I flew to Jakarta yesterday. I really didn't want to come here! I had to go to Bangkok (which I do want to do) in order to fly to Vietnam. It worked out much cheaper to fly from Bali to Jakarta and then to Malaysia (I hadn't made up my mind if I was going to go here or not) and finally to Bangkok (well Phuket and then I will take a train up to Bangkok). The flights were even cheaper if I stayed for a little while in these places. So I leave Jakarta on the 29th for Malaysia and then leave there on the 4th of June.
Jakarta is lovingly referred to as the armpit of Southeast Asia, and I can see why. It's even dirtier and dingier than Bali! It's a different culture completely as well and I'm excited about that. The whole purpose of this trip was to experience another life. Jakarta, like the majority of Indonesia, is Islamic. There are mosques everywhere here. When we were flying over the city I could see them all over. I have yet to see one up close though as I'm too afraid in this city. People have responded to me kindly but I think that's mostly out of curiosity, and I don't feel comfortable venturing too far from my hotel. I know there is one very close though because I can hear the Imam? singing the prayers every few hours. I used to think that it would sound odd, but it's really quite beautiful.
My hotel is actually a bed and breakfast and it is absolutely beautiful! It's a very large house with a nice pool, amazing grounds, and rats the size of large cats. They stay outside though so I'm okay with it. I think this house is from a colonial period...maybe from the Dutch. It's beautiful though...decorated with antique, stately furniture. My room has air conditioning and hot and cold water. I spend most of my time in there because it feels so good to actually be cool. I slept with a blanket on last night!!! I haven't done that in a month. Also, it was cool enough in my room that I took a not so freezing cold shower. The best part though: my room has a towel, toilet paper, and soap. It's good to get one or two of them, but tovget all three is a bloody miracle! I pay $15 a night. One of the guys here pays $30...sucker!
It was sad to leave Kuta though. I made a lot of good friends...western and local. I was on the verge of tears (unheard of for me I know). The little kids were sad too, but I will save some money now seeing as how I spent most of it buying them ice cream on the beach. I am going to go back there before I fly back to Canada though...it really felt like home to me.
In the meantime I will be updating y,all.
Love love
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Finally...Some Pictures!
I have been so boring lately, so not very much to report. I missed Kuta so I came back here from Ubud. I missed the beach and the people, and even the local toothless guitar player who likes to wear woman's swim bottoms with ruffles (I saw him dancing the other day though and he is quite good). I missed sitting on the beach at sunset while Jeki plays guitar and sings local songs. So good!
So, I'm back and haven't done anything exciting. However, I did find an internet cafe that might actually let me get some pictures up! Originally I only had some up on Facebook, but today I managed to add some here.
P.S. The swelling in my feet went away completely while I was in Ubud. It came back in Kuta, but not nearly as bad!
Love love
So, I'm back and haven't done anything exciting. However, I did find an internet cafe that might actually let me get some pictures up! Originally I only had some up on Facebook, but today I managed to add some here.
P.S. The swelling in my feet went away completely while I was in Ubud. It came back in Kuta, but not nearly as bad!
Love love
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| Jeki and Andre |
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| My breakfast room in Sanur |
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| Jeki...and I AM wearing a swim suit |
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| My feet back to normal in Ubud |
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| The cliffs at Ulu Watu |
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| So cute! I love how the babies just cling there |
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| My bat |
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| My hotel in Ubud |
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
I Have So Much To Say, But Still No Pictures!
First of all just let me say that I am trying really hard to put some pictures up. I just don't think the computers over here like me very much. After trying for an hour I get too frustrated and just give up. It's too bad because I had a ton of pictures I really wanted to put up. However, you will all be happy to know that my feet are almost back to normal. Ubud is a bit cooler than Kuta, so the first morning that I woke up the swelling had gone down. Yay! Also, my tattoo is healing beautifully.
That's about the best thing I can say about Ubud. It's actually quite boring here. I have seen almost everything there is to see and I still have 2 days here. I'm probably going to be spending them sitting beside my pool because I miss the beach so much. Oh ya, my hotel here has a pool! This hotel is much nicer than my last one, and it's only $5 more a night ($15 in total). They even gave me a towel and toilet paper, so I didn't have to buy any or use my sarong after a shower. However, they still didn't have soap, so I went for a walk on my first night to buy some soap. Now, enter Julia and Chandler. They were riding by as I walking, so I hopped on the bike with them and we rode up to Monkey Forest. Chandler found a cave there that he wanted to show us. It was closed by the time we got there, so we decided to try again the next day. So, we went out to eat instead. The restaurant was beautiful and right on the rice paddies. It was amazing...and full of Geckos. They were crawling everywhere, and it looked like one of them was eating the head of another one...turns out they were just mating. Then we went to another restaurant and had some banana splits. There was a strawberry sauce on it that was amazing!!! Then off to bed.
