BALI.

July 22, 2018

I wasn’t really sure how to start this post. For starters, I should probably acknowledge that I would be a terrible professional travel blogger. With so much to do, see, and take in here it’s taken me almost two weeks to sit down and actually write something. But I’ll very broadly sum up what I’ve been up to.

1. When I first arrived, I decided Bali is heaven on earth. Perhaps cliche, perhaps not true for everyone. But it is one of my favorite places that I have ever been. Probably because of the abundance of all of my favorite things—surfing, healthy delicious food, the kindest people, simple living, incredible biodiversity, great beaches, yoga, live music, cool bars and oh yea, more waves (though the recent back to back gigantic swells with 20 foot faces has sadly kept me out of the water for a few days).

Thailand was a beautiful experience. But from the moment I got to Bali, I felt more at home. A strange new place that felt familiar somehow. It’s no surprise that there are a bunch of expats and digital nomads who have settled here on this little sliver of paradise in the Indian Ocean. (See the end of this post for an updated opinion on Bali after spending over three weeks there.)

Marley and I arrived in Bingin Beach where we spent three days exploring the Bukit Peninsula, going to beaches, eating freshly caught seafood, driving to Uluwatu and other towns, and going to the sickest bar set up on a cliff overlooking guys dropping into perfect barrels. We met some great people—cool humans from anywhere in Bali to South Africa—and two humbly and incredibly talented musicians from Australia and Uruguay who we got to see play live music the next night at our favorite local cafe/bar, The Cashew Tree. We were sad to be leaving the beach, but excited to head to Ubud—the culturally rich, artistic, yoga central of Bali with rice fields intertwined throughout. But what would a trip to Bali be without experiencing the notorious Bali Belly? Nothing is better than enjoying an authentic Indonesian meal and spending the night throwing up with your bud in a small bathroom. It wiped us out for a whole day, but we made a comeback and got to see some of the pinnacles of Ubud, including the monkey forest, which is a beautiful green lush jungle filled with hundreds of monkeys. Evolution is undeniable when I look at these little creatures with scary human-like qualities. They truly remind me of little primitive humans that act solely on impulse and have no behavioral filters—getting in little brawls, picking stuff out of each other’s butts, etc. Some of them really enjoyed using people as trees, which really seemed to freak out some people. 

On our last day in Ubud, we flagged down a taxi to take us to the famous Tegallalang rice terrace. Of course, the taxi we flagged down happened to be a guy who called himself “Mr. Hugs” which in the U.S. would instantly be questioned...but here was just the sweetest little Balinese man who offered to drive us around to the rice terrace, a coffee plantation and a temple for less than $18 and over two hours of driving and non-stop information on growing rice, the history of Bali and anything else we had questions about. He drove us through beautiful green villages that lacked the over abundance of tourists that exists in the heart of Ubud. We tried Luwak coffee—coffee made from the beans that a Luwak (a small cat/ferret like animal) poops out. It is expensive “shit” coffee but truly delicious. A real delicacy here.

That day, Marley left (though not before having a scare from losing her passport two hours before her flight) and I was sad to see the person I’d spent 24 hours a day with for three weeks, leave. She was such an awesome person to travel around Southeast Asia with—so easy-going, adventurous and thoughtful—I couldn’t have been luckier to have her as a travel buddy and one of my best friends. Saying goodbye, I realized I still had a whole month left of solo travel and adventure ahead of me. 

2.  Bali is a little more expensive than Thailand but so cheap compared to America. I’ve been eating some of the best food, and I don’t mean that lightly, and it has costed half of what it would cost in California. It’s just about the only place I’ve ever been where being a vegan is actually maybe easier than not being a vegan. It’s awesome to see how health oriented the culture is in many places here, with the belief that food is medicine. The ingredients in the dishes are so raw (sometimes literally, very raw), healthy, fresh and delicious. 

