Just another chilled day. So, here are some pics of our days…
So, after our regular morning routine, we decided to go for a scooter ride to check out some other parts of the island. Originally, we headed in one direction, but the road took us to a different one and so we adjusted our destination a bit. We were hoping to get out to Tanah Lot which is northwest of the Kuta area along the coast. The main attraction of Tanah Lot is a temple along the coast. So, it was really less important that we saw the temple itself and more so that we got to see something different.
As we rode it was really amazing to see how many shops and tourists there were even outside of the Kuta/Legian area, which is considered the main bit. When we hit Seminyak, which is another major area, we were surprised at the expanse of the city lines. After getting through the busy downtown area and riding a bit further, we turned off the main road due to the insane amount of traffic. Since I do not drive the scooter, R has a heavy responsibility of navigating the roads with the crazy-locals on scooters and all the cars and trucks. So, we took a turn toward the beach and decided we had gone far enough.
Now the fun begins…
At the beach entrance there were some guys collecting money to pass on the road that goes along the beach. We were not intending to pass on that road and just wanted to park for a few minutes to enjoy the view. So, we parked outside of the area just a few meters from the gate and said we weren’t paying.
After having some fun in the huge waves and seeing a part of the coast that was more like we had expected for Bali (little food huts on the sand and fewer peeps), we went back to the scooter. It only took a moment to realize that our tire was flat…; it wasn’t flat when we left it. It became very clear that the guys were upset we had not paid them any money and had managed to slice a hole in the tire. Of course because we didn’t see them do it, they denied it….
Luckily, some security guards at a hotel next door offered to help us. They called the police for us, but that was pointless…. The guards tried to convince R that no one in Bali would do such a thing and that the flat probably was the cause of something else earlier…. Only problem is that when they pumped up the tire to check if there was a hole, it went flat in a matter of minutes. If the hole had caused a slow-flattening process I could believe them, but if it only took minutes, then I have to assume the worse….
In any case, we got it fixed and had an “adventure” for the day. Afterwards, we treated ourselves to drinks and dinner at Sheppy’s. R more than deserved the treat and I’m very very appreciative that he is the one driving through the crazy streets!
So, though I wanted a bit more excitement in a day, I think I may have asked for too much! 😀
Here are the photos:
Basic daily routine:
10/10.30 get up (if 10 – go to breakfast)
11 have coffee on balcony, listen to music, update blog, surf the Internet, etc.
1 go for a swim at the pool or continue sitting on the balcony
2/2.30 think about what to do later…
6/7 go out for dinner and dessert
11 back at hotel to watch some tv and sleep
Repeat!
Yep, that is the extent of most days around here. Occasionally it is switched up with an outing during the day (such as our visit to the beach), or like yesterday I had to get out and go for a walk around. This routine is nice for a couple of weeks, but when it is basically like this for two months, it does actually start to get a little boring…I mean relaxing is fun, but I tend to lose focus and interest in everything when this happens for too long….
So, here are some pics from the past two days:
Day 9
Day 10
We’ve got some activities lined up for the next few days, so more pics coming!
For a while I have considered getting a tattoo, much to my father’s chagrin. The main thing for me is that I didn’t want a cheesy-looking one that would stay on my body forever and I didn’t want it in a cliche location on my body (ie no “I like it from behind” tatts…). So, it took me a long time to come up with something that I wouldn’t hate looking at all the time or knowing it was stuck on me. Also, I wanted to find something that meant something to me and less likely to be seen on another body….
Thus, I came up with this:
I took a picture of my longtime teddy bear friend, Snowball, and then decided I wanted to represent the two sides of me – Asian outside and American inside. So, the Korean flag are represented on the paws and the center circle piece, but instead of the ying-yang blue and red colored inside, I replaced it with the American flag. The top writing is my name in Korean and then my Korean name is written in English on the bottom. It is the best way I could show my duality and constant struggle of identity, but portrayed through the softer side of me in a stuffed animal.
I thought about it for a long time and decided this is what I wanted and would be happy to see every day. The location was a bit more difficult to decide, but I picked my right hip area in the front because I could see it and I like that it won’t be easily seen except in a swimsuit and even then it will just be his little head peeking out… 😉
So, here is the final product:
Overall, I am quite happy with it, though the writing on the ‘ra’ part of my name in Korean isn’t as accurate as I had wanted…. Still, though the pain was incredible, I am glad that I did it. Not being a real tatt person before I am surprised at how much I like it and that I am considering one more looking something like this:
But, that is still in the conception process….
Anyway, here are some other photos from the tattooing – R also got a new one done that required a second visit to get fixed up, but it now looks good and he is already scheduled to go again!!! 🙂
I’d like to post something interesting regarding our time in Bali, but as I’ve shown in the pics and posts, we have just been relaxing with no real serious touristy sightseeing or activities. Our major activity the other day was getting tattoos, which deserves a post on its own, so that is coming. In the meantime, here are a few pics from the past couple of days. 🙂
That’s it for this post! 😀
It’s too early to be counting down how many days left, but I am reminded since we moved hotels today. We are booked in the Bali Kuta Resort for the next 15 days, which will be until the end of our visit. :*( So, let’s not talk about that!
Let’s talk about the good stuff. We’ve mostly been eating, sleeping, swimming, scooting and then repeating that most days. Today wasn’t much different, though we did stop to drop off our laundry just next to the new hotel. We also tried to eat at a “local-like” place, but it doesn’t seem as if the food is all that interesting here….
So, here are today’s shots:
We have become creatures of the night lately and so it is rare for us to be awake before noon. However, yesterday was a slight change and so we did a little scooting around the area. Originally, we thought we might try to ride to Nusa Dua on the scooter, but the road was crazy with people whizzing by and trucks driving too close for comfort. So, in the end, we did a loop and returned to the more familiar crazy streets around Kuta and Legian. Here are some pics, though:
After a nice Balinese-style massage, we got some grub and had a quiet evening.
We have found a lovely Australian hang-out to enjoy a refreshing beverage – Bali Cider! There are apparently only two locales that sell it in the area and so we have no choice but to continue to go back ….
We have also been enjoying the rooftop pool in our hotel – J Boutique Hotel – which offers a nice view of the planes coming in and out of the airport and the ocean in the distance.
We aren’t far from the Kuta Beach area, but the one closest to us is more used by the locals than tourists. We headed there last night to take in the sunset.
Mostly, it’s been all about the relaxing!!!
Here are some other random pics of the Kuta area:
More to come…
-T
After a very late start to the day, we headed out to enjoy the beautiful sun. Our first stop was to get a scooter – then our new freedom opened up places to explore!