Bali vacation - day 1

19 Nov 2014

It is no secret that Singapore serves as a great base for many people who want to travel around the region. The options are plenty - Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia and more. Of these, the Indonesian island of Bali is one of the most popular holiday spots. I think every single one of my friends has been to Bali and over the last few years, I've been asked umpteen times if I wanted to go to Bali. "Yes, but with my parents" has been my standard answer. The reason is simple. Bali once had great trade relations with Orissa (now Odisha) where my parents live (there's even a pompous Bali yatra ceremony every year!), and I knew that going to Bali would be truly meaningful for them. And I wanted to share that with them.

They had not been to Singapore in the last three years. So this time, when they came, I knew this was my chance. It was now or never. I honestly don't know when they will be here next. Mom keeps hoping for a direct flight between us but it has remained a hope for the last decade or so, when the news of a direct flight first came out. I know how painfully slow things move along in India. So Viv and I planned the trip and made all the bookings, all without telling them anything. We had thought of telling them the night before, but we'd just bought my mom an iPad which was getting all the attention that evening, and after that my parents got really sleepy so Viv sent me a message on my phone (yes, he did!) that we could just wake up and say "Pack."

The next morning, my dad was all set for a long morning walk to the beach. I frantically woke Viv and told him that we needed to reveal the surprise now or else we'd miss the flight! So Viv rubbed his eyes, came out sleepily, saw my dad getting ready for his walk and said, "You're going for a walk??? Who will pack the suitcases then?" "Pack the suitcases??" My mum was dumbfounded. "But we don't leave till next week."

"Oh, we are going to Bali today."

For a second or two, there was complete silence in the room. They didn't believe it at all, but then they realised that this is the kind of thing we do anyway and quickly showed signs of excitement. Xena already knew about the trip but had not breathed a word of it to them! So we spent the morning packing, and were soon on a flight to Bali! Xena kept wondering why the plane (it was a budget airlines) did not have a television. Spoilt SQ children, I tell you. :P

I realised that I didn't take any group photos at the airport. But I did take this one of a happy mommy posing in front of the fake but very realistic food at Pasta de Waraku.

The flight was uneventful (well, except for some turbulence which made me panic so bad I clutched Viv's arm like a sissy) and we landed in Bali at about 6 pm. I'd not taken a budget airlines in a while, so I was a little shocked to see a coke of can listed for $4. Well, I suppose they have to find a way to make money.

Speaking of money, I still remember the look on Viv's face when he exchanged money for the trip. One Singapore dollar is the equivalent of 10,000 Indonesian rupiah. No wonder he grinned, pointed at the money and said, "Look, we are finally millionaires!"

I'd heard horror stories about the immigration queues in Denpasar airport, but I got to witness it firsthand. If it took us one hour in the immigration queue during the supposed low season, I don't even want to think about how it is during the high season. A cute little incident happened through, which warmed my heart. A lady was in the queue with her toddler who was wailing away very very loudly. She was immediately whisked by officials to the front of the queue. Such a nice, caring touch.

Finally, we were out of the airport at 7 pm. Our driver (I'd booked him using Facebook!) was there, holding a placard with Viv's name. We reached our villa by about 8 pm, and immediately set out for dinner. It was too dark and Xena was too hungry and cranky for us to go hunting for good local food, so we found familiarity and comfort in the Pizza Hut which was just a few minutes from our villa. The menu was different from what we have in Singapore so it was nice to try out new items. Later, we popped by the nearby supermarket to buy some breakfast items. We were very amused to see all the staff crowded around the TV, watching a version of the Ramayana!

Everyone crashed as soon as we got back. Tomorrow was going to be a packed day! I'd made sure of that.

Click here for Bali day 2.

Bali vacation - day 2

20 November 2014

"Cock-a-doodle-do!"

Yup, that was the sound I woke up to. I kid you not. It was about 4 am, I think. Again, I kid you not. When reading reviews about the villa, I had come across a mention of the rooster, but I chose Sanur over the Ubud villas, where due to the proximity with the rice fields, all sorts of animals were expected to invite themselves to your villa! That was wayyyy scarier than a rooster just trying to wake people up from a distance. 

Anyway, I went back to sleep, but by 6 am, it was so bright I couldn't sleep anymore. Mom and Dad were of course up even earlier. We had breakfast and then headed out for our day of adventure - Goa Gajah temple, Mount Batur volcano and Lake Batur in Kintamani, coffee plantation, rice terrace and artisan's village. Our driver was there at 8 am - half an hour early!

Our villa had several frangipani trees, and flowers kept falling all day. My mom put one in Xena's hair and she loved it! I demanded one too, and soon, all three ladies had one in their hair. 

