Several hours of flight, quite a long time of waiting, 2 different airlines, I set foot in Denpasar, the lively capital city of Bali. The 4-letter enumeration of this bit of land announces some idyllic holidays on a heavenly island for a lot of people. My family picks me up at the airport with a large smile. Quite 2 months we haven't seen at each other. Everything seems to go by so fast. We negotiate a bemo (local van) to rush to the Legian district. The Legian and Kuta area gathers a great number of tourists and all the relating economy. Succession of hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, craft and surf shops. The urge is too tempting. Several years Jo and I have dreamt of breaking waves, tubes and gliding. Being at one with the ocean. Alone with his board to stroke the element. More than a sport, the surf enthusiasts consider it to be a way of life. Perhaps it will be ours in a few hours after our introductory session. On the beach, every 50 meters, stalls offer boards for rent. Longboard, mini-malibu or thruster, we quickly learn the terms. We book a 2-hour lesson. Private coaching on the beach, our instructor breaks down the moves to stand up. Then, the board wedged under the armpit, we cheerfully walk towards the waves. A set of advice later, a special pleasure-tinted feeling overwhelms me. I keep standing on the board! The road is still hazardous before turning in the giant waves but the joy is definitely here, as an obvious fact.
But the learning will be still long, very long... Because before being on the front cover of the surf magazines, We entered for the greatest fall competition.
Armelle and Magali join us and the entire team is gathered for a 15-day Balinese adventure. Loving reunion.
To extend the soft and gilded Kuta life, We go to visit the south of the island. Balangan, Dreamland or Padang-Padang, a coconut-trees-fringed or cliff-flanked paradise. Something in common goes through these light-sanded strips watered by shapely breaker. While we look at the surfers and body-boarders who compete for a wave, a leitmotiv constantly comes back. Dumbstruck, our look doesn't come off these heavenly expanses any more ; last shangri-la for the people stressed by the urban hubbub.
Our eyes decipher the waves in the distance. Only a board is missing...
At the end of the day, we visit the Uluwatu temple. Sanctuary of more-or-less-aggressive monkeys which have the unfortunate tendency of grabbing everything that juts out from the pockets. The sun goes down on the horizon, our eyes leap from the ocean to the reddening sky. The twilight sweeps away the last rays of this wonderful day.
Keyword - monkeys in the city -
Tuesday 12 August 2008
Discovering the surf at Bali
By dorian on Tuesday 12 August 2008, 18:19 - RTW2-Indonesia
Monday 14 July 2008
In the elephants' sanctuary
By dorian on Monday 14 July 2008, 16:06 - RTW2-Botswana
Following the short excursion to Zimbabwe, we go back to the town of Kasane. Entrance gate to the Chobe national park where one of the greatest concentrations of elephants live in with 60000 individuals. The tourist accommodations stand on the Chobe riverbanks, a handful of kilometers away from the park entrance.
Down to the holiday residences, a lot of boats cast off for a mini-cruise. We take place aboard on one of them. 2 large metallic floats propelled by 2 outboard engines leave the quay of the lodge. On the main deck, chairs are settled and a platform towers up the upper deck we can reach by a stairs. We quickly catch sight of dark spots that stand out from the horizon. The green bed as country of refuge. Not far from these herds of elephants, various birds, hippopotamuses and crocodiles thrill the muddy riverbanks.
Everything seems serene on the land of the ivory-tusked colossus when one of these giants undertakes the crossing of the river. The grass is always greener at the neighbour's. Each member takes its place behind the leader to form a single line. We are the fortunate witnesses of a mere step in the life of these quadrupeds. The colony emerge on the opposite bank. The most awkward ones stumble on the slippery shore. When the group is reconstituted, the elephants start again their heavy pace, in search of savoury grass. As for us, we enjoy this intense sequence of wildlife until the sunset.
The next day, roosters haven't thundered yet we leave for a safari alongside this river. We complete the exploration of the park for our last activity in Botswana before driving throughout the country to get to South Africa.
Friday 26 October 2007
On the Phang Nga bay by long-tail boat
By dorian on Friday 26 October 2007, 21:33 - RTW-Thailand
Krabi is a small laid-back pier by the andaman sea which turns into a frenetic night market at dusk. We can spend a couple of days here to relax and move about to the different islands and beaches in the vicinity. We book an all-included trip to the Phang Nga bay within one of the travel agencies that stretch out along the main street. The Phang Nga bay is the Thai answer in miniature to the superb Vietnamese Ha long bay.
The next morning, the minivan drives from guesthouses to guesthouses to pick up a motley blend of tourists. We briefly stop at a temple carved in a grottoe. Hordes of monkeys leap from a branch to another one and come to swiftly snatch bananas and peanuts tourists offer. With a full stomach, the four-handed animals grab the veines and dash uphill.
A few kilometers further, we swap the minivan fo a long-tail boat. The low tide unveils the knotty roots of the mangroves. Intertwined roots that change the banks into an impenetrable mangrove. We stop at the floating village of Pianyee where we have lunch.
In the beginning of the afternoon, the digestion starts on a small inflatable kayak. We go through caves the low tide made accessible to come out into a kind of well. Open-air cavities at the center of a stone peak. In the middle of these long rocky chimneys carved by the time, we don't hear the loud engines and the shouts any more. We live some unique moments of serenity in a secret place with the weird sensation these secluded spots give. The feeling to be a pioneer, the first one who discovered this mysterious and restful place. Forgotten the throng of tourists that come here to visit around ; the openings are so many everyone can enjoy his "own" lake with a private access.
We hop on the boat to sail to the island called the James Bond Island since a scene of the movie Goldfinger was shot there. A giant and unique nail punches the bay. An impressive picture but the island is overloaded with tourists who damage the calmness of this bit of isolated land.
A day full of attractions and gorgeous landscapes even if the heavy touristy concentration ruin the pleasure a little bit.
We go back to Bangkok by bus to spend a last night in the capital. 15 days passed among tuks-tuks, paradisiac beaches and tropical fish. The time went by too fast. It's always what we say when we liked what we've just lived.
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