Today we hiked three miles to Tenganan Village, one of the most ancient villages in Bali—dating back to the 7th century—and also one of the wealthiest. Tenganan is a village enclosed by four walls and four gates and its residents are not allowed to intermarry outside the village. Tenganan is primarily know for two things: […]
Walking to Tenganan, Part 2 Read More »
Here’s a little photo essay of our three/mile hike today to Tenganan Village. On the way we saw people repairing motorcycles by the side of the road, selling eggs, doing daily commerce. We heard endless roosters, barking packs of Bali dogs, scooter horns. We saw scooters carrying whole families, the mother driving, a barefoot older
Journey to Tenganan Read More »
For those of you who followed my last trip to Bali two years ago, you know that I had a major adventure getting a custom-made leather jacket custom made for me in Ubud. Well, that tailor did a fantastic job and made me a sleek, sexy black leather jacket. I’ve been wearing it and enjoying
Leather Jacket Redux Read More »
Tonight, the last night before our guests arrive, Evelyn, my roommate and co-teacher, headed down the street to the town of Candidasa to look for a little gift for our students and because we heard there was a big religious festival tonight called Usabadamba. The Balinese, who mostly practice Bali-Hinduism, welcome Westerners to attend their
Now I Know I’m in Bali Read More »
Poor me. It’s time to stop scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming, hanging out with my kids, and writing my brains out. I’m now happily ensconced at the Lotus Bungalows, a much more upscale place to stay than the ashram. My favorite part is the fantastic outdoor shower in my room. The infinity pool, the ocean view,
Time to Get to Work Read More »
On the little sheet of laminated paper that welcomed me to my room as a guest at the ashram, there was an offer of acupuncture. I found myself sitting next to the acupuncturist, a Balinese man about my age, at lunch yesterday. His English was flawless and when I found out he was the acupuncturist,
Acupuncture at the Ashram Read More »
Before my group of 18 writers arrive at the end of the week, I booked myself several days at the Gedong Gandhi ashram in Candidasa, Bali. I’ve been writing 12 to 16 hours a day, alternating between my hammock and the little table outside my room. At night, I sleep surrounded by mosquito mesh in
My Own Private Writing Retreat Read More »
This is my fifth trip to Bali, but my first time arriving on a domestic flight at night. And I’ve never arrived after an hour and a half boat ride, and two flights, both within Indonesia. Having been up since 4 AM, by the time I retrieve my baggage and meet my driver at 10
I’ve just finished a 10 day vacation with our two young adult children, scuba diving at the magnificent Kri Eco Resort in Raja Ampat, Indonesia. The underwater world was spectacular: white and black-tipped reef sharks, sea turtles, octopuses, giant schools of fish, gorgeous soft and hard coral gardens. As you can see by the pictures
On My Way to Bali … Read More »
As many of you know, I’m hard at work on a memoir. It tells the story of my tumultuous, transformative relationship with my mother: two souls who just couldn’t quit each other. I’ve been writing bits and pieces of this book for the past 10 years. A lot of the original source material is coming
What it Really Takes to Write a Book Read More »
Turn the volume up and see if you can hear some of the sounds of the jungle. Now….homeward bound.
The Amazon: Join Me for My Last Sunrise on the Amazon Read More »
The past few days in our outings exploring the Amazon, I’ve learned about a lot of the first the gifts the Amazon rainforest has to offer, both in terms of food and medicine—as well as observing many other natural wonders. The rules are: 1. Don’t touch anything. 2. Use soft voices. 3. Don’t go off
The Amazon: The Amazon Pantry Read More »
Here are some pictures from our outing high into the canopy this morning: The start of the trail. Lots of steps up. Joyce looked relieved when she made it across the first of many bridges. Here comes Brook. And Si. And me. I loved those bridges. Here’s what they look like from the platform. Here I
The Amazon: The Canopy Walk Read More »
This morning we went on a canopy walk, walking through the rain forest and then climbing high above the ground into the trees across a series of bouncy suspension bridges. It was raining when we left. I wore long pants, rain pants, a tee shirt, a long sleeved big proof shirt, a poncho, a fanny
The Amazon: How Many Shades of Green? Read More »
