Sleeping with lizards (plus a summary of way too many things) (Megan)

Wow. Bali. Another world altogether, simply a completely and totally different world. We first went to Kuta, yikes, this place is so full of markets and people and motorbikes and satay stands and surf boards…all crammed into tiny alleys which vans maneuver through with skill like I’ve never seen. We went body boarding on the beach (you can buy one brand new for $20), but this beach was so full of filth and people that we didn’t know what to do. We were ready to leave, so we bargained with a guy to take us to the middle of nowhere (otherwise known as dreamland beach). Here, there are about 12 places to stay and only two with electricity. It was all good though, because the beach was amazing and there weren’t very many people. This time we were freaked out by word-of-mouth news that there was a cyclone headed our way. We weren’t sure what to do because we couldn’t get a ride back until morning and we didn’t know how big the threat was. We found out that the cyclone hit a different island, but it did have an affect on the waves in Bali. The tide was higher than ever before, which means that the current is stronger. Jords and I were taking a stroll up the cliffs when the tide rose. We couldn’t walk on the beach, so we saw a lady walking along a rocky ridge and followed her. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a huge wave came crashing over our heads, knocking us to our knees. Jords got pushed to the sand, but I was smashed into the rocks, yikes, and had my ankles shredded (not to mention my sunglasses lost their lenses and my shoes were donated to the fish). Okay, so time to get out of ‘dreamland’. Actually, we were lucky to have seen it, because they are blowing the place up (inc. all the places to stay…owners are s.o.l.) in order to build a golf course. We came to Ubud (an inland town and place to lick my wounds). We really love it here and have been here about a week. We have been meeting a lot of the locals, got an amazing (and amazingly cheap) massage, took bikes to the rice fields, temples, and villages. We saw a fire dancing/trance show. I was invited to help teach at a local elementary school (super fun and in serious need of some books). We have been to the markets, walked through a monkey forest, eaten crazy Indo pudding, and danced our butts off with a crazy guy (lots of those here). This is an artisan town, so nearly everyone is a painter or a wood carver. Since the bombings, the travel has severely decreased and people are really hurting for cash everywhere. We have met some really great people and have been learning about Africa, France, Vietnam, and many other countries that we wouldn’t have thought about here. It is really great to have advice from so many unexpected people. We are just about ready to go to the coast again, so I think that after some yoga, bird watching, glassblowing, and hiking, we will be heading north. Yep, that just about sums up 1% of what is going on here.

XOXO Megan