I met Anna Marie at a Rotary Club meeting in Ubud. She is 72 years young and has a great life story. We hit it off right away and she invited me to come and spend a few days at her home in a village outside of town.
She picked me up in her rented jeep and we went tearing up the hill. She drives a little crazy and yells at people in German to get out of her way. She has short grey hair and piercing blue eyes. She is an artist and makes the most extraordinary beaded wall hangings I have ever seen. They are delicate and gorgeous and lush. She also makes beaded kimos that are stunning. Elizabeth Taylor owns one and her works have been shown in many museums and upscale hotels.
We arrived at her compound and were let in by Pacsampa, the gardner/night watchman who has worked for her for 10 years. Pacsampa is like a cartoon character I once saw. He has a huge smile with most teeth missing and just nods over and over. He has a wild but at the same time calm look in his eyes and I can tell that he operates in a slightly different reality. He is a sweet man and sits each night on the veranda and lulls me to sleep while he plays a bamboo xylophone type instrument that makes the most beautiful sound. It sounds like a bamboo wind chime.
There are three buildings on the property and the most exquisite gardens. The first building reminds me of a plantation style house that has 4 rooms; two up and two down. A wide veranda runs along the front of each floor. Anna Marie’s art studio and two guest rooms are located in the first building. There are potted plants, beautiful paintings and sweet furniture all around. Her beaded fabric pieces are everywhere. Some as small as a framed photo, and others as large as 10 feet. They are so incredible and incorporate local batik fabric with birds, flowers, butterflies and symbols. I love looking at them. The guest room I stayed in is so sweet and comfortable. My little veranda has a cage with colorful birds and bamboo furniture to sit on. The view is rice fields on two sides. Ducks are always being herded around each. I haven’t figured out what the duck’s role is, but they seem to be very important to the rice farmers. Perhaps they eat the insects from the plants. I intend to find out. There is also a cemetery on one side of the compound and the little street light above it will not stay lit no matter how many times the electrician looks at it. They say the dead do not want to be lit.
The second building houses the kitchen where Wayan presides each day from 7 until 3. She fixes breakfast and lunch, cleans the rooms, creates and makes the offerings for the gods and does it all with a huge smile. She speaks very good English and is a sweet girl. The kitchen is painted yellow and blue and is a cheery room. Indonesians do not eat in the kitchen but this one is inviting with a little table and chairs. Anna’s European influence is definitely here among the delicate porcelain china cups that match the teapots.
In the third building Anna Marie lives upstairs. She has a beautiful daybed on the veranda of intricately carved Balinese wood and bright fabric pillows and pad. She has her Tibetan Buddhism books there as well as her candles, fresh flowers and prayer beads. Anna Marie and I were both in Bodh Gaya last year for the teachings of The Dalai Lama but we did not meet then. Instead we met in Bali.
There is another cage with 4 beautiful birds there and they squawk loudly when there are guests. Anna Marie yells at them in German and the only word I understand is “terrorist!” She’s a very funny, very spunky, somewhat naughty woman. I like her very much. There is a sweet dog who lives here too and is spoiled rotten. Anna feeds him from her plate and talks to him when he gets scared of the thunder and lightening.
I had a very restful first night at Anna’s and I couldn’t believe I got to wake up in such a beautiful place. I felt very fortunate. I opened up the wooden doors and shutters and looked out at the farmers in the rice fields. We had breakfast on the veranda, yummy, strong Balinese coffee, toast with jam and a huge pile of fresh fruit with yogurt and coconut on top.
After breakfast we talked a long time before going for a swim at a nearby hotel. The pool was situated on a hillside overlooking a steep jungle canyon with a river at the bottom. It was glorious.
Next we drove through the nearby villages that are all dressed up for Galungan, a yearly celebration of the deceased ancestors, who come back for 10 days to feast and check in on everyone. Each home builds these beautiful bamboo poles that are decorated with bamboo curls, ribbons, fabric, little mirrors and food offerings. There is competition in the villages about who can make the most beautiful ones. We drove through and looked at them all and it was delightful. Out here, the Balinese don’t see many white people and we got a lot of attention driving through. I felt like a queen on parade.
After a late lunch, we changed our clothes and Anna drove me though villages on the other side of Ubud to a very fancy hotel called The Hanging Gardens. There, she has a 15 foot long piece hanging in the foyer as well as several kimonos and other pieces in the gift shop.
It started to rain as we were leaving and we got lost on the wrong road coming back. We were deep in the jungle. It was a little scary for a bit, but then we found our way back. We went to a Buddhist teaching that evening and that was nice.
We got back to her place and had some rice with veggies and egg and some delicious rice wine in the bright yellow kitchen of her place as the rain poured down. We talked late into the night about her time in San Francisco and coming to Bali 18 years ago and all the changes she has seen.
I will go back and spend time with her over the holidays and look forward to that. She is a dear, sweet woman with a bit of a wild side. She inspires me.
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