Now in Bali for nearly 3 weeks! Betsy is home in Maine tending to her garden and enjoying time shuttling between Freeport and Topsham.
Josh and Maria arrive today for a 3 week vacation! No doubt we will be searching for the "perfect wave" soon...and clean water which we
have missed since arriving! Capt B's been soaking up a bit of the local culture (see photo gallery) with the NORDIKs, our friends from Quebec,
Dani, Martin, Catherine, and Taiga the Dog, while waiting for J&M's arrival. Visited to several Hindu temples...my
favorite was the "Sacred Water Temple" where families come to bathe in the spring-fed pools. Lovely, peaceful, and much less
tourist-infested than the bigger places. Before Betsy left, we also went to Uluwatu up on the cliffs at the southern-most point of
the island to watch the fire dancing with the "hundred voiced men's chorus"...the only accompaniment...quite amazing!
And the view out to sea while the resident monkeys try to steal your glasses or your handbag while you're looking the other way...sneaky
little devils!! After a few more days here we will head-out to explore some of the off-lying islands, the Gillis, Lembogan,
Lombok....get away from the crazy tourist scene which is so much what this place seems to have become. It's also the last
few days of Ramadan so there is a lot of singing over PA systems night and day...seems like competing religions as the Hindus
get on their loud-speakers too and everyone tries to out-do each other! Nice when there is a little peace and quiet during
breaks....which are less and less frequent as we get closer to the end of the festivities! Ah well, it's their home and we are
blessed to be visitors for a short time. I wonder what they would think of a Quaker Meeting?? We will plan to head north again in
another week or two....toward Malaysia and Thailand....with Jerry Knecht and local friend, Oliver, as crew. Looking forward to more time at
sea....tho we are entering the potentially difficult weather periods as the SE trades fade and the NW kicks in. Here's hoping it holds
til we get to Singapore and region! More to come as we head-off again!

Cheers and "Have a good watch!"

Capt B