Selamat
Datang di Bali! (Welcome to Bali)
 The
smells of fragipani flowers, grilled satay chicken, and sweet clove
cigarettes were unmistakably familiar. We were in Bali. Along the
street, life was on display. Half naked children ran around with roosters
and cows, their mothers carried large baskets of food on their heads,
the men lounged together on the bamboo "bales" or small
raised gazebos. Mangy dogs searched for rubbish along the front of
dilapidated buildings and doorless sundries shops. Palm trees and
bamboo stalks fought for space among the grassy fields and hills all
around. At Geger Beach, local men chatted in the shade of a bale,
waiting for surfers to charter their small boats to be taken to the
waves at the reef, 500 meters off shore. On the sand, older women
teamed up to give traditional Balinese massages to tourists laying
on wooden lounge chairs under white umbrellas. Their strong hands
moved fluidly and lovingly, like a mother's touch while they occasionally
chattered to each other in their singsong language. Their younger
counterparts, beautiful girls with the infamous huge, white Balinese
smile sold colorful sarongs. A never ending smile, a friendly hello
from all, easy conversation, honest touches of affection given to
strangers...this is the beauty of the Balinese people.
 The
Intercontinental Resort
We had been to Bali before, and recognized all these wonderful things.
But this time, Bali had something new in store for us ... luxury.
As soon as we pulled up to the front of the resort, we forgot everything
from the streets we had just driven through. Five giant statues
and no less than five smiling Balinese welcomed us to a paradise
retreat. In the doorless and windowless lobby, we sat on plush couches,
refreshed ourselves with wet towels and savored some tropical juice
while filling out our check-in form. We were at the Intercontinental
Resort Bali. For five nights we were treated to five-star
service. We had a gourmet breakfast buffet, Bintang beers and crisp
pizza by the pool, spicy Indonesian food and live music for dinner,
scones and tea in the Club Intercontinental elite lounge, tropical
cocktails by the beach, skilled massages at the spa, and room service
in our deluxe room with king-sized bed and balcony overlooking the
gardens. It was a huge change from our tiny living conditions in
Japan, and we felt like overnight royalty. But even at such a luxurious
place, the Balinese spirit was all around. The atmosphere was relaxed,
not stuffy, and we easily made friends with the airport driver,
Bagus, the lifeguard, Wayan, and our numerous barmen and waiters.
The Assistant Public Relations Manager, Dewi, set it all up for
us, and we enjoyed meeting her several times during the week. From
the welcome bottle of Penfold's Aussie wine to the complimentary
massage, we were well taken care of. Thanks to Dewi and the Intercontinental
Resort Bali for being a major sponsor of explorenow.net!
Wedding
in Bali
Another exciting treat we had this time in Bali was the chance to
attend a cliffside sunset wedding. Our good Japanese friends, Tomoya
and Michiko are both avid surfers in Japan, so when they planned
their wedding, they chose the surfer's paradise of Bali. At a temple
overlooking the ocean around beautiful and spiritual Uluwatu,
friends had a very simple and romantic ceremony. Traditionally
dressed Balinese girls walked down the aisle, sprinkling a pathway
of flowers for the bride to follow. While a rain shower came down,
the Indonesian priest gave the service in Bahasa Indonesian, and
a Japanese woman repeated everything in Japanese. The small group
of 30 guests were part of the post ceremony photos, then the rain
cleared just in time for everyone to enjoy the pink and orange sunset.
After dinner with their family, the bride and groom joined the rest
of us at a private room in a nightclub for late night celebrations.
Congratulations Tomo and Mi-chan!
Travelers
Tips:
*In Taxis, always ask the driver to use the
meter. As of this writing, Nov. 2004, a 20 minute ride costs around
20,000 Rupiah (about US$2).
*Useful
phrases: Terima Kasih (thank you), Berapa (how much?), Mahal (expensive),
Bagus (excellent), Tolong Bir Satu (one beer please).
*When
bargaining in the street, offer a third to half of their starting
price and bargain from there.
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