Anyone who knows me knows that I've been coming to Bali since 1979 on a semi regular basis, for almost every year, sometimes twice or three times a year, sometimes not at all.
I first came to Bali on my honeymoon in 1979. It was a choice of Bali or Tasmania & I knew which place I wanted to go to, and it wasn't Tassie. Probably one of the reasons I'm not married any more as this was our first major "fight" and probably one of the last !
In those days Bali was still an undiscovered Oasis. Any tourists visiting Bali , were usually of Dutch origin or a small scraggly group of Aussie adventure surfers who had heard about the breaks on Uluwatu and Kuta beach.
My first trip was the obligatory Honeymoon 5 star hotel , Bali Hyatt in Sanur. In those days there were two choices, Sanur or Denpasar. Kuta wasn't even on the radar of tourists. It didn't actually exist except for a daily market, a temple, a few huts, and Bemo corner, which was the end of the line as far as public transport went. and it was an hours drive from Sanur to Kuta in a Bemo, a three wheeled utility vehicle mainly used as a taxi/ bus service for locals. where you sat precariously in the open tray on a bench seat squashed against your fellow passengers,, hoping to god that it didn't tip over. These Bemos, raced down the road at a great rate of knots, or so it seemed with their 2 cylinder engines screaming at a high pitch. each Bemo driver tried to overtake the other to get to the next passenger first and hence earn the fare.
Bali has come along way since then in terms of tourism, infrastructure, running water, sewerage etc. Back in the 80's and 90's all anyone joked about was the inevitable
bout of Bali Belly ! If you stayed in Kuta it was Poppies Lane,where the omelets were served complete with Magic mushrooms for the surfer crowd, or a small bemo ride through rice paddies to Legian, or those that dared to go farther afield a losman on Seminyak beach !
Sanur is no longer the place to be, its more like a retirement village for expats now, and Kuta is the place to AVOID AT ALL COSTS ! Locations that were once just an exotic temple in the middle of no where and the exclusive domain of the Balinese are now thriving hubs of tourism, 5 star hotels, examples rampant exploitation of the natural environment at all costs resulting in dingy bars and el cheapo accommodation on once pristine beaches and rice paddies.. These places are now the domain of drunken Australian Yobbos and Bogans in their prime element of alcohol consumption, footy arvos at bars that serve pies and chips and VB, and nightclubs with Balinese bands playing Jimmy Barnes, INXS.A veritable Home away from Home !.Why even go on holidays to Bali. Most of these ignorant people actually think that Bali is a part of Australia, most have never heard of Indonesia as a country and get upset when you dare suggest they might like to communicate in Indonesian, instead of expecting everyone to speak English, especially the unintelligible Bogan motifs such as ":onya" and "She'll be right" No wonder the Balinese take the piss out of Aussies behind their backs.! A few simple words of Bahasa and you'll have their respect instead of the opposite which we seem to have in spades these days.
Progress I guess, but at what cost? . What is most notable is that the standard of living of the average Balinese has moved from a village subsistence, to that of entrepreneur, tour guide, Massage therapist, Beauty therapist, Hair dresser adept at doing long plaits and various tresses, and shop assistant. The Balinese do however value their attachment to their village & community , and most town dwellers still return "home" on a regular basis for weekly/monthly ceremonies, family obligations etc.
The Balinese are very Spiritual. They are Hindu but are heavily influenced by Buddhism. The type of Hinduism they practice is a very ancient one, and similarities can be found with the Indian form. Balinese Hinduism versus Indian what can I say, there are just as many similarities as there are differences, the Balinese form is more ancient and seems to be in its purist form. Enough said as I'm no expert, just an avid reader of history books.
practiced
My second last, most recent trip to Bali was last Easter 2016. I had decided to go at this time because with the 2 days public holidays at Easter as well as weekends on both ends, I could use my annual leave to its full advantage, with weekends before and afterwards extending my time off work to be able to be away for a longer period of time with using minimal annual leave days. In all I was away from home or almost 3 weeks, but in reality had used only 10 annual leave days. I was planning to meet up with friends, who were coming from Perth, as well as others who were also coming just for the official Easter break of just a few days.
I arrived alone, and was planning a mini adventure as far away form the maddening crowd as I could, before my friends arrived. For some of them it was their first trip to Bali, and they were nervous, and anxious, having listened to way to many Bali Horror stories from those that either didn't know better or were victims of their own ignorance.
Like any holiday, Bali as a destination is what you make of it ,you can lay on the stunning beach, party all night , eat at fabulous world class restaurants, jungle trek, climb volcanos, visit temples & ancient hot springs.Bali has it all.
I arrived late in the evening, leaving Melbourne at 6pm, with the loss of a few hours, arriving in Bali at 9pm, my holiday was ready to begin. I decided that I was going to stay at Lovina beach for a few days before my friends arrived, a part of Bali not frequented by the hoards, and it lay a 5 hour drive to the north.
