I mua

I keep traveling till my heart finds peace

and even when it does I keep moving

'cause there's so much to see

ground beneath barefeet

I love the dark-lit loneliness

my greatest teacher, peacefulness

the wolf I bear the forest with

the ever present kiss of mindfulness

compassion wets my every step

well the puddle shimmer and reflect

....

Hello people, this is Asonk!

Several times along the way I thought that you could plant another travellers' proverb into the world:

The best people you meet on couchsurfing!

www.couchsurfing.org

He is one more piece of proof for this. Uhh, sorry if this sounds so cheesy and overly dramatic, again :D

He texted me on CS, picked me up from the ferry in Sanur and hosted me in his tiny sweet room for two nights, drove me around on his charming old scooter, showed me what REALLY good and REALLY cheap indonesian food is like - and where you can find it - introduced me to a group of his friends and all together we had a camping night out on a cliff, overlooking the illuminated coastline of Kuta beach, watching planes land and start, watching the moon, watching the stars, having a campfire, self-cooked food, a guitar, many singers, many songs and a lot of laughter.
Sounds like the dream? :) Terima kasih!

For Asonk, I wrote down the lyrics of Nahko's I Mua on his scribblewall in his room, to leave a memory and of course because it suits well. Because Asonk has a traveller's heart like mine, and although he studied engineering, and although it is so very hard for Indonesians (mostly because of the low wages) - his dream is to get out of Indonesia and see something of the world. And he is making his dream real - NOW! Taking evening classes, and working hard, meeting travellers, making friends from all countries, improving English, changing perspective... 

he says "If your dream doesn't scare you, it's not big enough"

Dream big, work hard, take risks, be determined and passionate... It was very inspiring to talk to Asonk with the old soul, making me appreciate my German passport again so very much, and giving me somehow hope and optimism.

Sounds overly dramatic again? Hmpf, real talk..

Hopefully, I will visit him one day in Europe!! ;)

The following week I spent in probably that place of Bali that I like the least - crowded touristy stinky money grabbing Kuta! I really wonder who seriously likes it....? And WHY? Visa extension, said short and sweet, such a pain in the bum!

You have to go to the immigration office three times,  and only during special office hours, first just to apply, then to have your picture and fingerprints taken, and then again just to pick up your passport with the magic stamp in it.

Six hours waiting time during your visits are totally normal. Thank God I had at least a book with me -_-

To get to the immigration office, you usually have to take a taxi (pay money, tourist price, of course), then you have to pay a parking fee...

I was lucky to be driven around by Asonk and his friend Nanda at first ( aww <3), but then I just walked to the office. After I had figured out the way it was only 30 minutes, and a little walking was a nice contrast to all the in-the-office-sitting and on-the-beach-lying.

Widi, a boy I met, was absolutely amazed that I am seriously WALKING all the way to the immigration office - thirty minutes, am I crazy! "Too far, so far! Amazing!"

It turned out, he had never left Bali - can't imagine how big Australia is, can't imagine what a big place the world is. I explained to him, in Australia, 30 minutes is "just down the road" and when I was in school, I would alltogether walk 30 minutes every morning, with a 30 minutes train ride in between. I hope this boy gets the chance to travel one day! To discover that walking 30 mins doesn't make you "amazing" and "stronger than a man" :)

Now, that all visa crap is done and over, I think I would have been better off giving my passport to an agency and let them do all this for me. 

But, not knowing a thing, I felt uncomfortable giving my passport away to anyone who is not an immigration office worker, and besides, these agencies charge you double the price of what you actually pay for the visa extension at the immigration office counter  - so I thought: " I'm gonna be independent and smart and do this myself"..... well.

So what do you do if you don't like shopping and partying with drunk tourists and they keep your passport for almost one week and you have to somehow kill the time in Kuta? 

You run from your room straight to the beach - the only place where you can't smell the traffic fumes - and spend your days enjoying some of the few things that Kuta offers for free - a nice beach, loads of sunshine and refreshing waves to dip into. The suntan comes as a little extra.

If it gets boring, you can always stop being totally rude and ignoring all the people (something I became VERY good at and that got such a habit and I'm not even feeling bad about it - sorry)

Because in Kuta, if you are white and generally obviously looking like a tourist, there will be people yelling at you with every step you take, trying to sell you a sarong, sunglasses, a drink, trying to offer you a taxi, trying to sell you a day tour, trying to sell you... "Taxi? Miss, Taxi?" "Yes, ok, yes, miss, miss!" "Miss come look at my shop..." "very cheap, hey miss" "I pick your dreadlocks!!" "TRANSPOOORT!!??" "Massaasse!? I give you massaaase!"

