Perspectives

I recently made a trip to Bali, Indonesia for a short holiday early this month and it proved to be quite an adventure for me and my fiance SY.

We went there for 5D/4N and stayed at Villa Puri Ayu, a quiet and hidden away boutique hotel in Sanur. I wanted to stay in Sanur because I wanted to be close to the beach and I wanted to be away from the hustle and bustle of Ubud and Kuta.

So here are a few highlights of my trip:

• The sunsets in Nusa Dua beach and Jimbaran was breathtaking. It was so beautiful and it is my first time seeing such a perfect sunset. I had a good time just letting my hair down, wearing shorts and having a cold beverage in the heat of the Indonesian climate
• I witnessed a monkey jump right in front of me and snatched a pair of glasses from a Balinese woman carrying a basket on her head. It grabbed her glasses and within seconds, it was in its mouth being mutilated beyond recognition. A crowd soon gathered around the monkey, trying to entice it to take something else in exchange for the glasses. But really to me, it’s beyond saving already
• I was in love with the art in Bali and brought home four pieces of work with me. If I ever go back to Bali, it will be for more art. I will probably be more serious and actually visit every art shop in Ubud to get my paintings.
• I had my pre-wedding photography done there and it was a great experience because the team that took us around Bali for photos were a wonderful bunch and they made us laugh all the way thru.
• I got the tan I always wanted and came back nice and dark. Finally, I am no longer the pale Chinese.
• Photography was a treat in Bali and SY had a good time snapping away with my Nikon digital cam. I let him enjoy the fun while I took my time soaking in the atmosphere around me
• People are very friendly and warm. This is a very service-oriented island, so it was a wonderful (and at times humbling) experience for me
• SY was really on top of things and he communicated fluently in Bahasa, so he coordinated and arranged the entire trip. I gave him full rein because I really wasn’t feeling well most of the time.

Now for some not-so-good moments:

• The driving in Bali is quite manic. People honk and flash their headlights to cut across the road or make a turn. My heart stopped a few times but am glad we had experienced drivers taking us around. I would not try to drive on my own
• It takes 45 minutes to an hour to get from one location to the other from our hotel. So that wasn’t fun because I got carsick a couple of times. I cured that by sleeping most of the time in the car until we reached our destination.
• The beach in Sanur wasn’t as clean as I expected. It took me a while to realize that the beaches in Bali are not like the beaches in Langkawi or Terengganu, where we can expect white sandy beaches. Bali is more of a surfer’s paradise. This is evident in the large number of Roxy, Quiksilver and other surfer shops littered around Kuta, Ubud and everywhere else
• It was seriously very hot. Hot to the point where I got heat rashes that spread all over my body. It was also due to an allergic reaction I got from the antibiotics I was taking, following a bad viral fever I contracted two days before the Bali trip. In the end, I had to call in for a doctor to come by in the morning of my fourth day in Bali to give me medication and a painful jab. It hurt like crazy. I couldn’t walk for a few minutes cause it was a sharp pain. I was glad it helped to stop the spread of the rashes almost immediately, allowing for healing to take place. It really freaked SY out.
• There were times when I wasn’t into the trip because I was constantly conscious of the heat, was dehydrated and very tired. The viral fever prior really weakened my immune system, so I felt sick even eating.
• I threw up after three hours of heat exposure in my pre-wedding photo shoot outdoors and the photography team rushed to get me a sweet hot Balinese tea and some biscuits to help calm my stomach. I haven’t eaten so I had a lot of “air” in the stomach and that contributed to my feeling unwell.
• The first room we stayed in at the hotel was not favorable due to some leakages and an air condition unit that was dripping. So in the same night, the staff changed us into a nicer room which I appreciated

However, overall, it was a memorable time. I would go back again but in hopes that I will not be sick beforehand, have plenty of sunblock and bring extra cash for more art work to purchase.

A picture speak a thousand words, so here are some select photography from our trip there:

Panaromic shot of the Taman Ujung Water Palace

Panaromic shot of a lake situated next to a restaurant we had lunch at

Panaromic shot of a sunset in Jimbaran

Panaromic Shot of a temple in Bali

A meal I had for lunch in Bali

Panaromic shot of a beautiful temple by the lake in the mountains

Beach in Sanur

A temple procession

On the cliff looking out to the ocean