Well I'm done with touring and done with beaches and settled back in Ubud now where I like it best. I planned to stay one night Sanur but it turned into three. Though there wasn't a whole lot to do in Sanur it was a good place to see other things. Before coming to Bali I had an idea in my head that it was this great island for a relaxing beach life with swimming and surfing and tanning. In fact one of my goals before coming here was to taken a surfing lesson. Kuta is supposed to be the best beach for beginners. Well I took one step onto Kuta beach and said hell no. Not gonna happen. The beach was crowded, dirty, and anything but relaxing. I couldn't stand 5 mintutes there. I was there with Xiao Wei and Hong and we left quickly, fighting the crowds and traffic and went to mall, had dinner, and then was very glad to leave Kuta. I found the entire Denpasar area unappealing and much too commercial (not that it isn't here in Ubud with all the Ralph Lauren and Dolce and Gabana stores but its A LOT less).
Hong left the next day back to Kuala Lumpur and Xiao Wei and I hired the Tropical Bali Hotel's driver Komang to take us around for the afternoon. This day also happened to be her 32nd birthday. We had an extra long lunch on the beach in Jimbaran at a seafood warang where they grill up fresh seafood on bbqs. Then we went to Tanah Lot to see a temple on the see which was a cool place but also super crowded. By sunset we made it all the way down south to Ulu Watu which was a beautiful temple on a cliff, with a large monkey population. Komang walked us around the temple and on little trails on the cliffs. A monkey pulled my hair. We made it back to Sanur for another great dinner cooked by Brahma.
My one night in Sanur turned into three. We visited a lot of the beach areas and I didn't find a beach that I really liked, or even wanted to swim in. So I decided to go to a different island for one night. On the day that Xiao Wei left for Singapore I took a boat to Nusa Lembongan, about an hour away from Bali's east coast. It's supposed to be a nice relaxing place for those wanting to get away from Kuta. There aren't even any cars on the island. I got there in the late morning, found an accomadation and took a look around, and there was literally nothing. Just accomadations and cafes. Though my room was a rough step down from the Tropical Bali Hotel it had a nice pool right on the beach that I stayed in all afternoon. I nothing else to do but swim, read, play guitar, and eat. The beach however again was a dissapointment. It was mostly filled with fishing boats with large grainy sand. I think in all this I was expecting something like Goa, India which is the ultimate beach scene. But I did take a short swim which was my only swim in the ocean in Bali. I don't really mind though, since I do live in California and am in Hawaii often enough. And I came to bali more for the culture than beaches anyway. Unfortunatly I couldn't find both in the same place.
Anyway I left Nusa Lembongan early the next morning. Took a boat back to Sanur and then a bus back to Ubud and was welcomed back to Teba House. As congenial as they are (which makes up for any discomfort) the rooms are bare and hot and I was not looking forward to taking another step down from Tropical Bali hotel. A nice as that hotel was I dont know if I should have stayed there for too long cause it I got a little too comfortable and its hard to go from better to worse. But I got to Teba House find that they gave my original room away and upgraded me for free to their super awesome deluxe room that I didn't even know existed. SO NICE. Since it was thursday again I went to the Laughing Buddah Bar to hear some acoustic music. I hung out with Sarahima who I met earlier that day and she introduced me to an Indian writer who immediately read my palms.
I'm going back to Teba House tomorrow for my last 2 nights in Bali but right now I'm staying on Monkey Forrest Road which is more central of where everything is. I've spent the past couple days just wandering around, eating, and shopping. Ubud is somewhat of a hippie place with lots of organic vegan and vegetarian food everywhere. And the BEST smoothies and juices I've ever had. The shopping streets are mixed with small boutiques, ralph lauren stores, convience stores, music and craft stores. Also lots of art around here with dance and music performances. I was going to go to a Indonesian dance performance last night but ended up going to see a reggae band play at a bar across the street from my homestay. I ran into Sarahima again and her friends and met a couple other Californians. Also met a psychotherapist from Eugene, Oregon. It was somewhat like reggae night in Hermosa Beach but with a better band and dancing barefoot.
I'm very thirsty and they dont sell water here here so I'll continue later.
