Aug 21st: Sanur

Sanur again. I woke up at 6:30 and went for a walk. If you know me you may not believe that I both got up early and exercised but it's true. The beach faces East so sunrise time is going to be much better than sunset at Sanur. There were more people than I expected out, but I suppose the old people like to get up early and go for a walk too. People were friendly and said things like “Good morning.” I feel like people tend to do that more at these calm, beachy places.

I had a nice breakfast at a hotel beach side, of course, with a friendly waiter. The people here are generally very friendly with a lot of fun personalities. Often they are trying to sell you something, which gets annoying. I went to the main street to look for some shopping. I ended up going to Hardy's Grosir, which is a big supermarket. But it was perfect for the shopping I wanted to do. I really hate bargaining even though I know you have to. Here, though, the marked prices seemed reasonable and then they'd always give you a discount off that of 10-20%. I'm sure that's not what the locals would pay but it's pretty good. There's jewelry, sarongs, clothes, shoes, handicrafts, bags, etc. All your Bali souvenir stuff. Just to give you an idea I got a pair of sandals, a batik purse, a bracelet, a hat, and a sarong for under $30 US. Not bad. Handmade things are always nice.

I had another beachside meal, laid on the sand, and had a dip in the warm, shallow, water. I rented a bike for a ride all the way down the beach. It was nice to see the whole stretch of it.

I decided to go to Lembongan Island tomorrow. I arranged a speedboat there, partly because the company does hotel transfers and I have a big, heavy suitcase. Plus I'll get there quickly and have more time to enjoy the island. After I return I'm going to try to head straight to Ubud. We'll see how that pans out.

Aug 20th: Sanur

This morning I left Kuta for Sanur. I got a shuttle bus from my hotel. The driver had to navigate his way out of the narrow Kuta streets in this huge van, which was sort of insane at times. The Kuta/Legian touristy area is so big. I saw so much more than I realized even existed. Tons of really beautiful hotels and bungalows, all kinds of funky cafes, backstreets and alleys. We finally got out on the road and everything was different. Trees lined the roads and everything seemed open. I lost my hat though, as a driving breeze picked it up and carried it right out the window. Oh well.

We arrived in Sanur and I'm the only one who got off the shuttle (everyone else was headed to Ubud). I was a bit worried since Wikitravel characterized Sanur as a place for old people and families (as opposed to the young party scene of Kuta). But I'm glad I came here. It's beautiful. There's a reef so the water at the beach is calm and clear, with waves breaking in the distance. As soon as I stepped off the shuttle I felt a vast calmness. Ah. Peace. Kuta's frenetic pace can be fun but this is more what I want right now. You can actually hear the wind rustling the trees, wind chimes tinkling, and only the occasional tout hassling you. The beach is completely peaceful. There are fishermen, women carefully crafting their offerings (little baskets of flowers and other things to put out for the gods), and kids swimming in the water. It's still touristy but with a more calm and local feel than Kuta.

I knew it was a different vibe when I went to lunch at a beachfront cafe. I peacefully watched kite-surfers skim the ocean while acoustic Coldplay played. Whenever I ate in Kuta it was with a bass-heavy dance mix pumping (or Lady Gaga's album).

I guess it is a lot of old people and families to but I don't really mind. I'm staying at a place that was just down the street from where the shuttle dropped me off, conveniently. Very beautiful garden and minutes away from the beach.

I did some beach reading and lounging, which Sanur is perfect for. I took a long walk way down the beach. There's a nice beachfront path here with restaurants and hotels lining it. You can eat right on the beach. Nothing like a waterfront view, and good, cheap food. I usually get a Western or Indonesian dish, a fresh fruit juice, and sometimes dessert for $4-5 US at these beachfront cafes. Tomorrow I want to rent a bike, because the beach path is just too perfect for biking.

So I'm going to stay here and chill out for at least another day. Trying to decide whether to go to Nusa Lembongnan, an island with white sand beaches that's supposed to be gorgeous. Or maybe move on to Ubud. Or maybe stay here another day. I'm going to try to post some pictures soon, but I don't really go on the internet unless I can find a restaurant with wi-fi or take some time to go to an Internet cafe. So we'll see.

In my travels I hear all sorts of languages being spoken. There were lots of French people at my hotel and there seem to be lots here. They must all be on holiday. French is a gorgeous language. The people next to me are speaking French and it sounds amazing. But isn't it sort of crazy how English is the universal language? I hear Japanese and German people and so on speak to the Indonesian people in English, though it's no one's native language. Strange.

