Content under my palm tree, I would have remained on the beach until sunset, but my guide Dita had something remarkable planned. We drove to a rocky cliff on the southern edge of Bali. There, perched 800 feet above the crashing waves, stands Uluwatu, one of Bali's most sacred and astonishing temples. Against the backdrop of a brilliant orange sunset we witnessed Bali's famous monkey chant dance, performed by a circle of bare-chested men who stretched and swayed in unison to their hypnotic chanting.

Afterwords we dined at a sensational restaurant that uses the freshest local fish and produce in combination with traditional Indonesian spices. A glowing brazier was set on our table so that we could prepare our own skewers of marinated chicken, lamb and beef -- all dipped into savory peanut sauce. The restaurant also rescues tortoise eggs from the local market, and boxes of warm sand incubating the eggs were on display. Swimming in pools surrounding the dining pavilions were magnificent turtles that would soon be released back into the wild!

After dinner, we took a tour of the gay nightlife in Kuta beach. We dropped by several fun and funky spots before settling in for a different sort of all-male performance--drag queens who put on a very good song and dance show. I met my new friend Sudi there and we returned for midnight cocktails overlooking a moonlit pool. What a perfect ending to my first remarkable day in Bali.

Don't work too hard!