Finally I have time to go back and complete my narrative about my trip in Bali. If you haven’t read the first part, you can go to the Home Page, to the Archives on the right column, and click on April 07 to begin the whole trip, from Hawaii to Japan. Or you can go to May 07 and scroll down to May 11, 2007 (disregard the dates in gray) —Arriving in Bali— for the first entry of the Bali trip. Then of course scroll UP from there, for subsequent entries.

Lest you think that only good things happened to me when I was traveling, I will pause to tell you about a bad day in Bali. But first, because our present is inextricably built upon our past, I’ll begin by telling you about a Bad Day in Buenos Aires. Both bad days had to do with credit cards.

I won’t tell you about why I went to Buenos Aires, because it would take too long to explain the hairy relationship between my mother and her sister (who lived in Buenos Aires) and all nine of the other siblings and my grandparents (who during the pogrom in Poland were either wiped out or scattered to Israel, America, and South America) and the fact that my mother rarely talked to any of them (ostensibly because they were all so awful, but I could never tell whether it was them or her, since I didn’t know them) and why I grew up hardly knowing any of those relatives, nor hardly any of my father’s relatives (same ostensibles) including his nine siblings and my other grandparents.

But that might be enough background to explain why my aunt, who was practically on her deathbed, suddenly found me on the internet and wanted to meet me so badly that she sent me the money to come and visit her. That was about five years ago.

Nor will I go into the hairy relationship between my aunt and her two children, and how the main reason I wanted to go to Buenos Aires was to meet her daughter, my cousin, who was my age, who been alienated from her mother as I had been from mine, and how my aunt tried to prevent this from happening, and, once she realized I was determined to meet her daughter, tried to prevent me from coming to Buenos Aires.

So you can see that that whole trip was not exactly a holiday, which helps to explain why I did not have my head on straight that day.

The whole time I was in Buenos Aires, people kept warning me about how I should carry my backpack and my fanny pack in front of my body, and be very careful to protect myself against people who would try to steal from me.

I had only one credit card (a good thing under different circumstances) and I was feeling extremely concerned about how my whole life was tied up in that one tiny piece of plastic. What if I lost it, or it was stolen?

I’m sure you’ve heard about how negative thoughts, especially repetitious thoughts, tend to create the reality that we fear. They act like a mantra that feeds the subconscious, instructing it to produce precisely that which we fear. Especially when we construct complex images of the fear scenarios, and infuse them with powerful negative emotions, we are doing exactly what movies like “The Secret” teach us to do, in reverse.

In more recent times, I have learned to reprogram my subconscious, and whenever I notice a negative thought creep through my mind, I just say “cancel” and it goes away. It really works!

But I didn’t know about that five years ago, and there I was, busily creating that nasty reality for myself, just by obsessing about it.

It was a Sunday, and I was out walking alone. I was feeling rather clever because, just by looking at the map, I found this gorgeous park; very lush, with elegant fountains and sensual sculptures. Buenos Aires is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and this park was on an extremely wide street, across from the financial district, which may account for why the park was practically deserted on the weekend.

This was my second-to-last day in the city, and I was enjoying a nice leisurely walk through all the greenery when something went SPLAT on my head and back. I looked up into the tree just as two women came rushing up from behind me, and they pointed up into the tree, saying “Pajaro! Pajaro!” which means bird, and they were sympathetically pulling tissues out of their purses, kindly cleaning this awful smelly stuff off my hair and clothing.

This was awfully thoughtful of them, but after awhile I couldn’t help but notice (or was I just imagining?) that they were sort of backing me into a less visible part of the sidewalk, and as they were cleaning the bird poop off my clothing, my fannypack was getting twisted around to my back.

Well, maybe I was just being paranoid, but I wasn’t going to take any chances. I put my hand firmly on my fanny pack, thanked them for their help, and walked away. Somehow they didn’t seem terribly surprised or insulted.

I had just gone down the street a short distance when I heard a man shouting at them in Spanish. I couldn’t understand most of what he was saying, but he seemed to be scolding them.

I slipped into a little bakery to try to find a restroom, and a woman in the bakery told me that was a common pickpocket trick; they concocted something resembling pigeon poop, and squirted it on people, and then pretended to help them clean it off.

I was a bit shaken from that experience, and I smelled bad! With wet hair and wet clothing I left the bakery and went looking for a bank. After walking several blocks I found the bank, pulled open the heavy door, and staggered over to the ATM, miserably clutching my one tiny precious piece of plastic. Feeling intensely aware of the thin line of survival between myself and it, in this extremely foreign country, I inserted the card into the machine, took my money with gratitude, and moved out of there as quickly as possible.

Leaving the credit card in the machine.

I didn’t miss the card until the next day, and by the time I reported it stolen it had already been charged up to the max. Thank goodness I had enough cash to get home and that was almost my last day.

Fortunately Visa covered the loss, but it took months before I got my money back.

The moral of this story is: always have three different credit cards or forms of support when you travel, and stash them in separate places. Be sure that someone other than yourself has the numbers of your cards, in case they are stolen.

Okay, so now I’m in Bali. This time I have brought three credit cards; one is in a little purse around my neck; another is in the pack on my back, and the third is hidden in my luggage, back in the room. I also have cash in three separate places. This time I am Prepared, and I am on top of it!

The only problem is that the bungalow where I am staying doesn’t take credit cards. So I need to go to the ATM. The main credit card I’m using is actually a debit card with the Bank of Hawaii, and that account has just the amount of money that I have budgeted for this part of the trip. But the last time I went to the ATM to get cash, it showed a lower balance than I anticipated. So I look for a pay phone to call my bank, to get a rundown of my recent expenses.

That’s when I discover that there are no pay phones in Ubud; there are only Internet stations that have phone booths, and the rate to call the U.S. is about $1.50 per minute. In a country where $1.50 is enough to buy a decent meal, this feels extremely expensive, especially when my bank account has suddenly taken a skydive.

Now I am aware that I can make free phone calls from my computer with Skype, but so far I’ve just signed on for calling other people who have Skype (and I’ve only done that with a couple people, so this is a new technology for me). I could go to the Internet café, which has free wireless (with strong encouragement to buy food), and set up an account that would allow me to make regular calls to almost anywhere, for about two dollars per month. BUT we’ve just had an unseasonable storm here in Ubud, and for some reason the wireless isn’t working.

It’s already 11 pm, but that seems to be a popular hour at the internet and telephone station. I make my Very Expensive phone call, and discover that I only have $80 left in my account!