January 30, 2010
January 25, 2010
Kuta 6:56 PM
Google this: Tropical Bali Hotel
and be very jealous of me. it's nicer than the pictures. That's is my home for a few days while I explore the beach areas of Bali. Right now I'm sitting in an internet cafe in busy and loud Kuta. We are here for the afternoon and my friends the Xiao sisters are getting massages so I'm wandering around by myself. Kuta feels like some kind of weird version of Las Vegas, a bit obnoxious, I am glad I am not staying here. I was walking down the main shopping street which is way too commercialized and crowded for my taste, feeling annoyed by how loud it is here when I realized I was hungry and stopped into a bar that was playing the chili peppers overhead. Had a nice tuna sandwhich and it didn't take long before I have having a drink with a nice Australian boy. And the bartender put on a Foo Fighters song for me. So I can no longer complain about Kuta. This part of Bali is Aussie party central. Though I love Australians dearly I had my share of their heavy drinking nights just a few weeks ago in another tropical location.
Ok time for a proper update.
Anyway, last time I left off after seeing Wayan. That evening I was sitting on the porch of my room when my neighbor rode up on her bike and we became friends right away. Xiao Wei Mak is a 32 year old from Singapore living in Malaysia. We went for dinner at the Laughing Buddah Bar that had nice live acoustic music. I was going to play but was too tired to wait around after that all day session with Wayan. Xiao Wei booked a tour for the next day with the tourist center and so I decided to join her.
The two of us went on a full day tour to see a bunch of temples around Bali. There we 5 other lovely people on the tour a guy from Holland, and three people from France. All good company. Some of the temples involved some pretty long walks (in the heat, it is sooooo hot) so it was a tiring day but the temples were great to see. At the moon temple we saw the biggest single piece casted drum in the world the that is 2200 years old. We also stopped at a coffee plantation where they sat us outside on a little patio area with a magnificent view of a big valley. As soon as they served us samples of different coffees and teas the rain came pouring down and it was a beautiful moment, thunder and all. We had a late lunch up on the mountainside at a restaraunt perched on a cliff that was suppsed to have a "spectacular view." All we could see was the think fog around us and it felt like we were eating in the sky. Again as soon as we sat down the rain came down hard, so loud we couldn't even talk to each other but enjoyed a nice buffet lunch. As we had desset the fog cleared just enough to see the view, which was indeed spectacular- of a mountain and lake and lots of green. That night we had the birthday celebration at Teba house with the family. Seafood and choclate cakes.
The next day Xiao Wei and I had our own private day tour with our driver Tui arranged by Ketut (Teba House owner). We saw a couple more temples, while some of the temples themselves start to look the same after a while the best part are the setting of temples. We went to one that was in the water that had both Hindu and Buddhist traditions. We visited the Botanical Gardens and a market near Lake Beratan. We had lunch up in Minduk in the mountains again (my favored place because it was much cooler up there) at another restaurant with a lovely view. Tui then took us up north to Lovina to see the north beaches and we sat in little gazebo and had a coconut. Then he drive us through Singaraja and took a look at some hot springs. THis day was more relaxing than the previous becuase it was less walking and a lot of scenic driving. Since it was just the two of us we could stop whenever we wanted and is was a nice relaxing day. I spent a lot of the drive learning about Asia from Xiao Wei and her travels. She's graet to have around not just because we can have good talks but sice she speaks Malay she can communicate well with the local. Very smart girl, funny too, and easy to be around. Very glad I met her.
When we got back to Teba House Xiao Wei's sister Xiao Hong was there waiting for us who came to Bali juse for a few days. We all went out to dinner to a nearby restaurant to try a duck dish that is a Balinese specialty. They are both great to hang out with and we all seem to have a similar temperment and way about they day. They invited me out to Sanur with them so I booked a room at the Tropical Bali Hotel with them. They did another tour yesterday but I had enough driving so I came straight to Sanur from Ubud. The hotel was a bit hard to find but as soon as walked onto the ground I was sooo happy. The owners, Michael and Brahma from Sweden greeted me and I loved them right away too. There are 8 huge air conditioned (this is a big deal, i haven't had a/c yet and it's really hot and uncomfortable) rooms facing a gorgeous pool surrounded by trees and flowers. The grounds and architecture make it seem so peaceful and welcoming and COMFORTABLE. I went to check out Sanur for a few hours. It's known to be more low key than Kuta and it is. I took a taxi to beachfront walk and strolled down the boardwalk and noticed it was mostly old people so I didn't feel like hanging out there. Opened up my Lonely Planet guide and found a cafe to have a veggie sandwhich lunch and then walked along the main street and found the nicest internet cafe ever. Sanur was nice but not nicer than Tropical Bali Hotel so I took a taxi back and had a couple hours in the pool to myself. The Xiao sisters came a little later and Michael and Brahma served us dinner on their patio. THis was the BEST meal I've had since coming here. So we hung out on the terrance for a few hours with lightning in the distance. Then I had the best sleep in a nice comfortable cool bed. If you are able to have on tonight be thankful. I will be!