Breakfast was interesting. My hotel is right across the street from one of the entrances to Monkey Forest. Also, my hotel is a rooftop one, so the monkeys were coming across along the power lines and coming into the breakfast area. It was funny. The view is incredible though. Across the street are a few shops and then directly behind them are rice paddies. As I said my hotel is nice, but they are doing some renovating and I'm sure it is going to look amazing. They work so fast here. When I was in Kuta they were building a new business complex and when I got there you couldn't even tell what it was. By the time I left there was already a store starting to move in. At my hotel here, I can't believe how fast it is coming along. However, I have seen them do some framing here and it seems quite sketchy. Eric would have a heart attack if he knew the requirements and saw the materials.
Anyways, after breakfast I went to Monkey Forest to do a walk through before meeting up with Julia and Chandler. It was very nice. There were 3 temples in there and so many statues. One of the statues was a mother monkey with child and she had her eyes closed and her hand up to her head. I could just imaging her shaking her head out of frustration. I would've loved to have a picture like that for Mother's Day. I think it is very fitting for mothers (mom this is the part where you say "oh no, children are ALWAYS a joy!"). The temples go all the way back to the 15th century. I did see a monkey fight between 4 monkeys (they are macaques...not sure of spelling) and it was quite scary just because they have huge fangs. When it happened I was walking by them, so I ended up right in the middle of it. I was on edge as it was because Julia had been bitten the night before by a monkey that had come up to her and held her hand. It was fun to watch them around all the people though. The moms are so protective. The younger ones are allowed to just run around, but the moms keep the babies very close. In fact, if they get out of reaching distance the moms grab them by their tails and pull them back. I got a video of one particular baby who was trying to get away and the mom was repeatedly pulling him back in. It reminded me of one of those baby harnesses...running when there's slack, and then all of a sudden being whipped back. Funny! It was cute when people got too close because the moms would grab the babies and hold them to their hearts, and then they would turn their backs to all the people or even run away.
After that I met up with Julia and Chandler. He had already taken Julia to the cave, so just I went with him. So, we rode our motorbikes (I rented one that morning) up this path to the top of Monkey Forest. Then we parked them and went through this gate to an area that was off path (did I mention that you aren't supposed to go off path). It was crazy because it happened so fast, but all of a sudden there were swarms of monkeys baring there fangs and running at us. We ran away but they were grabbing at our feet. Luckily a local man came running with his slingshot and chased them away. As he was doing this another came from another direction and charged at us. Chandler jumped behind and grabbed onto me...actually he pinched me. I laughed so hard! He did too later. I grabbed a couple sticks and gave one to Chandler and we decided to keep going so the man took out a mirror and made a path. I wish I had a video of this because it was quite incredible. There were trees all around where we were except for in one are where there was a natural clearing lined by trees on both sides. When he brought out the mirror and flashed the light at them they all moved out of this clearing and it was laid out before us like a grand path. I seriously felt like I was in Rome or something and the mobs were parting the way for us. Anyways, over a couple bridges and down a another natural path that was lined with some sort of flower, and we came to this little cave. It is only wide enough for one person to go in at a time. So, Chandler gave me his headlamp and I went in. It was quite creepy to be honest with you. At the end though there was a little pool and some holes in the rock of the cave where the light came in and shone on the pool. Again, very nice. On the way back we came across a lone monkey sitting by himself and he was very calm until we flashed our sticks at him (silly of us I know) and he got defensive. The fangs came out again and we ran. However, this time we were going uphill and I was only wearing my sandals and kept sliding back down the hill. Again, the local man came and saved us. I gave him some money. He looked so confused, but of course took it.
Then J and C left. They were going back to Kuta and then flying out the next day (today) to Bangkok.
I spent the rest of the day on my scooter driving to the sites. I had to get a scooter because the ones I wanted to see are about 20k out of town. I saw Gunung Kawi which is a cliffside with beautiful carvings of shrines in it. Then off to Tirta Empul (if what I have picked up is correct then this translates into Water Temple). My translation would make sense since it is a spring and a temple that is considered very holy. I have to say now that I didn't get any pictures of these two sites. I left camera on in my bag (on display) and when I got there it was dead. I would just go back and get more pictures if I hadn't got so lost on the way back. Getting lost was okay because I was able to see a lot of the countryside and some more rice paddies and temples, but after 90 minutes I was starting to get a little worried. I ended up just driving in circles around the area where I thought Ubud should be until I saw a sign or a road that I recognized. It worked, but I don't want to chance it again. Also, I already returned the scooter.
