Morning

The morning begins with birdsong.  Like clockwork.  6 am and the birds erupt in a cacophony of chirping, screeching, cooing, and exotic singsong patterns.  Just before the sun.  It is a wonderful way to awaken.  We sit on our porch while the air is fresh and watch the day begin.  Still quiet.  Soon though all the workers are out in the gardens sweeping fallen leaves, putting out the pool cushions, vacuuming the pool.  Yesterday they trimmed the trees and all the shrubs.  We came back to our second story porch only to realize the tree that had grown so high and lush since our last trip had once again been cut way back.  Instead of a bright green tree we now have a bifurcated trunk with a few green leaves to look at.  But, it also gave us a direct view to the sacred stratovolcano Mount Agung, the highest point on the island.   It dominates the horizon.  I love seeing it.  An hour or so after sunrise the clouds obscure the apex and it is no longer visible.  The loss of the tree was shocking, but the view of the mountain was our reward.  By 8 am it is too hot to be in the sun.  By 10 am it is brutal.  By 1pm we are usually back in our room, the A/C on high.  It is just so damn hot.  It drains you of all energy.  Even the pool feels too hot sometimes.  I got so stir crazy yesterday that we finally went across the street to a small cafe and had cuppachino and pastry.  Played with the little puppy.   Then back to the pool.  The days seem to play out in a similar pattern.  Awake with the birds, one of the girls bring coffee up to our room.  Then we swim some laps before anyone else is in the pool.  Shower, and breakfast after 9 when most people have gone off on their day trips.  After breakfast we carry our iced lemongrass tea back to our room and make a plan.  Usually go for a walk along the pathways, see the ducks, say hallo to some locals we recognize, buy something at the market, look at textiles or clothes along the way, then return to our room drenched from walking in the heat.  Read, write, swim... Evenings we meet with friends, take a driver to town, eat wonderful food, wander the streets and look in shops.  It is so much nicer to shop at night.  Not as hot, but still hot enough that the sweat is running down my neck and chest.  We always want a table beneath a ceiling fan.  Cold beers are like water.  Lots of different cultures here, many languages being spoken.  Some nights we skip going to town and walk with our flashlites down the paths to our old favorite Lala and Lily's.  We saw a small cobra on the path the other night.  A local farmer came along and we showed it to him.  He just happened to have a long handled scythe in his hand.  We moved along.  I don't think he killed it.  He just grunted and watched it for a while.  The crickets have now come to life, their chirping loud.  It is 8:05 and too hot to sit outside on our porch any longer.  Coffee finished, the same soft Balinese music emanating from our restaurant, it is time for a swim.