[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
|
 |
Bali
March 28 - April 10First
impressions are deceiving.
Bali is small. It is a small island. We were together on Bali for 10 days. It rained
everyday. Jeff was there for 14 days, it rained everyday. The Josher was there for 30
days, it rained everyday. Bali is wet. It rained everyday for 1-2 hours, the rest of the
time it was very sunny, and because of the rain it was very humid. The average temperature
was 90-95 degrees in the sun. Bali is hot. After a minute or two in the sun, sweat would
soak your clothes. (i.e. After Jeff's shower on his first day, his REI, fancy, high-tech,
quick dry towel, didn't dry in 2 weeks) Bali is also crowded with tourists, and polluted
by garbage, that floats in the flooded, ankle-deep, streets. Bali: small, hot, wet,
crowded, polluted, flooded, humid.
BUT.....once you leave Kuta beach, things get much
better. It is still hot and it still rains everyday but the rain is nice and cooling (not
to mention perfect napping weather), it never lasts very long, and all around you is lush,
green, tropical jungle, terraced rice fields, mountains and ocean. We spent most of our
time in a town called Ubud, that is the center for local artists and craftsman. Ubud is
filled with paintings, woodcarvings, batiks, and an amazing assortment of delicious
restaurants and cafes. It was in Ubud where we stayed in the fanciest accommodation of our
trip, the Sri Bungalows, complete with huge bamboo bungalow rooms, free breakfast and a
swimming pool. At $17 bucks a night, it put a strain on our budget, but the value couldn't
be beat!
Jeff and Andrea did the bulk of the touring including. a
climb to the top of a Volcano at 4 am to watch the sunrise, watching traditional Balinese
dance and music, visiting an amazing temple where they learned a whole new meaning to the
word prayer, and a three day trip to the quiet village of Amed. Josh spent 30 days surfing
in Kuta Beach. Mike spent sometime in Kuta with Josh trying to learn to surf ("I
guess we can rule this out as one of your sports" - Friberg, 4/99) but spent most of
the time shopping in the small markets, shops and villages around and in Ubud. As a group:
Jeff, Mike, Josh, Andrea, Michelle (Andreas friend from San Francisco) and Kara,
(Michelle's friend from Hawaii) spent one day all together touring. We went to see the
huge surf of Uluwatu, which is a world-renown surf spot and responsible for Bali's fame
among surfer professionals. We watched a sensational sunset at Uluwatu Temple, and
finished the day with a fantastic, beach side, meal of fresh fish in Jamboran Bay.
After Andrea, Michelle and Kara left, Mike returned to
Ubud to reconnect with Jeff at the Sri Bungalow, while Josh remained in Kuta to surf. Mike
and Jeff went to the nearby village of Mas, known for their teak-wood furniture and
carvings, and to Tegallalong, a village known for their wood, handcarved garuda statues.
Mike caught a slight stomach bug but it was nothing one round of cipro couldn't fix.
With only two days left of Bali (and Asia), we returned
to Kuta beach for our final hang with The Josher. Josh had befriended a 20 year old,
Japanese, surfer, named Hiro, who was a tempura cook from Tokyo, surf-dog and serious lady
killer. Hiro very quickly became our hero! Our hero, Hiro, didn't speak much English and
what he knew was learned from watching American movies. We taught him a few key phrases
like "What's up baby?!", "Slap me some skin!", "How's it
going?", and "Hey dude!" Hiro plans to come to the USA in a year and
promised to visit Minnesota if he does make it.
On April 10th we left The Josher (or Joshy), Hiro, Bali
and Asia. We were going to the final country in the Timezone7 agenda. Leaving the third
world behind, we were off to the first world, the western world - Australia. In terms of
our trip, Bali was the blink of an eye, and it ended before it really started. This is not
just the end of the Bali section, it is "Asia Finis!"
Our travelers finally leave Asia for Australia. |
