Archive for July, 2006
Australian airline Jetstar is getting travelers and tourists excited about cheaper air tickets to Bali. The airline launched its domestic arm 2 years ago, immediately starting a price war with Virgin Blue, offering 100,000 one-way air tickets for $29 each.
Jetstar is 4 months away from starting its operations to Bangkok, Phuket, Ho Chi Minh City, Bali and Osaka. Flights from Sydney rerturn to Bali could go for as little as $550.
“We will go very hard on fares on our commercial launch. There’s no question they will be unprecedented fares,” the Jetstar spokesman, Simon Westaway, said.
That’s awesome, I hope everyone and their roo take advantage of it and come back to Bali, its still great. I know there are many travel agents in Australia offering great packages with flights and hotel combined. Here in London my brother pointed out a deal in the newspaper…10 days at the Melia Benoa, including flight for $800 (pounds). Considering the flight itself is that much I’d say its a deal.
sources : www.baliblog.com
July 26th, 2006
Just off Jalan Erlangga and a stones throw from the ocean sits the beautiful Chinese temple Ling Gwan Kiong.
Winding your way through the narrow back streets and alleyways towards the harbour area is fascinating. Some of the original buildings built by the Dutch are still present and architecturally brilliant. There are also some great warungs in the area. When you finally arrive at the harbour area you will espy the magnificent Chinese temple.
A colourful and beautifully constructed klenteng, access to the temple is via a water bridge over a pond filled with pink and white lotus flowers. An unusual array of Koi fish can be seen in the depths of the water of this quaint pass over to the inner temple.
I spoke to the guardian of the temple, an elderly Chinese man hard of hearing, and I found it hard to obtain the information I needed regarding the klenteng. Instead, he ushered me into one of the many prayer areas, and smiled.
Gold Bhudda statues and ornately decorated textiles were to be found everywhere. I was particularly impressed with the murals of Deities hand-painted on the entrance doors and surrounding walls.
I can well imagine this temple to be a hive of pageantry and colour during Imlek, Chinese New Year.
sources : www.baliblog.com
July 26th, 2006
Those of you who are suffering through cold weather should hop on a plane to Bali (if you can get on a plane that is!) and enjoy the non-stop sunshine the island is getting right now.
With highs of 28C and lows of 23C, you’ll be comfortable. Mornings are cool and you will need a light blanket at night, especially in places such as Ubud and Bedugal.
Here’s the 10 day weather forecast for Bali.
July 25th, 2006
Here in jolly old London I am trying to get a plane back to Bali soon and there are many things I look forward to, outside of the obviously family stuff, life’s little pleasures.
Here are 10 things I look forward to in Bali.
1. Hearing the voices of Balinese people. The sound of people who enjoy communicating and are outgoing is something I will appreciate.
2. Strolling down to Cafe Seminyak for a morning coffee.
3. Getting into a giant plate of nasi campur. The unique tastes and smells of Indonesian food is something I miss.
4. Working out at the gym at Blue Ocean beach. One of my goals going to the World Cup was to drink as much German beer as possible. I think I suceeded, and now its time to get the blood pumping again.
5. Cruising on my motorbike. Taking a long ride through the villages of Bali is endlessly enjoyable.
6. Using wi-fi at many of the free hot-spots in Kuta / Seminyak. My new machine has a wi-fi card and I can take advantage of some of the free wi-fi locations, including Blue Ocean and Joulla on Jl. Dhyana Pura.
7. Sitting under a tree on Kuta Beach.
8. Hearing the sound of the gamelan.
9. Mosquitoes….no WAY!!!
10. Walking along Seminyak beach at sunrise.
11. Waking up in my own bed.
You see, even on a Top 10 list Bali scores 11! The simple stuff seems to be what I look forward too.
sources : www.balibog.com
July 25th, 2006
July is the peak surfing season in Bali. The SW coast, all the way from Medewi to Uluwatu enjoys offshore winds and decent swell. Kuta beach will be busy too, with begining surfers and local Bali boys jostling for position on larger than normal waves.
Kuta beach and its associated breaks (Halfway, Padma etc.) close out fast, serious surfers heading to the Bukit for the thrilling reef breaks of Balangan, Bingin, Impossibles, Padang Padang and Uluwatu. At these breaks you’ll find some ramshackle facilitiess on the slope of the cliffs and the beach itself, including food and drink and din repair. On the cliff tops are decent accomodation, for a reasonable price. During the off season the ding repair guys fade away and places like Balangan can seem positively deserted.
For surfers making their first trip to Bali in July, Kuta beach is usually a good place to get your feet wet. Depending on your skill level, you might want to head for the beach break at Dreamland next, before you try Uluwatu. A friend told me that Balangan is a good place for lower end surfers at high tide too, since it has a decent size beach. Anyway wherever you go, enjoy yourself.
sources : www.baliblog.com
July 25th, 2006
Bali has 20,000 hotel and guest house rooms, which vary from the very basic ‘losman’ (simple fan room with cold water), to villas to the ‘Best Hotel in the World’ (Four Seasons Sayan). In each area you have incredible choice and no one has visited every property. a while ago I visited guest houses and budget hotels in 3 parts of Ubud, Jl. Hanoman, Jl. Kajeng and Jl. Penestenan. LP’s new SE Asia guide lists their choices for accomodation in the Ubud area.
