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Bali, Indonesia

The island of Bali is part of the Republic of Indonesia and is located south of the equator between Java in the West and Lombok and the rest of the Lesser Sunda Islands (Sumbawa, Flores, Sumba and Timor) in the East. The population of Bali is over 3 million people and the primary religion is Hinduism. Bali is known for it's diving, and many beautiful dive spots can be found throughout the island. Gods and spirits are an important part of Bali's daily life, and it is common to see people stop what they are doing to pray and give offerings. As soon as I stepped off the plane I knew this was a place different than any where I had been. Beautifully dressed women walk through rice fields and along the roads either carrying offerings on their heads to the temple, baskets of food, etc. Women and children run up to you with their baskets asking you to buy something, offering a massage or hair braiding, men on motorbikes are everywhere carrying everything from baskets to televisions, to 3-4 people.

I went to Bali in July 2001 for 8 days. I had just finished backpacking in New Zealand for almost 2 months. Bali was a real culture change for me. I went from wearing earmuffs and gloves in near freezing weather, to wearing shorts and bathing suit. Bali was very hot and humid, with lots of mosquitos! Since I was backpacking on a budget, I stayed in Kuta Beach, where there were vendors galore! I did take many excursions to the other parts of the island, where I saw some really impressive temples, and beaches. I took some surfing lessons while I was there and did some white water rafting. I had some very good and very bad experiences here, but overall I am glad I went. Below are some pictures of my travels there.