Bali, Indonesia (January 30 - February 14)
Hello, Bali!
After six weeks in the states, Chris and I are back on the road for Leg 2 of our 'Round The World adventure. Our first stop this time out is Bali, Indonesia...and even though it is MUCH, MUCH, MUCH hotter than South America, we are happy to be out exploring new corners (for us, anyway) of the world.
The city of Kuta was our first stop on the island of Bali. This once quiet fishing village has transformed into a very touristy town with great surf, a nice beach, and LOTS of people. It seems like the town is definitely on the rebound after a series of setbacks. If you're not familiar with the area, this is the town where in October 2002 two bombs were exploded simultaneously in two different nightclubs. We walked down the main street and saw that one of the clubs has been rebuilt, while only an empty lot remains where the other used to be. There is a white banner spanning the width of the lot. The banner is a makeshift shrine where people have left notes and prayers for those who were killed. In addition, a huge monument has been built in the city to memorialize the more than 200 people that were killed. Despite the sadness that enveloped Kuta and many of the Balinese people, two years later they are on a comeback---revitalized.
The main draw of Kuta is a beautiful white sand beach with good beginner surf, so we thought we'd ease back into life on the road with some relaxation and surfing. While Chris surfed, I was left to fend off the many massage ladies and hawkers that patrol the beach looking to make a few rupiah. Within about five minutes of stepping foot on sand, I'd been offered a massage, sarong, hair braiding, bracelets, cold drinks, a surfboard, silver rings, and temporary tatoos. Whew! They are relentless. Anything you could possibly need on the beach, they've got it. After repeating "No thank you" a few times, they usually leave you alone...for a few minutes. Because of all this, sitting on the beach in Kuta isn't necessarily a relaxing experience. However, there does seem to be an invisible line in the sand over which most of them will not cross. If you can find the line, their visits are much less frequent. The one benefit of having these hawkers line the beach is that they are responsible for keeping their area of the beach clean. A few times a day a tractor comes down the beach and they all run down to fill the scoop with trash and any debris that has washed up.
Our first cultural outing was a trip to Ulu Watu, a Hindu temple situated atop sheer cliffs that drop into the Indian Ocean. Only Hindus are allowed to enter the central temple area, so we wandered the parts that were open to visitors. A band of mischevious monkeys inhabit the temple grounds, providing endless entertainment for the many visitors. They can get aggressive (especially if you have food) and we were told to put everything away and our guide even suggested I take off my small silver hoop earrings. We didn't have any monkey run-ins, thank goodness.
After enjoying the dramatic views, we took our seats for a traditional Balinese Kecak dance, which took place on the temple grounds during sunset. This dance tells a part of the Hindu epic Ramayana. All the music is provided by a choir of about 70 men and boys who chant and sing during the entire performance. The costumes and dancing are all quite spectacular and it was the first time it really hit us that we are in Asia.
In the city of Ubud in south central Bali we stayed at a place called Nick's Hidden Cottages, which ended up being one of the nicest places we've stayed in our travels thus far. Chris skillfully negotiated our room down to 180,000 rupiah (about $20 USD). For that we got a beautiful air conditioned room overlooking a spectacular pool and lush gardens. The whole place was designed in the style of the Hindu temples that are found everywhere in Bali. Add to that a three course breakfast and we were in heaven. Our two day stop in Ubud turned into four days.
In Ubud we observed more monkeys at the Monkey Forest Sanctuary. We learned that 1) monkeys do, in fact, eat bananas (Lori, that one's for you), and 2) monkeys are quite good swimmers!!! One of the sanctuary attendants threw a banana into a pond that was below a group of monkeys perched in a tree. To our surprise, one of the monkeys jumped off the tree into the pond and did a few laps underwater before surfacing to collect his banana. A wet monkey is quite a sight. They shake themselves off just like a dog would and go about their business.
