Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
A Down Under Birthday
So today, I leave forever the wide world of teenage wasteland. No more being a dumb teenager, I am now a fully functioning 20 year old boy. Yippee-ki-yay. At this point, we are in Auckland, but a bit of recap is warranted, I think.
After leaving the Gili Islands, with a better tan, and a newfound desire to go to Norway (a boatload, literally, of stunning Norwegian girls had arrived a few days previous, and plus, it's my homeland) we headed to Kuta, the single most tourist choked part of Bali, and a town we had been avoiding for the entire month. It was basically exactly what we expected, an overbuilt resort town that seemed just like the main strip in Maui, or Cabo, or any other overplayed tropical beach destination. One welcome element was the vastly superior western food to be found there. My knees were weakened by the sight of a Round Table Pizza, which we immediately patronized. Strangely enough, or perhaps not so strangely given the utter lack of good pizza on Bali, Round Table there was a really upscale, fancy restaurant. But that didn't stop us from devouring one of their largest pizzas in minutes flat. The sensation of being stuffed full of pizza was one that I had missed for a long time. The next day we spent walking up and down the beach, and telling a thousand and one hawkers that we did not want to buy their crap. That night, we left for the airport, and barely made our flight for Australia, after learning at the check in desk that you need a visa prior to leaving. We got one real quick, and made it back in time for our flight, a red-eye to Sydney.
Sydney, to the bay area type, is very much like San Francisco. The buildings, people, food, and geography are all very similar to San Francisco, and we felt quite at home there. However, upon arriving at the hostel we had booked, we were told that our booking had been off by a day and had been given up, and they made us pay for the night we missed. If we hadn't been so tired, we would have just bolted, but alas, we were beat. We found another place, and really didn't do much that first day. The next day, we walked around the city, and spent a while in the State Gallery, which had some really nice art. The day after that, we tried to walk to Bondi Beach, but then found out it was way farther than we thought, so we caught a bus. It was well worth it, as we spent the day hanging out on one of the nicest beaches I have ever seen, surrounded by some of the most beautiful girls I have ever seen. Australia thus far carries the crown for the International Womanly Beauty award, as the place was just littered with good looking girls. Unfortunately, beards were as scarce as hotties were plentiful, so I think they weren't too interested in Micah and I. Either way, it made for good sightseeing. Our room mates for two of the nights were Irish guys who fulfilled all the alcoholic stereotypes there were about their country. The first night, I wanted to kill them, when they all came in at 6am and decided to keep partying for another two hours in our room. The absolutely awful music they were blasting, combined with stale cigarette smoke, and their yelling at Micah and I made for one of the most unpleasant awakenings of my life. The next night we went to a bar with them to watch a soccer game, and they also fulfilled the stereotypes about european soccer fanaticism. They were into it, to say the least.
We have since departed Sydney and made for New Zealand, and now find ourselves in Auckland.
It is a fairly boring city, just not particularly interesting, but we won't be here long. We are actively looking for jobs, since we are both almost broke. I think we will be working as fruitpickers, and will probably never want to touch a kiwi fruit again in a couple weeks. I have become fully initiated into the cult of the meat pie, something Timmy told me about after his stay here. They are delicious and cheap, and therefore amazing. I imagine I will eat many of them before I return. Anyways, I must go, my internet credit is almost up, and my stomach wants some more meat pie. Expect more dispatches as the ramblers become migrant workers. Until then,
-Jack
After leaving the Gili Islands, with a better tan, and a newfound desire to go to Norway (a boatload, literally, of stunning Norwegian girls had arrived a few days previous, and plus, it's my homeland) we headed to Kuta, the single most tourist choked part of Bali, and a town we had been avoiding for the entire month. It was basically exactly what we expected, an overbuilt resort town that seemed just like the main strip in Maui, or Cabo, or any other overplayed tropical beach destination. One welcome element was the vastly superior western food to be found there. My knees were weakened by the sight of a Round Table Pizza, which we immediately patronized. Strangely enough, or perhaps not so strangely given the utter lack of good pizza on Bali, Round Table there was a really upscale, fancy restaurant. But that didn't stop us from devouring one of their largest pizzas in minutes flat. The sensation of being stuffed full of pizza was one that I had missed for a long time. The next day we spent walking up and down the beach, and telling a thousand and one hawkers that we did not want to buy their crap. That night, we left for the airport, and barely made our flight for Australia, after learning at the check in desk that you need a visa prior to leaving. We got one real quick, and made it back in time for our flight, a red-eye to Sydney.
