Big Bali Blog.

Malaysian Airlines from KL to Denpassar in Bali.

The reason why I stay at the Oasis hotel in Bali. A 50m pool to swim laps in. Glorious morning, noon and night.

View from my room.

I have watched this temple being hand built over the years since 2003 and it is almost complete. Magnificent.

Dragon fruit. Purple and white inside. Taste amazing.

Mangosteens. Matt, Graedon and Ian will like these!

One of the many massive heroic statues in Bali.

Bingin from Mrs Nyoman's porch. A welcome sight.

Clear water over the reef at Bingin from Rocky's deck.

My room with Mama Nyoman. Blue of course.

The view from my deck towards Dreamland.

And the view accross Impossibles over Padang-Padang to Uluwatu.

And of course the curtains are blue and the reflection of the ocean too!

Suset and a Bintang of course.

Archie Nyoman's newly decorated and moved repair shop at Bingin.

Mama Nyoman's medicinal Aloes.

Mama Nyoman's chair and only her chair!

Looking towards Kuta and another Aloe and the Banana tree.

At Pertiwi Resort in Ubud.

a view accross the rim flow pool at Pertiwi.

My room at Pertiwi.

View from my porch. There are so many birds, from Common Sparrows to Doves and three different Mannikins; Spice Finches, White headed Nuns and Tricolour Mannikins. I had them as a kid on the farm in our huge avaiary.

One or two scooters outside the huge school in Ubud Main Street up from Monkey Valley.

Cultural procession past a temple in Ubud.

A shrine along the roadside.

Magnificent entrance to a temple.

School is out. Notice the chino and blue shirt uniform. Loks smart.

This is where I stayed.

The traditional entrance to Pertiwi.

Beautiful flowers alongside the reception at Pertiwi.

The stream just below my room at Pertiwi.

Little elephant ears in front of my room. I love these huge leaves. The biggest I saw were easily 2m in length.

There was ripe fruit all over the resort.

A flower bedecked shrine in the garden.

I tried to get the colour here which is pale blue of this hanging creeper. Beautiful outside the Resort restaurant.

Water Lily outside a 'Massage' shop.

One of the many words that crept into the South African colloquial languge from the Dutch and slaves from this region.

Monkey Valley in Ubud.

No more water in there buddy!

Sacred Monkey Mom and kid.

Enough Sweet Potatoes to last a while here.

Just about every mom had a kid.

View through the forest half way up to the canopy.

11.30 and siesta time.

Looking accross the canopy of this virgin forest that is sacred and protected.

Bats in the belfry!

This is where the 'Hakenkruez' came from in reverse.

One of the many beautiful carved doors in Bali.

An example of unusual English usage for names of restaurants in Bali.

another magnificent entranceway.

I could not get enough of these doors.

Another superb example.

One can purchase newly carved doors in Bali. I only wish I could have afforded to ship one over.

Lotus pond at a temple.

The colour is magnificent.

Beautifully carved stone entranceway to the inner temple.

Even Starbucks has a magnificent entrance doorway.

Early morning offering for a good and peaceful day.

The girl left background is in the Junior School uniform as is the umbrella.

Magnificent architecture of this temple.

Painting in my room at the Oasis where I returned to before heading to Perth.

Memorial at the place where Paddies used to be before the bombing in Kuta.

Entrnace to a new Hotel in Poppies Lane 2.

Kuta beach at sunset.

Offering at the Oasis hotel.

Bagus Bali. The 2008 guys will remember this.

Sunset on Kuta.

Local buses in bright colours at sunset waiting for the people to come off the beach.

The new airport in Depassar, Bali. Huge! I do not know where they are putting all the people, but Bali is simply overcrowded now. Too many vehicles, too many people. If I ever get here again, it will be Nusa Lembongen for me as that is nearer to the Bali I first visited with the boys in 2000. Thanks to Ian Kruger and Arri Reschke, I fell in love with Bali and I still love the culture and the architecture and the unspoilt places as well as the wonderful people like mama Nyoman at Bingin.
And so this journey continues toward its inevitable conclusion. Just Asutralia and New Zeland to go, then home.