Tony arrived happily on the 22nd Feb and we moved to Iluh’s bungalow on the beach for our last 6 days in Bali.
Although I loved the setting of my original bungalow, it was time to make a change and be closer to the sea. Every morning we went snorkeling, exploring further afield, including one day when we swam from Jemeluk Beach out to the headland and along the coastline to Bunutan (about a kilometer). After lunch and an afternoon siesta, we often went snorkeling again in the late afternoon.
We felt more engaged with the local villagers. Children swam and played in the water after school. Men fished off shore. Others went out fishing in their boats. Women sat and talked. Babies cried. On Sunday a group of men sat on the beach and drank Arak and became quite jovial. It was life as it is in a normal fishing village in Bali.
Tony went fishing one afternoon with Komang in his father’s boat; they didn’t catch any fish but were entertained by a dozen or so dolphins!
My retreat in Bali has now come to an end, but I have learned to embrace change and not feel sad or disappointed when something good ends. It’s all part of life. Nothing lasts forever and the more we try to hold on to things that we are attached to, the easier they seem to slip away. So, my lesson is: let go and embrace each new moment. I have discovered that living moment to moment is the key to inner peace. For this very moment is all there is and it is life. As I practice this thing called “living in the now,” I value what is taking place and experience the joy of simple things like eating a scrumptious mango or watching people engaged in activity, or writing this blog entry.
If you want to follow my journey to Thailand, please go to my profile on the right and look for the Thailand Blog! See you there!!!
Farewell Bali!
