John Stanmeyer is one of the world's leading documentary photographers. His book, "Island of the Spirits" documents the five years he spent living in Bali capturing images through a Holga lens; an exhibition and book launching is scheduled for December at the Ganesha Gallery in Jimbaran. In the meantime, here's a 2006 interview with the photographer by John Douglas.

In this shot of caffeinated wisdom, Alun Evans explores what might just be the strangest phenomenon in global coffee consumption… “For those of you who do not know what kopi luwak is, take a deep breath, put your cappuccino down and read on. Luwak is the Indonesian name for the Masked Palm Civet. This animal has close relatives throughout most of Asia, as well as in Ethiopia and Kenya. Its poor cousin in China got blamed for being a link in the SARS epidemic in 2004 and got pretty much wiped out in a government cull. Before that it had been a culinary delicacy in Mainland Chinese cuisine. In Indonesia, the range of the luwak is quite widespread. Their habitat includes higher altitude, less densely populated areas of Sumatra, Java, Bali, Sulawesi and the islands of Nusa Tenggara. The luwak is nocturnal by nature and is quite wary of human contact. It nearly always comes out at dusk to hunt for food and to forage, by morning it is tucked up sleeping...”

“With its incredible topographic and cultural diversity, Indonesia remains a puzzle to many outsiders. Historians, anthropologists, and politicians have struggled to define the precise contours and identity of this sprawling archipelago. Having lived and traveled in this wondrous land for 16 years, I would suggest that the unity of Indonesia is in fact aesthetic. Each of its multiple strands contributes to a delightful opening up of the senses and to a saturation of pleasurable feelings. Indonesians intuitively understood this in naming their country Tanah Air, a fusion of soil and sea. The dramatic setting underlies the unfolding beauty of practices and beliefs that touch every nerve of human existence. Indeed, Indonesia awakens a synergy of the senses; we move from the obvious stirring of the eyes and ears to the more intangible, but equally thrilling, arousal of smells, taste, and touch. With the photographs I’ve chosen, I hope to open your pores and touch the deepest chords of your being, in imitation of my own fragrant journey across the enchanted isles.” Vivek Bammi