It’s been a long day and I’m knackered, so I’m saying little tonight. I’m going to let the picture speak for itself. I spent Christmas and New Year 2011-12 in Bali, Indonesia, looking up an old friend (and meeting some new ones). I first went to Bali in 1992 and I’ve been back many times since as the beautiful island and its people have grown on me. The fact it’s also a photographers delight and has some fantastic food has absolutely nothing to do with it – honest!

I took this picture on the 7th January 2012. I was walking from where I was staying into Ubud and was overtaken by this couple on a scooter. Luckily, I had the long lens on my camera, which was slung over my shoulder, so I had time to grab the shot. The woman on the back is balancing roast suckling pig atop her head in traditional Balinese style as her husband weaves his way around the local roads on his scooter. Both are dressed in traditional attire, which suggests they’re on the way to a religious ceremony somewhere. The Balinese aren’t great fans of walking more than a couple of hundred metres so transport like this is de rigeur. They would often spot me when I was walking into town and ask me where I was going. My reply often caused bemusement – “jalan jalan” (walking, in Bahasa Indonesian). Why would anyone walk? – especially in the tropical sun? Mad dogs and Englishmen and all that…

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