Bali Day II & III

This post covers Friday and Saturday, 30th and 31st August.

Woke up early that morning for a jog on the beach. Very nice and relaxing.

Snapped some random shot of the hotel grounds on the way to breakfast.



Went to this restaurant/cafe/bar place called Lanai. It's on the beach front of Legian Beach and is mostly frequented by Caucasian tourists.



Looking out towards the sea.



Had a huge portion of fruits, granola and yoghurt for breakfast. By the time I was done, my stomach felt like it was bursting at the seams.

After breakfast we went down to Made's (pronounced MAh-deh) stall for some surfing lessons. While my Xiao Yee (mom's youngest sister) and her husband have been surfing for some time now, my Ah Yee's (mom's 2nd youngest sister) husband and I have not.

Didn't get to take any surfing pictures on my camera since I was out at sea.

All in all, the waves at Legian Beach are really small and gentle. Fortunately for me, Made was a great instructor and I was able to stand on the board very quickly. I'd definitely recommend a surfing experience in Bali even if you've never tried it before. You'll be hooked in no time!

After surfing, we took a car ride towards the inland area called Ubud. There, we went to the famous Ibu Oka's for some Babi Guling (roasted pork). The pork here is roasted whole on the spit, resulting in a juicy taste that drives foreigners and locals here alike.

The roasted skin is a little tough to chew, unlike duck skin- but paired with the sauce, it's incredibly delicious. They also serve the best melon juice I had ever had in my life. Fresh and refreshing to the taste.

Dropped by Ubud market after our meal.

Ubud market is a lively flea market-like area swarming with tourists. You will find a lot of Indonesian knick knacks, batik clothes and beach clothing here for sale. Most stall owners will usually offer you stuff starting around 180,000rp (about 20USD) which is obviously not cheap at all.

Judging by the item, I would then proceed to show them my offer price on my calculator at 20,000rp (about 2.30USD). Xiao Yee, who is a seasoned Bali visitor, had previously warned me that as a rule of thumb, you should ask for at least 1/4 or 1/5 of the original price. Also, always ask yourself how much you'd be willing to pay for this item and quality in your own currency.

A pocket calculator also comes in handy when you want to tell the shopkeeper how much you're willing to pay. When there are other customers at the stall, the shopkeeper will not entertain any offers you give her because the other customers will overhear the price and not be willing to pay higher than you. Therefore, it is much more efficient to simply type the offer into your calculator and show it to her, than to say it out loud in front of other customers.

After Ubud market, we drove to collect Xiao Yee's painting and saw this long row of ducks in a rice paddy on the way.

The whole street was lined with store after store of large imitation paintings.

Taking a walk while they bargain for the painting.

Saw a nice doggy. This looks like the breed called "Bali dog".

Many of the locals still live the kampung life. Chickens, sarong and everything.

Everything in the kampung seems to move at a different pace. The day rolls by more slowly and there is more time to just sit around and talk.

Most people travel by motorbike in Bali.

Blue skies up above.

That night we went to Batun Waru for dinner. Not sure where exactly this restaurant is at.

Had a fantastic meal as always.

One thing I regret ordering though is this apple juice concoction made up of native apples. I tasted as if I were drinking a mouthful of sand.

Went to bed super full and dead tired that night.

The next morning, we had breakfast from one of those roadside carts.

Ate by the roadside while waiting for our ride.

Nasi lemak, Indonesian style.

Went to Telaga Waja for some rafting action.

The scenery up there was lovely. Green paddies with lush forests everywhere you looked. Felt as if I were in Thailand or something.

All geared up and ready to go!

Rafting was a blast, not simply because of the breathtaking scenery and churning water, but also because our guide was hilarious and kept making random sounds like "YEE-HAH!".

Stopped for a toilet and camera break an hour later.

All of us thrilled to be on a holiday!

Tired after our 2 hour rafting and tumbling over a waterfall, we settled down to a complimentary lunch.

Little did we know that we had to yet scale another few hundred steps to get to the top where the cars were waiting for us.

So tired by the time we reached the top.

Driving back past more rice paddies.

After we had showered back at the hotel, we decided to head to the beach for some fun in the sun.

There were lots of people there already, lying out to bake under the umbrellas.

We got ourselves nice cold Bintang Beers.

Borrowed a volleyball from a random German lady. The place seemed to be full of Germans that day.

Sun setting over our game.

Cute doggy.

The sunsets in Bali really are amazing. At the end of the day is the best time when people just come out to stroll on the beach with their pals and loved ones.

Pooped from the volleyball game.

I was REALLY pooped from the whole day and then proceeded to piak on the bed.

Completely knocked out.

Woke up later for dinner at a Spanish restaurant in Kuta, Bali called La Sal.

I had no idea that it was such a classy place. I was dressed in a bikini and cotton dress but everyone else seemed to be wearing heels and gowns and expensive stuff.

Oh well. The food was superb.

Had tapas and salads and barbecued meat.

It rained halfway through our dinner so we had to switch upstairs to a sheltered area.

And then the night ended with a strange sensation in my tummy.

Fast forward to about 03:00 and I was bent over in the bathroom vomitting what looked like the dinner I just had.

To be continued...