The key question I ask myself, Bali will you see me again? Before getting an answer, I have to understand what culture means. So I looked it up in a dictionary.

Everything that is made by human action, that is, anything but untouched nature.

Another description:

the lifestyle of a society; the form, content and spiritual orientation of human action. This lifestyle is not unambiguous, but rather a dynamic interplay of subcultures.

I won’t be back as one celebrating a holiday. I am not the person who can take on other cultures through viewing and guides. To learn about a culture you need te be part of that culture. A history is to be found here which is inextricably linked with culture. Temples, offering, ceremonies but still it does not really tell me much.

Having visited Bali, in just 2 weeks have shown me no more than what I have seen in Austria, Portugal, Norway, Greece or Italy. Places where I’ve been to get history lessons. A place where I can make a selfie saying “Rob was here”.

So is it like “been there done that”? No, I didn’t do enough. Being a tourist just doesn’t cut it for me.

Yes, Bali I hope to see you again and hoping to be a part of a community, experiencing, feeling, surviving and LIVING. I have met only a few Balinese, and what they shared with me, the bits and pieces they gave of their lives, and feeling, is what true Bali is. A warm, sincere, humble, culture. Bali gives me the same feeling as Israel gave me when I was 21 years old with a Palestinian taxi driver for a few days.

I understand that I really should have more attention for whom I traveling with and the journey more than where I’ve been.

Today we have a travel day. We say goodbye to Bali and will greet New Zealand on Sunday at 17:00 in Christchurch. It will be a completely different environment.