Beautiful Bali

Meditation and greeting ceremony on the first day of the 2009 Shorinji Kempo World Taikai.

Ok, sorry everyone, it has been like forever since I wrote anything here! Hopefully the blog is going to be updated fairly frequently from now on. I am in Japan at the time of writing, but this post starts where the last one finished.

Last time I posted anything was on Bali. On my third day there I lost my camera. It probably fell in the water while I was scuba diving in Jemeluk on the east coast. That was the first of a series of things that have kept me from posting anything since. Kind of boring when you don't have any pictures to show... Now I have a new camera, but the pictures here are all stolen from Charlene Lima’s Facebook page (she is one of the lethal Kung Fu girls from Sweden who I traveled around Bali with.)

Anyway, Bali was awesome! I spent about ten days there, surfing, snorkeling, practicing Shorinji Kempo and hanging out with friends from Sweden. The Shorinji Kempo World Taikai gathered people from all over the world, from the wealthy countries of the northern hemisphere and from struggling young nations such as East Timor. We saw some really impressive technique display performances and we had the opportunity to train with a number of very skilled sensei. The Bali surf was good and the nightlife of Kuta was totally wild. My best memory though is from the few days we spent in Jemeluk before the Taikai. The moment I got off the early morning ride from crazy Kuta and walked down to the seaside cafe in Jemeluk, the tranquility and peacefulness just overwhelmed me. Just ocean, beach, hillsides and distant mountains. Little semi-traditional houses with well kept gardens. Chickens, pigs, dogs and water buffaloes along the road side. Fishing boats, sailing back to shore in the first morning light, traditional trimarans made from dug out logs with bamboo outriggers. A boat builder lazily chipping away on his current project with an axe a few hours every day, while his fattening pig was sleeping in the shade right next to him. I stayed at a place run by a Japanese - Balinese couple, Galang Kangin Bungalows/Mama Dive. My room was twice the price I paid for the rat hole in Kuta. Without air condition it was still worth every last rupiah. Really wish I had some pictures to show. If you go to Bali, go to Jemeluk! And see if Mama has one of her awesome rooms available.


Watching the sunrise in Jemeluk. Fishingboats returning in the background. (Click the image and the boats will appear, rat shit size.)


A closer look at one of the boats. These were used for everything, fishing, local transport, or in this case as a dive boat for Johan and Magnus.


The Swedes at the World Shorinji Kempo Taikai.


And some friendly training.


Johan and Magnus performing their Embu, technique display.


Sunset over Kuta beach. This is where we surfed.