Bali Garden Hotel Resort And Spa Kuta

... the previous day.

After a quick look around town we quickly realized how the streets work: no lights, no speed limits, no rules, everything goes as long as you honk, not long but often.

Day 2: Taking advantage of the tremendously long beach front we decided to attempt a run in the morning. Kevin quickly found out that he was the weaker of the two and will have some work to catch up. After our "run" we took advantage of the pool we forced into getting before moving ...

... t wait to come back and see again. I loved wandering the crazy little bumpy dirt roads on my own. Travelling past farms and families and getting a real feel for the area. The kids loved Tommy the ice-cream man who dropped by every arvo ‘round 3. And Scott needless to say loved wandering down the cliff-face to some of the best breaks on earth. We have some awesome photos of a ‘typical’ day for Scott here at Bingin, my words won’t do it ...

... 3 a.m..... would be really fun to watch. I also hope all is well back home, though I'm sure its hotter than **** and even more humid. Sorry all. I'll try and get some pics off of Satu's camera for the rest of the trip, so I can continue keeping everyone visually stimulated. Satu says moikka, and she misses everyone. Hope the weather in Finland is picking up a bit, and you guys are able to finally wear short sleeves!

More to come soon,

-Nick (AND Satu)....

... times you just keep your focus on avoiding them. When we first got to the beach, it was actually less crowded than I expected. It was nearly noon and I imagined hundreds of 20-something-year-olds laying out at the beach. We found a nice spot for all of us to lay our towels down on and let the sun rays brown our skin. I was thankful for the clouds overhead blocking the sun; otherwise, I know I would have been able to stay out in the heat so long. I was actually ...

... is I have to share. With my little Brother. Yes, the Clan arrives today. I sat on the beach for a few hours and even watched the plane come in to the airport that had on board my immediate (Parents and Brother) and extended (Nan and Aunt) families.

Disappointed that I didn't use my brief "alone" time for any good, I slowly walk up to the Hotel they will be staying in, a much larger and more upmarket place on the beach in ...

... past two weeks considering a majority of the kids were out for holiday anyways. Julia was not going to school with us today, as she would be taking her favorite student Sujeni out shopping for the day. Sujeni, a bright and clever student who formed an instant bond with Julia, always came to school wearing the same clothes. So, Julia wanted to take her out, get her some new shirts and shorts, shoes, dresses, books, and the like. Miraym and I walked the five minutes to the school, hurrying ...

... their own people in a way.) Once we were on the ship, the sales people came in a similar fashion to any other form of public transportation that we had used in Indonesia. Lisa and I were already prepared and had 1.5 liters of water each and plenty of snacks, but some of the other tourists stocked up for the five hour journey. I overheard people agreeing to prices that were around 3X what they would've been on shore, so I was glad we had thought ahead. Once the ...

... lovely to see, all the locals were laughing at my for some reason. One evening i went to see a fire show with singing, dancing, and one man literally walking in and out of the fire, his feet were scorching afterward!! Then my final day i saw a huge Hindu burial/cremation ceremony, also called Ngaben of about 30 peeps (dead ones i mean). It was fabulous. It was held in Monkey Forest Sanctuary, just close by and it truly is ...

... so I can't vouch for that particular ice-breaker as a conversation-starter. I do know that I am a fat boy, and in warm climates I sweat a lot. Bali is a simply stunning place. Our hotel is a riot of vegetation. We are surrounded by perfect palm trees, hibiscus plants with flowers the color of Marilyn Monroe's lips, forty-foot figs. The stones of our villa are covered with moss and tiny epiphytes. All of this greenery is self ...

... water was filthy! We did see some pros surfing at Nusa Dua which was cool. The weather in Bali was bloody hot and humid. Sweating constantly so pretty uncomfortable at times. Had some big storms in the evenings. We had to wade through the water in the street under our little ponchos and the cracks of lightning were awesome. Also went to a place called Amed, about 3 hours from Kuta on the east coast. Scenery was amazing, paddy fields, hills, littleold ladies carrying bundles of ...