As I’m writing from Ubud, you are guessing correctly, I was unable to find a flight out of Denpasar two days ago to Labuan Bajo. My flight in from Makassar was good, I was moved to an exit row that I had to myself, and the Lion Air Flight landed relatively smoothly which they are not known for doing. They have a reputation for hard landings which wasn’t the case, thankfully!
OK, so I’ve been here for several days and am just now updating. The internet service at Dewa’s is adequate for email and basic surfing but not for this. The internet across the street charges in 5-minute intervals. Half an hour costs more than two hours in Sulawesi and isn’t any faster. Besides, I’ve had laundry to take care of, my pack to unpack, croissants to sample, espresso to taste, friends to talk with and relaxing by the pool to handle. I do need more relaxing by the pool but what little I’ve had has been glorious!
After we landed, I collected my backpack, left the arrival terminal and walked to the ticket offices at the departure terminal. Helpful agents sent me from one counter to the next and the next and the next until I found the planes were all full or had already left.
Back to the arrival hall, I found the taxi station (referred to in some areas as the “taxi mafia”), saw the listed prices on the wall behind the ticket agent and purchased my ticket to Ubud. My unhelpful driver took off immediately walking quickly, not helping with my small pack which was unusual, and leaving in his dust. Across the terminal, over curbs and sidewalks, through traffic twice, we arrived at his car.
For the third or fourth time, he asked me where I was going. For the third or fourth time I told him the same thing differently, using different reference points, pronouncing the name or a business close to Dewa’s differently. Eventually, I stumbled upon the right formula. When I mentioned Monkey Forest Road in conjunction with Hanoman Road, he nodded in recognition. Most of the time, that nodding in apparent understanding doesn’t mean much. He started the car, we were off and I was wondering if he knew where he was going.
Immediately, I noticed much more traffic than the last time I was here two years ago! Perhaps my memory isn’t correct but there were many more cars than I remembered and certainly more and larger buses. Traffic was thick all the way to Ubud.
Each stop light came with a variety of vendors walking car to car with food or newspapers or colorful moving plastic gadgets. At one, my driver bought a plastic gadget which looked like a small blue plastic flower pot with a blossom and two leaves rising from the pot. It was solar powered blue plastic flower pot thingy! The solar energy powered the leaves and the blossom moving. He really liked it and placed it immediately on the dash with great delight!
His driving skills and speed diminished over the next 5 kilometers while he moved his taxi driver license around, looked for a better spot for the pot to sit and move, and repositioned it after each acceleration or tap of the brake. My backpack was handy meaning I could access my duct tape. I peeled off a small strip, doubled it over, and had him hand me the flower pot. Cautiously, he handed it toward me. I touched the tape lightly indicating it’s sticky nature to which he smiled. Now appropriately sticky, the plant was carefully placed by the proud smiling driver. Our drive resumed undisturbed by moving plastic moving plant thingy. His driving speed and attentiveness improved for which I was very grateful!
Our approach to Ubud, once we turned off the main road, was hampered by serious traffic jam. I wondered what all the traffic was about? I never dealt with those when I rented my motor bike and explored last time. Approaching a sharp curve, I saw the reason for the jam, a huge tour bus ahead, much too large for the tiny rural road, taking up 2/3 or the asphalt, and stopping off the pavement for other wide traffic approaching it. Closer to Ubud, it grew even worse! Buses meeting buses had to pull off the pavement where they could find he space; buses backing out of parking lots needing to move forward and reverse several times to get back in the lane of traffic; each maneuver stopping all traffic in both directions. My friend Mary wrote me about how much Ubud had changed and about the buses, now I knew.
I watched the road carefully and knew where I wanted to get out. My driver stopped where I asked, I grabbed my pack and walked the rest of the way to Dewa’s. I think my taxi driver was grateful he didn’t have to drive all the way through Ubud, have to deal with traffic and he was now free to make make a quick exit!
Ubud has changed a lot! Small open spaces looking over the rice fields now house new shops. Some of the small mom and pop shops have apparently sold and gone upscale. Their is an air of affluence or at least of wanting to be. Galleries, jewelry stores, many more aromatherapy and natural product shops, “organic spa’s”, new upscale restaurants, each occupying what was open space in the city and each very modern with fresh paint, glass doors and air conditioned interiors.
I arrived in Dewa’s and asked loudly if they had any cheap room’s, “SPECIAL PRICE” I said loudly. Then, they recognized me and all smiled. The entire family was there having lunch at 1:00 pm. I sat and talked sipping a cup of coffee they brought for me. Soon, Bayu came, grabbed both of my packs telling me to carry my cup of coffee and follow him to my room. I’m in a nice bungalow below the pool. I think it might be the same room my friend Wendy stayed in when she was here the fall of 2009.
