MY Way. Not YOUR Way.

From time to time, I long to escape and have some fun. Relaxing. Unwinding. Recharging my battery. In short, a holiday. Holidays will fuel me to write more, to work more. It gives me something to long for. 

Holidays keep me sharp, making me notice things. New things will lead to new ideas. It's some kind of investment to me. As a writer, traveling will help me in trying to understand new culture and ways of life. Imagination helps, but if you manage to experience and see many things yourself, it'll add a tremendous layer to your writing. 

See. Hear. Touch. Smell. Feel. I will use my senses to savor the new experiences. I believe, the more you travel, the more you realize that humans are very much alike. We should focus on the similarities instead of differences.

This is my way of combating the stresses and challenges of my daily life. To me, holidays are very effective to refresh my spirit and energy. Whenever I am cranky, when I cannot concentrate fully to do my activities, I know it is time for a holiday. Sometimes I don't need to go anywhere. I just need to find a nice spot, grab a lovely book, and spend hours to "travel" elsewhere. The journey sometimes is fun and light, or perhaps dark and annoying. No problem.

I was sad when an acquaintance told me this: "Traveling is a waste of money. I'd rather spend the money on buying food or saving it for the kids' education. If you are stressed, eat something. Or sleep. It's enough for me, why shouldn't it be enough for you?" 

My way is certainly not your way. You might have other ideas to banish your stress, and if they work for you, yay! Still, everyone is different in her own ways. To me, watching the sunrise with my partner is a memory to be cherished for a lifetime. We were just sitting there, watching, talking. Taking pictures now and then. Going to the beach and sitting there is free. Watching the sunrise with your loved one, well, that is priceless.

And be quiet. I am trying to enjoy reading an adventurous book at this moment. Ssssh.

Where to Eat in Bali?

Bali has tons of restaurants and cafes. From the ones littered near the beaches, small "warung" boasting whatever delicacies that they are serving, to haute cuisine.

Since I am Muslim, I have to be careful when eating in Bali. Some of the restaurants serve pork. In fact, one of Balinese specialty dishes is roasted pigs, skewered. They say it's succulent and tasty.

Appearances do matter. Affordable, cheap restaurants usually write their specialties on a banner/on their windows and some even put the prices there. Expensive ones are more elegant and located usually in busy areas, or places where many foreign tourists usually flock. If you're unsure, ask your guide/driver in Bali, they will be able to enlighten you since most drivers I met in Bali are well versed when it comes to choosing the best places to eat, according to your preference.

If you're Muslim, choose restaurants with the word "halal" in them. Otherwise you might have to ask the waiters or waitresses whether they are serving halal food or not. If you're unsure, just stick to vegetarian dishes.

Balinese dishes are generally spicy. If you're used to it, then feel free to sample whatever you fancy. Alternatively you can ask the waiters/waitresses if their chef could lessen the spiciness of their dishes. Never hesitate to ask!

My best friend and I chose a restaurant called Renon. It serves halal food and the price is affordable. They mainly serve Chinese food. I had fun looking at their wares. They're also selling cute saucers, mugs, bowls made of porcelain. If you happen to be there, try their specialty, Renon roasted chicken. They're yum yum!

Where I Stayed in Bali

I was lucky enough because I didn't have to worry about lodging during my last visit in Bali. Nyachan already booked a room here and I have to applaud her choice. She has been here before and she loved it. I love it, too.

The main attraction is of course, the pool. It's warm, especially in the morning and afternoon. I spent some time near the pool, writing on my journal. It's relaxing and surprisingly, fairly empty. I suppose the guests prefer to go to the beach or do some sightseeing.

Nyachan and I stayed at the second floor of a cottage. The view is spectacular and in the morning we can hear the sounds of the birds chirping and cicadas singing. The fragrant flowers and fresh scent are amazing. One day I'd love to stay in this hotel again.

For breakfast, the best choice would be nasi goreng. They also have mi goreng, chicken porridge, bread but Nyachan agrees with me that nasi goreng is the best.

It's only about five minutes away from Sanur beach. And there are lots of cafes, souvenir shops, convenience stores, small restaurants, nearby. You can also find internet cafes around the hotel. I ended up having my lunch at KFC next to the hotel though, what a shame, going all the way to Bali only to eat fried chicken, ha ha ha.

Sanur Beach... Bali

While in Bali, I stayed in a hotel near Sanur beach (I'll write about the hotel later). So in the morn, I decided to walk there. It took roughly 5 minutes, and there I was, in Sanur beach.

Some Balinese I met told me that Sanur beach is kinda slow, meaning, not much is happening there. Unlike the busy and tourist-swarmed Kuta, for instance. I think I prefer it that way. During my short walk, I encountered some cafes, beauty saloons, hostels, convenience stores, souvenir shops, restaurants. And not to mentions lots of taxi drivers/cars to rent.

I saw lots of canang--some kind of offerings consisting of flowers and leaves. They're pretty and fragrant. They're for buto kalo (unsure about the spelling), beings with negative energies. Since they're blind, they need positive energies to "see". Human beings have positive energies. So let's say to protect themselves, humans should put some canang (with positive energies in them) and buto kalo will take the energy from canang instead.

My driver in Bali told me that the students are learning about canang and special flowers that can be used, the rituals, and such. A pity I didn't stay in Bali for long. I'd love to get my hands on the books concerning canang, rituals, flowers and buto kalo.

Back to Sanur... I arrived there at 8.30 GMT + 8 and it was scorching hot! I saw some foreign tourists sunbathing and I couldn't fathom how they could stand to lie down there, in bathing suits, soaking the rays of the sun. I gingerly felt the sand using my bare feet and ouch ouch ouch, I felt like I was being baked. I then chose to walk on the wet part of the sand instead.

Some portions of the beach are lined with rocks. The rocks are inhabited with crabs! Lots of them. Small ones, gray-blackish ones. I meant to sit on the rock while writing my journal or composing a poem but I feared the crabs might bite me!

So what should you do in Sanur? You can collect some shells if you want while walking around, sit near the crabs (he he), shop for some souvenirs (the shops were fairly empty when I was there, perhaps because it was still morning and March is not one of the busiest months there), enjoy some meals (sea food, mostly), take pictures (but of course), and I think you can also rent a boat to do some sightseeing.

Unfortunately there isn't any public transportation in Bali. To go to Sanur, you can walk (if you're nearby), rent a car, motorcycle, bicycle. There's a parking lot in front of the beach.

PS: It's better to visit Sanur before 9-10 AM. Or when sunset approaches. You might want to bring your own sunblock and mat if you plan to sit and relax on the sand. Alternatively you can also buy beach sarung in the souvenir shops. Bring your own mineral water too, walking around is bound to make you thirsty.