So this morning I woke up and did some yoga and went for a short swim. We were served a beautiful breakast (included in the $40 per night, which is way outside my budget but it is soooo worth it) with fresh fruit, homemade bread, and tea. The three of us took a taxi to Sanur and walked around in the heat, stopped in a cafe for a lassi, and then came down here to Kuta. I have the next couple days unplanned but I'll be back in Ubud on the 28th and spending the rest my time in Bali there, as it is by far my favorite place so far. Plus I left most of my luggage with Ketut so I wouldn't have to drag it all around with me.
So, yes I am enjoying Bali and I do feel like I am making the most of everyday. I rest when I want and go out on adventures when I want. One of the biggest concerns people had for me was that I was travelling alone, but I wasn't along for long. It's easy to get around here, and a beautiful place to be. Though the third world is still very apparent, and I've gotten ripped off, the hoards of shops and sellers become draining, and the traffic can be a bit much, and its soooooooo HOT.......this is easy compared to India. I'm just saying all this cause I don't want to glamorize anything. This isn't paradise, but still absolutely beautiful, enjoyable, and a great place to travel and learn.
and be very jealous of me. it's nicer than the pictures. That's is my home for a few days while I explore the beach areas of Bali. Right now I'm sitting in an internet cafe in busy and loud Kuta. We are here for the afternoon and my friends the Xiao sisters are getting massages so I'm wandering around by myself. Kuta feels like some kind of weird version of Las Vegas, a bit obnoxious, I am glad I am not staying here. I was walking down the main shopping street which is way too commercialized and crowded for my taste, feeling annoyed by how loud it is here when I realized I was hungry and stopped into a bar that was playing the chili peppers overhead. Had a nice tuna sandwhich and it didn't take long before I have having a drink with a nice Australian boy. And the bartender put on a Foo Fighters song for me. So I can no longer complain about Kuta. This part of Bali is Aussie party central. Though I love Australians dearly I had my share of their heavy drinking nights just a few weeks ago in another tropical location.
Ok time for a proper update.
Anyway, last time I left off after seeing Wayan. That evening I was sitting on the porch of my room when my neighbor rode up on her bike and we became friends right away. Xiao Wei Mak is a 32 year old from Singapore living in Malaysia. We went for dinner at the Laughing Buddah Bar that had nice live acoustic music. I was going to play but was too tired to wait around after that all day session with Wayan. Xiao Wei booked a tour for the next day with the tourist center and so I decided to join her.
The two of us went on a full day tour to see a bunch of temples around Bali. There we 5 other lovely people on the tour a guy from Holland, and three people from France. All good company. Some of the temples involved some pretty long walks (in the heat, it is sooooo hot) so it was a tiring day but the temples were great to see. At the moon temple we saw the biggest single piece casted drum in the world the that is 2200 years old. We also stopped at a coffee plantation where they sat us outside on a little patio area with a magnificent view of a big valley. As soon as they served us samples of different coffees and teas the rain came pouring down and it was a beautiful moment, thunder and all. We had a late lunch up on the mountainside at a restaraunt perched on a cliff that was suppsed to have a "spectacular view." All we could see was the think fog around us and it felt like we were eating in the sky. Again as soon as we sat down the rain came down hard, so loud we couldn't even talk to each other but enjoyed a nice buffet lunch. As we had desset the fog cleared just enough to see the view, which was indeed spectacular- of a mountain and lake and lots of green. That night we had the birthday celebration at Teba house with the family. Seafood and choclate cakes.