One evening in Ubud we attended a traditional Balinese shadow puppet show. One puppet master moves up to three puppets at once while simultaneously telling the story in Balinese. The puppets are extremely intricate and upon inspection after the show, very colorful. I suppose we would have gotten a little more out of it if we understood Balinese, but the story was a simple one and fairly easy to follow. Since most of the audience members were tourists, it was safe to assume that no one spoke Balinese. In light of that, the puppet master kept everyone on their toes by periodically adding some jokes in English. Everyone's favorite was "Where are you from? Do you need transport?" Now would be a good time to explain that tourists in Ubud (and everywhere in Bali) are constantly hounded by would be drivers on the streets trying to get some business. Anyway, that little joke got quite a laugh out of the audience.
At dinner that night the windows in the restaurant we were in started to rattle. Soon after the ground started to shake...and I was about ready to start running inland! But then I realized that I WAS inland and by then the shaking stopped. We read the next day that the earthquake measured about 5.5 and was centered on Lombok, the island directly east of Bali.
One of our favorite outings in Ubud was a walk through a section of the town's rice paddies. The scenery was amazing, and although it was very hot we were coaxed along by the occasional cool breeze and by a canine companion. Petey, as Chris named him, adopted us up at the beginning of the walk and stayed us all the way along. Smart dog that he is, Petey took occasional dips in the irrigation canals that lined the walking path. I wanted to join him a few times, but restrained myself.
On our last day in Ubud we treated ourselved to a Balinese cooking class. We met our instructor and immediately headed out to the town's traditional market. He showed us all sorts of interesting fruits, veggies, and grains (many of which we'd later use in our cooking) and explained how they are all used in Balinese cooking. To our delight, tofu and tempeh are staples in Balinese cuisine. Here they are much cheaper than meat and so they are used much more frequently. Back at the restaurant we donned aprons and started cooking. We cooked six dishes in total...and got to eat them all! By the end of class we were stuffed. We got to keep our aprons and a recipe book...we took lots of notes and are ready to prepare a Balinese feast upon our return.
Next we moved to the north side of the island and settled for a few days in Lovina. From there we took a snorkeling trip to Pulau Menjangan, a small island off the northwest tip of Bali. After an hour and a half in a rattling van with a rusted out hole in the floor, our group piled into a small boat that took us to the island. We snorkeled right off the beach and were treated to some of the best snorkeling we've ever done, if not the best. About 10 meters off the beach a sea wall drops off creating an amazing chance to see tons of fish, coral, and even eels. We swam around for almost two hours exploring the underwater park. To Chris's delight, we even saw Nemo!
All the Pats fans out there will be glad to know that we were able to catch the Superbowl...live. That meant watching the game during breakfast on Monday morning. We staked out probably the only place in town with ESPN and were in the restaurant before they even opened. I think they were a little unsure of what all the excitement was about, but they indulged us. We even met Paul, another New Englander (from Maine), searching for a place to watch the game. At about 10am Paul decided that it didn't matter what time of day it was...it was the Superbowl and he was gonna have a beer!! Chris joined him and also had a morning beer. We all had a great time watching the game and swapping travel tales. And it didn't hurt that the Pats were victorious.
To be honest, the rest of our time in Bali has been pretty mellow and relaxing...and without many stories to tell. We travelled to the east coast to Amed, a lovely little town that boasts great snorkeling and diving...and in general is just a great place to kick back in a hammock and enjoy a book. We did do some snorkeling, but mostly just multitasked...reading AND swinging in the hammock. We also visited a sleeping fishing village called Padangbai. The only interesting tidbits about that stop are the pretty secluded beach and the strange smell our room had. As Chris likes to say, "Every time you opened the door it was like getting slapped in the face." :-) You win some, you lose some....right?
