要出发啦。 刚刚才book了第2和第3晚的酒店Bali Kuta Tune Hotel(www.tunehotel.com)。虽然被它的网站搞到糊涂下, 但是真的很便宜, 一晚才RM50+而已.

但是Bali Tune Hotel第1晚（也就是今晚）的房已经满了，在网上看到别的的都很贵下, 找不到少过RM50的房.

不管啦, 去到才算. 当地才找房, 应该有的吧. 大不了睡街罢了.  天气预测说未来3天都是晴天.

A Indonesia, devido a sua grande populacao, e o maior pais muculmano do mundo. Aqui o Islamismo e um pouco diferente dos outros paises. Apesar dos principios basicos serem os mesmos, foi muito influenciado pelos costumes locais, alem de outras religioes que ja estavam presentes nas ilhas antes da chegada do Islamismo. Praticas anemistas sao muito comuns e se misturam com as religioes. Uma ilha, o antigo reino de Bali, conseguiu conservar a religiao Hindu, e toda uma cultura e tradicoes tipicas desta ilha.

Chegamos Dempasar  (capital de Bali) ja tarde, e nao tinha transporte publico para Ubud. O americano e a alema que tinhamos conhecido no onibus decididiram mudar seus planos e em vez de ir pra praia primeiro, iriam com a gente. Desta forma dividimos um taxi, que eu negociei ate ter um preco justo. A partir deste momento passei a dar dicas de negociacao para o casal, que nao imaginavam que os precos podiam ser tao mais barato que o primeiro preco ofertado. Ubud nao fica longe, Bali e uma ilha pequena. Chegamos la sob uma chuva torrencial, para nao esquecermos que estamos na temporada chuvosa. Procurar hotel tarde, debaixo de agua, nao foi muito agradavel. Na segunda opcao conseguimos um lugar bem bacana, cercado de plantacoes de arroz, mesmo na cidade. Quartos decorados, alem de um cafe da manha que mudava todos os dias. Se eles ja estavam impressionados com a negociacao, desta vez passaram a me idolatrar…

De noite ja tinhamos achado o lugar descolado, apesar de estar quase tudo fechado quando chegamos, mas de dia nos impressionamos com o lugar. Tinhamos a referencia do lugar como uma vila, centro da cultura balinesa. Na verdade nao e uma vila, e super desenvolvida, mas sem perder o charme. Nada de grandes construcoes, mas muitas lojas, tanto de artigos locais como de marcas internacionais. Uma ampla opcao de restaurantes e cafes, para todos os gostos. Passamos o dia inteiro andando para cima e para baixo. A Bibi ficou louca com as lojas. No meio da tarde teve uma parada, que se repitiu no dia seguinte, mas ninguem conseguiu nos explicar direito o que era. A noite jantamos com nossos novos amigos num restaurante descolado e ficamos batendo papo e tomando uma cerveja.

Comemoracao, nao souberam explicar do que

Como nao sou nem um pouco de loja, enquanto a Bibi passeava eu ja aluguei uma scooter. Desta forma bem cedo ja pudemos sair cedo para explorar a regiao. Ubud esta crescendo bastante, e os arredores ja estao cheio de lojas de artesanato. Mas nao demora muito para ficar uma estrada totalmente vazia, com paisagens que variam de terracos de arroz a mata mais fechada. Por todo o caminho postes enfeitam a regiao. Pequenas vilas, tao perto do turismo e parece que seus moradores nem se envolvem. Levam aquela vida calma… Pequenos templos por todos os lados, alem de decoracoes e oferendas com flores.

