Melaka: UNESCO World Heritage City

Two days in Melaka (aka Malacca). So much to see and learn; I know I won't do it justice here, so I think I'll divide it up into two posts: one on the food and one on the unique history and culture.

Melaka is an important place in Malaysian history. It was an international port city for hundreds of years, bringing Chinese merchants, Portuguese, Dutch, and British colonizers, and even the Japanese during World War II. It became independent in the mid 1900s and joined with other states to become part of the Malayan Union and later Malaysia (source, Wikipedia).

There are two main parts to Melaka City– old Melaka and new Melaka. New Melaka has malls, boutiques, shops, restaurants. It's where the young generation generally seems to hang out to get their pop culture fixes through movies, music, and clothing.

Old Melaka has been preserved to maintain an historical feel, mostly for the benefit of cultural preservation and for tourism. It's a beautiful part of the city.

Melaka River runs through Melaka City, and it gives the city a feel of a Southeast Asian Venice. There's a boardwalk that follows the river with views of murals on the buildings and a mix of hotels, guesthouses, and personal homes. I didn't walk it at night because 1) mosquitoes are killers here and come out as soon as the sun starts to consider setting and 2) I didn't really want to be out by myself at night– to avoid people and rats. 🙂 But there are lots of twinkle lights and night lights, so I imagine it would be a nice romantic walk if you can withstand the mosquitoes! There's also a river boat that goes up and down the river, like the Venice gondolas, I suppose, but much louder. I didn't take it, but it seems it might be a fun touristy thing to do.

An important aspect of the cultural history in Melaka is a group of people called the “Baba-Nyonya” or Peranakan Chinese. These are people who have descended from Chinese men who came to the areas of Malaysia and Indonesia (before they became those countries) during the 15th and 16th centuries, settled, and intermarried with the local Malay women. The term “Baba-Nyonya” refers to the two different ethnicities– “baba” is Chinese for “man” or “father” and “nyonya” is an old Malay word meaning “lady” or “grandma.” So this became a very unique and particular fusion culture, including clothes, food, wares, furniture, etc.

The Baba-Nyonya became very wealthy– I'm not exactly sure why. It seems they had loyalties to the colonizers who helped them become very wealthy businessmen. And many of them lived on one of the main streets in old Melaka: Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock (also referred to as Heeren Street, a la Dutch colonizers, or “Millionaire's Row” because of all the wealthy families that live(d) on this street.

One of the ornate doorways of a Baba-Nyonya home.

Melaka isn't the only place where these Baba-Nyonya have resided, but it seems to be one of the best preserved and most known in this area. In old Melaka, there are homes that have been preserved as museums and eateries where they serve Nyonya food.

Because of the city has been declared a World Heritage City, many artists have relocated here, both Malaysians and expats, to set up galleries and workshops. I met a few artists and learned a bit about Melaka through their eyes:

• Martin Wood is a Peranakan– half Chinese, half Scottish/ English artist who paints landscapes. He shared with me how he was developing and changing his style as an artist, moving from oil paintings that were more based in realism and impressionism to acrylic in a cubist style. I didn't take any photos in his gallery, but here's an image I got off googleimages.

• Soobin Park is a Korean artist who relocated to Melaka about 6 years ago, drawn by the culture, beauty, and weather, she said! We spoken in Korean (I'm always amazed how I can pull comprehension and speaking ability out of thin air if forced– although I don't understand 100% of what she said…). She has painted paper cranes historically and since moving to Melaka has started painting more Malaysian icons– flowers, etc. It was really nice to chat with her, and I think she found it nice to meet a Korean-American traveler. She gave me a booklet of her works, and we took photos of each other.

Some other memorable sights I came across in Melaka were

• Bukit Cina— supposedly the biggest Chinese cemetery outside of China. It's basically a series of hills, and there are graves built all over the hills, with some headstones being more elaborate than others. People use it as a jogging or walking area because there's no traffic and it's quite green and a good workout. It seems like it would be a peaceful resting place, overlooking Melaka. Much different from the orderly cemeteries of the U.S. and Europe.

I wasn't able to get photos off my camera of the cemetery, but I took this with my iPhone, so it will have to do.