On or around Monkey Forest Rd
Kubu Saren
Monkey Forest Rd
(0361) 975704
50,000-60,000rp
Arjuna House
Jl. Arjuna
30,000-40,000rp
Canderi
(0361) 975054
100,000-120,000rp
Gayatri Bungalows
(0361) 973306
35,000-50,000rp
Bella House
(0361) 975391
50,000-60,000rp
Sadru House
Jl. Arjuna
(0361) 972630
40,000-50,000rp
Mertasaya Bungalows
(0361) 974176
60,000-70,000rp
Pramesti Bungalows
(0361) 970843
65,000-70,000rp
Rice Paddy Bungalows
0852 37125196
45,000-60,000rp
East of Monkey Forest Rd
Shana Bungalows
Jl. Goutama
(0361) 970481
30,000-40,000rp
Sania’s House
Jl. Karna
(0361) 975535
70,000rp
Wayan Family II
Jl. Hanoman
(0361) 970 345
40,000-50,000rp
Purnama
Jl. Hanoman
(0361) 978371
50,000-60,000rp
Artini Cottages
Jl. Hanoman
(0361) 978425
90,000- 100,000rp
Brata 1
Jl. Hanoman
(0361) 975598
50,000-70,000rp
North of Monkey Forest Rd
Suci Inn
Jl. Suweta
(0361) 975304
40,000-50,000rp
Roja’s Homestay
Jl. Kajeng
(0361) 972331
50,000-80,000rp
Mawar Art Studio & Homestay
Jl. Raya Ubud
(0361) 975086
100,000-150,000rp
Hibiscus Cottages
Jl. Bisma
(0361) 970475
80,000-100,000rp
Kajeng Bungalows
Jl. Kajeng
(0361) 975018
70,000-80,000rp
Plenty of handy places to stay, all close to the art galleries, cafes, restaurants and bars of downtown Ubud.
www.baliblog.com
July 25th, 2006
When I was at University in Australia I actually did a bit of nude modelling for the Arts Department. At that time I had a good body unlike now!.
If you are a budding artist and travelling to Bali then you might like this. Pranoto’s Art Gallery is now offering Life Drawing Sessions every Wednesday and Saturday according to a report in the Bali Discovery.
In the development of artistic skills the opportunity for life drawing - the creation of anatomical drawings using living and often time nude, models is a critical part in training the eye of the artist.
Betty Edward’s ground breaking book “Drawings on the Right Side of the Brain” suggests that our left brain fools people into seeing what it wants to see. However when an artist works in close proximity with a live model the mind is compelled to actually see the details of human anatomy. These long hours are spent teaching the right brain to dominate the drawing process allowing the artist to create faithful renderings of the human form.
Only after an artist successfully commands the skills to duplicate the human form of the model is he or she truly free to experiment with abstractions and impressions. Similarly while Picasso gave full creative range to how he portrayed the human body on his canvasses he was in actual fact an excellent draftsman fully able to faithfully duplicate his model should he have so desired.
The Training of an Artist’s Hands and Eyes
Kerry Pendergrast, co-owner of Pranoto’s Art Gallery and a well known artist in her own right has been through this learning process encouraged by her artist husband, Pranoto. After 3 years of regular participation in life drawing classes she acquired the necessary expertise and skills to draw the human form either as she actually sees it or in the way her creative spirit dictates.
Kerry cautions that no one should be discouraged during the sometime prolonged period to acquire the skills to draw the human anatomy. Like playing a musical instrument it takes time and patience to master these skills. Emphasizing that the learning process can be fun she says the learning process must be savoured and enjoyed, experiencing the escape of the mind and time.
According to Kerry “All other thoughts are cast aside when you are drawing a live model.”
Life Drawing at Pranoto’s Art Gallery
Pranoto’s Art Gallery on Ubud’s main street has hosted life model sessions since 1996 offering a valuable service to the artist community for both beginners and established artists.
During the twice weekly life drawing session there are no instructors present. Artists are free to choose their own mediums and methods.
Open to all interested artists the life drawing model session are imbued with an atmosphere of intense concentration as each participant in the studio defines his or her individual approach to the same model and pose.
Artists and models come from both Indonesia and overseas. The sessions have various pose times: Wednesday session (10 a.m.-1.00 p.m.) starts with 5 minute warm-ups increasing to 10, 20 and finally 60 minute poses. Saturday sessions (10.00 a.m.-1.00 p.m.) have 5 minute poses followed by a long pose of 80 minutes. Both sessions feature a model break every 20 minutes.
New models experienced or not are always sought and welcome. Both male and female models are featured in the life drawing sessions.
Each artists is asked to contribute Rp. 20,000 with each artist providing their own art material. No photography is allowed.
