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We’ve been somewhat off the grid for a while now, spending the last eight days in Pemuteran in Bali’s distant northwest corner. We enjoyed a wonderful week there with our old neighbors of 15 years — Bart and Ann and Wil. We barely had any Internet, but we sure did get in a lot of card playing, world problem solving, and general catching up.

Our villa was ideal for the five of us, with wonderful open spaces, a lovely warm pool, and beautiful views of lush green mountains and the Bali Sea in the distance. Kudos to Bart for finding such a perfect place.

Perhaps best of all, we felt like we were surrounded by some pretty genuine Balinese life. The nearby ‘town’ offered a small scattering of nice restaurants, tranquil beaches, and cheap massage. Getting there required a fifteen-minute walk past loads of ordinary houses, temples, and farms. And along the way we enjoyed the endless greetings from the warm and friendly locals.

Our eight days together gave us ample opportunity to preach our own newfound gospel of learning to relax and take it easy — a skill especially alien to Bart, though he may have picked up just a little. We also worked in a little time to hike through some stunning mountain scenery, visit an island and a waterfall, and do some great snorkeling.

We’ve now returned to Temple Lodge in southern Bali to spend our last three days on this amazing island. As we said goodbye to our old neighbors this morning, we’d already starting plotting where we might meet up the next time we all need a serious cards fix.