Farewell Bali! I will miss your beautiful people, wonderful warungs, carefully homemade offerings, statues and intricate detail you put into every piece of art you make. I will probably be okay without your roosters and geckos waking me up, taxi drivers pleading 'pleeassee' when you tell them 'no thank you', and market merchants grabbing your arms as you walk past them but am sure I have more of the same coming my way in the next 4 months. I'm pretty sure my anxiety will go down when I no longer have to ride shotgun on your crazy roads, but pretty certain there is no serenity like your gardens and rice paddies. Goodbye little baby asleep on mother's lap as she sits sidesaddle on the family mo-ped competing with six others to pass a big truck. Farewell to the two sweet nanas at my house- the one who always talked to me and wore blue and the other who had the most beautiful toothless smile and always wore purple. See ya later black sand beaches, volcanoes and cheeky monkies. You are what makes Bali the beautiful little island it is and are the things I will remember most.
*************************************
Been flying for close to an hour now and think I have about three more to go. Just got ripped off by the AirAsia ladies that charged me double when I gave them US dollars and they gave me back baht for my peanut butter crackers... Bad karma for them I hope. (Note to all those taking Asian discount airlines: they are cheap but charge for every little thing so pack some food. It's a 4 hour flight and they charge an absurd amount for any snack or drink.) Another fantastic experience about AirAsia that is new to me: they have been playing music since I first got on and I am pretty certain that every third song has been Michael Jackson. Bizarre. Sitting next to two Aussie teens that look like they belong in Boreal's or A51's park with their shaggy hair, tank jersies and flat brim hats. I'm also pretty certain someone is smoking a cigarette right now and I would be very interested to know if that's allowed. Other than that, just hanging about 30,000 ft in the air somewhere in Asia on the Asian version of Virgin airlines.
Spent my last day in Bali yesterday eating mangos till I thought I would vomit, talking to my family at the homestay- love them all- loading up on the last of my fave Ubud food- gado gado from Sen San and chocolate ice cream mousse from the juice bar- and trying (and failing) to haggle for a taxi ride to the airport. Found some guy to do it for a good price but when I was trying to give him directions to the homestay he was being really mean to me for not knowing the street names better. Got fed up, told him no deal and walked away... Fail.
My family ended up hooking me up with a driver named Yoyo who drove me for the same price. Though he gave me a guilt trip the whole time because he was giving me such a good deal that he wouldn't be making any money (a story you here every single time you are haggling for a better price). After a night of little sleep though, I just wasn't that concerned. It is amazing how little you spend when you are camped out in a town for a bit- it's the traveling days that drain your bank account. Between a 50.000 rupiah raise on the departure tax, the taxi, the overpriced snacks on your four hour flight over lunchtime and converting your money over, this day has cost me the same as three days of just exploring Ubud- and I haven't even checked into the hotel yet. Oh well... So it goes.
Met this cute little ball of sunshine girl, Katie, who has also been traveling around souteast Asia recently. She's from Laos, has been in Australia for the past ten years and is going to London for a two year work visa. Love meeting all these other world travelers!
It was sad to leave Bali and say goodbye to my cute little family, but it was hard to be too disappointed when I knew I was getting to meet up with Andy as soon as I left. After his long work trip to China being all engineer-ish and stuff, I think he is looking forward to a much-needed vacation as well! I get in around 3pm and Andy flies in around 11pm so will have some time to chill out in our air conditioned hotel (a rare luxury!) and catch up on some sleep... Think I had so much going through my head last night that I really didn't sleep more than 3 hours.
That's all for now. If your reading this, I'm safe and sound in Bangkok!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Baliwood? Random thoughts, rants and reflections
Wrote this a few days ago but had trouble actually finding a purpose or point or thesis in it. Thought it was worth posting though cuz i would love to hear other peoples opinion on it if you have one...
This modest little town has already been somewhat spoiled by tourism, but it has been interesting to witness the current hype around here with the much acclaimed book/soon-to-be-movie 'Eat, Pray, Love'.
To all of my lovely ladies (and maybe a few of ya guys) who have read this book, you know the story and hopefully loved it as much as I did. To those who haven't read it, it is a memoir about a recently divorced woman who cuts all of her ties to her sucessful/married life in NY to travel for a year in Italy, India, and Indonesia. Her goal is to find a balance in life and do a bit of soul-searching. The way Elizabeth Gilbert writes makes the book funny, relatable, and an inspiration to anyone who wants to travel and/or just went through a terrible break up. (I'm sure it could almost be catagorized as a self-help book in a few ways.) It is here in Ubud, however, where Gilbert ends her journey, studies with a balinese healer and eventually finds love. Thus, it is here where many have flocked in search of a similar experience.
To further add to the ever-growing tourism here, Julia Roberts (and apparently Brad Pitt?) are currently in town filming for the movie of Eat, Pray, Love. (b.Pitt and j.Roberts...really? Hollywood sure is making this the quinessential chick flick!).
It has been a bizarre phenomenon to watch the reprecusions of all the hype around here though. Sitting in coffee shops and yoga studios, you hear a few people whispering to one another: "I found out where the real Wayan has her shop" or "we are going to get readings from THE Ketut". Walking down the streets here you are always asked (an absurd amount of times) if you need "taxi?" or "transport?", but I have actually had a couple of offers recently for: "taxi? Want to go see Julia and Brad, yes?".
When I hear and see these things happen, I feel a torn about it all. Being someone who read and loved the book, I think the purpose of this memoir is simply to tell a story and to inspire others to live doing what they love- to strive for a more balanced lifestyle. I feel like the characters in her book were a representation of the population and culture in Bali and were not meant to be exploited as celebrities.
According to one article, Ketut (the healer from Gilberts book) now charges four times what he used to (and why would he not?) and still has people lined up for hours outside his door. People have been complaining that, after waiting in line and paying a high price, they were dissapointed with what the medicine man had told. But come on people...
I will be the first to say that the book was an influence in my decision to come to the town of Ubud, but, in my opinion, I think it's a bit ridiculous to come here and try to repeat the experiences of one person, and then expect the same exact results. In fact, I think doing so is very contradictory to the point of the book. This article I read earlier pulled out a qoute from the book that said something to the effect of: it is better to live your own life imperfectly than to live someone elses perfectly.
I am glad that the book has reached and inspired so many people but it is heartbreaking to see this little town goobled up by Hollywood celebrities and flocks of bohemian Western travelers in yoga pants (Please note that I do not totally exclude myself from the latter!) It is great to bring more economic growth onto this little island, but there is such a loss of culture that comes with it. As soon as you walk 15 minutes out of this town, you are completely engulfed in a totally different atmosphere- a more quiet and laid back family feel. And it doesn't take long to figure out that this is how Ubud used to be- ask any of the locals and they will tell you the same.
I'm not quite sure what my point is here... I guess I had the realization that this culture is just so damn beautiful, and seeing it become more resorty and white and consumer-based is kind of heartbreaking. It's like your small little ski mountain getting turned into another Vail resort, ya know? It has it's goods and bads but what you miss the most is the local scene. And I am not ignorant to the fact that I am a part of the crowd that reiterates these issues. I'm well aware of the fact that I am white (especially in this sun and humidity), that I'm a consumer at the overpriced coffee shops with wifi, and that I'm wearing yoga pants right this very second as I sit and write this. Like everyone else, I am also a tourist in Ubud for it's reviews of being the 'santa fe of Indonesia', 'beautiful' and 'cheap'. I also ski Vail resorts so..... Yea. Who am I to judge?
I guess my message would be to all you yoga/soul-searching beautiful beings, all you wealthier couples who came here for the shopping or those who are just traveling through this little island is this: May you find your soul, advance your yoga skills, shop your little heart out and get to see all the scenery you can handle. Just please remember to explore, learn, and appreciate the culture and not just the fact that your spa treatment and dinner cost you less than a single drink back home. I have found the most beauty here in the people and their lifestyle (and their food!).
Okay, enough of me running around in circles...
This modest little town has already been somewhat spoiled by tourism, but it has been interesting to witness the current hype around here with the much acclaimed book/soon-to-be-movie 'Eat, Pray, Love'.
To all of my lovely ladies (and maybe a few of ya guys) who have read this book, you know the story and hopefully loved it as much as I did. To those who haven't read it, it is a memoir about a recently divorced woman who cuts all of her ties to her sucessful/married life in NY to travel for a year in Italy, India, and Indonesia. Her goal is to find a balance in life and do a bit of soul-searching. The way Elizabeth Gilbert writes makes the book funny, relatable, and an inspiration to anyone who wants to travel and/or just went through a terrible break up. (I'm sure it could almost be catagorized as a self-help book in a few ways.) It is here in Ubud, however, where Gilbert ends her journey, studies with a balinese healer and eventually finds love. Thus, it is here where many have flocked in search of a similar experience.
To further add to the ever-growing tourism here, Julia Roberts (and apparently Brad Pitt?) are currently in town filming for the movie of Eat, Pray, Love. (b.Pitt and j.Roberts...really? Hollywood sure is making this the quinessential chick flick!).
It has been a bizarre phenomenon to watch the reprecusions of all the hype around here though. Sitting in coffee shops and yoga studios, you hear a few people whispering to one another: "I found out where the real Wayan has her shop" or "we are going to get readings from THE Ketut". Walking down the streets here you are always asked (an absurd amount of times) if you need "taxi?" or "transport?", but I have actually had a couple of offers recently for: "taxi? Want to go see Julia and Brad, yes?".
When I hear and see these things happen, I feel a torn about it all. Being someone who read and loved the book, I think the purpose of this memoir is simply to tell a story and to inspire others to live doing what they love- to strive for a more balanced lifestyle. I feel like the characters in her book were a representation of the population and culture in Bali and were not meant to be exploited as celebrities.
According to one article, Ketut (the healer from Gilberts book) now charges four times what he used to (and why would he not?) and still has people lined up for hours outside his door. People have been complaining that, after waiting in line and paying a high price, they were dissapointed with what the medicine man had told. But come on people...
I will be the first to say that the book was an influence in my decision to come to the town of Ubud, but, in my opinion, I think it's a bit ridiculous to come here and try to repeat the experiences of one person, and then expect the same exact results. In fact, I think doing so is very contradictory to the point of the book. This article I read earlier pulled out a qoute from the book that said something to the effect of: it is better to live your own life imperfectly than to live someone elses perfectly.
I am glad that the book has reached and inspired so many people but it is heartbreaking to see this little town goobled up by Hollywood celebrities and flocks of bohemian Western travelers in yoga pants (Please note that I do not totally exclude myself from the latter!) It is great to bring more economic growth onto this little island, but there is such a loss of culture that comes with it. As soon as you walk 15 minutes out of this town, you are completely engulfed in a totally different atmosphere- a more quiet and laid back family feel. And it doesn't take long to figure out that this is how Ubud used to be- ask any of the locals and they will tell you the same.
I'm not quite sure what my point is here... I guess I had the realization that this culture is just so damn beautiful, and seeing it become more resorty and white and consumer-based is kind of heartbreaking. It's like your small little ski mountain getting turned into another Vail resort, ya know? It has it's goods and bads but what you miss the most is the local scene. And I am not ignorant to the fact that I am a part of the crowd that reiterates these issues. I'm well aware of the fact that I am white (especially in this sun and humidity), that I'm a consumer at the overpriced coffee shops with wifi, and that I'm wearing yoga pants right this very second as I sit and write this. Like everyone else, I am also a tourist in Ubud for it's reviews of being the 'santa fe of Indonesia', 'beautiful' and 'cheap'. I also ski Vail resorts so..... Yea. Who am I to judge?
I guess my message would be to all you yoga/soul-searching beautiful beings, all you wealthier couples who came here for the shopping or those who are just traveling through this little island is this: May you find your soul, advance your yoga skills, shop your little heart out and get to see all the scenery you can handle. Just please remember to explore, learn, and appreciate the culture and not just the fact that your spa treatment and dinner cost you less than a single drink back home. I have found the most beauty here in the people and their lifestyle (and their food!).
Okay, enough of me running around in circles...
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Lazy days
Dedicated to Jaime Rose... I'm sorry it's not more enthralling!
Well the last three days around Ubud have been rather lazy and pretty perfect really... Jen and I missed meeting back up on Sunday before she had to go back to her Eco- lodge (something that happens here without the convenience of cell phones), so headed to the juice bar for another fruity drink. Ran into Kimberly there and ended up spending a large portion of the day poolside at her homestay. Walked around later and showed her the free yoga place I found tucked behind the monkey sanctuary. We went to dinner and then snuggled onto her bed to watch a chick flick she had picked up. Used her computer for a very sketchy video chat with Andy in china and then headed home to bed at the absurd hour of 10:30pm... Latest yet!
Yesterday I woke up to swollen glands and achey muscles. Downed a bunch of emergenC and vitamins and was determined to kick this thing before it got out of hand. Chugged a carrot apple ginger juice, got some lunch, went back home and just straight chilled. Met back up with Kimberly and took the same walk down to the yoga place for a class. Quick background: When I first found this place, I went in and talked to one of the guys who told me that all the yoga was off until the holiday was over. He told me to come back on Monday and join that class. When I looked later, I saw that Monday is senior's yoga. 'Well', we figured, 'I'm sure it's fine since he invited us, right? we'll just go and see what happens.' We were the first ones to come in, roll out our mats and wait for the class. A couple minutes later, there was a mob of elders walking in... I mean like 50-60 old Balinese people just waltzing in with their toothless smiles and yoga clothes on. We were blown away! We quickly gave up our mats to those around us and excused ourselves from the floor and continued to watch them float in. A few came over and talked to us and were just the most wholesome people- we didn't need to understand them to realize that. The two instructors finally arrived... We explained our situation and they invited us to stay if we like (apparently this was a small class today because oolong is this weekend) but we really felt bad cramping the elders scene. Emma, the British instructor, told us she would do a class for us tomorrow with two others that inquired about the class. We thanked them both and were on our way. Grabbed a quick dinner after that and then home where I was out before 9 with the help of some sleeping pills.
Today, got up, ate some breakfast, downed more emergenC and finally got some motivation to grab my yoga clothes and head towards Kimberly's. We were both a bit hesitant about yoga today as I was still not feeling well and it had just stopped raining, but motivated eachother to get our shit together and go. Found Emma and figured out that the other couple bailed so it was just Kimberly and I with this amazing yoga teacher. We practiced for probably an hour and a half and then she showed us around the compound. This whole establishment was gorgeous. Started by an American woman who studied eastern medicine and taught children how to do yoga after the tsunami in India, this place gives children a free place to do yoga 4 days/week. The elders get it on Monday and then it's open classes the rest of the week. Complete with 4 sacred cows, a veggie, fruit and flowers-for-ceremonies garden and a luxurious bungalow style house and pool, this American woman lives here the majority of the time and wants to rent the house out to visitors to help fund the whole organization the rest of the time. It really is a fantastic facility and organization.
After yoga and a lunch of amazing gado-gado, took a trip down to the market. I have been wanting to try some of these odd looking fruits I have been seeing everywhere, and also have been feeling bad that I haven't gotten gifts for anyone back home. Yea well I'm sorry to all of you back home, but you are probably not getting anything from Bali. You all are aware of how much I hate shopping, right? I spite it... Really. Well imagine shopping in a crowded, hot maze of a market where you get grabbed and asked a gazillion different questions. I learned how to haggle pretty quickly after the fruit lady ripped me off and I found out I'm actually quite good at it as I would just get frustrated and walk away (this is where they give in and accept your price and yell and run and follow you when you don't stop). Plus I wasn't sure to get anyone when I had to choose between huge metal and wood carved buddahs, bintang (the local beer) tshirts and koosies, butterfly kites and phallic bottle openers. Sorry y'all! So yes, in conclusion, I walked away with a mango, a passionfruit, a wierd purple ball with this sweet clear fruit in the middle, a strawberry shaped fruit with a snakeskin outside and a purse/bag that will serve as a better everyday bag for me than this bulky thing I'm carrying around. More pool time, dinner at the same place we ate lunch at (so amazing and cheap!) and dessert and wifi now at the juice bar. Just said my farewells to Kimberly as she leaves for the Gili Islands tomorrow, and trying to decide how I will spend my last whole day in Ubud.
That's all I got. I'm sorry it's not more entertaining but it has been perfect. It's kinda like being on summer vacation again in your home town. I know my way around, have no real commitment to life, run into people I know every now and again and have even gotten to the point where a few of the transport guys just say hello to me instead of "taxi? no, how bout tomorrow?" It's the little things like that... Ya know?
