What a way to end our trip!
After another rough sleep (thanks to my inability to digest Indonesian food) we got up early for a few sunrise photos and some breakfast before our hike with Ketut. The trip almost didn't happen as I had to work through some serious stomach issues but I managed to pull it together in time for our 7:30 start. What can we say? The morning was incredible. Ketut took us through rice paddy terraces, jungle plantations of coffee and cocoa, villages, farms and markets and took us scrambling through the bush to the top of two spectacular lookouts. All the while he told us of his past, as a mountain guide and a cigarette seller at the old cockfights (that is how he knows everyone we encountered - plus the fact that he is 68!) and told us lots about the important parts of Balinese culture including hinduism, medicinal plant gathering, making offerings, the meanings of temples. On top of all this information he also took us to see a blacksmith, making knives with fire and stone, as well as sculptors who were carving the ornate temple figures from the volcanic black rock found here. We were gone for four hours and u feel like I have seen more of Bali in that time than in the entire previous two weeks!
We reluctantly left the mountains in the early afternoon with Budi (last night's band leader) as our driver. Three hours later we were back in Ubud where we had to return to pick up Eric's surfboard. We found a lovely room for our last night in Bali and enjoyed the evening wandering about Campuhan. We will definitely be sorry to leave this beautiful country.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Day 13 - Beautiful Bali
Today has been all about goingr with the flow and how good life can be if you can just sit back and enjoy the ride!
We caught our fast boat to Amed right on time and pulled out of the dock, first we headed to Gili Air where we picked up several passengers, the secede group of which were late and showed up just as we had pulled out so back we went. Then we found ourselves at Sengiggi harbor on Lombok where we waited a while to find out that we had to go back to Gili T to get more passengers who missed the boat earlier! So, an hour and a half after boarding we finally left for our 'fast' trip to Amed on the central east coast of Bali. The ride over was lovely and uneventful and Eric put his French to good use by befriending a worldly French couple. We arrived in the stunning fishing town only to discover that we had been sold a ticket by a shady character and that the money for our passage had not been paid. Thankfully (though not good for the boat owner) this kind of scam happens frequently and the baddies are well known. The owner did not hold us accountable and was happy to get us a ride into Tirta Gangga, our destination for the night.
When we hopped out of our taxi in the hillside village if Tirta Gangga, we were immediately greeted by a wiley gentleman who wanted to show us his rooms-lucky for us he owned the very homestay that we has picked out of our lonely planet and within minutes we were settled in one of the nicest rooms we've had...and at the best price too!
After taking a little time for reading and napping we went to explore the fabulous water palace. The gardens were simply lovely with water cascading everywhere and filled with an abundance of lilies, lotus' and other beautiful aquatic plant life. There were ponds and pools, one of which is open to the public for a small fee and was filled with young boys playing and bathing. As the sun set on our day the garden lights were turned on and the scene turned a whole new shade if pretty. After grabbing some dinner at a cute little cafe set deep in a rice paddy we headed back to our homestay where we discovered an impromptu porch party had begun.
We caught our fast boat to Amed right on time and pulled out of the dock, first we headed to Gili Air where we picked up several passengers, the secede group of which were late and showed up just as we had pulled out so back we went. Then we found ourselves at Sengiggi harbor on Lombok where we waited a while to find out that we had to go back to Gili T to get more passengers who missed the boat earlier! So, an hour and a half after boarding we finally left for our 'fast' trip to Amed on the central east coast of Bali. The ride over was lovely and uneventful and Eric put his French to good use by befriending a worldly French couple. We arrived in the stunning fishing town only to discover that we had been sold a ticket by a shady character and that the money for our passage had not been paid. Thankfully (though not good for the boat owner) this kind of scam happens frequently and the baddies are well known. The owner did not hold us accountable and was happy to get us a ride into Tirta Gangga, our destination for the night.
When we hopped out of our taxi in the hillside village if Tirta Gangga, we were immediately greeted by a wiley gentleman who wanted to show us his rooms-lucky for us he owned the very homestay that we has picked out of our lonely planet and within minutes we were settled in one of the nicest rooms we've had...and at the best price too!
After taking a little time for reading and napping we went to explore the fabulous water palace. The gardens were simply lovely with water cascading everywhere and filled with an abundance of lilies, lotus' and other beautiful aquatic plant life. There were ponds and pools, one of which is open to the public for a small fee and was filled with young boys playing and bathing. As the sun set on our day the garden lights were turned on and the scene turned a whole new shade if pretty. After grabbing some dinner at a cute little cafe set deep in a rice paddy we headed back to our homestay where we discovered an impromptu porch party had begun.
