sweet escape

Fasten your seat belts and enjoy the flight, because we're heading for Bali!

Our accommodation at Matahari Bungalow was absolutely heavenly! We even had a resident kitty! The staff were gracious and friendly and before we knew it, we were calling them by name by the end of our four-day stay!

I found this notice at our pool amusing...

Nothing escapes art in Bali. This scene of motorbikes lining up for gas at the station sums it up for me!

We stopped by the art market at Sukawati and my dad went crazy. Nop, not crazy enough to buy all these pots, but he did buy A LOT from this particular store.

Passed by a few people having an intimate moment...aha ha ha ha...

Gunung Agung (which translates to 'Majestic Mountain') is the tallest peak and volcano in Bali. It was a pretty awesome view considering the fact that everything was shrouded in clouds just a few minutes before!

Shrines can be found everywhere in Bali (kinda like parking meters in the city). These ones were at a restaurant facing Gunung Agung.

On the slopes of Gunung Agung is the Besakih Temple -- mother of all temples. These statues of Gods and Demons line the entrance of the temple. Sarongs are wrapped around most trees and statues around Bali to render them sacred (and in most part, decent).

The Tirta Empul/Tampak Siring temple is the only temple in Bali that will (self) serve you holy spring water. It is probably the safest unboiled water you can drink for free in Bali. Very much frequented by the locals :)

 

The proudest thing I did in Bali was to drink 'kopi luwak'. Potent and shitty. I guess I now have to admit I drank coffee made of civet cat poo to justify my moment of glory. NB: My brother was trying to entice the crazy super hyperactive mofo to stay still for a good shot and got scratched pretty badly in the process. We reckon its all that coffee its been having!!

Great. The whole world is gay.

Twisted monkey (probably due to alcohol abuse).

At Kuta beach where everyone loves Bali and turquoise is in fashion.

I'd be happy to sit in a truck like that and collect beach trash alllllll day!

Surfs up! Also, as always, Tassy is losing it.

Balinese are Hindus, not Muslims like the majority of Indonesians. Their culture differs from the Muslims whereby they make offerings every morning in front of their homes and/or workplaces for their safety and protection against harm. Thats what I got out of our tourist guide anyways...

Meet my dad and my bro with a mo. Taken at the Uluwatu temple, 70 metres above the Indian Ocean. The temple is behind me -- in ruins.

The Uluwatu temple grounds had so many cheeky little monkeys reknown for snatching personal belongings off tourists! I had a large male monkey have a go at my bright sandals! Thank God our guide came well prepared with an umbrella. Thats right, jot it down -- monkeys fear umbrellas...

The one thing Dad wanted to do in Bali was to eat Babi Guling (roast pig) at Ibu Oka's. He had seen Anthony Bourdain visit the place on the Food and Travel channel and so we ALL had to eat the many weird bits of a roast pig for lunch that day. 

Studio Ghibli much? I find the frogs at the corners so 'Spirited Away'! This temple is at Lake Bedugul, which is located in the mountainous areas of North Bali. Its like a little hill-resortlike place in the tropics with the temperature there being cooler than the lowlands (a bit like the Cameron Highlands of Malaysia). The water levels were high that day from the overnight rain, or else it would've been possible to walk across to the temple. My favourite place in Bali because it is so magical! :D

Among the many things I love in this world are bright colours!

 

Young boys making a living by selling kites at Tanah Lot. These kites are cool because they give the best silhouttes! :

This one brings back childhood memories of Peter Pan! :) 

 

Four days was definitely not enough for me to get a good trip out of Bali, simply because I am that kind of tourist that will read up on every single piece of history in a museum, explore every back alley, and then do it all over again. Needless to say, I'm definitely going back! This time with less bright sandals and I AM BUYING THAT GODDAMN RAINBOW-COLOURED UMBRELLA!

left back in time, xo

PS: Thank you DS. Utomo and Ellie for the recent follow! :)