   Walking around solo, halfway pretty and with dreadlocks doesn't make it any better... "Hey Baby" "Hallo rasta sistaaaa!" "Do you need a boyfriend" "Can you give me a kiss" "RASTAA" "I love you Darling" "EEEY RASTAAA" ....

I have to make clear that it was basically just funny, because I was never actually hassled and they just wanted my attention (to sell me something! ;) ) but once or twice I had to turn around and yell back "My name is not RASTAAAA!"

Kuta beach at sunset time - people as far as you can see.

Love is blinding and the timing's never right
Well, who am I to beg for difference
finding love in just an instant, well I don't mind
At least I tried, I tried, I tried...

The Beauty and the Ugly

Let's start with the Beauty.....!

Ah, sweet life. That's what everyone thinks I'm doing in Bali! Actually, that's what most people go to Bali for, so why not take with me what I can as long as the chance is around!

On beautiful Nusa Lembongan, there are also people who have a passion for painting their vehicles :)

On Wednesday 8 October, I gave Ian a hug and wished him safe travels, for he hopped on a boat to catch his flight back home to Mt. Mee, Australia. I hope you had a great time, Ian!

Then, I was quite all alone in Indonesia, and after having been in such amicable company for a very long time, I felt weird. Weird and - maybe that's confusing -  somewhat relieved. I try to explain: traveling in a foreign country all by yourself is a like 100% safe method to make yourself (re-)realize that you seriously and honestly don't need anyone to make it. Armed with the simplest common sense EVERYONE, even those who are afraid and insecure about themselves, will survive. And once you've understood that "Hey, it really takes only me to do all this great stuff", your self-confidence, courage and independence is boosted immediately.

Maybe that was just what I needed - again - whatever. It felt good, always does, no matter how much I cry when I get on the plane thinking "I don't want to be alooooone"

On Nusa Lembongan tough, being alone is not really scary at all - seemed unlikely something would happen on this small island with only few tourists.

Being slightly exhausted from keeping up with Ian for a week - hiking, walking, exploring, more walking, more walking than I am used to ;)  - I wanted to have a suntoasting session on the beach, and just after I got myself all comfortable with my towel, sunglasses, ipod and headphones - 

I got attacked again, by one of those beach dogs that are always hanging around on the beach and in the streets in packs, playing, sleeping or looking for food. I reckon they're all over Asia, there were plenty in Sri Lanka and I was used to having them around - having never ever had a bad experience with them! Some are really sweet and friendly, some just leave you alone if you leave them alone.

So why this one dog was an exception I will never know. But he had the greatest fun jumping around and growlingly biting whatever he could get between his teeth, happily ignoring all the dog-body-language-go-away!-signs that I was taught (and that had worked so far) After he managed to bite one of my bracelets off - at least it wasn't my headphones cable or my bikini - I eventually got up on my feet and gave him a nice kick. (sorry, dog worshippers.) That did the job and puppy ran away, leaving me with my scratched slightly grumpy self and a sandy mess in my headphones.

When I think about it now - it must have looked like comedy. That would explain why there were several locals a small distance away, oberving the whole scene but not making any attempt to help.

To them it must have been all under the motto of "white tourist chick in bikini on the beach gets attacked by a playful puppy and can't handle it" 

Yay, I'm always pleased if I can entertain people. :)

Maybe someone upstairs just wanted me to move a bit further down the beach, so I would magically be in the perfect position to shoot some pretty pictures of the sunset:

www.baliecodeli.net

Wow what a place. Because... ok here's a rant about Indonesia and its environmental consciousness.

In paradisiac Bali there is one very ugly thing happening: terrible air and environmental pollution. 

Plastic: Since plastic was introduced, it is everywhere, growing and growing mountains of it, in the ocean, in the creeks, in the gutters, under bushes and palms, behind sheds, on the beaches, fish get tangled in it and big provisional containers flow over.

Waste management? Waste collection? Waste separation? Not in Bali! At least I do not see anything of it! Instead I see people piling all the rubbish up, squirting petrol over it and burn it. Breathe in, breathe out. And greets to the ozon layer.

