Of interest... or not

Just some notes since I have a few minutes to while away before heading back to my 80,000 Rp a night abode.

Went on a little tour of the southern and eastern regions of Bali yesterday. It was a nice time although the vast majority of the trip was merely a way to tempt me to part with my money (which, unlike many of the tourists on Bali, is not of a limitless supply). However, it was cool to see some of the cottage industries of Bali at work. The painting is a little bland perhaps, but I was very much interested in the wood-carving. It is quite intricate and certainly still something that gets passed between generations, although that may change as schools arise to meet the needs of educating new craftsmen. Bali's tourist industry is now almost to pre-bombing levels so the demand for "authentic" Balinese art is also reaching those former levels. What I found most interesting is that a lot of the stuff produced in Bali is produced using materials that are not actually found on the island e.g. sandlewood or silver. If anyone wants to shed some light on that please do so.

As a sidenote to all that, I can certainly understand how touts and the like can get really grating on the nerves. They don't particularly bother me (must have been years of experience of deflecting telemarketers at dinner time) and there is also a certain inherent difficulty in the whole thing e.g. I am seen as someone with that aforementioned limitless supply of money. So it can be tough to differentiate between genuine kindness or welcoming and that of sale... However, word to those who decry it wholesale, faulting people for trying to sell you things is rather silly considering how often we don't complain when it is done in our lives, just not quite so in our faces (think adverts in magazines etc.)

As far as travel plans we met someone staying down the way from us who was giving good advice on getting to Lombok and then to the Gilis. We will probably make our way there within the next day.

The only other thing of note is I fear I am going to run out of reading quite quickly. I finished Passage To India in 2 days... (most of it this morning). I am onto the road, but 12 books might not be enough.

of final note, mea culpa for so few pictures so far as I just haven't gotten around to ridding my camera of its contents. Look for those within the week.