I’ve stayed in some of the best places, air bnbs and hostels (even by people with standards that are higher than mine would be pleased by most of them) for less than $15 a night—and that includes fresh cooked breakfast. I get all my laundry washed, dried and folded for under $2. A motorbike only costs about $4 to rent for a whole day.  Gourmet meals are usually under $5, lattes around $1.75. A two hour ride with a private driver (Nyoman, the nicest guy) from Ubud to Canggu cost around $20. I’ve spent more on an Uber five minutes away from my house in San Luis Obispo. The point is, it can be expensive to get here from other countries if you don’t book flights at the right time, but once you’re here, it’s incredibly affordable. And when I tip them a dollar for a meal, the gratitude that the Balinese express is humbling. I befriended a little Balinese woman named Ana at a Sushi place I went to, and she told me how she works relentlessly to support her three kids. I was eating alone so I chatted with her the whole time and when I left I tipped her 50K Rupiah (around $2-3) for my sushi that only cost 55K. It seemed like hardly anything to me, but it was to her. It is eye-opening to grasp how a little money to some people, means a lot more to others. 

3. Random but fun fact I learned from some of the Balinese I’ve talked to: everyone’s name is based on what order child they are. If you were the first child, your name is either Wayan or Gede (or Ni Luh for girls). If you were the second child, you will be Made or Kadek. The third child will be Nyoman or Komang. And the fourth? Ketut. When I asked a taxi driver (Mr. Hugs) what his real name was and he said Ketut, I responded saying “ah, so you’re the fourth child.” Which he was delighted to hear that I had figured out. He smiled proudly and said that it meant he was the “bonus” child, because having more children is positively regarded here.  

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I wrote this after being in Bali for roughly five days. At this point, I was still caught up in the beauty, the beaches, the food and the cheap luxuries. However, after spending three weeks in Bali, my perception shifted. Moreover, I began to realize I was caught up in somewhat of an illusion—an island that has become overrun with tourists and attracts many people for what they see all over Instagram and google images—a place with trendy cafes, crazy bars with cheap alcohol, hot surfers, easy beach living, good shopping. And the thing is, all of that does is exist there. But that isn't authentic by any means. It isn't a representation of the Indonesian or Balinese culture. It is an appeal to Westerners, other Asian tourists, etc. Is it bad? That's up to you to decide. Bali relies on the tourism industry, it supplies a lot of jobs for them. And in a globalized world it is hard to avoid finding untouched places that still exhibit solely their authentic culture. Especially as a tourist myself, it would be hypocritical to seem disappointed in the amount of tourists there. Nonetheless, I think the only thing we, as tourists, can and should do is respect the nation and the people. To not contribute negatively by leaving trash and being disrepesctful to the land and the people. By making our impact as small, and if so, as positive, as we can. By the end of my trip I was eating predominantly at Indonesian warungs (local places) instead of the nice, healthy and trendy cafes that looked as though they could be in downtown Los Angeles. I was picking up trash when I would leave the beach. I realized it was people like me, tourists, who contribute to many of the problems on the island. But I also realized it was people like me, who needed to start being the solution. I have the utmost respect for the Balinese culture and the people, and hope that in a few years you can still see representations of it on the island and not just big resorts and fancy Western shopping everywhere. This trip has made me aware of the most important aspect of traveling: being a respectful tourist, and seeking authenticity in a place instead of the comfort of familiarity. 

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I am currently traveling solo which has been wonderful so far. Future blog post will cover what I’ve been up to here in my home for two weeks, Canggu. However for now, my days consist of a combo of surfing, yoga, eating good food, motorbiking through the town, reading, hanging at the beach or checking out cool places and temples with new friends from all over the globe, meeting locals, and simply living and observing a different way of life. Phone down, eyes up—it’s hard to miss out on being present in a place like this. On Wednesday I start a surf camp for a week in Bali and then I fly to Sydney, Australia for a couple of weeks in August.

I could not think of a better way to be spending my money or time, it truly is such an exciting adventure. (Honestly looking forward to working when I get back home, because money will come again with work but it is meant to be spent on things like this—experiences.) And the funny thing is, anyone with a little time and some money saved up can do this too. Or travel anywhere, really. I’ve realized how so much of what holds us back aren’t really tangible things, but excuses we make up in our heads. So get after it friends, make something happen for yourself if you want it! If you “just can’t” right now, ask yourself why not. But life is short, and if you don’t start living your life how you want to now, then when will you? Hope everyone reading this is doing well, looking forward to reuniting with my people. Cheers!