Waking up in Padangbai I said hello to one of the cleaning girls who gave me the breakfast menu.
Breakfast was included and I chose a tomato omelette, Bali coffee and fruit salad.
Quickly packing my bag I rode to the main east-west road and stopped for petrol at a station only to find it was out of petrol. Never mind I hit another several miles further. Reaching Klungkung, one of the big towns in east Bali I veered northwards. I have been without my usual intake of diesel fumes lately and was suffering withdrawal. Twenty minutes on this road got me back to speed quickly and at one point while overtaking 2 dump trucks the smoke from their combined exhausts was so thick it was like a smoke screen, I almost couldn’t see through it.
Quickly exiting the main road I headed off on a much quieter road towards Rendang. I didn’t have a particular reason other than wanting to explore and I knew this area has some very nice rice terraces. Between the villages of Sidemen and Iseh I stopped at small convenience store to buy a donut and an iced tea. The owner Nyoman was working there with his wife. He told me his job consisted of many things, working in the shop, harvesting coffee from the bushes across the street and building houses for other people. He also told me he was 35 buy still had no kids. I told him that was unusual for a Balinese and he said yes but maybe there is something wrong with him or his wife. He’s been going to the doctor but had to stop because it was too expensive. Here in Bali kids are such an important part of a person’s life and cultural identity with the ‘life ceremonies’, weddings etc. and the fact that kids look after their parents when they get old. I feel a bit sorry for Nyoman that he’s going to miss out on that.
In front of the shop was a drainage canal that was fast flowing with the overflow from last night’s storm. That’s one of the things I enjoy about living in Bali, the flowing water. Riding by a rice paddy I stopped and observed the water flowing in a controlled manner from one field to the next. I did also see quite a lot of small plastic objects and that is an indication of the garbage that gets tossed in streams and rivers higher up. I saw Nyoman’s wife throw a plastic wrapper into the drainage canal and told him in Kuta when there is storm the place floods and Balinese people have to get in the canal and dig out the trash and vegetation. He agreed it was a problem. I don’t want to be a know it all but someone has to relay the information about what the consequences are.
On the way to Rendang I passed a large gathering of Balinese people and stopped to see what was going on. It was a cremation ceremony and one old guy told me the dead person was inside the toy cow they had made. After the ceremony they would set it ablaze. I asked if the deceased was an important person seeing how many people were there. He said no, in Bali if you die your village turns out for you.
Doing a loop round to Klungkung I shot over on that busy east-west road to Gianyar and down to Lebih to get on the ‘fast track’ coast road. The loop I did around from Klungkung to Rendang to Klungkung is about 35 kms but that’s Bali kilometers…very windy. Along the coast road I stopped at a place selling ikan laut’‘ a kind of bbq fish that is mashed up and up on a stick. It came with a small spicy soup, rice and some soya and other veg. This together with an iced tea was 7,000rp. The place is a local hangout and you can see them all along the coast road. Seating is on a mat in front of a low table. The spicy bbq left me with a runny nose and after paying I said thank you and zoomed off. A local chapter of the Harley Davidson riders club was out today featuring almost all Indonesian riders. I passed a bunch of them having a group meeting on the side of the road and one of them waved to me. I waved back and kept going. A moment later 2 Honda Supra’s shot past me and the riders were indicating I had my stand down. Flying along the road doing 70kmh with my stand down isn’t the smartest thing to do and I thanked them.
I made it home without dramas and look forward to exploring some next week.
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G’Day Nick,
Great return trip with some [as always] great fotos. The terraced hills at Lebih are beautiful. I am really enjoying your coverages of Bali and you are doing it brilliantly. Whatever possessed you to forget to lift up your stand!. Maybe you were thinking about coconuts!
Yeah it’s the Asian way that when the parents get older they are cared for by the kids.
Tracey I had to laugh when you wrote about the honesty of the Balinese!. I once put on a T-Shirt the wrong way around and this Balinese kid just came up to me and said “Hey meester, your shirt is funny. Put it on properly”.
Balinese honesty. I get a kick when they ask me ’suda kawin’ (already married? ).
When I say no they sometime say ‘you must get married now, you are already old,’ or ‘good you looking isteri Balinese’.
Hey Nick,
I was wondering about the state of the new coastal road from Lebih to Sanur. Is it done? Not too many potholes?…………We are leaving for Bali in August. I have been checking out the Bali Advertiser website lately. Our house up near Ubud still doesn’t have a phone. What’s the latest in wireless technology on the island? ………….Keep up the fantastic scribbling. Its nice comic relief after dealing with fat rednecks here in the mountains!
Cheers,
Mike
I learnt to ride a motorbike on that road!! It was good to me and I think it was the best road I’ve come across in Bali. My plugger fell off my foot and I had heaps of space and no vehicles on the road to be able to turn around and collect it!
Nick,
From Rendang across to Ubud there are some fantastic little rain forest valleys.. I love that part of bali ..
Cheers Mick
Besides reading your informative and interesting articles, I enjoy the comments also.
I know I could adjust very easily to the honesty of the Balinese people. They tell the person in question rather than others. Westerners are much too concerned with the proper this and this, whether the individual will be “hurt”, whether a non-existent relationship will be damaged.
Keep life simple and let the cards fall where they will. We can’t control everything.
