My last 2 days in Bali were spent in a cheap place near the airport, and accross the steeet from a large western mall. I actually had arrived without a reservation and spent an hour driving around with a taxi looking at places. After seeing 3 places that were too expensive given there quality, I settled on a cheap place ($13 with AC) that was not quite as nice as the others but was MUCH cheaper. I then had dinner at this very good italian resturant (a big suprise, especially given how bad the food had been in kuta) and afterwards I was chatting with this women from Kalamantan (borneo) who worked there. She wanted to know how come I was 4 months pregnant. I Said, wow, only 4- I used to be 6 months pregnant. Hmm, I find it strange that strangers would say such things. Is it an unusual kind of flirtation??
My first day I did a excellent bike ride from mount batur to ubud. Mount batur was stunning. Its an active volcano, with 3 large rings and a lake next to it. The ride was mostly down hill so we went pretty fast. We did get to stop at a tradition balinese compound with multiple small buildings and a mini hindu temple. Anyway the ride was quite fun and we had a good meal back in ubud before taking the van back to kuta.
During my last day in Bali, I spent the morning at the beach behind the
mall. Then I met up with paul, had lunch, drove around a bit on his
motorbike, visited a gormet western food store, and finally went back
to the mall. At the mall there was a large delegation from kalamantan
trying to promote tourism there. I just missed a dance performance, but
got to chat with a women from the delegation who gave be this cool
necklace with a tooth as its centerpiece (and I am still wearing it 10
days later).
After paul went home, I went back to see the repeat
performance of the dancing. Soon after the first dance group did there
thing, I was summoned up to the stage. After asking me a few questions
(where I was fun, have I been to borneo and so on), I was asked to
repeat the dance. Wow, I wished I was paying better attention. But I
started to dance (I have no idea if it was close) and then I turned and
asked in thge mike they had given me, for the drummers to start
drumming again (they had stopped after the official dancers were done).
How can I dance with the drummers, I said. So the drummers came back
and started playing and I danced some more in front of a few hound
people that were gathered around. Anyway they gave be a souvenir boat
which I need to give away since I am carrying too much stuff. I
actually also chatted a little while with a women who was working at
the mall, and who wanted me to take her with me to jogjakarta where I
was going the next day. Its funny, in the US I hate malls. But I really
liked having a middle class experience in a poor country, and being
somewhere where there is no high pressure sales tactics going on. Its
actually somewhere where I can meet some locals.
The next morning I got up at 4 AM, and went to the airport for my visit to Jogjakarta. Goodbye Bali..
ps. I am writing this in a internet cafe in laos, seated next to a monk in an orange rope.
