From Ubud To Medewi

Medewi has been the first wave I surfed in Indonesia. It is considered one of the easiest waves in Bali; on a big south swell it is also valued as one of the longest left-handers. When tide, swell angle and winds come together, it comes alive as a perfect point (Baja style) shaped by a rock bottom and black sand. Mai Malu is the place I'm staying at, fairly cheap and clean for Bali standards. The constant background noise is the only complain I have so far... a stream of motorcycles, barking dogs, roosters, cars and buses seems to be endless; even in the most remote areas you'll hear the approaching sound of a moped engine passing by: it is a restless soundtrack, night after night after night.....
I surfed for 3 days, small waves in the 4 foot range. Then I took a local bus to Balian, 30 minutes south. The view from the top was amazing; in the middle of a bay framed by coconut palms I saw a perfect A-frame rolling in. The right was a fast wall peeling to the south and the left was featuring a final horse-shoe section on the verge of tubing.
I have been taking the local bus every morning to go surf Balian, one of the best waves I ever seen in my life. Wave size never dropped under 6 feet. The bus is fun and I shared the available space with all kind of things, from bananas to roosters. My board gets thrown everywhere. The concept of shallow waters reached a new meaning: it's really shallow!
The time spent in Medewi paid off about 7 days after my arrival. A big swell hit Bali in the early morning hours. I paddled out alone at 6:30 AM in perfect 6/7 foot surf with a mid-tide working just right. Medewi was producing classic reelers, 150 yards of pure fun. This was a classic session! I witnessed an Indo spot at its best!
These days I settled into my routine of waking up at 5 AM and practicing yoga for an hour in the dark. I usually walk to the water at 6 AM and I have 30 minutes with nobody around. It's like going back in time, when the first Australians pushed themselves into these foreign waters, in complete solitude, for endless solo sessions.