So sorry I have been so delinquent in writing. I hope I didn't lose any fans. Believe it or not, I have been busy most days of the week. Though we got to enjoy Hong Kong's rainiest June on record, since recording began in 1884, with 1346.1 mm of rainfall, 80% above normal figures and with only 75.5 recorded hours of sunshine. By my own estimates, it also rained for the first 12 or so days of July, sometimes on and off, sometimes all-day drenching. Currently, it's hot. Yesterday was the hottest day of the year so far, somewhere around 90, with the humidity always around 90% making it feel a lot hotter. So, let's take a trip back to Bali. I know, it's long overdue. Sorry if I might repeat in my version some of what Paul already wrote; it's hard to deconstruct my overall impression.
First there was an unfortunate incident involving jasmine tea at the airport. Once at the gate with time to kill, we decided on a morning snack. I got a cup of jasmine tea that was very hot through the cup, so the cup slipped from my hands, lifting the lid and spilling boiling water on my hand. I know... some of you you might remember my scalding incident just less than a year ago. I spilled boiling water on my foot while cooking and a blister developed on my toe the likes of which I could have never imagined. Paul agreed - when I made him look - that he had never seen anything like it. Due to that experience, I had some idea what to expect as the burn sent radiating heat through my whole body for a couple of hours. By late that night, I had a huge blister on my left ring finger. It was only small in comparison to what existed on my toe last year, but I was really frustrated that my trip started that way. I was distracted the whole time by trying to avoid bursting it. It turns out the blister never broke like the one on my toe did, so I didn't have to treat it; it just shriveled after a few days, and I believe I owe that largely to soaking in salt water while relaxing in the salt water pool. But I couldn't get my wedding ring on while away, which was kind of ironic since the hotel was reserved under my name, therefore whenever staff addressed us to pay restaurant or bar tabs, they typically handed them to Paul, politely requesting Mr. Piraino to sign.
You have to buy a visa on arrival in Indonesia so we waited on line in a rather rustic airport for an hour. We seemed to be surrounded by German and maybe Swiss or Belgian tourists. After customs, two "porters" kindly "helped" us wheel our bags from the carousel ten feet to the money exchange counter and waited with their hands out. We didn't even grasp the exchange rate yet. That was a little irritating, but then we met the driver from the Ritz Carlton and things started looking up, as Paul said, with bottled water and cool towels as we started to relax. Our driver had the unfortunate name of Swastika. He quickly added that it is a Hindu name.
We were seated in the open air hotel lobby sipping fruit drinks and that is where I first learned that I can't get enough of the scent of frangipani. They're everywhere in Bali in different varieties, and they are pretty and smell amazing. You might know it as
plumeria.
The grounds of the hotel were sprawling at 192 acres. It was over a mile just from the entrance to the buildings and facilities, and they are situated overlooking the Indian Ocean "35 meters above sea level on the southwest cliffs of Bali's Jimbaran Bay." It was somewhat confusing at first, especially at night, but it wasn't difficult to get around once we learned the layout. The room was nothing extraordinary, maybe even a little disappointing compared to the surroundings, but it was adequate. I would subsequently skip paying extra for an ocean view since the ocean was barely visible through the hills and trees. Nearby private villas looked rather nice. Otherwise, I thought the grounds were quite lovely and well-planned as far as maintaining a natural, open-air atmosphere including traditional Balinese architecture and stonework. The local little critters must have agreed, as you can see by our pictures of newts on exterior walls at night and the frog waiting outside our door. We also saw hummingbirds and some crazy-looking insects. One looked like a large, aerodynamic pecan shell.
We arrived in the early evening so it was fortunate that the hotel's once-weekly open air dinner theater was that night so we could do something without really doing anything. The buffet was better than average and the show was interesting. It's called the Kecak Dance or the name we prefer, the "monkey dance." We then hitched a ride on one of the passing golf carts to one of the bars where fish swam at our feet, and that was our mellow first night.
We started the next day with a breakfast buffet which again was better than average. They presented Western, Continental, and Eastern fare for the mix of tourists. Many of the hotel guests were Japanese. It amused me that many of them seemed to hurry past the station serving healthful little bowls of morning soup and instead piled their plates high with meats and breads. Just give it time; the whole world will one day be as portly as we Americans.
We rode over to the entrance leading to the beach which was accessed thought 187 stairs. It sounds worse than it is... or not (our legs were aching the next day). There was a little cabana serving snacks and drinks and a few sets of loungers and umbrellas and no more than ten people down there at once. The waves were on the rough side so there was a no-swimming flag hoisted that day, but you could still wade a good way out. The beach was small but beautiful. At first we might have been somewhat disappointed that it was not a more accessible beach with gentle waves ( I did plan everything without a guidebook), but the benefit was that nobody was on it, and we ended up really enjoying it. We walked back, which shocked the staff who called for a ride for us, but it wasn't really that far. Then we spent some time at the main two-level pool before getting ready for dinner.
