Nevertheless, Bali made such a strong impression on me that some comments are called for. The Balinese are without doubt the gentlest most friendly people I have met. Almost everyone we met was courteous, warm and gracious. Admittedly as tourist we saw only one aspect of the culture, but I've traveled enough over the years to recognize the genuine thing. In Bali we found it.
Families live together in compounds.
Grandparents, brothers, sisters and their children live together in a group of buildings surrounded by a walled enclosure. Each family compound has its own temple which forms the heart of the family community. Each family compound has a dog, a local mongrel breed called for some reason, peanut dogs. These are family pets, but we were told that their main purpose is to guard the family compound. They are noticeable because every family has one and they wander freely over the roadways.