Sumba Dreaming

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Woke today to sunny blue skies.  Today is official trip arrival day but as of the early morning, there are only 6 of us here.  Those here (with the exception of Scott who decided to stay pool/beach-side and enjoy a free day) went into town for a bit of shopping.  Our primary stop was a shop called IKAT, named for the beautiful thread-dye weaving technique that Indonesia is so famous for.  IKAT has lovely items from all over Indonesia:  massive wood furniture, antique jewelry and new and old textiles.  I was reluctant to purchase anything on “day 1” but one piece caught my eye that was hanging on the wall, made on Sumba island (an island very famous for ikat), and I bought it.  One of our textile guides, Barbara, assured me that we would not be seeing many pieces from Sumba on the rest of the trip so I felt better about picking it up so early in the trip.  I fell in love with the adorable turtles, reptiles and flowers in the design.  

In making this transaction I learned something that might be useful to others.  I pulled out a $100 bill and was told the shop owner couldn’t take it because it was from 1994.  I knew you needed to bring crisp bills, but I didn’t know that older ones be a problem.  So I will be in search of an ATM to get Balinese money tomorrow.  And a note about Balinese money – 100000 rupiah looks like a lot of money, no?  Well it equals $10 USD.  So you walk around with all this money in your wallet and when you open it up it looks like you can by anything in the world and then you realize what you’ve got equals only $50 bucks.  Taxi drivers can make change for what equals a $5 bill.  We’re all trying to get used to the money and the fact that things cost so little here.

We didn’t stay in town long because of the heat of the noonday sun and Bali’s intense humidity.  I’m sure it will take us days, even weeks, to get used to the sweltering heat.  Everyone met for lunch by the ocean to find respite and cool off a bit.  Afterward I went to the pool and met up with Scott.  Scott was delighted by his day of walking on the beach, swimming in the ocean (which has a stiff undertow), swimming laps in the pool and reading. 

At 4pm I went to the hotel spa for a massage.  I am, after all, trying to get into the sprit of Bali.  This massage cost the equivalent of $15 for 1 hr and I have to say was one of the very best massages I’ve ever had.  I asked the masseuse her name and it sounded something like “tding tding”.  Was a tiny little thing with very strong hands and had several new moves I hadn’t experienced in the US or abroad.  If I had time tomorrow I would certainly return, but that’s unlikely.  By afternoon Ferris Olin had arrived and by the time we all met for dinner at 6:30, even she had enjoyed a one-hour massage.  Ferris flew the eastern route to Indonesia and arrived at the hotel around 2 so she was certainly entitled to relax. 

Dinner was just up the beach, at a lovely modern restaurant on the second floor that Jill scoped out earlier in the day.  I had a seafood soap to begin and then we went to the back of the restaurant to select my fish.  I spied a handsome, buggy-eyed red snapper and took a fancy to him.  He was delicious grilled with a little lemon.  Scott had a beautifully presented spider roll appetizer and assorted fish with green curry as his main course.  Should have taken my camera to dinner to record how beautiful they were.   Sorry Cliff.  

Since I don’t have many photos today I’m including ones of the front of the Kumala Pantai hotel, the pool, flowers on the property and my new Sumba island purchase.