Bali
Thurs.
We left on Thursday around lunch time. (took a 1/2 day off) so we
arrived in Bali at 4:30 in the afternoon. The runway is on a piece of
land jutting out into the ocean very close to Kuta beach so coming in
for a landing it looked and felt like we were going to land in the
surf.
surf
It was nice to have an initial couple hours of daylight to get
oriented. We checked into our hotel, the Hard Rock Beach Club
(semi-attached to the Hard Rock Cafe) and went for a dusk walk along
the beach.
On our first trip to Bali last November, we ate a a place
recommended in our travel book called Poppies. It was so good and
charming, we decided to eat there again. You sit out in a covered
garden. The food was great local cuisine. I had the nasi campur which
is a pile of steamed rice in the middle of the plate with a variety
of side dishes along the sides of the plate for example curried beef,
chili fish and chili chicken, cucumber relish, hard boiled egg. Keith
had the nasi goreng which is fried rice Indonesian style with a fried
egg on top and satay on the side. After dinner we walked along the
streets around Kuta. I would actually call them alley’s instead of
streets. They are packed with little shops selling all types of
Indonesian crafted souvenirs, t-shirts, sarongs, etc. We ended up
with an early evening and a nice peaceful nights sleep.
Fri
We woke up early and refreshed. We had breakfast at the hotel and
headed to the beach. Since we got there before 9am it wasn’t very
crowded yet. We took some time to watch the waves and decide the best
place for Keith to try to surf. There were only two small sections of
the beach marked for swimming. Other parts of the beach were marked
with danger flags but surfers and body boarders still used the waves
in those areas. Keith spent two hours in the water, first with a surf
board, then with a boogie board. I spent an hour reading a magazine,
then another hour getting a massage on the beach for $7. The massage
was nice but the hassle that comes with it is not. There are
“hawkers” all along the beach trying to sell things to tourist, like
sarongs, wood carvings, rip off t-shirts and shorts, handmade jewelry
etc. When you lay down for a massage, the hawkers surround you and
ask your name and say don’t forget me, remember me when you get done.
A couple of these annoying people stayed around me during the entire
massage so when I got done I was given an even harder sales pitch.
Keith and I found out the way to get away from them is to walk toward
the water. There is only a short area off the street where the hawker
are allowed to go. Closer to the water you are safe.
After enough of the sea water we headed to the hotel pool (right
across the street) and had a couple of beers and lunch. The pool is a
cool design. It wraps around the back deck of the Hard Rock Cafe. It
is a huge pool surrounded by lounge chairs and cabana’s. In the
center of the pool there’s a sandbar and the middle portion of the
pool is a sand bottom so you really feel like your on the beach.
Since we were reaching out sun limit for the day, we headed in for a
nap then back out to the pool as the sun started to go down for the
poolside happy hour at 5pm.
Cafe in the back
pool
We had dinner Friday night at another local place. More nasi
campur! Then we walked around Kuta again and spent a few hours in the
Sari Club drinking what we think was local palm gin. It was something
nasty because we felt shitty the next day for not having drank very
much liquor. Or maybe we did drink a lot, there were serving triple
gin and tonics. To give you an idea of this place, they were also
serving 1 liter plastic bottles of concoctions like “down under” and
“sex on the beach”. This was sort of an Australian spring break type
place. The people watching factor was very good!
Sat
This was the best day of our trip. We had arranged for a car and
driver for the day. On our previous trip to Bali we had done the same
thing, but concentrated on shopping. This time we concentrated on
sightseeing with just a little shopping thrown in along the way. We
drove up through the center of the island toward Ubud which is the
art center for Bali. We stopped on the way at a batik shop where you
can watch them handmake batik. You can even let them do a little
batik sample on your shirt and pants but we said no thanks and let
the Japanese tourists have their turns instead. I bought two sarongs
to use as wall hangings. The prices are high although you can
negotiate. I had my eye on some napkins and placemats but I thought
they were way overpriced so I left those behind.
(not batik)
The next stop was Sayan Terraces just outside of Ubud. This is one
of the most spectacular rice terraces in Bali. Since the terrain is
very hilly, they have made terraces down the hills to grow rice. The
view of these terraced hills is beautiful.
terraces
We followed the path for the view of the rice terraces (which was
great) but we were slightly disappointed that it was a 3 minute
brick/cement trail. We had expected more of a walk. On our way back
to the beginning the trail a young guy asked if we wanted to walk
down by the river. At this point we just thought the guy was going to
point us in the right direction then leave, or that he was going
there anyway. We followed him down another path that soon turned into
a not so traveled trail where we had to really maneuver to get down.
