June 3, 2010
Kuta - Day 5
Well who knew I would be such a good surfer? Not me...in fact, as we were heading towards the water I was having second thoughts about the whole surfing adventure. I haven't had the best luck in the past. We hired a local to teach us, Iwan. He met us at the beach, with all the boards, ready to go. We had a short lesson on the beach and headed into the surf. Kuta is the beginners beach for surfing. Last time I checked, beginner waves were 2'. These waves were over 6' all the time and some of them were getting up to over 8'. We started on the smaller waves, after they had broken. Amazingly enough, I got up on the first try! I shocked myself. Pretty quickly, I was building up the courage to head out deeper and deeper to the bigger waves. Carl picked it up pretty quickly too, so did Kristin. It was so much fun, but after 3 solid hours, we were pretty beat! $20 for a 3 hour lesson and the best morning yet. It was awesome.
Afterwards, we walked through Kuta, looking for a new place to eat. We found a great restaurant right off the main strip and had lunch. We browsed a few stores and headed back to the hotel to get the salt water off. Surfing really took it out of us, so we mostly lounged around the pool that afternoon, avoiding the sun as we all got a little burned that morning. That night, we went to the Green Cafe for dinner, which is attached to a very cool spa. Mango Pina Coladas and a chicken stir fry hit the spot!
Carl and Kristin are heading home tomorrow, a 38 hour journey, and I'm heading to Ubud. I've thoroughly enjoyed my time in Kuta, but am ready for a change of scenery!
~Bean
Monday, June 28, 2010
Bean Traveling...
June 2, 2010
Kuta - Day 4
Today was the best day yet! I went on another tour, met up with Del and Anna again. There were also 4 other people on the tour from my resort, so it was nice to see some familiar faces. We started out at a wood working studio. They had hundreds of pieces that were all hand carved, some of them taking months to complete. Some pieces were made from 6' logs, all one piece and totally amazing. There were figurines, wall hangings, masks and even furniture. The furniture was extremely intricate, a bit too flashy for my taste. I took some cool pictures, but didn't buy anything. I figured it would just get broken on the trip back somehow. Plus, I don't really have any need for a wood carving right now.
Next we headed to Kintamani, where we had beautiful views of Mount Batur, an active volcano, and Lake Batur. The volcano hasn't erupted in years, but I was hopeful. It was beautiful to see the landscape, it was so alive from all the vegetation. We had lunch overlooking the lake.
After lunch, we headed to a coffee and cacao plantation. They had Luwak's in cages inside the grounds. These are the animals that eat the ripest coffee beans and then they are harvested from the scat afterwards. They kind of looked like big lazy ferrets. They were just laying around near the top of their cages. Walking through the grounds, we saw all sorts of spices, coffee and cacao plants. I would love to have access to these fresh ingredients all year round! We got to try all sorts of different drinks, Balinese coffee, ginger coffee, fresh hot cacao with cinnamon, ginger tea, lemon grass tea. We had the opportunity to try the Luwak coffee, but it would cost $3US, which is practically Starbuck's pricing. Not being a coffee lover, I opted out. The others were great though. The cacao was so strong!
Our last stop of the day was another Temple. It had natural fresh water springs running through it and locals would come and bathe in it to be blessed. No, there was no nudity. Everyone was bathing clothed. The water was so crystal clear. They had a giant basin that the water filtered into and it looked so refreshing and the plants growing in the water were vibrantly green. There was also a Koi pond here with some of the biggest fish I've ever scene. I'm pretty sure some of them were 15lbs at least!
That night I went out for dinner with Carl and Kristin, two Americans from the tour staying in my hotel. They are from North Carolina and were on their pre-wedding honeymoon. People seemed to really like having honeymooners on their tours, so they just went with it. We walked into Kuta and had a beer on the beach to watch the sunset. I had Nasi Goreng for dinner, which was deliciously spicy. Since I've been here, I've noticed that I enjoy spicy foods a lot more than I used to. On the way back to the hotel, we hit up an internet cafe to arrange for surfing lessons tomorrow!
~Bean
Kuta - Day 4
Today was the best day yet! I went on another tour, met up with Del and Anna again. There were also 4 other people on the tour from my resort, so it was nice to see some familiar faces. We started out at a wood working studio. They had hundreds of pieces that were all hand carved, some of them taking months to complete. Some pieces were made from 6' logs, all one piece and totally amazing. There were figurines, wall hangings, masks and even furniture. The furniture was extremely intricate, a bit too flashy for my taste. I took some cool pictures, but didn't buy anything. I figured it would just get broken on the trip back somehow. Plus, I don't really have any need for a wood carving right now.
