Trip to Padangbai: A Little Old, a Little New: Part II

The large beer disappeared quickly, as did the two bottles of water. The lumpia were different from what I usually eat – larger, softer and in a sauce – but excellent. Refreshed, I engaged in the usual friendly banter with the two young women who were waiting on me: where are you from, where are you going, are you married, how many children do you have, is your wife from here, how long have you been in Bali? As always, this was a pleasant way to pass the time while the ngaben continued slowly moving south with traffic still backed up in front of the hotel.

I was watching a tattooed Indonesian fellow give instructions to a guy who had pulled into the driveway in a small flatbed truck. They loaded the Harley onto the truck, made sure it was secure and then sat down at the next table to have coffee. The tattooed fellow jumped up right after he had sat down and introduced himself to me as Edi, owner of the Bali Permai, the motorcycle and the Kijang. He sat down at my table, ordered me a coffee and started up a conversation. Originally from Jakarta, Edi has a Harley business in Jakarta, but he also has this hotel and a new place down the road in Amed. We passed some time discussing our marriages, kids, land prices in Bali, the hotel business, Edi's love of Harleys, his tattoos and the changing nature of Tulamben. In the middle of the conversation, Edi jumped up again – this guy has an amazing amount of energy – and ran off into the hotel, returning with a large key chain imprinted with the hotel's name and a Harley symbol, which he presented to me as a gift. He also reminded me to recommend his place to any friends of mine who might be visiting Bali. Eventually the ngaben moved off the main road, the traffic cleared up and it was time to be on the road again.

Driving through Tulamben, I briefly consider spending the night there, but I have fond memories of staying in Tulamben back in the old days when there were only a few accommodations in the village before it became a busy diving center. I decide to head on through the east coast's lunar landscape to Candidasa with the idea that I might stay there for the night rather than continue all the way to Padangbai. Once past Tulamben the road veers off from the coast and up through a series of hills that offer some of the most beautiful visions of rice paddies in Bali. Over the years, I have taken hundreds of photos in this area, and when I have visitors they always want to stop and absorb the magnificent landscape. I cruise up and over the hills, rice paddies glistening under a Balinese sun.

The traffic in Amlapura is a bit more congested than usual. Probably another ceremony. This is a town that I have always found attractive, spacious and clean. I'd like to live here for a while. Why isn't there enough time to live in all these places that I find attractive. Traveling – I find traveling somewhat less than satisfying – it's too quick, too ephemeral, if this is Tuesday it must be Belgium. The anthropologist in me wants to know what the people are like; what do they do at night, do they argue loudly or in whispers, where do they shop, what is it about this place that they love? But to live somewhere, to occupy a place, to bend time and space to squeeze inside the hearts and souls of the people. Well, not today for sure, not this life most likely, but maybe another time around.

As quickly as the traffic appears, it disappears and before I know it, I'm entering Candidasa. Clusters of well-dressed tourists roam the main street – this is definitely not Kuta. But, the vibe doesn't seem right for me to stay and despite my sunburned hands, arms and face, I decide to cruise on through the village to Padangbai because that's the real mystery for me. A place that I've passed through dozens of times, yet never explored. Thirsty again, I'm in the rhythm of the road. The bike and I have reached that place where we're joined – it's been over 200 clicks today over the rough Bali roads and I feel that I can ride another 200.

I hit the turnoff to Padangbai and get a rush; without realizing it I have the bike over 100kph – fast for a Balinese road. I pull back some and cruise into the village almost entering the ferry terminal from the memory map based on almost ten years of ferry trips. Sharply turning left onto a small road, I think that I must have missed a turnoff – this can't be Padangbai because there's nothing here. Piles of garbage on a narrow, nondescript street and some guides looking for business. But as I negotiate a sharp corner just ahead, I see the Zen Inn. I've reached the tourist section of the village.

Slowly cruising past small shops selling water, biscuits, batteries and everything that a tourist might possible want. A restaurant with a few attractive ladies in front, a dive center, another restaurant, another shop. I'm trying to reach into the recesses of an old, somewhat battered memory bank for the information from a travel article that I wrote on Padangbai a few years ago for the USA Today. Nothing is coming forward, and as I'm thinking of turning back to check out the Zen Inn, I see a young woman sitting on the street in front of a sign for Marco Inn. 

I pull over, suddenly exhausted, and ask if she works for the inn. Yes, she owns it with her foreign husband. How much is a room? I ask. Hoping that it will be under my limit of 150,000 per night. Ah, it's 100,000. No need for me to bargain. That magical number that I love. I've never been let down in rooms that go for that price. Now 150,000, I've had good and bad experiences, but 100,000 just perfect. I stumble off the bike feeling a bit bowlegged. The young lady giggles and tries to hide it. I just smile, I feel like I'm home. I don't even need to see the room to know it will work. But, of course, there are conventionalities to be followed. This is Bali after all and even a weary traveler looking for whatever it is that brought me here must follow conventions.  

