Goodbye Bali

I'm off home today. 

My family have already gone home. It's just me alone in Kuta, summing up this mind fuck of a trip.

I guess the biggest thing I have come to realize is how wrong I was about Bali;

I always thought that Bali was a sad excuse for traveling overseas. Call me a bit of a snobby backpacker, but I was blessed with a kickass Dad who took me traveling every summer, and he consistently reiterated the fact that life should be a search for the road less traveled.

Kuta was everything I expected and more. Bogan Australians that were an absolute embarrassment to our people. They came to drink as much as they pleased without getting kicked out, ride in cabs or sway down the streets while shouting embarrassing obscenities to anyone and everyone, walk spaced out down the street after three mushie shakes marveling at lights and jumping into random hotel pools on the walk home (okay, so that last one was me) all the while surfing Bali's waves acting like they are 'so totally into' the culture and people. 

But I was wrong about everything else. 

Bali outside of Kuta, is beyond beautiful. It is magic.

But my biggest shock and realization is what I have discovered about the Balinese people.

The Balinese people are incredible. The kindness and friendliness that surrounds them is so beautiful, you can feel it in their huge, sometimes toothless, always genuine smiles.

On the day of the 10^th anniversary of the bombings, the beach/surf community of Kuta put on a ceremony down on the beach called Paddle for Peace. I spoke to one of the women running it and she told me they raised money all year to put it on, through hair braiding, making bracelets and painting nails on the beach, and there was no profit. 

It was simply done to show the Australians what their friendship means to Bali.

It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen.

After speaking to a few different Balinese people since arriving, it is clear what they all think of the bombings that happened.

I spoke to a man yesterday who was close to tears when the subject arose, he told me, when he found out my reason for visiting Bali, that he was sad because the Balinese loved the friendship with the Australians and the Balinese people would never do such a thing. He was careful and tactful in his words, not pointing the blame at any one culture or religion, which goes to show just how beautiful and peaceful they are. 

He even apologized for what happened. 

It was so beautiful and touching to hear their side and see the grief that they felt, even so many years later. 

It was a shock to see the different ways other people had been affected by terrorism. I've been so blinded by my families pain for so long, I forgot about the rest of the world.

One man mentioned to Bec how he, and so many others, felt embarrassed after the bombing that it happened to their friends, the Australians, on Bali land that we all loved so much.

I’m so glad I came and was able to see their side and thoughts on what happened here 10 years ago. To see that even old Balinese men still tear up over the friendship that was damaged and could have been lost makes me feel for them, and certainly want to return here and know these people better.

My Dad never wanted me to come here, because he was scared for my safety. The only reason I came this year is because I wanted to come for him, seeing as he made the promise to return every year for his sister.

After coming, meeting the Balinese people, being invited into their homes after only meeting them once or twice, laughing with them, joking with them, seeing how they are not selfish or money driven, and seeing how important our friendship is and what it means to them only makes me want to keep coming back here and help build that relationship back again.

I learnt a long time ago, no matter where you go, it’s the people that make the place.

This place is full of honest beauty and friendship.

<3

Conversations with Ketut...

Friday 19^th October

(If you didn't guess; a laptop and no internet equals pages and pages of ramblings in word documents. Give me time to sort through the nonsense; you'll see all the gratuitous and bullshit travel thoughts eventually)

Today was beautiful.

Just like the rest.

I woke up nice and early and Bec had already left our room to go and see a spiritual healer.

She seems to have the idea that being here in the mountains is going to give her some kind of miraculous spiritual awakening, and she is stopping at nothing to find it. I admire her so much in the way of her pro-activeness towards life in general. If she wants to be awakened and inspired, and she isn't waiting for the world. 

She'll shake magic from this mountain if it kills us all.

I went and had breakfast on my own, eating fresh fruit, suspicious looking sausages and freshly made omelettes, looking out over the Ubud mountains. 

Perfect way to start the day.

It baffles me that there are people in the world who actually live like this in their own day to day life. 

People say that if you're in that kind of situation, constantly surrounded by beauty (and in that case in this day and age, probably wealth) you forget to appreciate it, and what you loved in the beginning eventually loses its beauty.

 I honestly don't think I will ever be like that. 

No. I think if you truly love something, you'll always be able to see the beauty. 

And this place sure is beautiful!

I met Bec a little later on and we went on our way to go see Ketut Liyer, an old Balinese medicine man/magician/palm reader/artist.

To sum him up, a pretty funny and charismatic old dude with no teeth.

(To anyone who has read the book Eat Pray Love, he was included in the story; the main character, Liz, stayed at his homestay in Bali and became friends with him..snaps for commercialization America...thanks)

 

It was lovely being in the presence of someone who was just happy and positive. He never once stopped smiling and I don’t think I did either; It’s true that smiles are contagious! 

Being in the presence of someone who was peaceful and positive was a nice feeling. I felt relaxed and happy the whole time I spoke to him.

I felt clean and pure happiness.

While I completely believe some people have a gift to be able to see what is in somebodies future, be able to communicate with the dead, read palms and whatever else, I also remain skeptic every time I see these people. I think it’s important to keep your beliefs somewhere in the middle; don’t take it too seriously, but keep an open mind and let yourself have fun with it.

A lot of the Ubud locals agree that Ketut is much too old to be working as much as he does, which is probably true, but he told me of his health problems and how the money helps him with his operations, as well as his family. 