Other random, recent observations and thoughts:
I am pretty sure there is no weather guy on this entire island... Everytime I check the weather it tells me a high around 88 and a low around 77. The current weather, the week long forecast, the 10 day- all the same. But it has rained the last 3 nights and today it even lasted into the morning??? If any American weatherman is out of a job, I'm pretty sure there is an opening here! Also, when I do check the weather, I always look up Tahoe, Boulder, Austin, and Seattle and I am so happy (and a bit envious!) to see the snow falling consistantly in CO and Tahoe... Enjoy it guys and gals!
For you JAIME: I have decided to confirm with Felix for the month of Jan. I will be volunteering in Cambodia for a month with the Cambodian Children's Painting Project. It's an amazing program and I am excited that Jaime has put me in touch with them.
If you want to check out CCPP more:
http://www.letuscreatecambodia.org/Welcome.html
That's it! All my love!
Well the last three days around Ubud have been rather lazy and pretty perfect really... Jen and I missed meeting back up on Sunday before she had to go back to her Eco- lodge (something that happens here without the convenience of cell phones), so headed to the juice bar for another fruity drink. Ran into Kimberly there and ended up spending a large portion of the day poolside at her homestay. Walked around later and showed her the free yoga place I found tucked behind the monkey sanctuary. We went to dinner and then snuggled onto her bed to watch a chick flick she had picked up. Used her computer for a very sketchy video chat with Andy in china and then headed home to bed at the absurd hour of 10:30pm... Latest yet!
Yesterday I woke up to swollen glands and achey muscles. Downed a bunch of emergenC and vitamins and was determined to kick this thing before it got out of hand. Chugged a carrot apple ginger juice, got some lunch, went back home and just straight chilled. Met back up with Kimberly and took the same walk down to the yoga place for a class. Quick background: When I first found this place, I went in and talked to one of the guys who told me that all the yoga was off until the holiday was over. He told me to come back on Monday and join that class. When I looked later, I saw that Monday is senior's yoga. 'Well', we figured, 'I'm sure it's fine since he invited us, right? we'll just go and see what happens.' We were the first ones to come in, roll out our mats and wait for the class. A couple minutes later, there was a mob of elders walking in... I mean like 50-60 old Balinese people just waltzing in with their toothless smiles and yoga clothes on. We were blown away! We quickly gave up our mats to those around us and excused ourselves from the floor and continued to watch them float in. A few came over and talked to us and were just the most wholesome people- we didn't need to understand them to realize that. The two instructors finally arrived... We explained our situation and they invited us to stay if we like (apparently this was a small class today because oolong is this weekend) but we really felt bad cramping the elders scene. Emma, the British instructor, told us she would do a class for us tomorrow with two others that inquired about the class. We thanked them both and were on our way. Grabbed a quick dinner after that and then home where I was out before 9 with the help of some sleeping pills.
Today, got up, ate some breakfast, downed more emergenC and finally got some motivation to grab my yoga clothes and head towards Kimberly's. We were both a bit hesitant about yoga today as I was still not feeling well and it had just stopped raining, but motivated eachother to get our shit together and go. Found Emma and figured out that the other couple bailed so it was just Kimberly and I with this amazing yoga teacher. We practiced for probably an hour and a half and then she showed us around the compound. This whole establishment was gorgeous. Started by an American woman who studied eastern medicine and taught children how to do yoga after the tsunami in India, this place gives children a free place to do yoga 4 days/week. The elders get it on Monday and then it's open classes the rest of the week. Complete with 4 sacred cows, a veggie, fruit and flowers-for-ceremonies garden and a luxurious bungalow style house and pool, this American woman lives here the majority of the time and wants to rent the house out to visitors to help fund the whole organization the rest of the time. It really is a fantastic facility and organization.
After yoga and a lunch of amazing gado-gado, took a trip down to the market. I have been wanting to try some of these odd looking fruits I have been seeing everywhere, and also have been feeling bad that I haven't gotten gifts for anyone back home. Yea well I'm sorry to all of you back home, but you are probably not getting anything from Bali. You all are aware of how much I hate shopping, right? I spite it... Really. Well imagine shopping in a crowded, hot maze of a market where you get grabbed and asked a gazillion different questions. I learned how to haggle pretty quickly after the fruit lady ripped me off and I found out I'm actually quite good at it as I would just get frustrated and walk away (this is where they give in and accept your price and yell and run and follow you when you don't stop). Plus I wasn't sure to get anyone when I had to choose between huge metal and wood carved buddahs, bintang (the local beer) tshirts and koosies, butterfly kites and phallic bottle openers. Sorry y'all! So yes, in conclusion, I walked away with a mango, a passionfruit, a wierd purple ball with this sweet clear fruit in the middle, a strawberry shaped fruit with a snakeskin outside and a purse/bag that will serve as a better everyday bag for me than this bulky thing I'm carrying around. More pool time, dinner at the same place we ate lunch at (so amazing and cheap!) and dessert and wifi now at the juice bar. Just said my farewells to Kimberly as she leaves for the Gili Islands tomorrow, and trying to decide how I will spend my last whole day in Ubud.
That's all I got. I'm sorry it's not more entertaining but it has been perfect. It's kinda like being on summer vacation again in your home town. I know my way around, have no real commitment to life, run into people I know every now and again and have even gotten to the point where a few of the transport guys just say hello to me instead of "taxi? no, how bout tomorrow?" It's the little things like that... Ya know?
Other random, recent observations and thoughts:
I am pretty sure there is no weather guy on this entire island... Everytime I check the weather it tells me a high around 88 and a low around 77. The current weather, the week long forecast, the 10 day- all the same. But it has rained the last 3 nights and today it even lasted into the morning??? If any American weatherman is out of a job, I'm pretty sure there is an opening here! Also, when I do check the weather, I always look up Tahoe, Boulder, Austin, and Seattle and I am so happy (and a bit envious!) to see the snow falling consistantly in CO and Tahoe... Enjoy it guys and gals!
For you JAIME: I have decided to confirm with Felix for the month of Jan. I will be volunteering in Cambodia for a month with the Cambodian Children's Painting Project. It's an amazing program and I am excited that Jaime has put me in touch with them.
If you want to check out CCPP more:
http://www.letuscreatecambodia.org/Welcome.html
That's it! All my love!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Happy belated Balinese Hindu holiday day!!!
So yesterday was kallolong (wow I know that's not the right name but my Balinese is just not up to par at the moment). Exactly what this holiday is celebrating, I am still not sure, but a large portion of my day was attempting to find that out... I failed. Here is what I do know: it is some sort of Hindu celebration in which everyone dresses in traditional clothing, the town shuts down almost entirely for the majority of the day, and there are about four times the amount of offerings and homemade decorations on everything (cars and water pipes and alters alike). There are more flowers, colorful fabric, sarongs and incense. That's all I got. Jen and I attempted to be part of one of the family's ceremonies but were just led into their beautiful alter/garden (for lack of a better word) after tying our sarongs on properly, and that was it. Many things get lost in translation here... I think this was one of them.
Before our attempt at celebrating kallolong, Jen and I went on this amazing walk she had found out about. It started down by the river on the edge of town and went up into the hills and rice paddies and took us through a few little villages, eventually looping us back into ubud. It was just so nice to be somewhere so quiet and far away from the town. We grabbed some lunch at Arie's and then headed our seperate ways.
The rest of the day was spent rather lazily (is that even a word?). Came back home for a bit to cool down and dry off and was somewhat locked out for a bit as a huge red wasp looking thing was just hanging out on my lock. Just laid down on the cool tile for awhile reading until my little old grandma I love so much came over. She gave me a handful of flowers, put one in my hair and then (I think) told me to put the others in my room. She then just sat down with me and talked to me for about 30 minutes... God, I love this woman. She would talk and talk and then grab my hand and just laugh the most glorious laugh. I haven't the slightest clue of what was said, but I'm pretty sure she was making jokes about her saggy boobs for a couple minutes. She didn't have a top on (topless is actually the way it used to be until the Dutch came into Bali) and was pointing to her boobs and laughing and when a heavier set girl walked by she puffed out her face and made the international hand signal for 'big knockers' and lauged so hard I thought she would fall over. I love this woman- her wrinkles and saggy boobs and one tooth- she is absolutely beautiful. I only hope that we can all be just as happy and talking about boobs when we are that old and gray.
