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Latest Bali Journal Entry:
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Summary I was ready to fly out of SFO on September 12th! Awoke that morning while staying at my friend Becky's house in Oakland. The plan was to pack the car that my friends Darrell & Darlene had lent me; drive down to their wonderful house in Woodside; stay the night; have them take me to the airport the next afternoon; and off I'd go! Ah the anticipation. So simple. What could go wrong? Well at about 6:45AM, Becky who was preparing for work woke me to tell me that my cell phone had gone off and she hadn't answered it in time. As I lay there half awake I thought, who the shit is calling me on my cell phone at 6:45 AM!?! Something told me to see who called (Caller-ID) and it was my friend Mary in San Francisco. I called her and ...... well you know the rest. She told me to turn on my TV where I sat in shock for the rest of the day. Later I realized ALL the airports were closed. I eventually called the airlines and had them change my flights. The earliest I could fly out (and they weren't sure of that) was the following Tuesday! So I DID leave about 1 week late! Left the US during a very hectic time, wondering how it would all turn out. Arrived in Bali. When straight to my usual place in Ubud - the wonderful Oka Wati's. I had stayed there on every trip to Bali, going back to 1995. Of course, the grand lady herself, Oka Wati, remembered me and I settled in to await the arrival of my 1st two guests - Jim & Kelly. They had wanted to get SCUBA certified, so after some massages at Nur's Salon in Ubud and lots of shopping, we headed for Amed and Mega Dive. They began their PADI Open Water certification classes and I began my Advanced Open Water courses. Well, only 6 more days before my flight. The most recent 'the universe really wants me to do this' items are:
So having said that, I want to really thank Craig&Paula for the use of the house, Ellen for her help with getting the 'open return' ticket, Greg for the evenings spent on his sofa and his help during my Garage Sales, Becky for her spare bedroom and hot tub, Darrell & Darlene for the use of their spare bedroom AND their car, Carl Parkes for his wonderful advice, Mary for letting me crash at her wonderful Pacific Heights place, and everyone who has been so great with dinner parties (Suzie&Wayne, Nina (at the West Point Inn), parties (Darrell & Darlene, Carl & Terra), dinners (Suzie&Wayne, Jim & Kelly, & Leigh&Sandy), Dave for his support and everyone who has sent me good wishes, etc. And now it looks like my 1st two visitors will be none other than the greatest guy and greatest hostess in the world: Jim & Kelly (now Mr.&Mrs.) Pire, who have chosen Bali as their Honeymoon spot! So it'll be fun to have great friends to pal around with! So, to the rest of you: get those PLANS started for your visit to paradise! Well the universe still wants me to go to Bali (I sold my car last week-end). But, she looks like she wants me to wait until next Tuesday to leave. So I'm confirmed my flights and will be leaving next Tuesday and will arrive in Bali on Thursday! What a horrible event to cause my delay. I sat in horror as most of you did to the events of yesterday. I only hope our 'government' will not do anything stupid that will only cause continued escalation of these horrible deeds. I've now re-confirmed all my flights and expect to be on my way this Tuesday evening. Unless some new 'thing' happens between now and Tuesday, the next 'Bali Update' should be sent from Bali. I'll let you know how all the 'new security' effects flying in the 21st century. I'll be giving up my cell phone as of about 2PM tomorrow (Monday). So if you MUST contact me I can be reached at 650 851-4219 until Tuesday afternoon. love to all, Bruce September 21st - I Arrive & My Birthday Yes, the 'ol boy
made it to Bali! Just a few statistics: 40 hours - door to door 23 hours -
flying time 1 sunrise 2 sunsets 3 dinners 1 breakfast 2 lunches not much
sleep. But, I AM in Bali. It is just as beautiful (visually stunning) as I
recalled. It is Friday morning about 8AM here and I think I'll take a nap.