Terracos de Arros

Quase nao vimos o tempo passar e logo estavamos de frente para o vulcao Batur. Muito legal, pois estavamos numa estrada fechada pelas arvores, de repente estavamos numa parte alta, com o vulcao e um grande lago ao lado. Tudo em volta do vulcao ainda esta queimado, devido a sua ultima errupcao em 99. Descemos ate o lago, passando por pequenos povoados, e tivemos uma vista de outro angulo. Ficamos conversando com um cara que queria nos levar para sua vila onde nao enterram os mortos, mas pinduram numa arvore que nao da cheiro. Achamos meio macabro e resolvemos pular esta atividade…

Vulcao Batur

Escolhemos um lugarzinho para ficar tomando alguma coisa e curtindo o visual, ate cansar e resolver voltar. Na volta fomos parando em algumas vilas. Era final do horario de escola, e as ruas estavam cheias de criancas com seus uniformes e chapeus tipicos. Sobrou tempo para a Bibi ver mais algumas lojas, mas eu adotei a tatica do “te encontro mais tarde” para nao ter que acompanhar toda a hora. Aproveitei para ver como que iriamos para as outras ilhas.

Rua decorada e a criancada

De noite teve um apagao, mas conseguimos achar um bom e barato restaurante. A falta de luz so aumentou o numero de velas, que ja sao utilizadas diariamente.

Ubud e aquele lugar que e dificil de ir embora, entao mesmo sem ter muitos planos, resolvemos ficar mais, para curtir o lugar. Ficar de bobeira por ali, nao e nem um pouco dificil. Final de tarde num cafe, conhecemos uma Ukraniana que puxou papo com a gente. Aos 35 anos, largou emprego, vendeu casa, e saiu para viajar, sem data para voltar. Eu achei ela meio mala, mas a Bibi se deu bem, pois dentre psicologia, astrologia e espiritualidade se entenderam. Acabamos indo jantar juntos.

Infelizmente tinhamos que partir. Ja tinhamos ate trocado nossa passagem de saida da Indonesia, pois a chuva nao estava atrapalhando em nada a viagem, e tinhamos muita coisa para ver. Fomos para Kuta, no litoral, centro do turismo em Bali. Chegamos naquela muvuca, e tentamos ficar o menos tempo possivel. Deixei a Bibi numa internet com as mochilas e fui arrumar um carro. Em 40 minutos estava com um Susuki, que aluguei por menos de 8 usd por dia. Foi so olhar o mapa e se mandar dali, para as praias mais calmas da peninsula. Paramos em Dreamland, praia famosa para o surf, que ate pouco tempo tinha varios warungs e barzinhos estilosos de frente para praia, mas infelizmente agora tem um resort estilo “elefante branco”. Praia legal, com agua verde, mas nada de onda, pois nao e a epoca certa.

Dreamland. Infelizmente agora parte de um resort

Mergulhamos, pegamos praia, mas logo apareceram umas nuvens escuras. A chuva nao veio, mas fez com que saissemos da praia para procurar um lugar para ficar. Rodamos um pouco, para se localizar na regiao. Tudo e perto, e com carro, nao importava muito onde ficariamos. Nao achamos o sonhado lugar de frente para a praia, mas arranjamos uma pousada super legal, em cima das falezias, com uma piscina infinita, e uma super vista. Ficamos tomando banho de piscina ate tarde. Apareceu um Neo Zelandes que deu umas dicas sobre o surf da regiao, e deu a boa noticia que um Swell estava entrando, portanto teriamos ondas no dia seguinte. Indicou um otimo restaurante ali perto, que conferimos e aprovamos.

Nao e um trabalho facil, mas alguem tem que fazer...

Para nao perder tempo indo de praia em praia, fomos direto para Uluwatu, onde o surf era garantido. Estacionamos e la de cima dava para ver as linhas das ondas. O mar tava bom! Descemos entre as dezenas de surfshop e restaurantes, comemos alguma coisa e eu ja aluguei uma prancha. Coitada da Bibi, pois na verdade quase nao tem praia. A pequena faixa de areia fica quase toda escondida por pedras. Tem uns 5 metros entre pedras que e onde entra no mar. Me joguei e a correnteza puxou para o lado. Remadeira basica ate chegar no pico. Passei um tempo meio de lado, sentindo o lugar. Tinha um tamanho ali, quase 2 metros. Peguei uma, outra e com isto confianca. Resolvi remar para o “pico”, onde tinham ondas maiores. Nao demorou muito para eu conhecer os corais de perto. E muito raso!! Mas tranquilo, segurei um pouco o impeto e curti bastante.