This is when I congratulate myself for having the foresight to have two other bankcards (I rarely use credit cards, except to rent cars). I reassure myself that other money will come, as it always does, and I optimistically reach for the debit card for my savings account with the credit union,

But I haven’t used this card since I moved to Maui, almost two years ago, and for some reason the passcode for this card doesn’t work! I try every possible combination, and it still doesn’t work. Then I notice that it’s going to expire next month! (Mental note: Test all credit cards before leaving country of origin. Observe all expiry dates. Go directly to jail. Do not pass Go.)

Now this is getting depressing. But have no fear! There is always credit card number three!

I go back to the bungalow to get my third card that is hidden in my luggage. This is the credit card that I use for car rentals, and in case of emergencies. This is, deliberately, a credit card with a small upper limit. And this IS an emergency.

I don’t do too well after 9 pm. Close to midnight I turn into a pumpkin. I probably should have waited until the next day, but I knew I needed cash the next morning to pay my rent. Truth is, I hadn’t used this card in a long time either. The good news—Very Good News—is that it worked. Big Relief.

I stagger back to the bungalow and hit the sack with gratitude.

Next day I go to look for the credit card for the credit union, which is actually a debit card into my savings account (not such a great idea, after all). And guess what?

I can’t find it!!!

I look everywhere; in all three of my stash places; in my pockets; everywhere I can think of. I go back to the stash places. I rack my brain, vaguely remembering (or am I imagining?) that I might have come up with some new place to hide things. Why didn’t I write it down? Next time I’ll write it down!

I can’t find it!!!

Visions of Buenos Aires dance in my head! Fear begins to swell in my brain. I begin to construct the Long Line of Possible Consequences . . .

Then I get smart. I resolutely say, “Cancel!” to all those nasty thoughts, and I affirm that it will all work out. It always does. I tell myself that I just need to go to sleep and come fresh to the problem in the morning. I remind myself of all the times I was able to solve terrible problems just by waiting until the next day. Maybe by tomorrow the astrological influences will have changed; this has been a rough day; I probably had some terrible aspects today. Finally I let go of it. It’s late. I go to bed.

I wake up at three in the morning. I’m used to getting up at three in the morning; no big deal.

I turn on the light, get dressed, and begin to methodically search for the card. I think of some pockets that I didn’t check.

And there, in the second pair of pants, I touch plastic.

“Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you!” I murmur to the Universe.

I sit down in meditation, clasping my plastic to my bosom, and I send out waves of Gratitude, Gratitude, Gratitude.

September-October 2007

After I left Alaska, I thought I would go back to Oregon. But after meeting all those people at the International New Age Trade Show in Denver (INATS West), and getting invited to all those places, I organized a book tour that would take me through New York, Boston, and Asheville, North Carolina. Meanwhile I met a bunch of people from Eugene, Oregon, at a retreat, and I took care of someone’s house in Eugene for a month. Then I went to visit a friend who lives near Yosemite.

When I went to get my plane ticket, I had a strong sense that I should not get a return ticket to the West Coast. In fact, I had clear Guidance that I shouldn’t make any plans after Asheville. I wondered why. Would I meet a special man? Would I be invited to teach my Vibrational Healing program on the East Coast?

It was hard for me not to make plans. My whole career is based on giving talks and workshops that have to be scheduled well in advance. But I decided to trust in Spirit.

I was well received at East West Living, “New York’s largest source for spiritual, holistic health and metaphysical books and supplies.” I was invited to come back and teach at a beautiful mansion in Briarcliff in Westchester County, just outside of New York City.

Boston went well. I had a great connection with the people at Circles of Wisdom in Andover, and they invited me to return and do the Whole Health Expo’s with them in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

I was feeling much more useful on the East Coast than in Hawaii or on the West Coast. It seemed that my skills and talents were needed more here, and appreciated more.

Next stop was North Carolina. I had only been to North Carolina once before, to Ocracoke on the Coast, to visit my friend and co-facilitator, Cynthia Mitchell. Cynthia was enthused about my coming to Asheville, and agreed to meet me at the airport and we would hang together for ten days, and maybe do some teaching together at a place called Crystal Visions.

Cynthia picked me up at the airport in Raleigh and we drove west for many hours to Asheville. The Blue Ridge Mountains were lovely, and it’s true, they definitely did look blue! But they were paltry compared to Alaska, and to the Canadian Rockies, and even the California Rockies.

When I woke up the next morning, I started writing a new book. The title would be Frequency and Intention—How to Use Your Psychic Powers to Heal the Planet. The book was writing itself. I felt good. I couldn’t quite understand why. People told me that these are the oldest mountains in the world, and they are full of crystals. They’re called the Grandmother Mountains. Maybe that was it!

A couple days later (it was the middle of October) I got a real clear message in my meditation: “Stay here until the end of the year and finish the book.”

Cynthia took me to Green Life, the local health food store, and I saw some notices about rentals. I jotted down two phone numbers. A couple days later I had some spare time and the use of Cynthia’s car, so I went to look at the rentals. The second place was perfect.

The neighborhood has lots of trees. The house is on a big lot with a huge yard and it’s set back from the road. It’s a yellow house with a big stone chimney. The woman was sitting on the white swinging seat on the front porch where the pink petunias grew in profusion. I sat down alongside her and we spoke for half an hour before I even stepped inside the house.

We had everything in common! She’s an RN who does natural healing work, specializing in BreathDance, to help people who have breathing problems to get off their inhalers. She just bought the house and moved in a month ago, but she has lived in Asheville for the last year, and has lots of connections. She belongs to the dance collective. She helped out at the herbal conference. She has a room in the house for doing workshops.

While I was in Anchorage I stayed at the home of a man who is an organizer for the Bioneers. This is an incredible organization that has groups all over the world (see www.bioneers.com and soon I will have more information on my website at www.highvibrations.net under Links). This organization has presentations by a wide variety of people on topics that ranging from civil rights and women’s rights to indigenous teachings to biology to green architecture to permaculture to philosophy to healing and community . . . everything about creating a positive, connected vision of the world, along with projects that are actually happening now, to change the world.

I decided then that when I settled down I wanted to join or create a local Bioneers group. Well, within our first half hour, I discovered that Dorisse Neale had actually taught at a Bioneers Conference, and that she, too, wanted to start a Bioneers group in Asheville. That clinched it. “I haven’t seen the house yet, but I certainly know I’ve found a new friend!”

