I love Bali
Supafreak wrote:Just received some sad news , some of you would have met an American skipper in mentawai called Eric , was skipper on Addiction for some years and before that on another boat . He built a land camp at thunders . Yesterday surfing big rags left he never made it back to the boat and his body was found today. Leaves behind an Indonesian wife & 2 kids . R.I.P. Eric
That's super sad, only met him a few times but quite a character really feel for his wife especially as has young kids.
Supafreak wrote:Just received some sad news , some of you would have met an American skipper in mentawai called Eric , was skipper on Addiction for some years and before that on another boat . He built a land camp at thunders . Yesterday surfing big rags left he never made it back to the boat and his body was found today. Leaves behind an Indonesian wife & 2 kids . R.I.P. Eric
Eric was a good bloke, with a solid, dry sense of humour that spanned American and Aussie clientele.
He was on Nomad for a while - that’s where I met him.
RIP
R.I.P. Eric
Total farktards , could have easily started a major fire . 6 months in hotel k would have been justice .
Exchange rate on Wise this morning 10915 rp to AUD . My stingy bank is offering 9757 .
Supafreak wrote:Exchange rate on Wise this morning 10915 rp to AUD . My stingy bank is offering 9757 .
Wise is great.
Possibly off topic for Bali specific but note a few experienced indo travellers here;)
Im off to the mentawais and have a green step up i was considering taking along... my question is whether there's any concerns within that region for green. It's not java but still possibly perceived as not advisable. So in short is green just java or the whole of Indonesia? Im leaning towards dont risk it... any input appreciated
Doublems111 wrote:Possibly off topic for Bali specific but note a few experienced indo travellers here;)
Im off to the mentawais and have a green step up i was considering taking along... my question is whether there's any concerns within that region for green. It's not java but still possibly perceived as not advisable. So in short is green just java or the whole of Indonesia? Im leaning towards dont risk it... any input appreciated
Haha hard one 111.
She is meant to be for Java Sea, but saying that I have never worn green boardies anywhere in Indo....
She apparently goes for young guys in green shorts.
Don't know if a board would count.
Reckon I'd be safe these days as no longer in young cohort.
Superstition but would follow ya gut feeling.
""Ban on green garment
edit
There is a local belief that wearing a green garment will bring the wearer bad luck, as green is Nyi Roro Kidul's favorite color.[6] Sea green (gadhung m'lathi in Javanese) is Nyi Roro Kidul's favorite color and no one should wear the color along the southern coast of Java.[7] Warnings are always given to people visiting the southern coast not to wear green garments. The myth is that they could be targeted by Nyai Rara Kidul to become her soldiers or servants (slaves). Logically, the reason arises because water on the southern coast tends to be greenish so drowning victims wearing green garments will be difficult to find.
Serat Centhini mentions that Gusti Kanjeng Nyai Rara Kidul has kampuh gadhung mlathi or "a long green dodot cloth with a white center" that is gold-toned."'
From wiki....
Thanks Andy. Yeah saw a board get swallowed whole on the rocks due to a rasta (yellow GREEN red)tailpad. Sceptics would say the leash got stuck but ive never seen an ocean/tide rise like that... nor a leash that tought that it didnt snap... crazy stuff. This was in west java amongst the thick of it, went to the hotel room reserved for her soon after. Pretty legit around there, but same as you have never worn green anywhere in indo... think ive made my decision, the board stays home haha
Doublems111 wrote:Thanks Andy. Yeah saw a board get swallowed whole on the rocks due to a rasta (yellow GREEN red)tailpad. Sceptics would say the leash got stuck but ive never seen an ocean/tide rise like that... nor a leash that tought that it didnt snap... crazy stuff. This was in west java amongst the thick of it, went to the hotel room reserved for her soon after. Pretty legit around there, but same as you have never worn green anywhere in indo... think ive made my decision, the board stays home haha
Good excuse to get a new board for trip! :)
Took a green 7,7 to gland one time I didn't end up using it but a mate borrowed it and got done up on the reef pretty good, both him and the board needed some repairs . Discalimer ; He was far from young and left coming in till it was pretty dark so not sure if it was the godess or just Russ kooking it? but something I consider when packing .
