Bali Part 2

After 4 days spent in the bustling streets of Kuta and Seminyak, we made our way for a peaceful respite up in the hills in Ubud. There we stayed for 2 nights at Villa Sarna a jungle retreat 30 minutes out of town, driving up and down the hills and through rice paddy fields. We then moved to the Honeymoon Guesthouse, a boutique hotel recommended by friends located in town, for one night. Honeymoon Guesthouse is great value for a balinese style retreat with all the luxuries, but make sure you get one of the more expensive rooms (only $70 instead of $50) that has AC, the others can be a bit dark and bare (but still nice). The main activities in Ubud were shopping up and down the streets, peeking into galleries and eating amazing cuisine. I rediscovered my bargaining skills in the craft market, impressing Richard at the deals I could get for all the fun gifts and trinkets. I am in love with the basketry and wanted to buy it all, especially the bags. I loved all the color and creativity displayed in the batiks, sarongs, beaded jewelry, wood carvings, metal work, paintings, etc.

One of the many daily offerings presented to the gods. People believe that the gods are living beings in the carved statue, so they are dressed in black and white checkered sarongs and presented with food and flowers each day.

The offerings are strewn all around the gods and in the temples. Someone must come around every evening and make room for the next day's supply.

People can buy offerings from a supplier and also pay other people to make and deliver an offering to their temple or god of choice.

Market produce

Kopi Luwak. The brewed drink from the coffee that is first eaten and excreted by the Luwak cat native to Indonesia.

These are a common sight, and a popular purchase by tourists. Supposed to endow fertility.

We were told we had to try the smoked duck specialty at this place, Bebek Bengil - the dirty duck diner, and it was definitely worth the trek. It was amazing, go with an appetite.

The set duck menu, included one whole smoked duck stuffed and covered in spices, chicken sate (couldn't get enough of those), green bean salad, fruit cocktail, and steamed rice. So good! Ask for the private cabana seating.

On the trek to the dirty duck diner we found this kite artist and bought one to take home.

In town just in time to catch this sight. 

Amazing views of rice paddies on our half-day walk along Campuan Ridge.

Perfect rehydration drink after sweating so much on our walk.

I had never seen rice harvested before.

This is where rice comes from.

Along Campuan Ridge

I love this photo. This is elephant grass that is used for roof thatching.

The musicians at the Lotus Cafe monday night Kecak performance.

We ended our holiday in Sanur, an East Coast resort region with fewer waves, where we resolved to relax by the pool and do nothing. We did manage to bump into an old friend from Sri Lanka who has been living on the Island since leaving SL. Social networking sites are amazing tools for keeping in touch with so many people, especially having an international profession. I love having the potential to make and visit friends all over the world.

Bali Part 1

Soo not good at keeping up with this blog. Its been one week back, almost feels like forever, but I figured I might as well at least post a few photos of the holiday before time gets away from me.

The first few days were spent in Kuta, the massively chaotic tourist trap on the west coast of the island. Good waves no the beach for beginner surfers for Richard to try out. I was able to capture this one picture of him up on the board. We arranged a drive out to Ulu Watu at sunset to visit the temple where the main attractions are these mischevious monkeys who will snatch anything they dangling and loose on an unsuspecting person and the Kecak fire dance telling a story of Rama and Sita.

Home for an Interview

Back from a whirlwind 2 week trip home to the States to take part in an interview for a USG Foreign Service position, for which I have since been rejected. That was a quick decision, guess I didn't do so well in the interview, as I suspected. USG - You have made a serious mistake in rejecting me and I really do wonder how you are able to let the fools that you do accept into your bureaucracy. Because I have seen, met and worked with some of the people that get through the vetting process. Makes me very scared for the future of this world that the most powerful nation in this world is staffed by some very naive, incompetent youngsters. Ah well, it was a trip home on the government's dime!

It was nice to catch some of the last vestiges of summer. I enjoyed experiencing all the familiar sensations of being home, the smell of the dirt, sound of the cicadas, dry summer heat mixed with summer thunder storms - all with the idea in mind that this will be my home once again in the near future. All my feelings were mixed up in a jumble and I hoped that I would be able to just enjoy feeling something other than dread and despair, which has been the theme of this year so far.

As usual I took the opportunity to do some American shopping. GAP and Anthropologie and JCrew are my first stops. SOOOo much cheaper in the US than Australia, and I appreciate the clean-cut, classic styles that will last a long time. Oh and don't forget DSW, for good deals on fun shoes. I bought 2 pairs of impractical shoes (total retail therapy) that will do me no good in current Melbourne temperatures. Will have to wait til next summer to bring them out again. I'm so silly, but thats how I got over a gruelling, disappointing FS interview day.

Caught up with friends and family with a busy social schedule once the stupid interview was out of the way. Only Richard was missing at the family dinner. A crab feast just like old times when Bunca was alive. Something we can look forward to repeating during our next few years based in DC. In addition to Girl's Night Out with the cousins, romping around in B'more watching chic flicks like "Eat, Pray, Love" - I hope you guys enjoyed that movie, I got a bit squirmy towards the end. And exploring DC with old and new friends that I've met during my studies and travels. Can't wait!

