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Adios Amigos
2008-02-27 07:11:00 It wasn’t until after I cleared security at the airport on February 18th that I realized my flight was the following night. I gave myself a good swift kick in the behind for writing the departure date down wrong in my notebook, and then caught a taxi back to Ronta Bungalows in Kuta ... More About: Indonesia , Amigos
Partying In Kuta
2008-02-26 07:53:00 After a few nights back in Kuta , we were due for a night on the town, especially since I thought Feb 17th would be my last night before heading to Singapore. After a drink or two in Linus’ air-conditioned room, we hit the street (er alley) around midnight for the Expresso Bar. A quick ... More About: Partying
Off To Ubud for Suckling Pig and Monkeys
2008-02-25 19:20:00 I turned Sara’s monkey dare into a 1/2 day trip to Ubud in central Bali. First, I had lunch at Bu Oka, a renowned food stall for Babi Guling (suckling pig). My culinary hero, Anthony Bourdain, chomped on the special for his Travel Channel show “No Reservations” just as I did. I can’t say it was love at first bite, however I really liked the way different bits of the pig are presented together. In the photo, you can see there’s quite a bit of meat, some green veggies, and rice. The shiny flat bit is crispy skin, though you can feel/taste a bit of fat on the underside. Underneath, and to the left, you can just make out a bit of yellow. I’m not sure what it was - fried pig’s ear or something. It was crunchy, and didn’t do much for me. There was also a bit of black sausage which was really tender and spicy. After lunch, I fed the monkeys, and watched them chase each other around the sanctuary, go swimming, and generally lounge ... More About: Monkeys
Dare #5 - Completed - Monkey Business
2008-02-25 07:10:00 #6 - From Sara: I have a good first dare for ya. After seeing your picture with the fluffy koala bear, and reading about the monkey forests full of gray monkeys in Bali, I?ve decided that your dare is the following: I dare you to load your day pack with bananas and head into one of the ... More About: Business , Indonesia , Monkey , Dare , Dares
Back To Kuta And Ulu Watu
2008-02-24 07:39:00 I splurged on my trip back to Bali, paying quite a bit to take a 2.5 hour speed boat directly from Gili Trawangan. The first half of the trip was rather rough and it didn’t take me long to get the feel for what happens after the boat goes up the crest of ... More About: Back , Kuta
Come Waste Your Time With Me
2008-02-23 07:51:00 I woke up the morning of my last full day on Gili Trawangan with a new sensation - energy! Apparently a night without alcohol can do that for a person. I walked through “town” and got an Indian chai tea and mini croissants from Scallywags - an organic restaurant I’d heard good ... More About: Indonesia , Time , Waste
The Day After
2008-02-22 07:39:00 I could skip over the next day, pretending I didn’t feel a bit lonely after Linus left the island (for Komodo), except it wouldn’t be true to my experience. I did feel like something was missing after he left. I took the opportunity to upgrade to a stand-alone bungalow at about $15/night. ... More About: Indonesia
Beach, Bikes, Sunset, Seafood, Drinks
2008-02-21 07:51:00 I chose to spend 3 weeks in Bali and Lombok to allow myself a chance to unwind after the fast-paced itineraries of New Zealand and Australia. While I was accomplishing my goal in Kuta, it included the constant hassle from street vendors and women offering massages, and noise of motorbikes and honking taxis. ... More About: Beach , Drinks , Sunset , Seafood , Bikes
Island Life
2008-02-20 07:52:00 And me, I still believe in paradise. But now at least I know it’s not some place you can look for, ’cause it’s not where you go. It’s how you feel for a moment in your life when you’re a part of something, and if you find that moment… it lasts forever… —- Richard, The ... More About: Life , Island , Island Life
Night 1 on Gili T - Making Friends
2008-02-19 07:24:00 After a short walk along main street on Gili T, Linus and I washed up and headed out for dinner. We noticed the most crowded restaurant to be The Beach House, so we headed for a table - well Linus did. I stopped short, next to two Danish girls. I looked ... More About: Friends , Indonesia , Night
Gili Trawangan - Welcome To My Paradise
2008-02-18 07:00:00 Gili Trawangan is a small island off the coast of Lombok, an island the size of Bali just to it’s east. There are many small islands (gili’s as they’re called) around Lombok, however Gili Trawangan is the most popular one. It is 8 km in circumference, and there are no motorbikes or ... More About: Paradise
World?s Most Expensive Mosquito Coils
