Life Lately: Living on Balitime
We’ve gotten very, very lazy.
Greetings from Bali! We’re about one week into our 2-month tour of Southeast Asia and couldn’t be more relaxed if we tried (I sound like an obnoxious bragger, apologies). Previously we had planned to do the ‘Banana Pancake’ route but after the exhaustion of a trans-Atlantic move we opted to nix it in favor of a slower pace – starting with about a month in Indonesia.
Following our 26-hour journey here, including layovers in Munich and Bangkok, we opted to start our visit on the Bukit Peninsula – south of the main tourist area and famed for its white-sand beaches and world-class surf breaks. After a lot of debate we settled on this Airbnb for 3 nights and quickly fell in love with the sweet host, Anna, and her famous banana pancakes. Upon arrival we were given keys to a scooter parked out front, and loose directions to nearby Balangan Beach (“So wait, are you saying left, left, right or just two lefts?” “Yes!”). It was 4PM at the time and we were giddy with curiosity, however, we (read: I) were so nervous about zipping around on a scooter. Being the passenger meant that I was literally sitting on top of the fuel tank, I couldn’t get over it as we anxiously set off to find the beach.
Within 10 minutes of leaving our apartment we had our toes in the sand and were watching the surfers ride the reef break far offshore. While the beach itself was rocky and shallow (not so great for swimming), the atmosphere was quintessential ‘beach chill’ with a number of thatch roofed surf schools and restaurants lined up side by side. Dan and I totally skipped out on the jet lag bug despite the 12 hour time change (we forced ourselves to stay awake on our first leg to Munich so we could sleep on Bali time during the second leg), so we meandered around the beach for a bit then joined the surfers and yogis sipping their Bintangs. For dinner we chowed down plates of Nasi Goreng and chicken satay (~$3USD per plate) at one of the beach shacks. Safe to say, it was a solid start to our trip.
Since then we’ve moved to another village, Canggu, further north and with a recommended beach to learn to surf. After taking lessons and tossing ourselves into the washing machine a few times (there is SO much sand in my hair…) we have found ourselves lounging far more than surfing. It’s so hard! Our guesthouse is beautiful, so lounging has extended beyond the shore to the pretty teal tiled pool in the center of the courtyard. Life is good, what can I say? Apart from doing nothing, I’ve been reading up a storm (thank you, Kindle) and would definitely recommend Aziz Ansari’s ‘Modern Romance’. No matter your relationship status it’s both interesting and hysterical.
Most Beautiful: sunset at Uluwatu temple ->
Most Surprising: mosquitos are a non-issue, there were way more in Washington DC
Most Disappointing: all the homeless dogs – I hope they are happy, they seem to be content, but seeing them aimlessly wander the streets makes me so sad.
Most Delicious: Mi Goreng at Sate Bali (beachside café at Echo Beach) & EVERYTHING at Betelnut Café (Canguu)
One thing I would change: wifi has been out at our guesthouse since arrival, apparently nearby construction damaged the cable (read: I’m dying)
One thing I love most: the Balinese people are THE NICEST. The cliché is warranted, they are incredibly warm and kind, and always smiling.
Cheers and happy Friday!