Bali Hi !!

Although our July 3rd journey to Bali from the Seychelles ranks as one of our worst travel experiences ever, there was still one moment where there were some smiles. Despite Etihad Airlines poor performance from a delivery point-of-view, their flight attendants are among the best, and they treated us to an impromptu birthday cake and some champagne.

Happy Birthday Shirley!!

We have been in Bali for the last several days, at first waiting for our bags to arrive, and also settling into our new neighbourhood, and just getting our bearings. We've rented a place for the month in the seaside town of Sanur. Although it's no sleepy village, it's still a lot quieter than the craziness of Kuta beach or the glitz of Seminyak - a good family place.

The local beach is okay, but I fear we have been really spoiled by the spectacular islands of the Seychelles and the Maldives. And generally speaking, we need to get rid of any preconceived ideas of what Bali is, because chances are it's not. Bali is not a small tropical Indonesian paradise.

Travel brochures and guidebooks like to paint Bali as the idyllic travel destination, with its palm trees, azure waters, and soft golden sand providing visitors with the ultimate location to enjoy a peaceful and quiet retreat from the pressures of the world. They are lying.

Geographically, the island is not large, but it's home to about 4 million people, plus all of the challenges which accompany a large population like that. Roads are busy, traffic is loud, vendors are pushy, and many people seem to be only after your money. I know, it sounds harsh, but that's our first impression. We have a few weeks to try to look beyond that.

So our favourite place thus far (and it's only been 5 days) has been our little home. We are staying in a small joglo, which is not a local Balinese-style home, but rather a traditional structure from the neighbouring island of Java - the building has been deconstructed, moved, and rebuilt here.

We are renting it from a North Vancouver lady (can you believe the coincidence?) who lives in the beautiful villa next door with her three daughters, who just happen to be around Annie and Owen's ages!!

She has lived in Bali for about 15 years and rents this little joglo to visitors. The place is perfect for us, and we have been happy to just hang around and catch up on lost sleep.

I think it's only a 4 hour time difference from the Seychelles but I have really struggled with the jetlag.

We have our own bedroom, and the kids have their own room with two twin beds, both comfortably air-conditioned. We are fully equipped with a kitchen as well (though we don't intend to use it much), plus a huge living area and nice little garden. And I think it set us back about $35 per night.

Three days of staying close to Sanur was making us feel a bit guilty for not exploring the island, so we hired a driver and vehicle (he's the one Shirley is talking to above) and headed out to see Ubud and the surrounding area.

The kite festival in Sanur is coming soon, and people seem to be getting ready.

In terms of transportation on Bali, we contemplated renting scooters, or even our own car, but there's no point really. The car and driver is so inexpensive that it eliminates all stress relating to daytripping. Driving here is a bit of a gamble - roads here are narrow, traffic is busy, and cops are everywhere looking to shake-down the foreign motorists. Plus, having our own driver allows me to actually look out the window and enjoy the scenery. 

But prior to getting to Ubud we made our first temple stop in Bali at Pura Desa Batuan. Before entering we needed to cover our legs with more appropriate attire.

There are probably hundreds of temples on this island - Balinese practice a form of Hinduism and temples and shrines of all sizes dot the landscape. I'm sure this won't be our last.

We've been together so long that we've started dressing like a couple.

Next we were treated to a sight which brought back memories of Sri Lanka. But instead of tea plantations, it was a vista of rice terraces of deep, verdant green. Wow!!

We were not alone, of course, as tourists understandably flock here in droves, and there is an interesting admission fee system whereby cars/bikes with foreigners must pay a small sum to local Balinese who occupy a 'roadblock' entering the town.

At first you feel a bit let down by this rampant commercialism, but it's actually okay. I have heard that land such as this is more valuable if sold for real estate, instead of keeping it for rice farming. So in the absence of this extra revenue generated from tourists, it would likely be developed. 'Artificial' farming, perhaps, but the natural beauty is preserved. 

Lunch at a popular restaurant in Ubud. Guess what's on the menu here? Hint: it's not nine year old boys.

Babi guling, or roast suckling pick, is one of Bali's most famed dishes. Mmmmmmm. Juicy, fatty, and with crispy skin (no, not the sunburned guy on the left).

We were very much looking forward to visiting Ubud. Our guidebook describes it as:

"the cultural heart of Bali, where a vibrant artistic and culinary community thrives. If you're looking for peace and quiet, then Ubud is the place to be. Steeped in culture and enhanced by magnificent vista, Ubud offers a respite from the busy life of south Bali"

Too bad that guidebook was written in 1995. 

Boy, things have changed. While Ubud's popularity was always increasing over the years, things got really out of hand after the release of "Eat, Pray, Love". According to some we talked to, the movie essentially ruined Ubud. Tourists by the busload descend on the town every day, and with the build-up of hotels, restaurants, yoga retreats, and raw food bars, the once small village has absorbed the surrounding five villages, so that Ubud is now a messy and traffic-congested sprawl.

As for the beautiful local crafts and galleries.....well, they seem to have been replaced by vendors selling typical tourist trinkets. In reality, the artists, workshops and galleries are still around, but many have moved to the outskirts of town, a boundary which appears to be shifting year by year.

But the great thing about Ubud, and Bali for that matter, is that you can turn the corner and stumble upon a temple and find young Balinese rehearsing a traditional dance.

And not all of Ubud is chaotic - there are still some of the side streets are quiet, although there's no mistaking that we're in the middle of a World Cup summer.

You can't swing a cat without hitting one of these places in Ubud. Whoever thought of this is a genius - what a great business model. Not much in the way of overhead if you're not actually cooking the food. I think I could do this myself, thanks. Now a Gin & Tonic bar, on the other hand, that's something I may be interested in.

Typical photo. Shirley and I are loving it, but the kids looked bored. It's time to go.

I can't say that we're overly impressed with Bali so far, but I did expect it might be like this. I get a sense that the visitors who enjoy Bali the most are the ones who are able to stay here longer and explore. We have a few weeks to get to know the island, so I trust we can hunt down some hidden treasures by the end of our stay. Stay tuned.