Bali

Bali, “positively dreamy,” as my friend Glen once put it. I remember those words from him long before I had ever set foot in this paradise. Now I know what he means. Dreamy . . .a connotation of the far-away, reflective, pensive and distant. Bali IS what it is - not only due to it’s immense beauty, but also because of its inhabitants. The Balinese define “island-time.” It is what Bali is about. Even the crackberry addicted ipod toting techie cannot help but be taken over by the persona of this little jewel of the South Pacific. They are a people like none other, hardworking and intentional, quiet and peaceful, giving and honorable. I found myself tempted to call it quits, buy a villa in Ubud, become a mango farmer and live out “dreamy” faster than I could give away my laptop.

The cuisine is all that you would expect . . fusions of Thai, Indian & Malay, appealing to even the toughest of critics. The diving is truly unparalleled, crystal blue water and densely populated marine life. The land is picturesque as any other, from the terraced rice fields, to the palm laden beachfronts and the traditional architecture. These influences on the mind of the visitor all contribute to how every guest feels about setting foot in this island paradise.

Eight days were certainly not enough, but urban life calls the city girl home. Taking home bits of Bali was absolutely crucial to me and even now, when I catch a glimpse of the dancing faces of my wooden masks, my bowl of black volcanic beach rocks, my sculpted silver butterflies or even the amazing art and jewelry I brought home with me, I take a little “dreamy” vacation in my mind and remember the fondness for the far-away, the reflective, the pensive, the distant home I have in that little nation that all crackberries should see as a pilgrimage.

Bai Pai Thai Cooking

Oh Thai Food ! I've come home. I think my mother must have eaten Thai food during most of her pregnancy. This is the only explanation since I look nothing like a Thai. Since I'm ordering it much of the time at home in San Francisco, I figured I would give Thai cooking school a whirl. Its quite a feat to learn about all the spices and roots used in Thai cuisine. Our teacher was a wonderful, adorable Thai woman with the sweetest voice and demeanor. I have to say, galangal is my favorite. It is used in my favorite Thai dish - Tom Ka Kai - which is a spicy chicken soup with a coconut milk base and an aroma that encompasses all that is so irresistable about Thai spice. I learned to make it (along with various other dishes) during my time at Bai Pai. We actually made our own fresh coconut milk from whole coconuts...no cans allowed in Thailand!! Only the freshest of ingredients are "suitable" for the art and magic of Thai cuisine. It is an art that is taken seriously not only in taste, but in presentation. It is considered finery from the raw ingredients to the table and the Thai's never fail to deliver the best to all 5 senses !

The Floating Market

Fruit fruit and fruit galore. Imagine, rowing along a narrow canal, seeing a fully equipped longtail boat spit roaster, a canoe filled array of colorful orchids, a full boat load of 5 pound mangos. . . A little bit of heaven for me of course. What was once a true form of conventional Thai market, the floating market has morphed into a modern "working" market for the tourists. While tourism is a lovely benefit for the wonderful Thai people, it has taken over as a personality in many of the time-honored rituals of Siam. Traditionally, floating markets were easy ways to get products from the remote villages to a denser concentration of buyers up-river. The results of fruit filled boats floating up the river was a panorama of color and texture, bartering and selling, all the typical noises in a crazy market with an added twist of beauty. Years ago, as tourism started to flourish in this exotic country, the scenes of the water borne trading was just the sight an adventurous traveler strove to find. Today, a working market all the same, much of the trading is strictly done for the benefit of the onlooker, both in sight and hopefully in currency. The purity of the market remains, but the scene is packed with foreigners and cameras capturing a bit of the past in every photograph. I’ll never forget my canal trip down into the market. Excitement at every turn, and pure elation as I saw the mango boat approach. TWENTY BAHT yelled the mango lady as I had to decide between the grabbing the wallet or snapping the picture - considering I needed to hold on in the rocking boat. our “Row-master” was kind enough to pull aside and temporarily dock with the mango boat so she could cut me a fresh one to accompany my sticky rice. Twenty baht (50 cents) well spent.