A Whirlwind Tour of Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, Lacock & Bath - Tuesday June 7th

Today commenced early.  There is no rest when cramming in noteworthy sites in one day.  We departed Victoria Station (bus terminal) around 8:30am and arrived back into London around 8pm.  Call me crazy.

As we head out of the city, our tour guide gives us a few tidbits on London.   We pass by Hyde Park which is equivalent in size to Central Park in New York.  Our guide tells us that the first concert in the park was in 1962.  The band was The Rolling Stones.  We pass by the Salisbury grocery store that the Queen Mother visited in 1990.  She had never been in a grocery store.  She was 90 years old. 

Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world and the Official Residence of Her Majesty The Queen. Its rich history spans almost 1000 years. The Castle floor area covers approximatley 484,000 square feet and covers an area of about 13 acres.  When she is in residence, her personal standard flies from the Round Tower.  You could spend an entire afternoon at Windsor.  Upon our exit, we were fortunate enough to catch the Changing of the Guards.  Elton John also has a home in Windsor. 

We have all heard of Stonehenge which is a Unesco World Heritage site.  There are many theories about how these rocks were transported here and their purpose. You will see in the photos a mound.  These mounds exist around the immediate area and are burial sites.  The bodies discovered in the mounds were all in the fetal position.  No one has been able to decipher why

On route to Bath (which is where the roman baths were discovered) we stop in a quaint village called Lacock for lunch. Once you see the pictures you will understand why this has become a popular place for filming.  Portions of Harry Potter were filmed here as well as Pride and Prejudice.  And, of course, the pub was great where I had my official plate of “fish, chip and green peas”. I saved a little room for their steamed pudding.  Notice the four forks in the photo.  I shared the desert with three gals I met from Brazil. 

The countryside to Bath is breathtaking.  Cool rolling hills.  I just know I am going to love this place.  Bath is also a Unesco World heritage.  We arrive and I am in awe at the Bath Abby which stands in the background.   As we approach the drop-off, I realize there will not be enough time to explore the area.  To appreciate the rich history and beauty of Bath you need a full day.  Unfortunately, I only have time for a quick tour of the Bath Abby and Roman baths. 

As mentioned previously, I met some nice Brazilian gals who now live in Miami.  This is one of the fun parts of travelling.  After the tour ended, we all grabbed a beer at “Punch & Judy’s in Convent Square. It was a happening spot @ 8:30pm.  I could envision Mr. Casey bellied up to the bar and yakking it up with the locals.  Then off to the Roadhouse” for a bite.  We were set to leave after dinner, but the band started playing.   Before we knew it, it was 1am.  What can I say, we were having fun.  Our server told us this place closed at 3am.   However, if we were interested there were other pubs that open at 3am and close at 11am.  Thank goodness we were smart enough to go home.

Windsor Castle

Stonehenge

Fish & Chips

The Great Bath

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Welcome to London, UK

Sun-Mon June 5-6

I know none of you would ever believe it, but I worked diligently to pack one carryon bag plus a back pack.   Actually I should toss out the word ‘I’.  My mom and sister were the actual brains in packing me into one carryon bag. They tossed out shoes, shirts, excess cosmetics, and rolled things tight as a drum.   Not an easy feat especially for a fashionista that wants (not needs) a different outfit for everyday!  The idea was to be able to carry on wherever I went because this trip is one that has me on the move.  I will be in five countries and 12 hotels over the next 26 days.  Modes of transportation include trains, planes, automobiles and ferries.  With that in mind, packing needed to be minimal and efficient.  See the pictures to see how close I got.

The flight to London was smooth as silk.  A few movies and one ambien made the time fly by.   Here’s the test. Now that I have landed and gathered my belongings could I find my way to the hotel?  This is always the unnerving piece in an unfamiliar town/city.  The easy but most expensive transport from the airport was to take a taxi or hire a car service.  But I want to feel, touch and smell the city as a local and embrace the city’s public transportation.  It is less expensive and adds to the overall experience.  I opted to take the Heathrow Express train to Paddington Square.  From Paddington Square I transferred to the appropriate tube (their subway system) to reach my hotel.  With a little guidance from the subway employees, I purchased tickets, hopped on the right trains and exited at the right stations.  My hotel was a short walk from the station and I reflect on how happy I am that I am wheeling a carry on and not a massive piece of luggage or multiple pieces of luggage.

