Bali
In October 2003 and in May 2004 I was in Bali, Indonesia. At the time Bali was a good travel deal as prices were lower and the locals were on their best behavior after the 2002 bombings, although on our 2011 trip that's changed somewhat. Still, the most trouble you might get in here is self-induced in the nightclubs.


View from Airplane, Korea<br>It looks like we're flying over whipped cream. No wonder I'm always hungry in an airplane! Boats Returning, Jimbaron<br> Everyone was arriving at the same time to get their fish to market. It <i>was</i> a quiet beach, and less stinky.. Sunset, Kuta Beach<br> With three surfers who don't see darkness as a reason to stop. Brasil Cafe Sign, Kuta<br> This restaurant tried many different types of cuisine. Not <i>perfected</i>, but <i>tried</i>.. Leaf, Komala Indah Hotel, Kuta<br> No, it's not <i>that</i> type of leaf, although it wasn't hard to find in Bali if you wanted it. Fisherman Preparing Net, Jimbaron<br> The area was filled with boats in the afternoon. But how can the fish take you seriously with a pink boat? Hotel Signs, Ubud<br> Ubud is a farming village in the interior of Bali known for rice terraces and irritating monkeys. Temple Musicians, Ubud, Bali<br>Gamelan music is heavy on hammered percussion and long, hypnotic jams. But they didn't know <i>Free bird</i>, man. Temple, Kuta<br>These are everywhere, and people are always burning incense in little flower boxes there or on the street. It's a nice-smelling religion. Surfboards, Kuta Beach<br>Surfing is not for dog-paddlers like me, but I did try it in Bali. Surprisingly, I didn't do much surfing growing up in prairie Canada. Temple guard, Uluwatu, Bali<br> Reminds me of a few bouncers who used to work at the campus bar back in college. Local Motorcyclists, Ubud<br>When they're not selling you trash, the Balinese like to have fun. They're certainly risk-takers, judging by their driving habits. Elephant from Safari Park, Kuta<br>Well, why shouldn't elephants wander down the main street? They're better behaved than some of the Australian tourists, and leave less mess behind. Ariel & Me, Jimbaron<br>My girlfriend Ariel, now wife, came along to Bali into 'protect' me from the bikini girls. Walkway, Sanur<br>Sanur seemed awfully tame to me, but taxi drivers kept trying to take Sandy and me there. The bamboo must hide the nightclubs well. Aquarius Hotel, Kuta<br>I really liked the Aquarius, a cheerful little hotel near Kuta beach. And every afternoon the pool became a hot tub.. all by itself! Horse Taxi, Mataram, Lombok<br>Well, it gets you there. InIndonesian traffic a car isn't always faster. Candle on Table, Jimbaron<br>My favorite place in Bali, I think. Beautiful sunsets and fish dinners. You can't hold a can... okay, no. Surfer, Kuta Beach<br>Okay, that's not me—I just body-boarded. But let's see <i>him</i> drive a standard in snow while drinking a slurpee! Inner Gate, Uluwatu Temple, Bali<br>Only Hindus were allowed inside, although nobody asked the stupid monkeys to identify themselves. Lemar Ferry Landing, Lombok<br>Nice place, until the hawkers spot you. There were so many sellers here I don't recommend it as a place to go. Sell someone else your fake watches, guys. Hotel Garden, Senggigi, Lombok<br>It was very peaceful, with only the occasional Muslim prayer shrieked from rooftop speakers next door at 5 and 8 AM. Dusk, Jimbaron<br> What a perfect evening at the fish restaurant. Not so perfect for the fish, but you can't have everything. Sunset, Senggigi, Lombok<br>"And just think.. only two weeks until winter again!" Kuta Beach, Bali<br> "Let me think.. where can we find an ironing board here?" Women Preparing Fish, Jimbaron<br> Don't be fooled by the smell on the beach when the men haul in their catch from their boats. It's the best fish in the world. Rice Paddy, Ubud<br> Where rice grows, in murky water surrounded by minnows and bugs which the fish eat. Sometimes it's best not to think where dinner comes from. Matahari Street, Kuta<br> The shopping center district with, compared to Vietnam, an extremely orderly line of bikes. Intan Bali Hotel, Kuta<br> Taken on a second vacation with a workmate, Sandy. A little spot in the hotel pond where it wasn't raining! Mataram Farmers, Lombok<br> "I know I dropped my car keys somewhere around here." Balinese Dancer, Jimbaron<br>It's fun watching an Indonesian dancer on the beach at night. Will that be shaken or stirred, Mr. Bond? Uluwatu Temple, Bali<br>Lots of monkeys there grabbing things from tourists, and once in a while there's a happy ending when one falls over the rocks. Pura Tanah Lot, Bali<br> Sandy and I visited this cliffside Balinese temple about an hour northwest of Kuta. Sunsets make even mud look better. Restaurant Sign, Kuta Beach<br>It was a welcome change from "you'll have Korean food and like it." Would you like Balinese tacos, gnocchi, or weinerschitzel? Fishermen, Lembar, Lombok<br> "Every time your sandwiches get soggy you want mine!" Pool Bar, Intan Bali, Kuta<br> It's fun drinking at a poolside bar. "They told us there <i>is</i> a billiards table, down there.. somewhere.." Street Market, Ubud<br>A place to find rare clothing and spices in an exotic, hard to find locale. And there's still tourists who ask if they get air miles! Pura Tanah Lot, Bali<br> Here since the 15th century. The rock, a little