From Nusa Penida to Bali

Hello family and friends,

We have arrived in Bali for the last few days in this beautiful country. Our departure from Nusa Penida was bittersweet. Well, perhaps more bitter than sweet because we already miss our many local friends. It was also difficult because the last few days in our village were so incredible.

Last night the entire village came to the community center for the farewell party. They cooked a massive meal for us which included four pigs! It was an impressive spread. The night beforehand we camped on the beach. We made a bonfire and sat under the stars enjoying the company of a few locals who joined us.

We completed our second project and now the community center has a concrete floor. This project went even quicker than the first floor because of the layout of the center and also maybe because we lived on the worksite! Sleepy heads were never far from our project!

Our independent study projects also went well and on our last day on Nusa Penida we had a presentation where students showed off their new talents and insights. The projects ranged from learning how to care for cows, to learning traditional dances to learning how to fight crickets (a favorite pastime of boys). Students had a great time sharing what they had learned.

Today we are on Bali with some time to look for gifts and eat good food. Tomorrow morning at 2:30 am we hike to Bali's second highest mountain in time to catch the sunrise! It is bound to be stunning.

Bye for now,
Josie and Santiago