Tag Archives: David Jarmul

Spiritual Bali

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For many people, “Bali” evokes an image of Julia Roberts cycling through emerald-green rice paddies to visit her spiritual mentor, a traditional medicine man named Ketut.

The 2010 film Eat Pray Love, based on Elizabeth Gilbert’s novel, helped establish Bali as a global destination for spiritual exploration, wellness and self-discovery.

We just spent a week in Ubud, in central Bali, where many of the film’s Indonesian scenes were filmed. Everywhere we looked, we saw yoga classes, meditation sessions and organic cafes.

But we also saw overbuilt hotels, crowded streets and rows of shops selling souvenirs to tourists.

Foreigners praying at Tirta Empul Temple

An influx of Western spiritual seekers and other visitors has strained the authentic Balinese identity that attracted them. It’s hard to be an exotic backdrop for Western personal growth while adapting to the complex challenges of modernity.

Some U.S. cities, from Sedona to Asheville, also attract visitors seeking personal transformation. So do Kathmandu and other cities around the world. But Bali felt to me like the crown chakra of spiritual tourism.

When Champa and I took a class there on how to make incense sticks, our teacher began by chanting and sprinkling us with holy water. Only after we’d all meditated could we begin. When I asked him how many sticks I should make, he said: “Whatever your spirit says.”

Not exactly what you’d hear at Target.

Tourists posing with monkeys

We used Ubud as a base to visit waterfalls, a coffee plantation and a forest where monkeys perch atop willing tourists. We saw several temples, including the iconic Tanah Lot perched on a massive rock in the crashing waves of the Indian Ocean.

Tanah Lot Temple

We splurged on our hotel, the Puri Saraswati, which features a beautiful water temple and nightly dance performances. We ate breakfast beside its lotus ponds. We got massages and dressed up in Balinese clothes to take photos beside the temple. We strolled beside tranquil rice fields and sampled the excellent nearby restaurants.

We then left Ubud for a seaside hotel close to the airport for two nights before our next flight. The vibe there was decidedly different— more beach town, less ethereal. But it was still Bali, which felt almost like a different country than Java, the island where we’d spent our previous ten days in Indonesia. It was like going from Detroit to Nirvana Disney World.

Taman Ayun Temple

Bali is primarily Hindu, beautiful and bountiful in tradition. Java is predominantly Muslim, historically rich, vastly more populated.

Bali is smoother and easier for Western visitors, as well as more expensive. It’s the simpler choice for anyone new to Indonesia, which is why it attracts as many foreign visitors as all of Indonesia’s other islands combined. If I were on a honeymoon or a spiritual journey, it’s where I’d go.

Ulu Petanu Waterfall

As I wrote in my last post, though, Java was also compelling in its own way and we were very glad to experience it. My advice to anyone seeking cultural insight into Indonesia along with personal growth would be to visit both islands, and maybe more, if possible.

Don’t take it from me. Listen to Ketut, who told Liz in the movie: “To find the balance you want, this is what you must do.”

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Java Journey

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The Indonesian island of Java has more people than Russia, Japan or Mexico. If it were a country, it would rank ninth in the world, with more than 150 million people packed into a space the size of Alabama.

We just spent ten days traveling across much of Java and saw crowded villages, towns and cities blending into each other. Traffic was intense, notably in the capital city, Jakarta, which has more people and vastly more motorcycles than New York, Los Angeles and Chicago combined. The traffic around our Jakarta hotel was so relentless that we were unable to cross the street without someone helping us.

We couldn’t cross the street in Jakarta because of the traffic but we could walk safely to this neighborhood restaurant for dinner.

Yet Java is also home to some of Asia’s most beautiful temples and cultural sites. It has lush rice fields, tasty food and natural beauty. It’s far cheaper to visit than neighboring Bali, where most foreign travelers head in Indonesia.

We enjoyed exploring Java with a local driver, Ari, who showed us lots of interesting places and took good care of us — all for a very affordable price.

As shown on the map, we started on the western side of the island, flying from Kuala Lumpur to Jakarta. One full day was enough there to see the main sites, including a national monument where we learned a lot about Indonesia’s complicated history.

From there, we drove to Bandung, which has “only” 2.5 million people, stopping along the way to visit the Tangkuban Perahu volcano, above, with its grey craters and steaming mud pots. Our hotel in Bandung surprised me with a cake for my birthday.

Next we took an all-day trip on a modern train to Semarang on the north-central side of the island. We spent most of the ride staring out the windows at endless fields, mosques, motorcycles, shops and schoolchildren. While touring Semarang, we met the students you see in the top photo, at a train museum. We were especially impressed by the Sam Po Kong temple, an ancient Chinese complex that has been extensively restored. We drank some refreshing fruit shakes while there, above.