Sent from my iPod
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Day 12 - Surf day#34 "Secret Break"
The notion of having a "secret" surf break on a tiny sand island that is as popular as this one is a little ridiculous.
I guess it is fair to say that the secret is out...
For 40000 idr (just under 5$) I rented myself a more than decent board and started paddling off the south end of the island at a mid-low tide into this well known spot. The lineup was a good mix of visitor and local Lombok, and we were nicely spread out along the reef break.
I was mesmerized by the many multi-coloured coral and fish in the shallows directly below me as I waited for waves in the glassy clean water. I felt very privileged to be in this environment.
And the waves came! Once again I got the opportunity of tasting picture perfect ultra predictable squeaky-clean barrels breaking on a coral reef at tropical temperatures. Got some good waves right off the bat. Reef breaks are ultimate! Later some big ones showed up and a few sets came in at 8 ft or over. After a mis-attempt and good deal of scary flogging, I made my way over to the side, where the consequences were a little less severe. The sound of these breaking beasts are still reverberating in my brain. I watched some really good surfing going on, and continued to have some good rides of my own.
A big part of today's enjoyment factor was the good vibe amongst the surfers, especially the talented and stoked locals. Rode in to rendezvouz with Tracy with a big grin on my face, as this was another memorable session. Perhaps someday I shall get another opportunity ;)
I guess it is fair to say that the secret is out...
For 40000 idr (just under 5$) I rented myself a more than decent board and started paddling off the south end of the island at a mid-low tide into this well known spot. The lineup was a good mix of visitor and local Lombok, and we were nicely spread out along the reef break.
I was mesmerized by the many multi-coloured coral and fish in the shallows directly below me as I waited for waves in the glassy clean water. I felt very privileged to be in this environment.
And the waves came! Once again I got the opportunity of tasting picture perfect ultra predictable squeaky-clean barrels breaking on a coral reef at tropical temperatures. Got some good waves right off the bat. Reef breaks are ultimate! Later some big ones showed up and a few sets came in at 8 ft or over. After a mis-attempt and good deal of scary flogging, I made my way over to the side, where the consequences were a little less severe. The sound of these breaking beasts are still reverberating in my brain. I watched some really good surfing going on, and continued to have some good rides of my own.
A big part of today's enjoyment factor was the good vibe amongst the surfers, especially the talented and stoked locals. Rode in to rendezvouz with Tracy with a big grin on my face, as this was another memorable session. Perhaps someday I shall get another opportunity ;)
Sent from my iPod
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Day 11 - Under The Sea
After a very hot and mosquito filled night, we said goodbye to our friendly hosts, checked out of our bungalow and relocated to the near deserted wild SW corner of the island. Although a step down in quality, Sunset Bungalows provided us with free bikes, an ultra relaxed forest-garden atmosphere and the breezy pounding surf right out front. With not a soul in sight, it feels almost like wilderness camping, SE Asian styles. After rediscovering the freedom of the bicycle, we rented some fins and jumped into the water for more snorkeling. Today we covered a big chunk of the East side of the island, liberated by fantastic fins and crystal clear 29•c ocean water. The highlights today were swimming amidst many different schools of fish, up close and personal with nine (or more) turtles and getting to see our very first beautiful yet deadly lionfish, which Tracy spotted amidst it all. After a delicious beef kebab and mahi-mahi burger, we celebrated the sunset by a bike lap around the island. Tracy is now enjoying her first true encounter with an unadorned traditional Indo squat toilet (which is exactly what it sounds like)... In the dark, I might add...!
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Day 10 - Gili Fish
Ok, so the Gilis are pretty much everything everyone says they are. Beautiful warm turquoise water, white sandy beaches, incredibly friendly locals and no one yelling at you to buy 'transport' or 'sarong'.
Today we explored the biggest of the three Gilis, Gili
Trewengan, where we are staying. At first we looked to rent bikes but the selection was not quite up to a whistler mountain bikers standards and we soon found ourselves at the end of the business strip and already 1/3 of the way around the islands perimeter! We continued on by foot and discovered that once away from the eastern side of the island there are few amenities apart from an occasional hut (which may or may not over be open) and some swanky private residences but of course, that is what makes this area so appealing.
We came to the Gilis primarily for the snorkelling and were not disappointed. Our first foray off the west coast and past the breaker revealed many colorful fish but pretty bleached out coral. We moved further north and hut the jackpot. Past the shallows the reef dropped about 5m into our own huge aquarium with deep blue near perfect visibility. We saw a turtle, schools of fish in every colour combination imaginable and huge coral formations teeming with life. The most impressive sight was a massive fish at the bottom, about 10m down, which must have been at least three feet long, two high and one foot wide. We have no idea what it was, besides awesome!
