Bali was ...

Sunset at Uluwatu.

The way the flights worked out, we only had 3 full days in Bali.

Day 1
Flew in, checked in to the Bali Prani Hotel at about 10pm. Had the BEST Martabak & Terang Bulan Evah! Some road side stall a few meters to the left of the hotel.

Day 2

We caught the Barong Dance, then checked out a centre that specialised in hand-wrought silver.

Apparently, the Barong dance used to be the highlight of any evening - it has elements of the supernatural in its stories, and some of the actors used to go into a trance and channel specific spirits and the like. However, our guide said that they only have morning shows now... which are less scary, but also less interesting for obvious reasons.

An hour's driver later, we were swept up by a most majestic view of the Batur Volcano. It last errupted in 1965 or something like that. We could actually *see* puffs of white smoke escaping from fissures in the ground close to the vocano. It was still very much alive!



The tour included a Luwak Coffee Plantation, the Tirta Empul Temple and Goa Gajah. It was hot & muggy - and long drives weren't fun.

Later that night, we checked out Hard Rock Cafe. Quite a good band playing, but the place was dead. If Asia 7 is ever in your neighbourhood, they're worth a listen! The lead singer, particularly, had the energy of a small nuclear generator. *laugh* AB2 was *most* impressed!

Day 3

On the itenary were Nusa Dua, Turtle Sanctuary, Pacung Highlands & Tanah Lot. The "glass boat ride" at Nusa Dua was really disappointing. We could hardly see anything. Apparently by late morning, the fish have been fed so much that they're not interested in swarming the boats. You get a better trip any day in Redang.



The Turtle sanctuary isn't so much a sanctuary as a petting zoo. Lots of photos, but beware the locals - the guides will ask you outright for tips, and those who help run the place tried to bar my exit, demanding "donations".


The drive to Pacung Highlands is a good 1.5 hrs. NOT fun. Kipsy didn't sleep, for some reason. I was forced to entertain us with my venerable arsenal of dumb jokes. *grin*

Upon arrival, we were led to the Pacung Restaurant. Food was not worth mentioning, but the view was Gorgeous.


After lunch, we stopped to see a lake of some sort... but it was rainy & wet and the air cond wasn't working. I was muggy and miserable, and I didn't feel like trekking along the lake ridge to see some smallish temple dedicated to (agricultural) fertility. So AB2 and I stayed in the van.

Another long and taxing hour's drive later, we stopped in Jimbaran for a beach-side dinner. The sea air was as cool as the ambiance... :) We left in a much better mood! Kipsy and I jumped into the pool the minute we got back to the hotel. Ahhhhh....

Day 4
We had a free morning, so we had a nice lie-in and breakfast, then high-tailed it into Kuta for Shopping. The first stop, though, was a Balinese massage. RM35 for 1.5 hours of bliss, doing absolutely NOTHING whilst being massaged with fragrant oils... Definitely something we didn't want to miss!

Kuta Beach is ... eeh. The sand wasn't the whitest, finest or any-est. The water wasn't the crystal that surrounds Redang. However, the waves were a real magnet to surfers! It was fun perusing the peddlers that lined the shady beach front - they had a myriad of trinkets, food and souvenirs that included even a smallish bow & arrow kit!

Poppies Lane is decidedly dingy at night, but it was a good place to shop in the day. The narrow alley is *packed* with souvenir shops and food outlets, and quite a few hotels. We stopped by Bamboo Corner for lunch. Kipsy's friend had recommended the place, and we were certainly not disappointed! Lobsters for RM31! And ice-cold Bintang beer REALLY hit the spot!

We made it back in time for a quick dip in the blissfully cool pool. The guide then picked us up & whisked us off to the highlands of Uluwatu in time for sunset. I had SUCH a good time taking WAY too many pics of the sunset. Uluwatu is a MUST see for tourists - the view is Breathtaking.



The Kechak Dance consists of a large group of men chanting "kechak kechak" as an acapella accompaniment to a dance. It is a nice mix of traditional movements, costumes, comedy and is a short snippet of the Ramayana. Hanuman, for one, was giggle-worthy :)

We managed to get some Babi Guling that evening. It wasn't all that - tasted like basic roast pork to me. The crackling was hard enough to chip a tooth :( However, the Flying Gurame Dinner we had after Uluwatu was the BEST meal we had as part of the tour. AB2 says it's Sundanese, so I'm still not coming back to Bali for the food.

We met a friend in Hard Rock Bali that night. She was on her honeymoon. Paid about RM35 cover because PADI was playing. Not a bad band, but I think I enjoyed Asia 7 more. Truth be told, I could have done without it. I was dead on my feet, and hadn't packed. There was no place to sit, and we hovered restlessly. Finally planted our arses at a "reserved" table - lucky for us, they didn't show before we left, so we could at least rest our sore feet.

Left a bit before 1am. Packing ensued, then restless sleep before our wake-up call to meet our dawn flight.

I love travelling with AB2 and Kipsy. They're game for almost anything, and their easy camaraderie suits me. It may have been a better holiday if we hadn't tried to see the whole island in 3 days. As it was, I think it was too taxing for us to really appreciate the sights, sounds, beaches and mountains. I need a holiday to recoup from the holiday.

Or maybe I'm speaking for myself... I may be getting too old for this! *laugh*

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Edit: More photos here