My routine

This is Jon.

I figured I might as well let you know my daily routine. It's quite nice, and I enjoy it.

In the morning, I usually wake up by 7:30am. I have a tide chart, and depending on the tides of the day, I either rush to get to the beach, or I take my time. High tide is the best for surfing, so I aim to be in the water then.

Our little cottage provides breakfast, so I eat a banana jaffle and drink Balinese tea before I leave for the beach. There is a crew of 50+ year-old Aussie surfers that are staying there too (their stays range from four to six months!) so we usually chat with them over breakfast. They tell tales of what it was like surfing Bali twenty five years ago, and like to give me tips to help me learn.

After breakfast, I make my way to the beach. Kuta Beach is about a ten minute walk away, unless we cut through the grounds of a large hotel. It has two pools and lots of rooms, so we just walk through the back gate and pretend we're guests. It spits us out pretty close to the beach.

The Aussies from our cottages talk about wanting to snake the hotel's breakfast buffet, while Kirsten is into copping a swim in the pools. I think both are possible, but I'm partial to the food option.

At the beach, I pick up my surfboard. I rent it from some Indonesians who have a stand set up, and I have paid for a week in advance. I use the board when I want, and when I'm not surfing, I leave it with them. I also leave my backpack there, so it's safe. The Indonesians are with the boards all day, and don't mind customers leaving their stuff.



My board is an 8'2" mini-mal. That's the length and type of the board. It's one step removed from a nine-footish longboard, which is what most people learn on. I've been cutting my teeth learning to stand up, and finally I've got it. Not every time, but most times. I'm still surfing the white foam/chop, and will try to surf a real wave when they're not too big.

The surf was huge yesterday...guys were getting barreled at Kuta, which doesn't happen to much. The waves were overhead (which means that when you're surfing inside it, the top of the wave is above your head) and heavy, so I didn't go out to them. I stayed closer to shore and practiced standing up, riding the white foam.

I surf for an hour or two at a time, then head back inland. I leave my board, grab my book, and read in the shade. I used to read in the sun, but now my nose is peeling, so I've taken to finding shelter. I also eat an early lunch of rice, eggs, and vegetables which I buy from a warung ten meters away from the surfboard stand. it cost one dollar, and fills me up.

After I've read enough and eaten enough, I head to the surfboard stand again. The same people hang out there, both Indonesians and foreigners. There's usually someone to talk to or hang out with, so if I'm up for it, I do. Often I'm not up for it, so I take a stroll along the beach.

I spend most of my day at the beach, alternating among surfing, reading, and walking about. At sunset, I usually find myself at the surfboard stand again, and Kir is usually there too. Kir and I agree that a Lake Huron sunset is superior to a Bali sunset, no matter how famous they are here.



After the sun disappears, we'll go somewhere for supper. Sometimes we'll go with Natalie, our friend from Switzerland. She's learning to surf as well, so it's fun to swap tales of our achievements or blunders from the day.

After that, Kir and I usually find something to do until it's good and dark. Then I go home, read some more, and then fall asleep.

It's quite a nice rhythm. I enjoy being on the beach, and I enjoy trying to get better at surfing. Peter, one of the aging Aussies from our cottages, likes to remind me that it's all about having fun. This is good to remember when I keep getting pounded by waves and find myself getting frustrated.

So, the times are good here in Bali. The guidebooks and other people I've talked to don't really like Kuta, since it's really commercialized and everyone is trying to sell you something.

I don't mind the Kuta atmosphere. Many people speak English, and I stop and chat with storekeepers and random others sometimes. I have rented a hundred year-old cruiser (Kir posted a picture of it a few days ago) so I trundle around on that, going where I need to go.



Carol, you must come here soon, since you can't be here now. If I can afford it, I'll come with you. You'll like it...it's great here, and I really want to come back. It'd be nice to have you along on this trip though!