Jaye Rothman's Blog, page 4

DON’T DRIVE IN INDIA!

It’s hair-raising! After seven weeks, I still couldn’t figure out who has right of way at roundabouts. Taxi drivers drive their vehicles into oncoming traffic when crossing a dual carriageway! Indian road rules (are there any?) completely confused me. Everyday hazards encountered are large cows which suddenly walk across the road, dogs, people on pushbikes, motorbikes, pedestrians, large potholes, cars, and trucks belching out clouds of black exhaust which would fail emission tests in most countries.

I took a taxi to South Goa and spent most of the journey with my eyes closed, hands gripping hold of the seat and praying as the driver raced along at high speed. He overtook on corners into oncoming traffic, constantly tooting his horn at anything that moved or didn’t. When I asked him to slow down, he pretended he couldn’t understand me and turned the volume of his radio higher. I decided not to tip him…

Beware of Booking.com. The photo of the room I booked looked completely different to the photograph online, one of their favourite tricks is to make it look bigger by using a zoom lens. My room resembled a cell, a bed in the middle, a small window with a curtain pulled across it and no room to move. It was the first room on my travels I hated! The thought of staying in it for 12 days filled with me with dread. Time to negotiate and speak to the owner. Two nights later I had a nice room on the top floor with a balcony overlooking a coconut tree.

To get to the beach involved a ten minutes’ walk from the guest house to the beach through shacks, rubbish, red dust, malnourished cows, and dogs with sores on their bodies. I used to stop and stroke a black and white cow, who dragged one of her rear legs behind her. Had she been hit by a car? The owners don’t seem to care about the condition of their cows.

Do beaches in Goa rival beaches in NZ?

Agonda Beach is stunning, long and uncrowded, and yes it could. It costs 400 rupees to ride there from Palolem by tuk-tuk. I loved Agonda. It has a more relaxing vibe than Palolem. I found the locals smiled and seemed more helpful. After I left the retreat I became to have pain in the top of my legs. Instead of reaching for more tablets I decided to continue Ayurveda treatments, but I couldn’t find a place in Palolem. In Agonda I walked along the street and came across a small prefab cabin which advertised Ayurveda massages. I chatted to the owner who fortunately spoke good English, and for 1500 rupees (NZ$33) I had an hour and a half massage on alternate days. The first massage was excruciatingly painful, as my muscles had tightened up, probably caused by the high-speed taxi ride! However, the next day the pain had lessened considerably.

While waiting for my massage one morning I sat under an umbrella and saw a beautiful white horse wandering along the edge of the water. I returned to reading my Kindle, when I looked up she stood over me and stared down. Then she laid down, rested her head on my feet and closed her eyes. What an amazing spiritual experience!

Palolem beach stretches for miles, and is bordered by beach shacks which are available to rent, cafes and restaurants with rows of sun loungers under umbrellas. It gets crowded at high season, and is popular with the Russians. To get to Palolem beach, you walk down a road filled with cafes, shops and crowds of men hanging around staring at European women. This was one of the reasons I avoided the beach.

Turned right, I headed down the quieter end of the beach towards an estuary. A fisherman beckoned me over, and pointed to his boat. Did I want to see sea eagles? The night before I listened to Yoga Nidra. In the visualisation eagles are mentioned twice. The old Jaye would have declined, but I hopped onto the boat and for the next hour I watched these amazing birds fly across the sky and suddenly dive into the sea. A coincidence or another sign I’m on the right path?

Want a more relaxed vibe? Then Patnem beach is an excellent choice to chill out for the day. A hundred rupees tuk-tuk from Palolem will take you there. Again, beach shacks, cafes and restaurants line the beach, and I discovered three yoga studios there, and lessons were 200 rupees each!

Here are my top travels tips for India everything is negotiable, even pre-booked accommodation.

Always agree a price before getting into a tuk-tuk or a taxi.

Next blog is entitled The Russians are coming!

 

Best wishes

YOGA AGAIN, AND ANIMALS!

