Monday here in Bali was a beautifully sunny day without the slightest hint of rain. After a quick Cafe Moka breakfast I jumped on my bike and did some street marketing in the Kuta area. I find that store owners out here are quite approachable and are willing to help someone who is helping Bali.
There are some factors which have mean’t this week is rather quiter than normal. Those include the tourist flow being still down from the bombing, the war in Iraq, the recent flu in SE Asia and Nyepi day.
The ladies in Internet Oupost have more time to play around and are very helpful in letting me store my promotional equipment in the lockers upstairs. Aussie surfer Paul who will be writing our surfing report shortly is becoming an Internet Outpost regular too. I visited a couple of surf board shop and saw a selection of his Byron Bay surfboards. They look good but what do I know. Paul told me if I started to learn to surf he’d stick me on a longer type board with a rounded end that would be easy to paddle into waves and stand up on, surfing beach breaks only. A couple of weeks ago a surfboard shop sold a 5′ 9″ board to a stocky German guy. Paul found out and took the guy back to the shop and confronted the owner telling him to replace it with something more sensible or else his name would be dirt.
On Poppies II I had heard about a meeting at Taman Sari restaurant that was going to happen today. Our friend Putra was very worried about being fired and I could tell all the staff were tense. The young manager went on in Indonesian and afterwards people seemed relaxed. I found out it was just to discuss the Nyepi work schedule with people going back to villages.
Dinner tonight was a 18,000rp tuna with vegetables at a place at Jl. Benesari and Jl. Pantai Kuta ( the beach road). It was okay buy loaded with butter and salt. At the bar was a schoolteacher from Australia who was well wasted and telling anyone who would listen that the war was such a waste of time. The bartender came round the bar and said ‘too many beers’. You know you’ve had too much when a Balinese bartender won’t serve you.
Riding up Jl. Legian the local banjar had the road blocked off and were funneling motorbikes down an alley with a 2 foot wide exit at the end. They were all out getting ready for tomorrow’s Ogah Ogah and people were sitting on ther sidewalk. It feels like the Summer Solstice parade in Santa Barbara or the Eugene Celebration.
I took a couple of photos in low light of all the people sitting on the sidewalks and locals checking out a monster dancing around. Must be a great time for the kids.
I’m heading out to Global Xtreme ( the best place to surf the web north of Kuta ) and might run into Ron anf Tina tonight.
ps. I started off this post saying there wasn’t the slightest hint of rain. By 12 midnight it was pouring.
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Dear Nick. Top of the day and I am glad to see you are obviously in good health and spirits. In my mid-sixties,I went around Java and Sumatra and then,by commerical sailing ship,travelled around the archipelago..really great.I am now 70 and been around the world three times since then.Good luck to you Ted.
Cheers Mick,
I’m learning the ropes as I go along here its great.
Ted you have had awesome travels and it would be wonderful to meet up with you if you’re ever back in Indonesia.
What is Nyepi?! and what is Ogah Ogah?!
It sounds fun but I have never been to bali so I just dont know what tou are talking about.
Happy Nyepi Nick..
If ya do break the no sex rule during Nyepi dont forget to do it ” ogah ogah ” style..
Will sent ya a report from Japan later this week.
Cheers Mick