It's Time to Go

We have a 1-year visa for Australia, yet we are required to leave every 90 days. Once we re-enter, we can stay for another 90 days. It’s time to go. Somewhere. Let’s go to Bali!

The Indonesian Island of Bali is a popular tourist hot spot renowned for its stunning natural beauty, rich cultural heritage, friendly locals, beautiful beaches and lush verdant forested interior.

We first go inland to Ubud to experience Bali’s rich culture, history and art at ARMA Museum and Resort – and to see Stephen Bennett’s “The Girl From Wewak” incredible 108”x120” painting. Wow. She really just lights up the room. ARMA is a great escape from the crazy busy noisy streets with

its tranquil garden setting, sculptures, art museum, gallery and workshops, plus Balinese dining with traditional dance and music performances, and wonderful staff. We were honored with a personal early morning “Golden Hour Tour” with Agung Rai, the inspirational founder of ARMA. Agung shared “the Soul of Bali” - its natural beauty and historic culture, took us to ancient sites and temples (from the 11th century) within the most beautiful rainforest and the surrounding countryside of terraced rice paddies and other abundant fields of fruits and veggies. What fascinating and passionate man and great way to start the day!

While the movie EAT, PRAY, LOVE made Ubud the place to go for inner peace, it is also known for its Art Galleries and Art Market (Really? Mostly trinkets made where?), the Ubud Palace, and the Monkey Forest, where we wandered about with 1000s of playful long-tailed macaques.

Next we took a ferry to the “less touristy, old Bali feel” island of Nusa Penida to get away for some quiet snorkel and beach time at some of Bali’s best beaches: Broken Beach, Kelingking Beach and Diamond Beach. We found lots of unique sailing/fishing boats and amazing too-hard-to-get-to-climb- down-from-the-cliff beaches. They are beautiful from up above – with mobs of tourists taking selfies precariously perched on the edge of the cliff. Should I climb down and back up with my snorkel equipment? I’ll pass. Taking the ferry back to Bali was also part of the complete touristy experience. I will just say, "What a discombobulated mess!" Thank goodness for our driver who walked us through the crowd to find the right place to get the right tickets to get on the right boat. Suksma!

Our last few days in Bali we stayed at the “resort bubble” of Nusa Dua – where we could walk the long sandy-beach boardwalk among the 5-star resorts with fine dining & evening entertainment or a romantic private gazebo dinner, shop at Polo/Guess/Billabong/Prada/RipCurl/Lacoste/ Oakley/etc, have coffee at Starbucks, ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery, choose from all the usual resort water sports, select among several tours to book... or get a beach massage, stop for happy hour at a beach bar and enjoy an afternoon dip and some quiet poolside reading time.

Bali is the land of over 10,000 temples, flying kites, “sailfish” boats, massages, and beautiful islands with a too much traffic/scooters, garbage/water bottles and tourists problem.

Yeah. I’d go back.
XOXOXOXO
Gma & Gpa