Paragliding, Monkeys and Sunset at Dreamland Beach

Food Hall Cooks Near Timbus. The Food is Great and their fried chicken is to die for!

So some pretty good things have been happening here in Bali recently.  The weather has gotten a little better (thank the gods), but we’re still getting frequent rain storms. The wind continues to try and dissuade the para-gliders from taking off but with perseverance and a second flying site to launch from, Marc has been able to fly more in the last week and a half then the whole time we’ve been here. It means I get to hang out at Gunung Payung a lot and swing in my hammock when I’m not taking pictures of the guys flying or going for a hike through the cow pastures.

Such a life.

Marc Flying His Green Nivuk2

You meet people from all over the world out here.  The folks that come for a tandem, the wives and girlfriends of the pilots, occasionally a few kids running around. It’s a festive atmosphere made more amusing by the drink and snack folks that fall all over themselves to be the first to sell you a beer, a coke, a snack. Usually at a four hundred percent markup.  Then there are the locals that help to fold up the wings or help you launch.  I’ve seen more than one launch that ended up back in the trees.  Well, it was windy that day.*LOL*

Reky, one of the members of the Indonesian Paragliding Team. He also does tandems.

Playing Can’t Catch Me

I have met a few female pilots but so far it seems to be a mostly male dominated sport. At least, that’s been my observation. One of the people Marc met the other day was a guy from Nepal. I think he has a paragliding shop there and teaches as well. He let Marc try out his new Nivuk3 wing.

Ready to launch!

Marc flies the red Nivuk3. Yes, it really is better.

I have a feeling he might be thinking about a trip to Nepal sometime in the future. I told him to bring me back something nice… if he doesn’t bring me. *Lol* Oh, speaking about the people you meet, Marc got to meet up with his friend Kim from Norway. Evidently Kim heard he was here and had some vacation time coming so he came to Bali to visit friends. He stopped by one night with a nice little bottle of Whiskey and with some good music and Bintang’s, they got to catch up a bit and I got introduced. Nice guy, is Kim.

On another note, I finally got to see some monkeys! We stopped at Bali Cliff one day and there they were. A whole troupe of  Balinese long tailed Macaques! We were totally unprepared and they were not impressed by that. Of course, after Marc came back with some food their attitude changed in a hurry! The big male leader actually stole a bag of nuts right off the bike and gobbled them down in a minute. After that, Marc would distract him and throw him treats one at a time while I threw snacks to the others. Especially the momma with the baby. They wouldn’t go near him. Looked like they were all afraid of him. He’d stand his ground too. The foot stomp didn’t even make him blink.

That big boy had no fear

Grooming Behavior

I have an even better monkey story to tell you all about, but that will have to wait till next time. Other things we’ve done that are on this “roll of film” are the sunset we finally got to see at Dreamland Beach. Can you believe in five weeks or so, this is the best and near only nice one we’ve seen? Ya, I told you the weather has been weird.

Sunset @ Dreamland Beach

Sunset Surfers

Oh, and we did get to Jimbaran Beach again for prawns and Red Snapper in Balinese sauce. OMG is it good! So good and we were so hungry we just dove right in and by the time I thought to take a picture my hands were really messy and they don’t really believe in napkins here so I couldn’t take a picture. Next time, ok? I did take a picture though of the wandering musicians who serenade the tables at dinner time. Marc said they must know at least one song in twenty odd languages and they knew plenty of English songs. They are awesome! Next time, I’m going to ask for some Elvis.

Next time I promise I will tell you all about my monkey story and the beach and everything else on this next roll of film, ok? Y’all take care!

Swimming Pools & Movie Stars

Been a while since I’ve written, hasn’t it? Sorry for the delay, but Marc took me on a bit of a fantasy trip here in Bali and it’s taken me a while to come back down to earth. Here’s what we’ve been up to.

It started off innocently enough with scooter driving lessons. I’d been wanting to learn for a while and he was kind enough to rent me a “twist and go” and teach me how to drive it. We went to a quiet neighborhood the first few days and he set up and obstacle course and had me going up and down hills and doing figure eights too.  A couple of local women and their child came to watch the fun. Probably waiting for a crash and burn but very supportive at the same time.They’d give me big smiles and thumbs up as I’d come past. I did lay the bike down several times but it was old and what’s one more scratch, eh?

