Travel Diary: An island of two tales

by Rosie Hamer on 24 Jan 2012 in Social

Bali, an island of spiritual mystique and lush beauty? Or a place of cultural confusion maimed by a history of civil conflict and plagued with tourism?
I didn’t know much about the famous island before my flatmate and I took a trip there last summer, other than the infamous 2002 bombings and religious strife that mark a long and tiresome story in Indonesian history. We landed in the early hours on Java, the neighbouring larger island to the west of Bali, in the industrial hub of Surabaya. It was Ramadan and the place was bizarrely alive. After a day travelling through the south east of the island on local buses, ‘luxe’ tourist carriages, man powered rickshaws and a large passenger ferry, Bali was finally in sight. I could practically taste the Indonesian curry as we approached the island across the water, after a journey of 72 hours with no shower, bed or edible food.
Kuta- the first stop on the trip, also known as the Australians’ Magaluf. On  first arrival it seemed to live up to its name: beer bellies, tattoos and Bintang vests galore. We headed to the streets ,‘Poppies Gangway 1 & 2, for somewhere cheap to sleep. This was the first surprise of the trip; the cost of accommodation, food, drink and activities in the tourist capital were not that cheap. At least, day to day spending was more than in Thailand where we’d just come from. The market caters for 2-week package deals that are comparatively cheap for the Aussies. For a scrounger such as myself on a shoestring budget, things were a little steep.
No matter, for the average western holiday maker and particularly the Brit girl within me, Kuta possessed all: a fun nightlife and relaxing days on the beach, watching swarms of rad boarders head out to catch the waves.
Skygarden- the town’s hotspot- is swarming with foreigners every night as they maximise the ‘freeflow’ bar (yes you heard me, a free bar) between 10-11pm. The drinks may contain enough of your sugar allowance to last a week and be the colour of toxic waste, but it’s free alcohol nonetheless. After a hard day sweating on the surf or the sand they definitely quench your taste.
After Skygarden, Bounty has a lot to offer, I seem to remember… the details are hazy though.
After a few days of nursing hangovers, I braved a surf lesson. My teacher, Wayan, a doped up Sumatran who seemed less bothered about surfing and more about sitting under a tree and strumming his guitar poorly to the sounds of ‘Wonderwall,’ took on the challenge of getting me upright on a board.
The surf was huge and, for a beginner, just a bit too challenging. To my horror, after a couple of okay runs, Wayan left for the shore as I was thrown about in the water. It felt at times like I was close to drowning, losing a sentimental ring and gaining half the seabed in my hair and ears in the process. In the name of Indonesian waves, which are some of the best in the world, I gave in.
The next morning we had a scheduled bus for Ubud, a few hours north of Kuta in the centre of the island. The trip out of the fondly named ‘chav central’ seemed increasingly necessary and well timed as we left the bars, restaurants, hotels, shops and shouts of ‘g’day’, arriving in the more peaceful, green and frankly stunning landscape of Ubud.
The place was small, compact and full of art galleries, cultural shops, and multi ethnic food places. A wonderful market lay in the centre, with a palace to the north of the town and the jalan monkey forest at the other end. You can walk the whole area in an afternoon, but the views of the rice fields and terraces are endless, and don’t get boring. We indulged in ‘Gado Gado’- the Indonesian array of vegetables, meats, rice, tofu etc, and generally enjoyed the slower pace of life in the so-called ‘heart’ of Bali. After a few days of Kuta madness, this was the perfect haven for rest and relaxation. The novel ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ by Elizabeth Gilbert, which follows the life of a middle aged American women on the journey to ‘“find herself’” is partly set in Ubud. It seems many fans of the story have now found themselves in Ubud too.
The architecture of the Ubud buildings and the beautiful Indonesian Hindu designs that line the streets are almost too intricate to be practical. Religious offerings with burning incense can be seen in people’s doorways every morning and are often accompanied by Balinese music. A morning trip to watch a traditional Balinese Dance show was a highlight- bizarre yet quite spellbinding. Don’t be mistaken; Ubud is still very accommodating for tourists and you wouldn’t want to be indoctrinated by the false displays of culture for the large western travel groups. Still, a venture out of the town on a moped will allow you can see the real character of the old and very real Bali such as the rice paddies of Tegallalang and the volcano ‘Batur’.
The contrast of Kuta’s craziness and Ubud’s unruffled style made for 14 memorable days in Bali. I’d like to know what the rest of the island offers. Shame, I might have to go back one day.
http://thebeaveronline.co.uk/2012/01/24/travel-diary-an-island-of-two-tales/