Back on land we ended our day with some less than average pizza but better than average conversation with two locals. These guys love the chance to practice their English and we are really enjoying the opportunity to engage with them and hear about their lives in Indo. Our hosts were telling us about their trials and tribulations on the islands of Lombok and Sumbawa, with the latter, we were told earnestly, being a particularly fine surfing destination. We are definitely getting a slightly better understanding of what makes up this great archipelago of diverse cultures, yet we have many miles to cover before truly penetrating the world's fourth most populous nation. Certainly not on this short trip!
Today we explored the biggest of the three Gilis, Gili
Trewengan, where we are staying. At first we looked to rent bikes but the selection was not quite up to a whistler mountain bikers standards and we soon found ourselves at the end of the business strip and already 1/3 of the way around the islands perimeter! We continued on by foot and discovered that once away from the eastern side of the island there are few amenities apart from an occasional hut (which may or may not over be open) and some swanky private residences but of course, that is what makes this area so appealing.
We came to the Gilis primarily for the snorkelling and were not disappointed. Our first foray off the west coast and past the breaker revealed many colorful fish but pretty bleached out coral. We moved further north and hut the jackpot. Past the shallows the reef dropped about 5m into our own huge aquarium with deep blue near perfect visibility. We saw a turtle, schools of fish in every colour combination imaginable and huge coral formations teeming with life. The most impressive sight was a massive fish at the bottom, about 10m down, which must have been at least three feet long, two high and one foot wide. We have no idea what it was, besides awesome!
Back on land we ended our day with some less than average pizza but better than average conversation with two locals. These guys love the chance to practice their English and we are really enjoying the opportunity to engage with them and hear about their lives in Indo. Our hosts were telling us about their trials and tribulations on the islands of Lombok and Sumbawa, with the latter, we were told earnestly, being a particularly fine surfing destination. We are definitely getting a slightly better understanding of what makes up this great archipelago of diverse cultures, yet we have many miles to cover before truly penetrating the world's fourth most populous nation. Certainly not on this short trip!
Sent from my iPod
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Day 8 - Padangbai
After waking up in the "tower of the rooster", we wandered down to Petra's living space where we encountered several of the numerous characters who seem to use Petra's as an unofficial community centre. The westerners who end up making Bali home all seem to be very unique people. The ones we have met are generally free thinking, have diverse backgrounds and are trying to do some good in this world, well, I say all but we did meet Koos, a Dutchman who was grumpy and sullen and always right-have stopped trying to figure him out! There is one unifying characteristic of the bunch though and that is in general, they don't seem nearly as welcoming as the Balinese. Perhaps it is a feeling of protection that they have for their 'new' nation or perhaps they just don't want to share?
After a morning of chat we decided to pack up and make our way east. We soon found ourselves in the sticky and warm back of a Perama bus barreling down windy roads and past countless rice paddies. Our trip ended at Padangbai, a lovely seaside port town and the ferry terminal for boats bound for Lombok and Nusa Lembogogen. We found ourselves a thatched two story simple 'hut' to stay in and spent some time soaking up the scenery on the beach. Our only hiccup here has been a small cash-flow problem - there is only one ATM here and it doesn't recognize Visa! Unfortunately both of our accounts are affiliated with Visa so we'll have to make a trip to the closest town to get some money tomorrow. The locals know this is a prime opportunity and were waiting outside the ATM booth to offer their transportation services... What enterprising young entrepreneurs they have here!
Despite our lack of cash we were able to find a cafe that would happily accept our bank card and were soon full again. We followed dinner with a moonlight stroll (an extra big moon I'll note!) and found ourselves at the entrance to a little temple built into the rocky ocean cliffside. There were people inside playing bells and chanting so we sat out of site enjoying the moment. Around the cove we found another special scene at Blue Lagoon. The tiny crescent shaped beach was deserted but a live band was playing for some subdued revellers at a full moon party. We elected to enjoy the tunes from the sand and soon found ourselves taking a dip in bath warm water. There was a small moment of nervousness when we thought we were sharing the water with some creature but Eric convinced me to stay in the water a little longer and enjoy our moonlight swim. All in all another good day topped by a pretty magical evening.