Uluatu

Sai da agua cancado e feliz da vida. Ficamos num dos warungs e decidimos ir para outra praia. Os vendedores arranham um pouco de portugues, de tanto turista que vem para ca. Chegamos em “impossibles”, onde tambem tem que descer por entre as pedras. Esta tem uma praia com um pouco mais de areia, com algumas pessoas largadas, entre elas alguns brasileiros. Tava tendo onda pro lado esquerdo do morro, indo pra Padang Padang. Ondas bonitas, mas muito raso, quase so gente de body board. Eu tava tranquilo, entao fiquei com a Bibi na areia. Depois repetimos a dose piscina e restaurante gostoso.

nosso carro na frente de " impossibles"

Nao sei se o swell inverteu, mas nao teve muita onda no outro dia. O negocio foi curtir piscina e depois praia em Impossibles. Mesmo sem onda um pessoal se amontoava para esperar uma ou outra que vinha na serie. Ainda deu tempo de passar em Jimbadam Bay para tomar um suco e conhecer a praia e regiao. Fomos para Kuta e tivemos que procurar um lugar pra ficar antes de devolver o carro. Um stress, transito, engarrafamento, muvuca de gente. Parava o carro e a Bibi ia dar uma olhada nos hoteis. Ela arranjou um, que so depois fomos ver que nao funcionava as coisas direito. Na verdade um muquifo. Na preca e com oculos de sol ela acabou resolvendo ficar, talvez pelo jardim, unica coisa boa do hotel. Fomos ate a praia, cheia de adolecentes (outros nem tanto) bebados esperando o por de sol. Mesmo na teoricamente baixa temporada, tudo estava lotado, cheio de gente. Demos umas voltas, mas nao da para dizer que curtimos muito o lugar. Tentamos aproveitar da forma que deu. Noite sem balada, pois tinhamos que acordar cedo para pegar o voo para ilha de Flores.

I’ve got an exhibition of the photos I took in Nepal and Nigeria coming up (details tba), and among some of the photos will be some landscape ones to give a wider view of the places these people live. Here’s a sneak preview.

This photo above is of Khokana leprosy colony just outside Kathmandu in Nepal. It’s seclusion from other settlements is surprisingly blatant in such a crowded area of the country.

At first glance this could be a village on an African beach a stones throw away from the Indian ocean; dry sand and palm trees are not the first thing you associate with Nepal. To the locals however, the sun and dust just mean a prolonging of the drought… when I took this photo they hadn’t had rain in 7 months.

On many of my evenings at Lalgadh Leprosy Services Centre in Nepal I climbed up the water tower to watch the sunset. Because of the dust the sunsets weren’t at all dramatic, just a dull red ball that faded out before it even dropped below the horizon. This is the opposite bank of the dried-up river Lalgadh rests on. Once the Monsoon comes however, the river carries the melted ice from the Himalayas and it becomes a churning torrent that is extremely dangerous to approach.

This is Zuma Rock, a great monolith that is Nigeria’s version of Ayer’s Rock in Australia. This was one of the first photos I took in Nigeria as I was driven from Abuja where I landed to Minna in Niger state where The Leprosy Mission HQ was.

This is Okegbala leprosy community in Kwara state where I stayed for 10 days. Many houses proudly stand their aerials, despite not having a television or electricity for 6 months since a transformer at the local power station blew. The government has still not fixed it.

I only got to visit Oyi for a few days, and because I wasn’t able to stay in the village I stayed a few miles away in a hotel with a wonderful hill behind it. I was half way up when I noticed this boy following me. It shows just how green and lush the grass was around it.