This evening, I booked a ticket to Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theater.  I have always wanted to see the musical, but never caught it in NY or LA.  Then tomorrow I am on a tour to see Stonehenge, Bath and Windsor Castle.  It will be a full day, but hopefully some good photos to share with you. 

Cheerio

Back from Phantom of the Opera and ready for nite nite

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Lamma Island & Departure Day

Some of you have been wondering where is the next post?  Is she home yet?  My apologies, but the last days were busy. Once I got home, it took me a few days to deal with jet lag.  Then I jumped over to Vegas to pick up Truman.  So here it is a week later with my final post for this segment of the journey.

In this post you will visit Lamma Island. I liken it to Catalina Island from a nature standpoint.  But instead of taking a golf cart around, you walk from one bay to another bay.  The walk is about 50 minutes and included some hills of course.  It was my fix for my El Moro workout.  Lamma is basically a fishing village.  It is not uncommon for the yachts to venture over and entertain clients with a great seafood lunch or dinner.  You pick out your fish and they cook it.  I just took in the sites as I could not bring myself to picking out a fish for the grill.  Especially the grouper.  They are such gently giants in the ocean.  How could anyone eat one.  No, I am not a vegetarian, but I it seemed sad to have these fish in captivity waiting for their destiny... the dinner table 

The visit to Lamma is complete and the ferry heads back.  Next stop...a late lunch. Pizza is sounding really good.

Tonight is my official last night in Hong Kong.  The trip would not be complete without venturing over to the Ritz Carlton.  The Ritz opened in May and is located on Kowloon Island.  Kowloon as you might remember has views of HK Island.  What is interesting about the property is that it sits on the top of an office tower.  The hotel lobby is on the 103rd floor.  The restaurants are just off the lobby and the Ozone Bar is on the 113th floor.  I found the views better on the 102nd floor as the views are less likely to be impaired by the clouds.  Photographing the city lights at night was a challenge.  Hopefully you get the sense of how spectacular the lights are as they shimmer across the night sky.   It is easy to wallow the hours away gazing at the views, but my eyes get heavy and its time to head home.  It probably had nothing to do with my chocolate martini and apple tart with vanilla bean ice cream....

My final day was spent leisurely.   It is bitter sweet.   The time spent was perfect in each location and I have no regrets.  I met some wonderful people along the way and have an appreciation of their customs and culture.  My bags are packed and I am ready to bid farewell.  Since my flight did not leave until 11:30pm at night, I took advantage of the In City Check In.  Basically you check in at a location within the city near you.  In my case Hong Kong station.  I drop off my bags, get my boarding pass, and then purchase a train ticket for the airport express train.   When I am ready to leave for the airport, I hit the subway and catch the train to the airport.  This process was easy, efficient and in my mind quite clever.

Before heading to the airport  I hit Toscana, the very popular italian restaurant at the Ritz.  I have a lovely meal and great conversation with my adjacent table mates.  In addition, I take in the final views of HK Island.  What a great way to close out this segment.

Enjoy the photos.  Next post will be June 6th.  The tour d'jour is London, Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark.  Of course the path may change along the way as you never know what doors may open! Remember we must be flexible.

Stay well my friends..................til we chat again

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Lamma Island

One of the popular seaside restaurants



An attempt of capturing HK at night




The chefs @ Toscana



Lantau Island- The Big Buddha & Po Lin Monastery

  

May 7th - Today I head over to Lantau Island.  This is home to the Hong Kong international airport built in 1998, as well as Disneyland and Asia World Expo.  I am skipping Disneyland and Asia World to visit the Tian Tan Buddha, also known as the Big Buddha.  The Buddha is a large bronze statue that was completed in 1993. It is located near the Po Lin Monastery and symbolizes the harmonious relationship between man and nature, people and religion.
The concierge tells me to do the following to get to the Buddha.  Central Station to Hong Kong Station, take Tung Chung line to Cable car.  I hope I get it right as it all sounds Greek to me or should I say Chinese. Whew I did it.

