Bali Travels

Hello All,

I’m back! I want to thank everyone for his or her reply to my first email. It was really good to hear from many people and get little updates from home and around the world. I have also linked this blog with my university’s blog – meaning that everything I write in these emails will be copied on to my school’s global blog webpage.

So if you would like, continue reading here: http://sphglobalhealth.blogspot.com/

However, I’m old school – I like these emails! As cool and user-friendly as blogs are, there is very little place for response and feedback. So, I’m sticking with the emails too, especially since my Bubbe just got email…and isn’t yet blogging!

Let’s see…here is what people said about my first email:

Question: Why can’t you tell us everything you see? We wont ever meet these girls anyways.
Answer: Well, good question. Popular question! Although you will never meet the girls that I am working with on a daily basis, just sharing personal information via blogging and/or mass emails seems exploitative to me. Therefore it becomes a just a matter of respect. In certain cases, like that of Rosa’s, I was given specific permission to share her story with my friends and family. I’m sure I am not alone in this case, as many of you probably work in environments where confidential information is exchanged on a daily basis. I see an individual’s life story as confidential information unless otherwise specified. My organization is soon publishing a book of stories direct from the mouths of HIV+ sex workers that come to the clinic. I’ll send out that information when it is available.

Comment: Wow! What a crazy world we live in. Here we are going about our lives…and would never know these horrible things are going on in a distant location.

Comment: I thought you said you were going to keep it short.

Question: WHAT ABOUT THE WEATHER!?
Answer: Oh silly me. How could I forget to write about the weather…I mean I’m living in Bali for gosh sakes! I have a few excuses. First, the PERFECT (mostly sunny, NO rain, low humidity) weather is really secondary to why I’m here, so I’m really not surprised I forgot to include it in my email. Second, I didn’t want to rub it in. I know it only took a few months for the weather to actually become nice in Chicago. Lastly, I do what I can to avoid the sun. So for everyone that is commenting on my pictures how I’m still so white (Bruce and Ted), it’s because I’m a local and locals avoid the sun at all costs. On top of everything, sunscreen is by far the most expensive thing at the convenience store; all sunscreen is imported and there is no demand for it…so its literally $20-40 for a small bottle.

A little about work…

I still love what I am doing, and wake up excited to go to work every day. I only hope I have this feeling when I actually start my career. I continue to be exposed to new issues, ideas and faces every day. I honestly thought that I knew everything there was to know about HIV and AIDS before coming here. How naïve I was. Whether it’s talking to current sex workers or making home visits to people living with HIV/AIDS, there is always a good chance I’ll learn something new.

The support group (reminder: the group of about 20-30 HIV+ sex workers that meet every Saturday at the office) is still going strong. Since my last blog, the group has partaken in a group discussion on opportunistic infections (serious) and aerobics (fun). Usually there are two “fun” activities for every one “serious” activity or discussion. The group has also agreed to start their own “insurance” policy, as they are not legally employed and are too poor to afford any type of insurance. This was started for several reasons: 1) there have been girls in the clinic that have needed medical care and have not received it because there was no money to cover the costs and 2) to pay for a proper funeral costs, in most cases cremation. Although not much, the girls have been asked to give about a $5 deposit, and then about $1 each meeting thereafter. While some of this money will be used to cover their medical expenses, the activity is meant to empower the girls by giving them a sense of responsibility over their own lives. It gives them power, which is a rare feeling for someone who is essentially owned by a pimp and gives their body to men for a living.

And on to non-work activities…

I got my first haircut in Bali, which is always an interesting experience for me in Asia. Most of my haircuts in Thailand began with me being handed a magazine by the barber (sometimes Us Weekly and other times some random Japanese fashion magazine) and was asked to point to what I want my hair to look like. When I was able to find him, I would try to find Brad Pitt. However, this time I walked into this little barber shop Wayan (the boy who brings me breakfast) told me to go to. I walk in and….the barber (Gochi) speaks English! What a relief! It was a good haircut, less than $2 and took about 5 minutes to complete. But wait a minute; this haircut experience was not magazine-free. About two-thirds of the way through my haircut, Gochi proceed to tell me that Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt were back together. He told me they had been seen out in public. I was shocked. I mean, I haven’t been keeping up with my Perez as closely as I do at home – but something this big…impossible! He had proof. His proof was some European celebrity gossip magazine from 1997 (I’m estimating) that some other foreigner customer gave him a few weeks ago. Instead of bursting his bubble, I told him that was interesting and how surprised I was to have missed such big news. Good times at the barber.

