I just got back to Ubud after spending two days and two nights in Lovina. Its on the north coast and famous for its black sand beaches. Before telling you about the amazing time and people i met there, i first have to say how saddened I am by the tourist industry. Not that it's taking over, but rather that it hardly exists anymore. The main beach line in Lovina is covered with hotels. But for the most part, they remain empty. The people in this area are really struggling. It seems their thriving tourist industry, which is really their only means of income, has plummeted since the bombing in 2005. I hope my blog about the jewels i have found in Bali encourage some of you to come here. The people really need it.
I stayed a few km west of Lovina in a small fishing village called Anturan. Actually, every village in Bali is so small you are pretty much stepping from one into another every few feet... Anyway, I stayed at Gede Homestay. Gede is a very sweet man who turned his home into a guesthouse about 16 years ago. He and his family run the place. There weren't many guests but everyone was friendly. My first evening there I decided to walk down the beach headng east toward Singaraja. I after being solicited for more massages than one person could possible receive I turned down a road to head back to the main street. I came upon an old woman walking a pig. I said hello and we talked a bit. The pig will be used in the new moon ceremony in a few days. She invited me in for coffee and we spent a long time talking about where I am from, her family, and learning to count in Balinese. She then had me make dinner for her!! It was hilarious. She was like- you cook? Makan? I was like, sometimes. She said, ok, and proceeded to run to the store to buy some mie-goreng (noodles) for me to cook for her! I think I did a pretty good job. Just as I was finishing her son and daughter in law arrived and were a bit surprised by my presence. But we communicated and ate our food. We decided I had to come back the following day to practice English with Kisul's (the grandma) granddaughter (tutu means granddaughter).
That night I went back to Gede's and tried to take a nap with the intention of going out to Lovina to see the nightlife. I couldn't sleep however, because there was reggae music coming from next door. So, I decided to check it out. I spent the whole night there (well, from 9-11, cuz that's when they close) on stage with the band singing and playing the tambourine. I was the only tourist around. It was fun to exchange stories and make good music. It turned out that the man who works as Gede's driver is part of that group and joined in for the music! The people that run the restaurant have three children. Two girls and one boy. The girl is 11 and spent some time in sweeden. Her name is Maya. They also have an adorable little puppy. Dogs are everywhere here and its a little unusual to see clean a dog as a pet. I was happy to be able to play with it.
The next day I went dolphin watching and snorkeling. There were four of us on a fisherman's boat. Two New Zealanders and one Australian. I then went to chat with the old woman's family again and learned all about her children, in broken English. She made me take pictures of pictures of her children!! I gave her granddaughter a souvenir pen I brought from New York. It seemed to go over well. Then the grandmother told me to go back to Ubud and buy her an outfit... oh well...
The rest of the day I spent touring a Buddhist Ashram and sitting in a natural hotspring. Madi drove me all over on a motorbike. It was nice to see that the locals use the hot spring and its not just a tourist attraction.
I spent time talking with Gede and his family, went into Lovina proper and met some locals hanging out on the beach, and then returned to my reggae group for a last night of fun. It was lovely to seit on the beach and watch the stars. I learned so much from the people I met.
NOw I"m back in Ubud, and living the cosmopolitan life... well, sort of!
Check you later!!
Rebecca
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Gunung Agung
I think I'm in love with Bali- the people, the culture, the environment. It is amazing how intentional and simple life is here. Simple is the word I choose to use not because there is little to do or consider, but rather because what is important, is very simply recognized. Everything on this Island seems to revolve around the Hindu religion. Ok- there are small Muslim and Christian populations here, but at least 80% of the population is Balinese Hindu. What makes it Balinese is that they believe there is only one god (an idea they had to adopt when being threatened by Muslim rulers who would only allow them to keep their religion if they "got rid" of their polytheism). So Rama, Vishnu, Shiva, etc. are not individual gods, but manifestations of the one god. Anyway- life pretty much revolves around making offerings to god. All day, everyday. I've already been here for the blessing for metals (which includes automobiles). They bless their money, clothing, food, things that i've purchased from them, etc. etc.etc. It seems their main concern is working to make enough money to refurbish their temples.Both for the community and for their family temples. I could go in to so much more detail, but I want to tell you about my amazing experience on Gunung Agung.
Gunung Agung is the highest and most holy mountain (and place) in Bali. Its highest summit reaches 3100 meters and making the upward trek is very difficult. Of course, I didn't really know this until already hiking...
