Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Bali Bound and Back

So Bali has come and gone. This was one trip where I just had to sit and relax. Because of my broken arm, there was no surfing, no scuba diving, no shark wrangling. Poor me. All I had to do was just sit next to the pool, drink cocktails, and read my book. You know, sometimes life can be really unfair.

I did actually manage to get out and do a few things. Kat and I saw a few temples, namely the Elephant Cave and the Mother Temple. The Elephant Cave got its name because the first person to find the cave, after it fell into ruin, thought the cave was really big-- so big in fact that the only thing he could compare it to was an elephant and the foolish name stuck. That's like running around and calling everything with two eyes a chicken. The Mother Temple was named because it looked like someone's mother. Kidding, bad joke. Still the temples were wondrous sights and I got to learn a lot about Hinduism, most of which I have forgotten by now.

Kat and I also went to a Mt. Batur and Lake Batur (a volcano and a crater respectively, last eruption in 1997). This part of the island was much more quiet and quaint. We even procured a hotel room that was cow adjacent. The bovine had the uncanny ability of mooing every 30 seconds kind of like a metronome on really low batteries. There was also a rooster that went off at five o'clock A.M. One night of that pastoral wonderland was enough for us.

On another day Kat and I went to the bird sanctuary, the reptile farm, and bribed monkeys with fruit on the side of the road. At the reptile farm we learned that Bali was home to the spitting cobra, and that after a bite from this creature you have two hours to get to a hospital or it's lights out. Fun!

But most of the days were committed to laying on the beach or by the pool and reading. My book of choice this vacation was The Best Crime Reporting of 2007. It's a great read; check it out. At night we'd go to one of the hundreds of restaurants in the Sanur area and eat our fill. I hate to admit this but I never tried any of the Indonesian food. I know, I'm a fraud, a fake; I'm one of those people who pretends to be an intrepid traveler and then eats only hamburgers and fries in exotic countries. The thing is foreign food, good foreign food can be hard to find in Korea and when it is done right it can cost a pretty penny. The food in Bali was delicious and cheap. The first restaurant Kat and stopped by had steaks on the menu, and we couldn't figure out if they were $40 or $4. They were $4 and cooked to perfection. That's one thing about Bali, it can be expensive to fly there but it's cheap once you are there.

Still, not everything is perfect in paradise. One of the drawbacks is the hassling that goes on. Drivers are always hitting you up to go somewhere (anywhere is fine with them) and merchants are always bothering you to look in their shops. This I don't mind, but once you look in shop and realize there's nothing you want, the owners make it next to impossible to leave, following you down the street imploring you to buy something. This is a tough situation. I understand that people have to make money, but I have a strict policy against buying crap I don't need. How do you communicate that?

Overall though people were genuinely nice and I would not hesitate to go back. Hopefully next time I can test the waves and chase some sharks, but I would not mind just to sit on the beach again, drink a beer, read a book, watch Kat swim, and wait for the sun to go down.

Lotus


Lotus
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.

Flag and Beach


Flag and Beach
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.
Kat on da beach.

Dragonfly 2


Dragonfly 2
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.
He's got his sunglasses on.

Shampoo Commercial 2


Shampoo Commercial 2
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.
This is great, a swimming pool that allows me to get wet and keep the cast dry, relatively. I doubt this picture will send much business their way, but the name of the hotel was Puri Sadang in Sanur and it was awesome. Nice staff, great pool and one dollar beers from the mini-bar.

Us


Us
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.
Why is Kat's beer on fire?

Little Monster


Little Monster
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.
Balanese frog.

Our New Pet


Our New Pet
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.
Kat likes to collect strays.

Buddhist Temple Remains


Buddhist Temple Remains
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.
An earthquake laid ruin to this Buddhist temple. Too bad for the temple but it's still very cool in an Indiana Jones sort of way.

About to Be Devoured


About to Be Devoured
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.
Kat and I being as touristy as we can. I was given a sarong to wear as shorts are not allowed at the temple. This is not my attempt to blend in although I think the sarong is rather fetching and may become part of my daily garb.

Lake Batur


Lake Batur
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.
Mt Batur in the background as well as Lake Batur. Kat and I actually used some teamwork on this panorama. I took the first series of picture while she took the last. We were actually sitting about two inches away from each other the whole time.

Mt. Batur


Mt. Batur
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.
Lat eruption, 1997.

The Mother Temple


The Mother Temple
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.
The mother of all temples. This is actually a series of temples, seven temples in all. The first set of temples is restored and very well maintained, but the temples get older and more dilapidated the further one travels. Our guide admitted that he had no idea when the last temple was built or who built it. Total travel time to all temples is six hours. Kat and I made it to the third temple. We're saving the rest for next time.

Pagodas


Pagodas
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.
Pagodas at the Mother Temple.

Ocean at Night


Ocean at Night
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.
The ocean and souls that dwell in it.

Wankers and Waterfall


Wankers and Waterfall
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.
I forget the name of these falls but they were cool.

Bleah!


Bleah!
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.
Fountain barfing out hot spring water.

Does This Fur Make Me Look Fat?

What not to say to a monkey: "No, the fat makes you look fat."

Spike 2
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.
Spike

Freaky Spike. Actually all the young monkeys have Mohawks until they get old enough, grow up, and realize they'll never get a job looking like that.

Pura Ulun Temple
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.
Pura Ulun Temple

Actually, this is a Buddhist temple. I was surprised to learn how much Buddhism and Hinduism have in common. They are sister religions. Then again, in a certain light, I think all religions can be viewed as sister religions. Then again, this is a belief that I know many disagree with.

