Bali sightseeing photolog (part 1)

Just 4 days - how do you begin your vacation on a land that has EVERYTHING to offer?

Well, we finally more or less divided our time into two parts - sightseeing vs shopping and leisure. So after arriving in Bali in the late evening, we made it free and easy for the rest of the night - where we explored some eatery as well as checked out the famous HRC (Hardrock Cafe) in Bali!

Needless to say, it was too exciting to sleep early on the first night (however, we did not go clubbing after leaving HRC at midnite) We dicided to sleep in a bit so we got a guide to come to our hotel only at noon the next day..

Our itinerary was to visit two main places - Tanah Lot - a rocky temple on an island, and Uluwatu - a temple on a cliff. Along the way, we also visited Taman Ayun - the Royal family temple.

It was a blazing hot day - contrary to what i read in three separate weather forecast over the Internet which all said Bali would be cloudy during the time of our visit.. hmmm.. it turned out that the following days were mainly hot and sunny, with cocasional showers at night.


The entrance toTaman Ayun



Ok.. fortunately none of us are having that time of the month..


Inside Taman Ayun temple


A small art village in the temple




Trying to mimic the `creature's expression! ;)

Posing in front of the three towers



A dog spotted when we exited the temple.. (there were many dogs whereever we went, I don't know whether they are stray or otherwise..)

After another hour of drive, we arrived at Tanah Lot...

The entrance to the Tanah Lot temple


Some huts selling paintings


The grand doorway leading to the temple in the sea..


Posing with a local guide


The sunset terrace


The rocky temple on a small island just off the shore



We had lunch at Tanah Lot - there were lots and lots of stalls selling handicrafts and souvenirs as its a tourist attraction.. in fact we came across so many of them wherever we went that I somehow felt its `supply exceeding demand'.

Speaking of buying things.. one of the `skill' or `art'(depending on how u see it) you need to know is to bargain! The vendors hike up a price of a good a great deal! And of course, having been to places like China a few times and seeing my own mom's expertise in bargaining, I'm quite adept to this `skill'. In fact, the way I bargained seemed to astonish my travel partners for the most they could do is to cut the offer price down by half but I managed to do it to 70-80 per cent even!!

Anyway.. after Tanah Lot, we drove south to Uluwatu and arrived in the early evening to get ready for sunset!



The awesome cliff.. we either have to wear a sarong to cover up legs or don on a `holy belt' to show respect when visiting the temple

One of the peculiarities of Uluwatu is the wild monkeys there!! These creatures are quite scary as they were out to get food and would not hesitate snatching things like glasses, hats and other loose items from passerby.

We were repeatedly warned by our guide. But alas, i was wearing glasses that day and without them I would be practically blind! So I had to hold onto it tight while making my way to the temple. However, my hat I was holding almost got snatched by a monkey. Luckily I was stronger than him/her!



My friends took many more pix of the monkeys but I was too worried about my glasses and hat etc.. that I couldn't take pix of them!

Before sunset, we watched the Kecak Ramayana & Fire Dance - which is touted as one dance you shouldn't miss in Bali. It was perform on a `stage' overlooking the sea. Well it was interesting, the singing/chanting was good and the costumes were awesome. But to me, I got a little impatient sitting through same `music' background and similar movements on hard stone for 1 hour so I went to take pictures of sunset instead!


The traditional Kecak dance which was quite a spectacle


I managed to take a few facets of sunset from the holy cliff temple of Uluwatu




After the sun went down, we left fo Jimbara Bay - which is famous for its seafood dinner on the beach! The prices were not cheap at all.. so we budgetted for the less costly seafood.. it was quite nice enjoying our meals at the breezy sea-side. Oh yeah, the food was good but got cold quite fast unfortunately.




When we returned to Kuta, we decided the night was still young and went for a walk along Legian Street, which is off Poppies Lane.