Myself and Lisa, the woman i met at the cafe, arranged for a guide to hike the volcano. The plan was to meet the guide in Bekasih at 11pm and trek so that we'd see the sunrise on the summit. Well, already our trek was not what we expected. Our car from Ubud to Bekasih stalled about twenty minutes outside Ubud. And although the driver said we could push off the trek for the next day we decided we'd rather stick to our plan. The driver called his friend, traded cars, and got us to Bekasih around 11:30. Lisa and I met our guide, Putu, and began walking. We reached a small temple that is being repaired and made a praryer for a safe journey and also for permission to trek. A boy named Sabr joined us because he was bringing water up to a group that was camped out on the mountain.
Here is where the story gets really interesting. In December, 3 students from the University in Jakarta, Java decided to do teh Agung trek. As usual, they started out close to midnight hoping to reach the summit in the morning. The weather was awful and the police and guides said they should not go. But they did anyway. Four days after they left, the University called into Bali and said the students had not returned. Since then, for 6 months, there has been a search team on teh mountain looking for the bodies. One woman was found on the side of the cliff of the 2nd summit. The other man and woman still have not been found. The Balinese and Javanese are still looking for the bodies for two reasons. For the Balinese, they must clear the mountain of the bodies because they do not want any evil spirits remaining there. After the bodies are found they will begin a cleansing ceremony. For teh Javanese its a matter of returning the bodies to their families (they are Muslim and wish to bury their dead, teh Balinese have elaborate cremation ceremonies).
So, Putu, Sabr, Lisa and myself continued trekking on. It usually takes 6 hours to reach the top. By the fourth hour I was exhausted. It was 4 am, cold, rainy and the hike is incredibly hard! Don't get me wrong, I loved it- pulling myself up on roots and vines, trying to keep to the path with teh knowledge that to slip, meant to fall down the side of the mountain. Keep in mind we were doing this in the dark with headlamps. We got to the area where the search team was camping and Putu suggested we wait there till the morning. There was a fire, we had coffee and noodles, and watched the sunrise through the hazy mountain side. The search team rotates on a weekly basis. It is lead by local Balinese, usually 3, and then about 10 Javanese students are there at a time. The students woke up from under the one tarp, and greeted us with a loud Bule Bule! White Tourists! We got to know them well and asked them all sorts of questions. Putu asked if Lisa and I would like to get to the summit. Of course we did. But he suggested that we stay another night on the mountain in the simple camp. We though we could not pass up the opportunity so ended up hiking to the summit, took another 4 hours, and then met up with everyone else again. The night was spent either in a freezing uncomfortable supine position (they gave us some mat space under the tarp and a sleeping bag to share) or sitting cross-legged in front of the fire. Being awake and warm was preferable to being "asleep" and cold. So I stayed up most of the night. The second morning we headed back down the mountain- made it in two hours.
This has been one of the most incredible experiences of my life. There was no one else on that mountain except for us. no other trekkers, no other locals. We saw how the people of besakih live off of the land and how the students of jakarta have no lack of international phones and satellite radios. It was amazing! the view at teh summit allowed us to see as far as the island of Lombok. we were above the clouds. We were looking down into teh crater of a volcano. It was incredible. Putu, our guide, is also one of the most generous people I have ever met. I already miss him dearly. At the bottom of the mountain he invited us to his house to shower and eat. He has very little and was willing to share with us. He attached a tube to the faucet in teh bathroom to make a "western shower" so we would not have to use the basin and cup method. No hot water. He has a beautiful wife named Komang and an adorable daughter named Sri. I hope to keep in touch with them for a very long time. The experience is one I will never forget.
I have just arrived in Lovina and plan on spending the next two days roasting at the beach and watching dolphins. The drive here was beautiful. The north of the country before teh coast is full of enormous hills ciovered in rice paddies. There are monkeys lining the roads!!!
Alright- enough of this computer screen, I'm heading outside!!!
much love
Rebecca
Gunung Agung is the highest and most holy mountain (and place) in Bali. Its highest summit reaches 3100 meters and making the upward trek is very difficult. Of course, I didn't really know this until already hiking...
