Bali 2011

Bali 2011 was meant to be a busy combination of holiday, work, a bit of research, meeting old and new friends, taking photos, networking, surfing, getting tanned and relaxing; and this is what it finally became, with even some gloomy ghost stories in addition.

Upon arrival I was a bit shocked that the last quiet corners of Kuta are now also being developed and that buildings get higher and higher - some higher than the palm trees.

a new huge and not too beautiful building right on the beach front

The corner Jalan Benesari / Jalan Camplung Mas still reminds me my backpacker days - such great and adventurous time, where we still had time and the down-to-earth style of travel that allows to be a real discoverer.

the new gate to the beach at the south end of Jalan Pantai

the lovely lady from whom I buy my ginseng coffee and fried bananas for years

The market structure is changing and there is more Chinese and
East Asian tourists coming

while the share of Europeans and Japanese decreases.

After a decade that saw bombs and other other disasters to tourism on the island and in the region,

in recent years Bali experiences a new construction boom.

Canang offerings on a shrine in front of a new building under construction

There was the super cool dive trip with Putu Yeni, Ayu Wida and their Australian friends and hotel guests. We went to Tulamben to dive at the spot of the USS Liberty wreck. In opposition to all the others I did not dare to go for a scuba session without proper introduction and formal training. Instead, I went for skin diving with mask and fins only. Already this was great, with coral gardens, colorful fish and all the other divers around. It is easily possibly to touch the stern of the ship, as the wreck is lying just a few meters under the water surface alongside a steep descent in the reef. On the way back we had a great meal at the Candidasa Beach Resort and arrived in Kuta on the evening.

Ayu Wida, Putu Yeni and their friends upon our dive trip to Tulamben…

…for an exploration of the USS Liberty wreck.

lunch break at the lovely Candidasa Beach Hotel

Driving home together in the evening, beautiful sunsets as always on Bali…

…along dry river-beds…

..past beauties. Indonesian women are just the most natural and beautiful in the world!

I had another visit to Udayana University- this time the campus at Jalan Sudirman, where I had done my semester abroad back in 2006. The visit went along with many good memories from that time. Meanwhile I know well that in many respects Bali is far from being a paradise. However, for me, personally, and so far, it has always been such one. I have met the right people and probably done the right things - at least in most cases. And I am further aiming at doing so. I met the head of the doctoral program at the tourism faculty to discuss further career options. Once more I was impressed by the friendliness of the people here, and of the constructive exchange of ideas with this gentle man.

revisiting Udayana University - with many good memories

encountering a temple ceremony on the campus

my old Kijang parked on Jalan Sudirman near the faculty where I once used to study

In the course of all my research on tourism development on the island I have red about the holy room at the Bali Beach Hotel in Sanur. This room was the only one spared in a fierce fire which had destroyed the hotel back in 1993. When it was rebuilt this room was kept as it was and became a holy room, a temple, a place for offerings and meditation. Every morning, noon and evening, meals are served to the spirits of the room. The activities are seen in connection with President Sukarno on whose initiative the hotel was built and the Queen of the Southern Seas, Nyi Roro Kidul, for whom he wanted to dedicate room # 327. I parked my old Toyota Kijang in the lot and went to the lobby, asking the receptionist whether it would be possible to see the room in the evening during opening hours. The young front office staff called a lady from the management and after a short interview I was allowed to enter the room already in the afternoon. We went up and a smaller bold man from the house-keeping, who looked very mysterious in a way, opened the door for us. Everything in this room was kept as it was when the fire had hit the hotel. It had not been much affected at that time. Only the carpet in front of the entrance is melted and the wallpapers around the air conditioner ducts are black from soot. We have spent about 20 minutes in the room and I received explanations on the fire and the room. I was granted an exception to take a picture under the condition that I do not publish them. I agreed and took two photographs. She asked me whether I also wanted to see another room of the Lady of the Sea, a bungalow numbered 2401. In this room guests had reported they could not sleep or had felt strange notions. Nobody had wanted to stay there anymore, and also this room was finally made a temple and place of sacrifice. I agreed to see it, and we took a van to the bungalow area. There were staffs around the room, and some activities going on. They re-opened the door for us. Everything in that bungalow is green, from the walls, to the carpets, the bed, flowers, umbrellas and also the offerings and gifts to the Lady of the Seas, such as shower gel and nail polish. The atmosphere was fascinating with an exceptional glow and the green glittering luminescence reflecting light that shone through the door in the satin bed sheets. Again I took a photo. In the moment the shutter clicked the door slammed. Then, a strange noise came from the roof, it shook the whole bungalow. The lady said it might have been a rat. But this was impossibly a rat. Seconds later, her walkie-talkie went "Ibu, please come to the main building, we have a fire here". We jumped into the car. With goose bumps on my skin I was asking her what was going on. And with fear in her eyes she replied she did not know. In short time the fire had destroyed a small office building and a clinic. Guests and staffs were helping until the fire patrol arrived, together with anti-terror police and journalists with cameras. It was spooky. I was in shock. Was it a warning of the spirits? Was it due to the photos? Almost twenty years after the big fire there was another one, exactly on the day that I had visited the room. Front office staff that I was asking what happened, were scared of me, the man in back clothes with camera and laptop bag, who appeared just before the fire came. I saw some of them staring after me out of the window when I left by taxi. Later that I am researching more information on all this, I learn that this beautiful and sometimes evil Lady of the Seas has a particular interest in surfers, as she does not only have the absolute power over the waves in the southern seas but also is she known for taking young men and turning them into her slaves o lovers. Never ever will I provoke her anymore, and will neither use a green board, nor wear any green clothes when going to the ocean. This experience has unmistakably shown me what I always wanted to see first-hand - the spirits in Bali. And I have learnt that there is no messing around with this.

