Three Is A Magic Number

Here's the story on how we landed in Bali for the third time in three years. May 7 was election day in Singapore (there's only one political party so 'election' is a loose term). Since it fell on a Saturday many local firms gave employees off on Monday. We were aware of the possibility, and Paul's company finally announced on Thursday that they would also offer a day in lieu of election day. Paul emailed me at home to let me know since we had been wondering.

I interpreted the news as "I am off on Monday." Not one to waste time (alright let's be realistic: not one to waste a travel opportunity) I began looking up airfare to Bali on Friday. Friday as in tomorrow. I found perfect flights at a reasonable price. Then I searched for a place to stay, and my top choice was available at a last-minute discounted price. I consulted Paul. Then we left for Bali the next morning.

We had been considering a long weekend away in May but nothing had fallen into place. Once we were at the airport Paul clarified that he did not specifically have to take Monday off, just that he was given a day for election day, to be taken in the future. So Monday was the future! Did I rush into it? Yes, for once!

RASH

1 adj

: marked by or proceeding from undue haste or lack of deliberation or caution

Used in a sentence: I need to make rash decisions more often.

We arrived early Friday afternoon. We didn't get to sit next to each other on the plane since we booked so late but Paul sat in front of me. We agreed on a strategy to attack the now familiar visa-on-arrival line and we got through pretty quickly. After staying at the same place in Jimbaran twice, formerly the Ritz Carlton now Ayana, we decided to try something new. We still love that salt water pool overlooking the ocean but after the slight letdown by small details between our first and second stays, it seemed like time to hold onto the good memories and venture out. Disini Villas in Semiyak was the chosen location. Seminyak is a busy town with shops and restaurants, very different from isolated Jimbaran Bay.

Down a narrow side street off a busy main road is a hidden oasis. All you can see past the front office is a long cobblestone road and a succession of individual doors to 24 private villas. Our door opened to a beautiful pool surrounded by a fountain, loungers and lush greenery as well as an outdoor living space with kitchen and living room. Inside was a serene bedroom with an opulent Balinese wood framed, four poster, canopied king size bed. We were welcomed with brownies and iced lemongrass tea. I do have a knack for selecting accommodations.

Seminyak is supposed to be the place to eat in Bali with its many restaurants and cafes, some right on the beach. Last year we liked the restaurant Bumbu Bali in Nusa Dua so much that we wanted to find something similar with local flavors, and Nusa Dua was a bit too far to drive for dinner. We tried a place in Seminyak called Ketupat.  I think there was only one other couple in the fairly large restaurant when we arrived. In fact, the cab driver said, "Quiet place!" but a few more followed later. It was a nice open air setting with good food, but not Bumbu Bali good. It also started pouring rain soon after we ate and we had to finish up inside.

It was still raining when we got back to the villa so we relaxed in the living room and Paul had the couple of beers that were in the fridge, mostly on the principle that that were so incredibly cheap, compared to Singapore, that he just had to.

A hearty breakfast was included and served in the villa. Then we walked to the beach. It wasn't a very pretty one. I think Jersey Shore beaches are nicer. It was hot and uncomfortable in the sun so we headed for guaranteed relaxation at the villa. And then there was the hammering. There was some construction going on nearby along with the noise that accompanies it. Workers were walking around on roofs in the visible distance so the private villa was somewhat less private unless you avoided certain angles on the property. Though the proprietors couldn't be blamed for noise near their property, it was the only drawback of this location. The super cheap Balinese massages we got down the street helped ease that tension.

That evening we ate dinner at a well-known and often suggested place called The Living Room. It was a gorgeous setting. The food was pretty good but it was a bit disappointing because it was very expensive, certainly by Bali standards and even by other standards (except maybe Singapore's). Time for more relaxation back at the villa. If only we were closer to Jimbaran beach and our favorite spot, Lia, for fresh seafood at marvelous value.

On our last full day someone from the villa kindly gave us a lift into town where there are several furniture shops. One of the reasons we had wanted to return to Bali was to check out furniture again. The shop where we saw the coffee table we liked last year was in walking distance from the villa. As it was a Sunday, almost everything was closed, including that shop with the table. C'est la vie. We explored the streets of Seminyak instead, and got another massage to manage the disappointment.

That night we decided to ask for a suggestion for good local food, and the young woman who gave us one surely meant well, but I'd spend the time and money to take a cab to Jimbaran Beach next time before taking another suggestion from her. Mang Engking looked really nice, with sprawling decks and huts over water. There appeared to be large groups of Japanese tourists so it must appeal to someone, but the food was not good at all. That was a real disappointment when we know how good you can eat in Bali at the right places. It also rained again but it didn't last as long.

