Thursday, October 18, 2007
Bali Some Final Thoughts Oct 18, 2007
Bali
Some Final Thoughts
10/18/2007
A final "Greeting" from Bali,
21+ days and many near misses on the highways of Bali we begin to wrap up the trip. In Lovina we did manage to find another hotel for the last two nites.
Quite a nice place if you ask me, $60/nite right on the water.....a real hell hole if you asked Toni and Steve. The luck of the draw put the Carman's in a room next to someone from Java (Javanese ???), who persisted in spitting and hacking, and placing cell phone calls all thru the nite. Steve pounded on the walls a few times but to no avail. Morning came and he was ready to move.
We did stay another nite, but should have probably reconsidered, after the touring we did. We visited the "Sacred Pools" a few miles back in from the town. We were forced to run another gauntlet of vendors in order to reach the entrance to the pools. By comparison, a dip in the Ganges on a busy morning would be more appealing than what we encountered. Some of bathers, were there for healing purposes, while others frolicked about in their flotties with many of the locals in full dress. It appeared that many had come for the "curative" powers of the pools, but the cure didn't take. All in all it was a disgusting way to spend the morning......or for that matter any morning.
Our driver "Andy", good Balinese name, returned us to the cleanliness of our hotel to mingle with all of those still on holiday due to Ramadan. While Ramadan is a holy season for the Muslims, the Balinese Hindus are very good at celebrating any holiday that comes along.......whether its one of theirs or not. Due to its proximity in the north to the crossing point from Java, the tourists flock from Java and Jakarta and other Indonesian (states).....I'm sure, all traveling to Bali on those infamous ferries that capsize along the journey as tourists trample from one side of the ship to the other in search of that perfect view point.
We continue to eat dinner in the small restaurants outside of the hotel. The Hotel Buffets have gotten a bit too much and so very redundant. As I indicated last time, Susan and Toni located us a driver that has been wonderful. He took us from Abud up to Lovina stopping along the way to show off his country's "marvels". Most seemed to be temples of one sort or another, complete with shops and and pay toilets.....2000 rps to crap in a hole and you bring your own paper.....whata deal.
Well, Wayan made the one-way return trip to pick us up. It was a two hour drive for him across the mountains to our hotel in the north. Wayan was there bright and early and ready for our return trip to Sanur.
We decided to go back to the Tanjung Sari for two nites since the hotel is only a 1/2 hour from the airport and the Carman's were due to leave at 11pm that night from the hotel. The 3 hour drive back to the hotel was somewhat of a re-run of the trip over. Roads seems to run only north and south so a lot of the driving was over the same roadways. I sat in the shotgun seat and Susan napped in the back while Toni provided us with her best impression of Huwell Howser interview by questioning our driver on every bit of minutia that came to mind about Bali in general and the ride "home" in particular.
We were all greeted back at the Tandjung Sari as welcomed, ole friends and shown to our room at the "back of the bus". Since this was just an interim stopover before traveling home, we didn't feel the need to take the ocean view villa an opted for a lovely room in the "garden district"
In thinking about the past three weeks, I have really grown to admire many of the qualities of the Balinese people. As I have said before, they are honest to a fault as well as some of the most hospitable people I have ever encountered. While the landscapes here in Bali have lacked some of the "wow" factors of previous trips, it has been an enjoyable trip to have made. In looking over who this e-mail is going out to, I can't recommend this trip to everyone.
While the accommodations have been some of the finest I have ever stayed with prices ranging from $60.00/nite to $175.00/nite (including plunge pool), they have all been sequestered enclaves unto themselves. Once you step outside of the "protection" and manicured nature of these compounds and into the reality of Bali the ambiance changes.
With the possible exception of Lavina to the north, most of the cities are teaming with people, all in a hurry to go somewhere and rather quickly. Bali's population is approaching 3 million, which is considerable when you take into account the size of the Island and the distribution of most of the peoples into just a few cities. The major cities experience there share of traffic jams, honking horns but for the most part, patient drivers. Thank god I never had to drive a car through these congested byways.
Much of the land is given up to rice farming and other agricultural endeavors with sparse populations connecting the villages to the larger centers. Most of the roads show their in-attention and desire to remove the litter, especially in the larger cities. I guess Susan and I never thought about the impact these numbers of people, now all driving motor bikes, can have on an Island of this size.
We understand that before mid '70's the Island was probably more like we had envisioned it. People walked from a to b because they had to and there was no real urgency in getting there. The population was just beginning to emerge, but the Island still resembled the idyllic picture one conjures up when Bali is mentioned.
If you have any inclination to pack up your bags for Bali, I would suggest you do it sooner rather than later. While the food and transportation costs are right out of the 60's and affordable lodging (maybe not on the beach) is readily available, the Europeans are discovering what the Aussies and the Japanese have already discovered. We hit a good time of the year, try to avoid
Ramadan, and the rainy season which is just about to begin. You might also want to contact Toni and Steve as they are already planning a return visit.
For Susan and I, we have other spots to see, hopefully, with some clearer waters and more pristine beaches and surroundings, but we will certainly be hardpressed to find a more welcoming and gracious people.
