“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
-Robert Frost

I had planned for my final adventure in Bali to be the ascent of Mount Agung, however, when discussing my excursion with a restaurateur expat, I learned of a more challenging, less traveled trail – to the summit of Mount Rinjani. The active volcano is located on the island of Lombok, which is a 30-minute flight to the east of Bali, and is world-renowned as one of the most awe-inspiring treks in all of Asia. Tomorrow morning I will fly to Lombok and begin my 3-day, 2-night voyage to the peak, a pursuit that will certainly test my limits, both mentally and physically.

Satellite view of Mt. Rinjani

On several recent occasions I have discussed my true desires and goals in life with a dear friend of mine. I am often times afraid that we lose sight of these desires and go through life complacent with the norm, or whatever is easiest, instead of pursuing what it is we truly want to accomplish. I’ve thought about how many times again in my life this opportunity will present itself: probably never – passing on it is a risk that eclipses any I will face along my path. I have one life to live, and if I don’t start now, then when will I ever?

I will take many pictures along the way to share with you all when I return. Until then, I leave you with another quote and picture from beautiful Bali.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
-Mark Twain

With everlasting love,

Ben Z Samples

While in Bali, I have been provided with a unique perspective of another society both professionally and culturally, and the profound interactions between the two. Here are a few of the most interesting aspects of the Balinese way of life that I have noted:

Religion – The cornerstone of Bali:
A short stroll down a Bali street is enough to observe the prevalence of religion in everyday life. Most houses and places of business have a small temple built on the property; one can never be too far removed from a place of worship it seems. It’s common to see shop owners place offerings on the shrines or take a moment of leave from their workday to light a stick of incense and sprinkle holy water around while reciting a solemn prayer. If a permanent shrine isn’t present outside of a shop, then small banana leaf offering trays are used – the wind-blown remnants of which litter the streets like Texas tumbleweeds on a gusty day. I always glance down at the trays in passing (mostly to avoid kicking them over, talk about some bad karma…), and have noted a wide range of offerings, including flowers, food (Ritz crackers and raw eggs), incense and oddly enough: cigarettes.

Hotel shrine stacked with offerings

Banana leaf offering tray

Even with such an intense divine presence, I have found the beliefs of both Muslims and Hindus to be extremely non-abrasive and non-judgmental. Coming from a western society, it can easily be assumed that I don’t share in their devout beliefs, yet I have never been treated with anything but the utmost compassion and respect. Furthermore, I have never observed any friction between the two religions in the workplace, each side respecting the others’ practices, even when it includes a two-day holiday in the midst of Games preparations. It is a welcomed change from the fundamentalists I have come in contact with over the years while living in the conservative hot-bed towns of Lubbock (eight times as many churches per capita than U.S. average) and Colorado Springs (Focus on the Family, need I say more?), where in-your-face witnessing and social rifts based on religious affiliations are a common, disheartening occurrence.

Security – And you think we have it bad:
The lasting effects of terrorist attacks by al-Qaeda in 2002 and 2005 are still ever-present across the island. Most hotels and heavily-trafficked shopping areas have gated entrances with mirror-wielding guards to check the undersides of all vehicles. The guards also open car doors to examine passengers and the contents of bags, all the while asking questions and waving metal detectors around the interior. Lisa and I have never had any issues receiving clearance, but imagine being a suspicious looking man just trying to buy some eggs from the grocery store or check into your hotel for a vacation… what a headache. These wide-spread, daily invasions make airport security seem trivial and police presence in the States seem minimal.

About to get mirrored

One of the most shocking aspects of Bali is the amount of beggars – there are none. It would seem like Bali is a beggar’s paradise: warm weather, great beaches and hordes of rich tourists all around the island, yet not a single soul has approached me for a handout. Instead, Balinese incessantly try sell their wares or services, often times “rogue” cabbies are the worst, “You want transportation? No? How about tomorrow? No? How about the next day? No? When? I will be here!” I haven’t figured out if it is pride that keeps them from asking for handouts, but in a country that sports an average yearly income of less than $1,000 USD, it is astonishing.