Yes, I’ve caught the Yoga bug! I admit it, I’m a yoga convert. I never had a good word to say about it before I came to India. If yoga was mentioned in conversation, I would quote my doctor and osteopath’s opinion – ‘you shouldn’t do yoga with a back injury.’

I had severe sciatic pain in my back, which I controlled with medication for years. At the retreat, I had 1-1 yoga classes with Om (see my previous post).

During my stay in Anjuna, I came across a poster advertising Yoga Nidra tacked to a tree. A class was scheduled for the next morning. I went and met Yashu, who runs beyogabound (beyogabound@gmail.com).

The ‘warm up’ before Yoga Nidra was hard, and I couldn’t do it. Immediately, I felt discouraged, but afterwards, I had a long chat with Yashu who specialises in helping people recover from injuries. I ended up having two private lessons, with more exercises that I could incorporate into my practice. It takes about an hour a day but I combine meditation with the yoga. In the Asana of the Crocodile, part of the pose is looking up at the ceiling. At the beginning I couldn’t do it, five weeks later I can!

While in Anjuna I went to the market which takes place every Wednesday. It began life with the hippies in the 60’s, who needed to fund their stay in India, and they sold jewellery and plaited hair. Drugs were openly displayed and sold without any police interference, but that doesn’t happen today.

The market is big, colourful and busy. Tourists come from all over North Goa to pick up bargains. The day I went was extremely hot, probably in the middle 30’s, crowded and noisy. I thought I’d be good at bargaining, but in fact I was terrible. I found it hard to walk away from a stall without buying something. This was the reason I ended up with 4 soap stone elephants, 4 Pashmina scarfs, 2 large duffle bags, a sarong and a scarf!

I overheard tourists bargaining hard, so they’d get a few more rupees knocked off the cost. I’d give a price, and the guy would generally, after a couple of minutes agree. So, I think I overpaid most of the time. The stall holder where I bought a Pashmina scarf, told me he travels from his village in Kashmir for the tourist season. He relies on the money he makes to feed his large extended family.

When I first came to India, I wondered why all these blue tarpaulins hung over half-finished buildings or sheds. I found it shocking when I realised extended families live in them. Little children run around and drink water from a hosepipe. You must drink bottled water, otherwise you’ll find yourself sitting on a toilet for hours! Here there is no social security. A person must rely on their family and friends if they can’t find work.

I’ve also found it upsetting seeing the cows wandering along the road looking for food. They are left to roam where they please, until they’re chased off somebody’s property because they’ve munched through a hedge! It’s so dry, there’s no grass and many of them are pregnant and malnourished.

Dogs are left to roam the streets. Some of them have collars and presumably owners. I haven’t seen a vet’s surgery yet. Most dogs are underweight and in poor physical condition. Where I stayed in South Goa (next blog post) I was warned not to walk back at night because the pack of dogs might attack me. Yes, I did heed this advice.

Next time – driving, beaches of South Goa and Russians!

Best wishes

Jaye

The photo is of my amazing yoga teacher Yashu.

HIPPIES, MOTORSCOOTERS AND ANJUNA!

My last day at Swan dawned. In the resort, I felt protected from all the chaos and the madness going on in the world. There wasn’t a television. The internet connection was bad, and with that I mean, terrible, so I barely bothered to use it. To post my blog on Beat The Retreat, it took me over two hours!

The first day I went to Ashwin Beach with two guests from the retreat. We sat underneath the umbrellas, drinking cold drinks and eating normal food. At the retreat, the doctor advised me to stop caffeine, white bread, raw tomatoes and anything very sweet. I’ve abstained from three of them. Guess which one I couldn’t give up? The answer might surprise you.

Answer at bottom of page.

I checked into The Banyan Soul guest house, and what a relief to have air-con because the day time temperature had begun to rise – 40 degrees in the afternoons.

Sharon, my friend from Bali came by on her motor scooter. I needed some cash, before I’d left NZ the Indian government had put a freeze on the rupee so it was impossible to buy any in Auckland or Bali. I’d managed to get a few rupees at Goa airport so Sharon suggested a trip to Calangute to the ATM, on the back of her scooter.

