It doesn’t happen to me all that often, but I do tend to “run into people” while traveling. Bali was no exception. This time, however, I didn’t meet a friend—I met my neighbor. For the first time.

We’re in Ubud, staying at a secluded homestay, far from the “mad tourist crowds” and city noise. Over breakfast, the owner, Amy, asks where we’re from. When she hears the answer, her eyes light up. “We have a guest here from Slovakia! Well, actually, he’s not a guest anymore—he moved here.” Meeting someone from your home country isn’t that unusual, especially not on Bali, where millions of travelers pass through every year. But meeting someone in a very remote place might be coincidence. Maybe.

The next morning, as we’re having breakfast at the open reception, the guy stops by - he’s on his way to the city. We exchange a few polite words and he says we seem familiar but can’t quite place where from. A few sentences later, his eyes land on my camera, and he asks if I ever shop at “Shutter,” a camera store around the corner back home that I pass by multiple times a day. Suddenly, we’re on a completely different wavelength. Now we’re talking photography.

Long story short, he used to live in the building above that very shop. He remembers my face because, apparently, we must have seen each other hundreds of times before. Yet, we never actually met—until Bali. Coincidence? Maybe.

We didn’t become best friends, and we didn’t make plans to hang out in Ubud. But these random encounters with strangers who turn out not to be strangers at all? Coincidence? Maybe, but they always leave me with a good feeling. The world isn’t that big, after all. We’re all connected—we just don’t know it yet.

The dance, the ritual, the rhythm - there's something fascinating about it. I was in my twenties back then. Fast forward 30 years and I'm in Uluwatu, creating the plan for the day when I bump into the Kecak Dance show, which sounds extremely touristy. And it is! Upon visiting Uluwatu Temple we see the stage (Roman amphitheater style) and it's clear that it will be absolutely crowded. The show starts at 6 pm, tickets on sale starting at 5 at the spot.

Of course I had heard about the various shows and had seen numerous videos on how they are often a tourist trap, yet I feel intrigued and I convince my partner to come back to the temple in the evening to watch the show. We arrive just in time, get the last “seats” on the steps, but there's a good view of the stage. The show is on!

“Ca-ca-ca-ca-ca-ca-caaaaaaaah!” Memories of the movie come to life and I'm extremely moved emotionally. It feels like a dream come true, although reality is far from the movie (ofc). This is a tourist attraction performed several times every single day! Yet, there's something about it, apart from the emotional bond I bear to this dance. Despite being played over and over again, the “actors” play it with joy and commitment. Holding the description and explanation of the story written on a sheet of paper we were given together with the tickets, we try to follow the plot and figure out what's happening. It's entertaining, even funny! The audience is great and plays along - there’s a lot of “oooh” and “aaah”, surprise and laughter, applause and communication between the spectators and the stage.

If you ask me, I say “don't miss it!” It's definitely worth 150k.

PS: watch out for the monkeys, they're cheeky and steal!

PS2: I made some videos (as did absolutely everyone) so you can find thousands of recordings on YouTube if you want, to get an idea, but a live show is irreplaceable, and it will be unique for your experience.

Ca-ca-ca-ca-ca-catch you later!

The Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud is a protected forest area with temples, pools and lots of greenery - some of it looks much like a jungle, other parts feel like a park or a monkey kindergarten. Despite some negative reviews on the internet about baaaaad monkeys, we decided to give it a go.

You need to respect the inhabitants of the forest. It is their territory and living space - you are just a visitor. If you bring along something shiny, tiny, edible or cute (such as food, sunglasses, toys, etc.) they might consider it a kind gift and take it from you. Trust me, it's gone before you realize it’s missing. Warning signs are displayed at the entrance but also the park rangers are doing a good job keeping the monkeys under control. Two smaller rascals still managed to jump on my back unexpectedly, but other than that all went well.

Despite the high number of visitors every day, thanks to its sheer size, the forest does not feel crowded. From parking to entrance tickets, everything is well-organized.