Took a pix by the monument that commemmorates the victims of the first Bali bombing - that killed many tourists from all over the world. Bali was bombed again for the 2nd time.. but the terrorists could never bomb away the beauty of the island..

Bali sightseeing photolog (part 2)

The next day, we got up earlier and continued our Bali sightseeing tour.. This time, we asked our guide took us northward - onto the Kintamani Vocalno-Ubud route. Gunung Batur is one of the two volcanoes which are either active or dormant. And Ubud needs little introduction. I was really looking forward to visit the place full of arts and cultural heritage..

It was another hot day but this time I have both my sunnies and hat. ;) On the way, we stopped by a batik-weaving place (for toilet stop mainly), a silver & goldsmith shop, a oil-painting/art gallery, coffee plantation.. and in between, stopped for lunch at a restaurant with a great view of Gunung Batur.


Guess what I saw! A Jojo-lookalike at the gold/silversmith place.


The entrance to shop for paintings. I ended up buying two paintings - one abstract and another traditional Balinese drawing in woodcarving frame. And yes, I had to employ my bargaining skill and managed to slash the prices down to almost 70 per cent. Two nice paintings for just RM120.


A local artist at work

We reached Kintamani at lunch time and our guide led us to a restaurant with a great view of the volcano and the lake surrounding.. We had buffet but the main attraction of course is photographing the scenery!


Restaurant with a view


My buffet lunch.. (first serving)


The majestic Gunung Batur




Outside the restaurant after lunch. After which we adjourn to a coffee plantation for free coffee!


Trying my hand at roasting coffee beans!


At the coffee plantation


Sampling coffee, tea and other drinks, as well as rolling cigarrettes! (which wasn't easy at all)

It was then driving back southwards towards Ubud and stopped at two interesting `pura' (temples) along the way.. They had quite a lot to see and although we knew time was a bit limited, we still wanted to see as much.. so finally we didn't have much time left to explore Ubud town itself.. which was such a pity. Ubud streets consist of rows of interesting shops selling all types of arts and handicrafts.. But we only got to explore the market place for a while before heading back to Kuta. I told myself I would spend a day in Ubub the next time I come! (and yes, i am definitely going back!)


The entrance to the Holy Spring Temple - Tirta Empul


At the `holy spring' where devotees cleansed themselves




In the inner court of the Holy Spring temple




Offerings for the gods

Next we went to the Elephant Cave temple or Gao Gajah..

Touching the `holy water'



At the entrance to the Elephant Cave where statues of idols and gods were displayed inside.


A huge rock with Buddha's face that was split open due to earthquake


A man selling handicrafts - we bought some painted eggs from him and bargained hard - yes, it was me again at work but with my two friends around giving the man pitiful look, I couldn't be too `ruthless'!

Finally we reached Ubud town and first made a stop at the market which I ended up buying quite a bit there! We just walked nearby for a while and as it was getting late.. we had to go back.



With a local vendor at the Ubud market



On the way back, the guide stopped by a spa which I booked myself in for the next day.. I kinda regretted soon after as I found the spa was located by a main road thus traffic noises could be heard! Well, too late.. it was quite a good experience (more on that and other misc. of Bali later..)


We reached a busy Kuta and found quite a nice place for dinner to chill out a bit, and did some walking on busy Legian Street.

The popular Bounty club at Legian Street

Pretty Poppies

In Bali, we were staying at the quaint Poppies Cottage for four nights.



When I was planning and booking for our Bali trip late last year, I searched on the Net for a nice accommodation - a little on the luxurious side yet not too expensive - and I wanted villas style instead of a large hotel..

I was really happy when I found Poppies Cottage - which is located at the heart of Kuta. Set amidst a beautiful garden, it is a quiet exclusive place with only 20 villas.. Because we were taking a triple-sharing room, it worked out to be pretty affordable!

Poppies is located at its namesake - Poppies Lane I, which gets really narrow towards one end.. the `neighbourhood' maybe humble-looking stores and eateries but when you entered into Poppies' wall its like entering into another world - a peaceful, quaint haven.

