Bali, Indonesia - Two stops in a week

I was supposed to go to Bali last July with a friend but due to some reason I was unable to. But instead the opportunity to visit this island came during the trip en route to East Timor.

We arrived in Bali at 8.30pm from KL on AirAsia. It was about 3 hours journey. We only stayed for one night at a hotel by the beach in Seminyak as we were only in transit before our next flight to East Timor the next morning.

Approaching the island of Bali

There was an earthquake in the morning at the north part of Bali in the Nusa Dua area. According to a taxi driver, it caused panic among the tourists and locals who ran out into the streets (some with no clothes on) but no injuries or death were reported.

With little time to explore the place, we decided to go to Kuta for dinner. The place is packed with tourist and traffic jams. I can’t help feeling the fear for my safety when I was there especially when we pass by the Bali Monument where 202 tourists and locals were killed when a bomb exploded in a pack nightclub in 2002. The places are surrounded with bars and nightclubs blasting loud music and few blocks away from it and in between some shops there’s a temple, which is sacred to the Hindu believers.

A temple at the hotel

No... I didn't drink this.

The traffic in Bali is as crazy as the one in Bangkok. The drivers drive in the middle of the road and will only slow down or swerve when there’s an incoming car or motorbike. Some of the roads are narrow and could hardly accommodate two vehicles.

On our return trip from East Timor, we stayed another 2 nights in Bali and this time we stayed at a hotel in Kuta. Apparently, it was a peak season in Bali so most of the hotels are fully booked. We hired a van and driver to drive us around for sightseeing.

We went to Tanah Lot, which is a ‘must-see/visit’ place to go in Bali. It’s a sacred Hindu temple and only their Hindu priests are allowed to be there. We can only see the place from the rocky beachside. A lot of tourists flock to this place at sunset. Apart from it being a sacred place, it has also become commercialized. There are rows of open market along the way to the beach selling various handicraft and souvenirs and bargaining is a must!

At Tanah Lot

From Tanah Lot, we went to the Nusa Dua Beach hotel for dinner, which is owned by BIA. The Nusa Dua area is a popular place because most of the luxurious hotels are there like Sheraton and Novotel.

At Nusa Dua Beach Hotel

The view of the beach is very serene. We arrived just before sunset and there were few people on the beach. We went down to the beach to dip our tired feet. My injured foot was now purplish red and still swollen (I slipped and fell on some stairs on our last night in East Timor) I thought I might have a broken foot or toe but I didn’t think much about it because I was in BALI! hahaha The sand on the beach is quite different from what we have here. It’s rough and it sticks to the leg. There were a lot of broken shells and the sand was quite thick and deep, we could hardly walk 'normally' on our way back to our table for dinner.

My purplish/red/swollen foot
At Nusa Dua beach

Walking back

We spend the evening having dinner before going back to the hotel to freshen up and hit the town again for last minute shopping. One shop that I couldn’t resist going (apart from Starbucks) is Billabong. I couldn’t decide on two Roxy wallets so I end up buying both and I also bought a Billabong bag because my luggage was full. Too bad they don’t carry big sizes for the clothing unlike in Australia. We walk back to our hotel, which are about 20 or 30mins away. By the time we arrived at our hotel it was already midnight and after showering and packing, we only had about 2 or 3 hours of sleep. We left the hotel at 3am because our flight was at 6am to KL. Strangely even in the wee hours there is still traffic jam! The driver told us that people are going home from the nightclubs because it closes at 5am O.o We arrive at the airport around 4am and two tourist told us that they are not open yet *yawn* so we end up waiting outside the door. I was so freaking sleepy!!! And there were no luggage trolley available. We saw a family sleeping on the floor outside the airport; I guess they decided to stay overnight at the airport. It was a full flight to KL and it was a quiet one too because almost everyone fell asleep throughout the journey. I woke up an hour before we landed in KL.

Anyways, I really enjoy my first and second trip to Bali. I do hope I can visit there again; explore more places and go for a Balinese massage!

East Timor – Part II

I must admit East Timor is one of the best travel adventures that I’ve ever experienced. I met a lot of people and spend time with children in the orphanage. It was truly an eye-opening experience for me.

I learn a lot about the history of the country from a Filipino priest who has been serving there for a very long time. He witnessed the brutal massacre and the turmoil of the country. The violence are in the past now but it has left deep scars on its people. They are slowly building their life back and it’s a long way to go. It’s truly a heart-wrenching story to hear but what I truly admire about the East Timorese is their strong faith.

The country is rich in resources but some of the people are unskilled. They are seeking opportunities to gain experience from abroad or from their local technical schools but because of language barriers or limitation (they speak Tetum and Portuguese and few words of English) only few are able to go through it.

Along the way to Baguia, in the District of Baucau, we saw a lot of places or scenery that looks like a part of another country (or maybe we were just hallucinating because of the long car journey hahaha). We saw places like Saudi Arabia, Japan, Malaysia, etc. Some of the areas are covered in green like the padi rice field, or a golf course and some look like the dessert.

It was a long journey to get to the orphanage in Baguia. But the moment we arrived there, we were in awe. The environment is way different from the capital, Dili. Life is not as busy as in the city, it’s more laidback and life is simple.

Looking back at the places I’ve visited and the people I’ve met in East Timor, it makes me realize or more like a reminder that how fortunate we are to live in this peaceful country and we often take it for granted. The children in the rural areas in East Timor attend school few days in a week which is run by the government. They are not provided with any transportation so they have to walk, which take them about an hour or more and often, the teachers don’t turn up due to some reason. It’s quite disappointing to hear about it because the children are so eager to learn and are willing to walk that far just to go to school to learn.

“Life may be hard but it’s simple and they are happy” said a friend. This quote is stuck permanently in my head! I saw for myself how they run their livelihood and indeed there are simple. They grow their own fruits, vegetables and sell them to earn a bit of money to buy other necessities. There is no electricity in the morning and the generator is only switched on at 7 in the evening till midnight. And they collect their water daily from a well or water source which is few miles away. Basically these are their daily routine.

To see and witness this lifestyle is truly an eye-opener. Other countries may be well in advanced with technology but there are still some countries who are still living in the past. The internet, mobile phone or computers are alien to them. But who knows one day things might change for the good of the people. And hopefully somehow somewhere we can help to make that changes.

Jetsetting

Wow I didn't realize it has been a month since I last posted anything in here. I just didn't have the time or just being plain lazy to update it hehehe Anyways, I've been traveling lately, trying to conquer the world hehehe

Being an avid traveler can be exhausting (physically, mentally and financially!) but it can also be rewarding. I recently went to East Timor a.k.a. Timor Leste with a group of friends with stopover in KL and Bali. It never cross my mind to visit East Timor but I'm glad I make the decision to just go ahead and see it for myself what is it like there.

Despite its violent history, East Timor is a beautiful country, rich in natural resources and the locals are very friendly. I was there for 5days and spend two nights in Baguia in the District of Baucau.

I hope to visit this country again next year. Somehow the beauty of this country captures my heart.

At the capital, Dili.

Will update more soon...