It was a looooong drive to Kintamani but we stopped by the Goa Gajah temple first. Also known as the elephant cave, this is one of Bali's signature temples to visit. It was built in the 9th century, and served as a sanctuary. 

There was an entry fee for the temple, which included a sarong you needed to tie before you enter. I thought only those in shorts needed to wear it but they asked us, even though we had our legs fully covered, to just tie it around our waists. So we did. Even Xena. 

Mom and Dad wearing the sarongs around their waists

The entrance to the cave has various demons carved into the rock. The primary figure, whose mouth you enter to go into the temple, was once thought to be an elephant, and this is what gave Goa Gajah the nickname 'elephant cave'.

Mom and Dad pose at the entrance. 

Xena and me pose at the entrance. 

It was dark and cramped inside the cave. But we managed to see idols of Trilinga and Ganesha. Hindu Gods are widely worshipped in Bali. In fact, 90% of the Balinese are Hindu, even though Indonesia is a predominantly Muslim country. Apparently, Hinduism had come from India in the 5th century and stayed on. 

    

Trilinga

Ganesha

We got out of the cave pretty quickly (there really wasn't much inside) and walked around the outer areas of the temple.

The bath with moss-covered statues

 

We were amazed to see eggs in the basket of offerings! I've never seen eggs in a temple!

It was an incredibly hot day,  and we stopped to have some yummy coconut water. It cost 15 thousand Indonesian rupiah, or 1.5 Singapore dollars. We couldn't get over our amusement about the exchange rate. "Ever had 15-thousand wala coconut water?" I asked Dad. 

We reached a part with several flights of steps, some of them uneven and steep, so my parents rested while we walked around and saw everything. 

Soon, we were done and rejoined them. Can you spot them resting?

Xena decided that she needed a rest too. She was so tired from being carried by her Dad all along. 

And then she suddenly spotted my sunglasses, and immediately wanted hers too. Three-year-olds can be such divas!

I rest my case!

Another section of the temple that we saw on our way out

We found some souvenir shops outside the temple, and Viv pointed out a pair of pants he thought I'd look good in. I totally agreed and soon we were armed with several pairs, including a tiny pair for Xena! 

This was taken the next day, but I couldn't help posting it here. Love the pants!

We set off again for Kintamani, a looong uphill drive and had the opportunity to realize that Xena might have mountain sickness. She threw up twice in the car, but now, armed with years of experience, Viv and I are like ninjas in this regard. We go everywhere armed with plastic bags and can tell just by a look from Xena's face that she's about to throw up in the next three seconds. So neither the car nor her clothes were ruined. She was soon back to her chatty self, and we breathed a sigh of relief. She came up with this random song called "I love you, Maggie Maggie" and must have sung it 892374983250804 times throughout the trip!

There was a fee to go into Kintamani area - 11000 rupiah per person. I'd read about this restaurant that had this amazing buffet against the Mount Batur volcano backdrop and our driver knew exactly what we were talking about.

It was truly amazing. The food was nice and the view was spectacular. I couldn't believe we were eating with such a clear view of an active volcano! 

Mount Batur

We even spotted a patch of forest which had escaped the lava. It looked amazing amidst all the rock. 

We were really high up so the clouds were literally kissing our hair as they passed. I kept asking Viv if I'd taken enough photos. (He assured me I had.)

The waitress offered to take this family photograph of us. 

Of course, the food did not interest Xena much, so she did some roaring, which she does every time she wears this dragon hoodie of hers. 

See the dragon's teeth?

Dad enjoying coffee against the volcano backdrop

Dad and Mom enjoy the view. We must have sat there for hours and hours.

After lunch, we headed to Laksmi Bali plantation to see how kopi luwak was produced. Yes, the infamous and expensive coffee which is obtained from the civet cat's poop! Those of you who have watched 'The bucket list' would surely know. 

Xena had just started napping so Viv said he would stay back in the car with her, while the rest of us saw the plantation. But of course the excitement around her was too much so she woke up in exactly three minutes. On the plus side, it meant that Viv and she could join us. 

Though I'd expected it to only be a coffee plantation, it turned out to be much more. They had vanilla, pandan, pineapple, blueberry and what not. Plants that I'd never seen in my life!

Pandan plant

Tort ginger. I wasn't quite sure what on earth it was, but Dad was fascinated. More on that later. 

Blueberry plant

Vanilla plant

Pineapple plant with pineapples!

And then we reached the kopi luwak part. Our guide explained to us that the process of making kopi luwak was less disgusting than it sounded. The coffee beans stayed whole, protected by a hard shell, as they passed the digestive tract of the civet cats. The beans were handpicked out of the cats' poop, but processed just like any other coffee. The only difference is that since they'd been inside the cats' digestive tracts, they fermented differently, giving them a different flavour. 

