Left My Heart in Bali

Cheesy title, I know - but this time, it's true. It's been over a week since we got back and every morning I still wake up thinking about our time at our last stop, Bali. Bali was the one place that Jackie hadn't already been and it was fun for us to discover it together. With a whole new language and exchange rate to get used to (it was 8,800 Rupiah to $1 -- we were RICH!), Indonesia was such an adventure.

When I think of first impressions, my mind immediately goes to the smell of the first taxi that we took from the airport to Ubud. I still don't know what I was smelling - I think it may have been the flowers in the canang sari (offerings made of small baskets with fresh flowers and rice) that the taxi driver had on his dash.

Before we  left, we had planned out a mini-itinerary for our stay in Bali. We read about Ubud, the artisan center of the island and knew that we had to spend at least a few days there. Pemuteran was our second stop. It's a secluded spot that is not quite on your typical tourist map...the north western coast of Bali with access to Menjangan Island, which is known for its popularity with divers and snorkelers. 

The whole thing was everything I expected and more. The weather couldn't have been better, the people nicer, or the culture rich. Looking back on the whole trip, what I appreciated most from our stay in Bali was the exposure to an entire new culture...in Bali, people still give offerings three times a day to the Gods out of gratitude and not fear. Men and women wear the traditional saris and they can fit a family of four on a motorbike with out worrying about dropping the 10 month old baby. The people just seemed more gentle...

I could go on forever about our time wandering through the rice paddies, eating like royalty, private snorkel trips in warm beautiful oceanic waters (private resort stay, actually!), monkey spotting, Balinese massages and facials and looting up in the Ubud market (I walked away with Cost Plus World Market in my arms)...but I won't. All I can say is that I highly recommend a trip to Bali. Just get up and go already!!

This world is far too interesting not to explore. Already planning our next overseas adventure...