See some of you in a few days.......others soon........gb
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Bali III Oct 14, 2007
Bali III
.........and the Temples Go By
Oct 14, 2007
And the trip goes on...........On our return from the Island we were met by "our" driver who somehow found us on the beach with all the hoards of people.
Moved us to his van and we were off and running to the city of Abud where I hoped to find "My Inner Self". We had booked ourselves into a wonderful Hotel just down from the Monkey Forest and the center of town.
The Hotel, The Bali Spirit is located on a terrace piece of land that slopes down to one of the main rivers. As this is the end of the dry season the river is running but not as high as usual. We have adjoining rooms with the Carman's high up on the terrace.....an easy walk in off the street but a "death march" to breakfast in the morning down to the incline to the river side. Toni and Steve have been up early each morning watching the town come alive. The town is noted for its arts of all varieties to include painting, wood carving, sculpturing, cloth making to name just a few.
Susan and Toni have had a field day in all of the various shops. They are both after quantity as the prices are all very good and that just simply can't make up their minds as to which one to choose.
Susan's bags continue to expand as mine lighten and I'm able to leave behind my read books. As you all know I'm not a shopper and the thought of wondering in and out of stores with nothing specific in mind is not my idea of a day well spent.
Even though the hotel has to take you into town, the town is small and compact and much of it is within walking distance. The sales people are not nearly aggressive as the "beach vendors" were, but their patter and constant chirping become a bit tiresome after a while. The girls met a driver who really has become a lifesaver. He picks us up for dinner each nite and has taken us on all day trips to the interior. We went out to the "Mother Temple" to the north the other day...........then back down to the east coast and finally returning to the hotel after about 8 hours on the road. The cost for the day
was to have been $30 but came to $40 with a tip.
The road traffic, especially, in Abud and the surrounding areas has been quite unexpected. The shear numbers of motor bikes and cars on the road is a constant challenge to ones sanity. Everyone seems to anticipate the other's move and traffic moves at a frantic but safe pace. The two lane roads are narrow to begin with, but when you put two lanes of motorbikes going one direction and a car and another bike going the opposite direction, things become a bit tight......and with Toni being as vocal as she is the travels can sometimes become a bit tense.
I have begun to question, at times, Toni's priorities. She has more compassion for the stray dog laying asleep in the road than for the unattended child playing in the gutter as the cars and scooters zoom by. While we have seen and heard dogs get hit, the children have been spared.
We have had some great meals in Abud.......well for me one great meal and the other not so great. Shelly and Don probably ate at both of these fine restaurants, the first being Indus and the second being Mozaic. Indus served a wonderful meal with a Latin band entertaining us during the evening. Toni and Steve bought one of their albums and rushed home to play it only to discover that it was blank. Two nights later at the Mozaic we opted for the six course taster menu......... a bit bizarre as your choices on the menu were either a six or three course taster menu. As I said we opted for the six and I did fine until the "fois gras" (sp) course and from there on it was all down hill for me. The duck/goose got the best of me and put my head in the toilet for the next few hours and in the hotel room for the next half day.....I think I would have preferred the CD that didn't play rather than my ordeal.
My main concern was feeling well enough for the next leg of the journey to the mountains to the North Coast to a town called Lovina near the old Dutch capital city. Fortunately, travel day came and I was feeling good. Wayan, our driver picked us up at 9am only after a little bickering with the hotel.
Those "pesky" $100 bills continue to plague our trip and the hotel simply would not accept some of the older bills. I tried to pass a couple of them off and they refused. I paid the bill with a credit card and then they informed me that there were some additional charges that had not been included......I said fine and gave them one of the $100......they wouldn't accept it.....and a Mexican stand-off occurred. Rather than accept the "bogus" bill they tore up the charges, they just really didn't want to chance one of those bills with their banks. We have gone to ATM's now for all of our cash and I'm about to check what the rate of exchange has been.
We set out for Lovina with Wayan at the wheel and no confirmed reservations for the night. While we did have them for the next two nights our immediate night couldn't be confirmed. After a stop at one too many (pagoders) temples we were able to confirm by cell phone that they would be able to accommodate us for the next three nights........our most expensive villa yet at $350/nite for the 4 of us..................don't feel too bad for us as it was right on the beach with our own private pool and sunset views. The staff does a good job of keeping the vendors out of the complex. The grounds are immaculate and the breakfasts are wonderful. After a run to town the first day to the local Hardy's Super Mercado, not only were we able to re-stock the bar, but were able to get some peanut butter and jelly for our lunches. We are down to breakfast, light lunch and a soup and a snack for dinner. I know the heat has taken away much of my appetite.....and that's all for the good.
The Dutch had a great influence on the Northern region and as a consequence, the region seems more developed, more European in the layout of the cities.Wide boulevards front the numerous government buildings, all shaded by century old trees. The towns are neat and not as reliant on the tourists.The black beaches are a sight, dotted by vendors and palms. From the road you couldn't imagine all of the beachfront bungalows that line the coast.