• the trishaws driven by men all over the city. I didn't ride any, but they were fun to look at with all their floral decorations and some blasting cheesy Malaysian music. It looked like fun to ride it at a leisurely pace around the city.

From googleimages- I didn't get any good photos of the trishaws.

• the Baba and Nyonya Heritage Museum— there was a 10 MYR fee but it was totally worth it. They have tours every so often, and that's worth it, too. My tour guide was Sabrina. We weren't allowed to take photos of the museum, which is still owned by a Baba Nyonya family, descended many generations. It's beautiful, and they've preserved it fairly well. The tour guide was funny, and she interjected some fun jokes here and there, which I don't know if everyone got. But I felt it was 10 ringgit well spent.

Photo from googleimages since I wasn't able to take photos inside. This is one of the courtyard areas.

• St. Paul's Hill and Church. This was a church that was originally built when the Portuguese were in Melaka in the 1500s. Then when the Dutch came, the reconsecrated the church for their use in the 16-1700s. It was then used for fortification by the Dutch and later the British in the 1800s. Over time, it just broke down, and this is what is left. It's quite a beautiful set of ruins, with no roof and windows open to the world. I met an artist inside the ruins whose work was quite beautiful, and I bought a few pieces to support him in his endeavors.
• Jonker Street, the main street for shops and eateries in old Melaka. Lots to see and do. I heard there's a cool night market on weekends when it's crazy crowded. I didn't think I was missing a lot by not being there for the night market. But there were quite a number of tourists even on the weekdays when I was there. Enough people for me!

• Murals on the buildings on the Melaka river walkway. Some really vivid and beautiful. I wish I had someone to explain their meaning to me. But they were beautiful just the same.

There were other sights in Melaka that were fine to see– forts, old Dutch and Portuguese buildings, museums– but I'd say the above were the most interesting for me. And it was all walkable. I didn't need a taxi or trishaw. I was even able to walk over to new Melaka without any trouble.

 

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Pulau Pangkor: Malaysian Family Getaway

On recommendation from a friend of mine, I chose to come to Palau Pangkor (“beautiful island”), and I wasn't disappointed. It's a tiny island off the west coast, south of Penang and about a 3.5 hour drive from Kuala Lumpur.

I took a bus from Pudu Sentral (Puduraya) Bus Terminal, right on the outskirts of Chinatown and a 7 minute walk from my hostel. The ticket was 24.50 MYR or $8 USD. And I just got it that day. Very easy. There are tons of bus companies, so you can just look for which bus leaves when you want (if it's a common destination). My bus went from KL to Lumut, which is where there's a ferry that goes to Pulau Pangkor.

After a fairly comfortable bus ride (they took a couple pit stops along the way), I got the next ferry out to the island. It runs every half hour, and the return ticket costs 10 MYR. It's a 35 minute ferry ride with a first stop at another small village before the main stop at Pangkor Town, which is where most people get off. The ferry was packed with families going on holiday, and they mostly seemed like locals (Malay, Chinese, South Asian)– I saw only one or two white faces.

I found my guesthouse online at TripAdvisor and Agoda.com– BestStay Hotel. And thankfully, it's a short walk from the ferry– about 7 minutes on a busy street, with everyone coming and going by car, van-taxi, and motorbike. The room I stayed in was nice and clean with a-c and TV with three channels. And two of the channels play Hollywood movies (as I write this post, the whole Lord of the Rings trilogy is playing. How fortuitous! I've been wanting to rewatch it since my travels in New Zealand!). I got upgraded to a larger room (I think it's low season and they're not full) with a window view of the town and a patch of water by the ferry.

Pulau Pangkor has a funny mix of local vacation site and fishing village. You can smell drying fish almost anywhere (thank goodness I don't mind that smell– I think people not used to it would find it suffocating.) There were lots of families at the beaches, wading and swimming with all their clothes on– men, women, boys, and girls alike. I didn't see very much skin and didn't see any two piece bathing suits on women at all. In fact, Muslim women were covered from head to toe and going into the water! It was a funny sight. So opposite from Westerners who take off as much as they can, or even all of it, to get tanned and show off their bodies.

(On a huge aside, can I say that I love Aragorn in this trilogy? He's so understated and yet noble. A man of few words but whose words are full of meaning and heart. A true king and leader. And I love the fellowship of him, Legolas, Gimli, Boromir (until he died), and the four hobbits. It's such a team who loves each other and supports each other all the way. That's the kind of team I want in life. OK, back to the regularly scheduled blog.)

