and here we are with the second update...
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I’ve spent the last couple of days in and around Bali, visiting different
sites and checking out the local scenery. This is quite a beautiful part of
Indonesia and the people are generally very nice but there are some things
that have been very eye opening and disconcerting.

Today, we did a day trip to the Baisaikh temple (the largest Hindu temple on
the island of Bali). It was quite a beautiful site but the downside was that
everywhere you turned, there was a guy or two trying to make an extra buck.
They told us that since this was a religious outing, we had to have a guide
with us when we entered the temple grounds otherwise the police would arrest
us. Also, they were very pushy…one guy tried to veer me off the sidewalk and
bodychecked me slightly. In my head…I was thinking that I better not turn
into Tie Domi or something. Instead, I just ignored him and kept walking.
Eventually, he left. Another guy was very persistent with his pushiness and
when I wasn’t listening…he told me to F-off. That really annoyed me. Here I
am at this beautiful temple and here are local people trying to make an
extra buck in a sacred religious place. I am starting to realize that there
is nothing totally sacred anymore. As long as it is being traveled to and
polluted with Western influence, there will be people like the ones who made
our experience today very unpleasant. At the end of it all, you’ve gotta
stand back and see that it is US tourists who come to their country and
flash around OUR money, digital cameras, etc. What else are these people
gonna do? It’s an interesting problem. I’m not sure how to solve it but I am
sure that it will persist. One great thing about this experience is that our
guide (the driver of our car) warned us before going that we do not need a
guide and just to ignore everyone who tried to solicit us. Thank god that he
told us that.

After the temple, we saw some rice paddie fields and Mt. Batur/Lake Batur.
Mt. Batur is an active volcano…it was spectacular.

Last night, we went out to a club and had an awesome time. Met these three
guys who’ve been traveling for 6 months now. Two guys from Brighten (south
of London) and one from the Netherlends. They have already been in Thailand
and Malaysia for quite some time. Now, they are here in Bali and tomorrow,
they are leaving for the next 6 months in Australia and South Africa after
that. These were genuinely very nice people. Had some really great tips
about traveling and what to see/skip. I can’t wait to meet more people like
that…We have become good friends with a local guy named Rio. He is a really
good guy and very funny. One crappy thing about this country as well (and I
imagine other South Asian cultures too) is that when we go to clubs, it is
free for tourists but locals must pay to get in. The problem here though is
that the locals are ones with no money. Last night, we told the bouncers
that we wouldn’t go into the bar unless they let Rio in for free. They
complied in the first place but weren’t so accommodating in the second
place. That was flat out racism and it really stuck.

Yesterday, we tried our hands at surfing. What an experience that was. When
not actually trying to catch some waves, the lying in the middle of the
ocean on our surfboards was very enjoyable. It is quite relaxing to just lie
out there on the board under the sun. The problem though is now, my back and
shoulders are sun burnt so that isn’t too good. The surfing was hard. I
caught 0 waves. My ribs were also in pain from constantly putting myself
back on the board. But, I’ll try it again in Thailand I think.

Today I bought my plane ticket to Singapore. I’m leaving Bali on April 30
and will make my way to Singapore. We made sure with the airlines that the
same “bribery” scam won’t happen in Singapore. Apparently, since I have an
exit ticket out of Bangkok (to Japan) on June 8, I will be okay because I
will just tell the Singapore officials that I am traveling by train from
Singapore to Bangkok. Let’s hope that everything works out okay…otherwise,
it could be another interesting experience.

That’s all for now. Time for bed and I’ve gotta rest cause my throat is
starting to feel scratchy. I DON’T WANNA GET SICK!

p.s. The food here is AWESOME. Chicken Satays and Nasi Goreng….YUM!!!! and
the fresh fruit juices….WOW – watermelon, melon, pineapple…all fantastic.