Bali - the most beautiful place!
After working in Jakarta until Thursday, I had a flight out to Bali that evening so that I could enjoy two full days on the island - both Friday and Saturday. Come to find out, the BP contact that I had in Indonesia, has a cousin that owns basically half of the island of Bali! Iwan, my co-worker and friend, decided to check on a few businesses that he owns in Bali that weekend and accompany me on my way over to the island. He arranged EVERYTHING! Iwan booked my flight and accommodations (we stayed at a hotel that his cousin owns) - I was soooo very lucky to have Iwan helping me because as tired as I was Thursday, I would have probably gotten on a plane to ??? We stayed in the Kartika Plaza hotel, which is located on Kuta Beach in Bali. I believe this is the most popular beach for tourists AND President Bush stayed at this hotel when he visited Bali! How did Iwan know to hook me up where George W. had once stayed?
Thursday night was a quick one - then Friday was to be the day that Iwan brought me about the island to see the people, the shops, and just about everything! We figured that Saturday would be a good day for R&R on the beach and in the sun. So, after breakfast Friday morning, I meet Iwan in the lobby area and our driver for the day rolls up in this van! Yep - Iwan's cousin arranged for us to have a driver all day long to take us around the island to the many destinations that we wanted to go to. Of course, as busy as I have been, I had not had the time to look about the island for things I wanted to definitely see and do - but I didn't have to - Iwan knew everything and had a schedule for the day ... it was FANTASTIC! We first headed to another beach on the island where water sports are very popular. I decided to go parasailing for the first time in my life! It was great - only $20 - and much less scary than I had imagined. After parasailing, I got the urge to get a temporary tattoo! YEP - I couldn't resist ... it is supposed to last 2 weeks ... so I looked through all these books with designs and found a few things I liked, so I asked the tattoo artist to make me a 'custom' design. He basically took the arm band I wanted and put the sun design that I wanted all together on my left arm! It was the neatest thing ever!!! I was so excited - it is still on now but I can tell it is fading and if I really wanted to get it off, it wouldn't take much and its only been a week. OH WELL!
After the tattoo, Iwan and I headed to a variety of places to do some shopping. Our driver would bring us to places that were the best quality in the area for what we were looking for - i.e. batik (local hand-made material from Bali), silver & gold jewelry, things made out of straw or wicker of sorts. Basically the routine was, you would get dropped off but not go into the main building just yet ... first, you were taken out back to see how everything was made. They explained step-by-step what had to be done to hand-make this material, a silver bead, or a straw purse - it was UNREAL! You talk about "manual-labor" - at its finest! These people work in conditions that would surprise many of us - and they are so talented in their skilled labor. After you were able to witness what actually went into making these items, then you proceeded into the actual store where the finished products were kept and for sale. VERY SMART strategy-wise in that they showed us first how much detail and effort went into these products because it gave you a whole new perspective on what you were buying. I have to admit that I bought something from each place, but can't give details as there are people reading this site who may be recipients of those gifts. What I didn't realize is that Iwan was going around and telling everyone that we were cousins!!! ... so he was getting me local discount prices instead of the tourist prices! Every question that I had, he would translate into Indonesian and ask it for me. I could not have asked for a better guide through the island, honestly, I couldn't have!
At one point, I kept seeing people (women) in the rice fields and it just fascinated me and I wanted to get a closer look. So, Iwan told the driver to pull over and we just walked out into these people's rice fields with our cameras and my questions. Iwan explained to me how these women grew the rice and managed to collect the rice when it was ready; this is without any machinery at all! Again, manual labor that I couldn't imagine doing for HOURS throughout the day in the hot sun. One of the most interesting places that Iwan brought me to was a traditional home of a Balinese family. Each family usually has its own Hindu Temple to carry out various ceremonies and such. All bedrooms were outside and porcupine was what was on tap for dinner that night! I was very honored to have been able to view these people's home. People in Bali are very nice to tourists and do not go after you for your money at all. Iwan explained to me that many people on the island believe in Karma (so what good they do for others will come back to them); they can actually be very offended when Westerners try to tip them cash for giving directions or providing a serivce to them. Iwan taught me to to ASK first if I can give a tip to them - then it is usually accepted.
