Renting a car from Bali Puspa (150,000rp per day) on Jl. Dhyana Pura on Saturday morning, I collected the in-laws consisting of Ika’s mother and father, together with her and Jevon and headed to Pupuan in the highlands. Our destination was Lovina, a part of Bali they were not familiar with. The red Taruna SUV was modern and comfortable, ideal for 4 people even though it was still a low powered vehicle. Travelling with people from a different culture is interesting and one funny thing was the fact that my mother in law brought along the rice cooker full of rice. “They don’t want to eat in a restaurant?” I asked Ika.
Coming from industrialized Central Java my relatives enjoyed the tranquility of Pupuan and the Batukaru area. We stopped at the side of the road for a toilet break and a picnic (I’m the idiot in the big hat). My lunch was a baguette with bbq chicken from the night before, my relatives preferring the assortment of local food they had packed for the trip. Sitting on the edge of the sawah enjoying the tranquility, fresh air and amount of greeness around I could imagine how great it must be to live in a quieter spot, at least until I need something.
Navigating from Kuta to the north coast isn’t super difficult if you are driving yourself. Supply head towards Tabanan and look for the signs to Singaraja. That way will you through Bedugal / Lake Bratan and get you to the north coast in 3 hours. Our route was slightly more complicated, but not that bad. We passed through Tabanan and took the road from Antosari up to Pupuan. From there excluding the 500 switchbacks and ‘S’-shaped bends, its a straight shot to Seririt on the north coast.
The weather in the highlands was sunny and warm while we took a cup of tea at Sanda Butik Villas. Expecting people to feel cold I packed 3 sweaters and warned them ahead of time. My relatives are still getting used to the western concept of economics and that extends to hotels and restaurants. People who are operating in survival mode (and I’ve lived in that mode for a long time myself) tend to see any extra expense as frivolous. Sitting quietly in Sanda Bukit Villas and enjoying the environment (its set in a old coffee plantation) allowed us to look around at the design and enjoy the moment.
Driving in the highlands of Bali one will often come to an unexpected crossroads, marked by a sign (if you’re lucky) with names of villages you’ve never heard of. Generally driving in the direction that is in accordance with the slope (down means south on the southern side of the island) will see you right. On occasion the sign will mention the next big town, which in our case could of been Pupuan, Seririt, Singaraja. It helps if you bring a map and familiarize yourself with 2 or 3 towns ahead on the route. Maps aren’t generally used by locals, who either know where somewhere is or they don’t. Showing a map of Bali to my father in law, he looked at it as if it was the first time he’d seen one. Naming the big spots we’d be going through for him, I hoped to make it easier for him to picture how the route was developing.
The sporadic showers Bali has been getting this dry season has helped to keep the island green and on a sunny day like the one we had, Bali was stunning.