Next we headed to Kintamani, where we had beautiful views of Mount Batur, an active volcano, and Lake Batur. The volcano hasn't erupted in years, but I was hopeful. It was beautiful to see the landscape, it was so alive from all the vegetation. We had lunch overlooking the lake.
After lunch, we headed to a coffee and cacao plantation. They had Luwak's in cages inside the grounds. These are the animals that eat the ripest coffee beans and then they are harvested from the scat afterwards. They kind of looked like big lazy ferrets. They were just laying around near the top of their cages. Walking through the grounds, we saw all sorts of spices, coffee and cacao plants. I would love to have access to these fresh ingredients all year round! We got to try all sorts of different drinks, Balinese coffee, ginger coffee, fresh hot cacao with cinnamon, ginger tea, lemon grass tea. We had the opportunity to try the Luwak coffee, but it would cost $3US, which is practically Starbuck's pricing. Not being a coffee lover, I opted out. The others were great though. The cacao was so strong!
Our last stop of the day was another Temple. It had natural fresh water springs running through it and locals would come and bathe in it to be blessed. No, there was no nudity. Everyone was bathing clothed. The water was so crystal clear. They had a giant basin that the water filtered into and it looked so refreshing and the plants growing in the water were vibrantly green. There was also a Koi pond here with some of the biggest fish I've ever scene. I'm pretty sure some of them were 15lbs at least!
That night I went out for dinner with Carl and Kristin, two Americans from the tour staying in my hotel. They are from North Carolina and were on their pre-wedding honeymoon. People seemed to really like having honeymooners on their tours, so they just went with it. We walked into Kuta and had a beer on the beach to watch the sunset. I had Nasi Goreng for dinner, which was deliciously spicy. Since I've been here, I've noticed that I enjoy spicy foods a lot more than I used to. On the way back to the hotel, we hit up an internet cafe to arrange for surfing lessons tomorrow!
~Bean
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Bean Traveling...
June 1, 2010
Kuta - Day 3
Another whirlwind day. I met two new Canadians today, Del and Anna. They were originally from Jamaica and now live in Toronto. (I'm not sure I would give up Jamaica to live in Toronto) We went on a tour of Eastern Bali today. We started in a Batik village. This took me back to Pulau Tioman in Malaysia, the smell of melted wax, painting 10 metres from the beach with Shauna in 2006. The batik pieces here were much more intricate than the ones we did. I love Batik, I think it's beautiful and so unbelievably creative. I never gave myself enough time to become any good at it though. Maybe one day I will give it another shot...
The next stop was a walled city, where the houses are practically on top of each other. It's really hard to explain the feeling when you walked into the city. It was like walking into a community, if there is such a feeling. Closer than neighbours, closer to family. I dunno...it was cool. The houses all had archway/entries into their own property. Small shrines are built on the outside as well as the inside. The outer ones were usually smaller and made from bamboo. Inside the shrines were more intricate and made from stone. There were a few comforts of a modern home to be found, such as running water. They all had private gardens where they grow vegetables and small amounts of crops to sell. The house we visited had two pigs, one of which just had 6 babies. Visiting this city makes you appreciate the amount of space and privacy that we have here, but I don't know any place in Vancouver that feels quite like this community did.
We drove up Mount Agung next and visited one of the most popular and scared Temples in Bali, Besakih. We had to wear long shorts, pants or a sarong in order to be allowed to enter the temple. Within the temple grounds were smaller temples, one for each tribe in Bali. The structures were amazing, such small detail over such a large surface. We walked through the grounds listening to stories from our guide and watched a funeral procession trail through the main Temple. The view from the top was amazing. Endless rice terraces and luscious forest lined the horizon. The view was just as beautiful from the restaurant that we ate at for lunch. The vegetation here is so lush.
Lastly, we went to the Hall of Justice. Images lined the tiered ceiling depicting punishments for law breakers. They were pretty graphic and really strange. A lot of the punishments involved fire, walking in it, burning in it, burning specific body parts...apparently fire is the most favoured means of torture to use.
The day was long and hot. I laid by the pool and watched the sunset over the water before heading out in search for food. I tried black rice pudding for the first time tonight. I don't even like rice pudding, but this stuff was pretty good, surprisingly.
Eastern Bali was beautiful, it would appear that all of Bali is, so far. I can't wait to go to Kintamani tomorrow.
