Bali Kampung

Day 36: Padang Padang, Bali, Indonesia
So I've decided to stay on a few more days in Bali, it's been really nice staying in Padang Padang which is alot less busy than Kuta and daily activities revolver around surfing, surfing then more surfing. The swell has dropped now which means more breaks are accessible, I'm happy to say I've got my mojo back and am able to get some really good rides. Thank heaven for small mercies.As I mentioned previously, over the last few days I've got to know the guides a bit better, the team consists of Andrew (owner), Ina (Andrew's wife and camp manager), Steamy (safari manager), Coyon (guide), Putu (guide), Wayan (cook) and Stefano (all rounder). The guides are all Balinese, there's a bit of a class system in which the Balinese (with there own distinct language) hold themselves in higher esteem than the Indonesians (from Java, Sumatra, etc) who come down here for work. There doesn't seem to be much Islamic influence around the place, but perhaps thats due to Ramadan and they have all gone back to their hometowns for Raya.
After surfing yesterday the subject once again got onto the illegal cockfighting which takes place down the road at Uluwatu, after a few Bintangs we made our way down to the secret spot where the fights occur. As an animal lover I wasn't sure how I would take the cockfighting but I found it to be quite entertaing and not at all as cruel as one might think. The animals are dispatched quickly due to a steel spur which is attached to the rooster's feet, one good strike from the rooster will kill it's opponent dead in seconds flat. Will post a great video as soon as I can get it uploaded.
After that we went down to the Mexican restaurant which is run by the biggest dickhead I have met in a long time, and that's really saying something. The walls are plastered with all his rules and regulations (no splitting bills, no alterations to the menu, no reservations) it was like something out of the Seinfeld Soup Nazi episode. Here's an example of the sort of conversations that took place:

Us: We are just waiting for 2 more friends to arrive, we'll just sit at this table for two until they get here
Dickhead: Look, are you sure they are coming because I'm really busy here tonight
Us: Well if they don't we will just stay at this table for two
Dickhead: Look I really need to know, it's going to get really busy
Us: Yeah you mentioned that...

Us: Where's the toilet
Dickhead: Oh you need to wait until it gets dark then you can go by the road (it was broad daylight at this stage) or around the corner, wherever you can.
Note: There is a perfectly functioning toilet right behind his restaurant.

Apparently this guy is some big wave surfing legend, there are about 50 photos on the wall of him surfing a wave at Uluwatu, frame by frame. What was strange though is the guy has this little step next to the counter, like from an aerobics class, which he jumps up on when he gives the orders to the cooks in the kitchen. From what we can deduce the reason for this step is so he can always look down on the chefs (he's only about 5ft5) as the counter is only about 4 feet high and there is no other reason for it and none of the other staff are allowed to use it, just him.

I will steal that step before I leave Bali.

The Rooster

Day 35: Padang Padang, bali, Indonesia
Greetings again from the majestic Padang padang Surf camp in Bali, Indonesia. I can't believe a whole week has come and gone since i have got here, it looks like logistics will mean I will have to extend my stay slightly which I am not going to lose to much sleep over.
On Saturday a massive swell came through which put all of the local breaks (Padang Padang, Impossibles, Ulawatu) well off limits to anyone but experienced big wave surfers forcing any intermediate or beginner surfers onto one break, Jimayan Beach. When you take into account the number of people that is, it makes for one really busy beach, I'm talking hundreds of surfers, all fighting for a wave in the same small stretch of ocean. The swell is dying down now and it looks like the local breaks will be surfable tomorrow, looking forward to getting back into the water at my favourite places and hopefully getting some nice waves over the next few days. As I mentioned my original plan was to stay at the camp for a week and then head north into Jakarta and Sumatra, I then changed my mind to fly to Cambodia instead to stay at a guest house where you work with the orphans around Angkor Wat for a week before the Grand Final party in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam). I got a reply from the guest house today which says they can't take my booking at the moment due to a religious holiday which means the place is closed for a week, which leaves me a bit up in the air as to where I'm going at the moment....
With the waves being a bit inconsistent now we've spent a bit of time with the local guides around the place as well as the other guests who are staying. Lauren and Renie have moved on to the Gilli Islands, sophia has moved to kuta, Peter has gone back to Singapore, Andy back to Uni in the UK which leaves just four of us in the camp. Laurent, the French guy, recently left after his wife arrived in town so they are going travelling around the country for a bit, he checked out of the camp a week ago but was still participating in the twice daily surf sessions, staying at a villa around the corner. The interesting thing about this villa is that in the courtyard, about a metere from the guests window, there lives a rooster in a cage. Anyone who has ever stayed in Thailand or rural indo will know that these things start to crow at 4:30am sharp, every single day, at the top of their lungs, which is near impossible to sleep through, even if you had earplugs in.
Which Laurent didn't.
So each day in the camp you can hear this rooster crowing, no big deal because we are staying about a kilometre away so it's no big disruption but this poor guy has this thing right next to his window when he is trying to sleep. After 4 days of this the poor guy was at his wits end.
So why, you might ask would the owners keep a rooster right next to the guest bedrooms when they are trying to attract customers to their business, after all, no matter how nice the place is it's a dealbreaker to potential guests to know that they will be woken up at 4:30am every morning by a noisy animal just inches from their ear.
The reason is that this rooster is still around and not in a chicken stew is that he is being bred for the cockfights which take place every weekday at Ulawatu, around he corner. Every day the locals gather around to bet on which rooster will win, many locals raise their animals for this sport and this rooster is the pride and joy of it's camp and needs to be reared in a safe place where he will not get 'rooster-napped' by an overzealous neighbour and thrown into the ring before his time. On a side note, Simon, the other Australian has become quite obsessed with this roosted now and made an attempt to steal the rooster after a night on the margaritas, he can confirm that security is very tight around this bird.
Tonight we are off to watch the cockfighting once we can determine the location of the event (which is guarded in secrecy), we have a good lead from one of the instructors on where it's being held so will post again on how the evening played out.