As always when traveling, I like to absorb the best of new cultures while becoming more aware of what makes “home” so great. With my time in Bali running low, I plan to make the most of my remaining week while soaking up as much sun, culture and good vibes as possible.

From Bali with love,

Ben Z Samples

Monkey of Ulu Watu

We made our way to a cliffside vantage point as the sun began creeping towards to ocean, all the while surrounded by our new monkey friends. From our spot perched on the edge of a massive cliff we witnessed the most dramatic sunset of the trip so far. The dark faces of the cliffs were illuminated in bright colors, seemingly painted by the sky itself. Just when the sunset was climaxing in an orgy of reds, purples, pinks and oranges, the monkeys around us started humping with such ferocity, that I’m sure the temple gods stirred in the heavens. After I peeled my eyes away from the display of unbridled sexual vigor unfolding all around me, I witnessed a beautiful sight of the glowing horizon fading into the darkness of night. If I go anywhere to watch another sunset while in Bali, it will be to the temple of Ulu Watu.

Starting to get good

Beautiful view

Giving way to night

Back at the Asian Beach Games’ headquarters, activity is beginning to pick up with the return of staff from Eid ul-Fitr and the arrival of members who have been working from Jakarta. Each day I spot a new sign or banner advertising the Games around town, even our office space is now wholly adorned with the look of the games. Tomorrow, supplies arrive and the construction of the MPC begins; we will soon learn how many of our requests BABGOC was able to fulfill. Things are about to get fun!

Office area

Credential

From Bali with love,

Ben Z Samples

Today was just another example of their generosity and desire for us to experience the Bali that they know and adore. While Lisa and I were still working in the lonely Asian Beach Games office, a director of the Bali Asian Beach Games Organizing Committee (BABGOC) poked his head into our workplace and kindly said, “There is no work that will be done now. You will go and enjoy Bali.” Hey, who am I to argue with a superior?

Our hosts had arranged for us to stay at a private villa in Seminyak, which is about 45 minutes away from the Bali Hyatt. Lode (Lo-dee), one of the many young BABGOC employees, said she was going to lead the way to the villa on her scooter and invited me along for the ride. Most Bali locals zoom around on their scooters at breakneck speeds between cars and around corners every day, so I figured it would be a good time to live like a local and saddle up.

Saddle up

Lode laughed as I ducked and dodged side-view mirrors through traffic, hanging on tight as I feared the end was surely near. Naturally, our conversation drifted towards religion and Lode asked if there was a god that I believe in. I explained to her that I haven’t made a final verdict on any gods, but I believe that good energy fosters more good energy in a wonderful cycle. “Like karma?” Lode asked. “Exactly,” I responded as we arrived safely at our destination.

The villa was just another confirmation that we had stumbled upon a bit of paradise. It was complete with a private pool, open-air kitchen and lounge area, a huge four-poster bed, a private massage table, an amazing shower and bath, and not to mention – butler service. I enjoyed another Bali sunset that featured about 200 different shades of red, purple and orange while floating around in the pool, someone pinch me please.

Pool area

Open-air kitchen and lounge

Bathroom/Massage area

Bali sunset from the villa

For dinner, Lisa and I decided to eat at Trattoria, an Italian restaurant that received high accolades in my Lonely Planet travel book. It was everything the authors described, and more. We started the meal off right with a salad of rucula, pears, pinenuts, Italian pecorino cheese and honey – simply delicious. All of the pastas are made in-house, so it’s hard to go wrong with anything on the menu. A loud, energetic Italian man, that we assumed was the owner, barked orders around the restaurant and visited each table to make sure diners were enjoying their experience. At his recommendation, I ordered the fusilli pasta with bacon and radicchio in a cream sauce, all served in a crispy grana cheese bowl. Lisa and I finished our stellar meal with servings of tiramisu and crème brule, respectively. I never thought I would eat one of my all-time favorite Italian meals in Indonesia, and all for $20.

Isalata pecorino e pera

Delicious pasta

Dessert

We strolled back to the fairytale villa and I quickly fell into bed. Nothing fosters a good night sleep like a full stomach and a clear mind. I suppose this was the perfect quiet before the storm that is on the horizon.

