bali bali bali.

best door mat ever.

A few weeks ago when everyone was talking about where they wanted to go for study break I was miserable and homesick. Given the option I probably would have flown home even if it was just for a week. Don’t get me wrong, I love Australia and I’m having an amazing time, but lets be honest my family is awesome and how can I not miss those precious people every once in a while…or every day. Anyway, a bunch of the other exchange students were planning on going to Bali but I wasn’t convinced. I talked to the parents and they told me to go for it. I am so glad that I did. It was an incredible adventure and I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to visit such an amazing island.

beachh

money money moneyyyy

Our flight wasn’t until nighttime so we had all day Friday to finish packing and getting all our stuff ready. We had to exchange our money, which was exciting because over night we were all millionaires! $100,000 rupiah is about $10 Australian. (***photo credit to Liz, I sadly didn't have the brilliant idea to take a picture of my money and by the time I thought of it I had obviously spent it all.) The money was so complicated and a bit of a struggle but by the end of the week we mastered it.

Liz and I decided to hit up the Tav happy hour before we left just to calm our pre-flight jitters, mostly my jitters, but cider does wonders for the mind and body. We were lucky enough to get a ride to the airport and everyone checked in and we met up with Amanda and Luke who were coming with us. The flight was uneventful and after four really boring and antsy hours we made it to Bali. Upon arrival we had to buy $25 visitors visas and then check in. After checking through we went to claim our baggage where we had to fight with the clerks who tried to scam you by taking your bags for you and then making you pay them for their services. After wrangling our suitcases away we were ready to go…or so we thought. We were still waiting on Amanda, and we kept waiting…Amanda was travelling with a passport that expires within 6 months which is a pretty serious no-no. The airport agent informed us that she was being sent back to Perth the next day at 2pm and would not be allowed to stay in the country. Luke volunteered to go home with her and suddenly our group of twelve was down by two. We didn’t really know what to do, so we kept waiting for them to come out. Finally, someone came out and said she was allowed to stay and we got our bags and got in a taksis. (yes that’s how its spelled in Bali) We made it safely to our hotel and checked in. Amanda was one of my two roommates for the week, the other being my fab friend Liz. When we got to our room she informed us that the only reason she was allowed to stay in Bali was because she paid a “secret fine” of $150. Shady. But at least she got to stay and enjoy the rest of the trip.

the pool/hotel/BAR

We really lucked out with our hotel. We were a 5 minute walk from the beach, 2 minutes from shopping and lots of restaurants and about a 20 minute walk from the clubs. There was a pool bar in the smallish pool outside our hotel that had happy hour from 5-8, amazing. We also got complimentary breakfast every morning as long as we were there before 11am and it was DELICIOUS. All of this and fresh towels and our rooms cleaned every day for about $130 for the week. Not too bad at all.

WIN!

The first few days we just went to the beach and relaxed…or at least attempted to. We met a really nice guy named Win who every day we went to the beach provided us with chairs and umbrellas. He also would provide us with beer and other cold beverages. He was definitely a great asset to our week of relaxation. Unfortunately there were also crazy ladies trying to sell us sarongs, bracelets and shirts. All day long they would harass us to get our nails painted, to get a massage, to buy things even if we already purchased them. It really put a damper on the whole relaxation thing. But once you either bought something or told them to leave you alone they left you be to enjoy the day in peace.

most unwanted massage ever

The first day they were relentless. We bought bracelets and sarongs and they still hung around. At one point I got a massage that I clearly said I didn't want. It only cost $5 but the fact that I said I didn’t want it didn’t really make it very enjoyable, that and all the sand made it more of a scrub than a massage. Despite my Debbie Downer attitude about the beach ladies it was AMAZING and I loved every minute of it. The beach was beautiful  and the ocean was way warmer than in Perth and a bath compared to the water in Marblehead. The waves were really strong and if you spent too much time in the ocean you would feel pretty beat up.

posers.

A few people rented surfboards and boogie boards and did that for a few hours. I probably would have gone boogie boarding but I was sleeping that day. Amanda and I did pose with surfboards just for the photo because our bathing suits were not surfing appropriate. Maybe next time we go to Bali we can tackle surfing.

dancer

monkeys!

