Selamat tinggal, Indonesia: some thoughts on my time in Bali and the Gilis

Indonesia, the least developed place on my itinerary, proved an interesting experience.

A conflicted relationship with tourism: The most fascinating angle to explore was the apparent love / hate relationship with tourism. On the love side, tourism is bringing lots of money and many jobs to Bali, providing a source of income and a path to development. This is really clear in comparison to Lombok, its much poorer neighbor. For young people in communities across the island, tourism is the only sector in which they can see jobs that will support them. At the same time, and this is where it treads into hate territory, it is so omnipresent and so unequal that many people expressed concerns to me without my even asking (and this was in English!) Many have put other dreams on hold and don't want to be in the service industry. It is also taxing to have so many from Western cultures around all the time, taking actions in conflict with traditional Balinese Hindu society. Finally, a couple of people noted that the flows of money from tourists had started to change their friends for the worse - increasing materialism and reducing communal bonds. Of course my read is very anecdotal and may be off; this was an intriguing backdrop to the whole trip there, however.

Not a food-obsessed place: As Leena commented, the island is definitely a "eat to live, not live to eat" place. There were great dishes and some lovely heat and spice combinations used. However, the food in large part was very monotonous and the quality varied tremendously. I could not uncover a coherent philosophy of flavor or taste underneath the cuisine. Though they make a mean roast pig - I went back for more babi guling at Ibu Oka - on pure food ratings it is in last place, way behind Japan, with others likely to surpass it in the future.

The presence of heat and so much humidity: Perhaps an obvious conclusion, but I was still amazed at how hot and how humid it was everywhere. That combined with my penchant for not wanting to pay for transit led to very many sweaty days. From a silver lining perspective, it certainly helped increase my appetite in between meals. I do think something about my genes and my Minnesota upbringing lead it to not be an ideal climate for me in any kind of long-term way.

And, with that, to Singapore, noted foodie heaven (and home of my sister, her husband, and my two year old niece Sahana!)