Bali - in retrospect

Bali was an adventure to say the least.

Basically, everything that I read about Bali was wrong. It turns out that Americans no longer have to purchase a Visa on Arrival, meaning I exchanged money for nothing. Also I read that shoulders and legs had to be covered when visiting a temple. Obviously that was not true so I nearly sweat to death trying to be respectful.

The resort I stayed at was on Nusa Dua Beach which is a peninsula in the southern part of the island. It was common to see garbage in the ocean and tankers anchored along the coast. As soon as we left the resort, it became very evident that I was in a third world country. I felt very guilty staying in a beautiful hotel in such a depressed place.

Bali was relaxing but also eye opening. New Zealand's culture is very similar to America, so I never went through that "culture shock" stage of study abroad. This was my first time in Asia and in a third world country. It was on this trip that I felt culture shock for the first time. It really hit me the second I left the airport. 90% of the vehicles on the roads were mopeds and the driving was anarchy. I saw a whole family on a single moped - the dad drove while the mom sat on the back holding a baby. They then proceeded to weave in and out of traffic. It is very sad to see such poverty. On one of the days, I visited a typical family home. It basically consisted of open huts with roofs. It showed me such a different culture than what I am accustomed to and I think it is really important to see it. It has made me feel very blessed- not just for my possessions but all my opportunities.