Meet Gil Frei aka Bamboo Gil
“I think having land as well as also not ruining the item can be the most beautiful art anyone could ever want.” – Andy Warhol.
Meet Gil Frei, also known as Bamboo Gil, a yacht captain who jumped ship in Bali 18 years ago as well as also today grows his own food as well as also medical herbs on a little piece of paradise near the beach.
How many years did you spend at sea?
Most of my adult life. I ran off to sea at nineteen. I was living having a wild girlfriend who created a lot of drama. I will not go into the details, nevertheless at just the perfect time I received a phone call through a friend asking if I would certainly like to sail through brand-new York, where I lived, to the Caribbean. We left NY harbour late on December 1st on a beautiful 100-foot teak yacht. We hit a terrible storm as well as also were blown north to Nova Scotia. Took us more than a month to limp half broken down south. I worked long as crew as well as also somehow finagled my way to captain chartering throughout the Caribbean, Europe, brand-new England as well as also finally Indonesia.
as well as also here you are in Bali after years at sea! How did that will happen?
I was captain of a 100 foot vintage yawl through the 1920s. The owner was the guy portrayed inside the movie “Wall Street”. One day I just got bored with the item all. I would certainly never abandon my boss so I trained up my mate to properly take my place as well as also then went on vacation to Bali as well as also never went back.
What got you into bamboo?
I remember as a kid I loved ’Mysterious Island’ as well as also especially the bamboo house; the way the item was built through everything on hand. I purposely didn’t look at books or magazines when I designed that will house. that will can be cheating. I don’t look at cookbooks either – takes away all the fun.
Tell me the story of your bamboo home as well as also how you created that will sustainable way of life you generously share with your friends.
I was living in central Seminyak in a little house when I saw that will inexpensive last remaining little farm near the beach. I leased the item right away. The most important thing about building can be not so much the design as the item can be the placement of the building on the land. The house should fit into the land. I wanted to get to know the feel of the land as well as also because I had never built anything as well as also didn’t have a clue; I did not build on the item For two main years. During that will time I put inside the lotus pond as well as also vegetable as well as also herb garden. I had a cute pond at my Seminyak house, the water of which actually saved my home because no different water was available through a fire that will was jumping through roof to roof. Later I had a dream about a spirit living inside the pond. I wanted to move that will not bad spirit to its brand-new home.
The lotus pond does have a not bad spirit! When I backed my bike into the item that will spirit kept me through falling over. How did you commence building your house?
I made a broomstraw style which I had in my kitchen for a year before building. The second floor can be larger than the first. the item can be truly a one story building having a huge loft upstairs. Bamboo construction must have diagonal beams for support. The bigger upper story lets you put in lots of diagonals outside. The roof can be a large crossed gable intersecting in a large pyramid. The alang-alang roof was the most expensive part of the house. the item can be difficult to get not bad quality grass these days, nevertheless the Ubud boys did me well. I keep myself busy thinking of brand-new gadgets, as the item’s sort of fun living in a grass house with all the modern gimmicks like remote control lighting, remote music control, Wifi as well as also the rest. The hot tub can be heated by the office air conditioner as well as also the movie screen pulls down through a hollow bamboo beam.
What you are eating right today can be a sawi tart. the item can be made through local feta cheese, dark local greens, as well as also different ingredients all through the garden. The arugula salad as well, as well as also the ginger vinegar can be homemade. the item can be all grown as well as also made right here. I rarely need to go shopping. I like knowing my food can be organic. the item just seems ridiculous to me eating something that will was flown through Europe or the States with all the effort as well as also energy as well as also plastic that will entails. I enjoy a not bad French or Italian cheese as a rare treat sometimes, nevertheless do prefer to eat local.
that will can be the tastiest organic food I’ve eaten in Bali. Did you raise the ducks? can be that will one of them?
Yes, that will can be one of my ducks. I told the ducks, “No eggs – into the pot”, nevertheless they didn’t listen. They had a not bad life nevertheless we can’t afford to keep feeding them if they don’t produce. I just got some brand-new ones as well as also we contain the same agreement. They have free range of the place as well as also are well kept.
So much of what grows wild here can be medicinal. We were taught to kill weeds like dandelions, as though they were useless when in fact most plants have useful properties. I today collect Meniran, which dissolves kidney stones, cleanses your liver, reduces tumours as well as also boosts one’s immune system. I have been studying Sambiroto as well as also different local plants that will grow wild here as well as also am reading about the recent trials by major medical centres such as Sloan Kettering as well as also brand-new York University Hospital suggesting that will they may help combat cancer, hepatitis, flu, as well as also many more common ailments.
Do you think if more people lived as you do, that will would certainly be a better world?
the item’s a bit of a problem. I grow too much as well as also do not want to waste not bad food, so I am sort of obligated to cook often as well as also invite friends for dinner. I’ve been reading about the medicinal qualities of plants around me as well as also the item’s nice to be able to help friends in need with these traditional Ayurvedic plants. Of course I advise them to see the local doctor as well.
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Meet Gil Frei aka Bamboo Gil
Meet Gil Frei aka Bamboo Gil