01/11/2001   Candidasa - BALI   S 08°30   E 115°33   +31 We have rented a Mitsubishi mini bus (an old L300) and we zigzag with difficulty in the narrow streets . We must quickly find a driver! Humidity is close to 80 percent and atmosphere is loaded with smells and perfumes of clove and incense... here begins our Asian adventure. Temples in every village, sanctuaries in every field, we're entering the heart of the Hindu religion. At first, jungle and high coco palm trees, then rice fields: here is Asia as we expected it. Hidden in the impenetrable vegetation, we discover the first mysteries: Goa Lawah - the temple of bats. The grotto is full of them, the sanctuaries covered by excrements and the place smells this typical stink of the macabre animal. Some say these bats are the food of the legendary great snake: Naga Basuki. We explore a fruit and vegetable market: some of these are unknown to us. For lunch, we eat a 'Sate': exquisite little chicken brochette dressed with a sweet and sour nut sauce. When the evening comes, the Team stops in Candidasa on the east coast of Bali. There, palm trees, rocks and a few fishermen that hopefully will tell us where to spend the night. 'You will get your Indonesian article!' This is how ends our two hours meeting with Wisnu Wardana, the very nice director of the Bali Travel News (www.bali-travelnews.com) in Denpasar. The article will come out in the 25th of January (see the video). The mysterious ceremony... to file one's teeth! After touching from left to right his forefinger under his front teeth (see yesterday's journal), someone tells us the mystery. For Balinese, smile is one of the most important things : they show it at every occasion. It's their 'visit card'. To make it even more friendly, boys and girls file their sharpest teeth, on a great ceremony with dances and traditional music. From now, every time a Balinese smiles at us, we look intensively at his teeth... and it's true, they are filed! (Vale) Along the street, a dozen of bamboo cages with cocks... we stop! It's a 'Banjar', a village hall; we are very lucky: the combat is about to begin. In the middle of the crowd, two men are exciting their volatile. The atmosphere is electrical and the money of bets is going from one hand to another. Each of the birds have a blade on a leg... twenty seconds later, the fight is already finished. A fatal hit cut off the white cock's leg. After the fight, the ones who won get their money. The owner of the winning cock brings the dead cock at his place to eat it. The next journal will be on the 14, chat on Sunday at 13.00 pm GMT. Don't miss out! And if you haven't done it, go right now on the voting form to decide on the Car@van's Asian trip! Guide our next steps,insert contacts & info on