An Excuse for Discovering a Whole New World

A Whole New World - Last night when putting my daughters to bed, they asked "When are we having more visitors?" After having two months of non-stop visitors, I was quite happy to say never again!  Instead I curiously asked why they wanted more visitors. "We do so many fun things when visitors stay," was their reply.

My daughters' comment did make me step back and think that they were right. Despite my panic attacks about having enough bread, butter, eggs and toilet roll and the constant stream of checking in and out new family members and friends,  they did prompt us to do things that we otherwise may have thought 'we'll do tomorrow.' We can get so caught up in the 'merry-go-round' of life, we can forget to do new things. Our friends and family were the perfect excuse for us to discover a whole new world...




Since having friends and family visit us we have tried out surfing (it's much harder than what it looks); driving a four hour journey north west to the West Bali National Park and snorkelling among rainbow coloured, tropical fish;......



 

......driving and walking in the central mountain and lake area of Bedugul; staying overnight in the cooler mountain location of Munduk; watching the early morning antics of a group of wild dolphins in the Java sea; discovering how pearls are farmed;....

....driving through beautiful, stepped rice fields that look like green, organic amphitheartres; stopping off and trying to make ourselves understood at the local warungs (cafes) for refreshments and snacks;.....

......discovering delicious, healthy eating places;  receiving a very warm welcome by the Italian owners of the Bali EcoVillage, where all the buildings are constructed out of bamboo and recycled materials; walking in the green, tropical countryside to cool, refreshing waterfalls; swinging from a rope and diving into the fast flowing Ayung river; shopping in Ubud, Seminyak and at Denpasar market, and doing yet more shopping in strange, off the beaten track places;....





.......feeding elephants; swimming in the sea off Legian beach, finding ourselves caught out in a tropical rainstorm and getting refused entry to La Lucciola, the 'in' place to be;......

.......and staying in East Bali at Life in Amed, a very welcoming boutique hotel that is owned and run by my good friend Sarah Laight, where she bought and roasted a local pig for us to feast on and my father, who is a butcher, demonstrated how to cut him up - poor pig ...... I couldn't bear to see his face and then eat him so I had Sarah's tasty vegetarian burger instead!

Our friends and family have been amazed at the sights, sounds, smells and unique experiences of Bali. Some unexpected, some very unusual and some in total awe. We have laughed and laughed until as my friend Fiona said, "I feel like a have a six pack from laughing."

Family and friends can be a source of enrichment for all of us, if we choose to make it this way. Take time to value these special people.

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."
Anaïs Nin, author.

Enjoy family, friends and new ones too.

Janet