**  The orphanage visit we'd planned this year was to Panti Asuhan Dana Punia, the Hindu and Buddhist orphanage in Singaraja. (There is a story and some pictures of our 2005 visit at this link if you're interested.)  This visit was the main cause of the 109 Kg's of stuff we had freighted over the week before we left and the main cause also of the extra 10 Kg in each of our suitcases that Singapore Air had allowed us free.

**  While in the north we'd also been invited to a school distribution day run by the Rotary Club of Gawler and Light here in South Australia.  One of the other visitors to this special day was to have been Noel Allen who runs a similar scheme through the Swan Valley Rotary Club in Perth. Meeting Noel, whose work I had long admired, was the bait that fixed this visit into our schedule, even ahead of the chance to meet the lovely Jacqui Slater (known as 'Balibabe' on the Bali Travel Forum) who is the Gawler club organiser. Bontihing is a small village east of Singaraja up in the foothills, an interesting 10 or 15 Km drive after you leave the north coast road.
It turned out to be an interesting visit too.

**  Another agenda item for this northern sojourn (and I suspect number 1 on Her list which She keeps secret from me, apart from SHOPPING, of course) was to revisit two of the remarkable restaurants we had found on a previous visit (even though one had changed hands and gone upmarket beyond 'remarkable') and to extend this short restaurant list by whatever means.

**  The fourth 'must do' for this trip would be to return south via the north east and east coast road that I had been collecting information about for the past three years. This was one of only two sections of the coast of Bali that we had not travelled before and I was really looking forward to it. Perusing the maps of Bali suggests that this part of the island is almost deserted with only about a dozen small villages spread along 60 or 70 kilometres of coast. I suspected, from our experiences along the similarly sparse appearance of the south west coast road, that appearances would be deceptive but I never really expected the developments and the interesting bits and pieces that we would find.

Made had borrowed Wayan's Kijang to take us up to Lovina with the habitual stop at Pacung to see our friends in the Fuji shop whom we had met in during the 'Rushed Trip to Bali 2003' on Day 11 (about the 26th paragraph or a bit over half way down the page) and to leave a Variety Club Bash marshal's jacket with David at the Pacung Indah for the trophy wall at Cracker's Bar and Grill.
We missed out on the Baturiti Markets which I like because they're so different and they've got hardware stalls with a million things to pore over, spread out on huge tables, but we stopped at the Candi Cunning Markets just next to Bedugul, of course.
'Of course'?
But of course 'of course', not only because there is the call from the toilets at Cracker's Bar and Grill to be answered but also because this is where She gets her annual supplies of all sorts of known and un-known spices. And there are strawberries in season and glowing red tamarillo fruit, the flesh of which, scraped out of the halved fruit with a 'souvenired' tea spoon, is guaranteed to slake a thirst in the most pleasant way. It is where we also get nuts, especially the cashew nuts that I try to get the Rambutan Cottage dogs hooked on during every stay there.
It is also where the local shop girls regularly floor me by greeting me not only by name but by asking if I want more of whatever it was that I bought from them at least 12 months ago. How do they do this?

No coffee from the restaurant at the Ngireng Ngewedang plantation around the top of the twin lakes this time as we are hell-bent for Singaraja and Lovina in time to unpack and have a rest, a swim and a drink before deciding where to eat and getting ready to go.
In future, if the alternative east coast road back home is to become a favourite and if we don't want to miss out on this coffee, we are going to have to find a more direct route from Bedugul via the plantation and then to Lovina rather than going all the way west through Seririt and having to come all the way east again to Lovina.

Rambutan at last, and our room awaits - a room that must be the largest of any similar accommodation in all of Bali with a super-sized bar fridge to match and bathroom walls to wonder at. We are down towards the back of the property in a ground floor room just about opposite the ducks and a very short walk to the pool and the restaurant.
She unpacks while I go to get ice for the drinks and to make the acquaintance of Huey, Louie and Daisy, the latest iteration of the family ducks. We, the ducks and I that is, are to become very friendly before we leave and they have developed a liking for chocolate biscuits.

  
The breakfast view across the large pool at Rambutan and Huey, Louie and Daisy.