Sanur reef seen from the top floors of the Bali Beach Hotel

receptionist at the lobby of the Bali Beach Hotel

The June 2011 fire at the Bali Beach Hotel…

…right after we have been in the mystic room.

Staffs are trying to extinguish the flames…

…until fire patrol arrives, together with anti-terror police, journalists…

…and more and more spectators and hotel guests from the beach.

Then there was my long planned island roundtrip, with stops for some study at a turtle hatchery in Perancak, a reef-restoration project in Pemuteran, and finally my Mount Agung climb which needed to be cancelled at the base camp due to fog, rain and upcoming thunderstorms. I am trying to write an article about the projects; however, to make it really scientific I lack information. I will try to get some popular-science pieces done on those. It was great to stay at Pak Anom's house, the gentleman who runs the Kurma Asih foundation and hatchery. Every night local villagers go on patrol to search for turtles laying eggs on the long strip of beach. The eggs are collected and buried in artificial nests on the next morning. Many weeks later, the baby turtles are released. Only three in a thousand will survive the dangers of the ocean. Tourists can sponsor a nest or buy a turtle in order to release it. The initiative is marketed via the project that I have been working on during the time I had written my thesis.

decoration for Galungan 2011 on the way from South Bali along the west coast

the gloomy beach of Delod Berawa, of which media report that the site with its special Café's is accelerating the spread of HIV on the island

 

Pak Anom's family and house in Perancak,...

...he runs the Kurma Asih foundation for the preservation of sea turtles.

Many of the villagers engage with him in the nightly beach patrols for the search of turtle nests - the spots in the sky are indeed stars, which sparkle ultra-bright in that part of the world.

eggs found are brought to an artificial nest to protect them from poaching

after weeks turtles are being released to the ocean

old colorful ships in Perancak harbor

On the next day we drove to Pemuteran. I was invited by the GM of the Matahari Beach resort, which is said to belong to a German sausage manufacturer, for an inspection and lunch. Sometimes it is indeed nice to work in the tourism industry - a people's business as many say. Then I went for a snorkel tour with a local guide at the BioRock project. Visitors can sponsor a baby coral, which is planted on a wire in the shape of the guest's name. The coral is then attached to large underwater structures through which low voltage electricity flows to catalyze its growth. Another initiative to finance conservation initiatives through tourism ventures - another article to write. We continued to Lovina and spent a night there before going to Singaraja on the next day, passing Batur caldera and then up to Pura Besakih, where the base camp for the ascent is located and local priests organize the trekking guides. We - that is me and Ellen; a story that was nice already last year, though remains most complicated; so nothing new with me and the other gender. Rain, fog and predicted thunderstorms made me finally decide to drive back to the coast and postpone the climb to another time. It would have been a great venture to celebrate my 33^rd birthday with sunrise on the peak of an active volcano, the magnificent mountain that is enthroned over the tropical paradise which became my personal (but not own) vision of utopia. I had bought a new lens for it. So I revealed the secret (not many people are informed about the day when I was born) and it finally became a relaxed and intimate birthday, with a long stroll on Double Six Beach - a celebration of life without any party. The present I made myself was a Ukulele for 7 Dollars. I am always proud after having made a good deal.

mobile telecommunication advertisements on a mosque in East Bali

the road through Bali Barat National Park

spa at Matahari Beach Resort

waste water treatment plant at the Mathari Beach Resort

Pak Komang from the BioRock project in Pemuteran with a name-shaped foundation for coral…

…and the model of the artificial reef.