After a morning of chat we decided to pack up and make our way east. We soon found ourselves in the sticky and warm back of a Perama bus barreling down windy roads and past countless rice paddies. Our trip ended at Padangbai, a lovely seaside port town and the ferry terminal for boats bound for Lombok and Nusa Lembogogen. We found ourselves a thatched two story simple 'hut' to stay in and spent some time soaking up the scenery on the beach. Our only hiccup here has been a small cash-flow problem - there is only one ATM here and it doesn't recognize Visa! Unfortunately both of our accounts are affiliated with Visa so we'll have to make a trip to the closest town to get some money tomorrow. The locals know this is a prime opportunity and were waiting outside the ATM booth to offer their transportation services... What enterprising young entrepreneurs they have here!
Despite our lack of cash we were able to find a cafe that would happily accept our bank card and were soon full again. We followed dinner with a moonlight stroll (an extra big moon I'll note!) and found ourselves at the entrance to a little temple built into the rocky ocean cliffside. There were people inside playing bells and chanting so we sat out of site enjoying the moment. Around the cove we found another special scene at Blue Lagoon. The tiny crescent shaped beach was deserted but a live band was playing for some subdued revellers at a full moon party. We elected to enjoy the tunes from the sand and soon found ourselves taking a dip in bath warm water. There was a small moment of nervousness when we thought we were sharing the water with some creature but Eric convinced me to stay in the water a little longer and enjoy our moonlight swim. All in all another good day topped by a pretty magical evening.
Sent from my iPod
Friday, March 18, 2011
Day 7 - Bumi Bali Princess
As I write this entry from atop my spiral tower, with a fine mosquito net hanging over my bed and tiny fireflies dancing over the rice paddy below, I can't help but feel like I am living in a dream.
Today has been full of experiences that we will never forget. We awoke early, packed up our things and said goodbye to the family at our little losmen. Eric headed off a little earlier than I to make it to his yoga/ meditation lesson while I waited patiently with a cup of coffee for my balinese cooking class to begin. I can't speak for Eric about his experience with his yoga teachings (though he confirmed that it was good) but I can tell you that I had an amazing lesson. There were 7 of us in the class and we started with a trip to the market which was like nothing I have ever seen. There were goods packed into every little nook and when our teacher, Ketut. led us down to the food stalls we found the floor to be covered with baskets full of every fruit, vegetable, spice and grain that you could imagine. The smell was alternatingly delicious and revolting. Ketut showed us the key ingredients for Bali style cooking and introduced us to the weird and wonderful local fruit. Once back in the classroom we began preparing Basa Gede, the spicy base mixture for all six of the dishes we were to prepare. The next few hours were spent frying, mixing, simmering and best of all tasting our delicious meals. Needless to say, by the end of the lesson, I was stuffed!
Eric joined me shortly after I finished and hopped off the back of a scooter at our meeting spot. Turns out he had an adventure of his own getting lost in the rice paddies far out of town and had to hitch a ride home! He, of course, was famished after his yoga session and adventure so we headed for lunch and I watched him eat (yet another delicious meal) while telling him about my morning.
Once fed, we headed to our next destination - the home of a Canadian expat who is a good friend of eric's stepdad. Once we arrived we were shown to our room for the night - a self contained little unit at the top of a three story tower with beautiful rice paddy views and complete privacy. We begrudgingly left our little hideaway to explore our surroundings and enjoyed a frosty beverage out amidst the rice. After a quick stop in at the Bintang Supermarket (the first proper grocery store we have seen) we returned to the house to find our hostess, Petra, in the middle of a work crisis so we retreated to the tower where I have pleasantly spent the last couple of hours listening to the chirping frogs, crickets and occasional dog while Eric has gone on a hunt for more food.
It's been a great week and tomorrow we make plans for week two!
Today has been full of experiences that we will never forget. We awoke early, packed up our things and said goodbye to the family at our little losmen. Eric headed off a little earlier than I to make it to his yoga/ meditation lesson while I waited patiently with a cup of coffee for my balinese cooking class to begin. I can't speak for Eric about his experience with his yoga teachings (though he confirmed that it was good) but I can tell you that I had an amazing lesson. There were 7 of us in the class and we started with a trip to the market which was like nothing I have ever seen. There were goods packed into every little nook and when our teacher, Ketut. led us down to the food stalls we found the floor to be covered with baskets full of every fruit, vegetable, spice and grain that you could imagine. The smell was alternatingly delicious and revolting. Ketut showed us the key ingredients for Bali style cooking and introduced us to the weird and wonderful local fruit. Once back in the classroom we began preparing Basa Gede, the spicy base mixture for all six of the dishes we were to prepare. The next few hours were spent frying, mixing, simmering and best of all tasting our delicious meals. Needless to say, by the end of the lesson, I was stuffed!