We hired a driver today to help us locate another 2-nites of lodging before our return to Saner. We found a lovely spot down the road for $40/nite right on the beach. We will be there until the 17th and then Waylan drives to pick us up for our return to Saner. Toni and Steve leave 1am on the 18th. We on the other hand leave on the 19th, fly back to Duala Lumper and spend the night (on the airlines) and fly the next day arriving home mid-day on the 20th....I think I've got that right. We are heading back to the Tandjung Sari in Saner where Toni and Steve will get ready for the flight home and we'll spend our final two nites in Bali.
The trip has been full of sights smells, and tastes that isn't for everyone. While Susan and I are ready for other destinations, I wouldn't be surprised to hear that Toni and Steve have already begun plans for the trip back to Bali.
Well, its time for my mid-day peanut butter and jelly sandwhich with potato chips crushed in the center...............don't have the stomach to try the local milk especially because it sits in boxes on shelves in the supermarket...but boy that sure would compliment the sandwhich.
Torey, keeps asking for pictures, but they just won't let us hook anything up to these computers......the pictures will have to wait.
love to you all and thanks for staying tuned.....................gb
.........and the Temples Go By
Oct 14, 2007
And the trip goes on...........On our return from the Island we were met by "our" driver who somehow found us on the beach with all the hoards of people.
Moved us to his van and we were off and running to the city of Abud where I hoped to find "My Inner Self". We had booked ourselves into a wonderful Hotel just down from the Monkey Forest and the center of town.
The Hotel, The Bali Spirit is located on a terrace piece of land that slopes down to one of the main rivers. As this is the end of the dry season the river is running but not as high as usual. We have adjoining rooms with the Carman's high up on the terrace.....an easy walk in off the street but a "death march" to breakfast in the morning down to the incline to the river side. Toni and Steve have been up early each morning watching the town come alive. The town is noted for its arts of all varieties to include painting, wood carving, sculpturing, cloth making to name just a few.
Susan and Toni have had a field day in all of the various shops. They are both after quantity as the prices are all very good and that just simply can't make up their minds as to which one to choose.
Susan's bags continue to expand as mine lighten and I'm able to leave behind my read books. As you all know I'm not a shopper and the thought of wondering in and out of stores with nothing specific in mind is not my idea of a day well spent.
Even though the hotel has to take you into town, the town is small and compact and much of it is within walking distance. The sales people are not nearly aggressive as the "beach vendors" were, but their patter and constant chirping become a bit tiresome after a while. The girls met a driver who really has become a lifesaver. He picks us up for dinner each nite and has taken us on all day trips to the interior. We went out to the "Mother Temple" to the north the other day...........then back down to the east coast and finally returning to the hotel after about 8 hours on the road. The cost for the day
was to have been $30 but came to $40 with a tip.
The road traffic, especially, in Abud and the surrounding areas has been quite unexpected. The shear numbers of motor bikes and cars on the road is a constant challenge to ones sanity. Everyone seems to anticipate the other's move and traffic moves at a frantic but safe pace. The two lane roads are narrow to begin with, but when you put two lanes of motorbikes going one direction and a car and another bike going the opposite direction, things become a bit tight......and with Toni being as vocal as she is the travels can sometimes become a bit tense.
I have begun to question, at times, Toni's priorities. She has more compassion for the stray dog laying asleep in the road than for the unattended child playing in the gutter as the cars and scooters zoom by. While we have seen and heard dogs get hit, the children have been spared.
We have had some great meals in Abud.......well for me one great meal and the other not so great. Shelly and Don probably ate at both of these fine restaurants, the first being Indus and the second being Mozaic. Indus served a wonderful meal with a Latin band entertaining us during the evening. Toni and Steve bought one of their albums and rushed home to play it only to discover that it was blank. Two nights later at the Mozaic we opted for the six course taster menu......... a bit bizarre as your choices on the menu were either a six or three course taster menu. As I said we opted for the six and I did fine until the "fois gras" (sp) course and from there on it was all down hill for me. The duck/goose got the best of me and put my head in the toilet for the next few hours and in the hotel room for the next half day.....I think I would have preferred the CD that didn't play rather than my ordeal.
My main concern was feeling well enough for the next leg of the journey to the mountains to the North Coast to a town called Lovina near the old Dutch capital city. Fortunately, travel day came and I was feeling good. Wayan, our driver picked us up at 9am only after a little bickering with the hotel.
Those "pesky" $100 bills continue to plague our trip and the hotel simply would not accept some of the older bills. I tried to pass a couple of them off and they refused. I paid the bill with a credit card and then they informed me that there were some additional charges that had not been included......I said fine and gave them one of the $100......they wouldn't accept it.....and a Mexican stand-off occurred. Rather than accept the "bogus" bill they tore up the charges, they just really didn't want to chance one of those bills with their banks. We have gone to ATM's now for all of our cash and I'm about to check what the rate of exchange has been.
We set out for Lovina with Wayan at the wheel and no confirmed reservations for the night. While we did have them for the next two nights our immediate night couldn't be confirmed. After a stop at one too many (pagoders) temples we were able to confirm by cell phone that they would be able to accommodate us for the next three nights........our most expensive villa yet at $350/nite for the 4 of us..................don't feel too bad for us as it was right on the beach with our own private pool and sunset views. The staff does a good job of keeping the vendors out of the complex. The grounds are immaculate and the breakfasts are wonderful. After a run to town the first day to the local Hardy's Super Mercado, not only were we able to re-stock the bar, but were able to get some peanut butter and jelly for our lunches. We are down to breakfast, light lunch and a soup and a snack for dinner. I know the heat has taken away much of my appetite.....and that's all for the good.
The Dutch had a great influence on the Northern region and as a consequence, the region seems more developed, more European in the layout of the cities.Wide boulevards front the numerous government buildings, all shaded by century old trees. The towns are neat and not as reliant on the tourists.The black beaches are a sight, dotted by vendors and palms. From the road you couldn't imagine all of the beachfront bungalows that line the coast.
We hired a driver today to help us locate another 2-nites of lodging before our return to Saner. We found a lovely spot down the road for $40/nite right on the beach. We will be there until the 17th and then Waylan drives to pick us up for our return to Saner. Toni and Steve leave 1am on the 18th. We on the other hand leave on the 19th, fly back to Duala Lumper and spend the night (on the airlines) and fly the next day arriving home mid-day on the 20th....I think I've got that right. We are heading back to the Tandjung Sari in Saner where Toni and Steve will get ready for the flight home and we'll spend our final two nites in Bali.
The trip has been full of sights smells, and tastes that isn't for everyone. While Susan and I are ready for other destinations, I wouldn't be surprised to hear that Toni and Steve have already begun plans for the trip back to Bali.
Well, its time for my mid-day peanut butter and jelly sandwhich with potato chips crushed in the center...............don't have the stomach to try the local milk especially because it sits in boxes on shelves in the supermarket...but boy that sure would compliment the sandwhich.
Torey, keeps asking for pictures, but they just won't let us hook anything up to these computers......the pictures will have to wait.
love to you all and thanks for staying tuned.....................gb
Monday, October 8, 2007
Bali II October 8, 2007
Bali II
Tandjung Sari
October 8,2007
I would imagine that you can feel my frustrations half way around the world.
After almost an hour and a half writing to all of you, the computer crashed and I lost the entire e-mail. Oh well such is life in a third world country.
Toni and Steve did finally arrive and we began our holiday in Bali the following day. The first order of business was to get some money changed and to become familiar with the currency....no small matter when you are forced to divide by 9500. Steve and I headed into town town as we were told that the best exchange rate was given by the local money changers in their small stands that dotted the business streets. We found out early in the game that the are very suspect of $100 bills that are older than the 2003 series. Some will not take the bills others question you as to where you are staying and your room number.
We conducted our business and moved back to the beach area for a day of relaxation. One of the problems with the beaches in Bali is that their is a decided lack of water in the ocean at various times in the day mostly due to the large swing in the tides. The beaches are ringed by reefs with the surfers on the outside of the reefs surfing towards the reefs. The reefs are 500+ yrds out and the surf breaks another 100-200 yards out from that. A long way to paddle for some rather marginal surf. Yet, they do come from all over the world to surf here, mainly from Australia and the States primarily because of the living costs here in Bali.
The Villa we are currently in at the Tandjung Sari is a two story two bedroom affair with a lovely outdoor sitting room on the upper floor. The cost per nite is $130 per couple and our rooms for future nights go down from there. Our villa on the Island is only $65.00/nite/couple and our stay in Ubud is about the same. Food and clothing seem to be the best value. Dinners range between $2-5
per meal which would include almost anything on the menu.....lobster/fish/steak/pasta and many traditional Balinese dishes which we have grown to love. Especially the noodle dishes.
Cocktail hour on the other hand has been more of a challenge. Steve and I set out for the local liquor store and finally did find one willing to sell us a 1/5 of vodka and rum for $15.00 each.....then it was off to the Circle K for ice and tonic. Mixed drinks in the bars run you about the same as an entree at dinner.
We are encountering one other problem in that as we head into the Holy Season of Ramadan the liquor distributors quit providing liquor to the stores until the holy season ends.......about 30 days from now. Steve tried to order a bottle of wine the other night and got down to the fact that they had only one Australian Red left they could sell him.......it could get tight.
Our place in Bali is located in an area called Sanur located on the east coast opposite from where they had the bombings in 2002. It seems as tho the younger set stays there and us older folks end up on the east coast. As I said we are right on the beach with a walk way that separates us from the beach and we can watch the world go by. Security is very visible, and also helps to keep all those aggressive sales people off the beach and out of the hotels.
Steve has vowed to have a message every day so I keep myself company with a large beer at one of the many beach front bars in the sand. Toni and Susan are out to get the best of the local merchants all selling the same thing. I am sure if the truth be known, all the shops are owned by the same guy and everyone reports to him at the end of the day.
As the days go by I am getting used to the currency although carrying around that man bills has created a few problems. The largest and most common bill is the 50,000 note without a comma. The note worth approx $5.00 is easily confused with others if you are not paying close attention. Carrying about so many $5.00 bills blew out my money clip the second day in Bali. Fortunately for me, there were no fewer than 300 plus silver smiths here in Bali. I did locate one and he agreed to fix my money clip for $5.00......seems like everything here costs 5 bucks.
