Life in a year full of Saturdays: July 2016

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Bali (INDONESIA) - Yep, now we've been there too

Bali (Indonesia)

24 July - 28 July 2016

In the two weeks from when we returned from South America to when we went to Bali was somewhat dichotomous for us. We were definitely not in a painful position financially by any stretch of the imagination, but somehow ended up living a life that from an outsiders perspective would have seemed a life of struggle. As we know didn't have a place to live in Sydney we needed to look for short-term accommodation, which we found in a 2bdr house on the border of Auburn/Lidcome. Of course we didn't rent the house, we just rented a room in the house. It was small, the place itself was average and it all felt a little surreal.

In addition to our living situation both Inga & I had decided to take on some sort of work for the time we were in Sydney. For various reasons the best option for us manifested itself in the very respected art of leaflet delivering. Yes, we became your nuisance junk mail delivers, hired guns of direct delivery advertising, bringing to you weekly sales, local discounts and political hogwash. In terms of flexibility it was good, and, it also allowed Inga to negate the working restrictions on her visa. Still, what an odd situation we found ourselves in. Having flown back in from Argentina there we were, living in a room, getting up at 5:30am each day to make our way to some random train station where we would load up our back-packs with pamphlets and then we'd walk - easily 30kms-40kms a day. And when I say 30kms-40kms I'm not joking, both of us would track the distance we covered on our iPhones. Basically we'd start in an area at 8:00am and walk virtually non-stop until 4pm. These were our typical days. For a map completion we'd get $10 per pamphlet, of which we would have perhaps 4-5 usually. So between us we were getting $80-$100 a day, sometimes more for completing additional areas. Man, what an odd time that was. It was fun in many ways but odd all the same, even more so when we told our manager Shezad, 'yeah, now that we've come back from South America we'll be heading off to Bali next week, so we'll be starting work again on 30 July'.

On the way to Bali - Sydney Airport - Australia

Sunset at the Anantara Uluwatu - Bali - Indonesia

For an Australian saying that you've been to Bali is equivalent to saying that you've been to the Gold Coast for a holiday. Hardly the final card to be played in a game of travel one upsmanship. Probably better not to even mention it as it has distinct associations with drunken Australian bogans doing the stupid things they normally do, i.e., getting breathtakingly drunk, being obnoxious, being culturally insensitive and generally branding us Australians as a boorish, loutish group. To somehow underline this viewpoint there was a group of three early 20 something dickheads from the Central Coast that occupied the row in front of us. During the flight they had obviously made a head start on getting through their duty free, and the behaviour that followed just made me feel embarrassed as Australia, for the stereotype was certainly being lived up to.

Our accommodation in Bali was at the fantastic Anantara Uluwatu, a beautiful hotel, located high on the cliffs overlooking Bingin beach. Yet another fantastic property by Anantara in terms of location, tranquility and luxurious, spacious accommodation. It was an absolute treat, especially with the fact that we were located on the 'sunset' side of the island. The only thing that we managed to get wrong here however was that we were always a 45 min ride away from the central location of Kuta. Knowing now what I didn't know then I probably would have selected another location, more than likely in Seminyak. Still, hard to argue with a place that was as impressive as this.

Kuta Beach - Bali - Indonesia

A friend of mine from Sydney, Debbie Child at set us up with the details of what turned out to be a truly lovely man, Komang Sastrawan Taira. When she had been in Bali the year before her group utilised the services of Komang as driver/guide and had a great time exploring the island. So accepting the tip we utilised his services for a few days too and have to say that we were not disappointed at all. He was just so nice, calm and ready to assist in whatever it was we were seeking to do. A true pleasure to have made his company and be taken around this wonderful island.

Anantara Uluwatu - Bali - Indonesia

The first day we actually did spend in Kuta. I wasn't quite sure what my expectations were but I didn't find it all that bad, as opposed to say a place like Pa Tong in Thailand which is an animal all of its own. Of course its touristy, there's plenty of us, myself being one of them, but ok, we all want to come and experience life on the beach. I get these days that there are locations around the world being overrun by tourists, this has the propensity to completely alter many of the elements that make up the unique quality of a location. I'm not sure what the answer is other than tourist restrictions or raising prices so as to enforce exclusivity. The issue with the latter is that you also price locals out of a place in their own country.

Two Inga's in one Anantara Uluwatu - Bali - Indonesia

Anantara Uluwatu - Bali - Indonesia

An additional aspect of Kuta for me were the echoes of the bombings that took place here in 2002 & 2005, Bali bombings 2002 & Bali bombings 2005. Walking in the area gave me that sense of immediacy and acute awareness of what was a despicable act. Also, I think somewhat oddly, it made me hyper vigilant, for what exactly I wasn't sure. In your min you know that there a chance than an event of that same magnitude could happen again at anytime but how on earth do you protect yourself from that? Any hyper-awareness is only really wasted energy. Of course mentally you (I) realise that, I realise that nothing can be done if you're unlucky enough to be at the wrong place at the wrong time - although .... you always think that some sort of clue will be given in advance? Crazy huh!?