Eric joined me shortly after I finished and hopped off the back of a scooter at our meeting spot. Turns out he had an adventure of his own getting lost in the rice paddies far out of town and had to hitch a ride home! He, of course, was famished after his yoga session and adventure so we headed for lunch and I watched him eat (yet another delicious meal) while telling him about my morning.
Once fed, we headed to our next destination - the home of a Canadian expat who is a good friend of eric's stepdad. Once we arrived we were shown to our room for the night - a self contained little unit at the top of a three story tower with beautiful rice paddy views and complete privacy. We begrudgingly left our little hideaway to explore our surroundings and enjoyed a frosty beverage out amidst the rice. After a quick stop in at the Bintang Supermarket (the first proper grocery store we have seen) we returned to the house to find our hostess, Petra, in the middle of a work crisis so we retreated to the tower where I have pleasantly spent the last couple of hours listening to the chirping frogs, crickets and occasional dog while Eric has gone on a hunt for more food.
It's been a great week and tomorrow we make plans for week two!
Sent from my iPod
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Day 6 - Monkey Mania
So today ended being a pretty relaxed day. We started off by doing what everyone does when they are in Ubud...shopping! There are so many shps and stalls here selling so many beautiful things that sometimes it all gets overwhelming. I'm not a great shopper at the best of times but when you add in the haggle factor (and my poor negotiating skills) I must be a retailers dream come true! We escaped the shop with just a couple of purchases and headed to one of Ubuds prime attractions - the monkey forest. The Macques here are considered sacred and they guard three temples in a nature reserve setting. There are ladies outside selling fruit and boy do those monkeys know it! Even without food we had the little critters on us checking our pockets and climbing our shoulders. After wandering around we were feeling tired so we spent the rainy afternoon reading and napping. After such a tough day we felt we deserved a treat so we went out for some western food at a small cafe/warung. Eric found desert on our way home and we quietly wound down another day in Bali.
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Day 5 - losmen search
Eric made two comments about my day 4 entry: a) I sound like I am talking Bali English and b) I sound like an ad agency. In response, I say this: a) that is likely true and the reason is a combination of being tired, speaking broken English for four days and the fact that adding punctuation with in iTouch is just plain annoying! As for b) I researched this trip for weeks and relied a lot on other blogs for good advice on accommodation and food. If I can pass on our positive experiences to friends and family then more is the better.
So, as for today...just getting to know Ubud a little. We had to find a new hotel and looked at several beautiful places before settling on a cheap and quiet losmen. We wandered around looking at batiks and finally treated ourselves to some massage. You can't really beat a $4 foot massage! We had an excellent dinner of traditional Balinese fare and I signed up for a Balinese cooking class which I am excited about.
Not sure what is on store for tomorrow but for now I am happy to go to bed with a full belly and happy feet!
Word of the day: salamat malam - good night
So, as for today...just getting to know Ubud a little. We had to find a new hotel and looked at several beautiful places before settling on a cheap and quiet losmen. We wandered around looking at batiks and finally treated ourselves to some massage. You can't really beat a $4 foot massage! We had an excellent dinner of traditional Balinese fare and I signed up for a Balinese cooking class which I am excited about.
Not sure what is on store for tomorrow but for now I am happy to go to bed with a full belly and happy feet!
Word of the day: salamat malam - good night
Sent from my iPod
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Day 4 - Ubud
Day 4 - Ubud
Wow...what a change! After a quick and relatively non-productive surf session we packed up our things and loaded ourselves into our driver, Yeoman's, van. The Bukit was great but what we have found in Ubud makes us happier than ever to be sharing this experience. Yeoman was great as a driver and a person (we have his number and would highly recommend him if you are ever in Bali). We talked about religion, family, surfing, food and language and he took us to his friend's silver shop which was just incredible. After landing at our hotel we asked to take Yeoman out for a snack and Eric, who loves Mexican, picked out a place which had the best tacos we've ever had outside of Mexico! Yeoman had never tried it before so he pretended he was on holiday too! The young guy who owns it, named Ketut (or King Tut as he told us) spent some time in Texas and took the cuisine home - good idea!
Our place is incredible - now we feel we are in Bali. We only have one night as they are booked up but Greenfields is a definite win! Beautiful staff, woven wall hangings and just steps away from a large rice paddy - feels so deluxe and yet just under $30 a night.
Can't wait to see more.