Back from a Long Trip to Ubud: My Oasis in Bali

Generally my trips to Ubud only last a day or two; this time I decided to stay down there for a while for a needed change of pace. There are times when living in a small, crowded kampung just gets to be a bit much. My favorite place to stay in Ubud is a small homestay – they actually call themselves an inn – with a friendly family, decent rent, good breakfasts and a quiet peaceful garden that is ideal for just sitting, thinking and writing. No TV, no internet connection, just some books, some time and a little peace.

I've been staying there for 23 years. I've brought my eldest son, my wife and close friends with me on a few trips, but mostly I stay there alone. It's the place where I go when I need to reflect and not concern myself with what's happening outside of my inner landscape. Artja's is the closest I can get to occupying a remote world while being right in the center of the teeming tourist/expat world of central Ubud.

I drove up to Kintamani and then down to Ubud as usual. The trip has become so routine that I can get lost in my thoughts while driving through some of Bali's most spectacular countryside absorbing the almost timeless spell that this region casts upon me ; a rare treat and something that I never take lightly. The sweet smell of cloves drying along the roadside; the warmth of sunbeams piercing through the tall trees outlining the road.

Stopped by a large police contingent checking all foreigners's driving documents, I had a quick smile and bit of banter while they checked my licenses and registration. Pulling into Artja Inn, I was warmly welcomed and led to my favorite room in the far back: a simple, but comfortable bed, a small fan, an open-air shower and a small verandah. The small mirror in the bathroom a welcomed addition for morning shaving.

The family and I exchanged greetings and small talk about the weather in Ubud and Buleleng (my home region). I unpacked my gear, finishing just as the hot water arrives for use with the endless supply of coffee and tea that sit on a small table on each verandah.

This trip was unusual in that I stayed five days; a long, curious encounter with a group of local expats; wandering through areas of Ubud that I haven't visited in decades, and spending a few days engaged in delightful conversations with a couple of young tourists from France and Germany. Those people that know me well, know that I tend to shy away from contact with new people, but on this trip I met more new people than I have met in the three years that I've been back in Bali after my six year stay in Sumbawa.

Hours of tales, reminiscences, cautions, culture and history lessons. Speaking with a fellow Chicagoan we spin tales of writers, politicians, wars, riots, money come and gone, women loved and lost. New Yorkers, Californians, film-makers, antique dealers, everyone with a fascinating history, but now somehow all gathered here in Bali. It's a long way from the kampung; some needed stimulus for my own work which gets confused and contorted with too much isolation.

I dread the entrance of the two young tourists who take the room next to mine. Young, beautiful people; laughing they introduce themselves and ask for advice about where to visit on their two days in Ubud. I take the role of the old-timer and offer a few suggestions. They wander off to explore the area. The next day they arrive excited from a long day out touring and shopping. The young lady, radiantly beautiful, excitedly describes her purchase of a silk sarong. She pops inside and quickly appears to model it for her companion and me. It is indeed lovely, but as I've often found, local clothes somehow fit better on locals. But, we both offer our congratulations on her purchase of such a lovely piece of cloth. She wants to go out and try the nightlife. Her companion opts to relax in his room, but he asks a question and it begins hours of talk about the culture of the island and the country, about his interests and mine. It's a rewarding few hours of sharing – a long time since I've done that with a stranger.

In the morning, he takes his leave for Sanur thanking me for the evening's talk. I'm somewhat amazed that he hadn't found it another long, boring discourse on local culture from an old anthropologist. She stays for a while, has a coffee and a short chat and then is on her way with new companions who will share her last few days in the country.

I spend another few days exploring the lanes of Ubud; arriving back each day sweaty, thirsty and filled with wonder at how despite the hordes of foreigners that crowd the streets and lanes of Ubud, it has somehow managed to retain its charm; maybe not quite as quaint as it once was many years ago, but still somehow intoxicating when viewed in the fading light of an afternoon's sun.

Trip to Padangbai: A Little Old, a Little New: Part I

With a house full of people, only half of whom I knew and a continuous, deafening booming from some terrible dangdut that started at 6:30 am and was scheduled to go on until midnight, I was getting to feel like a cranky old man complaining about the noise and the people. Indonesians, like many other Southeast Asians, love loud music – the louder the better – and crowds of people – the more the merrier. No matter how long I live here, my core personality is not going to change. So, in the interests of everyone, I decided that it would be a good idea to hit the road. I wasn't planning on one of my overnight trips, so I hopped on the bike with just my handphone and digital camera. The plan was just to get out of the house for a while and give everyone some space to do their own thing.