On Monday we took a tour of the “real Bali”.  Our first stop was a Balinese dance show. It was…interesting. There were a few moments of uncomfortable sexual humor. We also didn’t know what they were saying so we lost out a little bit in that aspect. The story line was pretty easy to follow even with the language barrier. It was a unique experience to say the least. After that we went to the monkey forest. Which was incredible. Our tour guide gave us a bag of papaya leaves, which are their favorite, and they went mental. Monkeys always attacked whoever was holding the bag and if they couldn’t get the bag open they would just bite holes in the bottom. It was crazy, we were swarmed by monkeys. They were super cute and photogenic. After the monkey forest we stopped for lunch, which was soo delicious.

rice fields

sarongsss

 Our next stop was a temple. We all had to wear sarongs, including the boys because our legs needed to be covered. The temples were pretty cool, lots of stairs to climb and it was really hot but still pretty cool. On the way back we stopped at another temple and also saw the volcano. There was ash all down the one side of it and it looked really awesome. On the way back we were supposed to stop for dinner but our van lost the other van so we ended up just going to a pub by the restaurant. All in all it was a really eventful day, we saw so much and had a really great time.

volcano

Bintang!

The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful. Meaning my touring days were over, but it was still so much fun. Some of the group went on a tour that left at 3am (clearly I stayed in bed) to see the dolphins and sunrise...their pictures looked amazing and I probably should have dragged my lazy self out of bed but sometimes you just gotta keep sleeping. We enjoyed as much Bintang (the beer of Bali) as was humanly possible and just hung out.

Maria and Dili take over John Hardy.

On Thursday Lili and I went to visit the John Hardy compound, which was probably my favorite part of the trip. The set up was amazing and even though it took 3 hours and ten stops of asking for directions, totally worth it, even if the taksi driver was convinced our names were Maria and Dili. We got to go into the show room where we were allowed to purchase discontinued jewelry at a 30% discount and new and exciting jewelry at a 10% discount. We then were given a tour of the factory and saw the entire jewelry making process which is incredibly time consuming and impressive. Everything is made on site unless it needs jewels, those are set in Hong Kong but the rest is all completed on site. The place was incredible.

crammed in a taksi

On Friday we checked out of our hotel and went and had lunch. After lunch we decided to head to the airport just in case we ran into any difficulties, in an attempt to save money we crammed 5 of us in a taksi. Unfortunately the usual 20 minute ride to the airport took a very uncomfortable and cramped hour. But we survived.  We all made it through and even purchased some duty free alcohol that I hope lasts a while since alcohol is so expensive in Australia. We waited at our gate and when it was time to board we went through the tunnel, down some stairs, and then we were put on a bus and driving out onto the tarmac to our plane waiting in the middle of nowhere. It was a first, but I suppose that is how they stay efficient.

chicken for dinner tonight!

I'm really going to miss the dangers of crossing the streets filled with motorcycles, bikes and taksis. Seriously I saw a few that had like 6 people piled on one motorcycle. Unreal. They carry everything on those bad boys, from eggs, to surfboards, even chickens!

It was a wild trip. I can’t believe its over already. I would totally go back and keep exploring, even thought the island is relatively small we only got to see a really tiny part of it. Exchange reunion 2012? I think so.   

seaweed pringles. my jammm.

I was also a huge fan of seaweed Pringles which were only $2 as opposed to the Australian regular Pringles that are $6. The chips were green, uniquely flavored and fabulously delicious. I don't think they are available in Perth or the US for that matter.... Upsetting.

maps are opposite in this hemisphere. weird.
This was a clock map we saw at the airport. I think its crazy that maps are the opposite of what we see at home where the US is on the left and everything else is on the right. Here they are made so Australia is in the middle. When I first saw one I thought it was so weird but I'm sure to them our maps look strange. 

 Classes are lame, but based on my midterm exam scores I really need to step up my academic game. It’s starting to get warmer and I’m worried I might melt. They are also starting to tear down a bunch of buildings at our college so there will be the added joy of construction noise. Thrilled.  Post pictures of the fall! Someone go pumpkin picking and post photos. Someone get a pumpkin spiced latte for me. K great.  Miss you all! xo

everyone at the volcano