I'll send out a much more detailed email later today or tomorrow. Bottom
line on flying - DO IT! SFO had NO cars at the curbs, no people in the
terminal, and my flight to LAX was 80% EMPTY! Security - yes, they are
pretty careful about carry-on stuff. NO sharp ANYTHING - no nail files, no
little Swiss Army knives, no nail clippers, no butcher knives, etc. Other
than that, no really EXTRA security at all. Just empty airports. Love to
all and I'll email MUCH more later! Bruce
My Birthday Thanks to all for the kind emails. This one from me will be a
(somewhat) detailed email about my trip.... ---------------------------------------------------- The trip Prep: I had packed and repacked my carry-on duffle bag about 5 times &
still couldn't get it all to fit L Then I discovered that the duffle bag
was too big to carry-on anyway. So I traded my normal suitcase (with
wheels, etc) with Becky for her larger one (thank you Becky, it was
perfect). I was then able to check that bag all the way though to Bali
(would I ever see it again?) I was a little anxious but also relieved that
I wouldn't need to carry it around with me through all the airports and
all the plane connections. So I only carried-on my backpack with my
laptop, DVDs, sleep mask, ear plugs and a few other travel needs. -------------------------------------------------------- The Flights: Well, the day finally arrived. After many sad good-bys, many going away
dinners, many "yes, we'll come visit's, Darrell dropped me off
at SFO at about 3:30PM, Tuesday 9/18, for my 8:30PM flight to LAX (ok, yes
I'm a Virgo and like to get places early). It was spooky. The normally
crowded, busy, noisy SFO was empty! There were no cars driving around; no
lines at the check-in counters; in short, no people! I actually walked
into the terminal & went directly to a check-in person (no line, no
waiting). She asked the usual questions; then asked if I'd like to catch
an earlier flight to LAX. I said "sure". So I got a 6PM flight
and the United Shuttle was 80% EMPTY! So if you were planning any air
flights this is THE time to do it! When I arrived at LAX I had to catch a shuttle to the International
Terminal. It was very different here at the international terminal. Long
lines and many people. The Malaysia check-in didn't open until around 9PM
(I got in line about 8). They opened their check-in counter around 9PM.
Finally got checked-in and got to the gate around 10:15PM for my 1:15AM
flight. (I talked to folks in line (big surprise there, right?) and was
told many stories about other airports and their security measures. The
worst was a fellow coming from Tulsa and going to India. He said they made
everyone stand by their bags on the tarmac and went through them ALL! I
was also told by a woman that they had made her remove batteries from her
camera, who knows why. For me there was NONE of that. (I guess I don't
look very Arab like). Since my checked-bag had lots of electronic stuff in
it, I really expected to be asked to explain what some of it was....but no
one ever asked. My carry-on had my laptop, extra batteries, my digital
camera and some extra cables - but I was never asked about any of it
either. Never questioned at any of the scanners :-) So, No problems there! At about 12:30AM the gate opened and they started loading us. Malaysia
Air was to have restarted flights the previous Saturday but I heard they
didn't start until Monday (the day before my flight). So, my flight was completely
FULL. After 13 hours we landed in Taipei to refuel; then on to Kuala Lumpur.
(Actually Malaysia Air was very nice; each seat had a monitor in the
headrest in front, so I enjoyed several movies and some nice music; they
also start each flight with a hot towel for everyone - nice touch); also
the food was very good). Every airport I landed in was pretty empty. At Kuala Lumpur, I got some
Thai food and waited for the connecting flight to Jakarta. (I also noticed
that all the 'moving' walkways were the reverse of ours; one walked on the
left side.) At KL, each gate had it's own scanner. This was the ONLY place
that they did any extra security - everyone was 'patted' down. I was also
asked (for the 1st time) to open my carry-on bag and they looked inside,
but didn't ask any questions and didn't make me 'boot' my laptop or
anything. Finally landed in Jakarta and then caught my flight to Bali! So the total details were: about 41 hours from SFO to Bali airport So here I am :-) My room was ready when I arrived from the airport ($10
by cab) So my first full day in Bali and it's my birthday. I have a
massage scheduled for 3pm today. It includes a massage; body rub; skin defoliant; soak in a tub with fragrant flowers floating on top and a body rub
with lotions! About 2 hours total, all for only about 100,000 rupiah, which
is $11! My wonderful friends Jim Pire & Kelly are to arrive tomorrow
and I will be at the airport to meet them. Then on Sunday (as a honeymoon
gift to them) I have massages scheduled for all of us! We'll be here in
Ubud until next Thursday then on to Amed for SCUBA diving. They leave
October 4th so we'll come back to Ubud on the 3rd. After they leave I'll
begin my Indonesian language lessons and then...... who knows. I do want
to go back to Amed for more diving and advanced SCUBA lessons. Well, that's it for now. I'll keep you all posted every few days while
in Ubud and I don't know yet how easy emailing will be from Amed. Thanks again to all my friends that helped me get here. For the stays
