Bali

View from the lobby.

Well, we are in Bali and it really is a beautiful place. The Hindu architecture is so different and wonderful. Our hotel, Grand Hyatt, is spectacular! It is right on the Indian Ocean. We have a very nice room looking out at a garden and we have a pond with fish right off of the patio.

I was slightly concerned about traveling here because of the bombings in 2005 and 2002 in this area of Bali. Fortunately, they take security very seriously here. The hotel is located in an resort area with several hotels and shopping areas called Nusa Dua. In order to enter into this area of Bali you stop at a guard gate, your vehicle is searched and you drive over a camera that examines the underside of the car. You don't have to get out of the car but they do open the doors and trunk and look in. As we drove from there to the hotel we passed a shopping area that requires everyone to pass through a metal detector. When we arrived at the hotel, we stopped at another guard gate with a huge metal or concrete arm blocking the driveway. Again, they looked through the car and trunk and we were allowed in. As we explored the hotel, we saw security guards everywhere. They are nothing like the stereotypical security guards at home, they appear very serious about their jobs and that is a good feeling.