Destinations Archives

The Monkey Ate My Cookie and Other Stories from Bali.

By Susan Weston / July 10, 2019 / 11 Comments

Leaving Canggu

I made my way to Ubud, Bali. My reservation at Tribe Theory in Canggu was finished. I was sad to leave. Many of the people that stay at Tribe are there for a month or longer. We became a little family. It was my safety net, and I needed to spread my wings and fly.

Ubud

First impressions of Ubud: It is beautiful and very touristy. I assumed the beach towns in Bali would be more crowded, but I was wrong. Ubud has upscale stores and restaurants with the people to match.

Ubud Bali Dairy Queen — Polo Ralph Lauren in Ubud

I am staying at the Shindu Homestay. I have my own patio. There is always a carafe of hot water on the table for tea and coffee. The breakfast is also fantastic and free.

I thought all WIFI was the same. It is not. I have been learning the hard way. I can watch youtube and surf the web without a problem. Teaching English… problem.

I received a slap on the wrist for an IT issue. So I googled the nearest co-working place and practically ran there before my next class. This cost me a lot of money and time.

I am only booked at the homestay until tomorrow. I just, as I am writing this, found a place to stay with appropriate WIFI.

Indonesia’s Visa Process

This might get confusing, so I apologize. The majority of Indonesia’s long-term travelers use one of two types of visas: Free Visit Visa and Visa on Arrival (VOA).

A Free Visit Visa grants you thirty days in Indonesia for free but is not extendable. It is issued at the immigration checkpoint and does not need to be applied for in advance.

A VOA (Visa on arrival) grants you up to sixty days in Indonesia. On arrival at the immigration checkpoint, you need to purchase the visa for $37 BEFORE IMMIGRATION. This grants you thirty days AND the option to extend.

DMV Meme — I am scared the visa process with look like this.

Extending the visa for another thirty days is not the easiest process. It takes three different appointments over a week’s time and more money. From what I have read, it compares to going to the DMV in the US three days in a row.

I’m Going to Malaysia.

After thirty days with a Free Visit Visa or sixty days with a VOA, you must leave the country or face heavy fines. Although there is no specific length of time, you must leave the country before you can come back.

Let me introduce the “Visa Run.” A visa run entails leaving the country and then re-entering to obtain a new visa. The travelers I have met usually fly to the closest, cheapest country and fly black. Sometimes on the same day.

I have a VOA and would have to start the renewal process this week. This will only get me another thirty days, and I will be here longer than that. So I would also have to do a “visa run.”

Instead of going through the whole renewal process, I will fly to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Instead of turning right back around, I am going to stay there for a few weeks. When I re-enter Indonesia, I should receive a new visa, and it should last me until I come back to the states.

Sorry, that’s a lot of information. In short, I am going to Malaysia for seventeen days. Then I am coming back to Indonesia.

The Monkey Ate My Cookie

I went to visit the Monkey Forest to check one off the “what you are supposed to do when you visit Bali” list. It was a bunch of monkeys with a bunch of tourists trying to take photos. This may sound weird… but I already have a lot of photos with monkeys.

Monkey is hanging with the monkey statue — Monkey Forest

After I left, I went to a pharmacy to buy some food. I had to walk twenty feet, just out the pharmacy’s door and into Hubud. At about thirteen feet, a monkey jumps on me and grabs the whole unopened package of cookies. He came out of nowhere.

The monkey ate my cookies — Crackers Round 2

I put my head down in shame and went back into the store to buy another package of cookies. This time I put the package down my pants and ran door to door.

I would not have been a happy girl if that monkey stole my cookies again. You can steal my cookies once, and I will let it go. Twice, I’ll cut you. Obviously, the monkey would kick my ass, but I would give it a good fight. And flip him off as the ambulance drove away.

Monkey with stolen cookies — I went outside later and he was still eating them!

Word of advice: Do not pay to get into the monkey forest. Just hang out in the area around it with a box of cookies. Preferably vanilla filled.

Living in Bali… Past My Prime?

