So, Bali… I don’t quite know where to start. Bali is overwhelming in every sense. To the ear, Bali is a symphony of bells, birds, gongs and frogs (not a bad combination!) To the eye, Bali is rice paddies, coconut palms, tall mountains and crafts everywhere. Even I, someone who deals in the buying and selling of crafts, was overwhelmed by the shear amount of carved, woven, printed, cast, painted, drawn, sewn, etc. crafts that lined the roads in and out of our base in Ubud. My family and I didn’t do beaches in Bali - I’ll get to those on the island of Lombok - we did culture and art. And what culture and art! Bali is primarily Hindu. That translates into constant ceremonies and festivals, over-the-top ornamentation and design and amazing music and dance. (Above photo: author on balcony in Bali)

The landscape of Bali is one of the things that struck me the most. You hear about the rice terraces of Bali but it is quite amazing to actually see them! Our beautiful, two-level cottage was set amid the rice fields so we went to sleep with a chorus of frogs and awoke to birds and the chattering of ducks in the flooded paddies. We attended music and dance performances - sometimes by firelight only. And we visited temples around Ubud that were so unlike any place of worship - Jewish, Christian or Muslim - that I’ve ever seen.

Wood worker at Tropical Salvage production facility on the island of Java, hand carving a door made out of re-purposed wood.

The shopping in Ubud (shown at right) is totally overwhelming. Literally miles of wall to wall stone carvings. Followed by miles of wall-to-wall wood carvings. Followed by paintings, followed by batiks, etc. etc. You get the picture. I couldn’t help but think, where is all of this going? And indeed, we have read and witnessed that tourism and the craft export business is down in Indonesia. We worry about high fuel and food prices, well the same thing is happening here and it’s affected tourism on an island that relies on it in so many ways. It’s affecting the price of their crafts as well and their competitiveness in a market often dominated by cheap imitations. So, Bali needs all of us I think. To visit, to learn and to appreciate and buy their crafts. In thinking about it I can’t help but feel that we need Bali too. It is a truly amazing place that adds immeasurably to the fabric of our world - art, culture, religion. If Bali becomes poorer and less able to thrive - so do we all.

For more info on Ten Thousand Villages, click here.

–Karen LeAnn McKay

Oh you Europeans, you are so ahead of us in so many ways. Fair trade travel? Uh, duh. Well, actually what does that mean? Well, to begin with, it’s making sure that employees in the industry are not overworked and are paid a living wage. It takes the same standards that have been used in fair trade organic coffee and goods and applying it to the travel industry. And guess what? A fair trade travel label (now being used in some countries) will allow the traveler to support high ethics in tourism. Europeans are all over it and as in the fashion industry, the U.S. will soon follow.

What can we do? The next time we plan our vacation, let’s do some research and ask some important questions. I know I will.

Check out an example of responsible tourism by clicking here.

On a recent jaunt into the elegant city of Buenos Aires, I discovered this incredible jewelry made by the Wichi people of northern Argentina. The necklaces are strung by Wichi women from tree seeds they collect themselves from their native forests. After collecting the seeds they dry them, then string them on a fiber they make from a native plant called chaguar. Not only is the bead and pattern work of these pieces exquisite but everything about the necklaces comes from the land these women and their ancestors have inhabited for centuries.

I learned from contacts at several fair trade shops in Buenos Aires (where I came across the jewelry) that Argentina has a very small but disenfranchised indigenous population. There are only about 60,000 Wichi people (just one of several distinct indigenous groups) and historically they hunt, gather and farm on a small scale. Problems so typical to indigenous people, such as loss of native lands, deforestation and persecution, have plagued the Wichi people since settlers started arriving in Argentina centuries ago. Today though the Wichi people live almost completely self-sufficiently. Their lives are incredibly simple but I was inspired by their ability in today’s modern world to still live from the land, including using otherwise dead seeds to create beautiful pieces of natural wearable art.

The Wichi women make their jewelry all day long. They string beads (like those shown at right) between cooking duties, while nursing their babies and as they walk from one place to another. They get together and string beads in a circle, enjoying time with other women around their common craft.

For more information (but in Spanish) on the Wichi people click here.

These pieces of Wichi jewelry are available from Bambootique.

Fabulous and fairly-traded coin purses by Bambootique. Retail: $9.00 each.

Yes, there is much to love about Bambootique–a retail online fashion and skin-care boutique that is eco-friendly, fair trade and its products made by women.” We absolutely love and support that. These sweet coin purses are “handknit by single mothers in Kathmandu, Nepal and made from knitted wool, recycled silk and hemp.” ::Via: Bambootique

Here’s a closer look at these eco-chic affordable beauties:

This one’s my favorite and it is in my future. Love the color. Carolina, these made me think of you.

Click here to see the complete line of products. FYI, Bambootique owner and planet loving Beth Sethi will be guest blogging on PPnG about her recent trip to Argentina…We are seriously excited! Stay tuned….

There is something very sexy about a man who loves womens’ shoes. Reminds me of a sweet someone…

Holy beautiful Goddess! I was just turned on to these eco-fabulous shoes by PJUX, hand-crafted in Spain and as Inhabitat reports “the result of a Copenhagen-based designer dream team and traditional Spanish leather craftsmanship and artistry.”

A closer look…Love those straps…

Very 1920’s…

Pitter-patter goes this heart. And for those of you who don’t know, my birthday is August 12th.

What are the eco-details, you might ask? They are fairly traded and as stated on the website, “We use compressed and recycled leather soles, vegetable tanned chrome free leather, heals are sourced from European sustainable forests and the metal components are sourced locally in Spain.”

PJUX shoes are available through Ekovaruhuset in New York City.