At breakfast next morning we meet Richard and his wife Tini again, with their children including an eldest daughter who gets more attractive each time we see her. Timetables are arranged for the pillow shopping and the orphanage visit which Richard will take us to. What I don't pick up on at this time is that Tini will come with us, and what a boon she will prove to be.

But our first adventure is the Distribution Day at Bontihing school. This was scheduled for 9 on Sunday morning with a lunch break at 11.30 or so. An early start would be called for so we arranged transport the night before. Even so we were late arriving but not as late as everyone else, it transpired. At first we thought we were at the wrong place, or the wrong day even, but there was an air of excitement and anticipation amongst the kids that could not be mistaken and which they were determined would not be ignored.  
We were welcomed (I think) by the Principal who assured us (I think) that we were at the right place and on the right day. As the minutes ticked away it seemed to the kids that we must be who and what they were anticipating and their curiosity and perhaps frustration steadily increased. At last they would be denied no longer and with the Principal's office in imminent risk of siege we ventured out to soothe the savage beasts with candy and little Aussie flags. This foolish attempt from the school veranda seemed only likely to result in dire injury as the bigger kids at the back pushed forwards against the more curious but smaller to the front. Rising to my old school-masterish best, I waved vaguely in the direction of the classrooms to the Principal who nodded enough to give us courage to forge ahead. The kids seemed to know immediately what was required and melted away before us, disappearing into one or another of the rows of doors along the veranda and around the corner.

Excitement at Bontihing.

We started with the little ones who were in the room closest to the Principal's office and the staff room.
Isn't it wonderful how schools the world over are organised and arranged in just the same way?
They sat four-square at their desks like the little darlings they no doubt were, but I noticed that they could devour candy faster than I could get from one aisle to another to distribute it. I was impressed that I only had to point at one candy wrapper on the floor and all the rest disappeared as if by magic. I won't ask where they really finished up!
The little Aussie stick-on flags followed and I really think that they were as welcome as the candy. From one room to another, and about halfway along it became obvious that some sort of class organisation was emerging, culminating in the last room, the senior class obviously, where a class leader called the class to their feet as we entered and, in chorus loud, I was welcomed, 'Good morning Grandfather!' - to the very obvious amusement of Herself at the final emphasis, an amusement that instantly transferred itself to the kids who tittered almost uncontrollably.

What next I wondered when we'd finished and there was still no sign of the real visitors?
There were not enough stickers or candy to start over again and there were still signs of a pending riot if the entertainment did not continue.

We wandered back along the veranda towards the Office again but along the way we were invited into the staff room for a cold Aqua - or two. We passed out candy and flag stickers to the staff who were there and left more on vacant desks for those who were not present. A stilted conversation about Australia and where we were from followed for a while, with a geography lesson using the small printed maps of Oz and Indonesia that I carry for just such an occasion. There are many such occasions in Bali. I think one of the most frequent questions visitors are asked is , 'Where are you from?' and I think it is a question generally asked with sincere curiosity.

Time still ticked on with no sign of the people who were really expected.

The delay made the smaller kidz even more fidgety than we were and they inevitably started to sneak out of their classrooms and peer in at us through the open door of the staff room. To entertain them, and ourselves, I resorted to the finger waggle game which starts off with the hands in the typical prayer position that the kids knew very well. The next step is to bend the two second fingers at right angles, sticking them out right and left, followed by a rotation of the hand keeping both palms in the same flat plane which puts one finger up and the other down. Synchronous waggling of the fingers now is really quite natural but in this position looks most peculiar to an onlooker. Done rapidly so that the eye and mind cannot keep up it seems almost magical but done step by step it's easy to copy, and Balinese kids are great at copying physical movements because it's almost the basis of their physical education lessons.

The 'finger waggle game' at the orphanage.

Soon the kids were racing off to demonstrate their new-found skill to their friends in a  noisy role play that saw the successful ones acting as frustrated teachers to their unsuccessful mates. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed that some of the teachers were also trying their own skills, most surreptitiously, below the level of their desks.

