Lembongan Island, Indonesia – Day 6, 7, 8 (Feb-3 to Feb-5)
For these days, we are traveling on island time. We left Kuta in a torrential downpour. We checked several sources to find information about the boat to Lembongan island. I think we heard every combination of the following; public boat, private boat, 30/45/90 minutes,175,000 Rp, $23 USD, 3PM/3:30PM/4PM, “3PM boat leaves at 4PM”, and “no boat today”. Anyways, we made a 4PM private boat for $23. It was a bumpy ride.
Our hotel (Pondok Baruna) was the only one from the travel book which answered the phone. The owner is a local woman, who speaks with a thick British accent. She is also the first and only local diving instructor. The hotel staff is friendly and funny. Rooms are very small, pleasant, face a working beach, no hot water, and no AC. Everything here is wet in the first day, even the beds are damp, things take forever to dry. After a cold shower, and talcum powder bath; I find two T-shirts and no underwear commando are the way to roll. We luck out because this Hotel also has the dive shop listed in the book, and the food is really good and cheap. No bank or ATM on the island, so we can charge everything with 3% penalty, which is worth it in this time.
The next morning, the 9:30 AM dive boat leaves at 8AM. Good thing we went to bed early. Our banana pancake breakfast entertainment is the locals packing one boat to the max with burlap sacks of plastic bottles, cans, bicycle wheels, and other misc, while another boat unloads bottled soda, and water. The boats are flat on the bottom, with stabilizers on opposite sides. Because the water is very shallow out to the reef, the boats’ depth to keel must be small (see pictures).
Our dive boat heads to the north side of Penida Island away from the south swell. We have a German diver, and a Holland doctor, Kees, who snorkels with us (we befriended with Kees on this trip). First spot is a little murky, second spot is clear. The break includes some tasty pineapple, Sprite, and a Indonesian snack of rice, noodles, vegetables, and roasted peanuts, wrapped in a banana leaf; scarfed down with your hands. The style is drift diving here. We follow the reef next to the drop off with the current running east to west. We see tons of coral, fish, and a green eel. The colors are really bright, because the reef is not very deep. Vana gets a little sea sick and skips the second snorkel. We get a downpour during the second snorkel, which looked and sounded really cool. Vana enjoys her rain gear on the boat, and feels better. The divers are picked up in a torrential downpour. The boat caption has good eyes and spots their surfacing balloon. The weather is changing every hour. Apparently this is the wet season for Indonesia, with weather coming from the Indonesian Ocean in the east.
CLICK HERE to see snorkeling pictures.
The boat passed many seaweed farms, which seems the main business for the locals. I even see them picking it up from the beach. It looks like square plots in the water, connected to beaches with thatched houses, using a small netted fence; to keep bottom feeders from coming in to eat the seaweed? I swam to the net, and it isn’t tall enough to keep out all the fish.
The next day our 8AM dive boat leaves at 9AM. They wait for the tide to come up, because there is surf on the reef, a quarter mile off shore. We pass a surfer making the paddle out to the reef. Fortunately for him, the boats go slow inside the reef when it is shallow. I was surprised because I think most surf in Indonesia is from a boat. We see a boat parked inside the reef, which I assume is a surf boat. We see people surfing. It looks almost overhead on the reef, with a messy onshore wind. Apparently, Australians pack the place in the spring, with the wind goes offshore.
Today with have a pair of Canadian divers who are teaching in China, and a Swiss diver, as well as Kees (the doctor from Holland) who again snorkels with us. The weather is sunny, and I get burned right through my surf shirt. Vana gets a lobster butt. First spot is the same as yesterday, which is disappointing. The second spot is opposite some mangroves on the north of Lembongan Island, and we see some different and larger fish. One fish is green, long and thin, with big eyes. The water is really clear, and the current is very strong. We follow the drop off for what seems like a few miles, with the reef flying under us in the current. The boat picks up the divers a mile away and fortunately comes back for us. This dive wipes me out.
CLICK HERE to see the snorkeling picture from this day.
We learn from Kees (the doctor from Holland), there was a heart attack on his flight to Bali just before landing, and he works with another doctor (a student of his, randomly on the flight) to revive the patent with shock, oxygen, and other onboard gear. I comment about how he always travels with this responsibility, and he shakes his head and says it’s his job. Apparently the dive boat also includes a defibulator and oxygen, which I guess is PADI standard equipment?
We meet a traveler from San Francisco, Johanna, who works in the restaurant business. We take a walk together into the village, and see a group of locals gathered in an old rundown looking temple, sitting on the floor under a terrace, watching a traditional Asian movie on a flat panel widescreen. It is a bizarre and funny looking sight. We pass a cock fight on the way back. Johanna and Kevin pass quickly in disapproval. Vana stops and takes a quick picture (Vana: I took a picture with a great interest because the first essay I read in college is about Balinese cockflight). From what I could hear, the fight seems over quickly.
The next day afternoon, Vana takes a motor bike with Johanna to Dream Beach, Mushroom Beach and Devil’s Tear on the south side. I resist on safety concern, but the traffic is light on the island. So far it seems any place where there are no locals is labeled with “dream”. That said, the pictures look a lot like Big Sur, and quite dreamy (see pictures).