The only transportation in Anjuna is a scooter or walking, and that’s not a great idea in baking heat.

So, I thought, what the hell! I’m going to do it. You only live once! So, I threw caution to the wind.

Sharon, I’m putting this on record you’re a great driver, but it was the constant beeping of horns, and swerving from cars and other bikes that made it nerve racking. I clung onto the back as Sharon zipped away around holes in the road, cows, dogs and people. No problems getting my cash from the ATM, and we met a friend of Sharon’s who had an accident on his bike. Half the skin of his knee had been ripped off, and it looked a mess. I swallowed hard, and  begun to have second thoughts. As we left the town, I saw a guy had fallen off his motorcycle and his face and leg covered in blood. I resolutely looked ahead and clung on tighter.

We arrived at the café. Just a shed by the beach, but you can get the most amazing thali’s there for 100 rupees =NZ $2.40. We sat munching away, and a woman Sharon knew joined us, while we were discussing bike accidents. She’d had a bad one last year. Someone was trying to tell me something! I decided short drives only, I think Sharon was a tad relieved. It can’t be much fun having a nervous passenger on the back.

The woman who joined us had lived in Anjuna for 19 years. She’d arrived from Canada and never gone home. Apparently, the original hippies (1960’s – 80’s) followed the trail to India, ripped up their passports and spent their lives partying on the beach. In those days drugs were freely available, and you could buy them openly in Anjuna market without fear of arrest by the cops.

Now the hippies of the 60’s and 70’s are aging. You can see them around Anjuna wearing ankle length boots and driving scooters. Their favourite hangout is the Mango Café. I’d eat my breakfast there and people watch.

One morning Rudi, who I guessed was in his late 60’s, with white hair half way down his back, and a dark leathery skin nearly fell over. He had a problem with his balance for the last year. If he lived in Europe he would be seen by a doctor, given medication and followed up, but it doesn’t happen in Goa. He said very little health care is available, and it’s not free to foreigners. He’s 53, and has lived in Goa since 1980, and he recalled the all-night parties, dancing naked on the beach under the moon, the drugs and the sex. Many of the long-term residents have untreated medical problems, probably caused by taking too many drugs, and it’s not unusual for them to die in their 50’s.

These people live in a kind of limbo land. They’re not Indian citizens, and yet, they don’t belong in the countries they left behind. I found Rudi’s story sad, but he didn’t seem to have any regrets.

You only have one life…..

 

Until next time when I’ll be telling you about my visit to Anjuna market and Yoga classes!

The answer is white bread, as Indian bakers don’t seem to bake brown bread!

NIDRA YOGA

Yoga Nidra

I didn’t know quite what to expect. When I enquired about it from another guest, she said. “You lie down and go to sleep.” Well, you’re not meant too.

Just before dusk we climbed up the hill to the yoga studio. We had to place our yoga mats on the floor, lie down with a cushion under the head, and listen to the Swami’s voice.

During this practice, all parts of the body are relaxed, and you are encouraged to think of a resolve. This should be something profound you want in your life. Mine was simple, I wanted to move on and leave the past in the past. You should make the resolve at the beginning and end of Yoga Nidra, using the exact same words each time. 

Some guests fall asleep, and I think I did briefly the first time, but you need to keep awake, but it makes it harder when you’re instructed count backwards!

Does it work? For me, it has. I’ve managed to let go of the pain and distress of my relationship, and I’m no longer feeling resentful over the ending. Since leaving the retreat I listen to Yoga Nidra at night, and it helps me relax before sleep.

If you’re interested you can check out You Tube. There are heaps of videos with good instructions.

I continued with my daily treatments for my back. After the first week, the pain began to lessen, and I felt better than I had done for months. I could sit in a yoga pose eating my meal!! The doctor suggested I take a few individual lessons with Om who’s one of the instructors. I’ve always been advised by doctors, consultants, osteopaths and physio’s never to attempt yoga because I have a sciatic injury, and never to sleep on my stomach! 

Coming to India has changed my belief in the Western system of managing pain relief. Taking medication stopped the pain but only temporarily, when the effects wore off, I remained in pain. When I questioned the doctor, he smiled and said. “What have you to lose?”

