Bali, Indonesia

Although we were just hopping over the water from Australia to Indonesia, it took most of the day, and 3 connecting flights to get there. Arriving anywhere late at night can be disorientating - the unfamiliar sounds and sights are all the more stark without light. Bali was just like this for Alkesh and I. The hot sticky humid air hit us from the moment we exited the airport terminal; taxi hawkers swarmed around us shouting locations and prices and my Bahasa was tested immediately. I was very excited to be back in Indonesia! - a country that held so very many childhood memories for myself; a former life that I was keen for Alkesh to experience!



Our 5 day stay in Bali centered around Kuta, definitely the backpacker heartland of the island - it was a seething mess of narrow back-street alleys, maniac motorcyclists, absolute congestion (macet sekali, pak), all mixed with the familiar sights and smells of Indonesian cuisine. I was back on home ground! I think it's rare for one to feel so instantly at home in a place that one has not lived in for over 13 years - even though we as a family probably only visited Bali 2 or 3 times, I felt like everything was so familiar, so comfortable and so endearing. How could this place feel so much like home?! A big part of the "familiarity" of it all was to do with the fact that I spoke the language. I am amazed at how fluently I was able to speak, understand and read Bahasa - words that I didn't even think I knew came back to me without hesitation. Pappa will appreciate what it feels like to walk down the street, pausing to talk to the local shop keepers, jovially bargaining and explaining my life story to satisfy their kind curiosity. [Alkesh - I was very surprised and impressed at how Navita slipped into the the local lingo, and secretly I also slipped into being lazy whilst getting around!] Many of the locals were surprised that I could speak so well and yet clearly I was a tourist. [Dari mana 'bu? Dari Inggris? Tapi anda bisa bicara bagus sekalli! Waduh! Pintar, yah?!]

Whilst Indonesia was definitely a destination for me to indulge myself in (and I would have been very happy to spend days simply perusing the shops, filling myself with tempeh, and chatting to the locals), I wanted Alkesh to observe some of the fine Hindu culture that was unique to Bali. A day trip to the areas surrounding Ubud was a perfect introduction.



We were fortunate to be out on the public holiday of Gulungan - a festival celebrating the internal struggle between dharma and adharma (good and evil). All Balinese people worship their ancestors through daily prayers and offerings to ornate stone-carved shrines located within their homes. It is a very common sight to see small bamboo leaf trays, complete with incense, fresh flowers and fruit - these were offered to shrines, shop fronts, street corners and even taxi dashboards! Being a festival, there were plenty of these on our journey to Ubud. Whatsmore, the streets were decorated with benjor - tall curved bamboo canes on either side of the street.



Here are the highlights from our day trip to Ubud:

• Gunung Kawi - 2 sets of 4 giant candi (shrines) carved into the cliff face, set within 8 meter high sheltered niches. The most impressive ancient sight in Bali!


• Tirta Empul - The holy spring and temple. Because of Gulungan, this site was full of people bathing and praying in the holy water baths. We also saw a natural spring - something we'd never seen before!
• Arma museum - Home to a huge collection of local Balinese paintings, depicting various scenes of the Ramayana and Mahabarata - both of which are central to the Hindu culture practised on the island.



• Goa Gajah - a.k.a. Elephant caves. Only unearthed in the 1920s, this amazing site featured an underground cave with shrines for both Ganesh and the 3 Shiv lings.



• Tegallung rice fields - I smiled at Alkesh's excitement of the beautifully lush green rice paddy fields. Such a common sight for us when living in Indonesia, I forgot what it must look like to fresh eyes.



• Kalimatang Lake - A beautiful backdrop whilst we ate lunch. Gunung Agung towering above the lake, black ash to one side, lush green fields on the other.



• We also visited a Batik factory - a traditional hand-made Indonesian textile using wax to mask off colours, creating intricate designs.



• Organic farm where we saw coffee bean processing, as well as fresh cacao, avocado, papaya, pineapple, and many other tropical fruits and spices being cultivated.
• Numerous villages, each specialising in their own craft and trading / exchanging with one another. For example painting, metal work, wood carving, kite making, stone carving.
  

A trip to Bali could not be complete without enjoying some of the beautiful beaches. Unfortunately, Kuta beach was uninspiring so we opted for the more luxurious (and expensive!), private beach club within the exclusive Karma Kandara resort, on the southern most point of the Peninsular. This was truly a great beach day! Taking the purpose built miniature cable car from the resort down to the small beach, we were greeted by postcard-perfect ocean views.



The beach had barely enough space for 20 sun loungers but it was equipped with a great bar and restaurant serving great cuisine and cocktails. As we settled into our parasol-covered sun lounges, we looked out on to the clear blue ocean beyond the towering cliffs. Having paid for the privilege, we spent several hours enjoying the views, paddling in lovely warm water, and reading books. An awesome beach experience - the best of the trip so far!



Some of you will remember from our Canadian blog that we enjoy food! Even more exciting than speaking the language, visiting the cultural sites and bargaining at the shops, I was ready to enjoy my favourite Indonesian dishes. Fortunately we didn't need to spend much, nor go very far to sample everything I remember from my childhood. Mie goreng, nasi goreng, gado gado, fried tahu and tempeh with satay sauce - all delicious and just as I remembered. [Alkesh - it was certainly delicious, cheap and I was glad to never need a 'European' fix in our time here. The buy-by-weight and grilled seafood in Jimbaran on the beach was also a winner!]



We also visited Ulu Watu temple for sunset one afternoon. Alas, it wasn't quite what i remembered - although the cheeky monkeys were still out in full swing! The highlight certainly was watching Kecak dancing as the sun set over the cliffs and ocean beyond. This dance is known for its characteristic "chak-chak-chak" sound made by a group of 30 or so men.






The Ramayana story is then performed by 5 beautifully dressed Balinese dancers. Their slow hand moves and expressive eyes were really impressive. It was another occasion where I smiled with delight and sweet memories, even though I can't remember when or if I had ever seen the same performance. Such was the strange mix of emotions that was characteristic of this trip to Indonesia for me.



After dinner, our evenings usually involved walking up Jalan Legian, taking advantage of the seemingly endless happy hours whilst listening to Indonesian bands covering western pop hits! Bali clearly has it all - Hindu culture, beautiful beaches and a great night life. It was sad to see the monument dedicated to the Bali bombings of 2002 and 2004, and certainly the locals were all too aware of the terrorist dangers. But it's good to see tourism returning in full force now.





Still reeling from the great dives we had had on the Great Barrier Reef, we were very tempted by the promise of a great wreck dive just a few hours outside of Kuta. Following Alex's recommendation, we headed out to Tulamben - the site of the USS Liberty wreck which sunk off the east coast of Bali in the 1940s. The wreck's proximity to the shore, allowed us to do a shore dive for the first time. After hurling ourselves off the backs of boats, it was certainly a welcome change to simply wade through the beach and descend just a few meters away from the shore. The wreck itself was far more interesting than what we had seen in Mauritius. Visibility in warm waters made it an ideal location to observe beautiful tropical fish, coral and even a swirling tornado of Travelly fish feeding. Another great dive bringing our total to 20! Hoorah!!!