Bali Bali, Paradise Lost 
Bali, June 29, 2010
's been almost two weeks since our arrival in Bali, one of the most famous tourist resorts
the world. They call it paradise on earth and we are here to see if it is true or not.
The journey to "paradise" has been a real odyssey. From Singapore we flew to Jakarta, there are several international flights that arrive directly to Bali, but given the circumstances and especially the price of the ticket, it is agreed (in hindsight I do not know if the cost-effectiveness will have been worth or not) buy a ticket to Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. The idea was to take a train or a bus that would take us directly from the capital island.
Once at the airport to inform us on train times and we realize that the thing was a bit complicated. We had to change 2 trains and a bus and this would have been the next day because the trains in question only start in the morning. The other alternative was to take the bus. From
we go to the bus station in Jakarta. What little we've seen of this city there is enough to understand that it was not a city to spend a long time. The traffic was incredible, almost equal to that of Delhi or Bombay. Much less organized Kuala Lumpur and a thousand light years away from the cleaning of Singapore. Jakarta is one of the most populated capital of Asia and the lack of order and organization makes it even more chaotic.
Arriving at the bus station, there timetable information for Denpasar, the capital of Bali. After having thought of sleeping at night in the capital because most of the buses had already left, we can find a bus that leaves at 5 pm and would arrive in Bali at 2 am the next day, less than 33 hours travel, a real pain. The good thing is that the cost of the bus was only € 30, when air was of 120 €.
arrive in Denpasar is the second night of the day and take a taxi that would take us in the most touristic island, Kuta, mecca for lovers of big waves, surfers from around the world, most Australians.
Kuta has a long coastline and cross streets full of hotels of all categories, shops, restaurants, nightclubs, bars with live music, giant screens, people, drunk or not, the street at 2 am, not easy to see all the Asian cities that sort of thing.
We were in the capital of seaside tourism Asia, Benidorm Rimini Italian or English.
reviews are not advancing, it was only 3 am and we were just arrived, we would have held the post of day to understand why all the young people of the world dream of going to Bali.
It was not easy to find a free room at that time of night, the budget hotels were almost all filled, amazing, missed a month to the beginning of the high season. Eventually we found a cheap hotel for one night, we had to change the next day. The budget hotels, guest houses, or rather, in Kuta are all in the way Poppies I and Poppies II, in the rest of the city is easy to meet various types of resorts and hotels of high category that should not be below 50 € per night, completely out of our budget.
The following day is dedicated to visit Kuta and inform you about everything there was to see the island. In Kuta we would not have stayed more than two days, all three had the clear idea that Bali was not that we were looking for. Kuta was everything a backpacker does not try: mass of tourists, high prices, the beach is completely full of people and can not bathe in the amount of surfers and apprentices who inhabit the waters of the sea. The beach was not even a great, dark sand, dirty water, but most of all was the amount of people that made that place could not be a paradise of Bali which is famous for. Probably for those tourists looking for comfort, beautiful restaurants at prices cheaper than those in Europe, possibility to drink at a budget price, relaxing in a beautiful resort without the need to get out of them or if you want to go out, you buy one of the tour the thousands of travel agencies all over the city you have may be the typical relaxing vacation that most people look for if you have 1 or 2 weeks of vacation. But we could not be so, we are in search of the one, and this one can not be found in places like that. After recaudato then all the information that could be useful, we decided to rent two bikes and an adventure of the island, in search of "paradise" that makes it so famous.
to start their own discover Bali in Kuta moment we leave our bikes and we head for the first time to the east.
Bali island is large enough, we live 5632 km2 and more than 3.2 million people, but we had plenty of time to see it safely, we have no return air. We pay rent for a week of the bikes (3 € per day of hire) with the ability to call the owner in the event of extension. The first destination is Candidasa, a seaside village that is located east of the island, hoping to find white sand beaches and crystalline sea.
