Last Day

The days have gone by with that strangely slow quickness that only last days of exotic trips seem to bring. After the music program ended, I made my way to the beach where I have been staying in a hotel that reminds me of a 1970s Miami retirement community. The beach is peaceful, only a few tourists this time of year. I did travel to the major tourist beaches like Kuta, but they were a little overwhelming. Lots of drunk australian surfers and european supermodels. But you can still eat a gourmet meal with drinks and watch the sunset for under $30.

The surfer restaurants try to attract customers with live Balinese musicians playing the greatest hits of the 60s and 70s. I have to say that aside from their sometimes unintentionally surreal re-writing of the lyrics to Stairway to Heaven, many of them are quite good. Especially bass players - bass players in Bali are awesome.

Some of the more popular beaches are swarmed with Indonesian women who go from beach chair to beach chair, trying to get tourists to buy little bracelets, or accept a foot massage or pedicure. They are relentless, and many tourists lash out at them. I was in a relaxed mood, however, and managed to talk to a few of them. Small talk goes like this -

Where are you from?
America.
Obama!
Yeah.
Are you married?
No.
Why not?
Not yet. (the only possible answer to this question)
Will you buy a watch?
No, I don't like to know what time it is.
Maybe later, then.
No, I don't want to know the time later, either.
Ok.
(then they sit down under my umbrella and get into the more heart to heart stuff, like how much money they live on day to day, what they like and do not like in Bali, and no matter what happens in America, it is always the strongest country in the world.)

Eventually I had enough of these conversations, and I made some brief friendships. I gave into a pedicure of all things, which was actually not so bad for $5. My first pedicure and it was sitting, watching the waves on a beautiful Balinese beach. Of course, after I paid someone some money, I was swarmed with 5 others who wanted to sell me bracelets. We managed to keep things within the realm of sanity and treated each other like human beings, shared a few laughs, and I bought a few little things from them for $3 which made them incredibly happy. It ended up being one of the suprising high points of my day on the beach.

Yesterday I finished with a sunset trip to Puri Tanah Lot - one of the more attractive temples on this side of the island since it is built on a rock that is swallowed by the high tide. My camera battery died, so I have posted an internet picture very similar to one that I've taken.

Tomorrow I am catching a plane from Bali to LAX. It took 30 hours on the way here. I am bracing myself.

Selamat Jumpa.