Blogs from Bali, Indonesia, Asia - page 254

Today was a day for celebration. The festivities were already in full swing when I came down for Breakfast. The entire family was dressed in their best and were busy praying and organising offerings - and generally having fun. A feast had been prepared, and as honoured guest (by virtue of being the only guest staying...) I was invited to try it all. It was a nice 'n spicy affair - lots of meaty curries. What was a bit different though was a coconut and palm sugar cone, and rice cakes topped with a sour fermented rice. Walking around the streets most shops were closed, and the streets were so piled high with offerings that it became hard to walk along them! In the afternoon I grabbed a Bemo to Batabulan, and was then literally forced ... read more

ATEMBERAUBENDE VULKAN-LANDSCHAFTEN.....FASZINIERENDE HINDUKULTUR....EINZIGARTIGES KUNSTHANDWERK.... so sind wir nach den kleineren anfahrtsschwierigkeiten ueber malaysien doch noch auf der insel der traeume gelandet. fuer westler ist bali das paradies auf erden schlechthin....aber: die touristen bleiben aus! nach dem verheerenden bombenanschlag von 2002 in kuta, wo hunderte australische turis und balinesen getoetet wurden gings langsam wieder nach oben. der tourismus ist balis wichtigster devisenbringer. vor einem halben jahr sprengte sich wieder in kuta ein selbstmordattentaeter in einem schweizer restaurant in die luft, 2 weitere bomben explodierten in hotelanlagen suedlich von kuta. wieder wird eine fundamentalistische moslemische organisation fuer den terror verantwortlich gemacht. (ausser bali, das hinduistisch ist, wird in ganz indonesien allah gehuldigt!) das haelt die turis n... read more

Rp35,000 seemed a good price to pay for a motorbike to save 3 bemo changes and several hours of journeying, so this was the method of transport that I used to get from Denpasar to Ubud. I think sometimes the driver forgot how big I am, and I was convinced that at somepoint I was going to lost one of both kneecaps. I finally realised how the horn is used in balinese driving. It is not the responsibility of the person pulling out to look, rather it is the responsibility of the oncoming traffic to inform that driver of their presence with the horn. The horn is also used to inform of overtaking manouvers, to scare stray dogs, to say hello, to see if people walking want a lift and possibly 1001 other messages. In short ... read more

The sound of motorbikes never really stops in Depasar, but it does calm down. However I was woken at around 6 a.m. as the morning madness resumed. I went downstairs and ordered Nasi Goreng (fried rice), fruit and Balinese coffee which was a different, but fantastic way to start the day. I walked down the the 3 storey Pasar Badung market. The ground floor was all meat, fish, fruit and veg and not a place for the squeamish. The first floor was all herbs and spices, and the top floor was mainly clothing and homewares. I was accosted by a self appointed guide the second I entered who took me around desperate to get my to buy anything, whether I wanted it or not. I soon learnt to express interest at nothing, although she did talk ... read more

After traveling alone, imagine my joy when I am reunited with DK! Yayyyy!!! When we see each other at the arrival gate in Bangkok, it's like a movie scene: lots of smiling, hugging and muah muah muah! DK's first words were, "It's been a while." It sure had! SINGAPORE From Bangkok, we jumped on a flight to Singapore and I talked for the entire 6 hour-flight. When we got into town, I am floored when I see our hotel room, I mean, it had an actual bathtub and I could use the water from the faucet to brush my teeth! We went out for dinner to this trendy area and I was surprised to see some jay walking and occasional littering. Ingrained in my mind were Singapore's strict laws (death penalty for drug possession, caning for ... read more