Last thoughts on Bali, by Shelagh

Just a few things Peter didn't mention,

Our first impression was mixed, squalor amid beauty. Then our cottage was the last one on the property and was at the perimeter wall with a barbed wire fence. Why?
I wondered and feared, what had we gotten ourselves into. It was also so hot and humid. Fear and panic were in the back of my mind slowly clawing their way through. Just give it a try, to heck with the garbage piled up in places, try to turn a blind eye to the mangey dogs, just get past this.

By dawns early light...(song) things looked so differently. The staff at the resort were so kind, the food amazing, the pool!!!!!!! That was the first time in my life I thought I could be one of those resort people that lounge about all day. Never, never before this. After all how hard is it to wave at Maria and order two large or small Balinese beers and satay sticks while sitting in the shade between swims in the pool.

Also the fellow guests were ever so nice, not being a super fancy 5 star you get a good cross section of people. One friendship is now in its 15th year.

Quick things to mention; I almost had a really nasty fall, the hookers saved me. Just nice people. Look down while crossing the street, the road may have pieces missing. Check your merchant's calculator because it is rigged, 1+1= 649,000 rupiah.  Also enjoy those beautiful smiles from the locals that are everywhere. When they call out Mister Peter or Shelagh will you shop with us today, seriously set a date to do this. We did this on our last day. James Bond, his tourist name, was really my watch agent. Chairs appeared out of nowhere, all other vendors came close to see what we would buy. I selected six, knock off, good quality watches including a couple of Rolexes. We negotiated our price to both our satisfaction. A collective sigh was heard by all. James Bond didn't come to work again for two days.

The last pictures in my head are of loads of the locals wearing shower caps on their heads with bags of hotel shampoo and soaps and good used clothes from my new friend's husband. The girls with used makeup and nail polish so they can keep on doing manicures on the beach etc.

The thing I learned, is kindness is a two way street, and traveling is a good reason to clean out your closet.


PS by Peter:

When visiting places like Indonesia, where women do hair braiding and manicures on the beach, consider going to your local dollar store and buying some nail polish and such to give away to these ladies. They will be overjoyed.

Uluwatu

On a cliff at the south side of Bali sits the temple called Uluwatu, on the Nusa Dua peninsula. A more picturesque site could not have been chosen for this small temple. We left our hotel in the morning with Jan and Michelle as our companions in a taxi hailed from the entrance. The drive is not too long but it was hot and humid on this November day. When we arrived at the temple the taxi driver offered to wait for us to return us to our hotel, probably to avoid having to toil in the heat and take a welcome nap.

Friendly monkeys at Uluwatu

Note the Sarong and Sash

The Temple from the hiking trail

At the entrance there are the usual routines of having to rent a sarong (we already had several in our hotel room, but just could not remember to bring them along) and a sash and to buy some fruit for the monkeys. The monkey treats were soon devoured and we went for a walk along the cliff's edge. Placing the temple in the center you can walk along the cliff in either direction, viewing the Indian ocean below. The surf down there is one of the best for wave riders, and quite a few surfers hike down there for a day of fun.

Surf's up!

The Temple on the cliffside

We had a good look at the temple and decided to take a walk along the cliff's edge. Along the walk the heat and humidity really went to work on our unaccustomed bodies and we were properly soaked with sweat at the end of the trail. To our great surprise we found a couple of stalls selling refreshments and another selling costume jewelry. We bought a couple of bottles of water and Shelagh found some lovely eyeglass straps. When we returned to the starting point Shelagh poured the remainder of her water over her head to cool off. Back at the hotel we wasted no time and dove into the pool to loose the heat in our bodies. Dinner across the street was lovely, traditional Indonesian fare, followed by a night in the hotel lounge with new friends.

The next day we said goodbye to Jan and Michelle, their holiday was over. We have stayed in contact with Jan and she and her husband Jim have since visited us in Vancouver.

Bali was once a place of many micro kingdoms. When the Dutch took control of Indonesia, they put an end to that and formed a single government. The kings still remain, albeit quietly. One evening we went for a walk to one of these king's home, just around the block from our hotel. He now runs a modest bed and breakfast. We chose a palapa on the beach and soon a waitress walked up to take our drink order. She brought us two beers and warned us that the rain was coming soon and to take shelter in the bar. We stubbornly remained where we were and soon the rain came down, then the wind piped up and the rain became nearly horizontal soaking us to the skin. "I'm soaked and I can't open my eyes" said Shelagh, "Mine have been closed for nearly 10 minutes" I replied. So there we went defeated by mother nature off to the bar where some locals and some Aussies greeted us with big smiles. We lingered for quite a while chatting with the people and sharing stories.