I visited Kuta in Niger state for only a few hours. I saw these two boys passing their time by pushing each other around in wheelbarrows.

aku (Saut Situmorang) duduk duduk di bar murahan di Kuta sore sore circa

2ribuberapa2 ?

ketika Mlle Seconde Chance menyenggol bahuku waktu ia buru buru

ke toilet setelah menyeruput lima porsi cairan biru bercahaya

dan memamah tiap manisan ceri hijau yang bertengger di bibir gelasnya

yang berbentuk seperti gitar Spanyol, atau, aku lebih memilih memikirkannya seperti ini, seperti siluet tubuhnya yang seksi

aku jadi ingat sebaris puisiNya (René Char) : ‘when the shoulder butts the heart’

ya, when the shoulder butts the heart,

what happens to the rest of us ?

aku tiba tiba merasakan keinginan amat sangat untuk mengangkat penaku lagi

dan menghunjamkannya ke halaman blocnoot kwaliteit buruk yang masih kosong

membolonginya sampai ke permukaan meja kayu yang terlanjur bocel bocel

dengan tatahan tatahan iseng penyair penyair lain yang bosan menunggu puisi datang di pucuk siang sepertiku sekarang :

‘Cicih hearts Iman’

‘i left my heart in an empty post office box, somewhere in the vicinity of Victoria University of Wellington, PO BOX 600, Wellington 6140, NZ’

‘kau bukan anugerah terindah yang pernah kumiliki, no way’

aku sibakkan rambut gimbal yang menutupi dahiku

ujungnya tersangkut di rak kartu pos di pojok yang berdiri kesepian seperti pohon natal di bulan februari

kugeserkan ujung pena yang mengkilat seperti pedang di kertas putih bersih

kuderetkan huruf huruf kursif dari kiri ke kanan

kuderetkan huruf huruf kursif dari kiri ke kanan

kuderetkan huruf huruf kursif dari kiri ke kanan sementara rasanya hidupku seperti melesat

di layar sebuah bioskop yang sudah lama ditutup

mengingkari grammar sinematografi

ngebut dari kanan ke kiri.

Shopping can easily fill your days in Bali, with handicrafts, artifacts and modern designs at bargain prices.

In the Legian-Kuta-Seminyak area the streets are lined with shops and stalls selling everything from surf fashion to local crafts.

As you walk north from Kuta, through Legian, to Seminyak, the prices rise each block.

Local shops do not have fixed prices, so you can negotiate a deal. The big brand surf shops have fixed prices that are similar to the prices we’re used to in the west.

For the best choice in art head to Ubud. Traditionally Bali’s cultural center, Ubud is still renowned for its paintings, woodcarvings and silver.

Its surrounding towns specialize in crafts. For woodcarvings, head to Mas, where they emphasize humanism and naturalism in their craft. If you’re looking for gold and silver jewelry, the village of Celuk is renowned for there skillful, creative designs. Batubulan is where you can find the best stone carvings and statues.

There are also plenty of shops selling the two traditional fabrics: the Balinese-style ikat and the Javanese-style batik. Many clothing shops offer made to order fashions.

And of course there is the slew of handicrafts, from rice spoons to wooden bracelets to pillow cases and souvenir refrigerator magnets.

Next: Relaxing

Related posts:

About Bali

Quick guide to local customs and culture

10 Things not to miss

Cultural highlights

Sports

With all its beaches, it will come as no surprise that water sports are high on the agenda. Bali is a surfer’s paradise, with the best surfing for experts in Uluwatu and Canggu and in Kuta for beginners. Scuba diving is another popular choice, as the water in Bali is warm all year long. The best diving spots are in the east in Amed and Tulamben where you can take PADI certified diving courses. You can also snorkel here, or head to the west to Menjangan (Deer) Island, which supposedly has the best variety of fish and coral.

Other water activities include white water rafting in Sayan, west of Ubud; kayaking on some of the quieter rivers and on Lake Tamblingan; canoeing at Lake Batur; and dolphin watching by sunset in Lovina in the north.

In Nusa Dua, Sanur and other coastal resorts, wind surfing, parasailing, jet skiing, and other water related fun such as banana boat, flying fish, etc. can be found in abundance.

Hiking through the rice paddies is a good way to explore the inland and small villages of Bali. And so is mountain biking. Bike-Baik or Banyantree tours organize downhill cycling tours with visits to farms and plantations. Both activities can take you up the volcanoes, which are definitely worth a visit, and overall not too strenuous.

If you decide to stay in a resort, you can make use of the golf courses, tennis courts and swimming pools. You can also go fishing, bungee jumping, or sailing to one of the smaller nearby islands. If you go sailing, you can either rent a luxury yacht for the day, or hire a local perahu for an hour or so.