On a more serious note, I had no idea what “getting sick” in Indonesia actually was until recently. Up until a few weeks ago, I had experienced the occasional stomachache, but I had no idea what I had coming my way. I self-diagnosed myself as having some form of food poisoning and dehydration. I’ve been really sick before in my life, but I can’t really compare anything to this feeling I had. Pounding headache + “uneasy” stomach + fatigue = not a lot of fun in Bali. This feeling lasted about 3 days and I eventually recovered. I explained how I felt to Emily, a colleague of mine at the foundation, and she said, “Yeah, that happens here every few weeks. You’ll get used to it”. So that’s something to look forward to. I also think I overdid the street food a little too much. The night market is just so delicious and cheap that it’s really hard to pass up, but the MSG, excessive coconut oil and often-uncleanly cooking practices tend to take a toll on the Western stomach. I guess these kinds of things come with the territory.

I have also stopped asking Wayan, the boy who brings me breakfast, to teach me new words. Yes, it’s the end of an era. I started picking up on signals that he wasn’t too interested in our little word game anymore. He used to hang around and chat for a minute or so after setting down breakfast on my table, but recently his behavior started to change. A few weeks ago he started to scatter away after setting down the tray, as if he was busy! I’m okay though, because even without Guru (teacher) Wayan, I’m picking up the language on a daily basis. I think learning new languages is my new hobby.

Two weekends ago I took a ‘holiday’ to Lombok and the Gili Islands. Lombok is an island just to the east of Bali (and is about the same size) and the Gili Islands are 3 very small little islands that are known for snorkeling and diving, and is the ideal beach destination. Lombok and the Gili’s are accessible by fast boat (very expensive), ferry (cheap, but slow) or airplane (moderate) from Bali. While I am a budget traveler and almost never pass up countryside bus ride and ferry combo, my 2-day/1-night short holiday validated my splurge on a flight to Lombok. Instead of an 8-hour trip via bus+ferry, the flight takes all of 30-minutes and costs about $30. Let’s talk about this flight before we go any further.

I booked my flight to Lombok on Trigana Airlines. I just assume that the EU doesn’t approve of the airline, as is the case with most low-budget Asian airlines. Therefore I wasn’t surprised with what proceeded to happen upon checking in at the Bali airport. The man at the check-in counter informed me that although my ticket was valid, I would not be flying to Lombok on Tirgana Airlines as I had booked. I would be flying on Riau Airlines, the “Spirit of Riau”. Has anyone ever heard of Riau…if so, please let me know where this place is? It was extra comforting when he WROTE my boarding pass in pen, by hand. After only a 45-minute delay (which is actually considered ON TIME by low-budget standards), I hopped on a bus from the terminal, only to be dropped at the foot of a small propeller plane! Anyways, the loud and bumpy 30-minute flight landed safely in Lombok, to my relief.

Lombok is extremely undeveloped, and for now is still the poor man’s version of Bali. This is all about the change in the next few years, as the island is currently building up its infrastructure, including an international airport. I stayed in Senggigi, which is by far the most developed region of the island of Lombok. Side Note: I don’t use travel guides or books. I read blogs, talk to fellow travelers or just explore on my own; I find this method of traveling both exciting and educational (in terms of learning about life through experience). I’ll tell you, you learn a lot stepping off of a boat and into a new place without a guide, map or any form of English direction. But I thrive on these experiences. Anyways, Senggigi was quiet and without a tourist in sight when I arrived. I found a cheap guesthouse, checked in and just explored. I walked along the beach and just talked with the local people, most of who were begging to practice their English with me, as well as snap away with their camera phones, for pictures OF me…not with me. I’m used to this by now. I ended up hiring a private boat (long tail, wooden) with a driver to take me on a half-day trip along the western coast of Lombok, as well as to the Gili Islands. You can see pictures on my facebook album, which I will post below. We stopped along the way to take pictures, snorkel or just go for a swim. I learned one lesson about snorkeling (I’ll discuss the second lesson later): don’t forget to put sunscreen on your back when snorkeling. Yeah, I won’t make that mistake again. Senggigi, being on the Western coast of the island, also has a beautiful sunset on the beach. I met a few local students on the beach, one of which claimed to look like Barack Obama. You can see those pictures on my facebook album as well.

Another side note: I know Barrack Obama is loved all over the world, but he is ESPECIALLY loved in Indonesia. Everyone I meet in Indonesia tells me about how Barack Obama lived and studied here when he was a little boy (age 6-10), and that he speaks Indonesian (although I don’t know if he is still fluent). While I don’t talk much politics with local people, I often ask people what they think of George Bush – and I’m surprised to find that many people actually liked him, but for his “power” and “strength” as opposed to his political or social views.

