Mesmerizing Bali

Where do I begin about this amazing amazing land! I had read so much about Bali and expected it to be just another beach destination. However, this was one holiday that surpassed my expectations in every respect, the beauty of the place, the culture, the food, the people, I just haven't got enough and need to go back someday. Not only to old familiar places to do things a little differently or spend more time but even to cover all those places I couldn't the first time round. Hopefully, am a bit travel wiser and prepared for the second trip whenever that is. :)

There is just so much to see and do in Bali. So much packed into this tiny tiny island. There are gorgeous islands with national parks where you can indulge in watersports and go diving and snorkeling to view the awesome marine life and fauna, most famous being Menjangan and Gili Islands.

Menjangan Island

If you are looking for cooler climes you can head to the mountains of Kintamani and climb a volcano or canoe at Lake Batur.

Mount Batur from the base of Lake Batur

You can relax in the midst of stunning coffee plantations such as Munduk or gaze at beautiful green terraced rice fields that dot the landscape all over, or visit one of those charming temples by the sea at Uluwatu or Tanah Lot, or chill in the numerous sandy beaches near Kuta, Seminyak and other areas of Bali.

I will give several disclaimers coz I know that not all travellers have the same experience and so what may have worked for us, may not be something that you liked or are looking for. Again, there were many things that I may have planned differently which hopefully will be useful for first time travellers while planning their itinerary around Bali.

Most folks head to Kuta, Seminyak, or Ubud to stay as soon as they land at Denpasar and that is what I would recommend after a long international flight. We instead headed to Lovina which is a 3 hour drive crossing rice fields, coffee plantations, and the mountains. A beautiful drive but very very exhausting after a long flight. It was the best stay of our entire trip but for those looking for nightlife and the city buzz, Kuta may be the best place to head.

Lovina is a laidback and sleepy hamlet that was ideal for us weary city folks. We stayed at the Gino Ferucci villa which was convenient because it was right at the harbor where the boats head out in the morning for the dolphin rides. Lovina is famous for the boat ride at sunrise to view dolphins and though you may or may not see dolphins, it's a wonderful experience.

Boats at the Lovina Harbour ready to set sail for dolphin gazing

The gorgeous sunrise

The swiftly changing colors of the sky during sunrise

So many boats out there to catch a dolphin

The villas are gorgeous with their own private pool, zen garden, entertainment and dining area, kitchenette equipped with cooking stove, microwave, and the service was excellent.

A self-contained home away from home. And for those worrying about the cost, we paid INR 5000 per night with breakfast included at Gino Ferucci. It was a steal but you do need to scour online for travel deals. If you are customizing your own holiday, you can try Agoda, DirectRooms, MakeMyTrip and several others.

If you are going on a packaged tour, then your travel agent should provide you a list of options. Am a finicky traveller and prefer to plan my own trips, so I read a lot of online reviews on Trip Advisor too before finalizing on hotels or places to visit. I also read over 36 blogs before I shortlisted a few that were a must see for me and ignored the things that didn't interest me such as Indian food in Bali. :) When travelling Joy and I prefer trying the local cuisine but I do understand the need of vegetarians coz most places we visited had none or limited vegetarian fare, so it was a little tough for our vegetarian friend.

About hotels, depending on the area you want to stay, you should be able to find decent, clean accommodation even for INR 2000 per night. If you don't find any, contact me and I will see how I can help through the numerous new friends I've made this trip. :)

Next day, after the dolphin ride, we headed to Menjangan Island, a diver's paradise.

Approaching the gorgeous Menjangan Island. Menjangan means "deer". The locals gave the name after spotting a herd of wild deer swimming towards the island.

The sea around the Menjangan Island was of two shades. Green near the island where it was shallow and we could see the corals from the crystal clear waters, deeper shade of blue where the ocean dipped and where the divers dived.

Ganesha temple at Menjangan Island. There was a ceremony that day and boat loads of people arrived from the mainland in their traditional costumes to give their offering.

The marine life and coral at the ocean floor is truly spectacular and unique.

