Beautiful Bali

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It felt strange to be back on a flight after five weeks of independent motoring, but it also felt very good. We had some great experiences in Australia, but for the most part, it was easy travelling. It felt good to be back to backpacking, relying solely on public transport, taxi's and people's kindness.

We landed in Singapore and stayed just long enough to get some positive first impressions, but with 15 hours in the country, and most of that at night time, we didn't see anything of the city. We saw the airport, the metro, the hostel and that was about it. We didn't mind though, because we would be back in five days to meet Philippe's parents, and we could do our exploring then.

Early the next day we flew to Bali. After grabbing our luggage, we emerged wide-eyed from the airport terminal. What a different way of life it is here. It was like waking up in a completely different world. I can imagine now how Alice in Wonderland felt when she woke up in a strange land. It was strange, but oh so wonderful.

First off, we were amazed by how the taxi drive glided through the chaos that moved together on the narrow Balinese roads. Apparently each family on the island have 2.5 mopeds, and I can well believe it. We saw surf boards carried, briefcases slung on the front, and entire families zooming by holding onto one bike. And in five days, we never saw a single accident. It all just somehow works.

In Sanur we eventually found our old but comfortable hotel. The rooms were run-down, the bath was entirely made from tiles, and the toilet was probably older than us, but the air-conditioning worked, the bed was clean and there was even a little roof-top swimming pool. What more do you need?

We took a quick wander around the village and were offered about 20 massages and attempts made coerced us into every shop. It reminded me of Cusco, and the need to swat away flies. The main thing we noticed was that we may as well have been in Holland, given the number of Dutch surrounding us. We had lunch in a cafe by the sea front, and the waiter spoke to us in Dutch and as we listened to the voices surrounding us, I felt like the only non-Dutchie in the village.

The low prices were a welcome change from the penny pinching we had to do in Australia. It was a breath of fresh air, and we gave into it for just one day and treated ourselves to an 'expensive' five euro meal. The local food was absolutely delicious. Despite the amount of western food on offer, we became quite adventurous with our choices for dinner. The local Balinese dishes were so tasty that with each bite you had a happy explosion in your mouth. They weren't so much spicy as rich in new flavours.

For three days we slept in, had a late, but very tasty breakfast, then read for two hours before going for lunch by the beach. It was a break for our brains from thinking about next steps. In the afternoon we wandered through the main street in Sanur and then retired to the hotel for a dip in the pool before dinner. The temperature stayed in the mid 30's for most of the day. It was a heavy heat that encouraged you to do nothing. It was only at night that we could sit out and enjoy a short term relief from the humidity while gazing up at the stars.

On our last full day we moved from Sanur to Ubud. Our chosen mode of transport was to hire a driver for the day. Ketut was a 23 year old Balinese man who was happy to answer our questions about all things Balinese.

Our first stop was at a cultural show put on for tourists. It is only shown at 9am, as I think the performers go about their days jobs once it is over. The noise, sorry music, coming from the gamelan 'orchestra' was a bit much to take at 9am, but the show itself was filled with colourful characters that commanded your attention. From the intricate steps of the Balinese women to the full on spectacle of the costumes, you were able to forgive that the show was put on for tourists, and just appreciate getting a condensed version of Balinese folklore.

Next stop was in a small village where everyone made wood pieces. We bought a small piece to add to our collection and were amazed by the quality of the work carried out. Apparently the small children of the village get sent to a specialised wood turning school to learn their craft from when they are very young. Most of the villages on the road had their own particular craft. We passed the stone-mason village, the silver making village, the painting village and all sorts of other products.

On arriving in Ubud we had to find a hotel for the night. Ketut brought us to one that was full, but we were soon approached on the street by someone offering rooms. The room was lovely and was over looking a swimming pool. We could have stayed there for the day, but today was our active day and we decided to continue our tour with Ketut to go up north. Philippe wanted to see some paddy fields and Ketut wanted to bring us to some coffee plantations.

The paddy fields were exactly like you see on postcards. Ketut explained the process of crop rotation and then of growing, harvesting and drying the rice. Understandably it is the staple food for most meals on the island. It is a tough job, working in the relentless heat, knee deep in water.

Our next stop was at a Volcano that we unfortunately couldn't see because the clouds descended and blocked everything. We didn't stay long looking at 'the view'. Back in the car Ketut took us to a local coffee plantation. We saw how they grow the coffee beans, how they roast them and got a free taste of all the variations of coffee on offer. We also saw some Lomak animals (mongoose) and we could purchase a cups of coffee that had been 'filtered' by the animal for approximately two euro per cup. Needless to say we passed on that one!

Our final stop was at a Hindu Temple where we donned large orange sarongs to cover our bare legs before we entered the complex. It is a collection of beautiful buildings, colourful statues and flowing water, housing weird and wonderful fish. The overall sense is that you are in a very peaceful place. One thing that did seem out of place was the badminton court, but Ketut later explained that the temple can serve as a local community centre as well.

Back in Ubud we thanked Ketut for an enjoyable day of touring the island and then grabbed a cheap meal and a late night swim.

The next morning we rose early so that we would have time to eat breakfast (served to us on our balcony!) and visit the monkey forest. As we strolled around a lovely forest we saw Banyan trees and lots of monkeys. It was a pleasant way to pass the morning, looking at the (sometimes disgusting) antics of these curious and friendly little creatures.

At midday we returned to the hostel as it was time to take a taxi to the airport to get to Singapore to meet Philippe's parents!

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Comments

[gunawan]

hahaha
That was a nice story and good photo specially the seat belt and public transportation. hahaha, well thats my country. Hope you'll enjoy your next vacation in Indonesia. Salam.