A trip to Bali !

Promise yourself that one day, you will wake up Bali.

I remember reading this about 11 years ago. I was 15, and the final episode of « Pekin Express Season 4 » (the French version of the Amazing Race) was airing soon. This season started in Viet Nam in the Ha Long Bay throught Southeast Asia with the finish line in Bali.

For me, and I was about to get on my first flight ever for the UK, this adventure seems like to perfect journey. I watched the previous seasons, and I am still a huge fan ! This road, I saw a bit of it now, well, was the dream. Still waiting for Viet Nam !!

I went to see my best friend, Julie. She was doing in internship for Business School, and I was working my summer job and decided that I was time for me to go ! She is working in Canggu now, managing the Pirate’s Bay Cruising ! I highly recommend their services for a unforgettable experience in Indonesia ! A few most later, I arrived in Bali on a hot night of october 2015.

Planning on returning this year, well, we know how that turn out, I would love to enjoy an empty Bali. Lord knows how attractive Bali is, and mass tourism lurking is not a great color on a small island of Indonesia.

Oh boy, I was scared shitless about driving in Bali, so I did not. Yep Gojek was not that developed at the time, seriously handy ! I was not the experienced independent traveler than I am now. I was 21 and focusing on studies. Last time, I drove I got hit by a tucking Boat !

I met wonderful people, and got to do some of my bucket list sight seeing ! Some missing still : climbing Batur, and Gili Air, but Raja Ampat and Flores are not going anywhere.

What I want to share with you is the experience and I think the beginning of my day drinking days, no walks of shame, and some pretty naughty airports. Also, Indonesia being the largest muslim country on earth, LGBTQIA + rights are non-existed and attack under « the morals of the faith ». Struggling population, even on a slightly unique island like Bali, educated me on the rights of LGBTQ in Indonesia !

BTW, I just love this outfit, that ass bb ! God, I swear I wore this shirt for 3 years no stop, how French of me !

Bali, Bali, Bali … There is some such to do, see, and experience ! You can find here my Top 15 Bali Experiences for some ideas !

This first weekend we went snorkeling in Pantai Permuteran : it is in the northern part of Bali ! What a weekend that was, after a boob-seeing accident, a reggeaton music festival on an island, and some dancing with the whole diving gear on Celine Dion, Good God, I was the happiest I had ever been. We slept on the floor in the office of the scuba dive company after eating smoked-cooked fishes grilled by our friend ! The following week, It was chill by the pool program, and Ubud. Walking the beaches in Sanur was fun, working friend for amazing lunches on the beach with fresh fish every day was perfect ! We went to visit Seminyak and Kuta, once beaches and nightlife centres of Bali !

Then, came Ubud. First came two friends, and that was it. I was going to have a blast with my to straight white men ! We accidentally fell in a Coffee plantation with pretty extraordinary animals, one owner just nuts, and some shots of a pinky rice wine, and of course, Arak. It was 1 Pm, the three of us hammered, and the Monkey Forest ahead… Let me tell you, this was a day ! The sanctuary is amazing, and amazingly full of straight people with undisciplined kids getting beaten by monkeys. What a thing to see, a german yelling at a monkey.. I still get on hard on from time to time.

Let’s go South now !

Nusa Penida the next time, so check My Top 15 – What to Do and See in Indonesia for ideas ! Nusa Lembongan was the highlight of my trip ! To this day, expect some specifics ones across the globe, it was the most truly magical place for me. This started in Sanur. We took the boat to go to the island, with buses of Chinese tourists, rented bikes, and off we went ! To have lunch at Day drinking time in the place you will see in the next two pictures ! I felt blessed, and still can taste the lemon Bintang and the Chivas rhum in the pool off a cliff.

The last Sunday, time for Uluwatu and the beaches of the Bukit Peninsula ! Quite a marvelous place ! Interesting to see the socially divided environment though. The whites on the Top with view and pools, and the locals in the oceans. Nothing surprising really, urban sociology & good old social scales’ representation. Anyhow, Padang Padang beach was out of reach of getting out of the Scootys Highway, was Dreamland Beach ! Gorgeous !

After a wonderful weekend, Monday came. It was time to leave. We spent the day drinking in the pool, so much so, I couldn’t get tattooed, and almost not allowed in the plane ! Later on, some delay eh, Singapour again, where I had sex in the bathroom with a South Korean met on Grindr. There I, trying to sober up smoking, met Darcy. An American lady of 60-ish springs, living between France and Bali, working in jewelry high I don’t remember what. We got drunk on whisky coke, got a the plan where I was stuck between the window and two heavier individuals. I swear she was touching herself watching Magic Mike.. We Chardonney-ed, and I gave back everything on the landing zone. Glamorous as always, injuring my pride and the leftovers of Dignity I had. A fat Burger after, the song Hello by Adele just out get my sad sad tears of a clown (RPDG anyone ?). Bali transformed my view of spirituality, and the way I relate to people having experiencing it. I used to believe depression was weakness and people who fainted were just weaker, so imagine the growth I have experienced as a human being.

Coming back tanned in early November for mi-terms, I promised myself that Once again, I will wake up in Bali.

Next time, Mexico my darlings ! Bye my Serial Walkers !

Terribly yours,

L.