There’s an old saying: “small drops of water can hollow out stone”,highlighting the power of small steps and consistency. But what are the chances this could also be true in a literal sense?
Such thought crossed my mind as I clung to the back seat of a motorbike, desperately holding on for dear life in a tropical storm. No helmet, hat, scarf, or any sort of protection whatsoever, just a pair of sunglasses that I had nowhere to put. The intensity of the rain was escalating to ridiculous levels with drops becoming heavier and more painful. It felt like getting slapped by 2000 hamsters at once (not that I’ve ever experienced that, but my imagination suggested it felt similar).
It is rather inconvenient if you are not able to see the road or the surroundings as a passenger, but it’s kind of a big deal if you are the person driving the scooter. That person was Anggi — the lovely Balinese girl I had earlier met near the local temple. She saw a lost tourist dressed in traditional Balinese attire walking around all confused, since the ceremony I was after had already finished. Everyone was now getting ready to go back home and eat delicious food from the offerings. My new friend kindly invited me to join in, and I was too overwhelmed with emotion to consider the weather outside.
Anggi drove at no slower than the usual speed, holding the handlebar with one hand and using the other hand as a shelter, sort of a roof over the eyes. We couldn’t help but laugh hysterically every time we hit a pothole or get splashed by passing cars. The scene was quite entertaining for the locals, probably more so because I was wrapped in a bright blue and yellow sarong. I volunteered to take it off (don’t worry I had shorts underneath), and utilise the fabric as an umbrella — practicality is one thing that proudly flows in most of the Eastern Europeans’ veins. However, my suggestion received a backlash — you never ever use traditional garments for any other purpose rather than decorating your flesh when going to a sacred place.
Looking like two pandas, as neither of us thought that putting mascara could potentially be a bad idea on a rainy day, we managed to reach the destination in one piece. Who needs those beauty treatments when nature is perfectly equipped with the best face massage techniques? All you need is +32 Celsius, an ‘unexpected’ storm during the rainy season, and a like-minded friend to share the experience.
