I left Melbourne 9am on 25/4/12. This pic is flying over Uluru. The pilot kindly dipped the aircraft so we got a good view. I can now say I've seen it.
Most of Australia looks something like this though.
Got the visa-on-arrival okay and managed to avoid an issue with customs, which I'll tell you about another time. First night I spent in a posh $20 per day hotel, and now I'm staying in the compound with the folk workimg on the project.
Below is the land we'll be design and building on. It is rocky land on the top of a hill, 1km from the south facing beach. I guess it's about 8,800m2 in area, with steeply sloping treed areas on the south and east sides.
So far we've done some survey work, measuring the site, slope, features, vegetation etc. We had a walk around with Pak Manu yesterday. He gave us great info on how it was farmed 20 years ago. They used to grow peanuts, casava, corn local beans, soya beans, yam, papaya, vannila, tomatoes. They stopped doing all this I think because it was easier to earn a living from tourism.
There's about 10 volunteers, with varying permaculture experience. Some will be camping here soon.
A lady keeps a five cows on the property now.
There's lots of a tree lucerne called Gamal, which the lady 'chops and drops' as fodder for the cows. It's mostly about waist high growing up from suckers just like Tagasaste. This pic shows another legume, a bit like a Gleditsia. There's also trees which look like Black Wattles, so there's lots of nitrogen fixing going on.
I've hired a 110cc scoota, as you do in Bali. It's hairy on the roads at first, but everyone is very gracious. There's not much in the way of road rules. I'm getting used to just pulling out of intersections any time and merging with the constant flow of bikes, and overtaking cars and trucks at will. The roads are narrow, so the average speeds of 40km seem quite fast. At this pace it feels safe enough.
The pic below is typical. That's my bike at the petrol station. 50c per litre bottle.
This is in Jimbaran, where I went back yesterday evening for an amazing fish dinner.
Your typical shopping centre car park. This is at the big Carrefour supermarket where me and another new volunteer stocked up on the basics. Its funny how you start quibbling whether something's 100,000rp or 120,000rp until you remember that's an AU$2 difference. Cheap meals at the street side warrungs are 6000 to 1200rp for a Nasi Goreng. That's 60c to $1.20! No Bali belly so far.
And this is the hidden beach close to our permi property, facing the Indian Ocean to the south.
Saturday the crew celebrated Estella's birthday with a meal, continuing into the evening at a local bar.
This is what you can do for fun in Nusa Dua, towed by a speed boat til you take off. There was so many, plus parachutes, I'm amazed they don't collide.
Kuta is mostly like this though. It goes on and on and in and in
Three wise monkeys. I think this guy wants my camera.
Hey Ben, you'd like the restaurant toilets!
Another one for Ben. My friend Mr Hermit.
A quick and easy feed at the road side wurung for 10,000rp ($1)