Not being an athletic person myself, I have undoubtedly missed a few sports, but we did go parasailing in Sanur, which was great fun.

Next: Shopping

Related posts:

About Bali

Quick guide to local customs and culture

10 Things not to miss

Cultural highlights

sewa motor di bali

bali yang kecil, mudah dan enak dijangkau dengan motor..

sewa sepeda motor murah di bali:
mio/vario cuma : Rp.35.000
langsung diantar ke tempat/ hotel tempat menginap..
dijamin nyaman dan puas..
Pemesanan Hubungi : 081338024287 / info@bliketut.com

F/5

1/40

ISO:800

Acara Ripcurl waktu The Sigit maen di Kuta…hihhi

• Denpasar ist die Hauptstadt im Süden der Insel
• Singaraja, die ehemalige Inselhauptstadt und heutige Hauptstadt des Regierungsbezirks Buleleng, liegt im Norden
• Ubud ist das künstlerische Zentrum in Zentralbali, umgeben von Reisfeldern
• Kuta, pefekt für Bali Reisen
• Nusa Dua, abgeschlossenes Touristenzentrum auf der Halbinsel Bukit im Süden
• Semarapura,
• Padang Bai, Fähre nach Lombok
• Tenganan, ein Bali-Aga-Dorf, Ostbali
• Pemuteran, im Norden der Insel, in der Nähe von Menjangan.
• Jimbaran,
• Gilimanuk, Fähre nach Java
• Tulamben, im Nordosten gelegenes Gebiet.

Kuta verfügt über einen kilometerlangen, breiten Sandstrand, weshalb sich dort ein Zentrum des westlichen Pauschaltourismus herausgebildet hat. Der Sandstrand Kutas eignet sich gut zum Sonnenbaden, Schwimmen und Surfen. Das Stadtbild ist vor allem durch Hotels und Diskotheken geprägt. Daher hat Kuta sich im Laufe der letzten Jahre stark „verwestlicht“. Die meisten Touristen kommen aus Indonesien, Deutschland, Thailand, Japan, China, die Niederlande, Indien, Malaysia und Australien.[1] Der Internationale Flughafen Denpasar Ngurah Rai International Airport liegt in der Nähe von Kuta.

Kuta zäht neben Sanur zu den Top Reisezielen auf Bali und ist jederzeit ein besuch wert.

Unsere Seite wird empfohlen von http://www.reiselinks.de/seychellen.html

Pengalaman di Bali ketika tanggal 2 Juni 2009, aku beserta seluruh keluarga rekreasi ke bali. Di bali kami menginap selama 2 hari di motel. Masalahnya kalo di hotel kemahalan ceuy…. . =D

Kami berangkat dari rumah pagi dan sampai bali malam banget karena sebelum sampai bali kami ke rumah sanak saudara yang ada di Banyuwangi. Dalam perjalanan ketika sampai Banyuwangi hujan sangat lebat, kami di rumah saudara untuk beristirahat sebentar. Disana kami di suguhi makanan ikan bakar, uenak buanget. Sambil minumnya teh anget, pas banget dingi-dingin minumya anget-anget. Selesai makan kita di suguhi makanan lagi, kali ini buah rambutan seagai makanan penutup. Sambil nunggu hujan reda makan buah rambutan.

Setelah hujan reda kami meneruskan perjalanan keBali, tapi sebelum itu ke pelabuhan naik kapal feri dulu. Ketika kami sudah naik ke kapal feri sebelum kapalnya berangkat ada anak-anak kecil lagi berenang di dekat kapal feri untuk menunggu orang-orang menaburkan uang receh. Kami pun menaburkan uang receh dari atas, kemudian anak-anak itu saling berebut mangambil uang. Kapal pun berangkat, di tengah perjalanan hujan lagi. Di Bali kami menuju tempat-tempat wisata, seperti Pantai Kuta, Tanah Lot, dan nggak ketinggalan ke Joger buat oleh-oleh. Aku pun juga membeli oleh-leh buat pacarku juga. ^_^

Meskipun begitu aku nggak bisa melupakannya.