Everyone owns a scooter, and they may be practical for getting around quick and easy, but they are stinkers. Same as the cars and vans that are there - some are modern, but many are old and cough dark grey smoke out of their bums. You don't have to be on a major traffic artery to get very soon absolutely fed up with the reek. It's making eyes teary and throats scratchy and you can just smell how toxic it it. As I said, many locals wear protection masks, and yet I was told that Bali's air pollution is NOTHING against how it is in cities like Jakarta where you can't even see the sun through the smog. Maybe I'm a super spoiled kid who grew up in the Luftkurort Hauenstein... but I'd just die there. And people like Dom who actually do get sick from breathing in fumes... well they would probably actually die.

I wonder, do these people know what they are doing to themselves and their bodies? The little babies sitting on scooters, without helmets, in traffic jams all the time. Breathing in that shit from birth on, accumulating in their system. And if tehy are poor and really do get sick, they will probably just die. People die from appendicitis here, because they can't afford to see the doctor, and the governmental health care is... not very developed.

And our atmosphere.... if it had a nose I'd make it wear one of those gas masks.... but what do fantasies like that help, there ARE people, even though they might be few, who are doing something about all this rubbish in the air and everywhere!

It's not much but it's a start, and it makes me want to join and help!

I bet super grim kitten here survives!

But no, what actually happens is this:

And this is not even really bad.

Deep breath. I don't write this blog with the purpose of complaining about the countries I see.

I see the bad things and I want to change something, but it's important to keep seeing this:

:) smile.

Watch out, might come across weird.

What a song, what a video clip, KateMillerHeidke haha! I imagine that the narrator of the song is one of my typical monomanias, a crazy idea that I get obsessed with... and then it is sweetly singing to me: "maybe this will be the time I'll change your mind!"...

Hope springs eternal.

You and me
Were good together
So good together
Everyone said it

Before you left
I'd never felt a love like that

More and more lately
You get lonely
You're no stranger to 3AM
You call my number
You call me just because you can

Cause you know I'll come
Cause you know I'll helpless

And maybe this'll be the time I change your mind
Maybe this'll be the time I change your mind
Maybe this will be the night
Maybe this'll be the time I change your mind

I drive for hours
Round the city
But I always end up on your street

One night I slept outside your house
In my car
It was freezing 
I was shivering, thinking maybe this'll be the time I change your mind

I know you know you know
You can say it's not so
It's like being in hell
I fall for you over and over and over again

I know you're using me
For comfort and company
I use you too, to feed my fantasy

You will take what you need
And I will take what I can get
which isn't very much
A little human heat, a little human touch

And maybe this'll be the time I change your mind...

Ubud, Uluwatu, Nusa Dua, Nusa Lembongan

Ahhh, all this is already more than one week ago, but still: 

Here are pictures of my time in Ubud, Uluwatu, Nusa Dua and Nusa Lembongan.

Ubud(second visit, this time really) and Uluwatu with Ian and the "Frenchies" :D

A temple on the way

Ian making best friends with the huge fish

Purest beauty.

The famous rice terraces in Tegallalang

In Ubud: Ian and me spotted a Raw Food Restaurant and thinking of our raw food bare foot loving friends Sonya and Russel, we had to try it out!

Bruchetta: this was all I got (each piece was about the size of my palm) and I was almost a bit disappointed at first BUT

I could hardly eat it all. I was soooooo full! And you know how much of a hog I can be.... but I could only lie flat and hold my belly..... magical stuff!!!

Very charming and beautiful breakfast accessory in that lovely home stay in Ubud

(it's a tomato)

They had a Beo bird that could speak! Words in Balinese, English, Japanese, and what else?? He did sneeze and cough as well, super funny :D

"Hello Boss!"

Ganesh

Ian gave his hat to our Balinese taxi driver and this guy was happy-over-the-clouds :D

                  And of my time in Nusa Dua and Nusa Lembongan only with Ian.

(Our 9-people travel pack split up in Uluwatu: some French went home, some to Australia, some to Java.)

And Ian and me decided to get away from the crowded "mainland" Bali and boarded a little boat to take us over the ocean to the little, little island Nusa Lembongan.

The little island Lembongan is great. It is the place in Indonesia that I liked the best so far.

Only a couple of square km big, ever-active Ian and me explored the most of the island on foot within 3 days. And of course, there are not so many tourists, not so many knick-knack stalls, not so many stinky cars and scooters. Instead a little bit of relatively unspoilt natural beauty.

Sunset on the point "Devil's tears"
Spectacular wave-crashing against ragged cliffs, in front of the fiery sun

We happened to walk into a Hindu ceremony featuring this stunningly dressed young ladies dancing the traditional Balinese dances.

