Bali, Nusa Lembongan. Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda.

I continued my journey east, to Nusa Lembongan where I went to get away from the disenchanted Kuta.  I’ve found myself wishing I’d gone to these one-off places sooner; they are so lovely, calm and more like the Bali I was hoping to experience.  Taking the fast boat east from Sanur, I landed on the tiny island 30 minutes later, hopped on the back of a scooter and was whisked away to my paradise Bungalow.  Ironically, it was called Suka Beach II, although it was nothing like the Suka Beach in Kuta.

My Bungalow on the beach.

The inside of my bungalow.

Bed bugs (from Kuta) and Motley Crue.  Somewhat appropriate.

I’ve replaced taxis, spit, dirt and hagglers with rooster, crickets, trees and butterflies.  Even with all of the humidity Kuta somehow seemed dry to me, whereas Lembongan practically has a heartbeat.  The humidity comes in puffy waves as if the plants and trees are actually inhaling and exhaling.  I finally feel like I can breathe.  After a night of deep, comfortable sleep I woke up at 7 a.m. the next morning and enjoyed a perfect breakfast by the ocean.  I had a fluffy banana pancake and fruit that didn’t taste like it had been cut with a knife used for onions.  It felt like I was Ashley Judd in Ya-Ya Sisterhood when she ditches her kids and goes to a hotel near the ocean for a few days.  I watched the locals working on their seaweed farms (the main source of income for the island, the seaweed is used in numerous products all over the world, from ice cream to skin cream), pushing their long boats around the patches of seaweed in the water, or balancing the bouncy stuff in baskets on their heads.  They seem happy and resolute about their job and there is no question that they should be doing anything else.    

A seaweed farmer, checking his crop in the morning.

A woman carrying a basket of seaweed in it's second stage of harvest.

These little guys were playing near me while I took pics of the seaweed.

Seaweed drying in different stages of harvest.

Lembongan is such a small island that I decided to do two things I’ve never done before: run around half of the entire island and also to drive a scooter.  The scooter part didn’t last long, I ran over part of Ketut’s garden in the first 20 seconds and then I ran into a few ditches while trying to maneuver the ridiculous thing.  I came back after about 30 minutes of white-knuckle fear and gave it right back to Ketut who took pity on me and only charged me R10,000 (about $1).  Now whenever I see a child driving one of these beasts with ANOTHER child on the back and neither wearing helmets, I can’t help but gape in wonder as to how they manage it.

After the scooter I took a look at my map and decided it would be pretty easy to navigate a 60 minute run so off I went.  Two adventurous hours later I arrived back at my bungalow drenched in sweat, full of happiness and starving.  I had almost given up not because I was mentally tired, but physically tired.  I have to say there is so much elation in finally knowing where you are when you’ve been lost for almost an hour.  As I came around the bend of the hill overlooking the island I could hear the locals practicing the traditional music they would later play at the Nyepi celebration and I felt like a total warrior. 

My super sweaty self after running around the island.

View from one of the highest points of Lembongan.  Also the moment I knew where I was.

Definitely the coolest guy on the island.

That night I had dinner by the ocean and an acupressure massage by Made (sounds like Mah-Day) which I swear made me constipated.  I’m not kidding, whatever that guy did jacked me up for the next 3 weeks.  I don’t recommend getting a healing massage while in Bali, I’ll be honest.  Especially when my massage therapist is one of the best in LA (shout out Coco!!), but I suppose it was something I should experience.  That night I sat at my balcony and wrote two manifestos: one for work and one for love, as well as my goals for 2013.  I was pretty satisfied with the day and when I finally fell asleep Angus Stone’s melodic voice was singing “Just a Boy” at a bar close enough to my bungalow to lull me into sweet dreams. 

The next day I went snorkeling all over the Islands where I swam with little beautiful fishes and coral and and and…Manta Rays.  This was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done for a few reasons.  First, I thought they were the same sort of rays that killed Steve Irwin and when the boat driver told us not to panic if the ray swam towards us, I was sure it was the same.  Second, even though I am really not afraid of most things, I have grown to be afraid or respectful of the ocean.  I just understand its power and know what the water is capable of doing.  So jumping in an ocean full of Mantas is absolutely crazy for me.  But I did it.  I swear my heart was beating so loud and hard they could actually hear it and it seemed like they were FOLLOWING ME.  I tried not to panic but I think I failed a bit.  There were a few times I had to surface so I can cough up the ocean water I’d sucked in while trying to make a u-turn to avoid these things that look like underwater monsters.  Everyone was spooked, it was really funny.  I tapped on a girl’s shoulder to let her know I was behind her and swear she peed in her bathing suit.  Only later did I find out they are not the same at all.  There were also several divers with us and I swam around in the tiny bubbles put off by their oxygen tanks, it felt like little kisses all over my body.  We spent the day looking at coral that looked like giant brains and clams and flowers and an entire underwater world that would make you wonder WHAT THE HELL Ariel was thinking. 

Some caves on our way to the manta ray spot.

I wish I had stayed on the island longer, but for some reason after a few days it was time to return to the dreadful Kuta, Bali.  Alas I packed my bags to head back.

This little guy was just chillin out, watching tv.  

The "roads" in Lembongan.  There are very few cars and trucks here.  

Some of the island elders, watching a cooking show in the temple, on a pretty nice flat screen tv.

Even the boats look like paradise.

The only graveyard I saw in all of Bali.

This is not a commercial, this actually happened to me.

A Nyepi monster in progress.

The only bridge that connects Lembongan to Nusa Ceningan.

These little girls serenade you before you go down into the Underground House.

One of the 7 entrances/exits into the Underground House.

The "kitchen" in the Underground House. There are DEFINITELY Fraggles living down here.

The beginning of a beautiful sunset.  

My little friend.  We did some exploring together.