Yau Ma Tei

Stan wanted to go buy some kitchen equipment so I agreed to follow him to Yau Ma Tei.  There's an area around Shanghai street that is famous for its stores full of kitchen equipment for both commercial and home kitchens.  We walked around for a few hours and found what we needed and other stuff that we definitely didn't need.  I found for myself a large cast iron grill, something I had always wanted.

As we walked around Yau Ma Tei, we were both a bit surprised by how quiet it was.  The protests in Hong Kong had been going on for months now, and the impact on the streets was very obvious.  Areas that should have been bustling and busy were deserted.  It felt at times like we were in the film "Inception", walking down an empty street.

Eventually we found an area that had a bit more life.  We walked into the Yau Ma Tei fruit and vegetable market to stock up on some supplies.  Produce was cheaper than normal and even though it was lively, it was still far less busy than it normally would be.

As it got later, we decided to get some dinner.  We weren't too far away from some of Yau Ma Tei's famous claypot rice restaurants.  The lines at these restaurants used to go around the block.  Now, the restaurants are half empty.  The loss of the mainland Chinese tourists has hit these restaurants hard.

We ate our fill of the fragrant rice.  Cooked slowly over coals, the top if fluffy and the bottom develops a crispy crust.  There's an almost roasted flavour to the rice that always goes well with the various meats and condiments you chose to top it.

I felt bad for the wait staff.  They seemed a bit sadder than normal.  I could only imagine the stress that they must be going through in this period with the potential loss of income and employment from these difficult times.

Kuta is gross

Bali is almost certainly the most visited location for Australians outside of Australia due to its cheap prices and close proximity to Australia.  As a result, it also has a reputation in Australia that swings wildly between positive and extremely negative.  Bali has become famous for tropical beauty, cheap prices, partying and easy access to a foreign culture.  Depending on the perspective, this could all be for good or bad.  To add to this confusion, the sheer number of Australians in Bali creates another point of enormous divergence as some love the ability to holiday overseas in more familiar surroundings, whereas other people see this as a scourge on this poor island.

For me, the trip to Bali had been extremely positive.  I had gone in with a bit of trepidation, worried about the rumours of what Bali was and what too many Australian tourists had done to the place.  I had heard stories about the terrible behaviour, the mistreatment of locals, the cultural insensitivity and the general destruction of what was once a pristine landscape.  Living in Australia, stories about disastrous trips to Bali involving injury, arrest or illness seemed to be a regular staple of the news.  All of this fear had been muted a bit since I had moved to Hong Kong though.  In Hong Kong, the attitude towards Bali is a bit different, as Bali is one of the premium flight destinations, whereas for Australians it is still very much a discount airline destination.

Thankfully, my trip had been nothing but positive.  The forests of Ubud were relaxing and made me feel embraced by nature.  The coastline out to the east of the island were untouched.  Jimbaran had offered us all one of the most beautiful sunset dinners I've ever had.  The cliffs in Ungasan were truly spectacular.  Renee and I had been lucky.

We were approaching the end of our trip and Renee wanted to do some shopping.  We asked the concierge at our hotel about where the best locations for some markets.  She considered and then suggested that we go into Kuta as there were some larger markets there.

Kuta has a very interesting reputation for Australians.  It was probably the "first" place in Bali that was discovered by Australians and the entire of Bali's tourism structure probably grew from the locals servicing the needs of those early surfers on Kuta beach.  These days, Kuta is known for being the centre of "bogan" Australia and is meant to concentrate the worst of all tourism that arrives in Bali.  Renee and I got a cab and headed off towards Kuta which is only slightly north of where we were staying in Jimbaran.  From the moment we stepped out of the cab, I knew we had entered into somewhere uniquely disturbing.  I could hear the sound of AC/DC blaring, but I was confused because the sound was moving.  It was "approaching" us.  I couldn't work out what was happening until I saw a strange flatbed truck drive past.  It was a portable bar that had a large group of what I'm assuming were Australian tourists drinking, screaming and punching the air, all the while the AC/DC screamed out into the surroundings.  I later read that this used to be a "cycling" bar where the bar would only move if everyone pedalled ... but since no one was capable of pedalling, they shifted it onto the truck.  No one around us seemed to flinch or respond at all, so I assumed that this awful sight was a regular attraction in the area.