In late breaking news, Simon has just purchased a fighting rooster that he brought back to the camp.

A Day At The Beach

Day 33: Padang Padang, Bali, Indonesia
Another day in paradise...
Have I used that line in this blog yet? If so, please forgive me, I've had such amazing luck on this trip finding these little pockets of heaven here in Asia that it's hard to articulate just how nice it is over here.
The blogging has been a bit irregular of late due to the demand on the one computer at the surf camp, as well as being the only one for the 8-15 guests staying the staff also use it for downloading photos of the daily surf sessions, doing the daily online surf report as well as all the miscellaneous tasks that go hand in hand with running a business in Bali.
First of all, the camera is working again after I finally found a new battery in Kuta so will be posting a stack of photos over the next few weeks, these go all the way back to El Nido and coron so I'll be adding those to the relevant previous posts on the blog. Got some great snaps over the last few days including some of the biggest surf all year round, so big that even the intructors wouldn't go out in it. Good times.
The average day at Padang Padang camp starts around 6am when everyone gathers around the common area and loads up the vans for the first session of the day. On a side note I plan to create one of these for my house when I get back to Oz, along with a few of the other features that Bali has down to a tea. It's generally decided the night before which break will be most suitable, given the abundance of beaches around the area there's always one which is breaking well on the day given the swell and tide conditions. Get to the beach about 6:30-7, surf for about 2 or 3 hours (depending on conditions), head back to camp for breakfast which is made by the camp team and meet with the other team and compare notes (there are two teams which go out, beginners and advanced).
From here it's rest and relaxation time, you can read a book on the comfy hammocks, go for a swim in the pool, watch a dvd, play tennis, order a masseuse or jump on a motorbike (scooter) and head into the village to run your errands or watch the surf at the local breaks.
The next session starts in the afternoon (again, he timing is dictated by the tide and conditions), the vans are loaded up and head to the beach, surf for another 2 or 3 hours then back to the camp for lunch.
As I mentioned there's quite a few people staying in the camp so after lunch, a swim and a shower, everyone will head into the local village for dinner at one of the many restaurants on offer, sip a few Bintangs and enjoy some nice food. It's usually pretty late by the time dinner is finished, from here everyone retires to their respective room for a sleep, however a few nights we have taken the 30 minute cab ride to Kuta for cocktails and seafood, this generally sees sore heads the next day as the drink specials and volume of alcohol present around Jalan Legian make it difficult to maintain your composure for very long a time.
The last week has flown by, time flies when you are having fun and I'm quite sad to know I have to leave this place in a couple of days, have made some great friends and had an awesome time but I will definitely be back here as soon as I can manage it in the near future.
Jumpa lagi!

Padang Padang

Day 31: Padang Padang, Bali, Indonesia

Aah Bali, these guys know how to live.

Got in to Dempasar Airport on Monday night and was picked up by the transfer to Padang Padang Surf Camp for a week of sun, surf and relaxation on the holiday island of Bali, Indonesia.