Doublems111 wrote:Possibly off topic for Bali specific but note a few experienced indo travellers here;)
Im off to the mentawais and have a green step up i was considering taking along... my question is whether there's any concerns within that region for green. It's not java but still possibly perceived as not advisable. So in short is green just java or the whole of Indonesia? Im leaning towards dont risk it... any input appreciated
Take it ... Give it a Colour Change....With a Spray Can. . .
Test the Superstition .
Think Peter Neely points out in Indo surf and lingo, only guy who died by being bitten by sea snake at ulu was wearing green shorts.
Maybe memory has it wrong, but yeah I wouldn't mess with goddess' of Java Sea. :)
Pretty sure iv seen a Pic or Vid of Rizal on a Green Board at Ulu
Edit: Was ivan at Padang / Green Deck
Myth busters
?si=GPdhpKs92Phvf34e udo wrote:Seems Green is O.K. for Indonesians ?
https://www.instagram.com/p/BAN54gPPJoX/
https://www.instagram.com/p/6I6VR7vJpP/
Well there ya go!
indo-dreaming wrote:andy-mac wrote:Roystein wrote:we have used Palm Beach Hotel, cheap no frills but great little restaurant in the hotel. boats for the breaks out the front (its on the street on the beach).
Jl Jenggala no 1, Kuta, 80361 Kuta
Can second this, stayed there a few times. Straight across road from pantai Jerman which has some pretty good cheap seafood warungs, cold Binnies, and nice sunsets ... ok stating the obvious.
Still has old Bali feel with local groms running around beach without the plastic influencer crowd.I like the sound of this place and googled it, ive been wanting to try somewhere a bit different with the family for a few days on way to Java/Sumatra and im sick of Legian area this place looks up my alley, just the classic 80s/90s Bali hotel, budget price but still enough to keep everyone happy pool for kids and seafood warungs for missus.
Didnt stay at this place as needed two seperate rooms for family of four but stayed nearby for something different just two nights before moving on elsewhere in Indo.
I really dug that jerman beach area has a nice old school bali vibe, some nice little places to eat down a small gang and then some classic Bali warungs along the beach, great place to go have a few beers as the sunsets and food was good and cheap and locals were real friendly, me and the old Pak at the first Warung Pak Dendi or something hit it off top guy.
Had a funny incident took my 4 year old boy to the beach on sunset and i got hassled by the shell seller man, he gave me a big carved cowrie to hold and i gave it back, he also gave my boy one but i didnt know and my boy ran back to his mum at the warung i chassed him and when caught up to him noticed he had the cowrie, i looked behind me and the shell guy is pacing towards us, the locals thought it was hilarious.
udo wrote:Seems Green is O.K. for Indonesians ?
https://www.instagram.com/p/BAN54gPPJoX/
https://www.instagram.com/p/6I6VR7vJpP/
Ah. Nice Ok so must be Java only. Or the Tandjungs are royalty in Bali so probably some anomaly there....or both
I doubt the Tandjungs would leave a Favorite Green Board behind in Bali when going to there Pacitan Property on Java ...And Green Mals in the Board Racks at Batukaras...
Or theres Gerrys G.Land Board http://www.boardcollector.com/2012/09/gerrys-first-g-land-pin-tail.html
Is green considered cursed or unlucky over there?
Don’t Wear Green in Indo
This superstition isn’t so widely acted upon from tourists and other surfers, but within the local community it’s very well known and adhered to, to the point where sponsored Indonesians refuse to wear rash vests, or even sponsors boardshorts because of the potential outcome. The main superstition is that if you wear green boardshorts, use a green surfboard or have a green t-shirt… basically if you wear anything green, the sea will take you and never let you go!
Now, this does have some credence because throughout Indonesia most people believe in some kind of faith, as well as other mythical and more obscure things such as black magic. In Indonesian culture it is said that the queen of the southern seas ( Ratu Nyai Loro Kidul ) is depicted in all green and any man that goes in the ocean wearing green will be taken by her, because she wants to keep them for herself and will never let them go. You can see where this superstition comes from and it does have some truth, the Indonesian ocean can be a rough place, take Bali for example, lots of people die in the sea each year and naturally, some of them are wearing green.. so depending on who you talk to, it’s true… Better off leaving the green boardies at home…just to be safe!
