Travel to Bali

by Erni Roswanti (Indonesia)

Making a local connection Indonesia

I was 17 years old when I experienced my first travel. For many people, it is not a great travel because it just happend in my own country. We should travel abroad to get new and superb experiences. But it's not a thing I have in my mind. I was excited. It was my first time to go out of my own place. Yeah, I live in a rural village actually. I live with my parents, brother and sister. It was a weird feeling. I couldn't imagine it. It was a far journey to got airport. It is about 13 hours from my place to get Makassar city by car. We left at 5 AM. I had carsick and it was terrible. In Polewali we stoped for luch (first stop) about 11 AM. In Pinrang (a small town we found in our journey to Makassar) we stoped for the second. It is for dinner. I remember that I met my old friends there. Two of my friends. They also had journey to another town to continue their study. I was so surprised. She said that she also had carsick many times during the journey since they left. It is about 7 PM. After dinner we continue our journey to Makassar. We spent one night there and waiting for morning to take flight. It was my really first flight. I was surprised when I arrived to airport. It is really a big palce. And also my first time to see planes directly. Oh my god! That plane really in front of my eyes. It is scary but I was happy to be there. I realized how long I have been staying at my village and never seen those things. The fee from Makassar to Bali is not quite expensive. We also have families there. Bali is a beautiful place and also being a favorite place for tourists. I love Bali. Even though I always have carsick but I don't know why I feel good on the plane. Arrived in Bali, we directly go to my uncle house. He is an owner of a chicken restaurant. He is great. It is my pleasure to see that most beautiful place with beautiful culture. I was surprised for many times to see unusual stuff. Like, many tourists from different country. They speak English and absulutely I didn't understand what they say. Of course, hahah. It just for a couple of days, so I didn't want to waste my time just being stayed at home all days. I started to help my uncle in restaurant. It make me happy to be able to see foreigners. I like them. And silently I listen to them when they speak with their language, English. That was my first time to fall in love with English. I like that language and I started to have a wish to be able to speak English one day. Working in that restaurant was tiring but fun. My uncle finaly ask me to visit a beach with my cousins. One boy and two girls. Then we went to the beach for fun. It wa a strange view. I could see foreigners there with weird custom, specially about the clothes they worn. Haha funny but I realized that I am from village. A rural place and far from these things. I finally aware that I should learn about other place and more about culture. It is so fun to learn about culture that we have never seen before. The beautiful of that beach stunning me. It told me and gave me an answe why tourists really love this place to travel. I could see new things there that I never seen before. Foreigners, temple, unique field, etc. Bali is the only Hindu-majority province in Indonesia, with 83.5% of the population adhering to Balinese Hinduism. But I am a christian and there is no other religion in my place. Only christian. That is why Bali is a good place to learn new culture specially Hinduism culture because I like that culture. But now I have improve my English by getting motivation from Bali and I will visit not only Bali but also beautiful foreign country.