There's a lot to see - take it as a walk in nature, interspersed with history, architecture, culture and, MONKEYS who definitely are the biggest attraction to many visitors - and they know it!

If you like traditional Balinese statues, there are hundreds of them, along with old temples, bridges over rivers and artificial ponds. Should this not be enough, there's a museum of visual arts with some items on sale.

However, let the photographs speak instead of words. Some of them may be repeating from a previous post.

Catch you later.

Talking to people (with usually very limited knowledge of English) we gradually found out, that there were in fact many of them, concentrated in a relatively small area. They go by the name of Ogoh-Ogoh, and are to be displayed at the end of the year celebrations on 28th March when each community gets to present their very own behemoth. Often not yet finished and in the process of creation, these giants mesmerized me - I’m talking 4-6 meters by guess. Huuuuuge guys! I was instantly intrigued.

It was Yoga, a man whose English was the best of all the people I spoke with in Bali, and whom I grew very fond of during our conversations while staying at his homestay in Ubud, who explained the meaning of Ogoh-Ogoh to me. In a nutshell, these monsters represent the evil within us. The goal is to recognize these negative elements in ourselves, accept them, and then eliminate them. At the end of the ceremony on New Year’s Eve, the figures are destroyed (burned) at the cemetery—reminding me of the "Burning of Morena," a Slavic tradition to bid farewell to Winter and welcome Spring.

From the moment I learned the meaning behind these statues, I started seeing them differently—and even liking them. They were no longer hideous beasts, but rather fantastic pieces of art. Not just the project itself—taking an idea from paper and bringing it to life for public display—but also the level of detail that goes into executing the whole concept. No wonder people are so fascinated by them; I myself became a big fan. :c) And the kids? They go absolutely crazy over them!

Truth be said: who wouldn't? They aren't just a copy of a fantastic beast or a figure built from iron construction, textile, glue and hair. They are an idea brought to life to make us realize who we are (or who we can become) and what we need to pick up the fight with.

We said goodbye to the old year yesterday, watched the ceremony along with thousands of other people here in Uluwatu, where tens of Ogoh-Ogoh had been displayed. What an experience!

The quiet but intense rain started just after midnight. Don't know if it caught the ceremony-watchers, we’d left earlier while they were still being celebrated.

It's Nyepi today - the word means “to keep silent” in Balinese, hence the translation “Silence Day” and it happens to be my second “January the first” this year. I'm sitting on the terrace of the hotel room, writing this article - it's very quiet outside but for the roosters and testosterone indulged doves who are quite ignorant about government rules in general.

New year’s date follows the traditional Caka calendar where it falls to the first new moon after the spring equinox. The first day of the year honors Nature and after the big celebrations of Ogoh-Ogoh, the whole of Bali comes to a standstill, focusing solely on spiritual activities.

This means no transport (meaning: no going to the beach, no leaving of your home or hotel), no work, no lights on after 6 p.m., no activities - silent prayer only. Even the airport closes for twenty-four hours! Not only is this mandatory for the Balinese; tourists are expected to follow the rules of silence as well.

When booking our tickets, we had no idea about this. And honestly, when I first found out, I wasn’t too thrilled about the idea of being "locked" in a hotel for a whole day. But, first—there was nothing we could do about it, and second—over time, I got curious. I wanted to learn more about this unique holiday I had never heard of before.

I don't think it'll be very hard though. We all have practice, unfortunately, in staying locked up, and this is nothing compared to what we'd been through. Plus, we are allowed to use the pool, talk, use the internet. There should be no music or entertainment, there will be no food delivery except breakfast, so we'll have to survive on the biscuits and instant soups we stocked up on. But hey, books still exist.

It's such a nice idea to give nature a break from us (humans)! We could have it more often, all around the globe. Perhaps more than just once a year. Once a month? Once a week? Sunday, maybe?