Myself and Lisa, the woman i met at the cafe, arranged for a guide to hike the volcano. The plan was to meet the guide in Bekasih at 11pm and trek so that we'd see the sunrise on the summit. Well, already our trek was not what we expected. Our car from Ubud to Bekasih stalled about twenty minutes outside Ubud. And although the driver said we could push off the trek for the next day we decided we'd rather stick to our plan. The driver called his friend, traded cars, and got us to Bekasih around 11:30. Lisa and I met our guide, Putu, and began walking. We reached a small temple that is being repaired and made a praryer for a safe journey and also for permission to trek. A boy named Sabr joined us because he was bringing water up to a group that was camped out on the mountain.
Here is where the story gets really interesting. In December, 3 students from the University in Jakarta, Java decided to do teh Agung trek. As usual, they started out close to midnight hoping to reach the summit in the morning. The weather was awful and the police and guides said they should not go. But they did anyway. Four days after they left, the University called into Bali and said the students had not returned. Since then, for 6 months, there has been a search team on teh mountain looking for the bodies. One woman was found on the side of the cliff of the 2nd summit. The other man and woman still have not been found. The Balinese and Javanese are still looking for the bodies for two reasons. For the Balinese, they must clear the mountain of the bodies because they do not want any evil spirits remaining there. After the bodies are found they will begin a cleansing ceremony. For teh Javanese its a matter of returning the bodies to their families (they are Muslim and wish to bury their dead, teh Balinese have elaborate cremation ceremonies).
So, Putu, Sabr, Lisa and myself continued trekking on. It usually takes 6 hours to reach the top. By the fourth hour I was exhausted. It was 4 am, cold, rainy and the hike is incredibly hard! Don't get me wrong, I loved it- pulling myself up on roots and vines, trying to keep to the path with teh knowledge that to slip, meant to fall down the side of the mountain. Keep in mind we were doing this in the dark with headlamps. We got to the area where the search team was camping and Putu suggested we wait there till the morning. There was a fire, we had coffee and noodles, and watched the sunrise through the hazy mountain side. The search team rotates on a weekly basis. It is lead by local Balinese, usually 3, and then about 10 Javanese students are there at a time. The students woke up from under the one tarp, and greeted us with a loud Bule Bule! White Tourists! We got to know them well and asked them all sorts of questions. Putu asked if Lisa and I would like to get to the summit. Of course we did. But he suggested that we stay another night on the mountain in the simple camp. We though we could not pass up the opportunity so ended up hiking to the summit, took another 4 hours, and then met up with everyone else again. The night was spent either in a freezing uncomfortable supine position (they gave us some mat space under the tarp and a sleeping bag to share) or sitting cross-legged in front of the fire. Being awake and warm was preferable to being "asleep" and cold. So I stayed up most of the night. The second morning we headed back down the mountain- made it in two hours.
This has been one of the most incredible experiences of my life. There was no one else on that mountain except for us. no other trekkers, no other locals. We saw how the people of besakih live off of the land and how the students of jakarta have no lack of international phones and satellite radios. It was amazing! the view at teh summit allowed us to see as far as the island of Lombok. we were above the clouds. We were looking down into teh crater of a volcano. It was incredible. Putu, our guide, is also one of the most generous people I have ever met. I already miss him dearly. At the bottom of the mountain he invited us to his house to shower and eat. He has very little and was willing to share with us. He attached a tube to the faucet in teh bathroom to make a "western shower" so we would not have to use the basin and cup method. No hot water. He has a beautiful wife named Komang and an adorable daughter named Sri. I hope to keep in touch with them for a very long time. The experience is one I will never forget.
I have just arrived in Lovina and plan on spending the next two days roasting at the beach and watching dolphins. The drive here was beautiful. The north of the country before teh coast is full of enormous hills ciovered in rice paddies. There are monkeys lining the roads!!!
Alright- enough of this computer screen, I'm heading outside!!!
much love
Rebecca
Saturday, June 21, 2008
The Beginning
Hello friends and family,
This here is a blog on my travels in Southeast Asia. I'll be here for about 5 weeks. It' has started off well. I'm in Ubud, Bali staying at the Budi Shady Gully Guest House. If any of you come to Bali, you have to stay there. I told Budi (the owner) that I'd send all my friends to him (he gave me a good price...). My total travel time to arrive here was something like 30 hours. Crossing the international date line is pretty trippy. It was Friday when I got here, not Thursday...
