Un’Bali’vable Time
I have been living in the most populated majority Islam country in the world for four weeks and just concluded one of Islam’s major holidays, eid fiest, or as it is known in English, a week off work. What it actually is is a celebration of the end of Ramadan, where many are fasting, and maintaining other religious observations. David and I planned to take advantage of our time off by traveling to Bali, Indonesia. It was one of the most amazing and adventurous weeks of my life, and really showcased the diversity of people, cultures, and activities Indonesia has to offer.
Bali was different from Jakarta in so many ways. The congested and wide streets of Jakarta were replaced with the pedestrian filled and single-lane streets of Bali. The streets we walked down were lined on both sides with open markets, each filled with salesmen trying to recruit consumers from this popular Australian and Dutch tourist city. Another great part of traveling to Bali was the fact that we were able to meet up with several other SCU students. The students were participating in SCU’s Global Social Benefit Fellowship in Indonesia. We were able to get dinner together and swap stories and experiences.
While David explored the beaches and temples of Bali with these students and friends, I was able to use my SCUBA license and was lucky enough to see parts of Indonesia’s shoreline few tourists do. I signed up for a SCUBA trip and the first and best trip was swimming to depths of 38 meters inside a sunken American WWII ship just off the coast of Bali. The USS Liberty was once 100 meters long but now stretches 300 meters as the constant barrage of the ocean has split and scattered portions of the ship. Something I hope I never forget was the sense of adventure and wonder I felt as I swam inside an open portcullis into the hull of a sunken ship. Floating weightlessly inside of the barren and decaying interior of the USS Liberty, watching the rays of light break through the cracked and speckled walls to seemingly ordain the varied coral and aquatic creatures of all sizes and colors, was an image and sentiment so unique and otherworldly that I hope to carry with me throughout life. SCUBA diving in the USS Liberty stands out as a highlight of this fellowship.
