Bali - A Poem
Gentle blue waves lap against the airport reef during your final descent,
A cloud of smoke as the landing gear smashes into the runway;
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A peaceful walk along the Ubud ridge amongst rice paddies with the heady aroma of Hindu incense in the air and you enjoy the best yoga practice of your life,
Monkey tribes playing in the forest and occasionally stealing from and harassing the unsuspecting and unprepared tourist;
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An early hike to the Batur volcano summit with clear starry skies that turn into an orange sunrise as you followed by and an assortment of coffee and tea choices at the plantation afterwards,
Black soot in your sinuses from the volcanic ash that evening and a sudden infestation of red ants next to your bathroom sink;
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The largest surf swell in decades fills in and you give it a go,
The possibility of drowning crosses your mind as a large set catches you inside at an unfamiliar surf reef;
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Manageable surf and a good session the next day,
Almost immediate ear and stomach ache due to the heavily polluted and trash filled water in Canggu, the result of unsustainable overdevelopment mostly driven by tourism, unreliable rubbish disposal on this and adjacent islands, and lack of education with regards to the environmental/health impact of dumping trash in the river banks, fields, ocean etc.;
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Confidence building and many surf sessions with large, long, and playful lefthand waves at Medewi as the next slightly smaller swell arrives and you’re happy to stay here for a week,
Then the stomach bug kicks in full force and after a few days you’ve lost almost 20lbs;
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A Hindu dance is performed by a young family as you enjoy a traditional meal, and you find comfort in the pleasant local people you’ve met throughout the island,
Stomach still not feeling right;
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Finally, stomach bug relieved after 2 days of emergency antibiotics,
On the third day you break out in hives from an antibiotic allergy you didn’t know you had, Benadryl quickly dissipates it;
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A spectacular Uluwatu temple sunset while watching the Kecak Fire Dance performance
A 7.0 earthquake rumbles as you’re enjoying your dinner under a palm canopy and the patrons all run to the center open courtyard until it dissipates;
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A dreamy blue wave under the Bingin cliffs comes to you and you make the most of it,
As you paddle back to the lineup, your arms start itching and burning. You realize your arms and seemingly your whole body are cramping as hives spread over your body, and it’s a 15 minute paddle back to shore. Terror grips you. Should you embarrassingly ask another surfer to help you get in? Have you become allergic to the sun or the ocean? Will you make it to shore? Once on shore, you take few Benadryl, which you now carry with you everywhere, and you shake and chatter your teeth uncontrollably for 20 minutes while your wife comforts you and assures you that you’ll be okay, the shock subsides and your skin slowly returns to normal;
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You relax in the airport lounge as you wait for your flight,
You learn the airport experienced structural damage in yesterday’s earthquake and at least 98 people died on the neighboring island of Lombok where the quake was centered, the same island you had considered visiting a few days prior;
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Takeoff…..
