Visiting Vincent & Akari in Karangasem east Bali
Saturday morning I rode down to Internet Outpost Poppies Lane II and finished all my e-mail.
I had been invited to join to Vincent and Akari out in Karangasem in east Bali while they are checking out the area and enjoying being in a more traditional environment.
On the way down to Poppies I got my tires pumped up and jug of moonshine petrol added to my tank. The bike felt like it was riding well, the tires now like a bullets and I was looking forward to the ride east.
Heading in the direction of Sanur I was looking for the right hand turn off for the new coast road. I missed it and ended up heading north in the direction of Celuk which meant I’d be going the longer way via Sukawati. Being bullheaded I was determined to ride at least part of the way along the new road so took a smaller road to the coast via the village of Guwang, finally running into the highway. Cruising this new road is a pleasure, there are not many distractions hitting you from the side and the road surface is good. Some time in the future the whole route to Karangasem will be finished which for me is good and bad. Right now a lot of tourists don’t get out that way because it takes 3 hours, once they construct a straight forward highway more people will be heading out to Karangasem and that means McDonalds and all the other crap will follow.
Coming to the town of Lebih the road ends and drivers are diverted directed north to Gianyar. This town is 3 or 4 miles inland is the capitol of Gianyar which is the second most densely populated district in Bali. In the center of town is a huge white statue similar to other ones on the island ( Simpang Siur etc. ) . The Gianyar statue is of Arjuna in a 3 horse chariot.
Riding through Gianyar without stopping I rode past Banjarrangkan and through Klungkung which is also a district capital. Heading through the town I shot down the wide main street past the Kanda Pat Sari statue that stands on the main N-S,E-W axis. From there a short 3 miles miles ride to the coast put me at the town of Kusamba which is famous for its salt production.
I enjoy the quiter coastal routes and rode through Candi Dasa, a tourism center before reaching Amlapura, the main town in eastern Karangasem.
Vincent and Akari were staying at a place on the coast just past Ujung which meant I had to pass by the old Floating Palace ( Puri Taman Ujung ). This is one of the 3 water palaces and was built in 1921 by Anak Agung Anglurah, the former raja of Karangasem, the same guy who built the one in Tirtagganga. The Ujung palace is huge and although it has fallen into disrepair it is undergoing renovation.
A dirt road track leads around the back of this thing to a country road that heads towards Seraya. The name of the place I was looking for was Seraya Shores which is described in its web site as a ‘unique boutique beachside villa retreat’. I shot past it and after a mile or 2 asked a local who was kind enough to lead me there on his bike.
I parked my motorbike and walked down the stone steps next to the kitchen, immediately noticing the cement artwork and lions. No sign of Vincent or Akari so I talked to one of the staff who told me my room was the upstairs one with the view. Mary and Dave, when you come to Bali I think this is a place you’d enjoy. Traditional bamboo / alang alang roof with a over hang gap that lets ocean breezes flow through, very comfortable bed, open air bathroom and no mosquitoes. The bathroom if fitted with a western toilet and hot water heater and you get large thick towels and a couple of sarongs for relaxing in. The view wasn’t bad either. I remember thinking whoever built this place knows what they’re doing. It combines traditional elements with western comforts.
As I sat on the veranda below my room sipping a Bintang kacil Vincent appeared followed shortly by Akari. We got chatting and Vincent said this was the place he had stayed for a week last year. He has stayed in expensive hotels in big cities all over the world but said he couldn’t imagine a more perfect place than this. The beach is about 40 meters away and the sound of the crashing waves really is something to wake up to.
They both have been checking out the area by taking long walks and meeting locals and expats. Vincent was telling me about a guy who has a web site and hotel and once wrote the ‘5 ways to get more Bali out of your Bali’. These include travelling by motorbike so you can see, hear, smell more, taking long country walks, living close to a temple so the sound of the gamelan becomes part of your routine, attend as many ceremonies as possible. I’d agree and say that learning the language (something I have to try harder at ) is another important one.