We said goodbye to Bali on Monday, hopefully not for the last time but most likely for a long time. It was a great spur of the moment getaway. The villa was lovely. We got to spend time in an area new to us, even if the food overall couldn't compare to our previous experiences. And I'm glad I misunderstood Paul about the Monday holiday and jumped the gun to revisit a place we love, a mere 2.5 hours from where we live, to grab a few more special remembrances.

It also happened to Mother's Day that weekend, and Father's Day is next weekend. So happy Mother's and Father's Day.

One More Time

My last post about banking problems was so boring, Paul finally stepped in for relief. He'll be glad to know that our minds have grown so alike that he wrote what I would write and I don't need to add much more.

It was strange leaving from the Singapore airport for the first time. I kept looking around for the familiar sights of the Hong Kong airport after so many trips from there. We can reach this one by cab in about 20 minutes. I realize when talking to people who live in places like Alabama just how much I take for granted always having lived near major international airports. We knew we wanted to return to Bali from the minute we left it in 2008, but the longer we live here and the more places we check off the list, the more we seem to add. It's good fortune that we ended up even nearer to Bali, making a return practically required.

Well, we just might have to go back one more time for continued furniture shopping. The hotel wasn't so helpful in this matter; they gave us a list of shops and got us a driver, but out of the few shops on the list, one was closed; one was, according to our driver, still under construction; others were a bit far away. We spotted the table in one of the last shops along a road with several others. The shipping is costly - not to get out of Bali but to get into Singapore. The expenses seem to accumulate at the receiving port. My HK friend with the furniture that inspired us said it would have been cheaper for her to ship it to the UK than to HK! Guess we'll have to look into other options if we want the table. Or go back to Bali - just to double check. Seriously, before we head home, we should go there and load up on teak lawn furniture.

As Paul said, the hotel's lost some subtle touches that had contributed to our love of the whole experience the first time, but it is still quite lovely. We did get to try something new, the meal at Bumbu Bali. I had a dish that sounded so simple: shredded chicken with lemongrass and shallots. Oh man, I can still taste it and it would be a pity to never taste such exquisite flavors again. (2 hour, 15 min. flight+about $120 airfare=Possibility)


The weather wasn't quite as perfect this time. It was more humid and some hours of the day were sunny, some overcast, and on the day we left it actually rained for a few hours. I would just like to make one correction to Paul's account. The photo he labeled, Lisa went for the hollowed out watermelon, is not an entirely accurate representation of my poolside beverage consumption. In reality, he said he would order us drinks and surprise me with his choice. Then a watermelon arrived. We shared.

Here are links to the posts from our first Bali trip, in case you'd like to reminisce:


July 9, 2008  July 4, 2008

And more photos from this trip (click on a picture if you want to go to the album):

Going Back to Cali

Nah, I don't think so.

Actually we went back to Bali.

I know it's been awhile since I've jumped in here because I couldn't remember my password and had to have them email me a new one.

My primary excuse is work which has had me in the office some crazy hours. It was also the primary reason for our trip.

One good thing about Singapore is it is a hop, skip and jump from so many great locations you can see so much of the world on just a long weekend.

So where to go, where to go.... Philippines? Thailand? Kuala Lumpur? All close by and places we want to get to and explore, but Bali is now only just over 2 hours away! Faced with a Mendy's like decision (for you non-Seinfeld fans it means either going to a place you know is great or taking a chance on something that is new and exciting) it was actually quite easy even for two very indecisive people. In desperate need of some relaxation and not exploration and with little need to revisit the tourist sites we've already seen, Bali, one of the most beautiful places on earth, was our obvious answer. To make things even simpler we decided to stay at the Ritz again, except that it's now Ayana Resort and we weren't sure what changes that might bring. But a quick scan of their website showed everything pretty much the same, with only the addition of a bar built on the cliffs over the Indian Ocean, so we were booked pretty much right after that.

Relaxation wasn't too hard to find...

We left late Thursday night and after the usual inconveniences of traveling got to the resort around 11:00 pm. Not ideal but the schedule left us with 3 full days and we ended up with a much nicer room than last time with an upgrade to an ocean view (our only complaint last time was our room, which we paid additional for a "technical" ocean view and had to settle for double beds).

Upon entrance we were greeted with fragrant leis (but no giant gong), refreshing tropical drinks (but we weren't seated while the staff ran around, just typical counter check in) and no live Indonesian music pulling you into another world. However it was an 11 pm check in so we assumed that may have played a part, but as you could see we would be comparing everything to our last visit (in detail).

