MOTOR BIKE FOR ME

The following morning I woke up and finally worked up the nerve to rent a motorbike. Yay me J. I walked a ways and found a place that had an automatic and was able to get it for 30,000 rupiah (approx. $3 for the day). Richie had given me a brief lesson on his semi-automatic bike back in Ubud so when the guy asked me if I knew how to ride I said yes and acted as if I was a total expert. And when he asked me for my license (you have to have an international motorcycle license to drive legally) I said it was back at the hotel and that was good enough for him. Just like that I had my bike and I was off to explore and get really lost. Yes, I drove my first bike amongst the CRAZY Indonesian drivers where the only rule really is that you use your horn to get people to move out of the way when you pass, and the biggest cars rule the road. Still never figured out the difference between one honk, two honks, three honks, soft honks, or hard honks but I’m sure there’s meaning behind it all.

Rice fields in Singaraja

Anyway, as predicted, I got totally lost looking for this famous waterfall named Git Git. I was pulled off to the side of the road looking at my map when this really sweet old man stopped and tried to help me with directions. As I had already learned with Richie, you can always expect for the people to be very kind and try to help you find where ever you wish to go. Unfortunately, he spoke NO English so he ended up drawing me a map which eventually got me even more lost.

villagers

But that proved to be the best part about the day because I ended up deep into this little village where no tourists really ever go. After cruising around for a bit, I pulled off to one of the wartels on the side of the road and ordered a Sprite. The people were looking at me like I was an alien but they continued to smile. I’m pretty sure I made their day and they definitely made mine. They were calling their friends and neighbors over to check me out and one of the people that wandered over was this teenage boy. He didn't speak English either but after a bit of sign language he ended up driving me (on my bike) to this house with a big ugly gate concealing it. He seemed pretty harmless so I just kind of went with it. I was a little worried when he knocked on the door but then this woman answered and invited me into what was the most amazing work in progress of a beautiful villa with statues and soon-to-be waterfalls all over the place. She gave me a tour, introduced me to her children and we sat and talked for a while over another Sprite. Have I mentioned that the Indonesians love their Sprite and Fanta?

The boy that brought me to the villa

THE VILLA IN THE MAKING (pictures do it very little justice but I tried):

She ended up taking me and the kids to this other waterfall that was pretty near by and showing me around the rest of the village. The “waterfall” was actually a small creak with a big stone wall completely dry of any water. I guess it is a very different story in the wet season. I hung out for a while longer at the villa and talked with Stu, her son, but then had to be on my way because it was getting dark soon.

The "waterfall"

village kids playing in the creek

One of the woman's workers, preparing many offerings because they just got a new car. They make offerings for everything.

Stu, her son. He's eight and he knows five languages. Pretty impressive.

I managed the whole trip with only one incident where I lost control around a corner and, silly me, put my foot down while I was still moving. My toe got gashed open and I think I scared the hell out of the bike in front of me (which I almost hit) but I gave them the thumbs up and she smiled and everything was good again. When I brought the bike back to the guy I rented it from, he looked at my bandaged toe, and then me, and then the bike, all very suspiciously, and asked me if anything happened. I said no. He asked me if I got pulled over. I said no. And that was good enough for him to tell me if I wanted it the next day it was all mine.

My bike

My toe, doesn't look as bad in the picture. It was actually kind of spurting blood...badass.