at friend's houses; for the loan of a car; for the parties; the dinners;
and all! PLEASE make plans on coming to visit. Just a quick note to let you know that for my birthday I had a wonderful 2 hour massage and spa treatment (thank you Suzie&Wayne) then dinner at a place called Apakabar, which means 'how are you?' in Indonesian. It's also a sorta pun since it is a bar and cafe! Just to show you prices here, my meal was: 2 huge glasses of watermelon juice (wow, was it refreshing) 1 order of garlic bread Spaghetti Carbonara (one of my favs) and a chocolate/banana crepe for dessert. Total price (with tax and tip) was 55,000 rupiah or about $6. I'll give you the full details about the massage later! love to all and thanks for all the b'day wishes, Bruce Wow, it seems like I've been here weeks when it's only been 6 days. (That's counting the 2 days of jet lag I experienced upon arrival). Jim & Kelly have only been here 4 days! We are having sooooo much fun together. To catch you up... Yesterday we rented 2 motorbikes (each bike was about $4.50 for all day, including insurance) so, with Jim & Kelly on one and me on another we set off. Both Jim & I have had motorcycles in the past (Jim had a Harley!), so we did well. We had no problems, didn't get lost, and had no breakdowns. I think the 'not getting lost' was the best accomplishment, as there are not many directional road signs here and NO route numbers. So it's all by directional guessing. We cruised around the countryside getting cooled by the wind until we came upon the "Bird Park". Since Kelly LOVES birds (she has 3 or 4) we stopped just for her. And, surprise, surprise, Jim & I got a kick out of it. The birds were incredibly beautiful and colorful. Some were not in enclosures, so we're not sure why they stayed around (free food?), while others were housed in huge enclosed areas, able to fly and even soar. Some were very rare while others I had even heard of. Then we continued on and eventually found Celuk, the silver and gold jewelry-making village. We just looked, as the selection and prices were actually better here in Ubud. Finally we came to Mas, which is the woodworking village that is located fairly close to Ubud. The selection is just unimaginable. I helped Kelly & Jim bargain down for a large and incredible detailed carving of Rama & Sita, the two lovers from the "Ramayana" epic play. We continued onto Ubud (I actually didn't get lost on the way back, I remembered the landmarks! :) ) Then the guys from the wood carving shop delivered the carving for Jim & Kelly, all packed up for their return flight (next week). It was a wonderful coincidence that they had purchased the carving of these two characters because the dance at the palace that night was the "Ramayana". Which was incredible. It's an epic story (Hindu) that is a combination of the Wizard of Oz, Sleeping Beauty, and Hansel & Gretal; with clowns! If you ever get a chance to see this done locally it will be worth it! (Try http://www.balinesedancer.8m.com). In the SF Bay area do an internet search for "San Francisco Gamelan", there is a wonderful group of people that perform this epic dance occasionally along with other Balinese/Hindu music/dances. Today is a very special holiday in Bali called Galungan. During this 10-day period all the gods, including the supreme deity Sanghyang Widi, come down to earth for the festivities. Barong (mythical lion-dog creature) prance from temple to temple and from village to village, and the locals rejoice with feasts and visits to families. All the homes are beautifully decorated and everyone is even happier than usual! (It might be similar to our Christmas in that it is a very family oriented holiday - most stores closed and workers returning to their family homes). The celebration ends 10 days later with the Kuningan festival, when the Balinese say thanks and goodbye to the gods. It's very moving! I am really touched by the inter-relationship of the Balinese people and their spiritualness. These people are so sincerely sweet, kind, big hearted, and happy. Which is one of the major reasons I love it here so much and have returned after 2 previous visits to live here for these 2 years! Tomorrow we will travel to the north coast of Bali (Amed area) to SCUBA dive. I am told by several people that there is NO INTERNET access there at all. :( We should be back around October 3rd as Jim & Kelly leave for home on the 4th. So I'll continue to create several of these "Bali Updates", but won't be able to send them out until October 4th. Of course I also won't be able to receive email until I get back. So, please don't hesitate to send me email, I just won't get them until next week! After Jim & Kelly leave (I'll miss them), I plan on staying in Ubud for 3-4 weeks to take Indonesian language instruction. After that I'm not sure what I'll be doing. I may return to the north coast, rent a house and continue to SCUBA dive and take additional diving lessons perhaps leading to becoming a certified SCUBA instructor. Or I may stay in Ubud, rent a house and see about teaching English (I speak it so goodly) or apply to the University of Indonesia to teach Computer Science. I'll let the Universe direct me (she's been going GREAT so far). So until next week, salamat jalan (good-bye). Links to Jim's page: http://www.thedude.com/bali/ <<continue to check his site out to see his (and some of my) photos and his comments.