We then headed south towards Yogyakarta, stopping at temples, tea plantations, waterfalls, volcanos and hiking spots, including one memorable walk through rice paddies to a beautiful temple.

The highlight in Yogyakarta was its two famous temples. Borobuder, above, is the largest Buddhist temple in the world. It features nine stacked platforms in the shape of a giant tantric mandala, all decorated with more than 2,600 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues.

Several miles away, the Prambanan Temple is the largest Hindu temple site in Indonesia, with an array of imposing structures whose stone carvings depict the epic Ramayana. We also enjoyed an outdoor dinner at a nearby restaurant with a breathtaking view of the temples lit up at night, followed by an excellent ballet performance of the Ramayana, above.

We also visited a sultan’s palace, a museum and other sites in Yogyakarta, including workshops for producing traditional shadow puppets, above, and batiks, below.

Yogyakarta was our favorite place in Java. It felt cosmopolitan but relatively livable.

We’re glad we traveled to Java even though parts of it, notably Jakarta, were a bit overwhelming. Java packs a lot of diversity, history and people into a corner of the world that gets little attention from Americans.

Bandung

I’ll be posting next about Bali, which is far more familiar to many travelers. Yet Java has more than 30 times as many people as Bali. As we saw for ourselves, it’s not just its numbers that are so impressive but its beauty, people and overall vibe.

In every sense, Java is full of life.

Cafe in the Paddies

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We were hiking beside rice paddies, pineapples and lemongrass in rural Indonesia when we were startled by a small homemade sign beside the trail.

It was for a coffee shop located just above where we were walking. 

Really? Here amid rice fields on the slopes of Mount Sumbing, on the island of Java, as far from your neighborhood Starbucks as you could possibly get?

We climbed some dirt steps to look and there was a stylish open-air cafe offering locally grown tea and coffee along with fried bananas, boiled cassava and other snacks. 

The cafe was also selling colorful packages of roasted local coffee beans and herbal teas. It had free wifi and accepted credit cards. The scenic view and fresh mountain air were free.

The young owner, Dodik Yudiantoro, above, opened Selogriyo Coffee in 2019 after attending tourism school — just in time for the pandemic. He reopened two years later and has been serving tourists and a growing local coffee culture ever since. 

Our barista, Joko Utomo, above, said they’ve been working with local travel companies to attract tourists visiting the nearby Selogriyo Temple, below, a beautiful Hindu structure set in a natural basin. We were among the tourists who combined a hike to Selogriyo with a trip to Borobudur — the largest Buddhist temple in the world — and other attractions near Yogyakarta. 

The cafe charges about US$1.75 for a latte and other drinks, which is expensive for the local trade but far less than a similar order in Europe or the United States. You also have to pay a small fee to hike the trail to the temple. 

We enjoyed chatting with Joko and thought both the coffee and tea were excellent.

If you’re ever in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, do give it a try. It’s the most unexpected — but memorable — cup of Java you’ll ever have. 

Enjoying the cafe with our guide Arie.

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How Indonesia Moves

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How would you react if you saw the family in the photo below riding down the street? They’re all on a single motorcycle. Neither kid has a helmet. The daughter is reading a smartphone while her dad drives. 

Would you be amused? Worried? Outraged? 

Since arriving in Indonesia several days ago, I’ve developed a different reaction: unsurprised. It’s something I’ve seen repeatedly here, as with this family:

In America, we have more than 30 cars for every motorcycle. In Indonesia, there are about five motorcycles for every car. In Nepal, where we also saw families routinely riding on motorcycles together, the ratio is similar. In Vietnam, whose motorcycle traffic awed us, there are ten or more scooters and motorcycles for every car. 

Motorcycles in these countries are much cheaper to buy and maintain than cars. They use less fuel. They’re better at navigating traffic jams and are easier to park. 

In all three of these countries, and in much of the world, scooters and motorcycles are the backbone of the transportation system.

These photos show just some of the many ways people use them in Indonesia — not only for their families, but to transport everything from building supplies to crops.

Indonesians who order a ride on Grab — like Uber back home — are more likely to choose a motorcycle instead of a car. It’s cheaper and faster for navigating the dense traffic in Jakarta and other cities.

Another option for short trips is walking, but many sidewalks here are uneven or nonexistent, so pedestrians end up walking alongside fast-moving traffic, breathing vehicle exhaust along with the smog. Buses are often packed and slow. 

The predominance of motorcycles here is a big contrast with our own country, where we have a car for nearly every person. Motorcycles are mostly recreational, not primary transport, although situations obviously vary. 

Road speeds are generally lower in Asia but motorcycle accidents can still be devastating and the sheer numbers and limited emergency care response amplify the toll. Head injuries are one of the leading causes of death in road accidents across Southeast Asia. 

Helmets dramatically reduce that risk. Yet in many countries, enforcement of helmet laws is inconsistent. 

