A true one of a kind

If there is one word that can sum up perfectly the combination of these three things; Exotic, Culture, and Absolute Paradise, the word in no doubt would be Bali. Located just beside the province of java, this small cultural island is just what I needed for a perfect getaway. And when one might go for the usual ‘touristy’ itinerary there, some others, alike myself, preferred a much less conventional way to explore such a place.
I stayed off hotels and submerge myself with the locals in one of their traditional villages. Their low ceilinged homes made almost entirely of wood brings a certain air of peacefulness to the place. The warmth of the sun, not too bright neither cloudy, shining just perfectly upon the brown dominated scenery; the small neatly lined brown wooden houses, the centuries old stone footsteps turned slightly brown by dirt, but then a dash of bright colours here and there by the crimson red and yellow flowers around.
At times, drums are beaten in an odd rhythm and a set of bamboos was played. The music which I cannot find the pleasure when hearing it, but I can understand, as odd as it may be; that it is pleasurable, especially when watching the yellow Kambojan flower on each maiden’s ear there moved accordingly as the girls shook their long silky black haired heads rhythmically. Then at noon and hence forth, out came the children, playing toys made of bamboos and dry melon skin.
There’s a certain strange feeling and a sudden realization of how vast the world is with each of its own ethnicity when you see these people; in how they perform their rituals, how they interact, or how uniquely they dress themselves. And in Bali’s case a wrap sarong of such unique pattern. These are the people who had never heard of cappuccinos or the word stock exchange. But yet they are as complete as a human being can be.
Towards the end of my stay, to seal the deal for a picture perfect vacation, I went off for souvenirs. Surprisingly enough, just a few kilometers apart, was a completely different world. A world of busy market, cheap Chinese-made stuff, hot air, jam packed tourist, and tightly haggling locals, clashed into every inch of square meters in the busy street.
‘Berapa harganya?’, which is the local for ’What’s the price?’ is the guaranteed word to have a good bargain. Local basic haggling words are always effective for a steep drop in price. And off course, I too have learned my lesson and stayed off the white t-shirt and a backpack in the back typical tourist look.
All and all, it is truly amusing seeing both sides of Bali. The lively tourist destination it has now become, but also the rare and traditional cultural society it once, and in parts, still is. This is one small island I shall never forget.
Other places are just places, but Bali’s Bali. A true one of a kind.