Yesterday was the full moon, which is a wonderful day for temple celebrations. Where we were staying, in Pemuteran, is near 3 temples founded by the original hindu priest to visit Bali, and the
one we liked best, Melanting, is tucked back in the dry coastal mountains and is visited only by Balinese, many on pilgrimage, because this temple is favored for blessings on your business ventures. 
We got a ride to all the temples in our Balinese formal temple clothing first in a bemo, which is a local minibus that picks you up and sets you down along the highways, and then on the back of our new friend Kadek's motorbike, one by one. I got to ride sidesaddle.
Kadek, a waiter at the pondok sari, helped us get our flowers and incense for offerings, and helped us make our temple donations, and coaxed us through the offerings.At least in West Bali, the first offering and prayer is with the
"essence" of the flowers, no actual blossom; the second is with a white petal; the 3rd and 4th, with petals of many colors; then the priest blesses you again with water and rice. Because we were doing offerings with Balinese on a holy day, the priests were chanting softly in Hindu. During the first prayer, we were at Pura Pulaki, a temple that is also the home of monkeys, and one of the monkeys chose the chanting time as the perfect time to try to chew through a large water bottle that it was cradling like a baby until then, and then push the bottle down a flight of steps to make a lot of noise. This was pretty entertaining. Then, back to reverence.
We continue to be amazed at how we see many europeans, but almost no americans. The Americans are very foolish to avoid this lovely place. Bali's community structure gives it an amazingly low crime rate, one armed robbery per year on the whole island, they say. We have learned many ways to say thank you, lately in Balinese as well as indonesian. People obviously need to make money off tourism, but they help with such grace and the small children loudly proclaim their friendliness which must mean the the adults are pretty happy with us too.
Today, the day after the full moon, in a holiday period, is a favorable day for cremations, so we saw many processions along the road, as we drove home across the mountains.One reason we like Pemuteran, the seaside village in West Bali, is that it is an absolutely beautiful little bay, kept amazingly clean, and although there are 3 hotels in a row, there are so many locals fishing and bathing that it feels like you are still in a community. Many shady trees line the beach, and the beach is fairly steep so you get to see the reefs partly exposed at low tide, while at high tide, it reaches the fishermen's boats. Last time we were here there were puppies on the beach; this time, there was a large black pig tied under an upside down boat, with twelve adorable black piglets dashing around near her.
Meanwhile, each place to stay in Pemuteran offers a different dining experience. Food is important! So - the Pondok Sari has balinese and a little european food, all very "good for you", no junk food allowed only fresh fruit desserts; the Reef Seen diving place has potato chips and spicy peanuts with the local brewery's beer; the Taman Selini has balinese and greek food (very good!), with delicious desserts like chocolate mousse and baklava; and the Taman Sari has balinese and Thai food (also pretty good). At each place you eat practically outside, often on a silky pillowed couch, and often by flickering lamp light. Last night, because the moon rose out of the Bali Sea as we ate, we moved down from the covered bale, with its shining floor and fans, and out to a table set on the sand, which is white coral and very soft underfoot. We could see the moon rise through an open frangipan tree, it was a beautiful rose orange at first and then perfectly round and white. We ate barefoot just because the sand under our feet felt so nice. We were looking around at the bay and the lamps and the palm trees and hearing the chickens and watching the fishing and hearing the Balinese hindu gongs and the occasional muslim call to prayer and realized, this mix of small hotels and local living must have been a lot like what Waikiki was, in the 1920s.
I think that's enough for now! Craig will write his own style soon.
Oh yeah; hotel and travel prices. We are not traveling budget, we are indulging ourselves with beauty, cleanliness and aircon. Still it's not that much. All hotel prices are including breakfast and taxes, and many are negotiable.
The Pondok Sari which is first class in our opinion costs 42 euros a night, about $65, with incredible "Asian spa luxury" massages for $15 US for 1.5 hrs. That's a costly balinese massage, but the spa rooms - antiques, flowerlined foot wash, lovely statues, and private outdoor shower or tub to wash off the oil - and the lovely maidens are amazing.
Tonight's hotel is 350thousand rupias, or about $38, for airconditioned luxury with minibar and small patio overlooking rice paddies, with a hotel setting that is absolutely charming: gardens that are japanese/balinese and a very cold, stone lined swimming pool, right next to the rice fields. Our last night we will move to their higher class room for 450 thousand rupias, or $50, for an enormous bungalow and outdoor living space that overlooks the ducks directly. The transportation for two, all day, with a driver, to cross the island, and make tourist stops along the way, is about 450 to 550 thousand rupias, or about $50 to $60 dollars a day which is quite fair since gas costs as much here as there and the roads are winding, steep and with surprises. You could always take a bemo! not as comfy. Dinner for 2 with alcoholic drinks is $20 to $30 total including dessert. A street meal can be much less (pennies, if you want), but an all you can eat Indonesian spicy meal called Padang with sodas is about $20 for 3 people including 2 hungry men.
We almost went to stay again at the Tjampuhan, which list prices at $115 a night, but they were going to give us $70 a night.
Now, that IS enough writing for one night!! Time for another swim and then dinner.
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