Bali - Legian Part 2

After DWD I headed back to The Island to relax and finish the work hand-off. Most of the people at the hostel were new except for the staff. I got a bed in the dorm and settled into a routine of working out, yoga, eating, and working. I also had to go to the US consulate in Bali to get new pages for my passport. The first time I went Edwin and I took a taxi, but the second time I took a ride from a guy on the back of a motorcycle. It was a bit exhilarating to be driving on the left side of the road on a small motorcycle, surrounded by other motorcycles and cars. I got my passport back in three days so I pushed my arrival date in Sydney by a day to get my passport in time.

Harry was going to be back this weekend with his girlfriend, so we got to hang out again and I got to meet his girlfriend. We met at an awesome lounge bar/restaurant called "Ku De Ta" that overlooks the beach. Awesome place. I took a taxi to get to the restaurant, and he took me the long way, so I called him on it at the end of the ride and he was obviously lying. It's interesting - the Balinese will got out of their way to not hurt anyone but are very untrustworthy when it comes to business. We got this post-sunset pic in front of all the lounge chairs overlooking the beach - would be great to be here on a sunny day.

Later that night I got to meet Harry's girlfriend and we all went out to an awesome Italian restaurant in a huge open structure where you could hear the crashing waves. Another great pick by the H-man. Dinner was delicious, the company was excellent, and then we parted ways.

The last few days I was there it rained all day. Harry and his girlfriend decided to leave a couple of days early because of the weather. My last day in Bali was sunny so I went for a scenic walk on the beach and got some great pics of the sunset reflecting off of the beach. I was a bit disenchanted with Legian at this point because the Balinese constantly hassle tourists to buy stuff, there was trash all over the beach from being washed out during the rain, and I hadn't done much outside of the routine. The walk was a welcome experience - I saw a beach soccer match and got a couple of nice pics as well.

Bali - Nusa Dua

I left Legian and went to Nusa Dua for the Tony Robbins Date with Destiny event. After living in The Island hostel and making great friends I wasn't so keen to go to a resort and have to make all new friends, but that was the schedule. The Melia Resort on Nusa Dua was comfy and beautiful as I expected. I was welcomed by a couple of traditionally-dressed Balinese girls dancing to music played by a few men.

The prices were like back home. A bit different than paying $1 for lunch. I checked into the hotel room and wondered when my roommate whom I had only spoken with on the phone was going to arrive. The resort was right on the beach and is connected to all the other resorts by a walking path. It would be a fantastic place to relax with a girlfriend - there are massage huts, elaborate pools, and waiters around for your every whim.

My roommate, Edwin, got in late and I met him in the morning. We went for a swim in the morning since we were both jet-lagged, and I snapped a couple shots of paradise. The water was warm and clear like in Legian, but there were very few waves due to a reef a few hundred meters off-shore. We had the buffet breakfast and walked to the Westin to attend the event.

The event was fantastic and I met a number of amazing people. My partner at the event was Brett from Hong Kong. Amazing dude - great perspective, valuable advice, and huge heart. Other aspects I remember fondly about the event is that the days were long, the information was enlightening, and the room was really cold (as usual). The last night of the event a number of us decided to go out and party - which turned into us staying up to see the sunrise. We all laid down in a few big beach huts/couches and waited for the sun to come up. I was completely exhausted so I ended up falling asleep before sunrise and woke up right as it was coming up. All I remember is that it was beautiful...and then sleeping.

Bali - Legian

Upon arrival in Bali I felt like I was really in a foreign country. I was sleep-deprived, and after buying a visa and getting through passport control I picked up my bag and got a taxi to Legian. Driving through Kuta was a bit shocking because Bali in general is poor, and I hadn't been to a country like this in a while. The Balinese are very friendly, courteous people because most are Hindu - and harming anyone is very bad. The hostel I was staying at ("The Island") was very highly rated and near Seminyak where Harry was staying. I figured I should stay at a great place so that my first hostel experience was positive. The hostel was down an alley a few minutes walk off the main street so I was a bit concerned, but it turned out it was a fantastic place to stay. It was brand-new, the staff were very friendly, there was a pool (at a hostel!) and everyone was friendly and in their mid-20's or higher. I went for a walk on the beach to get see the other side of the pacific - the water was so warm and the gradient of the beach was really shallow. Surfers enjoyed the waves and I understood why Mike P told me I needed to do some surfing here.
After getting settled in (the hostel was perfectly clean and had AC) I befriended two people from the UK - Natasha and Chris. They were both solo travelers and had met at the hostel as well. One day we went surfing with a longboard. I had been working out and doing my physical therapy exercises, but I wasn't really strong or confident on my legs enough yet to stand up and catch a wave. Chris and I both tried a number of times, then I went out one more time...and a big wave crashed on top of me and it broke the nose off the board! I brought the board back to Chris and Natasha who both gaped at it, and we walked it to the rental place. By this point I was used to the Balinese haggling and asking for very high prices - he asked for 300,000 rupiah - $30 USD. I thought this was fair so I gave it to him - he was happy and so was I for settling it.

One other night I had a great evening buzzing around the island on a scooter with a local that working at the hostel. She showed me around the close towns and we had dinner at a cool Italian place. Then we went to meet her friends and I had a few drinks of Arak - the local booze made from palm trees mixed with sprite and lime. It was delicious if it wasn't mixed too strongly. Hanging with the locals was cool because I got insight into how they live poorly but are happy. They simply enjoy life because that's what they have. They think "it would be nice to have more, but its not necessary to be happy".

