Adventures of a Tribe

Beyond excited!

Posted on October 24, 2017 Updated on October 24, 2017

I’m not sure what words to use to describe just how excited we are – maybe ecstatic? Thrilled? Coruscating? What ever it is, we are far beyond it because my mom will be arriving for a 2 month visit, on Friday night.The last time we were all together was when we still lived aboard Tanda Malaika and were in Puerto Rico last year.

She may be 70, but she has a young soul and has as much energy and spunk as anyone I know. The creatures call her Ouma, because that means grandmother in Afrikaans, to me, she’s Mommy, but really she’s an Angel.

Danny has been gone for 8 1/2 weeks now, and will be gone about 3 more. We have to make sure we FaceTime periodically so we don’t forget what each other looks like…We miss him very much and can’t wait for his return.

Our final day of exploring West Bali was a wet one, and we had many miles to cover.
We passed by some flooded rice paddies that, as always, were so picturesque.

It fascinates me how they are irrigated. Rice requires so much water – on average it takes 1432 liters of water to produce 1 kg of rice. Irrigated rice consumes about 40% of the worlds irrigation water (about 30% of the worlds fresh water resources.)

Land is terraced to allow easy flow of water, and continuous flooding provides the best environment for growth. The constant flow also cuts down on the amount of weeds.

We stopped at a lookout where we enjoyed a beautiful view of twin lakes, Buyan and Tamblingan.

Close by, were fields of small red chillies,

lettuce, cabbage and tomatoes.

A beautiful farmer worked skillfully and swiftly through her crops.

I am always amazed at how hard working the Balinese women are. Their jobs are every bit as difficult as the mens. Here, another farmer holds rice stalks in her hands, shaking loose the individual rice grains.

We’ve also passed by women – many in their old age, carrying large cinder blocks on their heads up uneven staircases and down winding paths.

Our dear friends, Erika and Ian, revisited visited Huahine, and sent us these photos of Tanda Malaika. She is perched in a beautiful spot with an amazing view, and will be a gentleman’s home on land.

Thank you so much Erika and Ian for sending us these. I have to admit I shed a few tears when I saw them, but in some way it brings some closure, knowing where she is and it definitely beats seeing her broken down and in a dumpster.