Village Kids

When walking through an unfamiliar village as a solo traveler, I am often uncomfortable at first. I get stared at, critically eyed and observed, or someone smells business and tries to sell me something. I feel like an vulnerable foreign body in the center of attention. But when children appear everything changes. They are curious to know who I am, make me laugh, want to talk to me or show me something exciting. All of a sudden I feel welcome and encounter the new place with the most intimate warmth.

Munduk, Bali (Indonesia), August 2015