Indeed, what had I? I approached my first lesson with some anxiety, but Om told me he’d been trained in physical therapy, so he knew what positions I would need to strength my back and keep the Chakras aligned. The Chakras connected to emotions and feelings are in the lower back, and I don’t believe it was any coincidence my back worsened after my relationship ended.

I admit it! I enjoyed it! I can now do the crocodile and rabbit pose! I’ve decided to try and fit daily yoga into my schedule.

How’s my back pain? It’s improved considerably.  How’s my emotional health? I would say it’s improved by 80%.

Swan Yoga is a meditative and spiritual place, if you want hard core yoga this isn’t the place for you. If you want to revaluate your life, and have the desire to change things, this is the place to come.

Next time – meeting up with my friend Sharon in Anjuna!

Best wishes

Jaye

This photo is of the amazing Om.

 

 

BEAT THE RETREAT PART 2

Part two.

Day 2. The alarm rang at 5.30.  Time for daily meditation, after two hours’ sleep. Walking up the hill in the pitch black to the yoga space, I was grateful for the torch in my cell phone. The swami’s voice was low and melodious as he guided us through the 45-minute meditation accompanied by bird song. When I opened my eyes, dawn had broken over the jungle. Delicious fresh fruit for breakfast.

Over the years, I’ve never been a fan of communal meals, and my recent experience hasn’t changed my view. During my first week, I found some of the guests quite strange, bizarre and some downright rude. If I sat next to someone and had a conversation, it didn’t mean they would want to converse with me again. A couple of times when I sat at a table, nobody spoke to me and despite attempting to chat, I was ignored. 

However, there’s always an upside. You might notice I’ve become more positive!  I wouldn’t have met this great cast of characters, if I hadn’t come to Swan. A thought came into my head. Why don’t I write a book incorporating them in a murder mystery?  Think Ten Little Indians!

On arrival at Swan, I had agreed to have an enema. I must have been very jetlagged. I’ve given plenty of them, but never been on the receiving end of one!

After my massage, I asked to see it. Big mistake! The fluid in the syringe was about 500 mls, and the part which would be inserted roughly 6 inches long. For a few moments, I debated whether to bail, but I closed my eyes and tried to relax. It wasn’t a pleasant experience and I spent the rest of the day hovering near a toilet.

Day 3.

Meditation again at 6am after a few hours’ sleep. The scrabbling on the roof, seemed to turn into stamping and yes, I did have earplugs! The tapping continued most of the night. Apparently, the stamping on the roof came from squirrels, and the tapping from flies eating the wood in the hut.

 I said.

“You mean termites?”

“No, flies. They burrow into the wood. Every few years the huts must be replaced. We are in the jungle.”

I forgot to mention day 3 was cleansing day. We were instructed to assemble on the fake beach. Firstly, we would clean our nasal passages. This involved bending over, putting your head to one side, inserting a two-pronged tube up a nostril, filling one end with water and cleaning your sinuses. You had to be careful not to swallow the water.

Next on the agenda was cleansing the stomach. Our instructor informed us we had to drink 5-6 large glasses of water, until our stomachs couldn’t hold anymore which would induce vomiting. At this I balked, after Bali I simply couldn’t face any further vomiting.

Some guests went along with it with no consequences. A couple of people I spoke to were very unwell. One English guy spent the day holding onto the toilet, and the next day he was still suffering.

Another treatment awaited me. This time I was pummelled like a steak with two sticks with muslin attached to them for 30 minutes, and then had a gritty substance rubbed into me. Then I was steamed in a Turkish box for ten minutes. The sweat poured off me, I thought I’d faint when I clambered out, but a few deep breaths and a lie down revived me.

After dinner – Yoga Nidra – which has helped change my thinking from negative to positive. More in my next post.

 

Best wishes

BEAT THE RETREAT

I did. Despite my initial fears, that I wouldn’t like it, I loved it. Sure, there were parts which challenged me and I found difficult, but I overcame them and I didn’t quit.