Sydney, to the bay area type, is very much like San Francisco. The buildings, people, food, and geography are all very similar to San Francisco, and we felt quite at home there. However, upon arriving at the hostel we had booked, we were told that our booking had been off by a day and had been given up, and they made us pay for the night we missed. If we hadn't been so tired, we would have just bolted, but alas, we were beat. We found another place, and really didn't do much that first day. The next day, we walked around the city, and spent a while in the State Gallery, which had some really nice art. The day after that, we tried to walk to Bondi Beach, but then found out it was way farther than we thought, so we caught a bus. It was well worth it, as we spent the day hanging out on one of the nicest beaches I have ever seen, surrounded by some of the most beautiful girls I have ever seen. Australia thus far carries the crown for the International Womanly Beauty award, as the place was just littered with good looking girls. Unfortunately, beards were as scarce as hotties were plentiful, so I think they weren't too interested in Micah and I. Either way, it made for good sightseeing. Our room mates for two of the nights were Irish guys who fulfilled all the alcoholic stereotypes there were about their country. The first night, I wanted to kill them, when they all came in at 6am and decided to keep partying for another two hours in our room. The absolutely awful music they were blasting, combined with stale cigarette smoke, and their yelling at Micah and I made for one of the most unpleasant awakenings of my life. The next night we went to a bar with them to watch a soccer game, and they also fulfilled the stereotypes about european soccer fanaticism. They were into it, to say the least.
We have since departed Sydney and made for New Zealand, and now find ourselves in Auckland.
It is a fairly boring city, just not particularly interesting, but we won't be here long. We are actively looking for jobs, since we are both almost broke. I think we will be working as fruitpickers, and will probably never want to touch a kiwi fruit again in a couple weeks. I have become fully initiated into the cult of the meat pie, something Timmy told me about after his stay here. They are delicious and cheap, and therefore amazing. I imagine I will eat many of them before I return. Anyways, I must go, my internet credit is almost up, and my stomach wants some more meat pie. Expect more dispatches as the ramblers become migrant workers. Until then,
-Jack
Friday, March 21, 2008
Gili Trawangan, or how to chill out for ten days straight.
Intrepid voyagers that we fashion ourselves to be, Micah and I now find ourselves in the middle of the Indian Ocean on an island of Indonesia no bigger than a postage stamp. Well, maybe a touch bigger, but only at the widest point. This little island is called Gili Trawangan, and we were drawn to it by promises of pristine beaches, crystal clear azure water, and a complete lack of motor vehicles. Thus far, all of those promises have been fulfilled. That said, it is a bit more expensive than the rest of Bali, and a lot more tourist filled. A international cornucopia, spilling over with Europeans, Japanese, Aussies, and the occasional pair of California goof balls.
There are also no stray dogs on this island, which I appreciate after nearly being attacked by marauding bands of haggard canines in Ubud. The cats however, are wild, loud, and bold. We can't really leave our door open on our room, as the moment you stop paying attention, a skinny little kitty will dart in and hide under your bed. I'm not sure why they do this, perhaps they just want to be loved? The worst was a few nights ago, when I left my window open to get some respite from the 24/7 heat, and was awakened in the middle of the night by a mangy, smelly, cat walking around on my bed near my pillow, and meowing insistently. I responded by forcibly insisting that he leave through the same window he entered, albeit with more velocity and less grace. Oh how I miss my cute, fat, little princess kitty from home.
Yesterday there was a tempestuous thunder storm, with peels of thunder shaking the whole island. Micah and I sat on our little porch, watching a distant communications tower in hopes that it would be struck. Imagine our surprise when a massive lightning bolt hit the much smaller tower 150 feet from our abode. Actually, scratch imagining. Micah yelled out loud, and his face belied nothing but terror, and I recoiled instinctively, hitting my elbow on my chair with bruising force. Yes Virginia, it was that loud. Unfortunately, the thunder abated after a few hours, but the rain continued to fall all day.