These young civet cats were kept in cages and then released when they were old enough to fend for themselves. 

Close-up shot of the civet cats

Kopi luwak beans being sun-dried

Roasting of kopi luwak

Our guide offered us a taste of kopi luwak for $5, but none of us wanted to. But we did sample 8 types of tea and 6 types of coffee. 

Mom bought some sugar-free lemongrass tea at the plantation's shop near the entrance. We felt compelled to buy something because the guide had been plying Xena with chocolates, and for once, she was eating them!

A napless Xena frolics around. 

Our driver took this family photo for us. 

Suddenly, out of the blue, my dad asked the guide if he could get a cutting of the tort ginger plant. 

We were all a little horrified, but that's my Dad. He sees a plant he likes, he wants a cutting for his garden. I thought the guide would turn him down, but he actually took him back into the plantation, and after about 10 minutes, Dad returned with a big cutting and a bigger grin on his face.

After this, we headed to the rice terraces in Ubud. There was a fee of 5000 rupiah per person just to see the terrace farms. Talk about Bali being touristy. But the fields were really beautiful and worth a visit.

Dad and daughter admire the rice fields. 

Just outside the fields were lots of souvenir shops. Dad bought a Balinese sculpture that we managed to bargain down from 400,000 rupiah to 25,000. 

Mom and Dad were interested in seeing more woodcraft, so our driver took us to the artisans' village.

We had the opportunity to see some wood carving in action. 

The showroom inside was quite fancy, and full of exquisite woodcraft. But their price tags made us run away. 

Chairs shaped like hands

An offering just outside the showroom. These are incredibly common in the deeply religious culture. You even find them by the side of the roads.

Finally, we were done with the day, and longing to get some rest. Luckily, it wasn't too late, and we got back by about 5. Xena finally went to nap at 6 and woke up super cranky at 7, so we decided that dinner out was out of the question. Viv went out and packed dinner for us.

Soon, we were ready to hit the bed. What a long and incredible day we'd had. I think I dozed off as soon as I hit the bed. Good for me, because the lovely rooster was all set to wake me up at 4 am again!

Click here for Bali - day 3!

Bali vacation - day 3

21 November 2014

Okay, so this time my lovely rooster was up at midnight! Oh dear lord. Luckily, I managed to go back to sleep. Until about 6, when it started all over again. So I decided to get out of bed and start my day. Strangely enough, I didn't feel sleepy or tired. Our room was on the upper floor and sunlight hit it sharply so it was impossible to sleep till late. At least for me.

Not for them, as you can see!

Mom and Dad were obviously up, and Dad had gone for a walk around the villa grounds. He came back with a story. Apparently, he had run into the owner of our villa who had engaged him in a long and serious (well, funny to me) conversation. It went something like this: 

Owner: Are you from India? 

Dad: Yes. 

Owner: Do you know Bollywood?

Dad: Yes.

Owner: Are you a Hindu?
Dad: Yes.
Owner: Do you know the three gods Bramha, Vishnu and Maheshwar?
Dad: Yes. 

(At this point, I interrupted Dad to ask him if he told the guy that we also have two other gods worshipped in our household -- SRK and SRT!)

Owner: Do you pray?
Dad: Yes.
Owner: How many times in a day do you pray?
Dad (hesitatingly, as he's not that religious): Twice.
Owner (chest out): I pray three times.

Dad: Good.
Owner: Do you know the mantras?
Dad: Err... I know some.
Owner: I know them. (And then he proceeded to recite some!)
Dad: Good.
Owner: Are the stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata really true? Did they happen?

I don't know how Dad got out of that one. 

Meanwhile, Xena was up and chilling by the pool with Grandma...

...while Grandpa went for a refreshing swim!

I got her ready for the day. It was pink frangipani day!

Xena and our lovely villa

Xena joins my dad at the pool chairs

Xena and I chilling with our feet in the pool. Mama baby bonding time! Also, she splashed so much, her jeans got fully soaked and I had to change her to her Bali pants. 

Three generations having a heart to heart

Xena giving 'gyaan' to her Poppy. 

Awwww... :)

In case you're wondering why we're still chilling in the villa and not getting out and going somewhere, that's how we'd planned the vacation. We'd booked the car and driver on alternate days so we could just relax on the other days and not make things too hectic or tiring. But it's not like we had no plans at all for the day. Of course we had plans. Muahahaha. 

It was massage day! We'd booked a two-hour traditional Balinese massage for each of us and my parents didn't know about it. My dad would have straightaway said no. He'd never set foot in a spa, and the only massages he'd ever gotten was from the house help or when we were kids and he asked us to walk all over his back. Mom had had a massage in Batam, and had loved it. But that had been for an hour, and this was for two hours.

