Kuta, Bali

Carnival

There was a rumor going around the pool today that there was going to be a ‘Carnival.’ Now I’m thinking exotic, faraway lands… this is going to be great. The image of ‘Carnival’ in Rio de Janeiro immediately popped into my head.

I had decided to meet Keith (from north England) and Sam (from south England) at 2:00 pm to watch the ‘Carnival’ that was causing such a stir around the island.

We got to an eating establishment around 2:15 pm that had curbside seats for the big event. The streets were filling up with excited Balinese people and many, like us, curious tourists.

We patiently waited for an hour for the festivities to begin, all the while trying to get some more info on what this ‘Carnival’ was all about. We struck out on getting any info but we did learn a valuable lesson. Nothing in Bali starts when it says it’s going to start. The ‘Carnival’ was supposed to start at 2:00, then we heard 3:00, and finally the party started rolling out around 4:15.

‘Carnival’ was kind of a letdown. It was nothing like I had imagined. I would sum it up by saying it reminded me of a small town parade, minus the candy, but add millions of honking motorbikes. That was my take on it. I’m sure it’s much more significant than that and if you were to ask a Balinese person, I’m sure they would tell you the ‘what and why’ of it all. My friend Made (Ma Day) actually drove from Ubud to see it.

ps: It took me 40 minutes to cut and paste this post. The internet here is dreadful. Once again, I had photos to upload along with the post but it was too slow to take them. I even made them super small at 72dpi. I'm still looking for faster internet connections somewhere. I finally found free Wi-Fi, so the hunt continues.

Bali... Such a Beautiful Island

Bali…..

What can I say? It’s been a real treat so far. As I’m writing this, I’m sitting on a private patio viewing the exotic plants and animals all around me. Just last night, a lizard was hanging from the outside light fixture. Pretty amazing!!

Sure, the days are hot, but it’s intriguing beauty more than makes up for the heat and humidity. Plus, It’s sunny here everyday. You can’t beat that.

For the past two days, I’ve been combating jet lag. It’s become a real pain. It’s defiantly something I’m not used to. I made the mistake yesterday of laying by the pool, taking a quick afternoon shower, and then laying down to read a book. Before you know it, I was fast asleep and didn’t wake up till half past 11. It was a real bummer, given the fact that I had intentionally stayed awake to try and get my sleeping pattern more adapt to that of the Balinese timeframe (currently 12 hr. difference)… my world has essentially been turned upside down.

I usually wake up at around 4:00 am and read for a couple of hours. I then get dressed and take a stroll along the beach.

I hope to sleep a full night soon. My body is still getting acclimated to everything around me and it’s new time schedule. I’m trying not to rush anything. Getting sick is something I’m trying to avoid.

I have another night here, at Hotel Sayang Mahay Mertha, and then I’m off to the Gili Islands. I will be taking at least three forms of transport to get there. They are located off the island of Lombok, and are pristine and fairly uninhabited, from what I’ve been told. They don’t have any ATM’s or Cell phone service, so I have prepared myself with enough cash to make it through my stay their.

I plan on getting PADI Scuba Certified while I’m there. I’ve been told that the diving is great there. It will be nice to get to a new location. I’m already getting antsy, and want to head out of Kuta. There are too many people trying to sell you things here. It’s a beautiful place, but like all beautiful places, it’s been tarnished by commercialism.

I have lots of video and photos and I promise I will post them as soon as I get the means (time) and energy to do so. Island life has made me lazy.

Cheers,

rl(Tripp)

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