Hiking Batur

Well, being a Colorado girl, I can honestly say that the hike was indeed that – up steep switchbacks and carefully stepping among loose, sharp volcanic rock. However, I am proud to say that their 3-hour hike ended up being 1 hour 50 minutes for me. They said I am very strong! At the top we viewed not only the steam rising from middle earth (!), but across the way was Agung and the largest lake in Bali. All around the base of the volcano were crops as far as I could see, taking advantage of the rich soil. There were rows and rows of chili peppers, tomatoes, squash, green beans, big fat heads of cabbage, a little bit of corn and did I say chili peppers? People working the fields and a boy with a metal drum on his back spraying all with DDT. Yes, it is used prevalently here. In fact, when talking to Made, my driver, he mentioned that the average life span here is sixty five. His father died of cancer at 47 and he also told me about a few widows (now in their late 20s) in his community whose husbands died in their mid 20s, cancer again. And in Bali you are married for life, so the widows do honor to the family by never marrying again. Yeow! Perhaps cancer is so widespread from the use of toxic chemicals like DDT. Perhaps from all the MSG they use when cooking in the small roadside stalls. He seems to have no animosity to the government that it doesn’t care or do anything in regard to citizen safety along those lines. I told him that I saw on the internet that China just lent $2 billion to Indonesia for infrastructure, and he said the people might see about 20 or 30 percent of that. The rest will go into peoples’ pockets. A different way of life and acceptance, that’s for sure. Being Hindu, there’s a lot of “acceptance” (resignation?) that way. An hour and 15 minute drive back to town for a much-needed shower, a mellow lunch and into an internet cafe with broadband to upload pictures. Bad news, though. It seems that it will take about 20 minutes per photo, and I have neither the patience (upstairs in the steambath), nor the desire to spend money that way (could have another massage instead!). So, you’ll all have to wait until I arrive in California, or more likely, back home, for the appropriate postings. Some beautiful ones to share, I think. Packing up this afternoon….next stop, Sulawesi! Excited to be diving one of my dream destinations, although my body is fighting off a nasty sinus cold. We’ll see – even just snorkeling will be incredible, I’m sure. “til later….