We got some sleep and started our Friday with their buffet breakfast (not included this time which was disappointing). From there we suited up and headed straight for the cliff side, infinity pool which took us some time to discover last time.

No glossy memories here - this is still one of the most beautiful places on the planet to be! We kind of always wondered since we last left that pool two years ago if we would ever make it back knowing how much we want to do while we're in Asia and how limited our time really is, so we were very happy and very appreciative that afternoon.

Infinity beer... A man can dream

Lisa went for the hollowed out watermelon

Dinner plans that evening were very easy as well. Back to the Lia on the beach for some grilled seafood. A 2+ pound lobster, delicious local fish, cold beer and serenaded with live music all for about 60 bucks. Very happy & very appreciative.

Feisty and delicious

Saturday was the only day we decided we would "do" something. And that something was take a half day to look for furniture. We went to a party back in HK and saw this really beautiful wood furniture which the couple that lived there told us they got in Bali very cheap. As we're still under the assumption we have a big empty house back in Jersey somewhere, this was maybe something we could use.

Somewhat under prepared we got a driver for a few hours and headed out. We randomly stopped in several shops where they had nice things but nothing that jumped out at us. As we weren't looking for anything specific we were moving pretty quickly. In the second to last shop they had this nice carved coffee table. It was huge (4.5' x 4.5') and nothing we needed, but was very pretty and out of curiosity I asked what it cost. The answer was low enough without haggling that I then asked what shipping cost, and to get to Singapore was not too much. Then I asked what it would cost to get it to our apartment after import taxes, etc. and she told me she would email me. Well those costs were literally 3x the price of the table. Singapore is just ridiculously expensive but that is a topic for another post.

Worth a second look?

Either way we're still in deciding mode and (quite easily) thinking maybe a trip back would help our decision.

So if that gives it away, yes the rest of the trip lived up to our expectations. Without going into all the details we enjoyed some time on the beach (however it does not look like it will be private much longer as they are building another resort next to in with a path leading to the same spot). Tried the "fancy" restaurant and martini bar we didn't get to last time at the resort which was quite good. Spent a good amount of time in our favorite pool and our last dinner was at a local restaurant that was "redonculously" good and amazingly cheap.

That's right I said redonculously good!

Pint size martini testers - sure we'll give it a shot

We also tried the new Rock Bar addition over the Indian Ocean. Not for us. Standard club / bar like atmosphere with a DJ. Completely takes away from the charm and tranquility that brought us back there. We really missed the little band of locals that walked around playing requests - our favorite bar from last time was modernized a little and we were the only two people there. What a shame. But at least we got to see these guys on the beach.

Technical difficulties uploading the video - will have to try again later.

I wouldn't say they don't know what they are doing because the rock bar was pulling in tons of Japanese tourists and someone at work asked me about the place because they read it was the "place to be" in Bali now.

Would we still recommend the place? I would say yes, because it is still beautiful, people are super friendly and no one else would know what they were missing. But like a "Royal with cheese" it's the little things. And while we are already talking about making it back for just one more trip before we say good bye to this part of the world (I mean you want to be sure when choosing a coffee table) we probably would give another resort a shot and hope we're not thinking about the Mendy's soup (or our pool) when we're there.

Anyway that's all for now and I'll blog ya' later. (hopefully not too much later)

Fly Me to the Moon

Bali: June 2008

So sorry I have been so delinquent in writing. I hope I didn't lose any fans. Believe it or not, I have been busy most days of the week. Though we got to enjoy Hong Kong's rainiest June on record, since recording began in 1884, with 1346.1 mm of rainfall, 80% above normal figures and with only 75.5 recorded hours of sunshine. By my own estimates, it also rained for the first 12 or so days of July, sometimes on and off, sometimes all-day drenching. Currently, it's hot. Yesterday was the hottest day of the year so far, somewhere around 90, with the humidity always around 90% making it feel a lot hotter. So, let's take a trip back to Bali. I know, it's long overdue. Sorry if I might repeat in my version some of what Paul already wrote; it's hard to deconstruct my overall impression.

First there was an unfortunate incident involving jasmine tea at the airport. Once at the gate with time to kill, we decided on a morning snack. I got a cup of jasmine tea that was very hot through the cup, so the cup slipped from my hands, lifting the lid and spilling boiling water on my hand. I know... some of you you might remember my scalding incident just less than a year ago. I spilled boiling water on my foot while cooking and a blister developed on my toe the likes of which I could have never imagined. Paul agreed - when I made him look - that he had never seen anything like it. Due to that experience, I had some idea what to expect as the burn sent radiating heat through my whole body for a couple of hours. By late that night, I had a huge blister on my left ring finger. It was only small in comparison to what existed on my toe last year, but I was really frustrated that my trip started that way. I was distracted the whole time by trying to avoid bursting it. It turns out the blister never broke like the one on my toe did, so I didn't have to treat it; it just shriveled after a few days, and I believe I owe that largely to soaking in salt water while relaxing in the salt water pool. But I couldn't get my wedding ring on while away, which was kind of ironic since the hotel was reserved under my name, therefore whenever staff addressed us to pay restaurant or bar tabs, they typically handed them to Paul, politely requesting Mr. Piraino to sign.