Of course, the house turned out to be perfect. I would have a lovely, sunny room with my own bathroom. There’s a guest room. The house is laid out so that we can both have plenty of privacy. There’s a big living room with a wonderful fireplace. There’s a front porch and a side porch, where you can see the mountains in the distance. There’s a big garage for storage, and even a little shed where I could do my lapidary work. Best of all, I can watch the sun come up from my bedroom, and we can watch the sun go down from the back porch. And there’s a big yard, and plenty of space for an organic garden.

I hoped to find a place right away, and it was available. I wrote a check, and Dorisse looked at my full name and she said, “I know you! I have your book!” It turned out that she had a copy of my first book, Healing Yourself, the herbal.

A few days later I moved in. Immediately I started making connections, meeting people, and feeling extremely welcome. Something that blew my mind was that almost everyone I met had their own story to tell about being mysteriously guided to come to Asheville. And there were lots of sound healers. That was true in Hawaii, too, but it didn’t surprise me there. Why Asheville???

As I started to write to friends, to tell them about my move, they all seemed to know about Asheville. They had heard about it, or they had friends or family here. They all thought it was a very cool place. Some people called it the San Francisco of the East Coast. Some compared it to Portland. People say this is one of the safest places on the planet if there are earth changes. Once I went downtown, I was truly charmed; it seemed a bit like New Orleans.

There was something exciting to do every night of the week (if I chose to participate). There was all kind of dancing and music and healing and parties. What a wonderful place to live! And plenty of beautiful places nearby to be in nature. And tons of waterfalls. And a fairly mild winter.

Within a couple weeks I was told by Spirit, “You’re going to stay here.” That was fine with me.

I do miss my grandson in Maui, but I’ve already adopted a couple of Indigo kids to take care of occasionally, and they really need a Gramma, so we’re all happy.

July 5, 2007

Bend, Oregon (before going to Alaska)

This was just going to be a place for some badly-needed rest and recuperation. I never expected Bend, Oregon to be a highly significant part of my journey! Nor did I expect it to be so beautiful!

I’ve been sick as a dog since I left Bali. It seemed like one thing after another tore down my resistance. First there was waking up with my right eye all red and swollen just after leaving Ubud.

Then there was riding around on all those motorbikes, exposed to all those fumes, and the burning of the rice fields. And then getting stung by the jellyfish.

Then I got a “transport” from Amed (on the Coast) back to Ubud with the man from Candidasi who went to school at the Ashram Gandhi. When we got to Ubud, he persuaded me to go to the pharmacy instead of going to Wayan for herbs. So then I took those antibiotic eyedrops and the swelling and redness went away, but then my vision started getting blurry.

Then I got the dental implant, which undoubtedly stressed my system even more. Finally I went to see an optometrist in Denpasar and she told me that I had a corneal infection, and that the eye drops I was taking also contained cortisone and if I had continued taking them I could have had permanently blurry vision. She put me on moxicillin and gave me some eyedrops that contained antibiotics but not cortisone. Then I developed a yeast infection, which I got rid of with garlic, and then I developed a cough.

When I left Bali, I went back to the monastery for 10 more days, coughing like crazy, but I felt physically strong and it didn’t feel right to just stay in bed while everyone else was working. So I got up and worked, and I got worse.

Finally I flew back to the states, but my seat on the plane was right in the middle of the center aisle, and I forgot to bring my valerian and melatonin, and it was a night flight, and I couldn’t sleep the whole night.

By the time I arrived in San Francisco my legs were swollen with edema, and I was a mess. My friend Marya (who is a nurse practitioner) picked me up at the airport and took me to her house in Berkeley, and helped nurse me back to feeling a little better. The next day I flew to Denver. I spent the first of the three-day International New Age Trade Show in bed, and then I managed to pull myself together for an amazing two days.

My book, Vibrational Healing through the Chakras, was a finalist in the COVR Awards (Coalition of Visionary Resources) and I signed and gave away 200 books and 100 CDs (my new CD, Altered States of Planet Earth, had just been accepted for distribution by New Leaf) and I made contact with at least 30 different stores and centers through the US and Canada where I was invited to come as a speaker.

I flew to Portland, where my friend Thomas helped me put together a little Geo Metro, a sweet little car that gets 50 mpg.

By the time I drove to Bend, I had a deep hacking cough and I felt like I was drowning in my own mucus, and I was worried that I might have walking pneumonia. It was one of the sickest I’ve ever been in my life, even though I could walk around and no one knew there was anything wrong with me unless they heard me coughing.

Thank Goddess I had arranged to do nothing for ten days! I felt like I just wanted to go into retreat for a few days, and do my coffee enema (which is one of the best ways to clean the liver and remove toxins from the body) and just eat alkaline food and not have to relate to anybody.

Candace and Ed were incredibly gracious, and totally understanding. I moved into their RV on the lot next to their house, and went into complete retreat. For four days I just took care of myself and processed whatever surfaced. Candace gave me a big notebook about the EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) tapping, and I finally got to the underlying cause of my chest cold, which was some painful personal stuff that had deeply hurt my heart.

As soon as I got clear about that, the cold began to subside and I stopped coughing and I no longer felt like I was drowning, and I could breathe more easily. That was yesterday. Last night I finally came out of my cocoon and announced that I was ready to start being sociable. Candace suggested that we could go up to Lake Todd, a pristine alpine lake in the (still) snowy lap of Mt. Bachelor, where we would probably see wildflowers. We could take the kayaks for a lazy float down the river with Ed.

My Goodness, I had no idea there was so much fun to be had in this little town in the middle of Oregon, in the middle of the high desert.

Just Tuesday night I was asking Candace about their plans for the next few days, and we both suddenly realized that there was precious little time for us to hang out because Wednesday was the fourth of July and they had plans for that, and the art festival was on Saturday, and then they were leaving for the mountains for two or three days on Sunday.

The mountains? Then Candace (knowing that I am open-minded) began to tell her story about her friend who has a lively relationship with the ETs, and how they told him that they would appear to him in a certain place in the mountains, and that he could bring others with him. At first she was hesitant, asking if she was talking too much, and did I really want to hear all this?

“Oh yes,” I assured her, “I am very interested in your story.”

