we've just returned from a week in Sanur and I couldn>t help thinking of how Bali has changed since our first visit in 1978, the Balinese all wore national dress ,there were very few cars , mainly cherolets old holdens and huge american cars, hundreds of push bikes, not too many motor bikes and a lot of horse drawn carts. It was early September and the weather was very hot and humid. This time it was quite cool windy and the surf was huge.the pace then was so much slowerand the sellers closed up their stalls and had a sleep sensible.we stayed at the Gazebo Hotel in sanur and the gardens were beautiful and the staff so friendly. In those days people travelled in a group tour, Travelling on the sameflight and staying together at the same hotel. We went on different tours , up to see the volcano Kintamani by bus Ulawatu and a Barong dance and feast , suckling pig and generally did everything together. I found it a huge culture shock when we first landed on the middle of the tarmack and had to walk down stepsunderthe hard eyes of the armed police ,or were they army. It was frightening. Once we had got through custms, it was out of the airport and into the throng of smiling drivers with their vans taking us into the traffic , heat sm ell of clove cigs, jungle brilliant colours of bougainvilleas and perfume of frangipani , It quite took my breath away. i miss the watch sellers and the men with their trays of rings and shells but I believe they have been banned from selling i n the beach,There are a lot more four wheel drives , huge hotels and many large houses but the difference between the very rich and the very poor is much more evident.Buthe Balinesepeople remain the same, still making their daily offerings returning to their villages for religous ceremonies, weaving their baskets , painting dancing and conducting themselves in the same manner for hundreds of years I seem to have raved on a bit didn"t mean to. I like everyone still enjoy shoppin g there having my nails done and getting a wonderful massage but I enjoy the other side of Bali and love staying up in the mountains. enough,