CEB (19), warga negara Swedia yang menjadi korban pemerkosaan di kawasan Kuta, Kabupaten Badung, Bali, menolak ketika hendak diperiksa polisi untuk kepentingan penyidikan.

“Meski korban menolak diperiksa, tetap akan mencari pelaku dengan mengumpulkan informasi di seputar Kuta,” kata Kepala Kepolisian Daerah Bali Irjen Sutisna di Denpasar, Jumat (30/10).

Pencarian terhadap pelaku terus dilakukan karena pihaknya telah menerima laporan dari korban. “Pelaku masih kami cari. Doakan saja semoga cepat ditemukan karena ini menyangkut orang asing,” ungkap jenderal polisi berbintang dua ini seusai serah terima jabatan petinggi di Polda Bali.

Dia juga berharap agar semua wisatawan yang ada di Bali dapat menjaga dirinya sendiri. “Jumlah polisi yang kami miliki terbatas sehingga tidak mungkin satu per satu wisatawan yang ada di Bali dapat kami jaga,” ujar Sutisna.

Kepala Kepolisian Kota Besar Denpasar Komisaris Besar I Gede Alit Widana menambahkan, korban pemerkosaan menolak untuk diperiksa penyidik polisi tanpa alasan yang jelas. “Untuk hasil visum masih menunggu dari RS Sanglah. Saat datang melapor ke kantor polisi, kondisi korban masih mabuk dengan bau alkohol yang tercium cukup menyengat,” ujar Widana.

CEB menjadi korban pemerkosaan saat akan diantar pulang seusai pesta minuman keras di kawasan Kuta, Kamis (29/10) dinihari kemarin. Polisi menduga pelakunya tukang ojek yang biasa mangkal di kawasan obyek wisata internasional itu.

kompas.com

One of the many things I love about Bali is the way that apparently contradictory things coexist so happily.  On the roads, you will find ‘pedestrian crossings’ whose only purpose is to ensure that the injuries sustained by people skittled by traffic are clustered in handy first-aid access zones, instead of being spread over the length of Jl. Legian. Then there are the traffic lights, where red can mean turn left, or turn right, or if you really, really want to, go straight ahead. Less confusingly, a green light only seems to have one purpose – to signal the start of timing for a special Bali reaction test to discover how quickly everyone can blow their horn. The record is apparently held by a local ojek rider who consistently achieves the feat in less than a  millisecond.  

Of course, there is the white line at intersections too - a fat stripe set so far back from the traffic lights, it  couldn’t possibly be where you have to stop, could it? Unfortunately, it is. Its true purpose is to serve as a cunning revenue-collection device that makes Polisi materialise from thin air if even a molecule of tyre rubber touches it. And don’t even mention the ‘footpaths’, so named because they are in fact designed for motorcyclists who run out of room on the road. When selfishly stymied by thoughtless pedestrians who actually choose to walk on the footpath instead of teleporting, these riders need to stop and put their foot down for stability … hence footpath.

Then there are the written inconsistencies. In Bali you can read advertising tabloids containing ads for English classes – complete with spelling mistakes. Reassuring. Ads for pool maintenance people who rarely answer their phones or return emails, and if they should happen to do so, don’t turn up for appointments. Ads with incorrect phone numbers, unchanged over five subsequent editions. Why bother advertising?

Drive down any street and you will find signs assuring you that it has six completely different names in a stretch less than a kilometre long. Lucky I navigate by landmarks, because even street numbers are designed to confuse rather than illuminate. Sure, dwellings are numbered consecutively, but house numbers appear to be allocated in chronological order of construction, not their geographical location. My own villa is the first house in the street, so officially it’s Number 1. But there is another Number 1 in the same street, because it is the first house at the other end of the street. The owner ’solved’ the problem by telling me to use Number 4, because he didn’t think 4 was taken yet. It’s all academic, because none of the houses have any numbers up on the gates anyway. Directions to get to my place involve statements like “keep going until you see a sleeping three-legged dog, then turn left.” I don’t think there is even a word for precision in Balinese …

But to me, the most striking aspect of Bali is the stark visual contrast everywhere around you. Impeccably dressed locals in traditional attire conduct ceremonies that are both moving and spectacular - next to huge piles of rubbish spilling from ruptured plastic bags.  At a recent ceremony, I saw a muscular local, resplendent in udeng, kamben, saput and selempot – all the traditional, respectfully appropriate garb that one would expect for the occasion. Except that he was wearing a perfectly ironed, collared shirt - with a mammoth Harley Davidson logo emblazoned on it. To me, the contrast was jarring, but his compatriots kept stealing frankly admiring glances at him. I wouldn’t have the courage to do that, but it would seem that no courage was needed.