Something to watch for on this island are the money changers. Other than bonafide banks, who will give you the lowest exchange rate, money can be exchanged at private businesses all over the island. Some will use slight of hand trickery to short change you while other have rigged calculators that will show your how many rupiahs you will receive. Always do the math yourself and re-count the money you have been handed. If you catch someone cheating you, they just shrug and smile, and they expect you to move on. Everybody tries to make a buck.

Bali is a lovely place and I recommend a holiday there, you will not regret it.

Bali Private Tour

After our trip to Tannah Lot I got hit with the dreaded “Bali Belly”, much the same as “Montezuma’s Revenge” in Mexico. I was knocked down in our hotel room for two full days and nights, unable to keep anything down. Lesson learned, don’t drink the tap water! During those two days, plus one to recover, we missed two of our included tours on the island. But we were not going to let that get to us, so we hired a private driver to take us on a combination tour of the ones we missed. It took all day and was worth the effort and money.

We left the hotel destination Mas, where we were shown the traditional art of Balinese woodcarving. A few artists are showing their skills working on pieces in various stages of completion, a bit staged, I thought, but it brings the point across. The tools seem primitive but the final products in the showroom are stunning in detail. We came upon a nice piece that would be a good souvenir in our home, and the price was reasonable, but when we arrived at the sales desk we were told that the price tag was wrong and that it should be triple of the price shown, we decided not to buy the carving and returned it to the shelf where we found it, much to the dismay of the store owner. He followed us all the way back to the car trying to get us to buy the piece, but our minds were made up, something was fishy and we had been told to be aware of issues like that.

Traditional Balinese Painting

Then we went on to Ubud, famous for its painters. Traditional Balinese paintings are for sale as well as modern and impressionistic art. A large international community of artists lives here and the choices are huge. The set up was much the same as Mas; Balinese artists showing art in various stages of completion and you really get a feel for the technique used to create these pieces of intense detail. In the showroom we looked for a while at the pieces on display but although they were all beautiful, none of them would look right in our home décor. We thanked the storekeeper and with a friendly nod we returned to our car. Supposedly when you show no interest in buying something their sales effort is minimized.

On we went to Celuk, the town for silver and gold smiths. The stop over was pretty much limited to a large store with a huge display of silver and gold items from jewelry to spoons. We studied the silver spoon selection for quite a while and chose a couple of them depicting Balinese figurines. While the lady took them away for a final polish up we paid another for the purchase. Our, now wrapped and bagged, purchase was in Shelagh’s purse and when we were back in the car on our way to Mount Agung and the temple of Besakih she wanted to admire her new purchase. Sadly the spoons were not the ones we had chosen! The ones that we were given to us were rejects with the figurines mounted facing backwards. We were quite disappointed and decided to let it go, they did not warrant going back to the store for, but we vowed to be more on our toes where trust was concerned. It is frustrating to constantly be on alert for swindlers.

The Mother Temple of Besakih at Mount Agung

The footpath along the Temple Grounds

Typical Balinese roofs. They vent the warm air upwards

There is plenty to see for the Tourists

Shrines

Slightly more modern looking roofs

Mount Agung was shrouded in clouds and not visible at the time of our visit, but the Mother Temple of Besakih was amazing. The walk leading to the temple is lined with vendor stalls on the left side and empty on the right side. We chose to walk up to the temple on the right side so not to be accosted by the hawkers trying to sell you everything under the sun, from coasters to sex toys. The only people we dealt with were youngsters with mopeds trying to take us up the mountain for a few dollars, but we convinced them that we needed the exercise. The temple is actually a grouping of many temples, and with them all having festivals every 210 days there is usually something going on there all year round. It was quiet when we were there, and that gave us the chance to take a good look around. The sacred grounds are inaccessible to foreigners but there is plenty to admire from the other side of the short wall, just walking along the paths of this place is awesome, and on the slope of an active volcano, which claimed the lives of 1700 in 1963. On our way down the mountain an old Balinese man looked at me and said: “When walking, you must sometimes look behind you to see what you are missing”, I stopped and turned around just to see the top of Mount Agung become visible for a few seconds through the cloud cover and managed to steal a picture just before it was gone again. I smiled at the man and said: “You are wise”, and he returned my smile. When we returned to the car our driver was taking a nap in the back seat, but he was up and ready to go on right away and we were off to our next stop of the day, the floating Palace at Klungkung.

The Floating Palace at Klungkung

Inside the courthouse with its frescoed ceiling

Fresco detail

The floating palace of Klungkung is what remains of the most important kingdom on Bali; there were nine in total. Most of it was destroyed in a conflict with Dutch colonials in 1908. What remain now are the law courts of the time. In the court there is a detailed fresco on the ceiling depicting the chaste system, ultimately leading to nirvana. It also shows the punishments that one will receive for certain crimes. When we walked up to the court, an elderly man gave us a thorough explanation of the fresco and how the court operated before the intervention of the colonialists. It was a very interesting tour and only cost 20000.00 Rupiah, about $2.00.