Quoting the Book we Christians refer to so often and so fervently: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”

Catch you later

The reason this episode is called local guides is to reflect the funny behavior of some local dogs. They would cautiously and suspiciously approach you, pretending they have other business around, sniffing the ground and then take a sniff off the air coming from you. That gentle breeze carries loads of information about you - your mood, your health, your personality, the level of adrenaline in your blood, etc. Once they process the information, they'll either go away or continue their operation “taming the foreigner”. Some of them have bad experience and are scared (of being kicked or chased away by humans), others, with no negative experience, will happily approach you wagging their tail, believing in the best of human nature. If treated well (e.g. petting, playing, using baby talk) they will instantly become your BPF (best pet forever) and stick with you as long as possible and become your local guide. For free. (NB: valid for situations when you walk and meet a dog or when you stop at a place to refresh yourself with some tea, coffee, refill your water bottle of have a bite (best case scenario for your new doggie friend).

It's interesting how easily they connect and establish the trust. Often they will just hope for food (of course), but occasionally it's more. If you happen to walk, they will join you and become your guide. Funny how they lead the way, turning around occasionally to check if you're making progress. It happened to me so many times already I'm starting to believe there's a pattern.

Meet Parrock, our local guide in Ubud. Once he found out we were fond of him, he revealed his completely childish self and despite his advanced age acted like a happy happy puppy, zooming around and following us everywhere. He ended up sleeping under our bed during the rainstorm and then he guarded our bungalow all night to greet us with a big smile in the morning.

Speaking of dogs in Bali, I learned a few interesting things from Yoga, the owner of our Ubud homestay. He said Balinese people loved dogs, they cared for them, but let them live free. Dogs have a happy life, living outside in the streets, visiting dog friends, wandering around and returning home in the evening (I'm talking about the countryside now, not the crowded cities). Many (or most) of them have a collar, meaning they are vaccinated. We have not seen dogs with chunked ears (which is common practice in Sri Lanka to indicate the dog has been castrated) and most of them look relatively good.

By the way, if your dog does not like meat, (s)he may have Balinese blood. We learned about an indigenous species of dog, specific to the hills of Bali: the Kintamani dog who live in the woods in caves and are vegetarians. They dig up potatoes from the ground. They are said to be very intelligent (dooooh)!

So much about dogs. I'm sure we'll meet more, but I'm starting to miss our fluffy four-legged family member who is waiting for us at home.

Catch you later.

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PS: apologies, I still cannot manage to upload galleries via the tablet. Adding them one by one is also annoying for me, arrrrrrrrgh…

If you have questions about any of the above, do let me know.

Till later.

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We stopped checking the weather forecast because it does not make sense - it will be different anyway. When asked if it will rain, a local will just say: “yes”. And to be honest, it's completely normal, we're just not used to the heavy showers coming out of nothing.

Above: Mushroom Bay, Nusa Lembongan

Imagine you're enjoying the beach and the ocean when suddenly a dark tornado-like cloud appears from behind the hill, approaching so fast you have just enough time to get out of the water and hide somewhere before it starts to pour down.

The other day the thunders, coupled with strong wind and rain went on all night long. That one lasted quite long, actually. I asked several people - they all said the same: normal in March. It calmed me.

You can have plans, but you also need to stay flexible because the rain will completely reorganize your schedule. We planned a day trip to Nusa Penida but the above mentioned cyclone washed away our trip. On the other hand, it opened an opportunity to see things differently and experience something unique.

Never have we seen so much rainfall in such a short time. In between the showers the sun would come out and so would we, along with all the others. Unless it rains extremely heavily, local people will not pay too much attention to it. Life goes on and they have to work, get from A to B, on motorbikes, holding an umbrella or wrapped up in raincoats. Small ponds would create reflections and offer nice photographic opportunities. The colors would liven up and become more shiny-metallic.

Hiding in Mushroom Cafe from the rain, Nusa Lembongan

So far it rained every single day, and we got used to it. The temperatures are high so it all dries up very quickly once the sun is out. Currently we're in Ubud (hills, rice fields and lots of rain) and the trend continues.