You have to buy a visa on arrival in Indonesia so we waited on line in a rather rustic airport for an hour. We seemed to be surrounded by German and maybe Swiss or Belgian tourists. After customs, two "porters" kindly "helped" us wheel our bags from the carousel ten feet to the money exchange counter and waited with their hands out. We didn't even grasp the exchange rate yet. That was a little irritating, but then we met the driver from the Ritz Carlton and things started looking up, as Paul said, with bottled water and cool towels as we started to relax. Our driver had the unfortunate name of Swastika. He quickly added that it is a Hindu name.

We were seated in the open air hotel lobby sipping fruit drinks and that is where I first learned that I can't get enough of the scent of frangipani. They're everywhere in Bali in different varieties, and they are pretty and smell amazing. You might know it as plumeria.

The grounds of the hotel were sprawling at 192 acres. It was over a mile just from the entrance to the buildings and facilities, and they are situated overlooking the Indian Ocean "35 meters above sea level on the southwest cliffs of Bali's Jimbaran Bay." It was somewhat confusing at first, especially at night, but it wasn't difficult to get around once we learned the layout. The room was nothing extraordinary, maybe even a little disappointing compared to the surroundings, but it was adequate. I would subsequently skip paying extra for an ocean view since the ocean was barely visible through the hills and trees. Nearby private villas looked rather nice. Otherwise, I thought the grounds were quite lovely and well-planned as far as maintaining a natural, open-air atmosphere including traditional Balinese architecture and stonework. The local little critters must have agreed, as you can see by our pictures of newts on exterior walls at night and the frog waiting outside our door. We also saw hummingbirds and some crazy-looking insects. One looked like a large, aerodynamic pecan shell.

We arrived in the early evening so it was fortunate that the hotel's once-weekly open air dinner theater was that night so we could do something without really doing anything. The buffet was better than average and the show was interesting. It's called the Kecak Dance or the name we prefer, the "monkey dance." We then hitched a ride on one of the passing golf carts to one of the bars where fish swam at our feet, and that was our mellow first night.

We started the next day with a breakfast buffet which again was better than average. They presented Western, Continental, and Eastern fare for the mix of tourists. Many of the hotel guests were Japanese. It amused me that many of them seemed to hurry past the station serving healthful little bowls of morning soup and instead piled their plates high with meats and breads. Just give it time; the whole world will one day be as portly as we Americans.

We rode over to the entrance leading to the beach which was accessed thought 187 stairs. It sounds worse than it is... or not (our legs were aching the next day). There was a little cabana serving snacks and drinks and a few sets of loungers and umbrellas and no more than ten people down there at once. The waves were on the rough side so there was a no-swimming flag hoisted that day, but you could still wade a good way out. The beach was small but beautiful. At first we might have been somewhat disappointed that it was not a more accessible beach with gentle waves ( I did plan everything without a guidebook), but the benefit was that nobody was on it, and we ended up really enjoying it. We walked back, which shocked the staff who called for a ride for us, but it wasn't really that far. Then we spent some time at the main two-level pool before getting ready for dinner.

That night we took an incredibly cheap taxi (less than $3) to a stretch of seafood restaurants that I had read about online. The driver happened to know where we were asking to go when the hotel staff didn't and we ended up in the right place, passing by similar restaurants that reportedly charge several times more for the same food. Sometimes you have to be brave. Approaching this alley of seafood kitchens, it looked like the sort of place where somebody might drug you and sell your kidneys. They all try to get you into their restaurants by claiming it's the best, but we walked to the near end to a place called Lia. We chose a supposed local catch and some prawns and were led to the candlelit tables right in the sand along the surf. Our trepidation gradually eased as we absorbed the laid back air and saw all sorts of tourists and local families both enjoying themselves. The meal was simply prepared and fabulous. A little Bali magic was starting to infect us. It didn't hurt that we paid about $15 for one of the most enjoyable meals we've ever had.

The next morning we set out on a tour up through the country with our own driver and guide for the next seven hours for a more than reasonable price. The tour company based at the hotel had various group packages with a lot of stops at touristy shopping destinations, so we chose to skip some of them and do a slightly shorter trip. I wouldn't say the plot of the tour itself was the best, but our guide Supi was a genuinely warm person and he made the trip interesting and worthwhile.