Then I launched into my own story about the ETs, which I will share with you. “This happened when my younger son was 6, and he is 35 now, so it was a long time ago. I had been given Guidance to go to the mountains alone and to camp out for three months. There were two mountain areas that I knew would be appropriate, and I wrote to friends in both places. One was the Sangre de Christo mountains in Arizona, that are sacred to the Hopi, and the other was the Kootenay Mountains in British Columbia.

“My doctor friend in the Kootenays wrote back and said she was planning to be gone during exactly those three months. I had never seen her place, but she told me that she had twenty acres in the Kootenays, and she was looking for someone to house-sit, but I was welcome to camp out in the mountains above her house if I would just take her dog with me (which, she said, would be a good thing because there are bears up there) if I would just check in on the house occasionally.

“Spirit seemed to be working for me. Now I just had to ask my ex-husband if he would be willing to take both kids for three months! I would never ordinarily ask him, because he didn’t like to keep both kids even for one weekend (the boys didn’t get along, and usually the older one lived with me and the younger one lived with him, and we traded on weekends). But whenever I get Guidance about something, I am quite impeccable about following it. So I got up my courage and asked him, and he just said, ‘Okay.’

“To me, that was a miracle, and complete validation of my Guidance.

“So I got two tents: one to sleep in, and the other for my supplies. I set up camp in one of the most beautiful places on earth. I discovered that the closest neighbors were a small commune with a big garden and goats, and I arranged to go down and work in the garden twice a week, in exchange for organic vegetables and goat’s milk.

“After I had been camping out there for about two months, I was standing alone at the edge of the mountain one night, under the stars, when I saw three bright lights moving toward me. One came from my right; one from my left; and the other was directly in front of me. Very slowly, all three lights were definitely moving toward me.

“I had never seen a spaceship, but I had many friends and clients whom I trusted who had seen them. I definitely believed it was possible. So I was very excited that I would finally have this opportunity! The lights continued to come closer, until there was absolutely no doubt that it was actually happening. Then suddenly I realized that if they landed, and if I was alone with them up there on the mountain, I would have no way of validating that experience; I would never know for sure that it wasn’t just a hallucination. And maybe—just maybe—I felt a little scared. It was pretty overwhelming.”

Candace was sitting at the edge of her chair and hanging on my every word. Her eyes were big with recognition, and I could see that she felt exactly the same way.

“So I sent out a message: ‘Stop! I’m not ready for this yet! Please come back some other time, when I have other people with me.’”

“So then what happened?” Candace asked. “Did you go back with friends the next day?”

Just then Ed joined us, and Candace was eager to tell Ed about my experiences with the ETs. So she asked me to tell him, and I gave him a brief version of the story and then took up where I left off.

“I didn’t know any other people that I could tell about something like that. I hardly knew anybody around there. But there was one man that I became close with at the little commune. In fact, we became lovers, though I would only see him once a week. He was very skeptical, but that didn’t bother me as long as he was open-minded. Eventually we hiked up Mt. Hood in Oregon, where we stayed in a cabin, and that was where I channeled Adam. Have you ever seen the little space-ship shaped cloud that hovers over Mt. Hood? I’ve seen photographs of it, and the day we hiked up that cloud was there!

“That night at the cabin I channeled an entity who said his name was Adam. But later he told me it was Ah-sn-de (I toned the syllables the way I had been taught: AHHHH SNNNNNN DAYYYYYYYY). He said that he wasn’t really a “he” at all. He told me that the planet earth is the only place where we are divided into male and female, and that the most important assignment we have on this planet is to find harmony between male and female energies.

“Then he introduced me to his cohort. ‘He’ said that ‘his’ energy was more masculine, and ‘hers’ was more feminine, but those were distinctions that were only meaningful to human beings. ‘She’ taught me how to tone her name: LI- ING! (I demonstrated how to tone her name for Candace and Ed. The first syllable is common but loud, and the second syllable is high-pitched and bell-like, as if it jumped off from the first.)

“They told me that anytime I wanted to speak to them, I could just tone their names, and that would invoke their vibration, and they would be there.”

I was just getting to know Ed, and I was glad to see that he was just as open to my story as Candace was. So now it was their turn to tell me about their friend Jerry, and the amazing experiences he had been having with the ETs. The main thing I remember is that the ETs told him that he had to completely overcome his fear. They had been leading him through various tests to help do that. Then they told him to come to this particular place in the mountains where they would make themselves visible to him.

“That’s where he is right now,” Candace told me. “He was told to bring his mobile home and stay there for a week. The first two days he should be alone, and then others could join him. So we’re planning on going up there on Sunday. “

Then we segued into making our plans for the day.

Candace and I went up to Todd Lake.

And then we all went down to the river with the kayaks.

What a delight! It never even occurred to me that there would be such a slow meandering river, where you could kayak almost without having to paddle. What a beautiful experience! We were out there for almost two hours, while the sun was setting.

So after we went kayaking, Ed wanted to get his road atlas for their trip on Sunday, and he had left it at Jerry’s, which was fairly nearby. Ed was sure we could get in, even though Jerry was gone. He thought I’d like to see the house, because it was loaded with amazing things that Jerry had built, according to the instructions of the ETs.

So we went over there, and his daughter (who lives next door) let us in. I was fascinated by the multitude of three-dimensional geometrical formations that made ordinary tetrahedrons look like child’s play. Every one of them was suspended from a motor and was spinning. Many had crystals and stones in them. I liked the energy. I enjoyed some of the fractal type artwork that was created specially for Jerry by an artist in England. I felt good there.

Then Ed said, “You’ve got to see the dome,” and he and Candace took me to a small geodesic dome alongside of the house. Inside the dome were more geometric structures and again the energy felt quite good. I just wanted to sit quietly and tune in, which I did. Then I knew that Ah-sn-de and Li-ing wanted to come through. I told Candace and Ed, and they were quite excited. I was too, since it had been years since I had spoken to my ET friends!

Immediately the ETs spoke about how good they felt in this environment, how conducive it was for their energies. They said that Jerry is half ET. (I didn’t even remember until after the channeling that I had figured out about a year ago that I am half ET. And I realized that many people are part ET. But that is a different story.) Candace and Ed wanted to know if they were part ET, and Ah-sn-de said that No, they weren’t, but Candace was an intergalactic traveler, and Ed was a wizard who worked interdimensionally. Also Ed and Jerry both have dyslexia, and Ah-sn-de said that many people who work with the ETs are dyslexic, and that is beneficial in this context.