I spent my day and half in PP walking a bit, eating good seafood (mostly Chinese, I realized– those are the best restaurants here; and I wasn't too keen on the hawker stalls– they seemed a little rundown.), and enjoying the simple beauty of the island.

Chili crab - dinner for my first night in Pulau Pangkor.

And best of all, I rented a scooter for the day and had a grand time! When I was in Amed, I met a French couple who said they had rented a motorbike in Ubud, and that totally made their trip worthwhile. They didn't have an international license, and they said it wasn't a problem. The thing they highlighted was how much freedom it gave them. The guy especially was encouraging me to try it. If I had stayed in Amed a few more days, I think I would have worked up the courage to rent a motorbike– it's a quiet town, and I wouldn't have to worry about navigating the complicated Balinese driving rules. But I ended up not doing it there.

So when I came to PP, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to rent a scooter– easier to ride than a motorbike. And there aren't so many cars here, mostly just tourist-taxi-vans, so I felt I would be OK. The first place I went to try to rent, the woman asked if I knew how to ride a scooter, and I said no, so she said she couldn't rent to me. 😦 I tried another place where this cute old man with an electrolarynx worked, and he let me rent and showed me all the controls. He was so cute and funny.

Funny old man who rented me the scooter, posing with his electrolarynx.

I drove off after paying (30 MYR for rental for the whole day and a 20 MYR deposit), and a few minutes later, he came after me on another motorbike. With his limited English and sign language, he made it clear I was to follow him. I was puzzled– was he going to show me the way? So we turned around, and then I looked at the gas gauge and realized the tank was empty! He was taking me to the gas station down the road. Haha. Nice of him to be so concerned, so he made sure I got the right price for gas 5 MYR, and then sent me on my way.

What a wonderful thing to ride a scooter! The closest I'll probably get to a motorcycle. I loved the freedom to be able to drive anywhere, stop anywhere, feel the wind on my skin, the sun on my head, breathe the fresh air of the jungle in parts. There's only one main road that goes around the island, so I had to problems with directions. And I had enough time to do two full loops– one going west to east and the other going east to west.

On my first loop, I just took it slow, had to get used to making turns (leaning into it) and using the controls (super easy– brakes like a bicycle and an accelerator on the right handlebar), and didn't make it over probably 25 mph. Getting out of the towns was wonderful. I saw homes, empty beaches, jungle, long-tailed macaques (just hanging out on the roadside), some kind of hornbill (a bird that looks like a toucan with a huge beak and a knobby horn on its beak), fishing boats… It was really really nice. And once I got the hang of scooting, I just wanted to do it forever!

I came back to Pangkor Town for lunch– a Chinese noodle dish (didn't know what to order, so just said soup noodle, and trusted that they would bring me something tasty, and it was!). And then back to my hotel to rest for a few hours.

Headed out on my second loop in the early afternoon, hoping to find one of those deserted beaches to go for a swim, but it was low tide, so I was unsuccessful in that endeavor. I didn't want to go swimming in my two piece among the families and be ogled at by visitors and locals alike! My second loop was just as nice as the first. I stopped more often to take photos and take a few breaks to enjoy the scenery.

I saw a few more touristy sites, too– a Chinese temple, which looked pretty glitzed and glammed up for tourists, not very traditional. And the remains of a Dutch fort from back in the 1600s when the Dutch colonized the island. Those were both interesting. But my favorite sights were just the sea and the green hills and sandy beaches.

I returned the bike to the funny man, and he was so happy to see me back in one piece, I think. He gave me a big thumbs up, and I took his photo (see above). Then I went to dinner at another Chinese seafood place and had a scrumptious dish: butter prawns. Deep fried goodness. My stomach was happy. And now I'm back in my hotel, blogging, enjoying the AC, listening to the downpour outside (I came back just in time!), and watching the end of The Two Towers. Could life be any better? 🙂

I recommend a day or two stay in PP if you come to Malaysia. A nice quiet getaway.