(Yeah, its also pretty commercial now since he was mentioned in a book and a film, which certainly takes away a lot of the magic. But I guess someday we are going to have to just accept the fact that every time something genuine comes to light, someone will be there to find a way to make a quick buck. It's just the world we live in.)

But like I said, take what you like and have fun with it.

Life was never meant to be taken too seriously.

 

In any case I have always found it most helpful to find a way so that whatever is said to you can impact your life positively and go from there, whether you believe it is true or not. 

This philosophy has helped me through not only a solid handful of ridiculous and bull shit ridden horoscopes, but also find guidance and council in countless overbearing family advice-fueled chats (Oh yes, you know the ones..)

He told me a lot of things that I think were pretty generic when it comes to girls; I would marry only once, be beautiful all my life, have two children and be successful in my work. 

All the kind of stuff that is safe and every girl wants to hear.

Ketut told me in my palm reading that I was too impatient in life, and that when it comes to work and love, I wanted everything to happen now. Which is true. I know the same could be said of anyone of my generation, but I have always known I am an extreme case. In both branches, love especially, I have never been one to just let things run their course. Work-wise, I guess that's a good thing; I managed my own retail store for a big chain by the time I was 19 because I wanted it. Love though, not the best way to be; instead of marching slowly with the ranks, I bolt across the battlefields, dropping every means of arms and defense I have.

 

He told me to step back, stay focused on school for now, finish school before letting love consume me again. He assured me that once I have finished school, and my career is good, love would come next. I wouldn't have to find it because it was close by all along.

He also told me I was beautiful, which of course is great to hear from anyone! He told me that I need to be careful once I am ready for a relationship again because lots of boys  who will be around me at that time, who may love me, are bad, and again, to be patient and wait for the good ones. 

 

Like I said; whether that is my fortune or the same has been said to thousands of other young girls, its good advice from a happy toothless old man who has seen much more of this life than I have.

more thoughts in my Bali dreamland.

17^th October 2012

We left the Gilli Islands today.

It sure was beautiful over there! 

 

We more or less spent every day eating our weight in delicious food, getting massages and swimming in the beautiful aqua ocean. It was nice being there with Bec and her friend. It left me free to just float around, do whatever they wanted and if I didn’t feel like it, drift off and do my own thing. It was a very chilled and easy atmosphere.

It was a significant change from the overthinking and emotional exhaustion that was being in Kuta.

 

We woke up this morning nice and early and went for one last snorkel in the deep and magical reef. 

Beautiful right? 

I have no doubt in my mind I was a mermaid in a past life.

I love being in the water, I think I spent more time holding my breath trying to get deeper into their world that actually breathing through the snorkel!

I came out dizzy and wishing I could live down there in the dreamy reef.

After a few hours of hot and sweaty travelling (the best kind!) we now find ourselves back in Bali and in the beautiful mountains of Ubud, right in the center of the island.

This place is so incredibly peaceful.

Bec and I managed to score ourselves a villa in a 5 star resort and spa (something that is absolutely unheard of for me when I travel!!) because the jacuzzi outside our room wasn’t working, so we got a sweet deal.

The place we are staying is absolutely wonderful, surrounded by mountains, relaxing freshwater pools, hardly a soul here, just the sound of birds, cats and a temple next door. It’s the kind of place you could easily forget the world outside, bang in the middle of the Bali mountains.

I guess every now and again its okay to put away the dirty backpack and treat yourself ;)

I just had the most relaxing massage of my life. Absolutley amazing. I feel so refreshed and peaceful.

During my massage I managed to learn something about myself; I have always considered myself a pretty relaxed and chilled person. But that hour, I honestly could not turn my mind off.

I have a butterfly mind. Always have. I know this.

(One of my friends actually said to me the other day, quite seriously, that he thought I may have a minor case of ADD, which would explain my short attention span!)

But I thought I would at least be able to relax and chill when absolutely nothing else mattered.

My train of thought was ridiculous, even turning into something unrelated and bizarre from me attempting to make myself concentrate on the music playing or my breathing.

I was relaxed, but my mind wasn’t clear.

I have decided I want to learn to clear my mind.

Afterwards I sat out in the garden and the lady gave me ginger and lemongrass tea and some sliced ginger.

It was a really nice and relaxing moment, sitting in that garden. I sat there with literally nothing to do but stare at where I was in the world, surrounded by mountains and in the most beautiful garden.

I thought about my life at home.

I never EVER just sit and do nothing. Even when I take myself out for a coffee or sit on a train. I am not programed to sit still; I am programmed to always be doing something, whether it is typing away on this, fiddling about with my phone, nothing worthwhile.

When was the last time I just sat and managed to turn off my mind? 

*******

Tomorrow we are waking up early to go and meet the cheeky monkeys of Ubud, which, seeing as monkeys are my absolute favorite animals, will be something fun and silly to enjoy in amongst all this relaxation and spiritual awakening ;-)

On Friday we are heading to meet Ketut Liyer, a Balinese magician/medicine man/artist/palm reader. I am really excited at the thought of getting to meet one of the worlds most intriguing men to many people.

I would really love to get a palm reading, just out of curiosity. But then, even just a chance to speak to him would be incredible.

Will report back kind strangers. Xxx