Bookings are not required. For more information contact Pronoto’s Art Gallery at 361-970827.
sources : www.baliblog.com
July 25th, 2006
They are everywhere!. No sooner do you step out of your place of residence in Bali they are then hustling for your Rupiah. They drive up and down Jalan Legian in their hundreds day and night.
There is a glutton of taxis in the tourist areas and far too many for the number of tourists in Bali at the moment. A lot of these taxi drivers are real hustlers and downright rude. Always I catch a Bluebird Taxi. Besides being such cool drivers, you can guarantee not getting ripped off by a faulty meter or the old trick of I forgot to turn the meter on.
I Nyoman Bagiana a member of Commission A of the Regional Parliament for Badung recently told the Indonesian language DenPost that it’s high time that police and local transportation officials review the number of licenses issued to local taxi operators according to the Bali Discovery.
Bagiana’s concerns are tied to the high number of taxis operating in Kuta that far exceed current demand levels in the current business downturn in Bali. This has resulted in a large number of idle taxis being illegally parked by their drivers on sidewalks and in no parking areas on the already narrow streets and byways of Kuta.
The Kuta Based local legislator is calling on the Transportation Authority of Badung, the Police and related government bodies to undertake a study of Bali’s transportation needs in order to stem the current over supply and prevent further damage to Kuta and Bali’s image.
sources : www.baliblog.com
July 25th, 2006
Everybody has their own opinion about the Bombing Memorial opposite Poppies Lane 2 and whether or not it is a good monument to those who lost their lives or that the funds could have been used for a better purpose.
Personally, I would have liked to have seen the money spent on the Bali Peace Park or at least in cleaning and the areas of the Sari Club and Paddy’s, maybe erecting a smaller monument.
Now it seems the area surrounding October 12 Bombing Memorial now earns unwanted scrutiny for presence of beggars, touts and commercial sex workers according to the Bali Discovery.
The Regional Government of Badung in Bali has promised to continue and intensify steps to improve security and quality of the local environment surrounding the monument commemorating the victims of the October 12, 2002 terrorist bombing in Kuta.
The promise from local government authorities follows formal complaints made by the Consulate General for Australia in Bali concerning parking problems, beggars, commercial sex workers, beggars, touts and timeshare salespeople surrounding the monument area.
Government officials promise that enhancements in the area surrounding the monument should be completed by the end of September 2006.
Meanwhile local community leaders in Kuta have bemoaned the long-delayed promises of the regional government to improve the area pointing to the still derelict state of the now empty lots once occupied sites of the Sari Club and Paddy’s Café.
Let me know what you think about all this?.
July 19th, 2006
In Java there are a multitude of myths and legends. The Sudanese in particular have some fascinating legends and none more fascinating that of Dewi Sri.
We have all seen the shrines dedicated to Dewi Sri in the padi fields on Bali as we have travelled through the island. If one wonders about the beginning of padi and how the earth was first organized then the Sundanese have all the stories. One of the myths that is very well known by the Sundanese is Nyi Pohaci Sanghiang Sri. This story about Dewi Sri is written in Wawacan Sulanjana:
Once upon a time in the heavens the Batara Guru commanded all the gods and goddesses to contribute their power in order to build a new palace. Anybody who disobeyed this commandment would lose his or her head.
Upon hearing the Batara Guru’’s commandment, one of the gods, Anta, was very anxious. He didn’t have arms or legs and he wasn’t sure how he could possibly do the job. Anta was shaped as a snake and he couldn’t work. He sought advice from one of his friends but unfortunately his friend was also confused by Anta’s bad luck. Anta became very upset and cried.
As he was crying three teardrops fell to the ground.
Amazingly, after touching the ground those teardrops became three eggs. His friend advised him to offer those eggs to the Batara Guru hoping that he would give a fair judgement.
With the three eggs in his mouth Anta went to the Batara Guru’s palace. On the way there he was approached by a black bird who asked him a question. He couldn’t answer because of the eggs in his mouth but the bird thought that Anta was being arrogant. It became furious and began to attack Anta and as a result one egg was shattered. Anta quickly tried to hide in the bushes but the bird was waiting for him.
The second attack left Anta with only one egg to offer to the Batara Guru.
Finally he arrived at the palace and offered his teardrop (in the shape of an egg) to the Batara Guru. The offer was accepted and the Batara Guru asked him to nest the egg until it hatched. Miraculously the egg hatched into a very beautiful girl. He gave the baby girl to the Batara Guru and his wife.
Nyi Pohi Sanghian Sri was her name and she grew up into a beautiful princess becoming more and more beautiful as the days passed by. As her beauty grew every man who saw her became attracted to her. Even her stepfather the Batara Guru started to feel an attraction toward her.
Seeing the Batara Guru’s new attitude toward Nyi Pohaci, all the gods became so worried about the situation that they conspired to separate Nyi Pohaci and the Batara Guru.
To keep the peace in the heavens and to maintain Nyi Pohaci’s good name, all the gods planned for her death. She was poisoned and her body buried on earth in a hidden place. But the graveyard was to hold a strange sign, for at the time of her burial, up grew a very useful plant that would forever benefit all human beings.
From her eyes grew the plant that is called padi (rice paddy).
July 19th, 2006
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