The bumpy road to Paradise

Hello again, it is that time again, time to check in and share my travels with you all. This time I am very happy to say that I am writing you this from the tropical Indonesian island of Bali. A place that has been very high on the list for some time and today I arrived. Today was the day that I received that all important stamp in my passport.

We left Singapore on an early flight this morning with Air Asia. Everything seemed great, we packed light so no checked luggage and the plane actually left on time for the quick 2.5 hour jaunt down to Denpasar. An hour in to the flight we run in to some turbulence. Not a huge deal as I have racked many air miles and turbulence is a common thing but this was a little rougher than usual. The pilot came on and informed us that there were some severe storms below us in Sumatra so it would be bumpy for a while. Indeed it was! I enjoy flying but I have to admit, im rather uncomfortable when things get a little rough in the sky. However, we make it through and resume a nice smooth flight. Just 15 minutes before we are supposed to land, we are informed that due to some VIP events at the airport, we have been put in to a holding pattern and have to wait for clearance to land. Turned out to be the President was at the airport which caused the delays.  We circle and circle and again….circle! Finally we land and step off the plane in to that hot Indonesian sun. Since several planes had been put in to that holding pattern, we all land at once and descend on the Visa line and again in the Immigration line. Once we take care of the usual immigration details, we hop in a local taxi and head for our hotel in Nusa Dua. We twist and turn through the streets, sometimes bumper to bumper with motorbikes which is a common site for any one who has been to Asia before. We arrive at the hotel and check in before quickly heading down to check out the pool and beach area. Wow, I can’t think of a better description other than a jaw dropping wow!  The hotel grounds  are just a series of many pools connected by bridges and walkways. The palm trees being caressed by the ocean breeze click and clacker, almost as if they were fanning us. We follow the walkways, taking in the 180 degrees of beauty and then we reach the ocean. The golden sand glistens as it gets pounded again and again by the waves of the Indian Ocean. Perfect weather for an avid surfer and as I look to the end of the beach, I spot them, a bunch of surfers in the water, just waiting for the next big wave.

Since our rooms weren’t quite ready, we jump in the shuttle and head into town for a bite to eat and to pick up some snacks. We enjoyed a nice lunch at a restaurant called Resto Prada. I tried the local beer called Bali Hai, it was quite good. Once we were finished getting our provisions, we headed back to the Nikko Grand and checked out our rooms. Very nice, complete with balcony and view of the Indian Ocean. Shortly after settling in to our rooms, we decided on tomorrows events and called it a night. I will pick up again tomorrow, its late now and i’m exhausted, good night all!!

Hello again, well today didn’t start out as planned at all.  I awoke to heavy tropical rains which threw a wrench into our morning plans. We had a driver booked to take us in to Ubud for the day to see a few things. The rains didn’t seem to want to stop so I cancelled the driver only for it to clear up an hour later. The rest of the gang decided to just stay at the hotel but I had things to see so I booked myself a car and driver and headed off for the day. I headed to Ubud to see a few of the things on my list. After a quick stop for lunch, I go visit the Tegallalang Rice Fields. Located just outside of Ubud, the rice fields are a series step like levels built into the side of the hill. Each level has a crop of rice growing. It was very interesting to see how they use natural irrigation to hold the water only when needed, no pipes, all built into the land. I walk here for a while, taking in the sites and avoiding the many children trying to sell me cheap crap for outrageous prices. I then jump back in the car and head off to the Monkey Forest. This in itself was worth the trip to Bali for me. It is a beautiful forest with temples, statues and walking trails but with one added bonus. It is home to hundreds of monkeys, most of which are very friendly and docile. Travellers be ware tho, they will try to get food from you so if you are carrying anything in a back pack, they may just find it. I watched a monkey climb up a guys back, open his backpack and take a bag of chips. I bought some very overpriced bananas from a vender at the gate so I could feed them. I put a banana on the palm of my hand and instantly its gone. I then attract a bunch of them all at once. I start to hand out bananas like it was candy on Halloween, their little Monkey hands very much like the hands of sugar hungry children. I try to give to the babies who were being pushed back by the adults. One Monkey starts to tug on my shorts for another Banana but since I didn’t respond quick enough, he climbs up on my shoulders and waits. Never one to miss a photo op, I hand my camera to my driver and feed the Monkey on my shoulder. Once the Bananas were gone, I seemed to be of no use to them any more so they move on to the next tourist. I then took that time to stroll the trails, taking in the sites as well as watching the full time show the Monkeys put on. They are so much like little people that it makes me wonder how anyone could deny evolution. After a few more photo ops, I head out and head to the town of Mas which is known for wood carvings. I collect carvings so I stop at a local shop and watch a man carving a block of wood into his next creation. I check out his shop and buy 3 of his pieces. One thing to be aware of in Asia when buying carvings, there are genuine carving and mass produced carvings. They both look nice but make sure you don’t pay genuine prices for mass produced pieces. Every price here is negotiable so never pay more than you want and be prepared to walk away.

Since it was getting late in the day, I head back to Nusa Dua to get ready for dinner with the gang. I arrive at the hotel just in time to change and meet Lisa in the lobby. We jump in a shuttle and head to a near by beach for dinner at a recommended restaurant. One of Lisa’s friends from Stephenville NL who now lives here in Bali, joins us as well. We enjoy a nice evening of good food, drinks and conversation before heading back to the hotel to retire for the night. Tomorrow we have a driver booked to take us to Tanoh Lot temple and a few other places. I will check in again soon, hope you got to experience a little bit of Bali through my words and I apologize if I bored of any you. Take care!

The world is Vast and Meant for Wandering