Lipah, Sideman

This week has mainly been at a small fishing village called Lipah, on the East Coast of Bali. 

We have been coming here for years, and 'adopted' a local family. Mum Made has been sick with stomach problems, and dad Joni is a fisherman who could hardly see until we realised it was cataracts and found him a free clinic. 18 year old Putu is nearly finished her pre-nursing, and hopes to go to uni next yer;12 yo Kadek completed elementary school and we were honoured guests at the breakup day. 

It's been a lazy time playing with the kids

Knitting beanies for new babies

And eating each morning tea (banana fritters with palm sugar syrup...) and soup/fresh fish/veg/rice dinners, all cooked in a very basic kitchen. 

Then it's back to the hills at Sideman for a couple of days amidst fruit and vegie gardens, with a cool breeze and the sound of the adjacent river. 

There's a hammock hiding on the porch

And truly free range chooks 

Looks like this gravel-loaded truck was the last straw for the bridge just near where we are staying. Like many areas there's lots of build going on, and quiet roads get more heavy traffic

This was a narrow piece of land with a river rubbing through, but the very savvy owner is tunnelling the water through, and will build a new tile factory on top. We'll come back next year to see if it's finished...

As usual the women are busy carrying huge loads of rocks and gravel on their heads, but it seems that concreting is mens work. Actually it's kopi time so they're all about to have a break.