Today will just be a short post as I’ve got a full day of adventure and cultural learning planned - somebody’s gotta keep you folks entertained, right?!  I know, I know.  It’s a tough job.  Anyway, just wanted to give you a quick tour of the homestay where I “landed” after several days in Ubud.  Also a quick explanation before the video ….  

My Dreamy Bedroom at Suartha Homestay

In Indonesia, housing is constructed a bit differently than in the US.  Instead of the typical single American structure that contains all the bedrooms, guestrooms, kitchen, family/gathering room, etc., the Indonesians have a family compound.  The compound  is 200 square meters and begins with a stone wall that surrounds the perimeter of the family’s property.  Inside that wall are a number of individual buildings, each of which has a specific function - much like the rooms of our houses.  For example, one building is the kitchen.  One building is where the heads of the household sleep.  Sometimes each of the children have their own building or it might be a single building divided into a separate room or bunglaow for each child, etc.  There is always a family shrine/temple which is an ornate stone pillar with a small opening at the top where offerings to the gods are placed each morning, afternoon and evening.  Often in addition to the pillar-type temple, a walled-off “compound” within the compound exists and is also called a family temple but it contains a number of ornate “pillars” each of which is also called a temple.  At this point in my education, any “holy” shrine type place is called a temple but I’m working on learning more about the names and significance of each of these so I can speak more accurately on this subject, but so far “temple” is the only word I’ve heard any Balinese use to describe these structures.  I’ve read that the geographic placement of each of buildings within the compound is strictly dictated by religious beliefs (a modified version of Hinduism is practiced on Bali) but I’ve noticed substantial variation in the 40+ homestays I’ve visited.  Again, this is something I intend to learn more about.   

example of a "pillar type" family temple

In addition to the various buildings used by the family in the compound,  a number of families have additional buildings where they house guests; most of them paying guests like myself.  This type setup is called a “homestay” or “guesthouse” and is different from a hotel because you can actually live in the family compound.  I prefer this type of accomodation because, in theory, I will be able to get to connect with a Balinese family and observe their daily routines.  In actuality, so far I’ve not see the family in whose compound I’m living.  I hope that will change soon. Most families who have guesthouses hire someone to manage the guesthouses as the families already have their own jobs and duties to attend.  Sabuki, the young man from the neighboring island, Java, who runs Suartha is very soft-spoken, pleasant and approachable.  Like many Balinese, Sabuki has many lines of business.  In addition to running Suartha Homestay, he also rents motorbikes and “push” bikes and offers reflexology and massage.   The Balinese homestay is somewhat comparable to a bed and breakfast in the States except that these rooms (often called bungalows) are separate stand-alone structures from the family house and are not the only source of income for the family.  Like a B&B, however, the rent at a homestay usually does include breakfast.        

Banana Pancake and Fruit Salad Breakfast

For breakfast so far at each of my homestays (I’ve experienced 3 since my arrival in Ubud 6 days ago), I’ve always had a generous serving of fruit (bananas, papayas, mangos, watermelon, and pineapple) supplemented with a “main course.”  The main course varies.  I’ve had eggs and toast, an egg and tomato sandwich and my favorite - banana pancake which is really more of a thick crepe with banana slices baked into it.  It’s so sweet and moist, syrup isn’t even used.       So, with that introduction, let me show you around what is my home for the next 36 days ….  It’s called Suartha Guesthouse on Jalan Hanoman (that’s “Hanoman Street” for you English-speakers) and it has the best breezes I’ve experienced in Ubud!    Soon I hope to have a “movie picture” link to the video, but in the meantime … click here for a video tour of my home in Ubud, Bali.

Additional photos for this and other blog entries can be found on the “Photos of Her Adventure” page of this blog.