Not to be confused with the most common definition of ‘gang’, but a gang in Bali, pronounced ‘gung’, is a tiny alley or path, some no wider than an average sized person could pass through. Come get lost with me in the gangs of Sanur Bali and see what I find.
Gang
Bali has a very interesting web of streets and alleys. Most of the major car routes are similar to what is found everywhere. However, the smaller the road, the more intricate and confusing the web becomes. I stayed and walked mostly on jalan’s during my trip, which are technically a ‘road’ that can range from paved to gravel or sand.
The jalan’s I became most familiar with were barely wide enough for one single vehicle to drive down. Imagine a road even smaller, and you have an alley or gang. Walking down these can be risky, for some become so narrow and have such high concrete block walls on both sides, they are suffocating. Pedestrians will still have to dodge motorcycles in these. For the bikes do not let anything stop them from moving from place to place, no matter how narrow a gap they must squeeze through.
Shops
A fun discovery down some of these gangs are the little mom and pop stores that you will find. Many of these are simply the front of people’s homes that they have converted to sell various goods. My favourite were the food stalls.
Whether this was a few bunches of bananas and papaya, or a more elaborate display of snacks and ready to eat food, all of these caught my attention.
Statues
Perhaps my favourite finds along these gangs were the random statues I would see. Some are small, not much larger than a cat, and others huge and menacing with the big toothy grins. I’m certain these statues mean a great deal to the locals, who place offerings at their feet.
For my naïve tourist eyes, I was simply admiring the craftsmanship, beauty and originality in all of these treasures.
Temples
Many of the temples in Sanur, the home of the oldest cultural part of Bali, are buried inside these small gangs. I walked to the dead end of one gang and was able to look through the gate at what looked like a forgotten space.
Down various other gang’s I found beautiful temples of different era’s, some with the most magnificent stone doorways and carved facades.
Dogs
Many gangs that I tried to enter, I quickly turned tail and went the opposite direction. And this was because of dogs. There are dogs everywhere in Bali. These are not strays, they belong to households and shops and are doing their job by barking and alerting.
For me, having been attacked as a child, as soon as I am confronted with a doggo that is approaching and barking, I quickly retreat.
Houses
Besides the statues, the best thing I found down these gangs in Sanur was a glimpse at the houses that might lay inside these monstrous high walls. Some of the walls were so incredibly beautiful and elaborate, that I can only imagine what the home inside might look like.
Others I could catch a glimpse of the old wooden structures, very colonial looking in nature, that lay tucked inside the larger estates and gardens. Quite a number of the old walls were made of huge chunks of coral. I was surprised by this and the number of these I found.
One of the best ways I explore a destination is by letting myself get lost. I have done this in multiple cities and will continue to do so. Exploring these gangs in Sanur was a day full of mystery, kindness from the local people I met, and a way to distance myself from the hoards of tourists that are now overwhelming Bali.
