The Call to Cats

I’ve really settled into a nice groove in Ubud. With my runs and walks among the rice fields in the morning, yoga in the afternoon and often some sort of evening activity like a movie at the yoga barn, or just dinner out and home to bed early with a good book. Life is simple, relaxing and I feel like I’m rejuvenating my body and soul but I still want to explore some more areas in Indonesia.

So what does one do when they want a change of pace from the beautiful but busy Ubud? Go to the beach of course! There are some small islands off of Lombok (another island off Bali) called the Gili islands that I had heard wonderful reports about. Lombok, unlike Bali, is mostly Muslim as are the Gilis. My friend Debra and I headed out on a shuttle from Bali to get the slow ferry from Padangbai. The ferry boat took 4 hours plus then we had to get a shuttle from Lombok up the coast about an hour and then wait……….and wait some more. Finally, we got a small boat over to the biggest of the Gili's called Gilli Trawangan. We had some ideas from the guide book about where to stay and once we landed we headed down the beach front to find a place. Being that it is the slow time we didn’t have a problem finding a place called “Blue Beach” which seemed nice enough but we quickly discovered reasons to change accommodations the next day. During the night the generator kept switching off and therefore our fan did as well so I slept in a puddle of sweat most of the night and the blood suckers were out full force as well. Our mosquito nets were more decorative then functional. The worst of it was that at 5 am there was the first “call to prayer” for the Muslims and the speaker seemed to be right into our window and we discovered we were next to the Mosque. Quite the wake up call! Needless to say, we found another place to stay the next night.

The place we found was 100 times better and about 3 times more expensive but the price was still very affordable especially for what we got; air conditioned bedroom, a sunk in living room with TV and DVD player, refrigerator, and an outside Jacuzzi….never mind that the jets didn’t work, it was nice to have a cool soaking tub. Plus you can’t beat fresh water showers as most are salt water. We had two luxurious days/nights there and a relaxing time spent on the beach, snorkeling and enjoying fresh caught fish for dinner. I also enjoyed running around the island in the morning which I estimated about 5-5.5 miles around then jumping into the ocean for a swim among the fishes. There was a great spot on the island to enjoy the sunset which is a huge attraction and I took some great photos one night.

What I loved about island life on the Gilis is that there are NO cars or motorbikes! The only transportation besides walking is horse and cart or bikes. It was so quiet and no pollution. There were also no dogs to our amazement because on Bali there are so many stray dogs. The other thing Debra and I both loved about the Gilis was that there were tons of cats. They were mostly very well taken care of, feasted on fish daily and were very sweet and friendly. We had many cat friends (especially during dinner time) and we joked about how we preferred to have a “call to cats” instead of the “call to prayer” and how we could throw a huge party for all the cats in our party pad!

We decided not to endure another 12 hour day on the slow boat so we took the fast boat which put us back to Ubud in about 2 ½ hours with boat and shuttle. Had I not had my bungalow in Ubud for the month, I could have stayed on the Gili islands for another few days at least.

So, reality back in Ubud hasn’t been bad either. More yoga on the beach with the Balinese locals in Sanur (which is about 1 hour from Ubud) and my friend Elana and I spent the day at a beautiful cove called “Blue Logoon” which next to Padangbai (were I took the ferry to Lomok and the Gilis). It was also gorgeous with some pretty good reefs and colorful fish to snorkel among.

I was able to change my ticket and extend my visa to stay another 2 weeks in Bali then I’m back to Thailand to take a month long yoga teachers training on Koh Phangan. This wasn’t in the plan but that’s what traveling is all about!

I have a couple sets of photos for you to check out and I hope you enjoy! I miss you all but am having the time of my life :)

www.picasaweb.google.com/tonibodeau/morebali
www.picasaweb.google.com/tonibodeau/giliislands

When it Rains it Pours

I didn’t know it was the rainy season when I came here and it certainly does rain. Not all day mind you and mostly in the afternoon and the rain can sometimes last between 30 minutes and 3 hours. My umbrella broke when I was in Scotland and I thought I wouldn’t really need one in Asia…I was wrong! I do have a big poncho but when ever I do bring it, it never rains. It is also very, very humid much of the time except the evenings cool off nicely and sleeping is very comfortable especially with the sounds of the night.

Speaking of rain…I was invited to join a couple women friends to go on a two day excursion to see some other areas of Bali. We headed up to the mountains and first stopped at some wonderful hot springs with private pools plus a large pool and a waterfall. It really started out as a great day and then the rain decided to come….in buckets. The roads were flooded to knee deep at in some areas and motorbikes were pushing their bikes through and some cars were getting stuck. We arrived to Lake Bratan and had planned to have some lunch then visit a beautiful temple on the water. On the water and amidst the water! It was beautiful though and we did have umbrellas that day but inevitably we got wet and when we arrived at our guesthouse near Lake Tamblingan for the night, we were all scrambling for any warm clothes we had. It was really cold! Who would have thought that I would be cold in Bali! I had to borrow clothes and slept with three blankets (I think heaters are non-existent).