Now we are back in Kuta and will leave for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Monday (2/14). Despite the heat and being constantly hassled on the streets (Do I need a sarong, transport, tatoo, accommodation, etc.) we've found Bali to be a wonderful place. The US government has imposed travel warnings advising citizens not to travel to Indonesia. This is a shame as the Balinese have been nothing but friendly and welcoming. Yes, warnings MAY be necessary for areas where civil unrest is evident or in areas devastated by the tsunami. But Bali is an extremely peaceful and beautiful place whose people depend on tourist dollars for economic survival. The lack of tourists due to 9/11, the economic crisis, and the Kuta bombings in October 2002, has made life hard for many people here. We've been lucky to meet and talk to a few Balinese people. None of them really understand why terrorists from Java decided to wreak havoc on their island. One man said, "You are Christian, I am Hindu, and my brother-in-law is a Muslim. I love you and him...we all come from the same place...we are all human. We just have different faiths and beliefs, and that is okay." I am paraphrasing, but that is the gist of what he said. It really hurt him that the rest of the world might perceive Bali as a dangerous place.
Okay, time to get off this soap box and get back to exploring....
P.S. For anyone visiting Bali, a word of advice--you should know the answers to the following six questions, which you will be asked at least 10 times a day by the locals:
1. "Where are you from?" Not very hard one to answer, but with the travel warnings and recent world events, we found ourselves being Canadians every so often.
2. "Where did you come from?" Usually means, what city did you visit last in Bali, but you can take it as an opportunity to explain your personal history, depending on the situation.
3. "Where are you going?" Now that they know we are Canadians, it was usually easier to answer this question.
4. "Where are you staying?" Ok, is this guy a stalker, or what? Don't want to give out too much info at this point, but Canadians are pretty friendly right?
5. "How long are you staying?" Definitely a stalker, maybe a potential kidnapper, but this is the ninth time someone has asked this question today and nothing has happened so far, plus no one wants to harm Canadians.
6. "Do you need transport?" Here comes the sales pitch, and I thought he was just being nice and friendly. Yes, it seems everyone has a car, scooter, or some family relative who is in the business of transporting tourists. It is amazing how many times you are asked this. It is also amazing to see a family of four on a little scooter darting into and out of traffic. Yes, welcome to Asia.
After six weeks in the states, Chris and I are back on the road for Leg 2 of our 'Round The World adventure. Our first stop this time out is Bali, Indonesia...and even though it is MUCH, MUCH, MUCH hotter than South America, we are happy to be out exploring new corners (for us, anyway) of the world.
The city of Kuta was our first stop on the island of Bali. This once quiet fishing village has transformed into a very touristy town with great surf, a nice beach, and LOTS of people. It seems like the town is definitely on the rebound after a series of setbacks. If you're not familiar with the area, this is the town where in October 2002 two bombs were exploded simultaneously in two different nightclubs. We walked down the main street and saw that one of the clubs has been rebuilt, while only an empty lot remains where the other used to be. There is a white banner spanning the width of the lot. The banner is a makeshift shrine where people have left notes and prayers for those who were killed. In addition, a huge monument has been built in the city to memorialize the more than 200 people that were killed. Despite the sadness that enveloped Kuta and many of the Balinese people, two years later they are on a comeback---revitalized.
The main draw of Kuta is a beautiful white sand beach with good beginner surf, so we thought we'd ease back into life on the road with some relaxation and surfing. While Chris surfed, I was left to fend off the many massage ladies and hawkers that patrol the beach looking to make a few rupiah. Within about five minutes of stepping foot on sand, I'd been offered a massage, sarong, hair braiding, bracelets, cold drinks, a surfboard, silver rings, and temporary tatoos. Whew! They are relentless. Anything you could possibly need on the beach, they've got it. After repeating "No thank you" a few times, they usually leave you alone...for a few minutes. Because of all this, sitting on the beach in Kuta isn't necessarily a relaxing experience. However, there does seem to be an invisible line in the sand over which most of them will not cross. If you can find the line, their visits are much less frequent. The one benefit of having these hawkers line the beach is that they are responsible for keeping their area of the beach clean. A few times a day a tractor comes down the beach and they all run down to fill the scoop with trash and any debris that has washed up.