The initiative is co-sponsored through tourism…

…and guests may attain a certificate for sponsoring a baby coral.

a north shore sunset

Lovina memories

beautiful small units at a cottage resort in Lovina - not only for a holiday
one would not need more than that to live in

Pura Segara near the harbor in the island's ancient capital Singaraja

Colonial-time warehouses - also colonial heritage is heritage, but unfortunately these witnesses of modern history are currently being pulled down.

the Djlantik Palace in Singaraja - palcace of one of Bali's kings

new sacrifices on the way across the mountains - waste in the forests

Batur Caldera fairytale-like

heavy mist near Pura Besakih on Mount Agung

June 27th at Double Six Beach

A grom surf contest at the Halfway break on Kuta Beach…

…with environmental NGOs exhibiting their initiatives in cooperation with the CSR activities of the contest sponsors.

Participants and spectators - surfing uniting the generations…

…the media…

…flamboyant personalities…

…and well-trained contestants.

This time in Bali there was unfortunately not as much time for surfing as I had intended to have. It was simply too much to accomplish in only three weeks. It would indeed be necessary to live at this place to enjoy it all. The work, the place, time with friends, the surf, the food, the culture and the higher goals I am striving for. In retrospective, it was really a busy time. But in fact, in Bali I am always doing all the things that I love and manage to keep work and life in balance. Many people met here have always been important to me. This time I met many of them back. There were Oni and Armoni who have been friends, though not close ones, but for so long. Old Sake is better than new Sake, the Japanese say. There was Gede, who gave me opportunity to study the JED project last year. This year we had a long day in office with nice chats, a great lunch and good coffee. There was Darma who had inspired me back at that time and through whose friendly helpfulness I had found back to the island and my scientific occupation with it last year. He shared a lunch with me and as always some ideas. There was Putu, whom I had gotten to know during the EearthCheck seminar in KL and who I had met back at the Melia Bali where I was invited to a UNWTO seminar on Tourism Ehtics in the Asia Pacifc. He and his wife invited me for an evening out in Denpasar with their lovely daughter, and we watched their wedding albums and movie back to their home. There was Pak Suar with whom I have talked really much for the first time upon the gala dinner when he was presenter at the seminar. He is such a busy man and I admire his visionary way. There was Faid, whom I had gotten to know at the seminar as well and with whom I shared much on opinion on the politics of tourism development during lunch. There were Putu Yeni and Ayu Wida, their friend Ayu and Mr. Muck altogether who we shared funny chats and meals in their great hotel or elsewhere. There was a nice dinner with Ilsa at Made's Warung, listening to musicians that we had already seen ages ago at the La Pau. There were Erik, Trisna and the whole team of our office in Sanur which is a really nice crowd and I would like to see again. Again there was one of the wonderful and meanwhile legendary talks over dinner on the terrace of the Oberoi which we have simply privatized for us with my friend Martina who I had met back in 2005 or earlier when Alf had introduced me Angel who asked me take shots for Martina's gallery. Last but not least there was Siska, somebody who deeply impressed me through her pure mind, her undeterred attitude and the deep heart that she obviously has for friends and people who are in need for it, working hard on a better future for our planet and our people. Thanks for the surf session and all! Thanks to all friends who I have so little time to share with but I feel interconnected with you always.

rich offerings on a pick up truck in Seminyak

the newly built Hurley headquarter on Sunset Road

a lounge at Double-Six Beach

learners at a surf school in Legian - now there is many Russians learning
to surf, a somehow pretty un-Russian activity somehow

a ceremonial procession in Kuta blocking the road - daily business for the Pecalang Desa Adat, the customary police force in Hindu-Bali

McD at Kuta beach - living in Vietnam where there is no such one, in any other country in the world I need to do plenty of visits always

a kite seller in Seminyak - bringing gifts for friends to the Socialist Republic

Now that I am writing this post months later, from a busy place, I just realize once again how many memories connect me with Bali, the people in and the people of Bali, for many years, how many minds I feel connected to, those who are from the island and those who have moved to the island for its energy and its spirituality. How much I love this wonderful place and the people of a kind that I have only met there, and nowhere else. Knowing more and more about the place, I also have to hope that this will not only be a soap bubble that once in the future will burst. A place with such a concentration of people, economic pressure, such melting pot, the artificial tourists stage, and the mysterious backstage, such place of celebration and change, it also has its dark sides. So far, I still believe in the positive energy and am happy to be in touch with like-minded.

wallpainting at Ngurah Rai International Airport - once more leaving a versatile paradise

Kuta Beach from the south with Mount Agung in the background