I used to surf heaps as a teenager but it's been quite some time since I have been out, my fingers were crossed that I would still have the muscle memory needed to manange the cat like balance required to ride the waves without falling off.

Padand Padang Surf Camp is awesome! Run by Andrew and his wife Ina, it embodies everything that the world has come to love about Bali. From the wooden wind chimes that jangle gently in the breeze, the hammocks and sitting mats on which to relax, snooze or read a book to the thatched huts full of ultra comfy bamboo furniture the place is built to recline and chill out either before or after the twice daily surf sessions.

The camp is inhabited by a diverse mix of nationalities, as I write there is a Korean car designer (Sophie) swimming in the pool with an Aussie dive instructor (Simon), Dutch chef Mika is reading a book, French Sales Exec Lon is showing Austrian Brigitte Nielsen lookalike Lauren the snaps he took today on his camera as her Italian boyfriend Renie chooses his favourite Jack johnson mix to play on the camp's stereo. Diverse indeed.

The group dynamic changes daily as people arrive and leave, everyone spends the evenings together exploring Padang and Kuta's restaurants and bars, last night we enjoyed a fantastic seafood restaurant on the beach at Jimomaliya Beack sipping margaritas as the sunset which was so nice that the drinking session was still in full effect at 3am this morning.

Not so good for the 6:00am surf session in the morning though....

In other events, I took the new Olympus Tough out in the water yesterday and am just waiting for the seals to dry before I download some pics, so happy to have a camera again!

You're All Winners

Day 28: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Well the Asian Champs are long gone and a great time was had by all. Not sure if I have gone into any sort of detail on the who's and why's of the AFL in Asia, so first it bears explaining that their are alot of Australian expatriates working in Asia. Alot. Not entirely sure of the whole story behind how it all got started and once again I find myself pressed for time so lets just say that at some point in time a few Aussies put a social team together (Singapore maybe?) which spread from city to city and now there are teams in Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam (2 here), Dubai, Bali, Jakarta and Cambodia. So every year one country will host the championships and all teh teams will converge on their town for the tournament and general shenanigans that follow having so many expats in one place. Needless to say this year was no different.
As I mentioned in the last post I was horribly sick on Friday and Saturday so missed the whole bloody game, really disappointed but still managed to make it out on Sunday for the Sunday session at Criib Club in KL. A very messy day by all concerned, margaritas flowing and tall tales of the weekend from all parties, you could almost hear the sigh of relief from the city as the players eventually made their ways to the airport and back to their jobs, wives, families and reality. Serously though, seeing 500 footy players descend on a bar is a sight to behold, bouncers panic, barmaids tense up and duty managers take point at the bar, luckily though everyone was behaved for the most part so the worst inconvenience suffered by anyone was a sore back from the owner carrying the money made at the bar to his car at the end of the night. Good times.
Had a dream on Saturday night that I was on a plane that crashed in the water, not exactly the best thing to be thinking about when you are due for a long plane ride over the ocean. But what can you do? We've all heard the stories of similar situations where the party concerned has cancelled their flight or boat or whatever only to see the worst happen but I simply couldn't waste a ticket, not in these tough economic times....
On the plus side, Canon replaced my camera which was very nice of them, fresh with a printed set of instructions on how to take care of your waterproof camera.
Haha

Sick In Malaysia

Day 22: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
I told you I was sick
-Enscription on headstone of Elmer Hodges, Key West Cemetery
So farewell to the amazing Philippines and hello Malaysia. Again.
Left Coron airport (where you are gently reminded to check your fireams at the counter) for a flight to Manila then Clark airport. On the way passed a campaign poster for a local candidate in the upcoming election which proclaims 'I can't promise aything, but I will do my best'. Lost in translation perhaps. The Cebu air flight to Manila had a really nice touch where they play little games along the way to win gifts, for example if you can produce an expired drivers license you win a Cebu Air mobile phone cover, which I could because my license expired at the end of July and I cant for the life of me meet the requirements for renewing it overseas (not having a residential address does not compute). The flight actually left early, which would have been annoying if you missed it, can't say I have ever come across the situation where a plane leaves early. Stayed in a weird hotel when I got into Manila which boasted a playground room, a underwater room and an incomprehensible 'geometry' room, I ended up checking out of here after about an hour and caught the bus to Angeles City instead (full of hawkers walking up and down the isle which was a nice touch), having an early flight the next day and not wanting to miss my flight. Two hours on the bus, another hour on Jeepneys I was in deepest, darkest Luzon (it was about 1am by now), then all of a sudden turned a corner and there it was, like Las Vegas in the Philippines. Got a good nights rest there then flew to KL the next day and checked in around Bukit Bintang. Went off to help set up The Asian Champs AFL tournament the next day, assembling goal posts and marquees etc and finished up there around 4pm. Got back to the guest house then started feeling very tired, massive headache and fever which stayed that way for the next 24 hours which meant I wasn't able to play in the big game the next day which was a massive disappointment. Alot of people got very nervous when I told them I was unwell, medical masks are huge over here, but if it was h1n1 then I must say it is highly overrated because I still made it out for the afterparty in the evening and am right as rain today.
Anyways, rushing now to get to the final party of the weekend (always rushing!), hopefully will get time to come back and flesh out a few of these posts in the near future but just wanted to get something down while it's fresh.
Jumpa Lagi!