That evening I went to the Kecak (pronounced k Chuck) dance that I didn't see at Ulu Watu. They have a pretty good one here. I did get pictures of that but they aren't very good...they move around too much. The dance was beautiful but my favorite part was the music...there wasn't any! There is a chorus of 100 men that make different sounds, and when it all comes together there is a rhythm. When I was there I met Anna from Germany and Melanie from Ottawa. Then I was off to bed.
I got up very early as usual. The problem with getting up early here is that nothing is open. It was the same in Kuta, but I would just go sit on the beach. There isn't a beach here so it's very boring. So, I decided to go for a run this morning. As I was putting on my sock I stumbled backwards and my foot landed on something squishy. I turned around saw a dead bat. I stepped on a bat...a dead bat!!! I was a little relieved though because at first it looked like a giant spider. They cleaned it up while I was running, but I was still a little freaked out when I got back. The staff here are young boys...except for the young girl and the old lady who are doing the construction on the hotel...and they are very nice. They came in and checked around to see if they were any more. Back to the run though...awful idea! I am so out of shape, so dehydrated, and it's so bloody hot here that I got really sick. My stomach was super, painfully cramped and I was about ready to throw up at any second. Bonus though is that I saw another man running and he had a tattoo like I had never seen before. It was a full back piece, but the color and design made it look like it he was wearing a wife beater. The cut of it made it look like that too.
Now for the rest of the day I am going to see a couple sites within walking distance. My burn has turned into a tan now...a pretty dark one...so I am okay walking in the sun. I am going to see Goa Gajah (elephant cave) that was once a Buddhist hermitage. It has bathing pools and fountains. Then some more cliff carvings at Yeh Pulu (this one is 25m long). The last one is Pura Pehataran Sasih. This is an old state temple that has a very large bronze drum in it called the Moon of Pejeng. Tomorrow I will probably spend by the pool and being lazy. On the 13th (it is the 11th here...I am 14 hours ahead in Bali) I was supposed to head up to Lovina, but I switched my ticket this morning to take me back to Kuta. I really miss it there (really weird seeing as how I couldn't wait to get away from there)! I miss the food and the people and the beach and the noise. It is way too quiet and boring elsewhere.
Talk to you again in a few days.
Love love
That's about the best thing I can say about Ubud. It's actually quite boring here. I have seen almost everything there is to see and I still have 2 days here. I'm probably going to be spending them sitting beside my pool because I miss the beach so much. Oh ya, my hotel here has a pool! This hotel is much nicer than my last one, and it's only $5 more a night ($15 in total). They even gave me a towel and toilet paper, so I didn't have to buy any or use my sarong after a shower. However, they still didn't have soap, so I went for a walk on my first night to buy some soap. Now, enter Julia and Chandler. They were riding by as I walking, so I hopped on the bike with them and we rode up to Monkey Forest. Chandler found a cave there that he wanted to show us. It was closed by the time we got there, so we decided to try again the next day. So, we went out to eat instead. The restaurant was beautiful and right on the rice paddies. It was amazing...and full of Geckos. They were crawling everywhere, and it looked like one of them was eating the head of another one...turns out they were just mating. Then we went to another restaurant and had some banana splits. There was a strawberry sauce on it that was amazing!!! Then off to bed.
Breakfast was interesting. My hotel is right across the street from one of the entrances to Monkey Forest. Also, my hotel is a rooftop one, so the monkeys were coming across along the power lines and coming into the breakfast area. It was funny. The view is incredible though. Across the street are a few shops and then directly behind them are rice paddies. As I said my hotel is nice, but they are doing some renovating and I'm sure it is going to look amazing. They work so fast here. When I was in Kuta they were building a new business complex and when I got there you couldn't even tell what it was. By the time I left there was already a store starting to move in. At my hotel here, I can't believe how fast it is coming along. However, I have seen them do some framing here and it seems quite sketchy. Eric would have a heart attack if he knew the requirements and saw the materials.