Dracula


Dracula
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.
Here is a large dog wrapped in black Saran-Wrap hanging by its toes (fruit bat).

Sally


Sally
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.
Everyone say hi to Sally the owl.

Bali Falcon


Bali Falcon
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.
Here is a Bali falcon stealing meat off the head of a Japanese tourist. And you thought you had seen everything.

Dinosaur Bird


Dinosaur Bird
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.
Sorry, the title is misleading; the bird's name is not really Dinosaur Bird. It's Candlewax Bird. Sorry, that's not true either and I'm too lazy to look up what it really is.

King Cobra


King Cobra
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.
Darkness, snakes and spooky things.

Friends


Friends
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.
I love this picture. Kat looks happy, but the damn lizard looks ecstatic.

Croc


Croc
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.
Real croc, fake environment-- taken at the reptile farm.

Gede and Me


Gede and Me
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.
If you see this man on the street of Sanur (the dark one, not me) don't run away. He is one of the best drivers in all of Bali and will show everything the island has to offer. Run if you see me.

Crabs!


Crabs!
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.
This is one of those small sand crabs that can blend so masterfully into their surroundings.

Smiley Kat


Smiley Kat
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.
Ha ha! I finally tricked her into smiling big and bright for the camera.

Pool Flowers


Pool Flowers
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.
Even pool sludge is pretty here.

Huts and Beach


Huts and Beach
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.
Kinda pretty and serene.

Flight Back


Flight Back
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.
At least the flight back was pretty.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Gloom, Despair and Agony on Me

"So there I was in half-pipe, pullin off some knarly shredage, when..." Okay, I'll stop right there. A first has come about in my life; at the ripe old age of 32 I received my first broken bone. I went snowboarding on Thursday and busted my arm. It was the Lunar New Year, all the Koreans were busy eating kimchi with loved ones so the slopes were empty. This caused me to get overexcited and use a bit too much speed and carelessness in the half-pipe and here I am now, nothin but a busted up waygook.

The emergency room was slightly traumatic as most emergency rooms are, but made more so that it was in Korea. Combined, the three doctors who took care of me had the English ability of a functioning two-year old. Most doctors around here speak fairly good English, but the day I went in was the Lunar New Year's Day, the biggest holiday in Korea. I have a feeling I got the newbies. They did a good job though. The only problem was they couldn't really talk to me and prepare me for anything. When they went to set the bone one doctor, with no warning, grabbed me by the elbow and took a wide stance. The other doctor grabbed my hand and got ready to pull. I just looked up with a horrified expression and thought, Wait, they're not actually going to-- and then they pulled. Actually that part wasn't too bad. It was when they pushed down on the arm that I lost it. The doctor I visited yesterday told me they did a good job though. He showed me the x-rays, explained everything to me and told me that basically I'm screwed for four weeks.

It's funny though, I've had plenty of instances as a kid where it seems like I should have broken something, but I was more prone to stitches than anything else. In the past I've tended to bounce or bust open on impact. Now I tend to crack and stay where I've landed in a busted heap. It feels as though something has been taken from me. I always was able to brag that I didn't break. Now there's another chink in the ego armor, a scar to remind that I'm really not immortal.

Still this incident is slightly laughable were it not for one thing, a trip to Bali. This Friday I leave on my long awaited trip. Bali, the land of surfing, swimming, diving, scooter trips and I don't get to do any of it. Oh dear reader, do not think this irony is lost on me: an outdoors loving man is disabled in an outdoor activity that enables him only to watch people from the beach enjoying other outdoor activities. Damn, that's all there is to say, damn.

Still I can't moan too much (actually I can) but it was 14 degrees this morning (-10C) so Bali is still welcome. Some other random musings:

- I feel kind of helpless at times not speaking the language to well over here and such. Now I get to see what that feels like without the use of my right arm as well.

- Using chopsticks with my left hand is not as difficult as previously thought. Neither is writing on the board.

-The cast is already getting stinky. The Internet suggests baking soda and foot powder.

- It's tough to find Hee Haw clips on the Internet.

-Typing like this sucks. I'm going to stop.

The Four Week Flex


The Four Week Flex
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.
I stare accusingly at the arm: Why'd you have to give out on me? while the arm stares back: Why'd you have to land on me so hard? In the other hand is the beer I felt I deserved.

Broken Arm


Broken Arm
Originally uploaded by karmking1111.
Pictured is the arm right before it was set.

Saturday, February 02, 2008

Those Crazy Bastards Up North

Pictured is the stunning Ryugyong Hotel. I had heard about this place, the world's largest hotel in beautiful Pyongyang. Forget the fact that Pyongyang has next to no visitors, Kim Il-Sung and his son the successor still want to have that claim to fame; the world's largest hotel. Now if they want the title, the world's largest hotel with actual guests they'll have to work a bit harder because the hotel has never had a single guest. The building itself is structurally unsound (just look at the thing) and North Korea doesn't have the money to add little extravagances like windows and elevators. It was slated to be completed in 1989 and almost twenty years later the spirit prison has yet to be finished. When North Korea releases pictures of Pyeongyang they routinely photoshop out this monstrous eye-sore. This thing is proof that often the truth is stranger than fiction. I don't support the Kim Il-Jung regime but you have to admit they provide some entertainment. to read more check out The Worst Building in the History of Mankind by Esquire magazine.