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Published: October 19th 2009
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Day 11
Off to the races!
This morning we met our driver at 7:00am in the hotel lobby and started on the road to Negara for the buffalo races. We were about 20 minutes driving time from the Jimbarwana Hotel, the hotel we ended up staying at. If I never saw that hotel again that would be OK with me. The rooms certainly weren’t worth what we paid and they weren’t negotiable on the rates at all. The kind gentleman behind the desk explained that the hotel is government owned and it is impossible to negotiate.
On the way we saw more beautiful countryside. This was clearly a more rural village and there are few tourists. We approached the races and parked the car. I could tell right away this was going to be worth the drive.
First off, we were the only non locals present. The sights were foreign and strange. This is a rural village, and the street we were walking was lined with houses. The first things we see are buffalo lined up in pairs with their cart still attached, huffing and puffing. We had learned that these pairs had just finished the race. We had seen one
picture in the travel guide with the description of the event but we really had no idea how culturally different this would be. The buffalo are harnessed together attached to a cart. The cart is a shallow box ornately decorated and most are beautifully carved and brightly painted. The buffalo are all adorned differently with fancy head ware and horn coverings. The head pieces resembled crowns. Made of leather, most were painted gold. They were decorated with jewels, bells, tiny mirrors, and tassels each pair of buffalo had its own unique look. They looked beautiful. Then when I looked closer my mood changed suddenly. The rear ends of the buffalos were bloody. Some were soaked. Spontaneously my eyes began to well and I was almost unsure if I could walk any farther. Peter could tell my mood changed. I found myself trying to only look at the heads of the animal. My eyes couldn’t help but to keep glancing at the bloody ends. Then I would see some of the racers breathing so heavily they looked like they could collapse. I felt uncomfortable and agitated.
We walked on to the area where the race was being held. This event is
a really big deal in this region and I could tell people come from miles to attend. The space in which the race takes place is huge. The track is in a skinny U shape made of sand and I would guess has to be ½ mile long. In the middle is a large grassy area where there is local vegetables grown. There is a trail with people walking back and forth in between.
There are two pairs of racers side by side when they begin a race. The men stand in the carts like chariots beating the buffalo with a stick about 3 feet long. I got to see one of the sticks close up. Being the curious person I am, I looked in one of the carts and observed a stick with nails in it, wound with thick hemp like twine. The end of it bloodied. YUCK! Look away!
The weather is hot and it is very humid. The buffalo are heavy robust animals, and I just can’t help but wonder if they are uncomfortable. I can’t imagine running hard and fast through deep soft sand with some one beating me on the back. The little voice in
the head tells me” Don’t think about it, it will ruin your day’
There is a huge crowd in attendance all cheering for their favorite racers. There are a lot of families, all munching on snacks bought from vendors enjoying the Sunday. It is the Balinese version of the Del Mar Fair! This was a great opportunity to observe the culture of the people in their true environment. One thing I’ve noticed is a lot of fathers caring and interacting with their young children. The family unit is tight here and it makes you feel warm seeing it.
The races happen continuously, one right after the other, quickly. There are so many pairs of buffalo they start at 8:00am and go till well into the afternoon. I learned that to own one of these racers is very prestigious and they are bread just to race.
We stayed about 3 hours, after the races we are headed in the direction of Lovina Beach.
We weren’t sure where we were going to stay in Lovina Beach but we had a recommendation from one of the bus boys at Nusa on where to stay. We enjoyed the scenery.
There are so many amazing
sights, I hope they stay with me for a long time. I’m afraid there will be a day I loose them. Every day in Bali has been filled with WOW moments. “Did you see that?” had to been the most frequent sentence exchanged between us.
The roads were windy and we were climbing. Magnificent rice fields were on both sides and there is so much to see my head is tired from swiveling around. We decide to stop at a very small road side restaurant for a beer. What a gem! The view was outstanding. The little old man that was working obviously lived in the hut right next door and he couldn’t seem happier in life. The smells coming out of the kitchen were too tempting and Peter had to order some satay. The meal comes fast and he said it was tasty. We are ready to go but with the beer needing to find an exit I was forced to use their bathroom and squat like a local. That’s cool, no problem. I actually did quite well and hit the mark!
We made our way into Lovina Beach after 3 or so hours. All I had was a
scrap piece of paper the busboy scribbled on with the name of the hotel. We had no reservations and no directions. Remarkably we saw the sign from the road and pulled in. We were instantly impressed with the Aditya Hotel and right then and there we decided to stay 2 nights instead of one. We told Mogley to pick us up on Monday afternoon instead of Sunday. We negotiated a rate for an ocean front room for $600,000. an night, about $62.00.
We loved the room and the area. The water is calm in Lovina like a bay. Right out front of our door is a Gazebo with padded cushions and just steps from the black sand beach! I planted my arse right there for 2 days, reading and dozing! HEAVEN
The day went quick lying around. Dinner was the buffet at the restaurant and it was the same as any where rice, noodles, spring rolls … get the picture?
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