Journey of a lifetime

I would like to apologize for my lack of posts over the last three weeks. I simply preferred to be surfing or exploring then blogging. However, the weak wifi connections and by busted laptop battery did play a roll in my lack of updates.

But wow what a three weeks in Bali. Bali met and far exceeded all my expectations. It was absolutely crazy. Just flying by the seam of my pants. Never staying in one town for more than three days, before zooming off to the next destination on our motorbikes.

It is fair to say I definitely immersed myself in everything Bali has to offer. So much happened over the last three weeks, I could write a novel about it all. From surfing death barrels at Lacerations, to getting lost on my scooter and finding my way to Padang Padang. From great challenges to great triumphs, Bali offered everything it had to bear. The last three weeks were like riding a high that never stopped. Since landing on Monday, I feel like I have been experiencing one giant hangover. I cannot stop thinking about Bali. I compare everything I see here to what I saw and experienced in Bali. While the food was nothing extraordinary like it was in Sri Lanka and Thailand. The noodles were good and the roasted pig was legendary.

Renting motorbikes was the best decision we made. It allowed us unlimited flexibility to move wherever we wanted, whenever we wanted. I miss that freedom. I miss waking up in the morning, no shirt, no shoes, riding my motorbike to check the waves. I miss the sunshine and warmth, because in Santa Cruz it rained today. And I have been constantly cold. I put my wetsuit on for the first time in two months. It felt like I had put a straightjacket on. I felt so constricted compared to the freedom I felt of surfing in boardshorts. When I jumped into the water I almost had a heart attack from how cold it was. Water that I would normally not second-guess or notice, I felt, as it seeped into my wetsuit. I felt it every time as it flushed down my neck.

I miss all the nice people of Bali. Having not to worry about my stuff getting stolen all the time. The local surfers were some of the nicest people I have ever met. Maybe it is because they live in paradise and are blessed with too many world-class waves to count.

Bali is a magical place that I will never forget for the rest of my life. I am already scheming for how I am going to return as soon as I possibly can. I am afraid I am addicted. I guess this what I would imagine a drug addiction to be. The waves, the people, the places, are always on my mind. I cannot stop thinking about it.

I am pretty much screwed…ahaha. Seriously, this summer is going to suck if I keep daydreaming and comparing everything I see and experience here to Bali. Bali was truly an experience. I do not know why I have become so enchanted with the place. I do not think other people who have gone there feel the way I do right now.

Looking in a mirror today, I look nothing like I did two months ago. For starters, I am darker (my hair actually turned blonde), and I lost weight. But I think the biggest change for me was my mindset. Maybe this will wear off with time, but I feel more positive about things in general. Granted I am depressed about the cold and the weather here, but I know it is only going to get better and summer shows up. I guess I just feel good.

Maybe in the future my friends will be able to come with me, so that I may share my experiences in real-time, instead of through a blog. But in the end of I am glad I met all the new people I did. I am also glad I traveled to all these places alone, meeting friends there and making new ones along the way. I created so many memories with people from all over the world. People I would have never met, had I never left for this trip.

What a journey it has been. The fastest and best two months of my life. What a ride. This marks the end of this chapter to my travel blog. I am not sure how I am going to top this adventure. But I will definitely see if I can. Hopefully very soon in the future I will be able to add new chapters to this ever-growing collection.

Bali

The last couple of days have been an absolute whirlwind! Bali is awesome, absolutely awesome. The Balinese people are nice, the weather is nice, the waves are killer, and the food is tasty. Life is good. Life could not get much better.

I am so glad I was able to make it to Bali. Thankfully the friends I met in Sri Lanka were going to Bali as well. So I was able to meet them here.

We are currently staying in a town called Sanur. Everything here is a bit on the pricey side. And it is a little touristy, but the main wave is killer. Taking a couple days to get acclimated before jumping into the circus that is Kuta was the right call. I am definitely looking forward to surfing Uluwatu.

We have rented scooters for the entire time I am in Bali. I was a little rusty at first, but I got the hang of it pretty quick. I forgot how fun those things are! The roads in Bali are pretty easy. Nothing crazy compared to Sri Lanka or parts of Thailand. Driving inside the lanes here is optional, but not nearly as death defying as Sri Lanka.

The wave we have been surfing, Sanur Reef, is nothing I have ever experienced before. It is a reef break that lies about a mile out from the harbor. It did not look that far out, and taking a boat cost $5. 30 minutes later and lots of cursing we finally made it out there. Only to see a boatload of Japanese surfers arrive zoom right past us and get dropped off. The next day we caved and took a boat too… It was a good decision.

The waves are pretty hollow, not Uluwatu, gaping barrel hollow, but pretty hollow. The reef isn’t that gnarly looking, which is nice. Nothing compared to the Uluwatu reef.

All in all, Bali is awesome; I will definitely come back here. If any of my friends are planning on going to Bali later in the summer, I will definitely consider going with them. Assuming I have the funds…

Uluwatu, Ubud, Caangu, Nusa Dua, Nusa Longbongen, and the Gilli Islands await!