Black Jack in Bali

Teaching the teacher

It was the day when Travel Desk was waiting for an hour while I swam in the hotel swimming pool in front of the driver. For more than an hour I have been asking them to wait. This was the day when I had requested all hotel staff about my trip all across the island.

We started late for the whole day date with Bali. The driver was an old man and he reiterated the itinerary with me. We had the waterfall. We has silver art museums and the art galleries. We had Kuta and also the coffee plantations in our itinerary.

When we reached the highway he insisted we go first to the coffee plantation. I had a different idea because of the scorching sun and the time of the day. I was against his plans of visiting coffee plantations first. I wanted to see the silver and art galleries first and then have coffee. My plan was well according to my needs, time and weather conditions.

I don't know why he was reluctant. But he kept on insisting coffee plantation first. After long debates and somewhat authoritarian commands we argued over my itinerary. I was to follow his route because it would have been logical and speedier. Following a circle either way I couldn't have imagined to be shorter or speedier either way.

He took me to some monuments. We visited power centers of political and commercial significance in Bali. Like old parliament building, reserve bank of Indonesia and royal palace of Denpasar. He get me inside the security ring and the way he managed to get the car with me inside the cordon, I was impressed. His hospitality and sense of duty made me change his mind towards him. He used to get me inside the cordon and I did the rest.

So we went to the coffee plantation in Bali popular for Luwak coffee. I kept thinking that Bali Coffee would be an elixir. Infamous Luwak variety must have have been coffee-de-grande. I was deep into thoughts in the car how coffee in this hot rainforest would be world renowned. I wasn't using internet to research Bali before visiting a place. Knowing the things before kills the excitement. So I was not looking up and life happened.

My Bali experience should be first hand free from technology and impromptu. I wanted to seep into the local culture not from any other author's point of view but mine.This was my way of rebelling against the world and its atrocities. This was my personal adventure and journey to renew my life. My life was not dull before. It was almost exciting enough but it drained all the emotional energy from me.

I wanted to fall in love again. With myself and the nature and the beauty.

The women a lot of them were weaving palm leaves and stuff under the shed. It was a scene from industrious rural factory cranking out some value in capitalism. The driver parked the car. I was being welcome by the staff as royal tourist.

Cool but wait the worker with a hose was watering the parking lot. I went straight to him. The other staff bemused, what I had, in my mind. I knelt in front of my hose, kept my glasses aside in a bamboo hut over a bed made of bamboo.

I splashed all my face hair neck and temples with cold water gushing from the hose. The way I was cleaning my sweat every body looked along waiting for an actual bath to follow.At this point I jumped in swift. Across small water puddles, avoiding them like landmines. I kept my shoes in all dry patches in short swift succession, that the women at entrance gasped.I shrugged excessive water from my face. Certain hand swipes to dry off the clinging cold water. Sudden brush across my hair to straighten them. I wore my sunglasses before taking out my handkerchief from the pocket.

I was ready. The bemused hosts were all smiles. Been in long car journey in Sun . My face transformed from weary, to eternal fragrant fresh flower. Shining in Sun.

There were cascade of staff, well dressed in their attire. Greeting the tourists at each step in the relay race. A bunch of staff hosts were handing me to another bunch in quick succession. The greetings and the new faces were like rapid fire. So I kept my gaze away most of the times from their smiling faces answering my wikipedia questions.