Hoping that everyone is safe and dry after the crazy weather that has hit the eastern part of the US. We've been trying to stay on top of the news from here and are keeping everyone in our thoughts.
*****
Here is what we've been up to....
After one last breakfast at Yoghurt House, we left Sagada
behind and backtracked through the Philippines to the airport and on towards
Indonesia. We had a layover in
Malaysia’s capital city where I indulged in some of my favorite US guilty
pleasures, joyous to have found them in Asia.
Judge if you must, but celebrity gossip mags and American candy were hard to come by in Korea. Every time I see them readily available in other Asian countries I ask myself, WHY not Korea?!
Judge if you must, but celebrity gossip mags and American candy were hard to come by in Korea. Every time I see them readily available in other Asian countries I ask myself, WHY not Korea?!
One flight later we arrived in Bali. Tired from a full day of travel we found a
decent guesthouse in nearby Kuta and slept like babies. We didn’t spend long in the city itself,
mostly known for its surf and party scene, but handled some business and took
our little computer to get repaired. We
dodged the offers for cheap souvenirs, transport and “magic mushrooms” at every
corner. Despite that annoyance, the
large Hindu population made for great veggie meals and beautiful daily
offerings lining the narrow streets.
{Vegetarian Nasi Campur and Peanut Satay}
{Vegetarian Nasi Campur and Peanut Satay} 
A monument in Kuta’s main square remembered victims of the devastating terrorist bombing of October 2002.
The next evening we found Jimbaran, a nearby beach with a fresh seafood market. We selected a red snapper and prawns and had them grilled to order at a small barbecue joint next door. The sun set over the beautiful ocean as we enjoyed our delicious (and cheap!) meal.
The next morning we took an early bus for Padang Bai, a far quieter beach town on the southeast coast of the islands.
Our guesthouse was just a block from the ocean. Its large veranda was the perfect space for daily breakfasts of fruit salad and jaffles or banana pancakes along with strong Bali coffee.
The relaxed manner of locals and almost non-existent
salespeople were a welcome change from the bustling Kuta we'd left behind.
We spent the next two days walking the town, snorkeling in the clear
blue ocean, getting beachside massages and generally relaxing after being on
the go in the Philippines.
Ryan spent a morning diving in nearby Tulamben where a sunken warship provides an awesome backdrop for large tuna, barracuda, grouper and eels
that resemble grass.
Women carried the
scuba tanks from vans down to the beach.
{Isn't he a handsome diver?}
The weather was amazing, the people were
friendly, and the food was great.
We immediately fell in love with Bali.
And it kept getting better :)
We immediately fell in love with Bali.
And it kept getting better :)
