Lovin' Lovina

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