It’s hard for a South African to accept that places exist which are virtually crime-free. Bali shops are often left unattended, or the owners are fast asleep! Shoes and belongings are left all over and remain untouched. It would be dead-easy to knick whatever caught my fancy if it weren’t for my virtuous upbringing. Perhaps it’s a Hindu thing … and if the gods catch you stealing in this life you come back as a Naked Mole Rat in the next.
I had made a local friend named Andre, who assured me that lack of crime is the case, with the only real theft occurring at bars and nightclubs under the influence of alcohol. He mentioned that he has even slept on the beach a few times when feeling too boozed to bike home. The Bali lifestyle is very laid-back.
So Indonesia – the land of 1,000 cultures and 1,000 different languages (roughly-speaking) and a unique Bali lifestyle. Andre says that a different language is spoken on every major island, but that Indonesian is the common tongue. He has also been teaching me the basics. I met an elderly German man on the beach the day before, who has been coming to Indonesia since 1976 and is fluent in the language. He reckons it’s one of the easiest languages to learn and gave me a quick lesson.
The cheerful German also mentioned that English is hardly spoken on the other islands, and the reason why it is taught (or rather learnt) in Bali, is to be able to barter with tourists. He spoke about his journeys to the other islands, and that he has been stranded twice and had to wait 3 weeks on both occasions until the next boat arrived! He laughed uncontrollably at that recollection, but his stories gave me second thoughts about visiting the other isles on this solo trip.
I started to learn my way around Kuta better. I walked with greater confidence, felt more settled, and seemed to be getting haggled less. I’m not sure if it’s my scary Mauritian shirt, or perhaps that they can smell the lack of money on me. Whatever the reason, I was enjoying myself a lot more. One chap asked if I was from Hawaii and snapped a photo. The locals also thank you whenever you photograph them – something I find interesting and is part of the Bali lifestyle.
Another thing that impresses me much about the locals is their extraordinary memory for names! They often introduce themselves when you visit their shops with Western names such as Judy, Christine or Bridget; but it has been over a week since being back in Kuta and several of them call out to me in passing!
I was back in Kuta for a few days awaiting the arrival of my new bank card. I was happily reunited with my Balinese friend who found me cheap accommodation. We plan to go release some baby turtles later. He also introduced me to his local surfer friend who has offered to give me a 2-hour surfing lesson tomorrow morning with a money-back guarantee if I don’t learn how to stand after the two hours! We spent the day motoring around on his scooter (he even let me drive a bit) and drank beer on the beach. I think I might get an early night. Big day tomorrow!
Next: Indonesia 2013: Magic Mushrooms
Previously: Indonesia 2013: Turtle Island
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