A visit to Pemuteran seemed like a good drive on a lovely sunny Sunday morning. Passing through the Lovina area, I was struck by how ugly it's become – full of villas, furniture stores, bakeries, repair shops, restaurants, bars and one hotel after the next. The bucolic scenes of the past are gone forever, as Lovina strives to become a cut rate version of Kuta and Legian. The old Chicago Transit Authority songs, Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? and 25 Or 6 To 4, kept running through my head as I blasted through Kalibukbuk, Temukus and Banjar heading towards Seririt.

scenes from the past

I was surprised to see that Seririt had a Hardys – seems they're everywhere on the island now since they're popular with both locals and foreigners. Seririt looked more prosperous than in the past, and without the glut of tourist-oriented businesses, I felt that I was getting back into an easier, less crowded and less hectic past. Through Grogak thinking you may think that you lost out on the much discussed second Bali international airport, but you've won. I had to pull my bike over for a short break while a ngaben wove down the main road. Then up to Pulaki where there was a major ceremony in process. I took a quick look and headed into Pemuturan.

By this time my wife texted me to let me know that the ceremonies in the house would be going on until midnight and I might as well just stay over night. I texted back to make sure I understood her message. I pulled over in Pemuturan looking at possible accommodations for the night. The vibe just wasn't right; something seemed uncomfortable and out of balance. Working more on instinct than logic, I turned the bike around and headed back to Kalibukbuk to have a few drinks at my favorite beachside restaurant. Pulling in at the beach, I was surprised, disappointed and depressed to see my favorite place torn down and something new under construction. A feeling of having something wonderful from my past disappear enveloped me; I headed back towards Singaraja not sure of my next step.

As I drove down Jalan Diponegoro, the destination Padangbai popped into my head. I've long wanted to spend a night there and as I hadn't received a reply from my wife yet, I drove on through Singaraja heading west. Passing through Air Sanih, I thought about stopping for a snack and a drink, but the road was filled with restless looking young men waiting for something to do. I wanted to stay small, under the radar, an invisible old man driving through the countryside. I drove on towards Tulamben, one of the old places during my early years in Bali where I'd go to have a swim, spend a night or two reading, drinking beer, writing, chatting to the local guys. Maybe I'll stop there I thought. Save myself from more driving as I was suddenly aware of a sunburn developing on my hands and forearms.

ngaben in Tulamben

I love the drive down the east coast with the change to a drier ecosystem with cacti lining the roads. Entering the village of Kubu, I had to stop. Traffic was backed up, and I could see far ahead of me one of the magnificent creamation towers swaying in the breeze coming off the sea slightly cooling the cloudless heat of early afternoon. Passing the long line of cars and trucks, I moved close enough to take a few photos and then quickly retreat to a small patch of shade under a few trees lining the roadside. I waited for an hour with a changing collection of Balinese – families of four and five on a small motorbike, a few grizzled veterans of many ngaben sharing a kretek cigarette on an old Honda, two dazzling young beauties in their finest ceremonial clothes pulled alongside to say hello, and I was transfixed by their huge dayglow sunglasses that rocketed me back to the 60s. Every so often I would move up along with the gathering crowd in the back of the procession and look for a new bit of shade. Seriously burned now and more than a little dehydrated, I started looking for a warung or restaurant to take shelter in for some shade, food, water and beer.

Like a mirage in this coastal desert, a sign appeared – Pondok Wisata, Bali Permai. I inched forward to see a few young women sitting around a table watching the scene. In the small driveway was a shiny new Kijang and a gleaming Harley Davidson. Signs from somewhere, I pulled in, slowly peeled myself off my burning saddle, and slipped into a chair in a table in a shady place. I decided to save the usual chitchat for later and ordered two lumpia, a large beer and two cold bottles of water.

Walking Tour of Singaraja: Jalan Erlangga and Jalan Hasanuddin

Today I'm going to walk up Jalan Hasanuddin which is just a street to the east of Jalan Imam Bonjol, which I wrote about in the last walking tour post.

A map of my walks.

After leaving Kampung Bugis walking to the east comes the intersection of Jalan Diponegoro and Jalan Erlangga. Actually, Jalan Dipongegoro becomes Jalan Erlangga in that way that streets do here. Navigating any city in Bali is made more difficult by the fact that house and shop numbers do not necessarily change sequentially and one street suddenly becomes another without warning. Detailed maps may be of some help, but how many of us carry maps around with us? So out onto Jalan Erlangga; this is a short street. This part of it is narrow and often congested because of traffic coming from Jalan Diponegoro, which, as one of the main streets of Singaraja, gets a lot of traffic, and Jalan Pattimura which runs through Kampung Bugis and gets a lot of traffic because all of the trucks coming from the west have to be routed through Jalan Pattimura. Find a photo. A lot of cars and delivery trucks double park here which adds to the congestion.