2008-02-17 07:39:00 Linus and I were picked up by our shuttle in Sengiggi, and whisked north along the coast to a staging area 200 meters away from the beach where we’d be boarding a small wooden boat to ferry us over to Gili Trawangan. As we sat around, the “boatman” who would take us the rest of the ... More About: World , Indonesia , Most Expensive , Mosquito
SPONSOR POST: Vietnam visa entry online
2008-02-16 07:51:00 We provide service of visa upon arrival for those enter by air. If you enter Vietnam by air & want to get visa upon arrival at the airport, please apply online with us www.Visa -Vietnam.Org or please scan your passport then send to us with date of enter/exit Vietnam to info@visa-vietnam.org Vietnam visa upon arrival - an ... More About: Post , Online , Sponsor
Heading East to Lombok
2008-02-15 18:00:00 It felt fortuitous to be leaving Kuta, Bali the morning after the theft incident. Leaving for a new destination always feels empowering, and I was heading to Lombok to experience the potential tropical island paradise I had pictured when coming to Bali. The first person on the shuttle after me was a guy named ... More About: Indonesia , East , Heading
Scooter-Born Prostitute Rips Me Off
2008-02-15 05:54:00 The Lonely Planet warns readers against prostitutes that ride around on scooters and hassle men walking around alone at night. It specifically warned of one gang (alley), so I made it a point to stay clear of it. At the same time, I had little sense of how this “danger and ... More About: Indonesia , Scooter , Prostitute
3 Travel Bloggers Survive Torrential Rains
2008-02-12 06:18:00 I found nomad4ever.com in early 2007, when I first entered the world of travel blogging. The man behind the scenes is Chris, a German expat who retired in his early 30’s to live the good life in Southeast Asia. After a stint in Thailand, he moved to Bali where he’s been living for about a ... More About: Travel , Indonesia , Blogging , Bloggers , Survive
Exploring Inland Bali
2008-02-11 06:05:00 After getting a feel for life in Kuta, I decided to bite the bullet and venture inland for a day-long tour. Believe me, it was hard after all those spa treatments to tear myself away for some sight-seeing, however I knew it had to be done. Our itinerary was a bit flexible, however the ... More About: Indonesia , Bali , Exploring
The Good Life - Massages and Spa Treatments
2008-02-10 06:07:00 The good life for Westerners in Bali includes massages and spa treatments, and I was ready to feed the local economy with my hard earned greenbacks. My daily schedule in Kuta was rather simple: AM sleep in enjoy free breakfast at accommodation (very common offering - usually some combination of eggs, toast, pancakes, coffee/tea/juice) use internet spa treatment ... More About: Life , Treatments , Good , Massages , The Good
Bali Living 101
2008-02-09 06:32:00 By my second and third days in Bali , I was starting to fall for the place. I figured out the various ways to escape the street vendors and intense mid-day heat - hanging out in your accommodation which would have plenty of shade around either a pool or garden and ducking into restaurants ... More About: Living
Day 1 In Bali - Sensory Overload
2008-02-08 06:55:00 I slept nicely my first night in Bali , the fan on full blast to keep me cool and swoosh away any pesky mosquitoes. I washed up in my private bathroom, a much-needed change from the communal hostel showers where I’d have time-release controls, or be subject to hearing guys hawk loogies in stereo ... More About: Indonesia
Welcome To Kuta
2008-02-07 06:25:00 My flight arrived in Bali late at night which was not my preference. After clearing customs, I picked up my bag and made a quick stop in the bathroom which was opposite a prayer room. It was small, with both a Western and Eastern (ie. squat) toilet. The urinal had a ... More About: Kuta
…And I’m Off To Bali
2008-02-06 06:04:00 Journal Entry from January 29 @ 5:41pm - I’m at the airport ready to board a 6-hour flight to Bali . The Lonely Planet speaks of $5 massages on the beach, personal bungalows with ocean views, $1 meals and beers, and beautiful sunsets with friendly travelers and locals alike. Sounds perfect! I’ll miss the cappuccinos, cafes, accents, and ease of travel in Australia. It has come at a high cost ($$$). In exchange, I always had Western toilets, relatively safe surroundings, and most of the comforts of home. I think I’m not yet prepared for the culture shock I’m about to experience in Indonesia. Being polite (as usual) should help cover for any blatant ignorance of local customs - at least until I get my bearings. And then it will be time to leave again. Staying for short periods in these various countries is good practice for non-attachment to say the least. I’ve found my final thoughts on each country help me deal better with the departures...