Anyways, after breakfast I went to Monkey Forest to do a walk through before meeting up with Julia and Chandler. It was very nice. There were 3 temples in there and so many statues. One of the statues was a mother monkey with child and she had her eyes closed and her hand up to her head. I could just imaging her shaking her head out of frustration. I would've loved to have a picture like that for Mother's Day. I think it is very fitting for mothers (mom this is the part where you say "oh no, children are ALWAYS a joy!"). The temples go all the way back to the 15th century. I did see a monkey fight between 4 monkeys (they are macaques...not sure of spelling) and it was quite scary just because they have huge fangs. When it happened I was walking by them, so I ended up right in the middle of it. I was on edge as it was because Julia had been bitten the night before by a monkey that had come up to her and held her hand. It was fun to watch them around all the people though. The moms are so protective. The younger ones are allowed to just run around, but the moms keep the babies very close. In fact, if they get out of reaching distance the moms grab them by their tails and pull them back. I got a video of one particular baby who was trying to get away and the mom was repeatedly pulling him back in. It reminded me of one of those baby harnesses...running when there's slack, and then all of a sudden being whipped back. Funny! It was cute when people got too close because the moms would grab the babies and hold them to their hearts, and then they would turn their backs to all the people or even run away.
After that I met up with Julia and Chandler. He had already taken Julia to the cave, so just I went with him. So, we rode our motorbikes (I rented one that morning) up this path to the top of Monkey Forest. Then we parked them and went through this gate to an area that was off path (did I mention that you aren't supposed to go off path). It was crazy because it happened so fast, but all of a sudden there were swarms of monkeys baring there fangs and running at us. We ran away but they were grabbing at our feet. Luckily a local man came running with his slingshot and chased them away. As he was doing this another came from another direction and charged at us. Chandler jumped behind and grabbed onto me...actually he pinched me. I laughed so hard! He did too later. I grabbed a couple sticks and gave one to Chandler and we decided to keep going so the man took out a mirror and made a path. I wish I had a video of this because it was quite incredible. There were trees all around where we were except for in one are where there was a natural clearing lined by trees on both sides. When he brought out the mirror and flashed the light at them they all moved out of this clearing and it was laid out before us like a grand path. I seriously felt like I was in Rome or something and the mobs were parting the way for us. Anyways, over a couple bridges and down a another natural path that was lined with some sort of flower, and we came to this little cave. It is only wide enough for one person to go in at a time. So, Chandler gave me his headlamp and I went in. It was quite creepy to be honest with you. At the end though there was a little pool and some holes in the rock of the cave where the light came in and shone on the pool. Again, very nice. On the way back we came across a lone monkey sitting by himself and he was very calm until we flashed our sticks at him (silly of us I know) and he got defensive. The fangs came out again and we ran. However, this time we were going uphill and I was only wearing my sandals and kept sliding back down the hill. Again, the local man came and saved us. I gave him some money. He looked so confused, but of course took it.
Then J and C left. They were going back to Kuta and then flying out the next day (today) to Bangkok.
I spent the rest of the day on my scooter driving to the sites. I had to get a scooter because the ones I wanted to see are about 20k out of town. I saw Gunung Kawi which is a cliffside with beautiful carvings of shrines in it. Then off to Tirta Empul (if what I have picked up is correct then this translates into Water Temple). My translation would make sense since it is a spring and a temple that is considered very holy. I have to say now that I didn't get any pictures of these two sites. I left camera on in my bag (on display) and when I got there it was dead. I would just go back and get more pictures if I hadn't got so lost on the way back. Getting lost was okay because I was able to see a lot of the countryside and some more rice paddies and temples, but after 90 minutes I was starting to get a little worried. I ended up just driving in circles around the area where I thought Ubud should be until I saw a sign or a road that I recognized. It worked, but I don't want to chance it again. Also, I already returned the scooter.
That evening I went to the Kecak (pronounced k Chuck) dance that I didn't see at Ulu Watu. They have a pretty good one here. I did get pictures of that but they aren't very good...they move around too much. The dance was beautiful but my favorite part was the music...there wasn't any! There is a chorus of 100 men that make different sounds, and when it all comes together there is a rhythm. When I was there I met Anna from Germany and Melanie from Ottawa. Then I was off to bed.
I got up very early as usual. The problem with getting up early here is that nothing is open. It was the same in Kuta, but I would just go sit on the beach. There isn't a beach here so it's very boring. So, I decided to go for a run this morning. As I was putting on my sock I stumbled backwards and my foot landed on something squishy. I turned around saw a dead bat. I stepped on a bat...a dead bat!!! I was a little relieved though because at first it looked like a giant spider. They cleaned it up while I was running, but I was still a little freaked out when I got back. The staff here are young boys...except for the young girl and the old lady who are doing the construction on the hotel...and they are very nice. They came in and checked around to see if they were any more. Back to the run though...awful idea! I am so out of shape, so dehydrated, and it's so bloody hot here that I got really sick. My stomach was super, painfully cramped and I was about ready to throw up at any second. Bonus though is that I saw another man running and he had a tattoo like I had never seen before. It was a full back piece, but the color and design made it look like it he was wearing a wife beater. The cut of it made it look like that too.