Somehow in the course of the discussion it came out that Jerry had been told that he needed to work with a woman who had no fear, in order to balance out the male-female energies. But he couldn’t find anyone like that. Ah-sn-de told Candace and Ed to tell Jerry that I am the woman he is looking for; that I have been working a long time now on clearing out those kinds of obstacles.

Ed asked for a kind of progress report on Jerry’s experience in the mountains. We were told that the ETs were hovering around, but they had not yet appeared. “The table is being set.”

Ed asked if Ah-sn-de knew the ETs that Jerry has been working with, the Rapidorians, and Ah-sn-de said that No, it’s like Indian tribes; there are many different ones. He said that these have an energy that is like dogs: very outgoing, very friendly, comfortable with humans, eager to connect. Also that they got along well with other ETs

We were told that Jerry is very humble and very much willing to be of service, and that within 2 years he would be provided with all of the material things and helpers that would be required to fulfill the huge project that he has been told he would be working on.

Also that Ed and Candace would be very helpful to him in all of this. That the reason why Ed is an engineer and the reason why it came so easily and naturally to him is because of his past life as a wizard, in which he readily understood how every thing works. I saw him wearing a hat like a wizard’s hat, but it had lots more triangular projections, much like the geometric forms that Jerry had built.

I came away from all this feeling very full and excited. I knew, when I left Hawaii, that I was going to be led exactly where I needed to go.

Ever since I saw those three lights on the mountain in BC I have wanted to see the ETs with a group of people. Only now am I beginning to realize the full impact that such an event could have on my life and on the lives of people on this planet. It feels like the circumstances would have to be precisely correct in order to achieve this properly. Jerry has been told that there need to be 59 people present.

He was told it would be very difficult for people to be able to see them, because they are so outside of the “normal” reality that we are programmed for. It is like when Captain Cook came to Hawaii, and the Hawaiians could not see the ship because it was so outside of their concept of what was possible.

Ah-sn-de said that the people who are present need to be without fear, but that is very difficult because it is human nature to fear the unknown. As an example, he spoke about the first time I went to swim with the dolphins. Even though I was extremely excited, it was scary to me because they were such large creatures and I’d never done anything like that before. Ah-sn-de said that he (Ah-sn-de and Li-ing, who are the male and female aspects of one being) and I could lead the group through a ritual that would disperse their fear. He said that we could come next month, when I return from Alaska. (I had already been thinking of that.)

Ed and Candace were very excited about all this. “So why are we going this time, and why have I felt guided to go at the end of the week, instead of the beginning?”asked Candace.

“Because you needed to meet with Joy and with us, and you need to take this message to them now, so they will understand that everything is happening exactly as it should be, and they should not be discouraged.”

It feels as if this whole journey to Bali and Japan has been strengthening me, giving me more confidence, helping me to overcome my shyness about channeling (because of Pink Tara’s powerful presence at the monastery, and Chisan’s enthusiastic welcoming of her), giving me permission to go confidently wherever Spirit guides me. I have been reading The Eagle and the Condor and Jonette Crowley (whom I met in Denver, where she signed her book for me) is such a beautiful example of a woman who has gracefully stepped into her own power without false modesty. I suspect that at some point she and I will be doing some kind of work together, because she is involved with opening portals for these kinds of energies to come through.

My commitment has been to follow my Inner Guidance, which is directly linked with the Highest Guidance. All I have to do is follow my intuition and my sense of inner rightness at every step of the way, and I am certain that I will be taken exactly where I need to go. In the past I would have been afraid of my reputation for “getting involved with a bunch of crackpots.” Or I would have doubted my own sanity for giving so much credibility to the possibility of ETs. But none of that feels relevant anymore. Those are fear places.

I just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other and it will all be perfect. It already is.

Tonight I can hear the coyotes in the distance.

I understand now why I had to go to the Zen Monastery in Japan: it was so that Pink Tara could be formally invited into a monastery, so that her enlightenment as a woman could be validated by a woman who had gone through as rigorous a monastic training as any man—a woman who fully embodies the Zen teachings—and so that my ability to fully believe in Pink Tara, and in my own ability to channel her—and ultimately in myself—would be validated beyond any doubt.

That is huge. I have always been complimented for my ability to be spiritual while keeping my feet firmly on the ground. But there is a price to pay for that. My own skepticism about my own spiritual experiences has been significant. I needed proof! And consequently I have been extremely reticent to go public as a channel. I was also ambivalent about becoming dependent on Pink Tara. Why should I need her, instead of standing on my own two feet and speaking from my own wisdom?

But honestly, if you had a Goddess that you dearly loved in your back pocket, wouldn’t you pull her out and use her wisdom and humor and grace on a fairly regular basis? But I had seen so many channels that I did not feel good about! I didn’t want to become like them. And I didn’t want to be associated with them!

On the other hand, Jonette felt very clean to me. It was no coincidence that her book—and her person—had come into my presence at just exactly this time. I didn’t mention that when I got the book from her, I just happened to be standing at the table when she arrived to sign books because I was looking for my own books. As she started talking to the people at the table, I had a chance to feel and enjoy her very open and generous energy. Then I got pulled away by my own affairs, and when I came back to her table to get my book, there was a long line. I didn’t want to wait in line, and though I didn’t think she knew that I was an author, I knew that she had seen me earlier, so I went up and asked if I could just grab one of her books, since I had been there in the beginning.

She said, “Of course!” and insisted on signing my book “so it will carry the vibration.” I didn’t even look in the book until I actually picked it up several days later to read. Then I saw that she had written: “To Joy, Your light is such a beacon. Thank you! Jonette”

When I was in Machu Picchu several years ago, I began to notice that certain people (I mean, just people I would see on the trail) have the ability to see who I am, without even hearing a word out of my mouth. More and more people are developing this kind of insight. Even though I don’t see auras, I also have this ability. When that recognition is mutual, it is a very sweet feeling.

By the way, the reason why Chisan’s validation with Pink Tara is so important and relevant right now is because it makes it so much easier for me to feel confident about my relationship with Ah-sn-de and Li-ing. And because they both feel good about Jerry (whom I haven’t even met), this gives me confidence in him and in this whole endeavor.

And so the adventure continues to unfold.

[I did meet Jerry later, and we had a great connection. He had 59 crystals that had been given to him. He had just finished cleansing them, and I was the first person to receive one of them.]

