The excitement of Bali and also reuniting with my two University housemates after two years of absence- was so overpowering I couldn’t even sleep in the plane. I had had enough of leeches and insects and jungle, and couldn’t wait for some surfing, drinking, and whatever else you do in Bali. Little did I know of how much there actually is to see and do in Bali.
Marc and I arrived late at night and after being harrassed by several taxi drivers, we finally found our way to our pretty little guesthouse in Uluwatu in the south of Bali and immediately knocked out for the night. When we woke up the next morning we were stunned by the beauty that surrounded us. From our back balcony we had a view of a forest with a few typical Balinese roofs scattered around. From our front balcony a beautiful garden and pool in a sort of Greek style. I was already in love with Bali.
We rented a jeep and spent the day driving around the Southern part of Bali. If you thought people in Malta drive crazily, come to Bali. The roads are dominated by all the scooters that shoot past, either with foreigners carrying surfboards, or with local families squashed up onto one scooter (mum, dad and two kids), or driven by local kids no older than 13 going to and from school. I even stupidly managed to burn my leg against an exposed exhaust pipe when I was trying to sqeeze through some parked scooters. A part from all the scooters there are a good number of jeeps and cars also. As if the constant traffic weren’t enough, the scooters would overtake from either side of the car, sometimes even squeezing inbetween cars, and cross over from one lane to another without a care in the world. Oh, and the traffic lights might aswell be nonexistant because noone follows them anyway. Marc was driving most of the time and said he felt like he was playing some Super Mario game, dodging obstacles left, right and centre.
Besides our inital shock at the road chaos, we were amazed at how Uluwatu is literally all about surfing. All you see are surf shops, cafes with surf boards and tourists driving around on scooters with surfboards. Even our guesthouse had a room full of about 40 surfboards of guests or for rental. For breakfast the following day we went to the famous Uluwatu beach and realised why this area is all about the surfing. A cliff overlooking some massive surf and a beach that can only be reached by walking literally through a cave, this place was a haven for surf junkies. And definitely not a place for beginners.
In the afternoon we went up to the famous party area called Kuta to meet with my ex-Uni housemates Bex and Siobhan who were on a round the world trip. I hadn’t seen them in over 2 years so it was really great meeting up with them again. We spent the day chilling on Kuta beach, a massive stretch of golden sand full of tourists and surfers. Reminded me a bit of Golden Bay in Malta, except that the sea in Kuta was much more dirty.
The next 3 days were spent mostly in the Kuta region. We went out a couple of nights for some cocktails and dancing, spent a lot of time relaxing and swimming in Bex and Shiv’s hotel pool, ate a lot of good meals from the various restuarants around Kuta, went shopping and even went to the hairdresser so Shiv could get the side of her hair shaven off (and I spontaneously got some braides on one side too). We also visited Uluwatu temple, high up on a cliff, and watched some traditional Balinese dance which was actually quite weird and way too overcrowded with tourists so we left before it finished. On the final day, Shiv and I braved ourselves for a surfing lesson on the beach in Kuta. It was actually really fun, apart from all the water I swallowed and the various grazes I got from being unable to properly jump off the board. We both managed to stand up quite a few times and the guys teaching us made the hour even more fun by cheering us on.
Monday morning I bid my sad farewells to Bex and Shiv, promising that we would meet again before the end of the year, and I really hope we stick to those promises. Uluwatu and Kuta are surfing and partying meccas, and Marc and I were now ready to change the scene and indulge ourselves into the genuine Balinese culture which contrasts so blatantly with the culture in the south. So, we made our way to Ubud. If you have seen the film Eat, Pray, Love, you will understand why this place is so stunningly amazing and unique. But I will also explain soon 🙂
-Vanessa-
P.s. Have a look at my album of the trip here:
Marc and Van Explore 