That super cheap plane ticket from Bali to Vietnam was indeed too good to be true. 1.5 hours was definitely not enough layover time for immigration, shuttle bus, ticket counter, and security. So, I’m here until I can get a flight out, hopefully on Saturday. To make the most of the extended layover, I’ve booked a bike tour, cooking class, and aquarium visit, and I plan to explore the Gardens by the Bay as well as the Marina Bay Sands observation deck (the three joined towers on the left in this borrowed photo).
I must say, right now I’m just enjoying a modern hotel, public transportation, and being able to use a credit card. In the meantime, enjoy the following!
Eating Bali
The barong asks, “Did you say FOOD?!?”rice fields near AbangAmlapura market was the only place in Bali I went that was not full of tourists. I enjoyed my apple, grapes, and steamed banana treat tremendously.Healthy Yoga Barn breakfasts: coconut water, green smoothie, and black rice pudding.Mt. Batur summit breakfast included banana sandwiches and hard boiled eggs.The profusion of smoothies and fresh juices made for good snacks.The snake fruit is just okay. The dragon fruit and passion fruit gelato was outstanding!
Warungs
They’re any type of small family convenience shop or cafe. I only ate at one restaurant, otherwise it was all warungs for excellent food. There was so much more I wanted to try, but it was impossible to eat everything. Meals averaged 50,000 rupiah ($3.50). I shared a sunset dinner with a lovely person who related their tale of a cooking class in Ubud that sounded amazing. So much food, too little time!
I ducked into Ubud’s Warung Colada for the Indonesian stir fried noodles known as mie goreng. Yes, about seven tables is average, and I watched them prepare the meal. fish satay at a beachfront warung
Final scenes (not food)
cozy bungalowThe outdoor bathroom was pretty awesome – the weather was perfect the whole time.Ujung water palaceTirta Gangaa royal water gardenBye-bye beautiful Bali!
After some confusion, I was finally on my way from Ubud to Amed, a mountainous coastal region in northeast Bali. Since there are no highways or interstates, the 46 mile drive takes 2.5 hours. Upon arrival at my beach bungalow in Jemeluk village, the morning’s worries were quickly erased.
-massage: 100,000 rupiah ($7) -amazing snorkel: box fish, puffer fish, butterfly fish, blue sea stars, and schools of mouth mackerel -visited with bungalow neighbors Jim and Sandy from Brisbane -danced to the live music next door -gentle lapping of the waves lulled me to sleep
Sunday: Gilligan goes to Gili T
I hopped a fast boat to Gili Trawangan for the day. It’s a little island off Lombok about an hour from Amed.
Bali’s Mt. AgungThe fast boat engines are impressive when they’re running full throttle across the Java Sea.
I snorkeled with sea turtles, then wandered the beachfront, investing in a huge ear of grilled corn and mango gelato.
There are no cars on Gili T, so pony traps deliver people and luggage to their bungalows.
I was back at the port area by 3pm and told, “No boat to Bali today. Waves too big, 12-16ft high. Not safe.”
Ummmm.
So now what?
Find bungalow.
Turn off phone to conserve battery.
Obtain a few basic necessities.
Fill time with…more snorkeling!
massage, with soundtrack of muezzin offering a very long and beautiful sunset call to prayer
Then, the real magic happened. I admired the staff’s evening snack, and they shared it with me.
The restaurants only serve Western foods like pizza, burgers, and pasta, or Thai. Nowhere can you find the native cuisine. I was lucky to get these delicious Lombok treats, which served as dinner.
Monday: Calm Seas
I awoke to no breeze in the palm trees. Yay! I checked in and was told that the boat would leave at 11:45am. Yoga and a bike ride around the island were therefore in order.
Gili T’s quieter sideThey had insightful curiosity about US politics; it was a good conversation. And then there was playful mugging for the camera. I’ve found most Indonesians kind, caring, and quick to smile and laugh.Lombok’s Mt. RinjaniBoat loading/unloading was fascinating chaos without a dock.
The unexpected delay was over, and it turned out to be a fun adventure. The day ended with another boat ride, this time in a jukung, to snorkel the Japanese wreck with new neighbors Kiley and Felix from Perth.
It was so cool to ride in one of these! Mentally I refer to them as “spider boats.”This was a great way to wrap up Monday. (borrowed photo)
Three days in the island’s cultural and spiritual capital. “Eat, yoga, hike,” for sure, but not in that order.
The roads and streets are solid walls of commerce, temples, and homes. The tall, arching poles are part of Galungan, a ten-day religious holiday. The fabrics and batiks are a riot of beautiful colors.I wouldn’t have found this market street (Monkey Forest Road) without the help of Hannah from Germany. Thank you, new friend!These little offerings are every few feet, especially on the ground. Canang sari are expressions of gratitude traditionally offered three times daily.I was thrilled to break free of the solidly lined streets to discover the landscape. Though short, the Campuhan Ridge walk provides a glimpse of jungly ravines and rice fields.I was surprised, then amused, by the boys fishing at Saraswati Temple.I’ll never forget being mesmerized in college by a recording of Balinese gamelan music. It was so meaningful to attend a live performance here after all these years.
