If you realized that's the opening line to a Beach Boy's greatest hit, then you also easily guessed one of the super cool things I got to do in Bali! That's right, I climbed on an eight foot long board in breaking waves and tried to balance on it and avoid the (many) bad things that can happen to you when you are surfing. I couldn't help noticing all the various coral shreddings and bruises around town...
But first, let's talk about Ubud.
I arrived in Ubud kind of late in the evening, but Derek & Melinda from Denver had spent at least a week there so they had me prepped and ready to go. I checked into the Hotel Ibunda - faithfully following their recommendations (and since she runs a spa back home, I felt very safe trusting her.) My room was cool, artsy, boutiquey, centrally located and best of all cheap - I was liking this town already. (Actually, the best part of my room at Ibunda came the next morning when I got into the hot shower, my first since staying in Omar's posh passion pit in Phuket (say that 5 times fast,) almost a month ago!) After checking in, I wandered around and found something to eat (difficult with so many interesting choices,) then hit the bed after booking my next day's adventure.
Derek had recommended an all day biking tour of Ubud and the surrounding towns and country-side that also included breakfast at the Batu volcano, a tour of some botanical gardens, lunch, and a trip to the Monkey Forest. My pickup was scheduled for 8:15 and after a long long hot shower I was just about ready at ten past when there was a knock at my door. It seems the group had been waiting out front since 8 - I was OK since they told me quarter past, but since some had been picked up an hour before while I was still snoring, I still felt kind of bad. But the whole day wound being even better than it sounded, the tour leader knew so much about Balinese culture and was very eager to share as much of it as he could. By the end of the afternoon, my head was so stuffed with new knowledge, I was dizzy. One of the coolest details is how they name their children - by birth order, one through four plus a personal name and then repeat with a prefix if there are five or more kids. For example, as the oldest, I would be I (long e sound,) Waiyan Clement - first brother Clement. Neat huh? We also learned a ton about Hindu and Community or Banjar culture - very complex with everyone belonging to temples for family, village, avocation, and specific gods, too. Biking through was a wonderful way to really see and connect with the area, plus it was so fun waving hello to EVERY kid we passed - they were all so overjoyed to see us!
After, the monkey forest, (ho-hum, beautiful park and spoiled little animals,) I wandered around town and checked out all the galleries and artists' studios - I could fill a huge home with all the
amazing paintings, statues, and beautiful wood furniture I saw. Ubud is really a thriving culture center, with lots going on. In the evening, I discovered a local community theatre that was performing gamelan music and traditional dances. The next day was more of the same, exploring the countryside and rice terraces and enjoying the art, music and architecture of the area.
amazing paintings, statues, and beautiful wood furniture I saw. Ubud is really a thriving culture center, with lots going on. In the evening, I discovered a local community theatre that was performing gamelan music and traditional dances. The next day was more of the same, exploring the countryside and rice terraces and enjoying the art, music and architecture of the area.
Then I was back on the road for the hour long ride to Kuta beach, center of Bali's beach culture and a magnet for surfers from around the world. Now if you think Dive Instructors are laid-back and chilled out, you must meet the team at Prosurf! After an hour of theory and practicing hopping to our feet on surfboard shaped mats next to the pool, we hit the waves to try the real thing. Ade, Jake, and the rest must have done a great job because I rode a wave all the way to ankle deep water my first try! I wish I could say every wave was that easy, but I definitely had my share of silly slips and gnarly wipeouts too. By the end of the afternoon, I was venturing out further and further on my own, catching 2 meter waves and starting to make some turns. I was more exhausted from paddling out through the fairly heavy surf than the surfing itself, but we all had to be practically dragged in by the end of the day. I know I personally begged "one more wave," at least four times - one from each of the instructors with us. After we cleaned up, a bunch of brand new surfers hit the beach for beers and the sunset, telling hours-old surf stories and using our hands to describe our experiences in a way that every real surfer would instantly recognise.
While it won't replace diving in my life, surfing is a sport I will be doing again, as soon as I can...
I had planned to head back to Bangkok next to head out to Viet Nam and Cambodia, but then Theresa, my German friend from Koh Tao, e-mailed me several weeks before to invite me along to dive Bunaken Island. For those of you like me who don't have the 17,000 islands of Indonesia geographically memorized, it's off North Sulawesi, on the South side of the Celebes Sea. T was completing her DM course, so I changed plans again. Sulawesi is reputed to be some of the absolute best diving on earth and I was not disappointed!
Until Next Time -
Stay Wet,
Clement
