Bali Beach Days

Bali Recap:

**March 31st
Alarm went off at 4:55am. Meesh wasn't feeling well so she stayed in bed. I grabbed my board and hopped on the back of Enrico's moto. We were off, headed to Serenga. It's a popular surf spot that gets good waves and big crowds. Most spots weren't working with this swell that came in, so everyone was headed to get some good ones here. We arrived at the beach a bit after 6am. There were less than a dozen people, and perfect overhead waves. Clean. Rights and lefts. Bahhhh! Amazing. Enrico and I were grinning from ear to ear, and super giddy that the crowds hadn't arrived yet. Paddling out I was a bit anxious about how I'd measure up in the lineup. I wanted good waves but I hated the idea of having to be aggressive in order to get them. Well, a minute in the water and I got a wave. A Great wave!!! Stoked. Okay. I felt good. That wave definitely earned me a spot in the lineup, and it filled me up with the confidence necessary to surf a spot like this. What followed was 2 hours of sitting on the main peak, having my choice of perfect waves. It was amazing. Definitely the best session I'd had yet in Bali. And then, it turned off. Just like that. There were waves, and then there were none! Like someone flicked a switch. Enrico and I got out and had some coffee at a warung on the beach before heading back home. The rest of the day was spent resting my weary body. I slept well and slept sound that night....dreaming about perfect waves in paradise....

**April 1st

Kuta Bali. Insanity. Touristy. A necessary evil, like Jaco was to my beautiful, quaint Esterillos oeste. Meesh and me headed into town for some errands and a bit of shopping. We stopped at a fabric store and picked up some goodies before heading to the tailor. I'm getting 2 bikinis made. The construction is $10each and the fabric is about $5 each-- so two sets of bikinis for $30. Yeeeew! Ate at one of Meesh's favorite warungs on the beach. It looked sketchy and dirty, not somewhere I would have found on my own-- but i trust Meesh- with my life, and certainly when it comes to food. Sure enough- for 10,000rupiah, I ate the BEST Indonesian food that I've had yet. I moaned throughout the entire meal. Ammmmmaaaazzzzinnng. Afterwards we went to Surfer Girl surf shop so that I could pick up a pair of SHORTS. Finally!! Shorts. I'm tired of wearing tights and Thai fishing pants. Well....
- if you have curves
- if you are having any issues with your weight or body
- if you don't weigh 100lbs
- if you aren't built like a young boy

...then DON'T go to a surfshop for clothes!! It's depressing and frustrating. I eventually found two pairs of half decent, overpriced shorts after spending hours in this living hell-- but I left in tears. Bah. Lesson learned. No more shopping in surf shops (Which means no more shopping in Bali- which is infested with them!). Rode home in the torrential downpour and then found refuge in my warm, dry bed. That night I dreamt of calorie-free pizza and stretchy stretchpant shorts....

**April 2nd
Woke up at 5am with the alarm, mumbled something to Meesh along the lines of "it's raining, there's probably no waves anyways. Sleep.". Woke up later a little after 7. We had a lazy morning putzing around. I made Bahasa Indonesia flash cards and ate bananas. Meesh worked a bit on the computer. Later in the afternoon we ventured out for a surf. Geger. The paddle out to Geger is a million miles long. Ayeyaya. And once you arrive to the break, you're only half way there. Now you need to make it past the firing break. Lucky us it was only about head high so it wasn't impossible. But the wind was on it, the tide was far too low exposing a sharp, unfriendly reef and most waves were closeouts. It wasn't the best session but it felt good to get some exercise and every day I feel more and more comfortable on the shortboard. Afterwards we ate at my favorite Muslim warung before heading home.

