Introduction Week Part 1

Upon arriving in Bali, I was picked up by my project coordinator on Sunday and we drove for 3 1/2 hours to Lovina in the north.

Once we arrived, I was a little shocked by the accommodations - small bungalows with 6-bed rooms, which was actually too little space for 6 people and luggage, no proper windows, no air conditioning, the shower was half open and covered with tarps on top, so animals often get in. For example, on Tuesday, I showered with two rather large geckos.

However, after the initial shock, we had food (served three times a day during the week) and the food is really great! Always very delicious.

From Monday onwards, we were 4 people in the introduction week.

Monday: a 1 1/2 hour walk to Lovina center through fields, along the black sandy beach, and small settlements. It was quite exhausting but we got a ride back.

Tuesday: A Buddhist temple just outside of Lovina. Really beautiful! Quite large because it is one of the only ones. We prayed there with incense sticks and then meditated in a cross-legged position for 10 minutes. That was really nice.

Back at the accommodation, we had a Balinese language course - it's a beautiful language but really difficult to learn and retain!

Wednesday: This morning, we got up at 5 o'clock and walked to the beach. In the dark and with thunderstorms on the horizon, we were then taken out by a relatively small boat and watched the sunrise from the sea - a breathtakingly beautiful sight and the air is so fresh and pleasant! The first rays of the sun on the skin and the warmth.

Then we went further out and saw dolphins! Whole schools of dolphins that kept surfacing, jumping out of the water, and doing somersaults. It was so cool! (...)