Went to Kafe when it opened back up to use some wifi and luckily got to see my Aussie girl and her 14 stitches before she headed back last night. Met her friend, an ex- lawyer from Switzerland (have to maybe retract my last comment about lawyers), who is also traveling by herself. All good people here. Dinner later and dessert at a little warung after that which was not nutritious but very delicious. And then bed.
Woke up in the middle of the night to some rain and even some thunder... Went and sat on the porch for a bit to watch it all come down. Lost power a few times, and ended up falling asleep before it turned back on for good. This morning is beautiful though, power is on and hopefully it will be a little less humid since the rain.
Gonna go figure out what to do with myself now...
Oh and also, Andy emailed me about an earthquake that happened in Bali yesterday. None of us knew about it or felt it but assuming it was more towards Kuta area. Everyone here is fine and only 7 were injured with broken bones and other rather superficial injuries. No damage to buildings from what I heard. Grateful it wasn't any worse and always praying that this little island doesn't have to see a gigantic earthquake anytime soon.
Before our attempt at celebrating kallolong, Jen and I went on this amazing walk she had found out about. It started down by the river on the edge of town and went up into the hills and rice paddies and took us through a few little villages, eventually looping us back into ubud. It was just so nice to be somewhere so quiet and far away from the town. We grabbed some lunch at Arie's and then headed our seperate ways.
The rest of the day was spent rather lazily (is that even a word?). Came back home for a bit to cool down and dry off and was somewhat locked out for a bit as a huge red wasp looking thing was just hanging out on my lock. Just laid down on the cool tile for awhile reading until my little old grandma I love so much came over. She gave me a handful of flowers, put one in my hair and then (I think) told me to put the others in my room. She then just sat down with me and talked to me for about 30 minutes... God, I love this woman. She would talk and talk and then grab my hand and just laugh the most glorious laugh. I haven't the slightest clue of what was said, but I'm pretty sure she was making jokes about her saggy boobs for a couple minutes. She didn't have a top on (topless is actually the way it used to be until the Dutch came into Bali) and was pointing to her boobs and laughing and when a heavier set girl walked by she puffed out her face and made the international hand signal for 'big knockers' and lauged so hard I thought she would fall over. I love this woman- her wrinkles and saggy boobs and one tooth- she is absolutely beautiful. I only hope that we can all be just as happy and talking about boobs when we are that old and gray.
Went to Kafe when it opened back up to use some wifi and luckily got to see my Aussie girl and her 14 stitches before she headed back last night. Met her friend, an ex- lawyer from Switzerland (have to maybe retract my last comment about lawyers), who is also traveling by herself. All good people here. Dinner later and dessert at a little warung after that which was not nutritious but very delicious. And then bed.
Woke up in the middle of the night to some rain and even some thunder... Went and sat on the porch for a bit to watch it all come down. Lost power a few times, and ended up falling asleep before it turned back on for good. This morning is beautiful though, power is on and hopefully it will be a little less humid since the rain.
Gonna go figure out what to do with myself now...
Oh and also, Andy emailed me about an earthquake that happened in Bali yesterday. None of us knew about it or felt it but assuming it was more towards Kuta area. Everyone here is fine and only 7 were injured with broken bones and other rather superficial injuries. No damage to buildings from what I heard. Grateful it wasn't any worse and always praying that this little island doesn't have to see a gigantic earthquake anytime soon.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Not- so-solo
Actually wrote this yesterday (today for you in the states) but couldn't post it till just now...
Trying to explore the more 'authentic' Ubud, I feel like I have made an effort to stay away from places that are 'strictly for tourists'. I haven't done any shopping, can't afford the nice spas and pricey yoga classes, and have kept my distance from any restaraunt priced above 20.000 rupiahs/dish. Granted, we did the monkey sanctuary and the elephant cave and had drinks at places where wifi is available, but I have tried not to overdue it. Well, since I can no longer steal wifi from Jussi's homestay, I have been spending much more time in these cute/organic/yoga-oriented cafes that radiate free wifi for just the cost of one slightly-overpriced fruit juice or coffee. Well wouldn't you know it... These places are filled to the brim with people just like me (except with maybe larger budgets). I guess I shouldn't have been surprised thou... We all came here for the same reason- to do a bit of soulsearching and exploring.
Got to spend some time today with an Aussie girl who i met briefly yesterday. This poor girl got chased by three dogs this morning on her way to yoga and fell and hit her head on the ground... 14 stitches in all. She was in good spirits and is flying back to Melbourne tomorrow but was a bummer to see her trip end like that. Met another woman who went to CU a few years ago, lives in San Diego and is traveling southeast Asia for 6 months with her husband and two kids- really awesome to talk to her for a bit. She is currently writing a book about being a mother and living a more balanced lifestyle while her husband works from his computer and their kids are in the local school for the amount of time they will be here. Pretty inspirational to see families traveling like that... Maybe I never have to totally drop my gypsy lifestyle.
Went to the community (free) yoga class at the yogabarn later this evening after a nap and met another girl who was also living in California for a bit this last year. We grabbed some dinner and dessert after yoga and got to chat. She just spent some time in Australia, is working at an Eco-lodge now in Bali and then leaves in March for Peace Corp in Latin America. Nice to meet other people with the same 'save the world' mentality.
Also met an older surfer guy from Hawaii, another Aussie yoga-goer, and my Spanish next door neighbor. And a couple- he was a lawyer from NY and she was a nurse in Sweden... She just got done doing Doctors Without Borders and he reiterated every reason why I do not like lawyers- especially lawyers from New York. Im actually not sure if 'traveling alone' is really possible.
The highlight of my day:
The little old grandma from my homestay came over to me and was trying to talk to me. She doesn't speak a lick of english and I only know the Balinese word for 'thank you' so we really didn't get anything accomplished but I am absolutely sure that I honestly love this woman. She has the face of someone who has seen everything and knows all the secrets to life... I just so wish I could understand her!
Trying to explore the more 'authentic' Ubud, I feel like I have made an effort to stay away from places that are 'strictly for tourists'. I haven't done any shopping, can't afford the nice spas and pricey yoga classes, and have kept my distance from any restaraunt priced above 20.000 rupiahs/dish. Granted, we did the monkey sanctuary and the elephant cave and had drinks at places where wifi is available, but I have tried not to overdue it. Well, since I can no longer steal wifi from Jussi's homestay, I have been spending much more time in these cute/organic/yoga-oriented cafes that radiate free wifi for just the cost of one slightly-overpriced fruit juice or coffee. Well wouldn't you know it... These places are filled to the brim with people just like me (except with maybe larger budgets). I guess I shouldn't have been surprised thou... We all came here for the same reason- to do a bit of soulsearching and exploring.
Got to spend some time today with an Aussie girl who i met briefly yesterday. This poor girl got chased by three dogs this morning on her way to yoga and fell and hit her head on the ground... 14 stitches in all. She was in good spirits and is flying back to Melbourne tomorrow but was a bummer to see her trip end like that. Met another woman who went to CU a few years ago, lives in San Diego and is traveling southeast Asia for 6 months with her husband and two kids- really awesome to talk to her for a bit. She is currently writing a book about being a mother and living a more balanced lifestyle while her husband works from his computer and their kids are in the local school for the amount of time they will be here. Pretty inspirational to see families traveling like that... Maybe I never have to totally drop my gypsy lifestyle.
Went to the community (free) yoga class at the yogabarn later this evening after a nap and met another girl who was also living in California for a bit this last year. We grabbed some dinner and dessert after yoga and got to chat. She just spent some time in Australia, is working at an Eco-lodge now in Bali and then leaves in March for Peace Corp in Latin America. Nice to meet other people with the same 'save the world' mentality.
Also met an older surfer guy from Hawaii, another Aussie yoga-goer, and my Spanish next door neighbor. And a couple- he was a lawyer from NY and she was a nurse in Sweden... She just got done doing Doctors Without Borders and he reiterated every reason why I do not like lawyers- especially lawyers from New York. Im actually not sure if 'traveling alone' is really possible.
The highlight of my day:
The little old grandma from my homestay came over to me and was trying to talk to me. She doesn't speak a lick of english and I only know the Balinese word for 'thank you' so we really didn't get anything accomplished but I am absolutely sure that I honestly love this woman. She has the face of someone who has seen everything and knows all the secrets to life... I just so wish I could understand her!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Solo traveling day #1
After a great week of having a travel buddy, I said goodbye to my first Finnish friend last night and got this 'traveling alone' business rolling along. My days, I believe, will consist of much more aimless wondering, more reading and writing, more time spent with my homestay family, some yoga classes, and most likely in many more cafes and coffee shops around Ubud. Now that I know this town, it is beginning to feel much more like home. Like seniors scoffing at the new freshmen in college, I suddenly feel like a seasoned veteran when I see tourists trying to find their homestay in their lonely planet books. Only a week ago, I was in their shoes...