Jalan Erlangga has a large furniture shop where we buy most of our furniture. We'll occasionally run into foreigners from the Lovina area shopping for furniture there. This is not the expensive custom made furniture, but they have some nice beds and a few other pieces. One the south side of Erlangga is another furniture shop. We buy things there occasionally. Additionally, there are several automotive parts stores, a fishing/photography shop, a small grocery store selling dry goods and beverages, a baby shop and at several bicycle stores. Other buildings include a mosque and a store selling generators, hardware and other building tools.

Jalan Hasanuddin, Singarja Bali

Jalan Erlangga continues on past the intersection with Jalan Imam Bonjol. Here, Jalan Erlangga becomes a wider two-way street. Both sides have a number of shops selling building supplies such as paint, plywood, ceramic tiles, tools, varnish, nails and bolts, cement, and a variety of other building materials. This section of Jalan Erlangga continues on about 200 meters until it reaches the entrance to the old harbor and the bridge; it then becomes Jalan Surapati. Right across from the entrance to the bridge on the south side of the street is the start of Jalan Hasanuddin. Like Jalan Imam Bonjol, Jalan Hasanuddin is a one-way street running south. A lot of the buildings on Jalan Hasanuddin are storage facilities for local businesses. There is a busy pharmacy, a dentist's office and a pediatrician's office close by. Going south a ways is a pet supply store. No pets, just supplies like cages, aquariums, food for any number of creatures, and cigarettes. Yes, this pet store sell cigarettes.

Jalan Hasanuddin continues on south until it curves to the west and joins up with Jalan Imam Bonjol. As I walked this short stretch, I could hear the screams and laughter of children. I looked up and noticed an elementary school. I expected that because of the noise level the kids would be out on recess, but they were safely tucked away inside the classrooms. A large bathroom and tile store sits right at the intersection of Hasanuddin and Imam Bonjol. We've bought a few faucets and a toilet from them. They have a small, but interesting selection of bathroom fixtures, including a large solar water heater. This kind of store wasn't around in Singaraja when we were building each of our houses. To get Western-type building supplies, we had to go down to Denpasar, and even there, the selection was limited. Singaraja has become more Western friendly in terms of construction materials, and, even Indonesians are now buying Western-type furnishings for their homes. Recently we visited a neighbor's house and were surprised to see that they had a Western toilet in their bathroom along with a fancy sink and cabinet set. Across the street is a fairly large building supply store that sells paint, wood, plastic piping and so on.

And just where Jalan Imam Bonjol ends and splits into two streets, Jalan Gajah Mada starts and leads south to Denpasar. Jalan Dr. Sutomo splits off to the west for a short distance and becomes Jalan A. Yani which heads off to Lovina. Right at this busy intersection (noticeable for the large statute that marks the intersection), Singaraja's post office is located. Generally the post office isn't too busy, and it now has a small ATM in the parking lot.

I follow Jalan Dr. Sutomo – it only runs about 150 meters at the most – over to Jalan Diponegoro. Jalan Dr. Sutomo has a mix of small businesses that sell books, household goods and electronics. There is also a small internet shop that I used a few times when my internet connection was out. Perhaps most importantly, Bank Central Asia is here just across from the south entrance to Singaraja's main market. BCA has an ATM machine and inside it's possible to change currency including traveler checks. A police post, a clothing store and a motorcyle store.

As I was walking home, I noticed that I forgot last post to mention all the gold shops on Jalan Diponegoro and the little street Jalan Sawo that heads east off Jalan Diponegoro. So, this covers the closest streets to my house heading east. Next post, I'll take a look at the main road heading out to the east.

Sheikhupura Fort, Pakistan: A Trip Back in Time

I'm going to take a brief break today from my walking tour of Singaraja and journey back to Pakistan where I spent four intense, memorable and rewarding years. One of my teaching responsibilities during the first two years of my teaching in Lahore was a high school anthropology class. Those two years were the only time that I taught an anthropology class to students below university level, so it was a bit of a challenge. But, I had the opportunity to take two of my classes outside the school for field trips around Pakistan. The first trip included a visit to an old fort in the town of Sheikhupura which is jus 35 miles northwest of Lahore.

The city origins date back to 100 BC. Sheikhupura takes its name from the nickname for the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. Alexander the Great supposedly fought a battle here. The city was a focal point for struggles between Muslims and Sikhs for control of the area. The Sikhs eventually won out and held the city until they were defeated by the British sometime around 1850. Sheikhupura became part of Pakistan after Partition. Until then, the city was a mix of Hindu, Muslim and Sikh residents.

