Laura’s Blog

Male dancers, Sultan’s Palace Musicians at the Sultan’s Palace. Dancers at the Sultan’s palace.

At the Sultan’s Palace today, Roy told us the Javanese philosophy of proper gender behavior. To be a perfect man, you need five things: Garwa: a wife Gria: a house Turangga: a horse Curiga: a dagger (symbolizes security in money, a job, in everything) Kikilo: a bird Roy said, “A man without a bird is

Yogykarta, Java Walk with me on my early morning stroll, just two blocks from our hotel. Coming to the market. 6:45 AM Parking lot. Carving jackfruit. Jackfruit remains. Fish seller. She had a beautiful smile and was very friendly. Chicken seller. Time out. Speckled eggs. Blue eggs. Cooked? Banana fruit. These are eaten, too. We

After our return to our hotel from Borobodor and a sumptuous breakfast buffet, we put all our things on the bus and drove a short distance to a small village where we climbed into open-air horse carts, two passengers per cart, and rode on small paved lanes through the village of Wanurejo, observing daily village

After wandering down through all nine levels of Borobodur, Roy said we could either stick with him or go off on our own, meeting back at our bus in an hour. I immediately opted for my own freedom of movement. I love groups, but there are times I just want to move on impulse inside

I set three alarms this morning, one for 4:00, one for 4:05 and one for 4:10. We were meeting in the lobby at 4:30 to see the sunrise at Borobodur. I wanted to be sure I woke up. My clothes were all laid out (cover your knees and your shoulders), my camelback was filled with

When we arrived at the airport, several of us needed to use the facilities. When I went to the bathroom, it was empty. There was no toilet paper left in my stall (though there was a toilet paper dispenser), so I used the handy-dandy water sprayer next to the toilet that is found in every

Evelyn has been the most wonderful co-facilitator, roommate and buddy. Thanks for sharing this adventure and your prayerful ways, always honoring the sacred…

This was our final prompt in our last writing class. Here’s my response to the prompt: SINCE I’VE COME TO BALI Since I’ve come to Bali, I’ve seen twenty strangers become a community. I’ve seen monkeys by the side of the road, oranges that are green, perfect orange papayas on my plate, and ten desserts

Yesterday, at our all final group meeting, we each expressed our gratitude for something we personally gained from the land, the people and the culture of Bali—and from being part of our traveling community. Then we turned and said our thank you to the land. Last night after dinner, the children of Munduk did a

Balinese dance class at our hotel. One of the things I love about Puri Lumbung is that it’s also a center for community activities–like this dance class. What a sweet thing to watch on our last afternoon. And here’s the boys:

I will miss the daily reverence of this culture. Photos by Marsha Morgan.

I read this poem as today’s first writing prompt in our afternoon writing class. The prompt was to use the repeating line: “I’m no longer waiting for…” Advent of Midlife I am no longer waiting for A special occasion; I burn the best candles on ordinary days. I am no longer waiting for The house

If you have to depend on Bali trail signage to find your way, you’re definitely heading into sketchy territory. Check out all the pictures and captions. Uh…which way do I go? But luckily we have a guide, two guides actually. Surya and Ketut. Finally, five turns later, another sign: “Waterfull.” Arrow to the left This