The sun was out the next day and we headed out on a guided five hour trek in the jungle. The huge trees were amazing to see and the wild ginger and other flowers I had never seen like a passion fruit flower.The one thing I certainly could have done without were the leeches. You might recall my strong dislike for roaches…well, next to roaches I truly hate leeches. There is NOTHING nice about leeches and they were everywhere. I think I was a bit distracted on the hike because I was constantly doing a leech check on my body and having my friend, Elaine, check for them on my shoes and pull them off. I won’t touch them if I don’t have to. I’m very happy to say that none of the blood suckers managed to get any of my blood (I guess the mosquitoes are doing that for me) thank God.

The other excursion I did was an eco cycling tour. It started out with a wonderful breakfast overlooking Gunung Agung which is Bali’s highest mountain and an active volcano. We then were taken to a Balinese plantation where we sampled the local fruit, coffee and tea and learned about local plants and healing properties. We started our ride and on the way visited a Balinese home/compound and were able to see how they live their daily lives. We also got to walk among the rice paddies and even got to join in the knee deep mud and help out. We rode on and stopped where they were harvesting the rice and again got to help out in the process. We rode on and had the option to ride uphill to the finish of the ride that ended in a delectable Balinese feast! Always worth the hard effort with food at the end! It was a great day.

One of the most amazing things here in Bali is the cultural aspect of men and women’s roles. The women carry everything on their heads from baskets of food to construction materials like bricks and 2 x 4’s. The men do the labor as well but the women do the hardest work of carrying. Women are definitely the stronger sex here. The men in general are the artists and the skilled in woodcarving, painting, etc. which have been passed down from generation to generation. The other cultural thing I learned was about the children. A baby is never put onto the ground for the first 3 months of their lives so are carried around by family members, friends constantly and hardly ever cry. How is that for establishing security at a young age? Three month is also when the baby is named by the high priest.

They are ceremonies for just about everything (even a day for metal). The other day was dedicated to giving thanks for money and I was invited to join in at one of the local temples and dressed in their typical ceremonial attire of sarong, kabala, and sash. It is quite a social event and the locals as well as the offerings around the temples were colorful and festive. One of the most important and expensive ceremonies is the cremation ceremony with a person dies. It is even more important and elaborate then a wedding in Bali.

I continue to enjoy my time here in Bali and have met some wonderful people including the locals as well as over travelers. I am doing yoga at least 3 times a week and have found some great runs among the rice paddies so I am happy to be back running again. I did an artistic creative day with a friend, Debra, who invited me to join her to experience Rudolf Steiner’s color theory and create our very own drawing done with pastels. It was inspiring and so much fun.

I hope everyone is doing well. Enjoy my photos and I will be in touch soon.
www.picasaweb.google.com/tonibodeau/Bali

Bali, Bugs, and Bungalows.

I think I’ve died and gone to heaven! Bali is so beautiful, magical in so many ways….except the bugs! I’m being attacked by no-see-ums(I think) and the bastards are vicious. I’ve been using the repellent that seemed to deter the blood sucking mosquitoes in Thailand but it’s not working here. You can’t even see these nasty buggers and they itch like crazy. While we are on the subject of bugs….my worst fear came true in Bangkok. I literally had a cockroach the size of a poodle.…okay, but it was the size of my thumb…run over my bare foot while at the ATM one night. I was horrified and let out a very girlie scream.

Okay, back to pleasant things. Bali is hot and humid as it is still very much the rainy season but it’s lovely and green and full of sensory delights. The first night I lay in bed listening to the sounds of the night and it lulled me to sleep (even without screens and I was a bit creeped out about bugs crawling on me) and I slept like a baby. I have this great bungalow; two stories and a bathroom that is partially open to the outside with orchids in pots on the wall. There are two balconies that overlook the views and comfy chaise lounges and chairs to relax on. I love it!

Bali shops have amazing art to overload your visual senses as well as tempt your spending habits. There are beautiful paintings, silks, batiks, jewelry, wood and stone sculptures that include huge Buddhas, Ganeshes (that will definitely NOT fit in my suitcase). There are yoga and meditation classes, great health food stores and many restaurants-both Balinese and western. I’ve only started to explore the streets of Ubud and the surrounding areas.

Today I went to a dance which told of a mythical story which was interesting and then went to a beautiful temple. There are over a thousands temples in Bali and each village has an average of three temples. Bali is 70% Hindu, 15% Muslim, about 10% Christian and 5% Buddhist.. Everyday the Balinese people give offerings to the Gods and place some food(a bit of rice and crackers)and flowers onto woven banana leaves out in front of there homes and shops. They are very spiritual people and take there beliefs very seriously.

The most expensive thing in Bali is transportation. I am staying in a small village called Penestanan and it is about a 20-40 minute walk into Ubud, depending on where you are going. The yoga studio I go to is about a 35-40 minute walk and it makes for a great warm up before class(as if you really need a “warm-up” here).

Life in Bali is as relaxed or as active as you want to make it. There are great walks to do among the rice fields and a path overlooking the valley which goes for miles. There are tours offered that do cycling tours and white water rafting excursions. You can go to yoga or just choose to visit one of the many spas in town which offer Balinese massage, body scrubs, flower scented baths and much more. You can also just relax in your bungalow overlooking the views and read a good book while the sound of the afternoon rain relaxes you even more. So I think you can see why I’ve died and gone to heaven!