Bali, Indonesia Part Two.... The Beach
Beach Time
This week the tide is out early in the morning. I’ll try to get a few more beach photos in the next few days. It’s certainly empty in the early morning, but later it’s more crowded and the outside temp is about a million degrees.
Above, the beach faces the east, so we get the sunrise every morning. Yes, we slept in a bit, and missed the yellow orb touching the horizon, but you get the gist.
The walkway that runs along the beach seems to go on for miles. It’s well kept and could be wheelchair ready. One of the few places in Bali that the ADA would approve.
Day One: The Traditional Dance Show and Dinner
It was an evening I may have made fun of in the past. Tourists, we being two of them, having dinner on the beach watching traditional dance and drinking beer and cocktails. It was nothing short of outstanding. There I was, hanging out with Diane, listening to waves crash, watching lightning in the distant horizon, and having cocktails at sunset. All this while a dozen dudes played traditional Balinese music and brightly costumed dancers did their thing. Many of my favorite things all wrapped up in one evening.
This catches it all in 8 seconds. Diane and I are listening to traditional Balinese music by a 10-piece band, with crashing waves a few feet away and lightning strikes on the horizon. Best martini and beer ever? Maybe.
The dance troupe and musical group. The music was so unfamiliar. This is what I find so interesting.
Day Two: Denpasar City Tour
Lothlorien, Helms Deep, or the Mines of Moria?
I realize that I quote the books from JRR Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring. Maybe too many times? But I could not get it out of my head while in the Bajra Sandhi museum. In my imagination it was a cross between Lothlorien, the Mines of Moria, and Helms Deep. I could hear the prose in my head about how it was built by dwarves and currently manned by the Elven army.
Are these not the doors that Gandalf need only say the Elvish word for friend to open?
Can you not image Legolas with a bow on this ledge looking for a stray orc in the courtyard below?
I suspect Mr. Tolkien, being a well-traveled Englishman, did make it to Bali, sometimes referred as the East Indies when the Brits talk about it.
Watch this video on full screen and tell me this does not conjure up memories of the Mines of Moria. If I were to add drums… never mind.
I think I’ve gone too far. I may have wasted some time here, but I enjoyed it. Thank you for indulging me.
Badung Market
Everything you would ever need in life. Peppers, shallots, peeled garlic and spices.
Balinese Coffee break
We stopped for coffee at a lively coffee shop. A guy who used to work with our guide, Wayan, stopped by for a chat. We know people.
This scene was hot and gritty. We find a nice sidewalk cafe, fortunately in the shade. Most of the tables were taken but I made a ‘3-top’ by asking a woman if I could take one of her unused chairs. The cars and motorcycles whizzed by and the conversation was at times louder than one would expect. Some of our talk was even about politics. The coffee was excellent and strong.
I took a selfie in order to capture a portion of the indoor part of the cafe. I cropped myself out then made it black and white for style.
Ok, I’m proud of the shot. It reminds me of something from a late ’60s Life Magazine.
We are in the dead center of Denpasar which is the largest city on the island of Bali, roughly a million people. The buildings are long overdue for a facelift that will never occur. While shopkeepers keep their businesses ship-shape, the windows above seem to be never cleaned. It’s sweltering. I’m happy to be sitting. There is an energy here. People, being people, seem genuinely happy. Lots of ‘thank yous’ and ‘your welcomes’ with smiles.
I am a long way from home, and it cannot be any more representative than this very moment. As I travel, one thing remains constant. People are people. Yes, that seems obvious when one reads that last sentence, but kids here play in the same way. Friends greet each other with a smile and firm handshake. I assume their worries are similar to everyone else’s. Family, income, health… the usual.