Bali to Lembongan Island

Today we left Bali and took a "slow boat" to Lembongan Island - forever the trip will be known as "Shades of the Meekong" but more about that later in the blog. Gary visited Bali 25 years ago and decided to revisit his memories with me. So much has changed in this time and all for the tourist dollar unfortunately. Putting that aside we are having a ball. We are meeting some really lovely people and where possible trying to see the grass roots of this sometimes beautiful country. First stop Seminyak for 6 nights. We had to stay for 6 because Nepyi fell on the 5th night and we were not allowed out of our hotel - even the airport closed. There was no traffic on the streets and nobody worked. It was a family day of rest and relaxation and it was the Bali New Year. The reason for Nyepi or silence day is to put off evil spirits from entering the new year. If you are quiet, have no lights, tv or any noise at night either, then the evil spirits don't know you are there so they stay away - simple! There is quite a buildup to silence day with lots of evil spirit ceremonies on the beach and in the streets. Very large Gods are built from paper mashe, foam and polystyrene - extremely clever - and dominate the local villages. When Nyepi is over they are burnt. So the day before we brought some crackers and bits and pieces to fill our bellies and on NyepI had a quiet day lounging by the pool, reading, staying quiet etc and being good. As the day wore on I decided to dye my hair - first time ever and the greys were definitely coming through. So I started a lIttle later than I should have and it gets dark very quickly and quite early in Bali and before I was half way through the phone is ringing because we had the bathroom light on!,,,, Rest of hair dye was done in the dark and Tina it is not that easy to do even in the light. (for me anyway). The following day we hired a driver for the day - 250,000rps (32nz$). He took us to many places - warehouses to buy at cost price, silver jewellery makers, batik material designers, stone carvers, Tannah Lot - an ancient monastery on the top of a rock island. It was all very touristy and guarded by the monks who were keen to get as much money out of the hundreds of people who were there as was possible. You could be blessed with holy water, have some sand stuck to your forehead and a flower pushed behind your ear for a generous donation. If you did that you could then walk up a pathway to the far side of the rock. The temple Itself was not accessible to anyone. We were taken to a hut by our driver for lunch and ate with all the other local drivers paying 7nz$ for the 3 of us and that included bottled water too. Off to our next port of call another monastery on the top of a mountain this time with the sea crashing all around it. It was truly spectacular and it is called Uluwhatu. This is where we first encountered monkeys. To visit here we had to wear purple sarongs and take in fruit, and the driver a stick, to appease the monkeys who have become aggressive if you do not feed them. They can take your glasses and anything else you have on you accessible to them and hold you to ransom for food. If you are lucky enough to get them back - well it probably would not have been worth the effort. These monkeys are not happy with one piece of fruit either - they come at you catching fruit in each hand and each foot like a juggling act. It was fun. We were going to see the sun go down at Uluwhatu but there were coach loads of tourists there so took the option of returning to our hotel via the countryside which was equally as good. As we left Uluwhatu there was a monkey trying to eat a pink jandal and a "monkey scarer" a man who carried a catapult and put it to use if he thought the monkeys were being too forward. We left wondering whether this was why the monkeys were aggressive. Dempasar market was our next stop. It was great getting lost amongst the stalls and it was exactly as Gary remembered it from 25 years ago. The walkways were narrow and hot and down in the basement food was being cooked on coals kept alive by a high speed fan - it was magic if a tad smelly as well. Next morning we took a taxi to Ubud a place I had sooooo been looking forward to - it's qualities heralded to me many years ago and the one place in Bali I had always wished to visit. Eventually our accommodation was found up a little side street just outside of town but how the driver got out of that street in one piece having dropped us off.........!!!!!!!!!!! We were met by a very pleasant dutch man named Jan who took us to our room - big mistake! Anyway we stuck it out for 3 nights mainly because the only good thing about it was that the bed was clean and comfortable. It's name was In da Lodge, so he