Different impressions from Indonesia

There are 6 billion realities on this planet. One man’s heaven is another man’s hell and travelling in Indonesia can be both heaven and hell. Two articles about travelling in Indonesia, one in Yogya, the other in Bali, caught my eye. One couple’s bad time seemed to go on and on, the other couple couldn’t get enough of what was going on.

Adrienne & Sean from NZ had to deal with crazy bus drivers, aggressive ojek (motorbike taxi) touts and a ‘cesspit on wheels’. I liked the description of train travel in Java. My experiences in India are something like that, with tea sellers hollering at every station and locals wandering the train trying to get you to pay for whatever ‘service’ they are providing. A trip to the bathroom means leaving your gear unattended for a while, adding to the excitement. World travel is certainly not always a vacation, but definitely a learning experience.

The other travel account featuring Sherry & Veronique took place in Bali. The 2 ladies started in Ubud and travelled around the island. Sherry found prices unbelievably affordable and gushed about almost every aspect of Balinese culture. Its great to see Bali again through the eyes of a newcomer. In one paragraph they call ‘Bali-The Land of 20 Questions‘, Sherry mentioned the type of questions that she was asked by locals, that seemed to come up most often. I had to laugh because most of them are designed to figure out how much cash you have. These include “Where are you staying?” (read: how much are you spending on a hotel?) followed by “Where are you from?” (read: are you from a rich country?) followed by “How long are you in Bali?” (read: how much money do you have left?) followed by “What is your name?” (read: so I can make an easy contact with you again) followed by “Where did you go for dinner?” (read: how much are you willing to spend on food at any one time).

Another paragraph is titled ‘Bali – Come and Live an Ulcer-free Lifestyle!‘. It mentions the enchanting island and its relaxed, stress-free people. Certainly that is the style that most Balinese people seem to fit, and from the point of view of someone whose main task is to decide what spa treatment to have, and where to go for dinner, life’s a dream. Most expats in Bali don’t quite fit the ‘ulcer-free lifestyle’ model. Chat with a few about earning a living here and you’ll hear stories.

On balance of course Bali is a great place to live for most westerners. Travelling in Indonesia provides ample opportunity to experience new cultures close up. Sometimes a bit closer than you’d like.