My eyes opened in the darkness and detected a slight change in the brightness of the room. Maybe its time, I told myself. I have been trying to wake up in time to go catch the sunrise from the hill for a few days now, but being time-free or without an alarm, phone or clock, the task was harder than it usually would have been.
I got up and waded through the room, quietly stepping around various obstacles, and made my way to the Kindle – our only time keeper. Its hard to see whats going on, as its too dark, so I shuffle into the bathroom and put the light on. Excellent, its just after 6am. I think for a second, as I am still half asleep, but quickly decide I am going and put some clothes on, grab the key to the scooter, throw some camera stuff in the backpack and go out into the comparatively cool morning.
The ride at this time is even better. The quiet is quieter, the air is light and brushes gently on my puffy eyes, who I feel would prefer to be still closed and in bed.
Brrrrr….the scooter goes.
And I get there in the nick of time.
The fisherman boats are all over the distant waters. I can hear slight buzzing of their motors from time to time and really enjoy that sound. It brings a smile to my face, or maybe it was the view that did it.
The sun started to spill over mount Agung not long after I got settled on top of a big rock.
Ahhhh…
This is the view the people that live on this spot have every day. Poor people, living in a little bamboo shack. Another smile spreads on my face – this would be impossible in the ‘developed’ world, where spots like that are usually taken by big mansions costings millions.
The day had arrived.
I chatted with a group of boys on their way to work, who stopped at the same place to watch the sunrise, an activity it seemed, they do often. They just spread over the hill, assumed squatting positions and watched in silence.
Their bikes parked for the day.
I jumped on mine and went to see the villages in the valley wake up too.
The streams running along the road had people washing clothes and food one way, and then there were people bathing naked in them. This city dweller had to take a breath out at the sight of a naked grown man or woman, simply bathing at the side of the road – not proud of it, but its the truth.
And this is one of the big differences between this place and the cities. Here life is not hidden behind carefully plastered walls, its everywhere – cooking, farming, preparing things, sleeping children on floors of shops or side of the road, chatting, washing – you can be part of it just by walking around.
And no, I have no pictures of that, because I still suffer from respect for people’s privacy, a very big con in my photographic skills. Luckily there was enough of other things that I could capture.
This place is beautiful.
Peaceful.
Inviting.
Real.
Welcome to yet another wonderful day in the East of Bali.
©Snaps & Blabs, 2011. |
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