Dokar races in Denpasar Bali

Mike Hillis sent me an sms on Saturday morning asking if I wanted to watch some dokar races in Denpasar. Dokars are the 2-wheel horse drawn carts that ply the streets around Kuta.

I think since the arrival of motorbikes they have been in decline but you will see a lot of them around Jl. Kartika Plaza. I think for many tourists a ride in a dokar is a bit of a novelty but for Indonesians its just the way they get around. Motorcycle becaks and cycle becaks like the one Ika and I rode on in Semarang are all part of life here.

Mike has a shop on Jl. Danau Poso in Sanur called Bali Sierra which sells furniture and ornaments. Ika and I rode down there and navigated the road construction that is going on. The actual street is blocked off but you can use the little mud ramps people have built to scale the sidewalk and find a way past the mechanical digger. Jl. Danua Tamblingan in Sanur really looks a mess. The road construction and its sloppy tarmac job are a real pain.

Mike had seen the macapong (buffalo) races in Madura (Java) and I had seen them in Negara. Those beasts get whipped ( literally) into a frenzy and charge past like there is no tomorrow. I knew that the drivers have a nail in the end of their whip to puncture holes in the buffalos rear end and Mike told me as an extra incentive they rub chili pepper into its anus about 2 minutes before take off. Man these Madurese are creative!

We got to Denpasar quickly from Sanur on the Bypass but went to the wrong event. There was a large field where a stage and musicians were set up. We wanted to animals not singers so hit the road in search of the real deal. Mike said his wife Priska told him it was here but that it might be at Puputan square in the middle of Denpasar. Riding over there we found the event and immediately saw many dokars lined up. The actual competition was more like a fashion show than a race with each contestant introduced over a super loud and squeaky loudspeaker. They each rode past and I think were awarded point for appearance.

Balinese locals were out with their kids enjoying the time and talking advantage of the tall shady trees. It’s a steam-bath here right now with more or less a 3 shower a day schedule for me.

Food vendors were out in force. I spotted some satay vendor and asked Ika if she wanted any. It turned out to be babi ( pork) so she declined, anyway it could not compete with her new favourite, serangan (turtle).

On one side of Puputan square is Pura Agung Jagatnatha, which had some kind of ceremony going on outside. We saw Balinese in traditional clothing and were told there was a competition for the best hair-piece. Locals gathered to play chess too, a favourite in Indonesia.

After an hour or so we left and navigated Denpasars maze of streets to Kerobokan and Seminyak.