The garden setting was beautiful and I simply love the poolside area. The Balinese-style chalet we stay in was simple and comfy - though it is not too big. But the bathroom more than made up for it!

But alas, because we have quite a heavy itinerary, that didn't leave us that much time to really enjoy what Poppies has to offer.. but I'm real glad I spent the last afternoon just lazing by the beautiful poolside and froclicking in the clear blue pool.. it's really really relaxing and rejuvenating!

If I were to be at Kuta again, I really don't mind staying there again!


The old door leading to the cottage..


We walk across the bridge over a lilly pond to our cottage


the way to the pool..

g..



and various shots of the beautiful pool and landscaping..


the lily pond



posing by the pool..


the exterior of our cotttage


A corner of the spacious and beautiful bathroom


the three of us before departing..


Me and the luggages (no, not all mine of course :p)

Make-Me-Over

Before i post on my fascinating Bali trip, here is a narcissist `commercial break'.

Came across a Loreal promotion at MVM yesterday. It was really quite a good promotion and on top of the free products is a free make-over photo shoot! I thought why not go for it just for fun. Ok, i did get distracted and didn't end up going to gym after all.. :p

So, about half-an-hour of make-up, hair-styling and putting on a coat of my choice, I was instructed to do a few `vain-like' poses by the photographer..

Ta-Da!



This was the best of the lot (about a dozen poses with two outfits) Someone commented I look like a movie star! Hehe. that's how much make up and photoshop touch up could do!

I was given a A4 size print of the above, but I need to pay another 10 bucks to have the CDrom.

Incidentally I had gone for a make-over photoshoot in late 1997 when I interviewed Starz Image Consultant (now no longer here). Having the perks of a journalist, I was offered a free make-over which took 3 hours all in - made me feel like I'm taking a bridal shoot sans a groom! And yes, i have an album full of photos in many different images, costumes and poses.
(unlike Loreal, we were just given one free but need to pay a lot more for more prints)

Here is one that I scanned into my computer (at that time, CDRom wasn't popular yet)



Hmm.. looking at it, I think I hadn't aged much in 10 years eh? what u say? ;)

Back from a Paradise..

Bali, O Bali...!

Let me tell you.. four days there are definitely NOT enough for a first-time visitor.

And gosh. i don't even know how to begin to blog on the trip.. there are just SO MUCH to tell. Maybe I should start by posting just one pix first.. as a teaser..

My shopping!



Yep it is first and foremost a shopping paradise! Handicrafts from wood and stone carvings to jewelleries to all the knick knacks you can think of are really cheap (compared to here) infinite designs and varieties that a shoppaholic like me just couldn't stop shopping! Well, of course i went sightseeing and did other stuff too :p

Am still exhausted from the trip.. average for me 3-4 hours of sleep (no we did not party till late but just that my sleeping habit is over sensitive for new places) yet I had enough energy to last and to enjoy!

When it came to Sunday itself.. me and my friends were just reluctant to leave.

So did it live up to my imagination and expectation? Definitely and more! And now I know why some friends love it so much and rave about it.. and i regret why it took me so long to go there.. already planning to bring parents back there later in the year (hopefully) as dad is really interested!

Will be posting more pix and talk about interesting things we did on the trip soon..

Here's a nice photo of the three of us.. we were real camwhores! Each of us probably took close to 400 pix each!! But again, there were so much photo opportunities and we are all curious journalists!

Bali High...

I have been wanting to go to Bali for the last couple of years already... but somehow due to one reason and another, it never materialised. And I only listened in envy from friends who had been there..

So you can imagine my excitemet now.. because, I am fianlly going to Bali! I'll be going tomorrow (or today rather) till Sunday!!

