Hati hati

Hati hati means 'be careful' and perhaps if Eddie had been careful and left his hat in the car he wouldn't have lost it at Bangli market. Yes, the hat that has been crushed into bags and suitcases, travelled the world and been worn in winning bowls tournaments has gone from his life forever. This was the hat that always sprang back into looking respectable no matter how badly treated it had been. Gone. But to a good home.

Today we drove up the mountain towards Kintamani again, passing through the regency capital of Bangli, because we hadn't yet been there. A pretty drive, with lovely scenery and men raking rice as no doubt they have done for centuries.

Bangli has wide streets, quite an impressive sports oval, a large memorial to someone we need to find out about*, and a market.

No sooner had we parked the car than the parking man, who spoke no English but had an impressive vocabulary of mime, indicated that he liked Eddie's hat. Really liked it. Liked it so much that his life would be incomplete without having it on his own head. Always. How could Eddie resist such a strong emotional argument. So the hat is gone and no doubt, if we visit Bangli again any time in the next decade, Eddie might catch a glimpse of of it on the head of the man who takes the money for parking. Actually, one of the men, for when we got back, someone else asked for our parking money. We had thought that a freebie might be on offer. But no, so we coughed up a whole Rp2000 and went on our way. Good market though.

Just north of Bangli is Pura Kehen, a large temple tucked into a hillside. Very few vendors, only a few tourists, an impressive entrance and 42 altars. No giggling children to fold our sarongs this time. And is it just me, or is there a very early Angry Birds reference here?

*Anak Agung Gede Anom Mudita, who died fighting the Dutch. The images on the monument are pretty graphic.