Bali: Uluwatu, Land of a Billion Stairs

After a few days in Kuta (which came to be my “regroup point”), I needed out again.  My friend Lucas, a fellow writer whose blog can be found at antipodasia.blogspot.com recommended that I visit Uluwatu, a fantastic surf point 10 kilometers south of Kuta.  While I had been there for a day or two before, Lucas told me it was inexpensive ($8/night at the guest houses) and the atmosphere was perfect – not gluttonous like Kuta but not too sleepy.  He wrote down some home stay recommendations and I was off.  The places he recommended where amazing; right on the ocean, I’m talking ocean spray from the rocks hitting the stairs of our place.  I slept with my door open and woke up in the morning watching the waves roll across the ocean, peppered with a few patient surfers in Pandang Padang.  

The stairs leading down to Buffalo Surf House - don't bring a  heavy suitcase!

The cows I encountered once I reached the bottom.

Wave set at Padang Padang

These two were on their honeymoon.  They're from China. I HAD to have a picture with them.

My room at Buffalo Surf House

The necessary equipment to ride on a scooter in Bali.

Even though the bathroom in our home stay was shared by every.single. person. in the place and more than twice as much as Lucas has said (he forgot to mention he was sharing his room), Buffalo Surf House was charming with a gauzy 4-poster mosquito net hanging over the bed.  A cluster of four different surf houses made up a compound on the cliff side and every morning I had breakfast at Made’s warung with all of the surfers staying in one of the four accommodations.  

While Uluwatu wasn’t the best for someone who doesn’t ride a scooter, it was the best place to find amazing people and get lost on some amazing backwoods treks.  “Ulus” is where I met Candida, Hannah, Seb, Daniel, Eduardo and Chris and I’m so glad because they were a group of people having a (mostly) honest good time.  This group came together in a way only backpackers would understand.  Hannah and Candida, both from England grew up together and met up while in the middle of their individual travel journeys abroad. 

Candida (sounds like Canada but with “did” stuck in the middle) is the funniest person I’ve ever met in my whole entire life.  Ever.  I think she’s more funny than Seinfeld, she regularly references Ross from Friends, can make up songs about sandwiches on the spot and has a serious dance routine which involves lots of pointed-toe movements, musical crescendos and a fantastic costume.  We have been sharpening this act throughout our travels and I believe when she is ready, it will be a total hit.  I am positive if Candida came to LA she would be famous within weeks, if not days.  Hannah reminds me almost exactly of myself when I was her age.  She’s stubborn, impatient and the guy of girl who will knock your lights out if you cross her just enough.  But underneath that I think she is secretly incredibly generous, sensitive and very sweet.  In fact I know she is because when I had a bad spell with some mushies (more on that later) she was right there with me, getting me snacks and water and assuring me that there were no monsters and the room was not actually breathing.   If she were here I’m sure she punch me in the face for saying even saying that, which makes me smile.  I swear it’s like I’m looking at myself 13 years ago.  I can’t wait to see what she’ll be like by the time she’s my age because while Hannah loves to have the last word, she is also a person who is able to change and see the logic in different ways.  Daniel, Eduardo, Chris and Seb were a great addition my memories in Uluwatu and I even roomed with Sebastian for a night because it saved us both a great deal of money to do so and he’s a pretty great guy anyways.  We were always very excited to run back into Sebastian while on the travels; whether we were just walking down the street, or on another island entirely.  I’m actually hoping to see him while I’m in Bangkok.

The view from my room at Buffalo.

When I think about Ulus it seems like there was always a smile on my face and I have this group of people to blame. The second day I was there I ran into the group they invited to me to go to a secret beach which someone told them about and had given them a hand-drawn map to the location.  That sounded like an amazing adventure so of course I was in.  Once again on the back of a scooter, 5 minutes later we were turning off of the main road onto a little path too small for two bikes to pass each other, then a dirt road with weeds growing on either side.  We arrived at the edge of a giant cliff so tall I had to strain to see the cows grazing at the bottom.  We found the way down and began the treacherous decent of more than 500 stairs.  Not exaggerating there were MORE than 500 stairs, my knees ached for days afterward.  There was a small temple built into the face of the cliff very near the bottom so I stopped and took pictures of the outside but it is not respectful to enter so I didn’t.  When I finally emerged from the cliff side jungle I was in a field face-to-face with cows.  They looked up for a moment and their expressions seemed to say “move along, you’re in my grassy path and I’m in the middle of lunch”.  Turning around, I surveyed the cliff and thought “that looks exactly like something out of Jurassic Park.” 

Passing the cows and avoiding the poo I made my way to the beach and joined the others, checking out the waves which turned out to be savage mushy beasts too strong for anyone to really surf.  So instead we all sat on the shore and looked for the best shells we could find.  Then we buried Daniel in the sand and we spent the rest of the time talking, laughing, walking and exploring.  The boys finally decided to try the massive foamy waves right before a storm rolled in which made for great pictures and then we had to make a run for it under a tree while the storm blew through and soaked us completely.  It was like a scene from Cast Away and it was such a fun adventure.  

The view from the top of the 500+ stairs at the secret beach.

This flower looked like an upside-down fairy to me.

The temple built into the cliff side at the secret beach.

A buried Daniel with Eduardo and myself.  

The gang L to R: Candid, Eduardo, Daniel, Hannah and Chris.  Seb was busy fetching a board.

Playing in the sand, looking for shells, mustering the courage to surf in the storm.

The storm coming around the hill.

The boys are out there some where.  The current was super strong and carried them pretty far to the right once they were out. 

The way out.

Large Bintang. 

More of the backpackers at Bali Rocks.

Chris, Daniel and I at the top of the cliff, where we stayed in Padang Padang.  Nice little set coming in.

Seb getting Candida's opinion on a hat.  Seb's a great shopping partner, fyi.  

Milkshake break. 

Super nice sets in Uluwatu.

The little cave/crevice down to the beach.  

A little warung on a rock in Uluwatu.

More exploring with the gang.

Pick your poison at the gas station.

I spent the next few days with the group, checking out the cave at Suluban, drinking milkshakes and watching the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen in my whole entire life. 

The most beautiful sunset I've ever seen in my whole entire life.

A ceremony marking the end of dry season and the beginning of festivities for the Bali New Year.

After a few days, it was time for everyone to move on, either to Ubud or the Gili Islands but not before a night in Kuta.  We all crammed into a car and were off to…Suka Beach of course.