Ubud, Santana rice terraces in the rain

From the safety of a dry bungalow among rice paddies, the sound of tropical rain is extremely calming. Today I'm offering you a four-minute audio recording of the genuine Balinese tropical rain.

Enjoy!

Till later.

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To start with the most obvious, people here are extremely nice. They'll greet you, greet back, they'll often talk to you using their limited vocabulary and ask the three questions they can ask in English. They'll smile and be helpful if they can. Could I say the same about most tourists?

Although they live in poverty, some in extreme conditions, they don't beg for money or try to cheat you. The shop owner, whose bedroom looked worse than I could imagine, did not try to sell the bottle of water for more to us, foreigners. She was kind and thankful for her clients. Honesty. Something we should re-learn.

Is it the locals who spend money worth two months of their entire salary during one night, drinking? Are they the ones who leave all the broken bottles, plastic glasses and other waste at the beach? Or is it perhaps the “mighty tourists” who just happen to be rich enough to be able to afford one two many drink and then act as if?

If I think twice, whose waste is it I see dumped in the streets? Hundreds of cans, bottles, plastic… do the local people need all these souvenir shops filled with useless nonsense items? Do they need all the dresses, t-shirts, fake brand sunglasses and handbags? All that cheap rubbish is here for us, tourists, so we can buy it and then throw it away.

Congratulations to us! What an achievement!

I don't have a solution and I know it's extremely complex, and there are exceptions, and many people will disagree with me. I'm just disappointed and frustrated.

Travelling, something that used to be about discovering new cultures, the possibility of seeing the world differently, is transforming into making all the places in the world look the same: pubs to party throughout the night, hipster cafes to please the so called “travellers” and Instagram spots with high-speed internet so they can post (the same pictures with a different posing figure) immediately for the rest of the world to like them.

I hate to see this happen. I don't understand why so many of us, “travellers”, ignore local habits, disrespect other cultures and people and trash other parts of the world, just because we can, or because we have money, or just because we. don't. care.

Catch you later, definitely on a more positive note.

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I understand this is the sad story of many people here. What I don't understand is why he isn't trying harder. Maybe his story is already too good to ask further questions?

I asked for cold water in the shop. “Water? There.” she said. “Do you have cold water?” I asked. “No cold water” came the reply. To be sure I walked towards the back of the shop she had pointed at and found a fridge with bottles of cold water.

I went back and tried to explain her (all good intentions) but she simply wasn't interested to expand her English vocabulary. It was a place where numerous tourists shopped every day. Maybe I'm the one acting strange or not speaking the language properly, but I still don't understand why someone whose job is so dependent on the customers (mainly tourists) does not want to use every opportunity to develop further. Do not yet judge me, please read further.

In another shop that was meant more for locals rather than tourists (i.e. 95% of the mixed items are unknown to us, the shelves looks rather disorganized, not to mention the medicinal products unpacked and sold by piece…) anyway I was wandering about the little shop and looked into a room that normally would be the storage room. Here, it was the kitchen and the bedroom of the owner. Dirty walls, clothes thrown everywhere… that's where she lived. I was deeply shocked.

I understand the standard of living is different and very low, but I remember our grandparents were very poor yet they did not live in dirt and filth! What I don't understand is why they cannot learn from the standards required for the tourists.

Most properties (expensive, mid-range or budget) are beautifully clean. Step outside and face the reality. Unless you lock yourself up in a big resort you will end up seeing stacks of garbage and dirt everywhere. I won't even try to describe it.

I know it's how things are in developing countries, but I don't understand why it has to be this way. I also think people from outside the country (we, wealthy tourists) could (and should) help much more. Somewhere I think I know the answer: education. Education, education, EDUCATION. We take it for granted but it's not so obvious in many parts of the world! After all, isn't that how we raise our children? Teach them, show them our best, be the example, lead the way?