As we were speaking a large funeral party walked down the quiet country lane, not a foreigner is sight. In 20 years time tour guides are going to be hunting for occasions like this.
Akari who spent many years as a trader on the stock market working more hours than even the boys at BootsnAll, is now making up for lost time by enjoying morning yoga and afternoon massages.
The afternoon was winding to a close and Vincent asked Made the waitress if we coulde have dinner, there’s no menu just dinner. The deal with Seraya Shores is that you pay 250,000rp per person per night, all food and soft drinks included. You might be able to negotiate for a weekly rate too. The owner saphir bali makes her Toyoto Landcruiser and driver available to you too….we’ll talk about that later.
Dinner arrived and it was a delicious chicken in sauce with rice and vegetables. Vincent and Akari had told me about a local dance celebration they had attended last year in the middle of a field with about 30 locals. It called a ‘Joged’ and involves a traditional Balinese dancer who dances and flirts very elegantly enticing visitors to participate. The locals pass around a mixture called tuak, a ‘beer’ made from palm tree sap and love it when ‘bules’ (foreigners) have a go at dancing with the lady. They were very eager to get me into one of these and heard about one happening in Almapura that evening.
We finished dinner, arranged one of the staff to drive us and headed downtown to Amlapura which is about 15 minutes. The windy roads that lead to Amlapura mean that we never really went more than 20 miles per hour which give you and idea of the proximity.
Arriving on the street next to the central meeting area locals were crowding around vendors selling drinks, snacks and the famous tuak. We all got a beer and our driver bought a big bottle of tuak. I tried it and would say it tastes like a mixture of sour pear and old socks ( heavy on the old socks). Can’t say I’d care to drink more than a cup of this but people love it.
Any time there are traditional dances you will have a gamelan orchestra and a posse of banjar guys. Next to the market area sat a group of them selling tickets for the dancing. The way it works is you buy a numbered ticket and get called up at random to dance with the lady on the stage to the delight of the audience. I was hoping to watch and sip cold beer in relaxation but Vincent had other ideas. “Let’s buy some tickets and all have a go at the dancing,” he said, (meaning ‘let’s buy tickets and watch Nick have a go at the dancing’). I could tell I was being set up as he and Akari were giggling amongst themselves. As we waited for the dancing to begin I strolled around and observed the pre game show which was a series of gambling games. There were kids games and ones that were aimed at adults. The games are basically you throw money on a square, another guys rolls a ball on a corresponding plate and the winner is the one with the matching square. I gambled a 1,000rp but was not lucky.
If you want to be Mr Popular in Bali snap a few photos. Like moths to a light-bulb the kids came around asking for photo after photo. I didn’t totally realize it at the time but this one annoying individual managed to get himself in about 30 different pictures.
As the dancing began a decently large crowd of maybe 200 in all crowded around the little stage and the gamelan cranked out the ‘glong glong’ music. The dancers, aged between 18 and 20 were brought in from Bangli and were obviously very well trained. I was wondering what the hell I was going to do when it was my turn and looked for tips. The way the whole thing goes seems to be based on a mating ritual with the flirtatious female dancer flicking her scarf and waving the fan enticing the male dancer to follow.
Some of the male dancers went for the ‘gentle approach’ simply satisfied with dancing in the vicinity of the girl, others were more aggressive making straightforward attack and grab to which the fleet footed lady would side step and use the butterfly like fan to shoo him away.
Once in a while a male dancer would dance attractively and the girl would allow him to enter her space and engage in a 5 second mutual hip grinding, which sent the crowd berserk. Akari commented that it was really suggestive. I thought it was awesome that they like the fact that the whole male/ female dynamic is based on sex when you get down to it and its nothing to be hidden away. Here were the traditional banjar guys watching seriously and its all a part of their culture.