There are two ways to get to the Buddha.  Both are by train to Tung Chung.  From there you can opt to take the bus or cable car to the village where the Buddha sits.  The cable car is suppose to be scenic and worth the wait.  This again is a bit of a tourist trap.  The cable car was like waiting for a ride at Disneyland.  It was a grueling 45 minute wait and tested my patience both coming and going.  Once on the cable car, it is a 25 minute ride. The view from the car was awesome and I foreget about the wait.  I visit the area and attempt to capture the Buddha and Monastery.  Along the way there is a performance.  If only my body was as limber as these performers.

Buddha Factoids
The statue is named Tian Tan Buddha because its base is a model of the Altar of Heaven or Earthly Mount of Tian Tan, the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. It is one of the five large Buddha statues in China. The Buddha statue sits on a lotus throne on top of a three-platform altar. It is surrounded by six smaller bronze statues known as "The Offering of the Six Devas" and is posed offering flowers, incense, lamp, ointment, fruit, and music to the Buddha. These offerings symbolize charity, morality, patience, zeal, meditation, and wisdom, all of which are necessary to enter into nirvana. Unlike most of the other larger-sized Buddhas in China, which face the south, this one faces the northeast, towards Beijing. This was done to recognize China as the home country, because Hong Kong was still under British rule when the Buddha was constructed

The Buddha is 112 ft tall, weighs 250 metric tons, and has 268 steps in order to reach the Buddha. 

The Monastery was initially a small temple constructed by three Buddhists in 1924.  Over the years more structures have been built including the big temple.





The Big Buddha - Photo taken from the cable car

 

One of the performers



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Shopping in Central & a Visit to Stanley Village

The days are coming and going so fast. 

Canossa is the the first stop.  I am due for the 2nd rabies shot.  The balance of the series will be completed in the US.  What a pain in the ____!  I am so over the monkeys.

Today was a chance to do some window shopping.  But with window shopping does come the risk of buying a little something to take home.  My weakness is jewelery...so Betty helps me pick out a little something.  The store is Chow Tai Fook and is well respected in HK.  The Company was established in 1929 and has multiple stores.  Their most note worthy news of late was their purchase of a 507 carat South African diamond at a purchse price of $35.3M USD.  The IIA rough diamond named The Cullinan Heritage is supposedly one of the finest in the world.  WOW!  And no I didn't see it.

Now that the shopping is complete, it is time to get out and see some outlying areas of HK island.  I jump in my taxi and head over to another end of the island to visit Stanley Village and the Murray House.  It was a nice break from the city, but I did find it a bit touristy.  More shops hawking souvenirs that do not capture my interest.  The highlight was the Murray House and my icecream on the way home.

Murray House is a restored Victoria-era building (1844) that was named after Sir George Murray (1772-1846), a British soldier and politician.  The Victoria-era building served originally as barracks for the British military and was part of the Victoria Barracks up until the 1960s. Its original location was in Central.

In 1982 it was dismantled (to make way for the Bank of China Tower) and reassembled in it's present location in Stanley during the years 1998/1999.  Can you imagine.  It was not reassembled until 16 years later.  I don't think that would fly in the US. Today itis a museum and houses restaurants on the first floor, some of which have views across the bay.

Tired of walking about, I am ready to call it a day.  Time to shower up and head to dinner.  Dinner tonight is in my hotel.  I am fortunate to meet some kiwi's that insist I join them for dinner.  They were terrific.  Before I know it, it is midnight and I say my goodbyes.  We exchange numbers and they insist I reach out to them when I hit New Zealand. 

What a great ending to the day.  Travel is about meeting faboulous folks along the way.  These guys and gals were top notch.  

Shopping @ Chow Tai Fook

Stanley Village

Repulse Bay

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Mong Kok and Kowloon

Mong Kok and Kowloon is just a quick subway ride across the harbor from Hong Kong island.  I am a bit nervous about catching the subway, but the concierge at the hotel assures me, its a piece of cake.  She gives me change, points me in the right direction and off I go.  She was right.  The directions are well marked and I found my way around with little trouble.

