Pics = fail

my current internet connection is so slow! It's been 15+mins and I have still been unable to upload 1 stinking photo.

Damaged goods

Ugh.. so apparently it's quite difficult to learn how to ride a bike! During my education this morning, I crashed into 2 cars and flipped over the handles!!!!!! I have a 5 inch gash on my left arm, a deep 3 inch gash below my left knee, road rash and numerous other scrapes and bruises. Ouch.

Not sure what I'm going to do if I can't ride a bike. There's no public transport here and relying on taxis or renting a car/driver will burn through cash. An option might be to move back to Kuta where everything is within walking distance??

Dang, who would have thought it was so hard?

yummm.. Sate!

If there was ever a day for sate, it was today. We headed north towards Bedegul to see the twin waterfalls and on the way, stopped for the most delicious sate ever. Forget Richmond night market, this sate will blow your taste buds away! It was so good, I had to go back for seconds. Be warned though, while the sate themselves weren’t very spicy, the accompanients (rice, soup, veggies) will burn and burn and burn your mouth. Yum…I’m salivating just thinking about it.

On the way to the waterfalls, we stopped by the Bedegul floating temple. It’s not one of Bali’s most spectacular temples but was still very pretty. It floats on a lake that reflects the mountains behind it. My pictures don’t do it justice but you’ll be able to get a sense of how peaceful and serene the area was.

The twin waterfalls were nice but I didn’t think they were anything special. The coolest thing about them was the cave-like structure that was nearby and the swinging tarzan rope.

After the waterfalls (TLC anyone?), we headed home but decided to stop by and get more sate! Except this time, it was sate kelinci – rabbit sate! While it was good and everything, the other sate that we ate in the morning was by far tastier, juicier and tastier! We also stopped by the Pura Taman Ayun (Taman Ayun Temple) since we were in the neighbourhood. Not as pretty as the Bedegul Temple but it still had nice features.

Our next adventure is to try and learn how to ride bikes... Should be a piece of cake! (or not)

The continuation..

We found a place to live! Ros and I are staying in a koskosan about 5 mins away from where Rollan and Allen are staying. It’s not bad – the room is clean (which is very important), spacious and has AC (equally important). And, for a little touch of luxury, there’s a cleaning service every day. That’s right, high class all the way. Anyways, the room is definitely liveable and it’s saving us lots of money. The cost of staying at the hotel for one week is equal to staying in this room for one month. I’d say the only downside is that there isn’t a kitchenette or mini fridge – which means that I’ll be eating out a lot! We’re also getting motorbikes in the next couple of days which should help us out in the moolah department. Although I’ve never actually driven one, I’m confident that I can drive one. I mean, how hard can it be?

On Sunday, we hit up Padang Padang Beach and Uluwatu Beach and let me tell you, both were absolutely gorgeous! The beaches were surrounded by sea stacks and the water was a beautiful blue color. Because the waves at both beaches were decent, there were lots of surfers out trying to catch the perfect wave. At Uluwatu Beach, there’s a bar called Edge and it is literally at the edge of a cliff. Absolutely perfect for sipping a bintang (or tehbotol) and watching the surfers down below. Afterwards, we hit up Uluwatu Temple to catch the Kecak Dance, a Balinese culture show. It was filled with beautiful costumes and imagery. There was even a fire dancing segment! Definitely a tourist trap but I’m glad I got to experience it.

Oh yeah, did I mention that I’m now certified to open water dive? :D