The Routine of Paradise

Jetlag sucks. TIP#22: When traveling across the world to a time zone that messes with your day and night a little, don’t go to bed early, no matter how exhausted you are. Drink something caffeinated to keep you awake so you don’t find yourself twiddling your thumbs at 3 or 4 in the morning, wide awake, singing happy birthday to yourself.  Also, FYI, a glass of wine is not caffeinated.

However, Bali is AMAZING! It’s our second day here after a days worth of flights and airports. We’ve even made a few friends already! (Two Canadian blokes who advised us on Balinese wine and one French woman.) There don’t seem to be too many Americans that come here. This is okay with me though—all the different accents add to the cultural experience.

But yes, yesterday and today are my birthdays (I’m counting both Bali’s and America’s time zones so I can celebrate twice).  Yesterday, we spent the day at a Balinese spa, getting treated to massages, scrubs, oils and lotions of which I’m not even sure, baths brimming with pink flowers, lunches, manicures, pedicures, and hair cream rinse. I’ve never been treated so much like a fairy princess in my whole life and it was all for a little over $50 US. 

A few words about the currency. In Bali, their currency is in rupiah. 100,000 rupiahs equals about $12, as I understand it. TIP#23: Before traveling to a foreign country, learn the exchange rate. Study it in a way so that you can easily calculate it. Otherwise, when you find your bags being dragged around the airport for you upon your arrival, you might accidentally be giving these men tips equivalent to about $24. Oops.

But oh well.

Ubud, the city we are staying in, is the most beautiful city I have ever seen. Even it’s equivalent to pigeons are pretty!  There are temples and sunrays and stairways and tropical plants and flowers and offerings to the gods and beautiful dressed up Balinese people and marching gamelans up the YIN YANG! I have never been surrounded by such beauty in my LIFE. The Balinese live by a communal beauty routine. Each day, the locals begin to appear out and about around seven, cleaning their shops and gathering materials to create their offerings. The offerings consist of little handmade baskets of palm filled with anything from flowers to candy. These baskets decorate the statues and streets each day, adding to the general communal splendor. Fresh flowers are also produced each day to decorate most statues and temples.

I wish that cities in the US took care of themselves a little like like this. Their daily routines often seem to consist of no more than emitting as much smog into the air as possible. But thats just an illustration of the cultural differences. America is more focused upon the individual's health and happiness and success; Bali's focus is more upon the community's health and happiness and success. Not that one is right and one is wrong. They're just different (obviously). :) Each morning, Liz and I have our own little routine of practicing some Yoga before breakfast (for something to do, considering we thus far have been waking up before sunrise).

Today we are getting a tour of the countryside from one of the hotel dudes. Then, sometime soon we’ll start our lessons in gamelan and dance from Liz’s professor and his wife. Thus far, I’d call this a pretty chill trip.  I don’t think I’ve ever really been on a trip before without at least having something scheduled. And really, I’m ok with this.  :)