March 8, 2010 - March 11, 2010

From San Francisco to Rome to Austria to Doha to Singapore we finally arrived in Bali. In what seemed like an entirety to get out here the journey has certainly been worth it thus far. To our surprise we had no problems with all those connections and even our bags made it despite some seven hour layovers.

Upon arriving in Kuta, the tourist center of Bali, we walked a few blocks in the 90 degree weather and intense humidity to find the hotel we planned to stay at. It took a few wrong turns and shotty directions from the locals to find the place, which, unfortunately was full. Luckily there are cheap places to stay and pretty much everything else you want (including watches, massages, internet cafes, etc.) all over the place. We settled in this simple room for $5 which included two beds, a ceiling fan, and a toilet and cold water shower (all in the same room). The first night we also met up with our friend Rares from BU who happened to be here on his spring break from school in Japan.

Our bathroom

The first full day the three of us went to Seminyak around 9am to surf – or at least learn to surf. We certainly fell a majority of the time but can now say we have the basics down. The first meal consisted of local Indonesian cuisine including Nasi Goreng (fried rice) and Gado Gado (rice with chicken, vegetables and peanut sauce). All the sauces in each meal are delicious although consistently eating spicy food in the heat can get difficult. At night we checked out a couple local bars which are mostly filled with Australians and Japanese (this time of year is spring break for most Japanese tourists). In the afternoon we hitched a ride on mopeds to Dreamland, about 45 minutes from Kuta. Dreamland is one of the more famous surf locales in Bali and is surrounded by luscious green cliffs. We spent a couple hours at this beach which was full of professional local surfers. `Dreamland had some of the nicest turquoise water with perfect waves and is certainly one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever been to. At night we had another local style dinner that included my first ever avocado juice mixed with chocolate sauce – and it tasted exactly how it sounds.

Dreamland Beach

On Thursday we woke up early and decided to change locations and move to the southern part of the island known as Bukit or more specifically Padang Padang. We found this great place called Thomas homestay that sits atop the cliffs above the Indian Ocean. It’s a small place with about 7 rooms that is currently full of Germans and French people. It’s a fun place because there’s one communal dining room table that everyone shares so you definitely get to know everyone else staying here.

Uluwatu

Pete, Steph and Miiiiiike (Rares)

In the afternoon we went to Uluwatu Temple and watched monkeys steal glasses and hats from tourists. The temple is right on the edge of the cliffs and has spectacular views of the Indian Ocean. Every night they have a Kecak and fire dance which portrays the Ramayana story. The costumes were intricately designed and certainly very colorful. The show is at 6 each night so sitting above the cliffs allows for amazing sunsets. We had the most expensive dinner tonight, about $22 total for three people.

Uluwatu Temple

Kecak Dance

Uluwatu Cliffs

MONKEY!!!!!!!!