Coron

Day 20: Coron, Philippines
Operations against merchant and escort shipping afforded the air group its first skip bombing experience against live targets. The accuracy and damage inflicted by this type of attack is of such a high order that any other type of bombing against merchantmen is considered a poor employment of weapons. Communications discipline was of an extremely low order on 24th September 1944. Squadrons should train their pilots better so that it is unnecessary to hold long radio discussions on the shortcoming of the plane prior to determining whether or not the plan can continue on a mission. Unnecessary conversation was also prevalent as well as the exasperating tallyhos.
F.A. Bardshar- Air Group Seven
Comments and recommendations on Air Operation against Coron Bay on 24 September 1944

I take it by tallyhos, the good First Admiral means the whooping and yeehawing of the American Hellcat pilots as they divebombed Japanese ships that September day in the Philippines Bay of Coron, during the height of the World War Two pacific campaign. Not sure how well his recommendations were received, all I can say is that if they had half as much fun sinking the ships as we did diving in them I can definitely understand how their emotions might get the better of them on that fateful day.
Left the beautiful El Nido on Monday morning, destination Coron Bay, on a 6 hour Banka Ride across the water. The weather was quite good considering it is typhoon season, every now and then the telltale funnels of the twisters would appear behind the islands but as long as the other Pinoy passengers along on the ride with us kept a calm demeanour then it was obviously business as usual for the boat crew. Got into Coron in the afternoon and found a room at the Seadive Hotel, which was also the centrepoint for diving in the town, despite one of the other guest house operators claiming that all the rooms in town were full and we would have to stay at her hotel. This was the first sign that something was fishy in the town of Coron...
Booked a dive for the next day on some of the WW2 wrecks out on the bay and had an early night a the boat left quite early. Turned out that the boat was a bit late leaving the harbour as one of the passangers was quite late, about 9:00 the guy who was on the bus with us to El Nido arrived looking a bit worse for wear. I thought it was because he had a big night the night before but he was just pissed off that after he checked his money into the safe at the resort, someone (obviously staff) had gone through it and knocked off half his cash, leaving him just enough to get out of Coron (which he was pretty keen to do by this stage). He was also presented a huge bill for all the drinks that his new 'friends' had consumed the night before at a restaurant in town, a scam that they obviously try on with all new arrivals into town. Needless to say he wasn't a happy chappy at all.
Made it out to the first dive around 11, visibility was very poor and my depth gauge wasn't working at all. As I have previously mentioned the Pinoy divemasters aren't big on health and safety, they were quite keen to take us down 30m into the wreck (open water divers are only qualified to 18m) but a few protests from my mate (only his 5th dive) saw us OW divers stopping at 25m and only on the outside. A short dive, quite nice, then up for a surface interval and lunch. The second dive was the great one though, we went to have a look at the Olympia Maru, a Japanese cargo ship that was sunk during the battle. We were feeling a bit more confident about this one so went right inside the wreck for about 15 minutes, from the top to the tail of the ship then up to the surface. Incredible!
The divemaster dived too long so had to drag his dive computer behind the boat to trick it into thinking he was taking a long safety stop otherwise it would lock up, another little trick to get around the pesky rules and regs that modern diving held dear.
Got back to the resort about 5pm and went out to dinner, suprise suprise the restaurant tried to charge me double what I was meant to pay for the meal. Finished the evening sitting in the hammock on the rooftop, listening to the horrible karaoke singing from the bar across the way, sipping a San Miguel and thinking about fighter planes flying over the sea bombing ships.