Finally before heading back to the hotel, Iwan brought me to a place to have lunch/dinner at a traditional Indonesian restaurant. That was great fun and Iwan and I talked a great deal about different cultures and religions. Iwan is Muslim but did study in the States for a while during graduate school; apparently, that is quite normal for Indonesians to study abroad at some point. He is extremely outgoing and knows just about everyone at the BP office as well as everyone on the island of Bali! I found out that Iwan has 17 adopted children!!! I nearly fell out of my chair when I heard this - seventeen! He has always wanted to help the kids in the streets of Jakarta and at a young age, he began to take them in to give them a better life. They all call him "Ah Ah", which mean "Big Brother". Iwan is only 37 years old and a few of the kids are already in University! He had dedicated his life to helping others and you can tell it from how genuine he is and his giving demeanor - he truly gets the most joy out of servicing others and he has great pride in his country and where he comes from! He was was very proud to be showing me his homeland - I felt so grateful to have had the opportunity to have him to travel around with ... I would have NEVER gotten to see Bali the way I did without his local insight.
I believe after most of Friday was complete, I went back to the hotel to take on about 3 hours of calls from the States about work. We called it a night and then planned on hanging at the beach most of the day on Saturday. I did make sure to get a "traditional Indonesian massage" that Saturday morning, which was unbelievable. I was laying in a hut on the beach in the open for an hour getting this massage ... I cannot explain how amazing it was - to hear the sounds of the beach and to be on the beach in this open hut ... I will admit that I was a bit surprised when she asked me to take my top off like it was 'no big deal'! By the way, the massage was under $20 for an hour ... cheap, much? After the massage, Iwan and I headed to the beach and once we were settled, I had my toenails repainted with designs of flowers for about $3. Then, I had ladies with tons of jewelery coming over to me asking me to buy some of their stuff, which I did of course - but all very cheap. Then I got to rest for a bit until one of Iwan's friends asked me if I wanted to go SURFING! Uh - I have NEVER, not once, been surfing before. Never even tried it before ... my brother always had told me how hard it was and so I guess I never really thought about trying - and besides, I have not traveled any beachy-type place in so long to have the opportunity to do so. Well, in Bali, Iwan's friend was willing to teach me!
So, of course I had to go surfing for the first time in Bali!!! I had a bit of schooling on the beach before I was able to get into the water. The instructor went out in the water with me and the first wave that came by, I went under before I even got started because I was too close to the front of the board and therefore, too heavy to 'catch' the wave. So, the second time I tried - NO KIDDING - I GOT UP!!! YES INDEEDY!!! I sure did - of course I ate it backwards off the surf board - but I stood up and officially got up on my 2nd try! I have to admit, I was mighty proud of myself (still am, cant' you tell?). The instructor did not believe me that this was my first time I had surfed but it truly was ... and I can guarantee you that I will be doing it again too, what a rush! I did notice a few things about surfing: (1) I underestimated how exhausting of a sport it was, (2) I had no idea that a surf board weighed as much as it did, and (3) I never realized how much of your stomach muscles you use to actually stand on the board from the lying down position. I will say that the next day I woke up and felt like someone had punched me in the front of the rib cage. It just so happens that my the front of my rib cage on both sides jet out a bit further than the average person's (those who know me know this) - but what I realized is that every time you mount that surf board, you basically are sliding on those two points of bone - OUCH! It was well worth it though.