at least had a sense of humour. The wifi, I discovered, worked better from the middle of the adjoining rice paddy field than in the lodge. We had explored Ubud on the net so we had certain things and places we wished to see and do. Firstly the monkey forest! It was good, really good. The monkeys are well behaved and well looked after and seemingly have fun. I didn't know this but they love water, swimming and diving. We have some super photos but unfortunately I cannot load them on this blog??? We were fine with these monkeys until we decided to go a little off piste that is. Quietly walking through an undeveloped and obviously rarely used part of the forest Gary had a large monkey drop onto his shoulders! "Cathie I have a monkey on me quick take a photo"! A photo? I was frozen to the spot! I turned around and there was Gary hanging on to his hat whilst the monkey was trying to rip it off. What next - glasses, cell phone? No, this monkey wanted into the back pack ( yes Tina the one you and Bruce bought us which has been amazingly useful). Now this pack folds over and over at the top and then clips together and the monkey had an issue figuring this out. So he very kindly pees all over Gary and the pack as a farewell gesture and was off. We decided to go back to the main drag but needed to get our water bottles out of the pack. Within seconds monkeys surrounded us trying to grab the water. Out of luck this time we too had become wiley to their antics. We did later watch a startled woman lose her water bottle in a flash from her hand to a monkey. He ripped the bottom of the bottle out whilst balancing on a rock at the edge of a precipice - unfortunately during the process he lost all the water and seemed quite befuddled by that. We did a lot of walking in Ubud, met some lovely people 2 of whom will stay in touch, and had meals in amazing restaurants recommended in reviews on Ubud. When travelling it is wise to take notice of these little gems otherwise so much could be missed that is good but we wanted to see some proper rice terraces. We hired a driver for 150,000rps for the morning and he took us way into the countryside of Ubud. DrIvIng through tradItIonal BalInese vIllages, steeped In magIcal hIstory, washIng was laId out for what seemed lIke mIles to dry, all along the roadsIdes. We walked through rice paddies, went to an organic coffee plantation where coffee beans are harvested from the poo of an animal called a Lewak. The bean then goes through a cleansing process, we hope, and finally is roasted. "Would we like to try some please?" Hmmm......no thanks but thankyou for the offer. It was a good morning though and we felt we had seen the real Ubud along with the rice fields. The next day we said goodbye to our 2 Austrian friends who gave us a few travelling tips and the offer to call see them when we hit Austria and hunkered down for some heavy rain and to eat Babi Guling, a local delicacy of spIt roasted suckling pig. Our disappointment was complete with our accommodation as the rain invaded our room and balcony. We are leaving tomorrow for our slowboat trip to Lembongan Island all kindly arranged by Jan the dutch host? Please let it not be raining in the morning. Morning arrives with the 3.30am rooster alarm, happened every morning right outside our window, and yes it was raining........hard. we had to get down to the main highway on our own in the pouring rain to be picked up to go to the harbour by minivan .....but at least It was warm. It worked well, first pick up, prime seats. By the time the last person was picked up we had 13 in the van wIth theIr luggage, bags on our laps, not ours, everyone was wet, hot and smelly and we were spat out in Sanur looking at a broken down, old, blue boat sitting in a raging incoming tide, in the rain! My thoughts immediately tumbled back to the most horrendous trip i have ever undertaken with Foo and Neil along the Meekong in the same conditions. A sly glance to my left created sheer terror in my heart - we had the breakers to negotiate as well! I believe Gary is continuing from here but please be aware that he is a man and I am of the gentler sex. In other words believe me not him! As I am having trouble with photos on this site I will put a screed on Facebook. Please friend me if you wish to view. Here endeth my part of a very protracted blog but let me assure you it gets better and I have fallen in love with Bali - Gary has always felt that way. We have been privileged and blessed to meet some amazing people, to converse with them any which way we can, to eat local food with the local people and to be invited to a traditional Balinese wedding here in Sanur. But that is my next blog. Till then goodnight - I am off for a swim in our own private pool! Love to all xxxx