Final Thoughts: Australia
2008-02-05 20:39:00 Kangaroos, surfing, and the Outback were all I knew of Australia before I visited in January. I quietly hoped it would surprise me, and as you’ll see below, there were no shortage of favorite moments! Highlights - couchsurfing with Ben in Brisban doing nothing in Byron Bay (and watching Green Street Hooligans) 4×4 safari on Fraser Island ... More About: Inspiration , Thoughts , Final
Dare #4 - Completed - Devour Aussie Burger With the Lot
2008-02-05 06:34:00 Dare #4 From Stu: I dare you to get a hamburger with the lot in Australia from a real fish and chip shop (that encompasses the following ingredients) - fried egg (hard yolk/soft yolk optional) - bacon - lettuce - tomato - beetroot - grilled onion - cheese - grilled pineapple ring Must include two steamed dim sims with soy sauce as a side. ... More About: Burger , Aussie , Dare , Dares
The 2008 Australian Open - Men?s Singles Final
2008-02-04 19:40:00 I booked my departure flight from Australia out of Melbourne for the end of January because it seemed like a noteworthy city to visit. It was only after talking to my tennis fiend of a friend (code name - Sup2dresq) before leaving that I learned my travels would offer me the opportunity to attend ... More About: Open , Final , Australian , Singles
Indulgence At The Lindt Chocolat Cafe
2008-02-04 06:38:00 On my last day in Sydney, before a night bus to Melbourne, Bonnie took me on a 1/2 day tour which included a few errands she needed to run. The second brought us to the Lindt Chocolat Cafe in the central business district. Almost 2 months after rediscovering Cadbury candy, my veins were ... More About: Australia , Indulgence
Couchsurfing Newtown and Getting Sick
2008-02-03 19:37:00 Bonnie was new to couchsurfing, and I was her third guest. She worked in Sydney, and lived with Tom and Eliza in Newtown, a very close suburb to downtown Sydney. It’s also right next to the University of Sydney, so it’s got a college town feel to it. Supposedly it has one of the highest ... More About: Australia , Sick
Surf?s Up at Bondi Beach
2008-02-03 06:35:00 After an afternoon at the Opera House, my next day in Sydney was dedicated to checking out Bondi Beach . It was a short train and bus ride to get there from King’s Cross, and the weather was beautiful. When I got off the bus, I was looking at one of the coolest beaches I’d ever ... More About: Surf , Australia , Bondi Beach
The Opera House and Another Night Out
2008-02-02 06:06:00 The rains of Queensland were a thing of the past by the time I reached Sydney (and later Melbourne). Aside from a thunderstorm during the soccer match, my days were filled with blue skies and puffy white clouds. I felt a great sense of excitement when I first stepped out of the train station ... More About: House , Opera , Night , Opera House
The Sights of Sydney - Queen Victoria Building and Darling Harbour
More articles from this author:2008-02-01 07:37:00 After catching a bit of sport at the soccer match, I spent the following day around the Darling Harbor area of Sydney . The first stop was the Queen Victoria Building which I ran into almost as soon as I got off the train. Normally a shopping mall wouldn’t be a must-see for ... More About: Sights , Australia 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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