Wow...what a change! After a quick and relatively non-productive surf session we packed up our things and loaded ourselves into our driver, Yeoman's, van. The Bukit was great but what we have found in Ubud makes us happier than ever to be sharing this experience. Yeoman was great as a driver and a person (we have his number and would highly recommend him if you are ever in Bali). We talked about religion, family, surfing, food and language and he took us to his friend's silver shop which was just incredible. After landing at our hotel we asked to take Yeoman out for a snack and Eric, who loves Mexican, picked out a place which had the best tacos we've ever had outside of Mexico! Yeoman had never tried it before so he pretended he was on holiday too! The young guy who owns it, named Ketut (or King Tut as he told us) spent some time in Texas and took the cuisine home - good idea!
Our place is incredible - now we feel we are in Bali. We only have one night as they are booked up but Greenfields is a definite win! Beautiful staff, woven wall hangings and just steps away from a large rice paddy - feels so deluxe and yet just under $30 a night.
Can't wait to see more.
Sent from my iPod
Monday, March 14, 2011
Day 3- Ulluwatu
Perhaps one day I shall return to the fabled Ulluwatu and surf the boundless monsters that relentlessly crash into the southernmost cliffs of the island of Bali. This swell travels uninterrupted from Antarctic storms to the equator, colliding into reefs surrounding the Bukit peninsula, shaped with predictable trade winds and warmed to bathwater tropical water temps, creating perfect waves. Today I tasted this perfection, albeit on a smaller scale at the Sri Lanka break. And yes, I am a now a better surfer for having sampled this treat.
Perched far above those fabled waves, on top of some grand vertical cliffs is a Sea Temple of the same name. During the spectacular sunset, Tracy and I have joined throngs of other tourists with everyone wearing the mandatory sarong and sash to watch a Kecak Balinese-hindu dance performance. 20 men encircle exotically costumed dancers whilst swaying their bodies and chanting and singing rhythmically. In essence, these men are the set, props , music and storyline of the performance. And although you would not understand a single word of that is sung, it is a performance that is completely unique and utterly unforgetable.
Sitting almost hidden by elaborate tourist restaurants perched on the beautiful sandy beach, Tracy and I find a hole in the wall. With a massive fish market across the way, we buy a beautiful fresh fish for practically nothing, grab a couple of Bingtangs (the local tasty beer), return across the street to have our fish barbequed to perfection and served whole with Asian brocolli, rice, fresh cooked peanuts, and fiery sambal hot salsa. This place is a bit of a dive, yet you would return here day after day to eat this freshest and most flavorsome simple fare that is almost shamefully inexpensive.
Today we have sampled some of the treasures that make Bali such a beautiful and unique place on this planet.
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Saturday, March 12, 2011
Day 2 - Sri Lanka
Just a quick post after a near perfect day.
After waking up to the sound of torrential rain we took it easy and so got off to a late start. We headed to the beach just in time for mid tide and Eric spent a couple of hours rolling around in one of the famous breaks of the Bukit called...Sri Lanka. I watched him for a while but he was often hidden in the waves so I entertained myself with a school of millions of tiny fish swimming at the waters edge.
After the surf we chatted with a great guy from the UK and then headed in fir Bintang time. It had to be done.
We ended our day with a great supper of flame grilled fresh snapper which cost us all of 120,000 rupia or $15! Our after dinner walk found us in the proper fishing village part of Tanjung Benoa which was far less touristy and crammed with Hindu, Chinese and temples, can't wait to go back and see it in the light. All in all a great day as we start to settle into the Balinese pace of life.
Word of the day: Suksma - Thank you
After waking up to the sound of torrential rain we took it easy and so got off to a late start. We headed to the beach just in time for mid tide and Eric spent a couple of hours rolling around in one of the famous breaks of the Bukit called...Sri Lanka. I watched him for a while but he was often hidden in the waves so I entertained myself with a school of millions of tiny fish swimming at the waters edge.
After the surf we chatted with a great guy from the UK and then headed in fir Bintang time. It had to be done.
We ended our day with a great supper of flame grilled fresh snapper which cost us all of 120,000 rupia or $15! Our after dinner walk found us in the proper fishing village part of Tanjung Benoa which was far less touristy and crammed with Hindu, Chinese and temples, can't wait to go back and see it in the light. All in all a great day as we start to settle into the Balinese pace of life.
Word of the day: Suksma - Thank you
Bali Trip Day 1 - Tanjung Benoa
Well here we are! The sun has set on our first day in Bali and we are still pinching ourselves that we are here.
This is the first proper trip to southeast Asia for either of us and we didn't quite know what to expect. From our first glimpse of a stunning golden temple at the airport we knew we were in for something completely different.
