Journeys of a Surfing Philanthropist

Indo Adventure - Update 1

INDONESIA | Saturday, 7 November 2009 | Views [802] | Comments [1]

THE ADVENTURE BEGINS

The first two weeks in Indonesia have absolutely flown by. Journeys thus far have included surfing, hiking, motor biking around the country, and embracing the culture of an amazing country. The surf at Uluwatu, Bali's most famous wave has been very good (4-10 feet) with relatively few reef cuts among the crew thus far. We also surfed Nusa Dua on the east coast of Bali at 8-10 feet as well. Nusa Dua is a very powerful right hand wave with quite a bit of water moving around and only a fraction of the crowd when compared to Uluwatu. A couple of the other spots we have surfed include Canggu and Nyang Nyang. Nyang Nyang is at the base of a massive cliff with approximately 550 steps from top to bottom (yes I counted...) On our way to one of the surf checks (at Green Bowls) we had to enter through security for the set of Eat, Pray, Love which is being filmed on the island of Bali. We didn't manage to catch sight of Julia Roberts yet..

We have been staying at a very unique homestay on the cliffs at Uluwatu called the Gong. Winnie and Yeo Man are the owners & operators and are some of the most hospitable people you will ever meet.

Still looking for good volunteering & philanthropic opportunities. Have been looking into microloan (Kiva) work or potentially organizing a large beach sweep. The amount of trash in some areas is immense due to the local beliefs that the earth will rid itself of all of the waste. It also seems that overfishing may be an issue along the coasts of Western Bali. Anywhere from 100-250 boats can be seen fishing the same location just off of Uluwatu point every night. Upon first glance, it looks as if there is a city floating at sea.

The surf has dwindled in size over the past few days and we have spontaneously decided to travel to Thailand, Vietnam and potentially Cambodia as well as Laos over the next few weeks. This update is being written from the Sawasdee House in Bangkok. We'll try to take it day by day and see where our journeys lead us. Any suggestions or advice on great places to go/stay/see in any of these countries would be most helpful.

Any advice on navigating the red tape of working with NGO's in Indonesia would also be greatly appreciated.(Special Visa/Permission Required??)

Anything else to add, feel free to leave comments!

Warmest Regards,

John Luff

Tags: adventure, backpacking, bali, indonesia, journey, philanthropy, surf, thailand, travel, volunteer

Comments

1

I like this place! I love the idea and wish there was a place like this in Astoria, Queens. I am a surfer and found a "real surfer bar" in Point Break NYC. I am kinda jealous ;0PIts filled with surfers, people who like surfers, people who like the beach and people who don't want to live close to town. I really like this place. You know what they have these real Proctor and Channel One surfboards on the wall. It's nice for coming any day of the week and eating a late brunch. The food was outstanding. The brunch and sides were prefect and tasty. It is a perfect "escape" from city living. It is probably one of the only places where you can get a nice frozen pina colada or margarita. The service was on hit. They came up and checked on us so many times and made sure everything was up to par. It gets very active and the bartenders keep everybody having a good time. The bartender was very accommodating. He was nice enough to make a drink, that wasn't on the menu, for me :0) Did I mention the bartenders are nice eye candy. It was amazing to see their “das boot” which is shaped like a boot filled with beer. Don’t get me wrong, I am not drunk…it’s an actual boot shaped beer container ready to be emptied. Try it ..You will love it!! Oh. How can I forget, they even have a wheel o' shots where you just have to spin it and have to drink whatever shot it lands on!! Now call that bar creativity at its best!!! And when I spill a tray full of shots on myself, the bartender so kindly remakes them for me? Good music, too, and the decor helped us weather an otherwise overcast and rainy day. You know that old song "Brandy"? It goes, "Brandy, you're a fine girl, what a good wife you would be. But my life, my lover, my lady is the sea." I believe Brandy works here. No reason, I just do. And that song happens to be a guilty pleasure of mine, so that's a plus in my book. You can simply waltz over to this colorful and warm establishment, enjoy some drinks with friends, and walk home. The bar is right at the center, so you can walk to either side for drinks, and the bartenders are friendly and at your service. There is a variety of seating, good music, and friendly neighborhood people to make your time more enjoyable. Not pretentious, very cozy, I think Point Break is a fabulous place to spend some time with friends.

Davis Miller Mar 4, 2010 9:37 AM