We kept walking through different parts of Kuta.  We found the large markets as promised, and they were filled with all the usual trash and nicknacks you would expect at these types of tourist market.  I looked at all the Bintang beer singlets and wondered who would actually pay money for these.  I suddenly had a wave of images in my brain of all the times back in Australia that I had seen people wearing the singlets and realised.... oh, that's who buys these.  We walked past a few people who were desperately haggling over what would have been less than $1 back in Australia.  I'm in two minds these days about this sort of bargaining and haggling.  On the one hand, there's always the principle of ensuring you get a fair deal, but then there's also a point at which it seems to be verging on some sort of a game, where the need to "win" the bargaining duel is necessary for a story to be told back home.  For the price of a story, the poor local is deprived of much needed money that would go to supporting their family.  I've now generally settled on the idea that bargaining should still always be conducted for the principle, but that there is still a limit on how far to go.  Thankfully, there were places with some nice dresses and handbags that Renee was looking for, so it wasn't a total waste.

We walked closer to the beach and all along the water.  Under the shade of the trees, there were thousands of tourists.  They were all seated on various types of plastic chairs and being brought countless beers and drinks in buckets and tubs.  Children were running around screaming and there was rubbish everywhere.  This was it.  This was the centre of the rumours and stories I had heard about Bali.  It's been a while since I have been truly shocked, but this did it for me.  I found the combination of the loud music and intense drinking on this otherwise beautiful beach to be a strange sight.  Were it not for all of these tourists and the binge drinking, this really would be an incredible beach.  I looked up and down the beach and even now, I could see the beauty and the consistent sets of waves.  The surfers who discovered this place must have truly thought they had discovered a paradise.

Most of that paradise now seemed to be gone.

As we walked further back and away from the beach, there were dirty shops and streets.  Fast food franchises and bars dominated the area.  To me, the whole area was an example of the worst parts of cheap Western tourism.  It may have brought more money into the region, but the cost seemed to have been the loss of the positive things which brought the first tourists to begin with. 

Recovery day

The wedding had been great fun.  The location had been stunning and bride and groom looked great.  The next day, they had arranged a recovery day for everyone back at the villa.  They set up an incredible lunch and relaxation session for everyone on the grounds which rivalled the events of the evening before.  I think I actually liked the food at the lunch even more than the food at the reception!

We had been told it was going to be more of a pool and lounging day, so Renee and I arrived dressed for that occasion.  I dressed like a homeless person who lived on the beach.  Renee decided to simplify for the pool and came in a bikini and a sheer wrap.  When we arrived, we had clearly gotten the message wrong as everyone was far more dressed up.  Renee didn't seem to mind and she turned heads as she strode past everyone at the tables and straight towards the most comfortable beanbags set out on the lawn overlooking the ocean.

I grabbed some food and drink before making my way over to Renee.  The lawns were well manicured and it was a nice sensation to be able to walk on it barefooted.  It's something that you don't think too much about living in Hong Kong.  You don't have access to that many lawns, and certainly not lawns like this.  It's not that you miss it as such, but it's something you notice when you are around it again.  Standing here in the tropics, next to the ocean, the feeling of the grass under the feet felt slightly incongruous.

It was hard not to have a good time.  Everyone was relaxed and happy to be together.  The wedding had been incredibly fun, but this was now an opportunity for everyone to socialise without the formalities surrounding the wedding.  The suits were gone and everyone was free to lay down, talk, eat and drink.  On top of that, the bride and groom were both able to now enjoy themselves as well.

After a little while, Ed and I were feeling a bit restless, so we decided to go down to the beach to try and swim.  When we got there, we found it full of people lounged around on beanbags, but no one was swimming.  We ran out into the water and then realised that with the tide out, the water was at knee height going out far into the distance.... we tried our best to swim out a little bit and then realised that almost all of the ocean floor was teaming with spiny urchins.  We did our best to avoid them as we swum in this shallow water before giving up and returning to the comforts of the villa.