 

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Passing on Experience to Other Bali Travelers

I have arrived in Kuala Lumpur, but before I forget, I wanted to pass on some travel tips with specifics that can help another future traveler-to-Bali (if they find my blog with these tips!). In no particular order but categorized by my own Virgo mind:

An art shop in a small village on my Campuan ridge walk, before the owner was even up!

TRANSPORT AROUND BALI

• Getting a taxi from the airport to Ubud should cost about 195.000 IDR. You can catch taxis waiting outside the airport at the departure waiting area. Make sure to set a price before hopping in the taxi. Move on to the next taxi if you the driver won't go down.
• A taxi from Sanur to the airport should cost anywhere between 80.000 to 100.000 IDR. I asked an honest guy the cost, and he said drivers shouldn't charge more than 80K. And when I talked to a driver, he first said 150.000, but I said 80.000, and he was surprised, and then we settled at 100.000. I talked to him the day before I was to go to the airport, and he came and picked me up at my guesthouse the next day, as arranged!
• In the guidebooks, they talk about “bemos” which are these vans that just drive around for way cheaper than taxis or shuttle buses. I never took one because I wasn't totally sure how it worked. I think if I had a travel partner, I might have tried…
• When getting from one town to another, there are usually many options, it's all about how much you want to spend and how “in style” you want to travel. This is what I have ascertained are the options:
• Bemo— mentioned above. The cheapest of the options– it's what the locals might use if they don't have their own motorbike. In busy areas, there are lots of guys yelling out, “bemo? bemo!”
• Shuttle bus— organized by private tour companies; and in Ubud, so I'm assuming probably in some other towns as well, also organized by the town's official Tourist Information Center. Lots of private tour companies also use the name “tourist information center,” so you have to be sure to find the official one. In Ubud, the UTI (as they call it. hee hee.) is right near the Ubud market. It looks all official with staff that work in official uniforms. Shuttle buses are a bus or van that goes to different towns, and the price is often based on a minimum of two people going. So if you're a single traveler, you're kind of stuck. Though at the UTI, I was able to book a bus to Amed, and didn't need a minimum of two people. It's way cheaper than a private driver. From Ubud to Amed, the shuttle bus through the UTI was 130.000 IDR. Do some “shopping around.” Tour companies often have boards listing their going rates for buses. When I was walking around Ubud, I saw that some companies did 150.000, 180.000, etc. to Amed.
• Official taxi— there's a difference, I think, between guys who have a car and are just yelling, “taxi, taxi,” everywhere and actual taxis. I'm not 100% sure about this, but official taxis have a little sign on their roof that makes them look like a taxi. The cars might be different styles and different colors, but they're official. Apparently at the taxi company base, there's a listing of the rates and town-to-town costs. I only used an official taxi once– going from Sanur to the airport.
• Private driver— guys who have a car or van and either work for themselves or a tour company and drive tourists around, either to a location or just on a sightseeing trip. The guy I hired to drive me from Ubud to other sights was a driver for a small company. Bargaining is always possible. My guesthouse owner Liselotte helped me get a driver for my ride from Amed to Sanur (there's no shuttle bus or official taxis there), a two and a half hour drive, for 375.000 IDR. I thought it was a bit pricey, and I think I could have just gotten a driver to a nearby town like Amlapura or Candidasa and then tried to pick up a shuttle bus that already had people in it if I was lucky. But as a single traveler, I was sure if they'd have a two person minimum requirement. So I had to deal with it.


Motorbikes lined up, early morning in Ubud.

• Renting motorbikes is another way to get around, and I met some tourists from France who didn't have their international license but rented one anyway. They said it was great– “freedom!” They didn't do it in a big city but in Amed, they said it was great. And super cheap. Something like 50.000 IDR to rent, and the petrol is heavily subsidized here, so it's super cheap. Again, if I had had a travel companion, I think I would have done this. And if I had stayed in Amed one or two more days, I might have rented just for a day to do it. But it's a little scary to drive among the Balinese drivers. They have a certain code of rules that are a bit hard to navigate.

