One of the gals in our group had found an antique Balinese stringed instrument in Kuta yesterday. Knowing that Don just loves things like that, she bought it for him. She then proposed to the rest of us that it be a gift from the whole group. We were all delighted at the idea. So she collected money from each of us.

We change for supper and gather by the pool area to give Don his surprise present. He opens the package and is completely surprised and very, very pleased. He passes the instrument around so all can see it. We told him the story of how we came to present it to him. We can tell he's almost overwhelmed with surprise and gratitude.

At supper we sit at long tables the hotel staff has set up on the tiled terrace at one end of the swimming pool. After dinner is served, we're treated to a Balinese floor show of various Legong dances. It's now dark and the pool's surface shimmers reflections of the torches and brightly glittering costumes of the dancers. One woman dancer has to contend with a long sash trailing out of her long, tightly wound sarong between her bare feet. As she moves gracefully through the choreographed steps, she disciplines the bulky trailing sash with deftly accurate kicks. We wonder how long and how much practice it takes to become skilled in these popular, secular dance forms. Maybe they start learning the dances as little kids.

Back in our room, I discover my laundry has been returned, so I hang it up. Joan and I decide to get a head start on packing, so we won't feel overwhelmed tomorrow night. We just can't believe we have only one more day in our beloved Bali!

Our last full day in Bali! After breakfast we run into Don who's going into Kuta with a bunch of film. I decide to tag along as I have three more rolls to be developed. Joan gives me two of hers and we collect more from other people. Don and I climb in a taxi and we're off to Kuta. Well, here's my chance--fifteen minutes of Don all to myself, and I have been storing up lots of questions to ask him. But they all seem to have flown out the window! So we make small talk and enjoy the scenery. At the photo place, Don places a complicated order for enlargements of pictures of him taken by one of the people in our group. He explains that he has very few GOOD photos of himself and he needs good pictures for publicity. The photo shop says the pictures will be ready this afternoon. I promise Don that Joan and I will do the pick-up.

Back at the hotel I browse through their gift shop, but all I can find that I feel like buying are postcards. I get a fistful. Filling in on places and sights captured poorly by my own camera! Next I wander down to the beach. There's a tiny shop-in-a-tent aways off that I've been meaning to get to, so I walk over there. But I can find nothing that interests me.

Joan and I meet up for lunch. Then we grab a cab back to Kuta to pick up all the pictures. Lo and behold! Everyone's pictures are done--except mine! I ask when I can get them. Tomorrow at 5 p.m. No, I tell the clerk, I'll be gone by then. I'll just have to take the negatives and get them printed at home. The girl says she can't give me the negatives! I ask to speak to her boss and have to explain why I need my negatives now. So he tells the girl how to figure out what to charge me for just the negatives. Outside once again, my negatives in tow, Joan and I look up at the sign which this place proudly displays. "30-minute Processing" I'd label that misleading advertising--the photo lab in Ubud never failed us, so what's the problem here? Back at Pan Sea Puri Bali, everyone seems pleased with their prints. Don's extremely pleased with his enlargements. I peer at my negatives. They look like they were reasonably exposed, so I pack them with the other negatives and prints.

The hotel has returned my second batch of laundry, but some of the shorts are still quite damp. I can't pack them yet, so I hang them around the room, hoping they'll get dry enough by tomorrow at final packing time. Some of Joan's undies which have been hanging on the drying rack out in the bathroom for a couple of days, still haven't dried completely! And this is supposed to be the DRY season. We wonder how the Balinese ever get their laundry dry in the rainy season. We pack as much as possible.

A knock on our door reveals our lovely waitress from yesterday. Smiling very broadly, she presents us with our terracotta servers. We're delighted with them. Now I have to rearrange stuff in my suitcase to accommodate my "critter" so it'll travel safely.

A last wonderful supper at Pan Sea Puri Bali. Back in our room to finish packing. It's a good thing I arrived in Bali with one empty suitcase! Smartest thing I ever did. The terracotta server, sarongs and sashes, books, pictures, tapes, goodness! HOW did I manage to acquire so much stuff? When at last I close the suitcase--by SITTING on it--I can hardly lift it off the bed!

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