As I am writing this last post about my trip to Indonesia, reality has already sucked me back into my Jeju life, and sharing those stories definitely helps keep the memories alive.
My bad luck turned as I was on a ferry back from Lombok – indeed the cheap alternative (12$ including hotel pick-up and 5-hour ferry ride) to the 40$ airplane (which didn’t even include airport taxes!)
I met a peculiar Philippino who got his diving license drunk, and who is also known as a dentist in San Diego. Juan is a hilarious guy, and he’d always get out of the van every time we were picking somebody up. So of course it had to happen: everyone forgot about him and half an hour later we saw him from afar, riding on some Balinese guy’s motorbike.
It’s also on that boat that I met the most atypical French – a guy and his wife who have a tepee hostel on a farm back in Europe. He was playing a two-string mandolin and smoking his pipe, a real character!
We got off the boat and headed to the love of my life, Ubud. For only 2$, I sat on the front seat of a van, between the driver and some guy, while the transmission stick kept hitting my thighs. It smelled like gas and sweat (thanks to thecountless people sitting in the back) and lasted for a good two hours.
The search for a hotel wasn’t easy, but we finally ended up on Kajeng road, at a lovely hotel called
Puri Bebengan – 5$ a night, breakfast and swimming pool included! Nearby, the monsters were still being built and they looked awesome!
The preparation for Hindu New Year had been going on for a while, and everyone including kids wore the traditional Balinese costume. During the few days Patrick and I had spent together, we had seen gatherings at temples, and women carrying offerings.
One thing to know about Hinduism is the belief in good and evil spirits. The Balinese believe that in order to rid the island of evil spirits, they must make offerings every single day. Thus it is no surprise to find everywhere (sidewalks, statues, doorsteps, stairways, etc.) little baskets made out of banana leaves, filled with flowers, rice, fruit and such things. There also usually is incense burning – which explains why it always smells good on the streets of Bali.
Dogs are also an interesting part of Balinese culture – countless dogs are all over the streets, even sleeping in the middle of the road at night. They eat the offerings too. Yet no one does anything about it because the theory is:
Dogs are eating the offerings so maybe they are evil spirits . But maybe they’re not, and maybe they’re just your reincarnated grandfather. So people decide not to take the chance of ruining their karma and let the dogs be. As a result, hundreds of dogs are running around all over the island, many carrying diseases and almost causing car accidents.
Animals are just all over the place!
Women in Bali always carry stuff on their head – which is sometimes quite impressive considering the huge load of vegetables or anything else they carry. They believe that it is good for one’s posture, and most of them do it without even holding the basket with their hands. Their spinalcord is straight as can be!
Before Hindu New Year, I spent a lot of time with Christian (Papillon is his nickname) and Christine, the French couple, and Amandine and Arnaud, another couple from France.
We would often go to
Balina Langoon, this exquisite restaurant by our hotel on Kajeng Road, where the food is delicious and cheap! For instance, fried rice with vegetables and an egg for 1.40$, and a tasty avocado salad for only a buck.
We also went a few times to
Bali Buddha, a candle-lit lounge where they serve health tonics, vegetarian meals, and the oh-so-good Minessota pizza – sundried tomatoes, basil and goat cheese! Downstairs there’s a market that sells fresh organic fruit and vegetables, as well as other organic stuff. Bali Buddha is east of the center.
We also witness some scary little shadow play in prepration for Hindu New Year – it was at a temple, near Ubud Palace, and even if you don’t understand Balinese, you can tell by the voice that it’s like one of those kids’ plays to teach them a lesson about evil. Check it out:
Women in Bali always carry stuff on their head – which is sometimes quite impressive considering the huge load of vegetables or anything else they carry. They believe that it is good for one’s posture, and most of them do it without even holding the basket with their hands. Their spinalcord is straight as can be!
Before Hindu New Year, I spent a lot of time with Christian (Papillon is his nickname) and Christine, the French couple, and Amandine and Arnaud, another couple from France.
We would often go to Balina Langoon, this exquisite restaurant by our hotel on Kajeng Road, where the food is delicious and cheap! For instance, fried rice with vegetables and an egg for 1.40$, and a tasty avocado salad for only a buck.