This e-mail is becoming quite the ordeal. I have been saving to the draft box but didn't catch it quite in time as the computer, actually the wireless box is heating up.....so I now have a fan cooling the wireless router and I'm back in business now if I can remember where I was.
Here we go again. As this is the second or third time I've written this I am getting a bit confused as to what I've said. We hired a car and driver and took a road trip to the southern end of the Island to Ulumatu and its sacred temple.
We were instructed once we got there to dress in our sarongs and sachet and remove all shiny articles and any jewelry as the monkeys that guard the temple are most aggressive and love to collect these shiny bobbles. We hired a guide with a big stick to help fend off these predators and he really did a fine job. Many of the monkeys are quite large and look as though they could do serious damage to you if they got a hold of you. Some of the less suspecting tourists lost bottles of water, hairclips and earrings.
On our way back to the hotel we stopped at a pottery factory owned by the daughter of the owner of our villas.......what a coincidence.....it really was quite a factory with an abundance of over priced merchandise. In general, it seems that food and clothing are your best buys in Bali, especially for the younger travelers and I think that is the attraction for the surfing crowd. If they are not particular the can stay in inexpensive places, eat on the cheap and surf everyday. Not a bad lifestyle!
We leave the Island of Bali tomorrow for the Island Lembongan a half hour away by ponga to the east. We are out there for 4 nites and hope to find that perfect beach and water to go with. We ventured down to the "docks" in the morning to find our water taxi in six inches of mud and the tight at a standstill. The water eventually came in and we waded out to our "taxi" for the crossing to the island. The arrival on the other side was much the same as our departure with the water being the problem, or lack of water. We had to weave our way thru the bay through the seaweed farms then run the boat up on the beach as far as was possible. The boys from the Villa were there to help carry the bags up the hill to our home overlooking the bay. Quite a nice layout and even prettier when we had a bay full of water to look at.
Steve quickly discovered two lovely bays close by that would be great for swimming. We then took a walk into the village to scout out some ice and tonic.
Tonic was not a problem, ice was more of a challenge. Through a system of hand signs and pointing at refrigerators we found two bags of ice nestled up against
two tuna and a naked chicken standing in the corner of a freezer in a Chinese take out joint. It wasn't until a few drinks into the cocktail hour that we began to question our decision to purchase ice (water) on the open market in a town with no visible signs of indoor plumbing. The island for the most part was very poor and lead to a difficult life for those notconnected to the tourist business. The main industry outside tourism was seaweed farming, done mainly by the women while the men rested in hammocks or on their haunches playing cards.
Not a bad gig if your a man.
Below our villa on the walk way overlooking the water were numerous restaurants offering lovely meals at great prices. We were having large lunches and then for dinner a bowl of noodles and seafood. All quite good.
The next two days we rented motor bikes and went in search of that elusive sand beach filled with those pristine waters that I used to tell Torey about and promised to send her there.......I haven't forgotten, Torey. But as you can see they are sometimes difficult to find. After 1/2 hour on the bikes we ended up in a dug out canoe going thru a muddy mangrove orchard. The trip was informative and we enjoyed a beer with the owner of the boats and restaurant after the trip. He promised us that if we returned for breakfast two days from now that the tides would be in and we could swim just out in front. We thanked him and proceeded on around the Island.
We headed inland and towards a smaller island connect by a bridge, and I use the term "bridge" loosely. Steve has a video of our crossing by motor bike and I have a dirty pair of underwear to attest to the crossing. But once we got to the other side onto the small island and proceeded to the far end of this little island we spotted from afar "Dream" Beach. And even from this distance it looked wonderful and we couldn't wait to get there.
Half hour later, back across that shitty bridge we found ourselves looking down on Dream Beach from the Bar up above. What a gorgeous Beach, filled with the prettiest waters that we had seen to date.......a real find. After frolicking on the beach with some naked little children we were invited to look at one of their villas.......$15.00/nite.....a bit primitive but with a wonderful view situated above the most picturesque beach we had yet seen.
A short hop away was the last beach that Steve had located on his first mornings walk. It really was a gorgeous beach and we remember looking at staying here some months back. The problem being that one of the Villas was $400+ per nite per couple and the other more reasonable but with showers and bathrooms located 100 yds away......not convenient for those nightly trips to the john.
Also it was also the destination beach for the day trippers from Bali who can to the Island for the day. We felt good about where we were staying and headed back for cocktails and a game of cards.
The next day was pretty much a repeat of the last. We were getting a better feel of the bikes as well as the Island. Lots of ruts, too many chickens and scrawny dogs, but no major mishaps along the way.
Our last full day on the Island we rented a boat and went snorkling. Found a couple of great spots and enjoyed seeing the Island from the water. The Island is muggy and it was nice to be out on the water. That night we had to make do with one vodka tonic per person as our supplies ran out and the Holy Days were taking their toll.