So, our days have been filled with backgammon, eating, reading, sleeping, and swimming. If that sounds somewhat empty, you'd be right, and that's why we're loving it. Micah has had a bit of a bug for the last few days, but we are confident that his GI tract will rise to the challenge and blow the sickness to kingdom come. Make of that, what you will. Soon we head to Sydney, back into the fold of western civilization, familiar food, bearable humidity, and normal toilets. I can't say I'm not excited, but I will miss the simple and slow way of life we have enjoyed in Bali. Until next time, my fair readers.
-Jack
There are also no stray dogs on this island, which I appreciate after nearly being attacked by marauding bands of haggard canines in Ubud. The cats however, are wild, loud, and bold. We can't really leave our door open on our room, as the moment you stop paying attention, a skinny little kitty will dart in and hide under your bed. I'm not sure why they do this, perhaps they just want to be loved? The worst was a few nights ago, when I left my window open to get some respite from the 24/7 heat, and was awakened in the middle of the night by a mangy, smelly, cat walking around on my bed near my pillow, and meowing insistently. I responded by forcibly insisting that he leave through the same window he entered, albeit with more velocity and less grace. Oh how I miss my cute, fat, little princess kitty from home.
Yesterday there was a tempestuous thunder storm, with peels of thunder shaking the whole island. Micah and I sat on our little porch, watching a distant communications tower in hopes that it would be struck. Imagine our surprise when a massive lightning bolt hit the much smaller tower 150 feet from our abode. Actually, scratch imagining. Micah yelled out loud, and his face belied nothing but terror, and I recoiled instinctively, hitting my elbow on my chair with bruising force. Yes Virginia, it was that loud. Unfortunately, the thunder abated after a few hours, but the rain continued to fall all day.
So, our days have been filled with backgammon, eating, reading, sleeping, and swimming. If that sounds somewhat empty, you'd be right, and that's why we're loving it. Micah has had a bit of a bug for the last few days, but we are confident that his GI tract will rise to the challenge and blow the sickness to kingdom come. Make of that, what you will. Soon we head to Sydney, back into the fold of western civilization, familiar food, bearable humidity, and normal toilets. I can't say I'm not excited, but I will miss the simple and slow way of life we have enjoyed in Bali. Until next time, my fair readers.
-Jack
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Around the Island in 11 Days
Absence, they say, makes the heart grow fonder. Or perhaps just makes the readers bored. Either way, I am back. Micah and I have returned to Ubud, having successfully driven all the way around the island of Bali. It was definitely worth the drive, as we saw a Bali that I think few tourists ever do. Most of the East, North, and West coasts of Bali are pretty deserted, save for a few sparsely scattered villages and beaches.
The day of rest, or Nyepi in Singaraja was pretty boring, although we befriended the local special policeman, who took us outside to walk around the silent city. It was beyond eery. No cars, no motorbikes, no people, no sound. Damn. He then took us to hang out with his buddies, and convinced us to drink more Arak, the gnarly Balinese liquor distilled from coconuts. Apparently, as it is the Hindu new years day, they like to party just as much as we do on new years. Within a few hours, most of the parties involved had passed out where they were sitting, or in the middle of the conveniently empty streets. Micah and I then returned to our hotel, and passed out in our room, trying to ignore the din of horrible indonesian dance videos that the proprietors daughters seemed to play on repeat. The day continued to go on, and we had forgotten to stock up on food and water, so by the evening we were thirsty, hungry, and bored silly.