Iwan and I went back to the pool to hang out by the hotel a bit and then we decided to clean up and go for dinner. We chose to eat at a Japanese restaurant and it was very good - Iwan eats a lot like me ... little to none ... he actually doesn't like food either because he thinks it is a waste of time to eat! Could we have been better travel companions? TOO FUNNY! I was so sad to see my time in Bali end. I was set to leave at 6 AM the next morning (Sunday) for Vietnam - I had to catch a plane from Bali to Jakarta, then from Jakarta to Singapore, then from Singapore to Ho Chi Mingh City, Vietnam. Iwan and I left early Sunday morning and that was the end of my 2 most glorious days in Bali! I owe a lot of it to Iwan and the entire experience was such a blessing. I cannot wait to go back for more than just 2 days!!!
keely :)
Thursday night was a quick one - then Friday was to be the day that Iwan brought me about the island to see the people, the shops, and just about everything! We figured that Saturday would be a good day for R&R on the beach and in the sun. So, after breakfast Friday morning, I meet Iwan in the lobby area and our driver for the day rolls up in this van! Yep - Iwan's cousin arranged for us to have a driver all day long to take us around the island to the many destinations that we wanted to go to. Of course, as busy as I have been, I had not had the time to look about the island for things I wanted to definitely see and do - but I didn't have to - Iwan knew everything and had a schedule for the day ... it was FANTASTIC! We first headed to another beach on the island where water sports are very popular. I decided to go parasailing for the first time in my life! It was great - only $20 - and much less scary than I had imagined. After parasailing, I got the urge to get a temporary tattoo! YEP - I couldn't resist ... it is supposed to last 2 weeks ... so I looked through all these books with designs and found a few things I liked, so I asked the tattoo artist to make me a 'custom' design. He basically took the arm band I wanted and put the sun design that I wanted all together on my left arm! It was the neatest thing ever!!! I was so excited - it is still on now but I can tell it is fading and if I really wanted to get it off, it wouldn't take much and its only been a week. OH WELL!
After the tattoo, Iwan and I headed to a variety of places to do some shopping. Our driver would bring us to places that were the best quality in the area for what we were looking for - i.e. batik (local hand-made material from Bali), silver & gold jewelry, things made out of straw or wicker of sorts. Basically the routine was, you would get dropped off but not go into the main building just yet ... first, you were taken out back to see how everything was made. They explained step-by-step what had to be done to hand-make this material, a silver bead, or a straw purse - it was UNREAL! You talk about "manual-labor" - at its finest! These people work in conditions that would surprise many of us - and they are so talented in their skilled labor. After you were able to witness what actually went into making these items, then you proceeded into the actual store where the finished products were kept and for sale. VERY SMART strategy-wise in that they showed us first how much detail and effort went into these products because it gave you a whole new perspective on what you were buying. I have to admit that I bought something from each place, but can't give details as there are people reading this site who may be recipients of those gifts. What I didn't realize is that Iwan was going around and telling everyone that we were cousins!!! ... so he was getting me local discount prices instead of the tourist prices! Every question that I had, he would translate into Indonesian and ask it for me. I could not have asked for a better guide through the island, honestly, I couldn't have!
At one point, I kept seeing people (women) in the rice fields and it just fascinated me and I wanted to get a closer look. So, Iwan told the driver to pull over and we just walked out into these people's rice fields with our cameras and my questions. Iwan explained to me how these women grew the rice and managed to collect the rice when it was ready; this is without any machinery at all! Again, manual labor that I couldn't imagine doing for HOURS throughout the day in the hot sun. One of the most interesting places that Iwan brought me to was a traditional home of a Balinese family. Each family usually has its own Hindu Temple to carry out various ceremonies and such. All bedrooms were outside and porcupine was what was on tap for dinner that night! I was very honored to have been able to view these people's home. People in Bali are very nice to tourists and do not go after you for your money at all. Iwan explained to me that many people on the island believe in Karma (so what good they do for others will come back to them); they can actually be very offended when Westerners try to tip them cash for giving directions or providing a serivce to them. Iwan taught me to to ASK first if I can give a tip to them - then it is usually accepted.
