Sept-Oct 2023 Bali Ubud - Lockdown
Click to enlarge images - X to return
Discover Bali: Ubud
Every time you feel yourself being pulled into other people's nonsense, repeat these words: "Not my circus, not my monkeys!"
(Polish proverb)
Edmund Burke wrote, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Stand up for Truth! Mankind is at a crossroads. Seek the truth, expose and roust out the evil elements of society or continue down this road of ever increasing control and loss of personal freedom. Simple as that. Never stop questioning. If you think I am exaggerating please prove me wrong. Cut off mainstream media and explore alternative media for a couple days. Definitely should raise a few questions. Down is Up and Up is Down. Check out the transformation of mainstream anchorman Tucker Carlson. With over 50 million viewers on some websites, while CNN boasts 4 million viewers, many people are waking up. Interesting times!
This plandemic has changed the face of humanity forever. Lockdowns implemented worldwide in 3 weeks. Death rates exploding. Social distancing and useless masks. Massive side effects from the experimental injections. Jobs lost and small businesses folding while large corporation realized record profits. Hmmm?
And travel – forget that. Just too complicated! It took Co vid to slow us down. That being said, nothing gets in the way of seeing my kids and grandchildren at Christmas. After jumping through an unbelievable amount of hoops, I found myself sitting on a series of almost empty planes, walking easily through almost empty airports, dealing with angry empty-headed employees trying to make sense of a ludicrous situation. No food was served, cabins were sprayed with chemicals, ridiculous testing around every corner, and don’t forget the quarantines.
I spent 7 nights in a hotel room in Jakarta; and not to be fooled again, the following year spent 7 nights on a private dive island off the north shore of Sulawesi. Drastic times call for drastic measures. Life threatening, illegal regulations were circumvented, in sometimes clever and surreptitious ways. I made friends with the chef of the Jakarta hotel and after a day of ‘prison food’ on a tray outside my locked door, was able to eat fresh fruit, fresh salad, and reasonable vegan dinners. I left the room late at night and strolled around the deserted halls, getting the exercise my body required. It was a glorious day when they swung open my prison cell and I was a free woman. Free? Excuse me. Outside the world had gone mad. Why didn’t people see it?
Travel companies imploded. Many flights were cancelled. In the 40 minutes it took to fly from the Big Island to Honolulu in Hawaii, my connecting flight was cancelled. I found a helpful agent with an engaged brain and we stood side by side at the counter, computers smoking, and I found a flight to Tokyo via San Francisco – an extra 12 hours of flying – but I continued my trip. Marveling at the crazy protective gear people traveled in, I just kept to myself and was grateful for the empty planes with free seats to lie down and sleep. (25 pax on a 300 seat jet!) One flight I slept a full 8 hours! Only thing missing was a lullaby.
In the USA va x were not mandatory but residents of Bali were required to get the jab to continue working, or out of sheer community social pressure. Indonesia is like the Wild, Wild West. With all crazy laws and regulations in place, as required worldwide, residents just quietly didn’t comply. There were maps on Whatsapp how to avoid government roadblocks and, as long as you ate from take-away or ‘bunkus’ plates, the restaurants stayed open. Once again we roamed freely, “free-range”, and in the end there was no increase in cases. It was like looking both ways before crossing the street, and getting hit by an airplane! Somehow, worldwide, the math just didn’t add up!!
The people remaining in Bali became like family, a rebel tribe of hardy souls. Just like the good old days, people visited each other for dinner, held small parties, shared vegetables from their gardens, and went for walks. Community thrived. Off we went to the beach, staying in 5 star hotels along Sanur Beach, and walking the beach walk alone. Nusa Dua and Kuta were also deserted as Australians were locked down to the nth degree back home. Cities were tightly controlled, remote regions barely affected in most countries. It was also a good time to visit neighboring islands like Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and the Gili Islands. Life was good. It’s all about location, location, location.
And so once again, as in Sumatra, we enjoyed where we were at. Normally crowded streets were quiet. With many people fleeing back home, the price of rent dropped. We rented a beautiful spacious villa with a large salt water swimming pool, perched on the edge of the rice fields. We took care of the owner’s dog and cat and planted a garden.
We even rescued a half dead pink hairless dog from a ditch and with the help of BAWA and coconut oil massages daily, nursed him back to health. Our new little friend, Veritas, added much joy into our life.
When it was time to move on, we found him the perfect home with our friend. They love each other. Both from the streets, they have found the security, companionship and joy that make life worthwhile. Our friend from a remote island off Papua, at age 10, 20 years ago, was given to missionaries by his parents. Told that he would get a good education, it turned out they were held like little slaves, beaten, fed old rice and wormy noodles, and sent out to do domestic labor at the homes of rich, ‘do-gooder’ wealthy people in Jakarta. For many reasons he ran away and lived on the streets. He is a very clever fellow and soon had earned enough money to go to high school. Kind of hard to keep your act together when living on the streets, but he persevered. Graduating, he has worked several jobs always working his way up to manager, but often getting taken advantage of because of not being Javanese or Balinese. Finally he has declared that he is worth more in life! Now he is a dive instructor in Eastern Bali, in a job where he is appreciated and awarded a fair wage. He and Veritas ride around on his motorbike exploring the island and come to visit us regularly. A Great young man and his dog! A happy ending.
And so Co vid finally came to an end, strangely as it began. The question is, will such an event be allowed in the future? Up to us!
And so it goes…………………………………..Next against all odds, a visit to Hawaii and this time a quarantine on a dive Island off the northern coast of Sulawesi . Until then remember, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Stand up for Truth! Take care and thanks for listening!!
Love, Light & Laughter,