The next step in this entertainment routine that we have is the 'monkey climbing up the tree' finger exercise. This is a different kettle of fish in the possible/impossible scale.
The tip of the right forefinger is placed on the tip of the left thumb. The tip of the left forefinger is placed on the tip of the right thumb.
Simple, right?
The next movement is also simple if you get it right first time. Take the right forefinger off the left thumb, rotate both hands in opposite directions keeping the left forefinger/right thumb in contact. As each hand completes about a half revolution the broken touch of right forefinger/left thumb comes into proximity again and the contact can be restored. Now the other touch is released and another half rotation of the hands can be made, in the opposite direction this time, before restoring the broken touch again.
Simple - until the action is speeded up and the hands also moved upwards from floor level to mimic the monkey climbing the tree.

Now some people can do this and say, 'So what?' Others can do it with a bit of one-on-one tuition, but there are others I think who will never comfortably master the movements and whose frustration becomes the object of hilarity for others.

So it was with the teachers who by now were enjoying themselves at least as much as the kidz.
Some got it, some needed more or less help but one young lady became the one who will never master it. I tried. Her adjacent companion tried. Two guys from across the room came over and tried - but nothing worked. Thankfully she joined in the hilarity but I'll bet it's an attention grabber she will never use in her classroom.
How did you do?

Kermit, the world travelling frog from Her gym
and the grade 6 class at Bontihing school.

It was obvious, when the noise changed out in the school yard, that there was something else attracting the kidz' attention. The real visitors, 'Balibabe' and a group of Bali Rotarians - had arrived. They had been delayed by a flat tyre and other things but their school and personal gifts were familiar to staff and students alike. Our introduction was brief as there was time to be made up and the kidz' excitement to be sated.

Balibabe and 'old' friends at Bontihing school.

Time had passed us by and too soon we had to leave shortly after the distribution of T shirts and school gear began and soon it was time for the orphanage visit with Tini and Richard, but first we had to stock up on pillows to fill out all those pillow cases that people had made for us.  (Here's a link to that story if you're interested.)
This was Tini's territory.

From Rambutan Cottages we had to pass through Singaraja on the way to the orphanage and Tini steered us to the first warehouse where she explained the mission to the boss (I think) who sent workers off in all direction to return with a pillow each for her inspection. Only one came close to the quality she wanted and local bargaining began in a frenzy. After much shaking of her lead Tini pointed to the car and we all followed, leaving a bewildered boss in our wake.
Off to the next place where a similar pattern followed and either the quality or the price did not come up to scratch and off we went once more.

Now' I thought that when we walked off the seller was supposed to follow and agree to our price or make another offer but, to my confusion, this did not happen. To this day I'm not sure if the quality or the price was not up to scratch but whichever, or whatever, it seemed that the wheeling and dealing just stopped in full flight and Tini led us out to the car again.

At the third store the pattern began over again but suddenly we were off to a shed across the road and out from the dusty back came a stream of pillows, all sealed up in airtight plastic bags. Good thing too, I thought, as I dusted centuries of dust off my trousers where I had thoughtlessly sat down for a moment.

As they emerged into the daylight a truck pulled up and they were all loaded in. Perhaps this had been the sticking point before - part of the deal had to be transport out to the orphanage with us! This was good news as our previous escapade out to Negara with fewer pillows purchased from Makro had Herself riding with one eye on the threatening mound of highly unstable pillows packed in behind Her. (And here's a link to that story and pictures too if you're interested.)
Whatever, the deal was made and off we went with the truck in hot pursuit, around the corners and down the steep hill to the orphanage.

As we arrived a group of Rotarians who had brought rice were just leaving. We waited at the front of the yard for them to say their goodbyes in what seemed to be a formal situation and in the silence of their leaving I immediately thought of tired and burnt-out, bum-sore kids for our audience but that thought evaporated when Herself walked in to the assembly room and riotous cheers echoed up the road behind the Rotarians. We were remembered from our visit 2 years previously - and fondly too, it seemed.

Candy to begin the show, balloons to follow, finger exercises and the swapping hands across knees  movements from the old Hokey Pokey that some ancient readers will remember. None of these are difficult unless you're an excited kid. Then the results are hilarious.

The soft toys and games for all followed, hair combs to give a serious breather, Aussie flag stickers, balls of all sorts for all - with some of the kidz who were adept at sleight of hand getting more than one, I think. New blue and white uniforms for two teams given to us by our friendly school mistress Nell back in Oz, and then the pillow cases - the last of those made and donated to us by Bali Travel Forum friends in Oz.
The first one was presented to the Principal and the second one to the Counsellor who also remembered our previous visit and hung around to see the fun again. Then pillow cases for all with the filling to be picked up later on their way back to the dormitories.