It seems uncertain exactly when Sheikhupura Fort was constructed. One argument is that it was built in 1619 for use as a hunting lodge. It is generally accepted that the fort was built by Emperor Jahangir sometime after 1607 and was used as a camp for the Emperor when he was in the area, usually for hunting. Later the fort was used as a home for the Sikh Princess Rani Nikayan; this accounts for many of the lovely frescoes still in existence (although some have been defaced by vandals) of dancing girls, court scenes, wildlife and images of Guru Nanak. The Asian Historical Architecture has an excellent section on Sheikhupura Fort including interior maps and 90 photos. I love this site because I lost most of the photos that I took during our field trip.

According to a news report from 2010, the United States was contributing $850,000 to the cost of renovating the fort. I was looking for some more recent information on the renovation project, but I haven't been able to find any. This is one of the many places that I would enjoy visiting should I be fortunate enough to return to Pakistan one day.

City Life in Bali: A Walking Tour of Singaraja

A few posts ago, I mentioned that I was going to get some needed exercise while exploring the city that I've called home for most of the past 23 years. I've been waiting to get over a bout of pneumonia, but it's been a long time coming – getting well that is – so I've decided that the best way to speed my recovery at this point is to just get out and do some walking. One thing that I've discovered while planning my walking tour of the city on a map is just how big Singaraja actually is. That little discovery has surprised me, I think, just because I've taken the city for granted. It's a fairly common thing for people to fall into comfortable routines, and we miss all of the wonder and the changes around us. So, if I really want to do right by Singaraja, I'm going to be doing a lot of walking over the coming months.

I've been thinking about how best to do my little walking tour, and I finally decided that the best place to start is from home. It makes a lot of sense geographically because we are right at the edge of the world – so to speak – because three meters in front of our house is the Bali Sea and that's where Singaraja ends. So, I'm starting out from home and making little forays farther and farther out from the house.

masjid taqwa, kampung bugis

My first walk is just a little stroll out of Kampung Bugis past Masjid Taqwa down Jalan Diponegoro (Singaraja's central business district – that's probably too grand a title for Jalan Diponegoro, but I like it so why not) then over to Jalan A. Yani and back down Jalan Imam Bonjol to the harbor and home again. The route is traced out on the map of Singaraja for readers who want to locate the areas that I'm writing about on a map. Jalan Diponegoro is the central shopping area and the city's main traditional market is located right in the middle of the street although it can be a bit difficult to discover because the entrance is just a small opening on Jalan Diponegoro – the actual market is between Diponegoro and Jalan Imam Bonjol. The market has fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, spices, clothes and a variety of other dry goods. Really, I don't find it all that interesting, although it does seem to attract a number of tourists who want to see a traditional market.

The street also has electronic stores (I buy all my electronic equipment there), a few small restaurants, shoe stores, a few book stores (including a new one that I just discovered on this walk), a pharmacy, a few doctor's offices, some fishing equipment shops, a small mini-market, two or three clothing stores, the main branch of BII (Bank Internasional Indonesia), a few hair saloons and an assortment of shops selling household goods. The street is almost always crowded with traffic due to the relatively new practice of allowing double parking which causes traffic to back up during the busy shopping hours of the day. I'll get back to discussing Jalan A. Yani in another post.

Jalan Imam Bonjol

Jalan Imam Bonjol is another busy street just to the east of Jalan Diponegoro. It is filled with shops selling a variety of things, such as household goods, furniture, car and motorbike parts, gold jewelry, and children's toys. This street also has an entrance to the main market and a new mini-market. While Jalan Diponegoro is a one way street running north, Jalan Imam Bonjol is a one-way street running south. Most of the buildings are two stories with a shop on the ground floor and a residence on the second story. Running off of Jalan Imam Bonjol to the east and west are several small streets called gangs in Bahasa Indonesia. I haven't even gotten to exploring these streets yet, so it should be clear that my walking tour of Singaraja still has a lot of ground to cover.

A Brief Historical and Socioeconomic View of Buleleng, Singaraja and Kampung Bugis

While I'm still recuperating at home and unable to start my walking tours of the city, I'll start this series on Singaraja with some historical and socioeconomic background information on the regency, city and my neighborhood.

Singaraja is the capital of the regency of Buleleng, which covers the north side of the island of Bali. Buleleng is the largest province of Bali in terms of area. During the colonial period, Singaraja was the capital of Bali and the Lesser Sunda Islands; in 1953 the capital was moved to Denpasar in the south. During the colonial period, the harbor in Singaraja was the entry point to the island for visitors and a variety of goods including slaves and opium.

Raja of Buleleng and his secretary circa 1875. Image:
Tropenmuseum of the Royal Tropical Institute

Buleleng was founded on March 30, 1604, by the legendary Gusti Panji Sakti who was descended from the son of Dalem Sagening, king of Gelgel, and who at one time ruled both Buleleng and Blambangan in Java. The story goes that Panji Sakti left Klungkung to found a new kingdom in North Bali. When Panji Sakti reached the top of the mountain range, he was thirsty, but there was no water. So, he drove his magic kris into the ground and a spring formed. This spring still exists today at the site of the Pura Yeh Ketipat temple in the Lake Beratan area. Eventually Panji Sakti built three palaces; the last palace was at the site of Singaraja and this is considered the official birth date (1604) of the city and the kingdom of Buleleng.

