South East Asia on a Hamstring – January 18

Tirta Gangga – January 18, 2000

I finally got my banana pancake at Hotel Prima Bambu in Tirta Gangga. Unfortunately, it was raw-ish and more of a crepe with bananas cooked into it than the banana pancake I was hoping for. My quest shall have to continue.

We had a morning walk through the rice paddies, courtesy a local guide, and then visited the “water palace”, a small compound of freshwater pools. It was raining out and I’d had enough water so I sat it out. On we drove to the beach town of Lovina. A short walk taught me that Lovina has only restaurants, dive shops, and internet places. It was just a starting point for us to tour the surrounding area. The group went for a group meal and I went for some alone time with my book.

January 19, 2000

The whole Bali experience has been unlike any other trip I’ve taken with a group. It’s easy, for one thing. Not that I’m complaining – I could use a little relaxation without having to be on my toes about corrupt officials or clever con artists. But it doesn’t make a very interesting story. January 19

consisted solely of our group going snorkeling, then going off in a minivan to tour a nearby Buddhist temple, hot springs, a waterfall, a Hindu temple in a lake, and the area burned by rioters when the Balinese people were angry with the Indonesian government post-Soeharto.

Dinner was a sampling of Balinese foods at the home of a local fisherman’s wife. All tasty and spicy. We learned over the course of the meal that Intrepid had cancelled their trips to the next island over, Lombok, because the Muslims and Christians are fighting very seriously there. Many churches and bars have been burned.

The economy of Bali has been interesting. For $2.86, I can use the internet for one hour or have a fantastic restaurant meal, or have one night’s accommodation in a cheaper hotel. It’s astonishing that the internet should cost the same as a hotel, but that’s what the market will bear at the moment.