He first suggested a typical Balinese housing complex so that we could see how people live there. I couldn't say I was intrigued by the prospect, but I didn't want to insult him, so we agreed. It turned out to be quite intriguing after all. I picture a house as having walls and rooms all joined together, but Balinese homes are very open and a complex includes several small thatched-roof structures and always a temple. The Grandma of the house was preparing a meal while we walked around, and a chicken passed through the kitchen while the pig ate its slop in the pen behind the kitchen. Supi explained that families continue to live in a particular complex for generations. Wealthier families don't necessarily have bigger ones; they might just have better quality furnishings. He also explained that roofs are very expensive to replace because the hotels bought up all the palm fronds and grasses for their villa roofs. He said that families rarely move to a new complex because every home must have a temple in which to make offerings and they're expensive to furnish. It's hard to picture without seeing it, but I hope the photos help. You're asked to make a small donation when you leave (about 50 cents).

Then we stopped at an 11th century temple. The stonework is really fascinating. As everything is outdoors, the sun was fiery as we approached afternoon. Then we stopped at a town called Mas, known for woodcarving. I told Supi that I didn't want to go someplace just to shop, but he said that we could see how the artists work. We saw that for about three minutes... then we bought stuff. You can get carried away in the massive shop filled with exotic looking carved pieces, some of which seem like they would be a great idea at the time then once you get home, you might be thinking, "Where exactly should I put this three foot double dragon statue?"

Paul was immediately drawn to the small mahogany monkey on a phone. It's a monkey... on a phone. Spectacular. I liked a teak carving of a man and woman, I think having something to with Hindu mythology, but I don't know what. We also contemplated said dragons. The shopkeeper, also the artist of the phone monkey, lined them up on a table and sat us down to negotiate. It was quite an experience and instantly amusing to recall. We realized that we really didn't need three wood carvings as we also realized that we don't even really like dragons. It just had a lot of fine detail that attracted us, but we let that one go as it was also done by the shopkeeper's grandfather, a master carver, therefore the most expensive. He was really keen on selling the dragons, but whatever prospect arose, the monkey was somehow always included in the deal. I talked him down to about half of the original quote for the two pieces we liked. Paul was impressed as he said he probably would have just paid whatever was asked. (It's a monkey... on a phone.) Let's face it; the guy probably knew what we would pay when we walked in, but we did alright and we still really like the pieces even once they migrated to our home, and it was fun.

Next we stopped at a small plantation. Supi explained that they make the most out of space and don't dedicate it to growing one thing but everything they can. So, there was coffee, tea, cinnamon, lemongrass, cocoa, ginger, and various fruits among other things. We rested awhile sipping a complimentary cocoa drink and some ginger tea which were both yummy. Yes, call me a tourist, I bought some ginger tea. The other interesting thing at the plantation was a couple of cages with very valuable animals in them near the coffee plants.

Kopi luwak comes from the Indonesian words for coffee and civet. A civet is a cat-like creature who slinks around eating sweet red coffee cherries in Indonesia. Finicky like a cat, they only eat the best of the harvest, chewing off the exterior and swallowing the hard inner core of the bean. Once digested, the beans emerge in the usual way - amid the animal's dung. The trip through the digestive system has removed the harshness and most of the caffeine and the result is a mellow coffee bean that sells for as much as $600 a pound. Once you separate it from the dung, of course.

Glad I prefer tea.

Then we stopped very briefly at a point overlooking a volcano in Kintamani and Lake Batur and we ate lunch in a forgettable place nearby. On the way back down, we stopped at a point overlooking rice terraces. Once you fight past kids trying to sell you tee shirts and postcards, the scene is really quite stunning. Then we stopped at the palace of a royal family in Ubud, the cultural center in Bali. Ubud was somewhat disappointing, at least from where we were. I have a feeling we missed out on some things that would have added to our positive impression, but at the town center all we could see were a hundred touristy shops selling cheap artifacts and paintings and thousands of roaming tourists in the streets.

The interesting thing, again thanks to Supi, was that they were building a cremation tower at the palace in Ubud for an upcoming cremation of a member of the royal family. We actually saw one of these processions while driving, as they eventually cremate every one, but for average residents it is only done collectively a few of times a year because it's expensive. But the royal cremation was a big deal and Supi was eager to talk about it as he lived nearby and planned to attend. A big poster on the partially completed tower shows two guys who look like chefs opening a chain restaurant. They're actually candidates for the first governor and deputy governor of Bali. I think the elections were taking place the week after we left. Supi had no good explanation as to why it isn't offensive to hang such a poster on the cremation tower. See photos.

