With all that butlered lounging around we did at precious Ametis, and our attempts at roping ourselves to its lovely wooden pillars laughed-at failing, we trod away crestfallen and pondering the meaning of Life about lunchtime the third day, jars of biscuits and cashews in hand.
But, because Bali is such an impressive mix of fierce culture and peace and quiet—ALL its houses and buildings adorned with intricate carvings of and boasting altars for gods and such, and everyone seemingly amiable and yet devout—we soon accepted the fact that we probably would not be disappointed with our next stop. Okay no, we didn’t, but, indeed, we were understatingly pleasantly surprised.
Everything
everywhere
this way
and this way
and this.
While man-made, figures such as this were one with Nature.
Picker-upper (and stash of yummies in carseat pocket) for after a contemplative walk (and going up towers).
Just outside the temple at the Alas Kedaton (Monkey Forest) in Tabanan
with its mellow monkeys
and fencing forest.
Tanah Lot, a temple built on a rock carved by the sea. May be accessed only during low tide. Believed to be guarded by poisonous sea snakes.
And highly picturesque.
Except that C refused to take my picture after I mountaineered to here, in my dress, with the tide threatening every second to carry me off to sea. Thanks a lot, des(s)erter.
After the dizzying climb I needed to get it back (Equilibrium)...
Among the joys of planning trips is breathing in air so heavy with possibilities; stretching out an arm, and picking the sweetest, shiniest one of the all a-twinkling lot. I suppose I am unstoppably, non-stoppedly chuffed about putting together getaways, because that arm is often mine. Bully.
We've been researching Bali a fair bit for a fair while and really, one is spoilt for choices. Bali is as thrifty as you can manage and as spendthrifty as you would allow.
Weather-wise, Bali in August is just about perfect. Wallet-wise, the deluge of Ozzies eager to escape the winter cold means that hotels charge peak rates. Ah, what can you do? Happily, a bonus pay packet (and an embarrassing number of emails) meant The edge and "Book Now". Joy!
The edge is located in the southernmost part of Bali, cosseted in the heights of the Bukit Peninsula, resting splendidly on its very fringes. The property is built atop a cliff some eighty meters above ground, and offers sweeping views of the Indian Ocean and the stark relief of the south's chalk cliffs.
We were met by the GM, Melida, who was quite the engaging lady and sent on our way in some style. A quick buggy ride... And in seconds we were delivered to our pocket of paradise. Bestest of the bests: We were the only guests!
Keys to unlock the doors of heaven...
One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.
- Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own
Not that all we ever did was eat (it was); or lounge around (that, too). I wrote two haikus over the South China Sea, and another on the edge of the world (deliberately forgetting I might bump into a bit of Australia). I even made a little drawing with my bit of skillfulness with the pen (zero bit, that is).
Au revoir, Manila! I said, and meant it, and brought some Coke with me, in my belly:
Pay up, Coca-Cola.
But, first, to Fatherland.
Which just keeps getting better?with its ultra-modern, curvy buildings, and whyever on earth a rectangle when you can have one in the shape of a lotus flower?
Marina Bay Sands, or, Pretty Things
New Majestic is the first hotel I ever booked myself because it inspired. Each of its 30 rooms is unique and designed or artworked by local artists.
And because C and I are positive arguably to a fault, we got an upgrade, of course. Clicky?
We vowed to make this stopover the very opposite of our first trip and thus had an official itinerary, as follows:
Late lunch at Chinatown (Smith Street)
National Art Museum (open til 7)
Dinner at Gluttons Bay
NMH being on Bukit Pasoh Road, Chinatown was map-in-hand walkable.
No, not her hands. Jeez.
We could have eaten at the first restaurant we came upon, right at the tip of what we supposed was officially the Chinatown boundary, everything on the pictures looked so excellent. Or the next one, or the next one, streets and streets and alleys and stall after stall of noodles and fried rice and all sorts of dimsum however does one choose??? And so, it had to be, "Where there's aircon", and we entered the first we saw fitting the bill.
Have I ever made a more delicious decision in my life? I believe not.
Coke, pay up, I said.
Golden Cereal Prawns are the stuff of legend. A thousand fist-sized savory sweetnesses on a plate with the spaces all around and in between interspersed with golden buttery cereal and mystery green leaves which turned out to be curry leaves oh my God who invented this??? Have you been reading my mind??? Could you also make me unintelligibly happy in the areas of Love and/or Money? On second thoughts, THIS is Love, and it cost us Money. Hm. You win this round.
At any rate, I therefore had to make:
Golden Cereal Scallops. Lacks curry leaves.
We managed to walk along Temple Street too, we were so determined to make Fatherland proud.
Not that it's that far off from Chinatown.
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