July 16, 2007

It’s funny; I never even thought of coming to Alaska until I was invited to teach at the herbal conference. I had no idea it was so beautiful here! It is probably the most gorgeous place I have ever seen in my life. Sometimes I think of the Little Prince who lived on a planet with his beloved rose, and then he traveled to other planets and discovered that on the earth planet there were many roses.

In Portland we have Mt. Hood; in Northern California we have Mt. Shasta; on the Big Island we have Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa; in Maui we have Haleakala. But in Alaska . . . . there are endless mountain ranges. Mt. McKinley, the highest of all mountains, is here in all her majesty. Glaciers, snowy mountains, colored mountains, and then a Three-Hour Sunset!!! Oh, it’s just incredible.

Around 8:30 at night the mountains start to turn colors; the glacial rivers and the white snow-covered mountains behind those, layers upon layers of mountains …. and this metamorphosis of colors continues slowly and gracefully evolving until around ten o’clock, and then it fades slowly and by around eleven there is just the slightest hint of darkness, as if it would soon be dark, but it is not. By midnight we give in, knowing that it’s not wise to stay up all night, but reluctant to lie down, especially those who live here; the locals call themselves manic because they know that these endless days will not last, and before long they will turn into endless nights. So they must rush to put in their gardens quickly now and have all the parties and hikes and fishing that they can get in before the cold and the dark return to gobble them up.

I’m going to jump ahead of my story. In real time, I’m getting ready to leave Bali tomorrow night. I’ll be heading back to the monastery in Japan for 8 days. Then I’ll be going to Denver for the International New Age Trade Show, and then to Portland for a few days and on to Bend, Oregon, where I’ll chill out for a couple of weeks before I head up to Alaska, to camp out and then teach at an Herbal Conference.

As I’m packing to go, this is the perfect time to share my personal recommendations to anyone coming to Bali. Many of these places and people are described in detail, often with photos, in the text of this blog. If I place an asterisk* after a place, you can find out more about it by clicking on the corresponding key word in the right column. (Though I may not have written about it yet.)

Blissings,

JOYSAN / EBUJOY

[Note: If you go to the Archives on the Home Page, and click on Jan 08, you can read the rest of my story about Bali.]

I’ve organized the following section according to regions and towns.

SOUTHERN BALI

Denpasar

This is where the airport is located. Lonely Planet recommends avoiding it, but my dentist is here, and I’ve enjoyed my time here. These are some of the places I’ve liked or have checked out.

ACCOMODATIONS
Nakula Familiar Inn*
Jln. Nakula No. 4 (near Kartini)
(0361) 226446
nakula_familiar_inn@yahoo.com
$8 with fan / $12 A/C – no hot water – breakfast served but not included
Sunu is the manager, and he speaks fairly good English. For me, this
place was a haven in the midst of a pretty crazy city. Nice courtyard.
Nice people. They will provide a free motorcycle service (modest tips
appreciated) to places that are nearby. The climate is hot and the water
is not very cold, and cold showers can be well appreciated. The rooms have small balconies. I would call ahead and reserve the last upstairs room, which has the most privacy and the least noise.

Adi Yasa
Jln. Nakula 23B
$4-6 for simple accommodations, fans, cold water, communal style living
no privacy but it’s friendly, like a hostel. It’s across the street from Nakula Familiar Inn and up the block. It’s been the a longer time, so cab drivers who don’t recognize Nakula Familiar Inn will know where Adi Yasa is.

DENTIST
Dr. Sucipto*
Jl. Diponegoro 150 / A-32
Komp. Ruko IDT (Genteng Biru)
From States: 011-62-361-222541
sucipto_angga@yahoo.com
www. drsucipto.com
Dr. Sucipto is not cheap, by Balinese standards, but he is highly professional (trained partly in the US), conscientious, thorough, and he speaks very good English, he’s relaxed and extremely friendly, and people come to him from all over the world. You want to call ahead by at least six weeks (eight is safer) to be sure to get an appointment. Tip: his office is not easy to find; you might want to scout it out before your first appointment. Take Diponegoro North to J. Dewi Sartika and turn West (left) at the Apotik Kimia Farma (pharmacy), go 1 block to Pulau Seram and turn South (left) and it’s the second building on the right as I recall.
There is a form to fill out on his website, but it didn’t work for me. It’s probably best to call direct. They do speak English.

OPTOMETRIST
Dr. Nym. Seri Sukmawati
J. Drupadi 1/3
(0361) 263833
seri124@yahoo.com
If you happen to need an optometrist while you’re in
Bali, this woman is very good and she only charged $15 for an appointment.

WIRELESS INTERNET
Denpassar is surprisingly bereft of good internet connections. I was fortunate that Dr. Sucipto let me set up my laptop at his hotspot. Otherwise it was a long haul to one of the two Bali Bakery places, and their wireless wasn’t always working, their food was not cheap, and you have to pay at least $2.50 to get hooked up. There are regular internet stations, but they’re few and far between and they are hot and painfully slow.

FOOD
Wr. Sari
Jl. Hayam Wuruk
Sorry I can’t tell you more than this. It’s a little local Warung (where there is no menu and food is displayed in pots and you can point to what you want), very popular with the local folks, great food; you can get an excellent meal for $1.00 (not including drinks)

Wr. Satrya
Jln. Nakula
Good seafood satay – you can get a good meal for less than $2.

Cheap Steak
Srikandi No. 52
Inna Bali Food Court
This is a real restaurant in front of a big business hotel where you can get all kinds of steaks, including a grilled mahimahi and nice veggies and fries, all for $2.

MISC
NIGHT MARKETS
There are many night markets and they are fun. You can get fish satays for 10 cents, and red rice for 40 cents and endless exotic fruits like mangosteen and snakefruit for good prices. It’s a feast for the senses. I liked the Pasar Badung Market, which is a reasonable walk from Nakula St.

HEALTH FOOD, ORGANIC FOOD
I was told to go to Dijon, Simpany Siur. But it’s out toward Kuta, and I never made it there.

Taxi
If you need a ride, look for the little blue cabs called Bali Taxis. They’re all over the place. The basic price is about 60 cents (5,000 rp.), and it goes up slowly from there. A/C, and they usually speak a little English.