Akari’s number was called and she very gamely hopped on stage and did a good job at dancing. As she entered and left the stage Vincent, myself and the banjar guy next to us cheered. I was waiting and waiting for my turn, I know I move like dog with no hind legs but what the heck, you’re only at a local dance once in a blue moon. Finally, almost at the end my number was called and I jumped up on stage. The girl tied a stocking around my waist and off we went. I wasn’t going to try for any of the aggressive stuff the local boys were doing and just wanted to see if I could make the dance somewhat fluid. It ended after a few minutes and it was cool. Some locals came up to me afterwards and said I was good, I think they’re being kind as I know from experience if you say ‘bagus’ they’ll compliment your Indonesian.
What happened to Vincent’s dance ticket remains a mystery.
Outside in the market area we enjoyed one last beer (warm, the idea of cold beer hasn’t got to Karangasem) and prepared to leave. We found our driver who seemed to be moving rather slowly. As we walked towards the Toyota I thought I saw a wobble and a couple of hundred yards down the road my thoughts were confirmed as he struggled to keep the vehicle on the road even at 10 mph. We yelled at him to stop and when he finally did I took over and drove us home. I heard later that when saphir bali was building the hotel she had to hire a certain amount of locals and this guy was one of them. He’s the local drunk and works as security.
Vincent told me that a Dutch guy tried to build a hotel a year or 2 ago and ignored the banjar’s requests to hire locals in construction and service. The first time he went home they burned it down, so I guess he learned how local politics work.
This was a fun evening and getting to see local festival up close gives you a better idea of how life is here in the village. This particular dance event takes place only once a year hence the dancers from Bangli. saphir bali later told us that out here in east Bali the dancing is more sensual than in proper Ubud.
Having that big bed waiting for me after a long day was a real treat.
By Nick | Permalink
Related Posts
- Vincent & Akari are checking out the housing scene in Seminyak
- Vincent & Akari are checking out the housing scene in Seminyak
- Visiting Vincent and Akari in their new place in Karangasem Bali
- Meeting the British Consul in Sanur Bali
- Breakfast with Vincent and Akari in Semiyak Bali
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Visiting Vincent & Akari in Karangasem east Bali
Saturday morning I rode down to Internet Outpost Poppies Lane II and finished all my e-mail.
I had been invited to join to Vincent and Akari out in Karangasem in east Bali while they are checking out the area and enjoying being in a more traditional environment.
On the way down to Poppies I got my tires pumped up and jug of moonshine petrol added to my tank. The bike felt like it was riding well, the tires now like a bullets and I was looking forward to the ride east.
Heading in the direction of Sanur I was looking for the right hand turn off for the new coast road. I missed it and ended up heading north in the direction of Celuk which meant I’d be going the longer way via Sukawati. Being bullheaded I was determined to ride at least part of the way along the new road so took a smaller road to the coast via the village of Guwang, finally running into the highway. Cruising this new road is a pleasure, there are not many distractions hitting you from the side and the road surface is good. Some time in the future the whole route to Karangasem will be finished which for me is good and bad. Right now a lot of tourists don’t get out that way because it takes 3 hours, once they construct a straight forward highway more people will be heading out to Karangasem and that means McDonalds and all the other crap will follow.
Coming to the town of Lebih the road ends and drivers are diverted directed north to Gianyar. This town is 3 or 4 miles inland is the capitol of Gianyar which is the second most densely populated district in Bali. In the center of town is a huge white statue similar to other ones on the island ( Simpang Siur etc. ) . The Gianyar statue is of Arjuna in a 3 horse chariot.
Riding through Gianyar without stopping I rode past Banjarrangkan and through Klungkung which is also a district capital. Heading through the town I shot down the wide main street past the Kanda Pat Sari statue that stands on the main N-S,E-W axis. From there a short 3 miles miles ride to the coast put me at the town of Kusamba which is famous for its salt production.
I enjoy the quiter coastal routes and rode through Candi Dasa, a tourism center before reaching Amlapura, the main town in eastern Karangasem.
