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
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