| I am writing this memoir from the perspective of | | | | could resist eating grilled seafood outdoors at night |
| a tourist from the Philippines. Before coming to | | | | with the crashing waves nearby, sand under our |
| Bali, I thought that Bali was another beach | | | | feet, candlelights, twinkling lights in the far distance |
| destination, like Boracay or Phuket. No, it seems | | | | and stars shining in the sky? On our last night at |
| that I was mistaken. Bali is much more than a | | | | Fortuin restaurant, there was a Balinese wedding |
| beach. Let me show you. | | | | reception next door. We witnessed a traditional |
| Light enhances art, one cannot isolate a structure | | | | Balinese dance, a modern belly dance, a fire |
| from its natural environment. | | | | dance, and heard some Balinese songs and English |
| I remembered this paraphrase from a movie the | | | | songs like Autumn leaves. There were |
| minute we arrived in our hotel, Royal Bali Beach | | | | Hindu-Balinese decorations among the tables and |
| Club in Jimbaran. As we sat down drinking our | | | | chairs and, according to the waiter, the wedding |
| welcome drinks, my eyes were drawn up to the | | | | happened the day before but the celebration will |
| thatched roof made of alang-alang (cogon). Three | | | | be for several days. A foreigner and a Balinese |
| levels up from the ground floor lobby, the | | | | were getting married so perhaps they had two |
| bamboo poles and burnished wood frames | | | | different kinds of celebration? |
| formed a geometric design that glowed in the | | | | Speaking of beaches, there is one beach that is |
| warm lights. Hindu stone carvings, intricate wood | | | | not found in any Bali map. It's called Dreamland |
| carvings on the walls, frangipani flowers in vases, | | | | and owned by Tommy Suharto, the |
| Balinese masks, gargoyles & water lilies all | | | | ex-president's son. As the name suggests, |
| combined with the thatched alang-alang roof to | | | | Tommy got the best beach in this massive real |
| create a tropical, Balinese ambiance. Despite my | | | | estate project called Dreamland. Situated between |
| fatigue, I felt stimulated by so much artistic | | | | Jimbaran and Uluwatu, Dreamland beach is more |
| expression. | | | | picturesque, its sands finer than the ones in |
| On our way to St. Francis Xavier church in Kuta | | | | nearby Jimbaran, Kuta or even Nusa Dua (this last |
| the next day, I finally saw Bali in the daytime. I | | | | one came from Ngurah our driver.) It was in |
| found it strange that nearly all the structures | | | | Dreamland that I saw surfers up-close. It was |
| (except those with thatched roofing) had the | | | | fascinating to watch them glide in and out of the |
| same tiled roofing in terracotta color. I can almost | | | | waves because they made it seem so easy. Did |
| believe the Balinese deliberately created a themed, | | | | they experience an athlete's "high" surging over |
| unified look like what the Parisians or the Israelites | | | | those waves? Maybe. In my experience as a |
| in Jerusalem did. I think this gives the city its | | | | runner, it was always exhilarating to run at top |
| unique character. Did you know that Bali has the | | | | speed with the wind blowing all over my body. |
| longest art street in the world? | | | | Soon, it was sunset. Watching the sunset in Kuta |
| On our way up to Ubud which is considered the | | | | or Dreamland beach was a special event for our |
| cultural and artistic center of Bali, the "art street" | | | | family since we live in the city which is far from |
| passed through several towns that specialized in | | | | any beach. We were glad that the beaches in Bali |
| different arts: Tohpati (batik), Batubulan (stone | | | | were free and not crowded with people. I can't |
| carving), Mas (wood carving), Celuk (silver & | | | | explain why but it felt like food for our soul to |
| gold), Ubud (paintings and galleries, art market), | | | | catch a sunset by the beach. |
| Sukawati (art market). It's an artist's haven! | | | | For me, Uluwatu in southwestern Bali had the |
| Three days were not enough for us but we were | | | | most dramatic cliff views over the Indian ocean. |
| happy with our souvenirs, especially in Windu Sari | | | | The 70 metre cliff scene was a little like the |
| (Batubulan), Body and Soul and Just Jeans factory | | | | Twelve Apostles in Melbourne, Australia which |
| outlets in (Seminyak), and in Sukawati market, all | | | | faced the Southern Ocean. After half an hour of |
| with discounts. Always bargain in Bali, as much as | | | | walking by the trail we were rewarded with |
| 70% if you can otherwise walk away and see if | | | | spectacular views! There were many monkeys |
| they will give in. | | | | around, but don't be fooled or frightened that the |
| Did I mention that ricefields and rice terraces | | | | monkeys will steal your stuff. That's what the |
| surrounded these art towns? The Balinese | | | | locals will tell you but I refused to leave my |
| originally built their rice paddies to surround their | | | | sunglasses behind as my eyes were sensitive to |
| water temple, and thanks to the subak irrigation | | | | the sun. Well, they were cheap sunglasses |
| system inherited from the Hindus, rice is planted | | | | anyway but hey, at least I didn't frown in our |
| all year round. We couldn't forget those ducks | | | | photo shoots and nothing happened to us. |
| quacking in the rice paddies though. Why, they | | | | Let's see: beaches (for surfing, water sports, or |
| were the same ducks that were deep-fried in | | | | swimming), mountains, lakes, national parks, rice |
| Indonesian spices and landed on our lunch plates! | | | | terraces & fields, longest art street, |
| Yummy. Interestingly, the Indonesian bebek | | | | Hindu-Polynesian architecture, Hindu temples, |
| (duck) tasted different from its Peking duck | | | | Buddhist pagodas, Balinese dance and theater, |
| cousin. If you do come to Bali, a visit to Bebik | | | | Balinese gardens, Indonesian spices, designer |
| Bengil in Ubud for lunch or dinner is worth it. The | | | | boutiques, beachfront hotels & restaurants, |
| Balinese gardens, rice fields, traditional Balinese | | | | and an international airport found in ONE island? |
| bamboo music are as exquisite as the duck | | | | Incredibly yes. Nowadays, when I'm in the mood |
| special and fried ice cream for desert, at | | | | to remember Bali, all I have to do is pluck a |
| reasonable prices. | | | | frangipani flower from our garden, put it behind an |
| At first, we were not so crazy to rush to the | | | | ear, play a traditional Balinese bamboo music in |
| beaches as we were familiar with fine sand or | | | | my CD player, read a book about Bali or try a |
| coral beaches in the Philippines. However, on our | | | | recipe from a Balinese cookbook and voila, it's Bali |
| third night, we headed to Jimbaran beach for a | | | | again. I think I got the Bali High fever. |
| seafood dinner and got hooked ever since. Who | | | | |