Aah, Amed ... (Bali)

Amed is the collective name for a number of small sleepy fishing villages on the east coast of Bali. The area is known for good snorkeling and diving as well as for its black sand beaches. It was a relatively easy 2-hour ride from Sideman including stops for photos. We followed the contours of Mt. Agung, admiring the mountainous scenery and cornfields along the way.

Through the gates to a new province -

Mmm, a diver ... definitely a good sign we were headed in the right direction! Our luggage for the week is all on the bike, the 125cc motor strong enough to carry the weight and take the hills! 

Our guidebook recommended the Sunrise Homestay in the village of Jemeluk.

With the sound of the ocean already lulling our senses, we accepted an upstairs room without hesitation; IDR200,000 (about US$16) including private bathroom, breakfast for two and wi-fi. There was no hot water but considering the temperature, this was more of a plus than a negative. The lovely Balinese family lives downstairs and they have a total of six rooms available for rent.

The view from our balcony ... aah, it felt good to be here! And we were the only guests!

Seated at our favourite warung (restaurant) we watched the local fishermen handle the jukungs lined up on the beach. Jukung is the Balinese name for this type of boat.

Having come in to deliver their morning catch, they were ready to head out to sea again. The timing was perfect to sit and watch them help each other relaunch their jukungs. It was interesting to note that none of them wore shoes. As we'd discovered, the black sand beach is in fact lots of small pebbles and piping hot!

This is a great shot showing the narrow body of the jukung.

Hanging out just before 'take-off'. Typically two to a boat.

This gentleman was giving his jukung an overhaul.

This is what he wants it to look like ... typical sunhat hanging on the right.

This little boy was fishing with extraordinary balance, using only twine - no pole.

Overlooking the village of Jemeluk - the water looked so inviting!

We could see where we were staying quite easily. Sunrise Homestay occupies one of the largest buildings on the beach - centered in the photo below.

Close-up view also showing part of the family temple built on the roof. This is a typical feature of a Balinese family compound and it is visited on a daily basis to make offerings.

While Dennis went snorkeling I relaxed in a beachside café, enjoying the cool breeze and several fresh fruit juices. It was an extremely pleasant environment in which to catch up on my blog posts and I felt very happy we'd decided to stay for two nights. Dennis reports that the snorkeling was good, though not the best, and he saw lots of different brightly-coloured fish.

We couldn't resist waking up early to watch the sunrise from our balcony - morning # 1.

- and morning # 2.

Note on current exchange rate: US$1.00 is about Indonesian Rupiah IDR12,160 is about ZAR10.60