We ate at the hotel's casual Italian restaurant that night and then headed to an airy lounge and enjoyed the musical stylings of the house quartet. They asked us what we liked and they played foreign-accented but highly enjoyable versions of "Rock around the Clock," "Pretty Woman," and "Fly Me to the Moon." A nearby Japanese couple apparently requested Billy Joel and the Beatles. They would probably have been our own personal jukebox if requested as the hotel restaurants and bars were always inexplicably mostly empty. "Fly Me to the Moon" got stuck in our heads for a few days, alternating with wordless Balinese music that was played constantly around the hotel. I can still hear it now.

The next day we started out with massages at the spa. The spa setting was beautiful and truly relaxing and we would have lingered but we wanted to get to the ocean pool, set amid the cliff over the beach and filled with filtered salt water, or as we came to think of it, Heaven. Again, the pool was only accessible after walking down about 150 steps so it was not particularly crowded. Apparently, steps=peaceful. There was another small beach a few steps down from the pool. We ordered some snacks to hold us over to sunset which grew more brilliant each minute as most people departed and we lingered after the sun disappeared. That's when we met the couple, April and Craig, who noticed Paul's tee shirt from a Napa vineyard and started a conversation because they both work in wine. They were there on a honeymoon.

For dinner, we made a second trip to Lia for seafood. This time the taxi driver first took us to the wrong place, but we eventually found the right one. I guess not many guests from the Ritz head out that way. The Lia manager recognized us and shook our hands. We chose a lobster and a smaller fish this time. Perfection again, but the lobster bumped the bill all the way up to about $40. We left later than the first time and the area wasn't as busy that night so we got a little nervous after the manager called us a cab and it hadn't appeared after some time. He started to head home but he called again when he saw us waiting. Then he waited with us until the cab came.

This is what we found to be one of the real attractions of Bali: the people. They seem sincerely kind and courteous and welcoming. Sure, they know they must rely on tourism, but they appear to take a real pride in their culture and they are happy to share it.

Once back at the hotel, we headed to our now-favorite spot to hear more gentle, Indonesian flavored Western pop. We ended up talking to Craig and April for hours even after the place closed, though 'closed' is not accurate since everything is open.

The next morning we spent our last few hours before departure at the ocean pool. The hotel let us check out an hour later which was nice. We were driven back to the airport and accompanied all the way to the gate by a hotel staff member.

We had a list of places we were sure we wanted to see when we came out to Hong Kong, and Bali was not even one of them. Now, we're glad we went there first so that we might fit it in one more time. It was really a lovely place with lovely people. And you don't hear this described in guidebooks, but the whole place smells fantastic. Between the frangipani and the sandalwood frequently burning from offerings made, the senses are filled in unexpected ways. It's a simpler way of living (and I don't agree with Paul that the people are "notoriously poor") but I feel richer for having caught a glimpse of it.

Coming home was a curious experience as well. After the usual travel process of planes, trains, and automobiles, home was... here. That was strange in ways I don't know how to express.

We are now planning a trip in August to another destination that wasn't originally on our list: Borneo. I'll keep you posted. And I'll try to write more between my social lunches, I mean, cultural explorations.

Earlier posts:
Update: I finally spent a couple of hours on the photo situation for the good of sharing this and our future travels. Below is a link to the photo album containing all the Bali Pictures, I hope. Still working out small details... will add commentary very soon. Try it out. Click on the picture and it should take you to the Picasa Web Albums page. It's a public album with its own URL- but will not appear in a public search, the only fair compromise I could find regarding privacy. Then either click on the thumbnail of the first photo and go from there or click on 'slide show' right on top of the first photo.

I know this is the worst blog ever - and the title will be changed. I'm still working on the best way to store photos somewhere so that I can provide a link in the blog and you can see the whole album, but I'm not wild about the idea of the whole world viewing my pictures on something like flickr, so I'm doing my research.

I am currently weighing Picasa Web Albums and DotPhoto. I want something functional for me, simple for others to access, and as much privacy as possible. If anybody has experience with this, I'll take advice. I don't want to have to email invitations to view the album; I just want to post a link here, so I don't know how that works with the privacy issue. I think I'm leaning towards DotPhoto because I think it might provide the best combination, but the language is confusing. Either way, it should be a couple of days and you'll have my view of Bali to complement Paul's as well as all the photos. I've been procrastinating because I have so much to write about Bali. Also, I've had plans four out of five days this week, so I haven't actually been home to write. So, sorry for the delay, but it is brewing.

