I had the most amazing weekend with Mike and Jesse. I think traveling alone in this country is more difficult than it has been in others- and I’m so glad I had someone to share the experience with. We spent the weekend beaching it during the day and sharing meals and travel stories, and mingling with the locals. They had been setting up at one particular spot on the beach where they had gotten friendly with the guy that was renting them surf boards. Every day his crew sets up in the shade with their dogs, drums, and guitars and have a great time. They were really friendly and interested in conversating, which is such a gift when you are in a foreign country and wanting to learn about the culture and day to day life there.
On Friday night we went out and it turns out Seminyak is the P-town of Bali! Lots of interesting gender benders going on as well as costumes, contests and performances. It spices things up, especially in a town that has a bit of a slower pace like this one and the entertainment factor is high. I have been having some really great meals for around 5$ on average, and have gotten my appetite back now that my body has adjusted to the heat. (The first few days in Kuta I couldn’t eat a thing).
The beach here has a pretty intense crew of ladies looking to sell their wares, and oftentimes they come to where you are sitting and just plop down and insist that you have a look. When they other ladies see you sitting with someone they all swarm in and try to get you to look at their stuff as well. Its really hard to say no to them because they are really sweet people and you can tell they are barely getting by. Many of them will tell you about their children at home or their large families they have to take care of. They also say “you buy from my friend but none from me! Ohhhh yesterday you say maybe tomorrow”!! As obnoxious as can be it just breaks my heart to see a grown woman so desperate for a few dollars, and how grateful they are when you do buy something. There’s a few that have recognized me on the street later and the group will hug, hold my hands and cluck around me making a fuss when they aren’t trying to make a sale which makes me feel good.
Jesse, Mike and I went for massages which are $5 an hour, and they were amazing. It made me wish I had splurged and gotten one every day! In Bali though, $5 feels like so much money- and I am definitely running low on funds so thank God this segment of the trip was less expensive than the rest.
Yesterday morning we were walking to our beach spot and I looked out and saw a guy with a pretty black horse swimming in the ocean. I told Jesse and Mike I would catch up with them later and asked them to take my stuff to the spot. I walked down into the water, introduced myself and made friends with this guy and before you know it I was headed over to his horse farm where he keeps 10 horses a few blocks from the beach. Apparently they take them during the hottest part of the day for a swim to cool down. He said it costs about 30$ to go riding on the beach but I told him if I could ride I would help him bathe the horse and so we got one that needed a swim and took it down to the beach where I washed it down and then got on and rode bareback along the beach until I found Jesse and Mike. It was a really good feeling to be back on a horse again after a month! The horse was a cute little bay mare called “sweetie” and she just loved going in the water, splashing, rolling around on her back and everything.
Yesterday afternoon our Balinese friend Eka took us to Tanah Lot Temple which was amazing. It was uilt in the 16th century and is a place to pay homage to the guardian spirits of the sea. There are poisonous snakes living under the rock cliffs in caves that are said to ward off evil spirits (you have to pay to have a look at them, so we didn’t see). Spending time with Eka was nice as he was so open and really wanted to conversate to better his English and learn about each other’s cultures. I got to ask him a ton of questions I had been curious about but hadn’t been able to ask because they didn’t seem appropriate or there was a language barrier. He educated us about his Hindu religion, beliefs and traditions, explained some of the symbology and about the rituals you regularly see taking place in Bali. Eka explained that the center of Balinese Hindu spiritual life centers on the concept and achievement of balance between the worldly elements and the “dasar asasi“ (elements of the afterlife), and how this balance is found through personal harmony between self, other humans, spirits, and the natural world.
He also talked a lot about being on the other side of Balinese tourism (which we understand well) and how the surf culture works around this issue of local territories and respect.
We came back to Seminyak and Eka had to return the car he had borrowed, so we got dropped off at one of his favorite local warungs where he came back and met us on his little street bike. We had a really delicious authentic Balinese meal. After showers, Jess and I oer heard an argument taking place between Mike and the front desk. Apparently the man claimed they owed for several days more than they had actually stayed and this led to a verbal altercation between the 3 of them, which Mike promptly ended when he noticed the shotgun resting on the shelf behind the clerk. Stuff like that really reminds you that you arent home.
