---
title: "Observations on the road to Bali."
description:
categories: ["travel"]
date: 2024-01-21T11:22:44+08:00
cover: "https://static.fatesinger.com/2024/01/0uemxm9v3y7flqit.jpg"
hidden: false
comments: true
story_id: 102709
---

I don't know when traveling started to become all about checking in at locations and taking photos for social media. Reflecting back, I never thought about checking in anywhere when I traveled in the past, nor was there such a thing as looking for designated photo spots. It was just the excitement of visiting a place. Taking photos was simply a way to document the journey, not to travel for the sake of photography. Nowadays, taking photos has become more utilitarian, everything is for the sake of online traffic—photos are standardized and everyone seems happy with that.

The times are always changing, and with each phase comes its own trends. What used to look cool is now just considered Old School. Although I am willing and try to embrace new things, age limits my capacity to fully process all these changes. If I can't change, I can only remain the same. I just hope that the times don't change too fast and make me feel out of place.

During the New Year's holiday, I went to Bali. The traffic in Bali is pretty bad, and a lot of time is spent on the road. I took quite a few photos and would like to share some observations from the journey.

![On the way out of the airport.](//static.fatesinger.com/2024/01/0uemxm9v3y7flqit.jpg)

![On the way out of the airport.](//static.fatesinger.com/2024/01/x9ljk04s929hhv34.jpg)

![We chose Uluwatu as our first stop; although it is a gathering place for luxury hotels, the whole way there is through the mountains, and it is very rundown.](//static.fatesinger.com/2024/01/5acfjggrzx63rcto.jpg)

![Along the way, it's basically all villages.](//static.fatesinger.com/2024/01/7bbgz1pjtse27ddr.jpg)

![Unrestrained Westerners.](//static.fatesinger.com/2024/01/w7hyi22h3zz2jxwl.jpg)

![The White House, which is said to be a place for holding weddings.](//static.fatesinger.com/2024/01/9ekqq0j84aw8ewqz.jpg)

![](//static.fatesinger.com/2024/01/d49wfhb2r7oe48it.jpg)

![Starbucks](//static.fatesinger.com/2024/01/lod6e81zze1y8sxg.jpg)

![Uluwatu](//static.fatesinger.com/2024/01/91y9uyuylh90scxu.jpg)

![Uluwatu](//static.fatesinger.com/2024/01/we13126ahlemaae6.jpg)

![Uluwatu](//static.fatesinger.com/2024/01/wv1mqmpxjpmokfo5.jpg)

![Uluwatu](//static.fatesinger.com/2024/01/clgj1gos9iatvymy.jpg)

![Passing by Nusa Dua, the resort area, it's very clean now.](//static.fatesinger.com/2024/01/7dadyinbnc1rzriv.jpg)

![The highways in Bali have dedicated motorcycle lanes.](//static.fatesinger.com/2024/01/ws3pm7t1u6pixjhy.jpg)

![There are an extremely large number of motorcycles.](//static.fatesinger.com/2024/01/0w9rcr30vyuvgh8b.jpg)

![Unrestrained Westerners.](//static.fatesinger.com/2024/01/fx7ndn5a6noxsa2s.jpg)

![Local students.](//static.fatesinger.com/2024/01/m3crtvfik68uclkj.jpg)

![Local parents picking up their children after school.](//static.fatesinger.com/2024/01/3bdiqlaautidix3d.jpg)

Living in Shenzhen for a long time, the pace is very fast, and even the rhythm of traveling has become particularly quick. Most of the time, it's not that you want to race against others, but rather there's someone behind you pushing you to run; you don't know when you'll be able to slow down.