On the way between Kuta and we stop at Candidasa Lawah Goa where we visit the famous temple of bats, a Hindu temple with a massive cave crammed with blacks and birds of the night. In late morning we arrive in Candidasa, lets us down the beach, the sand here has a dark color that is close to that of a volcanic beach. After lunch in a typical Warung (typical local family-owned eateries that are on the road), looking for accommodation in a guest house with a bungalow very pretty, take 2 rooms with breakfast included and we pay 180,000 rupees Indonesian, a little over € 5 per person. Candidasa is a seaside village with some very nice restaurants and hotels. The atmosphere is more relaxed than Kuta, few tourists, the majority of older and with a climate much less stressed than in Kuta.
The Balinese people are very hospitable, they know that tourism to the island and they know very much benefit from it. They treat tourists like kings and the smile is always part of their way to approach them. They are mostly Hindus, although they have many differences with respect to Hinduism in India. I strongly believe in karma, so most people is good and want to help. They do not put the money in the first place as a value, then not difficult to negotiate prices with them.
15 minutes by bike Candidasa find a beach that was the image of "paradise" that we were looking for. The walk there is a bit hidden, is a beach that if you do not know that there is hard to find, called White Sand Beach (beach of white sand), because unlike the other beaches of the island with volcanic sand, here is much clearer.
addition, the sea, this beach is an incredibly transparent, you can see the bottom without the use of masks and the shimmering effect of the volcanic sand from a wonderful touch.
We remain a whole day on this peaceful cove, away from the bustle of Kuta, thinking that our adventure was just beginning in Bali right now. From
we head towards Candidasa Amed, another place famous for its rich sea coral reefs and colorful fish, we stopped two days in Tirta Ganga, a little more interior, where to stay in a guest house with a beautiful view to the rice fields. The area is famous for its green landscape of rice paddies and a temple, called the Water Palace. It is said that the water that falls from the volcano Agung, the island's highest peak (3142m) and holy water, so it is a religious goal for the Islanders. The temple is Hindu and
is rich in natural pools where they emerge majestic statues dedicated to the gods and the demons that represent the human duality, good and evil and making the balance of human nature. Former private residence of the king of Bali, before the fall of the monarchy, the temple of Tirta Ganga is now open to the public and you can swim in natural pools in the complex.
In this part of the focus schools dive (Submarine) and rental of snorkeling masks. We find a beach near Amed full of beautiful fish and stunning coral. The sun's rays help us to better see the bottom, perhaps one of the best places where we did snorkeling. We stay all afternoon visiting the various beaches around we eat dinner at Amed and an Indonesian specialties, grilled fish wrapped in banana leaves and cooked with coconut milk ... incredibly good!
The next day, we put ourselves back on the road, this time to Ubud. In recent years, this small town has been transformed in the artistic capital of the island. There are numerous art galleries and museums, including that of the famous English painter Antonio Blanco, after finishing his art studies in New York, he began to travel the world until she discovers the beauty of Bali and Indonesian women and decided to plant its roots in the island.
The house is a house museum Blanco eclectic and exceptional. In addition to admire his work in the interior of residence, you can visit the gardens full of cages with the most beautiful tropical birds that exist in the world. Parrots with incredible colors and breathtaking feathers make the visit to the museum really surprising.
Before arriving in Ubud we stopped at the Temple of Besakih, the largest island. The Hindu temple is situated on the slopes of Mount Agung, the highest island. Quickly visit the ancient capital of Bali before Denpasar, Klungkung, and we remain fascinated by the ceremony of music and dancing found by chance in the poignant Bedulu temple in the central part of the island. In the late afternoon we arrive in Ubud, there awaits us our friend Joel, known first day in Kuta and generously invited us to spend the weekend in the beautiful residential complex owned by his boss, the famous architect of landscapes and gardens ... Madeh an Australian who for more than 30 years living in Bali and became famous around the world his extraordinary eclecticism and creativity in designing gardens and spaces for large villas and luxury resorts.