Soft toys are the best (even for the boys); balloons; some pillow cases and stacks of pillows.

Then came the main game - - - -

About a month before we left it seemed that we might not get any laptops donated, so a bit of panic set in and I went to our local re-seller and bought two very similar Toshiba models that he had. Nothing spectacular as far as capacity or performance but both with operating systems upgraded from Windows 95 or 98 to Windows Millennium and the 2000 edition of MS Office Suite. Nice software but a real drag on the speed of the poor little chips in these old machines. For a few days I checked them over to make sure they worked without falter, and the charging systems also. I found a mouse for each of them (the little green navigation stick in the middle of the keyboard is a bit sensitive for the indelicacies of learners' fingers, I think) and a carry bag too. Surprisingly the batteries would still hold a charge sufficient for about half an hour to 40 minutes of work using MS Word.
Great for kids learning about computers from the very beginning.

The third almost identical laptop computer which we had upgraded a bit, also came from our friendly head mistress Nell. We thought that this gift would be a practical demonstration of Karma for the kids, their religions in action, rewarding those who did stuff for others by sharing their own gifts, but since the ex-pat who had been tutoring declined to be a part of our circus the karma rewarded the kids instead.

As we don't have computers for all we try to make a strong point that while some may be lucky enough (or clever enough) to win and have their own computer the right thing to do is to share it with their friends. 'Untuk di bagi bagi' is the phrase we've been taught for 'share with others' and the one we repeat as frequently as we can to the kids, after all, we reason, they're all in the same boat and if they help one another life will be that much better for each of them.

Our White Knight in the North, Richard from the Rambutan Cottages was the examiner and I think he found it a bit of an experience.

 
Pick me! Pick me!   Guru Richard tries teaching.

   
Tony Setiawan was the Grand Quiz Champion and Sujiasih was the Girls Champion.

Wira Parwata was the Boys Champion.

And that was about it, including the shouting, apart from the hand-shaking (which the boys love to do biker style with the shake followed by the thumb squeeze and the wrist grip followed by the knuckle punch) and the hand kissing which gets the girls all embarrassed and twittery but they still seem to sort of line up for it.

Eventually we literally staggered out, leaving the Principal and the Counsellor to sort out who would get the uniforms and help the littlies put pillows into cases and warn all about throwing balls near the windows. Some things don't change the world over.

On the way home Tini, who is a Balinese, remember, rocked us with her simple statement, "Thank you for helping my children."
Fortunately Herself was more quick witted than I and smoothly responded, "We think they are our children too, Tini."

The rest of the trip home was quietly reflective.

It was a good afternoon.

You would have enjoyed it too.

Here are some of Richard's photos of these delightful kids with their pillow cases that some generous Aussies might recognise - - - - - -

Tini distributed combs and Herself has hair scrunchies.


Soft toys, balloons and craft thingies.


Aussie flag stickers and more balloons.



Pillowcases, pillowcases and more pillowcases.


Finger games.


The boss wonders what's going on but likes his new uniform.


A bright, shiny blue track suit for the Counsellor and all the rest for the kidz.

 

A SPECIAL LINK - - -

One of the things that impresses us in Lovina is the standard of restaurants and food available to the visitor who asks around and searches around.
Although not to be compared with the 6* establishments of the much larger southern tourist areas, there is more quality than one might expect this far off the normally beaten track.
Here is a special link to the page for FOOD !! and we are happy to include Lovina in it at least for this trip.

Other Links:

* Go on to the story of our trip back along the east coast of Bali including Made's Holy Water.

* Back to the 2007 selection page to move on to another part of our holiday and more about Made.

* Back to our Home Pages for a different selection of information sheets, stories and pictures.

* Bali and the Balinese. Where do these people come from? How have they become the race that they are today?

* Bali Prayers. A daily ritual for a living religion..

* Speak the language. A shirt pocket 'cheat sheet' for every day phrases that will allow you to break the ice.

* The Bali Travel Forum summary. All you ever wanted to know about Bali. The pages that most visitors to our pages are looking for.

* The on-going source of up-to-date Bali information, The Bali Travel Forum. Ask your questions here and get personal answers.