Saturday 1^st February

Quiet day today, and have been out to lunch at a lovely café called Café Vespa which is just up the road, and a bonus of free wifi, food was yum too.  We are heading back to the pool this afternoon for a swim and then make a plan for tomorrow. Very uneventful thus far.

We hired a taxi for the day with two other volunteers and went to Lake Batur which is in the crater of a very large volcano, which also has Mt Batur inside it; which is still active.  From the Caldera we could look across to Mt Batur and see the recent lava flow which is quite obvious after its most recent eruption in 1968.  It was astounding to see people’s homes within 200 or so metres from the end of the lava flow.  It was drizzly and cloudy in the distance but this added to the stunning view and deep blue green colour of the water.  Across the other side of the lake was the oldest known village of Bali Aga, which is only accessible by boat.  Also in the lake there were floating fish farms which the locals farmed flat fish similar to flounder according to our taxi driver.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Batur

This evening we have had an influx of new volunteers, (USA, Canada, Holland, China and Germany & Saudi Arabia) after a few of the others have finished their volunteering and left this weekend.

Monday 3^rd – Wednesday 5^th

School is ticking along and we are becoming more accustomed to the Balinese school system, or lack of it in the afternoon.  A huge thunderstorm and torrential rain today saw the classrooms leaking and Jim mopping the floors. The children run across the (very busy) road at break-times to buy their snacks, and no one gives a blink of an eye about the traffic, snack choices etc. We just accept that is what they do and our interpreter seems unperturbed. However the kids are rather delightful and full of energy. Teaching highlight this week: Jim & Lydia set up a craft activity and the girls just loved it and wouldn’t go to break time!

Tomorrow is Waitangi Day so there is a rumour that the Kiwi contingent is having a bit of a get together; we’ll see what transpires.