With the end of the Melbourne chapter looming, I reflect on some of the things of my Australian home that I have come to value: Great coffee, cafe's, foodie places, markets, neighborhood villages, quirky european vibe, modern fashion flare, relaxed atmosphere, convenient public transportation, proximity to city life... There are also plenty of things that I will be glad to escape. I can tell you already as well that I am not excited about replacing these things with the commercialization, crazy, traffic, hugeness, suburbia, Only-Starbucks-on-every-corner America. But with everything there is a trade off. I look forward to family, familiarity, career, wholefoods, ....

Trip to Tassy

It was a special weekend a few days ago, 3rd year wedding anniversary and Richard's Birthday all wrapped up in one go.
So we planned a mini getaway with some cheap deals to take us to Hobart, Tasmania. Yes, I know its not really the right time of year to go to that part of the world where its colder than it is here in Melbourne, but all we really wanted was to get away from the city on a little adventure. I had liked the place so much during my first visit with Lindsey back in May, that I wanted to share the experience with my Aussie husband who had never been before.

A quick hop over on the plane, we arrived super early and decided to drive around to Port Arthur since we couldn't check into the hotel for hours. From Wikipedia: Port Arthur is a small town and former convict settlement on the Tasman Peninsula, in Tasmania, Australia. Port Arthur is one of Australia's most significant heritage areas and the open air museum is officially Tasmania's top tourist attraction. It is located approximately 60 km south east of the state capital, Hobart. In 1996 it was the scene of the worst mass murder event in post-colonial Australian history.

As you can see it is a place that is said to foster "bad vibes." So just as well we didn't linger to pay the steep entrance fee to visit the historic site.

We caught the Saturday Salamanca Market the next day where we brunched at a nearby restaurant and later sampled Tasmanian Leatherwood honey from some of the vendors (our favorite). It was a beautiful day and the market was alive with the population of Hobart picking through produce stalls, craft tents and souvenir shops with wares made out of local Huon Pine or wool. I like to see what the local jewelry artists produce. We picked up a couple novels at the used book stall. I got Philip Pullman's Northern Lights, something I have been wanting to read for a long time. I am fully engrossed, can't put it down, and look forward to bedtime when I can get back into it. About to pick up book II from the library tomorrow. I love books that catch your attention in such a way, haven't had a book like that in a long time.

Hobart is a port city, as all Australia capitals are. Over it looms the commanding Mt. Wellington allowing for the perfect blend of mountainous and seaside for those who can't decide which they prefer. Just 30 minutes drive in an upward direction you can reach the peak of the mountain and get spectacular views of the countryside. Go back down the mountain and reward yourself for the efforts with a stop in Cascade Brewery to sample some of the fresh brews and take in the view. I like the Apple Cider, Draught. I don't recommend the tour that they offer, as you don't really see much of the process.

 

And then we caught the ferry the next day to Bruny Island before getting back on the plane. Just a short day trip, we took full advantage of the gorgeous surrounds and proximity to the best oysters in the world to picnic. Stopped into Get Shucked to pick up a dozen freshly shucked oysters sold out of a take-away stall, then to Bruny Island Cheese Company to stock up on freshly made cow's milk cheese to go along with our freshly baked bread that we picked up at a french patisserie earlier in the morning before leaving the city. Can you tell we are total foodies?

Pretty ugly right? I don't think there is any property that doesn't get a beautiful view. Those bogans in Tasmania are pretty damn lucky. I totally want a holiday house here.

Parents Visit (part 2)

The parents made the long journey across the great ocean to see their world-traveling daughter.

Only minor panic when we learned that their flight out of San Francisco was canceled. The reroute to Sydney turned out to be a good thing allowing us extra time to visit the iconic city and visit with the in-laws. They stood up pretty well despite the jet-lag and were royally stuffed and trussed by all the wonderful cooking that Richard's mom undertook. Only two days here, we took little day trips out to Manly, Bondi and the City Centre to see the Opera House and Bridge at a leisurely pace eating yummy food and drinking tasty coffees (though not as good as in Melbourne) along the way. 

In Bondi, it was a beautiful day, not as cold as in Melbourne.

Then we left for Cairns, in Tropical North Queensland. Destination: The Hilton (of Course) and the Great Barrier Reef! This was also just a quick trip so we tried to pack in as much as possible in each day.  First day: Venture out to Green Island for a day trip of snorkeling (and diving for the brave), its one of the closer islands out towards to reef. Trial snorkeling in the AM, Mom saw a baby ray and Richard swam with sea turtles, lots of big and colorful fish. Dad was re-aquainting himself with this inner-fish. Then we took a glass-bottom boat tour to see what could be found further out. 

Sharks!

Look at that coral, and big giant fish.

Next day we rented a car and drove out to see some of the Daintree Rainforest, just the outter edge, via the Coffee Museum in Mareeba (CoffeeWorks). Tons of sugar cane fields along the roadsides and coffee plantations out in the Atherton Tablelands.

Coffee Museum

Rainforest walk

We spent the last lazy day exploring the Northern Cairns resort beaches before heading back to Melbourne.

Sydney in June with the 'rents

Bondi Beach

Sydney Opera House at dusk.

Parents came for a visit. First stop - Sydney. Caught two of the most iconic spots of the Country. Great start to the tour.