Back at the house I posted up next to Jeff from California. He hasn't been home in over 3 years-- just working and traveling, and living off the land as much as possible (spearfishing, etc.) Somehow the day of the week came up. When he told me that it was Saturday, I was surprised. I thought that maybe it was Wednesday- but no big deal I guess....the day of the week doesn't matter so much here. But then when he told me it was April 2nd I almost fell outta my chair! Holy shit. April? Already? I only have 7 weeks left!!! Bah! Waves to be surfed! Food to be eaten! A love affair (that has yet) to happen!! I better get a move on!

**Kehujanan : April 3

In Bahasa Indonesia "hujan" means rain. And because it rains so often here, they even have a word that means 'to get caught in the rain'-- "Kehujanan".

Michele and I woke at 6, grabbed out boards and hopped on the moto for Geger. It was crap. Overcast, a bit chilly, quite small and closing out. We checked a few more spots before finally admitting defeat an calling it quits. When we were about 15 minutes from home....Kehujanan! Pouring by the bucketful. By the time we parked the bike and made it down the stairs we were absolutely drenched. Thank god for our new "tea kettle"!!! We boiled some water- had hot tea and a bit of breakfast. The rains in Bali usually end as quickly as they begin, but it looks like today is going to be a wet one. The sky is just a cloud of gray...rain is endless on the horizon. The plan is to sleep, study Bahasa Indonesia, sleep, sip some tea, and then a dinner party tonight with some people from home. Meet the family....

Marcus: sexy. Sexy. Sexy. Argentian that lives in france. He is probably about 40, and played professional soccer ("football") for years in Europe. He's a charmer. Currently he is building an Eco-resort here in Bali and hopes to live here full time- having no desire to ever return to Europe.

Tara: tall, stunning, young girl from Australia. Sweet but not so bright-- can't really figure out what her story is, can't really have a full conversation with her. But she's sweet. And beautiful.

Enrico: mini mick. He had a whole blog of his own....

Jeff: 30-something californian. A surfer by choice, carpenter by trade- traveling for as long as he can, to everywhere he can- and living off the land whenever possible.

Den & Johanna: love love LOVEEE this couple. Den is English, Johanna is German. They've been together for several years and have been traveling all the while. One year in new Zealand, 6 months in India, a bit in Australia, Sumatra, and beyond. They are just so lovely. Den is a Good Man, and let me tell you...good men are far and few between. Integrity, intelligence, compassion. Johanna is sweet as could be and just as beautiful. She is a petite little thing, but sharp- and doesn't take shit from anybody.

Eric: a mix of this and that, having lived here and there, before settling in Bali 6 years back. An eclectic interesting guy who has two rooms he rents out here and is currently looking into getting a 50year lease on a desolate island between here and Lombok.

There's a spattering of others as well, but I don't really even know their names. We are all putting our money together to make a big pasta dinner this evening! MmMm. I may even pick up a bottle of vino in town, afterall- what else is there to do with a rainy day...?

**April 4th

Dinner last night was really a pleasure. Marcus arranged the dinner- Tiffany, the French girl, cooked up a ton of pasta, and Nikita hosted it in his nice house next door. There was a dozen of us there, all stoked to trade in rice for some pasta!! There was a buzz in the air about the possibility of good swell the next morning- so none of us stayed up too late. Up early- Sebastian (Switzerland), Christian (Germany), Mish and me headed to Nusa Dua. We got lucky with overhead, beautiful consistent Rights. We got unlucky with an incredibly long paddle, with an insanely strong rip and unfortunately an early onset of stiff winds. Despite a strong current, we still managed to enjoy some waves. We paddled for well over two hours- just paddling. Paddling out, paddling to stay in place, paddling in. Ayeyaya!! We rewarded our efforts with lunch at my favorite Muslim warung. Every time the food is better than the day before!! Also, we had Jus Kelapa (coconut water), which to my delight was served over ice, with the flesh inside the cup and a spoon to fish it out. Such a satisfying meal and refreshing drink after a long surf session!!! Came home- hung out with the family- studied my Bahasa Indonesia flash cards and took a nap. Mengherankan!!! (that's "amazing" in Bahasa Indonesia).