I mentioned in the other lost e-mails about the Balinese and their somewhat lax/different approach to their religion. In the eyes of the rest of the Hindus, the Balinese are a bit out of step cows are served on the table and not running free in the streets. They perform their daily offerings which consist of a six inch square of palm with flower petals and incense set out in front of their homes or work places, outside the temples, in streets. They are refreshed and changed every few hours and our challenge has been to try not to step on them. Its definetly third world with many a "dream" construction project started only to be abandoned to the jungle and the monkeys. The people are probably Bali's biggest asset. They are gracious, honest to a fault and so very trusting.
To make a sale they insist that you take your merchandise and return with payment the next day. Experience that anywhere else......no I don't think so.
Tomorrow we head back across the water to Bali and then inland to the fabled city of Ubud.
Actually, as I write this its not only tomorrow its the next day and we are in Ubud and its lovely, but I'll save that for another day.
I miss you all very much, but mostly I miss "tacos" and drinks with lots ice...
GB
Tandjung Sari
October 8,2007
I would imagine that you can feel my frustrations half way around the world.
After almost an hour and a half writing to all of you, the computer crashed and I lost the entire e-mail. Oh well such is life in a third world country.
Toni and Steve did finally arrive and we began our holiday in Bali the following day. The first order of business was to get some money changed and to become familiar with the currency....no small matter when you are forced to divide by 9500. Steve and I headed into town town as we were told that the best exchange rate was given by the local money changers in their small stands that dotted the business streets. We found out early in the game that the are very suspect of $100 bills that are older than the 2003 series. Some will not take the bills others question you as to where you are staying and your room number.
We conducted our business and moved back to the beach area for a day of relaxation. One of the problems with the beaches in Bali is that their is a decided lack of water in the ocean at various times in the day mostly due to the large swing in the tides. The beaches are ringed by reefs with the surfers on the outside of the reefs surfing towards the reefs. The reefs are 500+ yrds out and the surf breaks another 100-200 yards out from that. A long way to paddle for some rather marginal surf. Yet, they do come from all over the world to surf here, mainly from Australia and the States primarily because of the living costs here in Bali.
The Villa we are currently in at the Tandjung Sari is a two story two bedroom affair with a lovely outdoor sitting room on the upper floor. The cost per nite is $130 per couple and our rooms for future nights go down from there. Our villa on the Island is only $65.00/nite/couple and our stay in Ubud is about the same. Food and clothing seem to be the best value. Dinners range between $2-5
per meal which would include almost anything on the menu.....lobster/fish/steak/pasta and many traditional Balinese dishes which we have grown to love. Especially the noodle dishes.
Cocktail hour on the other hand has been more of a challenge. Steve and I set out for the local liquor store and finally did find one willing to sell us a 1/5 of vodka and rum for $15.00 each.....then it was off to the Circle K for ice and tonic. Mixed drinks in the bars run you about the same as an entree at dinner.
We are encountering one other problem in that as we head into the Holy Season of Ramadan the liquor distributors quit providing liquor to the stores until the holy season ends.......about 30 days from now. Steve tried to order a bottle of wine the other night and got down to the fact that they had only one Australian Red left they could sell him.......it could get tight.
Our place in Bali is located in an area called Sanur located on the east coast opposite from where they had the bombings in 2002. It seems as tho the younger set stays there and us older folks end up on the east coast. As I said we are right on the beach with a walk way that separates us from the beach and we can watch the world go by. Security is very visible, and also helps to keep all those aggressive sales people off the beach and out of the hotels.
Steve has vowed to have a message every day so I keep myself company with a large beer at one of the many beach front bars in the sand. Toni and Susan are out to get the best of the local merchants all selling the same thing. I am sure if the truth be known, all the shops are owned by the same guy and everyone reports to him at the end of the day.
As the days go by I am getting used to the currency although carrying around that man bills has created a few problems. The largest and most common bill is the 50,000 note without a comma. The note worth approx $5.00 is easily confused with others if you are not paying close attention. Carrying about so many $5.00 bills blew out my money clip the second day in Bali. Fortunately for me, there were no fewer than 300 plus silver smiths here in Bali. I did locate one and he agreed to fix my money clip for $5.00......seems like everything here costs 5 bucks.
This e-mail is becoming quite the ordeal. I have been saving to the draft box but didn't catch it quite in time as the computer, actually the wireless box is heating up.....so I now have a fan cooling the wireless router and I'm back in business now if I can remember where I was.
Here we go again. As this is the second or third time I've written this I am getting a bit confused as to what I've said. We hired a car and driver and took a road trip to the southern end of the Island to Ulumatu and its sacred temple.
We were instructed once we got there to dress in our sarongs and sachet and remove all shiny articles and any jewelry as the monkeys that guard the temple are most aggressive and love to collect these shiny bobbles. We hired a guide with a big stick to help fend off these predators and he really did a fine job. Many of the monkeys are quite large and look as though they could do serious damage to you if they got a hold of you. Some of the less suspecting tourists lost bottles of water, hairclips and earrings.
On our way back to the hotel we stopped at a pottery factory owned by the daughter of the owner of our villas.......what a coincidence.....it really was quite a factory with an abundance of over priced merchandise. In general, it seems that food and clothing are your best buys in Bali, especially for the younger travelers and I think that is the attraction for the surfing crowd. If they are not particular the can stay in inexpensive places, eat on the cheap and surf everyday. Not a bad lifestyle!
