Christmas in Balian

This Christmas day will have to go down as the most unusual in my life. My Australian friend, Phil and I headed out to his friends small hotel in Balian on the west coast of Bali. I wanted to go there for the Christmas party, but also got some of the best waves of my trip at the river mouth at the Balian River. Balian means "river of healing" and that is exactly what it did for me, as I caught some of the fastest right handers of the trip. It was a short walk over the river in very cold water running down from the mountain range in the distance and once I reached the other side (about 50 yards across) I paddled out to a beautiful right, with only myself, 2 guys from Western Australia (WA) and one local. There is a big left hand reef about 200 yards north of where we were surfing, but I liked the right since I am regular foot and it was fast has hell.

I surfed for approximately 3 hours and then walked back up the hill to the hotel and jumped into the pool to rinse off. Phil and Michael, the owner of the hotel were pool side chatting and I joined them for a chat about the festivities of the night before.

Michael has just built this small hotel and invited all the locals that helped him build this place. They slaughtered a suckling pig right beside the pool and cooked it for the party. There was also western world fare, such as chicken, turkey, veggies, etc, but the little pig was slaughtered, cooked and was also on the table with everything else. Later that night, Christmas night we were entertained by traditional Balinese music with music instruments made from bamboo, reeds and leather. There was also 2 traditional Balinese dancers and as the evening grew on, and the locals got their fill of Arak, a local alcohol drink similar to a rum moonshine and became wild and crazy with the Arak Attack.....

Bali continues to grow on me, and it would really be great to return someday with my daughters, Kelly and Caroline. They would love the place as it is full of smiles and the magic of Bali. It has taken me a month to really get this place wired and I have approximately 23 days left to be here and hope to travel after the first of the year to several islands off the coast. There is an Australian girl and her friend from Jacksonville, Florida who own another small hotel on the island of Nusa Ceningan which I plan to visit after the first of the year. There is a wave right in front of the hotel, and I hope its on while I am there. You have to take a ferry over and it takes about an hour to get to the island.

Anyway, boys and girls I am still alive and well on the other side of the earth and wish you all a Happy and Prosperous New Year for 2010.

More later...check out the pics of Balian.

Robert

A Day at Pantai Padang Padang

Hello America and the Ships at Sea....

The adventure continues and the "dream never dies". I think MLK said that, but he most likely never saw the poverty and lack of dreams of the people of Indonesia. I have become somewhat philosophical while here and must tell you that we, as Americans have no idea how the rest of the world lives. As Americans, we are extremely isolated whether we like it or not. Not only geographically, but intellectually as well. The rest of the world, and I have met Australians, Indonesians, Germans, Italians, British, Spanish, Brazilians, French and other peoples while here in Bali, but the least of which I have met are actually Americans. They just ain't here.

I rented a mini van a few weeks ago and hired a driver since the traffic is so crazy here and have gotten to know one of the most wonderful persons I have ever met. He truly.....as we say in America...."has my back". His name is Katut, which means he is the fourth child born to his mother, but his nickname is "Kaput", which is German for finished or damaged as he says. Kaput is the most quiet, kind and loyal individual I have met here and he will drive me around 24x7 if I ask him to, but I really only have him drive for me 5 days a week and pay him hansomely given Balinese wages. Actually, I have paid the rent on his house for the next year, which is approximately $250.00 USD. His house is a one room hut on the top of a dusty hill in which he lives with his wife, his 20 month old son, his mother and sister. When it rains here, it floods his house, yet he has absolutely no complaints. He is happy just to put food in his family's mouths. What a guy. Another thing, I have asked him and others like him about their dreams and aspirations (which we take for granted in the US) and he truly looks only to survive another day, smiling all the while.

As surfers, we all have heard about the point breaks of Uluwatu and Padang Padang. I spent the day at the beach (pantai) at Padang Padang the other day and got some great photos, but this is the flat season in Bali, and have only managed to get a few waves in at this point. There are waves of some sort everyday, but you have to have local knowledge, which I am slowly gaining.