This island is where diving first started on the island in 1978 under the sponsorship of the Indonesian navy. A rickety bus arrived to pick us up from our hotel filled with a few other tourists from Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and Belgium. We stopped enroute to pick up snorkeling and diving gear and then it was a one and a half hour adventure through the beautiful countryside till we reached the Labuhan Lalang harbour from where we took the boat to Menjangan Island. The boat ride takes around half an hour and is really scenic as you can view the coastline of the Bali Barat National Park and the east Javanese volcano Prapat Agung in the distance on a clear day.

Next, we headed to Kintamani to climb the active volcano Mt. Batur. Again, from Kuta, Seminyak, and Ubud, they organise a day trip of a coffee plantation, Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave), and Kintamani for a glimpse of Lake Batur and Mount Batur but after reading travellers reviews decided that we must do the trek so for that it made sense to set up base in Kintamani. We stayed at The Ayu.

Besides us, there was only one family from Europe staying there. We assumed maybe because it was off season but our guide later told us that only those keen on the trek visit Kintamani. Visitors come on day trips and leave the same day.

It's like a sleepy hill station so not much to do. Even the restaurant at the hotel serves dinner only till 9:30 pm. Fortunately, we were exhausted after the sightseeing and trip enroute from Lovina and since we had the trek planned and needed to wake up at 3 am, we crashed after an early dinner.

We set off at 4 am the next day. It was pitch dark and several of the flashlights didn't work which made it even more challenging to scramble up the mountain in complete darkness. It was a tough and exhausting 3 hour climb but the view at the peak was totally worth it.

After having breakfast cooked in volcano steam at the makeshift hut at the peak, we headed to one of the craters, an exhilarating one hour trek past smoking fissures and through slippery lava clad path.

I made sure I didn't venture too close to the crater after hearing that a Swiss tourist had fallen into the crater 4 years ago and died. Then began the tough descent down. We finally reached our hotel at 11 am after a 7 hr trek.

Our guide told us it's easier for the Swiss tourists but it's tough for people from the plains like Netherlands and of course for those with unhealthy city lifestyles. If you do plan to climb a mountain, try and build your stamina and exercise atleast 2-3 hrs a day months before the trip. Don't just land up from your stationary desk jobs like Joy and I did and decide to climb a volcano. :D It's painful.

From Kintamani, our last destination was the bustling Kuta where all tourists head. Enroute we stopped at Ubud, visited Goa Gajah, a coffee plantation, and even the Ubud Art village. It was a bit unsettling for me adjusting to all that hustle bustle in Kuta after the serenity of Lovina and Kintamani but yet Kuta is a must stop for every traveler to Bali.

Legian Road is the most happening road for all tourists. Restaurants, shops, pubs, the nightlife is fantastic for those looking to party. Sky Garden is the most popular spread over 5 floors with 8 different night clubs playing varied music. Mbargo and Paddy's Pub are other popular places. The whole street is buzzing all night. There are numerous open air karaoke bars and restaurants, people are dancing on the streets, there were even fire jugglers entertaining the crowds outside Paddys. The energy is just fantastic.

During the day, you can shop for interesting souvenirs or head to Kuta beach from Legian Road. Some of the beaches you must cover are:

Dreamland Beach: The most gorgeous sandy beach I have ever seen.

Padang Padang beach also known as Julia Roberts beach because several scenes from Eat, Pray, Love were shot there. It's interesting because it's like a hidden paradise. You need to walk between these close rock formations and the moment you step out, the view is just fantastic.

A must visit are these gorgeous temples for the sunsets; Uluwatu and Tanah Lot. I would recommend that you go early around 3:30 to 4 pm so that you can walk around the cliffs and explore before you settle down for the sunset pics. :) The shots you get when the sun is up are different from the sunset ones.

Uluwatu is a Balinese sea temple in Bali. Built in the 11th century, the views from the temple are spectacular. We stayed for the Kecak dance that is held every evening in the amphitheater at 6 pm. After the balinese dance enacted at GWK Cultural Centre, did not really find the Kecak dance very interesting but the backdrop of the sunset from the amphitheater was spectacular. It was a packed house with tourists from all over the world.

These monkeys at Uluwatu can be a menace. They snatch anything and everything so keep your stuff safely. They snatched a lady's sunglasses from her head and cameras too. They threaten humans so keep a safe distance and ignore them.

