The night didn’t go as planned; I woke up again at 4:00 a.m. and didn’t get any more sleep. I did some meditations, watched some documentaries, and finally got up at 6:30 a.m. The driver will be there at 7:00 a.m. to take me to the boat in Sanur. At 6:40 a.m., I got a text: “This is your driver; I’m already here.”
That’s early! I text him that I’ll be there soon. He replies, “Hurry! We still have to pick someone up far away.” And then he sends two more messages saying, “Hi!”
Yeah, hi! You’re here so early. I decide to hurry up a bit, and he looks incredibly stressed (they really should have coordinated better with the organizers). Anyway. I ask the guy to take a photo and send it to the office so they know I’ve actually been picked up. It’s a bit odd, but as I find out later, it’s actually a convenient and secure system.
There’s already another girl in the car; she’s also traveling alone and is originally from Chile, but, as she tells me, she recently moved from Perth, where she lived for a year. What are the odds?!
We now have to drive quite a bit further, quite out of our way, as it turns out, to pick up two guys. The men are from Oman, and I react quite enthusiastically, which leads them to think I’ve already been there. They laugh when I tell them that’s not the case, but thanks to the photos and videos I’ve seen, I do have an idea of how beautiful the country is.
We all share a few stories, and when I mention that I’m on my way to Perth to visit family, he tells me how special that is. He says, “Your family is so grateful that you’re coming. You’re making that whole trip—taking the time and spending the money—just to see them.” It might not seem that important to you, but to your family there, what you’re doing is truly very special.” That really did give me a different perspective on my trip. And it made me feel really good. What a special perspective this man just gave me on that.
The driver tells us that the boat leaves at 8:15 a.m. He hurries and drives like a maniac—at least, that’s what I think.
Bali is waking up, and it’s already bustling at 7 a.m., with children being taken to school in their nice outfits. They’re all wearing uniforms; I notice that schools here start a lot earlier than in the Netherlands. The sky is a beautiful blue, cloudless, and many shops are already open. On the way, we have nice conversations about the countries where we live and what everyone has done so far on the island.
Along the way, I see dogs everywhere on the side of the road; cats are much less common—they just lie there quietly. Traffic roars past them, and everything seems to be going fine. The cars whiz by, barely missing them. Most dogs are wearing collars but roam freely. They’re free—unlike my dog back in the Netherlands, who’s cooped up in a house, though she does receive plenty of love. It’s hard to compare, perhaps. Our life in the Netherlands takes place mainly indoors; here, it’s outdoors. The dogs in the Netherlands have a good life in their own way. In Bali, they scratch all day long because they’re covered in fleas. The people, on the other hand, aren’t exactly clean or hygienic either. The exhaust and smog from all the traffic don’t make it very healthy either. The roads are a bit quieter now, which makes it more pleasant to be here. They all drive fast—maybe even recklessly. But I let it go and trust the driver and the other people on the road. They’ve been driving like this their whole lives.
Meanwhile, we glance at the clock; time is running out, and traffic has suddenly come to a standstill. We look at each other—we know the boat leaves at 8:15 a.m. Are we going to make it?
The driver says we are, even though we’re completely stuck right now. All around us, traffic is at a standstill. Finally, we’re here! He hurries us over to what turns out to be a gathering spot. There are a few shops, cafes, and a whole lot of people.
There’s a small office, and behind it a large gathering area. I think I count about 200 people. Everyone is ready to head to one of the islands. I order a delicious banana shake and a chocolate croissant, since I haven’t really had breakfast yet today. It’s so busy here, but it seems to be well organized.
We’re all assigned a lanyard of a specific color. The pink one is for us—and for many others! The guys from Oman are asking for a different color, haha, but of course that’s not possible, unless you want to be on a different boat.
The time has come—we can finally head to the boat. You’ll be called by color to walk to the departure hall. The building is shaped like a dragon. The halls themselves aren’t, though. But the front and back feature a large dragon’s head and a large tail, all in gold. The boats are already waiting—the adventure is about to begin!
