Bali in the Rear View Mirror

I have chosen the title for this last and final post of my trip to Bali as "Bali in the Rear View Mirror" simply for the fact I have now arrived back in the states and have had some time to reflect on my adventure of 2 months there.

The people could have not been nicer. The sweetest, most helpful, kind and generous people I have met to date in my travels around the world. Balinese are the kind of people you want to live around. They obviously see Americans as a walking ATM machine, but they are upfront about their desires to provide you with products or services, and only once did I feel ripped off and we won't go into that.

Overall, I made some life long friends and I hope to help continue my support of my driver, Kaput and his family. I have included a picture of Kaput, his wife and kid, Tudey here for you to see a very humble and thankful Balinese family.

I already miss my life in Bali, as it was ideal and a lifestyle I hope to find again real soon. I truly believe I belong in a tropical environment somewhere in this world, and intend to find it, as cold weather is something I truly want to avoid for the rest of my life.

Looking back, it was a true struggle in the beginning to understand the Balinese pace of life and how all the pieces of this exotic "ying, yang" puzzle fit together in this strange yet wonderful land of green mountains, blackened volcanos and elevated rice terraces with azure oceans and "firelit" skys. But, once the "magic of Bali" took hold in my heart I was hooked forever and hope to return to its waves and people someday. These are the constants.

Hope you enjoy some of these random photos from Bali and keep a lookout for my next "Oceanautic Adventure". Rumor has it I could possibly be found somewhere south of the equator again in a place called Floranopolis......know where that is???

Surf4Ever...

Robert

Days in Lombongan and Ceningan Islands

Hello All...

As mentioned in one of my previous blogs, Indonesia is an archpelago of 17,000 islands. This is "Water World" revisited. Ocean abounds everywhere and you can not excape is power and beauty.

Recently, I took a three day trip over to Lembongan and Ceningan islands to visit an Australian friend I had met through my buddy Mick Malone. Jenny, a fun and delightful woman married to a Balinese local, Pak Wayan arranged for my passage over the Lombok Strait to Lombongan via the "Scoot". The Scoot being a 36' boat powered by 2, 200 HP Yamahas, took approximately a half hour to cross the channel of maybe ten miles. It was somewhat rough out there, but all passangers and crew managed to land safe and sound in Lembongan harbor as we cruised by The Bounty, an ocean going water park that is somewhere out of this world. Huge yellow yacht anchored to a huge waterslide out in the open ocean near the harbor and the surf spot, Playgrounds. Playgrounds is the tamest of three reefs near Lembongan harbor, the others being the world class right called "Lacerations" and "Ship Wrecks." Wonder where they came up with those names for those surfing reefs....huh???

When I arrived in Lembongan, Jenny had also arranged a local, named Made, named this since he is the second child born in his family to meet me with a rented motorbike with surfboard racks for my borrowed 9' Pearson Arrow surfboard. I was headed over to "Jenny's Place" on the left point wave on Ceningan island. The ride on the motorbike with board and backpack was really crazy, since I had never ridden one of these contraptions, especially with surfboard in tow. As I navigated the small hanging bridge over to Ceningan, I passed through a Balinese village of seaweed farmers. Temples everywhere, and everywhere a view of the emerald waters surrounding Ceningan island. Once arriving at Jenny's I knew I had found another surfing paradise, right in front of my room and view.

Small paths of some asphalt and rock greeted me and I only crashed the motorbike 3 times and felt very fortunate of have survived another ordeal in "third world travel."

Lembongan and Ceningan islands are only for the hardy traveler, but once there the accomodations are fantastic, and the waves are super. I highly recommend anyone visiting Bali to visit these beautiful outer islands.

Hope you all enjoy the photos.

Later...Robert