i have been back from a wonderful first time holiday in bali for just over 2 weeks.i was staying at adika sari bungalows,not what i would call value for money but a very good location.The area was alive with wonderful/colourful people selling their handicrafts and just being friendly,the whole area was full of happiness and friendship.I did many tours during my 3 week stay in Legian,visiting many local sights,villages, and generally meeting what i thought beautiful people.sad to say there were quite a few 'boguns' parading the streets making us aussies wish we weren't,but i guess Bali is a cheap destination to first timers like me.
during my stay i would frequent a place called the corner bar which was opposite to where i was staying, a nice little bar/reataurant,good prices,good staff,and most important, good food.
I would go there different times of the day,sometimes on my way back from a tour or walking, or even shopping!
The place was quite 'colourful' with a few locals,people from surrounding hotels etc and it was usually a good atmosphere with people introducing themselves to each other.
A few times i was there, there was sometimes a couple of elderly gents who obviously frequented the place regularly and from what i could gather they were twins or brothers.I doubt twins because one of them wwas rather larger than the other one, and certainly older,sometimes reffered to as mr john by the staff, and didn't bear any resemblance at all! i was a bit upset by the 'larger one'..he was a bit loud and had a tendancy to want to be constantly 'mauling the female staff and swearing which to me was a bit upsetting.was he insecure and needed attention? did he want to let other people in the bar think he was an owner or something? he was very loud and always answering with sexual conitations which irritated me even more than his loud mouth. I was a bit disturbed by all of this and wondered if it was general around the local bars and restaurants that westerners did this sort of thing? he was a very obnoxioius man and i could see by the look of his 'friend' that he was a bit emabarrassed by his friends behaviour.i got the impression that this large man was a bit inadequate and wanted to let people think he was a man of means...hmmmmm....the impression i got was that he was a man of nothing,trying to make out he was something. But i found that kind of behaviour in a few places which made me wonder why people go to Bali and make fools of themselves, maybe i missed something along the way?
But for a first timer i am happy that i went and i shall return. It is a great place full of charm and beautiful people. I was very much impressed by their ceremonies,they seem to have a lot of them and i think it is so wonderful to see the bali people take such pride in it.
The beach cereonies that i saw were very beautiful,so warm and with so much feeling.I was lucky enough to witness a cremation one day while on my back from denpasar, it was a very moving experience indeed.
The Balinese are truly beautiful people and I am sure i shall enjoy my 2nd visit there in september when i shall be there to meet some friends from canada. Bali is cheap,a traffic nightmare,great shopping,great climate...i loved it,and i look forward to going back in september.