Bali’s Inflatable Sandcastle: A Digital Nomad’s 21.73 Degree Day
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woke up here to that 21.73 degree thing all day, which is like, saturated air and everything. imagine drinking coffee while the humidity tries to qualify as its own weather phenomenon. i’m not kidding. it feels like someone’s sitting inside your jacket just breathing. in this heat, your drinks either get icy fast or turn into soup. mine did both. kind of magical, i guess.
so there i was, sprawled on a bench at that overrated café with the view of the sarong-clad parking lot. my laptop was open, my mind was closed, and i was thinking about how many times i’ve Googled ‘is it weird to lounge here in a hoodie?’ turns out, locals swear you’re either a tourist or a wasp. and i’m leaning toward the wasp.
[looks at iframe, sighs] this map would’ve helped if i weren’t too lazy to move. but hey, the street artist down the block gave me directions by pointing at a donkey wearing a flower crown. what else do you need? anyway, that’ll be my GPS.
[quote]i heard that place near the temple sells ‘energy drinks’ but it’s just coconut water and rain. don’t believe the hype.[/quote] some gossip here. i’m from the internet, not a local. but this was something a tourist with a broken fan told me. maybe?
neighbors? yeah, they’re out there. i saw one riding a motorbike while talking through a megaphone about the weather. 22.18 feels like a lie. i asked them if it’s normal to have the sun and the rain try to hold a grudge. they laughed and said ‘you should ask the clouds.’ which is balinese for ‘this is the best conversation we’ve had all week.’
[embeds image of a rooster next to a puddle] there it is. this rooster is probably judging my life choices. don’t judge me. i’m here for the chaos. speaking of, i tried that supposedly ‘hidden’ byodo cafe everyone raves about. the waitress served me lukewarm iced coffee and a menu written in puzzle pieces. i think the puzzle had to do with existential dread. we bonded.
got a solid review from someone who overheard a drunk man saying, ‘that beach is just a puddle with worse waves.’ i tried it anyway. the waves were definitely a puddle. but the local confirmed later that it’s the best place to people-watch seagulls cry. conspiracy or fact? who knows.
links? tripadvisor for that donkey flower crown place yelp for the puzzle café and a local board where i saw a poster for a yoga retreat that’s just a van parked on a beach. van-life
photos? happy rooster café chaos and puddles. you get the vibe.
in the end, i’m still here. 21.73 degrees, 85% humidity, and a heart full of buried rice cakes. if you get bored, ubud’s a short drive away. or just stay and ask a stranger about that donkey. they’ll probably tell you something about a lost temple or a ghost market. you never know.
p.s. if you’re a coffee snob, skip this place. i am not* a coffee snob. i’m a coffee survivor. press on.
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