Now for the rest of the day I am going to see a couple sites within walking distance. My burn has turned into a tan now...a pretty dark one...so I am okay walking in the sun. I am going to see Goa Gajah (elephant cave) that was once a Buddhist hermitage. It has bathing pools and fountains. Then some more cliff carvings at Yeh Pulu (this one is 25m long). The last one is Pura Pehataran Sasih. This is an old state temple that has a very large bronze drum in it called the Moon of Pejeng. Tomorrow I will probably spend by the pool and being lazy. On the 13th (it is the 11th here...I am 14 hours ahead in Bali) I was supposed to head up to Lovina, but I switched my ticket this morning to take me back to Kuta. I really miss it there (really weird seeing as how I couldn't wait to get away from there)! I miss the food and the people and the beach and the noise. It is way too quiet and boring elsewhere.
Talk to you again in a few days.
Love love
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Ulu Watu
Days are flying by like crazy here and most of the time I don't even know what day it is! So far I have been figuring out what day is when by counting forward and backward from Mother's Day. I guess I will have to find a new day now. Oh and Happy Mothers Day mom!!! Love you and miss you! Say hi to grandmas for me and tell them I love them too!
Since I last wrote nothing much has happened. My legs and feet have become so burnt that they are incredibly swollen and I look like I have the worst case of cankles this place has probably ever seen! It's hard not to be in the sun though...and it wouldn't be so bad if the malaria pills I have didn't make you so sensitive to the sun.
Other than that I continue to make new friends. The Asians love me!!! If I am just sitting on the beach they will come in swarms to get a picture with me. One time I thought they were going to trample me there were so many of them. Also, they love to have me hold their babies. I don't mind because they are so stinking cute! It's just funny though. They hand over their babies to a perfect stranger. Then they just kind of stand there and look with a huge smile, and then they will take a ton of pictures.
Exciting for me though and my favorite part of the trip so far was my day at Ulu Watu. Andre took me there yesterday on a "motorbike." They call them motorbikes but we call them scooters or mopeds. Anyways, Ulu Watu is a Hindu temple right on the ocean. It is absolutely beautiful and crawling with monkeys. Dan, I got a picture just for you of one monkey picking at the other monkeys hair. You have to wear a sarong when you go in, and that makes it even hotter. It was a great experience though. At night they have a fire dance there. I was too hot and tired at the time though and just wanted to get back. I really want to see it though, so I'm going to head out there again before I fly out (I have to come back this way to get to the airport, so it will be my last stop before leaving Bali). From there we went to an observatory a ways down the sea wall and watched some surfing. They have real waves here, so that was fun.
Also, I rode a motorbike for the first time here. It was a little scary just because this is such a busy and crazy place with a bunch of crazy drivers. It was fun too though. Scooters are so easy to control!!! I am definitely going to rent them to get around in the future (in less busy places...like Ubud). Also, I got a new tattoo yesterday. Jeffri took me to a good place and got a little symbol on my wrist. I wanted something that is very specific to the Balinese culture, so I got the good luck symbol. Everything here is about good luck. It works to your advantage most days because the first sale of the day is good luck, so you can get stuff for really cheap. Also, if at the end of the day they haven't sold anything that is "no luck" so they will also sell stuff really cheap. I have gotten a lot better at bartering, but I'm still a sucker sometimes. I have made good friends with some of the vendors at the beach, so I give them more than I would others. It's a dollar difference to me, but a huge difference to them. Also, every morning the Hindu Balinese put out an offer. It's usually a little hand woven basket of grass that is filled with flowers and some rice. Occasionally they will put a cracker or small money in it if they don't have rice. It is a sacrifice they do every morning to bring them good luck. Well, yesterday I was talking with a lady on the beach and was using my hands of course, and I accidentally knocked over a bag that had about six of these baskets in it. I felt so awful! I ended up buying a bunch of bracelets from her. So, that's what the nieces and nephews are going to get. Lol!
I have to head down to the beach now. I leave for Ubud today and I'm pretty excited about that. I have to go say my goodbyes to some people who have taken really good care of me. My really good local friends took me out last night and we went dancing. It was a lot of fun. I'm excited to meet back up with Julia and Chandler though. They left for Ubud yesterday. Some people say Ubud it is as hot as it is here, and some people say it is a little cooler. I am going to go ahead and get my hopes up and say that it is cooler there.
I am finally able to put some pictures up for you, so I'm sure I'm going to get carried away!
