Wayan shows me beautiful Bali

I think I want to be Balinese in my next lifetime. It's just so relaxed here. There is no reason to hurry up, just take your time and enjoy. I found another little beach that they call, White Sands Beach. It's on the other side of Padangbai and it's equally as amazing as Blue Lagoon. Of course I met some locals and chatted with them. I met a Balinese man, Wayan, who does tours throughout Bali, so I jumped on the offer. He picked me up at 8am this morning and I hopped on his motorbike (don't worry mom, I wore a helmet!) and away we went. I didn't realize how much Bali has to offer. It has beautiful beaches, cute little villages, awesome volcanoes, lush forests and amazing rice paddies.

We started down the coast and I was a little nervous about the motorbike and held on for dear life. I trusted Wayan, but I did not trust the other drivers...They are crazy here. We drove for about 1.5 hours and man my back and butt ached! He brought me to a little town to see a show. Then we went to some temples and shops. He brought me to the Monkey Sanctuary in Ubud and I got to laugh at the monkeys for a bit. They were so funny! Then he brought me to a temple with the biggest geyser in the world and the water that comes out of it is holy water. They take baths in it and wash their sins away. I met a Muslim family, which was very weird because the water is Hindu and Muslims rarely believe in it. They were from central Java, Indonesia and I don't think they ever saw an American before. I had to the movie star thing and take pictures with the whole family! After that we went to see the volcano that last erupted in 1963. It was amazing to see. Then, we just drove around through the little villages and would stop now and then to take pictures. I met some little children who were begging me for money, I felt so bad for them. All the women are so talented and carry huge things on their heads. My goal is to learn how to do that! Bali is absolutely amazing. The landscape took my breath away time after time. Tourists are needed here and they are so welcoming, but they are running out of money since the tourism is so down.

Wayan invited me to a wedding on Friday in another town. I'm still trying to decide if I should go...It would be interesting! He showed me his house and I met his family. He dropped me off at about 6pm. I had a full day of enjoyment. The lifestyle is just so different here.

By the way, I met a new friend...Ernie. He sat with me and watched the sunset and drank the condensation off my bottle. I'm glad lizards don't bite!