Tropical wedding

The day of the wedding had arrived.  Renee and I got dressed up and headed down to the Ungasan Clifftop nice and early.  I had read a lot about how bad the traffic could be in Bali and I had experienced it first hand when I nearly missed my flight the last time I had been here.  Even on this trip, the traffic we had seen on our first day up to Ubud made us both nervous about being late.  So rather than risk it, we decided to go extra early.  This decision of course meant that there was absolutely no traffic at all and we arrived we ahead of schedule.  We walked around the wedding location, took some photos, and then with nothing else to do Renee played with her phone whilst I got a coffee.

Other guests started to arrive and so we all moved to the lawn which had been set up for the wedding ceremony.  It overlooked the water, the bridal arch looking small with the background of blue stretching towards the horizon and the sky.  The colours of the place seemed a world away from a traditional church and seemed to give everything a life that a wedding should have.

All the guests seated themselves and soon the music began.  The bridal party all entered and smiles were on the faces of everyone.   A close family friend of Alan presided over the wedding and gave the ceremony the formalities required in this casual setting.  The strong breeze which had been blowing calmed slightly for the ceremony itself, and so the bride's veil gentle floated in the air as if that had always been its purpose.  It was a happy affair and the smiles on the faces of the bride and groom beamed towards us all.

After the ceremony, there was some time for all of us to socialise before the reception.  Some decided to relax with a drink, some played games on the lawn, and others decided to look out into the distance from the clifftops.

It did feel like we were living a charmed existence out of a modern fairytale.  Everything looked a little bit too perfect.  Everyone dressed up in their formal attire, walking with glass in hand around the manicured gardens and lawns of the villas.  The blue ocean framed the entire vision we were experiencing.

As the sun set, we made our way to tables which had been set for our dinner.  The winds were a bit stronger than expected and so the tables were moved slightly in from the cliff side.  It wasn't a noticeable difference and it opened up more space on the side for people to dance later.  The bride and groom came in to rapturous applause.  The drinks flowed and the speeches were made.  People didn't seem to pay too much attention to their food and were soon mingling amongst the tables and laughing. 

Soon, no one was seated at their own seat anymore.  It was a truly happy time and as the music started to get louder, more and more people moved towards the dance floor.  It all continued into the early hours of the morning.

Dinner on the beach

After our grand tour around Uluwatu, Renee and I went back to the hotel.  We had arranged to catch up with everyone for dinner on Jimbaran beach.  We had been told that dinner on this beach was one of the "highlights" of any trip to Bali.  It helped that our hotel was right next door to it.  We arrived early to get the table we booked and we arranged it lengthwise to ensure that everyone would get a nice view.  I didn't want anyone with their back towards the sun and the water!  The reviews of the beach were on point.  We sat and watched the sun slowly set over the ocean as everyone started to arrive for dinner.

Everyone's gaze was transfixed on the horizon as the sun slowly made its way down over the water.  The haze in the air was helpful in this instance, as it shielded everyone from the most intense glare of the sun and provided a glow across the sky.  As the sun fell further, the shallow waters along the beach captured the last of the light and sent a pillar of fire towards us along the sands.  It was a lovely image and everyone jumped up to take photos.

Once the sun had fully set, the scene of the beach changed dramatically.  Candles were lit on each of the tables, and the entire length of the beach was filled with the warm glow of their lights.  Dozens of these tables stretched out into the distance, each with their lights shining out in the darkened sky.  It was an exceptionally beautiful scene.

We moved onto ordering food.  We were on the beach, so we would have a seafood dinner.  Jess did the ordering and we had plate after plate arrive on the table.  Everything was as fresh as you would expect and was barbecued for us at the other end of the beach.   It was hard not to be contented.  It isn't too often you are able to gather such a large group of friends in a foreign country and we were making the most of it.  I stood back to look at the scene and I looked towards my friends who had arranged themselves in what appeared to be a Biblical like scene along the length of the table.

After we had finished eating, we moved back to the rooftop of the hotel for more drinks.  We looked out across the beach from our improved view and saw all of the lights dotted across the distance, each representing a table full of happy diners.

