Good morning my friends!
Lots to talk about since landing on the island of Bali, so many things to have done, to do, and consider.
Pictures tell more than words often do (hence the Vegas golden rule), and I am reminded of a possible understanding as to why pictures, particularly the snapshot pictures, are so prominent and favored by us to tell our stories aside from obvious trend to include a camera in every pocket device.
My former professor Dr. James Battle mentioned this because: pictures are the latest in an evolving style of confession. Where confessions were once listened to by a priest behind a curtain, they eventually moved out of that dank dark closet and onto the psychologist's couch. Today, confessions are at our own disposal, literally. We immediately choose what to confess with a tap of the send/delete button, if we decide to do so at all.
And so here are my confessions.
Ever stay overnight at the Taiwanese airport? Well you'd know if you had.
Somehow the fold up bike model locked up the market here in Bali because its all we see.
Food! Why ever pay more than a dollar?
The entrance to a water temple in Kuta. Water temple, Kuta. Water temple, Kuta. The pictures of trees, plants, and flowers are for my mother, who if you don't know is a devout horticulturalist. For Mom.
For Mom.
For Mom.
The water temple's sewage and water run off system from up top... ...to under a bridge and...
...into the surf below!
A water shrine on the edge of a peninsula. Good Balinese food is one thing, but you just can't beat a freshly cracked young coconut. Yes sir, I'll have another!
A green pathway we stumbled upon one day during a walk.
All geared up and read to go!
...so is my shadow - let's move out! Not the UNESCO world heritage site rice terraces but non the less beautiful. For Mom For Mom Bikes need breaks too. Some people won't eat food unless it is cooked fresh. However, side grub-spots in traditional markets like this have the best food in Bali. Just point to want you want (the best way, I've found, to quickly learn some easy words) and enjoy! See! Yum! Ok, now we are in Uluwatu; a premiere surfing destination. This is a panoramic picture, I hope it doesn't get squished on this site.
Another Uluwatu hangout. Low, or as the locals say "empty", tide. Our home stay in Uluwatu. Can you find my bike? Check out this awesome white spider eating a bee sans web! Not sure what's for dinner, but these ants are happy. Our host, Wanya. Sweetest woman on the island and a throws a laugh in every sentence. Leaving the surf beach of Uluwatu and riding into Nusa Dua. Not much here unless you're into luxury resorts and jet skiing. My most expensive meal of the trip ($5) was had here. The picture is of our hotel room. A shot of the pier on an empty tide in Nusa Dua.
This one is for pops - elephants and soccer balls, a clear sign of good fortunes. This was taken on an early morning walk, the children don't waste any practice time.) Somehow the beach was the last thing we did in Nusa Dua.
A Seminyak bike shop! Disk breaks have become the norm here; not only for mountain bikes anymore. Very cool to see this on the road. Unfortunately the majority of commuters rather travel by motor bike. A Balinese tandem! The entrance to Piter's apartment. He is an invaluable guide and translator here in Bali, we owe him a lot. Riding up from Seminyak to this hostel took an easy 40 km. Not too bad after estimating our gear at 35kg and for cycling through such humid weather. Still waiting for those 100km days once our legs and lungs have acclimated.... The Village temple (one of them) For Mom. For Mom. A woman working in the fields. Half way around the world from California and somethings do not change. Rice fields. Rice fields. I love dogs. These however seem to love napping even more.
For Mom
A beautiful spider, this time with a web.
Technically out of order, I took this pic back when I rode from Uluwatu to Nusa Dua (and then back to Uluwato to meet Chris who had been surfing that morning) before getting our gear and trekking back to Nusa Dua. I'm having a blast!!!
• Ok, that's all for now besides two last mentionables. First, if you're the cycling enthusiast you can follow my bike rout on Strava.com Log in to see my GPS routes here:
https://www.strava.com/rides/40827923
And second, many of you have asked what I read on the plane ride over the Pacific. It was, of course, the Geertzian classic "Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight", a reread on the Anthropological undergraduate essential list of familiar works.
Be Well my dearest friends and family,
- A
notes on the balinese cockfight..... stfu.
ReplyDeletedid you get a chance to verify his rules for those cockfights?
also - it's weird to scroll up and down between the caption and the picture, but good to hear from you!
looks like an amazing time!
ReplyDeleteWow, Bali looks amazing! Your bike-riding approach seems to keep you connected with plain folks too.
ReplyDelete