BALI - INDONESIA

In the states everyone hears about "Bali" -- I think most of our familiarity is tied in with beautiful beaches and dream cabanas alongside them.... YES, this does exist! MORESO, the Balinese traditions and internal offerings (off the coastline) are what I found to be BALI! In villages where the ritualistic making and placing of daily offerings is neverending; where you have to pay attention to where you step so you don't fall through the sidewalk (as their are holes along the way,) nor step on the day's offering that has been placed; where the local women are seen walking from one place to another with large stacks or bowls of items on their head; where men play chess along the roadside calling out "taksi" to you... and when you say "no thanks"... they say "maybe tomorrow?"; where Gammalongs' sweet melodies can be heard in the far-off distance; where monkeys are free to be monkeys; where rice is so precious; and where smiles are ever-present once you have shared one yourself...

Walking from the airport – after passing the death penalty warnings at immigration, for those caught with drugs – I am wandering the streets in search of some type of shuttle bus to Ubud. Ubud is an area north and inland from Kuta beach. Only one-two hours south from some of the islands biggest mtns – and active volcanoes for that matter, this town offers a spa, organic, ritualistic daily routine that becomes more and more enjoyable each day. With homestay options that have you tucked under trees amongst gorgeous family temples and surrounded by the local people and their daily offerings, this place offers you community integration from the very start.

My first night I met two girls from Quebec at a local café and we journeyed over to witness the Kecak Dance (the Balinese traditional Fire Dance) – and for those of you who have seen the film Baraka, you have seen it too… I was so amazed to witness the guys (a 100-man choir, as they describe it) in their chanting/dance ritual IN PERSON! I never knew exactly what the chanting was from when I saw the film… and to now experience it in person is so energizing! It was followed by two impressive trance dance segments, where two girls dance with their eyes closed in one, and a guy dances on burning coconut shells in his barefeet in the other. Each of these dances stems from a very detailed story-line (which would take me 3 more pages to explain!)

I wandered the streets a bit in the dark (such a joy to be in an area where it is considered relatively safe to do so) and stumbled upon KAFE. This is a traveler’s hot-spot, moreso for those into yoga (as Bali Spirit yoga studio is upstairs,) organic foods, and deeper conversations. The local people who work here are delightful, and the environment is extremely inviting with its wood community tables inside and out, low table & cushion seating along the wall, library of magazines & books for borrow, and all sorts of products offered in support of Bali Cares (a non-profit that supports local charitable projects.)

During my first 24-hrs in town I formed all sorts of friendships that would endure my week in UBUD, and most likely many years to come. Adriane (from Nelson, B.C.) joined me for some laughs in the monkey forest one afternoon and a sunrise journey up Mt. Batur (one of the active volcanoes.) By day two we were roommates and off to on our own self-made bike journey into the rice fields and villages on the outskirts of UBUD. As we rode back into town we spotted a side street and new cafe to explore... Bali Buddha. This turned into a typical "in the right place at the right moment" experience, as we ran into another friend from the night before and met a nice couple on their way out - Karen & Andrew (Ketchum, ID)... I immediately got caught up in conversation with Karen which then led me to Wayan, the traditional Balinese Healer up the street, the following day. Our entire group enjoyed many nights at KAFE and random meetings along the streets of UBUD.

I took to a 4+hour cleansing healing with Wayan and her beautiful staff, that left me glowing (literally - my skin was practically new looking!) afterwards. We became fast friends and I returned to visit with her for hours the following day -- getting to know more about her, her family, and her business... and enjoy some scrumptious vitamin filled raw veggies & fruits during our chat --watching me try to peel an apple with a knife the same way they do left us both laughing! I look forward to returning and spending more time with her in the near future!

Andrew & Karen had invited me to travel to the island of Nusa Lembongan with them, so I chose to spent my final overnight in Bali there. While on the slow boat (1 1/2 hours) over to the island I was in shock as I had never seen swells so big... the roll of the water was most likely 6-8ft high. It was even more amazing to me, since we were simply crossing the Strait of Lombok, but afterwards I learned that it is typical with all of the coral reefs in the area and seaweed farming. We wandered one section of the island upon arrival -- past many tarps of smelly, drying seaweed -- I dropped my bags at a room for the night and then we attempted to catch a ride over to Mushroom Bay on the other side of the island. Karen & Andrew's moped got a flat tire, so the three of us hopped in the back of a work truck and stood up holding onto a rusty bar in the back as we worked our way up and over the mini-mountain that lies in between... ducking our heads on occasion, so we wouldn't be whacked in the face by tree branches! After enjoying some lunch at the water's edge, we walked the trail back towards the main beach where I was staying. After a quick swim and beer, we parted ways for the night and I went back to my guesthouse. That same night I visited with some of the local guys a few guesthouses down, until exhaustion led me back to bed. My eventful morning beach walk (after a fall off a step that left my legs all sliced up by coral in the water below) was still relatively enjoyable. I walked out to the point of the island and passed many locals along the way. I then hiked over to Tamarind beach to meet up with "Blackie" & friends for a morning of snorkeling in a cove behind the island. The boat ride there was fantastic and the snorkeling was absolutely magnificent -- clear blue waters, huge/colorful coral, and bright-colored fish (including angelfish, clownfish, and puffer fish) -- and when a stong current came in we did our best to get back to the boat quickly so we could get out of there promptly -- too fun! I was a tad too nauseated for the 2nd dive, so I enjoyed a mini-siesta atop the boat in a larger cove we visited for the 2nd snorkel.

I returned to Bali's mainland via the fast boat (30 mins) and realized the advantage of the slowboat, as the fast boat left us flying over the swells and crashing hard onto the water below. So much that the offerings fell out of the wooden temple box above me and landed on my head at one point -- talk about good luck blessings! ;) I endured this crazy ride with 4 guys from Sydney who were staying in Kuta Beach -- we were all very entertained (and somewhat sore) afterwards! I ended up dropping my stuff in their room in Kuta so I could enjoy sunset at the beach with them, followed by a fantastic dinner at a little restaurant off Poppies I... then it was off to the airport for an overnight flight to Australia!