Filed under: General
I’ve just spent a week in Bali, surfing the most amazing left hand point break I’ve been on in some time.
In between waves, I was eating vegan Nasi Goreng for $1 and a cold Bintang Beer for $1.50, and hanging out with the local Muslim fellas who just kind of sit in a shack by the beach fixing fishing nets and playing chess while they wait for the tide to come back in so they can go out there and rip the wave to shreds.
Bali is possibly the nicest and most friendly place I’ve ever been, ever..
The majority Hindu Population (the world’s original vegans-well except for those pesky animal sacrifices every now and then) are completely welcoming with open arms and minds to any and all visitors.
Where I was, the majority of the village were Muslim, and it was truly something else to be paddling in to perfectly walling left handers while the sun set turned the sky pink over the volcanos in the distance, sacred cows grazing over the fallow rice paddies and the local fishermen putting out to sea in hand-made wooden boats with those kooky upside-down sails in the foreground, while the call to prayer from the mosque on the hill rang in my ears over the sound of the wave. Quite a few times I felt like I was in an old Jack McCoy film.
Sitting at the airport on the way home next to some twenty-three year old chargers holding reef-dented Gath helmets, I knew that I wan’t surfing the most extreme waves in the region by far, though to me, flinging my 9’4″ into my own walling waves was one of the most perfect surf experiences I’ve ever had.
There’s an Australian government website that “Strongly advises to seriously reconsider any non-essential travel to Bali” in regards to further bombings or kidnappings.
Honestly, I arrived and have never felt more safe abroad.
I’ve felt much more worried for my safety walking around downtown L.A. or in certain parts of London.
It’s more dangerous to try and hail a cab on Liverpool street in Sydney on a Friday night at 2 a.m. or walk down the Manly Corso after the pubs close than it is to be in Bali at the moment.
Even when I was being driven around the corner to the nearby rivermouth break, Musal my driver spoke only with compassion and joy at the fact that I was digging his hometown so much. Musal is a local legend who’s a surf guide and goes by the name of Adam. He welcomed me into his home, and as we drove around we sung along to the only tape in his car – Richard Marx’s greatest hits. Adam knew all of the words. And I mean all the words.
Everyone there eventually asked the same quesiton, “Why don’t more Australians come to visit Bali?”.
I replied that many are scared.
“Of Bombings?” they would say, “Bombs happen all over the world, not just Bali”.
It certainly didn’t stop people traveling to Spain, NYC, London or Israel.
The second question they would ask is, “When you coming back?”
My answer would be, “Not soon enough.”
Friendly people, warm weather, amazing food and restaurants, jungles, peace and perfect waves, plus FULL TILT nightlife (if you want it). All for an exchange rate that makes you feel like Donald Trump when you’re shopping.
Many people lose themselves in Bali, I think I found a little piece of what may have been missing.
x aa
(more thoughts to follow. I’m tired and sleepy from all the surfing/bintang/tummy rumbles from forgetting to ask the barman to hold the ice on the very, very last drink that I had there..)
PS: Redgum spoke some aussie truths about Bali way back in the 80′s too..
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I spent 10 days including New Years in Bali some years ago. Talk about memorable. From the great beaches, fishing villages, volcanoes and temples to the happy faces of the people who really have very little.
A young waiter at a restaurant lived in one room with two other guys. He sent his earnings home to his family in a village in the mountains. The last night we tipped him all our unspent money. It was like he’d won lotto, he even cried. The family of a little girl we met lived in a cave cut out of the side of a cliff. Still, happy joyous faces.
These people will really suffer if we don’t try to conquer our fear and rediscover a truly beautiful holiday destination. Bali is a treat to the senses and the Indonesian people are infectious.
I’ll leave the surfing to you G however as I came very close to drowning. A Swedish man plucked me to safety but at least I had a crack. Very powerful waves over there, bit scary! So are the monkeys!
Andrew your beautiful decription of Bali has left me with tears in my eyes….
I first visited there in 1985 and although there have been many changes, the people have not lost their ability to live simply, and with such spiritual depth, despite all that has occurred around them. Sounds as though you have fallen in love with Bali all over again …lucky you!
You have an addiction that is worse then ice my dear Andrew.
Clearly you need to go to YTA (youtube anonymous)the youtube wasn’t essential to the story at all.
I hear now you can do a package deal, YTA and MSA in the same session.
I (like a large portion of Australian youths) spent a fair few years at school learning about the Indonesian culture and language, although I (like pretty much every Frankston youth) never considered the notion that I’d ever get to really take advantage of that now-shelfed knowledge. Reading this dropped me right back in that ambitious December-’05 mindset. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t craving some Indonesian beach right now.
Tom xoxo