Since we were on this tour privately, I think we got a very good lecture about the palace at Klungkung. Usually it would be a tour bus full of people trying to hear the old man speak. We were lucky. Back to the car and on to our last stop on the tour, the Monkey Forest.

Mother and child

They are quite gentle

Hanging on for more

Huge bats

At the monkey forest children take adults along the paths to meet the monkeys. Legend has it that only children can understand, and communicate with monkeys. At the start you can buy a baggy with cut up fruit to feed the beasties. Some of the larger male monkeys can get quite possessive of their tourist and will hang on to your pants or skirt to make sure that he will eat the entire baggy of fruit. Females, some with babies clinging to their bellies are also begging to be fed. Things like sunglasses and baseball caps should be closely guarded, so that a monkey will not steal it. The children can usually get the monkey to return the stolen item, for a fee. During the tour with our young guide I noticed enormous bats in the treetops. They can reach a wingspan of about 1.5 meters.

When you reach the end of the tour your guide will take you to a vendor stall where his or her parents sell souvenirs to help pay for the child’s education.

It was a wonderful day with many interesting stops along the way and also beautiful views or the rice paddies along the volcanic slopes. Back at the hotel we paid our driver and gave him a generous tip. The next day we were well known to all the drivers at the hotel.

Terraced rice paddies

The Balinese countryside

Tanah Lot

Tanah Lot (image courtesy of island-in-bali.blogspot.com)

Our holiday included several guided tours and this day we went on the first of these. We boarded a bus in the hotel parking lot and after a head count by the tour guide we were on the road to Tanah Lot, a masterpiece of temples on the coast of the Indian Ocean. It is built on a little island just off shore and is accessible only at low tide. Despite an overwhelming presence of street vendors and stalls selling tourist kitch, this is still an awe-inspiring site. On the day of our visit, the temple had one of its many festivals. People from all over were on their way to worship and bring their offerings. A gamelan ensemble was playing the loud and clanging sounds of Bali, this music makes little sense to me, but the musicians all knew exactly when to strike their bells and drums. To me it was mostly noise.

Worshippers at Tanah Lot

On the drive to the temple our tour guide told us that the sunsets at the temple were the nicest on earth, but since we were there in the rainy season he could guarantee that the sun would set, but not that we would be able to see it. Once at the site we were not allowed to enter the area set aside for the worshippers, because it was a festival day and on these days the sacred grounds are only for believers of the Hindu faith. The ceremony sends out wafts of incense and flower petals are all over the place.

At low tide the temple is accessible

After taking in the sights and sounds of the spectacle, Shelagh and I went up the hill and found a little pub to sit down, enjoy the views, drink a cold beer and wait for the sunset. It was a cloudy day with rain now and then, but the setting sun broke through under the cloud cover and gave a magnificent show with such intense color bouncing from the ocean’s surface to the cloud ceiling above, it made you squint. Tanah Lot became silhouetted against the brilliant color; it was a picture I’ll never forget.

From our perch on the hill

We promised to return to the bus by 7:30 PM and once again the head count went on ‘till everyone was accounted for. Once back at the hotel we had a quick freshen-up and headed out the back way of the hotel grounds to the local pizzeria. We enjoyed a wonderful Italian dinner with cold beer followed by drinks in the hotel lounge. Tomorrow will be a pool day with plenty of R&R.

Denpassar

We met up with Jan and Michelle in the hotel lobbies and hired a taxi, destination Denpassar, and a 20-minute drive away. The driver spoke no English but that did not matter. Just the word Denpassar and he nodded knowing that we could only be interested in the shopping district. Along the road from Tuban to Denpassar we saw many small factories making teak and rattan furniture as well as people selling offerings to be left at the over 1000 temples on Bali; actually if you want to be picky, Bali is said to have over 10000 temples and shrines, and there is always a festival to go to any day of the year.

We were dropped off in the heart of town where the shops sell anything from cloth to woodcarvings and jewelry. Like bees to honey the ladies were immediately attracted to the jewelry stores and soon money exchanged hands for some of Bali’s beautiful silver bangles and necklaces. Shops seem to be clustered by theme, so it is not difficult to price compare between vendors and you can negotiate for a better price on the items that are of a lesser quality. Vendors will not bargain on a high-end piece, full price is expected. The city is also a great place to shop for woodcarvings and paintings for those who cannot find the time to go to Ubud, a Mecca for artisans from all over the island. Denpassar vendors will ship to anywhere in the world, so your selection will come to you eventually, hopefully.