I wish these kids were all wearing helmets but helmets cost money, especially if they need to be replaced regularly for growing children. I also recognize that some Americans who ride motorcycles would prefer to forego helmets. More to the point, visitors to our country might be just as critical of our gun violence, our giant SUVs, our obesity and other things we consider normal.

Champa and I own a single car, an aging Prius that’s equipped with airbags and other safety features. All of our neighbors own cars and most have two or more. We’re all privileged to take our cars for granted. 

If we’d been born in this part of the world, we might be crowding together on motorcycles, too. Not that four of us would ever fit on one. 

Stinky Durian

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There’s a food obsession in Southeast Asia that really stinks.

It’s for a food so pungent that some of the hotels we’ve stayed at while traveling here have signs in the rooms telling guests to not bring the food inside.

Yet we’ve also seen other tourists, mainly from China, flocking into shops to sample and buy the food, which isn’t cheap.

Is it stinky cheese? Stinky tofu? No, it’s a spiky fruit whose odor has been compared to sewage or gym socks.

My fellow Americans, behold durian.

In this part of the world, many consider durian a delicacy. They love its custard-like texture and complex flavor profile. When durian is in season, they search for it in night markets and roadside stalls. They gather with friends to compare flavors and discuss which varieties are best.

I took this photo of Chinese enthusiasts at a durian shop in Penang, Malaysia, taking selfies with the fruits and buying them as fast as the owner could sell them.

Champa and I tried a durian puff pastry at a night market and some durian ice cream pops, as you see in the photos above and below. I wanted to like them but almost gagged. The smell was overwhelming. Champa’s reaction was milder.

Like most Westerners, I didn’t grow up with durian. My brain wasn’t wired to think of it as a comfort food. When I finally tried it in Malaysia, the smell was a barrier for me rather than a signal of something desirable. I was like someone who never tasted beer and only found it bitter rather than savoring IPA varieties with friends.

Chinese tourists now travel to Penang and elsewhere for durian tours, much as Americans travel to Napa for wine. In both cases, group dynamics play a role. The foods can nourish tradition and identity along with the palate.

I didn’t want to be a typical Westerner who tries durian and says, “That’s disgusting!” I honestly tried it with an open mind along with my open mouth. But durian just didn’t pass the smell test, at least for me.

Sorry durian, but I whiffed.

Overlooked Malaysia

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American travelers seeking an East Asian trip with interesting culture, delicious food and affordable prices often default to Thailand or Vietnam. For a different vibe and a higher price, they may pick Japan or Korea. 

Few even consider Malaysia — but they should. 

We just visited Malaysia for the first time and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. It’s a comfortable, affordable, friendly place where English is widely spoken, the food is terrific, the nature is stunning, traveling is easy and cultural diversity is the norm. 

Malaysia has about 33 million people and a per capita GDP of about $12,000, making it an upper-middle income country. It’s modern, industrial and comfortable, especially in the urban areas where most people live. We traveled everywhere by Grab — like Uber, for a fraction of the price — paid with credit cards, used our smartphones and stayed in hotels and Airbnbs that were lovely but inexpensive. 

Malaysia is a long way from America and it gets hot. But especially during this tense moment in our own history, it has a lot to teach us with its tolerant blend of religions, regions and ethnicities. Malaysia combines Malay, Chinese and Indian influences into something unique.

We flew from Taipei to Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, a region of nearly 9 million people and some of Asia’s tallest skyscrapers. The photo shows us beside the iconic Petronas Twin Towers renowned for their Islamic-inspired design.

We also visited the famous Batu Caves (see my video), the national museum, art galleries, Taoist temples, mosques and markets.

We then took a bus south to Malacca, which I described in an earlier post, before turning north to Penang. Along the way we stopped for a few days in Ipoh, where we visited cave temples, learned about the local tin industry and wandered night markets offering everything from fried insects to bubble tea. Our hotel was a restored mansion of a wealthy Chinese businessman.

Penang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, surprised us with its sparkling condominiums, fancy shops and general modernity, which has attracted expats from around the world. We stayed with Singaporean friends who now live there and had dinner with two former Peace Corps Volunteers who served in Malaysia in the past and retired there eight years ago.

We learned about Penang on a free walking tour, rode the funicular to the top of Penang Hill, visited the Kek Lok Si Temple, toured the Pinang Perinakan Mansion and sampled the city’s famously diverse cuisine. 

Finally we flew to East Malaysia on the island of Borneo, for a wildlife tour and two nights in a jungle lodge. We saw orangutans, proboscis monkeys, hornbills, swarming bats and more — even a crocodile that had just started eating a python (Watch my video about our Sabah adventure.)

Americans who skip Malaysia are missing out on all this. If they look beyond the familiar travel brands and give it a try — as we finally did — they’re likely to wonder why they didn’t come sooner.