We met back up with Eka and he loaded all 4 of us onto his bike to ride a few blocks to the beach for drinks. You see this all the time in Bali but I didn’t foresee myself doing so and it was really funny. A few of his friends showed up and we had a little farewell celebration as I was flying out last night and Mike and Jess today.
Goodbye Bali, Hello Holland.
Xoxoxoxo K
Monday, April 5, 2010
3-26-10
I just arrived in Seminyak which is slightly north of Kuta. I left Uluwatu this afternoon and stopped at the Uluwatu temple before heading here. It was under some pretty heavy construction so I don’t know that I got the full effect but the views were amazing. This temple is believed to act as Bali’s south-west guard from the evil spirits of the ocean. There is a community of monkeys that live on the temple grounds and are cute… but they are aggressive and they steal from people- sunglasses, cameras etc. Then they only give back your stuff if they get fruit, and then the staff at the temple expect payment in return for getting your stuff back. Sounds like a learned behavior to me… anyhow they didn’t take anything from me but one girl got a big bite taken out of her flip flop by one of them. The babies are really cute and tiny and I did see one really sweet little family of monkeys sitting together- mom, dad and baby.
On my way out of Uluwatu the cab had to stop and pull over because there was what looked like a parade coming down the street. I got out and watched and it turns out it was a sort of funeral procession. There was a mass of people walking, carrying flags, beating drums, singing- and one large float type structure that was being carried in the air. Inside were just a few people and the ashes of the deceased. It was really interesting because at first thought I assumed the ceremony must be for someone ‘important’ but the cab driver explained that this is how its done when someone passes away. I personally felt that it was a beautiful (better) way to celebrate a life.
Seminyak is similar to Kuta but taken down 10 notches of intensity. I really like that there is still good beach, shopping and restaurants here but not as many people or as much traffic and insanity. I checked into the same hotel that the Vineyard couple are supposed to be staying in but haven’t seen them yet and I am really looking forward to spending time here with folks from home!
On my way out of Uluwatu the cab had to stop and pull over because there was what looked like a parade coming down the street. I got out and watched and it turns out it was a sort of funeral procession. There was a mass of people walking, carrying flags, beating drums, singing- and one large float type structure that was being carried in the air. Inside were just a few people and the ashes of the deceased. It was really interesting because at first thought I assumed the ceremony must be for someone ‘important’ but the cab driver explained that this is how its done when someone passes away. I personally felt that it was a beautiful (better) way to celebrate a life.
Seminyak is similar to Kuta but taken down 10 notches of intensity. I really like that there is still good beach, shopping and restaurants here but not as many people or as much traffic and insanity. I checked into the same hotel that the Vineyard couple are supposed to be staying in but haven’t seen them yet and I am really looking forward to spending time here with folks from home!
3-25-10
I am now in Uluwatu, staying at a little lodge that is very peaceful and quiet. When I got to my room the first thing I saw were stickers on the mirror for The Boarding House and Sickday surf shops in Hyannis and Wellfleet. Such a small world. One of the girls working there also had a Wellfleet t-shirt on. I only have enough time to stay in Ulu for 1 night before I go to meet some Vineyard people in Seminyak tomorrow evening, so today I walked down to the beach and watched the surf for a while and poked around the warungs (food spots) and shops. I met some of the other folks that are staying here, one American guy and 2 really sweet Brazilian couples. I went to dinner at a place that was about a 15 minute walk down the road and mingled with the surfer set for a bit before heading back to the hotel and taking a late night swim (its still so hot at night!)
3-24-10
Just got back from Kuta beach and wandering the markets for the afternoon. When you walk into one of the shop bays you get pounced on immediately by the shop owner, “yes please, yes please! Good price for you!”. The personal space norm is much closer, and there’s a lot of hovering. They are just so anxious to make a sale, and I can understand why. Most of the shops have the same merchandise and tons of it.
