Hey-ho!
So many of you know I just got back from Bali, INdonesia for summer vacation! It was a busy week that made for a great vacation. I had been counting down since February, and was stoked to finally be able to get on a plane and go. I flew Garuda Indonesia, who were fine. However, INdonesian airports are the most hectic, obnoxious, unorganized things EVER. I was totally over it. BUt I finally got there, rolled in and met up with JESSE at the hotel! I was stoked.
He hung out and walked around a little bit to realize we were in a shady-by-night area. But that was okay. We stayed in and quiet that night since we were SURFING the next day!
The next day (sunday) we were picked up and rode moterbikes through the the allys of Kuta beach to get to our surf school. We were put in a class with another girl and learned how to stand up. It took a while, but by the end we were able to stand on the board and ride it a little bit.
First day
After surfing we hung out, walked around and explored Kuta beach. The weather was mediochre, so we ended up in the pool, lounging and hanging out. This pattern continued for most of the week. We went surfing, would eat lunch, walk around, or lounge in the sun (the weather after Sunday was remarkable) and read. It was so great and relaxing. Kuta beach is swarming with vacationers, so the nightlife was extremly fun as well.
On Thursday we had our last surfing lesson together, and then went for a little day trip around Bali. We went up to a temple that was neat I guess. It was cool to see a different temple, but at the same time, I've seen the biggest religious building in the world, so it wasn't anything I was floored by.
We then made our way to the monkey forest, which is exactly like it sounds. Monkeys hanging out. You can feed them and stuff, and they'll get curious and jump all over you! It is so funny! An INdonesian lady will come and tap at them with a stick if they get too crazy. I feel bad for the animals, but this was really cool.
We then went to what I thought was the coolest place in the world, Tahan Lot. Here we watched the sunset on a modest temple, but since it was built on a rock out in the sea, it made it awesome. It was one of the prettiest places I have ever been in the world, and I've seen a lot. I'm not even sure how to describe it.
The next day was Jesse's last day, so we decided to go snorkling and see the turtles. We thought that Turtle Island was going to be an island of turtles, but it was a despressing zoo where I wanted to set everything free (Apparently you have to go to the Gilli islands for that). We went snorkling though, and that was really cool. Really beautiful tropical fish of all sorts of neat colors. It was really beautiful, and the first time I got to do that. Jesse flew out late that night, and I passed out of an exhaustion I didn't even know I had.
The next day I woke up early and went to do an intermediate surf lesson, where I got to catch bigger waves before the break. It was amazing. It was nothing like the first 5 days. I am obsessed, even if I ended up on crutches because of it. I relaxed on the beach before it was time for me to catch my flight.
Bali was awesome. Its so overrun with tourists though you don't get any culture. I woudl have loved to see Bali 100 years ago, I'm sure it was amazing. Its not a great place to travel if you're a traveler, but it is the perfect place to hang out with friends, catch a few waves and relax.
The food was okay, a lot of seafood and fried rice. I was more impressed with the western food. I drank enough milkshakes to hold me over until the next time I flee Korea.
Overall, it was an amazing trip. I love bali!
Pateince, Faith, and a few sun rays;
ErinJ
