Despite being surrounded by altars and temples and little offerings left on every doorstep, today I got my closest look at Bali's Hinduism. And of course more of its beaches, but there was definitely some culture thrown in there somewhere.
I rented a motorbike from my hotel and decided to first head back up to Seminyak so I could find a restaurant I had heard good things about and wanted to eat at that evening. It's all pretty swank up there so I have a feeling this will be another bill for the credit card, but I'm not about to pass up on the best pizza on Bali! Thank god I can hide my helmet under my seat, though, because everyone looks really nice up there and this red-orange monstrosity makes me look like I'm part of some fashion-forward but long-forgotten branch of Hitler's army.
Fortunately, there are lots of signs along the road that are nice and easy to follow, so after I find my restaurant in Seminyak I'm off to Denpasar to see the main city on Bali. It's got a large park and several museums that I'd like to check out if I can manage the traffic and evade the police. Without an International Driving Permit you aren't supposed to drive in Indonesia, and if they're going to get you in trouble for it anywhere, I've heard they're going to get you in Bali. I've been told to keep about Rp50,000 separate so that if I'm stopped I can say that it's all that I have. It's really an understanding between the police and the drivers: both groups know you shouldn't be driving without an IDP and you'll have to pay if you get caught, but everyone also understands that the money goes right to the cop's pocket so you're going to pay a smaller fee than you would in court. It's an interesting system, but it works.
Denpasar is a very typical large Indonesian city in that it's quite dirty, nondescript and dingy, except for the cultural center where most of the museums are. There are a lot of run-down shops, dozens of carts selling food and petrol along the street, and electrical wires run every which way like a great rubber spiderweb. My adrenaline is pumping as I try to look for police, look for signs, and lookout for the cars around me all at the same time. It keeps you awake, that's for sure. I took the highway into town and it was a great road: wide, well paved, well regulated (considering having 4 scooters across one lane is well within regulations) and quick. So at least I'm making good time!
One thing that's really cool is that I keep going through these gigantic stone gates that are very intricately carved and at least ten steps up from the simpler ones at the entrance to the beach. It would be cool if they used to be the entrance to a village or something, but they're gorgeous anyway. The main square of Denpasar follows the theme of these gates and is like a world apart from the rest of the town. The main temple and the Bali National Museum are side by side and their matching entrances promise you a trip back in time to when Bali was covered in jungle, not sprawl. I didn't go through the museum, but got to enjoy a gamilan performance and a peaceful stroll through the temple before strolling through a nearby park.
Denpasar was nice enough, but didn't have much to hold my attention so I headed back south to the very tip of Bali where I could go back to the beaches and visit the sea-side temples. The roads are definitely much quieter down here and the single-lane streets are edged by trees and fields rather than long lines of houses and shops. My first stop was Uluwatu, the southernmost beach, and my plan was to park and wander north from beach to beach, stopping for food or sunbathing or a drink whenever I felt like it.
So as you can see Uluwatu isn't so much a 'beach' as a death trap for anyone who isn't a professional surfer. The only way to get your board into the water is to walk down nearly a hundred stairs and wind through a canyon that has been carved out by thousands of years of rushing water. If you go back up those stairs and walk along the top of the cliff you get amazing view and little restaurants and shops. And did I mention absolutely insane views? Gorgeous. The next beach, Padang Padang, was similar, but not as impressive and with a definite beach area. This is where I enjoyed a banana pancake and a jafle (grilled sandwich) followed by a quick swim (if you can call digging your feet into the sand and fighting against worringly strong currents a swim). I walked a little ways to see how far the beach extended, but as soon I walked around a large rock it was just me and the ocean smashing up against lava rock. So I just walked back to the beach and pretended to be as rich as the Europeans there who must have been too good for Kuta.
At this point I drove back to Uluwatu to see the massive Hindu temple there just before sunset. Were you wondering when the crash was going to come in? Well, here it is, and I'm not too proud to admit that it was pretty much my fault. If you've read any of the entries before this you have an idea of how most Indonesians drive, and weaving your motorbike between cars is considered normal practice. And of course I want to experience the "real" Indonesia, so I was weaving a bit, too, and managed to weave my left handlebar into a truck that was pulling off to the side of the road. The loud scream that came from a woman by the side of the road may have been a bit unnecessary, but it's true this was my most impressive crash so far. I wobbled to the right then fell to the left and did a somersault onto the road, skinning my hand, shoulder, and arm. I was a bit sore on my left side for the rest of the day, but big kudos to my camera bag for keeping everything intact, my helmet for keeping me conscious, my pants for not ripping, and my glasses for not shattering! My motorbike, well, that suffered a big more damage and in fact I almost couldn't get it running again. The only way the engine would stay on is if I held the throttle down, at least a bit, and revved the engine even while I was stopped. It took some practice and stalling several times to get the trick down, but at least I made it to the temple and wasn't stuck in Podunk, Indonesia.
The temple was beautiful and very extensive, and it was really enchanting to see people using it to worship. It felt good that I wasn't just going to another old building, but rather a place that is still an important part of the culture of Bali. Oh, just be careful of the monkeys--they're everywhere and very active, if you know what I mean!
Still a bit shaky after my crash, I wasn't excited to be back on the motorbike again, but it turned out to be good that I was because I was able to stop when I noticed a big crowd in traditional dress walking into a temple. I walked up to the gate and was shocked to see a large crowd watching a procession headed into the heart of the temple. There were elaborate costumes, a full gamilan orchestra playing, and a large animal (lion? dragon?) made of people like you would see in China. It was beautiful! I was totally enraptured and it gave me a huge thrill to see so unexpectedly such an incredible display! This may be an ordinary thing for the Balinese, but I was speechless and just in awe.
Finally, after one hell of a day absolutely filled to the brim, I clench up again and ride the throttle back to my hotel. I manage to get it parked in one of the far spots and at this point all I can do is hope that I don't have to pay hundreds of thousands of rupiah in repairs. Now, I know with these rental bikes people fall over or crash all the time (there were several scrapes on it before I hopped on), but is it really bad that I don't point out if I knock a mirror crooked or something like that? Whenever I've ridden with someone they've always said, 'Oh, don't worry about it unless they find it and bring it up. You can deal with it then.' So it seems like most people don't really have a problem sweeping a few problems under the rug, and I have to admit I'm on their side with this one. Does this make me a bad person?
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