~Bean
Kuta - Day 3
Another whirlwind day. I met two new Canadians today, Del and Anna. They were originally from Jamaica and now live in Toronto. (I'm not sure I would give up Jamaica to live in Toronto) We went on a tour of Eastern Bali today. We started in a Batik village. This took me back to Pulau Tioman in Malaysia, the smell of melted wax, painting 10 metres from the beach with Shauna in 2006. The batik pieces here were much more intricate than the ones we did. I love Batik, I think it's beautiful and so unbelievably creative. I never gave myself enough time to become any good at it though. Maybe one day I will give it another shot...
The next stop was a walled city, where the houses are practically on top of each other. It's really hard to explain the feeling when you walked into the city. It was like walking into a community, if there is such a feeling. Closer than neighbours, closer to family. I dunno...it was cool. The houses all had archway/entries into their own property. Small shrines are built on the outside as well as the inside. The outer ones were usually smaller and made from bamboo. Inside the shrines were more intricate and made from stone. There were a few comforts of a modern home to be found, such as running water. They all had private gardens where they grow vegetables and small amounts of crops to sell. The house we visited had two pigs, one of which just had 6 babies. Visiting this city makes you appreciate the amount of space and privacy that we have here, but I don't know any place in Vancouver that feels quite like this community did.
We drove up Mount Agung next and visited one of the most popular and scared Temples in Bali, Besakih. We had to wear long shorts, pants or a sarong in order to be allowed to enter the temple. Within the temple grounds were smaller temples, one for each tribe in Bali. The structures were amazing, such small detail over such a large surface. We walked through the grounds listening to stories from our guide and watched a funeral procession trail through the main Temple. The view from the top was amazing. Endless rice terraces and luscious forest lined the horizon. The view was just as beautiful from the restaurant that we ate at for lunch. The vegetation here is so lush.
Lastly, we went to the Hall of Justice. Images lined the tiered ceiling depicting punishments for law breakers. They were pretty graphic and really strange. A lot of the punishments involved fire, walking in it, burning in it, burning specific body parts...apparently fire is the most favoured means of torture to use.
The day was long and hot. I laid by the pool and watched the sunset over the water before heading out in search for food. I tried black rice pudding for the first time tonight. I don't even like rice pudding, but this stuff was pretty good, surprisingly.
Eastern Bali was beautiful, it would appear that all of Bali is, so far. I can't wait to go to Kintamani tomorrow.
~Bean
Monday, June 14, 2010
Bean Traveling...
May 31st, 2010
Kuta - Day 2
I can't begin to describe how amazing today was. I went on a tour today to see "The Unforgettable Sunset". I got in the van, only to be greeted by 2 Canadians, better yet, 2 Vancouverites. Made my day to have a little taste of home. Dell and Tina have been best friends for 35 years and were celebrating their birthdays in Bali this year. I think I have a few more years, but I am already planning this trip in my head with my best friends.
We first stopped at a temple and were greeted with a sign that read "Women who are menstruating are forbidden from entering the temple." Awesome. The temple was beautiful. Hand carved statues, intricate wood carvings and bamboo works. The amount of effort that goes into some of these pieces is crazy. I can't even imagine turning rock into something other than gravel, let a lone a dragon. All over Bali, you will find 'offerings'. Each day people put out new ones, usually consisting of some flowers, fruit and rice. Very cool, but sometimes you kick them if you aren't watching where you are walking. I'm not kidding, they are everywhere.
The next stop was really the highlight of the tour. We went to a sacred monkey forest. Just from the name, how could this place not be a dream? Monkeys EVERYWHERE! =) Simon, from Slovenia, bought some peanuts and the monkeys came running. Before I even knew what was happening, I had a monkey up on my shoulders, sitting on top of my backpack. I was a little freaked out at first, because I thought she was going for my earrings, but really all she wanted was peanuts. Once she had them, she got down. Walking through the forest, we saw baby monkeys all around. Some where only a couple weeks old. All the monkeys had Mohawks, which made them look cute and evil all at the same time. Unfortunately, our stay in the forest was only an hour or two before we headed to the beach for the Sunset.
The beach we went to was located near a temple that is 0.5km off the shore when the tide comes in. There was a Holy Spring at the base of this temple, where fresh water flows. The water isn't accessible when the tide is in, luckily we were there while the tide was out. Everyone was lining up to wash their face in the Holy water and be blessed. After you wash your face, they place some rice on your forehead and a flower above your ear. I don't consider it a religious experience, just an experience. The sun was setting fast, but unfortunately it was behind the clouds. I did get some great shots of the waves pounding up the rocks and soaking people.