That night we took an incredibly cheap taxi (less than $3) to a stretch of seafood restaurants that I had read about online. The driver happened to know where we were asking to go when the hotel staff didn't and we ended up in the right place, passing by similar restaurants that reportedly charge several times more for the same food. Sometimes you have to be brave. Approaching this alley of seafood kitchens, it looked like the sort of place where somebody might drug you and sell your kidneys. They all try to get you into their restaurants by claiming it's the best, but we walked to the near end to a place called Lia. We chose a supposed local catch and some prawns and were led to the candlelit tables right in the sand along the surf. Our trepidation gradually eased as we absorbed the laid back air and saw all sorts of tourists and local families both enjoying themselves. The meal was simply prepared and fabulous. A little Bali magic was starting to infect us. It didn't hurt that we paid about $15 for one of the most enjoyable meals we've ever had.
The next morning we set out on a tour up through the country with our own driver and guide for the next seven hours for a more than reasonable price. The tour company based at the hotel had various group packages with a lot of stops at touristy shopping destinations, so we chose to skip some of them and do a slightly shorter trip. I wouldn't say the plot of the tour itself was the best, but our guide Supi was a genuinely warm person and he made the trip interesting and worthwhile.
He first suggested a typical Balinese housing complex so that we could see how people live there. I couldn't say I was intrigued by the prospect, but I didn't want to insult him, so we agreed. It turned out to be quite intriguing after all. I picture a house as having walls and rooms all joined together, but Balinese homes are very open and a complex includes several small thatched-roof structures and always a temple. The Grandma of the house was preparing a meal while we walked around, and a chicken passed through the kitchen while the pig ate its slop in the pen behind the kitchen. Supi explained that families continue to live in a particular complex for generations. Wealthier families don't necessarily have bigger ones; they might just have better quality furnishings. He also explained that roofs are very expensive to replace because the hotels bought up all the palm fronds and grasses for their villa roofs. He said that families rarely move to a new complex because every home must have a temple in which to make offerings and they're expensive to furnish. It's hard to picture without seeing it, but I hope the photos help. You're asked to make a small donation when you leave (about 50 cents).
Then we stopped at an 11th century temple. The stonework is really fascinating. As everything is outdoors, the sun was fiery as we approached afternoon. Then we stopped at a town called Mas, known for woodcarving. I told Supi that I didn't want to go someplace just to shop, but he said that we could see how the artists work. We saw that for about three minutes... then we bought stuff. You can get carried away in the massive shop filled with exotic looking carved pieces, some of which seem like they would be a great idea at the time then once you get home, you might be thinking, "Where exactly should I put this three foot double dragon statue?"
Paul was immediately drawn to the small mahogany monkey on a phone. It's a monkey... on a phone. Spectacular. I liked a teak carving of a man and woman, I think having something to with Hindu mythology, but I don't know what. We also contemplated said dragons. The shopkeeper, also the artist of the phone monkey, lined them up on a table and sat us down to negotiate. It was quite an experience and instantly amusing to recall. We realized that we really didn't need three wood carvings as we also realized that we don't even really like dragons. It just had a lot of fine detail that attracted us, but we let that one go as it was also done by the shopkeeper's grandfather, a master carver, therefore the most expensive. He was really keen on selling the dragons, but whatever prospect arose, the monkey was somehow always included in the deal. I talked him down to about half of the original quote for the two pieces we liked. Paul was impressed as he said he probably would have just paid whatever was asked. (It's a monkey... on a phone.) Let's face it; the guy probably knew what we would pay when we walked in, but we did alright and we still really like the pieces even once they migrated to our home, and it was fun.
Next we stopped at a small plantation. Supi explained that they make the most out of space and don't dedicate it to growing one thing but everything they can. So, there was coffee, tea, cinnamon, lemongrass, cocoa, ginger, and various fruits among other things. We rested awhile sipping a complimentary cocoa drink and some ginger tea which were both yummy. Yes, call me a tourist, I bought some ginger tea. The other interesting thing at the plantation was a couple of cages with very valuable animals in them near the coffee plants.
Kopi luwak comes from the Indonesian words for coffee and civet. A civet is a cat-like creature who slinks around eating sweet red coffee cherries in Indonesia. Finicky like a cat, they only eat the best of the harvest, chewing off the exterior and swallowing the hard inner core of the bean. Once digested, the beans emerge in the usual way - amid the animal's dung. The trip through the digestive system has removed the harshness and most of the caffeine and the result is a mellow coffee bean that sells for as much as $600 a pound. Once you separate it from the dung, of course.
Glad I prefer tea.
Then we stopped very briefly at a point overlooking a volcano in Kintamani and Lake Batur and we ate lunch in a forgettable place nearby. On the way back down, we stopped at a point overlooking rice terraces. Once you fight past kids trying to sell you tee shirts and postcards, the scene is really quite stunning. Then we stopped at the palace of a royal family in Ubud, the cultural center in Bali. Ubud was somewhat disappointing, at least from where we were. I have a feeling we missed out on some things that would have added to our positive impression, but at the town center all we could see were a hundred touristy shops selling cheap artifacts and paintings and thousands of roaming tourists in the streets.