Well I would've gotten carried away except that as I was uploading the photos the program stopped responding. These internet shops really are stupid...it's not just me. Alas I only got the 2 photos of my ugly feet...Enjoy!!!
Love love
Since I last wrote nothing much has happened. My legs and feet have become so burnt that they are incredibly swollen and I look like I have the worst case of cankles this place has probably ever seen! It's hard not to be in the sun though...and it wouldn't be so bad if the malaria pills I have didn't make you so sensitive to the sun.
Other than that I continue to make new friends. The Asians love me!!! If I am just sitting on the beach they will come in swarms to get a picture with me. One time I thought they were going to trample me there were so many of them. Also, they love to have me hold their babies. I don't mind because they are so stinking cute! It's just funny though. They hand over their babies to a perfect stranger. Then they just kind of stand there and look with a huge smile, and then they will take a ton of pictures.
Exciting for me though and my favorite part of the trip so far was my day at Ulu Watu. Andre took me there yesterday on a "motorbike." They call them motorbikes but we call them scooters or mopeds. Anyways, Ulu Watu is a Hindu temple right on the ocean. It is absolutely beautiful and crawling with monkeys. Dan, I got a picture just for you of one monkey picking at the other monkeys hair. You have to wear a sarong when you go in, and that makes it even hotter. It was a great experience though. At night they have a fire dance there. I was too hot and tired at the time though and just wanted to get back. I really want to see it though, so I'm going to head out there again before I fly out (I have to come back this way to get to the airport, so it will be my last stop before leaving Bali). From there we went to an observatory a ways down the sea wall and watched some surfing. They have real waves here, so that was fun.
Also, I rode a motorbike for the first time here. It was a little scary just because this is such a busy and crazy place with a bunch of crazy drivers. It was fun too though. Scooters are so easy to control!!! I am definitely going to rent them to get around in the future (in less busy places...like Ubud). Also, I got a new tattoo yesterday. Jeffri took me to a good place and got a little symbol on my wrist. I wanted something that is very specific to the Balinese culture, so I got the good luck symbol. Everything here is about good luck. It works to your advantage most days because the first sale of the day is good luck, so you can get stuff for really cheap. Also, if at the end of the day they haven't sold anything that is "no luck" so they will also sell stuff really cheap. I have gotten a lot better at bartering, but I'm still a sucker sometimes. I have made good friends with some of the vendors at the beach, so I give them more than I would others. It's a dollar difference to me, but a huge difference to them. Also, every morning the Hindu Balinese put out an offer. It's usually a little hand woven basket of grass that is filled with flowers and some rice. Occasionally they will put a cracker or small money in it if they don't have rice. It is a sacrifice they do every morning to bring them good luck. Well, yesterday I was talking with a lady on the beach and was using my hands of course, and I accidentally knocked over a bag that had about six of these baskets in it. I felt so awful! I ended up buying a bunch of bracelets from her. So, that's what the nieces and nephews are going to get. Lol!
I have to head down to the beach now. I leave for Ubud today and I'm pretty excited about that. I have to go say my goodbyes to some people who have taken really good care of me. My really good local friends took me out last night and we went dancing. It was a lot of fun. I'm excited to meet back up with Julia and Chandler though. They left for Ubud yesterday. Some people say Ubud it is as hot as it is here, and some people say it is a little cooler. I am going to go ahead and get my hopes up and say that it is cooler there.
I am finally able to put some pictures up for you, so I'm sure I'm going to get carried away!
Well I would've gotten carried away except that as I was uploading the photos the program stopped responding. These internet shops really are stupid...it's not just me. Alas I only got the 2 photos of my ugly feet...Enjoy!!!
Love love
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| This is when they first started swelling. |
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| This was taken last night. They almost look bruised. This doesn't quite do justice to how burnt they are, but the main problem is that the heat never leaves my body. Everyone here that touches my arms or legs is shocked at how hot they are. |
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Bad News First?
I don't want to scare anyone, because the bad news isn't really that bad. Then it will be foloowed up with really awesome news.
So, I took the bus to Kuta yesterday and made friends with a older, Swedish man. This was kind of nice...just to have someone to talk to. Then he started to get creepy, so as soon as the bus stopped I managed to ditch him. At that point I walked around for awhile to find a new hotel. I finally settled on one that was cheap and close to all the action here. Also, I just wanted to get my backpack off!!! It was so hot wearing it! My back was literally soaking wet. Ok, now here is the bad news. My hotel is a total dump! Serioulsy, the shower head (hose showers) was in the toilet, the toilet doesn't work, there is no sink, no soap, and no towel, and they don't turn the electricity on until 6pm when it starts to get dark. It's a good thing I'm never really there.
So, good news now!
