cheerful Balinese music is playing, floating out over the busy market or shops lining the road.  Women in traditional dress are hurrying off to temple, bearing offerings piled high on their heads.  ‘Canang’ or small woven baskets of spiritual offerings are everywhere.  Inside these banana leaf baskets each item represents spiritual significance.  Slake lime wrapped in betel leaf is “offered as appreciation for all the blessings of God.”  Fragrant flowers serve as a symbol of purity.  “Flowers are to remind humans that nothing lasts forever.  Sooner or later, all material things will vanish so we must detach ourselves from them, avoid greed and put more effort in treating others with good intention.” Leaves are a symbol of an undisturbed mind.  Balinese add them to the offering to “avoid bad spirits and ill intention from manifesting in their mind and soul.”  Threaded coconut leaf serves as a symbol of harmony between humans and nature. 

Nature is one with the Balinese culture.  Everything and every action has a dual meaning.  Rituals and ceremonies are non stop.  One festival or temple ceremony ends and the following day intricate preparations are started for the next one.  From the outside this is a fascinating procession of activities.  Culturally this places great responsibility and burden on the people, financially and time wise.  All money and all free time is to be spent on religious activities.  Traditional ‘awig-awig’ disciplinary rules are strict.  If not followed community based pressure is applied and the fear of consequences keeps the wheel turning.  When visiting Ubud less than 20 years ago women were totally involved in these preparations but now it is common to see fresh ready made daily offerings to purchase on the way home from work.  The bonds of religion are losing their grasp worldwide and Bali is no exception. 

Let your feet and ears lead you towards hidden temple sounds to enjoy the dancing and music of the ancient text, the Bhagavad Gita.  Enter another world.  Watch carefully as you walk through the streets and alleyways of the island.  Simple beauty awaits at every corner in the form of flowers, colorful art, carvings, or carefully arranged flower petals floating in a pool.  It is a pleasure to see a woman enter the family compound, escaping from the chaos outside. She bathes, changes into a colorful sarong and prayer blouse, and starts out around the garden of the compound with her tray of offerings and lighted incense sticks, honoring the 4 corners and all the small ancestor temples.  This moment of prayer and reflection is the connection with Nature that remains, withstanding the busyness of modern life.

“On the 6th day God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.”  On the 7th day everything and everyone God had created was so noisy that God exclaimed, “Let there be earplugs!”  Thank you, God!  We couldn’t travel without them.  They have to be ‘Bali rooster’, roaring traffic and ‘China city’ proof!  

It all started last spring with a delay in posting a new page on our website.  A rumor started that spread like technological wildfire.  Joseph and Nancy had been killed in Africa!  They had simply forgotten to tell us, as we cheerfully drove around southern Africa.  One of Joseph’s friends from Hawaii, who he had lost touch with, did a Google search on us and up we came on WorldGlobetrotters.com.  We were thrilled when he sent a welcome email catching us up on his life.  He was married and living in Bali, our very destination as a stopover from Africa to Hawaii!  After a few emails we were welcomed warmly into Dan’s magnificent new villa, Tirta Asri Ubud.  His creativity as an artist shone in every detail, right down to the infinity pool overlooking a lush valley, rice fields and a river below. Dan, lovely Balinese wife Sri and beautiful little daughter Natalie provided an insightful glimpse into life in Bali.           

On Bali, to escape the hustle and bustle one has only to find a place to stay in a tranquil corner bordering a forest, waterfall, or rice field.  Once venturing out from your quiet spot it is possible to find respite with like minded people in a local families compound or farm, a yoga center, health spa, organic farmer’s market, health food store, restaurant, or off the beaten path cafe.  We spoke with many intriguing travelers from all corners of the planet such as our new friends Misha, Cecile and their  lovely family; world nomads for over 4 years.  The mountains offer serene intricately carved temples and of course the ocean beaches of this tiny island always offer a battery recharge.   Peace is available if you search it out, just make sure you aren’t carrying the turmoil and noise within yourself that you are trying to avoid.  

And so it goes…………………………………..Next month Bangkok and Malaysia.  Until then let’s try to remain flexible like the bamboo, to bend with the inescapable winds of life without breaking.  Lean into the rough edges of change with a smile, for challenges allow us to grow.  Thanks for sharing this website with anyone you think might be interested.  Keep in Touch.