Buleleng was the first of the Balinese kingdoms to fall to the Dutch after three battles in 1846, 1848 and 1849. (I'll have more about this in my posts about the Bugis in Kampung Bugis.) Buleleng has 9 kecamatans (sub-districts); these are Gerokgak, Seririt, Busung Biu, Banjar, Buleleng, Sukasada, Sawan, Kubutambahan and Tejakula. Geographically Buleleng includes mountain ranges in the south, two lakes in the mountains and the relatively narrow coastal plane that skirts the Bali Sea on the north. Agriculture, manufacturing, tourism and crafts are the main areas of the economy. The regency's land area is 24.25% of the total land area of Bali. Buleleng's has a varied climate; the mountain ranges to the south regularly receive rainfall, while the coastal area has a dry season and a wet season.

According to the Kabupaten Buleleng's website, the regency (or district as it is sometimes called) had a population of 786,972 in 2009. While the sub-district of Buleleng has the smallest area of the nine sub-districts, it has the largest population and highest population density. The sub-district of Buleleng had a population of 146,942 with a density of 1,515 people per square kilometer; the city of Singaraja has somewhere between 80,000 to 100,000 residents and this accounts for the high population density of Buleleng. Singaraja is known as a city of education.

Kampung Bugis is located right along the Bali Sea (sometimes also called the Java Sea or the Bali/Java Sea), and is adjacent to the harbor. The total area of Kampung Bugis is 30 hectares. In addition to having the sea as its northern border, it borders Kampung Baru to the east, Kampung Kajanan to the south and Kampung Anyar to the west. The kampung has 3,299 residents, divided almost equally between males and females. Trading is the most common occupation, and there are 21 residents listed as making their livelihood by fishing.

So, enough history and statistics for now. There will be more later on the lifeinthetropics blog when I get finished with my translation of the thesis on the role of the Bugis people in the development of Kampung Bugis.

Singaraja, Buleleng, Bali: A City to Discover

Sometimes a bout of illness or a less than sparkling medical checkup can be a good thing, a call to make a few changes. I've mostly been in bed for the past three weeks with a nasty flu bug that turned into pneumonia, and my wife's recent checkup indicated that she needed to change her diet some and get more exercise. As we were discussing what we were going to do to get a bit healthier, I came across some advice on one of the medical websites that suggested walking 10,000 steps a day as a relatively easy way to get some exercise. Add that to my recent work in translating a thesis on the origins of the Bugis people and the development of Kampung Bugis (my home neighborhood), and I decided that it was about time to get out wandering around the city on foot. Generally, I travel by motorcycle, but with the traffic in Singaraja getting worse by the day (or so it seems), I miss a lot of the cool things around this city because I have to keep my eye on all the vehicles on the streets.

Singaraja, Bali

I love walking around cities. During my youth in Chicago, I walked all over the north side and the downtown area; I've taken extended walking tours of New York, San Francisco, Singapore, Bangkok, Amritsar, Lahore, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Manila. But I've done very little actual walking around my lovely city of Singaraja. The city dates back over 500 years, and while a lot of the old buildings have been torn down over the past several decades, there are still plenty of interesting sites to see while walking around Singaraja.

So, I've decided to get my exercise by taking some extended walks through the many neighborhoods here that I only zoomed through on my motorcycle. I'll be writing about the city as it exists now, and I'll be adding some historical information as well, both here and on my lifeinthetropics blog. So stop by and see what Singaraja is like for a long term foreign resident.

A Rare Car Trip to Denpasar

It's rare these days for me to take a trip in the car. Problems with my ankle (two botched surgeries a few years ago), my back (a chronic problem dating back to my fieldwork days in Northern California) and my peripheral vision (from the first stroke almost three years ago now) first stopped my from driving the car and now has made it uncomfortable to even sit in a car for more than a short ride. So, I stick the my beloved motorcycle unless a situation arises where I need to use a car. Yesterday, one of those situations arose when I need to accompany one of my daughters down to the American Consular Agency in Denpasar.