One of the other things that amazes me about these happy people in Bali is how life is a struggle for everyone here. The electricity goes off almost every day, and if you do not have a generator, your food spoils in the refrig. Anyway, so much for the doom and gloom. I will finish with some great photos of Padang Padang.....Enjoy!! and Merry Christmas one and all.

The Road to Mt. Agung Bali (Volcano)

Hello All,

Just took a trip up to Mt. Agung and Lake Batur in central Bali. My guide was a girl named Santi and her cousin. Santi is an extremely talented artist and owns salons and jewelry stores here in Bali. She is also considered to be the number one Balinese traditional dancer.

I have a car and driver and he (Katut) he took us on this adventure up to Lake Batur and we all stopped along the way, had lunch (several times) and took pictures. The volcano is smoking just a little right now and hasn't erupted in 10 years.

Spending alot of time just hangin down at Nusa Dua beach and have included a few more pics from there and the temple on the point. This is a very holy place for Hindu Balinese, but also one of the best point breaks on the island. I have yet to see this place under 4 feet, but the wind gets on it pretty early some days, and there is always a current you have to paddle against constantly.

Bali continues to amaze me in its contrast, but its safe to say this is one of the garden spots on planet earth. Hope you guys enjoy the photos.

Later....Robert

Paradise Found in Bali Photos

Paradise Found in Bali

Hello All,

Two days ago I made a trip out to the western side of Bali to the tropical pasture lands of Medewi and Balian. This is "Paradise Found". This is what I thought Bali was really like and I would advise anyone coming here to go and stay here. The trip from my hotel in the Bukit was about three to three and one half hours through many villages and towns in central Bali, but once we got past the Tabanan region, the land became super lush and pastures running down by many rivers to the ocean. When I first saw this region, I knew I was finally home in Bali, not to mention the super friendly people and great waves.

The local surfer boys at Medewi took this old man under their wings and we surfed the point at Medewi and at night they grilled fish right from the fishing boats near by at their surf shack called Rock Surf Shop. I hope you enjoy the pictures of this place, as this is truly a place to remember. The "Medewi Boys" also took me to a local "football", soccer championship, and these people are so poor they can hardly afford the soccer ball. It was a real scream, by the ocean, with a local MC on a PA system making jokes during the game, with little kids and their parents screaming at the top of their lungs, each time the ball was kicked, much less when someone scored a goal. Fittingly, the score was tied at 2 to 2 at the end of the game and everyone went off as friends. One of the most memorable times of my life, but unfortunately I did not have my camera, since it was so unexpected for my new friend "Rockman" to take me there.

The spirit and friendlyness of the Balinese people continue to amaze me, as they seem to have "no worries". I also got a wonderful massage right on the beach that night as my muscles were worn out after a long day of riding the point at Medewi.

Thats all for now and I hope you enjoy the photos.

Robert

Bali: An Island of Contrast

Hello All,

Bali is a beautiful island of extreme contrast. Happy beautiful people and trashy streets, scenic quiet beaches and wild and crazy night life, extremely rich people and some of the poorest people I have ever seen in the world. For all its beauty, Bali is continuing to struggle with the education of its people about the maintenance of its enviornment. The traffic is a nightmare with millions of motorbikes darting in and out of lanes and large construction trucks slowly rolling up its mountain roads.

Tourist of all nationalities are here, but mostly Australian, European, and Japanese. Americans are somewhat of a rarity, and most of the friends I have met have either been from Australia, Tazmania or England.

I have been adopted by a very great group of people headed up by a native Balinese man of 38 years old who owns 8 homes here, is quite rich and owns the hotel I am staying in on the Bukit end of the island. His name is Putu and is one of the most powerful men on this island not only in wealth, but also politics. He heads up the PPPI party in Indonesia, and I have no doubt Putu will be president of Indonesia at some point in his life. Once again the contrast comes out as he is truly a great partier and lover of life and has a totally seperate identity when it comes to the political realm. He is constantly on Indonesian national television and is trying to help the children of this island learn how to clean up all its trash.