Due to a miscommunication with our homestay host we didnt get the airport pickup that we expected but we ended up navigating the streets of Denpasar and Kuta with a driver Eric befriended. Random temples, ramshackle buildings and massive statues lined the streets that we zipped through alongside hundreds of scooters. There was a lot of honking but it all seemed goodnatured and orderly in it's own way!
Once settled in our room at Ombuk Putih Bungalows we went for a walk to explore. Definitely felt a little culture shock as we were hustled for everything from taxis to sadongs to massages. Some observations:
- everyone here is smiling! The Balinese are incredible helpful and friendly.
- We have seen at least three polo ralph Lauren outlets along the street. Who knew Polo was so popular here?
- Bintang.
-Rain! We haven't seen rain for weeks and it has pretty much not stopped since we arrived!
-Everyone is selling something and mostly it is food. The streets smell of roasting corn, grilling chicken, coconut oil and that spicy salty soy kinda smell. I am constantly hungry!
Tonight we are soaking it in and will probably spend tomorrow in a similar fashion. Eric will surf and I will take my camera. For a walk!
This is the first proper trip to southeast Asia for either of us and we didn't quite know what to expect. From our first glimpse of a stunning golden temple at the airport we knew we were in for something completely different.
Due to a miscommunication with our homestay host we didnt get the airport pickup that we expected but we ended up navigating the streets of Denpasar and Kuta with a driver Eric befriended. Random temples, ramshackle buildings and massive statues lined the streets that we zipped through alongside hundreds of scooters. There was a lot of honking but it all seemed goodnatured and orderly in it's own way!
Once settled in our room at Ombuk Putih Bungalows we went for a walk to explore. Definitely felt a little culture shock as we were hustled for everything from taxis to sadongs to massages. Some observations:
- everyone here is smiling! The Balinese are incredible helpful and friendly.
- We have seen at least three polo ralph Lauren outlets along the street. Who knew Polo was so popular here?
- Bintang.
-Rain! We haven't seen rain for weeks and it has pretty much not stopped since we arrived!
-Everyone is selling something and mostly it is food. The streets smell of roasting corn, grilling chicken, coconut oil and that spicy salty soy kinda smell. I am constantly hungry!
Tonight we are soaking it in and will probably spend tomorrow in a similar fashion. Eric will surf and I will take my camera. For a walk!
Friday, March 11, 2011
Bali Bound
Just because we thought we needed a vacation from our vacation, we decided to book two tickets to Indonesia! The reality is that our Australian Visa is up today so we have to pop out of the country for a wee bit and it turns out that Indo is the cheapest place to go...lucky for us it has been on the travel list for quite some time.
We fly out in just a couple of hours and will be spending most of our time in Bali with a possible side trip to either Java or Lombok. Looking forward to Nasi Goreng, beautiful beaches and experiencing an entirely new culture.
Lets just hope those earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis keep themselves in check for a couple of weeks shall we!
We fly out in just a couple of hours and will be spending most of our time in Bali with a possible side trip to either Java or Lombok. Looking forward to Nasi Goreng, beautiful beaches and experiencing an entirely new culture.
Lets just hope those earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis keep themselves in check for a couple of weeks shall we!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Eric's Surf Report - March 6, 2011
From Eric's Surf Blog:
Trig & Brighton Beaches - March 6, 2011
The Score:
King Neptune=1
Me=0
Quite the day out there, the swell was definitely happening. After struggling with the currents and monsters, I got out to the main take off on Trigg. Immediately caught my first wave and it was a 6 foot beauty. Didn't hold on very long though :( Kind of caught a couple more, but not really. Got bashed around pretty damn hard for the rest of the day.
In the meantime Tracy had gone out with the boogie board, and, after watching a seal playing in the surf (I have never seen a seal anywhere near Trigg before!) got pulled out by a riptide and pulled back in by the life-savers in a boat!!!
We then went down the road to Brighton and joined up with Phil, Emily and later, Cole and Candice. The waves were over 2m at times and the beach couldn't handle the volume and would simply dump. Got pummeled to the extreme. Finished off with some boogie boarding with Phil and Cole. Ridiculousness!
Trig & Brighton Beaches - March 6, 2011
The Score:
King Neptune=1
Me=0
Quite the day out there, the swell was definitely happening. After struggling with the currents and monsters, I got out to the main take off on Trigg. Immediately caught my first wave and it was a 6 foot beauty. Didn't hold on very long though :( Kind of caught a couple more, but not really. Got bashed around pretty damn hard for the rest of the day.