Our first cultural outing was a trip to Ulu Watu, a Hindu temple situated atop sheer cliffs that drop into the Indian Ocean. Only Hindus are allowed to enter the central temple area, so we wandered the parts that were open to visitors. A band of mischevious monkeys inhabit the temple grounds, providing endless entertainment for the many visitors. They can get aggressive (especially if you have food) and we were told to put everything away and our guide even suggested I take off my small silver hoop earrings. We didn't have any monkey run-ins, thank goodness.
After enjoying the dramatic views, we took our seats for a traditional Balinese Kecak dance, which took place on the temple grounds during sunset. This dance tells a part of the Hindu epic Ramayana. All the music is provided by a choir of about 70 men and boys who chant and sing during the entire performance. The costumes and dancing are all quite spectacular and it was the first time it really hit us that we are in Asia.
In the city of Ubud in south central Bali we stayed at a place called Nick's Hidden Cottages, which ended up being one of the nicest places we've stayed in our travels thus far. Chris skillfully negotiated our room down to 180,000 rupiah (about $20 USD). For that we got a beautiful air conditioned room overlooking a spectacular pool and lush gardens. The whole place was designed in the style of the Hindu temples that are found everywhere in Bali. Add to that a three course breakfast and we were in heaven. Our two day stop in Ubud turned into four days.
In Ubud we observed more monkeys at the Monkey Forest Sanctuary. We learned that 1) monkeys do, in fact, eat bananas (Lori, that one's for you), and 2) monkeys are quite good swimmers!!! One of the sanctuary attendants threw a banana into a pond that was below a group of monkeys perched in a tree. To our surprise, one of the monkeys jumped off the tree into the pond and did a few laps underwater before surfacing to collect his banana. A wet monkey is quite a sight. They shake themselves off just like a dog would and go about their business.
One evening in Ubud we attended a traditional Balinese shadow puppet show. One puppet master moves up to three puppets at once while simultaneously telling the story in Balinese. The puppets are extremely intricate and upon inspection after the show, very colorful. I suppose we would have gotten a little more out of it if we understood Balinese, but the story was a simple one and fairly easy to follow. Since most of the audience members were tourists, it was safe to assume that no one spoke Balinese. In light of that, the puppet master kept everyone on their toes by periodically adding some jokes in English. Everyone's favorite was "Where are you from? Do you need transport?" Now would be a good time to explain that tourists in Ubud (and everywhere in Bali) are constantly hounded by would be drivers on the streets trying to get some business. Anyway, that little joke got quite a laugh out of the audience.
At dinner that night the windows in the restaurant we were in started to rattle. Soon after the ground started to shake...and I was about ready to start running inland! But then I realized that I WAS inland and by then the shaking stopped. We read the next day that the earthquake measured about 5.5 and was centered on Lombok, the island directly east of Bali.
One of our favorite outings in Ubud was a walk through a section of the town's rice paddies. The scenery was amazing, and although it was very hot we were coaxed along by the occasional cool breeze and by a canine companion. Petey, as Chris named him, adopted us up at the beginning of the walk and stayed us all the way along. Smart dog that he is, Petey took occasional dips in the irrigation canals that lined the walking path. I wanted to join him a few times, but restrained myself.
On our last day in Ubud we treated ourselved to a Balinese cooking class. We met our instructor and immediately headed out to the town's traditional market. He showed us all sorts of interesting fruits, veggies, and grains (many of which we'd later use in our cooking) and explained how they are all used in Balinese cooking. To our delight, tofu and tempeh are staples in Balinese cuisine. Here they are much cheaper than meat and so they are used much more frequently. Back at the restaurant we donned aprons and started cooking. We cooked six dishes in total...and got to eat them all! By the end of class we were stuffed. We got to keep our aprons and a recipe book...we took lots of notes and are ready to prepare a Balinese feast upon our return.