I'm a driver: I was a cab driver for a few years, drove a fork lift for a while in a factory and have been attached to anything mechanical that can move me from one place to another. I don't trust most of other drivers, especially in Bali where road conditions are, at best, challenging. But, as I can't really drive a car, I used my wife's occasional driver yesterday to take Rebecca and me down to Denpasar. I loved it. I loved it not because someone else had to battle potholes, lunatic teenagers just graduating from school and driving like they have some impenetrable shield around, the clueless textters who drive with one hand on their motorbike and the other on their handphone (forget about watching the road, they're too busy getting out that vital SMS to someone obviously important enough to risk their life and the lives of other drivers), the tourist-bus drivers who have the biggest vehicles on the road and make sure everyone knows it, and the mad dogs who run out into the street oblivious to speeding machines. I loved it because it gave me a chance to gaze at Bali's natural beauty and its unique architecture.

Those of us who have been here for a while, and who don't live in traditional Balinese compounds, tend to forget about their special beauty. And, there are many along the road from Denpasar to Singaraja. My status as a non-driver allowed me to stare into the compounds as we sat in traffic or slowly passed by. My anthropological imagination running wild imagining live in one kampung or desa after the next. And as we drove up into the mountains on the way home, I was dazzled by the late afternoon sun highlighting the lushness of a Bali just coming out of the rainy season.

Knowing that I won't be making these trips very often anymore, I avidly accumulated all these visions of this graceful and gorgerous island for future reflection. Just another nice day in paradise.

Some Quiet in Ubud

I didn't realize how long it has been since I've been to Ubud until I look at this blog – six months. So, I decided to get out on the road since the weather seems to have turned and the dry season is peaking out from behind the masses of rain clouds that have filled the skies of Bali for so long. It was during this trip that I realized one of the major reasons that I love spending a night or two down in Ubud: it's quiet. Really quiet. Life in Kampung Bugis is a never-ending stream of auditory assaults from chickens, motorcycles, hordes of children, trucks, cars, neighbors, the local mosques and puras and the occasional plane or helicopter buzzing overhead.

I was sitting on the little veranda outside my room at my favorite homestay in Ubud reading a little book about Rimbaud in Java while enjoying the quiet and peace when an American tourist came by to look at the room next door. I overheard him unsuccessfully trying to bargain down the price of the room. He asked if he could bother me for a moment and inquired about “that sound.” I asked him what sound, and he replied “that buzzing, is it a saw or insects?” Oh, that sound. Insects. Nature. Life in the tropics. “I guess we could live with that,” he muttered. Probably not though as he didn't come back.

 I stayed an extra day this trip and wandered down Monkey Forest Road to see if it had changed as much as the main road which is definitely more upscale these days than it was back when I first started staying in Ubud. Surprisingly, it's not all that different – just a little more crowded with cars, buses, motorbikes and tourists. A stroll along Monkey Forest Road can get hot with all the exhaust from the stream of vehicles, so I stopped at a little cafe to have a few cold Bintangs and watch the tourists passing by. I noticed that they have a determined little march, not looking left or right, charging on ahead to their destinations, generally ignoring the calls of transport from the line of guys sitting along the road trying to drum up some business. The eat, pray and love ladies with their flowing white dresses or baggy hippy pants, however, tend to float dreamily like eagles scouring the landscape for some tasty prey. The new additions to the hodgepodge of shops along the road were the aromatherapy shops and the spas that offer a variety of massages, tonics and pampering. I glimpsed two of the ladies in white blissfully exit an upscale-looking spa and enter the hot noon sun and chaos of the road still under the trance of their retreat into the world of alternative therapies and escape from the stresses of the mundane world.

For me, the trip was a chance to talk to some old friends and meet two new ones, as well as travel the road to Kintamani that passes through some of the most magnificent of Bali's natural beauty. And, of course, there's always that thrill of riding a fine motorcycle around the island.

A Trip to Yogyakarta

I haven't been to Java in a few years. Actually, I haven't been off the island for a few years – and that sounds amazing as I write it because it's the longest time that I've ever spent on Bali without at the least going to another island – so I was ready to go. My daughters would call it refreshing, meaning that the trip will refresh me. It's a curious Indonesian phrasing using English.

As usual when I take trips, I get anxious worrying about missing a flight, the hotel not having a reservation, suddenly getting ill and the like. I am definitely not a good tourist despite all the international travel that I've done over the past 25 years. On the one hand, I do miss traveling around the world, on the other hand it can be such a hassle.

One of the downsides to living in the north of Bali is the distance to the airport. Now if the flight leaves late in the morning or early in the evening that's ok because I can leave here at a decent hour. But, on flights like the one we'll be taking on Sunday, the 07:00 departure time means check-in at 06:00 and therefore leaving home around 03:00. That's always been the problem during the years that the family and I were living in Papua. We'd have to get the kids up around 2 to get them dressed and do last minute packing of the car. When they were little, there were always tears being woken up in the middle of the night, but once they got to the airport, they'd be excited about the trip. They loved traveling.

