August 4, 2025
On the tour I led in Bali last year, one of my students spent time in Sideman and loved it. When she saw on Facebook that I was going, she texted me the name of a local guide she loved, Gede Darya, so I wrote to him on Whatsapp and hired him to show me around Sideman today. The texts between us are a bit sketchy. I don’t write in Indonesian and his written English is limited. But the gist of it is, he’s picking me up on his scooter today at 9 am. We’re going to visit local weavers, explore a waterfall, see the silversmithing this area is known for, do a bit of trekking, and at my request, see the cremation procession. For the day, I’ve packed two water bottles, a bathing suit, a small camping towel, my sarong and temple scarf, sunscreen, bug spray, sunglasses, and a hat. I’m wearing shorts, a tee shirt and a long sleeved hiking shirt. My favorite hiking sandals. And of course, I’ll be carrying a little notebook to take notes in and my trusty iphone camera.