We told Mom and Dad that we were going to a mall but took them to the spa instead. As expected, Dad was reluctant but Mom was happy. Anyway, we were all ushered into our respective rooms, and Viv took Xena back to the villa. He was going to come back for his massage and we'd take over Xena then.

It was the ultimate massage. I'd been wondering if two hours would be too much and if both the masseuse and the one getting the massage would get bored, but it wasn't the case. At one point, I swear I fell asleep! I even had a mini dream. I wondered how my parents were faring in their respective rooms. Though I'd armed them with tips for the masseuses and advice (e.g. "Don't go by their petite size. Some of them are very strong. You need to tell them to be gentle. Remember to tip them."), I was worried that my parents might not understand their accent. But all went well. I was done first, and was waiting for them at the reception area when Mom emerged, glowing and beaming. Her first words were, and I kid you not, "Jeevan saarthak massage". In other words, a massage that makes one's life meaningful. LOL! 

Then Dad came out, and he too had this amazingly blissful look on his face. I asked him how it was and he grinned. "I thought you didn't want to go?" I teased. "It was very relaxing." He said. 

Family outside the spa

Though it was the masseuses who had been working hard for two hours, we were the ones getting ravenous. We found a nice restaurant next to the spa. I ordered some traditional Indonesian lunch for my parents and myself - ayam bakar, ayam kari and nasi goreng. Viv ordered some vegetarian pasta and Xena shared it with him (in the sense that she ate 0.01% of it). Their fruit smoothies came without any sugar (they provided syrup on the side), which was great for my parents. I ordered a mango smoothie and Mom ordered a strawberry smoothie. And oh, Viv ordered a Bintang beer, which Xena absolutely insisted on sharing! He let her taste it and thank goodness she found it bleah. 

Our yummy lunch

After lunch, we brought Xena back to the villa for her nap, while Viv went for his massage. Xena played for a while and then insisted that she wanted to nap in the baby cot. 

The villa had provided this cute little cot, complete with mosquito net, for Xena. 

Xena had stopped sleeping in her own cot at the age of 1. She had migrated into our bed and never moved out since. So I was surprised that she wanted to sleep in the cot. Fine, I said. So I sat on the big bed and wrote Hopscotch notes on my iPad, while she fidgeted and fidgeted in the baby cot. Once in a while, I'd see one leg go up and then hear some random singing. And then suddenly there was no sound. 

I leaned over stealthily and peeped and there she was, sound asleep! Wow. 

I went downstairs to my parents' room to chat with Mom. I came back an hour later to check on her, and she was still fast asleep!

A couple of hours later, Viv returned. Xena was also up and wanted to swim "just like Grandpa". Luckily, I'd remembered to pack her swimsuit. 

My little mermaid gets ready for a dip in the pool. 

I hadn't packed my swimsuit though, so I told Viv he had to help her. He rolled up his shorts and helped her swim. She was beyond delighted!

Later in the evening, we headed off to the Sanur beach, which was just a 15-minute walk away. One of the crossings on the way was quite odd. It had the zebra stripes on both sides of the divider, but one of the sides didn't have any traffic light on it. Bali roads are very crowded and people drive and ride like they do in India, so we had to be very very careful how we crossed. Viv had pointed out that crossing to our driver and asked him how one was supposed to cross that stretch. He just shrugged his shoulders and said, "Look. Cross."

On our way to the beach, we saw dancers in traditional attire being ferried somewhere. 

Further along the way, there was a big procession walking from the beach. Men and women, and even children and babies, were dressed in beautiful traditional outfits. We found out later that it was the melasti ceremony. It is done as a form of purification of the mind and to bring people closer to God by cleansing items with seawater, which is believed to contain amrit. The procession starts from the central village temple from where all religious symbols such as deities and their tools are taken to the sea to be purified and then taken back to the village. 

The pecalang are traditional security men who patrol the streets and are responsible for orderliness during the ceremony.

Xena was perplexed to see these women balancing the boxes of offerings on their heads and after pondering over it, tried to 'explain' it to me. "Mama, I think the aunties first put scotch tape on their heads and then stuck the gifts on top."

Melasti ceremony at the beach

Here's a video of the ceremony.

Sanur beach was clean, quiet and beatiful, a far cry from Kuta beach which most of our friends had asked us to stay away from!

We walked around for a while, and then went looking for a restaurant to have dinner at. 

We saw this sign outside one of the restaurants! LOL!

We finally picked seaside dining at Matahari restaurant. The food was yummy and the breeze was heavenly. They had something called 'independence cocktail', which really did make my mind independent from the body.

Xena relaxes by the seaside as we wait for our food. 

And oh, we were both wearing our Bali pants so we had to take a picture together to end the evening!

Click here for Bali - day 4.