I spent my second day in Lombok exploring the Southern coast, Kuta Beach. As opposed to hiring a car and driver, I thought it would be more fun to hire a motorcycle driver to take me through the countryside and down to Kuta beach. After 2 or 3 hours on a motorcycle through traditional villages, we arrived in the VERY undeveloped Kuta Beach. There are a few home stays, very few tourists and one large hotel on one end of the beach. Other than that…there are just a few local people swimming and relaxing on the seemingly never-ending strip of beach. For better or for worse, this is all about the change in the next few years. In addition to the international airport being built (only 30-minutes from Kuta beach), all this bare and lush beach property has been purchased by foreign hotel investors from Saudi Arabia, Australia, and America, etc. I am thankful I had the opportunity to meet the local people on the beach (mostly screaming girls, applying baby powder to their faces, and wanting to take pictures with me) and see the land while it remains untouched. I got their perspective on the development of the beach, and they are not happy – security guards already have their eye on local families and children making sure they do not lay a foot on hotel beach property. After the 2.5 hour motorcycle ride back to Senggigi, I watched one final sunset, got to the airport 30 minutes before my flight, and jetted back to Bali. It may sound funny but it was nice to get away from Bali, especially to an island that is clean, quiet and feels tourist-free.

Making the most of my free time, I decided to get away this past weekend as well. I traveled the Padang Bai, a small fishing town located about 2 hours north (up the Eastern coast) of where I live permanently in Sanur. Padang Bai is a port town, with ferries coming and going all day. Most tourists that come through Padang Bai do not stay for more than a few hours, but those that stay are greatly rewarded. The town itself quiet, but also is lined with small warungs (small restaurants), bars (small reggae-style), small local-run convenience shops, and a handful or hotel and home stays. The central port is lined with traditional boats (see facebook album) and fishermen are in the water fishing all day and night. However, what makes Padang Bai unique are its two coves: “White Sand Beach” to the south and “Blue Lagoon” to the north. Both of these coves are accessible only by foot (hiking up and down mountains), but definitely worth the hike (see pictures). I will summarize my 2 days in Padang Bai below:

White Sand Beach: Took 30-mintues to get to by foot from town. Maybe my favorite beach I’ve ever been to. Quiet, as in maybe 3 other people on the beach while I was there. Foot massages galore. Relaxing. Probably the whitest sand I have ever seen or set foot on. I like beaches that feel like they are your own while you are there. A true jewel.

Blue Lagoon: Famous for its coral reef. Should be called, “Black and Blue Lagoon”. I told you before how I don’t read guidebooks…well, maybe I should of in this case. I had no idea I went snorkeling at a dangerous time (full moon, low tide, afternoon). I made it from the beach out to the corals safely, but got caught up in the coral on the way back in. I was bleeding from the fingers, hands, feet, legs, knees, elbows, forearm…and even tuchas. When I returned my snorkel gear, the guy told me how to treat my coral wounds and then told me I went snorkeling at a dangerous time. It would have been nice if he had told me this an hour earlier! So, this is where I learned my second lesson about snorkeling. Live and learn. Overall the cove is stunning and breathtaking with crystal clear water, amazing rock formations and exotic coral and sea creatures. I saw turtles (who knew turtles could swim fast?), small sharks and fish that I have only seen on the Discovery channel.

I stopped over in Ubud on my way back to Sanur. Again, my getaway only lasted 2-days/1-night, as I had to get back for work on Monday. I spent a few hours walking around Ubud…exploring the market, trying new fruits, shopping and trying to practice my Indonesian with local people.

I have a small new group of friends that I met in the night market this past week. Their names are Budi and Oka. Budi works at the Mie Ayam (noodle soup) stand and Oka is a regular at Budi’s stand. Oka works in a hotel, so her English is perfect…and Budi likes to practice and learn new words. I’m happy to be mixing in with the local crowd!

I have also spent the last few weeks as a travel agent, booking and planning my parent’s trip to SE Asia coming up at the end of July. I will be meeting them in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, flying to the beaches of Thailand, and then coming back to Bali for about a week. I’m really looking forward to traveling with them and seeing new places. My visa for Indonesia expires in 2 weeks, so I will be leaving Bali and traveling the Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Bangkok, Thailand (visiting my friends who live there) before meeting my parents in Vietnam. I’ll be back in Chicago on August 18th…mark your calendars!

I hope all is well wherever you are, and hope I did not bore you with my traveling blabbering! You can click on the link below to view my facebook album (I have been adding pictures to the same album, so new pictures will be at the end of the album). I look forward to your replies!

Facebook Album:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2568504&id=8600417&l=e450ef783b

Salam, (I don’t know what that means literally, but it’s a proper way to end a letter or email in Indonesia)

Dan