Joel is his personal assistant for more than a year and deals with the administration of his business. We stay 3 days and 2 nights in the beautiful villa Taman Bebek. We relax in the beautiful outdoor pool overlooking the green hills and the river that runs along the valley. Joel brings us to dine in a beautiful restaurant with delicious Indonesian cuisine, which decoration is the work of his boss Madeh. We feel like kings!
To bring Joel reciprocate dinner at an Italian restaurant for dinner, but unfortunately, you know, it is not easy to find a good Italian restaurant in this country if you do not want to spend a fortune. So we settle for a pizza cooked in an oven "non-burning" and some typical Italian antipasti, that I, in my country I would definitely much better ... The last day of the villa, the architect invites us to Madeh dine with him, so we have the honor of knowing him. A man, no doubt, but with an eclectic culture super impressive. We are amazed by his knowledge of Europe, Spain and the history, culture and language of our country. We spend a really enjoyable couple of hours, laughing, joking and delight of his good humor and sense of humor. Madeh invites us next Tuesday to have dinner in the villa with some friends (certainly not our peers), and we gladly accept the invitation. So we stay another 3 days in Ubud, moving this time much closer to the center. The villa was a bit out of town and staying at a quiet guest house, Ajandra, two rooms for 150,000 rupees Indonesia (+ or - 13 €). Ubud is filled with restaurants and western-style bar and some true fashion. Town meeting as the renown of Balinese culture and art, can not miss the large luxury resorts and beautiful terraces decorated with finely designed to appeal to many Western visitors who arrive each year to the island. We can not afford luxurious restaurants, we can find one, the Budi's Warung is completely Indonesia, tastefully decorated and with very good local cuisine. It will be our favorite for the 3 days we stay in Ubud. In the evening we could not miss the appointment with the World Cup games. Given the time zone here in Indonesia the party started quite late, at 22 or at 2.30 am. Fortunately one of these evenings Italy played with New Zealand at 22 and I can see it entirely, it does the same with all parts of Spain which begins at 2.30 and have not been able to see any. Ubud to do a little hiking visiting the rice paddies on the outskirts of the city, visit the local market, we buy saru, traditional clothes used by local men. Many are
saru Batik, a traditional Balinese design, with colorful and fun fantasies. We visit the Monkey Forest, a forest full of stuffed monkeys that attack you to get some bananas and peanuts. Of course for us is now a normal thing to see monkeys, in India we saw it in every corner ... We stay in Ubud
almost five days, we leave this charming city on June 23 and head towards the north, destination Lovina. Journey through the mountainous area of \u200b\u200bthe island. We get to where Penelocan in theory begin trek to climb Mount Agung. Many tourists make this trek at night to watch the sunrise from the top of the mountain. We are unfortunately only a sky nuvolosissimo and a lot of rain so not much time left. We decide to bring us to the sea. Lovina is a quiet town. In theory, here we go sure to find breathtaking beaches, but the sea was, once again, a big disappointment. The first night pizza in an Italian ristornatino Matrix Revolution saw the giant screen in a room. After dinner we go to a bar, Triple 9, to see a World Cup game. You know Kail, a very nice bartender who calls us the next day to try a drink of alcohol, made by him, made of fermented rice. So the next day We are there at 10 am in the balcony of our room, to prove the Arak, the "wine" Balinese that tastes very similar to grappa.
Imagine how we continued the day ... After an afternoon at sea, desperately to a swimming area, between the algae and the rocks in the evening we have dinner in a very good and cute ristornatino international cuisine. Take advantage of the 2x1, and less than 4 € 4 eat scrumptious meals. After dinner we go to a bar, the Blue Lagoon, owned by a Frenchman, consigliatoci by Francis, a Roman known in our hotel, on holiday with his French girl known in Australia during his working holiday.
assist them the shameful and disappointing defeat and retreat from the world of Italy against Slovakia.
