One month in Bali (a.k.a. Eat, Love/Hate)

One month in Bali: a.k.a. my version of Eat, Pray, Love, or as it's known here, that damn book. Have had more than my fair share of comments that I'm on a trip like the author. To which I respond so far my version is more like Eat, Eat, Eat. Although this quickly changed, Indonesian food did not inspire for long, one can only feast on nasi goreng (fried rice) and gado gado (vegetables with peanut sauce) for so long. A more appropriate summary of my time in Bali: Eat, Love, Hate. As in I have a serious love, hate relationship with Bali. It's not the fault of the Balinese people as I had a preconceived bad judgment due to my run in with the Indonesian embassy in Malaysia and the time in Singasnore (incorrect spelling very much intended) just prior didn't help matters. I was due for a serious attitude readjustment towards traveling. After the long line for the visa and immigration at the airport, touts pick up your luggage and bring it to the money changer assuming you don't have Bali money as they say and then drop your bags when you don't pay up. I tried to get them to stop as I'm fully capable of carrying them myself, thank you, ok, I've become so cheap and independent, liking to carry my own bags. Off to the hotel and once out exploring the streets of Kuta, where I challenge you to try walking two steps without someone asking if you want transport, transport, room, mushroom, boyfriend? Oh and the traffic and the ultimate disappointment: Kuta beach, it's not so gorgeous, it's dirty, very crowded and not a white speck of sand in sight. Here's an example of just how dirty it is: I found a needle and syringe on the beach and Grethe found a wood block with nails in it. Yeah, step on that and your holiday is over. Where is the Bali of honeymoon lore? I had such high expectations, all of which were shattered. Even Ubud, the site of the Love portion of said book, didn't amaze. This is where I had my wtf moment despite Tarynne being with me and the poor thing, she was even sick with dengue fever. :(  

Gradually things shifted. The rice terraces and verdant, lush gardens everywhere in Ubud finally had me appreciating this exotic locale. In the idyllic waters of the Gili islands and Nusa Lembongan, I found the Bali I had imagined. But it was far and away the people who won me over. The same touts that drove me crazy at first grew on me, they would always chat you up so I just had more fun with them.  A local drivers' email response had me laughing so hard I was in tears: no worries, my sweet price for you is 400,000 rupiah and then Cheers! So obviously accustomed to Aussies and foreigners. And our chatty tour driver questioned why we say "red as a lobster", why not "red as a crab?" The Balinese are seriously cute and their smiles, so very kind! I can honestly say the friendliest people of all the countries I've visited.

And then there's the strong energy factor I felt...it's unlike any other I've experienced. Perhaps it's due to all of the Hindu traditions? 93% of Balinese are Hindu and you see it absolutely everywhere: in the temples, the little flower offerings in front of every store front placed daily, the traditional dress and rice on the forehead on ceremony days and there always seems to be some ceremony going on. And I was lucky enough to experience firsthand one of the most important ones: Nyepi, Balinese New Year, or silent day. I thought I was going to die when I found out for 24 hours we'd have to be silent to scare off the evil spirits but it turned out to be not a religious experience per se, rather the ultimate chill-out complete with warm Bintang beer and cute Aussies by the pool, woot. It was monsters on parade, ogo ogo, with traditional music and then lights out. Seriously. Imagine the heavily trafficked Kuta, epicenter of debauchery, with the clubs normally pumping completely shut down and no cars or motorbikes on the road, no planes flying, no one allowed to walk around, everyone stuck to their hotel grounds. It was a valiant effort to contain the partying, tanned, toned shirtless surfer dudes and hip young girls but I can report hedonism is alive and well. Yet I still came away with an appreciation for all things Balinese.  

Top 15 highlights (in list form vs. my usual long-winded tales):

1. Riding through the rice paddies at sunset a little buzzed on organic sangria with Tarynne and the cacophony of frogs croaking accompanying our crazy ride

2. Clubbing with Grethe at Bounty, Sky Garden and the reggae bars in Kuta

3. Getting lost on the little seaweed farming island of Nusa Lembongan and then rescued by Alejandro (name changed to protect the not so innocent) joining him on his motorbike to find the perfect beach to watch the sunset, which never happened as we got caught in a downpour of rain, gave up as we were already soaked so swam amidst the thunderstorm
 
4. Driving tour with Mr. Smiley of the Bukit Peninsula: all the Javanese in their full outfits on Dreamland beach in jeans and burkas wanting pictures of Patria and I in our bikinis, because we are "sexy" girls!

5. Seaside fish BBQ on Jimbaran, then dressing up for the place to be, KuDeTa 

6. Gettin' rustic on the Gili Islands with Patria!! Snorkeling and enjoying the most idyllic of beaches. Could've done without the massive roach in our room but using our outdoor bathroom to shower while raining was stellar

7. Gili (part of Lombok) is 95% Muslim so awoke to the call to prayer from the mosque every morning at 5 am!

8. Parties on Gili T, dancing my bootay off at Rudy's with the locals

9. Watching a woman covered from head to toe in clothes and a massive life jacket snorkeling
 
10. Eating well at the various organic cafes in Ubud by day and listening to live music by night

11. 25 km Bike tour throughout countryside with insight to Balinese culture and honeymoon coffee

12. Tanah Lot temple at sunset and being blessed with holy water and rice on the forehead

13. Visiting temples and acquiring a new wardrobe: the necessity of wearing sarongs to cover our heathen legs
 
14. Learning I have a serious fear of monkeys....they are not sacred, they are thieves! Thankfully, not of anything of mine, I'm quite capable of losing stuff on my own, thank you

15. Indulgent Balinese massages...yum!  


So that EPL effect didn't happen for me, nope, there is no meeting of Felipe to report. Perhaps if I had another 3 months like the author..... But alas, visa restrictions are calling me elsewhere. I'm off to a land even more down under!