Next we moved to the north side of the island and settled for a few days in Lovina. From there we took a snorkeling trip to Pulau Menjangan, a small island off the northwest tip of Bali. After an hour and a half in a rattling van with a rusted out hole in the floor, our group piled into a small boat that took us to the island. We snorkeled right off the beach and were treated to some of the best snorkeling we've ever done, if not the best. About 10 meters off the beach a sea wall drops off creating an amazing chance to see tons of fish, coral, and even eels. We swam around for almost two hours exploring the underwater park. To Chris's delight, we even saw Nemo!
All the Pats fans out there will be glad to know that we were able to catch the Superbowl...live. That meant watching the game during breakfast on Monday morning. We staked out probably the only place in town with ESPN and were in the restaurant before they even opened. I think they were a little unsure of what all the excitement was about, but they indulged us. We even met Paul, another New Englander (from Maine), searching for a place to watch the game. At about 10am Paul decided that it didn't matter what time of day it was...it was the Superbowl and he was gonna have a beer!! Chris joined him and also had a morning beer. We all had a great time watching the game and swapping travel tales. And it didn't hurt that the Pats were victorious.
To be honest, the rest of our time in Bali has been pretty mellow and relaxing...and without many stories to tell. We travelled to the east coast to Amed, a lovely little town that boasts great snorkeling and diving...and in general is just a great place to kick back in a hammock and enjoy a book. We did do some snorkeling, but mostly just multitasked...reading AND swinging in the hammock. We also visited a sleeping fishing village called Padangbai. The only interesting tidbits about that stop are the pretty secluded beach and the strange smell our room had. As Chris likes to say, "Every time you opened the door it was like getting slapped in the face." :-) You win some, you lose some....right?
Now we are back in Kuta and will leave for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Monday (2/14). Despite the heat and being constantly hassled on the streets (Do I need a sarong, transport, tatoo, accommodation, etc.) we've found Bali to be a wonderful place. The US government has imposed travel warnings advising citizens not to travel to Indonesia. This is a shame as the Balinese have been nothing but friendly and welcoming. Yes, warnings MAY be necessary for areas where civil unrest is evident or in areas devastated by the tsunami. But Bali is an extremely peaceful and beautiful place whose people depend on tourist dollars for economic survival. The lack of tourists due to 9/11, the economic crisis, and the Kuta bombings in October 2002, has made life hard for many people here. We've been lucky to meet and talk to a few Balinese people. None of them really understand why terrorists from Java decided to wreak havoc on their island. One man said, "You are Christian, I am Hindu, and my brother-in-law is a Muslim. I love you and him...we all come from the same place...we are all human. We just have different faiths and beliefs, and that is okay." I am paraphrasing, but that is the gist of what he said. It really hurt him that the rest of the world might perceive Bali as a dangerous place.
Okay, time to get off this soap box and get back to exploring....
P.S. For anyone visiting Bali, a word of advice--you should know the answers to the following six questions, which you will be asked at least 10 times a day by the locals:
1. "Where are you from?" Not very hard one to answer, but with the travel warnings and recent world events, we found ourselves being Canadians every so often.
2. "Where did you come from?" Usually means, what city did you visit last in Bali, but you can take it as an opportunity to explain your personal history, depending on the situation.
3. "Where are you going?" Now that they know we are Canadians, it was usually easier to answer this question.
4. "Where are you staying?" Ok, is this guy a stalker, or what? Don't want to give out too much info at this point, but Canadians are pretty friendly right?
5. "How long are you staying?" Definitely a stalker, maybe a potential kidnapper, but this is the ninth time someone has asked this question today and nothing has happened so far, plus no one wants to harm Canadians.
6. "Do you need transport?" Here comes the sales pitch, and I thought he was just being nice and friendly. Yes, it seems everyone has a car, scooter, or some family relative who is in the business of transporting tourists. It is amazing how many times you are asked this. It is also amazing to see a family of four on a little scooter darting into and out of traffic. Yes, welcome to Asia.
posted by Amy at
Monday, February 21, 2005
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