Uluwatu

I had really enjoyed my time in the forests of Ubud.  I felt refreshed from the seclusion and the intense greenery of the jungles made me forget about the outside world.

That part of the trip was done now.  We were heading south towards Uluwatu.  The wedding we were attending would be on the cliff tops in the south, so it made more sense to move a bit closer for the second half of our holiday.  On our way there, we decided to include some sightseeing of Uluwatu.

We went straight down to the far southern end of the island.  There we stood and looked out on the cliffs towards the ocean.  The landscape around us was far drier than what we had experienced in Ubud.  It was a harsher environment, but still beautiful in its own way.

Whereas up north, everything felt a bit more intimate and enclosed with the dense forests, here I felt the open expanses.  Looking out towards the ocean, the strong winds coming in from the ocean was incredibly refreshing.

Renee enjoyed the walk and she seemed to suffer under the heat of the sun far less than me.

After walking around the cliffs for an hour or so (and seeing more monkeys), we jumped back in the car and went to the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park.  This park is in the middle of Uluwatu and it contains some enormous statues that almost all tourists to Bali will see at some point.  The largest of the statues is almost impossible to miss and it stands taller than anything in Uluwatu by some distance.  In fact, as you come in to land, if you're seated face the correct side you'll see the enormous statue rising out of the ground.  It dominates the landscape and it is un-missable.

This history and legends behind this figure and scene are lost to me.  To the Balinese, the combination of Vishnu and Garuda seemed to be deeply entrenched in their culture.  We walked from the carpark into this enormous area that had been set aside for the statue.  The closer we got, the larger it seemed.  It was quite amazing just how much it dominated the entire skyline of the Southern part of Bali.   

The whole park had been set up in grand fashion, with large open vistas and big areas that seemed perfect for large crowds to gather.  It felt almost like the courtyard of a Mesoamerican palace or city.  With the roughly hewn stone walls everywhere, it created this sense of history that wasn't actually there given this was all a relatively new development. 

It all felt very different to Ubud.  We had gone from the dense and lush jungles to far more open and sweeping views.  This was a different experience, but it seemed to add to the allure and appeal of this strange and incredible island.

Monkeys

There's a large sanctuary in Ubud dedicated to monkeys.  It's even in the name, the "Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary".  Renee and I went in to have a look and it was surprising how "Australian" everything looked.  From the welcome centre, to the paths, all the way through the signage, the whole place looked like it belonged in Australia.  More than likely this place had been built by Australians, or at the very least with the assistance of Australian designers.

Further into the sanctuary, things started to become less Australian and more Balinese.  There are several temples in the sanctuary and some lovely bridges which reach high above the river below.  The sanctuary was incredibly busy with tourists and visitors to the extent that it was outright crowded in certain areas.  The wooden walkways were well made, but even they seemed to creak under the sheer volume of people.

As beautiful as the surroundings were, the main attraction of this sanctuary were the monkeys.  So many monkeys.  There were hundreds of them running around everywhere and the comfortable surroundings, abundance of food and safety made them inquisitive and cheeky towards their human visitors.

Renee started the visit slightly terrified of all the monkeys, but she very slowly warmed to them and was able to get a little bit closer for a photo.  She stood nervously near a relatively calm monkey as I took a picture, smiling like she was relaxed, before retreating once I was done.

As we explored the sanctuary, we came across a monkey perched on the top of a railing furiously masturbating.  Renee's eyes widened in shock and terror as she asked me what the monkey was doing.  I told her.  She screamed and dragged us away from this monkey and its monkey business.  We walked further inside the sanctuary amongst a large group of other tourists.  People gathered to watch some monkeys being fed by one of the keepers, when we heard a slight yell.  A monkey had crept onto the shoulder of an Australian lady and had carefully lifted her gold earring straight from her ear and then placed it straight into its mouth.  Everyone around the lady was in shock and started to frantically move around trying to convince the monkey to give up its newly acquired bounty. The monkey looked at everyone calmly, took the earring out of its mouth, inspected it, put it back in its mouth and then shuffled off.  The lady had a shocked smile on her face as she realised her earring was likely gone, but she now had an experience to last a lifetime.