We have arrived in Bali, Indonesia! As soon as we got to the baggage claim the smell of incense filled the room. It was actually really pleasant, and strangely familiar. We picked up our bags and headed to The Camp Hostel. We finished unpacking and walked to Kuta Beach which was about 10 minutes away. As we stepped on the beach my heart sank. This was probably one of the most disappointing moments I've had so far (in your life?). A beach known for its surfing, here in Bali, was completely covered in plastic trash and will now be known for the dirtiest beach I have ever seen. It was low tide so a huge portion of the beach was exposed and was covered with plastic debris. The shoreline was perfectly out-lined with multi-colored micro-plastics. The water and foam were tinted brown with floating muck. This is the first time I've ever been disgusted to take my sandals off at a beach. Since it's rainy season here the currents are bringing in all the trash and micro-plastics floating in the Indian Ocean. The Indian Ocean also known to be one of the most bio-diverse oceans on the planet.
The next day we decided to visit the Bali Bird Park. This was probably the best decision I've made. As soon as we arrived I was greeted with a Blue-Yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna) and a Black Palm Cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus). I was especially amazed by the Black Palm Cockatoo. It was the rarest bird there and it was especially beautiful. We were handling a female named Ana. She was 25 years-old and incredibly healthy. The keeper was teaching us how to differentiate between the sexes; Females have brown eyes and males have black eyes. They are found in Papau New Guinea and Northern Australia, where they are considered one of the largest cockatoos (species in the world?). We also saw the amazing birds of paradise from Papua New Guinea and their splendid feathers! The park also hosts a very successful breeding program for these birds. As we were walking, a pink dot caught my eye. It was a Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla). A bird that I will also be fortunate to see during my semester in Townsville! I highly encourage anyone in Bali to visit the Bali Bird Park. The day ended by visiting the lovely. Nusa Dua beach on the western side on the Bali Peninsula. The water was crystal clear and a pretty perfect setting to end the day.
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