ACCOMMODATIONS

My best guide was TripAdvisor. I have never used it so earnestly and trustingly before. But I must say that all the places I stayed really lived up to their high ratings. I've already mentioned the places I've stayed in recent posts, but just to recap with prices:

• Ubud for four nights: Jangkrik Homestay. 150.000 IDR each night (on a special rate through TripAdvisor). Best breakfast I had in Bali– banana pancakes or toast and fruit plate. With a Balinese family. Nice balcony seating area outside my room. Good clean facilities. Ceiling fan, no a-c. Right in the middle of Ubud. Free, reliable wi-fi. Family members also participate in a Kecak dance performance– fun to go watch.
• Amed for five nights: Geria Giri Shanti Bungalows. 180.000 IDR each night (low season price). Best hosts. Instant cappuccino along with the coffee and tea that most places have. Beautiful room and bathroom– super clean and spacious. Floor fan, no a-c. Free wi-fi but a bit spotty– I think Amed in general has slower wi-fi than a bigger town. Dive shop, Adventure Divers Bali, is part of the facility.
• Sanur for two nights: Flashbacks. 250.000 IDR (includes tip and tax) each night. Great breakfast of homemade toast, coffee, and fruit (with a mangosteen, which I have come to adore.). Small saltwater pool in the facility. Clean, spacious and beautiful room and really nice bathroom. Good location. Nice restaurant/ cafe attached, Porch Cafe.

Cozy setting a tiny saltwater pool at Flashbacks in Sanur.

These are all places I would definitely go back to. Great reviews on TripAdvisor for a reason!

FOOD

Now in case you haven't noticed on my blog, I LOOOOVVVE food. Really. I love trying new food, cooking and baking my own food, eating others' homemade food… And I haven't been so impressed with Balinese and Indonesian food. I'm going to chalk it up to the fact that I”m in tourist areas and eating food catered toward tourists, not toward the locals. I would have loved to have eaten with a Balinese family at their own home table.

Decent meal I had at a warung in Ubud. I think it was chicken.

The main things you can find at a warung (small eatery) are mee goreng (fried noodles) or nasi goreng (fried rice) and chicken, beef, and sometimes fish (at least in Amed and Sanur) prepared in various ways.

The tropical fruit is good, too. Not amazing, but good. I especially fell in love with passion fruit…

Mango, mangosteen, and passion fruit. Now you see it, now you don't!

One place where I went twice because the food was SO good was Pregina Warung in Sanur, a few doors down from Flashbacks. I was surprised how tasty and fresh the food was. For my lunch, I had a grilled chicken with some kind of coconut sauce. Delicious. The flavorings were perfect. I think that's what I've been missing– hoping for something more flavorful and rich and unique, but I haven't found that at other places.

My dinner (that same day), I splurged because it was my last dinner in Bali, and I ordered the bebek goreng at 80.000 IDR (most of my meals previously cost around 2-40.000 per plate). Crispy duck. Oh my gosh, it was delicious, and not just “good for Bali,” but one of the best dishes I've had in a long time. The duck skin was super crispy and well flavored. The meat was juicy and tender. And there were a few condiments to go along with it. I was sad when it was done. I could have eaten two or three times more than the portion size! You must check out that place. I recommended it to a Canadian couple I met at the guesthouse, and they said it was also delicious.

Bebek goreng from Pregina Warung in Sanur, Bali.

Other than that, not much to say for the food in Bali. They don't have a lot of outdoor stalls like Malaysia and Singapore.

SIGHTSEEING

Ulun Danu Bratan temple in Bedugul, Bali. On Lake Bratan.

You'll get lots of tips on this elsewhere. Honestly, I don't remember too much of my sightseeing because it was all done in such a haphazard way with the driver (not necessarily in a bad way). I'm used to sightseeing with my own map, laying out my walk or public transportation route and aiming to see certain things. But I didn't do a ton of research on what to see in Bali because I knew I'd have a driver. So I didn't know where were the “good” places until toward the end of my trip.

If you don't rent your own car to drive around (which I think I would actually prefer, to go at my own pace, but as I said before, driving in Bali is a bit tricky. They have their own rules.), I would recommend hiring a driver for at least one day. And it's good to do a bit of research to see what places you want to see. There's definitely a lot to see– temples, rice paddies (agro-tourism, a new term I learned here, is a big thing in Bali), coffee plantations, natural beauties like waterfalls and volcanoes.

Rice paddies en route, shuttle bus, to Amed.

It's good to see at least one Balinese traditional dance performance as well. I really liked the Kecak dance. I think the Barong and Kris dance is also supposed to be good and interesting, but I didn't see that.