longer. Nightclub, Kuta<br>It was fun, but small and dusty. No, wait a minute, that was the broom closet I woke up in. Roosters, Ubud<br> Good morning, breakfast. "Yes, I believe the eggs are fresh." View of Paddy from Hotel, Ubud<br>It looks very peaceful, slightly less so atAM with five hundred roosters crowing at the same time. Carved Door, Sanur<br>"There's been a mistake. We just wanted you to carve 'no dogs.'" Religious Procession, Ubud Flowered Sidewalk, Intan Bali, Kuta Street Banners, Kuta<br> Every street corner has something hanging on it, but it's the best type of advertising in Bali: silent. Black Sand, Senggigi Beach, Lombok<br>What the world needs, pictures of our feet. Years from now I'll be denied tenure. "We noticed in an old photo one of your toes is crooked." Tamblingan Lake, Highlands, 2011<br> It takes a while to drive through Balinese "roads" to get to the highlands, but the views and quiet compensate for the carsickness. Taman Ayun Temple, 2011<br> The towers all have odd numbers of levels, and they get progressively shorter. Just what you need on holidays, arithmetic. Kuta Beach, 2011<br>It's become a little dirtier, and it has the same pestiferous hawkers, but still a nice beach and good surf. Night Time Dancer, Jimbaron, 2011<br>Asian dancing tends to be performances rather than social dancing, though I've seen girls in nightclubs wear stranger clothes than this! Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave), near Ubud, 2011<br> All I kept thinking about was Pez dispensers, for some reason. Incense Statue, Prawita Hotel, Kuta, 2011<br>It looks much like one of my college roommates, if you replaced the incense with a TV remote. Gate Guards, Taman Ayun, 2011<br>The stone guards watching the ancient temple, preventing, uh, other stones from breaking in. Kuta Beach Sunset, 2011<br>Beautiful sunsets, and perfect for the impatient. When you're this close to the equator, sneeze and you've missed it. Rice Paddy, Goa Gajah Jungle, 2011<br> It just looks peaceful. I guess in my country Balinese tourists would photograph grainfields and get the same odd look from the locals. Procession, Pura Danau Bratan, 2011<br>The temple sits near the lakes in the highlands, and everyone seemed more relaxed here. That's what happens when you're not avoiding motorbikes all day. Night Time on Poppies I, Kuta, 2011<br>Like windmill blades, you dodge one motorbike... here comes another. Morning Incense, Kuta, 2011<br>Incense, flowers, and fruit are dutifully laid out on the street every morning, a ceremony highly approved of by the dogs and cats. Fountains at Goa Gajah, near Ubud, 2011<br>Beautiful, somewhat oxidized women at the elephant temple. Now, to makes things classier they need to pour out beer. Balinese Coffee, Tegal Sari, 2011<br>The bloody <i>strongest</i> coffee I've ever tasted in my life. It would make espresso whimper. Be careful with this stuff. Balinese women statues, Pelasa Hotel, Kuta, 2011. Rural Balinese in rice paddy, near Ubud, 2011<br> It's Asia; they probably still had better cell phones than I do. Campuhan Falls, Gitgit, 2011<br>The best falls I've seen since leaving Mexico, and with a much more pronounceable name. Temple Wall, Taman Ayun, 2011<br>Carefully restored and maintained; every morning staff archivists remove the pizza and chicken delivery flyers taped to it. Matahari Square at Night, 2011<br>Somehow the picture lacks a jam-up of motorcycles and people. That was a miraculous 1/125 of a second. Goa Gajah View of Outside, 2011<br>It's interesting inside, but it's a cave. It's dark. Temple Gate, Ubud, 2011<br>Not sure if the Ubud locals really like <i>Eat, Pray, Love</i> after being inundated by old maids, but the temples are striking. Watches for Sale, Kuta Square, 2011<br> "Harrumph, no, we do <i>not</i> sell cheap imitation Rolexes. We sell only the <i>finest quality</i> imitation Rolexes." Sunset Crowd at Tanah Lot, 2011<br>There's something irreplaceable about sunsets and pounding surf that you have to <i>be</i> there. Of course, computer screens don't soak your clothes. Monkeys on Highway near Gitgit, Highlands, 2011<br>Some Balinese monkeys are very aggressive, but these guys were nice and better behaved than some of my students. Lake View of Pura Danau Bratan, 2011<br>Beautiful,and quiet enough to hear <i>paddling</i>. Go to Kuta for the spectacle, and then go here to get away from the spectacle. Procession Women, Danau Bratan, 2011<br>Nice place. A very laid-back procession, whatever it was for. The feast of the bamboo-mat, perhaps.

My wife and I left Bali in 2011 with slightly broken hearts. Bali was one of my favorite places, but the press of people is ruining it. Kuta is a nice starting point, but don't stay there the whole time. The beaches were dirtier, the prices have risen, the taxi drivers were greedier, and the streets were jammed with motorcycles and swearing tourists. I really appreciated the highlands of Bali where I could hear birds instead of yells for massages and taxis. There are still waterfalls and temples worth seeing there.



This'll be the player
Gamelan Musicians, Ubud (October 2003) 0:37
Sunset in Sengiggi, Lombok (October 2003) 0:14
Danau Bratan View (February 2011) 0:13
Night Time Dancer, Jimbaron (February 2011) 0:30
Nightlife on Legian Street, Kuta (February 2011) 1:00
Taman Ayun Temple (February 2011) 0:20