I arrived jet lagged at 7am. High wooden gates protect the retreat from the outside world. Cars don’t drive inside. Walking through the gates, I thought why am I here? I don’t do yoga, supposing I don’t like it?

I limped across an orange dusty courtyard to meet Shivendra. As I sat down, I glanced around, and saw the retreat surrounded by jungle. It’s quite dry, but plants and trees still flowered. All the buildings were built from wood and the roofs covered in palm leaves.

Shivendra welcomed me to the retreat. His eyes radiated kindness and before I could stop myself, I poured out the tale of my relationship breakup. He listened and said.

“It’s a terrible thing that happened to you, but it has happened. You can’t live in the past. Let us look after you for the next 14 days. We will get you better.”

What did I have to lose? I knew something had to change. I had felt emotionally stuck for months, reliving the pain of the breakup continually in my head. However hard I tried to put it aside it would always come back and haunt me. If only I had done this. Why did it have to happen to me? Did she hate me that much? How will I cope travelling alone for a year?

I thought about it for 30 seconds and agreed. I upgraded to a single cabin, because Shivendra, who I’d spent several months corresponding with, thought I needed to be alone and have peace and quiet.

My cabin was the first one in a row of three. It had a small deck and a view of a magnificent coconut tree. Inside, though was dark, the mattress was incredibly uncomfortable as it consisted of padding, no hotel luxury here. A large mosquito net covered it. Thank goodness, I had brought extra strong Deet mossie spray, but if I didn’t spray thoroughly I’d get bites.

Time for an appointment with the Ayurvedic doctor. He took my pulse and pronounced I had too much water in my body. He prescribed daily massages, and treatments for the next 14 days and no yoga.

I arrived on Friday which was a rest day for the retreat. Brunch is at 10am, and with it my first opportunity to meet my fellow guests. The vegetarian food is cooked from scratch, and delicious. At times, I found it a little bland, but some guests must avoid all spices. Guests sit on cushions on the floor, and around long low tables.

I found a seat next to two women. They talked about England, and I could identify with very little, it seemed the UK has changed considerably in 10 years.

I had my first treatment that afternoon, which consisted of an hour and a half massage with oils. I had expected to keep some clothes on, but no. I was instructed to remove them all, and a bandage was tied between my legs. Was I embarrassed? Yes, but I shut my eyes and tried not to think about it

At 6pm dinner time. More fantastic veggie food. I retired at 7pm to my cabin. I thought I’d slept like a log. No. I hardly slept a wink. I heard scrabbling on the roof which lasted for hours, and then a soft tapping sound. A frog found its way into the bathroom and sat looking at me.

Welcome to Swan.

WHAT NOT TO TALK ABOUT ON A FIRST DATE

WHAT NOT TO TALK ABOUT ON A FIRST DATE

And that’s your ex-girlfriend or how Donald Trump managed to get elected.

We met in a café. We were about the same age and began chatting. We discovered we were both travelling solo, and enjoyed the same leisure interests.  My American companion suggested a date to a Balinese dance performance the next evening. I accepted.

This year one of my goals is to become a more spontaneous person, instead of over thinking everything. We met, and the conversation veered towards ex’s. Why do lesbians always need to know? Anyway, I launched, without thinking into my tale and I didn’t stop! I couldn’t stop, until I related the whole sad saga.  By the end, she looked shell-shocked!

There was a long awkward silence, when we both sipped at our coconut juices. Then she spoke for 20 minutes, about the effects of a Donald Trump presidency on gay rights, society and America’s standing in the world.

Time for the performance of the Kecak Fire Dance which took place in a temple. Great backdrop, hypnotic chanting, dancing, but I didn’t quite get the story line, but no matter. The finale was quite amazing, as a guy danced on embers! If you get a chance, go, it’s only $8!

As for my date, we became separated in the throng of people while getting a taxi. I shouted out ‘Have a good trip’, I looked round and she had gone.

Yesterday I left Ubud with some relief. The driver spoke good English, and suggested a short tour around South Bali before heading to Sanur. With my new-found spontaneity, I agreed. He drove me to Uluwatu Temple, which has some amazing views, but you can’t visit inside the temple. It’s up a steep climb, and hot in the midday sun.