There were bushes poking out at our legs and mud and rocks to
negotiate through. The “guide” walked us down to the river in the
valley between the terraces. He pointed out several local
trees/plants and also pointed out local workers along the river and
what they were doing. Several women were digging sand, then sending
it up the steep hills with a pulley system.
river for construction
In the middle of our walk the “guide” showed us to a banyan tree
where a small temple had been set up. He told us the water from the
spring comes down from the mountain that they consider holy. After
ceremony’s at the main temple, they will walk down to the one next to
the banyan tree and wash some items in the water. We didn’t go back
the way we came down, instead we started back uphill at a different
spot, and then walked back along the road to our starting point.
very spiritual combination
terraces
Almost at the very end of our walk (1 1/2 hrs) he took us on to
some private property for one last look of the terraces from high on
the hill. I was the best view that we had all day. We had already
been thinking that we would give this guy a tip for showing us
around. It wasn’t until the end of our tour and after that we really
realized this guy was doing it as a living, although it wasn’t
advertised that way. I particularly enjoyed the experience for
exactly that reason. It was an area with no people around but
ourselves. There weren’t crowds of people trying to sell us something
and it was beautiful and peaceful. We didn’t mind that he expected to
get paid but didn’t tell us that up front. At least he didn’t ask for
a certain amount he left it up to us. If he had come up to us on that
first trail and said I’ll show your around for 60,000 rupiah we would
have said no and missed the whole thing. High up on one of the hills
is a Four Seasons hotel. If we ever have the chance to go again, I
would try to stay a night or two at that Four Seasons built into the
rice terraces.
for a MUCH bigger version)
After the trek through the rice terraces the driver took us to
Ubud, the town where we had lunch and did some shopping. Lunch was at
a place called Cafe Lotus where we sat out on a covered patio looking
out over a series of lotus gardens and a temple. It was a pretty view
even though the lotus were not blooming. After lunch we crossed the
corner to the market where there were all sorts of things for sale.
Some of it was the same goods sold in Kuta with the addition of
fruits and spices. I bought some handwoven bamboo placemats and
coasters for my outdoor table. It really gets tiring having to
bargain for everything you want to buy.
shops
From Ubud we drove an hour or so up to Mt. Batur. Mt. Batur is a
dormant volcano with a lake around it. I don’t know when the last
time it erupted but you could see black charred places where lava had
burned everything in it’s path. The air was much cooler around the
mountain (about 4,000 ft elevation.) which was refreshing. We
basically stopped at a lookout point along the road. The view was
great but this was the worst place for hawkers. We could not get the
local people to leave us alone. They were selling pencils, t-shirts,
fruit and all sorts of other stuff and they were in your face. Even
though we had driven over an hour to get there, we stayed only 10
minutes because the hawkers were too annoying. We DID NOT buy
anything there! I would like to know who the stupid tourists are that
actually buy their stuff and encourage them.
After our adventure day in Bali we headed back to the Hotel. Keith
went to the bar in the pool to enjoy the 2 for 1 special during happy
hour. I opted for another massage, this time at the hotel spa. Even
in the hotel spa the massage was only $18 and it was wonderful. That
reminded my why I love Bali!
For dinner we just ended up going to the Hard Rock, which was
pretty good.
Sun
Another early morning rise and I wanted to get some shopping done
in Kuta. So far we hadn’t bought much but a couple sarongs and some
placemats. Balinese believe their first customer of the day is lucky
so they don’t want their first customer to walk out w/ out buying
anything. This tradition has turned a little ridiculous because the
shop owners try to tell you they are giving you “morning price”.
Keith wanted a t-shirt with a Bintang logo on it (local beer) since
he already had a shirt with Singha (Thai beer). He bargained for it
but when they wouldn’t give his price he gave in and paid 5,000
rupiah more than his offer. It’s only $.75 but it’s the principal. I
bought a sarong at the same place and walked away so they would give
me my price. Keith says I’m tough but I can’t get over the feeling
that I always pay too much! There must have been something right
about that lucky first customer thing because at several places they
took my money and waved it over the rest of their merchandise like it
was good luck.
We rented boogie boards on the beach again, then spent the rest of
the day by the pool until out ride to the airport showed at 3:30. We
both came back a little sun burned but it was a good time.