Bali - Indonesia

Ubud - Bali - Indonesia

The next day we rode with Komang up to the town of Ubud. If Kuta is the chaos and madness of Bali gone wrong, then Ubud is its spirtual and cultural centre. A serene place of seductive beauty, the town and its immediate surrounds are gorgeous. We spent some time taking in the terraced fields of the area, which for me were the typical representation of the Balinese image that I had in my mind. Lush landscapes of almost impossible looking terraces, somehow engineered to reside one on top of the other, cascading elegantly down the hillside. These are the views that you send home in the postcard.

In the immediate area were also a few coffee plantations, which were of specific interest of me as I really wanted to try the Kopi Luwak. This is a specific, unique and somewhat expensive coffee offering from Indonesia, which basically involves farmers picking up the droppings of an animal called the Asian palm civet. The process involves the civet specifically eating coffee cherries and then defecating, as required. The farms pick up these partially digested cherries which have gone through a fermentation process during its travels through the gut of the civet. The chemical's in its digestive tract alters the composition of the coffee cherries and hence the grind is what becomes the famous Kopi Luwak. What I want to know is how and when? When did farmers start picking up civet shit with an eye to making a good coffee? Who thinks that outside if an April Fool's joke?

Bali - Indonesia

Whilst in Ubud we also spent some time at the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary. This is a place where crazy monkeys just chill in an environment supported by humans who in turn consider them to be sacred, I believe more for there powers of economic growth than for any religious purpose.

Outside of Ubud we also took the time to head to Nusa Dua and hit the beach for some jet-ski action and also went to the well known Uluwatu temple to take in the sites and be part of a spectacular sunset on the western coast.

Seminyak - Bali - Indonesia

In the end both Inga and I got a lot out of Bali, for me, far more than I expected. My only small regret is that we didn't stay in Ubud for anymore than an afternoon and also, that we didn't set up our stay in a place like Seminyak which only our final night in Bali had use looking for ways to manufacturer a couple of additional nights on the island.

Now, like any 'good' Aussie I'm happy to tell you, 'Hey, I've been to Bali too'.

Monday, July 11, 2016

Rio de Janeiro (BRASIL) - And your Olympic city is.....

Rio de Janeiro (Brasil)
11 July - 14 July 2016

The first Olympics I was fully conscious of and that I can remember with some clarity was Los Angeles in 1984. I recall being on holiday with my family in Croatia. Back then Croatia wasn't a thing, it wasn't the burgeoning tourist destination that it is now, in fact, it wasn't even Croatia, it was still part of Yugoslavia and my family, living in the capital of Belgrade, would do the typical thing of heading to the seas-side over Summer.

There have been some great Olympics. Barcelona in 1992 was memorable and then of course I was lucky enough to have experienced a hometown Olympics in 2000. Now that was truly one of my favourite sporting experiences of all time. I recall riding the train to work each morning from Seven Hills and looking over at the Olympic stadium with the cauldron burning proudly. That was a hell of a good time.

How much do I love the Olympics!? - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Since then I've personally had the feeling that the Olympics have been on the slide, that they may have lost the lustre of being the pinnacle (well, nearly the pinnacle), of world sporting events. My hope, my desire really, was that a somewhat exotic location like Rio, the first South American city to host an Olympics, would bring back some of the excitement and anticipation that had been lost in recent years.

Copacabana beach - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Copacabana - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Aside from my Olympic slant, the standing agreement that I have with Inga is that any time we go to Buenos Aires, that Rio is also included on our schedule. Her pilgrimage to Rio is as much about her paying North European homage to sun, sea and sand, as mine is to red wine, football and meat when going to Buenos Aires. In all honesty I'm a big fan of Rio too. What's not to like about the carioca culture, the marvellous beaches of Copacabana & Ipanema, the beautiful people on the beach or running them, the caipirinhas, the easy way of living. Simple pleasures but thoroughly enjoyable.

Copacabana beach from the Porto Bay - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Driving in from the airport is a known entity to us, and the beginning of that feeling of being in the city always commences when we see Cristo de Redentor. From a distances is always a lot smaller than you anticipate it to be but its position as guardian of the city is undeniable and understandably its acknowledgement is one of the new seven wonders of the world is deserved, I believe.

This time around we decided to stay at the wonderful PortoBay Rio (Copacabana). Without question, its roof top bar and pool area has one of the great views in Rio. Some six years earlier I had made the wonderful discovery of this location with Janelle and Jet but have never had the opportunity to stay, now was our time and my, what an absolute treat. To virtually be right on the beach and to fall asleep listening to the sounds of the waves crashing on one of the worlds most famous beaches was such a highlight.