We leave the Island of Bali tomorrow for the Island Lembongan a half hour away by ponga to the east. We are out there for 4 nites and hope to find that perfect beach and water to go with. We ventured down to the "docks" in the morning to find our water taxi in six inches of mud and the tight at a standstill. The water eventually came in and we waded out to our "taxi" for the crossing to the island. The arrival on the other side was much the same as our departure with the water being the problem, or lack of water. We had to weave our way thru the bay through the seaweed farms then run the boat up on the beach as far as was possible. The boys from the Villa were there to help carry the bags up the hill to our home overlooking the bay. Quite a nice layout and even prettier when we had a bay full of water to look at.
Steve quickly discovered two lovely bays close by that would be great for swimming. We then took a walk into the village to scout out some ice and tonic.
Tonic was not a problem, ice was more of a challenge. Through a system of hand signs and pointing at refrigerators we found two bags of ice nestled up against
two tuna and a naked chicken standing in the corner of a freezer in a Chinese take out joint. It wasn't until a few drinks into the cocktail hour that we began to question our decision to purchase ice (water) on the open market in a town with no visible signs of indoor plumbing. The island for the most part was very poor and lead to a difficult life for those notconnected to the tourist business. The main industry outside tourism was seaweed farming, done mainly by the women while the men rested in hammocks or on their haunches playing cards.
Not a bad gig if your a man.
Below our villa on the walk way overlooking the water were numerous restaurants offering lovely meals at great prices. We were having large lunches and then for dinner a bowl of noodles and seafood. All quite good.
The next two days we rented motor bikes and went in search of that elusive sand beach filled with those pristine waters that I used to tell Torey about and promised to send her there.......I haven't forgotten, Torey. But as you can see they are sometimes difficult to find. After 1/2 hour on the bikes we ended up in a dug out canoe going thru a muddy mangrove orchard. The trip was informative and we enjoyed a beer with the owner of the boats and restaurant after the trip. He promised us that if we returned for breakfast two days from now that the tides would be in and we could swim just out in front. We thanked him and proceeded on around the Island.
We headed inland and towards a smaller island connect by a bridge, and I use the term "bridge" loosely. Steve has a video of our crossing by motor bike and I have a dirty pair of underwear to attest to the crossing. But once we got to the other side onto the small island and proceeded to the far end of this little island we spotted from afar "Dream" Beach. And even from this distance it looked wonderful and we couldn't wait to get there.
Half hour later, back across that shitty bridge we found ourselves looking down on Dream Beach from the Bar up above. What a gorgeous Beach, filled with the prettiest waters that we had seen to date.......a real find. After frolicking on the beach with some naked little children we were invited to look at one of their villas.......$15.00/nite.....a bit primitive but with a wonderful view situated above the most picturesque beach we had yet seen.
A short hop away was the last beach that Steve had located on his first mornings walk. It really was a gorgeous beach and we remember looking at staying here some months back. The problem being that one of the Villas was $400+ per nite per couple and the other more reasonable but with showers and bathrooms located 100 yds away......not convenient for those nightly trips to the john.
Also it was also the destination beach for the day trippers from Bali who can to the Island for the day. We felt good about where we were staying and headed back for cocktails and a game of cards.
The next day was pretty much a repeat of the last. We were getting a better feel of the bikes as well as the Island. Lots of ruts, too many chickens and scrawny dogs, but no major mishaps along the way.
Our last full day on the Island we rented a boat and went snorkling. Found a couple of great spots and enjoyed seeing the Island from the water. The Island is muggy and it was nice to be out on the water. That night we had to make do with one vodka tonic per person as our supplies ran out and the Holy Days were taking their toll.
I mentioned in the other lost e-mails about the Balinese and their somewhat lax/different approach to their religion. In the eyes of the rest of the Hindus, the Balinese are a bit out of step cows are served on the table and not running free in the streets. They perform their daily offerings which consist of a six inch square of palm with flower petals and incense set out in front of their homes or work places, outside the temples, in streets. They are refreshed and changed every few hours and our challenge has been to try not to step on them. Its definetly third world with many a "dream" construction project started only to be abandoned to the jungle and the monkeys. The people are probably Bali's biggest asset. They are gracious, honest to a fault and so very trusting.
To make a sale they insist that you take your merchandise and return with payment the next day. Experience that anywhere else......no I don't think so.
Tomorrow we head back across the water to Bali and then inland to the fabled city of Ubud.
Actually, as I write this its not only tomorrow its the next day and we are in Ubud and its lovely, but I'll save that for another day.
I miss you all very much, but mostly I miss "tacos" and drinks with lots ice...
GB
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Bali Oct 6, 2007
Bali
Greetings From Bali
October 6, 2007
Greetings from what seems like more than half way around the world. Maybe next time we just do a time share in Palm Springs. Twenty four plus hours in the air and 29 hours from home to Bali is a bit more than this ole body can stand. Actually we were very fortunate to have been booked on wide open aircraft all the way.