Mong Kok is known for all the street markets.  Hopefully I have captured the essence of it in the attached photos.  The buildings seem older here and the shoppers are everywhere looking for bargains. The street markets are categorized by product type.  The flower market, bird market (Yuen Po Street Bird Garden), jade, electronics, and the famed Ladies Market  The ladies market is nothing more than vendors hawking cheap merchandise and knock offs.  My HKD's stay in my pocket. I happily meander about to take in the sights and smells.  The food for the most part does not seem appealing except for the bakeries.   I shell out $3HKD for a coconut tart.  Not bad. 

Finished with the street markets, I find my way to the subway to head to Kowloon.  Kowloon is at the harbors edge and has terrific views of Hong Kong Island (weather permitting of course).  The area is being redeveloped with Class A buildings.  There is a contrast of new blending in with the old.  The Peninsula Hotel is in Kowloon.  The High Tea is calling my name after several hours of tooling about.  It was worth the wait.

Feeling refreshed, I head to1881 Heritage which was the headquarters of the Hong Kong Marine Police from the 1880's to 1996. They did a terrific job restoring the property.  The existing time ball mounted on the pole above the domed roof of the Time Ball Tower is a replicate with reference to similar time balls in Britain, New Zealand and Australia.  The tradition of dropping the time ball at 1pm occurs every day.   Of course, 130,000 square feet of retail has been added bringing name brand stores such as Georgio Armani, Tiffany and the like.  

Before heading back to the hotel, I stroll the harbour to take in the views of Hong Kong Island.  It was another full day.  What will tomorrow bring?

Flower Market

1881 Heritage - Restored Marine Police Station

High Tea - The Peninsula Hotel

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The Monkey Forest & First Impressions of Hong Kong

It is time to leave Bali and head for Hong Kong.  Since my departure isn't until 4pm, I go for a final run followed by breakfast.  En route to the airport I hit the Monkey Forest just outside Ubud.  Those monkeys are so darn cute.  The experience was great until one of the monkeys ended up taking a nip at me.  Her baby climbed up my arm and let's just say that was not a good thing.  Obviously this has happened to other visitors as there is a clinic on site to adminster any necessary medical attention.  I get my minor wounds cleaned but I am worried about rabies.  I'll get to that piece in a minute.

I catch my flight to Hong Kong without a hitch and arrive about 9pm.  The airport is very impressive and going through customs required little effort. The car service was there to pick me up.  Everyone friendly and welcoming.  The ride to the hotel is about 30 minutes.  What strikes me most is how clean and organized the city appears to be.  Will this be my experience as I explore the city?

The Upper House is my home for the next several days.  It is a cool boutique hotel.  The hotel aspires to be a paperless hotel.  They greet you at your car and take you straight to your room...no check in desk in the lobby.  Everything done on the Ipad. The room has an Ipod for selecting music, checking weather or stocks.  In addtion, you can order in room dining straight from the ipod.  Pretty cool. 

Now that I am settled in, I have to deal with my monkey adventure.  I counsel with my family and decide for safety purposes I should get a rabies shot.  So my first venture in Hong Kong is to the local hospital which is just around the corner.  The doc agrees that the wounds are minor but I should get the rabies shots for safety precaution.  So here I am at midnight getting my first shot of a series of 5.  Lesson learned, never monkey around with the monkeys. Getting this out of the way, I head off to bed so that I can enjoy my day tommorrw.

Unfortunately the weather in Hong Kong right now is cloudy and immulates the June gloom we get in California.  Photography will be a challenge, but there is so much to see and do.  The first day is exploring Central which in essence is the CBD.  The city reminds me so much of New York.  All the shopping one would want and a great variety of restaurants. The first day started with a stop at Lord's Tailor (no explanation required) and ends with a ride on the Peak Tram to Victoria Peak.  It was a full day of walking and loosing myself through the various streets.  Key highlights were1) the series of escalators through the mid-level residential area 2)the eggtart @ Tai Cheung which were beloved by Chris Patten, the final British governor of Hong Kong, and of course 3) the ride on the Peak Tram.