Since I have quit my job, I was adament this time that by hook or by crook I must make it there this time. And then I asked two fellow-journo friends along and were glad to know they were just as game as me to travel. As I was the free one, I did all the planning and bookings - and managed to get a pretty good deal - Air Asia return and four-nights accommodation in a 3-4 star hotel for just RM753 each! Cool! ;)

We more or less have set a rough iteninary.. we will be staying in Kuta at the quaint Poppies Cottage, and plan to visit Ubud, some temples in Tanah Lot, Uluwatu, maybe the volcanoes and of course to pamper ourselves at spa, go shopping and eating etc.. From my travel guide, there are just so much to see and do in Bali and our four days there won't be sufficient.. But I told myself this will just be my introductory trip there and I would definitely go back again. Even dad is interested so maybe will bring parents there next time!

Now that I have heard so much and read so much about Bali, I just hope when I am really there, it will live up to my expectation.. or perhaps I should try to contain my excitement a bit..

I think I'm not a very good packer. While packing for four days, I ended up packing things in my room - like all my t-shirts (tonnes of them), skincare, accessories and toilettry bags etc.. I really have too many junk!!

Back to Bali.. I was initially concerned for January is rainy season there. But when I checked the weather forecast on three different websites, they all predicted dry days ahead - albeit cloudy! Hooray, that's great news.. thank God :)

Oh, I think I've really caught the travel bug! Air Asia has just started its 1 million free seats promotion and as I was just sharing this with a friend, we decided to just go book a holiday later in the year! Well, it says RM0 for the flight but of course it is not really free cos there is the tax.. still it's pretty cheap flights that one would never get with another airline..

We plan to go to Bangkok in July.. the website must have so much traffic that I had problem completing the booking and had to try many times! Finally the booking was done!

And now, think I'm on my `Bali high' for my long-awaited holiday! :D

My good old diaries...

I was browsing some friends' blogs.. and read in this post that the blogger has kept four diaries since she was 16 (she is still very young) This suddenly reminds me of my own diary-keeping tradition.. which is now sadly non-existent!

I started my very first diary at the age of 8. My mom brought back a very pretty book that has pictures of cute blond kids on each page. She gave it to me and asked me to record the things I did. It was written in Chinese because I went to Chinese Primary School but it was basically a record of things I did in a day... including what I ate for breakfast, lunch and dinner! But it last for a couple of years only.

And then at standard 6, I was given a second diary - a green cover one with the title `Youth Diary' - but I only really started wrting when I was about 13 and on the verge of entering teenage years.. Then I was penning not just on what I did but more on affairs of the heart - rant on how I felt about certain things.. I only wrote when there were things I wanted to write about and yes, my diary was like a closest friend who knew all my darkest sercrets..

This second diary covered a span of six years - saw me through all the joy, tears and angst of a youn girl - right till I completed form five in a boarding school in Singapore.

When I was stuying A Levels back in KL, I began my third diary which has a less childish design. It has purple cover and is called `High Frontier'. It chornicled my life from college to second year of university. Among the entries I wrote was the time I accepted Jesus into my life..and my baptism a year later.. all the while I was still writing in Chinese (believe it or not!?)

My fourth diary was a Monet diary - with `Waterlily' on the cover. I think I bought it from the National Art Gallery in London. It covered four-and-a-half year of some highlights of my life - from graduation to my first job back in Malaysia, as well as the ups-and-down of my bittersweet first relationship..

Then the next diary, which saw me writing increasingly in English, also lasted another four-and-a-half year. The last entry was written on my 30th birthday (yes i know by writing post i'll more or less give my age away but it's ok..) Amidst happenings at work and elsewhere was also heartbreak that came with another relationship.. At the same time, I also started a `spiritual journal' of which was like a prayer and conversation with God..

My sixth and last diary was a gift from my sis from England that featured a beautiful purple flower on the cover. It is unfinished. The last entry was dated December 31, 2004.

Since the turn of the millenium, the frequency of me writing in my diary had really dwindled.. so has my passion in keeping the journal. There were just three or four entires in 2002-2003; and only two in 2004.