The trip from Ubud to the North Coast of Bali (the Amed area): We then wound our way to the most beautiful part of Bali - Tirtagangga. It is a huge valley covered with terraced rice patties and a very large "water Palace". Today was a public holiday and so the pools at the palace were filled with laughing, splashing, and playing local school kids. We stopped to see if there would be any rooms available on Oct. 2nd, which would be the next full moon. (On my first trip to Bali in 1995, I had stayed here and observed the full moon celebration, which consisted of about 50-60 local men sitting in a large circular group chanting the KECAK. So, even thought the room Suzie & I had staying in 1997 was not available, we reserved 2 other rooms for the 2nd. An area just past Tirtagangga on the way to Amed has THE most beautiful terraced rice patties on the entire island, in my humble opinion. It is so beautiful it actually makes me cry. It is emotionally overwhelming in it's beauty. So we stopped for photos (check Jim's site for photos). Then on to Amed. First we stopped at Mega Dive. This is where Suzie and I had gotten SCUBA certified in 1997. I had emailed them about Jim & Kelly getting certified there while I took the Advanced Open Water course. It turns out that if you do an internet search for SCUBA and Amed MY web site comes up 1st! (http://www.brucebriscoe.com/Bali1997.htm) So the owner kept calling me "Mega Dive's special Friend". He gave us a really GREAT rate for the 3 courses and then a great rate on 2 additional dives. We scheduled the courses to start the next day. Now we had to find a place to stay. When Suzie & I had been here in 1997 we stayed for several nights at a brand new hotel called the Hotel Indra Udhyana. It had just opened, so we bargained for a fabulous room right on the ocean. This time I was really prepared to bargain. I had printed out several copies of my web page from the 1997 visit. When we arrived we asked to be shown the 3 best rooms (actually each 'room' was its own bungalow). These included the "Junior Suite" with 2 bedrooms and 2 baths; and the "Presidential Suite" with 2 huge bedrooms, 2 huge bathrooms (with huge Jacuzzi tubs) and a huge living room, AND it's own swimming pool. The asking price for the Presidential Suite was $420 per night including breakfast) and the Junior was $250 per night including breakfast. So we ended up staying in the PRESIDENTIAL SUITE for 2 nights at $250/night; and the Junior Suite for 3 nights at $135/night with one of the nights totally FREE! The grounds were lushly planted and the view spectacular. So we enjoyed our (suit optional) secluded swimming pool and huge rooms! The next day Mega Dive picked us up at 9AM to start our courses. My first (of five) dive was a 'Deep Water' dive. It took me (and the instructor- that's all!) down to 24 meters or about 80 feet. Meanwhile Jim & Kelly spent the morning watching a tape in preparation for their afternoon pool work. All went well. However, Kelly had never even snorkeled before so she got a little anxious and was glad when the day was over. Also, when Jim gets too much sun he can get a cold sore on his lip. So when we got back to the hotel we all discussed the day and came to the conclusion that Jim could not continue his course (the mask hurt his lip) and that Kelly needed some practice using the face mask and snorkel before she felt comfortable about continuing. As a result, the next day only I was picked up by Mega Dive to continue my classes while Jim & Kelly stayed around the Presidential Suite and played 'newlyweds'! My 2 dives included a 'Navigation' dive and a 'photography and multi-level' dive. They were both fun AND exhausting! So I was really ready to get back to our PRESIDENTIAL suite and hang by our private pool! Today the 3 of us snorkeled in the ocean just in front of the hotel. In Bali, the water temperature and the air temperature and about the same; while the water visibility is over 150 feet. Kelly really got into the snorkeling :) while Jim was able to snorkel without the mask hurting his lip too much. We also moved to the Junior Suite, which is really nice (but we miss having our private pool). Tonight we'll eat at another great local place and do more snorkeling. Lastly, on the way from Ubud we got to talking to Wayan, our driver, and I mentioned that I was planning on living in Bali for several years. He said that his family had a very large property just north of Ubud that was covered with rice patties and that he would be interested in 'leasing' me some land for 50 years so I could build a small house there. I was flabbergasted to learn that I could build a nice house for $5,000! When Jim & Kelly heard this they were also very interested. So, perhaps the 3 of us will go in and build a 2 bedroom, 2 bath house just outside Ubud! Of course there are MANY factors that need to be worked out and researched - but who knows what may happen. The Universe has been great to me so far and I can't think of a better thing to do that build a home here for myself and Jim & Kelly. We are planning on staying around here until October 2nd and then on to Tirtagangga and our rooms in the Palace. Then onto Ubud the next day were Jim & Kelly will be staying for 1 night in the Palace there (I'll be returning to stay at Oka Wati's). Imagine, Jim & Kelly will have stayed in TWO Palaces AND a presidential suite on their Honeymoon! Kool, huh?!? I'll be really sorry to see them off on October 3rd for their return flight. I'll be staying in Ubud for about 3 weeks taking Indonesian language lessons; then back to Amed to take my last 2 dives (a wreak dive and a night dive) to complete my Advanced Open Water certification. I'll then continue my SCUBA courses leading to dive instructor.... I'll keep you informed! |
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