Today was mellow and relaxing and nothing of the stressful sort. Slept in till 6:50- the latest yet...I have learned to sleep through the roosters but not the damn geckkos yet (I know that is terribly misspelled)- and started the morning off just as I have these past 7 days. Bali coffee, banana jafel (pancake-pinini breakfast thingy) and fresh fruit. Explored and got an 'energy cocktail' from a wonderful cafe with wifi, met some more Aussie girls who came here for yoga, turned in my laundry, read, napped... Like I said: not stressful.
Decided to try to find this walk we've heard about. Pretty sure I didn't find the right path but pretty sure I found something better. Pretty certain I found my new favorite little street in all of ubud. If you follow monkey forest road out of town and jump onto the little path that runs parallel to the monkey forest sanctuary, you immediatly lose all the toirists, come across a couple vendors hiding amongst the trees and end up at a little temple with an entry fee. Take a left and start following this quiet little road. With very little traffic back here, rice paddies and gardens are scattered along the road amongst a few cottages, temples, little restaraunts and a large football field. I even found a place tucked away that does free yoga everyday that may just possibly be the most beautiful, zen place I have ever seen. Exactly the kind of street I have been seeking out for the past 7 days. I found my new favorite warung on my new favorite street- it has two fans, three walls, four tables and served me the most divine mango juice I have tasted yet. It is shady, nicely decorated and had the most soothing traditional-sounding music playing. Though my concentration from reading was broken when the song 'I just wanna get with you, and your sister, I think her name is Debera' came on... But that was immediately followed by the traditional Bali music again. Yep, definitely my new favorite spot.
More walking, exploring, reading, writing, eating and just finished my night off with a scoop of chocolate ice cream (so good here in Bali) and a phone call to china. I think I will be okay with this for another 6 days....
Today was mellow and relaxing and nothing of the stressful sort. Slept in till 6:50- the latest yet...I have learned to sleep through the roosters but not the damn geckkos yet (I know that is terribly misspelled)- and started the morning off just as I have these past 7 days. Bali coffee, banana jafel (pancake-pinini breakfast thingy) and fresh fruit. Explored and got an 'energy cocktail' from a wonderful cafe with wifi, met some more Aussie girls who came here for yoga, turned in my laundry, read, napped... Like I said: not stressful.
Decided to try to find this walk we've heard about. Pretty sure I didn't find the right path but pretty sure I found something better. Pretty certain I found my new favorite little street in all of ubud. If you follow monkey forest road out of town and jump onto the little path that runs parallel to the monkey forest sanctuary, you immediatly lose all the toirists, come across a couple vendors hiding amongst the trees and end up at a little temple with an entry fee. Take a left and start following this quiet little road. With very little traffic back here, rice paddies and gardens are scattered along the road amongst a few cottages, temples, little restaraunts and a large football field. I even found a place tucked away that does free yoga everyday that may just possibly be the most beautiful, zen place I have ever seen. Exactly the kind of street I have been seeking out for the past 7 days. I found my new favorite warung on my new favorite street- it has two fans, three walls, four tables and served me the most divine mango juice I have tasted yet. It is shady, nicely decorated and had the most soothing traditional-sounding music playing. Though my concentration from reading was broken when the song 'I just wanna get with you, and your sister, I think her name is Debera' came on... But that was immediately followed by the traditional Bali music again. Yep, definitely my new favorite spot.
More walking, exploring, reading, writing, eating and just finished my night off with a scoop of chocolate ice cream (so good here in Bali) and a phone call to china. I think I will be okay with this for another 6 days....
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
The last week- copied and pasted from various emails..
After 34 hours of traveling and finally making it to Ubud:
I love this place already. The atmosphere of Ubud is just kind of busy and beautiful. Such a family feel everywhere you go. When you walk on the sidewalks, you have to watch where you step 1) because the sidewalks are missing large chunks of cement and are completely uneven and 2) because there are little Hindu offerings of homemade baskets and flowers that crowd the already tiny sidewalks. The lights and hot water come in waves- literally waves you can see- and the plumbing right now is making the most offensive noises. The roads here are littered with mopeds packed with whole families atop and two lane roads suddenly become 6 vechicles wide. Temples are on every corner and statues are decorated with fabric and flowers... Like I said: busy and beautiful.
The first flight was definitely the worst leg of the trip- The second flight was a piece of cake after 13 hours in a middle seat. During the flight I sat next to a girl who was also 23, just graduated and was going to meet her boyfriend who was surfing Bali for a month. It was nice to be able to chat with her, especially after we realized the booze was complimentary. Got off the plane and was herded into the visa line which took a good 45 mins, grabbed my bag, found my Finnish friend and went to go look for my driver. An hour later, after having several panic attacks while driving, we made it to ubud and got dropped off at the homestay. It's pretty ideal. Just off the main road, slightly hidden, very tastefully decorated and consistantly filled with kids and family members in the foyer. Josif got a place across the street and we met back up after we had a chance to shower and not feel like bums.
Josif (pronounced as 'use-if') and I then started walking the streets around town as I furiously seeked out some wifi. First place we found was this pretty nice resturaunt- def geared towards the westerner. I felt bad not being able to talk more but felt bad sitting there on my phone in this place... I hadn't even looked at the menu before the server came and I ordered so quickly that I forgot I'm not supposed to eat fresh veggies. Hopefully that doesn't come back to haunt me. We checked out the main streets of ubud for a bit and then just decided to call it a night. After 30+ hours of travel I figured I could be excused for going home at 7...
Day two:
Just here in my homestay right now trying to lie in bed some more before I actually get up. Jet lag got the better of me and woke me up at 3:40am this morning. Tried to go back to sleep for a couple hours to no avail. Oh well...
Today I'm going to eat the breakfast they give us here and then meet up with josif and go check out other places to stay. At only 15 usd a night, this place is a steal but relatively speaking, it is pretty pricey for these parts. It also is not the best place to meet other travelers which I need to make sure happens as much as possible. So we will see how that goes. Then no plans... For the rest of today or for the next two weeks. Kind of wierd but guess I should start getting used to it as this will be my life for the next few months.
A bit later:
Looks like some clouds are rolling in so think this may be a good time for a nap. Wanted to write you another email though before I did. So I found a new place just down the road and a bit closer to a more laid back street. Negotiated 3 nights at 900.000 rips which means I'm saving about six dollars a night compared to the other place. It's not nearly as spacious but there is a wonderful garden courtyard and the location is ideal. Met back up with josic- yep, I was saying it completely wrong- and we walked around for a good while. Went to the market and bought a sarong for 3 usd and experienced my first s.east Asian ATM withdrawl- the ATMs are inside a phone booth like thing that is air conditioned- brilliant!- and then found the least touristy looking place and ate lunch there which was so good. Tofu satay with peanut sauce and rice for about two bucks and then josic and I went our seperate ways. Been here for a few hours talking to the guy who owns the place (this property has been his family's for over three hundred years) and writing and reading up on Bali and seeing where else I want to explore.
Meeting back up with use-ick at 6 and hopefully this new Aussie chick, kimberly, we met today to go to dinner and then probably not too much. Not a lot of night life around here, which is good...
...There is something on my roof that is making really odd noises. Like a mix between a toad a bird and a monkey. At first i was convinced it was in my room and am pretty certain i looked ridiculous searching for it in here.
Just got back from dinner with josic and Kimberly. Just went to a place down the road- large plate of veg curry and a bottle of water for a dollar fifty. Including tip. My kind of place... Kimberly is a pretty rad girl. She's from Melbourne and just did a month of volunteering up north in Bali. She is actually half Balinese so she has been here a ton of times. She leaves tomorrow to do a 4 day silent retreat at this buddist temple but will be back in ubud later next week so we are gonna try to meet up again then...
