Before my first trip to Bali in 1995, I was warned that you really couldn't communicate with people back home unless it was an emergency. Most places did not have phone service. In order to make a phone call, you'd have to go to a Wartel office, where it apparently was still difficult to get a line sometimes.
It was a pleasant surprise to find that the bungalows where we stayed did actually have a phone in the office. If I remember correctly, I called home to check on my dog. Oh, and to let people know I was okay, of course.
By 2000, the internet had made it's way to Bali. For 40-50 cents per minute, you could send email from an internet cafe. There were only a couple of places in Ubud where you could do this, and the service was not very reliable.
Over the next couple of years, more places began to have internet, and the cost dropped to as low as a few cents per minute. There were even places advertising high-speed, but nothing like at home.
Now wireless is here, and many of the larger restaurants have free hotspots for their customers. Even the bungalows next door to Londo have wireless service. All I have to do is eat a meal, and I can charge the laptop and have internet access free. All this wonderful technology and I still can't keep up with my reports!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Bali 2008 - November 29
This morning after breakfast, our bead lady Ketut brought her wares to the bungalow. We rarely purchase at home, but Ketut doesn't have a shop, so we let her come to us. This works out well for everyone because she helps out at the bungalows, and we can get ready for our day out while we shop.
Today she had lots to choose from, so by the time the dealing was done, it was time for lunch. We headed down the path to Ibu Putu's Warung for some of our favorite dishes - carrot salad, fried chicken with tomatoes and onions, and sweet iced lemon tea. We enjoyed a leisurely lunch while visiting with the family, then headed down the Campuhan steps (all 88 of them!) to meet Made for a trip to the grocery. After gathering all the things we needed (and some we didn't), Made drove us to the Ubud Market.
One of the things I love about Bali is that no matter how long you've been away, people still remember you. Not only that, but they remember what you bought from them, and quite often, how much you paid. As we stepped out of the car in front of the market, we looked at the various things hung out on display to decide where to go first. Leaning out from the second floor was Made Wenten waving and calling hello.
Three years ago we were looking for a particular style of dress. She had only one or two, but kept saying "I can make!" We explained that we were leaving the next day, and since it was 5:00 p.m., there was no time. Her answer was "No problem. How many you want?" We chose about 15 sarongs for her to make into dresses, really only expecting her to make 4 or 5 by the next morning. "Come tomorrow; 10:00." So 10:00 next morning we were back at the market. Made proceeded to pull out 15 new dresses that she and her sister had made overnight. Now, the market closes at 5:00; we figured maybe 1/2 hour for her to close up shop, and we had kept her late. It reopens at 7:00 a.m. So in 13 hours, two women had produced 15 dresses, only one of which was not good enough for us to buy. Needless to say, we went back for more.
After closing down the market once again, we staggered down the street to Casa Luna for dinner. This restaurant is one of the "famous" ones in the Ubud area. They have a bakery, offer cooking classes, show movies in the evenings, and sometimes have live music. Their menu includes the Indonesian standards - fried rice, fried noodles, sate chicken, etc. - and also many western items. Casa Luna has moved up and down on our list. The food is usually excellent, but the service is often lacking. This evening we ordered milkshakes (good), iced lemon tea (tasted like canned Lipton), potato cake with salsa and feta (good - fresh feta), fettucini with ham, asparagus and avocado cream sauce (very good - fresh pasta), fettucini with broccoli and chicken in lemon cream sauce (good pasta & sauce, but the chicken was so overcooked I couldn't cut it), and sate chicken (fatty). The meal cost almost 400,000 - very expensive for here, and definitely not the best meal we've had on this trip.
Lace and the kids were too exhausted to walk home, so we called Made Latra to pick us up. After getting the kids in bed, I walked over to Melati Cottages, which is across the ricefields from Londo. I had seen on my computer that they had wi-fi, so I went to inquire about what they would charge me to use it. 36,000 per hour - OK, not bad, so I'll come back tomorrow with my laptop.