Copacabana beach from the Porto Bay - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Porto Bay Hotel - Copacabana - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

A typical day for us in Rio is goes like this. An early morning run from the hotel down to the end of Ipanema and then back to the hotel (around 12kms). Shower and then down for the buffet breakfast inclusive of bottomless champagne. Post breakfast its time to change and then head out to the beach for a few hours in the sun, grabbing caipirinhas from the passing vendors who are brutal with the cachaca! As the light descends during the back part of the day we head up to the roof top bar at the Porto Bay for afternoon drinks and then discuss our options for heading out during the night. Once again, there's nothing overly complicated about the routine but that precisely what's great about it. It's beach culture at its finest.

Typically as a tourist in Rio, if you're not on the beach during the day then you're probably heading up to the viewing point at Cristo de Redentor, or, you're heading up to the top of Sugarloaf. We certainly did both on this trip too, Cristo we did conventionally, taking a bus up from Copacabana like all the other tourists, taking in the views, doing our panoramic photos and partaking in the outstretched arm poses. Sugarloaf however was a little different for us on this occasion.

Cristo de Redentor - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Cristo de Redentor - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Lagoa rodrigo de freitas - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Cristo de Redentor - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

This time I suggested to Inga that we go about climbing Sugarloaf, which you can in fact do by two main routes. The front face belongs to the true climbers, those that know what they hell they're doing and can respect the challenge. The back way, which on the face of it appears like a steep walk is in fact slightly more difficult than that. We decided to take the challenge without entirely realising the degree of difficulty involved. Of course we didn't undertake the ascent on our own, it would have been foolhardy and potentially deadly to have done it that way, but still, we put ourselves into the hands of a knowledgeable local with a large amount of experience of this route.

Initially the ascent from the back of Sugarloaf is nothing more than a trail with a slight gradient. We had assumed that for the most part this would be the case. How wrong we were.

Climbing Sugarloaf - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

There's a drop of about 100mtrs just to the left of this photo

Climbing Sugarloaf - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

The early part of the climb takes place a vast expanse of rock that is quite open. The issue is that the gradient is relatively steep and the terrain is much the same as walking on a steep pebblecrete surface. Immediately we knew that we weren't prepared, our choice of footwear was enough to signal in the fact that we were less than novices We were more like your weekend experience backyard tree climbers. Having enough knowledge to know that positioning your centre of gravity forward and allowing yourself to 'grip something' for support was probably going to be the way to get this done. Here's where the problem was. This part of the mountain was pebblecrete rock face only. No handles, no crevices, just an upward gradient that made you feel like one slip could have you sliding 50mtrs down the face and into the Atlantic. To say it was disconcerting was a slight understatement. The most difficult section did have a long rope to alleviate the nerves but still, looking down to what could be a harrowing death was not appealing for either of us.

Sugarloaf - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Conquering pebblecrete alley was one thing. What we didn't know, until such time that Daniel our guide explained it, was that there was about 20mtrs of vertical technical climbing that we needed to undertake...'Hey guide Daniel, excuse me sir, but WTF man, what is this vertical limit garbage and why are you making us wear helmets now'. This is probably where things took a severe turn for Inga. The climb was nerve racking and in moments left us dangling in mid air of the edge of a cliff. It wasn't at all the 'walk in the park' that we expected, and when Inga got to the top of the vertical stretch I could see that her nerves had been completely frazzled. Admittedly from that point out the climb up was just a path, with some precarious drops to keep us company, but still, just a path. Poor Inga however had been pushed to the edge and she literally climbed 80% of the remaining way on all fours. It would have been looked more than odd from the perspective of a bystander but self preservation sometimes forces you to take drastic steps.

The prize for getting up Sugarloaf in this manner? Probably a saving of $20 for not paying the cable cars, which we more than paid for the guide, so I guess really it's just to say that we'd be some of the small numbers that have that achievement under our belt, and that's pretty cool to know.

Final morning run on Copacabana - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Copacabana, Ipanema and Sugarloaf - all visible from this photo

Rio de Janeiro - Brasil - on the way back to Buenos Aires - Argentina

Whilst our time in Rio was only short lived on this occasion it certainly didn't diminish our enjoyment and love of this city. Just like Buenos Aires we know that this occasion is only one in a long line of visits that we'll inevitably be making in the future.

Life in a year full of Saturdays

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Sunday, July 24, 2016

Bali (INDONESIA) - Yep, now we've been there too

Monday, July 11, 2016

Rio de Janeiro (BRASIL) - And your Olympic city is.....

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A year full of Saturdays