Stylish in Seminyak

In Bali, we stayed in an area called Seminyak. Kuta is the party place, kind of like Patong in Phuket, Thailand, and we were told that we wouldn't want to stay there. I'm glad we followed that advice. Seminyak was a beautiful area with a nice, clean beach, great restaurants, and amazing shopping. Zack especially had fun exploring the international designer brand stores. Here he is sporting his new hat, shirt, and swimming trunks. He's also sporting a mustache; I'm not sure what that's about!

We had an amazing two weeks in Thailand and Bali. We celebrated our final night with a fancy dinner at a place in Seminyak called The Living Room. Here we are looking tanned and relaxed. Zack also bought this shirt and the white linen pants on his Bali shopping spree, as well as a necklace and bracelet for me (you can't see the bracelet in the picture). Though it's nice to be "home," (whatever that means as an expat!) we sure do miss the warm weather and the beautiful beaches. Summer in Melbourne can't come quickly enough!

Bye bye beautiful Bali!

Here's a map of our travels:

View Full Size Travel Map at Travellerspoint

Canang Sari in Bali

In Bali, you see these little offering baskets everywhere...in front of restaurants, on sidewalks, on the beach, along the street...everywhere! They are called coconut leaf trays called "canang sari," and they hold rice, flowers, incense, and small food items. The Balinese offer them every morning to their gods in thankfulness and gratitude. They are quite beautiful; the effort required to make one adds to the meaning of the sacrifice.

I must admit that when we first arrived in Bali and went to the money changer, I accidentally stepped on one when we got out of the car and headed toward the counter. I felt so bad! I have since read that it's not a huge deal if you step on one by accident, but I still felt terrible for committing such a cultural blunder within hours of arriving in Indonesia!

Remember how I said there are lots of stray dogs in Bali? Well, apparently they like to get into the food part of the canang sari left on the beach!

Beautiful Bali Beaches

We didn't do much in Bali for the three days we were there. Hanging out on the beach, shopping, and eating were the main activities of choice. Once we learned to ignore the people selling every item imaginable on the beach, we fit in lots of great relaxation time there. Compared to Thailand, Bali was sunnier and less humid and had darker-colored sand and chillier water.

"You want massage? Fresh coconut? Pretty necklace? How about watch? Good deal for you!"

We spent one afternoon boogie boarding. The waves were pretty fun. The next day, we rented surfboards. Bali is known for its awesome surfing, and it didn't disappoint. Even as beginners, we had a blast trying to conquer the waves!

This wave got the better of Zack and his boogie board!

I like the colors in this picture. Notice the stray dogs-they are everywhere on Bali's beaches!

One evening, we had a (very expensive) drink at the trendy Ku De Ta bar on the beach. It was a great place to watch the sunset, though I'm not sure we were cool enough to hang out there! I'll have a couple more entries about Bali over the next few days, but I'll leave you with a sunset picture including a stray dog!

Off to Paradise

Zack and I leave tomorrow for two weeks in Thailand and Bali. I'm beyond excited. Warm weather and sunshine here we come! We'll be spending a night in Bangkok on our way to Chiang Mai, which is a city in Northern Thailand where we'll ride elephants and check out temples and such. Then we fly back through Bangkok (spending a day there to check out the famous sites) on our way to Phuket, which is in the Southern part of the country. Here we'll enjoy the beaches, snorkel around the islands of Koh Phi Phi, and rock climb at Railay Beach in Krabi. Then we're off to Bali for a few days for more beach time, culture, and relaxation. Wahoo!

I've set up a few entries to post while we're gone, but there won't be much unless I can connect to some wifi and post some random pictures from my phone. So I'll be back with tons of pictures and stories at the end of July! Bye for now!