The bastard nipped me

A view of Hong Kong

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A Perfect Day - Live It Up!

Well this is the final full day at Four Seasons Sayan.  It rained most of the morning, so this was a perfect day to get my last shots of the property.  Also,  for your pleasure are the photos from my spa experience. Please no e-mailing to strangers. 

The spa offers services in the main quarters but the real way to experience the spa is at the Spa Villas.  I believe there are three individual villas.  My guess is they are approimately 1,000 square feet.  The villas have two main rooms.  The first is a bathing area which includes an indoor or outdoor shower, a huge sunken tub, and a vanity area.  In addition, it overlooks the lily pond.  When you are through using the bathing area, you move to the second room where scrubs and massages are performed.  This area opens up to your private pool and sitting area.   All I can say is live it up!

Tomorrow I head to the Monkey Forest and then off to Hong Kong. 



Spa Villas in the background



The products for my service- Live it up!

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Ketut Liyre, 3 Temples, Kopi Luwak & Mt Batur

It was a full day and I needed a good breakfast to start the day.  Did you ever guess what the #1 meant?  In the movie Eat Pray Love, the villagers would take numbers to see the medicine man.  Well I got #1, thanks to my driver.  I had to be there at 8am and did not want to keep him waiting. When we arrived, he was bathing so we waited patiently on his porch step.  He finally arrives and converse briefly with my driver in Balinese.  Who knows what they were saying.  He looks at me and just like the book says "happy to meet you".  The book depicts him perfectly, most teeth missing, a since of kindness and very funny. The photos say it all.  Enjoy.

The tour today was extensive.  Outside of visiting the medicine man, I hit three temples, a coffee plantation where Kopi Luwak coffee is produced (remember Jack's favorite coffee in the movie The Bucket List), Mt Batur Volcano and then the journey home on a country road.

I have made more detailed comments in the photos for your educational purposes.  To that end, you may want to adjust the time in which they move to the next photo.

Ladies appreciate the equipment we call a washer and dryer.   Laundry is done by hand in the river.

Enjoy the tour.  Tomorrow I hit the spa and relax before heading to Hong Kong.

Ketut Liyre - The Medicine from Eat Pray Love

Mt Batur Volcano

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On the Road to Recovery-Discovering Sayan

The results are in and I did get a parasite.  The doc said it came from drinking bad water or from swimming.  I only have had bottled water and did little swimming.  Since the parasite takes 7 days to incubate, I can only deduce that I picked it up at my first hotel.  But who knows for sure.  The good news is the antibiotics are working.   I woke up this morning feeling like a new woman and couldn’t wait to order up a plate of banana pancakes.   For those of you that are reading this, you may be saying get the heck out of there Michele.  What are you thinking?  You want to get another parasite?  I get what you are thinking, but that is not my nature.  There is so much to explore here and I can’t let that one incident change my path. 

Before venturing out, the decision is made to extend my stay in Sayan so that I can explore the area as originally planned.   The changes are made for air and hotel without any change fees. That was a blessing.  The ability to change on the dime makes me pause and appreciate the flexibility I have at this juncture in my life. 

The afternoon ended up being a lot of fun.  My driver is very knowledgeable of the area.  He took me to Ubud to visit some of the shops I had researched.   There is shop after shop of teak furniture.  It is overwhelming and you do not know what stores to hit.  I was in search of a teak bed.  Very inexpensive   here (notwithstanding the shipping) but you have to be certain the wood is kiln dried.  I could not find any proof that the wood is kiln dried, so no teak for me.   

My mission after teak was to find some quality placemats at a decent price.  My driver knew just where to take me.  We stopped at the basket factory and I got a quick education.   The baskets are made from the stem of the Ata bush.  It is a lot of work.  The pictures attached walk you through most of the process. 

Last stop in town was to drop in on Katut Liyre.  For those of you who read or saw the movie Eat Love Pray, he is the medicine man.  He really does exist.

Last event of the day was a guided bicycle ride through some small villages and rice fields.  We got lucky and watched a parade of Balinese people heading to temple.   There seems to always be a celebration of some type.  It is enjoyable and rewarding to watch.  The focus on family and spirituality is incredibly strong.  

