The Nightmare before Christmas
Humid sunshine scorches as we shuffle down the car park’s fractured slope. Christmas crowds sweat a duck line through the tight rock passage. Beyond the steps, this once tranquil cove is further crushed by international package tours as they swallow the beach’s capacity ad-nauseum. New school, old school, blow-ins, legends, grifters, show ponies, cowboys, salesman, entrepreneurs, hangovers, egomania, insecurity, confusion, negative, positive… on and on… only warm saltwater can release us. The grommet sees the positives as snorkel gear reveals tropical fish – the world beneath the world. We eventually escape around the point to achieve splendid isolation. The quiet stretch of beach is history’s window, positive irons pulse full force – nothing else matters. The grom marvels at legions of hermit crabs as they dart across virgin sands, monkeys rustle tree tops, sunshine dances upon the shore break – there’s medicine everywhere. Another swim, another sun bake, lets not leave – but we have to.
Later back at the 3 ring circus, groundhog mania continues down the cave, drones evaluating guide book driven aspirations. There’s a nasi goreng special and a quick exit from the chaos. Back up through the bottle neck, screams echo as monkeys terrorise another tour group – the 5 star fantasy struggles. Finally inside the vehicle’s baked interior, sweat pours as Mr car park – who’s never smiled in a decade – snatches the crumpled 1000 Rupiah note, while blowing kretek smoke into my eyes.
Thanks for everything pantai Padang-Padang, your spirit still lives on – if only in my head.
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Crack me up for a moment I was there with you as you described the crowd.
Merry Xmas BB really looking forward to reading more of your posts in the New Year.
Glen
Same to you mate…
It has ever been in my head once I discovered the joy (will probably ever be and thats not a problem anymore and maybe a good thing). The way you describe it, it feels like a Paradise Lost, explosions aside. I know the devotion is still there, I just saw it last week on some (I shit you not I can’t remember), rice paddies etc. Like a sore, it starts from the edges, lets hope the center fights back.
The old guard mourns while the new school marvels. Places and people change, but the song remains the same. We all have our turn at finding, living and losing the dream – the challenge is to keep hearing the music – regardless of all the distortion.