Home and Dry

Bali was an adventure to say the least. I must have slept a total of 10 hours in 4 days. My flight home last night was delayed from 6pm until 10pm and my body was seized. Every time I would fall asleep on the plane I would be jerked awake by some twitching body part of mine. It was as if my body thought I was going to die and it had to revive me. But now I am back at work with shit loads to do and feeling like a million dollars. Well a quarter of a million at least.

As with the other times I am in Bali, we spend most of the days chilling out at Dreamland beach. The cliffs facing the ocean are studded with small cafés that serve cold beer, hot food, and they rent out deck chairs, boogie boards, and surf boards. Some of the spots even have rooms for rent. The prices range from $5 to $20 a night. It is not fancy at all but if you are on a tight budget and are only interesting in surfing Dreamland, this could be a good option.

Dreamland beach is located in Uluwattu. It is only about 30 minutes from the airport but about 45 minutes from Kuta, the main tourist area. To get there you have to drive through a large piece of land that is reportedly still owned by Tommy Soeharto, the ex-presidents son. It is an awesome piece of land that has a ton of controversy around it. Ever since the first time I went there four yeas ago it was partially developed for what seemed to be a housing complex. But work has been at a stand still since then. There are periodical rumors that some 5 star hotels have bought the land and so on but I have seen no real change till now. I noticed driving through the well paved streets that some one is building a golf course on this land. Ah well, as long as there is beach access I do not really give a shit.

The beach is long and the sand is soft. This a perfect beach to chill in the sun at. The shore break can get a bit rough though. It is perfect for surfing and body boarders and there are more that enough of them out there now. Back in the day there would only be a handful of people in the water and 2 or 3 cafes. Now there are at least 20 spots on the beach. But this is still quite reserved compared to Kuta Beach. The people who come here have to either own or rent a car because it is impossible to get a cab out of there.

The secluded nature of this beach has also made it one of Bali’s unlisted topless beaches. The tourist chicks out there usually hang out all day with out a stitch of clothing o their upper bodies. There are no irritating vendors or obnoxious men around to disrupt the life style. I must say that even though the popularity of Dreamland beach has obviously grown, they have managed to keep it under control. The only real vendors out there are the massage ladies who are actually quite popular with the foreigners.

Dreamland was originally a surfer’s beach and very slowly beach bums started to trickle in. The water is not ideal for relaxed swimming but if you enjoy playing in the waves it can be fun. Some days it is way too rough and on others it can be gentle. None the less, in my opinion it is one of the islands best spots. It is not too crowded and most people mind their own business.

There is a wonderful wind that blows on to the beach and if you are in the shade it is perfect for napping and recovering from the previous night. Marcus had no problem knocking out. As soon as you get into the sun however you can literally bake. I have never been one to use sun block and I do not normally burn but I do get dark. And right now I am so brown.

Dreamland is a very safe beach. We can usually leave our phones and towels out there with no stress while we swim. This is also because I am with friends who are there every week. But overall I have never had a negative experience. This time I found this snake on the beach. It looks like a sea snake and it is poisonous. Eventually I helped a local bar owner capture it. And by help I mean I stood aside and offered advice.

The sun sets right in front of the beach and it is so picturesque. On a cloudy day even the whole sky glows red. It is a perfect wind down for the day and wind up for the night to come.

My buddy Davide from Italy showed me how a true smooth operator works. I had been admiring these 2 birds for a while and he swooped in with his Italian accent and sharp pick ups. Before long these French biscuits were asking to pose for pictures with him. He is a fucking hilarious guy with great energy and the ladies ended up partying with us that night. And what a night it was.

So, great trip, loads of pictures, but a pile of work I need to catch up on. Overall though, Bali was very quite. The last bombing have had a worse effect on the tourist industry then that first one. The bars were almost empty on the weekdays where as in the past they would be pumping every night. And it was not just the nightlife but general business that has also felt the brunt. Even my friends who came in from Europe said that people there were surprised they wanted to go to Bali. I actually never even went to Kuta myself but this is what I heard.