50 Days On The Island Of The Gods

The love affair with Bali continues...

'The Surfer Dudes' Christian, Tash & Paul

I came back to Bali having made the decision to take a break from all the traveling. Much to the delight of my friends '...a holiday from The holiday?' Yes, I simply wanted a wardrobe for a little while but thanks to Carrie I got a whole lot more:

Carrie

a TV, DVD player, a pool, the joy of staying in her amazing Seminyak pad which came inclusive of Putu; the world's best house help

and Putih the cutest Bali dog I've ever met. Not to mention the fun of hanging out with Carrie herself and our mutual friends some new some met on previous visits and who all seemed to know each other. Total Bliss.

Putih being given a bone to reward for good behaviour during his shower

Putih's not so amused look at Carrie during his Shower, Carrie on the way to work.

Christian

I stayed at Carrie's for my first week and then moved into my 'home' for the next month, a little bungalow in the same neighborhood. During those first weeks whilst Carrie was away Christian, Emile, Murray, Vera and I hung out, we surfed and had our fair share of parties. They basically took very good care of me. We had a great time.

In the early days whilst my friends worked (all forestry conservation) during the week I busied myself learning to surf and exploring Canggu on my rented moped. Canggu is an area that is mostly undeveloped and unspoilt. It's lovely to drive through the countryside with the wind in your hair and to be surrounded by paddy fields. I've made so many new friends here in Bali, friends from all over the world young and old. Life for the Balinese is good but they make do with very little. The average wage for a waiter at a 'Bale' (foriegner) restaurant is $30/month which is also the cost of rent. Rent as in one room. The locals share that room with their family or friends. Its quite a squeeze I bet. Business is on the up since the last bombs but apparently its nothing like it used to be. If they're lucky and work in a good restaurant, they can earn up to $50/month.

Surfers must spend hours studying the waves, serious stuff hahaha

Benoit, this guy Rocks!! - especially in the water!

August is the official party month in Bali and thanks to the wonderful friends I've made here that is exactly what we did.

Georg - The Nusa Lembongan Gang

I realized pretty quickly that it would be cheaper to buy a secondhand board rather than renting one for a month and so, that's exactly what I did. My new board, a beauty - at 5'11, is on the small size but it was SO SO cute (and cheap) I simply couldn't resist. It was also a typical Tash move, pushing the limits and so I had to work hard to avoid the potential egg on my face situation, was I making a mistake?

Here she is, my amazing board

It was no surprise that it took a long, hard month of constant battery by the surf (and numerous injuries) to get to the final goal but in my final week I am happy to say I finally got up on that board and stayed up and I was also able to finally surf the wave i.e.: not in a straight line but actually carving into the wave and following it. Can’t wait to go back to the waves (oh dear will this turn into a lifelong joy? (Will I need to make new surfing buddies in Europe or convert my wonderful old? – yet another challenge)

Roman - The Nusa Lembongan Gang

For those who don't know, Bali really is The Island of the Gods. It’s Bintang, it's stunning sunsets, it's beautiful smiling people, it's frangipani trees, enchanting temple ceremonies, pulse-pounding surf and virescent rice terraces. You can really relax here, take time out in Ubud, you can party hard in Kuta and Seminyak, you can venture to the neighboring island of Nusa Lembongan for surfing and diving, you can make crazy visits to a medicine man who will tell of your future, you can eat in the most wonderful restaurants for a bargain (compared to Europe) or eat well cheaply, you can learn how to drive a moped whilst holding onto a surf board, you can get invaluable surfing tips off friends, thanks Roman, the choice is yours.

Georg, Alex & Roman leaving Ben & I behind on Nusa Lembongan

Lets just say, I did all of the above and thanks to the delicious food and great lifestyle (I cooked for myself once i.e. for the first time since I left in January) I even put on weight this time round ...and that’s after hours and hours of surfing! I even had time to enjoy a photo shoot which was commissioned by a talented friend, Silvia, who designs and manufactures a stunning range of silver jewelery.