I'm laying in my hammock now and it's Sunday afternoon. I chose to have a quiet day today, reading and working on my Indonesia language homework (for a change!)
Today is a new moon, and I guess I'm a classic new moon introvert. At 4:30 I will leave for Belly Dancing class in Ubud with my friend S., so I might as well conserve my energy for that.
Yesterday was a banner day for me, as I drove a car in Bali for the first time. This is a big deal, for as many of you know, Bali’s narrow roads are a crazy obstacle course of zillions of motorbikes, pedestrians, stray dogs, and deep potholes (that get bigger by the day in the rainy season). Since they drive on the left side of the road here, it’s challenging for Americans.
S. picked me up in her "Jimney" jeep, the least expensive automobile to rent and fix around here. I got in the driver's seat and off we went. It was a little tricky at first, as the Jimney has a stick shift which, since the driver sits on the right side of the vehicle, you need to operate with your left hand. I was pleased to see that I picked this up right away. Those driving lessons with Dad in our Volkswagon bus (orange) (which also had a big stick) served me well. Thanks Dad!
The journey to S.'s house, which usually takes 10 minutes, seemed to take an hour at the speed I was going. We spent a lot of time in 2nd and 3rd gear. S. got a bit nervous about how close I was getting to the left side of the road. Since there are drainage ditches alongside many of the Bali roads, this is a real concern. Apparently not minding the left side is the most common mistake made by those of us who are used to driving on the right. "Most important rule is never give up your middle," S. said. "You really need to keep the right side of the vehicle over the white line because there are so many things on the left, from pedestrians, to dogs to parked motorbikes, etc. Plus you want to prevent motorbikes from passing you on your right -- which they will do anyway, though you might as well try to avoid it. So stay as much in the middle as you can, unless of course a bigger vehicle is coming at you and doing the same thing, at which point you have to give up your middle to him." While there were several close encounters with roadside ditches, I managed to avert any accidents and we made it to S.'s place in one piece.
I was very comfortable in the Jimney, and feel like this is probably the most sensible form of transportation for me in the future. Up until now, I’ve been getting around with Made, whose blue-green taxi is my regular chariot. While Made is usually very reliable and a good friend, I don’t like being at the mercy of someone else every time I want to go somewhere. I also rent a small motorbike for doing small local errands, like going to the beach, the store or yoga class. While I’m getting used to it, I can’t escape the feeling that riding a motorbike in Bali is like Russian roulette. I know too many people who have had serious accidents themselves or who have friends or aquaintances who have died. Suffice to say, I feel much more at home and safe in the Jimney. I’ll rent one soon. (though it will be hard to break this to Made, as he depends on me now for his livelihood.)
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