In our last night, the guests have all the tables pulled together in the restaurant by candle light. Vana had a spicy curry. I ordered chicken satay, rice, and a side of French fries. Vana orders another papaya and pineapple drink, but the staff motions back and forth with his hands indicating that the mixer will not work because the power is out tonight.
Kuta, Bali Indonesia– Day 9 (Feb-7)
We leave the island on the 8AM public boat which is a fourth the price of the private speed boat. Just outside the reef it’s a bit bumpy and we briefly don our rain gear. The public boat has the flat bottom and long stabilizing weights on each side of the boat, and takes the swell like a champ.
We head to Ubud, which is the Paris of Bali (or the cultural highlight of Asian); food, art, dance, culture, etc. We arrive unannounced at Sania’s house. I hold payment to the driver while Vana checks the room. I think we are getting it down now. As described in the travel book, Sania’s house gives Babylon a run for its money. Three story intricate stone buildings random dispersed and connected by covered walk ways, stair cases, and flowing water with Koi fish. Even the cheaper $20 room we choose has a tiled balcony larger than our room on the island. The rooms with AC include huge intricate carved wooden doors with decorated four posted beds.
For lunch we head straight to Ibu Oka for some babi guleng, which is slow roast pig with crispy skin; the only thing on the menu. They make a pig every day, and the restaurant is closed when they run out. This is a local specality and there is only one restaurant that serves the suckling pig. There is a lady in the front going to town with a knife on that pig. The hot sauce on the side almost puts me under the table. The Japanese guy next to me turns white. Vana just loves the hot sauce!
Vana haggles to buys some earings in the market. Unfortunately, she hasn’t located the decimal place in all those zeros yet. We take a much needed hot bath, and then head to Three Monkeys for dinner, which is a bit more western style, but the back yard dinning is right next to a rice field. We celebrate our first wedding anniversary because tomorrow is a travel day.
After dinner, we see a Barong dance show, with gamelan music. For me, the adjective to describe Indonesian classical music and dance is paranoid. The dancers have crazy eyes, and the dance and music is very jerky; constant changes in tempo, switching between one cord, and a dissonant variation of the same cord. Reminds me of my band Mungbucket, after we drank some beers and played all the songs we know.
Ubud back to Singapore, Bali Indonesia– Day 10 (Feb-8)
Today is our first wedding anniversary! We got a slow start, and searched out the smoked duck roasted in bettle nut leave for lunch (smoked duck is another local specialty besides the suckling pig). It was relatively expensive ($17 for two) served with chicken satay, vegetable, and rice. It was one of the best duck I tasted, the Balinese source they used for the duck is absoluately to die for. We dined next to another rice field, in the back yard of another downtown restaurant on Monkey Forest Road. (Vana: I’m reading the book ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ where the author Eliz goes to Italy to eat, India to pray and Bali to love. To me, I would eat in Bali and love in Italy)
Let’s take a time out for Indonesian food. We REALLY enjoy it. We didn’t have a single bad meal. All the food is fresh, there is lots of spice and flavor, but it is not overdone. The island has rich volcanic soil, so they seem to get the California effect to their food if not better; fresh, quality, taste. Plus, everything is organic. After lunch, we did a quick tour to Museum Puri Lukisan.
CLICK HERE to see Ubud pictures.
Today is a travel day. We hired a driver on the street to take us back to the Airport. He was quite talkative. He grew up around Ubud, and has never left Bali. He lives near three temple, and has a temple in his family’s home. Each temple has a ceremony every 6 months. In addition, any time someone in his village is born, married, and dies, then he must attend and participate. He fells jealous sometimes driving the tourists and he dreams to be able to travel; but impossible for him to schedule. He says he cannot be a “fire in the water”. For their New Year day in the spring, everything is closed, and no one is allowed on the street; even tourist.
The people of Bali are predominately Hindu (but different from India, it’s orginiated from Java), which is different from the rest of Indonesia which is the biggest Muslim nation (and fourth biggest country in the world). They have a lot of dedication to their god(s), and there are daily offerings in front of every business, in every temple, and in homes. You can see them everywhere on the street; small banana leaf box containing rice, a cracker, flowers, and piece of fruit. The ants, rats, and dogs have a field day.
Good thing we arrived early. We didn’t confirm our flight (a mistake) because none of the hotels we stayed had a phone. We are rescheduled on an earlier flight, which is then delayed two hours.
At the Bali airport we run into Kees (the doctor from Holland). He is headed to Jakarta, then Amsterdam. On Monday is it back to 56 patients per day. Vana and Kees compare their sunburns from the snorkeling, then we fly back to the dreamy Singapore airport. The Airport hotel is full as it always is. There is a bit of confusion as to where our luggage is headed, because Singapore is used to overnight stays. There are rows of Indian travelers dreaming away on the terminal floor. We clear immigration, find our luggage, book a nearby hotel at the info desk, and within minutes we are rushed to our free shuttle (the concierge apologizing ten times for the rush).You got to love Singapore, everything is so efficient. It’s an improved western country with an Asian culture.
LOCAL COLOR 