Dewa’s has finished their construction and upgraded their rooms. I’m getting a special price and Dewa thanked me for all the people I have sent here. The special price is still more than I’ve paid except for once on my trip and I can’t think of a nicer family to spend extra money with. It’s really an exceptionally comfortable place to be!
The room is completely tiled, contains no mildew or fungus smells, (yes, the last few rooms have been a bit smelly but it is rainy season over here). It also has AC, a ceiling fan, “hot and cold” shower, a marvelous porch so sit on and write, newly installed “WiFi” and a pool I’ll have to myself when the boisterous group of 16 Chinese with children leave for a day adventure.
It feels a bit like coming home!
My pack is empty, I dumped everything out so it could dry and air out. One bag of clothing headed to the laundry, I headed to Tutmak for what I remembered was great coffee and some lunch. One reason for coming here was to eat something beside rice and veggies or rice and fish for every meal. So many food options exist here although they are much more expensive than other places I’ve been. A complete meal in Sulawesi often cost $25,000 rupiah or less. A coffee here cost that much or more.
Sipping my coffee at Tutmak, once again, I was reminded that the quality of coffee depends on the barista. The coffee tasted very good! However, the milk on my cappuccino was a thick foamy aberration, had been cremated and wasn’t so hot. The good news: it was still way better than any coffee I’ve had since the shop I stumbled upon in Penang.
On Monkey Forest Road, I found a travel agent who found a ticket for me on Saturday for $670,000 rupiah, much less than the $1,850,000 rupiah I was quoted in Makassar! The airline server went down so he couldn’t book the ticket. I went back that evening as instructed, he had left for the day. The next morning, I went back again. After about 40 minutes I was able to purchase the ticket. I needed to return that evening or the next morning to pick it up. I went back that evening. He was gone. Another man searched through drawers and cabinets finally finding a ticket with my name on it. My name was there, the name of the airline wasn’t! I think I’m flying “Fred’s Airline” or something like that.
I’ll travel by bus to Kuta on Friday, see a few old haunts and maybe get a massage at Jari Menari, have dinner (WITHOUT Rori this time as she’s freezing in Chicago) at TJ’s Mexican restaurant and fly out Saturday morning. I remember having some amazing salad with fish at TJ’s there last time so am looking forward to that and might even indulge in a margarita since I’m already there.
Being here at Dewa’s means I can store all my extra stuff and travel light to Labuan Bajo. I’ve already started the sorting process and am considering shipping some things home so I don’t have to lug them around for another month! Mary suggested it would be far more expensive to ship than lug so, I’ll be looking for an extra suitcase possibly for the extra things I’ve picked up. My flight from here to Singapore has a weight restriction and charges extra for weight over their maximum. If I pay more than four hours in advance, it saves more than 50% of the cost. The international flights, I’m allowed two bags for free.
I slowly wandered the city seeing old familiar haunts and discovering new ones. After five failed attempts to get money from an ATM, I walked all the way to the one I remembered working best last time. It still is reliable! Good thing too as I couldn’t use credit card for the flight or for Dewa’s so need more money here.
Past Bali Buddha, up the small hill, stands Wayan’s healing center. I walked in and heard a voice from above saying to come in. I stood there looking up at here as here face registered recognition and she smiled!
She was leaving for a ceremony so wasn’t working. I said I only came by to say hello. She asked me to help her with a couple things when I come back and I will.
I had coriander crusted tuna steak at Nomad’s my first night and remembered I need to tell them to cook it more (for my taste), stopped at Kafe on the way home for a scoop of gelato and an iced chai. Kafe feels more “uppity” and a bit pompous at times. There are expatriates from around the world who hang out there and are the “in” crowd. At other times, it’s the same old friendly place where the staff remembers me from last time.
I met Anna there. She’s from Holland and worked in real estate. The company she worked with was going “down” as they say here. She decided to leave, put her house on the market, was surprised in a slow market that it sold in one month, she had two buyers competing for her property so she got a good price, and now she is traveling for a couple months in SE Asia uncertain what she’ll do when she returns.
Four years ago, sitting on the Bia Hoi corner in Hanoi and talking with a man from South Africa, he shared one thing he loves about traveling and meeting travelers. “Everyone is looking for something” he said. Yes, that appears true whether they are looking for a break from life, a fresh look on what to do, a new cultural experience, whatever, travelers seem to have that in common.
Mary, a friend who lives here, said they have had nothing but rainy season for over a year. One night, after very loud and persistent thunder throughout the night, it was cloudy and overcast all day. Today was overcast as well and a bit of rain late in the day. I’m planning to be quiet, do some writing, rest, explore two new coffee shops I found, meet my friend Mary and generally relax. It’s the perfect cloudy, lazy day for doing that!