Finding Ourselves...........

 Finding ourselves back on the path I stopped to admire this banana flower, Bali is like a gigantic fruit salad bowl, everywhere one looks another ripe and delectable fruit dangles in front of your eyes, tempting you to taste another delicacy of mother natures thriving larder.. 

 Further along the path I stopped to take a closer look at this tree, it seemed to be laden with hundreds of miniature apples. 

 Lita and I were completely astounded by this tree, neither of us had any idea whether or not the fruit was edible, and as appealing as it seemed we passed on the urge to try them.

 As the early afternoon sun began to filter through the branches warming us we entered the last village before crossing the river and returning home, it was here that I stumbled across a most fascinating statue. 

A Ogoh-ogoh monster......

 I was enthralled at the detail of this Ogoh-ogoh monster, it is made entirely by hand by the villagers, once a year Bali has a day of silence, on this day all the evil spirits of the village are drawn to the Ogoh-ogoh monster after an exorcism ceremony.

 On this day no one is allowed to speak, work, watch TV, listen to radios, all must be silent, it is in the silence that the demons will be drawn to their fate,purifying the village of all evil forces.

 I was so impressed with the realistic face of this Ogoh-ogoh monster, and thought what a fright I would get if I encountered it in the dark of night, it was somehow confronting to stand beneath such a dominating beast.

I was told that it is normal that the Ogoh-ogoh monsters are burnt the day after the ceremony, I for one was delighted that this one slipped through, it gave me once again another intimate glimpse into 'the real' Bali, not the tourist driven locations that depict an entirely different image of Bali.

 So what was I to encounter next you may well wonder.

Why the petrol station of course................