Despite the concern about Declan's stomach, as he had had a good night it was agreed that we would all go to Negara on Thursday. This was only our third day in Bali and, just quietly, I was looking for a rest already.
We needed two vehicles again so Wayan loaded up all the bags of stuff and the computers and the roll of maps and Herself. She was enjoying the chance to talk to Wayan in a one-on-one situation and he is always happy to yak away, much more ready to open out into conversation than is Made.
I think Made is a bit concerned about his fluency in English and his conversation is consequently stilted and hesitant at times. Since I'm a better listener than talker I'd rather travel in peace and be able to ask questions whenever I wanted to know something. The arrangements suited me fine.
The two girls and the three grandies travelled with me in Made's Suzuki van so my hopes for a quiet rest were just not to be but everyone else was happy and of course little Made Maeve was overjoyed to be right behind her new man-friend and leant forward to chatter away in Made's ear non-stop until she fell asleep. I'm sure that it would have driven me to distraction but Made seemed to love it and occasionally he'd sneak his hand around his seat and tickle her feet.
The trip to the orphanage usually takes about 3 hours with no stops. I expected we'd have a few today to give Declan some fresh air and a chance to walk around. I tried to keep his mind distracted from his stomach. I kept up a stream of information as we went past the turn-offs to the surf beaches around Canggu (His father is an enthusiastic surfer and I was able to convince him he could say he had been to beaches that his dad had only heard about.) Made takes the back road short cuts through this part of the trip and there are several examples of the work of the Subaks (local water councils) right next to the roads. The rice fields, especially as you get nearer Tabanan just seem to get greener and greener. Tales of the subak channels, of tunnels through the solid rock of mountain ridges to the valley on the other side, of men crawling through these to work at the digging face, of meeting sheltering snakes in the semi-darkness of the morning, of the old farmers who derived all of their sustenance from the rice fields and the animals, the fish, the snails, the frogs and other reptiles that lived in the sawah, all kept Declan at least quiet as we went through the twists and turns towards Antosari.
On the downhill run after we had turned that sharp left at Antosari, the tales turned back to the surfing beaches of Soka and the long black sand beach that stretches some 30 or so kilometres towards that other revered surfing beach at Medewi.
I'm not sure if Declan followed the geography lesson about the ocean swells that feed these beaches, rolling all the way from the east coast of Africa, past the bottom of India and curling around Indonesian Java before pounding onto these volcanic shores, but at least it seemed to keep him quiet - and we didn't have to stop. The girls went quiet after a while too, but I think maybe I just put them to sleep, along with Made Maeve. Maybe Declan was asleep too. I never turned around to check, thinking it best to keep my eye on driver Made in case he began to nod off.
If you've never driven this road I really recommend it to you. There will be no doubt that you are still in Bali but it is a different Bali, one of straighter roads, clearly defined little villages, of flat open paddocks where ‘sapi sou sou' (milking cows) graze around vegetable gardens on one side of the road and rice, bananas and coconut palms rise up the lower slopes of the central mountains on the other side.
Although I was a bit dry in the throat it really seemed no time before Made was driving down the main street of Negara, doing the U turn and then a left into the orphanage driveway. The old sign is still at the entrance, with the same lean to the left and the scabby paint that seems to have deteriorated so far and said, ‘Enough!' It's further to go down the driveway now, past the previous two iterations of the kid's home, but when the new building comes into sight it seems the clouds have parted.
I would say it was in shades of orange (well, it was mainly or totally Dutch funded) with white trim and it is eye-catching. What a change!
Photos here in the web page.
The Helen Flavel English School bus from Singaraja was there and Syd, my e-mail friend from Japan stood head and shoulders above the throng. What a long lean streak of hairless pump water he is, but full of kindness and consideration! Our meeting was brief as we had business to do and he, having finished his business, was shortly to head out on the drive back to the north where he also has more people anxious for his help. Brief the meeting may have been but memorable after so many years of wondering.
We all, even Maeve, got into distribution mode and Chupa Chups and balloons were followed by Teddy Bears (Hell, this is my page so I'll call them Golliwogs and be damned!). Other gifts followed, stuffed toys and hard toys, caps, hats and clothes, the roll of maps. (‘No', was the swift answer about their home perhaps being better in the local school.) Then 20Kg of black rice for Dalbiardi who loves the rare treat of black rice pudding and coconut cream, a small bag of both black and red rice for the Hindu student leaders (It's prized as a special addition in their daily religious offerings, those little woven palm baskets you will see at shrines all over Bali.), and then the little printed maps of Australia and Indonesia so that the geography quiz could begin. One computer we had earmarked for Titok, the son of Dalbiardi and Rini, who lives in the orphanage with his parents, surely a unique situation that warrants a bit of special treatment. The others were won by four of the kids who had to nominate two of their friends to share the prize. ‘Untuk di bagi bagi' - ‘share with others' - was the catch-cry of the moment.
Photos here in the web page.
The kids, mainly juniors as the older ones were not yet back from school.
Wayan Eloise, in the blue dress and purple hat, was instantly right at home with her new friends.
Eventually it was time for the grand tour of the new edifice. All of the others seemed to be well equipped with several guides, friendships made at the balloon distribution stage, I think, and tightly gripped hands not to be released for longer than a few seconds until it was time to go. I stood alone for just a moment before Elisabet claimed me and away we went.
Inside the colours were similar to the outside and the brown wooden double bunk beds matched in nicely. These, with two mattresses, 4 pillows and two full sets of linen cost a bit over Aus$200 at the exchange rate prevailing.
Photos here in the web page.
So far furnishing has started on the girls dorm (the new building) only and by the end of the year when the boys dorm should be finished even more will be needed. If you think that one of these bunks might be a worthy project for your social or sporting group of friends then e-mail Loren at <lorijg at rocketmail dot com> (he probably won't speak to me now I've given his e-mail address to all the world) and get his bank account details. I really do think he'll welcome your contact and I'm absolutely sure that 4 kids will love you for it. Give Loren plenty of time to answer as he flits between teaching duties in Java, organising help at Negara and home in Western Australia.
Three of our clan, being involved in the professional side of cooking, were interested in the kitchen, of course. Sufficient to say there is no new kitchen yet and these facilities raised considerable comment on the ride home and subsequently.
Photos here in the web page.
The kitchen. Don't you just love it?