Bali

Amber and I went to Bali, Indonesia for our August vacation. It was a fun, beautiful and very relaxing vacation that we both really needed.

The main thing I have to say about Bali is how friendly the people are. I've travelled to a handful of Asian countries and although most Asians I come across are generally happy and helpful, I have to say that the Balienese are more than any others. I know that tourism is their number one source of income and they understand that they must be friendly to the tourists, but it was more than that. Even the people who had nothing to do with tourism were kind and very friendly. There wasn't even one time when I felt unwelcomed. I was impressed.

There was good, cheap shopping, fantastic food, relaxing massages for cheap cheap cheap.

Our hotel at night.
The view from our room.
Legian beach. The beaches weren't as beautiful as Thailand, but Bali is more of a surfer's paradise than anything.
We went to Ulu Watu (a temple on a cliff) for a sunset traditional Balinese play/dance. It was interesting to see them dressed up and telling a story through dance. Although I didn't really know what was going on, it was fun.
The sunsets were amazing.


Behind me is Temple on the sea "Tanah Lot".



We stayed at a tropical paradise in the middle of some rice terraces. We had our own little cottage. It was nice to be in a super quiet, peaceful place.



We checked out a monkey forest inland. There were monkeys everywhere. The little buggers weren't afraid of people whatsoever. They pretty much attacked us for our bananas as soon as we stepped foot in the forest. They had no problem jumping on us, opening our bags or stealing anything they could get their hands on. Later we got brave and made them work for the food.

We did some shopping in Ubud-the artsy area of Bali. We wished we could have had more time to explore the markets and wander the streets.

We went on a 6am rice terrace walk. It was beautiful and interesting to learn a little bit about how these people live. They're so happy just taking care of their little bit of land each day. It kind of made me think about what I take for granted.
We got to go into the guide's tiny village. He even took us into his in-law's place. Here his is father-in-law and niece cooking chicken for a religious ceremony.
Everyone gathered together to pray and offer sacrafices for a big religious holiday. I'm not sure what it was called, unfortunately, or what it was all about. We went to check it out. We were the only foreigners there. At first the people seemed to be surprised to see us, but we didn't feel any hostility. They were watching us, but would smile when we smiled at them. It was a beautiful/awkward experience.





If the chance comes up, I'd go back to Bali...or maybe check out some of the other Indonesian islands.

It was interesting the reactions we got from people when they realised we weren't Australian. Since it's so close most Australians seem to go there for vacation. It was nice to be away from the usual crowd.