Sorry for the lack of posts -- quite embarrasing, actually, especially since we have had email available.

BALI:  Thinking about a tropical/island vacation?  Forget about St. ____.  Think Bali.  Long flight?  Yes, but well worth it.  If you like gorgeous beaches, amazing culture and architecture, tons of activities, incredible food, and cheap deals, then Bali may be for you. 

Unfortunately, we only had 7 days to spend . . . but we made the most of them.  During that time, we had plenty of R&R, but we also went scuba diving (around the USS Liberty -- a WW2 wreck) and saw some amazing coral and fish.  We also went white water rafting.  The last thing I would have thought of, but what a blast!!!  The rapids were pretty good, but the scenery -- through a deep, narrow, waterfall-filled, rainforested canyon -- was even better. 

We also ate like kings/queens -- for cheap!!!  The local food was a blend of indian, chinese, and thai, but also unique and distinct -- a lot of spices and fresh seafood (one night we even sat on the beach and ate fresh seafood while watching a gorgeous sunset).  The most popular dish is rice, surrounded by all kinds of meats/noodles/fish/and veggies. 

Finally, the culture was incredible.  While Bali is somewhat touristy (a good tourist infrastructure), the locals mix freely and go about their lives as if no tourists are even there.  Like many hindu cultures, Bali is a land of festivals -- one is almost always taking place.  The architecture -- mainly the temples, but even the traffic circles -- is an incredible blend of indian/hindu statutes and structures that look like Japanese pagodas.  We saw several temples and even visited a local's home (every house has its own temple).  We also witnessed, daily, the locals making "offerings" (incense and fruits/food/nuts) to the gods -- sometimes at temples, but also at traffic circles, street corners, and just about everywhere else.  Bali hindu culture is a fascinating mix -- basically traditional hinduism has been layered onto animist/traditional beliefs, and that culture is thriving today.  The hi-light of our trip, however, was to witness a cremation ceremony, which was unlike anything we have ever seen.  From the body purification ceremonies, to the street procession, to the funeral pyre and actual cremation ceremony, it was an amazing site to behold (and not, by any means, just a tourist production).  The time, effort, and emotion that went into that ceremony -- and he was just a "middle class guy"-- was overwhelming.  We were very privileged to partake in such an event -- and wait until you see the photos of the funeral procession (particularly when the bearers, while dodging power lines, made 3 circles at the intersection in order to "confuse" the evil spirts).

Despite the long flight, we would higly recommend Bali to anyone!  Bali has a tourist infrastructure to cater to all needs and budgets.  The people are probably the friendliest we've met so far.  Just a wonderful experience.