By Susan Weston / July 8, 2019 / 6 Comments

I have been living in Bali for two weeks now. I am slowly seeing the island and learning about the culture. All while teaching english. It has been interesting.

Ghost Palace Hotel

I went on a little excursion last week with some Tribe members. We stopped at the Ghost Palace Hotel. Originally known as PI Bedugul Taman Rekreasi Hotel and Resort.

I am not sure if it is really haunted, but it does have an interesting story. The hotel was almost finished when the owner went to jail and the project stopped. It never opened.

The hotel is open to the public. You just have to pay the “security guard” at the fence a few dollars. It is massive. I only had time to explore the lobby area. I plan to go back. But not at night or by myself.

In America, a place like this would be boarded up with “no trespassing” signs everywhere. Or it would be a “historic museum” with a $10 donation to see three rooms. Just look. Don’t touch.

I fell in a hole

That is the story. I went to the corner store for some candy and was running from tree to tree so I wouldn’t get hit by a scooter.

I took a step backwards and fell in a water canal that runs down the side of the road. Thankfully there was no water in it. I ended up with a few scrapes and bruises but my pride was hurt the most. A little girl watched the whole thing.

Past my prime?

I was in class with a twelve year old Chinese girl. I was asking about her family. She was very good at english and we could carry on a simple conversation.

She asked me if I had any children. I said, “No.”
Then she asked if I had a husband. I said, “No.” Looking at me with confusion, she asked, “How old are you?.” “I am 34.”

Well at this point she was about to fall off her chair. “No, no, no,” shaking her head, “You should have a husband and children.”

Imagine how you feel when your mom questions you at Thanksgiving. Trust me, a twelve year old girl… ten times worse.

Pahk the Cah

V IPKID is going well. Even though I do not have a thick accent anymore, I can not deny the facts. I will always eat Fluffernutters, it’s a bureau not a dresser and I will never say my R’s right.

Guess what my lesson was covering… the “ar” sound. I might have skipped over some stuff and pretended the connection was bad.

So don’t worry.. the kids in China will speak Boston. It’s called well rounded.

The Squat Toilet

And I present to you a squat toilet…

I discussed this in my last blog. I was shocked the hostels have had western toilets.

Normally, places in Asia have a squat toilet. This photo is of a bathroom at a house I was visiting.

If you ever come across this yourself. It is okay. Be confident and act like you know what to do. If you really don’t, then you can learn here.

Travel Tip

Shoe Rack in Bali — No shoes past this point.

Shoes are a big no no. Homes, restaurants, stores, hotel rooms, etc. It is really nice to walk around bare foot. Although, I have had a few moments where I felt like I forgot something.

Week 1: Top 8 Experiences Living in Bali

By Susan Weston / June 27, 2019 / 2 Comments

I have been living in Bali for almost a week. Its been a great week of meeting friends and finding my way around. Here is what I did, what I learned and what I don’t want to do again.

1. You don’t need to bring your snowboard.

I might have gotten really excited when I was waiting for my luggage at the airport. All these “snowboard” bags were everywhere. Obviously, it was snowboard season in hot humid Indonesia!

Yes, I promise it only took me a minute or two. Surfboards.

Remember, I am blonde underneath this purple hair.

2. One tourist attraction off my List, barely.

There are the typical top 10 tourist things to do anywhere you go. I knocked one off the Bali list when I went to the Tanah Lot Temple. I went with a new friend from my hostel Tribe Theory.

Our original plan was to leave at 6:00 am and drive scooters to the temple before the crowds.

Our new plan began when both the scooters we rented would not start, we could not get a GO-RIDE (see below) and the GO-CAR we rented wasn’t moving on the app. Since this would be my first time riding a scooter in Bali, I took this as a sign. Finally, on our last attempt before saying screw it, a GO-CAR driver was headed our way.

We arrived at the temple around 7 and missed the sunrise but we were the only ones there and the tide was still low enough for us to walk all the way to the temple. We received some type of blessing that we all know I need.