The suspension bridge between Nusa Lembongan and the even smaller neighbour island Nusa Ceningan.

"Iiiaann, I think we have to take a selfie here!"

The Island of Tourism

Baby, I've sailed away
right out of my cave
caught a swell, caught a wave to another inspiring place...

Goodbye, Sunny Coast...

After that great weekend in Brisbane, there were only a few things to do: Hug Dom and Maryline Goodbye on the airport and hop on a plane to Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia.
He took my faith- and colourful steed Laurie home to leave him with Maryline, French traveler friend, who takes care of Australia while Ian, all her French friends and my humble self take over Bali...
See ya all in 51 days!

Let's not talk about the flight.... flying with a hay fever blocked-up head is painful... but as I got out of the airport, I soon found a familiar face among all the "Taxi!Taxi!!" calling locals: Ian McKee from Mt. Mee!
Who'd have known on that hot after-Woodford day in early January 2014 - that we would end up travelling Bali together? ;)
We took a "Taxi!Taxii!" to Kuta, found a beautiful place to stay and ....
enjoyed ourselves with tropical warmth, cheap delicious food and a pool!

Next day we climbed on a bus to Ubud, where we met up with Anthony, Manyline's boyfriend, and six other French backpackers. They had all spent several weeks living and working with Ian earlier in the year, so we knew them. We went into Ubud's Monkey Forest... and here's a story:

We walked among all these other photo-taking tourists through the forest filled with hundreds of monkeys, when suddenly one monkey quickly scampered towards me, and completely disregarding the camera and blinking sunglasses in my hands, straight away grabbed the moneybelt hidden under my shirt!

Knee-jerkingly I grabbed it back (all the important stuff in there) and in a kind of defiant reaction the monkey bit my leg.

Good thing I got all my vaccinations, just in case... :D

But not every specimen is like this... as you see, I also met some very friendly ones!

They seemed to be quite curious about my hair... once hopped on my shoulder, this one started looking for fleas and mice between my fuzzy dreadies... :D

Later that day we all travelled to Mount Batur, second highest mountain on Bali and still-active volcano.

At 2 am, we got uo and gathered in the dark and surprisingly cold night to start the climb and arrive on the summit just in time to see the sunrise. Armed with torchlights, water and a guide, off we went...

Can't really believe that I made it up there - I made it up there in time and without my knee causing any problems :)))))))))))))))))))) Although it was maybe one of the steepest and longest hikes I ever did! Once more I felt like Frodo and Sam at the Stairs of Cirith Ungol... and at some points, our "path" did even look a bit like that. Slippery volcanic sand, rolling pumicestone rubble and pointy lava stone noses...

But the view of the rising sun from the summit and of course the self-pat-on-the-back for making it were well worth it!

After sunrise, we walked all around the crater rim to descend the volcano from the other side.

The path was as narrow as this, with one side going down into the valley and one side going down into the crater.

The hot springs on the top side of the crater walls. Our guides cooked us a little breakfast - fried bananas and boiled eggs - just with the heat of the volcano!

Ian the Explorer

In Ubud again, we did Yoga and Meditation, ate and drank and relaxed and did what all these other thousands of tourists here do...
And I tell you straight forward what I think:
Most people are very kind, the warmth and the frangipanis everywhere are wonderful, and there are without doubt countless things to do, see, buy, and generally fill your time with.
But the amount of tourist crowds, of people trying to sell you things and grab your money everywhere you walk, the prices itself that have obviously been adapted to European and Australian prices... the horrible traffic, the fumes and the pollution... some locals even wear protection masks, and I only have to walk in those streets for one day and I'm coughing and ready to run away .... home to the Sunny Coast! Alas. I'm homesick, big time.
Well, I have one and a half month to go until I get back... So I better change my perspective.

_______________________________________________________________________

Oh, when you choose
When I'll go I'll sing the blues
But don't you know that something's wrong with me.

Oh when you go
When I'll sing I'll let you know
That something's wrong with me.

Oh if you knew
That what I sing I sing for you
You know it's true
My love.

Go with the night
See your face in the moonlight
But don't you know that nothing's wrong with me.

Dream like you do
When I'll dream I'll dream with you
But don't you know that nothing's wrong with me.

Oh if you knew
That what I sing I sing for you
You know it's true
My love.

Oh when you go
When I'll sing I'll let you know
That something's wrong with me.