More of the unexpected....

I arrived in Ubud armed with a list of things I was going to do: see the palace, various temples, the monkey sanctuary, bontantic gardens, art galleries the list was endless. In fact for the first three days in Ubud each day was planned with military precision. I think someone said (can't remember who) 'life is what happens when you're busy making plans'. Never really appreciated that comment until I went travelling and especially when I arrived in Ubud.

Each morning, after a delicious Balinese brekkie at Pramesti, which usually consisted of pancake topped with banana and coconut, I would head to the Yoga Cafe where I would end up chatting to various people - usually Californian hippies. This in turn would lead to a recommendations of some sort and my planned day would be dropped like a hot brick as I embarked on the unexpected. So my usual hangouts of the the Yoga Cafe, Buddha Cafe, Indus (gorgeous restaurant over looking the rice fields with the best fresh juices in town)and the Three Monkey's would always come up trumps in terms of the people I would meet. They were always interesting with great recommendations and with out a doubt people I would never normally meet.

What kept making me smile though is the way I would think to myself how I'd really like to do x y or z and then I would meet someone who had, or knew someone or knew where I could do exactly what I'd been thinking about. It was pretty strange in a way but it just kept happening while I was in Ubud. For a while I'd been thinking 'hmmm I'd really like to meet Ketut Liyer the medicine man, palmist and Balinese astrologist everyone has been raving about. I wonder who knows him'. Kept popping into my head. And this is exactly what was preoccupying my thoughts on the morning I bumped into Fleur at the Yoga Cafe.

I'd got chatting to Fleur - a European documentaries director - the day before at Wayan's place. She had an air of calmness and grace I always aspire to have but realised long ago that no amount of meditating and yoga will ever bring out self assured waftiness which I'm convinced is hiding somewhere deep inside me. I immediately liked Fleur - not just because I was is awe of her total zen-ness - but she had clearly lived a bit, no doubt been delt a few rough deals in life and that was something I could resonate with at that time.

Anyway, we got talking about Wayan and the 'Eat, Pray, Love' book that everyone seems to read when they come to Bali. Kinda makes sense what with it being about Bali and Ubud specifically! Anyway, the author became friends with Wayan and also struck up a friendship with Ketut Liyer. I was saying to Fleur how I wanted to meet him, as I've heard on the grapevine he's quite a character, and what do you know she'd seen him a few days before. Gave me his card and my 'to do' list was, for the third and last time, binned.

With Ketut's cards firmly in my grasp I caught a taxi bike to his compound. I found him sitting crossed legged, on a small pavilion, with a few Balinese locals dotted around him, listening to him giving the diagnosis to teenage girl. I have no idea what he was saying as it was in Balinese!

I can't actually put an age on Ketut - let's just say he was old, maybe over 80 but he looked good for it. Not as lined as you'd think for someone over 80. Practically bald except a few strands of long hair and with hardly any teeth. To the left of him where books piled high which I later learnt were his grandfathers who also used to be a healer. The information on palm reading and Balinese medicine were written on coconut laves and bound. There were beautiful colourful birds in cages dotted around the compound and aside from Ketut talking, the only other noise was the distant gentle hum of motorbikes from the main road a five minute walk away.

I learnt a lot from Ketut and went back to see him a few times. He mainly reads Westeners palms - I wasn't there for that though although he did read my palm. He was pretty accurate and said if I return with my future husband he will bless us. He kept asking me why I wasn't married - I was a bit like 'aren't you supposed to know the reason Mr Palm Reader!'...in fact that's a question I have been asked in every country I've been to. To be honest I'm actually thankful I haven't married any of my previous boyfs. My recent realisation that I've actually been dating the same man for the last 20 years (same content, different packaging) has led me to believe that I have developed a pattern (read addiction maybe?) for inappropriate men (read: issues, misers, flashy, mummies boys, music snobs, addicts.. .the list is endless). Armed with this new information the fact I'm not married is something to be celebrated!

In fact, one of the three questions I repeatedly get asked in Bali are: 'where you going? what you're doing? and are you married?'. The Balinese have to know where to 'put' you so to speak - it's part of hte Balinese culture you see. Not meant to be rude or intrusive as it sometimes feels when you've been asked 30 times in 20 minutes and you're rushing to find a loo! Anyway, if you're not married always reply: 'No I'm not married - yet'. The Balinese prefer it this way as it's hopeful.

However Ketut has assured me that I will be married (whatever) but like I said my future, how he saw it, wasn't the reason why I paid him a visit. I wanted to find out about Balinese meditation and had heard he was the man to ask. And he was a fountain of knowledge in this area as I'd hoped. He taught me the Balinese method of meditation and told me about the various spirits on the island, how they 'interact' with humans. It was fascinating.