Guide
If you want a personal guide and translator, go to Pasar Badung Market and ask for Wayan (a man) and Made (a woman) and show them these pictures. Wayan can take you around on his motorcycle, or accompany you if you get a taxi. Or write ahead of time to him and ask him to meet you at your hotel on a specific day and time. Don’t expect an answer to your letter, but he is reliable, once you find him. Probably the best plan is to look for them at the market. He probably won’t
charge you a specific sum, but he will expect you to pay for gas and other expenses. When you eat, it’s polite to offer to treat him also. When you are getting ready to leave, his wife will make a suggestion of
an appropriate gift. For a week of driving me around town, she suggested a bedspread that cost about $25. He will save you at least that much money by bargaining for you and finding the best prices.
Wayan & Made Rencani
Jalan Kebolwo
Bajanr paqutan
Padang Sam Bean Kaja
Gang No. 2 / 8B
Denpasar, Bali

SANUR

TOWN
This is a fairly pleasant tourist beach town. If you like to shop, this is probably a good place to do it.

BEACH
I’ve heard that the beach in Sanur is obnoxiously full of tourists on Sundays and during the high season. But when I was there it was almost deserted. It is a white sands beach and fairly pleasant to swim in.
I was told that I could rent snorkel equipment for about $2 and take a boat, for about $20, a few miles out to where the snorkeling is good. I didn’t want to pay that much.

LODGING
Puri Gopa Hotel
Jalan Desuma Sari No. 4 Semawang
(0361) 289-948
reservation@purigopabali.com
www.urigopabali.com
Is owned by Balinese. It has clean rooms with A/C and hot water, and some rooms have a view of the ocean. A single standard room with fan is $35 and a single deluxe with A/C is $45. It seems pricy to me.

CENTRAL BALI

UBUD

ACCOMODATIONS
Jati 3 Bungalows & Spa*
Monkey Forest Street (Jalan Wenara Wana)
Ebudewa, owner
62-361-973-249, 977-101
http://www.jati3bungalows.com
jati3_ubud@yahoo.com
$15 per night including breakfast, with the back rooms bordering on the jungle,
hot water, fans. Note: you can request a small refrigerator (no fee) and a
big bottle of drinking water (small fee) for your room.

Ubud Bungalow*
Monkey Forest St.
62-361-971298
Wayan, mgr. “boss”
w_widnyana@hotmail.om
www.ubudbungalow.com
$20 per night for pure luxury, including breakfast, hot water, A/C, and a great pool

Ari House
Quiet river setting, 5 minutes from Bali Spirit Kafe (head south and look
for sign on the right, then turn down the lane)
Surrounded by tropical forest
Breakfast included (other meals too)
Extremely affordable ($7 off-season; $11 on)
“Riverfront Questhouses (I only saw one)
Modern Bathroom With Has Showers, Hot & Cold Water”
Hanoman St. Gang Anila No. 10
081 338 666 384
Ari does not speak much English. An opportunity to live in
a Balinese compound. Nice room, but a bit musty. Great view.

FOOD

Bali Buddha Restaurant and Health Food Store*
Across the street from the post office
Great organic salads
Non-wheat, non-dairy choices

Bali Spirit Kafe*
448 J. Hanoman (Anuman)
This is the famous coffeehouse where the expatriats come and hang out. It is connected with Bali Spirit Yoga (a little north of the café, same road), which is connected with the Bali Barn (head south down Anuman and turn left at Ubud Aura and down a lane), where various yoga classes and related workshops are presented. Wireless internet access is available, but not cheap. There is a cheap (and slow) Internet place across the street. Definitely a great place to make connections of all kinds. They serve good food. Once a week they have a movie night at the Bali Barn (same owners) and they charge $5 for the movie and a great all-you-can-eat dinner.

Bali Pesto Café
West side of Monkey Forest Rd.
Sign in front says: “Barberkyu”
I liked their Burbur Injin black rice pudding with bananas and coconut milk
And their pumpkin soup

Café BiangLalah
East side of Monkey Forest, at the end of a lane (south of Jati3)
I had a tuna kabob that was fantastic for under $3

BALINESE TRADITIONALIST HEALERS

Wayan Nuriyashi*
Traditional Balinese Healing Center & Multivitamin Lunch
Across the street from Bali Buddha and next to the Post Office
Awesome herbal massage and herbal healing

Ketut Liyer*
Traditional Balinese Healer, Painter & Woodcarver
(0361) 974-092
Take Anoman south, before Pengosekan, pass Arma on left, pass Guci on
right and big petrol station on left – I think it’s the next little left
turn with a sign that says OKA Home Stay – to left of sign is white sign: Ketut Liyer. Turn left and follow road til it curves right. Just past the corner on the left is a sign: Ketut Liyer

I Made Sumantra*
Mantra Aura Clinic
Bali Yoga Master & Healer
Often works out of the spa at Jati3 Bungalow
Phone (62-361) 7941089 / 085935029306
madesumantra@hotmail.com
www.balineseyoga.com

INTERNET ACCESS
Ubud has great internet access—except once or twice a week, when everything goes down.

Baby Face Café*
On East side of Monkey Forest Rd.
Has free wireless and you can even go upstairs, where it’s quiet, if you want to Skype. Their mixed fruit, and lime drinks are very good.

Waroeng Café
On East side of Monkey Forest Rd., a few doors down from Baby Face Café
Charges $5 hr. for a good wireless hook-up.
They have a great spicy Chinese noodle soup for about $3.

MISC

MAP OF BALI
The Bali Pathfinder was invaluable.
I found a copy at Bali Bungalows for about $3.50
Contains maps of Bali, Ubud, Denpasar, Kuta, Lovina, Sanur, and more

TRAVEL INSURANCE
Expacare $578 YR – quarterly payment option Division of JLT in UK
Apipacific.com

SEAMSTRESS / TAILOR
You can buy beautiful hand-woven cloth in Bali (or bring your own) and bring something you love as a pattern, and these women can reproduce just about anything, at great prices.

Rai Pasti, Tailor
Monkey Forest Rd.
0361 973-259
raipasti@yahoo.com
Rai Pasti is right near Jati 3, along the same lane. She was just getting ready to open a shop as I was leaving,, so her prices will probably go up. She has lovely cloth and I was pleased with everything she made for me. She was always fair, her prices were very good, and she speaks English.

TRANSPORT
One of the most annoying things about Ubud is that tourists are constantly being hawked by men trying to sell “Transport, Madam,” and women passing out brochures about their Spa and Massage services.
They will ask for 20,000 rp. for a motorcycle ride, but 5-10,000 during off season should be plenty. (2,000 if you’re cute.) They will ask for 200,000 rp. for a taxi ride to the airport or to Candidasa or Amed, but 150,000 may be enough. Or you can get a shuttle.

