Earthquake

So on our way back to our room from dinner tonight this Japanese girl stopped and told us her friend text-ed her about a earthquake in bali today.

Plugged in the wifi and found out a rather large one hit off the coast of bali around noon. Our best guess is we were underwater scuba diving at the time. Didn’t feel a thing but the water was abnormally cold.

So all good here in Bali. Sorry for the lack of posting and pictures…but wifi here still needs more work 🙂

Jim and Tavin

Diving

Let’s talk diving…I know it’s what you’re waiting for. It’s been a bit windy here, which I find very appealing, it cuts down on the heat, but it also cuts down on the visability. Oh, boo-hoo, so I can only see 30 yds instead of 100, poor me ;-). Water temp has been a delightful 82 degrees at depth. We’ve been diving 6 days so far between NW Bali (Menjangan) and East Bali (Tumlaben) and we have seen everything we have come here to see and more.
Our dives are anywhere from 15 feet to 100 feet. Our divemasters have been great in showing us little things that we would Never find on our own. It’s such a bonus to have people load, unload and clean your gear for you. All we have to do is grab our mask, fins & camera and walk to the boat. Once to the divesite, they help us get on our gear and when we’re done we wave to the boat and he comes right over to pick us up….now that’s luxury.

Taking pictures with a simple point-and-shoot Casio Exilim with an underwater housing and an external light, my photographs are far clearer, crisper and more colorful than even a year ago. So, be prepared to see some amazing pics.

Here’s just a little peek….

Over the Hills

Over the hills and through the jungle to a wonderful beach resort we go. It was a beautiful, scary, educational 6 hour drive.  The beauty is like none other. Lush green jungles with many places you can pull off the side of the  road, buy bananas and see the monkeys come running to get their treats.  Stunning hillsides of ledges. Rice fields either ready to harvest or flooded waiting for their next planting.

We stopped by a coffee plantation, which from the road, didn’t appear to be anything special. But walk a few feet in and suddenly we are surrounded not only by coffee plants but by papaya trees, pineapple plants and cacao most with stunning orchid plants growing right on the trunks. We walked a little further to a lean-to to see 3 women roasting beans, grinding and sifting the fresh picked coffee. They invite you over to a little sitting area to try the different coffees, tea’s and hot chocolate. If you are daring enough you can try Luwak coffee (for a little extra $ of course). Don’t know about Luwak coffee? In short, the Luwak animal will eat the arabaca coffee beans. They sift through his excrement ….now, doesn’t that sound yummy?

Having a 6 hour car ride gave us plenty of time to talk with our guide, Wayan. Between him and our driver yesterday, Nyoman, we have found out so much about how Balinese life really works. It’s so fasinating and completely different from how our culture lives. Men never (or rarely) leave their home. When they marry, the new wife joins his family. There are no apartments here. Family supports family in all manners and ways.

I know I have mentioned the driving before, but you really have to experience it in order to truely comprehend the sheer number of scooters, cars and trucks on the road…at the same time. You can have a truck partially on the side of the road, you are passing over the center line and there will be a car or scooter(s) coming the opposite way…all at the same time. As long as it’s “safe” to do so, you may pass any other vehicle at any time.

You know how hard it is to turn down a cute girl selling cookies. Here, they pray on your kindness and inability to say no. We stopped for a nice walk to see 1 of 3 amazing waterfalls and were accosted many times, in both directions, to buy bracelets or necklaces. The little girls say…”you so pretty” “please buy..only 5000 rupiahs” “es look so good on you” “just for you…I give you 2 for 5000” all the while giving you the cute puppy dog look.  Our guide was laughing the whole time as I kept to my guns and did not buy anything. If you buy one…believe me, it will Never end.  Soon the mountains are in the background and the land is flatening out. The breeze is kicking up and the smell of salt is in the air. We have arrived. Now time to change our shoes for fins, skin for scales, the water is calling….

Shopping – Ubud, Bali

Welcome to the jungle, baby!  It’s warm, it’s humid and so completely weird to not need lotion.  This is where you want the lightest, non-greasy SPF you can find.  But you will find the warmest, nicest people on Earth.  All the locals will look you in the eye and say hello, it’s some of the tourists that are, well, not so friendly.

We asked our hotel staff last night (around 6) if they could possibly locate a driver to take us around outside of Ubud…places where they hand craft their wares.  Much to our surpise, even at that late hour, they found a great guy named I Nyoman.  See here, driving is a great job, much easier and cooler than working the rice fields (which is what he did all day yesterday).

Where he took us was so amazing to see.  We saw silver artists, batik silks and fabrics and wood carvers.  All of them were inspiring and really gave you an appreciation for what they do.

 

We made it!

After 27 hours of flying (including lay over) we finally made it.  The flying really wasn’t that bad since we both can sleep on the plane.  If we weren’t sleeping we were eating or watching movies.  I highly recommend the new X-Men.

Actually going thru customs this time wasn’t so difficult (esp since there are nice people telling us we didn’t buy our visa and held our place in line so that I could quickly run over to a different line).  We didn’t get attacked by the guys trying to “help” you with your luggage (they literally take it 3 feet and then hold out their hands for money), but when you look like you know what you’re doing, they leave you alone.  A poor 13 yr old held strong when 2 of them tried taking his luggage right out of his hands all the while calling for his mom.  Once they saw her nearby they promptly disappeared.  Good for you kid!

We had a nice drive to Ubud…gotta say that I just love the driving here!  Who needs lines in the middle of the road, just a little beep to the motor bike to your left and you’re in the middle driving around.

Once here we had a lovely welcome fruity drink (yum!) then immediately put on our bathing suits and jumped into the pool.  Can’t take too long tho, we’ve gotta go have a scrumptious dinner then off to a $20 hour massage.  We feel SO much better!

I’m sitting here on our outside veranda, with WiFi, listening to the rain and the frogs croaking.  I think we will sleep very well tonite…after all, I’ve got a great day of going thru the monkey forest, shopping and more massage planned tomorrow……

 

Bali Bound!

We heading back to Bali Indonesia!  Our first trip there in 2008 was so wonderful we have been planning our return since we left.

Mainly going for the scuba diving but also for the island and the people that live there.  Ohh and Tavin says for the Spa treatments, massage and shopping!!

We are going during Mola Mola season!  So we hope to see one of these wonderful creatures during our diving.  If you don’t know what one is here is a picture:

Well time to pack we leave in just a couple of days.  Keep checking our Bali Blog as we will be updating it when we are able to find some WiFi.