Jul 2007

We're back in Kuta, Bali after six days exploring other parts of the island... and, as it turned out, other islands. Sorry that we were not able to return emails!

On a whim (and because you can do things on a whim when you've quit your job to travel), we decided to take a small boat to the Gili islands, about 4 hours by sea off of Bali to the east, very close to Lombok island. Through a series of accidents and miscommunications, we picked the island closest to Lombok, Gili Air, as our surrogate home for 5 days. This trip was one of those travel experiences where you drop all previous cultural points of reference and just sort of go with it. We arrived after 10 hours of travel by bus and boat- crazy waves and seasickness on that boat, I should add- while the sun was setting. Even as you are arriving at the Gilis, you can still see the silhouette of Agung volcano, the most holy of Hindu sites on Bali, towering at 3,014 meters (approx. 10,000 feet) over the Bali Sea.

When we arrived on Gili Air, the sun had just dipped below the horizon, and everything was darkness under the coconut trees (the sunset put on quite a brilliantly colored show which we watched on the top of the small boat). There are no paved roads, and no vehicles, so we were transported to our bungalows the way locals travel- by cidomo, or horse-drawn cart. The carts all have bells attached to them, and sound not unlike Santa arriving with gifts as they approach you down the lane. The horses are really more like ponies and I feel for them, straining under the weight of our American frames (and American packs).

The path was only lit by the occasional window-side candle, and everything was awash in moonlight or black shadow. As poetic as this all seemed, later, we learned that this darkness, while not uncommon, was attributable to a power-outage... apparently the generator off of which all electricity runs on Gili Air is always acting quite fickle. The next morning and following day we followed a routine which was to stay the same for the next four days. Wake up, have a simple breakfast sitting on pillows in a wooden hut on the beach, take a walk around the island (about 45 minutes), lie on the beach, and chat with locals. It truly was practice in the "art of doing nothing" and such a marked change of pace from the past four years- well, really the past 10 years- that it felt strange at first, being okay with having a simple routine and being okay with just thinking, and not really having to do. Not sure if that really makes sense, but that's the best I can describe it. Sort of like a mental detox.

We didn't just sit around thinking and relaxing in Gili Air, though... we had the pleasure of meeting a wonderful couple from California, Jeanne and Ron, with whom we enjoyed a tasty dinner of fresh fish, and great conversation. Talking with Jeanne and Ron was like learning how to be social again after a week of random exchanges and thoughts, reading and listening to ipods. Catt and I had finally run out of conversation topics, and it was great to swap travel stories, and get advice from an older, wiser team Jeanne and Ron, thank you for the great dinner, and we will keep in touch!

A few random logistical details and accomodation info:

Gili Air: we stayed at Gili Air Santay bungalows, 90,000 Rp per night (about $10) for simple room with Western-ish style toilet, mosquito net, bungalow and porch hammock. The food was great value (especially the Thai curries and pad thai). Travel was by Perama boat, to and from.

And here are some more pictures:

We've made it, finally, to Bali Indonesia. We arrived here about two days ago, bleary-eyed after forty hours in transit from Washington, DC. Our trip was delayed by the usual- poor weather, last minute gate changes, and a surprise layover in Anchorage, Alaska (although it was beautiful to see the rugged Alaskan landscape, bathed in the reddish-orange glow of 24 hour daylight as we landed at 3:00 AM). As soon as we reached Indonesia, though, our spirits lifted immediately... it's beautiful here, and the people we encountered were extremely eager to talk and easy to smile. Our airport pick-up is a local guy named Made, who, as we have learned, like most Balinese, likes to talk, and loves to ask personal questions off the bat. We learn from Made (pronounced "Mah-Day") that most Balinese have one of four names- all indicating birth order. Made means "second." We asked what happens when a fifth child is born, and were told that they simply start over again with "first." Many families as a result have several sets of children named first, second, and so on.

We picked the quieter town of Sanur as our first stop, or "Snore" as it's jokingly referred to by the Australian party population that prefers wilder, rowdier Kuta. We are staying in a lovely guesthouse called Flashbacks that has bungalows and rooms situated in a private, small garden right off the main drag here in Sanur. The price is good- at $21 per night, this is definitely moderate (or the highest end of budget) for accommodations on Bali, but hey, we wanted a soft landing for our first few days.

We spent our first afternoon and day getting our bearings, indulging in the cheap, tasty restaurants in our neighborhood ($3 entrees and 90 cent beers at nice places; even cheaper at food stalls), and checking out the beach, where we spent the majority of yesterday afternoon. It was naive of me to think that this would translate to an afternoon of solitude; it was quite to the contrary. The touts and hawkers walk up and down the shoreline, desperate to tempt potential customers with excursions, massages, pedicures, etc. A guy named Komang ("third") stopped by our beach chairs eager to make a business pitch and we ended up discussing everything from religious tension on Bali to the ghosts that inhabit all Balinese homes. The 30 minute chat was much more of a cultural exchange than a cross examination. Komang, like most Balinese, is Hindu, and as his main source of income is the tourist industry he has a somewhat colored view of some of the more conservative Muslims in Indonesia. He discussed this at length with us, always emphasizing that Bali is different from the rest of the country, and that we may not receive such a warm welcome in Java. We also discussed the negative impact that perceptions of Indonesia as a "terrorist haven" have had on Bali's tourism industry. The recent terrorism threat posted by the government of Australia has many locals in the industry fearful for a relapse in the tourism drought that followed the 2002 Bail bombings, and everyone is quick to attest to the safety of the island. Komang went so far as to say that he would welcome President Bush here, "with open arms!" Furthering this point were the many tee-shirts we saw in outdoor market stalls with slogans such as "Osama Don't Surf" and "F*(expletive) Terrorists."

Speaking of surfing, I'm hoping to learn later this week when we make it down to Kuta.

Today we took a driving tour which included the inland culture mecca of Ubud. We travelled up to the volcano of Gunung Agung, saw a traditional dance performance and visited different artists' villages. Once we hit our backpacking groove, life will not be as plush as it's been... but we've really enjoyed our first few days here. Tomorrow it's on to Ubud, the cultural navel of Bali. We will update with pictures and a list of our gear, soon, so check back!

Many thanks for all of your emails, and please keep in touch!

Here are some more pictures of our first few days on Bali in Sanur, and Ubud: