I love Bali
Thank goodness for that. Especially boys, imagine being a man and having to introduce yourself and shake hands with some of these names today.
it's a balance, hey. Imagine being a baby named Gordon or Neville and having to squeeze people's fingers.
Thanks heaps everyone. I'm in ulu for 9 days, lembongan for 3 days, and then canggu for 2 days. Going to have mopeds for everywhere but canggu, which looks a bit too hectic. My mate I'm going with has been to indo a bunch and has family over there, so that should help out a bit.
Bringing a 5'10 JS Xero, and 6'0 Sharpeye Inferno 72, and I'm thinking of buying a bigger board maybe in that 6'6 range over there. We're staying in a nice joint at 'the uluwatu estate' 5 minute walk from the cave, then going hostels in lembongan and canggu to save some coin.
Hopefully the first of many more Indo trips over my life time! I'd love to head across the archipelago solo on a bike at some point. This dude's journey doing that looks insane - https://www.youtube.com/@scenicroutetv/videos
I had a house in Redcliffe a couple of decades ago.
For some reason it had a name badge on it Gwenville.
One arvo of beer intake a mate and I changed it to Neville.
It took the missus a few months to notice.
Funnily enough Neville was a useless turd that the missus’ mother had a brief rebound fling with and hilarious laughter ensued when the missus saw it.
swellsam wrote:
Thanks heaps everyone. I'm in ulu for 9 days, lembongan for 3 days, and then canggu for 2 days. Going to have mopeds for everywhere but canggu, which looks a bit too hectic. My mate I'm going with has been to indo a bunch and has family over there, so that should help out a bit.
Bringing a 5'10 JS Xero, and 6'0 Sharpeye Inferno 72, and I'm thinking of buying a bigger board maybe in that 6'6 range over there. We're staying in a nice joint at 'the uluwatu estate' 5 minute walk from the cave, then going hostels in lembongan and canggu to save some coin.
Hopefully the first of many more Indo trips over my life time! I'd love to head across the archipelago solo on a bike at some point. This dude's journey doing that looks insane - https://www.youtube.com/@scenicroutetv/videos
Have a great time mate.
Be careful on the bike. I should have taken my own advice when I was younger but don’t ride around maggoted. It’s not worth being another statistic.
swellsam wrote:
Thanks heaps everyone. I'm in ulu for 9 days, lembongan for 3 days, and then canggu for 2 days. Going to have mopeds for everywhere but canggu, which looks a bit too hectic. My mate I'm going with has been to indo a bunch and has family over there, so that should help out a bit.
Bringing a 5'10 JS Xero, and 6'0 Sharpeye Inferno 72, and I'm thinking of buying a bigger board maybe in that 6'6 range over there. We're staying in a nice joint at 'the uluwatu estate' 5 minute walk from the cave, then going hostels in lembongan and canggu to save some coin.
Hopefully the first of many more Indo trips over my life time! I'd love to head across the archipelago solo on a bike at some point. This dude's journey doing that looks insane - https://www.youtube.com/@scenicroutetv/videos
You’ll have a great time. Good stuff!
Moonah wrote:
Thanks heaps everyone. I'm in ulu for 9 days, lembongan for 3 days, and then canggu for 2 days. Going to have mopeds for everywhere but canggu, which looks a bit too hectic. My mate I'm going with has been to indo a bunch and has family over there, so that should help out a bit.Bringing a 5'10 JS Xero, and 6'0 Sharpeye Inferno 72, and I'm thinking of buying a bigger board maybe in that 6'6 range over there. We're staying in a nice joint at 'the uluwatu estate' 5 minute walk from the cave, then going hostels in lembongan and canggu to save some coin.
Hopefully the first of many more Indo trips over my life time! I'd love to head across the archipelago solo on a bike at some point. This dude's journey doing that looks insane - https://www.youtube.com/@scenicroutetv/videos
Have a great time mate.
Be careful on the bike. I should have taken my own advice when I was younger but don’t ride around maggoted. It’s not worth being another statistic.
Always wear a helmet!
@moonah , the 6’6 is a good idea , yesterday some young blokes on their 5’10 25 litre boards complaining that they were struggling to catch waves and it was only 4-5 ft , 1.5 times overhead. Nothing wrong with extra foam & length, if you’re not catching waves you ain’t surfing . If you have facebook there are plenty of boards on marketplace. Grab a bargain from someone that’s leaving .