With love,

Ben Z Samples

My first weekend in Bali was spent with little work and worry – in true Balinese style. The highlight came on Sunday morning when I walked to the beach at 5:45 a.m. I sat alone as the sun crept over the horizon and exploded into view with amazing radiance. It was a true display of nature’s beauty and allowed for a powerful experience of introspection. I reflected on many things while I watched the painting-in-motion mature in front of my eyes: how grateful I am to be alive; how fortunate I am to be a Samples and a Zind; how I have the best big brother on the planet; how thankful I am for each opportunity provided for me in this life, even at such a young age; and all of the great times I have shared with my friends, from California to Georgia to Texas to Colorado. It was a wonderfully emotional moment that I won’t soon forget.

Beautiful Bali sunrise

Much of the weekend I spent on the beach enjoying a book and the Bali sun. The crystal clear water is the perfect temperature for a dip, and the sandbar on the hotel’s beach extends more than 200 yards off the coast. As I stomped through the water I often closed my eyes and inhaled the salty air. Even though I was so young while living in Coronado, flashes of the California coastline ran through my head while taking in the sights and smells of the beach.

Underwater walkway through seaweed

Outside the hotel

Sunday evening we visited a couple temples with Rika and her husband. One of them had some interesting signage at the entrance:

Ladies beware...

My favorite of temple the day was Tanah Lot. Although it is a highly commercialized temple with vendors lining the streets up to the entrance, fighting through the throngs of tourists was worth the view of the sun setting over the ocean. As the sun disappeared, the crowds that had gathered to watch the view erupted in cheers – a fitting end to my first weekend in Bali.

Tanah Lot

Ben Z Samples

——

Andrew – To answer your question from my previous post: The price of meals depends on where you eat. If you decide to dine at a touristy location, you can spend $45 for a nice dinner (per person), and if you choose to eat at a local hole in the wall, 45 cents for a noodle dinner. Same goes for the overall cost of living. If you live in areas with locals it would be fairly cheap because of the favorable exchange rate, but I’m sure you can easily find beachfront property on the other side of the cost spectrum.

Please feel free to ask any questions and I’ll answer them to the best of my ability or seek out the answers for you!

Bali Downpour

Today at the office Lisa and I met with members of the accreditations and venues teams. I felt like we were transported into the pages of Ayn Rand’s magnum opus, Atlas Shrugged. For those of you who are not familiar with the novel, one of the reoccurring themes is the transference of accountability by many of the characters. Particularly with the accreditations staff, each time we expressed a concern the issue was out of the hands of whomever we were speaking with. Nobody was at fault for the missing pieces of our puzzle and nobody had the authority to pull the trigger on any of our requests. We worked our way up the chain-of-command and were eventually told the Indonesian government was the cause of the bottleneck in the accreditations process, a faction we are not prepared to challenge. It looks like we will just go with the flow for now and choose our battles when appropriate. Who is John Galt?

After a somewhat grounding workday, we headed to grab a bite to eat. Rika suggested a wonderful beachside seafood grill with a unique style of ordering. Instead of using a traditional menu, diners peruse the day’s fresh fruits of the sea and hand-select their meal. We enjoyed a succulent spread of red snapper, lobster, squid and prawns, all grilled over coconut husks and seasoned with garlic and a tomato paste.

Fresh Fish

Our selection of lobster, red snapper, squid and prawns

Lunch is served

With the taste of seafood still fresh on our palates, we gathered our belongings from our first hotel and relocated to the Bali Hyatt, where we will be for the remainder of our stay. It is without a doubt, one of the nicest hotels I have been privileged enough to accommodate. Throughout the check-in process they referred to Lisa as Mrs. Samples, which was quite amusing and reminiscent of my experience when I was only 13 years old and mistaken as the suitor of my vivacious 40-year-old Aunt Barb. If I can only be so lucky one day…

Leid upon arrival

Hyatt gardens

We plan to work sparingly this weekend and I will take the opportunity to check a few items off my to-do list. I wish all of you were here to enjoy the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of Bali.

 
With love,

 

Ben Z Samples

I arrived safely in Bali, Indonesia, late Wednesday evening after a long day of travel.

