SEE that yellow dog that looks strangely like me from behind? No, Mama didn't manage to smuggle me on board the plane for her five-day dive trip to Bali. But she did meet a lot of interesting dogs on the way. This one, on a moonlit street in Padangbai on the east coast of Bali (where Mama, Ninang Ame and Tita Joy De G were blessed to encounter a mola mola on one dive), was named Tibet, and seemed more interested in chasing a gekko down the road than posing for Mama. There are lots of wandering dogs in Bali, and although some locals supposedly still eat them, Mama was pleased to learn that there is actually a shelter for stray Balinese dogs on the island, like a PAWS center. In fact, In Tulamben, where Mama got to dive the fabulous USS Liberty wreck off a rocky beach, she met two German ladies from Dusseldorf, Eva and Utte, sisters who had local dogs on leashes with them. The two were called Moo and Blanca, and were being rehabilitated after a rather unpleasant stay with a local. According to the ladies, Moo may just be off to Germany soon, and so will Blanca is she doesn't find a good home on the island. Anywhere in the world, God smiles down on people who go out of their way to save dogs.
Mama kept that thought, and thoughts of Utte and Eva, in mind when she read an awful article on the plane, in an Asian magazine, about how the Chinese have to decide whether to stroke or stir-fry their dogs! The tone was positive; more Chinese are now rising up against the government to protest the maltreatment of dogs in China (remember that recent culling and mass murder after a rabies scare?). What haunts Mama to this day, however, is a picture of a dog slaughtered and cut into pieces, ready to cook. It was the most horrible sight; you could still see its eyes, and its snout had been lopped off. God.
Anyway, Tibet escorted Mama and her friends home from a restaurant on Padang Bai one night, after a fabulous meal of gado gado and beef rendang (for Ninang Ame). Mama also got sentimental buying chocolate filled bread or roti coklat -- memories of her childhood in Jakarta, when her dad (the lolo I never met) used to buy it for her. As Ninang Ame said, only good memories. But Mama felt all the Bahasa Indonesia she knew so well as a third grader come flooding back, and she found herself counting, bargaining, ordering food, and even asking questions in Indonesian. Made interaction more interesting.
Check out as well these pics of Ninang Ame and a family of monkeys, and a funny picture of mama and friends seeing, hearing, and saying no evil at the Mandala Wisata Wenara Wana, the sacred monkey forest in Ubud, Bali. Now this was a pleasant surprise, something Mama didn't expect to be a highlight of the itinerary. The forest is home to some 400 long-tailed Balinese macaques (Macaca fascicuiaris). Now, macaques are found throughout Southeast Asia, and many species manage to live successfully in areas occupied by humans. Here, in a lush forest with over 115 species of identified trees, environmental groups are working together to preserve a space for the monkeys that sits smack in the middle of civilization and in the same place as three important Hindu temples, including one for burial and cremation services. Indonesian guides walk around the area, gently reminding guests not to harrass or tease the monkeys. You can buy bananas to feed them, but it might not be a good idea. The important thing is, they manage to thrive and live without being fearful of people; visitors keep some distance and stay calm when the occasional monkey tries to sniff around them for food. Mama even had one little monkey peeking down her T-shirt! It was heartwarming to see them happy, well-fed and seemingly doing okay despite the influx of tourists with cameras and videocams. Is this better than a pure, wild environment where they are left undisturbed? Not quite, but considering the circumstances, at least there is no fierce competition for space, as what happens with other wildlife.
At least these guys were a lot less shy than the mola-mola! But more on them next time. Above water, the monkeys and dogs of Bali were a true delight.
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