Enjoy the photos…tomorrow I am off to visit the volcano amongst other things……

Can you guess what this is all about?

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Four Seasons Sayan

Four Seasons Sayan is a special spot.  It literally is in the tropical jungle with a river running through the property.  It is located approximately 15 minutes west of the artist town of Ubud.  The weather is cooler here and is a welcome reprieve from the heat and humidity in Uluwatu.  This will be a perfect place to rest up before heading to Hong Kong. 

When I arrived I was checked into Villa 103.  The room was acceptable and met all my expectations.   The only bummer was they were refinishing the floors in the adjacent room and the lacquer was permeating into my room.  I thought I could muscle it out, but the smell was too strong.  In Four Seasons style, I was relocated.  Not only relocated but upgraded to a beautiful one bedroom suite.   Attached are pictures of the grounds and both rooms.   I feel so spoiled here.   

Unfortunately, I have not been able to venture out as I have been under the weather.  I thought I was getting better, but it reared its ugly head again. The Four Seasons has a clinic on site and a doctor that makes house calls from 10-12 each day.   I had a visit from the doc to assess my situation.  We are trying to determine whether I have a severe case of Montezuma’s revenge (going on 5 days) or an intestinal infection.   No telling why this happened to me as my family has had zero issues.   If I am going to be down for the count, this is a pretty good resting place.   The total doctor bill for the house call was $85USD and $10USD for some medicine.  What would a house call cost us in the US??

There is so much to see here and I am disappointed that I have not been able to go on any excursions.  Subject to me feeling better, I am considering adjusting my schedule.   We will see what the day brings.

Resting near the river

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My Family's Final Days

We have gotten into the island mode and are moving slow.  That mode is so unusual for a family of women that always have to be doing something.    But it is a good thing.   Another massage is scheduled in the early afternoon.   The gals thought the services were better plus they were substantially less.   For $22USD my mom and Chris had a 30minute head shoulder massage and a 30 minute foot massage.   My sister, Nancy had  The Leggong…two therapist for a 60 minute massage.  Cost $40USD. 

Since we were unable to make my sisters 50^th birthday party in Austin, we recongnized it on the last evening of their stay.  The hotel  prepared  us dinner at our villa. The menu consisted of spring rolls, satay chicken, chicken curry and vegetable fried rice.  The food was great and well presented.  Desert, of course was a birthday cake and ice cream.   It was a great evening.  Tomorrow they head back to the US. 

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Test driving the modeds

Our last eveing together

Time to Relax - Kecak and Fire Dance

We have been doing a lot of running around and the family is ready for relaxation.  We have a casual morning then head to Blue Point for the rest of the day.  This, of course, includes a Balinese massage.  For a full hour massage, they pay approximately $38USD.  We stay for the sunset and embrace the beauty of our surroundings.

Monday is all about bargain shopping.  Their vacation is coming to a close and they can’t go home empty handed.   Mom buys a fabulous small piece of artwork at the open market.  She pays all of $5USD.  I couldn’t believe it.  Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture to share.  But it was definitely under priced and painted by a very talented artist.  Chris and Nancy make their purchases and come back happy campers.  The market they went to is all about negotiation.  They set a price and you decide what you want to pay.  If you can walk away, more than likely you will get the item at your price.   That evening we head  over to the Uluwatu Temple to watch the Kecak and Fire dance.  Kecak is the most unique Balinese dance which is not accompanied by any orchestra but by a choir of seventy men .  This old ritual dance is called Sanghyang or Trance dance.  These seventy men chanted for a solid hour.  It was fascinating. 


 


Mom, reading poolside

 

Chris & Nancy taking in the pool and view



Offering before the Fire Dance



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Four Seasons Balines Cooking School

Today was an early start.  We were all struggling to get out of bed, but we did not want to miss the market tour which was part of our Balinese cooking class at Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay.  The volume of fish that is caught from the bay is hard to capture on film.  They do not use any commercial fishing boats/ships.  In fact, the boats you see in the photos are the extent of their equipment.  After the fish market, we ventured over to the produce market.  Our Chef, Rudi, educated us on the different produce, spices and seasonings.  It was very interesting.

