The Terrific3 travel blog

I had a “me day” today. Nanny was here from 730am to 3pm. I ran 3 miles, walked to The Yoga Barn for a Pilates class, had leftover lunch without needing to be interrupted, had a HEAVENLY 90 minute foot massage, and was able to drop our laundry off in peace and am now writing this blog.

I’ve written previously about my rough introduction to Bali, and the sharp contrasts with Thailand. I’ve been here for 11 days now, enough to have settled into some type of impression. But Bali still confuses me—it’s undercurrent of restlessness, it’s stark contrast of poor people sometimes begging in the street and opulent restaurants right outside our Villa, the busy traffic vs the yoga and meditation centers. But it’s more than that—there feels like a restless, dark energy in its underbelly that I did not feel in Thailand. I have felt it in India though. And I think I put my finger on it—Thailand is one of the only countries in this part of the world that resisted any type of Western colonization. India was colonized by the British; Bali by the Dutch. When white people have come into brown lands and exerted their power, affluence and culture, it has led to no real good for the countries. That is the sad energy I feel in this land—the troubled history of whiteness over brown-ness causing a life and generational trauma that resonates in the pulse of the land. It’s sad to me that this has happened in so many countries in the world.

It’s interesting to me that so many people “love” Bali. Many people I’ve talked to in the past have loved to travel here, and some even move here. Though I must admit, most of those people are white, and perhaps don’t feel the dark energy and rhythm in the land that I do. I certainly don’t hate Bali—it is a gorgeous island with rich culture, amazing landscapes, and lots to do. But if I can compare to Thailand where I most recently spent a month, there is absolutely no comparison in my mind. Thailand offers all the same things Bali does, but much more—a sense of peace, intellectualism, calm, rooted in its Buddhist religion and most importantly—lacking the trauma of white colonization.

I would be super interested in hearing from others who have visited Bali about this sense I have, as I’ve never heard it before, and it surprises me that Bali strikes me differently than the general population. Please feel free to comment!