Finally before heading back to the hotel, Iwan brought me to a place to have lunch/dinner at a traditional Indonesian restaurant. That was great fun and Iwan and I talked a great deal about different cultures and religions. Iwan is Muslim but did study in the States for a while during graduate school; apparently, that is quite normal for Indonesians to study abroad at some point. He is extremely outgoing and knows just about everyone at the BP office as well as everyone on the island of Bali! I found out that Iwan has 17 adopted children!!! I nearly fell out of my chair when I heard this - seventeen! He has always wanted to help the kids in the streets of Jakarta and at a young age, he began to take them in to give them a better life. They all call him "Ah Ah", which mean "Big Brother". Iwan is only 37 years old and a few of the kids are already in University! He had dedicated his life to helping others and you can tell it from how genuine he is and his giving demeanor - he truly gets the most joy out of servicing others and he has great pride in his country and where he comes from! He was was very proud to be showing me his homeland - I felt so grateful to have had the opportunity to have him to travel around with ... I would have NEVER gotten to see Bali the way I did without his local insight.
I believe after most of Friday was complete, I went back to the hotel to take on about 3 hours of calls from the States about work. We called it a night and then planned on hanging at the beach most of the day on Saturday. I did make sure to get a "traditional Indonesian massage" that Saturday morning, which was unbelievable. I was laying in a hut on the beach in the open for an hour getting this massage ... I cannot explain how amazing it was - to hear the sounds of the beach and to be on the beach in this open hut ... I will admit that I was a bit surprised when she asked me to take my top off like it was 'no big deal'! By the way, the massage was under $20 for an hour ... cheap, much? After the massage, Iwan and I headed to the beach and once we were settled, I had my toenails repainted with designs of flowers for about $3. Then, I had ladies with tons of jewelery coming over to me asking me to buy some of their stuff, which I did of course - but all very cheap. Then I got to rest for a bit until one of Iwan's friends asked me if I wanted to go SURFING! Uh - I have NEVER, not once, been surfing before. Never even tried it before ... my brother always had told me how hard it was and so I guess I never really thought about trying - and besides, I have not traveled any beachy-type place in so long to have the opportunity to do so. Well, in Bali, Iwan's friend was willing to teach me!
So, of course I had to go surfing for the first time in Bali!!! I had a bit of schooling on the beach before I was able to get into the water. The instructor went out in the water with me and the first wave that came by, I went under before I even got started because I was too close to the front of the board and therefore, too heavy to 'catch' the wave. So, the second time I tried - NO KIDDING - I GOT UP!!! YES INDEEDY!!! I sure did - of course I ate it backwards off the surf board - but I stood up and officially got up on my 2nd try! I have to admit, I was mighty proud of myself (still am, cant' you tell?). The instructor did not believe me that this was my first time I had surfed but it truly was ... and I can guarantee you that I will be doing it again too, what a rush! I did notice a few things about surfing: (1) I underestimated how exhausting of a sport it was, (2) I had no idea that a surf board weighed as much as it did, and (3) I never realized how much of your stomach muscles you use to actually stand on the board from the lying down position. I will say that the next day I woke up and felt like someone had punched me in the front of the rib cage. It just so happens that my the front of my rib cage on both sides jet out a bit further than the average person's (those who know me know this) - but what I realized is that every time you mount that surf board, you basically are sliding on those two points of bone - OUCH! It was well worth it though.
Iwan and I went back to the pool to hang out by the hotel a bit and then we decided to clean up and go for dinner. We chose to eat at a Japanese restaurant and it was very good - Iwan eats a lot like me ... little to none ... he actually doesn't like food either because he thinks it is a waste of time to eat! Could we have been better travel companions? TOO FUNNY! I was so sad to see my time in Bali end. I was set to leave at 6 AM the next morning (Sunday) for Vietnam - I had to catch a plane from Bali to Jakarta, then from Jakarta to Singapore, then from Singapore to Ho Chi Mingh City, Vietnam. Iwan and I left early Sunday morning and that was the end of my 2 most glorious days in Bali! I owe a lot of it to Iwan and the entire experience was such a blessing. I cannot wait to go back for more than just 2 days!!!
keely :)
posted by Keely @ 2:34 AM
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