NOW WHAT WOULD YOU PICK OUT FROM TRAVELING - be it inside the country or outside? It depends of course on the seekers, how much your eyes and brains take to the situation. How ready you are to observe and accommodate the new and the old around you.
Planning for a get-away have taken your time . What with adjusting the flight or whatever traveling schedules, the accommodation and itinerary. Once you have reached your destination you must make the best of it and make the best to see what the town offers.
I would firstly seek information regarding the places I would be visiting. The Internet presents you all the best; likely the best accommodation places, the weather, exchange rate of currency and even 'friends' who would welcome you to their towns. A good reading readies you for all you would want to expect.
Our recent escaped to Den Pasar, Ubud in Bali and Banjarmasin in Kalimantan helped in many ways ... defining the needs to learn and be educated from observations. Bali represents many things to the tourists. Your arrival at the Den Pasar airport itself is greeted by its gateway immediately you walked along the sky bridge to the terminal. Giving you what awaits.
Even before exiting the airport terminal, we were presented with this gateway peculiar to most Bali homes as we moved along the sky bridge.
Checked in a the hotel, gave us this view of its ground and the swimming pool stretching towards the beach front. The large tree, spotlighted gave an ambiance to the courtyard.
Our introduction to bamboo comes with this pole. A fluttering decorative cloth waved us to sites we would approach.
In the evening, I caught the moon as it glided across the frangipani tree.
The beach front is open to the public. No sign of the hotel establishments monopolizing the sea frontage. Observe how the man raked the sand to represent a smooth surface. Thus a clean sandy beach.
We were walking along the beach front and entered a beautiful compound and fortunately met with the owner who welcomed us to see his home. Exchange of ideas etc ended with future visit and staying at this beautiful home in Benoa. The house was designed by a wellknown Indonesian architect.
It was opportunity like this, meeting good people and exchange ideas etc which coloured the visit to new places. No it never comes with any itinerary set by any traveling agency.
The next morning as part of the Arcasia program we had the golden opportunity to visit a 'GREEN SCHOOL' Your internet will give a good reading of the 'Green School 'in Bali Indonesia. Search for it and its worthwhile to know. Just let me show some of the scenes or objects that caught our eyes.
MIND YOU IT"S ALL BAMBOO.
A bamboo bridge across a scenic river
A large class room and also a hall. Observe the fan and the flooring.
Yes no electricity at this part of the countryside but never mind solar power comes helping and bamboo poles stand as strong sentinels.
I stood aghast at what I saw around me
The nearby kampong boys had the golden opportunity to share the wealth of opportunities presented at this 'Green School'
These were what we manage to see. I guess there must many more that we miss seeing restrained by time. Yet here is one. A n ATM booth powered by solar power and it was functioning as a customer was inside it.
The inside seen from the unique fencing fronting the entrance.
A short story about the 'Green School'
Bamboo and wood presented their richness during our short stay in Bali Indonesia. Yes we envy and how we wish Malaysia had preserved its forest and have not allowed the jungles to be plundered.
Would we ever own a solid wooden tree trunk like this now? Or sit on a bamboo chair ? Not to mention have craftsmen for restoring their usage.
No iron or concrete but bamboo decorative poles alongside the road that caught our attentions.
These were some of the treasures that were presented to us. I guess there are many more waiting to be discovered if we skip the often trodden tourist routes and moved at our own space seeking out the best of the country..