Be prepared to pay for everything– entry fees. It's not a lot, but it starts to add up.

Some of my favorite sightseeing was just walking around streets, observing and taking in all the sights that way. I could see how people (both locals and tourists) worked. I saw what buildings looked like, even how many of them were being built. I saw the daily offerings that were made to the gods for good luck and karma. I was bombarded with the calls of “miss, taxi?” or “miss, massage?” but I think that's part of the tourist experience in Bali. At first I was annoyed, but it started to become like the other sounds of Bali.

OVERALL

i'd say overall this isn't one of my favorite places that I've traveled to. I think it was partly the weather and partly the fact that I didn't do enough research to find out what I really wanted to do and see here. I think it's also a very poor country and because the tourist industry has shot up so quickly, I think the disparity between the poverty of the locals and the wealth of travelers makes for a weird vibe here. I can't quite explain it, but being in KL for a day which is much more developed, I know that I don't have that same feeling here…

However, the diving course and meeting folks in Amed was my favorite part and definitely made this a memorable trip. I would come back to Amed, for sure. Maybe not the other parts of Bali. It's a popular honeymoon and wedding destination, but I wouldn't do either here, unless to go diving for a week or more!! 🙂

Part of the crew at Adventure Divers Bali and Geria Giri Shanti Bungalows in Amed, Bali.

 

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Swallowing Gallons of Sea Water = Conquering Fears

When I left the U.S., I had considered trying to get my scuba diver license somewhere in my travels. But I wasn't totally sure. And then I made the decision to splurge and just do it somewhere between the end of my New Zealand trip and Ubud.

I found Adventure Divers Bali on TripAdvisor with great reviews, so I thought I'd give it a try. I emailed them, and they emailed right away, answering all my questions (including a slightly silly one I sent asking about my terrible eyesight and whether I could see underwater– they responded that they had some prescription masks, which ended up not being strong enough but still helped a lot).

I got into Amed Friday afternoon and got started with some instructional DVDs to learn some of the theory of diving. The heat was so oppressive, so where I originally thought I could do 6 units (short videos) in a few hours, I only got through two units. Got some dinner at a nearby warung recommended by the guesthouse owner, and then came back to my room and konked out at something like 8pm!

The next morning, I was up early (5am) and had some breakfast and then got started right away with my first two dives. What?! I had no idea how the course goes, so when David, the instructor, said we were going to go out diving, I was a little, no, more like, A LOT, nervous and freaked. But what I'm learning is that scuba diving courses are practical– just that many schools start in a pool, whereas in places where there are nice diving sites, they use the ocean as the training ground.

It's all a blur now, but these are some of the skills I learned in the three day course (each day involves two dives):

How to put together the equipment— buoyancy control jacket, tank, regulators

How to put on the equipment— all of the above which is one unit plus mask, fins, weight belt

How to do a shore entry— walk in with all that equipment on (except the fins) into the water, then put the fins on once you're in, trying not to get knocked over by any waves (but the water is pretty calm where we dive, usually).

How to breathe through the regulator. What a strange feeling breathing underwater. It sounded like Darth Vader. And it definitely took getting used to. It's so not normal to be swimming deep and breathing at the same time!

And a bunch of emergency-related skills, which were absolutely terrifying! Recovering your regulator if it gets knocked out (meaning you have to hold your breathe, exhale a tiny bit at a time, and do this search for the regulator hose). Blowing water out of your mask if it gets filled (hard and weird to do). Breathe normally with the regulator with no mask on (which involves taking off your own mask first, breathing, and then putting the mask back on)– this was the hardest skill for me because I think I tended to breathe a tad with my nose when using the regulator, so when I did the skill, I totally sucked in tons of water through my nose, swallowed tons of water, was panicking underwater, and thought I was going to die. I had to do that several times until my instructor was satisfied that I was doing it calmly. And I finally got the hang of proper only-mouth breathing. Taking off the whole scuba unit underwater and putting it back on. Pretending that you're out of air and go to use your buddy's alternate regulator. The list goes on for a couple more skills. Oh, and by the way, these were all skills that I learned over the course of three days.

Dive shop at Adventure Divers Bali, where we get our gear and also hang out, in the shade.