Day three:
Josic and I took the scooter down to check out the 'elephant caves' just about 3km out of town. It was this beautiful ancient temple that was dated back to the 11th century. It was amazing to see but you quickly realize that you practically have a dollar sign tattooed on your forehead in a place like that. The entrance to the temple is only 6.000 rup which is less than a dollar so that's fine. They fit you with a sarong- boys and girls alike- and then you are free to walk around. What you don't realize is that the guy who tied the sarong around you is now following you down into the temple to show you around so that when you are done, he can ask you to pay. Then, when you give him money, he asks for more. Fine. Give him a few thousand rupiahs more and try to relax in the beauty for a bit before you leave. Then when you are leaving, you are forced to pay a parking fee. This is when it starts to get old.
We left there and skip the monkey forest sanctuary which is def just as touristy, and head out to a place where we can take a walk around the rice paddies. Sounds relaxing and easy enough. We head up these amazing roads surrounded by rice paddies and art galleries and spas tucked away and, after getting lost a few times, finally find the trail head. I guess we shouldn't have been too surprised to find a nice gentleman waiting at the top of the trail to show any tourists around the walk. Since we are now familiar with this trade, we ask him if we can go alone. He says no. We ask him how much, and he tells us 200.000 for the two of us- mind you, i am paying 90.000 for my room and breakfast. We negotiate with him for awhile and end with the agreement that we will pay at the end with what we think he deserves. Yes, okay?
Granted, the walk was beautiful. The trail was a bit tricky at first but we made it down the mud and steep steps and ended up walking along the river with rice paddies on either side. It is absolutely stunning back there. The way the fields are terraced and are just so lush and green- it is really unlike anything I have seen in the states. Our guide taught us the procedure of growing and harvesting rice and gave us lessons on the local flora that surrounded us. We even got a view of the four seasons hotel where Julia roberts is currently staying at. We asked him to show us the short cut so we didn't have to pay him for the entire hike and headed back up the hill. We pay him about 25.000 rupiahs, jump on our scooter and headed back 'home'.
Grabbed our swimsuits, jumped into the pool and just chilled for a little bit with our new Aussie friend Kimberly. Walked down to the end of the street to the closest 'warung'- basically a small family run place, usually no more than 6-7 tables- and order some delicious veggie coconut dish served with rice for a mere 10.000 rup (about a dollar). Then go back to the pool. Josic and I decided to brave the monkey forest sanctuary since we had to give the moped back tonight so jumped on the bike and headed out for another touristy experience. This little park lies at the edge of town and is filled to the brim with these little cheeky bastards. They sell bananas outside the entrance where you buy your ticket in and then you walk around this beautiful park where hords of out-of-towners feed hundreds of these monkies and take pictures of them. It's kind of sickening really, but who doesn't love monkies? We got to see a whole gang of monkies circle and harrass this group of people which is pretty hilarious if you aren't the ones being harrassed... Probably quite terrifying if you are. I tried to keep my distance as I did not get the rabis vaccination and had the strict doctor's orders of: "just don't touch any monkies while your over there."
We headed out and started talking about our plans for the next few days. I think josic and I are going to rent a car (bemo) and head to the east shore tomorrow. There is a pretty cool volcano there and it is close to the shore where we can hopefully find a good cheap place to stay. The next day, we are going to follow the coast north to lovina. This is supposed to be one of the cool little beach bum places on Bali. We are gonna spend the night there and then I have to make a decison whether to stay there for a few more nights and get a ride back with Kimberly after her silent retreat which is also in lovina or if I just want to head back to ubud with josic. He heads out the following day to Denpasar and then is meeting up with friends in Sumatra. So we will see...
Right now, gonna chill out for a bit before I meet up for dinner with our new little crew. Josic also ran into two of his Finnish friends so they are joining us tonight. 3 fins, an Aussie and me. Not bad.
Fourth day:
Just wanted to let you know we arrived safe and sound in lovina. The original plan was to go east first but after checking out the road maps, we opted for the easiest road to access so we decided to do lovina first and then head east tomorrow. We'll see if that changes- honestly, I wouldn't mind staying here for another night thou.
So we picked up the car which is some sort of Suzuki old suv and got some general directions to where we should begin. Filled up the car- since they give you the car with a completely empty tank- opened the one and only window that opened, buckled our not so safe seat belts, and were on our way. Found our way to the main road and just headed north. Driving here is an experience close to riding a roller coaster and/or driving in a made up land of all drunk drivers. Though, surprisingly, we have not seen one accident or even fender bender. Knock on wood. Signage here is dismal at best- usually a small sign 100 yards away from an intersection that is covered by the trees that has 14 different towns listed and every town name is about 18 letters long- quite thrilling really... Never a dull moment.
The places that we drove through however, were absolutely beautiful. Rice paddy after rice paddy all stacked on top of one another through the most lush mountains. We were driving along this ridge forever where you come up to a tiny little town and once you reach the summit, you have the most grandiose view down into a large crater where this tremendous volcano stands with charred black rock still showing where it errupted and small villages just sitting right along the edge of the now-cooled lava. When you looked to your right there was a huge lake sitting at the very base of this monster and more little villages around that. Absolutely breathtaking! Unfortunately, we did not stop to take a picture because I was afraid the guy behind us was following us as he had tried to give us his card for his homestay the last two times we had stopped. So we continued to drive... Down the mountain, through small villages and still with just one window open.
We finally made it to the road that paralleled the beach. Got slightly lost through Singaraja but was saved by a rasty-looking Balinese man on a scooter who told us he had a homestay on the 'playa' in lovina and told us to follow him. We were a bit skeptical but he gave us a business card and we were lost so... We went. (no mom and dad I wouldn't have gone by myself). The first place he showed us was nice but too expensive and not right on the beach. The next was perfect. Right on the beach, fairly nice and decently priced. We decided to think about it and go into town, grab lunch (we were getting crabby by this time) and check out things in the more central part. The main couple of streets in lovina are cute and charming but are so geared towards the westerner that we decided to just come back to the first place after we paid a whole 4 dollars for our entire meal (double than what we've become accustomed to now). Came back and bargined a bit more to get a second floor room with two single beds, hot water and a beautiful view on their beach front property. Amazing!
Now we are just hanging out on the balcony. Went swimming and laid out on the black sand beach but you know I can't stay too long out in the hot sun. Probably just going to hang out here till we get hungry again and find a nice little 'warung' around here. Apparently this is a good place to watch sunsets and dolphins so that's probably on the agenda. Then figuring out plans for tomorrow. The rental needs to be back in ubud before wed morn, but that's the only commitment we got. Unless I decide to stay here for a few days more and let josic find his own way home. We will see thou.
....So we went down, failed at the email thing, had a drink there, watched the dogs and chickens and pigs play on the beach, went and ate dinner, failed at getting internet again, then came back to the homestay and hung out with a slu of the locals who live here and an Aussie couple who are touring Bali via moped. The guys who work here are hilarious and were playing the guitar and singing and drinking home made rice wine. Pretty fun to shoot the shit with for an hour or so before bed.
Day five:
Though I was totally content staying in lovina's beaches, we also wanted to check out these volcanic lakes a bit south from where we were. There was a four hour trek there that sounded pretty nice so we headed out of our little beach bum community and towards the hills.
Reached the town, found a place to stay (which was nice and cheap but not in the best part of town) dropped our bags and changed into hiking clothes. Ate lunch and parked the car at this outdooor market where the trail started. Realized we were the outcasts when we saw every woman in the market with a head scarf and heard the Muslim prayer being sung over the loud speaker on the other side of the lake. Found the trail and started following the lakes edge and found out that the trail quickly disapears- it ended up just being a very vague line where the bushes and plants were just barely packed down. We sat down and measured out our options a bit: a four hour hike on a not so clear trail or try to find something to do around this little town or try to get our money back and head further down south... The homestay owner had no problem giving our money back so we headed south with the agreement to stop at any town that looked worthy of staying the night. The road was beautiful but the towns were small and quaint so we decided to just come back home to ubud. So ya, wish I was on the beach still in lovina having a bonfire with the locals but too late now.
Day #6:
Highlights of my lazy day in ubud today:
-Amazing day for fantastic food: Had the best and the most delicious mango ever with my breakfast. Found a really nice warung today a bit hidden from the main part of town that had a nice view of the street below and wonderful fresh food- tofu, fried tomatoes and mixed veggies with coconut and rice. Amazing. An amazing dinner for Jussi's last night- curry and veggies; and homemade rice wine and a lemon and honey pancake for dessert. And also, this afternoon a great banana yougurt/sorbet from a nearby coffee shop. I will learn to make all of this and we will feast like Balinese kings.