The next day we take a tour of a whole day. First we go to the Hot Spring, the natural thermal baths, a good hot bath is really a great start to the day, especially for us who are accustomed to having, in the bathrooms of the hotel where we sleep, always cold water. After the spa visit a Buddhist monastery, the only island, but accustomed to the Indian and Nepalese monasteries, this seems really silly. Inziamo visited the monastery to climb the mountain area of \u200b\u200bthe island, with a visit to the lakes, unfortunately the view from up there is very often hampered by dense clouds surrounding the mountains, but fortunately we find a bar overlooking the lake that offers a spectacular view of the lake impressive. We literally just tough luck because the road to the famous temple in the lake, we run into a strong storm that has lasted more than 2 hours. We visit the temple in the lake in the rain, and unfortunately the view of the temple floating in the melting lake surrounded by green hills is not as fascinating as the pictures seen when there is open air.
The most beautiful part of the tour is the last visit to the Git Git waterfall. In the morning we visited another waterfall but nothing compared to this one. The Git Git waterfalls are 2 twin forming natural pools. Although the water is cold I could not resist the spectacle of breathtaking aprofittare and do not have a bath in the beautiful natural swimming pool with turquoise water. It was a truly beautiful. Eventually managed to convince Jordi tried together and the strong water massage of the waterfall and the strong currents of streams. Joana is not immortal by bathing these moments with his camera.
It was now past five in the evening, would soon be started to get dark, we had to go back to Lovina and we still get off the mountain and then another 20 km running. It was a shame, I wanted to be even more so among those waterfalls surrounded by rocks.
Back in Lovina, dinner in the company of Francis and his French girlfriend, tell us how they met in Australia and their life in land of the Aussie.
The next day we go back to Kuta to pay the other week to rent the bikes and head south towards the island. The last 3 days in Bali, together with Joel, we have virtually gone in Kuta, where because of the lack of low cost accommodation in the south we had to opt to return to the bustling commercial and shopping capital of Bali. A day lost because of bad weather and the last is dedicated to visiting the beaches, with cliffs and inhabited by surfers in search of great waves. Carino also the temple on the cliff overlooking the sea. A little relaxation on the beaches of Nusa Dua and Kuta return to prepare for a meeting with the artist, architect friend Madeh, Pintor, and during dinner we were invited to an evening in Ubud villa resort Madeh, invites us to visit his studio-home and make 4 to talk to him.
Pintor is a man of fifty, divorced with a son. Originally from Bali, lived several years in the United States, he graduated in psychology but in 28 years and was inspired by his life and began to study art. Now, after more than 20 years, Balinese is an artist known in Asia and half its steel sculptures, go around the world. Today, even academics, Pintor often travels the world giving lectures on art and Indonesian exhibiting his works in Paris, New York, Singapore, Hong Kong, London, etc.
the last night in Bali we were at his house, where there has show his latest works. A huge plane steel covered with newspaper pages describing several news stories related to Indonesia. This work will be exhibited in the museum next year in Jakarta. A Formula One car, with several cuts and shots fired nell'accaio, symbolizes modernity and the speed with which the man moves to the present day and the pain that this can cause if it does not stop an instant thinking. The evening was very pleasant, we talked of Asian culture, the history of this country, the evolution of art and the life of this multifaceted artist and eccentric.
return to Kuta, and we are ready for another adventure. Tomorrow we leave for Lombok another large island, but for a few days we will stop in one of the three Gili Islands, Gili Meno, to be precise, the most peaceful and relaxing. It is said that many couples there to pass the honeymoon. These three islands are very close to Lombok, but we'll have to travel 12 hours before you get there.
leave Bali with the chance to return to extend the visato that expires on July 11 and Bali, we are told, that it is much easier this type of operation. Pintor also offered us his help in case we need to lock in some state offices, the artist in question has many contacts in the Immigration Department. So say goodbye to this island that has not left us a picture of paradise, but that current maybe if we came here twenty years ago, this paradise could still exist.