Putu, myself, Piran (Indo/English) and Lance from Tazmania have created a bond that Putu named the "Kuk Club" which loosely translates to a group of people who have fun while making money. Putu has 8 homes on this island and his family owns a valley near the enclave of Ubud that is leased to the Amandari Hotel chain here in Asia. The Amandari is a 5 star hotel where the likes of Mick Jagger, Ralph Lauren and the late John Kennedy, Jr. stays. In fact, when Putu was younger, he was the personal driver of all three of these people and has the personal cell phone numbers of both Ralph and Mick. Needless to say, Putu is one of the most fun and interesting characters I have ever met.

I have included some pictures of the "Kuk Club" members, the Amandari Hotel and several things I hope you will find of interest.

The surf here is absolutely fantastic, and its the low season. The real waves hit here from May to September. I have surfed nothing but reefs at this point, and its a minimum paddle of a half hour to get to these reefs off the coast. Sometime we hire a boat to take us out, but mostly we paddle in order to stay in shape.

Hope everyone is well and looking to a wonderful Christmas season. I will try and stay in touch, but mostly I am here to surf and travel. Mount Agung, the largest volcano in Indonesia is smoking now after 10 years and I have included a picture of this magnificant mountain.

Love to all.

Robert Parker

Another Day in Paradise

Bali continues to intoxicate me the longer I am here. I have only gotten a few waves to date, but getting to know the people, who are some of the sweetest people on earth. They can't do enough for you and many of the women are very beautiful and laughter seems to be a national pastime.

The cost here is ridiculous. A full hour massage is $7.50 USD and I am paying $25.00 per day for a beautiful garden hotel suite with marble floors and a view of the bay and mountains.

We are headed to the volcano tomorrow and a tour of the island over the weekend. The volcano is smoking again after over 10 years. We have a driver and very modern van with video, etc from my friend Putu who is one of the top government officials in Bali and one of the most fun people I have ever met. Will speak more about him and show videos and pictures of him at his private kareoke bar soon.

Surf is flat right now, so going off to the mountains and the American enclave of Ubud.

More later guys.....stay warm in America.

Bali in One Piece

Hello You Guys...

Bali is more than wonderful, its like being on another planet and not being able to speak the language has not become a problem, since I have met many surfing friends, Australian and British that know it well. Have surfed Dreamland on the Bukit Peninsula and Surang (Turtle Island).

The traffic here is really crazy and its a survival sport that should be turned into a video game with points for surviving each day. Have found a driver and he makes things alot better. I am hanging at the Grand Bukit Inn, a beautiful Balinese garden hotel with a fantastic room overlooking the ocean, bay and mountain range.

Have yet taken the time to learn how to post pics and video, but hope to get this done soon and you will see and absolutely beautiful island of loving people and fantastic vistas.

Will post more later when I am not running around enjoying the scenery so much.

Have a wonderful life....

Lift Off to Bali

Tomorrow, November 17, 2009 I will be on my way to the southern Indonesian island of Bali. For years I have wanted to return to this part of the world, as I once lived in Thailand in 1970.

There are many reasons for going to Bali, but most especially is to return to a place with warm water, great waves and beautiful people to go surfing and live the life of an Oceanautic Adventurer.

I will be hanging out with my friend of 41 years, Mick Malone and his Balinese wife and child, Imme and Alexa. Mick and I have surfed many places in the world together and it will be great to see him again and rekindle the friendship and surfing.

My flight will leave Wilmington, go to Atlanta, then on to Los Angeles, Hong Kong and into Denpasar, Bali.

My friends.......I will continue this blog as a way to stay in touch with you and let you know how it all turns out. I hope you will find the future blogs and information interesting and fun to read.

Aloha for now.....

Robert Parker
Oceanautic Adventures