Not me supafreak, swellsam is the one thinking of a 6’6”.
But yes I agree with you. Sam you’ll probably find you’ll surf the 6’6” most often.
Moonah wrote:
Not me supafreak, swellsam is the one thinking of a 6’6”.
But yes I agree with you. Sam you’ll probably find you’ll surf the 6’6” most often.
Thanks for correction moonah , brains not fully functioning yet , need a coffee.
Paved paradise and put up a parking lot....... I mean Beach Club
Never seen somewhere self destruct so quickly.
Still magic here, despite the development.
Solo session yesterday morning on the Keogh with a pod of dolphins. Pumping this morning and getting bigger.
Happy days
Island Bay wrote:
Still magic here, despite the development.
Solo session yesterday morning on the Keogh with a pod of dolphins. Pumping this morning and getting bigger.
Happy days
Not so fortunate here IB , AW & I got skunked this morning, hit it at first light and it looked like an epic session about to happen with a couple of good sets , then the swell was just too much south and bypassed us .Decided to come in and wait for this arvo and sitting here now it’s starting to pump hahahaha . Could be ok this arvo on incoming tide . Glad you’re scoring . Keep up the posts please.
Solo for almost an hour this morning, then 5 others.
Just got in from another surf, maybe 25 across the whole Impossibles stretch. Had to work it, but sat outside and got 5 solid ones.
The big swell is keeping things a bit quiet, I reckon.
Will check Ulus tomorrow
Police shut down all the businesses on the beach and cliff at Bingin this morning. They were serious!
Island Bay wrote:
Police shut down all the businesses on the beach and cliff at Bingin this morning. They were serious!
Horrible news. :(
Apparently there are plans in place to get rid of all that and build a massive “white lotus” style resort there and privatise the beach.
Whether that’s accurate or not I’m not sure.
Jeez I hope not.
Island Bay wrote:
Police shut down all the businesses on the beach and cliff at Bingin this morning. They were serious!
Because? As in why did they shut everything down? Is it because of the supposed white lotus style resort? And how far towards Impossibles did the shutdown go?
donweather wrote:
Police shut down all the businesses on the beach and cliff at Bingin this morning. They were serious!Because? As in why did they shut everything down? Is it because of the supposed white lotus style resort? And how far towards Impossibles did the shutdown go?
All structures built illegally without permits apparently
andy-mac wrote:
https://www.facebook.com/reel/2974873266040950/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw…
You can just picture Paul Hogan standing there going:
"You call that a sledgehammer - this is a fucking sledgehammer"
Bingin update:
People are carrying microwaves, lamps, furniture etc up the hill, while demolition continues on the bottom warungs.
Looks like tourists are still in accommodation, but everything has been cordoned off.
Surf is quiet, but did have my first taste of surfing with Russians; can’t recommend.
The vodka bottles on the beach in the morning should be a bit of a give away.
Impossibles this morning. Very inco, but the three biggest sets I’ve seen this swell.
Ulus later.
Both on the Keogh
Island Bay wrote:
Impossibles this morning. Very inco, but the three biggest sets I’ve seen this swell.
Ulus later.
Both on the Keogh
How good does the Hazquad feel on a big green wall!
It’s been dreamy. Super relaxed mostly, but exhilarating when on bombs.
Just been enjoying boardies, clean walls, size, and no crowd stress.
if anyone is around Bingin, could you get a good, focused, squared up shot of one of those red notice of demolition eviction Satpol PP notices off of a shop front? I want a t-shirt, I'll send the photographer one for their trouble..
Island Bay wrote:
Will do tomorrow, basesix
mate, that would be amazing, thank you.
fer sure, @seeds, lotsa memories for us all while complaining about progress.. seems progress is about to go turbo. If you can get something approaching this @IB.. this is what team b6 could manage, from that angled, top-corner missing shot that @udo posted from instathingo.. really didn't turn out too bad considering the source, some fuzzing, colour and form warping around the place, but perfection could be achieved with a solid source shot! cheers, again, @IB.
(I'll chuck in a McCabe hoodie if you get Didis actual notice : )
Use to love stopping for beer and sunset at Dreamland after surfing Ulu's on way home.
Seems Bingin is going the same way.
Feel for locals. Same at serangan, locals lose their livelihoods.