@indo , I’ve never been to telos but would like to visit your Indo friends house , I’ve had a look on the website and looks casual and cool , my only concern is swell , is there any magnets close by ? It’s a long way to go to possibly get skunked.
Wonder if the new Reno at Grand Bali Beach still has a room for her?
Wear green at your own risk, you have been warned. :)
https://sota-lallang.com/creative-non-fiction/nyi-roro-kidul-respecting-...
Dropped into the new icon in sanur the other day , it was packed and bumper to bumper traffic . Took the daughter shopping for some knickers , pack of 7 was 350,000 rp , decided to go elsewhere. https://iconbalimall.com/
udo wrote:Don’t Wear Green in Indo
This superstition isn’t so widely acted upon from tourists and other surfers, but within the local community it’s very well known and adhered to, to the point where sponsored Indonesians refuse to wear rash vests, or even sponsors boardshorts because of the potential outcome. The main superstition is that if you wear green boardshorts, use a green surfboard or have a green t-shirt… basically if you wear anything green, the sea will take you and never let you go!
Now, this does have some credence because throughout Indonesia most people believe in some kind of faith, as well as other mythical and more obscure things such as black magic. In Indonesian culture it is said that the queen of the southern seas ( Ratu Nyai Loro Kidul ) is depicted in all green and any man that goes in the ocean wearing green will be taken by her, because she wants to keep them for herself and will never let them go. You can see where this superstition comes from and it does have some truth, the Indonesian ocean can be a rough place, take Bali for example, lots of people die in the sea each year and naturally, some of them are wearing green.. so depending on who you talk to, it’s true… Better off leaving the green boardies at home…just to be safe!
worn green in indo all my life. still havent died
Taken from here Burleigh : https://sbsboards.com/tag/bali-surf-myth/
burleigh wrote:udo wrote:Don’t Wear Green in Indo
This superstition isn’t so widely acted upon from tourists and other surfers, but within the local community it’s very well known and adhered to, to the point where sponsored Indonesians refuse to wear rash vests, or even sponsors boardshorts because of the potential outcome. The main superstition is that if you wear green boardshorts, use a green surfboard or have a green t-shirt… basically if you wear anything green, the sea will take you and never let you go!
Now, this does have some credence because throughout Indonesia most people believe in some kind of faith, as well as other mythical and more obscure things such as black magic. In Indonesian culture it is said that the queen of the southern seas ( Ratu Nyai Loro Kidul ) is depicted in all green and any man that goes in the ocean wearing green will be taken by her, because she wants to keep them for herself and will never let them go. You can see where this superstition comes from and it does have some truth, the Indonesian ocean can be a rough place, take Bali for example, lots of people die in the sea each year and naturally, some of them are wearing green.. so depending on who you talk to, it’s true… Better off leaving the green boardies at home…just to be safe!worn green in indo all my life. still havent died
#pureblood strength
Supafreak wrote:Dropped into the new icon in sanur the other day , it was packed and bumper to bumper traffic . Took the daughter shopping for some knickers , pack of 7 was 350,000 rp , decided to go elsewhere. https://iconbalimall.com/
Yeah heard super exy and causing traffic headaches which Sanur has managed to avoid til now.
Be interesting to see how it goes, think if a nightmare to get to traffic wise, could end up being a fixer.
udo wrote:Taken from here Burleigh : https://sbsboards.com/tag/bali-surf-myth/
thought you were a science guy Udo..........
I don't really believe in superstitions stuff generally, but after living well over a decade full time in Bali and a fair bit of time in Java around Pelabuhan Ratu, I definitely respect their take on things.
There is something in the air, karmic forces, black magic, whatever you wish to call it.
Cannot explain it, but there is something going on that I cannot explain
Or maybe I'm just tripping. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Still I wouldn't wear green shorts, although logically think there would be nothing to worry about....
Reminds me of a Niels Bohr (Danish physicist, Nobel Prize winner) story. He had a horse shoe nailed to his front door (good luck in Denmark), and a visiting colleague said "I didn't think you believed in stuff like that!" To which NB replied "I don't, but I hear it works even if you don't..."