In the meantime Tracy had gone out with the boogie board, and, after watching a seal playing in the surf (I have never seen a seal anywhere near Trigg before!) got pulled out by a riptide and pulled back in by the life-savers in a boat!!!
We then went down the road to Brighton and joined up with Phil, Emily and later, Cole and Candice. The waves were over 2m at times and the beach couldn't handle the volume and would simply dump. Got pummeled to the extreme. Finished off with some boogie boarding with Phil and Cole. Ridiculousness!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Photos!
Despite not quite finishing my New Zealand album yet I've gone ahead and worked through our December photos - that's a bit of a cheat since we were only in Australia for two weeks in December so it was a little easier to get through! :) Regardless, December's photos are now posted and I'm slowly working through our Aussie pics.
Enjoy!
Australia - December 2010
Enjoy!
Australia - December 2010
Thursday, February 3, 2011
We're still here!
OK, it's been a month since I last posted and I could say that I just didn't have time but who would believe that? Didn't I just take a five month leave of absence from work, responsibility and snow so that I would have nothing but time?! I'll tell you what though, we may not be posting about it, but we sure are having a GOOD time!
I think we're somewhere over 6000 photos now which has become unmanageable but of course we can't stop snapping. I even bought myself a new point and shoot (Panasonic Lumix FT2 for those interested) which is drop proof, dust proof, cold proof and best of all, water proof, so now our photographic universe has opened way up!
The last month has seen us covering quite a bit of distance. We've spent more time in the Margaret River area learning from the Wardandi Nyungar people about their Country. We've been off to Adelaide where we toured the Barossa Wine Region and drove around Wilpena Pound. We've seen Koalas, Emus, Goanas, more Kangaroos and more Kookaburras. We've snorkeled with neon fish and been called off the beach by a Shark Alarm!
Throughout our adventures we've been safely away from the floods, cyclones and fires that have devastated other parts of Australia and for that we are thankful. This is a beautiful country filled with great people. We can't wait to see more!
I think we're somewhere over 6000 photos now which has become unmanageable but of course we can't stop snapping. I even bought myself a new point and shoot (Panasonic Lumix FT2 for those interested) which is drop proof, dust proof, cold proof and best of all, water proof, so now our photographic universe has opened way up!
The last month has seen us covering quite a bit of distance. We've spent more time in the Margaret River area learning from the Wardandi Nyungar people about their Country. We've been off to Adelaide where we toured the Barossa Wine Region and drove around Wilpena Pound. We've seen Koalas, Emus, Goanas, more Kangaroos and more Kookaburras. We've snorkeled with neon fish and been called off the beach by a Shark Alarm!
Throughout our adventures we've been safely away from the floods, cyclones and fires that have devastated other parts of Australia and for that we are thankful. This is a beautiful country filled with great people. We can't wait to see more!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
I Saw a Kangaroo!
Funny how when you're on vacation you think you'll have all sorts of time to catch up on things and that you'll while away the hours doing those things you always wanted to do but never had time to, like read a certain book, write emails to far away loved ones or learn to crochet, but for some reason you end up filling your days with all sorts of other stuff and suddenly you've been away for six weeks and you've only updated your blog three or four times!
Here's the latest news update: I saw a real, live Kangaroo. In the wild.
This was perhaps a little more exciting for me than it should've been but I am reminded of all the times that I've seen my British family freak out at the sight of a Grey Squirrel or a chipmunk and also recall the time I first saw wild Elk in Banff (though I'm not sure how wild Banff Elk can seriously be considered!), let me just say...it was cool.
Eric and I have been very fortunate and were given an opportunity to head down to Margaret River and learn about the area from the local Wardandi Noongar people. We were woken up obscenely early by some raving Kookaburras and left camp to check out the surf. We were rewarded by the lovely site of this guy and his friends grazing in the fields.
Here's the latest news update: I saw a real, live Kangaroo. In the wild.
This was perhaps a little more exciting for me than it should've been but I am reminded of all the times that I've seen my British family freak out at the sight of a Grey Squirrel or a chipmunk and also recall the time I first saw wild Elk in Banff (though I'm not sure how wild Banff Elk can seriously be considered!), let me just say...it was cool.
Eric and I have been very fortunate and were given an opportunity to head down to Margaret River and learn about the area from the local Wardandi Noongar people. We were woken up obscenely early by some raving Kookaburras and left camp to check out the surf. We were rewarded by the lovely site of this guy and his friends grazing in the fields.
Three days later we were back in North Fremantle to celebrate New Year. Is it wrong that my New Year's Day dinner consisted of Kangaroo Satays?
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