Vincent and Akari were staying at a place on the coast just past Ujung which meant I had to pass by the old Floating Palace ( Puri Taman Ujung ). This is one of the 3 water palaces and was built in 1921 by Anak Agung Anglurah, the former raja of Karangasem, the same guy who built the one in Tirtagganga. The Ujung palace is huge and although it has fallen into disrepair it is undergoing renovation.
A dirt road track leads around the back of this thing to a country road that heads towards Seraya. The name of the place I was looking for was Seraya Shores which is described in its web site as a ‘unique boutique beachside villa retreat’. I shot past it and after a mile or 2 asked a local who was kind enough to lead me there on his bike.
I parked my motorbike and walked down the stone steps next to the kitchen, immediately noticing the cement artwork and lions. No sign of Vincent or Akari so I talked to one of the staff who told me my room was the upstairs one with the view. Mary and Dave, when you come to Bali I think this is a place you’d enjoy. Traditional bamboo / alang alang roof with a over hang gap that lets ocean breezes flow through, very comfortable bed, open air bathroom and no mosquitoes. The bathroom if fitted with a western toilet and hot water heater and you get large thick towels and a couple of sarongs for relaxing in. The view wasn’t bad either. I remember thinking whoever built this place knows what they’re doing. It combines traditional elements with western comforts.
As I sat on the veranda below my room sipping a Bintang kacil Vincent appeared followed shortly by Akari. We got chatting and Vincent said this was the place he had stayed for a week last year. He has stayed in expensive hotels in big cities all over the world but said he couldn’t imagine a more perfect place than this. The beach is about 40 meters away and the sound of the crashing waves really is something to wake up to.
They both have been checking out the area by taking long walks and meeting locals and expats. Vincent was telling me about a guy who has a web site and hotel and once wrote the ‘5 ways to get more Bali out of your Bali’. These include travelling by motorbike so you can see, hear, smell more, taking long country walks, living close to a temple so the sound of the gamelan becomes part of your routine, attend as many ceremonies as possible. I’d agree and say that learning the language (something I have to try harder at ) is another important one.
As we were speaking a large funeral party walked down the quiet country lane, not a foreigner is sight. In 20 years time tour guides are going to be hunting for occasions like this.
Akari who spent many years as a trader on the stock market working more hours than even the boys at BootsnAll, is now making up for lost time by enjoying morning yoga and afternoon massages.
The afternoon was winding to a close and Vincent asked Made the waitress if we coulde have dinner, there’s no menu just dinner. The deal with Seraya Shores is that you pay 250,000rp per person per night, all food and soft drinks included. You might be able to negotiate for a weekly rate too. The owner saphir bali makes her Toyoto Landcruiser and driver available to you too….we’ll talk about that later.
Dinner arrived and it was a delicious chicken in sauce with rice and vegetables. Vincent and Akari had told me about a local dance celebration they had attended last year in the middle of a field with about 30 locals. It called a ‘Joged’ and involves a traditional Balinese dancer who dances and flirts very elegantly enticing visitors to participate. The locals pass around a mixture called tuak, a ‘beer’ made from palm tree sap and love it when ‘bules’ (foreigners) have a go at dancing with the lady. They were very eager to get me into one of these and heard about one happening in Almapura that evening.
We finished dinner, arranged one of the staff to drive us and headed downtown to Amlapura which is about 15 minutes. The windy roads that lead to Amlapura mean that we never really went more than 20 miles per hour which give you and idea of the proximity.
Arriving on the street next to the central meeting area locals were crowding around vendors selling drinks, snacks and the famous tuak. We all got a beer and our driver bought a big bottle of tuak. I tried it and would say it tastes like a mixture of sour pear and old socks ( heavy on the old socks). Can’t say I’d care to drink more than a cup of this but people love it.