I flew through Tokyo and had time to eat a mushroom and fried rice omlette and take pictures of all their weird candy and chocolate covered potato chips. Upon my arrival in Denpasar, Bali I got a cab for $17.50 to take me an hour north to Ubud. The driver was clever in his maneuvering. When we came to a red light he would turn left (they drive on the right side of the road here), drive around the median of the perpendicular street, and take another left to continue heading north on the street that still had a red light. Really cute. There are tons of stray dogs here. Some people do have them as pets, I met an adorable puppy today who decided he was my best friend. Seriously, couldn't stop jumping on me. Don't worry- he doesn't have rabies. There are chickens all over the place. Walking the streets, chilling in flower pots. Leah, my friend who has been living here for 6 months. Has shown me the lay of the town. We've walked the main streets and I've gotten a pretty good sense of direction. I purchased a pair of Prada sunglasses yesterday for $5 bucks. Pretty sweet!! Leah is on a spiritual and physical journey over here and has befriended many healers/yogis/masueses/raw food chefs. I'm meeting them and learning from them. Its all about believing in your potential and accepting your fears so that you can move past them. Really cool stuff. I already feel more relaxed. We took a great yoga class yesterday looking out onto the rice patty fields. We also got foot reflexology... I'm hoping to head north tomorrow to tackle the Island's largest volcano and then hopefully head to the black sand beaches. I met a physical therapist from Hawaii who is here in Bali for three weeks. Actually, I noticed her at breakfast and realized she had been in my visa line upon arrival in Denpasar, so I decided to chat her up. We may make the trek north together. I'll prob do a 5 day thing and then head back to Ubud to finish my stay here with Leah. We'll visit the monkey forest, walk through the surrounding rice patties and villages and maybe take a short trip south. She has a motor bike which has been very useful. Not that you need it for the immediate town of Ubud. Don't worry mom, I have a helmet.
That's it for now. I'll report more as I continue to explore. Its so wonderful to be here and I look forward to the people and cultures that I may come upon. Its all a blessing!!
Much Love,
Rebecca
This here is a blog on my travels in Southeast Asia. I'll be here for about 5 weeks. It' has started off well. I'm in Ubud, Bali staying at the Budi Shady Gully Guest House. If any of you come to Bali, you have to stay there. I told Budi (the owner) that I'd send all my friends to him (he gave me a good price...). My total travel time to arrive here was something like 30 hours. Crossing the international date line is pretty trippy. It was Friday when I got here, not Thursday...
I flew through Tokyo and had time to eat a mushroom and fried rice omlette and take pictures of all their weird candy and chocolate covered potato chips. Upon my arrival in Denpasar, Bali I got a cab for $17.50 to take me an hour north to Ubud. The driver was clever in his maneuvering. When we came to a red light he would turn left (they drive on the right side of the road here), drive around the median of the perpendicular street, and take another left to continue heading north on the street that still had a red light. Really cute. There are tons of stray dogs here. Some people do have them as pets, I met an adorable puppy today who decided he was my best friend. Seriously, couldn't stop jumping on me. Don't worry- he doesn't have rabies. There are chickens all over the place. Walking the streets, chilling in flower pots. Leah, my friend who has been living here for 6 months. Has shown me the lay of the town. We've walked the main streets and I've gotten a pretty good sense of direction. I purchased a pair of Prada sunglasses yesterday for $5 bucks. Pretty sweet!! Leah is on a spiritual and physical journey over here and has befriended many healers/yogis/masueses/raw food chefs. I'm meeting them and learning from them. Its all about believing in your potential and accepting your fears so that you can move past them. Really cool stuff. I already feel more relaxed. We took a great yoga class yesterday looking out onto the rice patty fields. We also got foot reflexology... I'm hoping to head north tomorrow to tackle the Island's largest volcano and then hopefully head to the black sand beaches. I met a physical therapist from Hawaii who is here in Bali for three weeks. Actually, I noticed her at breakfast and realized she had been in my visa line upon arrival in Denpasar, so I decided to chat her up. We may make the trek north together. I'll prob do a 5 day thing and then head back to Ubud to finish my stay here with Leah. We'll visit the monkey forest, walk through the surrounding rice patties and villages and maybe take a short trip south. She has a motor bike which has been very useful. Not that you need it for the immediate town of Ubud. Don't worry mom, I have a helmet.
That's it for now. I'll report more as I continue to explore. Its so wonderful to be here and I look forward to the people and cultures that I may come upon. Its all a blessing!!
Much Love,
Rebecca
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