Bali Ha'i

Hello everyone and Happy 4th of July! Obviously not celebrated on this side of the world, I am at work today but it seems to have impacted the market because it is very slow. So with that I thought I'd jump in and give my thoughts on our trip to Bali. Lisa is looking for a way to download all the pictures as we were quite snap happy while there - but maybe I'll throw a few directly into this post tonight.

I'm not exactly sure what our expectations were heading over to Bali but I think it is safe to say that the trip exceeded them. We were staying at the Ritz Carlton resort so you would think you are pretty safe but the grounds were nicer and much larger than any description or pictures we found online.

Our flight out was not bad but not great. We were in the center of row 68 of 70 on an older plane for Cathay Pacific. One interesting thing I had never seen before was that there was a camera on the bottom of the plane between the back wheels pointing at the front that you can watch the entire time. It was interesting but when we watched the wheel come down for landing, got a look at the runway and then watched it come back up and the plane start moving further from the airport I realized that it was probably not great for nervous fliers. The plane circled awhile and then came back in for a landing.

Being last off the plane put us at the end of the line for immigration which probably took close to an hour and then I got shafted by two locals for 20 bucks to wheel our bags about 13 feet. But then we were greeted by the representative from the Ritz who took our bags, led us to an air conditioned car while handing us cold bottles of water and cool moist towels and the trip just kept moving up hill from there.

About a 30 minute ride to the resort and another 5 from the front gate to the main lobby (like I said, the grounds were huge) we were greeted once out of the car by a loud gong and adorned with fragrant leis. You're then seated in the outdoor lobby, given a cup of tropical punch and the staff ran around checking us in while we relaxed.

Our room, though nice, was a little disappointing because we were given two full beds instead of a king (this was our travel agent's fault - not the resort's) and the extra we paid for an ocean view was really more of a technical ocean view, as we were on the first floor and had to look over some trees and try and spy out the water.

Kermit heard we had an extra bed

The resort had a traditional dance show and dinner buffet that was held either Thurs. or Fri. each week. We called and it was being held that night at 8:00 so we made reservations. The show was interesting if not great and the buffet was very good with local seafood and a roasted pig as the main attractions. Afterward I grabbed some guy on a golf cart and asked him if he could drive us to the resort's martini bar we saw in the room's guide. There were shuttles that would drive you around the property but I think he realized my next question was going to be if he could give me a ride to the shuttle (hey I'm on vacation) and he happily drove us over. We had a couple of cocktails at the very stylish illuminated bar, watched the newts and frogs and fed the giant koi in the pond at our feet. We were very relaxed and called it an early night and headed back to the room to get some sleep before our first full day.

The next morning we grabbed some breakfast (an enormous buffet included in our stay) and then took the shuttle to their private beach. Ironically it was practically our own private beach even though it was post card beautiful. There were a handful of people - maybe 5 when we showed up, so we grabbed two lounge chairs under a little bamboo canopy and relaxed. There was a little hut that served snacks and tropical drinks and it was about as close to a Corona commercial as real life could ever get. The only disappointing thing was that because of the rough water on that side of the island we were not allowed to go swimming. We could walk out a way in the water and I jumped in once, completing submergence in 3 out of 4 oceans so far.

We spent most of the day at the bizarro Hong Kong beach and then headed back to the main pool for a dip as the sun went down. Believe it or not we were indecisive on what to do for dinner but then finally made a decision to head out of the resort to a local beach front restaurant Lisa had read about on the net. When getting in a cab at the front desk they were not sure where we were asking to go but the cab driver seemed to understand and we were off.

I don't know if any of you had seen City of God but as we pulled off the main road and drove toward the water the scene became very reminiscent of the movie and we both kind of wondered where this guy was taking us. But at the end of the road was this little strip of restaurants and the second to last one had a sign for Lia, the one Lisa had read about.

I'll fully admit if we had not read about this I would have told the driver to turn around and take us back. Lining the single populated block in the area were about 8 attached shacks on each side of the road. Smoke billowing out of the ones on the left, locals sitting around staring at the two tourists getting out of a cab, and stray dogs aplenty. We made our way down to Lia - shack 7 out of 8 with the proprietors of each establishment trying to pull us in to check out their place.

We were greeted warmly at Lia and the basic concept is that there are fish tanks and coolers filled with all the seafood and you pick out what ever you want, they weight it in front of you and then take you to a seat. With the help of the owner we picked out a large local fish called dorado and a couple of jumbo prawns. Then we were walked through the shack to the beach which was filled with candlelit tables all facing the surf - each restaurant's tables separated by the color of the table cloths. The waitress then brought me my large Bintang (local beer) and the 10 minutes of uncertainty we just experienced were quickly forgotten.