Today she had lots to choose from, so by the time the dealing was done, it was time for lunch. We headed down the path to Ibu Putu's Warung for some of our favorite dishes - carrot salad, fried chicken with tomatoes and onions, and sweet iced lemon tea. We enjoyed a leisurely lunch while visiting with the family, then headed down the Campuhan steps (all 88 of them!) to meet Made for a trip to the grocery. After gathering all the things we needed (and some we didn't), Made drove us to the Ubud Market.
One of the things I love about Bali is that no matter how long you've been away, people still remember you. Not only that, but they remember what you bought from them, and quite often, how much you paid. As we stepped out of the car in front of the market, we looked at the various things hung out on display to decide where to go first. Leaning out from the second floor was Made Wenten waving and calling hello.
Three years ago we were looking for a particular style of dress. She had only one or two, but kept saying "I can make!" We explained that we were leaving the next day, and since it was 5:00 p.m., there was no time. Her answer was "No problem. How many you want?" We chose about 15 sarongs for her to make into dresses, really only expecting her to make 4 or 5 by the next morning. "Come tomorrow; 10:00." So 10:00 next morning we were back at the market. Made proceeded to pull out 15 new dresses that she and her sister had made overnight. Now, the market closes at 5:00; we figured maybe 1/2 hour for her to close up shop, and we had kept her late. It reopens at 7:00 a.m. So in 13 hours, two women had produced 15 dresses, only one of which was not good enough for us to buy. Needless to say, we went back for more.
After closing down the market once again, we staggered down the street to Casa Luna for dinner. This restaurant is one of the "famous" ones in the Ubud area. They have a bakery, offer cooking classes, show movies in the evenings, and sometimes have live music. Their menu includes the Indonesian standards - fried rice, fried noodles, sate chicken, etc. - and also many western items. Casa Luna has moved up and down on our list. The food is usually excellent, but the service is often lacking. This evening we ordered milkshakes (good), iced lemon tea (tasted like canned Lipton), potato cake with salsa and feta (good - fresh feta), fettucini with ham, asparagus and avocado cream sauce (very good - fresh pasta), fettucini with broccoli and chicken in lemon cream sauce (good pasta & sauce, but the chicken was so overcooked I couldn't cut it), and sate chicken (fatty). The meal cost almost 400,000 - very expensive for here, and definitely not the best meal we've had on this trip.
Lace and the kids were too exhausted to walk home, so we called Made Latra to pick us up. After getting the kids in bed, I walked over to Melati Cottages, which is across the ricefields from Londo. I had seen on my computer that they had wi-fi, so I went to inquire about what they would charge me to use it. 36,000 per hour - OK, not bad, so I'll come back tomorrow with my laptop.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Temple Ceremony
As we walked the jungle road into the village, we could hear the gamelan playing in the distance. We have been to the temple before, but it has been about 5 years, so we figured we'd follow our ears. Walking through the village we saw very few people and the closer we got to the temple, the further away the music seemed. Sure enough, the temple was deserted and quiet. We feared we had missed the procession, but we continued down the street in search of something we might photograph. I didn't want to call Made because I knew he was involved in the ceremony. Suddenly there were many people approaching us on the road, all dressed in their finest. We stopped to ask and were told to keep going.
Meanwhile, with all this walking, Jake's sarong (which I had tied incorrectly) was coming loose. Lace stopped and asked a group of women for help, since we don't have any experience with tieing a sarong man-style. Macaela and I were ahead of them, and when I realized they had stopped, I turned to look back. There was Jake in the middle of the road, village women gathered around, sarong wide open. Thank goodness he wasn't wearing it in the traditional way!
As we got closer to one of the main interesctions, we began to come upon people standing, sitting and squatting along the roadside. We greeted many old friends that we hadn't had the opportunity to see yet (this being our first day), so there were lots of questions: When you come to Bali? How long you stay? Where you stay? Why you not come so long?