And this is why, in situations like this, I often think I should go back to teaching and make a change.

Later, Barnabas

I mounted it for the flight, not knowing if I'd have a chance to take any shots from the window of the airplane, or at the airport. Since then, with a few exceptions, I've been using it nearly all the time.

I'm amazed with the ability of this little devil to handle street to landscape scenes. Because of its size it does not draw attention and it doesn't scare people so much. For landscape, ideal. For architecture, quite good, actually, I just need to be careful with the distortion at the edges. For portrait - not really, but great to show people in their natural place and surrounding.

It really manages to “pack in” a lot - horizontally or vertically - sometimes too much, I'm afraid. But this gets me thinking about the composition and the extra elements in the frame, which is a great exercise I would most probably not do with the zoom lens. Having to deal with lots in the frame keeps me busy and curious at the same time. I can't promise I'll be using it exclusively for the rest of the trip, but so far it's been a pleasure and I intend to keep on learning with it.

In case you're curious about the other “finalists”, they're the 23mm and the humble 18-55mm kit lens (which I like so much that I ended up buying it three times already, but that's a chapter of its own, and perhaps a topic for another post).

BTW, the lens I’m talking about is the Fujifilm XF16mm f/2.8.

Wishing you all good light! Cheers, Barnabas

It was a long trip that started by getting up very early to make it to the city centre, catch the bus to the airport, wait for the boarding, first flight 5.5 hrs, followed by a 3 hrs layover and the second, longer flight that lasted 9.5 hrs. Then the routine stuff at the airport: collect luggage, withdraw money, meet the cab driver, get a local SIM card, get to the harbour, get a ferry ticket, get wet in the rain, embark, disembark, find the hotel, and finally relax. It's even tiring to list everything!

But to feel the sun on my skin as I get off the plane and to breath in the humid Indonesian air is rewarding. I'm also starting to observe the first symptoms of photographic obsession by taking the front seat of the cab next to the driver and taking (mostly unusable and blurred, but mainly bad) photos of everything. Asia enchants me in a second and I'm doomed. I'll be walking for two weeks, camera in my hand, taking photos of literally everything, my poor partner waiting for me on every corner, blessed be his endless patience.

But that's how it is, how it has always been. It's a part of me. I'm not fighting it.

For now, we survived, we're here and instead of sleeping, I'm typing.

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Sharing some mobile photos below

Our black passenger, Timmy

Abu Dhabi airport

We got wet in Sanur

Disembarking on Nusa Lembongan

And it happened again despite the fact that we had done our homework (partially, at least).

We arrived in Bali, the taxi driver had texted us earlier and was waiting for us. He said we could stop on the way to buy a sim card, it's cheaper and faster. Great, at least we save some time. On the way out I'm checking the prices of sim cards and packages - there are tons of sellers trying to get our attention. First stop, mobile shop. Surprise. the prices are much higher. I opt out, we are stopping at another mobile shop where I get what I want, although still slightly higher compared to the airport. This already should have been a warning sign.

Next stop, we need to buy ferry tickets. The driver stops at a booth, says it's the cheapest company. I find the prices a bit high, but have no time to run and compare prices of different ferry companies. My bad, I should have asked earlier from local contacts (accommodation, etc). When I sign the tickets, I see the words “Agent: driver”. And suddenly it’s clear. He got his share for bringing in clients. We got a price about 25% higher than the regular one. I find out about all this at the accommodation where they tell me their price.

We're talking a few euros here, not a big deal. Things like this are in the package. There are many IF’s left hanging in the air as well. Would it have been as comfortable and fast with the other company as it was with this one? What time would we have arrived, etc. In the end, we made it safe and sound, we're happy, and that's what matters after all.

The driver offered his services for later on when we go back to the main island. “No thanks, man. You have earned your profit on us already. No hard feelings.”

No bitter taste either. It's in the package.

Happy travels everyone!

Photos: on the ferry and after arrival to Mushroom Bay on Nusa Lembongan