Our flight left at 1:40 am on the 27th and arrived in Bali at 5pm on the 28th with stops in Tapei (which I had overlooked on the itinerary) and a final stop in Kuala Lumpur. Always wanted to know where that place was as I had sent many a GI there while I was an R&R Clerk in Viet Nam......so now I know. Then it was just a short hope to Bali. The first leg as I said was hardly booked so we had entire rows to stretch out on, the second leg was just as empty. Not quite like first class, but still better than having the seat tray in front of you in your face for 12 hours. Security was lax and the airports were architectural statements.
For one of the first times in my life I was greeted at the airport with a man holding a sign.............with my name on it, correctly spelled and speaking acceptable English. After a 30 minute "Mr. Toads Ride" thru the city at rush hour we found ourselves at our villa on the east coast of Sanur at the Tandjung Sari. The complex consists of 23 free standing villas.....ours was #25...go figure....and was a two bedroom two story villa. Toni and Steve our set to arrive just after midnite with one stop in Korea and then directly to Bali.
Headed to the bar to unwind over a few drinks and do a little bit of stretching.
The villas are located right on the beach with ours being the closest, and under the canopy of what appears to be 100+ year old trees. We understand the complex is 50+ years old and was one of the first built on this part of the coast. The villas are fronted by a walk way that extends for miles up and down the beach connecting the hotels with restaurants and a myriad of shops that all seem to carry the same items all at different prices. We call the shopping sections the "Gauntlets" as it takes a brave tourist to run and survive these aggressive sales people. Once they know your name and where you are staying they immediately become your very new and best friends. We learned very quickly that
you divulge nothing to them.....especially your name and hotel location. While they can't pursue you on the beach or on to the hotle grounds they can make your life miserable.
Toni and Steve did arrive around midnite and we shared few sleepy hugs and then tried to get our bodies back on schedule. We meet the next am in our downstairs lving room to plan the day. After breakfast we wet out for the local money changers. We understood the best exchange rate came from little money changers on the street and not from the banks. Loaded down with hundred dollar bills we did our best to get the best exchange rate.........10,000 rps to $1.00. You learn real quick to divide by 10,000 which can be a mental excercise deserving of a calculator.
Currently we are sitting on the Island of Nusa Lembongan just off the coast of Bali and are heading out for a snorkling adventure around the Island. I will continue the journal this pm or the next time I run into an internet cafe.
All the Best from this side of the globe,
Greetings From Bali
October 6, 2007
Greetings from what seems like more than half way around the world. Maybe next time we just do a time share in Palm Springs. Twenty four plus hours in the air and 29 hours from home to Bali is a bit more than this ole body can stand. Actually we were very fortunate to have been booked on wide open aircraft all the way.
Our flight left at 1:40 am on the 27th and arrived in Bali at 5pm on the 28th with stops in Tapei (which I had overlooked on the itinerary) and a final stop in Kuala Lumpur. Always wanted to know where that place was as I had sent many a GI there while I was an R&R Clerk in Viet Nam......so now I know. Then it was just a short hope to Bali. The first leg as I said was hardly booked so we had entire rows to stretch out on, the second leg was just as empty. Not quite like first class, but still better than having the seat tray in front of you in your face for 12 hours. Security was lax and the airports were architectural statements.
For one of the first times in my life I was greeted at the airport with a man holding a sign.............with my name on it, correctly spelled and speaking acceptable English. After a 30 minute "Mr. Toads Ride" thru the city at rush hour we found ourselves at our villa on the east coast of Sanur at the Tandjung Sari. The complex consists of 23 free standing villas.....ours was #25...go figure....and was a two bedroom two story villa. Toni and Steve our set to arrive just after midnite with one stop in Korea and then directly to Bali.
Headed to the bar to unwind over a few drinks and do a little bit of stretching.
The villas are located right on the beach with ours being the closest, and under the canopy of what appears to be 100+ year old trees. We understand the complex is 50+ years old and was one of the first built on this part of the coast. The villas are fronted by a walk way that extends for miles up and down the beach connecting the hotels with restaurants and a myriad of shops that all seem to carry the same items all at different prices. We call the shopping sections the "Gauntlets" as it takes a brave tourist to run and survive these aggressive sales people. Once they know your name and where you are staying they immediately become your very new and best friends. We learned very quickly that
you divulge nothing to them.....especially your name and hotel location. While they can't pursue you on the beach or on to the hotle grounds they can make your life miserable.
Toni and Steve did arrive around midnite and we shared few sleepy hugs and then tried to get our bodies back on schedule. We meet the next am in our downstairs lving room to plan the day. After breakfast we wet out for the local money changers. We understood the best exchange rate came from little money changers on the street and not from the banks. Loaded down with hundred dollar bills we did our best to get the best exchange rate.........10,000 rps to $1.00. You learn real quick to divide by 10,000 which can be a mental excercise deserving of a calculator.
Currently we are sitting on the Island of Nusa Lembongan just off the coast of Bali and are heading out for a snorkling adventure around the Island. I will continue the journal this pm or the next time I run into an internet cafe.
All the Best from this side of the globe,
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