If you visit after 5pm for the Balinese Dances, be careful of the monkeys. Apparently, they know its food time when the tourists arrive for the evening dancing. It’s quite common for sunglasses and hats to be grabbed from unsuspecting tourists.

Onto Pandawa Beach. This beach is part of a massive construction project to bring more tourists into Bali. Even the Balinese must pay to enter this area. An ugly white road winds down to the beach guarded by police. Looking up I saw a shell of a monstrous building being built. This is a dry area in Bali which doesn’t get much rainfall. The amount of water required will severely replete the underground reserves. Most hotels in Bali bore down into the ground to get their own water supply. What’s going to happen when it runs out?  The Balinese don’t know. Is there a plan? Local farmers are selling their land to developers who construct villas or hotels.  Kind of reminds me of Auckland…..

 

See you next week.

TEMPLED OUT IN BALI!

 TEMPLED OUT IN BALI!

I’ve seen a lot, and I mean a lot, comprising all shapes and sizes during my walks and drives around Bali.

Every village has 3 temples, so that kind of accounts why there’s so many.

Last week it was Dark Moon day, and I was lucky to visit Bali’s most important temples.

Pura Besakih is the Mother temple which is regarded as the holiest of Bali’s temples. There are an awful lot of steps and it can take a full day to visit all the temples (there are 80) on the site. I climbed about 100 steps, and that was enough! As it was Dark Moon day, high school students dressed in white came from all over Bali to place offerings.

The temple is located on the slopes of Mount Agung. My driver Wayon drove me up to a vantage point where I could see the grey smoke. It’s still an active volcano.

Then onto Tirta Empul. It’s famous because of its holy water which is used to sprinkle on the daily offerings. The Balinese queue up to submerge themselves under the water.

Pura Bratan is another important water temple, and is on the edge of Lake Bratan. The day I visited it was raining, but that added to the serenity and peacefulness of the lake.

It seems nearly everyone on Bali is called Wayon. I’ve lost track of how many I’ve met, but they’ve all been kind and helpful. The first-born child is always named Wayon, whether it’s a boy or a girl.

I’ve been asked if I’m writing or spending my days on the beach. It’s HOT in the middle of the day, probably around 34 degrees and very humid.  I thought I was used to it living in Auckland, but no, it’s incredibly energy sapping here.

 And finally, after ten months of writing very little or nothing at all, I’m back to averaging 2-3k words a day.

Why didn’t someone tell me how difficult romances are to write?

See you next week.

TRAVELLING SOLO

TRAVELLING SOLO

One month into my year’s adventure and the thrill of travelling solo has lost some of its glamour.

My first two weeks in Bali, apart from getting sick, were fine. In Ubud, I hung out with nice interesting people. Here in Sanur the vibe is very different. Most of the hotels cater for older couples. I’ve noticed very few people travelling solo. They might stay for a couple of days and then move on. I’ve shifted hotels from last week, as the first one was noisy. One night I had a group of men smoking and talking outside my room at 1am!

I’m staying at a hotel, the other end of the beach. It’s very quiet with only a few restaurants on this stretch of beach. Less tourists are coming now, the trees are dropping their leaves and its becoming more humid (if it were possible), so I guess Bali is hitting the low season.

I keep busy in the daytime writing. Since I’ve been in Sanur I’ve planned, plotted and nearly finished a rough draft of a romance. Not bad going! It shows how quiet it is!

I’ve realised I don’t like eating alone.  At home, it never bothered me. Why? Maybe because I watched the news on TV3 while I ate.

I don’t know why it does here, but it does. I sit at a table for two with my Kindle, start to read, order some food, eat while reading, and cast envious glances at couples dining together.

Perhaps that feeling will change in time.

Before I left NZ, I was encouraged by a travel doctor to spend over NZ$300 on anti-rabies injections for the rabid monkeys of Ubud. According, to the doctor if I was unfortunate to sustain a rabid monkey bite, I would need to be repatriated to NZ for a plasma transfusion. My imagination went into full flight. I visualised an early return to Auckland and a week in hospital. So, I paid and had the injections. Three of them over three weeks.