Borneo Video

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Swinging orangutans, bat swarms and a crocodile eating a python. We saw all this and more during our wildlife trip in Borneo. This video, also on YouTube, has the highlights. https://youtu.be/–oDbP3zB7w?si=sSUCF0GXOjF6Qpmp.

Batu Caves Video

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The Batu Caves near Kuala Lumpur are one of Malaysia’s most memorable sites. See why in this one-minute video on YouTube.

Strait Talk

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Centuries before the current fighting in Hormuz, another strait was the focus of geopolitical competition. 

It’s the strait here in southwestern Malaysia beside the historic city of Malacca, also known as Melaka.

During the 15th and early 16th centuries, Malacca was arguably the most important port in the world. One look at this map explains why. 

Almost every ship traveling between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea had to pass through the Strait of Malacca. 

Spices from the Moluccas, silks and porcelain from China, cloth from India and gold from Sumatra flowed through its markets. The local government developed an elaborate system for managing all of it. 

Many Malaccan traders and officials became rich. Champa and I came here on Friday and are staying in a hotel that was once the mansion of one of the wealthiest of them, Tam Kim Seng. As you can see, the building has been beautifully restored. (We had no idea of this when we booked it as a good deal online.)

Malacca’s wealth and strategic location attracted the attention of European powers that were just beginning to pursue their imperialist policies. The Portuguese conquered Malacca. Then the Dutch displaced them. Then the British. The Japanese took over during World War II before the British returned. Finally Malaysia achieved independence in 1957 and became the country we know a few years later.

If you’ve never heard of Malacca, that’s largely because nearby Singapore began displacing it in the 1800s because of its location, deeper port, friendlier trade policies and British preferences. Malacca faded and Singapore thrived. 

Today Malacca is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a population of just under 1 million people. We’ve enjoyed exploring its temples, markets, river and other sites, some of which illustrate this post. It’s really a lovely place to visit. 

This unexpected history lesson has been a bonus and, given what’s happening in Hormuz, a welcome sense of perspective about the current turmoil.

To be sure, today’s global economy is far more interdependent and fragile than the spice ships that sailed to Malacca. Oil price spikes and stock market gyrations occur within hours, not months or years. 

But Malacca reminds us of the continuing truth that narrow waterways offer leverage, control of them brings economic power and outside nations often intervene to secure access. 

When you look at a globe and see the Strait of Gibraltar, the Turkish Straits, the southern entrance to the Red Sea and, especially, the Taiwan Strait, among others, this is a lesson worth remembering. Hormuz is not the only place where the strait and narrow can be dangerous.

Super Taipei Bros.

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Just months after China held massive military drills near Taiwan, you might expect young Taiwanese men like these to be obsessing about the possibility of going to war.

They were obsessing when we visited Taipei this past week, but it was about something else: video games, anime and manga. The extent of “ACG” culture (Animation, Comics and Games) in Taiwan’s capital astonished us.

As we strolled through an underground mall beside the central train station, we passed row after row of crowded stores selling games, action figures and anime merch. Parents lined up with their children to take photos with Ultraman. Teenagers poured coins into vending machines to buy gacha figures. Posters advertised new video games and consoles.

We’d expected to see stores selling clothing and souvenirs. Instead, we encountered an ACG jamboree, one that spilled outside to fan groups like the one you see below.

Anime and games are deeply embedded in Taiwan, and not only among young people. Large conventions in Taipei attract hundreds of thousands of people.

A thriving anime/gaming culture also exists in the United States, of course, but it retains some of its nerd subculture vibe rather than being so mainstream. Taiwan’s anime also retains strong cultural continuity with Japan while the American version is more closely aligned with domestic pop culture.

More than 80% of internet users in Taiwan engage with digital games. It’s no longer just a “youth” thing. A multi-billion dollar ecosystem has become a primary form of social currency.

Consumer brands, politicians and others in Taiwan now use ACG to reach younger consumers and voters. We saw this throughout our visit.

Are Taiwan’s young people turning to anime and games as a way to escape economic pressures and geopolitical threats? Not necessarily.

Screenshot

I was struck while in Taipei by how calm things seemed relative to China. The government has a “prepare without panicking” approach that takes national defense seriously while keeping young people and others focused on an economy that has achieved remarkable success, notably with computer chips and advanced technology. Many of the people I saw in the shops were probably busy the rest of the week with their studies and jobs, and their passion for games doesn’t mean they are unwilling to fight.

I visited Taipei briefly as a tourist, and I don’t speak Mandarin, so I’m hardly an expert on any of this. Still, it was interesting how few street signs I saw like the one above. I’d expected more. I came looking for war preparations but discovered these figurines instead. It wasn’t the Call of Duty I anticipated.