Out & About
Feeling much more at ease with my surroundings now - practice makes perfect as they say. I have become a little more adventurous with each new day. With the basic necessities firmly in hand, I purchased a ticket to go and see some traditional Balinese dancing - very colorful and precise, well worth the investment. On a whim, having discovered that my skin was flaking off in the heat, I decided to pamper myself at one of the many Spas along Monkey Forest Road. I have to say that it felt more like I was being prepared for the oven than recieving a beauty treatment: After the initial pummelling and kneading, I was thoroughly basted with a turmeric (think curry) based exfoliant, lathed in yoghurt and then left to marinate for a while before being hosed off and submerged in a rose & frangipani flower bath. Actually the whole experience was quite relaxing. I felt very clean for a short while, until the heat rendered me a sticky mess once more.
Had a reasonably quiet day on Friday taking care of 'housekeeping' matters, found a good book as I am starting to bounce off the walls of my room a bit in the evenings now that the initial shock of the place has worn off. Was quietly reading said book on Friday evening when all of a sudden my gut started cramping and lurching - Oh No! thought I - 5 days isn't much of a record for good health. Thankfully I managed to get myself off to sleep but woke the next morning still feeling off. Too bad as I had already planned a day excursion with my Yankee friends. Trying not to think about the possibility of an emergency toilet stop along the way we set off to a couple of ancient sites: Goa Gojah Elephant Caves (no elephants in sight by the way) and Gunung Kawi temple - both well worth the look but hard going as we had to scale an number of stairs in sweltering heat to get back to our van (and air con!).
After that we traipsed through various villages and settlements winding up to Gunung Batur, one of Bali's highest and most spectacular active volcanoes. Looking down on the crater lake and lava was a picture postcard moment and would have been a thoroughly enjoyable experience if not for the (more desperate than usual) hawkers right up in our face with their wares. You expect a certain amount of this, understanding that people rely on the tourist dollar to survive, but there is a point at which it gets over the top and offensive. I confess to getting bamboozeled not once but twice by a harmless looking old lady. She bought us over a temple offering and proceeded to bless us with the rituals which made us feel quite honoured...until she thrust out her hand demanding a hefty donation for her efforts! We saw her again further down the path grinding rice the traditional way. She offered to pose for a photo and once we had snapped away happily thrust her hand out again! Didnt get conned a third time.
The final straw for us was at the Gunung Batur temple, by far the most spectacular we had seen to date (from the outside that is). Our guide told us that we need only don a free sarong and scarf from the stand outside, make a donation and enter...but when we got there we were swarmed by a fierce bunch of women demanding we hire the sarongs and pay big money for entering. They did so with such attitude that we thought "stuff you" and left. Silly really because we were happy enough to pay a reasonable price. We travelled home via a different route, through Tegullalang, stopping to view some amazing rice terraces along the way.
The plan for today (weather permitting as it honked down yesterday) is to go in the opposite direction for a sunset tour of Pura Tanah Lot, supposedly Bali's most popular tourist destination (apart from the beaches that is). After that I feel I will have seen pretty much all that Bali has to offer, though I am still here for another week! I guess the New Year festivities will keep me entertained for the duration. Doesn't look like I will be able to post any pictures until I hit Thailand - the connection here is painfully slow. Stay tuned.
posted by Peaceful Pilgrim @ 12:38 PM
3 Comments:
Deli Belly after only 5 days! Must be a record. You mentioned your new Yankee friends but nothing futher about them, must be a gap in the story. Shame that you have to stay on in Bali when there is not much more to do but i'm sure you will find another good book.
Can we see some pickies soon?
Hey ma,
Thanx for the postcard!!!
We have a hostel social tonight with boys high. We're all dressing up as cowgirls.
I downloaded some pictures form the internet of bali, thailand and india and have been looking on the map when you told us where you were going.
Miss you heaps but feeling better now.
Can't wait to see the pics.
Luv u :) x0x0x0x
Well I wouldn't say it really counts as delhi belly...only a mild rumbling really - no violent eruptions thank God!
Bons watch out for those cowboys!
Spud yeh - you're right the old ladies are definately the ones to watch out for.
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