-Discovered the most bizarre bug of sorts on my mosquito net that looked like a really skinny millipede that shrunk in size and could scurry just as well backwards as it could forward when I was trying to catch it. It also started glowing a bit like the glow worms I saw in NZ... I ended up losing it in my bathroom when it fell onto the red tile. Probably still pissed and glowing and just waiting for me when I least expect it.
-The power went out for a good 3-4 hours tonight. The town, however, was not affected in the least. Everyone just brought out their candles and flashlights and life as usual continued right along. Did I mention how much I love this town?
-Im pretty sure I made friends with one of the grandmas here. She is always sweeping outside my place while I'm eating my breakfast on the porch and she would never even acknowledge I was there. Today I made an effort to go over to her and tell her good morning and now everytime I pass by her, she smiles this great big smile... I need a picture of her before I leave.
Yep, that's about it for my life here. It was kind of nice to just chill. I guess I will have a lot of this down time now though that jussi is gone but happy to have some time to myself here.
I need to go to bed. This is the latest I have stayed up since being here. Hopefully that means I will be able to sleep past 6am-ish.
I love this place already. The atmosphere of Ubud is just kind of busy and beautiful. Such a family feel everywhere you go. When you walk on the sidewalks, you have to watch where you step 1) because the sidewalks are missing large chunks of cement and are completely uneven and 2) because there are little Hindu offerings of homemade baskets and flowers that crowd the already tiny sidewalks. The lights and hot water come in waves- literally waves you can see- and the plumbing right now is making the most offensive noises. The roads here are littered with mopeds packed with whole families atop and two lane roads suddenly become 6 vechicles wide. Temples are on every corner and statues are decorated with fabric and flowers... Like I said: busy and beautiful.
The first flight was definitely the worst leg of the trip- The second flight was a piece of cake after 13 hours in a middle seat. During the flight I sat next to a girl who was also 23, just graduated and was going to meet her boyfriend who was surfing Bali for a month. It was nice to be able to chat with her, especially after we realized the booze was complimentary. Got off the plane and was herded into the visa line which took a good 45 mins, grabbed my bag, found my Finnish friend and went to go look for my driver. An hour later, after having several panic attacks while driving, we made it to ubud and got dropped off at the homestay. It's pretty ideal. Just off the main road, slightly hidden, very tastefully decorated and consistantly filled with kids and family members in the foyer. Josif got a place across the street and we met back up after we had a chance to shower and not feel like bums.
Josif (pronounced as 'use-if') and I then started walking the streets around town as I furiously seeked out some wifi. First place we found was this pretty nice resturaunt- def geared towards the westerner. I felt bad not being able to talk more but felt bad sitting there on my phone in this place... I hadn't even looked at the menu before the server came and I ordered so quickly that I forgot I'm not supposed to eat fresh veggies. Hopefully that doesn't come back to haunt me. We checked out the main streets of ubud for a bit and then just decided to call it a night. After 30+ hours of travel I figured I could be excused for going home at 7...
Day two:
Just here in my homestay right now trying to lie in bed some more before I actually get up. Jet lag got the better of me and woke me up at 3:40am this morning. Tried to go back to sleep for a couple hours to no avail. Oh well...
Today I'm going to eat the breakfast they give us here and then meet up with josif and go check out other places to stay. At only 15 usd a night, this place is a steal but relatively speaking, it is pretty pricey for these parts. It also is not the best place to meet other travelers which I need to make sure happens as much as possible. So we will see how that goes. Then no plans... For the rest of today or for the next two weeks. Kind of wierd but guess I should start getting used to it as this will be my life for the next few months.
A bit later:
Looks like some clouds are rolling in so think this may be a good time for a nap. Wanted to write you another email though before I did. So I found a new place just down the road and a bit closer to a more laid back street. Negotiated 3 nights at 900.000 rips which means I'm saving about six dollars a night compared to the other place. It's not nearly as spacious but there is a wonderful garden courtyard and the location is ideal. Met back up with josic- yep, I was saying it completely wrong- and we walked around for a good while. Went to the market and bought a sarong for 3 usd and experienced my first s.east Asian ATM withdrawl- the ATMs are inside a phone booth like thing that is air conditioned- brilliant!- and then found the least touristy looking place and ate lunch there which was so good. Tofu satay with peanut sauce and rice for about two bucks and then josic and I went our seperate ways. Been here for a few hours talking to the guy who owns the place (this property has been his family's for over three hundred years) and writing and reading up on Bali and seeing where else I want to explore.
Meeting back up with use-ick at 6 and hopefully this new Aussie chick, kimberly, we met today to go to dinner and then probably not too much. Not a lot of night life around here, which is good...
...There is something on my roof that is making really odd noises. Like a mix between a toad a bird and a monkey. At first i was convinced it was in my room and am pretty certain i looked ridiculous searching for it in here.
Just got back from dinner with josic and Kimberly. Just went to a place down the road- large plate of veg curry and a bottle of water for a dollar fifty. Including tip. My kind of place... Kimberly is a pretty rad girl. She's from Melbourne and just did a month of volunteering up north in Bali. She is actually half Balinese so she has been here a ton of times. She leaves tomorrow to do a 4 day silent retreat at this buddist temple but will be back in ubud later next week so we are gonna try to meet up again then...
Day three:
Josic and I took the scooter down to check out the 'elephant caves' just about 3km out of town. It was this beautiful ancient temple that was dated back to the 11th century. It was amazing to see but you quickly realize that you practically have a dollar sign tattooed on your forehead in a place like that. The entrance to the temple is only 6.000 rup which is less than a dollar so that's fine. They fit you with a sarong- boys and girls alike- and then you are free to walk around. What you don't realize is that the guy who tied the sarong around you is now following you down into the temple to show you around so that when you are done, he can ask you to pay. Then, when you give him money, he asks for more. Fine. Give him a few thousand rupiahs more and try to relax in the beauty for a bit before you leave. Then when you are leaving, you are forced to pay a parking fee. This is when it starts to get old.
We left there and skip the monkey forest sanctuary which is def just as touristy, and head out to a place where we can take a walk around the rice paddies. Sounds relaxing and easy enough. We head up these amazing roads surrounded by rice paddies and art galleries and spas tucked away and, after getting lost a few times, finally find the trail head. I guess we shouldn't have been too surprised to find a nice gentleman waiting at the top of the trail to show any tourists around the walk. Since we are now familiar with this trade, we ask him if we can go alone. He says no. We ask him how much, and he tells us 200.000 for the two of us- mind you, i am paying 90.000 for my room and breakfast. We negotiate with him for awhile and end with the agreement that we will pay at the end with what we think he deserves. Yes, okay?
Granted, the walk was beautiful. The trail was a bit tricky at first but we made it down the mud and steep steps and ended up walking along the river with rice paddies on either side. It is absolutely stunning back there. The way the fields are terraced and are just so lush and green- it is really unlike anything I have seen in the states. Our guide taught us the procedure of growing and harvesting rice and gave us lessons on the local flora that surrounded us. We even got a view of the four seasons hotel where Julia roberts is currently staying at. We asked him to show us the short cut so we didn't have to pay him for the entire hike and headed back up the hill. We pay him about 25.000 rupiahs, jump on our scooter and headed back 'home'.
Grabbed our swimsuits, jumped into the pool and just chilled for a little bit with our new Aussie friend Kimberly. Walked down to the end of the street to the closest 'warung'- basically a small family run place, usually no more than 6-7 tables- and order some delicious veggie coconut dish served with rice for a mere 10.000 rup (about a dollar). Then go back to the pool. Josic and I decided to brave the monkey forest sanctuary since we had to give the moped back tonight so jumped on the bike and headed out for another touristy experience. This little park lies at the edge of town and is filled to the brim with these little cheeky bastards. They sell bananas outside the entrance where you buy your ticket in and then you walk around this beautiful park where hords of out-of-towners feed hundreds of these monkies and take pictures of them. It's kind of sickening really, but who doesn't love monkies? We got to see a whole gang of monkies circle and harrass this group of people which is pretty hilarious if you aren't the ones being harrassed... Probably quite terrifying if you are. I tried to keep my distance as I did not get the rabis vaccination and had the strict doctor's orders of: "just don't touch any monkies while your over there."