On the first day, the first dive, especially, I was ready to just throw in the towel and walk out of the water; and if the instructor had let me do that, I would have. It was so scary to be doing these skills. I wasn't really enjoying myself. After the first mask removal skill try, I was pretty much sobbing underwater (I could feel my chest heaving uncontrollably) after I gulped down and breathed in a bunch of water. But it was almost like giving up wasn't an option with him. Not that he was militant, but he was just patient and kept having me go at it until I was relaxed and comfortable. He was the perfect combination of gentle, encouraging, persistent, and relaxed. He kept “telling” me underwater to breathe slow and relaxed, and he wouldn't let me move on to the next thing until I was all calmed down.

Having one on one instruction by an English speaker who really cared about my technique and getting it all just so was excellent. I can't imagine if I had ended up at a dive shop where the instructor was Balinese or somewhere where they cared less about technique and more about just getting you certified so you could dive, but do so sloppily. He was the perfect teacher for me and for what I needed– someone who knew what he was doing, explained the theory and technique in ways I could understand, and kept reminding me underwater to “stay level,” “don't kick too much,” “breathe normally…” (all with hand signals and gentle taps with a metal pointer against his aluminum scuba cylinder).

The first day is a far bygone memory at this point. I don't even remember what fish I saw or what the coral looked like or anything. I was just happy that by the end I was able to breathe through the regulator and get into and out of the water decently.

Jukung- fishing boat used by Indonesian fishermen. Also can be used to take divers out.

The second day, we did more skills (some of what was mentioned above). We took a little jukung (Balinese fishing boat) out to our dive site, and one of the young guys at the dive shop who's training to become a Divemaster came out with us. The current was pretty strong (I didn't realize how strong), so much so that they were both pretty much pulling me along at parts because otherwise I would be going backward or just staying in place. Because there was a strong current on both dives (less on the second), we ended up just diving with only a few skills. And the instructor just pointed a lot of ocean life. I couldn't see so well, but the most memorable were a slew of garden eels sticking their bodies out of the sand, waving in the ocean “breeze;” hawksbill sea turtles, which were big and gentle, like the funny Aussie turtles in Finding Nemo; some scorpion fish, trigger fish, and other funky things that I wrote in my divelog book.

Photo of hawksbill sea turtle, from google images.

I was more comfortable on my second day so I was able to notice more around me other than just focusing on my breathing. But since everything was new, I had no idea what was “special” and what is always just there (fish and plant life).

I was so proud of myself for doing this– taking a course on my own, conquering fears, overcoming challenges. I really haven't pushed myself (or been pushed) to such limits as I was these past few days with the course and diving. I think this is the kind of challenge I've been looking for for the last several years, which is why I left my job and Boston– because things were just getting too comfortable, and I felt I wasn't pushing myself nor being pushed.

Everything about my course was amazing– the instructor, the dive sites we went to, the ridiculously steep learning curve (you have no choice but to learn fast because otherwise you'll keep drinking water, or worse yet, drown!), the support from all the dive shop staff (whenever I'd come from a dive, everyone that worked at the dive shop would ask how my dive was and give me a smile and encouragement). It couldn't have been a better experience, really.

In all, the course was three days, a total of five/six dives (not sure which dives counted as “fun,” which I have to pay for, and which were part of the course), a few hours of DVDs, a study guide worksheet, and a 50 question test, which I passed. And as I said, because it's low season, and because they just do it, I got one on one instruction. i talked to other people who mostly were part of larger groups (4-6) in their courses.

If you love water, love fish and underwater creatures, and are ready for a challenge, I highly recommend scuba diving! And if you can, come to Amed, Bali and look for David at Diving Adventures Bali!

I have photos from one of my dives, but they're on a flash drive, so I won't be able to post them until I return it the U.S. I'll have to do a retrospective post at that point!

 

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Traveling in Ubud

(I’m having some trouble with Blogsy, so I’m going to have to resort to posts that are more word-heavy. The WordPress app isn’t so photo-uploading friendly.)

My second morning in Ubud, Bali at the Jangkrik Homestay. I’ve been up since 5am again, but this morning I went on a hike– the Campuan Ridge trek. It was recommended by both Trip Advisor and Lonely Planet. And since I was up early (or rather, my bladder was up early and it was hard to fall back asleep with the din of the crowing roosters), I decided to make the most of the cooler mornings here and take the walk.