Even before reaching Bali, however, my adventures began. After boarding my flight from San Francisco to Tokyo, I found my aisle seat near the back of the plane and began to settle in before takeoff. Also in my row was a nervous looking Asian man sandwiched between two clean-cut, stern looking gentlemen. After exchanging pleasantries with the man next to me, I learned that he was a U.S. Immigrations agent and his clean-cut cohort was a U.S. Marshall – the Asian man nestled between the two was being extradited to Japan.  

In only so many words, the agent told me their detainee had been on the run in the United States for quite some time, and they were anxiously awaiting his return in Japan. I couldn’t help but think that as my journey was just beginning, the Asian man’s was soon to end.

“So, is he being extradited for a non-violent crime? Or…” I asked the agent next to me, my question trailing off not wanting to name the alternative.

“Let’s just say, we don’t escort just anyone,” replied the agent.

As the plane hurtled down the runway and lifted us into the blue horizon I heard the agent say, “Constant vigilance…” I couldn’t tell if the words were directed to himself, his partner or me. Needless to say, even after the shades were drawn and the cabin gave way to darkness on the 11 hour intercontinental flight, nobody on my row slept a wink.

The flight from Tokyo to Denpasar, located in the heart of Bali, was a welcomed change of energy. I sat next to a friendly newly-wed couple on their honeymoon. We chatted about sights we planned to visit while in Bali and I was able to get some much needed rest before reaching the island.

Sunset from the plane

My supervisor Lisa and I were greeted at the airport terminal by Arie Ariotedjo, the secretary general of the Indonesia Olympic Committee, and Rika, our personal assistant. After being streamlined through customs we stepped out into the warm, heavy Bali night. The humidity invoked fond memories of Georgia summers, when five minutes outside leaves your clothes clinging to your body with perspiration.

Any exhaustion I was feeling from the flights quickly dissipated during the taxi ride to the hotel. Our driver, who can only be compared to an Argentine cabby with a death wish and no regard for human life, wielded his brights like an Olympic fencer as we slashed through the dimly lit city streets. We nearly sideswiped countless motorists and motorcyclists, pushing them to the edges of the road and leaving them in our wake of dust. Lisa and I exchanged nervous glances, but trusted this was not his first drive around the block.

After arriving at our hotel, we were guided through several tranquil gardens to our rooms, where I enjoyed fresh watermelon before falling into bed for the evening.

Walkway to my room

Late night snack

Tomorrow morning we will meet with the press team and tour the facilities that will be at our disposal. With less than 30 days until the Opening Ceremony there is much work that needs to be done, but we are ready for the challenge.

From Bali with love,

Ben Z Samples

The conception of this blog and my impending adventure occurred last week when I was summoned by the U.S. Olympic Committee’s chief communications officer and asked two simple questions: “Do you have a passport?” Yes. “Do you know where Indonesia is?” Yes.

With the utterance of those two affirmations I accepted the opportunity to travel to Bali, Indonesia, for the 1st Asian Beach Games. During my three week stay in Bali (Sept. 23 – Oct. 15) I will assist in the strategic planning and placement of a media relations infrastructure necessary for smooth press operations at a worldwide sporting event and also serve as an assistant manager of the Main Press Center (MPC). Even though I will not be attending the Games, it will undoubtedly be an invaluable learning experience in project planning, implementation and management.

Now, a trip to Bali, also known as the Island of Paradise, can’t be all work and no play. I’m planning to visit many of Bali’s breathtaking temples, hike its most sacred mountain, traverse an active volcano and relax in many of its serene botanical gardens. Travel around the 55 mile (from north to south) and 90 mile (from east to west) island should be quite painless using a combination of buses and my two feet. Not only will travel be easy, but extremely affordable. The exchange rate is currently $1 USD for $9,385.30 IDR, meaning basic accommodations will run about $15 per night and bus rides around the island will cost mere pocket change.

I will be updating this blog frequently once I arrive in Bali, barring any internet censorship that might make the Web site inaccessible. If anyone has travel suggestions, please give me a call (817-475-2276) or shoot me an e-mail. As they say around here at the Olympic Training Center, “Amazing Awaits.”

Until Bali,

Ben Z Samples