Bali, part 1

I doubt you have heard of many places I visited in Indonesia: Bengkulu, Bandarlampung, Bondowoso anyone?  Bali, on the other hand, is world famous.  It may even be more well known in the West than the country of Indonesia itself!  Although the island, just east of Java, is inundated with hype, I'd say Bali manages to live up to it.

What is so great about Bali?  Well for starters there is no other culture quite like it anywhere else in the world.  Before the arrival of Islam much of the Indonesian archipelago practiced Hinduism, brought from the subcontinent by Indian traders.  A Hindu kingdom united Bali and eastern Java in the 11th century.  Over the following centuries, as Islamic kingdoms grew more powerful on Java, Hindus either converted or fled to Bali (the last royal exodus took place in the late 15th century).

Bali, in red, is a small island separated from Java by a narrow channel

The Muslims did not pursue the fleeing royal court, which continued its Hindu traditions on Bali.  Religiously isolated for centuries, Balinese Hindus developed their own unique culture.  The Balinese are ostensibly Hindu, but have incorporated many local traditions to create a version of the religion quite different from Indian Hinduism.

Bali is home to some 4 million people, over 80% of whom are Hindu.  Despite modernization the culture has proven extremely resilient: there are an estimated 20,000 temples on the island, and street corners, houses, and shops are decorated with countless sculptures and paintings.

entrance to a temple near Denpasar, Bali's largest city

a rather frightening example of
 Balinese sculpture

A generation ago most Balinese were employed in agriculture, and although many rice fields still dot the landscape, tourism has taken over the economy.  Although the local culture is unique, the problems that have arisen with increased tourism are not.  On the south end of the island traffic and pollution are dreadful.  Around the beach-side party hotspot called Kuta, prostitution is common, and crime is a concern for both locals and tourists alike.

Despite its problems Bali is still worth a visit.  Thankfully the island is large enough that if you want to get away from the crowds (well not totally) there are plenty of options.  Its reputation for sand, surf, and late night festivities is also well deserved.  Bali offers all the fun of a party island in Thailand with much more culture.  And after traveling around the Muslim areas of Indonesia relaxing on the beach by day and partying it up by night may just hit the spot.

As for me, I arrived on a ferry from Java the same day I made the trek to Ijen crater at 4 am.  By the time the ferry arrived - the strait between Bali and Java is only two miles wide, yet somehow the journey took over an hour - it was early afternoon.  I was hopeful that I could get to the beach before sundown.  Instead, the public bus (which charged foreigners more than locals, another annoying aspect of touristy places) got stuck in notorious Bali traffic and took over three hours to get from the ferry terminal to the city of Denpasar.

Map of Bali; the ferry leaves Ketapang, Java and disembarks at Gilimanuk
just across the channel.  Most tourists end up near Kuta and Legian.

From Denpasar, the main city on the island, I had to take another bus to Kuta.  It was actually a pick-up truck, similar to songkrams in Thailand.  Instead of taking me to Kuta the driver stopped part way at another bus station where other drivers wanted to charge me 10 bucks for a ride (100,000 Rupiah).  Ah, to be back in a tourist town!  I opted to flag down a moto driver and haggled him down to a fourth that price.

By the time I arrived in Kuta it was already dark - so much for a trip to the beach!  I picked Kuta since there are tons of hotel options, and I figured once I got my bearings the next day if I wanted I could always change location.  Exhausted and not willing to go on a long search for cheaper accommodation, I settled on a small but posh-for-the-price 20 dollar hotel.  One solid night sleep in a nice bed with AC and I felt rejuvenated the next morning.

For the number of hotels in Kuta the hostel selection is surprisingly small.  After a trip to the beach in the morning I checked out of the hotel and went on a search for one of the only hostels I could find listed on the Internet.  The moto driver had a hard time finding it, and I can tell why.  It was off the main strip further inland, too far to comfortably walk to the beach or much else of interest for that matter.

Kuta Beach, Bali

The hostel was less than 10 bucks a night - cheap by Bali standards, which are higher than the rest of Indonesia - so I booked it for a night.  One plus was the hostel's proximity to a gym.  I hadn't been to one since Vietnam so I was glad for the chance to workout.  By the time I got back to the hostel it was near 9pm, and either I missed the going out crowd or there really wasn't much happening.  So after a late dinner and a couple beers in the lobby again I called it an early one.