At the intersection we found the party! Men mostly on one side, women on the other, and village security in the middle. The security detail is there to direct the vehicle traffic that continues to flow even though the street is crammed with people. We moved through the crowd, taking pictures and trying to figure out the best place to be for the upcoming procession. We inquired about where Made might be, and were told to stand with the women so we could be found when he came. Well, this at least gave us a different vantage point for our photos.
During all of this, you could still hear the music faintly, and at one point it got louder, changing the focus of everyone's attention. The procession was coming! The whole thing lasted about two minutes. They came up the street, through the intersection and down a little ways, then stopped. the women scurried around as soon as it had passed, spreading large woven mats and setting out the many offerings. Once this was all arranged, the women sat behind the offerings and the waiting began again.
At some unseen signal several minutes later, the music started up again and the procession came back to the intersection and turned up the main road. Once the entire group had made the turn, they stopped again. They were apparently here for the long haul this time, because all the musicians sat in the road and continued to play. Back at the crossroads, the holy man started to pray, and the women started to chant. We stayed as long as we could, recording the images and sounds of the ceremony, but the kids were tired, so we headed back home.
We stopped along the way for another snack, then home to bed. You could still hear the kulkul, the gamelan and the chanting late into the night.
Meanwhile, with all this walking, Jake's sarong (which I had tied incorrectly) was coming loose. Lace stopped and asked a group of women for help, since we don't have any experience with tieing a sarong man-style. Macaela and I were ahead of them, and when I realized they had stopped, I turned to look back. There was Jake in the middle of the road, village women gathered around, sarong wide open. Thank goodness he wasn't wearing it in the traditional way!
As we got closer to one of the main interesctions, we began to come upon people standing, sitting and squatting along the roadside. We greeted many old friends that we hadn't had the opportunity to see yet (this being our first day), so there were lots of questions: When you come to Bali? How long you stay? Where you stay? Why you not come so long?
At the intersection we found the party! Men mostly on one side, women on the other, and village security in the middle. The security detail is there to direct the vehicle traffic that continues to flow even though the street is crammed with people. We moved through the crowd, taking pictures and trying to figure out the best place to be for the upcoming procession. We inquired about where Made might be, and were told to stand with the women so we could be found when he came. Well, this at least gave us a different vantage point for our photos.
During all of this, you could still hear the music faintly, and at one point it got louder, changing the focus of everyone's attention. The procession was coming! The whole thing lasted about two minutes. They came up the street, through the intersection and down a little ways, then stopped. the women scurried around as soon as it had passed, spreading large woven mats and setting out the many offerings. Once this was all arranged, the women sat behind the offerings and the waiting began again.
At some unseen signal several minutes later, the music started up again and the procession came back to the intersection and turned up the main road. Once the entire group had made the turn, they stopped again. They were apparently here for the long haul this time, because all the musicians sat in the road and continued to play. Back at the crossroads, the holy man started to pray, and the women started to chant. We stayed as long as we could, recording the images and sounds of the ceremony, but the kids were tired, so we headed back home.
We stopped along the way for another snack, then home to bed. You could still hear the kulkul, the gamelan and the chanting late into the night.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Bali 2008 - November 28
Morning found us not quite rested enough, but the kids and I headed to the pool for an early morning swim before breakfast. Sri offers a good selection of breakfast items included with the room, and hot tea or coffee delivered to your room if requested. The bathrooms and the pool have been renovated since our last visit, and they also now have free wi-fi in the rooms. Wow! More on that later.
After breakfast we had a couple of hours to kill, so we walked down Monkey Forest Road to check out the shops. We found some really cute shoes (new style!) for about $20 a pair - didn't buy any hoping to find them cheaper elsewhere.
Further down we found a couple of bead shops that were astounding in their selections. We brought a few strings, but it is difficult to choose. A person could spend the better part of the day (and their money) getting "one of these and one of those".
The kids mentioned that they were (still) hungry, so we stopped in for an early mid-morning snack at Sagitarius. They each had another breakfast (2 eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, grilled tomato) and a milkshake, and Lace and I had ice lemon tea and lumpia, a spring roll filled with julienne vegetables and (pretend it's not there) tofu and served with a sweet chili sauce. Absolutely delicious! This cost us 100,000 rupiah including tip (less than $10).
