Thursday, March 29, 2012

Ubud, Bali: goodbye Asia!


In the center of the lush, tropical paradise of Bali lies the culturally rich town of Ubud. It is a charming art center, with little jewelry shops-recycled glass beads, handmade silver rings, etc… and leather makers, and little old ladies working these grand old-fashioned looms, making tapestries and such. There is music and good food and lots of yoga and meditation. It’s a rather touristy spot, but not in an annoying or overwhelming way, which can sometimes be the case. 






Our place was cheap and clean, situated in a pretty garden with a large and luxurious pool, which was essential for beating the afternoon heat. Not to mention I just feel best when I’m in water… Our spot was at the end of “monkey forest road” and well, at the end of the road was the monkey forest! The monkeys didn’t quite understand their boundaries, however, and continually waltzed up to our patio or hung out around the pool. What a sight, especially if they started getting really friendly with each other, which was a common occurrence.









We ate some great local and foreign foods, happy to have a little variety, a treat from the slim selections on the quiet gili islands. We stayed longer than we though we’d stay, happy to relax and bum around our stretch of the town.



The people in Ubud are quite religious, they pray all day long, while preparing and giving offerings to many statues and even placing them in most doorways and corners. The offerings are usually flowers, food, perhaps a coin, and LOTS of incense. The whole town had a special smell to it! The monkeys took advantage of the sacred act- only seconds after the prayer and placement of the offering they would generally make haste to grab whatever was edible. One monkey even jumped on Josh’s shoulder, hung out for a bit then jumped off, but I missed it!






We leave Asia now, after over a year in this land. We’ve seen a lot and learned a lot, and now it is a good time to head west! I look forward to the wine and cheese in France, improving my language skills in Spain, and learning all that we can from our volunteer experiences.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Gili Meno: a travelers guide


In all of my traveling I have relied heavily on travel websites and personal blogs, offering details and ideas for the places I will travel. Thanks to all those who offer up this helpful information to us travelers! In an effort to “give back” to those travelers out there, I’ll give my best account of Gili Meno, so that you can be a little oriented before arriving. 

For my regular readers: I do hope that you get a chance to go to Gili Meno, the tiny island in Indonesia, until then, this may be a little different of a blog post than what you are used to! 

Gili Meno (the word Gili here is a bit redundant, for it means “little island”) is the smallest and quietest of the three Gili’s off the northwest coast of Lombok, in the Bali Sea. These islands are a popular destination for backpackers. Gili Meno  is a nice relief from the somewhat seedy party scene on the more famous and popular Gili Trawangan. Meno is also a nice relief from the crowds of young travelers and the hordes of pushy touts. 

not my photo
The island is very quiet, not a lot going on here! If you are up for a really relaxing trip this might be the place for you. The island is small, it can be walked around in about two hours. There are no paved roads, no motorbikes, no cars, but there are small horse drawn carriages, called Cidomos, that you can hire for about 60,000 rupiah for a trip to just about anywhere on the island. I would recommend walking! It is beautiful here, and there's nothing but time when the commodities of the modern world are scarce. 

To get to Gili Meno you will need to take a boat from Bali. You can take a slow ferry (about 4 hours, unreliable if the weather is bad) from Padang Bai to Lombok, and from there a small Island Hopping boat to Meno, or a fast boat (300,000 IDR) from a few locations (Padang Bai, Sanur) to Gili Trawangan, and take the same Island Hopping boat to Meno (20,000 IDR, morning and afternoon). 

Either way the boat will arrive on the East side of Gili Meno, just south of the center.


For lodging I would recommend just booking something upon arrival. There are probably some websites offering bungalows on Meno, but the price you can negotiate while there will be better, as will your selection of places. Just south of the boat drop off point there are a few sets of bungalows reaching to the very south of the island. All these places are nice and have great views, prices start at about 300,000 for a bungalow, often breakfast is included at the little restaurants associated with each place. 

Along the whole west coast there are places to stay, and also there are several small roads that lead inland, each offering a small variety of humble accommodation for much cheaper (starting at 50,000). So to save a few bucks you can be a five minute walk to the beach, as opposed to right on the beach. 