The interesting thing, again thanks to Supi, was that they were building a cremation tower at the palace in Ubud for an upcoming cremation of a member of the royal family. We actually saw one of these processions while driving, as they eventually cremate every one, but for average residents it is only done collectively a few of times a year because it's expensive. But the royal cremation was a big deal and Supi was eager to talk about it as he lived nearby and planned to attend. A big poster on the partially completed tower shows two guys who look like chefs opening a chain restaurant. They're actually candidates for the first governor and deputy governor of Bali. I think the elections were taking place the week after we left. Supi had no good explanation as to why it isn't offensive to hang such a poster on the cremation tower. See photos.
We ate at the hotel's casual Italian restaurant that night and then headed to an airy lounge and enjoyed the musical stylings of the house quartet. They asked us what we liked and they played foreign-accented but highly enjoyable versions of "Rock around the Clock," "Pretty Woman," and "Fly Me to the Moon." A nearby Japanese couple apparently requested Billy Joel and the Beatles. They would probably have been our own personal jukebox if requested as the hotel restaurants and bars were always inexplicably mostly empty. "Fly Me to the Moon" got stuck in our heads for a few days, alternating with wordless Balinese music that was played constantly around the hotel. I can still hear it now.
The next day we started out with massages at the spa. The spa setting was beautiful and truly relaxing and we would have lingered but we wanted to get to the ocean pool, set amid the cliff over the beach and filled with filtered salt water, or as we came to think of it, Heaven. Again, the pool was only accessible after walking down about 150 steps so it was not particularly crowded. Apparently, steps=peaceful. There was another small beach a few steps down from the pool. We ordered some snacks to hold us over to sunset which grew more brilliant each minute as most people departed and we lingered after the sun disappeared. That's when we met the couple, April and Craig, who noticed Paul's tee shirt from a Napa vineyard and started a conversation because they both work in wine. They were there on a honeymoon.
For dinner, we made a second trip to Lia for seafood. This time the taxi driver first took us to the wrong place, but we eventually found the right one. I guess not many guests from the Ritz head out that way. The Lia manager recognized us and shook our hands. We chose a lobster and a smaller fish this time. Perfection again, but the lobster bumped the bill all the way up to about $40. We left later than the first time and the area wasn't as busy that night so we got a little nervous after the manager called us a cab and it hadn't appeared after some time. He started to head home but he called again when he saw us waiting. Then he waited with us until the cab came.
This is what we found to be one of the real attractions of Bali: the people. They seem sincerely kind and courteous and welcoming. Sure, they know they must rely on tourism, but they appear to take a real pride in their culture and they are happy to share it.
Once back at the hotel, we headed to our now-favorite spot to hear more gentle, Indonesian flavored Western pop. We ended up talking to Craig and April for hours even after the place closed, though 'closed' is not accurate since everything is open.
The next morning we spent our last few hours before departure at the ocean pool. The hotel let us check out an hour later which was nice. We were driven back to the airport and accompanied all the way to the gate by a hotel staff member.
We had a list of places we were sure we wanted to see when we came out to Hong Kong, and Bali was not even one of them. Now, we're glad we went there first so that we might fit it in one more time. It was really a lovely place with lovely people. And you don't hear this described in guidebooks, but the whole place smells fantastic. Between the frangipani and the sandalwood frequently burning from offerings made, the senses are filled in unexpected ways. It's a simpler way of living (and I don't agree with Paul that the people are "notoriously poor") but I feel richer for having caught a glimpse of it.
Coming home was a curious experience as well. After the usual travel process of planes, trains, and automobiles, home was... here. That was strange in ways I don't know how to express.
We are now planning a trip in August to another destination that wasn't originally on our list: Borneo. I'll keep you posted. And I'll try to write more between my social lunches, I mean, cultural explorations.
Earlier posts:
Update: I finally spent a couple of hours on the photo situation for the good of sharing this and our future travels. Below is a link to the photo album containing all the Bali Pictures, I hope. Still working out small details... will add commentary very soon. Try it out. Click on the picture and it should take you to the Picasa Web Albums page. It's a public album with its own URL- but will not appear in a public search, the only fair compromise I could find regarding privacy. Then either click on the thumbnail of the first photo and go from there or click on 'slide show' right on top of the first photo.
I know this is the worst blog ever - and the title will be changed. I'm still working on the best way to store photos somewhere so that I can provide a link in the blog and you can see the whole album, but I'm not wild about the idea of the whole world viewing my pictures on something like flickr, so I'm doing my research.
I am currently weighing
Picasa Web Albums and
DotPhoto. I want something functional for me, simple for others to access, and as much privacy as possible. If anybody has experience with this, I'll take advice. I don't want to have to email invitations to view the album; I just want to post a link here, so I don't know how that works with the privacy issue. I think I'm leaning towards DotPhoto because I
think it might provide the best combination, but the language is confusing. Either way, it should be a couple of days and you'll have my view of Bali to complement Paul's as well as all the photos. I've been procrastinating because I have so much to write about Bali. Also, I've had plans four out of five days this week, so I haven't actually been home to write. So, sorry for the delay, but it is brewing.