After the tour we spent most of the day at our cooking class.  We made great food and enjoyed each other’s company.  The pictures tell the rest of the story.  It was a long day and we came home beat.  Tomorrow is a day of rest.

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Seminyak & Ubud Excursions

We have been so busy.   The days are full and just seem to fly by.  Thursday we went to Seminyak for the afternoon.  It is north of Densapar and known for the higher end shopping.  It is very busy and much different.  There is a lot of tourism, hotels, shops, spas and restaurants.  The one thing I can’t describe sufficiently is the traffic congestion.  A two lane road becomes three with a jockeying of position between vehicles, tourist buses and mopeds.  If you lack patience, you would absolutely go insane.  Hopefully some of our pictures capture this madness.  I am glad we have a hired car.  But more importantly, I am really beginning to appreciate our quiet surroundings in Uluwatu and hope the development craze does not change it. 

Friday morning we made the truck to Ubud which is north east of where we are staying (approximately  1 ½ hours).   We made four stops before ending up in Ubud.  1) Kris dance to watch the traditional Barong dance, 2) the batik center which educated us on the process of making batik. And yes we may have purchased some pieces   3) a silver production company and 4) the rice terraces 10 minutes north of Ubud.  I think our favorite was the batik.  We all loved the batik and the labor involved in creating each individual piece.  Prior to our final stop in Ubud, we stopped for lunch.  Suckling pig was the call.  My sister Nancy gets s the gold star for her adventuress nature and willingness to try everything, including the blood sausage.  Not my cup of tea. 

 I can’t begin to tell you the volume  of shops that exist here.  Talk about over retailed. Honestly, I don’t know how they survive.  It is an endless row of shops from one village to the next.  On the way home, we noticed they seemed to be organized by product type.  Statues/water features, Silver & Gold, Woodwork, Glass,  etc.   This area can’t be explored thoroughly without spending several days.  There is so much to see and do and we did not even touch the surface.  The goal was to give the family a feel of the area.  Mission accomplished.  The final comment once again is the traffic.  Our driver today was Nyoman.  He is great and you will see a photo of him in the pics.  As mentioned earlier, he would be considered in our country the mayor of Uluwatu.  Today instead of Mr. Toads Wild Ride, we called it Nyoman’s Wild Ride and we mean it with great respect to the Mayor.  He knows the ropes!     In Balinese there are four names and they are given to you based on where you stand in the pack.  If there are five kids you go back to the first name.  Here's how it goes  1st Wayan. 2nd Made.   3rd. Nyoman and 4th. Ketut.  Stay tuned......tomorrow is a Balinese cooking class at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jimbaran Bay.



Mom- Queen Bee



      





Christy, aka Ketut

Michele aka Nyoman

Nancy aka Wayman

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Uluwatu & the Family Arrives

The photos attached include an outing to the Uluwatu Temple.  The monkeys are everywhere and if you are not careful they will steal your flip flops, hat or sunglasses.  Yours truly had her ball cap stolen.  But of course, the locals are there to help by feeding the monkeys fruit in exchange for the item confiscated.  After my visit to the temple, I stopped in to see the family at The Gong.  I really enjoy speaking with them and learning about Bali.  Weni, Nyoman’s wife is teaching me some basic Balinese words.  Here are some basics I am practicing:

Thank you                           Terimakasi

Butterfly                              Kupu Kupu

Night                                     Malum

How Much                          Berapa

Please                                   Silahkan

Good                                     Bagus

Good Night                         Selamat Malum

Beautiful                              Cantik

How are you                      Apakabar

Baby                                      Baleta

Nyoman, (who owns The Gong) took me to the airport to pick up my family.  He is essentially the mayor of Uluwatu. He shared with me that a going days wage for 8 hours of work was $0.80. Yes a full day’s work.  Today it averages $17.00USD.  They are expected to be there at 8am.  A lunch break from 12-1 and then work to 5pm.  He told me they work 7 days a week.  If they need time off to go somewhere or to go to the event, accommodations are made.  Wow.