We headed out and started talking about our plans for the next few days. I think josic and I are going to rent a car (bemo) and head to the east shore tomorrow. There is a pretty cool volcano there and it is close to the shore where we can hopefully find a good cheap place to stay. The next day, we are going to follow the coast north to lovina. This is supposed to be one of the cool little beach bum places on Bali. We are gonna spend the night there and then I have to make a decison whether to stay there for a few more nights and get a ride back with Kimberly after her silent retreat which is also in lovina or if I just want to head back to ubud with josic. He heads out the following day to Denpasar and then is meeting up with friends in Sumatra. So we will see...
Right now, gonna chill out for a bit before I meet up for dinner with our new little crew. Josic also ran into two of his Finnish friends so they are joining us tonight. 3 fins, an Aussie and me. Not bad.
Fourth day:
Just wanted to let you know we arrived safe and sound in lovina. The original plan was to go east first but after checking out the road maps, we opted for the easiest road to access so we decided to do lovina first and then head east tomorrow. We'll see if that changes- honestly, I wouldn't mind staying here for another night thou.
So we picked up the car which is some sort of Suzuki old suv and got some general directions to where we should begin. Filled up the car- since they give you the car with a completely empty tank- opened the one and only window that opened, buckled our not so safe seat belts, and were on our way. Found our way to the main road and just headed north. Driving here is an experience close to riding a roller coaster and/or driving in a made up land of all drunk drivers. Though, surprisingly, we have not seen one accident or even fender bender. Knock on wood. Signage here is dismal at best- usually a small sign 100 yards away from an intersection that is covered by the trees that has 14 different towns listed and every town name is about 18 letters long- quite thrilling really... Never a dull moment.
The places that we drove through however, were absolutely beautiful. Rice paddy after rice paddy all stacked on top of one another through the most lush mountains. We were driving along this ridge forever where you come up to a tiny little town and once you reach the summit, you have the most grandiose view down into a large crater where this tremendous volcano stands with charred black rock still showing where it errupted and small villages just sitting right along the edge of the now-cooled lava. When you looked to your right there was a huge lake sitting at the very base of this monster and more little villages around that. Absolutely breathtaking! Unfortunately, we did not stop to take a picture because I was afraid the guy behind us was following us as he had tried to give us his card for his homestay the last two times we had stopped. So we continued to drive... Down the mountain, through small villages and still with just one window open.
We finally made it to the road that paralleled the beach. Got slightly lost through Singaraja but was saved by a rasty-looking Balinese man on a scooter who told us he had a homestay on the 'playa' in lovina and told us to follow him. We were a bit skeptical but he gave us a business card and we were lost so... We went. (no mom and dad I wouldn't have gone by myself). The first place he showed us was nice but too expensive and not right on the beach. The next was perfect. Right on the beach, fairly nice and decently priced. We decided to think about it and go into town, grab lunch (we were getting crabby by this time) and check out things in the more central part. The main couple of streets in lovina are cute and charming but are so geared towards the westerner that we decided to just come back to the first place after we paid a whole 4 dollars for our entire meal (double than what we've become accustomed to now). Came back and bargined a bit more to get a second floor room with two single beds, hot water and a beautiful view on their beach front property. Amazing!
Now we are just hanging out on the balcony. Went swimming and laid out on the black sand beach but you know I can't stay too long out in the hot sun. Probably just going to hang out here till we get hungry again and find a nice little 'warung' around here. Apparently this is a good place to watch sunsets and dolphins so that's probably on the agenda. Then figuring out plans for tomorrow. The rental needs to be back in ubud before wed morn, but that's the only commitment we got. Unless I decide to stay here for a few days more and let josic find his own way home. We will see thou.
....So we went down, failed at the email thing, had a drink there, watched the dogs and chickens and pigs play on the beach, went and ate dinner, failed at getting internet again, then came back to the homestay and hung out with a slu of the locals who live here and an Aussie couple who are touring Bali via moped. The guys who work here are hilarious and were playing the guitar and singing and drinking home made rice wine. Pretty fun to shoot the shit with for an hour or so before bed.
Day five:
Though I was totally content staying in lovina's beaches, we also wanted to check out these volcanic lakes a bit south from where we were. There was a four hour trek there that sounded pretty nice so we headed out of our little beach bum community and towards the hills.
Reached the town, found a place to stay (which was nice and cheap but not in the best part of town) dropped our bags and changed into hiking clothes. Ate lunch and parked the car at this outdooor market where the trail started. Realized we were the outcasts when we saw every woman in the market with a head scarf and heard the Muslim prayer being sung over the loud speaker on the other side of the lake. Found the trail and started following the lakes edge and found out that the trail quickly disapears- it ended up just being a very vague line where the bushes and plants were just barely packed down. We sat down and measured out our options a bit: a four hour hike on a not so clear trail or try to find something to do around this little town or try to get our money back and head further down south... The homestay owner had no problem giving our money back so we headed south with the agreement to stop at any town that looked worthy of staying the night. The road was beautiful but the towns were small and quaint so we decided to just come back home to ubud. So ya, wish I was on the beach still in lovina having a bonfire with the locals but too late now.
Day #6:
Highlights of my lazy day in ubud today:
-Amazing day for fantastic food: Had the best and the most delicious mango ever with my breakfast. Found a really nice warung today a bit hidden from the main part of town that had a nice view of the street below and wonderful fresh food- tofu, fried tomatoes and mixed veggies with coconut and rice. Amazing. An amazing dinner for Jussi's last night- curry and veggies; and homemade rice wine and a lemon and honey pancake for dessert. And also, this afternoon a great banana yougurt/sorbet from a nearby coffee shop. I will learn to make all of this and we will feast like Balinese kings.
-Discovered the most bizarre bug of sorts on my mosquito net that looked like a really skinny millipede that shrunk in size and could scurry just as well backwards as it could forward when I was trying to catch it. It also started glowing a bit like the glow worms I saw in NZ... I ended up losing it in my bathroom when it fell onto the red tile. Probably still pissed and glowing and just waiting for me when I least expect it.
-The power went out for a good 3-4 hours tonight. The town, however, was not affected in the least. Everyone just brought out their candles and flashlights and life as usual continued right along. Did I mention how much I love this town?
-Im pretty sure I made friends with one of the grandmas here. She is always sweeping outside my place while I'm eating my breakfast on the porch and she would never even acknowledge I was there. Today I made an effort to go over to her and tell her good morning and now everytime I pass by her, she smiles this great big smile... I need a picture of her before I leave.
Yep, that's about it for my life here. It was kind of nice to just chill. I guess I will have a lot of this down time now though that jussi is gone but happy to have some time to myself here.
I need to go to bed. This is the latest I have stayed up since being here. Hopefully that means I will be able to sleep past 6am-ish.
Well here goes nothing....
I am completely new to the blogging world and feel a bit hypocritical starting one after being so terrible at following the blogs of those I love, BUT I'm gonna give it a try. If you don't follow it or hate it or just find it boring, I will not be offended in the least... Just a way for me to put my thoughts and experiences all in one spot so I can stop writing so many emails.
Due to my lack of technical knowledge, it has taken me several days to figure out how to set this all up and get it running. Instead of re-writing my experiences here on my tiny little keyboard, I think I'm just going to copy and paste a few emails I have sent out and hope that works well enough.
A couple of side notes before I begin:
-I'm doing all this from an iPod touch (best gift ever!) so please excuse the lack of punctuation or misspelled words. And run on sentences... That's not because the iPod, it's just how I tend to write out my thoughts.
-Jussi (pronouced you-see) is my Finnish friend I met at the ticket counter in LA. I, at first, could not pronouce his name at all, then thought it was josif and then josic. So scattered in all my emails are all these wrong versions of his name, but they are all the same person. My apologies to Jussi and everyone who is slightly confused.
That is all.
Due to my lack of technical knowledge, it has taken me several days to figure out how to set this all up and get it running. Instead of re-writing my experiences here on my tiny little keyboard, I think I'm just going to copy and paste a few emails I have sent out and hope that works well enough.
A couple of side notes before I begin:
-I'm doing all this from an iPod touch (best gift ever!) so please excuse the lack of punctuation or misspelled words. And run on sentences... That's not because the iPod, it's just how I tend to write out my thoughts.
-Jussi (pronouced you-see) is my Finnish friend I met at the ticket counter in LA. I, at first, could not pronouce his name at all, then thought it was josif and then josic. So scattered in all my emails are all these wrong versions of his name, but they are all the same person. My apologies to Jussi and everyone who is slightly confused.
That is all.
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