A Tropical Christmas
Thursday, July 3rd 2008
Author: Lynne Wymore Moo
The commercialization of Christmas has always bothered me. As a Christian who holds the holiday sacred, it grates against me to see Santa Claus climbing out of chimneys at the grocery store alongside the discounted Halloween candy. No doubt, Christmas left the spiritual realm years ago and now resides quite comfortably in a secular wonderland of over-spending, over-decorating and out-shining both the neighbors and the past.
I never thought I would miss it.
We had lived in
So, we skipped town. We left an atheist country for an Hindu community in an Islamic nation. We went to
We spent the first half of our trip in Ubud, a popular village in central
Surrounded by fantastic scenery, we spent a day hiking and another day driving through terraced rice paddies, dramatic river gorges and fog crowned mountain peaks. The girls loved every minute of it, as did my husband and I. Feeling that a tropical vacation would be incomplete without a stint on the beach, we left Ubud for the coastal town of
The white sand and warm water of Sanur made for the perfect day at the beach. The town lines the ocean and has a well-kept brick path running the length of the beach. Walking south took us through what must have been the public beach. The sand and the water filled with young people with dark skin. The food vendors sold cheap satays and plenty of foods I did not recognize. The brightly colored boats lay in rows, as if presenting themselves for a photographer. Walking into the evening, we watched as the sun dropped in the sky and lit the boats and the ocean swimmers with dusk’s golden light.
Returning north along the beach, we passed restaurants and shops catering to tourists. Tables sat right on the beach, adorned with simple candles which swayed romantically as the wind picked up. Menus offered Balinese curries and satays, and the smell of fresh seafood on the grill filled the air. We stopped where only one other family ate. These wise parents had brought along their shovels and pails, and sat drinking Bintang beer at a bar made of driftwood while their children played happily on the sand. We followed their lead, and borrowed their toys once their food came. The bar looked across the path, down the beach and directly onto the ocean, painted red and gold by the setting sun. The scene was idyllic. We moved to plastic tables and lawn chairs once our food arrived and dug in. Every so often, my daughter grabbed my arm and together we looked over the arm of her chair at quite a large bug. This rhinoceros beetle lay on his back, lazily moving his legs in an effort to turn himself. He moved slowly and so caused no perceptible threat, but made dinner that much more interesting as he provided the entertainment. As we finished our dessert, she and I watched the bug once more. His struggles had become wilder and soon he managed to flip himself over. Too bad, I thought for a moment. The show is over.
Apparently, when a rhinoceros beetle feels stress he begins to whine in a loud, vibrating manner. The large, clunky bug flew straight up into the air, rammed into the fluorescent bulbs hanging from a wire and began careening wildly and making a mad buzzing sound. My daughter screamed and clung to me as if her life depended upon it. I pulled her off of her chair and onto my lap, where I hid my face in her hair under the pretense of offering comfort. The beetle became more distressed, as the waitress moved quickly back to the kitchen for help. According to my husband – my face remained well hidden the entire time – a young man coolly walked out from the kitchen, reached up and swatted the bug right out of the sky. It dropped straight down, onto my daughter’s now empty chair. Apparently rhinoceros beetles also cling insistently onto people’s clothes when nervous – what a sight that could have been! The man grabbed the beetle by a leg, and walked calmly back to the kitchen saying No problem, no problem. Even the gnats and mosquitoes terrified her for the rest of the evening.
On Christmas Day, we managed to find a hotel serving a wonderful Christmas dinner – complete with Balinese dancers, spring rolls and chicken satay. Otherwise, spending our days in the warm ocean, we completely forgot the time of year.
Well, not completely. We arrived home early the morning of January 1st to find that Santa had delivered gifts while we were away. On this one day, our home filled with shreds of wrapping paper, warm muffins and sleepy children, it did feel like Christmas.
Essentials:
Flight: Garuda Airlines
www.Garuda-Indonesia.com
Pros: Great stewardesses, armed with spare diapers, toys and baby food.
Cons: Horrible organization; all flights were hours late and counter service at the airport was horrendous.
Price: Adults: RMB 3990 + 1690 tax per person; Child in seat: RMB 3080 + 1590; Infant on lap: RMB 1530 + 1480 tax
Hotel in Ubud: Garden View Cottages in Nyuh Kuning
Tel: 00 62 361 974 055
Pros: Good location, away from the bustle of town but an easy walk to everything; fantastic facility with a lovely pool, tasty breakfast, large rooms and very child-friendly gardens.
Cons: Two room cottages contained stairs, which we found un-child friendly
Price: US$40 per night for a 2 room bungalow, including breakfast
Store in Ubud: Threads of Life
10am – 6pm Monday – Saturday
www.ThreadsOfLife.com
Hotel in Sanur: Sanur Mercure Resort
www.AccorHotels.com/accorhotels/fichehotel/gb/mer/5474/fiche_hotel.shtml
Pros: Fantastic facility with clean rooms, an affordable spa, 2 sparkling swimming pools and a beautiful beach.
Cons: Service was rude at every turn, the free breakfast tasted watered down and made some of our family sick, and the hotel was a hike from any decent shopping.
Price: US$110 per night for a deluxe king room large enough for 2 baby cots, including breakfast buffet
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