Transportation in Indonesia has been surprisingly difficult. I expected to be taking the bus back and forth from Payangan to Denpasar as needed for city visits and bigger shopping needs. But, despite having found the bus terminal, we have yet to see a bus (the bus terminal is a largish parking lot mostly filled with food stalls and stray dogs). I've tried Googling and tried asking and I have not found any useful information on busses around Bali (though there is good information available for direct busses from Denpasar to almost any major city on Java). I am assuming that because of the huge number of personal motorbikes, scooters and cars owned, people on Bali really don't have need for busses. I joked that we were the only two pedestrians in Denpasar but I don't think I was all that far off. Gasoline is crazy-cheap (less than 10c/liter) so everyone can afford to go anywhere. New scooters cost around $2,000 (used ones much less) -- everyone has a bike to ride.
In Denpasar, taxis were abundant and we could find one to go anywhere beyond reasonable walking distance, but in Payangan, there really aren't any. I am finding that a lot of people with cars are happy to drive you places for a small fee but I am not yet well enough established to figure out who those people are. Prof. Tirta has helped to arrange transportation every time we need to go to Denpasar, but at $25USD for a one-way trip, it was not something that we wanted to do all that often. Plus, I've been scratching my head trying to figure out how I will get to any actual field sites. Tirta showed us two places (a home garden and a scraggly forest) that will be appropriate for researching bees but both are a ways away on the other side of a steep river valley. I have seen a bike that I could use to get there, but it's an older style without too many gears and would set me up for a long slog pushing it on the road up the valley, not an attractive option, especially in this heat.
Cue the scooter! Prof. Tirta seemed excited that Tim was interested in one and suggested that we rent rather than buy one. This week he found one for us to rent (nearly brand-new Yamaha Lexi, 125cc) and helped Tim to do all the things necessary to do that. We didn't get an International Driver's License before leaving the U.S. (it would have only been valid for a portion of our time here anyway) so Tim needed to get a Indonesian license. They cost $10-20 but are complicated to get and apparently take a full-day or more in line at the police station. So Tirta arranged for us to pay an agent (not cheap) to do the legwork. Tim went to Denpasar on Wednesday and (there was confusion, of course) somehow ended up getting two licenses: one for driving a car, one for driving a motorcycle or scooter. Then on Thursday afternoon, a guy showed up with the bike that Tim will be renting (a little over $100/month, comes with helmets). I am not the most comfortable person on a scooter (terrified of all that traffic) but even I am impressed with how much easier life is feeling with the ability to get from A to C when only B is within walking distance.
Cue the scooter! Prof. Tirta seemed excited that Tim was interested in one and suggested that we rent rather than buy one. This week he found one for us to rent (nearly brand-new Yamaha Lexi, 125cc) and helped Tim to do all the things necessary to do that. We didn't get an International Driver's License before leaving the U.S. (it would have only been valid for a portion of our time here anyway) so Tim needed to get a Indonesian license. They cost $10-20 but are complicated to get and apparently take a full-day or more in line at the police station. So Tirta arranged for us to pay an agent (not cheap) to do the legwork. Tim went to Denpasar on Wednesday and (there was confusion, of course) somehow ended up getting two licenses: one for driving a car, one for driving a motorcycle or scooter. Then on Thursday afternoon, a guy showed up with the bike that Tim will be renting (a little over $100/month, comes with helmets). I am not the most comfortable person on a scooter (terrified of all that traffic) but even I am impressed with how much easier life is feeling with the ability to get from A to C when only B is within walking distance.
We went on a little test drive to the rice paddies on the other side of town Thursday evening and it was fun to see stuff that has been outside of our perimeter, plus be able to stop for photos. The paddies are really pretty right now (many of them just planted and still in the flooded stage) and we saw a Javan kingfisher fly by -- beautiful bird, must have been an auspicious sign.
To make the sign more auspicious, Tim and Cok Bagus have left today on a mission to find some smaller helmets so that they don't pop off if we have an emergency.
To make the sign more auspicious, Tim and Cok Bagus have left today on a mission to find some smaller helmets so that they don't pop off if we have an emergency.