Singaraja was once the administrative capital of Bali, and the Home of the Dutch colonial rulers. When the Dutch arrived, Bali was divided into kingdoms ruled by Royal families or dynasties dating back thousands of years. Its hard to believe but the Balinese were once fierce warriors, with a deeply spiritual side, and a strong belief in black magic that carries through till today. The Dutch lost control of Indonesia when the Japanese attacked during the second world war, and the Indonesians gained independence after that in a bloody and fierce power play. Bali is the only Hindu island in Indonesia where the majority of people are Muslim, with a minority of Christians, Buddhists and Animists .
My cheerful driver Gusti picked me up from the airport, Longtime driver and tour guide and even longer time friend, and we headed to the hotel.One large and very empty suitcase, a heavy box of Naplan English books for a teacher friend in Ubud, and a back pack of essential electronic gear, Laptop, Ipad, Phone, Local phone, cables , a Kindle and a variety of adaptors etc that were needed to run all these appliances. .
The next morning I woke up to this view from my room at the Bali Reski Hotel .Its a budget priced hotel that started life as Quaint Boutique resort located in Seminyak's back streets. One block from the beach and the exclusive Ku de Ta Hotel and a short walk to the eats an shopping streets of Seminyak square. The Hotel was built on traditional Balinese lines, with bamboo lined walls, teak hardwood floors and a king size bed.his is the view from my room.
Once located in the middle of a rice paddy, its now in downtown suburban Seminyak, surround by Villas , other small boutique hotels, and private homes of expats. The size of a small country Motel, its just the right size for me. For a couple of years it was home away from home of the gay community then it became the haven of Expats trying to adopt local children, I period when I stopped staying,as crying babies all night wasn't the main reason I'd come to Bali. Now under new management its back to being a bit of all things to all people, and I try to pop in at least once a year for a short stay and rekindle friendships with Ketut the chef, the lovely staff and friendly reception people.
First stop was Ubud, and a strong Balinese coffee at one of the many Coffee plantations. Gusti's idea as the Tour drivers get coffee for free, and as we'd had an early start, he hadn't had his morning cuppa yet !
Second stop was Lake Buyan Situated below the northern rim of the Bedugul caldera, it is Bali's 2nd largest lake (4.5 square km) With breathtaking views and perfect photo opportunities it is one of Bali's most beautiful spots. The temple is very active and village life takes place around you as you sit and contemplate the beautiful view. Gusti was keen to stop at some hot springs just a few km's down the road, but as we'd been there many times before ,I suggested we just get a move and and make it to Lovina beach at a decent hour, so that the five hour trip back for him wasn't going to be in the dark.Even he agreed that this was a good idea.
We finally made it to the Lovina Beach Hotel located right on the sea front. Lovina was established in 1953 as a holiday resort, but had been a egion well known by locals and Dutch expats for some time as it was the local "Singaraja beach. The made up name Lovina , to promote tourism in that sector came about from the use of two english words LOVE Indonesia- LOV-INA. Fact is stranger than fiction.
The pool was cool and inviting and I spent most afternoons lazing around.
Unknown to many, Singaraja once had a large thriving Chinese community. In colonial times, the Chinese came as traders, encouraged first by the middle eastern traders who brought islam with them, and afterwards by the Dutch who drank their tea, enjoyed their fine arts and other luxuries whilst "slumming" it in the colonies.
A trip to the Local Museum was an eye opener. Here they had stored Ancient Sanskrit manuscripts that dated form the 4th and 5th century just housed in the humidity, heat, and mold of the local museum. The government tries to do its best, but with little or NO money from the government, they rely on the entrance donations to try and do what they can. As there are not many visitors there is little or no money. Some of these manuscripts pre date the Balinese culture now currently residing in Bali. I was both angry and shocked, then I realized i cannot put my first world expectations onto another culture and way of life.
These are the manuscripts, some fading almost to beyond being decipherable .
You could also have "western food" that looked like it should, but still tasted like local food !
The symbol of Lovina Beach, Dolphins.
The cheap Dolphin watching tours bring the "Bogans" up for a day tour, from Kuta, Seminyak and elsewhere. They need to leave just after midnight to get to Lovina in time for the 6am day break when the dolphin pods are out doing their "fishing" . Many of them are still drunk when they arrive, spilling outta their mini buses and vans, only to be herded onto fishing boats that take you out to sit and watch the dolphins doing their thing. Technicolor yawns are often the only thing they do, before heading back onto their vans to sleep it off on the trip back to Kuta or wherever they came from.My local friends regaled me with tales of near "drownings" , sudden slides and falls into the water as people try to get closer to these animals, and other near misses as we shared a bear on the beach later in the day. These "tours" keep the locals in work, and they take it all good naturedly. For the most part the Aussies are harmless, and are able to laugh at themselves and the stereotype that they've become in Bali.
If you have enjoyed reading my Blog please leave me a little note at the bottom of the page.
More Bali to come, I've only got around 40 years of photographs and memories to share of this amazing Island and its people.
