Winter2019 - 3. First General Impressions of Bali

3.   First General Impressions of Bali

Driving on Bali is on the left, just like in India. While Indonesia has traffic rules, the only rule I can suggest that you follow is ‘go with the flow’ or don’t drive at all.

Heavy Traffic in 'Downtown' Ubud

Somehow traffic flows, cars move along.  Mopeds or bikes are the most plentiful. Expect the unexpected; anything is possible on the roads in Bali. Carol and I first thought of renting a scooter, but after we watched how hap-hazard the riding is, we took the easy way out; we rented a driver with a car when we needed one. We had our motorcycle helmets with us, for later use in NZ, but no, I felt safer not riding in Bali.

Exploring the Lane-ways

Mostly we saw our immediate neighborhood by exploring the back lanes on foot. Many people walk here so we were not unusual. Ubud even has some small sidewalks along busy roads, full of pot holes and tripping dangers, but using the trottoir (sidewalk or edge of the road), we were out of the traffic flow. I think it is always best to go on a discovery tour on foot anyhow.

Bali is a mostly Hindu-thinking Island. While Indonesia in general is mostly Muslim, Bali is over 93% Balinese Hinduism. A smattering of Christianity and Buddhism and Islam make up the difference. Balinese Hinduism is a combination of existing beliefs and Hindu influences from mainland Southeast Asia and South Asia. 

Making an Offering Outside Her Shop

Mentioning the religion gives you a better understanding of the culture that is so deeply rooted in Bali. I found myself walking about, looking at the activities around me, looking at the smiling faces, looking at how people work and how they look at life and I felt I was in a very exotic place.

Yes, I understand that people are people but they do things here that, for my Western mind, are very different. Examples were the offerings I saw everywhere. Offerings in all forms to their gods were displayed and I understood nothing.

We Don't Know the Meaning of This Very Tall Bamboo Pole - YET

What does a little rice on a green leaf mean? Why are there smoking sticks pushed into cracks on the sidewalk. Or flower arrangements sitting on woven mats in front of the door or on the curb right next to the street? There are tall, curved, bamboo poles in front of some houses, what do they mean?  Bali is an enigma. I told myself to find out as much as I could about their customs, but I will write more about that later in this blog.

Happy People

What stands out on first impression? The people or their way of living is what I noticed. While not totally poor, but not rich by any Western standards, everybody I ran into had a smile on their face. The people are lovely in Bali. And it is obvious that they are intelligent. The architecture alone, with all the detail used in their decorations, shows you a mind that is full of subtleties. I cannot rave about this enough; I was awed by being in a different world.

Even Statues Smile

A lot of the statues and god-like representations in their daily lives are known to me from travelling in India, but here in Bali it is not touristy, it is a solid part of their life, their belief system. 

Carol and I stayed at the Uma Sari Cottages by Gamma Hospitality in Ubud, a place I recommend highly. Should you want to visit here, make sure you pick the right Uma Sari. There are a few hotels by that name in Bali.

Echa (on the right) and Her Breakfast Helper

Go to this place, especially if Echa still works there. She is a diminutive woman who looks like a girl but wow, what a nice personality. Echa made our stay a pleasure. Her 
hospitality was outstanding. Naturally, she always smiled.

I had booked this Hotel for only 4 nights through Hotels.com in case we wanted to change after that time if we were not happy with my choice way back in Toronto. But no, after we saw how nice this place was, we negotiated a longer stay. 

Juice and Coffee to Start Breakfast

Originally, through Hotels.com, our nightly price was US $25 for the 2 of us. That included a good breakfast consisting of 2 slices of toast each, 2 eggs each, or pancakes with honey (very good), or cereal, plus fresh squeezed juice of your choice and/or fresh local fruit (papaya, pineapple, watermelon etc.), coffee and some small sides like cucumbers, tomatoes and/or salad leaves.  They called it a Continental Breakfast but that is a lose description worldwide. Let me say we had a very good breakfast, with plenty of refills if you wanted. 

Night View of Our Patio (Left) and the Pool

After the 4 original days we extended our stay for another 11 days but for a new, lower price of US $22 per night with an upgrade from the room we had. Instead of being upstairs facing the street, we were now next to the swimming pool a bit set back from the road. Yes, we had A/C and the pool was clean and our room was serviced every day. It was a lovely set up.

How can you go wrong paying US $22 for 2 people incl. breakfast?

All the prices in Bali were low in

Patio With Bamboo Furniture (including the Bed Inside)

comparison to other places we have visited. When a price of a million Rupiah was quoted for things, I had to remember that was just about $70 in US $.

So let’s look at some things we did on our days in Bali.

Lush Foliage at Uma Sari

Unimposing Entrance to Uma Sari