We learned as we went and were given a small salad and some toasted peanuts to start. Our fish and shrimps were served with some vegetables and rice and there was some watermelon and pineapple after the meal. While eating we agreed that this was at minimum in the top three fish dinners we have ever eaten (falling just behind this little bar in Seville). The fish is grilled over banana leaves instead of coal and seasoned perfectly. We sat around and enjoyed the scenery for a while and then asked for the bill.

Now the population of Bali is notoriously poor and all the tour books make no secret that if the locals get a chance to take advantage of you they will each and every time (ala the two guys at the airport). So I mentioned to Lisa we probably should have asked prices and I hoped I had enough cash on me as I was not even certain that they could take a credit card and we still needed a cab home. And the total did come as a surprise: 147,000 Rupiah... which is approximately $15 USD. That is not a misprint as I thought the bill may have been. One of the best fish dinners we've ever had, a couple of beers and a gorgeous setting for 15 bucks.... We would be back.

The restaurant called us a cab and we were back at the resort in about 20 minutes. We went to the one lounge that stayed open late and grabbed a couple of drinks and nice Cuban cigar. There was a local band, guitars, stand up base and bongo with attached cowbell that serenaded us with heavily accented British and American rock (Guys! Guys!.... I need more cowbell. - Don't worry they didn't get it either). I think in the end it was pretty close to a perfect day.

The next day we did a tour of the island which I will let Lisa blog about because there's a lot we could write about and this is already running long.

On our final full day we set up massage appointments (the resort has a spa as well) and then made it our goal to find the salt water cliff-side pool. Without much difficulty we found our way down about 150 steps and a much smaller but amazingly scenic pool. Fortunately we had two great days before this or we would have been kicking ourselves for not finding this on day one. We were fortunate to snag two of the 20 lounge chairs and stayed there long enough to enjoy some frozen margaritas while watching the sun set.

It's odd but it seemed most people there were more interested in making sure they did everything the resort had to offer and they didn't really seem to enjoy what was going on. This was exemplified by every one clearing out from the pool as soon as they got their snapshots of the sun setting even though it wasn't even completely down. It was just us and one other couple at the pool now and they happened to notice my Frog's Leap tee shirt. It turned out they were from Austin, TX and both in the wine industry. We talked about what we had done so far and said we would probably see them at the lounge that evening. We of course were heading back to Lia for dinner.

Fortunately the first time we went the cab driver knew where to take us because this time the driver took us to a much more "popular" strip of restaurants down farther on the beach. With a little navigation I was able to direct us back along the coast and we found what we were looking for. Of course if this is where the first guy took us we would have just assumed Lia had closed down. This time we walked down the street with confidence saying hello to the locals, petting the strays and swatting the bats.

The staff remembered us and we were greeted even friendlier than the first time. This time I went right for the lobster and we got a small fish to go along with it. Once again it was delicious and there was even some soup served. A 2 lbs. lobster upped the bill to 40 bucks and I contemplated building a hut near by. We were much later this time and the beach was much less crowded. When we left they once again called us a cab and we walked to the corner to wait. This time however we waited a little longer and restaurant after restaurant began locking up. Then we saw the owner leaving on his moped (they all ride mopeds) and got a little worried how we might get home. But he saw us, stopped and called the cab again. He said they were busy but on their way and then took off. Waiting a little longer the owner came back on his moped to make sure we were gone. When he saw us there he called once again and waited with us until they came.

Back at the lounge (which is really a bad way to describe an outdoor bar with seating divided among small covered decks, some with chairs and tables, some with couches and others with large pillow / beanbag like chairs) for a third night with a beer and Cuban. The couple we met at the pool came and we sat around talking long after the bar closed sharing a very good bottle of wine they brought along. They took my contact information and insisted they are going to send us some wine when they get back to the states (she works for Coppola), so I guess there was an even better way to end the first night.

The morning of our last day we went back to the cliff pool and ran around to take some quick last minute pictures. On the way home we had the second row in coach on a new plane with plenty of room and control of our own TV sets. Things went smooth and we were back in the apartment and upacked before bed time. The next day was Tuesday the 1st which was Handover Day in HK (the day the Brits gave HK back to China - kind of the anti Independance Day) but I had to work. The positive thing was I accrued another vacation day and now with the long list of places we want to see while we're here we're going to need the extra days to make it back to Bali.

We'll miss the BBQ at John and Julie's house but the trip did help to ease the pain quite a bit.

And to respond to Joe (the only one to ever comment on my long winded blogs) congratulations on making the traveling team and maybe a few live games could swing my opinion. Any chance you could get the traveling team to travel to China?

Blog ya later!