D A Y 1
Day 1 consists of waking up early in the morning, many time adjustments to our departure flight, finally checking into hotel, eating Balinese food for the first time (SO GOOD) and exploring the streets near the hotel.
Headed to do sports activities in the morning. Me and my mom realised that Bali and Singapore do NOT have any time difference! Who knew that although Jakarta and Bali are in Indonesia, they are actually 1 hour apart? Whaaaat?
We took a speedboat to the deeper part of the ocean. We went all the way to the deep blue part of the ocean (i could literally see the colour difference) where the waves are huge. Descended 10m and the pressure on my ears was no joke. It was extremely uncomfortable but once you're down everything is much better. I have pictures underwater but im really lazy to retrieve it as they are burnt into a CD instead of being stored inside my phone. Besides, photos and visuals cannot fully express the experience of being under the sea yourself so im not going to bother.
Parasailing and Seawalker were done in a small, and perhaps private, beach. I was unsatisfied with the view because i wanted to relax, suntan and read my book in a big, beautiful beach. And so, after our water sports, we headed to Kuta beach where it is indeed impressive. But before we sink our feet into the sand, we had to have lunch first. My mom insisted on eating BBQ pork under the recommendation of her friend. We prowled the nearby streets of Kuta beach and we did find pork ribs but it wasnt really very nice. I think her friend went to a different part of Bali so... The most expensive meal we ate in Bali turned out to be the least desirable one.
And finally, we headed to Kuta beach. The seabed is freaking long. I walked and walked and yet the waves were only at my chest level! I was enjoying myself so much admiring the beautiful waves until... 5 minutes later. I SWEAR THE STREET PEDDLERS WERE SO ANNOYING. The beach was completely lined up with peddlers, i am not even joking. The entire stretch of beach!!! And they will come down to the sandy area and pester you to buy something from them. One tried to sell me sarong, the other kept asking me take up surfing lessons and yet another bugged me to buy a drink. All i wanted was to sit down and read my book by the beach but eventually i left before i could take out my book. The whole experience was ruined just like that and i was in an extremely crappy mood for the rest of the day. So we retreated back early and walked around the streets near our hotel.
D A Y 3
I told Agung that my mom would like to try BBQ pork (after sneakily sounding out that he's not a Muslim haha) because i was unwilling to give up with just eating the weird tasting pork the day before. He seemed a little perplexed which thereby confirmed that the famous BBQ pork is not found in the southern part of Bali. So we told him that chicken would do just fine. He brought us (another 1 hour plus journey!) to this restaurant with a scenic view and i felt like i was in Genting because of the slight mist and damp atmosphere since we were near mountains. And GUYS! The food was sooooo delicious. We ordered this steamed chicken which was supposedly an authentic and traditional Bali dish (the name was too long for me to remember, cries) and grilled duck. My saliva is dripping just by thinking of it. Having withdrawal symptoms from delicious Balinese food.
So we went to this fruit and vegetable market which was nearby, thank God. Nothing much to say about it but you can just bulk buy tidbits and souvenirs back for your family and friends. Headed over to a temple which is built near a HUGE lake. Their temple layouts are very different from Singapore, which are much smaller in scale. Their temples can stretch across a huge piece of land and there are always more grass patches than cement tiles. This particular temple was having a ritual that day and i saw this woman grabbed a small black chick and sliced its head off with a knife. Uhhh... i dont even know how to describe the mixed feelings i was feeling back then - and even now as i am thinking about it. It tastes a lot like shock, fear, disgust, sadness, perplexity all rolled together.
Ok, this has got to be the highlight of the day. We took another 1 hour ride to Tanah Lot Temple which overlooks the Indiana ocean. I was so entranced by the ocean. The scenery was extremely breath taking and i was in awe. Brave by Bethel came to my mind. The lyrics go "As Your love, in wave after wave, crashes over me". My concept of waves has always been "calm" because that is how most people will describe the beaches in Singapore. But the waves i witnessed that day were grand, strong, majestic. I actually went down to the shoreline and when the waves rushed in, they came with much force. It was there and then i fully understand the extent of the meaning behind the lyrics.
It was already 8pm by the time we reached back to the hotel and we were starting to feel a hole in our pockets. So we decided to eat some cheap food that we saw on the street we passed by the first day. Never underestimated cheap, local, street food! Dayummm. And it only cost SGD6 for 2 people! The cheapest meal we had in Bali, excluding instant noodles haha.
The last day of our trip. It was pretty much a relaxing day. Did a Balinese massage where you had to strip everything except your panties. I was thrown back to a conversation between me and my friends where we were discussing going Korea together and one of them said that the people walk around naked in the sauna and shower together in a public bath (segregated into genders of course) while discussing their bodies openly. And i was like, "I'm so gonna do that!" and all of my friends replied that i can go there myself.
Had BBQ ribs again because me and my mom obstinately refused to give up. I ordered BBQ pork ribs while she ordered pork ribs with young papaya. SO GOOD. Who knew papaya and pork ribs could be so tasty together?
To sum up:
I like the fact that Bali is a really beautiful place with distinct architecture. I remember being surprised when i stepped out of the airport because it is so different from the modernistic design that i was used to seeing in Singapore and most other countries. Bali is a careful balance between traditional and modernity, be it architecture or food. You can find Balinese cuisine but you can be assured there will be familiar western (and sometimes Japanese) food to fall back on. And also, everything is considered cheap after converting SGD over to Rupiah haha. The hotel i stayed in was pretty awesome. Their services are great and the staff are freaking friendly! The location is not too bad either. Its only SGD90 cents away from Kuta beach (though i would advice to stay away from it unless you plan to surf) and 10 minutes away from nearby shops. It is also a 15-20 minutes to Giant if you'd like to buy groceries haha.
What i did not appreciate was the slow service. Singapore has spoilt me with its efficiency. I've taken it for granted and i found myself drumming my fingers on the table or looking listlessly around while waiting for the food to come. But i guess it couldnt be help. What i did not like most was the fact that the most people i've came across in Bali seemed like money grubbers and they are not afraid to show it :( I feel like a piece of fatty meat dangling in the middle of a hungry crowd. I dont know about you but that's not a nice feeling in my opinion.
Btw, i used Govoyagin.com to arrange and book all my activities in Bali.
No comments :
Post a Comment