The next day Xiao Wei and I had our own private day tour with our driver Tui arranged by Ketut (Teba House owner). We saw a couple more temples, while some of the temples themselves start to look the same after a while the best part are the setting of temples. We went to one that was in the water that had both Hindu and Buddhist traditions. We visited the Botanical Gardens and a market near Lake Beratan. We had lunch up in Minduk in the mountains again (my favored place because it was much cooler up there) at another restaurant with a lovely view. Tui then took us up north to Lovina to see the north beaches and we sat in little gazebo and had a coconut. Then he drive us through Singaraja and took a look at some hot springs. THis day was more relaxing than the previous becuase it was less walking and a lot of scenic driving. Since it was just the two of us we could stop whenever we wanted and is was a nice relaxing day. I spent a lot of the drive learning about Asia from Xiao Wei and her travels. She's graet to have around not just because we can have good talks but sice she speaks Malay she can communicate well with the local. Very smart girl, funny too, and easy to be around. Very glad I met her.
When we got back to Teba House Xiao Wei's sister Xiao Hong was there waiting for us who came to Bali juse for a few days. We all went out to dinner to a nearby restaurant to try a duck dish that is a Balinese specialty. They are both great to hang out with and we all seem to have a similar temperment and way about they day. They invited me out to Sanur with them so I booked a room at the Tropical Bali Hotel with them. They did another tour yesterday but I had enough driving so I came straight to Sanur from Ubud. The hotel was a bit hard to find but as soon as walked onto the ground I was sooo happy. The owners, Michael and Brahma from Sweden greeted me and I loved them right away too. There are 8 huge air conditioned (this is a big deal, i haven't had a/c yet and it's really hot and uncomfortable) rooms facing a gorgeous pool surrounded by trees and flowers. The grounds and architecture make it seem so peaceful and welcoming and COMFORTABLE. I went to check out Sanur for a few hours. It's known to be more low key than Kuta and it is. I took a taxi to beachfront walk and strolled down the boardwalk and noticed it was mostly old people so I didn't feel like hanging out there. Opened up my Lonely Planet guide and found a cafe to have a veggie sandwhich lunch and then walked along the main street and found the nicest internet cafe ever. Sanur was nice but not nicer than Tropical Bali Hotel so I took a taxi back and had a couple hours in the pool to myself. The Xiao sisters came a little later and Michael and Brahma served us dinner on their patio. THis was the BEST meal I've had since coming here. So we hung out on the terrance for a few hours with lightning in the distance. Then I had the best sleep in a nice comfortable cool bed. If you are able to have on tonight be thankful. I will be!
So this morning I woke up and did some yoga and went for a short swim. We were served a beautiful breakast (included in the $40 per night, which is way outside my budget but it is soooo worth it) with fresh fruit, homemade bread, and tea. The three of us took a taxi to Sanur and walked around in the heat, stopped in a cafe for a lassi, and then came down here to Kuta. I have the next couple days unplanned but I'll be back in Ubud on the 28th and spending the rest my time in Bali there, as it is by far my favorite place so far. Plus I left most of my luggage with Ketut so I wouldn't have to drag it all around with me.
So, yes I am enjoying Bali and I do feel like I am making the most of everyday. I rest when I want and go out on adventures when I want. One of the biggest concerns people had for me was that I was travelling alone, but I wasn't along for long. It's easy to get around here, and a beautiful place to be. Though the third world is still very apparent, and I've gotten ripped off, the hoards of shops and sellers become draining, and the traffic can be a bit much, and its soooooooo HOT.......this is easy compared to India. I'm just saying all this cause I don't want to glamorize anything. This isn't paradise, but still absolutely beautiful, enjoyable, and a great place to travel and learn.
January 23, 2010
Vitamin Lunch 5:16 PM
Good Morning!
Going to try and write as much as I can in half an hour. Loving Bali. I'm still in Ubud and leaving today with some new friends to stay near the coast for a few nights in Sanur. I got my luggage just fine and realized that I dont need most of the stuff in there till India anyway so I'm packing my small backpack of what I need to travel around the Bali beaches for a 5 days then I'll be returning to Ubud and will probably stay the rest of the time here cause it's so great.