AROMATHERAPY OILS
BAS Buana Amertha Sari Agrowisata
Wayan Kesuma Yasa, owner at 6281805417090
Has nice rose oil for 70,000 rp ($7.50)
Also nice lemon and orange oils, same price
(will visit their shop during the Bike Tour)

Bike-Baik Bali Countryside Tours*
I Wayan Sujana, Tour Guide & Owner
0361-978-052 / 081-33867-3852
wayansujanaa@yahoo.com
www.balibike.com

Arma Rai Museum of Art & Park & Restaurants
Admission: 25,000 rp ($3) used for cultural preservation
Beautiful grounds and museum
Also has upscale luxurious lodging

EAST SIDE

CANDIDASA

Ashram Gandhi*
Just before the lagoon on the right (going north)
Right on the ocean – very peaceful, idyllic
Ideal if you like yoga and prayers sung in Sanskrit
No alcohol, cigarettes, or “sexual cohabitation”
Cold water—but they bring huge thermos of hot water
No A/C – just fan and ocean breezes
Has 2 bungalows that sleep 2-4 people each
$20 for one person includes 3 delicious vegetarian meals
(with fish and eggs if desired)

Agung Bungalows
Several buildings before the lagoon on right going north
Pleasant cool grounds, nice rooms
$8 per room, includes breakfast
cold water, fan
(0363) 41535
Call ahead to reserve the prime room, right at the
ocean, same price

Dewi Bungalows
Several buildings after the lagoon on right going north
Grounds are okay; rooms are average. No views. Fan.
A room with double bed and hot water is $15 at high season
And $10 at low season
A room with double bed and cold water is $8
Includes breakfast
081 747 19487
www.eastbalionline.com

AMED
Just south of Amed I Jemeluk, reputed to have great snorkeling – equipment rents for
20,000 rp. My experience: I went to the place where the shipwreck is and the
water was full of jellyfish. But if other people are swimming, it’s probably fine.
Megan told me to call Alek at 628 523 716 3115 if you need something done in Amed. I forgot to do that when I was looking for transport to Tejakula.

3 Brothers
In Lonely Planet as $8-12. In fact, during off-season she asked for $15, but would
settle for $10.
Nice place, with the last room right on the beach. Cold water. Not much privacy,
especially in the last room, because the kids hang around the beach. She
says you can swim and snorkel right there.

Deddy’s*
In Lonely Planet as $4-5, but they asked $8. Cold water. Nice view. A fair walk to the beach. Clean rooms. But it’s above the highway and kind of noisy. Food is good. (Fried rice with vegetables; fruit juice.) Free b’fast.

Meditasi*
$15 per room in low season, $20 in high
this is the only place that was consistent in their price with Lonely Planet right on the ocean, lovely rooms, fantastic views, free b’fast
fans, cold water except the villa at $50 night with hot water and a big
outdoor room with two luxurious beds in separate rooms
It takes a long time to get there, at the end of the road, but it’s worth it.
The beach is right outside the door, and it is reputed to have excellent
snorkeling and no jellyfish.

NORTH SIDE

TEJAKULA

Gaia Oasis
1-1/2 hours up the coast from Amed. (Drivers will try to get 350,000 rp., but it shouldn’t cost more than 150-200,000 in off season.)
Can be reached directly from Ubud – 2 hours (about 200-250,000 rp.)
62 81 23853350 or 44696 or 62952.
info@gaia-oasis.com
www.gaia-oasis.com
The website has lots of great pictures.
This place is owned by a group of 40 Europeans. The prices are in the mid range. Prices are in Euros, so you need to check the exchange rate if you have U.S. dollars or rp. The place is gorgeous. They are booked over a year in advance for groups, so be sure to call ahead and make reservations. Individual reservations are more readily available.
This is the place you’ve always dreamed of when you’ve thought of an idyllic vacation in Bali. This is where I’d like to go with a lover. It’s romantic and delicious (and, unlike Ashram Gandhi, any kind of sexual cohabitation is fine—in fact, they are quite comfortable with gay guests).
For 1 room in a bungalow with open-air bathroom and kitchen: Single is 33 Euros; double $46; extra bed $15. Breakfast costs 4 Euros. Three meals a day, buffet style, for 14.50 Euros. The food is excellent. There is a 21% tax and service charge (as compared to 10% elsewhere).
The beach is right there at the edge of the property and it is reputed to have good snorkeling and no jellyfish. For a fee you can go out in an outrigger canoe to fish, and you may see dolphins. In fact, the dolphins can be seen passing by almost every day.
They have a second location, about 15 minutes away, up in the mountains. It is also lovely, in a Swiss chalet sort of way, and it would be cooler in hot weather.
Each location has a large group room. The one at the beach is a huge octagonal temple-like room. The one above is smaller and more intimate.
At the beach, will need to park outside and walk for 10 minutes through a lovely peaceful lane. There is a parking area just a short way inside the lane, but it’s awfully tight for a van! Once you arrive, they will send out a motorbike to pick up your suitcases and give a lift to anyone who needs it. (Or you can call in and ask for free portage.)
From the main road, look for two long banners on either side of a lane; one is bright orange and the other is white, and they say Gaia Oasis. There are other signs, but you haven’t arrived until you find those banners.

MISC INFO

WHEN TO GO?
July to September, early April, and between Christmas and early
January are the high seasons. Very busy and more expensive.
April to June is very pleasant weather.
October to March is rainy season, and it can be humid but it only rains
part of the day, and that cools things off, so it’s not bad, especially
in Ubud, which is cool, and especially in February and March when it usually rains less and when you can avoid the tourists and be extremely welcome because your business is badly needed.
The average temperature is about 85 degrees all year round.

TRAVEL GUIDE
Lonely Planet, Bali & Lombek
Ryan Ver Berkmoes & Ian Stewart

I’d been here for a couple days when I heard a lot of noise next door in the middle of the night. I figured that some locals had moved in and were having a party. The next morning Dewa (who turned out to be Ebudewa’s brother) brings me breakfast and he mentions casually that Lumena, the woman in the room next to mine, had gone “up to the mountain to meditate” and they left at 3 in the morning. What mountain? I wondered, and why was it so noisy to go meditating? I should meet this woman.

Next day a black-haired woman dressed in white glided by and stopped in to apologize for all the noise the night before. “I’m studying with a Balinese Traditional Healer, and we do a lot of chanting, so it can get noisy. I’m sorry if we woke y