relaxed bali

i decided last week, after weeks of indecision, to get away from KL for the holidays and go to a beach resort known for christmas bombings targeting bule (indonesian for matsalleh). december is just not turning out the way i would have planned. but, bali seems to be the trick to counter the past few weeks of unending work stress and of a looming holiday i wish to simply avoid. i feel better after a day here than i have in KL in two years. my image of indonesia was completely wrong, i am not sure if it’s the whole country, but this island is a gem that i hope to see a lot of.

landing in denpasar was an experience; water on both sides of the runway and landing over surfers riding waves was something you just don't see in KLIA. immigration was also and experience… well lets say its what i have expected to see in other parts of asia, and have been surprised when it was not. an hour long wait in a line of travel weary, and somewhat smelly, europeans. somehow the moods stayed upbeat, even while the single threaded queue stalled waiting for the pleasant drones to process and stamp the USD 10 “visa on arrival” that every passenger seemed to need. the process took three booths, one to pay, one to give visa, one to stamp visa. my ipod with “bowling for soup” and “r. l. burnside” got me though it.

the roads in bali are a mix of vietnam and india. motos create their own lanes on the littered highway; weaving between cars slowly passing rice paddies, with workers trying to squeeze out a crop. the interesting thing is that the roads also feel like the us. the shops on the side, the signs, the brands, the simple vibe of the people feels more like a summer resort in the us than anything i have ever felt in asia. renting a moto was the best choice i have made here. for the price of a round trip taxi from my hotel to kuta (34,000 rupiah or USD 3.60) i have complete freedom to get lost on my own.

my first full day here was spent mostly relaxing. i am on my 6th or so day of no hunger. i woke up this morning and stayed in bed, i had no need for food and no desire to get up to do much of anything. i was more than content to just stay there and ignore the rainy day outside. when i did finally get moving, i rented the moto and found that my sense of direction held together to get me back to the café i was in yesterday. coffee, baguette and a bit of lamb, and i was on my way back to the hotel for a massage. i had talked to two of the masseuse last night, one was working in the morning, the other at night. the first promised a harder massage, the second was less strong but said i might like her traditional massage also.

the first 90 minute massage was so nice, that i scheduled the second massage as 2 hours. i never have massage this much, or for so long. the second massage was not something i would have missed. the traditional massage was nice, very gentle and slow. while the moments were slowly slipping by, pushed forward by the sublime oiled hands on my skin, it began to rain. the light drops of the day were replaced by a down pour with lightening and crashing waves heard from the beach. the dark massage room, over looking the beach side pool, was a secluded location to watch drops splash into the water with explosive plops. the sounds were a mix of the storm, waves and music from pool side bar playing reggae and light rock for a few patrons staying out of the warm rain.

the massage ended with a ginger tea and a look at the calendar for the rest of my stay. i will not go every day, but at 300,000 rupiah (USD 32) for a two hour massage how can i not consider another visit. the fact that the masseuse is a beautiful woman who happens to have hands of sensuality is a bonus that i will not pass up.

bali is a place to relax. the surf shops, bungee jumping, white water rafting, shopping, scuba diving and all the other pleasures of a beach resort will simply need to wait. tomorrow looks to be another slow day. i bought a road map on one of my moto trips today, now i can find anything and go anywhere. i just need to decide what it is that i want to do. simply being in this wonderful town, meeting people, enjoying kari ayam or babi guling if i want to, having a drink and listening to the waves may be the only plans that i have for tomorrow.

no stress, i am relaxing in bali.