Kuta, Bali

8-18 and 8-19
Yesterday I had my second day of surfing lessons. It seemed more difficult than the first somehow, but then I was on a smaller board. The smaller the board the more difficult to ride. I saw one of the same guys that had been at my lesson the previous day. Turns out he was born in China but grew up in Canada. I was excited because he knew Guiyang, and not even Chinese people will know Guiyang. We were both doing the 3 day set of lessons together, and he had traveled around Bali for a while so he could offer me some tips. After the lesson I walked down the beach. The beach is incredibly long. I stopped for swimming and body surfing along the way. I got a massage before bed.

This morning I went to an early surfing lesson at 8 am. It was actually really nice to be up early. Breakfast was quiet at my hotel, and when I was walking I didn't get hassled by touts or guys offering me "transport?" Also, in Bali the women leave little baskets of offerings to the gods, and these are fresh in the morning. Plus the beach was less crowded with beginning surfers all crashing into one another. I'm starting to think waking up early is the way to go, if I can manage it. I think it's safer as a solo female traveler, plus I get to see all the cool stuff that happens before everyone else gets up.

I had fun and I think I improved today. I think I need to work on my fitness (though surfing is helping already). I might continue to rent boards other places that have good beginner's surf.

When I went body-surfing later the other body-surfer's were this really old man and middle-aged women. And they were way better at it than me. Rock on. I want to be a cool old person like that, throwing myself into really strong powerful waves.

I love the beach, as you probably know, but I'm ready to move on from Kuta. It's so busy and crowded and frantic. I'm going to go to Sanur, another beach area in South Bali, tomorrow. It's only 30 minutes away. Then I'm going to decide where to go from there. Luckily Bali is pretty small so getting between places isn't that big of an ordeal. Definitely on to Ubud later and maybe do some central and North Bali after that.

Kuta Travel Tips:
-Only swim between the red and yellow flags on the beach. Only surf everywhere else. Don't surf in the swimming area. It's pretty safe with lifeguards everywhere (and a crowded beach). But it's probably not good if you are not a strong swimmer. There are lots of rips and waves are powerful.
-People basically hassle you all day long. My method is to ignore everyone and not make eye contact. It seems harsh but I think it's the best way to get people to leave you alone. Everyone calls me "darling" (men and women). In China it was "mei nu" (beautiful woman in Chinese). Of course they want you to buy something.
-I went shopping in Matahari in Kuta Square which is a souvenir shopping place with all the Bali stuff and marked prices. So unless you love bargaining (I'm not a fan), shopping here is a nice alternative.
-I did surfing lessons at Bali Learn to Surf in the Hard Rock. I think they were pretty good and I basically got 2-1 student-teacher which was nice. The lesson times change due to the tides. If you get to choose between two times I would go for the morning generally- less crowded.

Kuta, Bali: Surfing

Today I moved hotels and then went for my first surfing lesson. I had booked 2 nights ahead of time at the hotel I was staying at. It was okay but noisy (I'm used to noise, but still), and right above a market with rather annoying touts trying to sell me stuff every time I came and went.

I signed up for 3 days of surfing lessons with the school in the Hard Rock Cafe. First we did practice on land and in the pool, before heading out to the ocean. At first I thought it would be incredibly hard work and I was incredibly out of shape. But the pool has no waves. It's almost easier once you get out on the water with the momentum of the waves.

The instructors pushed us out into the waves. I felt pretty good since I was able to get up on my knees or get low, but that's wrong. Now my knees hurt a lot because you are just supposed to stand up. I did stand up a few times somewhat properly and I know I still have two more days with the teachers, so that's good. It's much more exhausting having the board than just swimming and body-surfing. Plus hoisting myself up on the board and using my arms a lot is quite different for me.

I had lunch, and tried an avocado juice, which I'd read about. It's delicious! Try it if you get the chance, seriously. I tried to body surf again later but I could feel the rip currents so I could only safely swim in the shallow parts.

I wanted to do yoga while I was here but there don't seem to be many studios close by. Which I think is strange. I think I'll have better luck in Legian. I'm thinking I'll head to Legian next. It's supposed to have a more relaxed atmosphere than Kuta. There are yoga studios there, and by then I should have the basics to rent myself a board and practice surfing myself. Like anything surfing just seems to take a lot of practice. I have no natural talent at most sports either. The instructor asked me what sports I do at home (uhh....). For the past year? I walked from my room to the classroom door?

One thing I don't really understand is the people who spend all day tanning by our hotel pool or at the Hard Rock Cafe pool. I mean, you have this world famous ocean right there man. I guess you can do what you want on vacation- but really?

Anyways, I have at least 2 more days here. I should get some of the photos from my surfing lessons- hopefully of me standing up on some waves- by the end.

I'm off to get another massage.