And guess what? in May 2005, I started this blog and had been blogging regularly since.. taking up much more time than I did when I was writing diary spontaneously..

It's kinda strange ain't it?

Well you can call a blog an online-diary of sort but it is a `diary' that is organised and sanitised.. I can't express my deepest and truest emotions or rant nonesensically because I have `audience'! Whereas with a `hardcopy' diary, I know it is a place safe for me to pour out all my feelings deep down and only God and myself would know..

But yet, I am more inclined to blog than to write diaries anymore! Am I becoming mechanical and detached from my own feelings?

Another thing that strikes me as is that I can no longer `write' competently.. I type. Yep, I am so reliant on the computer that I find it hard to write an article with pen and paper..

It's sad in a way what technology has done to me.. and maybe to you as well.



But, my five diaries (plus the very first one that I have kept somewhere else) are still my very treasured posessions. I can from time to time read back something that happened 20 years ago in nostalgia..

Also, they're permanent. I'm not sure whether Blogger is...

Wrestling with Resolutions

Three (almost four now) days into the new year and I've not listed out or talked about any concrete NY resolutions..

Those who know me may find this to be a surprise. As far as I myself could remember, I've always been one who entered into a new year with optimism and enthusiasm, and with a list of things I wanted to achieve in that fresh new year!

They would cover different aspects of my spiritual, work and personal life.. some are more specific, and some more general. I even blogged about my new year resolutions on the last day of 2005.. for the year that has just passed.

But guess what? I failed almost all of them miserably! Perhaps the only one which I did make a little of progress is in the fitness department. But looking back at my own calender of going to gym, there were several months in the year I was totally sedentary too.

This is nothing new really... for as long as I remember, I could never lived up to my so-called NY resolutions.. For certain years, I started off not too badly, but then slacked along the way. Then for others, the resolutions totally never took off!!

Sigh. :(

Maybe I'm older and `wiser'(?) or just more realistic and a little more cynical. This year I don't even have the motivation to set proper NY resolutions anymore.. cos I don't have the courage to list them down and see that I not able to accomplish them again for the umpteenth time!

Having said that, in my mind, there are some areas that I would like to work on..

Yeah, I think it's wise not to call them `resolutions', but more like trying to overcome some of the struggles and weaknesses that I know I should improve on..

For instance, I need to change the owl-like pattern.. No, I'm not going to be drastic and say I would wake up at 7am every morning! But I must stop sleeping at 3-4am on a regular basis.. and try to get up earlier..

Another area in dire need of attention is my weight problem. Yes, I am now exercising quite regularly but no, I have not lost weight - instead the contrary! Maybe not working had made me too comfortable and I just love food too much! I've reached an all-time high in the weight department - and the inches too!! ARGH!! So yes, losing weight is an aged old battle that I have to fight this year.. and this will go hand-in-hand with working out.

As I type this, I can think of more things I hope to do this year -`hope' is the word - such as be prudent on my spending and save some money, read more books (I have TONNES of books unread on my shelves), play the piano more (I'm now quite rusty - wasted the Grade 8!)

However, there is one `resolution' quite specific that I really hope and pray I would accomplish.. and that is to read the whole Bible this year. For that I have bought the `One Year Bible' which is structured in such a way that if I just followed it diligently, I could make it. The lady at the shop proudly told me it was not difficult as she did it.

Err... I know, all these need quite a bit of hard work and self-discipline but they're not unachiveable.

To think of it, maybe I should list `blog regularly' as one of my resolutions! After all, this is something that I managed to do for the whole 2006! (and since I started blogging in 2005)

It's funny that I failed badly in those things that really mattered but kept doing something like blogging.. Isn't life an irony? Or is it just me?

But the optimist in me still believe I can make this a better year, if I really want it to be. And maybe blogging, like writing, has its place too.. as it can serve as a reminder and a testimony. ;)