It’s a multi-faceted society here. Bali locals can be seen taking their beautifully groomed, healthy dogs for walks on expensive leather leads, while other locals nearby take well-aimed swipes with brooms and buckets at street dogs. Small wonder that there were 124 dog bites treated last week at one hospital alone. Karma? I was asked by someone recently “You like dog?” Without thinking, I replied “Of course”, and was promptly informed that if I went to a particular warung, they have it on the menu today. Yikes! I have witnessed gentle people sacrifice chickens at ceremonies, and watched excited crowds of what appear to be perfectly normal people cheering wildly at cockfights. There are social and cultural undercurrents here that I can not begin to understand, and that means that I am not qualified to judge them. But it does give me pause for thought …

However, some ‘visual contrasts’ I do judge. We love our Bali beaches, but all along the south-west coast, stunning ocean vistas are interrupted by the shocking contrast of open drains which pour garbage and raw sewage across the beaches. Their once-pristine sands now frequently conceal festering rubbish such as cigarette butts, plastic bags, needles and other nasties. It’s ugly, but it is fixable.  They should do something about it right? Wrong. There is no they in Bali; it’s up to all of us to fix stuff we don’t like. We all know what to do to make it better. Let’s start by binning our butts, reducing plastic bag use, refusing to throw rubbish in the gutter - it will only end up on the beach. Something has to be done. But it needs to start with each and every one of us. Then we can afford the luxury of enjoying the cultural contrasts of this island.

Kuta beach – Bali ( Indonesia )

Hallo Welt,

nachdem wir bei dem Flug gluecklicher Weise keinerlei Probleme hatten, der Transit von Taipeh (Nanni und ich mussten mal eben kurz immigirieren, weil im kompletten Flughafen das Rachen verboten ist ) nach Denpasar auch wunderbar geklappt hat, sind Nanni und ich nun endlich im Paradies angekommen.

Das Klima hier ist einfach unbeschreiblich. Es sind tagsueber immer ueber 30*C und nachts geht die Temperatur nie unter 27*C. Dabei ist die Luftfeuchtigkeit so hoch, dass man den ganzen mit feuchten Klamotten und einem leichten Schweissfilm auf der Haut rumlauft.

Soviel erst einmal zu den Rahmenbedingungen.

Als wir ankamen, wurden wir direkt am Flughafen von unmengen von Taxifahrern angespochen, ob wir denn keinen Transit braeuchten. Aufgrund eines guten Tips, haben wir direkt im Flughafen an einem Schalten ein Ticket zu einem Festpreis gekauft. Die Taxifahrten hier sind ungemein billig. ein Taxi vom Flughafen zu unserer Unterkuft (die ersten beiden Tage wollten wir erst mal ankommen und die Umgebung auf uns wirken lassen – deshalb gleich mal ein 4****Hotel fuer 25 Euro die Nacht – ZUSAMMEN!!!) nach Sanur hat gerade einmal 95.000 Rupien (ungefaehr 7 Euro) gekostet. MAn war immerhin fast eine dreiviertel Stunde unterwegs. Der Verkehr hier ist die Hoelle… Ueberall fahren die Mopeds kreuz und quer. Man hat das Gefuehl, der Mittelstreifen ist reine Zierde, die die Balinesen von den Hollaendern uebernommen haben. Man hat uns zudem geraten, wir sollen uns doch auch einen Roller mieten.  Zwar braucht man dazu einen internationalen Fuehrerschein (den wir natuerlich nicht haben), den man sich dann doch bitte am Strassenrand fuer 12 Euro bei einem Einheimischen kaufen kann. Super, mach wa

