Desa Seni, Canggu, Bali Indonesia

My brother and I spent a week in Indonesia.

Deas Seni, Canngu, Bali to be exact.

We arrived just a day after the most recent fatal bombings in Jakarta, but could not have conceived of a more relaxed and safe haven as was Desa Seni for us. I felt a bit guilty being there and embracing the warm welcoming atmosphere, where they literally sound a large 'gong' when you enter the residence, when other foreigners had just been killed in the capital.

I spoke to one of the staff about the attacks here at Desa Seni about the bombings and he said 'It is terrible, but this happens here. 'What can I do but pray and live my life well and be happy to the people i meet?'

Which is about right too.

So we relaxed and embraced it...

All around us are living, breathing, photosynthesising things and clickity things; geckoes, crickets and various insects. The tick, tick ticking of men building and maintaining the gardens around us. For us two avid music lovers with our iPods and macbooks jammed full with music, we didn't turn them on til the very end.

As if the cacophony of village life was enough, that and the peace of our own silence.

We were, however, for two days and nights serenaded by ceremonial singing cascading across the rice paddy fields. A man's deep resonant voice singing devotional hymns, sometimes accompanied by drums and bells, floated around us from morning til late at night. It was the day before and the day of the Total Solar eclipse which I, of course, wanted to believe it had something to do with but our enquiries got us no further to finding out exactly what it was for.

Our day would begin either with a yoga class or breakfast. Breakfast being a bowl of mixed tropical fruit, a fresh pressed juice, a Balinese coffee or organic tea and then a hot dish, our collective favourite; the Telur Florentine. Two fresh farm eggs poached sitting on spinach from the garden that has been sautéed in garlic on top of whole wheat bread accompanied by two lightly grilled tomatoes, also plucked from the garden, sprinkled with more garlic and pesto made from the, you guessed it, basil grown in the garden.

This would always be brought to us, in our rumah wungsu by a Balinese man in his uniform of loose cotton trousers and t-shirt with a frangipani behind the ear and a warm smile wishing us a 'good morning' and to 'please enjoy our breakfast', and we believed them every time.

Our hut, rumah wungsu, is perched at the edge of the 'village resort' complex. We have a little grassed area out front with trees, a small flower garden sprouting bird of paradise and a statue of Ganesha who acts as protector of the property (she is aided by several burly security guards, who also wear frangipanis behind their ears). We look out over rice paddy fields that are tended daily and a new garden being built that already houses a few mango trees and small vegetable plots.

It felt, at the beginning of the week that it would go on forever. The days were sultry and long, sunshine and great food, stretching and napping. And then, suddenly it's over!

It is so strange the way that happens...

Every time we sat down to eat another amazing meal I would say 'How great is this food?! How good is this for us, I know I say it every time..but really, how great is this!'

And the little notes on our pillows each night. Different quotes every time;

"Wondrous is the strength of cheerfulness, and it's power of endurance

The cheerful man will do more in the same time, will do it better, will preserve it longer, than the sad or sullen."

Thomas Carlyle

Which is not dissimilar to our waiter's quote that I'm personally going to run with;

'What can I do but pray and live my life well and be happy to the people i meet?'

check it out: www.desaseni.com