Souly Positive

I was so excited to get to Bali…serene, beautiful, warm beaches. My anticipation was palpable. Well I made and it’s warm, but folks it ain’t like the movies;) So I arrived early in the morning, since I can’t really sleep on planes that means that I had about 2 hours sleep total…so keep that in mind while reading. I was a little cranky:( I dropped off my bags at the hotel and went for a long stroll excited to see the beach. My stroll ended up being over 6 miles round trip and that didn’t count the short lift on a scooter…I am an expert at getting lost. Hey, everybody has to be good at something:)

The streets were lined with shops and people wanting to sell you something, the narrow roads were packed with cars honking and scooters whizzing by. By the time I find the beach, it’s hot and loud, but still, I’m excited. I’m on a beach in Bali for God’s sake! I see the water and run down only to find the beach covered in trash. Not just a little trash but tons of trash. Honestly it made me want to cry. I admit my first thought was, what is wrong with these people? Then I learned that this is a recurring phenomenon every year at this time. Because it’s the rainy season the waters change directions and bring in all the trash from Jakarta and other places along the Java Sea. I don’t know how many of you can remember the commercials in the late 60’s or early 70’s with that Native American Indian looking at the trash on the road side and a tear rolling down his cheek. Well, I felt his pain. I have never been an over the top environmentalist but, OH MY GOD…people, we have to start taking care of our planet. The poor Balinese were doing their best to clean up the trash but honestly you couldn’t even go in the ocean without being constantly hit by plastic bags etc. So sad…

Day two in Bali proved better. Found the beach that was literally only a short distance from my hotel…the first day I had headed in the wrong direction, but got lots’s of walking in:) It was a little cleaner because it was close to nice hotels. There were lots of people trying to sell me stuff and I kept saying no…finally I acquiesced to Kim (yes, the women pick english names and wear them across their hats) I let Kim pluck my eyebrows…yes I know it’s weird but I was looking pretty awful. We agreed on a price and the next thing I know I have three ladies working on me and of course at the end they all expected money too. I said no…yeah, I’m getting tough…kind of. So, they hang out because it’s the slow season and we chat. I say chatted because I really want to connect with people here on a real level but all I am to them is a dollar sign. I get it, they need money…what I’m spending in a year traveling could probably support them for half a lifetime. So that is a reality I have to deal with and so do they…I can’t save the whole world and they can’t help but want my money. Tough choices:( Hours later though we managed to strike up some kind of friendship. One guy hanging out with us, Made (his name, pronounced ma day), selling temporary tattoo’s asked what I was doing the next day and I told him going to Ubud to see the monkey’s at the temple. He offered to take me on a scooter for what amounted to about $45.00 US and give me a tour of Bali for the day. Later I was told I could have probably gotten that same deal for $30…but I mean really…it took his whole day up. Made and I struck a deal and I told him I would buy him a beer…of course Kim wanted one too, so I agreed. Come to find out the women don’t drink beer it’s too expensive and they don’t like it…instead she received a soda in a green bottle (looking like our beer) along with the change from my 3 beers to cover the difference between the soda and beer. Does it say stupid on my forehead…you bet! Later the other ladies came and wanted me to buy them a beer. I told them to let Kim buy it with my change she received:) They all just smiled and we chatted for another hour…life is funny.

Made picked me up the next day on a scooter. Interesting side note. He told me in Bali everyone goes by 4 different names according to birth order. He was second born, so he was called Made. First born is Wayan, third is Nayoman and fourth born is Ketut. I said but what do they call you and he said Made…he had another name too but went by Made. This was true whether you were male or female…can you imagine every 4th person having the same name? I still don’t get it:) So, I rode all day on the scooter…fun, but hurt my a$$:) We went to see the monkey’s first in Ubud…loved:) Then the volcano where we got drenched in rain and then a temple and a few small errands that I needed to get done. By the time we got back to town we were both dry. It was crazy.

Now I’m on Gili Meno for 3 days. A little grueling to get here and taxing with the bargaining and lies:(….but oh yeah, it’s a little slice of heaven. It is absolutely gorgeous here. The water is a beautiful blue just like in Fiji and best of all…NO TRASH! The Gili’s are three little islands off of Bali near Lombak island. Gili Meno is the quiet, small, boring one:) And yes….I love it! No vehicles and you can walk around the whole island in a couple of hours:) I’m staying in one of those quaint outdoor beds with the mosquito netting draped all around it…so romantic…Robert where are you??? Oh yeah, at home taking care of life and don’t think I don’t love and adore you for that and a million other things:)

At the end of the day all is well in Bali…I’m trying not to judge it too harshly because it really is bad timing on my part…also another one of my seemingly specialties:) and at the end, Gili Meno was gorgeous and incredible just like I imagined Bali but it’s Gili Meno:)…so now, on to Cambodia, trying to learn to lower my expectations, stay grateful for this incredible opportunity and keep in mind that this is my once in a lifetime shot:)

From Bali…Be kind to mother earth…we may all have many lives (or not:) but I think she may only have this one…let’s take care of her:)