The currency situation was a bit confusing until I figured out that roughly, 50,000 rupiah is equal to $5 USD etc. But its strange to have everything from 1000 to 100,000 bills in your wallet haha. It makes it psychologically harder to spend!
In the afternoon many of the women have their babies sleeping on mats in the shop in front of a fan. They are so trusting! One woman went away for about 5 minutes to make change and left her baby alone there with people wandering in and out. Many of the shop owners also apparently fancy an afternoon fiesta and barely wake when you arrive, sometimes they barely move and people are walking right over them. There are usually a few people around though taking turns selling. God forbid you walk into a bay when the owner is next door having a chat with their neighbor. Their friends start shrieking at them and shooing them before they miss their chance.
I met a few sweet French girls on Kuta Beach and hung around with them. It is just so incredibly hot here you have to swim every ten minutes. There were probably a hundred surfers fighting over one crappy wave and tons of learners bombing around as well. The entire stretch of beach is lined with racks of surfboards and people trying to rent them out. Ladies walk along the beach with trays of fruit on their heads hollering at you, “coconut! Watermelon! Pineapple!”. There are also ice cream men that check on you every 10 minutes or so to make sure you’re still all set.
As I mentioned before its all a bit overwhelming after leaving a country with so much space, privacy, and quiet all around you and nothing but beautiful nature to look at, but I am beginning to appreciate the warmth of the hustle and bustle and the abundance of bright colors and different languages being spoken all around me.
The hotel is nice in so far as the room I have is quite big, but without AC, but I have a sweet little balcony and private bathroom. The bathroom is quite strange however, there is a shower head that comes out of the wall with no enclosure at all and the drain is just a hole in the floor in one corner- the sink also have a faucet but just an empty hole where the drain would be and the water just goes onto the floor. There is a beautiful pool and gardens though, and it’s a five minute walk to the beach.
I went to dinner last night at a reggae lounge, the food was incredible. There were a bunch of Australians partying there, this seems to be quite the holiday destination for them. And I take it they really come here to party! When I was walking back to my hotel last night I encountered a gang of them drunk driving their mopeds through the side streets- scary!
People stand outside the restaurants and hound you to eat there. If you say you aren’t hungry they try for getting you to have drinks and you have to just plow through them. Every club and bar is competing with the next to have the loudest system so the streets are filled with a mix of music. I think a few days of this pace is enough for me so I am heading tomorrow to Uluwatu where it should be a lot quieter and more relaxing. Uluwatu is the southernmost tip of the “Bukit”, which is the point at the bottom of Bali. It is a world class surf break and hosts a temple that is supposed to be a must see.
The currency situation was a bit confusing until I figured out that roughly, 50,000 rupiah is equal to $5 USD etc. But its strange to have everything from 1000 to 100,000 bills in your wallet haha. It makes it psychologically harder to spend!
In the afternoon many of the women have their babies sleeping on mats in the shop in front of a fan. They are so trusting! One woman went away for about 5 minutes to make change and left her baby alone there with people wandering in and out. Many of the shop owners also apparently fancy an afternoon fiesta and barely wake when you arrive, sometimes they barely move and people are walking right over them. There are usually a few people around though taking turns selling. God forbid you walk into a bay when the owner is next door having a chat with their neighbor. Their friends start shrieking at them and shooing them before they miss their chance.
I met a few sweet French girls on Kuta Beach and hung around with them. It is just so incredibly hot here you have to swim every ten minutes. There were probably a hundred surfers fighting over one crappy wave and tons of learners bombing around as well. The entire stretch of beach is lined with racks of surfboards and people trying to rent them out. Ladies walk along the beach with trays of fruit on their heads hollering at you, “coconut! Watermelon! Pineapple!”. There are also ice cream men that check on you every 10 minutes or so to make sure you’re still all set.
As I mentioned before its all a bit overwhelming after leaving a country with so much space, privacy, and quiet all around you and nothing but beautiful nature to look at, but I am beginning to appreciate the warmth of the hustle and bustle and the abundance of bright colors and different languages being spoken all around me.