We got back to the resort around 9pm, too late for a dip in the pool. I walked toward Kuta until I found a small restaurant and had a late dinner. Nasa Goreng is delicious and I recommend everyone try it! I grabbed a beer at the bar on my way back to my room, chatted with some other guests and headed to bed. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.
~Bean
Kuta - Day 2
I can't begin to describe how amazing today was. I went on a tour today to see "The Unforgettable Sunset". I got in the van, only to be greeted by 2 Canadians, better yet, 2 Vancouverites. Made my day to have a little taste of home. Dell and Tina have been best friends for 35 years and were celebrating their birthdays in Bali this year. I think I have a few more years, but I am already planning this trip in my head with my best friends.
We first stopped at a temple and were greeted with a sign that read "Women who are menstruating are forbidden from entering the temple." Awesome. The temple was beautiful. Hand carved statues, intricate wood carvings and bamboo works. The amount of effort that goes into some of these pieces is crazy. I can't even imagine turning rock into something other than gravel, let a lone a dragon. All over Bali, you will find 'offerings'. Each day people put out new ones, usually consisting of some flowers, fruit and rice. Very cool, but sometimes you kick them if you aren't watching where you are walking. I'm not kidding, they are everywhere.
The next stop was really the highlight of the tour. We went to a sacred monkey forest. Just from the name, how could this place not be a dream? Monkeys EVERYWHERE! =) Simon, from Slovenia, bought some peanuts and the monkeys came running. Before I even knew what was happening, I had a monkey up on my shoulders, sitting on top of my backpack. I was a little freaked out at first, because I thought she was going for my earrings, but really all she wanted was peanuts. Once she had them, she got down. Walking through the forest, we saw baby monkeys all around. Some where only a couple weeks old. All the monkeys had Mohawks, which made them look cute and evil all at the same time. Unfortunately, our stay in the forest was only an hour or two before we headed to the beach for the Sunset.
The beach we went to was located near a temple that is 0.5km off the shore when the tide comes in. There was a Holy Spring at the base of this temple, where fresh water flows. The water isn't accessible when the tide is in, luckily we were there while the tide was out. Everyone was lining up to wash their face in the Holy water and be blessed. After you wash your face, they place some rice on your forehead and a flower above your ear. I don't consider it a religious experience, just an experience. The sun was setting fast, but unfortunately it was behind the clouds. I did get some great shots of the waves pounding up the rocks and soaking people.
We got back to the resort around 9pm, too late for a dip in the pool. I walked toward Kuta until I found a small restaurant and had a late dinner. Nasa Goreng is delicious and I recommend everyone try it! I grabbed a beer at the bar on my way back to my room, chatted with some other guests and headed to bed. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.
~Bean
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Bean Traveling...
In hopes that I don't have to keep regurgitating my vacation, I am starting a series of blog posts of my recent trip to Bali. One day, one post.
May 30th, 2010
Kuta - Day 1
After a week straight of meeting after meeting, I took my first vacation in a year. I arrived to two line ups of epic proportions. The first line was quick. You give the guy $25US and he gives to a receipt for the Visa you just bought. The next line was a bit of a gong show. There were probably 10 lines, with easily 50 people in each. As I've often thought, immigration in any country is no fun. Luckily I snapped my line-up unlucky streak and picked the only line with two border agents. So, I got through in about 45 minutes. My border guard was awesome. He liked me simply because I was Canadian. (And before anyone feels like commenting, yes, I know you can get a Visa before you go, I didn't have time.)
After immigration, I had to locate my bag. All the bags had been removed from the belts, as there were so many flights arriving. Oddly enough, I found my immediately, despite the fact that it's black. I recognized the wheels of all things. I had to wrestle it out of the hands of a porter though, who seemed determined to get money out of me. It didn't work. I found my ride and headed to my resort.
The place I was staying at first was a resort, so naturally it was amazing. Very private bungalows and villas, lagoon pools, swim-up bars. Naturally I hit up the pool instantly. Some friendly Aussies invited me to have some drinks with them and after 2 hours I was sufficiently drunk. I joined them on the beach to watch the sunset. Despite some renegade clouds, it was beautiful. Tomorrow I would figure out my plan for the next few days and hopefully head into Kuta to explore.
Day 1 was a bit whirlwind, but I was finally on vacation.
