Bali... Beaches, Bintangs and Bikes

                                 

After a long flight we arrived 10 days ago in hot, loud and especially very busy Kuta in Bali. The moment we stepped foot into the overwhelming humidity we got attacked with "taxi, taxi!?", "transport!", "where are you going?", "you need hotel?" After we managed to get out of that, everything was smooth sailing!
The first thing that struck me was the smell of Asia, the same smell that was still in my memories from my last visit 3.5 years ago, the sweet smell of rice and incense.

Kuta is the Asian version of let's say Florida or the Mediterranean coast: lots of tourists shops, restaurants, loud bars and (for Asian terms) a lot of bare skin a.k.a trashy Ozzies and Brazilians. Since it was our first stop we didn't realize this as much until we actually visited much nicer places. Such as the more trendy area Seminyak with the most amazing lounge bars on the beach from where you can enjoy the sunset - every single day at 6pm sharp - from your comfy seat with a cold Bintang (local beer) in hand. That's the good life!
Unfortunately we also had a bit of not so good life when we got it in our head that we could drive the busy streets of Kuta on a motorbike... which ended up in a scraped knee on the asphalt :(.

The day after we decided to go south to trade Kuta's trashy beach for the absolute opposite; the secluded beaches with rocks and coral and bright blue water and - yes you've guessed it - white sand of Padang Padang Beach! And the best of all: not a single soul that tries to sell you bracelets/sarongs/fruit/massages/whatever! Because after a day enjoying ourselves on the beach, we wanted to see some more of the area and especially more of the 'real' Bali, we braved to go on a motorbike again. This time very slow and very careful and we made it to the Ulu Watu temple in one piece! Perched on a high cliff above the wild ocean and full with mischievous monkeys that are trying to steal every single item that is not attached to you! We finished the day in the village, sitting on a bench at one of the bars on the cliffs, watching the surfers with a Bintang in hand :).

Up next was Nusa Lembongan, an island 1.5 hrs away from the main island. We spent our days relaxing at our amazing accommodation with ocean views, eating good local food, exploring the different beaches on the island and driving around the rural parts. A lot more traditional than what we had seen before and a good way to see how the Balinese strive on other industries than tourism, like harvesting seaweed! It's fascinating to see the devotion to the Hindu religion, in the form of a sanctuary and temples in every garden and the little offering they make every single morning with a woven banana leaf filled with rice, flowers and incense. The highlight of our trip to Nusa Lembongan was when, after a long hot walk, we stumbled upon a secluded and empty beach! All that white sand, transparent blue water and shade under the palm trees for only the two of us to enjoy! And it was the first day that my leg was healed enough to go swimming again! Just perfect :)