My first full day here was spent with Wayan Nuriashi. If you've read Eat Pray Love you know who I'm talking about. She's a Balinese healer who has become pretty popular since the book's success. I stopped by her shop just to see what she is all about and ended up signing up for a full Balinese Healing session which ended up being quie an experience. For $85 (which is A LOT of money around here, i wasn't planning on spending that much money on anything but totally worth it) this is what i got: It started with a cup of juice and a cup of tea, a full body scan by (much like a physical), a palm reading, and herbal medicine to take. Then a young Balinese boy wearing a Nirvana t-shirt gave me a hand massage and put some patches on my knees (to make it stronger), and then Wayan reviewed whatever she picked up in her reading. Then I was taken upstairs and sat and in chair for about an hour and got my feet soaked hot water with leaves, my arms and legs scrubbed with those leaves, my scalp rubbed with an aloe leaf, and a facial. Then I was instructed to lie down on a massage table where I got a THREE HOUR balinese massage with another facial, and got my hair washed. Through the massage they used a variety of plants and fruits and veggies over my skin. Then an elderly Balinese woman gave me a shower and I was served an absolutely beautiful meal (the vitamin lunch) with about 10 different preperations, each labled with its benefit. It was so good. Then Wayan presented me with a bag full of goodies- about 10 different kinds of herbal medicines, leaves to eat and make tea with, oils for my skin, and some natural remidies "in case of emergency" for my travels, all included in the price. I was there for about 5 hours and I've felt great ever since. No jet lag, lots of energy..... and I've been doing a lot.
That night I met my next door neighbor at Teba House, a cute Chinese girl from Malysia who is living in Singpore, Mak Xiao Wei. We've been friends ever since and spent the past couple days touring Bali together. I'll write about the two tours we went on later. On our second night at Teba House it happened to be the owner's birthday so the family invited all of the guests (about 11 of us) to celebrate with them in the courtyard. It started with bottles of Balinese iced tea, appetizers, a full homecooked Indonesian seafood dinner, and cake for dessert. The family has been extremely welcoming and great.
Anyway so much more to write about I've done so much in the past few days and now I'm gonna go relax on the beach for few days.
Going to try and write as much as I can in half an hour. Loving Bali. I'm still in Ubud and leaving today with some new friends to stay near the coast for a few nights in Sanur. I got my luggage just fine and realized that I dont need most of the stuff in there till India anyway so I'm packing my small backpack of what I need to travel around the Bali beaches for a 5 days then I'll be returning to Ubud and will probably stay the rest of the time here cause it's so great.
My first full day here was spent with Wayan Nuriashi. If you've read Eat Pray Love you know who I'm talking about. She's a Balinese healer who has become pretty popular since the book's success. I stopped by her shop just to see what she is all about and ended up signing up for a full Balinese Healing session which ended up being quie an experience. For $85 (which is A LOT of money around here, i wasn't planning on spending that much money on anything but totally worth it) this is what i got: It started with a cup of juice and a cup of tea, a full body scan by (much like a physical), a palm reading, and herbal medicine to take. Then a young Balinese boy wearing a Nirvana t-shirt gave me a hand massage and put some patches on my knees (to make it stronger), and then Wayan reviewed whatever she picked up in her reading. Then I was taken upstairs and sat and in chair for about an hour and got my feet soaked hot water with leaves, my arms and legs scrubbed with those leaves, my scalp rubbed with an aloe leaf, and a facial. Then I was instructed to lie down on a massage table where I got a THREE HOUR balinese massage with another facial, and got my hair washed. Through the massage they used a variety of plants and fruits and veggies over my skin. Then an elderly Balinese woman gave me a shower and I was served an absolutely beautiful meal (the vitamin lunch) with about 10 different preperations, each labled with its benefit. It was so good. Then Wayan presented me with a bag full of goodies- about 10 different kinds of herbal medicines, leaves to eat and make tea with, oils for my skin, and some natural remidies "in case of emergency" for my travels, all included in the price. I was there for about 5 hours and I've felt great ever since. No jet lag, lots of energy..... and I've been doing a lot.
