Trip to BALI....Feb. '08

Well, we have 1 week off of work for the Chinese Lunar New Year and I decided to travel to some where warm...a beach...an Island....ahhh.....BALI. So....it's my first trip to Indonesia. I used air miles, therefore I went from Seoul S.Korea to Osaka Japan to Denpasar Bali. A big part of the trip was to learn to surf and relax. And I did just that.....



I'm chilling out in the Kanku lounge in the Osaka airport. Nice place to relax...



Pretty impressive airport. On my way to Bali..yahoo!



Traditional Japanese clothing....



A nice lunch in the airport. Udon noodles, chicken and rice , and some tea.



Ahh.....Denpasar (Bali) check-in....getting close.....around a 6 hour flight, free Asahi Beer, a good book and some zzz's.....



As I was relaxing before the flight.....



I noticed a bird walking around the airport...kinda unusual...how did he/she get through security.....hmmm?



Arrival into Denpasar..waiting to get my entrance visa and go through security. Nice Surfer Girl ad on the wall. Getting excited to Surf. "hanging 10"



Doorway out of the restaurant at Kuta Puri Bungalow's...where I am staying...and a short walk to the beach....maybe 200 yards.



Down the alley from my place......



The Pool....



Small, but nice and refreshing.



A view of the Restaurant and Bar. Most places are open-air (walled) due to the year round beautiful warm humid weather. Upper 80's low 90's...



First site of the Beach. this is Kuta Beach. A popular surfing spot. Great for beginners!



Road along beach.....



Statue near Poppies Lane 1, which is the alley way to my place....



Evening lantern....



One of the local restaurants. Balinese food is very tasty...rice dishes, different curries, satay's, fruits, etc....the spices they come up with are delicious....



An alley way....lots of souvenir shops with peddlers constantly asking you to by there stuff, rather intensely, how ever you can wheel and deal and get items very inexpensive. I bought some flip flops, t-shirts, sunglasses, shorts, etc.....each item ranging from $3-8 USD. They us the rupiah which is about 9,100 rp to 1 USD.



Beautiful flowers.....everywhere...these were in full bloom on a tree near the Bungalow...



very lush greenery.....



typical shop.....



some local street art....



my room....two beds and only one me....however, nice place for only $35....



Dining area and where I only ate the free breakfast buffet and then ventured out to the local places for lunch and dinner. Meals ranged from $2 - $10. $10 being very high end and a few beers included......



One dinner spot, called SWELL.....I think I had some Spring Rolls, Beef Curry, and a few Bintang's (local Pilsner beer). A surfer hang out. They show nightly movies on a big screen...



shop at night....the only rainy night hanging at SWELL....



I rented a Moto-bike (Scooter) this afternoon....touring around Kuta area and the southern part of Bali. Very fun!!! driving on the left side of the road...dodging other bikes, scooters, cars, trucks, people, dogs, pot holes, etc......crazy at times, got lost a few times, but managed to have a great afternoon.



On my moto-bike adventure I stopped along the way to check out this Hindu temple.
Indonesia is mainly Muslim, but Bali is the a part of Indonesia that is Hindu.



Hindu Temple....there are 2-3 temples in each community Village area.






Me and my Moto-bike...



Some palm trees under the hot Bali sun....Bali is positioned just below the equator....I did get a bit burned riding around this afternoon.



a bit lost cruising around, no worries, enjoying every minute of it!



Found a nice lunch spot along the way. This was more of a fine dining experience. check out there website if you get a chance www.balifoods.com Restaurant is called "Bumbu Bali"



Almost ready to feast on some sirloin beef satay.....



So Delicious......



A beach behind the Restaurant and Resort....



Red Peppers and Ginger Root....



Nice tropical fruit bowl...


Almost back to Kuta Beach...and time to SURF again....I have been surfing every morning and evening.



More Local Bali art.....



An internet cafe, checked my email a few times........



This beer Rocks......One of the best Pilsener's I've had in Asia. Only $1.25 a bottle....



my room is the upper middle one.....



Local food delivery to Kuta Puri Bungalow's.



Kuta Beach.....



Surf's up! Well....I took to surfing. the first day I was walking around and arranged a lesson with a local on the beach. super inexpensive for 1.5 hrs and to get me going...I was able to stand right off. Definitely took many crashes, but felt how it can be an addictive sport and why people enjoy it so much...Super fun sport....hard to believe i waited this long to try it. I am already thinking of when my next surf trip will be....



The waves where nice......
I read in the Lonely Planet Bali guidebook, that Bali got a wave of publicity in 2006 when the world record for the most surfers to ride a single wave was set at Kuta Beach. Fifty-three people from around the world shared the moment.



You can find everything on the beach..boards, instruction, boogie boards, beach mats, food, drinks, massages, t-shirts, hats, tattoos, even blow dart guns.....and much more....



Boards and waves....



Even Ronald surfs.....looking pretty good.....

Where is there not a McDonald's in the world? I think it's rather disgusting. Don't eat it! If you do, go rent the movie "Super Size Me"




One of the many surf schools...



Man in front of his shop....with his daily offering to the gods, spirits, ancestors, and demons...



Close up of an offering. Consisting of incense, flower pedals, and a little food. (usually a cracker and some rice)



Small fruit stand...



Offering shrine....



Many moto-bikes to rent.....



Entrance way to my place....



Balinese painting.....



Another painting of some traditional dancing....



Bali..... the Kuta Beach area is near the bottom left (southwest) where it the Island gets really skinny.



The massage ladies near the pool. Great way to relax the body after surfing. I visited them multiple times...costing merely $5 for an hour session. What a good deal that was hard to resist.



Beautiful vibrant flowers....



Balinese Art....



Good luck hangings.....



I met up with a friend of a friend from Denver Colorado that I met a few times. He happens to be in Bali for a month. Brendan came down to Kuta to surf with me, then we headed up to Ubud where he has rented a place for the month. About an hour away. Wyan, Balinese and good friend of his is driving the Van...



On the drive, a bit of traffic amongst the rice fields....



More rice fields. Very green....




Heading to Brendan's via a nice winding stone path, Wyan....the best driver in Bali...If you ever plan visit Bali...let me know and Wyan can hook you up with great deals. I plan on going back some day...it's truly a piece paradise.



On the walking path to Brendan's place. Rice growing on each side....



Brenda's Bali home for the month. Quite a nice place....



A view from the open air (no walls) living room...



Check this place out.....really sweet and inexpensive.....



a dancer in near the entrance way....



did I say so green....the magical path.....



Entrance to the Monkey Forest in Ubud....



A small temple entrance....



on the path....pretty lush.....



That's a big fluffy monkey...



Baby monkey....



Hindu Temple in the Forest....



Street of Ubud......Ubud is a really nice area. Very artsy and a countryside feel.

Hope you enjoyed a bit of Bali. It was a quick trip....I hope to return for a much longer stay. Maybe next time...a few weeks or so.

A few Indonesian words for you all...

Terima kasih banyak (Thank you very much)

Selamat jalan... (goodbye)