Sweat, Pollution, and Cucumber Cream Soup

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
March 31, 2004


Onlookers may have thought I had a boring day in Bali, but I had a full day, and in some respects a grand time.

I found it ambitious enough to try to find a large airmail envelope and the official post office, and to update my travel journal blog. It was especially hot and smoggy, and I found myself coughing quite a bit till I escaped Ubud's main road. A local recently expoused his theory that Balinese no longer lived to the ripe age of 100-something because their diets are less natural. Today convinced me that the blame lays in the ill tuned pollution spewing scooters and vans, and the toxic smoke from burning plastic (locals burn their rubbish.) Oh... and lets not forget cigarettes; those laced with cloves and various spices not being exempt.

There were quite a few services along the way that would accept mail at supposedly the same postal rate as the official post office, but that typically adds an extra day to the delivery time. I forged on, as I was in a hurry to contact my email hating friend Chantal so that I could confirm and plan for her tentative arrival in Bali. My emails had gone unanswered. It took several inquiries, a couple wrong turns, and a lot of sweat, to find the official post office. I could barely believe I'd found the place. It had that official sign and government air to it that seems to exist across nations, but there were no lines, and the guy handling mail seemed to be doing it almost as an after thought. His counter was the smallest one in the place, his weigh scale was a puny plastic thing, and he was also selling jewelry and purses. The guys at the main counter were embroiled in some organizational matters. He assured me that my guide book was incorrect about a rush option to speed up the 10 day delivery time to the USA. Ah well... I hope Chantal isn't leaving for Bali before my letter's arrival, or that she emails me with her plans.

Warning... don't assume that envelopes in Bali have glue laced edges ready for your licking. Also, glue sticks are not effective in humidity or with handmade paper. I'm hoping that my second outer envelope with the string tie holds up during it's international journey. I unexpectedly found myself longing for Office Depot's peel and stick, waterproof, and tear-proof, Kevlar envelopes! Expat wannabes, take note!

The rest of the day was spent ferreting out pragmatic purchases in stuffy hot stores (hangers, electrical extension cords, incense, etc). I found career inspiration in children's educational workbooks and language translations, and the Bali Advertiser. The latter is a free expat newspaper that had articles on travel and travel writers. I read about one travel writer's career over a too expensive yummy lunch with a lovely lotus pond view. Disappointingly, the fresh fruit juices were unavailable since the electricity was out. They made up for it by presenting my fried rice (Nasi Goreng) in a pineapple.

After the grueling trek through sweltering central Ubud, I wanted nothing better than to take a cool shower and afternoon nap. I wasn't in the mood for the inevitable friendly socializing from my hosts. Charmingly, my guesthouse hosts' children gave me a drawing they'd done, and (less charmingly) the father rousted me from my nap and presented me with a fancy crepe dessert from his hospitality school. People's ideas about space, timing, and privacy, are different here. I counted my blessings.

Well, time for bed. I wish the ceiling lizards would concentrate on mosquitos rather than moths...