Michelle sampling the selection of fabrics

Shelagh, Michelle and Jan with a good selection of silver 

The city is a busy hub of activity and you must be very cognizant of the traffic. And the fact that Indonesia drives on the left side of the road, to cross the street you must look to the right first or be hit by 200 mopeds. Entire families ride on these little bikes, dad is steering, mom is on the rear seat, a child sits on the gas tank, another one wedged between mom and dad and a third is strapped to mom’s back. So along they go like a swarm of wasps, dressed in their Sunday best to pay respect at their local temple. The clothing is beautiful and surprisingly clean for the dusty road conditions.

Mopeds everywhere!

We checked out the local shopping mall and were impressed with the selection of clothing and electronics on offer. The latest fashions were available from shoes to hats, everything “haute couture”. Also the latest in audio systems and photography equipment were on display. Such a contrast with the simple life outside, it made me wonder who the stores main clientele is.

Après shopping...

A hard day of shopping deserves a reward. Jan was familiar with one of the top end 5 star resorts on the island and we decided to crash their happy hour. Immediately upon entering the place I was blown away by the size and opulence of the hotel. In the huge lobby, a gamelan ensemble was playing the traditional Balinese music. Anantara Seminyak Resort & Spa is a beautiful place but not for Shelagh and I, we prefer the not so Gucci crowd. The bar had a fruity alcoholic concoction on special and we each had two. At the pool side young lads were fanning the coals of a grill loaded with saté. A cool ocean breeze wafted by and it could not be more bliss. We returned to our hotel with the catch of the day and got ready for dinner across the street, in a little local restaurant serving traditional Indonesian fare, followed by another night in the hotel lounge laughing it up with our new found friends.

Singapore to Bali

The alarm woke us at 5:30 AM and we were ready to go an hour later. Our bus to the airport stood ready and we made it to the check in counter without any problems. Soon we were on the plane, a brand new Boeing 777, and airborne for Bali. The airport is right outside Kuta in a place called Tuban. It is a small airport and fitting for a small island in the Indonesian archipelago. The runway is partially built into the ocean. While we were in line for customs Shelagh exchanged a traveler’s check and we were instant millionaires. At the time $100.00 US became 750000.00 Rupiah.

750000.00 Rupiah

Customs was a breeze and soon we were boarded on a bus bound for our hotel along with many other travelers destined for various hotels in the area. The person in charge of getting us all to our destinations was so picky about procedure that it took nearly an hour for all the forms to be filled in correctly, but ultimately the bus became mobile. Traveling along the roads in Bali was, at first, a bit un-nerving. Seeing the squalor and mangy dogs of a third world country is shocking. We were wondering if we had done the right thing coming here.

When we arrived at our hotel, a three star totally adequate place, we calmed down a bit. Our room had all the comforts one would expect and nothing was un-satisfactory. We cleaned ourselves up a bit and headed for the lounge to get a drink and a feel for the place. Like most places in Bali a room is basically four poles with a roof on top, and the lounge was exactly that, open air, cool breeze and friendly. Soon Maria introduced herself as the person in charge of the goings on in the bar and restaurant area of the hotel. It’s always a bit strange when you are the newbie in the lounge but that did not last long. We soon met people from England, Australia and the Netherlands. We enjoyed a nice dinner in the restaurant and started planning our first adventure for the next day.

Kuta Beach

In the morning we enjoyed a nice breakfast of fresh fruit and great coffee. It got us ready for the beach and downtown Kuta. Our hotel was located closer to the airport in Tuban so we had a leisurely walk along the beach to Kuta. Tiny crabs scurried along the sand ahead of us and disappeared into little holes in the sand. The entire beach is lined with resorts and cabanas. Kuta is just a half hour walk away, and once there we meandered along the little streets and checked out the local eateries and party tents. This town is a hot spot for young Australians who come here to let off some steam. The demographic is young and hip, but there is also a more sinister side with drugs and prostitution. Viagra is readily available and delivered to your hotel. There are also a lot of young people selling time-share condos. Our one-day in Kuta was enough and we realized that “our” Bali was out there, away from the tourist traps.

Anker Beer at lunchtime

Kuta Market, every day a new dress

Our holiday deal included several guided tours and we started to plan our 12-day adventure with one day on a tour followed with a day by the pool for R&R. So the next day was a pool day and we enjoyed just chillin’ in our bathing suits going for a dip in the cool water and now and then ordering something to snack on. Saté, spiced pork or chicken on a skewer and barbecued with peanut sauce, was one of our favorites, along with a bottle of “Bintang”, the local beer. Wine, our drink of choice, was too expensive, and hard booze is concocted at the bar by adding flavors to pure alcohol.

After a nice pool day we dressed for dinner and later returned to the lounge where we became a bit better acquainted with some of the other guests. One, who is now a friend for life, was Jan Paul, a real-estate agent, justice of the peace and lecturer from Gisbourne, Australia. We had a great evening with plenty of laughs and we planned to join her and her daughter Michelle the next day on a trip to Denpassar, the capital of Bali, for a shopping spree.