Island Bay wrote:Reminds me of a Niels Bohr (Danish physicist, Nobel Prize winner) story. He had a horse shoe nailed to his front door (good luck in Denmark), and a visiting colleague said "I didn't think you believed in stuff like that!" To which NB replied "I don't, but I hear it works even if you don't..."
Haha nailed it IB.
andy-mac wrote:I don't really believe in superstitions stuff generally, but after living well over a decade full time in Bali and a fair bit of time in Java around Pelabuhan Ratu, I definitely respect their take on things.
There is something in the air, karmic forces, black magic, whatever you wish to call it.
Cannot explain it, but there is something going on that I cannot explain
Or maybe I'm just tripping. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Still I wouldn't wear green shorts, although logically think there would be nothing to worry about....
My experience in Indo is that Karma is 110% real have experienced it a few times... on the wrong end.
andy-mac wrote:I don't really believe in superstitions stuff generally, but after living well over a decade full time in Bali and a fair bit of time in Java around Pelabuhan Ratu, I definitely respect their take on things.
There is something in the air, karmic forces, black magic, whatever you wish to call it.
Cannot explain it, but there is something going on that I cannot explain
Or maybe I'm just tripping. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Still I wouldn't wear green shorts, although logically think there would be nothing to worry about....
Not tripping mate
Definitely there,in the air whatever
Experiance convinces me
My wife ,Sumatran, convinces me even more
It`s there ,magic and spirits.It`s there
Heck wrote:https://www.gofundme.com/f/please-help-slims-family-get-through-some-tou...
Never Met Slim, but back in the day his baliwaves reports were sensational and still going to this day.
I just saw on the gofundme link that he passed away on the 1st July.
RIP Slim.
Bali won’t be the same without him. Scored the best waves of my life every trip.
This happened a few nights ago and local friends that found her said it was a motorbike accident. It’s a really busy time of year and there’s lots of drunken tourists riding bikes. I’m not saying she was drunk, just saying lots of idiots on narrow roads with high beam on and pissed . A local friend had a head on accident 7 weeks ago , again at night and copped 12 stitches just above his eye and the german tourist broke his leg . https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-05/newcastle-women-suffers-horrific-... edit…… majority of tourists don’t wear helmets on Lembongan and Ive never seen a local wear one .
^ horrible. nothing good happens 'out there' after 9pm.
People might get travel insurance but if hiring a bike , unless you have a bike license from your country plus a international license plus the bike you have hired is legal and registered then insurance companies won’t pay . Majority of bikes on Lembongan are not registered and many don’t have ownership papers as they are stolen elsewhere in Indonesia and end up being sold very cheap on small islands. There are bemos to get you around on Lembongan and a lot of restaurants offer free pickup and drop off , a much safer option for families .
Some insurers will cover if scooter is under 200cc. As long as you’ve got a valid Oz car license and wear a helmet. Just as you can ride a scooter in Oz with car license. I confirmed this last year
you got a trip lined up @seeds? what did you decide for blowing out winter cobwebs?
Still mulling it over. Got an itch to go somewhere else but for an extended trip can’t beat it for value for money.
Not Bali but Indo.
No guest at moment new group arrives tomorrow im waiting until the arvo and tide to go surf.
Anyway its always interesting to see village life and way people think and act.
Sadly some guy in his 40s has some serious condition, maybe had a stroke or something as much of his body is paralysed, he was in town at a clinic last week and everyone was visting him, but he came home the other day, and now everyone from the village is crowding around his bed 24/7
Obviously with the best inventions, but the poor guy would be mentally drained from all the people, yesterday he stopped being able to talk or eat, so expect he wont last too much longer, and half the village didnt sleep as felt they needed to be up with him.
seeds wrote:Some insurers will cover if scooter is under 200cc. As long as you’ve got a valid Oz car license and wear a helmet. Just as you can ride a scooter in Oz with car license. I confirmed this last year
ok good to know , Ive looked at a few different policies for bike insurance and they stipulated license was a must . Which insurance company was this seeds ?
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.