PAGE 2 - BALI CHILDREN'S PROJECT

Before we left the US we had helped the Bali Children's Project by funding a house for Sintiawati, a bright 13-year old girl who was living in a shack with her Dad. So the main purpose of this trip is to visit them and to see their new home. Led by Linda V., the irrepressable Executive Director of BCP, we also visit a school where they are renovating rooms to use as a library. We visit four other kids and their families. We agreed to sponsor two of them and Robert added two more,  bringing his total to 8 sponsored kids. Although school is 'free' in Bali, there are so many additional fees from books to uniforms, to food and even graduation fees. So many poor kids cannot afford to go to school without sponsors like us.

Barb meets Sintiawati for the First Time * First Look at the New House * Sintia and Putri, from BCP (photo by Linda) CLICK on any IMAGE to ENLARGE	Sintia and Her Dad Sintia's New Bedroom (photo by Linda)	Sintia Outside Her New House Sintia With a Gift from Barb	Group Photo Sintia's Aunt (I think?) CLICK on any IMAGE to ENLARGE Next day, we moved on to visit a school which BCP is renovating (below). The kids greeted us wildly and we saw how learning is limited by a lack of books and other supplies. BCP is building new libraries and airy classrooms.
Barb, Robert, Sintia, Rog & Ken * Stills from a DVD coming in May 2017	Sintia and Her New Necklace (photo by Linda)	The Old Shack where Sintia & her Dad Lived * Being able to help Sintiawati and her Dad is probably the most satisfying thing that Barb and I have ever done, and being able to meet them and spend time with them was the icing on the cake. She is a very bright girl and is doing well at school. She seems really happy and was delighted to see us after some initial shyness. Because of BCP she has a chance of a fine future. * Stills from a DVD coming in May 2017	Teachers and Kids and No Supplies (photos by Linda taken in 2016) Room Renovation Begins

Village Sign Outside the School

A Display of Books in the Library-to-be

Kindergarten Hard at Work

Pre-School Kids (Still from DVD, coming in May 2017)

On the same day as the school visit (Feb 24th) we also visited the homes of four kids. Two are sponsored by Robert and we agreed to sponsor two more, Riki and Rika. Sponsorship costs $48 per child per month and allows poor children, who could not afford the peripheral costs, to attend school.

Robert in a 'Bamboo Forest' on the way to one family	A Balinese Kitchen	Another Kitchen	Grandad's Bed in the Garden (probably)
An 'Altar'. Most families have one in their garden to place offerings for the Gods.	A Family Greets Robert Ken and Robert with his Student	Bali Children's Project HQ Expansive Rice Terrace at the foot of a Volcano	On the trip to see the kids we ate lunch at a little Warung (shop/cafe) in the hills overlooking a sweeping view of rice terraces and a Volcano. Linda and Crew at the Warung (photo by Robert) Barb and Linda
Riki (Right), Rika and Mother and Granddad	Rika and her Mother on the Bed they Share All Riki and Rika	Riki in His Room Photos by Linda	Rika in her Dancing Makeup

Next day (25th), Linda invited us all to lunch at her place and to meet her husband Gary. Their house is approached by scaling a small ravine and bridge on a footpath and, at first glance, seems to be set in an impenetrable jungle. However, they do actually have neighbors. Their house is three stories of light and airy Balinese architecture into which they have packed an impressive art collection and a few cats, mostly semi-feral. Linda's Pembantu, Kadek Budi, prepared a lovely traditional Indonesian lunch of small dim-sum style dishes for us. We spent a happy three hours or so eating and chatting about life in Bali.

Amazing Spread by Kadek Budi Gary and Robert talk Insurance Markets

Some of Linda's Indonesian Art Collection (Below left, above, and right) CLICK on any IMAGE to ENLARGE

We had a last meal with our friends Jenny, Ken and Robert in the excellent Elephant Restaurant in Ubud before we went our own ways. Robert and Ken back to Derbyshire and Nottingham, Barb and I via Hong Kong and LA to Phoenix, and Jenny (eventually) to New South Wales. We shall meet Robert and Ken again in the heat of an English summer (joke) and Jenny we hope, sometime, somewhere. Over the last few days I developed traveler's diarrhea. I never was afflicted when I was younger but now, every time I go to a developing country, I seem to come down with it. Fortunately, my doc had prescribed an emergency antibiotic and that quickly sorted the problem. I was also unable to tolerate the heat very well. It wasn't even particularly hot by Arizona standards, 85 to 90 deg, but with humidity readings to match. By the time we left on Feb 28th, I was keen to go home. Barb, however, was in her element and loved the heat and humidity and the whole milieu of Balinese life. She was more relaxed and happy there than I've seen her in a long time, and very sad to leave. So I expect we'll be back -  if Ganesh, Vishnu, Shiva (my favorite) and all the other 30 or so Hindu Gods are willing. We did check out two other hotels for next time and selected Sunset Hill (photos left and right). It's double the price of Klub Kokos, but since our ten day bill at KK was about the same as two nights in the Icon in Hong Kong, we're not talking oodles of money here.

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