Taking care of the older generation is changing, at least in Japan where the population is not maintaining itself. But the culture supports and respects seniors as in Bali - a good and necessary concept - unless, of course, the seniors are meddlesome to the point of causing war rather than peace.
Folks/
I have never been to Bali and have to admit it was never high on my list of ‘must place to visit’. I always knew it was a nice island..obviousley.! But i live in London England and for me Bali is to Ossies what Ibiza is to Brits. However since discovering this Site and following the Blogs i must say how wrong i was and how my View of the Island has changed. I have to say that if one thing has swung it for me to make an effort to visit Bali A.S.A.P it is the unique people of Bali. Now dont get me wrong all you people who are saying ‘how the hell does he know he aint been there yet’ , but sorry folks i more or less have through Nicks postcards from Bali. How wonderful it must be to have people who
just get on with life with a smile on their face.
How wonderful if the world was full of people like
this. I suppose i can keep dreaming eh folks…
But i can always visit Bali and pretend this is how the world is for a few weeks eh folks..
Smiling
G’Day Mark,
Blow me over with a rusty wombat!. I thought you had been to Bali because of your great input on the blog.
Geez mate, ya gotta get over to paradise ASAP!.
Great comments!
Mick I will make a note to explore those valleys between Ubud and Rendang. Maybe rent a dirt bike and rerally explore!
The coastal road from Lebih to Sanur is complete and is a stress free ride.
In fact when you get to Lebih you can keep going a few more miles by passing Gianyar. The final stage is still not complete as a couple of small bridges still need to be built.
My feelings are mixed regarding the complettino of the raod. I like the access to east Bali but know it will mean more mass tourism and a quicker end to the Bali that people dream of.
Cell phones in Bali. I used a Nokia phone on the the Pro XL plan buying pulsa in advance. It works well all over the island pretty much. I can recieve calls and sms’s from all over the world. I’m probably no the most up to date tech guy and there are definitely way more fancy phones out there.
Good whatever time it is Barrie (evening/morning/afternoon)
Yes Barrie i have learnt more from reading your input as well as Nicks Blogs (good job his name aint JOE innit - Joe Blogs ha ah)
Yes i have to admit it does not help Barrie when Nick keeps downloading these terrific photos. I have saved the picture of the beach shot on his recent escapade to my desktop to remind me of what i am missing mate.
Hope to be there a.s.a.p. knocking back a few cold Bintangs and sampling a few cocktails looking at the view i have on my desktop but for real. Wowee cant wait…..
Smiling and dreaming
Mark I also thought you must have been an avid bali traveller??? WOWEE!!!
Barrie,
I recall when I was pregnant & everyone would tell me I look Gemuk! (fat) I was like yep, Thanks! Then when it became obvious I was pregnant they all laughed. But I know a friend whom is large & whenever she returns to Bali with her hubby the in laws always tell her she looks heaps fatter!? She just smiles, but the kids ask her if she steals all her husbands food & where is all the candy!?
Ya gotta love the honesty!!!!
Hi Tracey,
Know what you mean. Every time I return to Indo, the first thing most people ask [ besides the usual courtesies] is what have you brought me!.
The other thing is when I am with Candika, they always ask how many children we have (none in fact).
Most Indonesians have a dull sensitivty when being upfront. I reckon it’s great!.
Barrie,
I agree it is an awesome experience & honest place!!! Well sometimes honest….
Just heard back from Nusantara bookshop, they got the books I am after…
So Bazza if you can’t get them with your usual contact they may be worth a try!!!
Hi Tracey,
Yeah I am still in awe of the strange things I have seen and been asked for over the years.
Hey Folks,
What was the strangest thing you have been asked when visiting Bali (or elsewhere in Indo)?…
Let’s hear from ya!
I was actually asked once if my breast were real…?
I was also asked once from Dutch tourists if I was the Nanny for the baby, when in fact it was Maddison.
I also get asked or strange looks when I take my niece & nephew out with Maddison & I , as she is dark skinned, haired & featured & my nephew is as fair as could be with very pake skin & my niece has red hair!
Hi Tracey,
WOW!. I am often asked [and especially in Java] if Candika is my servant!. Really pisses me off and needless to say, Candika gives a mouthful to those who insinuate such a matter.
Nick that was a truly interesting read! I know the importance of children to Balinese & I also hope that one day Nyoman & his wife do have children…
My Parents are both extremely excited about the fact the kids look after their parents, as Gede keeps saying we must look after them!!! I tell them they can live with him & I will get my own place!!! But I do tell Maddison it’s her duty to look after me when I am old, she promises she will, being 5 she has no choice!!!!
Someone needs to sort out the amount of plastics dumped in Bali & other Indo islands as it is getting wprse at a rapid rate.. Rob this is something that needs to change!!!
WOW Lucky you were told about your stand! I ahve seen it many times & numerous accidents!
It reminds me of something I said once upon return from a 6 month stay in Bali….
I was telling my sister that in Bali if yoyr fly was undone or you had a boogie in your nose or gained weight etc, IN Bali they have no hesitation in telling a stranger or friend this, yet you can be at work with the same people all day & get home & realise at some stage your fly was down!
I think in Western Countries they donb’t bother to look at people so don’t notice things as much…?