The Adventure Begins.

And the treacherous journey begins. 5:50AM SG time. I’m gonna be literally strapped to my seat for the next 30hrs. Oh, okay, with a couple of breathers in between.

I think I can get used to air travel on DeltaAirlines. I seem to be fed all the time (whether I’m hungry or not is really beside the point). Airline crew were friendly… all smiles… service was great. I’ve forgotten what cabin service is like, what with all my budget airline travels. Tsk. How can I ever go back to flying on budget airlines? Did I mention I like airplane food?

First leg of the journey was about 7hrs into Narita International Airport, Japan, where we stopped over for 3.5hrs, before jetting off to Seattle-Tacoma Airport (SEATAC) – this was another 9hr 19min of air travel.

Plenty of in-flight entertainment, although I slept through most of it. Montana’s like 15hrs behind us, so I figured it would be wise to start adjusting the body clock!

Backtrack to airport check-in earlier this morning. We almost didn’t make it. It seems we have a knack for late boarding, without even really trying and in spite of arriving 3hrs before boarding!

We had purchased 1-way tix from SIN-FCA and had applied for the 90-day ESTA waiver. According to its terms and conditions (which I obviously did not read!), this waiver is applicable only if you have return tickets as proof that you will not exceed the 90-day allowance.

No way were they going to check us in without proof of a return flight. What followed was a frantic pair (that’s us!) logging in online, to attempt to purchase our return flights. We just went with a bogus return date on whichever flight was available because we had every intention to cancel these as soon as we were in Montana.

We were down to like the last 15min (or less) when they finally let us in.

What’s a trip without a drama, huh!

GAP City Flats

"Bendy shoes", hell ya!

A much-delayed post (SIN-DPS)

I had promised to fill you in on my Bali trip, but the minute we touched down, right until now, we've been buried in work. Strange how work never really left us, huh (though I'll be worried if it did!). Figured I had better get my arse down to writing it before I forget 'em all. Enjoy the read.

Time to Walk Off Some Fats

Day 8, 25 February 2011

After all that food, we figured a stroll along the beach would be a brilliant idea (to aid digestion so we could stuff ourselves during dinner later!) I love the fine sand on my feet, but I wouldn't say the same about having sand blown at my face...

here's a tip: put on appropriate footwear when you're headed to the beach! :)

Ever so often, you'll come across dogs quietly sitting on the sand, just enjoying the breeze and watching the people pass 'em by...

luuuurve this photo!

I've been looking forward to eating bakso eversince I landed. It's Day 8 already, and I have not had any. Since we were at the beach, and that's where I had my very first bakso, I decided this was it - I've gotta have one! (There are bakso stalls spread along the entire stretch of Kuta beach, so you would not really miss one. And I'm pretty sure they all taste about the same - enak!)

one bakso coming right up!

bakso is a mix of yellow noodles & vermicelli, amongst other ingredients

Bakso is usually served in a bowl of beef soup, with yellow noodles and "glass noodles" (that's vermicelli or beehoon to some of you), as well as meatballs, bean sprouts and crispy meat dumplings. It's one of my local must-eats (even though the soup base is kinda salty which makea me wonder if it came right outta the sea). It's like, how can anyone say they've been to Bali without having tasted a bowl of bakso from the street vendors? It's just not right.

It's strange but I don't seem to have a photo of my bakso in its 'full glory'... perhaps it's in L's camera... or I was too engrossed with eating, that I never took a pic of it! Anyway, it's 15,000rp a bowl  (although I thought I remembered it was just 5,000rp the last time), but it's well worth it. Don't take my word for it though - you have to eat it to know it's true.

my view from where I was eating my bakso

L waiting for me to finish my bakso cos he was too 'health-conscious' to have any. Bleh.

Now that my stomach is fed, and the legs could walk some more, we strolled further down the beach and noticed that kite-flying seemed to be the call of the day.

L stopping to help with a fallen kite

attempting to put it back up into the winds

Although I would have loved my hands at kite-boarding, it wasn't something I thought I'd wanted to try in Bali. This trip wasn't about "roughing it out". It was a an overdue getaway that we really needed. Although we ended up working through the trip, we still managed pockets of time to still enjoy what Bali has to offer.

Oh, and lookie here what we've got... just before we were about to leave the beach, we spotted this:

how cute is this! they were headed for home together!

