In Reply to: One of the greatest things about Bali... posted by Thomo on Thursday, 26. January 2006 at 19:04 Bali Time:
Ah yes - beautiful memories. We lived in Bali for 8 months (with the mandatory brief trips to Singapore & environs for visa renewal every 2 months) in 1983. Stayed in a family-owned Losmen, Eddy's Garden in what was then oh so sleepy Legian Kaja, with a group of friends - bamboo huts, red tile floors, open air mandi, verandah out the front and a thermos of kopi & bananas for brekky. Opposite Bali Waltzing Matilda, with Bob the Bartender making THE best Brandy Alexanders. Owned by Aussies who did 2 month stints there, one of whom (forget his name) was married to a Balinese girl, Agung. They owned a property at Ivanhoe in NSW and were murdered by their farm hand. Remember?
Hubby went surfing at sparrows most days and I hung out with the village ladies, pounding rice - how they laughed at & with me. We weren't married then and the family went all out to convince us to have a traditional Balinese wedding, which we did, eventually. They chose an auspicious date and we had the BEST wedding - a HUGE party and I didn't have to wear a white frou-frou thingy and there were no problems about who to invite - everyone came. The men took the day off from working to cook the pigs & chooks, the girls & ladies made towering offerings and we made huge buckets of very alcoholic punch. Good old Mansion House - got a free glass with every bottle - soo many glasses. I could go on & on. The next day we arrived back from the hotel in Nusa Dua where we spent the night and the village was comatose. Shops shut, no one on the street. Sore heads galore.
Even now, all these years later, I am remembered as Hedda Kawin di Bali (Heather married in Bali). BTW, we did it legally first - Catitan Sipil in the morning for the red tape stuff.
I loved it there so very much in those days. Yet even then friends said it was spoiled - the 70's were better. Time changes everything. Bali is a far different place now, neither better nor worse, just different. The memories we have of circa 83 are as precious as those for people just discovering Bali have of 2006.