Kuta, Bali, Indonesia

8-16-10
On my last night in Hong Kong, I was able to meet up with my HKU friend Cindy which was nice. We ate some good food (amazing sushi) and caught up. It's always nice when I get to meet up with people on the road.
After that it was off to Bali. I slept most of the way to Jakarta. You buy your visa on arrival on Indonesia and there was a long line for customs. I barely made my flight and my backpack was killing my back but it was all worth it because I got bumped up to business class for the flight to Bali! I've never flown anything other than economy so this was fantastic. By the way, I flew Garuda Indonesia for both flights. It probably sounds a bit sketchy but economy was pretty nice. Pretty big seats, good service, your own TV. Business class was awesome. Tons of leg room with a foot rest, comfy chair, and a table cloth to put over your tray table. I feel like after flying so many crappy economy class flights I had a true appreciation for this.
I arrived in Bali late, got to my hotel, and got some much needed sleep I haven't really been getting. I woke up at 2 today, but I think I still did a lot. I signed up for surf school for the next 3 days. I went swimming in the ocean. I got a massage.
I'm at the Kuta Beach area at the moment. I'm not really sure what I think of it yet. It's sort of like the beach areas I've been to in the Philippines except way bigger, so it's a bit overwhelming. I find, though, when I'm traveling solo my sense of direction becomes about a million times better, just because it has to. There are the usual people trying to sell you everything, but that's everywhere touristy you go so I'm used to that. It's similar to the Philippines in that there are lots of souvenir shops selling the beachy stuff, outdoor restaurants and cafes, and spas. Not that there is anything wrong with this type of beach area- it's all quite cheap and enjoyable.
I got to the beach and I understood. The waves are just the shape that you imagine a wave to be- I haven't seen anything quite like it before. Perfectly round and curling. I did some swimming and body surfing around that late afternoon time just before sunset. It's a huge, broad beach. It strikes me as pretty safe with all the lifeguards and people. And it's covered in surfers and surfboards.
My massage was really nice (an hour for about $9 US). It was a full body massage and sort of similar to the massage I got in China, with a combination of pressure and stretching and bone cracking as well as the usual rubbing down of the muscles.
Of course this is all great, and I love the beach, but I'm sort of glad I can move on whenever I want. I want to get more of a sense of Bali and I don't think I will get it very strongly here.
At the least I should meet some people at surf school which will probably be very helpful.

China -> Hong Kong

Sorry not to have been blogging but this past week has been a whirlwind. I finished teaching my classes, took pictures of all my classes, and then Sunday night our boss took Wayne and I out for a farewell meal. All of the foreign and Chinese staff came and even my precocious 12-year-old student Mike, who is hilarious by the way, joined us.

On Monday Julian invited us to go swimming in the river and sit at a nice patio bar outside. It was a perfect day for it and we went about 30 minutes outside the city (Ping Qiao I think it's called?). The river was crowded with kids in floaty tubes and old men with tiny floaties on. Chris, Joline, Matt, and I met Julian and his Irish roommate. It was really nice and relaxing. The river was pretty cold but it felt really nice and this huge outdoor bar area had a stage for live music as well.

Tuesday was my last day in Guiyang. I ate lunch with Matt and the new teacher, Aaron, who is my replacement. We went to the Guiyang syle hamburger restaurant (little steaks covered in lajiao with Chinese bread as the buns), which is always good. Garry joined us which was nice. Then we had one last night out together with Chris, Matt, and Aaron.

I left Wednesday morning and I haven't done too much thrilling stuff in Hong Kong so far. Just arranging things and buying stuff I need for my trip. I am leaving on Sunday for Bali, I've decided. 2-3 weeks bumming around Bali (and Lombok) before Australia! It's always amazing to be back in Hong Kong. I once again got that weird culture shock of feeling like I blend in so well here. Things are well-run and efficient here and it's nice to get the huge variety of (very good!) food options. Hong Kong's beautiful. Still convinced it's the best city in the world.

Drinking Tea by the River

Last week, Leah, an American from the Zunyi branch of our school, came
with me to a garden by the river. The "symbol of Guiyang" is the
Jiaxiu Tower by the river. Next to the tower, there is a garden. It's
only 2 kuai to enter. There are lots of places to sit and different
tea houses. You can walk around and there might be some old ladies
doing tai chi or calligraphy. They have some local specialty teas, and
you can sit and drink tea all afternoon. I wish I'd discovered it
earlier because you can find a spot and be relatively unconspicuous.
It's a nice change from being constantly stared at like a monkey in
Qianling Park. The river is generally a quieter spot to get away from
the constant city noise. I went again today, got some kind of Zunyi
green tea, which was lovely, and sat at a table and planned some
lessons.

It's a cool Guiyang thing to do. Sit in the garden and drink tea all
afternoon and go see Jiaxiu Tower at night, when it's all lit up.

I'm preparing to leave next Wednesday morning. only one more parents' weekend.