1. My sarong has come in very handy...it is a scarf, a bandana, a shawl for my very burnt shoulders, a blanket for the beach, and a towel! In fact I am going to buy another one right after this...well after I eat breakfast.
2. I have had no trouble sleeping or waking up. In fact I have to tell myself that I want to sleep more, but most times I can't. I haven't slept later than 7 yet. Yesterday I was up at 5 and felt like a champ. I think my body loves it here!
3. I went a little crazy with buying stuff yesterday. This is good and bad. Bad because now I have way too much stuff, and I already left some stuff at my hotel in Sanur. Good because I have been so cheap and the stuff is so cute.
4. Best news though...I have already made so me friends!!! I was on the beach yesterday and one of the locals was talking to me. He also knew these other people from Canada. They are from Saskatoon...Julia and Chandler. So I hung out with them for a bit and watched the sunset (I am going to have to do that again tonigh, but this time I will take my camera). After that we went our separate ways to shower and then to meet up for dinner. I got lost on the way to the warung we were to meet at and stopped some white people I saw. Turns out they were also looking for the same place and so we just went together. They are from Australia...Max, Calum, and Brogan. Chandler and Julia showed up and we all just sat together. Afterwards we went out to a couple clubs. One of them was a raggae club. All of them had bands playing and they were all very good. The Australians have a hotel in the same alley as me, so I made them walk me home. It was so much fun!!! We are all meeting up for lunch today. In the meantime I am going to rent a bike and do a tour all around Kuta. Tomorrow I will ride the bike up to Legian, and then Seminayak the next day. Not too sure what day it is today, but I think it's Thursday. So, on Sunday I am going to take a bus down to Ulu Watu for a day and see a supposedly fabulous temple. After that it will be time to move on and I will take a bus to Ubud to the monkey jungle. This is one of the most talked about areas in Bali and apparrently is where Liz stayed in Eat, Pray, Love.
And here is where I was going to put some pictures up for you, but it was taking forever and then the session just closed. So I'm giving up for today. I will try again in a couple days. In fact this is hours after I wrote the above.
However, the last few hours have been fairly adventurous. I went to rent a bike but the boy there didn't speak any English, so I just went to the beach instead. When I was there one of the locals came up to me and told me that Andre was looking for me. Andre is a local that I made friends with yesterday. I found Andre and sat with him for awhile and then he took me around to find a bike. It was a little scary considering how they drive here and we were on a "motorbike." Eventually, we ended up at the same place and Andre just translated for me. After that we went back to the beach and all the local boys had fun riding the bike on the beach. It was seriously like Christmas...and they aren't young boys either. I also shared some gum with them and all they could say was WOW (over and over again).
I left shortly after that to meet up with the Canadians and the Australians for lunch. Now we are here at the internet cafe and then going to sit on the Canadian's balcony. It is super hot here today and it just rained, so it is extra humid right now. this day calls for ice cream and a sit in the shade. Later I will head to the beach for sunset though. I think the Canadians will join me, but Chandler is sick today, so maybe not.
Love love.
So, I took the bus to Kuta yesterday and made friends with a older, Swedish man. This was kind of nice...just to have someone to talk to. Then he started to get creepy, so as soon as the bus stopped I managed to ditch him. At that point I walked around for awhile to find a new hotel. I finally settled on one that was cheap and close to all the action here. Also, I just wanted to get my backpack off!!! It was so hot wearing it! My back was literally soaking wet. Ok, now here is the bad news. My hotel is a total dump! Serioulsy, the shower head (hose showers) was in the toilet, the toilet doesn't work, there is no sink, no soap, and no towel, and they don't turn the electricity on until 6pm when it starts to get dark. It's a good thing I'm never really there.
So, good news now!
1. My sarong has come in very handy...it is a scarf, a bandana, a shawl for my very burnt shoulders, a blanket for the beach, and a towel! In fact I am going to buy another one right after this...well after I eat breakfast.
2. I have had no trouble sleeping or waking up. In fact I have to tell myself that I want to sleep more, but most times I can't. I haven't slept later than 7 yet. Yesterday I was up at 5 and felt like a champ. I think my body loves it here!
3. I went a little crazy with buying stuff yesterday. This is good and bad. Bad because now I have way too much stuff, and I already left some stuff at my hotel in Sanur. Good because I have been so cheap and the stuff is so cute.
