The "real" Bali

Maybe that title is a total cop out. Is anything "real" when its all the same country? Anyway, ever since we hopped off of our "super scoot" high speed catamaran shuttle from Sanur to Nusa Lembogan I've felt a bit more relaxed. I was journaling a bit tonight before writing down this post and I cracked myself up when I jotted down the line, "I guess I like my third world travel experiences a bit slower and a bit less populated…" What a strange thing to say? First of all Indonesia is in the G20. Yup, they have over 200+ million people so I'd say this country might not be third world. Then if you think about it most things in third world countries don't really move at a glacial pace… I guess they move a bit less slow than NYC but when I think of all of the motor bikes zipping from place to place and people shopping, traveling, working… it seems like a fast paced place. Then again when you step out of large cities things tend to drop drastically into glacial pace. Finally "less populated…" Come on Andrew, a less populated third world country? Well when you think of traditional third world places they seem pretty populated, right? Then again I don't know the exact population of every third world country… Wow I seem to be contradicting myself left and right here. I'm learning?

So yeah, we get to Nusa Lembogan and we wade our way off the boat onto the beach. The first thing I notice is I'm in the exact spot the photographer from Lonely Planet stood to take his "Bali Photo." Or was that the "Thailand Photo…." Or was that the… insert any Asian country classic tiny boat in crystal clear water photo… yup, I was standing right there. There were coral wave breaks about two hundred yards out from the beach, tiny fishing boats with built on catamaran hulls. What is it called when you have three hulls to a boat? Sheesh I need to get onto some wikipedia action about traditional south east Asian boat building. Who do I think I am?

There were about six or seven guys asking us where we were staying. This would sound strange but Paul and I have gotten used to this question. This time we had learned our lesson and decided we'd just wait until we got on the island and walk around to take a peek at a few places. We'd look for A/C, I'd try out the mattresses so that my back didn't kill in the morning and we'd even opt for a pool if we could. Well we got two out of three on the first night at Ware Ware. Pool & Mattress. It didn't have A/C and I ended up paying the price for that one. I've had a bit of the "bali-belly" for the past two days and in the middle of the night I woke up in a heated sweat (see previous post on NZ botanical gardens for more info). We did have a sweet view of the tiny harbor so it wasn't all that bad. Plus Paul was a gem and did some further research on my behalf while I nursed a water bottle and hugged my backpack on my bed for comfort. He found Minami's Bungalows which were a bit further of a walk but had A/C and firm mattresses. We checked out the next day and are now in the luxury of a pink bathroom with hot water (no shower curtain and its a hand shower thingy) but then again beggars can't be choosers. It also has a 15" TV, new foam mattress that are like rocks (so I'm happy - no seriously this is awesome for a sore lower back), clean tile floors and a lovely Panasonic A/C unit.

Today we decided to rent motor scooters and drive around the island to explore. Paul had been fired up about this since we got here and I was pretty pumped too. We rented bikes for two days in Seminyak and it was a bit stressful. Paul and I were pretty conservative when it came to the bikes on the mainland. We didn't want to be on the roads during the busy time (afternoon) so we'd head out early. We also didn't want to ride in the dark so we were always back at the hotel taking the shuttle or getting a taxi. It was convenient to have a bike but it was also pretty scary. People here drive crazy! Really its not crazy its just the way they drive and I'm definitely not accustomed to it. There are very few road signs, there are very few stop-lights and people drive very aggressively. I don't even think I can do it justice by describing it in words. You have to see to believe this. Here are a few fun things I noticed:

1. all surfaces are fair game - so scooters and motorcycles ride on sidewalks, in other lanes of oncoming traffic and even grass if it means they can keep going.

2. the bigger guy usually wins but he has to honk his horn. In fact its a requirement that everyone honk their horn all the time.

3. Kids are required to wear helmets once they are old enough to fit into them. If they're not they'll just stand in front of the driver on the floor. Or they can sit on the back or if they're lucky they'll be a baby in a saran wrapped on their mothers chest. Yup, all is fair in love and war on the road - regardless of age

4. three people a day die from motor bike accidents in Indonesia. Our taxi driver said the number spikes on Friday and Saturday nights.

