Our Balinese Homestay

Little Pond Homestay

 From the moment we touched down in Denpassar, and took a taxi through the winding streets to the town of Sanur, we knew we'd want to stay awhile. And after a few hectic weeks, it felt like a good time to put down some (shallow) roots.  For the last several days, this has been our home in Bali.  It's charming, tidy, and quiet.  The amenities are simple, hence the price tag of only 90,000 rupiah / $11.
Our showers are cold, and we rely on a fan for cooling.  Though every room is equipped with air con, we decided to save a little money.  The main reason we're able to do this is the mirror-calm pool just steps away from our room, shaded by lovely trees.  We take a dip a couple times a day, luxuriating in the liquid cool. When we exit the gate each day, one of us invariably bumps into the mangoes, hanging green and pendulous.

Sanur beach

One night I woke up certain we were in the midst of an earthquake, my sleepy self trying to remember what you're supposed to do.  It has rained every day, but usually for only a couple of hours.  Locals blame global warming and lament that this weather is bad for business.  Oddly, tourists do tend to scatter at the sight of a sombre cloud, despite the tropical temperatures.  One morning we perched in an open air cafe as the sky darkened, the ocean roiling and seething.  A few errant drops of rain blew in, sprinkling us, and the staff rushed over to close the roll-down bamboo shutters.  We assured them we were fine, and would rather have the view!  

Gado Gado with peanut sauce

Our list of new favorite foods continues to grow.  While it may seem that I only report on my own meals, this is only due to Aron's tendency to fall in love with the first dish he has in a place.  For example, curry & roti in Kota Kinabalu, murtabak in Singapore and now chicken or beef satay skewers in Bali.  Last night, I convinced him it was time to move on, if only for a day.  His dinner was Beef Rendang, meat stewed in coconut milk and Sumatran spices.  Mine was Gado Gado.  It seems I have finally found the 6-8 servings of fruit & vegetables recommended by the Canadian Food Guide all in one dish!  Gado Gado is lightly steamed vegetables rolled in cabbage, with a boiled egg, tempeh and beancurd on the side.  It doesn't get healthier than that, other than the generous serving of peanut sauce for dipping.

eating at a typical warung on the beach

Aside from the Golden Arches I alluded to before, there is a local version of fast food. About the only similarity between Balinese "fast food" and ours is the alacrity with which your order is filled. Tiny warungs resembling a hot dog cart cluster out on the beach or on the street.  These tend to offer only one or two dishes from the list of Indonesian staples.  For around $1.50 you can pick between nasi goreng (fried rice), mie goreng (fried noodles), satays, roasted corn-on-the-cob, or soto ayam (chicken ball soup).  There is one hitch:  I now have my hands full keeping the two of us a safe distance away from the fried banana warung!  Brown paper bags are filled to the brim for $0.75 while the owner's mother is trying to keep up with the dredging, battering and frying of bananas & other delicacies.