Made was waiting for us when we got back to Sri, so we quickly repacked everything and transferred it all to Londo - our home in Bali. Made suggested we relax for a bit, but Lace only brought a couple of outfits so we trooped down the road to buy more clothes. We didn't find exactly what she was looking for, but she ordered 5 pairs of pants made to order and the kids and I got outfitted with appropriate temple clothing.
We meandered back up the road and decided to have dinner at one of our old favorites, Sari Bamboo. This used to be a quiet, friendly little place right on the side of Penestanan Road. They had about 5 tables, an old dusty postcard rack, and a pretty decent menu. Well, they have done some extensive renovations since we were here last. The old dining area is gone completely, and where the kitchen and internet cafe used to be is a beautiful new two-story building. The food and the service are still great, but I liked the old arrangement better. The new dining room is open in the back and is almost on top of the pool. (Sari Bamboo has bungalows out back.) I guess they're doing well, so that is good anyway.
One of my Indonesian friends in Richmond loaned me a cell phone to use on our trip, a luxury we've never had in Bali before. Made took care of getting it set up for me. It is a prepaid deal, which I gather is the way things are done here normally. I'm still getting used to the fact that I have it, so when it rings it startles me. Well, shortly after ordering our food, ring it did! Made was calling to tell me that a temple ceremony in the village had already started and we should hurry. You can't hurry food prep or restaurant service in Bali, so I was nervous about our time. When the food arrived, we ate quickly and rushed back home.
It is imperative that you bathe before attending any temple ceremony, so we all ran through the shower and put on our new temple clothes. Made was already in the village, so we weren't quite sure where we were going. Since Jake had gone to the village with Made earlier, we let him lead the way. Our walk took us down the old jungle road, which used to be a muddy track and is now completely paved in concrete, and wide enough to accomodate a car, not that you could get a car there in the first place.
Coming next - Temple Ceremony
After breakfast we had a couple of hours to kill, so we walked down Monkey Forest Road to check out the shops. We found some really cute shoes (new style!) for about $20 a pair - didn't buy any hoping to find them cheaper elsewhere.
Further down we found a couple of bead shops that were astounding in their selections. We brought a few strings, but it is difficult to choose. A person could spend the better part of the day (and their money) getting "one of these and one of those".
The kids mentioned that they were (still) hungry, so we stopped in for an early mid-morning snack at Sagitarius. They each had another breakfast (2 eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, grilled tomato) and a milkshake, and Lace and I had ice lemon tea and lumpia, a spring roll filled with julienne vegetables and (pretend it's not there) tofu and served with a sweet chili sauce. Absolutely delicious! This cost us 100,000 rupiah including tip (less than $10).
Made was waiting for us when we got back to Sri, so we quickly repacked everything and transferred it all to Londo - our home in Bali. Made suggested we relax for a bit, but Lace only brought a couple of outfits so we trooped down the road to buy more clothes. We didn't find exactly what she was looking for, but she ordered 5 pairs of pants made to order and the kids and I got outfitted with appropriate temple clothing.
We meandered back up the road and decided to have dinner at one of our old favorites, Sari Bamboo. This used to be a quiet, friendly little place right on the side of Penestanan Road. They had about 5 tables, an old dusty postcard rack, and a pretty decent menu. Well, they have done some extensive renovations since we were here last. The old dining area is gone completely, and where the kitchen and internet cafe used to be is a beautiful new two-story building. The food and the service are still great, but I liked the old arrangement better. The new dining room is open in the back and is almost on top of the pool. (Sari Bamboo has bungalows out back.) I guess they're doing well, so that is good anyway.
One of my Indonesian friends in Richmond loaned me a cell phone to use on our trip, a luxury we've never had in Bali before. Made took care of getting it set up for me. It is a prepaid deal, which I gather is the way things are done here normally. I'm still getting used to the fact that I have it, so when it rings it startles me. Well, shortly after ordering our food, ring it did! Made was calling to tell me that a temple ceremony in the village had already started and we should hurry. You can't hurry food prep or restaurant service in Bali, so I was nervous about our time. When the food arrived, we ate quickly and rushed back home.