5. police do not have radar guns, they also do not pursue anyone. they do however pull over anyone who is white. They do this to check registration papers and ensure you have an international drivers license. If you do not have one of these a bribe will suffice. They'll actually haggle you to get as much as possible. In the end they drop their price and you go on your way. This was told to us by Evan and thankfully Paul remembered it when we were being flagged down by two police officers as were cruising 70 kph on the main road. Paul just waved and swerved around them. I was shocked and also in awe of his brilliance at that moment, I had already made up my mind to stop. Thankfully we didn't because we might have been out five bucks!!

6. roads don't seem to be repaired half as quickly as major resorts are. private resorts do nothing to repair roads even if its right outside their doorstep.

7. its best to wear a helmet at all times… in fact its best just not to drive a scooter. You should wear a football uniform and get in a tank if you want to minimize your risk to car accident problems in Indonesia. I'll take this tact the next time I get back.

So in all seriousness I've given up on motorbikes on this trip. Not to worry any of you but we witnessed an older woman today get in an accident and it brought the "fun" down to ground level very quickly. Thankfully it looked like she just broke a finger but she went full over the handle bars after her back tire slipped on a prayer offering in the middle of the street. She seemed to reach for the handle bar break and instead hit the gas straight into a rock wall. Paul and I watched it all happen from ten feet away as we were conversing with a Canadian/Japanese couple. The Balinese people were very friendly and helpful and put her in the back of a truck up to the local medical clinic. They called the doctor to come back from their religious ceremony.

So that was really eye opening and I've decided I want to come back to the US with as many fingers as I can. At least I went out with a hell of a trip. We rode over a one lane suspension bridge to a second island! We went uphill to the 100 meter top to look out over both islands. What a day! We topped the day off with a dip in one of the local resort pools for .25 cents then hopped a shuttle out to Scallywags BBQ for free wifi, a great sunset and yellow fin tuna steaks off the grill. Yup, they caught them earlier that afternoon so you can imagine how mouth watering they were.

One more note before I sign off. We're in Indonesia at an interesting time of year. Bali is the only majority Hindu part of the country. The rest of it is mostly Muslim. So right now is the end of the Hindu year. They will be celebrating a day of silence on March 5th to mark the first of their spiritual new year. If you think about it most people in the US do this on January 1st. Then again its b/c they're too hungover to do anything else but mope around. So yeah the Balinese build these huge papier-mâché statues. We're talking the size of a papier-mâché statue for a homecoming parade!! Anyway they're all demons and are really REALLY spooky looking. They're supposed to represent the evil spirits and can look like anything the creators think represent evil. So each small temple community makes their own. Then on March 4th they destroy them. I think they even burn them down after hitting and beating them. Paul asked if they filled them with candy, no luck. So after this whole ceremony on the night of the 4th - we're told it starts around 6pm they take the day off. And by take the day off they really mean take the day off. They turn all electricity and power off. No radio is played and it is complete silence for reflection and prayer. Its a pretty cool idea. Then again if you're a tourist that means you can't play your Def Leopard and order a few more beers. It has been really cool watching their entire communities prepare for this time of the year. Today the island spent the entire day moving between three major temples in preparation. We're talking huge mobs of people dressed in Sarans sharing a communal religious experience. It was sort of humbling seeing the guys we see at bars and around town who are in tank-tops, board shorts and flip flops. (if you're an Aussie or just not an American those are singlets, boards and jandals…). Yeah so they all clean up and are very serious. Its definitely not like Christmas eve mass where you can see most of the kids and young people have been dragged there by adults. Its as if everyone really enjoys the communal experience.

And now I'm back in the A/C ready to drift off to sleep. One more day / night here in Lembogan then onto Gili Air. The Gili Islands are supposed to be more like Fiji so I'm pumped for more snorkeling and beach time. Its strange to think I'll be back in the northern hemisphere in less than ten days!!