The Compensation

Day 8, 25 February 2011
L suggested we go for 'round 2' (of food) since Warung Ocha was such a disappointment and we were still starved. Next stop: Fish & Avocado Salad!

Lanai Beach Bar & Grill+Sushi: Jln Pantai, Double Six, Seminyak-Bali 

neat row of motorbikes line the side of the street

We sat on the mezzanine level that overlooks Kuta beach. It was nice and cool, and relaxing. Or maybe it was just the Iced Mocha.

Iced Mocha: 19,000rp

This was the Fish Picatta with Avocado, that we've ordered:

Fish Picatta w/Avocado: 56,000rp (S$8.00)

And this, was us, totally satisfied with the food! (L was really happy although you cannot tell from this photo)

also one of my fave pic from the trip!

You've Been Warned

Day 8, 25 February 2011
The rip-off
It's down to our last couple of days in Bali and the heart is heavy at the thought of leaving this piece of paradise. However, eat we must, and we set off on our sepeda in search of lunch-worthy food! And of all places to eat at, I had to suggest Warung Ocha. I remember riding past this little eatery the last few times we were in Bali and it was always kinda packed (with tourists and locals)... I think we would have eaten here before, although I can't exactly recall. Well, anyway, L mentioned their standards have dropped so we decided to share a meal, instead of ordering for two. And I'm hell glad we did, because I'll never return for a second helping again.

Check out the amount of noodles for 22,000rp (S$3.20):

mie goreng: 22,000rp. Warung Ocha: Jln Raya Seminyak-Bali, No. 52

I'm not sure if you can tell from the photo, but honestly, I was kinda shocked at the amount of noodles on the plate. It's like paying adult price for a kiddy meal. I could have finished the noodles in 2 mouthfuls. Seriously. So don't be fooled into thinking you'll be getting any value for money here. Take a walk further down the road and you'll find other warungs where the locals would dine. You can't go wrong with that.

Back To The Basics

Day 7, 24 February 2011
Bamboo Corner
We left Pantai Beach and headed to the good ol' Bamboo Corner for Seafood Basket+Teh Botol. This cosy little eatery is a must-try in Bali. Tourists and locals flock here for a reasonably-priced array of local food. Portions are generous too, so you might consider sharing a meal.

excuse the photo quality - this was taken off my blackberry cam
Bamboo Corner at Poppies 1. Seafood Basket: 50,000rp (S$7.00)

Right after the meal, we hopped over to the Havana Club so we could do a little work+upload some files to our server (thanks to the good folks at the club for free and speedy internet connections!) And just when we were done, it started to pour! And to make it worse, the joint was closing too! FOL.

We ended up taking shelter right opposite the restaurant. Our bike was soaking wet and we stood around, hoping for the rain to get lighter... which it never did. After much discussion, we braced ourselves and decided to ride back to our hotel in the rain (cos we figured it'll be a good few hours before it'll ever stop, and it was getting kinda late). It's scary when it rains in Bali, cos the streets are dimly lit and you're like trying to find your way in the dark.

Unfortunately, I do not have pictures to show of our pathetic sight but if you can imagine this: two of us riding under the heavy downpour, with only our helmets keeping our heads/hair dry. I had to hug our bags and shield it from the rain because our laptop/cameras were in it! It was a grueling 15-20min ride, although it felt like forever. I was shivering all over from riding against the wind and having the rain beat down on us... my teeth were chattering... I could feel L totally soaked through as I had my arms around his waist... all this time L was trying his utmost to get us back in the shortest time possible. So yeah, we always have hell of an adventure when we are here.

People-watching is a joy

Day 7, 24 February 2011
If only we can do this more often
We biked to a beach (that I assume is Pantai Brawa) and found people just sitting by, chatting, waiting for the sun to set... it was something I wished we all had more time for - yes, sitting around and doing jack-shit.

Next Stop: Dessert

Day 7, 24 February 2011
Warung Italia
The very first time we ate here, we thought it was the best Italian buffet spread around Bali. The last time we ate there, it seemed the standards have dipped and the prices upped. So then, why are we back? I was feeling peckish and had wanted something to nibble on before dinner. Warung Italia was staring right at us, so we figured we could pop in for dessert and a drink perhaps. We shared a creme brulee but unfortunately did not take a photo of it. Here's what we did take though:

and this, while I was trying to check into foursquare, L had to ensure we get internet connection via Huawei:

On a side note, Bali wouldn't have been all that much fun if it wasn't for L. It's the silly little things we do on each trip that makes it all the more enjoyable. I would not have been able to suss out all the interesting little finds if not for L biking us around. I would not have even liked the place as much I'm sure, or be able to finally enjoy (and clean out) a plate of Ibu Oka's babi guling!