The monkeys are revolting creatures, baring their teeth and picking up rubbish from the street. I was more concerned about fleas, than bites! We paid for a guide to escort us through the forest. If a monkey came near us, the guide whipped out his catapult and brandished it. The monkey would hiss and run away. It was only a couple of dollars for a guide, and well worth it. I’ve heard of monkeys stealing hats, glasses and phones of unsuspecting tourists.

In Ubud, my hotel window overlooked a rice field. Every day from 10am to nightfall three women, who must have been in their 60’s worked non-stop harvesting the crop in the hot sun. Hard, tough, back breaking work. It made me feel grateful I live in NZ!

This Thursday, I’m off to Goa for a meditation and yoga retreat. Not quite sure I’ll be up for the yoga, as I still have a bad back.

See you next week.

 

Jaye

BALI BELLY

BALI BELLY AND CRACKED PAVEMENTS

Greetings from Bali!

Welcome to my first newsletter, I do hope you’ll enjoy reading about my adventures in the newsletters to come.

Well, I didn’t think my year away would begin quite like this.

I’d decided to stay in Ubud because as the Lonely Planet advices it’s all about spiritual awakenings and after last year I needed some of that. I booked two weeks at the Puri Garden hotel, which to be honest, needs a bit of an upgrade but the garden is like an oasis, with a swimming pool, fountains, trees, and exotic plants. I have it all to myself except when a tour group is booked in.

On my first day, I went exploring down Jalan Monkey Forest Road. Essentially the shops and cafes are exclusively for tourists, and it’s not an attractive street. You see European guys stripped to their waists, not caring or considering how this offends the local people.

How I managed to cross the road I don’t know! Scooters buzz around 4×4 on extremely narrow roads. The beeping of the horns is constant, and walking along the pavement is a serious hazard! Most of the paving stones are broken, cracked or missing.  On day 3, I nearly fell down a large hole, and strained my back. If this was New Zealand, ACC would be inundated with claims. But this being Bali nobody seems to be that bothered. You can’t walk in the road as you’re likely to be run down by a scooter. Ubud is not a pleasant destination if you like walking to see the sights.

As you continually have to look down at your feet, you can’t miss the beautiful flowers positioned on a green leaf. The Canang Sari are prepared daily by  young women and left as offerings to the Hindi  gods. Each of the five flowers must be placed in different directions, and a blessing is performed over them.

Before I became sick I visited the Agung Museum of Art. It’s just a short stroll from my hotel. The gallery features Balinese masterpieces, and there’s an interesting exhibition of Walter Spies life and paintings. Why I recommend visiting are the gardens. Down a very steep flight of stairs lies an incredible Balinese garden. A river rushes through it, and rice fields sit at the back. While I was walking down a path I saw a lizard around 36cm long sunning itself on the side of a rice field. It scurried away before I could take a photo.

On Day 4 I had Bali Belly. As I vomited and sat on the toilet all night, I tried to remember when I had last felt so unwell. I think it was Lesbos in 84, but I could be wrong. I stupidly decided not to see a doctor the next day because I thought I’d get better. No way!!! It got worse! The next night was more horrendous, if that were possible. The next morning I asked one of the hotel staff to get me a doctor. A man and a woman arrived within the hour, and I assumed the man was the doctor. Wrong assumption Jaye! Dr Made examined me, and prescribed 4 different types of medication, and gave me instructions on my diet for the next seven days. I’ll be following all her advice to the letter.

Having an enforced rest at the hotel has been interesting. The owner of the hotel a lookalike Imelda Marcos comes every day and sits in the dining room and goes through a ledger and then speaks to her employees one by one. Quite why she needs to do this every day I haven’t worked out.

Somebody told me every hotel must employ 30 local people. This must keep unemployment costs down. So far, I’ve only seen a few women beggars with children.

Getting sick caused me to question the wisdom of travelling solo especially in Asia, but I did cope and I did survive.

Best wishes

 

Jaye