Mount Batur hike
Up at 2am, hiking by 4am. The route was seriously steep and rocky. It is 3-4 miles round trip, I think.view from the top at 5:45Pure magic, just slightly obscured by fog.Since it indeed looks like I only had four hours of sleep, focus on Mt. Agung behind me, Bali’s tallest peak at 10,328 feet. I’m on Abeng, the highest point along Batur’s rim (7,057 feet).Hiking the caldera’s narrow rim was more amazing to me than the sunrise. The steam vent on the left is evidence of Bali’s most active volcano.monkeying aroundBy the time we had hiked down to this view of the caldera, the fog and clouds had lifted.It was a relief to relax in the warm springs at Lake Batur.
Accommodations
I stayed at the Yoga Barn, a healing center in town. You wouldn’t know there were busy streets just outside this beautiful jungle campus. While the name seems a little hokey, this is a serious place for yoga. I counted at least nine studios offering upwards of 100+ classes per week, a spa, cafe, and juice bar. Since it is not a resort, everything is wonderfully a la carte.A class in the big studio easily holds more than 50 yogis.I was appreciative of my comfy room, the nutritious breakfasts, and…the sense of humor!
Bonjour! sunrise from the boatDolphins on Tuesday!Even more rare and exciting were the humpback whales on Thursday. We visited with them for an hour.My swim to motu Ceran and back on Wednesday. I’ve never done so much open water swimming before, and I will miss doing so in “the aquarium.”motu Ceran in Taha’a lagoon (Motu means “low island.”)I wanted to try this because the local noni fruit is a superfood. However, the noni by itself is pungent, like stinky cheese wrapped in dirty socks. Luckily the contents of this little pouch tasted good. If I see any noni products at home, I will add them to my diet.
Scenes from Huahine island
young spearfishmermenMany baby whales are born here August – October.Our wonderful guide Joe told us about his amazing diving experiences with the baby whales. He was great with our crazy Swiss and American crew. We enjoyed a lot of fabulous live music. Check out that bass!
Scenes from a pearl farm
pearl farm on Taha’aThe hues and overtones in the shell’s black lip determines the color, and the oyster can produce up to four pearls over its lifetime, one at a time. It can take two to five years to culture a pearl. A seed pearl from the Mississippi river is inserted, along with DNA. After pearls are harvested, they are sent to Tahiti for x-ray to make sure they have at least 8mm of nacre. They may also be graded for size, shape, and color. I was surprised that the colors could vary this widely; most of the pearls I saw were shades of gray (more than 50, ahem). This strand costs several thousand dollars, and a strand of matching pearls can be twice as expensive. The most sought after individual pearls tend to be iridescent peacock. I was drawn to the darkest pearls – so dramatic.
Papeete
street vendors outside the municipal marketinside the marketbounty of the sea Oh, hey there Mr. Red Breakfast fish!Hotel Intercontinental grounds with Moorea island in the backgroundI’m not normally a resort person, but this was all about proximity to the airport. It worked out great: early check in and late check out made it convenient for our flights, the gym helped me prepare for said flying, and the free laundry room was a blessing. I couldn’t resist temporarily decorating one of the tikis. I hope he enjoyed the heady scent of those tiare flowers as much as I did.It was fun to ogle the fancy yachts along the impressive harbor walk and a nice way to end our stay in the South Pacific.Au revoir, French Polynesia, and mauruuru!
Poisson cru, the national dishi is comprised of raw red tuna, vegetables, coconut milk, and citrus juice. Ridiculously good! I had never eaten much, if any, raw fish before this trip. (borrowed photo)
I still haven’t had my fill of fresh coconut.
roadside fruit standAnother boat meal: Russian (Olivier) Salad consists of potato, egg, beet, corn, and a mayonnaise dressing. I’ll be making this at home, knowing the veggies can be varied. Served with green salad, roasted chicken thighs and drums, and the ubiquitous baguette (served at every meal). Not pictured is the dessert of waffles with nutella, whipped cream, and bananas that had everyone groaning in happiness.Did I mention baguettes? Ah, French colonization. I’ll see these again in Vietnam.
Traditional feast and show
The mini heiva (live music, singing, and dancing) was fantastic at Le Ficus, a family-run establishment on Taha’a island. The ahima’a, the in-ground oven used to cook our meal.Other than the poisson cru and the rice, everything was cooked in the ahima’a. The beef was bland, but the curried fish was good, and the chicken fa fa (with spinach and coconut cream) was great. The orange gelatinous stuff on the right is poi, made from taro. It was fine. Not horrible, not great, just underwhelming.
Vanilla plantation visit
Ramon at Perle D’O on Raiatea explained how vanilla is grown, harvested, and prepared. It can take 12-15 months for a pod to go from hand-pollination to a usable vanilla bean!Pods nearly ready for sale whole, or for transport to Tahiti for processing into extract.
Papeete’s amazing roulottes (food trucks)
Situated along the harbor, the roulottes are different than US food trucks with their dedicated tables and full service option.shrimp curry over chow mien noodles With baguette, of course! Serious comfort food for about $15.“Mikob” from the Tuk Tuk truck: shrimp and veg over crispy noodles.Vive la France! Nutella, banana, coconut crepe.So no, our food trucks at home don’t have this.
The Journey in Between 