Das Hotel in dem wir untergebracht waren, war sehr schoen und genau das richtige um hier anzukommen, allerdings haben wir bereits gestern festgestellt, dass uns Sanur dann doch ein wenig zu ruhig ist und haben uns dazu entschlossen, heute nach Kuta zu fahren. Als wir hier ankamen, stellten wir fest, dass es ganz und gar nicht ruhig ist – man hat das Gefuehl, hier steigt morgens ab 08ooh eine einzige Halli-Galli-Drecksau-Party. So sind wir ein Stueck weiter in den Norden nach Legian gefahren. Im Volksmund sagt man, dass Legian der kleine Bruder von Kuta sei. Tolle Wellen, tolles Nachtleben, nur bei weitem nicht so ueberlaufen wie Kuta.

Auch hier wird man alle 1-2 Meter von den Einheimischen angesprochen, ob man denn keinen Transport braeuchte, etwas essen moechte, eine Massage braeuchte oder sonstwas… Nur geschenkt hat man uns noch nichts

Heute morgen waren wir uebrigens schon Tiere retten. Wir waren auf einer kleinen Insel namens Trabangan und haben uns dort die Schildkroeten angeschaut. Die werden von eifrigen Tierschuetzern nach der Eiablage aus dem Strandsand gegraben und kommen in eine Aufzucht. Dort bleiben sie dann die ersten vier Monate nachdem sie geschluepft sind und werden wieder ins Meer gebracht. Das muesse man machen, weil die Insel, auf der sie schluepfen total zugemuellt ist. Man stelle sich ein Festival der Groesse “Rock am Ring” vor. 200.000 Menschen feiern dort 4 Tage durch und lassen ihren ganzen Muell einfach dort liegen – so in etwa sieht es auf Trabangan aus.

Schoen war auch, dass eine andere Reisegruppe aus China dort war, sich aber nicht getraut hat, ins Becken zu den 4 jaehrigen Schildkroeten zu steigen. Als Nanni und ich kamen, wiechen sie zur Seite und wir haben uns direkt an die dicken Brummer gemacht – ganz schoen kraeftig die vier Jahre alten Dinger!

So denn, das soll es erst einmal von den ersten Eindruecken gewesen sein. Wir werden jetzt erst mal die naechsten 2 Tage in Legian bleiben und  surfen. Die Wellen sind einfach gigantisch und wenn man ins Meer geht, muss man erst einmal 100m wandern, bis man gerade mal bis zu den Hueften im Wasser ist.

Ab morgen werde ich mal die ersten Bilder der ersten Tage hochladen. Die Internetverbindung in diesem Laden erinnert mich an die Zeit, als ich noch mit meinem 56k-Modem versucht habe, mich bei ruckelfreien Ballerspielchen zu amuesieren.

So denn! ich wuensche euch allen, einen wunderschoenen Tag (hier geht ja in 3 Stunden schon wieder die Sonne unter… das ist zum einen schade, weil man dann eben keine Sonne mehr hat, auf der anderen Seite aber wirklich schoen, weil man dann umso mehr Cocktails hat Total verrueckt uebrigens, dass hier der Wein unglaublich teuer ist. Da eine Flasche Wein bei ca. 7Euro anfaengt, das Bier nur 50 Cent kostet und der harte Alkohol wie Gin und Wodka dazwischen liegen, naemlich bei ungefaehr 5 Euro, fiel es uns relativ leicht, mit Gin-Tonic unser Urlaubsgetraenk gefunden zu haben.

Schoene Gruesse

Alex

Kuta beach – Bali ( Indonesia )

Located in south coast of Bali, Kuta is only 11 km or 30 minutes from Denpasar. Rebuilt on 1960 as a touristic site after the Japan colonization on 1930, Kuta became one of famous Indonesian touristic icons. Equipped by high standard of facilities and accommodation, it is not excessive if Kuta which has a crescent contour is also called as “International City”. Nowadays Kuta’s famous name gives a promotion to the others area such Seminyak, Kerobokan, Canggu and Legian.(pj)

via Kuta international City.