BecomingBeyond

Many places on Bali are vegetarian. And I LOVE meat. So sometimes this was difficult. On the other hand, because of the warm weather it was fine for me to eat only 2x per day. And also to have a vegetarian dish every few days. There are a lot of fruits and when it comes…

At Turtle Point on Gili T, I was already swimming away from the reef disappointed, having admired hundreds of colorful fish but no turtles when suddenly in waist-deep water, two giant sea turtles appeared right in front of me. Not just one, but two! One swam off, leaving me with the smaller oneas I later…

Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air are 3 small islands between Bali and Lombok, closer to Lombok. The largest island, Gili T, is just big enough that you can cycle around it in 1.5 hours. There are no cars on these islands and even the motorbikes common in Asia are rare, and if, only…

In Bali, it’s not just the flora, fauna and local Balinese people that make the island special. Those who come from the West arrive either as tourists or are drawn by the spiritual atmosphere and community that has formed here and many end up staying long-term. These are people seeking distance from capitalism and “the…

This is my second time in Bali. Last yearI “ticked off” the typical tourist must-do’s. I was surprised to discover that many of the places shown in the media as “Bali” are actually on the surrounding islands. Stunning beaches, steep cliffs, snorkeling paradises full of colorful fishes and you can even spot turtles. Nusa Penida,…

A group of little girls stand on the other side of the river. They are around 5 to 7 years old. There are four of them, and they’re waiting for me. They run over from the other side of the canal: first to the bridge, then across it. They’re looking at me, giggling, shyly glancing…

“My square,” the one I’ve been waiting for so eagerly! Hooray! The old center of Batavia with the gouvernor’s building. The previous Dutch colony of Indonesia. I’m here! Finally! I can almost feel the scent and spirit of bygone days in the air. The large white building I just exited from the side, now paints…