And if you're reading this, I Love You! :)

Time to eat!

Day 7, 24 February 2011
Pizza Bagus!
Pizzas' one of the 'must-eats' when we're in Bali. And for the last week, we've not had any. So when we came across the Tuesday Night Pizza Club, we knew we had to make a stop for it (even though there wasn't one soul in sight, but we figured there wasn't really gonna be bad pizzas in Bali, so what the heck!)

Now this place is interesting. Their pizzas are named after movie titles: The Whole Nine Yards, The Right Stuff, E.T., Ocean's Eleven... the list goes on. After much deliberation, we decided to go with good ol' Hawaii Five-O!

Tuesday Night Pizza Club: Jln Kayu Aya, Seminyak-Bali

here's a closer look at the menu

Be prepared to wait because all pizzas are made to order, so it didn't help that we turned up feeling kinda hungry. In the meantime, we had to make do with our glass of lemonade. It was almost god-sent, sipping a cool glass of juice and staying outta the hot, hot sun!

lemonade: 14,000rp

I believe our pizza finally made it to our table like 20min later but the wait was all worth it. My photo probably doesn't do justice to the taste, but believe me, it was really yummy; thin and crispy just the way we liked it:

Hawaii Five-O (Ham & Pineapple) w/additional mushrooms: 43,000rp 

Work and Play

Day 7, 24 February 2011
Our makeshift office
We got up early this morning, to check our emails, upload some work, and L went for a dip in the pool, while I tried my hands at mayorship on Foursquare on the not-so-reliable-almost-non-existent network.

adding new venue: Jl Batu Belig. 228 Keobokan. Badung, Bali.

We liked how our little villa was tucked away, almost hidden. And every tiny villa was built so it faces the pool, somehow.

our little tucked away villa

One of the reasons we settled in here, was so we had a nice environment where we could work and relax at the same time. And Pesona Inn wasn't all ideal because they had no side table where we could set-up our mac and upload/download files.

enjoying a little sun while watching L swim

we had the pool all to ourselves because the couple next door must have been too tired from their morning shag. yes, we heard her screaming early in the morning.

peeping from under my towel. yes, I was trying really hard to not grow more freckles

he closes his mouth so he doesn't drink any of the pool water

As you can see, L enjoyed the swim... up until later, when we discovered how terribly dirty the water was. And that the pool had no filtration system (much to our horror). We've even got photos to prove.

Highly Anticipated

Day 6, 23 February 2011
Mykonos
L dreams of these day and night: he's gotta have his Lamb Souvlaki and Calamari Skaras. According to him, he's never had better Souvlakis since his aussie days. I wouldn't know cos I've never even heard the word "Souvlaki" until I met him :p

two hungry souls on our way to Greek haven

the local bikers around us must have been so entertained

We've eaten here once, on our last trip and that was how we discovered this place. The Calamari Skaras are fantastic albeit a little too sour to my liking. The best thing I've discovered this time - were their Escargot, at 35,000rp for half a dozen! My eyeballs almost popped out, I swear. Com'on! Where the hell in SG would you get half a dozen of escagot for $5!? I'll like to know. And mind you, Mykonos is no roadside stall. It's a Greek restaurant. Although skeptical at the price and not knowing what to expect of its taste, I had to order it because it was too cheap a deal to not try. Turns out, the escargot tasted great! I was completely sold.

can you tell, the level of excitement, while waiting for his souvlaki/calamari skaras?

Calamari Skaras: 40,000rp

I wished I had taken better pictures of the food, but the lighting was too dim and I was too hungry! The photos probably doesn't do justice to the food quality, but be sure to check them out the next time you're at Jalan Oberoi, Seminyak Bali.