That night I met my next door neighbor at Teba House, a cute Chinese girl from Malysia who is living in Singpore, Mak Xiao Wei. We've been friends ever since and spent the past couple days touring Bali together. I'll write about the two tours we went on later. On our second night at Teba House it happened to be the owner's birthday so the family invited all of the guests (about 11 of us) to celebrate with them in the courtyard. It started with bottles of Balinese iced tea, appetizers, a full homecooked Indonesian seafood dinner, and cake for dessert. The family has been extremely welcoming and great.
Anyway so much more to write about I've done so much in the past few days and now I'm gonna go relax on the beach for few days.
January 20, 2010
Bali! 7:03 PM
Alright here we go again and welcome to my trip around the world.I am writing from a hot little internet cafe in Ubud, Bali. It's hot like India hot.
I left Los Angeles on Tuesday night, using my cell phone for the last time in 6 weeks as I boarded the plane and called the wise Alysha Quinn and demanded a good quote to start my journey with. "Live in the moment" she said. It was a 14 hour plane ride to Taipei and I was able to get a full night's sleep and watch 2 movies. I saw the sun rise in Taipei and then got on a 6 hour plane ride to Denpasar, Bali. Sat next to a nice old asian lady who gave me some kind of fruit i've never had, looked like a little apple. I tried to ask what it was but all she could say was "it's clean."
I made it to Bali just fine. My lugguage did not. In all of my international travels I've always carried on my luggage for 2 reasons: to avoid hassle on checking in and arriving and to not risk losing my things. Lesson learned. It took so long to check my bags at LAX that I barely made the flight and when I got there there was a sign with my name on it telling me to go to lost and found. Good news is they know where my luggage is and it will be delivered to me this afternoon. I had all my essentials with me and was able to easily and cheaply buy a couple dresses and slippers when I got here to hold me over. So it really wasn't a big deal.
Anyway when I got to Bali I paid for my Visa and went through customs and when I got outside into the hot and humid Bali air. there was a gem named Agus amongst other drivers holding a sign with my name in it. I arranged airport pick up through my accomadations which is a family run bed and breakfast type place called Teba House in Ubud. It was a lovely hours drive to Ubud in his air conditioned van and Agus was a great guide answering all my questions.
We got to Teba House around 5pm and it was like walking into a beautiful tropical garden. There are only seven rooms there, each with their own porch surrounded by trees and flowers facing a small inner courtyard. The rooms are bungalow like and simple but has a hot water, a western toilet, and ceiling fan. And it's only about $17 US a night. As I settled in a Balinese boy brought me tea and sat and chatted with me. I had dinner at an open air restaurant and had some tofu curry while watching workers in a rice field as the sun set.
Bali seems like the exact combination of Hawaii and India. It's much less intense than India but the driving, street vendors, shops, and heat is very familiar. Like Hawaii it's very green and has that something in the air that makes life happen just a little slower.
I somehow manganged to avoid jetlag and my sleep schedule is synchronized with the time. I have no idea what the time difference is and I dont want to know. I dont even care what time it is here! I got a good nights sleep and was served an awesome breakfast of banana pancakes, fresh fruit, and tea on my porch this morning. Met a french family who are staying there too. And now I am wandering around Ubud. I chose to stay here because it's known to be more of an aritistic community and calmer than the beach areas.
Anyway, so far so good. I refuse to use my phone but I'll be checking my email about every other day. Hope all is well wherever you are reading this from.
I left Los Angeles on Tuesday night, using my cell phone for the last time in 6 weeks as I boarded the plane and called the wise Alysha Quinn and demanded a good quote to start my journey with. "Live in the moment" she said. It was a 14 hour plane ride to Taipei and I was able to get a full night's sleep and watch 2 movies. I saw the sun rise in Taipei and then got on a 6 hour plane ride to Denpasar, Bali. Sat next to a nice old asian lady who gave me some kind of fruit i've never had, looked like a little apple. I tried to ask what it was but all she could say was "it's clean."
I made it to Bali just fine. My lugguage did not. In all of my international travels I've always carried on my luggage for 2 reasons: to avoid hassle on checking in and arriving and to not risk losing my things. Lesson learned. It took so long to check my bags at LAX that I barely made the flight and when I got there there was a sign with my name on it telling me to go to lost and found. Good news is they know where my luggage is and it will be delivered to me this afternoon. I had all my essentials with me and was able to easily and cheaply buy a couple dresses and slippers when I got here to hold me over. So it really wasn't a big deal.