Any time there are traditional dances you will have a gamelan orchestra and a posse of banjar guys. Next to the market area sat a group of them selling tickets for the dancing. The way it works is you buy a numbered ticket and get called up at random to dance with the lady on the stage to the delight of the audience. I was hoping to watch and sip cold beer in relaxation but Vincent had other ideas. “Let’s buy some tickets and all have a go at the dancing,” he said, (meaning ‘let’s buy tickets and watch Nick have a go at the dancing’). I could tell I was being set up as he and Akari were giggling amongst themselves. As we waited for the dancing to begin I strolled around and observed the pre game show which was a series of gambling games. There were kids games and ones that were aimed at adults. The games are basically you throw money on a square, another guys rolls a ball on a corresponding plate and the winner is the one with the matching square. I gambled a 1,000rp but was not lucky.
If you want to be Mr Popular in Bali snap a few photos. Like moths to a light-bulb the kids came around asking for photo after photo. I didn’t totally realize it at the time but this one annoying individual managed to get himself in about 30 different pictures.
As the dancing began a decently large crowd of maybe 200 in all crowded around the little stage and the gamelan cranked out the ‘glong glong’ music. The dancers, aged between 18 and 20 were brought in from Bangli and were obviously very well trained. I was wondering what the hell I was going to do when it was my turn and looked for tips. The way the whole thing goes seems to be based on a mating ritual with the flirtatious female dancer flicking her scarf and waving the fan enticing the male dancer to follow.
Some of the male dancers went for the ‘gentle approach’ simply satisfied with dancing in the vicinity of the girl, others were more aggressive making straightforward attack and grab to which the fleet footed lady would side step and use the butterfly like fan to shoo him away.
Once in a while a male dancer would dance attractively and the girl would allow him to enter her space and engage in a 5 second mutual hip grinding, which sent the crowd berserk. Akari commented that it was really suggestive. I thought it was awesome that they like the fact that the whole male/ female dynamic is based on sex when you get down to it and its nothing to be hidden away. Here were the traditional banjar guys watching seriously and its all a part of their culture.
Akari’s number was called and she very gamely hopped on stage and did a good job at dancing. As she entered and left the stage Vincent, myself and the banjar guy next to us cheered. I was waiting and waiting for my turn, I know I move like dog with no hind legs but what the heck, you’re only at a local dance once in a blue moon. Finally, almost at the end my number was called and I jumped up on stage. The girl tied a stocking around my waist and off we went. I wasn’t going to try for any of the aggressive stuff the local boys were doing and just wanted to see if I could make the dance somewhat fluid. It ended after a few minutes and it was cool. Some locals came up to me afterwards and said I was good, I think they’re being kind as I know from experience if you say ‘bagus’ they’ll compliment your Indonesian.
What happened to Vincent’s dance ticket remains a mystery.
Outside in the market area we enjoyed one last beer (warm, the idea of cold beer hasn’t got to Karangasem) and prepared to leave. We found our driver who seemed to be moving rather slowly. As we walked towards the Toyota I thought I saw a wobble and a couple of hundred yards down the road my thoughts were confirmed as he struggled to keep the vehicle on the road even at 10 mph. We yelled at him to stop and when he finally did I took over and drove us home. I heard later that when saphir bali was building the hotel she had to hire a certain amount of locals and this guy was one of them. He’s the local drunk and works as security.
Vincent told me that a Dutch guy tried to build a hotel a year or 2 ago and ignored the banjar’s requests to hire locals in construction and service. The first time he went home they burned it down, so I guess he learned how local politics work.
This was a fun evening and getting to see local festival up close gives you a better idea of how life is here in the village. This particular dance event takes place only once a year hence the dancers from Bangli. saphir bali later told us that out here in east Bali the dancing is more sensual than in proper Ubud.
Having that big bed waiting for me after a long day was a real treat.
By Sean | Permalink |
No Comments | October 4th, 2003 | Trackback
Related Posts
- Vincent & Akari are checking out the housing scene in Seminyak
- Vincent & Akari are checking out the housing scene in Seminyak
- Visiting Vincent and Akari in their new place in Karangasem Bali
- Meeting the British Consul in Sanur Bali
- Breakfast with Vincent and Akari in Semiyak Bali
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