APU's Grete Greer: A taste of Bali, Indonesia

You sway through the Kumbasari Market located in Bali
Indonesia; your experience: exotic and moving. Every sense you process is crowded
with the sweet sensation of rich culture. The sight of the hundreds of baskets
placed before you, all begging for your approval. The rich smell of sizzling
Zabu, the local meat fills your nostrils. You allow yourself to visit fresh
bursts of vibrant red chilies and bright orange mango flesh. To your left, an
old fisherman offering dried fish is smoking his hand-carved corn pipe. A woman
to your right is shouting to you in Balinese which, much to your regret you
were too distracted to review before your journey. You travel too much for all
that, you’re here for the submersion anyways, the experience of a completely
foreign land. Your mouth is tinged with bizarre spices and sweet nectar, as
you’ve never experienced before.

You close your eyes and listen to the chaos of the
marketplace. You smell fish, dried and hand caught; you smell durian, dewy and
pungent. You run your fingers across the hand carved wood statues and feel the
detail, you feel the hours of work put into making every mark, every edge
perfectly rounded off. You hear the sizzle of raw meat on the hand-made
charcoal grill directly in front of you. After purchasing a slab, you sink your
teeth into the warm flesh and savor the many spices and hand crushed peanut
glaze. You feel the blistering Indonesian sun on your uncovered back and peer
across the alley to find a clothing shop with a very small old woman at guard.
You barter for a rich, silk shawl and 20,000 Rupiah later, its rich fibers are
wrapped around your pink shoulders, $2US what a steal.

You sprint to the nearest road and flag down a local Bali
Bemo, you hurdle in and, through much confusion gesture him you drive you to a
beach. No seatbelts, no air condition, the ride is sticky but liberating. You
peer through the windows at the passing vehicles, utter chaos, you’ve never
seen a motorway so packed full with entire families riding on mopeds, small
bikes towering with fresh produce and long surf boards and irresponsible, young
drivers. The small bikes weave swiftly in and out through the muddled traffic
pattern laid out in front of you. You notice yourself clawing for stability on
all interior surfaces of the vehicle. The driver comes to a sudden halt and with
a smile says, “Beach.”

You know this is most certainly not the beach but the
glorious sun is still high in the sky and you pay the man and promptly exit the
vehicle. After aimlessly walking down a long path, you see that you have been
taken to The Tirtha Empul
Temple, a local pool of holy water the native Hindu go to for
purification. You’ve had experience with Hinduism; however, not enough. Not
enough to confidently submerge yourself in the crystal liquid of refinement.
Maybe you’ll dip your toe in to rid yourself of a white lie, maybe your whole
foot for a small sin, or maybe you’ll find it within yourself to allow your
entire body to be cleansed underneath one of the many spigots provided for all
of your sins.

Once spiritually fulfilled, you find your way to a beach
utilizing local transportation, Tulamben beach, one of the most sought after
snorkeling spots in all of Indonesia. After renting unbelievably affordable
dive gear, you allow yourself to slowly wade into the water. Once submerged,
you begin to observe the gorgeous array of reef life. As you pull yourself
closer to the rich colors of the coral before you, the vibrant, yellow sunrays
allow you to view the beautiful life on the reef. A hawksbill turtle is dancing
in the swirling waves of the reef, your heart pounds as you make your way past
a school of barracuda followed by a reef shark. As he passes, the vibrant
blues, yellows, greens and reds of the slighter reef fish gust away.