The Kecak Dance begins where they enact the Ramayana

Packed house while watching the sun set over the ocean at Uluwatu

The next day we head out to Tanah Lot. Tanah Lot is a Balinese temple formed on a beautiful rock formation by the sea which has been shaped over the years by the ocean tide. Poisonous sea snakes are believed to guard the temple from evil spirits and intruders.

Sunset at Tanah Lot

Bali provides Visa on Arrival for most countries and that includes India, which is really convenient. You have to pay an entry fee of $25 (they accept dollars) and while leaving the country, there is an exit fee too of IDR 200,000. Note that this exit fee is accepted only in Indonesian currency, so do keep this amount handy.

And before I end, our trip wouldn't have been this splendid if not for the wonderful, friendly, helpful people we met.
- Dwi and his wonderful team at Gino Ferucci who ensured we had a wonderful stay and taught me  a few Balinese words.
- The restaurant owner and chef at Lovina who was so warm and welcoming and started talking about the Ramayana when we mentioned we were from India. I had the best meal there and this is where I fell in love with Balinese music.
- Gede, the best tour guide ever who didn't let me give up on the Mount Batur trek and encouraged me till the finish line at times even helping me through the difficult stretches.
- Made, our driver and guide who gave us so many insights into Balinese culture and patiently took us wherever we wanted even though it was last minute detour and planning on our part,
- The staff at Ibis Suites in Kuta especially Saubhagya (loved his name) who was the Receptionist, Tour Guide, Driver a bit of everything,
- And lastly this interesting woman cab driver from Timor Island who dropped us to the hotel from Kuta beach just half an hour before we had to leave to catch our flight back.

Memories to last a lifetime. Hope to go back some day.

Is Love a Crime?

Been thinking about the recent judgement regarding section 377, an archaic law introduced during the British rule, and wondering why do we have a problem with love? Whether it's the moral policing that keeps occurring across the nation or the family structure with their boundaries of love and marriage defined between certain communities, religious beliefs, language, caste, orientation, and so on, why do we humans have so many prejudices?

Who are we to judge that a consensual act between two adults of the same gender is criminal, whereas marital rape isn't? From time immemorial, we seem to be having a problem with love. Love marriages were frowned upon but entering an arranged marriage and sleeping with a perfect stranger on your wedding night was acceptable. Love is like a dirty word. Doesn't exist. Something to be frowned upon. We are a nation of over 1.3 billion but sex doesn't happen. Babies are not an effect of procreation, it's god who gives us babies. We are in a perpetual state of denial about love and sex.

Back to section 377, it's sad that the individual rights and freedom of the (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) LGBT community are at stake not only in India but as per reports all over the world. Even in countries like France, New Zealand, and Singapore.

Been hearing the term "unnatural" quite a bit  and wonder what gives us the right to define an act of mutual consent between the same sex as unnatural. If someone has a different orientation from your own, does that make it unnatural. What's definitely criminal and unnatural is when force is used. If it's rape, child abuse, that's a crime. Then why is an act of mutual consent being considered a crime?

Another argument that keeps coming up against LGBT rights is that it's against our culture. If culture dictates that it involves disrespecting our fellow human beings, we need to do away with such culture. Whether it's the system of sati, caste system and child marriage, reformers have fought these social evils. Where is the sanctity of this so called culture that persecutes minorities based on gender, social strata, religious beliefs, orientation and so on. Even our mythological tales and carvings in our temples such as Khajuraho depict that the LGBT community existed and were accepted even in ancient times.

So why did we become so intolerant? What makes us so insensitive towards the choices and preferences of other individuals, if it doesn't match our own beliefs? When will we learn to live and let live, and let love that transcends all boundaries such as nationality, religion, color, caste, orientation flourish?

A Few Good Men

As the Tarun Tejpal controversy creates such outrage and spirals out of control in social media, I begin to wonder. It's shameful and though it terrifies us, depresses us, makes us question our beliefs and morals, aren't we in some way responsible for allowing such acts to happen in alarming frequency? Right from the time a child is born, the conditioning and discrimination begins. This divisiveness is not just restricted to the nationality, religion, caste, skin color, or the language one speaks but extends to gender, class, wealth and power too.

Folks are quick to blame the not so fortunate literates or those from the so called lower classes (yes, these class distinctions still exist in this land of an ever increasing gap between have and have-nots), but what do they have to say when the educated of our land with degrees from IITs, IIMs, and even Oxford, Stanford and Harvard engage in horrific misdemeanors and criminal activities such as corruption, exhortation, and exploitation of others. Can we really blame and pinpoint one social class when crime extends across all boundaries? The perpetrator can be from any background.

