When I posted last, I was at the (amazing) Changi airport in Singapore awaiting my flight to Bali. The flight was pleasant enough and for the parts of it during which I was awake, I was content to listen to music and stare dumbly out the window. About midway through the flight, the schoolroom globe came to life as I saw the glorious deep-black ribbon of the equator unfurled under the flight path. It may have been an oil spill.
Upon arrival, I had a few hours to fill until my good acquaintance-bordering-on-friend Adam, with whom I was to spend the following four days, was due to arrive from Australia. I set about obtaining some local currency - Rupiah (a conveniently divisible 13,416 to the US dollar), chugging a rejuvenating bottle of Pocari Sweat ("Have you met the sweat yet?") and napping.
The Bali countryside is beautiful, and quite distinctive from elsewhere in southeast Asia. Initially I stayed inland, near the town of Ubud (apparently of 'Eat, Pray, Love' fame). We scootered around the countryside on the first day which was fun of itself, but also stopped at a Hindoo (sic) temple (Bali is a Hindoo holdout in mostly Muslim Indonesia) which was carved out of a rock face.
The following night, we set out at 2 am to climb Mt Batur, a still active volcano in the north of the island, in order to reach the summit in time for sunrise. The climb wasn't too strenuous and when I reached the top I stood, naked but for the clothes I wore, observing the horizon. I was transfixed by the rising sun still visible amidst the puffy clouds: my gaze was broken only by an occasional sideways glance to make sure that nobody was having a more meaningful experience than I was. We were also greeted by hot steam emerging from cracks in the crater, and hungry monkeys who were happy to pose for pictures for literally peanuts.
After four days I left Ubud and moved to Canggu, on the coast and subsequently to Padang Bai, in the northeast. I did enjoy myself swimming and enjoying the scenery of a different section of Bali, but unfortunately I've been feeling a bit under the weather most of the last few days. Maybe because of this or mabe because of missing Chanuka celebrations back home, as well as the fact that almost five months have elapsed since I left, but for the first time I found myself counting down time a bit. In the past, the lows, especially when caused by being unwell, have faded and been replaced quickly by new and positive experiences and I'm confident that this will again be the case, but I am looking forward to seeing some familiar faces and enjoying some home comforts soon.
I'm writing this post from Gili Air, one of a group of islands tautologically known as the Gili Islands, where I'll be until just after the new year. I'm beginning to feel a bit better and hopefully I'll be up for some diving, because there are meant to be some fantastic dive sites here.
2016 has certainly been an interesting one, on both global and personal levels, I look forward (slightly apprehensively) to seeing what the new year will bring.
Love David
Upon arrival, I had a few hours to fill until my good acquaintance-bordering-on-friend Adam, with whom I was to spend the following four days, was due to arrive from Australia. I set about obtaining some local currency - Rupiah (a conveniently divisible 13,416 to the US dollar), chugging a rejuvenating bottle of Pocari Sweat ("Have you met the sweat yet?") and napping.
The Bali countryside is beautiful, and quite distinctive from elsewhere in southeast Asia. Initially I stayed inland, near the town of Ubud (apparently of 'Eat, Pray, Love' fame). We scootered around the countryside on the first day which was fun of itself, but also stopped at a Hindoo (sic) temple (Bali is a Hindoo holdout in mostly Muslim Indonesia) which was carved out of a rock face.
The following night, we set out at 2 am to climb Mt Batur, a still active volcano in the north of the island, in order to reach the summit in time for sunrise. The climb wasn't too strenuous and when I reached the top I stood, naked but for the clothes I wore, observing the horizon. I was transfixed by the rising sun still visible amidst the puffy clouds: my gaze was broken only by an occasional sideways glance to make sure that nobody was having a more meaningful experience than I was. We were also greeted by hot steam emerging from cracks in the crater, and hungry monkeys who were happy to pose for pictures for literally peanuts.
After four days I left Ubud and moved to Canggu, on the coast and subsequently to Padang Bai, in the northeast. I did enjoy myself swimming and enjoying the scenery of a different section of Bali, but unfortunately I've been feeling a bit under the weather most of the last few days. Maybe because of this or mabe because of missing Chanuka celebrations back home, as well as the fact that almost five months have elapsed since I left, but for the first time I found myself counting down time a bit. In the past, the lows, especially when caused by being unwell, have faded and been replaced quickly by new and positive experiences and I'm confident that this will again be the case, but I am looking forward to seeing some familiar faces and enjoying some home comforts soon.
I'm writing this post from Gili Air, one of a group of islands tautologically known as the Gili Islands, where I'll be until just after the new year. I'm beginning to feel a bit better and hopefully I'll be up for some diving, because there are meant to be some fantastic dive sites here.
2016 has certainly been an interesting one, on both global and personal levels, I look forward (slightly apprehensively) to seeing what the new year will bring.
Love David
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| Temple near Ubud |
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| Sunrise at Mt Batur |
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| Feeding a monkey |
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| Tanah Lot temple near Canggu |
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