Far from the madding crowd

Since my last blog Mike and I spent about a week on Lombok, Bali's slightly less touristy neighbour, before returning to Bali. On Lombok, there are a large number of horses and carts that jostle with the scooters and cars on the crazy roads. The beach town of Sengiggi and the beautiful island of Gili Air, about 5km off the mainland, provided some excellent snorkeling ground. Despite their partial destruction by boats and people, the soft coral reefs were colourful, with an abundance of tropical fish. Our stay on Gili Air, a stunningly undeveloped, laid-back island, was very relaxing although slightly spoiled by us both being ill. Back on Lombok mainland, we headed to the mountain village of Senaru near the base of Gunung Rinjani, Indonesia's second largest volcano. For various reasons we didn't undertake the four day trek up Rinjani and left Senaru feeling a little frustrated. On Thursday we boarded the ridiculously slow public ferry back to Bali. Seriously, I could run faster, probably with only one leg.

We have seen a different side to Bali this time around. The guidebook contained a pitifully small paragraph about a place called Tirta Gangga but the words 'small', 'isolated' and 'quiet' jumped out at us. It is a pretty little place in the midst of absolutely stunning scenery. A walk from the village took us through verdant paddy fields and subsistence villages. Conveniently situated at the foot of Gunung Agung, Tirta Gangga proved to be an ideal place from which to climb Bali's highest and most sacred volcano. This we did at night, setting off at 2am so as to arrive at the crater for sunrise. The climb was worth the effort and we watched the sun come up behind Lombok's Gunung Rinjani.

In addition to enjoying Bali's scenery, I have attempted to gain an insight into its unique religion and culture. Balinese-Hinduism actually seems to have arisen from an intricate mix of Buddhist, Hindu and animist influences. Indeed, many of the Hindu temples house a Buddha, who is worshiped in addition to Shiva. Daily offerings are made to both the Gods and the Demons, illustrating the constant strive for equilibrium between good and evil. In Bali, the elaborate displays of dedication to the Gods is combined with large doses of superstition and the occasional Black Magic.

Mike and I have now returned to Ubud, where we will spend a last few days enjoying each other's company before Mike leaves for Thailand and then home. Back in England, I graduated from my PhD this week. Theretofore, henceforth I shall be known as Dr Emma Jo Bowles. Only joking, but it feels good.