MELBOURNE AND BALI

MELBOURNE AND BALI

           

Now, those are two words that do not belong in the same subject line. Granted, they represent places in the same hemisphere. And some folks from Melbourne undoubtedly visit Bali. But otherwise, the places are night and day. Melbourne is as urban and modern as any city. I don’t know how Aussies will take this, but the sheer looks of the place make it indistinguishable from a major city in America. Bali, by contrast, is rural, with largely undisturbed landscape, and those not working in the tourist industry (the island’s number one commodity by far) are engaged in largely agrarian lives like rice farming. So, why have I combined these places?

            Because I’m lazy. For one thing, I’m behind in my blogs. I came on this trip with a bunch of work to do and deadlines that are smack in the middle of travel. For another, I really didn’t do much in Melbourne. We were there for just over a day, though we spent two nights at The Langham, a truly magnificent hotel (as are all the hotels in which we stay on these trips). Unfortunately, the room was a bit too comfortable, and I wound up committing the cardinal sin that Bill Chalmers, who organizes these trips, constantly warns us not to commit. I decided to lie down during the day. After we met in the morning of the one full day we had, I went back to my room to take a very brief snooze. I woke up late in the afternoon and missed a lot of time. I wound up enjoying the nightlife of Melbourne instead of the performing the suggested activities. In fact, I stayed out all night long. Actually, I was probably out in Melbourne as much as any of the other trip participants, though my “scavenges” were definitely not on Bill’s list and I doubt among the activities in which other travelers participated.  But I had a great time. Of course, I’m too old to participate in the fetes myself, but you’re never too old to observe younger folks tripping the light fantastic or to reminisce. I won’t go into detail on where I went, but suffice it to say that the people of Melbourne like to have fun and have an active nightlife for people who, in a couple of months, will have the right to marry in all 50 American states.

            So, on to Bali. I love this place. I had been there once before. The villa in which our group stayed the first time was on the opposite side of the island from the airport, so we had the opportunity to see much of the unparalleled magnificence of landscape. The countryside is the most beautiful of anywhere I’ve been. The rice paddies alone are practically works of art, appearing as though they were sculpted by a master. And there is no place I have been with more beautiful mountains or lush green countryside. So much of the land is untouched, despite the plethora of tourists, making Bali practically paradise. In fact, if religious folks could assure me that heaven would resemble Bali, I might start to believe in…well, let me stop before I get carried away.

             We stayed in a town called Ubud, which is a wonderful village full of small, boutique hotels, small restaurants with wonderful food and lots of shops. It is not Jakarta, the town of giant resort hotels. But Ubud has a lot more personality. As do the magnanimous and charming people. We stayed at the Komaneka Rosa Sayang, which was a beautiful little inn. The rooms were gorgeous and spacious, each with a large terrace. Significantly, the place was just a five-minute walk from one of my two favorite places in Bali, the Monkey Park. The monkey park is a giant sanctuary for long-tailed macaques. For a modest admission price, you enter the park and interact with the monkeys, who are everywhere. No cages. No gates. No fences. They wonder the sidewalks just as you do. They swing in the trees right above your head. And if you, like me, buy huge bunches of bananas with which to feed them, they will come right up to you and demand a handout. Most of them, especially the older ones, simply reach out their hands and grab the fruit from you. Some of the younger ones ambush you from behind, jump onto your shoulders and grab for the whole bunch. You have to be careful because, these are wild animals, and if they bit you, a whole cadre of medical tests would be mandatory. But generally, they’re harmless – so long as you surrender the bananas. At one point, I had a couple of them straddling me, but they were kind and settled for the food.

            My other favorite place is the Elephant Safari. This is a beautiful reserve for elephants that are well-trained to entertain. You can ride the elephants or just feed them. Either way, they will show great affection, wrapping their trunks around your body and pulling you close. If they see you’re carrying fruit, they will open their mouths and encourage you to put the food right onto their tongues. They perform impressive tricks. And each has its own trainer who seems to adore the elephant. Some of the trainers have worked with the same elephants for over a decade. I’m sure activists have some objection to the park, but frankly, I have no idea what that would be.

            There are many other activities in Bali. You can, for instance, visit the coffee plantation where they process the beans that have been ingested and subsequently defecated by a cat-like creature called the luwak – a process that apparently turns them into fine coffee. (I generally eschew the scatological, even when praised by gourmets.) There are beautiful temples as well. And the beaches are spectacular, with the surrounding waters perfect for snorkeling and scuba diving. I preferred to walk the streets, watching the people, perusing the shops and, of course, sampling the food. But mainly, I enjoyed playing with the elephants and monkeys. The monkeys engage in so many human-like rituals. I love the way the older mates show their affection toward one another by picking the fleas off their partners’ backs. Or the way the mothers are so protective of their babies, clinging them to their bodies even when they are grabbing for bananas from park patrons or swinging from trees. Amazingly, right-wing conservatives continue to deny evolution. Perhaps they have a point. The monkeys I saw are substantially more advanced than most Tea Partiers I’ve met.