I gaze out onto the vast blue expanse of the Indian Ocean from my seat in Nasa’s Warring (local restaurant) on Balangan Beach in south Bali. Wow, what an adventure. In the last six weeks we have walked on white sand beaches, black sand beaches, rock pebble beaches, crushed coral and shell beaches on the east, north, west and south coasts. We have been swimming, snorkeling and surfing. We have hiked through the jungle amongst the Cocoa trees, the Vanilla bean trees, the Bamboo, the Clove, the Papaya, the Mango, the Avocado, the Rambutan and the Banana trees. The rich earthy smell titillating our nostrils. We have felt the charged power of the waterfalls in Les and gleefully rocked,rolled and splashed our way down the Agung, white river rafting. We have played with cheeky monkeys and rode on the back of elephants. Do you know how a she elephant teases a he elephant? With her trunk of course! And guess where.
It is the rainy season. The warm rain cooling the burning heat of the Bali sun. Swimming in the rain. Laughing in the rain. Riding scooters in the rain. Vroom, vroom up and down the steep, winding mountain roads. Along narrow coastal routes with stunning ocean views. Praying and maneuvering our way through the hazardous, horrendous and smelly traffic of the cities. Off we went to visit villages, markets, temples. Villages specialize in one trade. They make bricks or weave, are woodcarvers or silversmiths. They make kites, are renown for painting or Batik to name just a few. Their remarkable crafts are acclaimed worldwide. Many are farmers. They cultivate rice, corn, vegetables, ceremonial flowers, fruit, etc. They have chickens, cows, pigs and goats. Everywhere chicks, piglets, kid goats and calves bleet, peep, snort and moo as they chomp, peck and scratch for food along the side of the road. Adorable, but be ready to use your brakes. In Nusa (island) Lembongan their specialty is the cultivation and farming of seaweed. All done by hand. Carrageen, the final product, is used in ice cream to make it smooth and creamy. The average monthly salary is $70.
We attended an elaborate ceremony for protection against evil spirits (always handy) in a huge underground cave in Nusa Penida. We trekked Mt. Rinjani in Lombok, the second highest volcanic mountain in Indonesia at 3700 meters. A three day, two night trekking adventure with our wonderful guide Macho. We camped on the crater rim at 2700m on the thinnest of mats but warm inside our tent and sleeping bag. Seven hours of trekking a day. The views majestic, the hot springs by the crater lake divine, the sunrises awe-inspiring. Above the clouds, in pristine nature the stillness is spiritual. I was sore for three days afterwards. Lol. We even partied all night long in wild and crazy Kuta for Anthony’s 23rd birthday. Dan and I were the oldest ones there. OMG, LMAO, WTF. Party On! We have met people from Australia, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. Russians, Japanese and Swedes, South Africans, Americans and even some Canadians who know people we know! I have met beautiful young people who give me hope for a better world and many over 50 free spirits livin’ it up with less. I have been warmly received by the the Balinese people, their children, their families. Treated graciously with kindness and dignity. My heart is full.
I have done the book reading meditation, the wave watching meditation, the trekking Mt. Rinjani meditation, the sitting and waiting meditation and finally, the stillness meditation. I have settled into a peaceful, quiet, worry-free heart and mind. To get there I had to make friends with a host of unsettling feelings and annoying habitual thought patterns. It is easy to say surrender but for some of us letting go of controlling is a tough, uncomfortable even scary process. I had dreams that dredged up old, disturbing feelings. Who knew I had so many. Lol. Many of us avoid stopping and resting for fear of what might arise. How it might hurt us. You can’t let go until you face, forgive and accept. In the end, no matter how you cut it, each one of us is fully responsible for ourselves; our thoughts, our feelings, our actions, our choices, our lives. The deeper you go, the more courageous you are, the more loving kindness you have for yourself, the more you let go, the freer you will be, the more peaceful, happy and empowered. It is worth the effort. So let go of wanting to be loved, of needing approval, of trying to please. Let go of worrying what others will think and say. Let go of comparing, of judging, of complaining. Let go of the anger, of vengeful feelings, of worry and sadness. Stop manipulating others and lying to yourself. Open your eyes and see the truly magnificent soul that you are. Take a deep breath and allow yourself to gently release the burden. Let life be what it is and has been. Surrender You can do it. I am. Allow your light to shine.
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