Day 8, Oct-17

The now-usual rooster crow came at 6:30 am, and he got very close to our bedroom.  This was one of the few times I ever was ‘awoken into a dream’, especially by a rooster crow.  It reminded me of someone who questioned that either we awoke from our dreams to reality, or the dream itself was reality and life was just a dream.  I wasn’t too annoyed by the morning rooster, although requesting more chicken from the cook crossed my mind. 

Kimiko used the exercise equipment in the room below Par/Elizabeth – both the treadmill and weight machine.  The view into the valley field below provided some relaxing inspiration.

Breakfast was banana and pineapple pancakes.  No syrup was needed, maybe a touch of butter, but heavenly tasting.  The cook made wonderful porridge since 2 of the 7 guests were from Japan.

Worn out from yesterday’s 5 hours of driving and 2 dives, I decided to take it easy today.  From the study room adjoining the poolside patio, I organized our photos, got photos copied from Tanya and Kaori, and got caught up on travel diary writing.  I really liked this room since it was full of 12-foot high doors, windows, a bookcase loaded with novels,, and a rustic wooden table in the center of a stone floor with throw rug.  I could enter and escape quickly out the back door up to my bedroom via an outdoor staircase made of smooth boulders.  A daybed with fancy wood carvings provided a resting spot against the back wall that could make this the 5th bedroom.  Walls were painted blue-green with teak wood window frames and ceiling planks.  A painting hung on the side wall of a beautiful girl with a strong resemblance to my wife, Kimiko.

         I think I'll make a copy of this study for my next home.

Elizabeth and Tanya took some dips in the pool, while Kimiko, Alan, and Par went to the spa for massage number two.  It turned out not as good as the arrival massage.  Maybe these were the trainees, and the professionals were doing house calls?

Cooking class started around 11am, and our chef graciously offered to teach the fish cake recipe and technique (made from tuna we learned), along with Nise Goreng – a rice, chicken, and spice dish. 

Alan commented at lunch he tripped over one of the bedroom area carpets last night before bed, and decided to roll it up to prevent any tripping during the night.  Leaving it rolled up during breakfast,  the “invisible staff” came in, surveyed the situation and then removed ALL the carpets from the room.

Some members left for some art shopping in the afternoon.  Par, Elizabeth, and I stayed behind to relax.

Evening cultural entertainment consisted of a Balinese style dance and story right in the center of the town of Ubud.  The style of dance requires separate movements of fingers, hands, feet, neck, and eyeballs while keeping a consistent posture of the body.  No blinking came from the dancer’s eyes during the performance.  Music came from approximately 30 bell ringers, flutes, recorders, and gongs.  The whole dance was a fabled story, complete with 4 kings, a lion, pirates, monkeys, and a menacing gorilla with banana to feed the lion.  The dance interested Kimiko and Kaori into taking private lessons a few days later, and found it extraordinary difficult to even coordinate a basic step.  Girls are taught very young to dance since it takes great skill and lengthy practice.

Balinese folk dancers move to bells/gongs/singing.  More photo's below.

Dinner was another smash hit: pork with Asian spices, 2 bottles of homemade Rose’ and 1 Pinot Noir.  We enjoyed feeding one of the servants dogs, Amoyia, some of the table scraps.  Noisy gecko’s surprised us with sharp sounds (Ge’koooo’  Ge’ kooooo’) from the ceiling during the evening, along with the constant buzzing of cicadas high in the trees interrupted with the occasional splash of a large (I mean LARGE) goldfish in the courtyard pond.

Mathew's homemade Cabernet Franc Rose'.  Perfect for Bali !

Alan eagerly made banana pancakes batter for the next morning before we all went to bed.

Now, those dancers stuck into our minds that night.  Here's more photo's:

Bellringers behind the dancers.  Sounds/looks a bit Tibetan.

The Lion enters.  Note the "bells" in the foreground, like sugar bowls.

The Lion represents protection in the story.

The gorilla teases an audience member, or was he eyeing me?

The four kings.  In Bali, it's four, not three kings.

Hand, feet, head, eyes, fingers, bodies move separately to their individual rythmn.

Looks more fun than aerobics.

  Fingers, eyes move separately all with good posture.  And no blinking!

....just beautiful to watch and hear the music!

I didn't understand the words, but I somehow knew the finale was nearing.