After being deemed ready for the roads, we loaded up the bikes and moved digs to the  Flamingo Dewata Villas. Marc had worked out a deal with Eka for the honeymoon suite (DON’T get any ideas folks) for three days and we made ourselves right at home. What a beautiful place! Private pool & patio, incredibly comfortable bed, huge jaCUzzi tub and a view that reached all the way to the ocean (Indian Ocean or Bali Sea, not really sure). We did have some rain, but some sun as well and we really enjoyed our stay there. Breakfast was included every morning so we’d just go out for lunch or dinner or to get a massage. Our biggest surprise was returning to the property the second day to find a film crew shooting on the grounds! Even better, we got to meet an up and coming new Indonesian movie star named Marcell Darwin. He was very nice and so handsome. I think I went a little crazy. My heart was beating so fast.*laughs*. If you would like a great place to stay at a reasonable price, I highly recommend them.

Private Pool in the Honeymoon Suite

jaCUzzi!

Me and Marcell Darwin

Next stop was a night in Kuta so we could hit the nightclubs. We checked into the Bendesa Hotel and went souvenir shopping during the day and I finally got a chance to mail the postcards I wrote the first week here. Didn’t leave enough room for the stamps though so it should be a challenge for the recipients. Have fun guys!

Bendesa Hotel in Kuta

They really like sparkly things there

Anyway, that night we got dressed up, walked down Legian street and were bule gila’s (crazy foreigners). Bounty was rocking for a Wednesday night and we got large sugary cocktails  and bounced around with huge smiles when we weren’t totally captivated by the way cool  house dancers employed by the club. They were easy to spot; all dressed in white pants with checkered shirts and white Panamas and fluid as silk in the wind.

This is inside a small bit of Bounty Discotheque

The rain had started by then but it cooled us down on our way to Apache Club. What a difference. Instead of pounding house music, the theme here is Reggae and the crowd tends to be a bit older. There was a rocking live band playing in front of a shrine to Bob Marley, and two for one drink specials. Evidently, vodka can be mixed with just about anything. The rain really began to pound and it was funny to feel the drops on the dance floor.

Walking back to the hotel was an experience all it’s own. Legian was jammed with “taksi’s” all looking for fares and Marc must have been offered  most of the illegal  and some of the legal substances available to the young and foolish. Who needs that though when there was Tugu to look forward to?

We spent three days and two night at Hotel Tugu Bali and it was heavenly! From the moment the car picked us up, any worries receded like an outgoing tide. Indeed, our only major decisions were sitting by the pool or the beach, what do I want to eat and where should we have dinner? We both got fifteen minute massages on arrival and I was handed a beautifully woven fan with frangipani blooms inserted in the folds.

The attention to detail is amazing here. From the accents included with our meals to the poem left on our turned down coverlet each night, we were totally spoiled.

I believe I’ve told you before about Tugu? The hotel is filled with antiques and they have an awesome pool. You should see their rooms. A king size hand carved canopy bed dominated the bedroom and the private porch featured a hammered sunken tub and more antiques as well as a massage table.

The bath foam smelled delicious and I wanted to take the shampoo and conditioner home with me. I couldn’t though because Tugu is a green hotel committed to reducing waste thus all the soaps are wrapped in paper and the toiletry bottles are earthen and refilled daily.Gotta commend them for that. I did a little shopping in their antique shop while I was there and picked up a new sarong. It’s absolutely gorgeous and made of silk. Can’t wait to show that off back home. When we left, the staff presented us with souvenir fans and a basket containing bottles of water and small fruits for our ride back to reality. They were so nice. Can you tell I want to go back?

A private cooking class @ Tugu

In the Balle Puputan room for a private dinner of roast suckling pig.

Tugu employees weaving the accent pieces found throughout the hotel

Lunch @ Tugu.

Bembek Betutu for dinner. This is a dish traditionally made by Balinese women for religious festivals. The ducks are stuffed and marinated with a variety of island herbs and spices before being wrapped in Banana leaves and slow roasted for at least twelve hours. Served with rice, pork cracklings and roasted Balinese peanuts. Better eaten with the fingers as we were to discover. Delicious!

Marc in the pool

Antique door leading to a spa room

Isn’t it beautiful? This is another part of the spa.

