Bali, part IV

After I was done swimming, Mike and Cathy's driver picked me up from my hotel around 3pm. I then went down south to Legion, where the driver picked up Mike and Cathy. From there we went to Tanah Lot, one of the most famous temples in Bali. It is known for its remarkable sunsets, jagged rocks, and is known for having some snakes guard the temple.

Now I know some of you loathe snakes, but there was only one around that I saw. We walked down to the beach area (that was more of a rockbed with puddles because it was low tide), and in one of the cave areas you could pay to touch a blue and black snake. Of course I did it because it was awesome. You could also donate money and wash your hands with holy water, have a bit of oil on your head and rice put on your forehead to be blessed. Both the snake and the blessing were quite enjoyable.

Sunset was a disappointment actually because it was quite overcast, but in general the temple was breathtaking. We did not have that much time to see the temple itself because once the sun set most of the little cafes, vendors, and shops began to close down. I bought some beautiful wood carvings as well as some postcards for my postcard collection. Exploring with Mike and Cathy was a lot of fun!

We then drove back to Legion where Mike and Cathy helped me find a hotel in the area. It was a lot less expensive than the place I stayed at before but not nearly as comfortable. We then met up for dinner and had a wonderful meal. Mike and Cathy paid--- SO GENEROUS. I honestly have never met people quite like this before. Earlier in their trip, they had met a person at a jewelry store (who didn't earn much money). His English was good and he wanted to become a tour guide but didn't have the money or time to finance the course. It only cost about $80 US dollars (or whatever it was in Australian), and Mike, based on a simple gut instinct, just said to the guy, "If you give us a good price on the jewelry we want I'll give you the money for you to take time off of work, and to pay for the touring license.) And that's what they did. Mike and Cathy then invited this man and his wife into the main city for dinner, where they had never used utensils before. The man and wife didn't even know how to cut the meat properly with a fork and knife. They thanked Mike and Cathy profusely. Honestly a gesture like that to a complete stranger boggled my mind. They really (hopefully) made a difference in these people's lives. If that money is really spent on the training, and this Indonesian man can start earning more money for his family, this will increase opportunities for future generations of the family. I am really moved by what they did.

Following dinner we went out for a few drinks, then I went home and slept at my weird hotel. I woke up in the morning, had a leisurely breakfast at a restaurant on the beach, then walked on the beach by myself for about an hour, went in for a quick swim, returned to the hotel, showered, packed my bags, went to the airport and came home.

All in all it was a great trip. I learned a lot about myself, and frankly traveling alone really isn't that bad. I'm happy I can keep myself company and meet new great people along the way.