The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-01-24

ana many WIG BOAR.
One week ago we arrived in this
unique island, and in one after
moons stiff pushing and cycling
made Gigit. a tiny government
rest house eight miles up In the
hills from Boeleleng, our port of
Decentralization We left eight on
magnificent clear morning. push
ing our bikes on up the steep
mountain road.
Soon we had left the last village
fdesa) behind and save for scat
tered Balinese road-workers, found
this forest road ours. The amaze
ment with which these people re-
gardcd our passage on bikes. was
matched by ours at the strange
meas of this country of Bali.
Great bands Of wild monkeys
chased through the tree-tops,
scolding and chattering, yet try
as we might TO catch pictures they
would cease every rustic and stir
the instant we stopped And the
birds of this exotic tropical island
--raucous calls echoing through
the ravines and cool byways along
our road.
REACH SUMMIT
OF 1000 FEET
BY mid-morning we had risen
to the summit from our little rest
house. had pushed our bikes liter
ally upward 1000 feet. At last We
could mount our two-wheeled
steeds for the hurtle down the far
side. We paused for breath and
were caught short by the incred-
IDLY beautiful sight spread far be-
low. There. glimmcring in the
brilliant green Of Balls luxuriant
hills, nestled two impossibly blue
lakes--our two lakes-Bujan and
Bratan. More beautiful, though.
were the temples tPoera) skirting
the lake shore. Not too unlike
pagodas In their general form.
they made the scene unreal in its
strange attraction.
We jumped into our saddles"
and were off. The road spiraled
down the mountain side carrying
US at a clip easily within reach of
20 miles at times. Out onto the
fertile plain we coasted, drinking
in the heady quality Of this peace
full land, with its tiny habitations
Of clay covered with rice straw.
its complacent people. disturbed
momentarily by the advent Of our
Gathering descent.
Then - sudden disaster.
Moore's reA- wheel bumped
along ut terrific rate. A
fiat: No service station here!
We dismounted and surveyed
the damage. After all II was
. guaranteed Dunlap - but
England Ii . long way from
Hall and we were In . hurry.
The real shock came, though.
when we discovered our tire
repair cement missing.
Crestfallen we pushed along the
hot. dusty road-amazing how a
little incident had suddenly trans
formed the beauty and remoteness
Of this mountain country into
something to be despised rather
than admired. We came to the
shores Of Lake Bratan. Perhaps
the government rest house might
have a stray tire tube about or
some cement. We inquired via
media of sign language and a few
English words of young Balinese
equipped with what seemed the
lone bike in this outlying region.
No-but he would do what he
could for us.
We were led to his hut under
great banyan tree, and he pro-
duced q very squeezed, aged. sorry
looking tube Of Mayor rubber ce-
ment- Work as he might 1t abso-
lutely refused to put forth the
slightest inkling of moisture. A
match was pressed into service to
aid the flow Of sticky substance
but to no avail. While our young
Balinese friend worked, / took in
our surroundings.
FINE EXAMPLE OF
NOBLE RACE
In the tiny hut's entry stood his
sister, perhaps typical represen-
tative OF that strong and slender
stature which makes the average
Balinese such a noticeable person.
Men and women. they are on the
whole somewhat taller than the
neighboring race Of Jayanese. and
almost all of them keep the upper
portion of the body unclothed,
seem to soak in the sunshine in
which their bronxed skins glimmer
20 healthily. A noble race II every
one existed.
In the garden the inevitable pigs
Of Bali grunted and rooted in the
muck. Behind framing it for
picture to delight any camera fan.
great green hills. their tops cloak
ed In mist. shot through with rays
Of MONDAY sunlight. rose up abb
rubtIy. Speculations were rudely
shattered though by thought of
our plight, till it occurred to US
to examine our Balinese friends
bike. Just as we had surmised-
It had an inner tube of the type
required to put Moore's cycle in
shape for the road. Quickly we
signed to our Balinese boy our
desire Of purchasing his tube-one
guilder, He nodded. delighted TO
have the guilder. and we made the