So, you may ask at this point “But Cara, what happened to the scooter?” Am I still driving it? Well… no actually. I did have an accident coming back from dinner while we were staying at The Flamingo.  Nothing too serious. I did donate some skin to the pavement, jolted my right shoulder and put a pretty good bruise on my right thigh. It was actually all my fault really. I was following Marc home from dinner and not paying enough attention to my surroundings. He turned right across traffic (they drive on the left here) into a supermarket parking lot and I was following him when I realized that someone was coming up on me fast from the other direction. In trying to stop quickly I turned the wheel too sharply and laid the bike down right across their path. Out of nowhere thirty Indonesians come running and before I knew it they had gotten me and the bike up and off the road. So, no one was hurt although I did get quite the scare.I think the guy I turned in front of did too. I did drive it a bit more after that but we took taksis  for our longer trips and we decided I’m safer on the back of Marc’s bike.

I won’t include a recreation of the accident. Instead, please enjoy this pictures of blossoms.

So, that’s my story. Pretty cool, eh? Time keeps slipping forward now and I have to finish this up so I can get to my next post. There’s just so much still to say. Love you guys and we’ll be back now before you know it.

Baby Gecko

Second Week in Bali

Statue I  saw from the side of the road. Possibly used for their Nyepi festival, after which it’s burned.

Wow! Happy fourth of July everyone! I just realized what day it was while we were out on the bike today. While no one here is  going to celebrate the Fourth like we do in the states, we did go out for beer and BBQ tonight. That’s gotta count for something, right? I can hardly believe another week has gone by. As Marc would say, “it’s flown by.” No pun intended. *Laughs. I have so much to share with you so let me get started.

Rainstorms in the current supposedly dry season have continued to be an obstacle. After being cooped up for most of one day,  we bit the bullet and bought rain ponchos for the bike. We were hoping to invoke Murphy’s Law but so far it hasn’t worked. It was only after I’d used mine for a little bit that we realized it was probably made for a child. Marc had a little fun with me before he fixed it. You should have heard all the people at McDonald’s laugh at me when I put it on backwards the first time. I was laughing too though so it’s all good.

While I would stay really dry this way, I do have a problem with not being able to see.

The sun finally did show it’s face and we took the opportunity to look around for a nice place to stay as a treat. We accomplished our mission and also came across this awesome private villa/compound owned by an Italian architect. He wasn’t there  the day we stopped by so one of his staff gave us a bit of a private tour. What an amazing place!

Local gas station

Marc’s friend Chris, a  fellow para-glider from New Zealand got here the middle of last week. We first got word thru an email that he had arrived and Marc went down to Kuta to pick him up and help him find a place to stay closer to the launch site. Unfortunately, the locals still like to play a game called “misdirect the bule” and after two hours of fruitless searching he chucked it in. Marc sent him and email with our location and he showed up at our place  two days later. We’ve enjoyed showing him around and getting him sorted and educated on local culture, customs and mindset. He’s a right nice guy and he’s starting to clue in.

Marc and Chris clown around

A couple of times now, I’ve been on my own while the guys have taken off for the launch site. I’ve browsed shops, found a closer supermarket and internet cafe, gotten a mani/ pedi and had a tortuously great Balinese massage.

All the pretty birds of Bali are in cages

Mona the massage therapist. She is really good.

Lest anyone think all I do is live the life of Riley though, let me show y’all one essential task that I perform regularly here in Bali. I do the laundry. Yes, I know that doesn’t sound like all that big a deal to all you folks with washers and dryers but in this country, I AM the washing machine. Sure, there are laundry shops all over the place here but with valid concerns on our part over the potential loss of our stuff and the hassle that would be involved in locating new duds, it’s just not worth the risk.

Step 1: Pour soap powder into plastic bowl and add your water

Step 2: Agitate by hand. I like to use the baby kitten method and listen to Prince or other fast music while I do this.

Step 3: Rinse under running water and then wring dry

To finish off our second week we went to the pool at Mahagiri for a swim, cocktails and dinner. They have a lovely little infinity pool and a bar staffed with some nice young men whose English rocks. We had fun drinking cocktails with such exotic names as Blue Motorcycle, After Sex, and Hawaii Five-O. Dinner was lovely as well and Marc said his Australian tenderloin with mashed potatoes, french fries, veggies and peppercorn gravy  was fabulous. Just a little odd to get two kinds of potatoes though.

Kanna & Budi will treat you right!

The author takes a break

Well… what can I say? It’s hot and I am going to wander back home and finish washing Marc’s shorts while I wait for him to get back from the launch site. He’s going to take me for another scooter driving lesson later and I’ll tell you all about that next time. Meanwhile, I’ll show you one picture from a coming attraction. Looks nice, eh?