Anyway when I got to Bali I paid for my Visa and went through customs and when I got outside into the hot and humid Bali air. there was a gem named Agus amongst other drivers holding a sign with my name in it. I arranged airport pick up through my accomadations which is a family run bed and breakfast type place called Teba House in Ubud. It was a lovely hours drive to Ubud in his air conditioned van and Agus was a great guide answering all my questions.
We got to Teba House around 5pm and it was like walking into a beautiful tropical garden. There are only seven rooms there, each with their own porch surrounded by trees and flowers facing a small inner courtyard. The rooms are bungalow like and simple but has a hot water, a western toilet, and ceiling fan. And it's only about $17 US a night. As I settled in a Balinese boy brought me tea and sat and chatted with me. I had dinner at an open air restaurant and had some tofu curry while watching workers in a rice field as the sun set.
Bali seems like the exact combination of Hawaii and India. It's much less intense than India but the driving, street vendors, shops, and heat is very familiar. Like Hawaii it's very green and has that something in the air that makes life happen just a little slower.
I somehow manganged to avoid jetlag and my sleep schedule is synchronized with the time. I have no idea what the time difference is and I dont want to know. I dont even care what time it is here! I got a good nights sleep and was served an awesome breakfast of banana pancakes, fresh fruit, and tea on my porch this morning. Met a french family who are staying there too. And now I am wandering around Ubud. I chose to stay here because it's known to be more of an aritistic community and calmer than the beach areas.
Anyway, so far so good. I refuse to use my phone but I'll be checking my email about every other day. Hope all is well wherever you are reading this from.
January 12, 2010
Dude Boy 12:19 AM
On an afternoon in 1992 in Hilo, Hawaii I was outside of the house my family just moved into when my brother Jimi and his friend Mikey came walking up the driveway holding a tiny orange kitten. They picked him up on the side of Akolea Road on their way back after school when they heard his young cry that sounded like a bird chirping. The green eyed kitten measured four inches nose to tail. So cute. We wrapped him up in blanket and carried him around waiting for my parents to get home to see if we could keep him. After going back for an unsuccessful search for his mother, my dad said we could, but that the little guy probably wouldn’t make it because he wasn’t old enough to eat food. Jimi named him Dude and our family raised him from a bottle.
I was a 13 year old freshman in high school then and Jimi was just 11 and in the sixth grade. If you were to tell those two kids that Dude would grow up with us, see us through high school, live through both our college graduations, and into the year 2010, they would probably think you were crazy. We probably didn’t have much concern for the future anyway. We were just happy to have a cute new pet. But now here I am at 30 years old sitting in an airport looking back, being able to see the beginning and end of a life.
Dude lived a good life. Lucky guy.Everyday was a Sunday for him and he had the freedom to roam many acres of land as his playground and could come in the house whenever he wanted. He had a strong personality and took the classic feline trait of independence quite seriously. He didn’t like being smothered with attention, dogs, large crowds of people, being carried for too long, or having his picture taken. He liked arare, sheep, egg yolks, his ears rubbed, hunting, drinking rain water, exploring, and sleeping under Christmas trees.
He was very lucky and very loved.
From Dude I learned that unconditional love is possible. I don’t mean that it came from him, I’d like to think so but I can’t speak for him. What I mean is that I could love him unconditionally. I didn’t care if he scratched me, woke me up at 3 am to be let outside, left fleas to bite me, looked totally weird when his ears were removed because of cancer, or how terrible he looked in his final weeks. I loved him just the same without blame, resentment, complaints, or expecting anything in return. Though this may be easier with a feline rather than a human, it is still a chance to do so. And the same unfair consequence of the more and longer you love, the more you get hurt still applies. His decline and death had my heart in pieces. But loving you was worth it Dude.
Dude died on January 4, 2010 in the patio of our house at the old age of 17. Jimi and I saw him take his last breaths and I was sitting with him when he died. I swear I felt him purring as he left. We buried his body in our backyard and planted an avocado tree over him.
MIss you lots buddy.