Hello Kuta

Day 6, 23 February 2011
The Journey
After bidding Mudana Selamat Tinggal, we continued our journey back to Kuta; without forgetting to get lost in the process. (So much for trying to set off early so we'll avoid the sun, the traffic and cops!)

cam-whoring while L went off to ask for directions :p (time check: 12:53pm)

checking the map (that we've gotten for free, even though the fellow tried to charge us for it)
(time check: 12:56pm)

the road signs confuse the hell outta me. you'll think you're on the right track,
until you see the arrows point a different direction 5min down the road. (time check: 1:18pm)

this was all we had packed for our 10D trip. 1 haversack (L), 1 tote and 1 overnighter bag (Me)
(time check: 2:32pm)

Travel time between Ubud and Kuta was supposedly 1.5hours and we thought we could have arrived in time for late lunch. Well, you'll not be hearing about what we had for lunch, because we never had lunch! Thanks to the ride, we got a tan. And when we finally did arrive in Kuta, we had no clue where we had wanted to stay. L did not want to go back to Pesona Inn, but I did not want to splurge on fancy accommodation either. So we spent quite a bit of time scooting around, looking for that "perfectly-priced" lodging (which of course did not exist!) The wonderful villas cost too much (IMO), whilst the lower-ranged villas were "not worth it". So yeah, I played the scrooge when it comes to accommodation. Now you know.

We finally found and settled in at Tamarind, Batu Belig Beach Bungalows. Room rates were 550,000rp per night (approx. SGD78) but we negotiated down to 450,000rp per night (which was still kinda high, in comparison to what we used to pay for lodging, at SGD20/night!). They could only allow us 2 nights since we did not make any prior bookings and all other slots have been taken up. And so we settled at that - checked in, unpacked, checked our emails and rested our legs. Did I mention we were so freaking hungry already?

Goodbye Ubud

Day 6, 23 February 2011
We checked out of Dewa Bungalows at Noon today, to make our way back to the killer-traffic Kuta. Along the way, L decided we should say Halo to an 'old friend'. It has been 5 years (or more I think!) since we've last met our Master woodcarver friend - Mudana. It's kinda interesting how we stumbled upon his little abode. It was my 2nd trip to Bali and L had planned an itinerary for us to take woodcarving lessons from a master woodcarver (a certain Ida Bagus). Both of us didn't speak any Indonesian then (not like we do now), and we had so much trouble asking for directions to this Ida Bagus person... and as fate would have it, we came across this house, up a flight of steps, that led us to - you guessed it - our master woodcarver: Mudana. This humble Indonesian man has never had anyone walk in and request for woodcarving lessons! So we're quite sure we were the first. We offered him a sum of money in exchange for 5 days of lessons. L opted to make a wooden signage while I wanted a photo frame. To cut the story short, it was an interesting experience, having to learn the uses of the various carving tools. But I suppose the most amazing part (for me), was that each mistake I made, Mudana could easily "un-do" it by carving around it, somehow. So really, no amount of mistakes was a mistake! How amazing is that!

Mudana remembers us alright! He was pleasantly surprised by our visit and was so kind to offer us tea, and to take time to show us around his new showroom, in the attic.

the house looked just the way I sorta remembered it, albeit with more carvings.

We spoke about future collaborations and took a couple of photos with the man... speaking of which, I should really email him a copy of those photos, now that he's gotten himself an email address! We also noticed an improvement in his English and figured he must have met and spoken with so many more tourists through the years. We also learnt he was in Singapore a couple of years back, for a woodcarving exhibition! Thanks, darling. For suggesting we dropped by. It was nice to see him again.

our master woodcarver and us

Background: Mudana's grandson/Foreground: wooden mask+carving tools

Honey, where's my dinner?

Day 6, 22 February 2011
If you're wondering why there's no mention of where and what we've eaten for dinner today - it's because we never had dinner. We weren't hungry following the paddy field walk, so we decided to head back to the guest house. And then it started to rain, so we never got a chance to head back out again. And so the day ended, with us going to bed with an empty stomach.

The Walk

Day 6, 22 February 2011
The walk around the fields would take about an hour I guess... so head out early before it gets too dark. We were so engrossed with our "coconutty adventure" that we had to hurry ourselves a little through the walk! *grins* Here are some of the pictures taken along the way... enjoy!

lush greenery

watch your steps along the narrow paths

an Eat Pray Lover's delight: organic farm

I wouldn't wanna fall into one of these patches!

this was where we ended up (which was really the starting point)