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Published: January 30th 2007
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Manta Diving
Our home/ dive center/ restaurant/ all we needed in Gili. A great place for a relaxing stay, outdoor bathroom included. Phuket, Thailand (Dec. 27-Jan. 3) Bali/ Gili, Indonesia (Jan. 3-12)
It was back to backpacker travel as I boarded the flight from Manila to Phuket to meet with Alex for a few more days in the paradise of the Southeast Asian beaches again for aqua sports, curries and budget travel. There was a sort of comfortable feeling of going back to Thailand, even if it was bloody hot and I wouldn't be spoiled by family for all the basic necessities. So I sorted through the Lonely Planet Southeast Asia guide to pick up phrases like 'korp khun krap' and Indonesian 'terima khasi' while sorting through various currencies again.. to be on the road again.
In our first few nights on Karon Beach in Phuket, we caught up on life in the US and I was able to hear the great news that Alex would become a father in ’07. We bounced around Karon and Kata, taking in the laid back life in southern Thailand before relocating to the neon lights and nightlife of Patong beach. I even had my first ‘reflexology’ massage, which focuses on various points in the feet to alleviate pains through the body- a
Cheeseburger in paradise
Lunch Dec 31 in the heights above Kuta, overlooking the beaches of Phuket at the Reggae Bar. small delight! Day trips consisted of cruising around on scooter to several points on the island, from the heights of Kata to the sunset of Kamala. On New Years Eve, we grabbed a few Singah beers for the beach and wandered Patong, where fireworks were being lit by the minute and people were sending lanterns into the sky for their own personal wishes of 2007. In a creative moment, Alex decided to light up a lantern for his girlfriend and unborn child- giving our best wishes and blessing for a healthy and happy ’07. With a rush of jubilation on the beach, we rang in the new year and hit the arteries of Patong to make sure we woke up on the first with a headache (success!). While he went to check out the beauty of Phi Phi, I was able to catch up with another mate from England, Carl, who was staying in Kamala to finish his dive master program. Over cocktails, we reminisced about our travels over the past year, which had found us both traversing the world from our initial meeting in Rio- him to the west, me to the east- and to our meeting again in
New Years on Patong Beach
Full of fireworks and fun. Thailand. It was funny and incredible to reflect back on a year that had seen so many sunsets, new cities, funny experiences and a general sense of adventure. Hitting Thailand again was pleasant and relaxing.
On the 3rd, we were packed and on the way to the airport when Alex asked me if I was sure our flight was that day; he had booked them and thought they were for the 2nd…. Uhhh,,, ooopppss. We were supposed to fly the day before! So we obviously missed the first flight but were able to go stand-by to Kuala Lampur. It was one of those humorous times as a traveler filled with headaches, tension, pleading and adjustments but it all came together. That night, we buckled down into a nice hotel in KL and saw some of the sites of the city the next morning- Petronis Towers, Little India and Chinatown, to mention a few. But our ultimate destination was Bali, the paradise of Indonesia, for a bit more beach time and water sports.
For Bali, we had skyped ahead and reserved a room in Legian Beach, the popular haunt on the island and the center for diving
Petronas Towers, KL
On our soul night there we toured around a bit and stumbled onto the world's second largest structure. and night life. After a few Bintang beers on Legian St in the heart of Kuta, we hit the Hard Rock for some live music and a fun night under the full moon. It seemed a bit quiet, though, for such a popular destination; they are clearly still feeling the ramifications of the Bali bombings over the past few years. And, anyway, the real heart of Bali is found outside of Kuta and Legian.
Based on reports from other travelers, we decided to hit Gili Trawangan, a small island east of Bali with no police or motorized vehicles. Gili is a true small backpacker paradise island: great bungalows, friendly people, soft clean beaches, incredibly easy diving and cheap prices. We stumbled into the Manta Dive Bungalows, where Alex decided to do a Nitrox diving course (to increase his diving duration) and were able to get a great little beach bungalow complete with outdoor bathroom- perfect! Days were spent diving, snorkeling and eating fresh fish on the beach amid the to prayer that reminded us that Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world. The island is so small I was able to jog the entire island in
Gili boat ride
This young girl played on the boat while Alex got the scoop on the local scene. 30 minutes so going into ‘town’ was a mere 5 minute episode, leaving one without the normal stresses of life. Even the snorkeling was amazing- a short 10 meters from the shore with goggles, we got to see an incredible array of colorful fish and turtles. One of the interesting things I got to witness on the island was a small boy being paraded around the island with a sign around his neck announcing that he was a thief. Apparently, the custom in Gili is to shame the guilty with this type of treatment; the young escape physical abuse while I was informed that adults don’t get so lucky.
Back in Bali, we escaped the commercialism of Legian to visit the real heart of the island- the Hindu influence of the locals and the temples, dances and art that proliferated. I soaked in waters that promised me more youth (and I need it), saw the volcanoes to the north and watched the sun set among the temples on the eastern shores. I am glad Alex pushed me on his crazy touring drive as I would have probably just drank my Starbucks, relaxed by the beach and had the
Studying on the porch
Alex feigns actually reading a book on our porch to get certified for nitrox diving. last of good Asian food. We even visited some of the top resorts to get an understanding of the hype behind Bali, which didn’t disappoint. These mega-resorts were filled with Russians and Europeans on the packaged paradise that Bali delivers; somehow our $20 backpacker place didn't seem to quite match up!
So I thought I was set to head down south to Australia and was off to the airport on the 13th when, upon arrival, I was notified that a visa was required. Oh, boy, he we were again. I scrambled to little avail as I was running late (again) so was delayed another 2 days. At least I didn’t have to pay any extra fees. While it was stressful at first, another 2 days in Bali wasn’t all that hard on the soul. And, finally, I had the last bits of spicy curry dishes, cheap massage and haggling to board the overnight Jetstar flight to Sydney, the Australian mecca far to the south. It appears I have seen my last bit of Asia for now but look forward to the days of return to the chaos, negotiating, spicy food backpacker trail that I had lived on for
months.
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Pavlina
non-member comment
Oh, Rick, so nice to see you in your typical NYE position jumping with arms above your head as always...Lots of happy wishes to you for 2007!