3. No more autographs, please.

You might not know it, but I am a celebrity in China. I know. I know. You are not surprised. It was only a matter of time until I was discovered as they say.

Anyway, I have heard of this happening in certain parts of the world. But it has never happened to me.

As we were leaving the Temple, a tour bus had pulled in. We weren’t in our typical celebrity disguises because we just wanted to “be normal.” We were spotted almost instantly.

A Chinese man approached us and asked us nicely if we would take a photo with him. Confused but being polite, we said sure. The photo was taken. Then a woman joined the man for another photo. Then just the woman by herself. Then two more people jumped in. Then another man. Then an older lady. Then the man and the old lady. Then a group photo with everyone.

We could not walk more than five feet when someone walked up to us asking for a photo. Finally, we nicely declined and got out of there.

From what I have been told and please understand I am not trying to be disrespectful in any way. If someone has a better explanation, please let me know. Many of these people are from more remote areas and have never seen people of another race in person. To them, we are people that are only in books and on tv.

People go on vacation and take photos of sights they have only seen in a brochure. So ultimately, a photo with two light-skinned, blonde and purple-haired females is the same as taking a photo with Cinderella at Disney World.

4. It’s a real toilet, kinda.

WARNING. This is getting a little personal. If you have ever been to southeast Asia, you understand and if not, sorry.

I actually have a flushable toilet. I mean it. You can flush pee, poop AND toilet paper.

Now I’ll be honest I haven’t really asked if it can flush everything but if not, there is usually a hose and a bucket. And a large sign warning you of what will come if you put anything other than human waste in the toilet.

I was nervous at first. I eased into it by only putting toilet paper in the toilet every other time. No issues yet and its been 4 days of semi-consistent flushing.

I say semi because my toilet does still have the ass cleaning water hose. I’m starting to get why people use it. It makes sense. Wiping with toilet paper instead of using the water hose is like washing with baby wipes instead of taking a shower. Something to think about.

One question though… I’m confused about what to do after. I mean, your bottom is clean but it’s wet. I’ve been using toilet paper to dry but normal households in many countries do not have toilet paper in their bathrooms. I have definitely done the shake shake after peeing in the woods at a pit party (It’s a hometown thing). But let’s be honest, it doesn’t work.

The whole thing is a mystery to me. Please help.

5. If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck… It’s a Tourist Trap

I got scammed. It’s my own fault. I should have known when I walked in and only saw tourists shopping. Tip-off #1.

I needed to get groceries. I put a grocery store in google maps and off I went to what looked like a typical American grocery store. Tipoff #2.

I was so excited to see they had all the same brands, I bought back home in the US. Tipoff #3.

AND… everything was in English.

I know. I’m an idiot. Things were expensive but typical prices I would see at home. I thought that was weird but was still not overly concerned.

It wasn’t until later when I happily told my new friend how awesome it was that I could buy all my favorite food just down the street… Bubble popped… the grocery store chain (Pepito Market) is only for tourists.

Locals shop at all the amazing markets and stands I pass daily, selling…. you guessed it… groceries. But thankfully I’ll be ok because I now have my super healthy, organic, made in America almond butter.

Pepito Market — Waiting for my GO-RIDE after getting scammed.

6. Your scooter driver is on his way. He is driving a green two-wheeled vehicle with license plate DK3198AC.

Driver in Bali — I think he can fit one more suitcase if he tried

GOJEK. I thought Uber and Lyft were cool but GOJEK has them beat. In just a touch of an app, your scooter (yes, scooter) will be on its way. Fast and efficient. They even have their phone mounted on their handlebars. The only problem is there isn’t much room for stuff…

7. I went to the Gym… Once.

I went to the gym… once.

8. Beware of the scooters.

Don’t drink and drive. Don’t text and drive. Ok, whatever.

What is really important….

DON’T TEXT AND DRIVE A SCOOTER WITH YOUR WIFE, GRANDMA, INFANT KID AND THE KITCHEN TABLE WITH YOU ON THE SAME SCOOTER.