~Bean
May 30th, 2010
Kuta - Day 1
After a week straight of meeting after meeting, I took my first vacation in a year. I arrived to two line ups of epic proportions. The first line was quick. You give the guy $25US and he gives to a receipt for the Visa you just bought. The next line was a bit of a gong show. There were probably 10 lines, with easily 50 people in each. As I've often thought, immigration in any country is no fun. Luckily I snapped my line-up unlucky streak and picked the only line with two border agents. So, I got through in about 45 minutes. My border guard was awesome. He liked me simply because I was Canadian. (And before anyone feels like commenting, yes, I know you can get a Visa before you go, I didn't have time.)
After immigration, I had to locate my bag. All the bags had been removed from the belts, as there were so many flights arriving. Oddly enough, I found my immediately, despite the fact that it's black. I recognized the wheels of all things. I had to wrestle it out of the hands of a porter though, who seemed determined to get money out of me. It didn't work. I found my ride and headed to my resort.
The place I was staying at first was a resort, so naturally it was amazing. Very private bungalows and villas, lagoon pools, swim-up bars. Naturally I hit up the pool instantly. Some friendly Aussies invited me to have some drinks with them and after 2 hours I was sufficiently drunk. I joined them on the beach to watch the sunset. Despite some renegade clouds, it was beautiful. Tomorrow I would figure out my plan for the next few days and hopefully head into Kuta to explore.
Day 1 was a bit whirlwind, but I was finally on vacation.
~Bean
Friday, May 7, 2010
She looks down. Down at his still, lifeless body. A gentle breeze blows her hair, ever so slightly, enough to see the pain pouring down her face. She falls to her knees, to his side. A shaky hand reaches out, wanting to caress his still warm face, instead it consoles her broken heart. She holds herself, falling to pieces and closes her eyes.
She opens her eyes. It's morning, 6am. The sun starting to peak through the blinds.
"I can't keep doing this," she thought to herself. She wipes the tears from her face, breathes deeply, rolls to her side. She watches his chest rise and fall, each breath deep and peaceful. The dream had not disturbed him.
The decision is made. She collects her clothes and a small box from the bedside table, filled with meaningless items to anyone else. She looks down, at his still, sleeping body, one last time before she turns and walks away, one last time. She can't lose him again, not one more time. She dies each time, awakens to know it will happen and she can't keep going.
To not lose him, she lets him go. It breaks her heart, tears her up inside, but she is comforted knowing that he will never be taken from her again.
She opens her eyes. It's morning, 6am. The sun starting to peak through the blinds.
"I can't keep doing this," she thought to herself. She wipes the tears from her face, breathes deeply, rolls to her side. She watches his chest rise and fall, each breath deep and peaceful. The dream had not disturbed him.
The decision is made. She collects her clothes and a small box from the bedside table, filled with meaningless items to anyone else. She looks down, at his still, sleeping body, one last time before she turns and walks away, one last time. She can't lose him again, not one more time. She dies each time, awakens to know it will happen and she can't keep going.
To not lose him, she lets him go. It breaks her heart, tears her up inside, but she is comforted knowing that he will never be taken from her again.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Word
neck·ces·so·ry [nek-ses-uh-ree] noun
1. an article or set of articles of dress, like a scarf, that adds completeness, convenience, attractiveness, etc., to one's basic outfit, worn around or near the neck
This might be the best word invention I've ever had. That's right, I'm taking credit for it. It came up in a conversation regarding the appropriate attire for penguins. You could ask, but do you really want to know?
I forgot to use my new word in a sentence, you know, like spellers always ask for, so here goes:
Q: "Do you think Penguins would wear bowties or just regular ties?"
A: "No, no, no, Penguins are cool enough without a neckcessary! Seriously, think about it!"
Ok, that's 3 sentences, but I really felt that it needed them.
~Bean
ə
1. an article or set of articles of dress, like a scarf, that adds completeness, convenience, attractiveness, etc., to one's basic outfit, worn around or near the neck
This might be the best word invention I've ever had. That's right, I'm taking credit for it. It came up in a conversation regarding the appropriate attire for penguins. You could ask, but do you really want to know?
I forgot to use my new word in a sentence, you know, like spellers always ask for, so here goes:
Q: "Do you think Penguins would wear bowties or just regular ties?"
A: "No, no, no, Penguins are cool enough without a neckcessary! Seriously, think about it!"
Ok, that's 3 sentences, but I really felt that it needed them.
~Bean
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