Ubud is a town/ region north of the crazy beach-bum parts of Bali. It’s a sort of cultural and artistic center of the island, and it’s got a more local feel. I think tourism is really growing fast here, but walking down the street, I still mostly see Balinese people, not so many tourists. That might also be because it’s the low-season for tourism.

I’m staying at a homestay, which seems to be a common type of accommodation here. You can do homestays or hotels. Homestays are more budget-type lodging, usually run by families, and have only a handful of rooms. Hotels are larger and more commercial and expensive. I found this place on tripadvisor (not Lonely Planet)– it had great reviews, and they had a low-season price special. So I’m staying for four nights at 15,000IDR each night for a total of 600,000IDR which equals $60USD (just move the decimal back four zeroes). It’s really clean; I have a private room with a big queen size bed, a nice sized bathroom with warm water (some places only have cold water); and breakfast is included! And since I’m on the second floor, I have my own little balcony area where breakfast is served. It’s not a private balcony– others on this floor all share the space, but it feels pretty private, since there are only 4 rooms up on this level. So far the last two days, I’ve had banana pancakes (more like crepes) and a fresh fruit plate. Really nice.

It’s in a great location, not on the main street, but pretty much near the center of Ubud; and shops, restaurants, and sights are all within good walking distance. I highly recommend this place if you come to Bali! The family is super friendly– Made is the husband; Kedak is the wife. And they also participate in the neighborhood Kecak dance performance at their temple down the street.

Another part of tourism in Bali is the plethora of individuals who participate in the industry in various ways. For example, individuals, or groups of individuals, have a car or van and offer their services as drivers for the day. They’ll drive you around to see the sights and go wherever you want. So it’s like your own personal tour guide and driver. I found out about this through a traveler I met when in New Zealand, and I took her recommendation.

For 325,000IDR ($32.50USD), I was able to get driven around from 9am until 5pm– It could have gone longer, but I was tired, and I knew I was hiring him for a second day, so I told him I would do a shorter day yesterday and a longer day tomorrow to make it even. And gas isn’t all that cheap here, so I wonder how they make money! (more on my reflections on tourism in a developing country in another post– I’m still formulating my thoughts on that topic, which is always on my mind.)


My route yesterday was roughly like this:
– Tegallalang terraced rice paddies
– Pura Tirta Empul (pura = temple) where there are holy waters that people bath themselves in for healing
– Oka coffee plantation and shop. There are tons of these on the road, so the driver just picked one and we went in. These are all family run farms and businesses.
– Mt. Batur and Kintamani tour where we saw views of Mt. Batur, a live volcano, and Lake Batur.
– lunch at a buffet restaurant near the viewpoint of Mt. Batur
– Pura Goa Gajah– the temple of the Elephant Cave, which is an archeological site as well.
– a batik shop where they show how they make batik and sell tons, too.


It was a full day, and on the map, we basically headed north of Ubud and then came back.

Oh, and I left out the best part. My driver works for the company that I was recommended: Wayan Merta – http://www.mertabalitour.com/ And instead of speaking English, since his English was limited (he’s Indonesian), we spoke in Korean the whole time! He ran some tours for Korean tourists a few years ago, but then tourism went down, and I was the first Korean he had talked to in a year or two. Funny. Our Korean was about the same level, so it worked out just fine, with us throwing in some English every now and then. It was good practice for me.

So far I’m feeling on the positive side of lukewarm about Bali. I realize how much I’m affected by humidity and heat, which there is a lot of here. I can’t fully enjoy myself and the scenery when I’m sweating like crazy. There are beautiful sights here, and it’s unlike anywhere I’ve ever been (not having been to other parts of Southeast Asia before)… But I’m missing New Zealand’s wide open land, humid-free weather, and fresh air. I guess I need to give it a few more days.


The food also hasn’t been so amazing. I’d say the best thing I’ve had is the breakfast at the homestay! I’m hoping it’ll get better in Malaysia. But for now, I’ll have to just be OK with food that tastes fine, just isn’t amazing! 🙂

Since there is free wi-fi here and I like relaxing and not rushing around, I’ll probably post a few more times before I leave on Friday. So for now, on to my next activities– a haircut, getting a simcard, and roaming the streets of Ubud!