Now onto powerful men like Tejpal! History has been filled with powerful men who have choices! Some of them choose to use the power bestowed to them responsibly, whereas some misuse and twist it to meet their own desires. Aren't there thousands of Tarun Tejpals out there? In recent weeks, news of the judges and lawyers exploiting interns have rocked the nation. Now what makes them commit such acts? Does the heady sense of power intoxicate them and make them feel like they can manipulate and control anyone. And when they get away with their misdemeanors, does it make them more brazen that they continue their acts without fear and a care in the world as if they are kings of the world.

I think the need of the hour is to set up proper and adequate committees for every sector and organization to address any kind of issue, even those concerning folks at the top. After all, absolute power does make some folks immune to the system and that can be dangerous.

And do we really need a comparison with the Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky episode as I've seen in some tweets? While I am not here to preach on the morality and personal integrity of a person's character, and why they choose to cheat on their partners, wasn't that a case of mutual consent? It cannot be compared to this Tejpal incident where the young journalist repeatedly said no, but yet he persisted. For more on the case, check this link:
http://delhidurbar.in/tehelka-editor-facing-sexual-assault-allegations/

Hasn't it always been like this? Just as in the animal kingdom where the beasts stalk their prey, in the human kingdom, the rich and powerful prey on the weak or vulnerable sections. Some fight back, some don't.

As reports state, Tarun Tejpal's introductory speech during the THINKFEST 2011 had the lines, "You're in Goa, so eat, drink, make merry & sleep with whoever you want." What about consent, Mr. Tejpal?Irony is one of the taglines at the THINKFEST 2013 stated, "The beast lies within us."

While these beasts exist, it's also important to differentiate between the beasts and the few good men that exist on this planet. With similar incidents of molestation and abuse being reported in the media everyday, a friend of mine was lamenting that he's ashamed and scared of being an Indian man. I get that. It's important not to cast everyone in the same mold. We need to remember that for every beast out there, there also exist a few good men and men can be victims too.

Blue Blood

Waking up to social networking updates and news about the royal birth and that too a male heir to Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, I smile. Hate it or love it, the lives of the monarchy continue to fascinate us. Quite reminds me of the movies I've been watching in recent times about the nobility and aristocracy of England.

A movie that stayed in my mind was "The Duchess" based on the life of Georgiana Cavendish, the Duchess of Devonshire, who was quite a fashionista and created quite a scandal in the late 18th century. Keira Knightley does a brilliant job portraying the character of the Duchess and the trials and tribulations that she faced for not bearing a male heir till much later brings out the social prejudices prevalent. Not so different from the mindset of majority of our population in our nation where giving birth to a son is still paramount and female infanticide is pretty common.

This obsession with giving birth to boys reminds me of a whatsapp group conversation with our friend, Ashwini last week. The lengths people go through to have a male child. Apparently, since male baby causing sperms die very quickly, they work best only on the exact day of ovulation and the closer it is deposited to the cervix, the better the chances of fertilization, so there are techniques to get there. Several other superstitions abound such as eating asparagus before coitus (am too influenced by Sheldon  from TBBT these days) and not eating strawberries as they can cause a girl child to be born. Phew!

Back to the royals, the conservative nature and rigidness of the royal customs were and still are a sharp contrast to the infidelities and betrayal played out in their lives. Guess it was a kind of rebellion against very strict protocols. In modern times, it seems to continue going by the tabloid gossip of royal lives such as Prince Charles, Lady Diana, Prince Andrew, Sarah Ferguson and now Prince William and Prince Harry.

Our obsession with the monarchy remains even after we realize that all those fairy tales we read about finding our Prince Charming and living happily ever after is not so true. It sometimes takes a few takes before happily ever after such as in the case of Wallis Simpson, the American divorcee for whom King Edward abdicates the throne. If you watch the movie W.E. based on the life of King Edward VIII, you realize that it was not quite happily ever either. W.E. is a must-watch brilliant movie for those interested to get a sneak peek into the lives of royalty and is produced and directed by Madonna.

