Bidding Adi Adieu

Balinese art at the cultural museum in Ubud
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Bali is a combination of lush beauty, tropical downpours, the abundance of art, spiritual practice and taking the tourist for a good shakedown.  But even in that aspect I cannot fault these people.  It seems tame and small scale compared to Bangkok or Hanoi.

I was at a craft market and about to walk out of the place when I caught sight of an old guy with two white cow horn carvings.  One was of a Barong - Fierce toothsome spirit.  The other was Garuda, the winged beast that is a symbol the the national airline.  Anyway the guy started asking like 300,000 rupiah - just divide by 9000 for USD.  He told me he had carved them himself.  I said 150,000 and we settled on 170,000.  I turn around and I am assailed by three more with exactly the same carvings.  But the next was offering at 70,000 for both and the next for 30,000.

Talk to the hand - Balinese style
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Today it poured rain all day.  I was taking a break from reading my PADI diving instruction book and walking down the main drag here when I decided to stop and shop for some sunglasses.  So I picked out a couple of pairs of Oakley knockoffs and the old guy started at 400,000  I stuck to 150,000.  Eventually I went to 170,000.  Turned around and another guy thrust 3 pair at me for 60,000.  I think you could actually buy them for 10,000 ea.

So I spent too much.  And that is just ok.  Because when it comes down to what these folks are living on it amazes me they are surviving at all.  Since the bombing of 2002 which occured less that 2 blocks from my hotel, this area has been at a loss for tourists.  As crowded as it all feels I cannot imagine what it must have been like in the heydays.  The party has moved up the main drag to a town called Semenyak.  That is where I met Adi at a gay bar.

Bone carvings I purchased
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He was a delightful guy who knows English better than some Americans I know.  He was a good guide.  But alas he got too possessive.  The party ended yesterday when we were arguing because I refused to buy a cell phone so he could keep in touch with me.  I suddenly realized that after only 3 days I was feeling guilty and wanting time to myself and feeling like I was being pressured to become this guys saviour.  I gave him some money and gave him the boot.

And there are hordes of men and women looking to take his place.  Not just me but the whole offering of 'services' that you get just walking down the street.  I step out of my hotel and the first woman I see wants to give me a massage and by the time I reach the end of the block I have had two more such offers and one for marijuana and hashish.  I ask directions from a guy and he offers to come to my hotel room.  These people take being accomodating to a whole new level.  The single male tourist of any persuasion can have a field day here.  For that matter so could the female.  And the lines you hear are "Mister, let me massage you one hour for good luck, mister I not eat today",  One hour with pretty girl give good massage, for good luck, I make you feel good.  etc.... Most of the people I have met offering this sort of trade seem to be from other parts of Indonesia.  They came here when things were booming and now they are caught without the means to even return to whatever island they came from.

Poppet being built for Nyepi celebrations
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On the other hand I have not seen but 2 beggars on the streets and both were badly handicapped.  You see so many crippled and maimed in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia.  But here I have seen very few.  And so many babies.  This is a place where the spirit world and the humid fecundity and the very air offers itself up to be sexual.  There is a softness that is very appealing.  Even the language seems to ripple like a soft rolling stream from the tongue.