-An excerpt from my old Xanga blog (August 30, 2008)
Read that entry here.
This time a year ago, that was how I felt. A year later, I've finally gotten my wish. A blissful summer holiday spent at the beach. Listening to the waves crash upon the shore, feasting my eyes on the breathtaking scenery and sunsets. Being carefree, no assignments, no deadlines, nothing to worry about for that 4 days and 3 nights.
Bali heals the soul.

Let's start by introducing what my sister calls her beach bag- her hedgehog LeSportSac which is just so insanely cute!
It is known as her beach bag because she only uses it whenever she travels to islands. =.=

We took Air Asia there. This is the view from the plane.
The clouds were so fluffy that day. Like cotton candy. It felt like if I just reached out, I could have plucked them out of the sky.

Some part of Indonesia we were flying over.

Looks like something out of a Geography textbook, doesn't it?
Upon arrival at Ngurah Rai airport, we were immdediately greeted with fragipanis. Oh and we could bypass immigration cause Eu Shen arranged for us to go through the diplomat counter. Skipped the long queues, we did. ;)
The frangipanis were so frangrant! But I couldn't wear them for long because floral scents give me a headache after a while. =/
Anyway, our first stop was to fill our growling tummies with yummylicious food!We went to this restaurant just 10 minutes away from the airport which was famous for their chicken.
True to their word, the chicken was really very good. I can't remember exactly what we ordered, but I remember everything was supremely crispy and delectable.
If you really want pictures of the food, I think Greg's facebook might have 'em.
This is the hotel we stayed in for the first two nights- Ramayana. Centrally situated in Kuta.Shopping was really easy since it was within walking distance to the markets and Kuta beach was 5 mintues away by car.
Our room. The hotel is quite old but they've kept it quite nicely I must say.
In the hotel lobby, getting ready to go see the sun set at Uluwatu Temple and watch the Kecak dance.
My sister and I waiting for the dance to begin while taking in the picturesque view.At least our seats were strategic, since we got an awesome view of the stunning scenery.
It was packed to the brim to watch the Kecak dance man. Everyone had to squeeze and squeeze just so that everybody could fit in and sit.
Just look at it, doesn't it seem so surreal? My sister said the sunsets there don't feel real. They feel fabricated, like someone painted a backdrop and left it there.
Getting ready for the Kecak dance. These were the people who provided the sound effects. I admire the fact that they don't develop sore throats after each performance. They were constantly chanting, singing for close to an hour! Imagine doing that everyday!
The Kecak dance is actually the story of Rama, Sita and Laksamana. If you guys remember, we studied it for SPM BM before. How Rama went to catch the kijang for Sita and told her to stay in the protective circle and left her in the charge of Laksamana but in the end she got captured anyway. I found it easy to understand coz I knew the background of the story but I without that, I would have been feeling kind of lost.Oh well, at least now we know SPM BM literature is good for something! =P
Next, we adjourned to Jimbaran Bay for some scrumptious seafood!Jimbaran Bay is basically this stretch of beach littered with restaurants serving awesome seafood. So, you can enjoy the seafood whilst listening to the waves and looking out to the sea.
Tried their coconut but was sorely dissapointed coz it wasn't sweet. I think all of us momentarily forgot we were in Indonesia and not Thailand where the coconuts are forever sweet. XDI think it might have been because of the traffic and the roads (jammed and narrow) as well as the abundant use of motorbikes. And the shopping! Coz everything was so cheap there!

Second day in Bali! Taken right after brekkie in the hotel.
Oh and they have very interesting stuff like this helmet for sale too! I mean, do people actually wear that? 0_o
This was right outside our hotel's bar. We had to go back to our hotel to deposit all our shopping bags!
One of the many stone basins around the hotel. The hotel's staff meticulously arrange a different pattern using the flower petals everyday! Such a tedious job but it's the extra effort that makes the surroundings of the hotel so beautiful.
Our 2 local Balinese guides and our 2 organizers of the trip- hard at work planning the day's itinery.
En route to Tanah Lot to watch the sun set.
The entrance of Tanah Lot.
I love the waves in Bali. They are so much bigger than our own which makes it a sight to see whenever it crashes upon the rocks. And because the waves are larger, the sound the waves is amplified. I don't know about you, but I always feel a lot more peaceful after listening to the waves. They may be loud and angry, but somehow it sets my mind and soul at peace.In that instance, warmth spread through my veins, lighting them ablaze.
I really like this shot. The silhouette of the trees and people and the pagoda....
My parents- Raja Sehari. LOL XD
Watching the waitress preparing Kopi Luwak (USD$20 for 8g, don't play play).
There we go! The aroma of Kopi Luwak is absolutely yummylicious. But the aftertaste is... interesting. It tasted a bit like berries but yet, not quite. Quite indescribable really.
3rd day, took a walk around Kuta area. This is the beautiful beach.
Made a stop by Starbucks to get drinks since it was so insanely hot! And I dunno why everyone was bruised during the trip. That's my cousin and my sister who both have bruises on their legs. 0_0
Nah, this is the history of how Bebek Bengil got its name.
Bebek Bengil is situated right beside the paddy fields. So lots of greenery while you feast on their yummylicious food.
Again, I felt at peace. Looking out at the paddy fields, feeling the cooling breeze on that hot, hot summer day and enjoying the awesome spread.
Aside from that, their BBQ pork ribs was really flavourful too! A must try.
After lunch, we visited Ubud Art Market which had a plethora of things to look, see and buy. Too bad we couldn't stay for long as we had to go and check into our villa- Bidadari Villa.That's their outdoor shower. So you get to shower under the moon, stars/sun, rain. =P
Lol convo between my sis and I.
Their HEAVENLY bed. Mmmm. I miss the bed!
On our last night, I tried Bintang beer. I'm normally not a big fan of beers (except for the Passionfruit or Apple ones from Belgium Bar) but this one was really light and surprisingly easy to drink.
And so ends my Bali trip! This was us, flying off into the sea. The takeoff and landings are quite scary yet thrilling because if the pilot misjudges, you'll end up in the middle of the sea.Airport security was a bitch though because of the Jakarta bombings while we were there. Bali was suspected as the next target. =(
And when the Y2K bug was supposedly gonna hit, we were in the US if I'm not mistaken.
0_o






























The girls.

See what I mean?





I like this pic. It's courtesy of Wee. Another year before that P sticker comes off. Le sigh.