We played a lot of backgammon, actually that has been a common activity these days. We started keeping score once we got to Bali, and at this point I am up, something like 37 to 32 games. Like I said, we've been playing a lot. After the day of rest, we got out of town, and went to the near deserted resort town of Putumeran, and hung out there for a few days. When I got there, I realized I had left my knife in the hotel room in Singaraja, and had to drive there and back in a large rainstorm. Not particularly fun, but I really like that knife. From Putumeran, we drove to Medewi beach, which had a shacking left beach break, that I was tortured by watching, as I hurt my leg and couldn't go out. We had a good time swimming and hanging by the beach there, but left today, with the intention of going to another beach town. Unfortunately, on the way the back tire of my motorbike went flat, and we were told it would cost 50 dollars to replace, which was more than the entire cost of rental. Facing that, we decided I could limp back to Ubud, where we rented them, which we barely did. Thus concludes the motorized portion of our time in Bali, and now we are preparing to head to the Gili Islands, deserted though they may be. More dispatches from there, and keep California warm for me. All my best,
-Jack
The day of rest, or Nyepi in Singaraja was pretty boring, although we befriended the local special policeman, who took us outside to walk around the silent city. It was beyond eery. No cars, no motorbikes, no people, no sound. Damn. He then took us to hang out with his buddies, and convinced us to drink more Arak, the gnarly Balinese liquor distilled from coconuts. Apparently, as it is the Hindu new years day, they like to party just as much as we do on new years. Within a few hours, most of the parties involved had passed out where they were sitting, or in the middle of the conveniently empty streets. Micah and I then returned to our hotel, and passed out in our room, trying to ignore the din of horrible indonesian dance videos that the proprietors daughters seemed to play on repeat. The day continued to go on, and we had forgotten to stock up on food and water, so by the evening we were thirsty, hungry, and bored silly.
We played a lot of backgammon, actually that has been a common activity these days. We started keeping score once we got to Bali, and at this point I am up, something like 37 to 32 games. Like I said, we've been playing a lot. After the day of rest, we got out of town, and went to the near deserted resort town of Putumeran, and hung out there for a few days. When I got there, I realized I had left my knife in the hotel room in Singaraja, and had to drive there and back in a large rainstorm. Not particularly fun, but I really like that knife. From Putumeran, we drove to Medewi beach, which had a shacking left beach break, that I was tortured by watching, as I hurt my leg and couldn't go out. We had a good time swimming and hanging by the beach there, but left today, with the intention of going to another beach town. Unfortunately, on the way the back tire of my motorbike went flat, and we were told it would cost 50 dollars to replace, which was more than the entire cost of rental. Facing that, we decided I could limp back to Ubud, where we rented them, which we barely did. Thus concludes the motorized portion of our time in Bali, and now we are preparing to head to the Gili Islands, deserted though they may be. More dispatches from there, and keep California warm for me. All my best,
-Jack
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Bali Cruisin'
This is my first post in Bali, though we have been here about ten days, as internet is scarce and super slow. But here in Singaraja there is little to do, so blog ho! We spent the first few days in Ubud, in central Bali, which was very pretty, but a little bit touristy. Still cool though, and we went on an awesome hike through the jungle and rice paddies. Very cool landscape. We also visited the sacred monkey forest there, and got some quality simian time. Micah made one of them angry, but was able to outrun it. Some of the little ones were friendly, going as far as climbing onto our heads to look for bugs. None found, thankfully. We have since left Ubud, on rented motorbikes, and are now biking around the whole perimeter of Bali. It has been very interesting, and we have definitely seen the more authentic Bali. The driving has been challenging at times, as traffic laws are more like traffic suggestions, and the roads are often no more than 6 feet wide. Staying alert is the key. We stopped in East Bali, in Amed, to hang out on the beach, snorkel, and go fishing with some local fishermen. They then decided we were friends, and invited us to eat dinner with them. Very cool. Micah even went to a cockfight with one of them the next day, but I was asleep at the time. He loved it. We are now in North Bali, in the town of Singaraja, which is a bit hairy, sort of like Bali's mexico city. We did encounter Balinese Keith Richards though. Pretty funny. Tonight is Hindu new year's eve, and hopefully we will find some Ogoh-Ogoh, or giant evil spirit effigies, which they parade around then burn. Everyone loves an effigy, right? Tomorrow however, it is mandated that everyone stay inside and be quiet and not turn on any lights all day. Bummer. Especially since I finished my book, (Another Roadside Attraction, by Tom Robbins, Excellent) and could only find Indonesian language books here. After that, we head to a nice beachy kind of area in North Bali, called Permuteran, and from there, who knows. It is hot, humid, and overwhelming at times here, but overall the people are friendly and the scenery is beautiful. Stay well, my intrepid readers, and keep your internet eyes peeled for more dispatches from the tropics.
-Jack
-Jack
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