My mom and sisters arrived in Bali on Tuesday.  They are in good spirits but definitely exhausted and jet lagged.  Although they arrive at 3:15 pm, we are not to our accommodations until almost 5pm.  It was the combination of getting visas, going through customs and the drive to Uluwatu. Tonight will be a short night.  Wednesday was very simply.   A down day at the beach.  It was the perfect call for everyone to decompress and acclimate to Bali.  All is good……………..

The Monkeys @ Uluwatu

               



Enjoying the beach at Balangan







Balangan Beach

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Uluwata Day 5 - Blue Point Villas and Spa

Padang Padang & Blue Point Villa

I was such a bonehead.  No pics from Sunday’s trip to Padang Padang.  The reason, I left the chip in computer from downloading the earlier pics.  Not to worry, however, I will be back here with my family.  Padang Padang is another big surf spot with a fairly difficult wave. It is a bit of a tourist spot but a must to see.  For those of you that have read the book Eat Pray Love, a portion was filmed at this location.  You can walk over to a cave and enter where a flock of birds are flying around.  Again a cool spot.  Before I knew it the day was gone.  The sunset came and went in a flash.  I hear dinner calling at YeYe’s.  Great food.  Sweet corn fritters, chicken satay and a Bintang.  Total bill $6.50USD including tip

Went to the local grocery Pepito’s to stock up on water, beer, soda's and snacks.  The store was clean and well stocked with westerner’s products.  The bakery was outstanding.  Tried to take a pic, but they said no.  Oh well.  Next stop, liquor store.  that was a quick stop.  A 750l bottle of Absolute vodka a whopping $65USD.  Looks like we will be drinking beer.  Finished the day at Blue point Villas and spa.  Where did the darn day go?  I could get real accustom to this slow relaxing pace.  Not bored yet and on my 5^th night.  Hmmm should I extend for another week……?

Blue Point Villas and Spa

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Home at Last - Accomodations Found

I feel so lucky to have found this villa for me and my family.  Three bedroom/three bath with our own private pool and veranda.  Breakfast is included too.  They only charge by use of the room.  Meaning I am only paying for my room now and will not have to pay for the other two rooms until my family arrives.  Can you believe that?  Where can you rent a villa based on room usage?  This was found simply on my walk to the beach.  Great find for any of you that want to put Bali on your bucket list. The Lisa’s would approve.  Once again the owners are gracious and accommodating.  They can’t do enough for you.  I am off to join some folks I met yesterday.  Ironically they are from California too.  We are relaxing poolside and beach side today. 

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Day 2- Uluwatu Area

Bali is a lot bigger and more populated then I ever anticipated especially in Kuta and Desanpar.  I read about it but you can’t grasp it unless you’re here.  I mean it is bumper to bumper and mopeds galore.  My main objective for the day was to find alternative accommodations prior to my mom and sisters arrival.  Kadek, the property caregiver, offered to take me around on her moped.  It was quite an experience.  I am glad she was driving.  Too bad I didn’t bring the cam recorder!

We went too Sansur, Nusa Dua and Jimbaran Bay.  Sansur is quieter with a lot of expats.  Nusa Dua is where the major hotels are located.   Jimbaran is where the Four Seasons is located.  Very nice as you might imagine.  In my perfect world I would like to find a 3 bedroom villa for rent in my current location with the right amenties   Guess what I found it!

You may be asking why I ended up at my current location.  This was put for auction at Casa of Orange County.  I was the successful bidder. Time has taken its toll on the property and the photos of the property at auction do not represent its current state.  I have a love/hate with the property.  Love the location on the peninsula and the family that cares for the property.  The family wants to do everything they can to make your stay enjoyable.  It is less populated here, relaxed and so un-americanized.  Beach is a 10 minute walk away and if you surf, it is a surfer’s paradise.  The hate is principally the accommodations and no amenities.  You will see what I mean with the attached pics. They will prepare food for you as the closest alternative is 3kilometers.  Too far to walk as a swf in the evening.  I had sir fried beef last night.  Toughest meat ever.  I think Truman would have struggled…again all about the experience.   Respecting other environments and appreciating ours back home. 

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