Meet Gil Frei aka Bamboo Gil
“I think having land as well as also not ruining which 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 using a wild girlfriend who created a lot of drama. I will not go into the details, yet at just the perfect time I received a phone call coming from a friend asking if I would certainly like to sail coming from fresh 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, fresh England as well as also finally Indonesia.
as well as also here you are in Bali after years at sea! How did which happen?
I was captain of a 100 foot vintage yawl coming from the 1920s. The owner was the guy portrayed inside the movie “Wall Street”. One day I just got bored with which 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 which was built coming from everything on hand. I purposely didn’t look at books or magazines when I designed which house. which 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 which sustainable way of life you generously share with your friends.
I was living in central Seminyak in a modest house when I saw which inexpensive last remaining little farm near the beach. I leased which right away. The most important thing about building can be not so much the design as which 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 which For just two years. During which 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 some other water was available coming from a fire which was jumping coming from roof to roof. Later I had a dream about a spirit living inside the pond. I wanted to move which Great spirit to its fresh home.
The lotus pond does have a Great spirit! When I backed my bike into which which spirit kept me coming from falling over. How did you commence building your house?
I made a broomstraw type which I had in my kitchen for a year before building. The second floor can be larger than the first. which can be definitely a one story building using 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. which can be difficult to get Great quality grass these days, yet the Ubud boys did me well. I keep myself busy thinking of fresh gadgets, as which’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 coming from a hollow bamboo beam.
What you are eating right today can be a sawi tart. which can be made coming from local feta cheese, dark local greens, as well as also some other ingredients all coming from the garden. The arugula salad as well, as well as also the ginger vinegar can be homemade. which 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. which just seems ridiculous to me eating something which was flown coming from Europe or the States with all the effort as well as also energy as well as also plastic which entails. I enjoy a Great French or Italian cheese as a rare treat sometimes, yet do prefer to eat local.
which can be the tastiest organic food I’ve eaten in Bali. Did you raise the ducks? can be which one of them?
Yes, which can be one of my ducks. I told the ducks, “No eggs – into the pot”, yet they didn’t listen. They had a Great life yet we can’t afford to keep feeding them if they don’t produce. I just got some fresh ones as well as also we possess 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 some other local plants which 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 fresh York University Hospital suggesting which 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, which would certainly be a better world?
which’s a bit of a problem. I grow too much as well as also do not want to waste Great 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 which’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