Honey's Bucket List: Where have I been.

I couldn't believe it when I started to blog tonight and am several days behind. I guess I was just in heaven, no worries and fb'd instead of blogging. Lets run ack to yesterday.. It was sad to leave Paradise. I face timed Michelle and Major in the morning. Just had to share with someone. Unfortunately I can never ear them so they just listen and smile. Write notes and smile, give and signals and smile. I showed then around Paradise and they smiled. I ad to repack and be ready to leave at 12:30. I had a brief walk on the beach after breakfast, and then got my SS on and packed. I knew there was a little place where I catch the boat that I saw people snorkling when I arrived so if I ad free time I would spend it the. They came to. Get me and my bags, and this time, no truck. Just a motorbike.we got my luggage squeezed in then I got on and away we went. I yelled goodbye to everyone we passed. I felt like I was leaving friends. They were a gentle kind people.

We road to the ridge then across the bridge on the bike. By now I ave learned not to look at the road, just hold onto that skinny little dude driving and enjoy the ride. I ad time to walk around awhile till the next. Bike came. Yes all the way, about 45 min total with my luggage and me and a driver on a motor bike. You know what. Now I want one of my own. But I gotta keep this walking up, it's great. But I could go to church on one. It's too far to walk. I think. AnywAy, at the bridge while I was waiting, I saw women in Bali working. It was frustrating but I was proud of them and embarrassed for them at the same time. There are sad little boats that travel somewhere in Bali a suspect to load up with supplies. When they come ack to Lonbengon Island, the women wade out into the water, with Rags wrapped around their heads, and the boatmen, load 2 huge bags of rice at a time onto their heads. They walk them out into a truck and go back for more. I was almost embarrassed to watch, but at the same time proud that they were allowed to work and that they were willing to work. I don't know too any women that would humiliate themselves as beasts of burden, but I hope we all would if the necessity arose. Back at the. Beach where the boat would pick me up, was a beautiful stretch of beach, but lst of boats.and people. I dug out my snorkel and ask and headed I . The man who drove me over, watched my stuff as I made this snorkel thing happen. Talked, as it were, to a couple of Rusians who speak no Englsh, but with smiles and hand signs they were very excited about what they had seen. The waves were to high at Secrete Point to snorkel, so this was to be my first snorkeling since GBR, so I can't express how disappointed I was at seeing a few fish swimming around in seaweed. But it made the Russians happy. I still may take an organized tour here before I leave. Sounds like there are some good places. Terrible showers on the Orion and its still 30 min till my boat so I went for a snack. Ordered banana smoothie, garlic bread and spring rolls. Started dri king my smoothies when a young man came and asked if I was on CB fast oat. Yes I was, well seems e was not coming so I was to go with another boat and it was ready to go. I looed up and it was loaded and someone was walking aboard carrying all my stuff. So I gulped down my smoothie, they packed up my lunch , I paid and away we ran. I ate my spring rolls and garlic toast at sea. After lunch I looked around the sat boat and again found 17 men and me. Where are all the woen. Ok maybe this is it. Taking the Huts as an example of what I ave observed a lot of. One person picked e up, one person carried my ags, one person cleaned my room, another took my for orders, another brought it to my table, people elsewhere prepared it, someone else brought my bill ( only after I requested it, all around the world, they don't mention it till you ask. I've often wondered what they do if you don't bring it up.)but you get my point. There are probably 30-40 men running this hotel with 8 rooms, a ar/ restaurant and pool. I think they maybe get creative to have enough work for the men, and there just anything not getting done, so women stay home. If that is the case the in ok with it. I guess if you are a woman without a man, you carry rice on your head.

So I got to my hotel. I'll be here for 4 days. Great deal, really nice, 1 block from the beach. 2 pools, very tropical, good bath and shower, big TV. I thought I better be nice to me cause Thanksgiving could be pretty tough. ( Can't find Turkey in Bali, so I'm trying to figure do I try for Chicken. There s a KFC close by. Or I could just have a nice Ap Balinese Dinner, or I could o all out and eat Pizza. This time tomorrow I'll know what I did. Today, I wished Happy Thanksgiving to lots of folks on the street. Most were aware of what it is and happily wished it to me as well. I found a nice large Balinese Department store today close by. I looked around and would almost pay the higher prices not to have to say No to so many people when you walk down the street. With rain most of the day, they were desparate for business and I found myself almost running to get away from the stalls on my way to the beach. ). Back to yesterday. Hotel is great, and looked like we may see a sunset so I walked to the beach by a long block of shops, and found lots go people looking for a sunset photo. It was better than nothing but not much. Great waves. Beginners surfing. Close enough to hotel to feel ok coming home After dark. But not ver dark. After gobbling down my lunch, I hated to skip dinner, but not hungry so I passed a mini mart and picked up some great soup. It's like thoses Ramen. Oodles but with about 5 packets of add ons. I think it cost 35 cents and was great. Have a coffe pot so just boiled water and wallah. Just what I needed

Now today at the beach. That was funny today. Rain for 12 hours so I thought it would be deserted. The sun never came out, the rain just stopped. I got down there and there were more people than on any other day. Way crazy. Ocean very calm but people on the surfboard waiting in. Case it came out like me wearing my SS in case I had time to snorkel yesterday. Anyway, there were about a hundred Moslem, I guess, women standing at the waters edge with their head wraps on. Thet is how the schoolgirls were I other countries, so young women I assume. They were squealing at the water as in moved toward them, native young en having, funny foot races in the sand. They were earth hunks and the race started with them laying on their Timmy's face down in the sand. When the signal sounded, they get up turn around and run like heck to the finish line. Very sandy, it was hilarious. Just ls of fun being had by all at the wet, cloudy beach. Back home, went swimming then shower and look at my next pan.

In the past 2 days I have received 2 warnings from the state dept about uprisings in Thailand. I am so content with the world at this point, that I think anything s going to be a letdown. I'm considering, Bangkok, Singapore, manilla, or none of the above and stay here, around Indonesia. Gonna spend some time researching tonight.