Salak

I went to Bali for temple-gazing, as I was an aspiring amateur archeologist. Also, I had an interest in indigenous languages like Indonesian and Balinese. I looked there for Balinese linguistics books, but to no avail. There were craftsmen, though, who sold Balinese calligraphy written on bamboo or paper. I knew that the carvings and objects in the temples had esoteric meanings, but only experts knew. I enjoyed eating exotic tropical fruits in Bali, as I first tried the "salak" snake fruit. Bali was a Hindu oasis in the largely Muslim country of Indonesia. In a souvenir shop, I met a lady vendor who had an interest in Buddhism. I befriended a hotel worker named Made Budi Artawan, and I had an avocado shake with him in a cafe near my hotel.