Extending my trip from Bali?

Actually, no. I just wanted to see if I could make my mother's heart skip one last time before I made my way back to the continental US.....

....quite the opposite, actually. It's official. I've booked my flight home from my American arrival point of LA back to the home grounds of Des Moines.

[Mom, I can actually hear your sigh of relief from here as you read this. My congratulations!]

[Sister #2, I can actually see your disgust/disappointment for not extending my trip another month as you read this. My regrets.]

So here is how my final itinerary pans out:

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Northwest Airlines NW022
Depart Bangkok --- 11/22/2008 6:00am
Arrive Tokyo --- 11/22/2008 2:25pm

Northwest Airlines NW002
Depart Tokyo --- 11/22/2008 3:45pm
Arrive Los Angeles --- 11/22/2008 9:25am

US Airways 332
Depart Los Angeles --- 11/24/08 6:30am
Arrive Phoenix --- 11/24/08 8:54am

US Airways 2816
Depart Phoenix --- 11/24/08 10:04am
Arrive Des Moines --- 11/24/08 1:58pm

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And that's how and when it all will all end. Coe, if you're free at 2pm on the 24th, I'll openly welcome a cruise in the minivan with you back to the 'burbs of the big city.

Now, it's back to Bali. Gotta cram in as much as I can in the next 8 days here. I'll get some pictures up in due time, but for now, an overview in a few words: I think you could stay here forever. The place seems to have it all: beach, jungle, mountain/volcano trekking, diving, shopping, wining/dining, you name it.

Tuesday (yesterday), I set off on my own after renting a motorbike for the day. The cost? 30,000 Rupiah. The translation? 3 US Dollars. Gas, of course, was additional.....a whopping 15,000 Rupiah (a.k.a. a buck fifty) to fill the tank for the day. I went on a cruise to the north part of the sizable island, passing through village after village, each lined with woodshops and craftshops. For anyone out there building a home and searching for items to decorate your interior, look no further than this place.... Large, hand-carved and hand-stained statues (say, 3 or 4 feet in height) can be yours for anywhere from $US 20 to 40. Incredible. And the quality of these pieces is insane. If only I had bags big enough to cart some of this stuff home.

I also made my way through several rice patties/terraces that comprise the country's interior, sandwiched in between layers and layers of thick jungle. Along the road, you constantly see women walking from market to market, carting anything they can as cargo atop their heads---baskets of fresh produce, woodcrafts, and one woman even had several bundles of fresh, green herbs so peacefully resting on her noggin as she walked down the road. Now that's talent.

And the people here, incredible. Once you find your way outside of the main tourist area, where souvenir vendors are hawking everything from fake designer sunglasses, purses, non politically-correct t-shirts, and jewelry, the people are truly genuine. Everywhere I stopped along my cruise yesterday, I was offered a kind hello and the infamous "Where are you from?" opening inquiry. And as it has been for most of my trip, once I responded "America, 9 out of 10 locals reply with an excited "Oh! Obama, yes!!". I think the world has been delighted by our recent election. Receiving this reaction is a warm change from the reaction I may have received earlier in my travels when stating, almost hesitantly, that I was American.

So, I had an excellent day yesterday, traveling through the countryside. The only downer was getting caught in a heavy downpour last night, 1 1/2 hours from the part of the island I've called home the past two nights. It sure made for a more interesting time trying to navigate my way home in a foreign land once it was cold, dark, pissing down rain, and roads partially flooded. However, the nice spray of warm water in the face when cars passed actually became something I looked forward to....

Off today to view some temples. Photos to come later!

Adios. Ck.