Americans seem enchanted with Bali. I think they’re more familiar with that island than anything else about Indonesia including that Bali is in Indonesia. Bali is known as a popular surfing destination in the 1960s and wandering around I saw lots of jewelry and clothes among other things that definitely got imported to the States during that time. In fact, that was probably what was strangest about Bali: its familiarity. All of the resorts look the way American tropical resorts look with the difference of being more authentic in that they are in the tropical location.

We arrived at the Bali Island airport, just south of Kuta, about one in the morning on Saturday. There were almost no taxis. We knew we were getting had by the price, but we were a bit shocked to realize the hotel was literally a five minutes drive. Because of our late arrival, our room wasn’t ready. Katie and I agreed to share a king-size for a night. However, the next morning we told reception we didn’t have to move. After all, the bed was big enough and the room was nice. We just didn’t feel like dragging our stuff. Apparently, this was a problem because suddenly we’d been upgraded to a Garden Villa, with a private patio and two twin beds. It was a lovely surprise. The room was beautiful, and one of my regrets was not having a day to spend on the enclosed patio. Rama Beach Hotel was fantastic. The pool was out of this world and it was across the street from the beach. It was also within walking distance to several restaurants and small shops, including a plethora of “spas.”

Saturday, Katie and I explored Ubud. I wish I’d remembered to write down more about what was there when I researched it back in the States. For the first time since coming to Indonesia, people were willing to bargain with us, and I ended up not minding shopping. The Monkey Forest was incredible. In swapping stories in a van with some Aussies the next day, I found out that apparently the monkeys who found us and our bananas were unusually aggressive. They would not stop at one. I hid the bananas which worked for a bit but really the monkeys were quite insistent. I was a bit intimidated. Two monkeys started fighting over the last banana. They were really coming to cuffs and had dropped the banana in their struggles. A smart third monkey came over, picked it up and ate it, happy as can be while the others continued to duke it out.

On our way to meet our driver, we walked through a local Hindu festival. We couldn’t find anyone to tell us the story behind the festival. I wish we could have been there for the whole parade. It was similar to parades in the States: down the street with everyone crowding along the sidewalks, excited to see what will come next. All the participants ended in a big field where the festivities continued. There was a fleet of young men playing drums dressed in traditional attire. All I can say about the floats is they were enough to give you nightmares and would have been considered indecent by most city councils. Ironically, these floats that seemed to depict lore were followed by “Top Models” in high fashion. I think the women’s heels were equally scary. Some folks might be interested to know that apparently Princess Leia’s hairstyle is back. On our drive home, we stopped at a temple where we wore sarongs during our brief tour.

Sunday Katie and I did our own things on the beach. She tried out surfing, and I went snorkeling. The fish were beautiful and so colorful against the gray coral. I thought Turtle Island was going to be a turtle refuge. It was a bit more like a petting zoo. Still, I enjoyed it especially with the family from Jakarta that shared the small boat with me. The three and four-year old boys were especially sweet and enjoyed seeing their dad hold all the animals. They were very brave when the cobra was put around their necks.

I took my camera with me on my late afternoon walk on the beach and got a few shots. There was a temple near the shore, which was a pleasant surprise. It dawned on me that this was the first time I’ve been to the beach since I left Israel. The shore was a mix of “black” sand and stones. Kuta, the touristy spot, is likely not the best beach on Bali. My initial reaction to seeing the beach was that I preferred Haifa, Ocracoke, and Hilton Head.  I’ve come to realize that the beach might not be the main reason for coming to Bali. As all over Indonesia, the people are wonderfully friendly, and yes, that is why I like the South. But unless you’re doing-it-yourself, you won’t find equivalent prices for massages, body scrubs, hair treatments, etc. Almost everywhere you go in Kuta, you find $5 manicures, $7 hour long massages. Not everyone you get is brilliant at it, but the prices are hard to beat. The first massage I got taught me one thing: my mom taught me how to give really good massages. If everything else fails, I can always open up shop in Bali and get lots of customers. 🙂

Katie and I met up and had amazing Indian food and then walked on the beach again. It was then we realized our new batik dresses together were red, white, and blue. Accidentally patriotic. We had a really lovely evening walking on the beach. We could see the planes land and take off. Bali gave me some peace of mind I’d lost recently. Katie and I agreed that we weren’t ready to head back to Jakarta, but duty calls!