The road to volcanic Mount Batur and the tourist village of Kintamani in the central east highlands of Bali is a road fraught with danger for a dedicated wallet which follows and ardent shopper.

We even found the buffet at the Suling Bali Restaurant on the crater edge at Kintamani was quite good although it is often canned by travellers, many of whom I suspect are suspicious of buffet meals (and perhaps rightly so).

The road is long, winding and steep in many parts, a recipe for slow travel even if there are few tourist cars and buses on the way.

As every wallet holder knows, slow travel allows much too much time for the ardent shopper to survey the shops and stalls along the way and the peace and inner contemplation of the cooled cabin is too likely to hear the blood-chilling cry, 'STOP!'

So I found it - and so She found it.

The following is just a sampling of what we found and some of what we did not leave behind.

A batik being prepared for a Queen size quilt at Astina Art Market, Jl Kintamani, Tampaksiring. The size of this place (including the car park in the front) suggests that it caters for tourist buses but we were the only ones there.

They also have kites of all shapes and sizes, more than I've ever seen anywhere else and an amazing range of all sorts of stuff.

The lovely ladies at Buana Amertha Sari, Br. Seribatu, Tampaksiring who served us straight tea, lemon tea, ginger tea (good for sore throats I found), Hot chocolate (cocoa) all grown in their own gardens. They also make incense sticks, packaged spices and essential and massage oils, all available at their little shop.

The view across the plantation gardens from the tasting area.

Guided tours through the gardens were very interesting.

The links below will take you to some other photos of parts of our holiday.

Not all will be ready and active straight away but they will evolve as July rolls in to August and so on.

1. The pillow case run to the NEGARA ORPHANAGE.

2. Stuff we took, the flight and the airport taxi fare board.

3. The orphanage for children with handicaps, Panti Asuhan Kesa Yanikang Papa in Gianyar.

4. Friends including the girls on the beach, little Kadek, the feet and fingers, driver Made and family including the newly-weds, waitresses and food, and of course the old boat builder of Jimbaran Bay.

5. The Baleka Beach Resort and the Baihai.

6. Rice and the Subak Museum at Tabanan.

7. Pura Luhur Batu Karu, north of Tabanan.

8. Food, glorious food.

9. Kintamani and the crater and lake of Mount Batur.

10. Silver jewellery and bead shops, Handbags, woodcarving and leather.

11. Back to the 2006 contents page, 'The Year of the Pillow Cases'?

12. Right back to our home page for the shoppers Cheat Sheet, the first visit to the Negara Orphanage, a long Bali story (the 2003 'Rushed Trip'), the details about Bali's peoples, rices,  religion and culture or history or things to do and see in Ubud as well as many others.

.