I personally did both! It was really lovely to be in the village, just slightly inland. It is quiet and dark at night, and by day you can catch a glimpse into what life is really like for the locals on the island. Here is the lodging I first stayed at, just north of the middle and in about 100 meters. The place is called Tropicana, and I highly recommend it:



After several days in the village we wanted to be on the beach! So, after exploring the entire island and inquiring about prices we settled down at the place with the nicest beach, just south of the boat landing spot. Our bungalow was called Malias Child:





There is not much lodging on the west coast of the island, in fact there is not much at all, maybe a few little places to eat or have a fresh fruit drink, but they are rather spaced apart! 

There is no free wifi on the island, only a pay service, which I didn't use, so I'm not sure if it's reliable. There is one internet cafe just south of the boat drop off area, where you can use their PC's for a fee.

The view from this island is incredible, from the east coast you can see Lombok's Mount Rinjani and from the west coast you can see Bali's mountainous terrain. The sky is big here, and an occasional storm will roll in making dramatic dark clouds. My kind of entertainment! 



The beach is quiet, it is easy to find a spot with no one around, if that kind of peace and solitude it what you seek. There are a few restaurants, usually associated with each bungalow, with cheap local food and a few foreign food options. 


Their are a few dive shops on the island, and many places to rent a snorkel. The reef around Gili Meno is incredible, you can just swim off the shore and spend hours engrossed in the tropical water land. Or you can rent a boat trip from just about any local on the island, they can show you all the best spots.  Their are scores of different kinds of fish, big and small, as well as the beautiful large sea turtles. We were lucky to see many of these majestic creatures. 


not my photo
We got to meet lots of locals on the island, they are kind and hospitable. They love music, and well, so do we! This is my newest instrument, and I was lucky to be able to have a few jam sessions with the friendly people, who offered us their (strong) rice liquor and some good late night singin! 


If you have any questions, please ask away! I'd be happy to help. And as always:


love love love



Saturday, March 24, 2012

Padang Bai--more than just a port town


Bali is a big island, much bigger than I anticipated. Thanks to the advice from a friend we headed straight to the southeast of this green paradise to a little port town of Padang Bai. It is one of the main jumping off points for the boats to Lombok and the wonderful Gili Islands. 



we secured a cheap and large room on the main strip, just across from the beach. The beach itself is lined with bobbing fishing boats and a larger pier for the ferry boats and speed boats. The water was (much to our surprise) a lot colder than the water in Thailand, and it was a fact that we greatly welcomed, considering the temperature of the air. Our hotel had a great rooftop terrace with a shrine and a nice view of the surrounding mountains and temples. 





The local people are kind and helpful. The entire town was filled with excitement as they were getting ready to celebrate the Hindu new year. There was incense burning and flower and food offerings all over town, in doorways and at large, decorated trees. It was an exciting time to be in this quaint village. After dark we witnessed the making of several giant monsters being constructed in somewhat secrecy in sheds or at the end of a quiet street. By day these "monsters" were covered with tarps and blankets, as they waited for the big parade a few days later. 


One old man was happy to practice his english as he told a captivating version of the holy day that was to come. All spirits, good and bad, from all places- the sky, the sea, the air, etc.- were summoned to come to Bali and there they were given food and offerings of all kinds. This lasted for nearly one day, and late in the day they would all parade around the town three times with these "monsters" to urge the bad spirits to leave, for they had already been given food and incense, and should by now be satiated. The following day was a day of silence. No one speaks, no one eats, no cars, no motorbikes, no smoking, nothing much, just a time for meditation. And this ushers in the new year! 



We visited the few temples that were at the edge of town, just a ten minute walk up a hill, in to the jungly mountain side. The temples were decorated and elaborately adorned with stone shrines and staircases. The stones they use are unique and have aged in a particular way that makes them look exotic and ancient. 









We were lucky to stumble upon a shrine tucked away at a shallow cave on a cliff overlooking the violently crashing waves below. This spot was mesmerizing. 




Fresh fruit was a highlight of this place, a tasty juice was about a dollar, and well worth it. The food in Bali is great! Lots of coconut infused flavors, lots of rice and chicken, and generally spicy! They eat lots of vegetables, as well, which I happen to love... and in an effort to cut down on environmental waste (they like their ocean clean!) it's highly encouraged to refill plastic water bottles (for about ten cents), and many home-stays and restaurants offer this nice service. 




Here are a few of the random sights from around the tiny little town:









(i probably lost this game... Sarah's been on a winning streak!)
with love, from Bali

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