Yogyakarta is one of Indonesia's favorite tourist destinations. Located in Central Java, it is considered to be the center of Javanese culture and is known for its batik, puppets, dance and music. Additionally, the city was once the capital of the Indonesian Republic during the revolution against Dutch colonial rule. Yogyakarta's uniqueness also extends to its status as a Special Administrative Region and has the Sultan Hamengkubuwono X as its ruler. He is also the area's governor. And to add to all this, Yogyakarta is a relatively short distance to Borobudur and Prambanan. Oh, I almost forgot. Yogya is one of Indonesia educational centers as well with many universities, colleges and other institutes of higher education. My eldest daughter is in a nursing college, and my second daughter is considering going to school there as well.

So, Jogya is a cool place to visit. On my previous two visits to the city, I did some of the required sight-seeing like Borobudur, Prmabanan, batik factories and puppet-making workshops. However, I never got around to visiting the Kraton, the Sultan's palace. This trip my main plan, other than to see Mercedes and check on a school for Rebecca, was to visit the Kraton.

I arrived early and wasn't able to check in to my homestay until afternoon, so I wandered down the street and had breakfast at an interesting little restaurant. After I finished, I took a becek to the Kraton. Despite it being an early Sunday morning, there were streams of people flooding into the Kraton – many of them were students and there were a fair amount of foreigners as well. I spend a pleasant morning talking with one group of students after another – they were all studying English and they loved the opportunity to practice with a retired teacher who speaks Indonesian. It was a morning well spent.

It poured for most of the time that I was in Yogyakarta so I only managed to do a few of the things that I had planned on. All in all, it was a good trip, especially spending some time with my daughter. Yogyakarta is definitely worth a visit – a few days isn't enough time to really explore the city and the surrounding area, but I have a feeling I'll be back again a few more times.

Back to Sanur

Finally, I had an excuse to get out of town and start the new year off with a road trip. For some reason, I find it quite difficult to leave the house for road trips these days. There always seems to be some home improvement project that I feel I should get done before I go out for a day or two on the motorcycle. So when my old friend, Stephen, arrived on the island for his December break, I knew I had a good excuse to get out on the road again.

Another drive, then, back to Sanur which I last visited in August. Trips around the island are always something of a risk during the rainy season. And, just as I was about to leave the house the other day, it started to rain. By the time I had made it back up to the third floor to wait out the rain, it had stopped. I decided to drive as far as Bedugal and see what the weather looked like on the other side of the mountain. A slight drizzle kept me damp, but when I hit Bedugal, the sun came out and it was sunny skies all the way down to Sanur. And even better, there have been a number of improvements made to the main road so the drive was quite enjoyable with not having to dodge potholes.

One of the things about driving my motorcycle – the popular Yamaha V-Ixion – is the protection and maneuverability that its speed gives you. While it's only 150cc, it's a lightweight bike with lots of torque at low speeds. This is advantageous when you get stuck in a long line of vehicles and you need to pass up trucks and buses. You can quickly shoot up past them and leapfrog along the line. The power out of first and second gear also allows you to quickly get out of sticky situations, such as when you have some bozo in front who is weaving from side to side – quite often texting while driving. You can just shoot past them and you're free.

Bali is continually changing. The south of the island seems to be one large construction zone. I made a quick stop at the Ace Hardware on Jalan Gatot Subroto to see if they had any polyurethane – they did. It's interesting that with all the wood used in housing here and the widespread use of Bale Bengong that polyurethane, or something like it, wouldn't be available here. But, I did the rounds of eight building supply stores in Singaraja and couldn't find one that knew anything about polyurethane or something like it. So, one more reason to have Ace here, even if I rarely get down there.

On my way down to Sanur, not far from Ace on Gatot Subroto, I noticed a new 24 hour McDonald's. Plenty of them down south, yet not one up here in Singaraja yet -for better or worse. Actually, if they had a McDonald's here, we'd probably get dinner there occasionally when no one wanted to cook. I imagine that one will get built up here eventually.

So, I checked into my favorite guesthouse/restaurant in Sanur and took a long walk along the nice beachside sidewalk that runs for a long way down the beach – I walked for a half hour and the sidewalk still went on. Lots of tourists, both foreign and domestic, were also enjoying the sidewalk, the little market and the many restaurants along the beach. After a long lovely walk, I took a shower, read a little from a book that I'm reviewing and then had a nap until my friend, Stephen, was due to meet me for dinner at the restaurant in front of my room.

As usual, we had a great conversation. It seems like years since we were working together in Sumbawa. Well, actually it has been years, so maybe it seems like decades. We caught up on family stuff and work and former colleagues. Plus, we made plans for a trip to Sumbawa in June which both of us loved. It's unfortunate that the island hasn't been able to benefit more from the huge tourist numbers that are Bali. But maybe with the expected increase of tourists this year to 3 million, Sumbawa will get some of the runoff. We'll be there anyway. And now for a trip to Ubud next month.