The hotel is nice in so far as the room I have is quite big, but without AC, but I have a sweet little balcony and private bathroom. The bathroom is quite strange however, there is a shower head that comes out of the wall with no enclosure at all and the drain is just a hole in the floor in one corner- the sink also have a faucet but just an empty hole where the drain would be and the water just goes onto the floor. There is a beautiful pool and gardens though, and it’s a five minute walk to the beach.
I went to dinner last night at a reggae lounge, the food was incredible. There were a bunch of Australians partying there, this seems to be quite the holiday destination for them. And I take it they really come here to party! When I was walking back to my hotel last night I encountered a gang of them drunk driving their mopeds through the side streets- scary!
People stand outside the restaurants and hound you to eat there. If you say you aren’t hungry they try for getting you to have drinks and you have to just plow through them. Every club and bar is competing with the next to have the loudest system so the streets are filled with a mix of music. I think a few days of this pace is enough for me so I am heading tomorrow to Uluwatu where it should be a lot quieter and more relaxing. Uluwatu is the southernmost tip of the “Bukit”, which is the point at the bottom of Bali. It is a world class surf break and hosts a temple that is supposed to be a must see.
3-23-10
I just arrived in Kuta by taxi. Holy sensory overload. This city is crammed to the hilt in every way imaginable. The shops are one after another, with clothing and sunglasses and knickknacks bursting at the seams, out onto the street. There are mopeds headed every which way and there doesn’t seem to be any rules of the road. Cars are parked all over the place and the streets are only big enough for one small vehicle to squeeze through, yet its two way traffic. It is colorful though and filled with spicy smells and surfboards and bikes. I am taking a time out in my 12-dollar-a-night hotel room letting the fan hit my sweaty self full blast. I think I may be having a slight bout of culture shock due to the sudden switch between such contrasting environments.
The Hindu religion is predominant here, and there are offerings put out 3 times a day called “canang sari” which consists of a small basket (about the size of a pot holder) woven of green palm like leaves and filled with bits of flowers, rice or crackers, and sometimes coins and fruit. A stick or two of incense stands from the basket and burns. There are so many of them, especially in doorways, it creates quite a challenge to wheel a suitcase around or even around stepping on them by accident.
After asking around about the meaning of the offering I gather that it is a way of acknowledging the richness of life and gratitude for what has been provided by the gods (usually Brahma, Shiva, Vishnu- all manifestations of the supreme deity ‘Sanghyang Widhi’). The offerings are also meant to create balance by appeasing the spirit world in hopes of being looked upon favorably with health and prosperity.
According to my research Indonesia’s population is 89% Muslim. Bali, being predominantly Hindu is an exception- and has paid dearly for this deviation in the past (nightclub bombings in 2002 killed hundreds, mostly tourists). The attacks are said to be associated with al-Qaeda or intended to expedite the formation of an Islamic state which included this part of Indonesia.
The Hindu religion is predominant here, and there are offerings put out 3 times a day called “canang sari” which consists of a small basket (about the size of a pot holder) woven of green palm like leaves and filled with bits of flowers, rice or crackers, and sometimes coins and fruit. A stick or two of incense stands from the basket and burns. There are so many of them, especially in doorways, it creates quite a challenge to wheel a suitcase around or even around stepping on them by accident.
After asking around about the meaning of the offering I gather that it is a way of acknowledging the richness of life and gratitude for what has been provided by the gods (usually Brahma, Shiva, Vishnu- all manifestations of the supreme deity ‘Sanghyang Widhi’). The offerings are also meant to create balance by appeasing the spirit world in hopes of being looked upon favorably with health and prosperity.
According to my research Indonesia’s population is 89% Muslim. Bali, being predominantly Hindu is an exception- and has paid dearly for this deviation in the past (nightclub bombings in 2002 killed hundreds, mostly tourists). The attacks are said to be associated with al-Qaeda or intended to expedite the formation of an Islamic state which included this part of Indonesia.
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