Back home in Seoul.  Took a redeye flight under a Bali full moon and landed in the middle of a Korean monsoon.  Welcome back to the real world I suppose.

Just a couple of final reflections on my Bali experience.  Some things really stand out, probably first among them was just how inexpensive it is to experience a taste of paradise.  We had a personal driver/tour guide that cost us 50,000 rupees per hour ($5 U.S.).  We stayed in nice hotels that cost $60 or less, including a full breakfast.  There were also many bargains to be found in the shopping arena.  I’m not much of a shopper myself, but the womenfolk bought a load of sarangs as gifts ($2.50 each after hard bargaining), gold jewelry and other items at a bargain basement prices.  I bought a stack of DVDs of American TV shows I had been coveting (Deadwood, The Office, South Park) at $1 each and with every purchase of 20, you get nine additional for free!  For the record, I don’t think these are bootlegs, the quality is 100% and the DVD’s have the studio images on them, something I’ve never seen on a bootleg.  Oh, and a carton of cigarettes could be found for $8 to $10.

Y’all have seen the pictures, so I don’t have to tell you just how beautiful and varied the magical land of Bali truly is.  From the beaches to the jungles to the mountains, it’s all outstanding.

I was also impressed by the kindness of the Balinese people that we met.  Although most would be considered poor by Western standards, they seem truly happy and content without the trappings of material wealth.  Everyone I encountered greeted me with a warm and sincere smile.  Even the street vendors were gracious when you rejected their entreaties to make a purchase, smiling and saying “ok, have a good day boss”. 

Although you could observe some poverty out in the countryside, Bali is surprisingly clean.  In the Philippines, I would often be saddend by the harsh reality of substandard living conditions and the desperation of the people I encountered.  I never felt that at all in Bali.

Commenter Dennis asked about Balinese women.  To be honest, I wasn’t paying that much attention.  We were staying in resort areas versus the entertainment districts, so other than wait staff and regular citizens walking the streets (generally in sarangs) there wasn’t much to see.  Most of the guests in the hotels were from Australia, India, and China.  I guess my observation would be that the women of Bali tend to be dark skinned (reminded me of Filipinas in that regard) full-lipped, and tend to be full figured.  That’s about all I can say about.

Anyway, Bali had been totally off my radar and I don’t know that I would have made the trip without the encouragement of Tom and Yuli.  I’m really glad I did and I expect that there will be more Bali in my future.  It is such a bargain compared to other tropical resort venues.  If anyone is planning a trip there, let me know and I will set you up with our driver Daewa.  You will be in good hands.