Talking about royalty, wonder why we still cling on to old institutions such as the monarchy that are inherited and not merit-based even in these times of so called democracy? Is it because there is something so romantic about the royal lineage that we hate to let go of archaic conventions our minds have grown so used to after reading all those stories of kings and queens across the world and spanning centuries?

Who or What Inspires Us?

LinkedIn sends me a mail to get inspired by the most followed Influencers. I go through the list and see the names of a few bigwigs and smile. Oh well, now are they going to dictate who should inspire me? :)

Are we supposed to be inspired by only folks in the rat race and who've made huge sums of money judging by the list? Social media does have a way of pandering to people's egos and hyping things up to such an extent that you start to believe in it. However, if you delve a bit, you will find that it's all about visibility and often the achievements are hollow and there is no real depth or quality to it.

Am I supposed to be admiring Ambani or Mallya for their ill gotten wealth and ways of flaunting it through monstrosities like Antilla and yachts and high flying calendars even in cases where their employees have not been paid for months while they live the high life or the majority of people in our nation live in dire poverty? It's not in their business interest after all to part with their wealth especially when there are loopholes in the system where they can avoid payouts to those who deserve it. Isn't it the job of the government to look after the welfare of its citizens? Why should these big folks care as long as their names make it to the richie rich list every year?

It's like the music channels these days that keep playing such horrendous music till it's drilled into your senses and you start believing that it's top of the charts although the lyrics make no sense or the music is plagiarized from another popular number and at times even outright non-melodious. Or those endless movie promotions that keep being replayed on television channels and celebrities on social networking sites who promote it even though it may be the crappiest movie ever made and you go and watch based on their feedback and once you do, you realize that it was a huge mistake. After all, in these times it's more of driving up a hype, ass-licking, and doing favors for people rather than honest and quality feedback.

It's like I shout out all your so-called achievements from the rooftop and you do the same for mine. Or was it you scratch my back and I'll scratch your's? :) Oh well, these days you don't even have to shout from rooftops; all you need to do is broadcast it across social networking sites and there you go, it's creating a  breed of self-obsessed, attention-seeking, narcissistic individuals. This attention-seeking is like a drug and at times often promotes mediocrity and cheating one's way to so-called success like all those voting contests that you come across. The more the votes, and that is what determines the outcome of one's success. And sorry, you may send me repeated requests but am still not going to vote for anyone's child on any social networking site. I wouldn't know what to judge and isn't it unfair on some other deserving candidates whoever they are just because I am an incompetent judge? :P So hate me but still not voting.

I watch the news and see more self-promotions happening even in the aftermath of the Uttarakhand tragedy. The army, locals, NGO's and some extraordinary humans doing some amazing work and helping those affected without shouting it out from the rooftops and there you have our politicians squabbling and boasting about flagging off relief material when isn't it their duty as public servants to ensure the welfare of the citizens? Do they need to spend funds that could be used in rehabilitation work in running large newspaper ads promoting the so-called relief work that their leaders are engaging in?  And then you get to know that the stuff flagged off is rotten or hasn't even reached the folks who require it as the trucks are still stuck in some other state. Politicians have ceased to surprise me these days with their insensitive and incompetent ways.

Back to influencers, even though I do admire some of the famous ones such as Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Azim Premji, and the Tatas for all their charitable contributions, it's still my low-profile colleagues, friends, acquaintances, and some extraordinary strangers who I've met that amaze and inspire me for their large hearts with so less resources.

Ordinary folks who are wealthy in their thoughts and deeds and who are making a huge difference to the lives of others every day. The ones who teach impoverished kids for free, undertake campaigns and promotions to provide them access to free education, school kits etc, the ones who work with orphanages and differently abled people, the folks who help slum dwellers day in and day out, those friends who help the homeless, and women who have been violated and abused, striving against all odds despite having access to limited funds or welfare. At times they even face a deep risk to their lives by helping others and yet that does not deter them from their chosen path.

Those nameless faceless folks who shy away from the limelight and public praise. They may be your neighbor, colleague, friend, acquaintance but each day they tirelessly thrive to help others. I do know that we live in times where the shallow world of social media and the material wealth folks accumulate will continue to dictate who the achievers are and who we should admire, but for me it's these folks who quietly go about changing lives without a care for rewards or praise who are the real heroes!