It is imperative that you bathe before attending any temple ceremony, so we all ran through the shower and put on our new temple clothes. Made was already in the village, so we weren't quite sure where we were going. Since Jake had gone to the village with Made earlier, we let him lead the way. Our walk took us down the old jungle road, which used to be a muddy track and is now completely paved in concrete, and wide enough to accomodate a car, not that you could get a car there in the first place.
Coming next - Temple Ceremony
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Flight, Arrival & First Day
Our flights were uneventful with the exception of the crying babies from Frankfurt to Singapore. The family was making the trip from New York back home to Singapore with a 3 year old and 18 month old twins. I felt more sympathy than aggravation.
Singapore Airlines was wonderful as usual, although I didn't feel the menu was as good as past trips. I guess you have to cut corners somewhere, and better the food than the service. Wine service and top shelf liquors are still included. On each leg of the journey, the flight attendants asked the children's names and called them by name throughout.
Arrival in Bali seemed a bit easier than usual. We were not approached by any porters (usually very aggressive) and we claimed our luggage and cleared customs without any problems. Our driver was waiting in the throng outside the airport and we were quickly loaded into his car for the trip to Ubud.
After settling in at Sri Bungalows, we showered and changed and started walking towards Penestanan. We learned back in 2002 that it is best to hit the ground running, no matter how exhausted you may be from the flight. Otherwise you find yourself bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 3:00 a.m. with nothing to do for at least 3 hours.
Halfway through town we found Nyoman Santra, one of our trusted drivers, and for 15,000 rupiah (about $1.25) he took us the rest of the way to Penestanan. This being Thanksgiving day, we had decided to treat our Bali family to dinner. Made and Jake rode the motorbike to the village to get Made's car, and we all piled in and headed back to Ubud. We had dinner at Murni's, then Made dropped us back at Sri for some very necessary sleep. Everyone was out cold by 8:45.
Singapore Airlines was wonderful as usual, although I didn't feel the menu was as good as past trips. I guess you have to cut corners somewhere, and better the food than the service. Wine service and top shelf liquors are still included. On each leg of the journey, the flight attendants asked the children's names and called them by name throughout.
Arrival in Bali seemed a bit easier than usual. We were not approached by any porters (usually very aggressive) and we claimed our luggage and cleared customs without any problems. Our driver was waiting in the throng outside the airport and we were quickly loaded into his car for the trip to Ubud.
After settling in at Sri Bungalows, we showered and changed and started walking towards Penestanan. We learned back in 2002 that it is best to hit the ground running, no matter how exhausted you may be from the flight. Otherwise you find yourself bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 3:00 a.m. with nothing to do for at least 3 hours.
Halfway through town we found Nyoman Santra, one of our trusted drivers, and for 15,000 rupiah (about $1.25) he took us the rest of the way to Penestanan. This being Thanksgiving day, we had decided to treat our Bali family to dinner. Made and Jake rode the motorbike to the village to get Made's car, and we all piled in and headed back to Ubud. We had dinner at Murni's, then Made dropped us back at Sri for some very necessary sleep. Everyone was out cold by 8:45.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Here we go again!
So we leave for Bali tomorrow. I've wrapped up everything for the PTA, covered my neighborhood duties, talked to the schools, gotten someone to take care of plants and animals, still have to take care of Girl Scouts. . . I guess I should finish packing! Things seem kind of unreal this time. I guess it's because we haven't been in a while, or maybe because there is so much to do that isn't related to the trip, but has to be done before we leave. It will be truly wonderful to finally get back over there and see all our friends. We all need to relax a bit, and this will definitely do it!
I'll try to fight Bali time and actually post something each day. Photos can be found here. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Thanks for reading.
I'll try to fight Bali time and actually post something each day. Photos can be found here. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Thanks for reading.
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