Nusa Dua

Today the skies opened, and the rain came – finally! I spoke with a woman online yesterday who told me she has been coming to Bali for 40 years, and the past two weeks were the most humid and unbearable she has ever experienced. I am glad I am not the only person who found it intolerable. With the rain the temperature has dropped significantly and so for the first time in 2.5 weeks I am feeling comfortable.

In my last blog I commented on how I might not have chosen to stay in Nusa Dua this week had I known it was gated and nothing but big resorts. It turns out however, that my hotel is not located inside the gates, so I could continue to wander the streets and experience everyday life in Bali…the thing is, every where I have been has basically been the same (notwithstanding certain geographic location differences): every street has bad sidewalks that are lined with massage shops, tattoo shops, restaurants, clothing shops selling sarongs, and booths selling activities and tours. Oh, and lots and lots of temples (but trust me when I say they all start looking alike after a while) and lots and lots of taxis.

Some might say that what I describe is not the “authentic” Bali – but what exactly does that mean? Servicing the tourism industry IS what most Balinese do. This IS their reality; therefore, it IS authentic. To want to slow or stop tourism, is to want to slow and stop jobs for locals. Before tourism Bali was incredibly poor. 

So, who are we to say tourism is bad for a place? And if we do, we do so selfishly, because we want sleepy, unspoiled, cheap places to go in the winter. (I myself have caught myself complaining about the good old days when one could travel to the tropics and buy a beer for a dollar.) The truth is, it is quite disingenuous of us to come as tourists to a place like Bali only to complain about how tourists have ruined the place – and yet, I have heard this constantly since my arrival here. 

I spoke with one of my drivers and asked him if the Balinese people are happy about all the tourism that has taken over the island, and he said emphatically, “Yes! Before tourism we were all very poor. Now we have jobs.”

So, saying Nusa Dua is not authentic is just as wrong, and I stand corrected. 

Nusa Dua is lovely - the perfect place to stay if you have some money and enjoy some luxury, clean beaches, and sidewalks that don't have holes in them large enough to swallow a man whole. There is a paved pathway beside the water that runs all along the length of Nusa Dua, and on the back side of the resorts are wide pathways full of greenery, flowers, crosswalks, and gorgeous traffic circles. It is great for walking and the beach is soft sand and gently entry to shallow, calm water.

As I have written in my book Around the World: A Journey Inward travel to the developing world has challenged me, built character, and has been a catalyst for change. It has taught me lessons I could not have learned in any other way – but one of the things I have learned is that I don't have to stay in crap places with no airconditioning to somehow gain the "authentic" experience. 

Experiencing the authentic Bali is about experiencing its people. And that means taking the time to speak with people outside your resort. It is about being open to learning and respecting their culture. For people who maybe have not travelled very much, Bali would be a great place to come.

For me however, it was a long, long, long way to come for a tropical island that looks pretty much like every other tropical island I have been on. Nothing I see surprises me anymore. 

For me, the world has shrunk. 

Is it possible there are no more lessons for me to learn? I doubt that. But maybe the lesson I need to learn most is how to stay home and be content. 

I have worked hard to build for myself a wonderful home and business in Oliver, and the truth is, I cannot wait to get back there.