Serendipitously, I got to see Harry since he was in Seminyak with family. We relaxed at his house, traded stories, and enjoyed the pool. I was thinking, "I'm on the other side of the world hanging with a friend in paradise - life is pretty good!"

Other than the above stories - I relaxed, worked out (goal #1 of the trip is to finish the recovery from the car accident), ate, and worked to hand-off to my replacement in NL. I wish I had done more in Bali but at the time it was what I needed to unwind and kick-off the trip.

Taipei

It felt like the universe was giving me a challenge today - I had to rush down from Santa Barbara to LAX to make the plane on time (unfortunately not taking the PCH on the second half to LA), and then had to take a taxi from the car rental place to LAX. Next, it turns out there is "China Airlines", and "Air China" - being from Taiwan and mainland China, respectively. The taxi driver dropped me off at Air China and I asked him if it was right - it wasn't so we rushed over to the other international terminal to drop me off.


On the flight I was probably one of 10 non-Asians - I thought "let the adventure begin". On my way to Bali I flew through Taipei on China Airlines - the flight was 14hr 30min. I was expecting the seats to be small and uncomfortable but I actually had a great flight. Upon landing in Taipei I had to join a conference call so I found wifi in the airport and joined the call. Working during the trip was going to be arduous due to not having a base/desk to work from. I stayed at a novotel near the airport - the Taiwanese were very friendly and respectful - I liked the vibe; plus, I got upgraded to a nicer room - bonus. Since I was still on Cali time I had dinner in the middle of the night - nice meal and it wasn't expensive with the exchange rate. I read a bit about Taiwan and thought about how it would be nice to come back sometime. After working the rest of the night since I couldn't sleep I boarded the flight to Bali and slept the whole way. The two pics are my breakfast at Taipei airport and in my happy, sleep-deprived state - a tea with a smiley face.

Californication Day 2

I wake up to the Cali sun streaming through the window and smile - I love being awoken by the sun. I wish that happened more in Amsterdam. Ruben and I enjoyed breakfast and weave through various topics of conversation. After seeing him off to work I clean up and get in the car to drive to Santa Barbara. The day was clear and I could see why people love living up here - the hills are stunning.

Driving up the PCH was even more visually appealing. I understand how residents in SoCal don't mind being in the car for hours...the time flew by as I soaked up the contrast between the beautiful waves and the winding roads through the hills. Surfers enjoyed breaks, local farmers sold produce on the side of the road, and the sun shone. I stopped to buy some avocados (love them) but didn't have any cash, so the farmer gave me a small ripe one to try, bonus.

I arrive in at Mander's house in Santa Barbara (thanks iPhone google maps) and we chill out a bit to catch up, I get to pet Lucy the golden retriever, and then we headed out to The Boathouse - a restaurant between the cliffs and the beach. The view was stunning and we enjoyed some delicious wine and a healthy lunch. I learn how SB has so much to offer (wine tasting, paragliding, surfing, etc) - I'm looking forward to my time here in September. We grab a couple of sunset shots at the beach before we make a quick decision to get to the top of the cliff to catch the rest of it.



Manders takes us to 'Wilcox' aka 'The Douglas Family Preserve'. The view was s-t-u-n-n-i-n-g. I felt a deep connection with SB and SoCal at this point - and wish I knew how to surf. The evening made for a nice silhouette shot as well.



To put a cheery on top, a mountain biker rides by and points out where there are migrating whales. We look closely and see two or three spouts! I haven't seen whales in person so I was stoked. Dinner and drinks at the end of the evening wrapped up a fantastic day.

Californication Day 1

During the flight from IAD to LAX I turned to take in a view of the US southwest and took this pic. I'm excited to drive through it later in the trip.

After landing in LAX I picked up the rental car and called Ruben. It was 2PM and he was working till 5ish so he suggested that I go check out Venice Beach, so I did. I was a cold day at the beach so no one was out - which presented a unique opportunity for photography on a Cali beach. The shot of the lifeguard stand and the sand blowing looked a bit post-apocalyptic.

The second shot shows the ripples in the sand from the wind. I was in Cairo one time but really didn't see ripples this prevalent because it was a calm day.



After a relaxing lunch and a walk around I drive up to Encino to meet Ruben. Turns out Ruben is living in a mansion - this dude always impresses me with how he lives his life. It was great to catch up and see him in LA. It seemed like he was really enjoying his time under the sun and in the midst of so much creative energy. We have a great evening bbq'ing american-style (when in Rome...) and making a fire in a chiminea in his backyard. Dinner with Ruben's housemate was cool - he was a local from LA and shared stories. Ruben and I shared stories about Amsterdam and Europe, and all was well. Sleeping that night was probably the best crashing situation I've ever had. I was in the front room on a mattress next to a gas fireplace, under a few thick blankets. Slept like a baby.

The trip begins...

Every journey of a million miles begins with a single step. Mine happened to be out of my car at Dulles airport near Washington, DC. Dad dropped me off and we snapped a shot before I headed for my flight to California to see Ruben in LA and Amanda in Santa Barbara. I had my new backpacker's bag full of clothes, etc and a backpack for my mac.