4. Best news though...I have already made so me friends!!! I was on the beach yesterday and one of the locals was talking to me. He also knew these other people from Canada. They are from Saskatoon...Julia and Chandler. So I hung out with them for a bit and watched the sunset (I am going to have to do that again tonigh, but this time I will take my camera). After that we went our separate ways to shower and then to meet up for dinner. I got lost on the way to the warung we were to meet at and stopped some white people I saw. Turns out they were also looking for the same place and so we just went together. They are from Australia...Max, Calum, and Brogan. Chandler and Julia showed up and we all just sat together. Afterwards we went out to a couple clubs. One of them was a raggae club. All of them had bands playing and they were all very good. The Australians have a hotel in the same alley as me, so I made them walk me home. It was so much fun!!! We are all meeting up for lunch today. In the meantime I am going to rent a bike and do a tour all around Kuta. Tomorrow I will ride the bike up to Legian, and then Seminayak the next day. Not too sure what day it is today, but I think it's Thursday. So, on Sunday I am going to take a bus down to Ulu Watu for a day and see a supposedly fabulous temple. After that it will be time to move on and I will take a bus to Ubud to the monkey jungle. This is one of the most talked about areas in Bali and apparrently is where Liz stayed in Eat, Pray, Love.
And here is where I was going to put some pictures up for you, but it was taking forever and then the session just closed. So I'm giving up for today. I will try again in a couple days. In fact this is hours after I wrote the above.
However, the last few hours have been fairly adventurous. I went to rent a bike but the boy there didn't speak any English, so I just went to the beach instead. When I was there one of the locals came up to me and told me that Andre was looking for me. Andre is a local that I made friends with yesterday. I found Andre and sat with him for awhile and then he took me around to find a bike. It was a little scary considering how they drive here and we were on a "motorbike." Eventually, we ended up at the same place and Andre just translated for me. After that we went back to the beach and all the local boys had fun riding the bike on the beach. It was seriously like Christmas...and they aren't young boys either. I also shared some gum with them and all they could say was WOW (over and over again).
I left shortly after that to meet up with the Canadians and the Australians for lunch. Now we are here at the internet cafe and then going to sit on the Canadian's balcony. It is super hot here today and it just rained, so it is extra humid right now. this day calls for ice cream and a sit in the shade. Later I will head to the beach for sunset though. I think the Canadians will join me, but Chandler is sick today, so maybe not.
Love love.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Captains Log: Day One
Yay! I am in Bali! For the most part it was a fairly painless journey...though my butt might disagree. I managed to limit my sleep for the trek so that I could pass out when I got here at 11 last night. I didn't sleep at all on Saturday night, but I did sneak a couple hours in as my dad drove me up to Calgary. For the rest of the 23 hours I would sleep 20 minutes or so every few hours. It worked! I slept like a baby last night and thus far avoided the jet lag. Other than the lack of sleep and the brief moment of being completely lost at the Seoul Incheon airport, and feeling like a complete outsider for being the only white girl on 2 very long flights, it was a seamless journey. I landed at 10:53pm to a temperature of 27•C and humidity so high I could feel it through the airplane! Made it easily to my hotel and slept like a baby. I got up early this morning (7am is very early for me) and made my way to the beach. I had no idea how to get there, so I just started walking down the road. The side roads are about the size of the sidewalks at home, and they drive trucks down them!!! Anyways, I just kept walking till I found a main road with a sign pointing to the beach. I did the 4km walk along the sea wall and then continued walking around aimlessly to find the tourist office to buy a bus ticket to Kuta. Eventually I let a cab take me there. From there I easily found my way back to my hotel...only an hour walk away. I'm too cheap to pay for a ride when I'm able to walk. It's a good thing both my jobs require me to be on my feet all day. I do think though that I have a sign on my forehead that says sucker. I bought a sarong from a vendor today just because she tried to help me find a map. I'm really going to have to get over this guilty conscience thing. Anyways, I'm back at the hotel and going to go for a swim and lay by the pool so I can get rid of some of the tan lines I already have...my sunglasses, my money pouch strap, my bag strap, my sandals, and the strap of my camera around my wrist. I will try to put up a couple pictures tomorrow when I am at a computer. Right now I am just using my moms iPod touch...so slow. LOL!
P.S. You can smell the humidity in the air, among other things, and my hair still hasn't dried from my shower 5 hours ago! Also, I'm worried I'm not going to be able to sleep much here...it's too hot for me to sleep at home sometimes when it's below zero and my window is wide open! Last night was ok, but I think that might have just been because I was so tired.
Love love
P.S. You can smell the humidity in the air, among other things, and my hair still hasn't dried from my shower 5 hours ago! Also, I'm worried I'm not going to be able to sleep much here...it's too hot for me to sleep at home sometimes when it's below zero and my window is wide open! Last night was ok, but I think that might have just been because I was so tired.
Love love
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