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Published: March 1st 2007
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Bali. It’s a place unlike the rest of Indonesia. I would consider it a different country if it didn't use Indonesian Rupiah as its currency. When first arriving, you can see a huge difference. The people look different. The buildings are different. The biggest change is the large percentage of Hindu and Buddhist followers. Indonesia has more Muslims than any other country in the world. In Bali, they are a minority. In Bali the daily calling over mosque megaphones for prayer isn't heard. Instead the smell on burning incenses and sound of chants fills the streets.
The other major difference with Bali with the amount of pigmently challenged people walking around. They are most commonly known as Buleis. In Hawaii they are called Haoles. In scientific terms they are known as tourist whitimus. The white boy. They are everywhere. Just when you think you've driven enough hours through countless rice paddies, there they will be. The highest concentration is no doubt in Kuta. Highest in numbers is the Australians. Their shirtless, shell necklace wearing bodies can be seen parting in every bar and street.
Kuta is as different a city in Bali as Bali is to the rest
on Indonesia. There is no doubt; it is a western city with no chance of returning to traditional ways. It is what it is. If you enter expecting some r&r you'll be disappointed, but if you enter with no expectations it can be fun. Dizzying at times, but still fun. If you want bars and clubs, this is the city to be in. They range from grungy and dirty to upscale and trendy. If you’re looking for something else, go someplace else. This is a nightlife town. The yells of massage, transport, girl, buy shirt, buy painting is almost all you will hear. It will give you a headache by the 10th hour. Sometimes the offers they give are just plain funny. The best one I heard was, "buy painting, get free girl". That one made me laugh for a few days.
Kuta is not all bad. I did meet some very good and fun people there. One restaurant I went to almost everyday was run by a few girls from Malang. Is was very casual and was our meeting place for most afternoons and nights. My friends Andy and Jur that I met in Flores were there too,
so we managed to find some fun trouble most of our nights there. It was also the place where we split up. Andy went on to go explore Australia and Jur went back home to Holland.
From Kuta I motor biked to the southern tip of Bali to see its famed surf spots with a surfer friend I met in town. We went to Uluwatu where the breaks are very well known. The season was starting in a month, so we were early, but you could still imagine what it will be like with ideal conditions. On one of our days driving around we stopped off at a drink cart next to one of the many rice paddies. The fields were commonly worked by migrant workers from Java. You would think this would be a quiet, slightly serious crowd, but when we stopped and turned off our bikes a familiar sound could be heard. What could it be??? The sound became louder and louder and then it came into focus. It was Metallica. A few of the workers were on break and were rocking out. They asked us to join and we talked and listened to one of my
favorite all-time bands as we sipped on our coconut jelly drinks. It was a great mid day break from our ride.
In my quest to find the quieter side of Bali I went slightly north to Ubud. It was much cooler because of its higher elevation. A welcomed break from the heat of the beach towns. The town had a much slower pace than the rest of Bali. There was less tourists, but still too many for me. I have nothing against them personally, it's just if I wanted to see them I would have stayed back home. I used Ubud as a base to drive all over northern Bali. Some of the scenery was impressive. One sight in particular was a volcano lake, Gunung Batur. The volcano was still active and the lake very serene. That would completely be the case if it was for very, very pushy guides interrupting your view of the lake. It only took 2 seconds for me to get off my motorbike for a guide to approach and not leave. I played my deaf, mute angle and they eventually gave me some peace.
Bali was a unique experience for me. It is
what it is. No hiding that. Not a huge surprise because everyone knows the name Bali. There are some very welcoming resorts there where you can be pampered and experience every delight that you can imagine, but my desire is to see the rugged Indonesia. A land where English isn't the norm and the shower is replaced by the mandi. Bali was a welcomed rest stop, but now it's time to head west to java and Sumatra.
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lisa
non-member comment
I like the baby monkey
You can send me a baby monkey in the mail.