Harper's On Bali by venitha

• Number of nights we spent in Ubud, Bali: 5
  
• Number of hour-long massages Jim got: 8
  
• Least expensive massage: 40000 Indonesian Rupiah (USD ~4.25)
  
• Most expensive massage: IDR 90000 (USD ~9.75)
• Number of books I read: 6
• Number of petal-strewn baths I took: 1
  
• Number of times we said "I love this place" regarding our hotel, Alam Jiwa: countless
  
• Number of fresh-squeezed(?) pineapple juices we consumed: countless
  
• Number of Oh-My-God-delicious butterfish sushi we consumed: 12
• Number of black rice puddings we consumed: 3
  
• Ratings of jaffle [pictured; stuffed with banana, coconut, and palm sugar], pancake [pictured; topped with pineapple, coconut, and palm sugar; I'd have called it a crepe], and omelet in our Alam Jiwa breakfast preferences: Weird but in a good way, Jim's favorite, my favorite
• Rank of roasted corn flavor Cheetos among the most disgusting snacks ever: very very high
  
• Best meal: It's a toss-up between the divine sushi (above) or the incredibly tender bebek betutu (smoked duck, please order 24 hours in advance, hideously un-photogenic)
  
• Number of squat toilets I had to pass on, pregnancy having caused significant regression in my squatting abilities: 2
  
• Number of romantic star-lit swims we took: 3
  
• Rank of Kecak among the best cultural performances Jim's ever attended (and I've dragged him to these all over SE Asia): 1 (though he did recently reminisce fondly about Simon's Cabaret, a transvestite extravaganza we enjoyed in Chiang Mai, Thailand)
• Number of times Jim got to wear a sarong, required attire for many temples: 1

• Favorite Indonesian word: Isnin, meaning Monday. In Malay, it's two syllables: ees-neen; in Indonesian, it's shortened to sneeen, a day straight out of Dr. Seuss. Forget that "rose by any other name" BS; a cool name and two massages make Monday a much more likeable day.
  
• Rank of Bali among the most relaxing vacations we've ever taken: 1

venitha