Sad...
havent been in about 10 years, best memories were having sunset beers at uncle slams bar at kuta beach, every time I went always seemed to be the same people there supporting the same locals was always one of the highlights of my trip. now I heard you have to buy a chair to even sit at the beach now... crazy
Bingin was already on the Crossfit/vegan cafe/co working space when I was there in 2022 but that sucks that everything is getting destroyed.
I don't think I'm ever going back. That whole island is a corrupt, floating landfill. The locals are awesome as well so I really feel for them.
I love Bali.
You wouldn't think that such a thought could be controversial . But it is.
Many people don't love Bali, in fact they proclaim to hate it. Bemoan what it has become, it's lack of purity, it's lost innocence.
Sure, I can see their point. I can't imagine anywhere on Earth that has been transformed as radically as Bali over the last thirty years. From rice paddies and coconut groves to six story discotheques . It's totally unrecognisable in the most built up areas.
But that's not what this post is about. It's about why I LOVE Bali.
I love Bali because ...
- it's still the home of an intense cluster of world class waves. Roping lefts : Uluwatu, freight train right barrels : Sanur, backlit mega tubes : Padang Padang. Rip able reefs, fun beachies. Short , slabby pits and long mellow points. River mouths and bombies. It's got the lot.
- it's still possible to get uncrowded quality waves in 2015 when it seems as though the entire planet has discovered surfing. I was trading crystal clear , rolling right walls with only two other surfers just this morning.
- it's still freaking beautiful. Watching the mist reveal Mt Agung in that unique Bali morning light from a black sand beach as the sun comes up is still special.
- the food is amazing. Walking around town building up a hunger and knowing that at any given time you are within shouting distance of fresh, exotic and delicious meals with enough variety to make your head spin is priceless.
- the Balinese are legends. Friendly, happy and always keen for a joke. Unfailingly polite and welcoming. Healthy, spiritual and decent.
- the Balinese surfers rip their waves and they still own them. A visiting Brazilian would not think twice to drop in on an Aussie local at Kirra. But you won't see the same in Bali. The Balinese surfers are treated with the respect they deserve. Because as everyone knows, if they are not treated with respect there is consequences.
- the water is so warm it's like swimming in silken angels tears.
- telling people that you are going to Bali will often elicit a response along the lines of ......"why would you go to that traffic ridden, noisy shithole ?" And then as you're kicking back with a Bintang watching the sunset over Uluwatu you can imagine them sitting at lights in their car on their way home from work in Perth. Which , for those that have never been , is a noisy , traffic ridden shithole. And this makes me laugh. Which is something I enjoy doing.
- The fruit is incredible.
- despite the millions of tourists, the fast food franchises and the Aussie over familiarity with the joint it's still exotic. The smell of clove cigarettes, the ogo ogos of Nyepi, the Buddhist offerings , monkeys , food and language are all enticingly foreign.
- there is no overreaching nanny state. You want to ride your motorbike with all four of your children and the missus on the back...whilst texting. Go for it.
- you can live like a king on a regular Aussie income. Maybe not such a great benefit for the Balinese themselves though.
- it's close to Oz. Twenty hour plane ride and a shot at developing deep vein thrombosis.....ummm no thanks. It's actually faster to fly to Bali from Perth than it is to drive to Albany. You can fly from Port Hedland in less than two hours.
- you get an opportunity to regularly witness some of the most foolhardy behaviour imaginable on a daily basis. You ever seen a man being doubled on a motorbike through traffic whilst holding a large pane of glass ? What about seeing someone hold a nail between his bare fingers while his mate tries to grind the tip off it ? It's all there folks.
- you can see people making do with not much and making it work. An exhaust system held on with a T Shirt ? An outboard motor attached to a boat with no anchoring system, just held on with a man's brute force ? Why not ? It might not work forever but it'll usually get em over the line.
- the winds can blow offshore for months at a time and when they blow onshore, well , that just makes it offshore somewhere else. It's an island !
- you haven't seen glassy oceanic conditions till you've seen Indonesian sheet glass. It's like an oil slick. And if you're ever near Benoa Harbour that could well be what it is.
- old people are accorded the respect they deserve.
- it's exciting. It's a melting pot of the world. Wide eyed villages from remote Asia, jaded techno princesses from Russia, sleek surfy chicks from Canada , your next door neighbour from Ipswich....it's a party and everyone is invited.
Including YOU. I'll see you there. You can't miss me.
I'll be the sun burnt drunk in a head to toe Bintang ensemble with hair braids and a fresh tattoo of a unicorn across my back . Don't be shy. Come and say hello.