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Last June I managed to squeeze a trip to Bali into my between-jobs break. Surely a 9-day vacation couldn't do much to cover this whole vast land in details, but roughly I would say that this is sufficient if time's not on your side. My trip included a half-island tour, that covered up to the eastern and northern tips o Bali in brief. Anyway this article was not meant to be an itinerary guide, but rather as a shared fond memories of Bali that hopefully can inspires would-be Bali addicts. To tell you the truth, I didn't plan my itineraries ahead. But this is where the most exciting part came. The way I picture this in my mind is like walking in the dark with a candle in your hand. You can't see way ahead, but as you progress further, each step reveals new surprises, one at a time. And it's the excitement of anticipating what's stored ahead that gets the adrenalin pumping. Some might find this too impulsive and unorganised. But in a way, this form of travelling can really bring you face-to-face with adventure. It all started in Ubud, a lovely arty village with denser Bali atmosphere than those scattered in Kuta, Legian, or Seminyak. This is a perfect place to wake up in the morning, sipping a freshly brewed Balinese coffee and just enjoy every essence of Ubud revolves around you. Well, I will write more about Ubud later on. If you are driving, it is best to either take someone who knows the way around or buy a roadmap. Nevertheless, the rule of a famous Indonesian verse "malu bertanya sesat di jalan" (loosely translated as: hesitation in asking might result in being lost) still applies. Locals are normally very willing and eager to help if you approach them for directions. But mind you, this is not always the best option, as this simple task can lead into communication frenzy, resulting in mutual frustration. More often than not, Balinese prefer to use points of compass like south/north in describing directions, rather than the familiar lefts or rights. A selection of maps can be found in Ubud's bookstores (lined along Ubud's Main Road). I picked up a handy Periplus edition for only Rp15,000. But as the old advice goes; it is best to shop around first, later on I found one that costs nothing. Well, it actually came in the form of a travel brochure which you can get freely in most cashier counters. Of course this one will not be as detailed as the real one, but roughly it could get you along. Anyway, my Periplus map includes several inner-city streetmaps of Denpasar, Kuta, and Nusa Dua areas. Equipped with the map, we headed up north to Besakih, the mother temple of Bali. Set on the foot of Mt. Agung, the most sacred mountain on the land, Besakih is a compound of several smaller temples. The Balinese regard everything upward as heavenly and sacred. Therefore Mt. Agung is used as a point of reference in a lot of things, including directions. This makes the sea, on the other hand, a place where evil lurks and bad forces reigns. There are a whole bunch of very persistent local guides and hawkers in this place. And in turn, one has to be very persistent also in saying NO. Some kids actually approached us, thrusting flower buds into our hands and asking for money in return. And not only that, upon entering the temple's main gate, as always, tourists will be approached by local guides that will walk with you even without being asked to do so. When I tried to get rid of one by politely saying "No, thank you", the guy get a bit pissed and blurted that without local guides we were not allowed to tour the temple and instructed us to go back. We knew that this wasn't true, since we've already paid for the fare and there are other tourist groups wandering around without any guides. We just kept on moving and finally he left us alone. It is sad to see that Besakih, a place that's supposed to be so sacred are contaminated by people like him. From Besakih, our next plan was to spend the night at Candi Dasa, towards the eastern tip of Bali. So we took the road to Klungkung via Rendang. Not far from Klungkung, we stopped at Blacksand Beach near Kusamba around sunset time. As the name suggests, the beach was made up from black volcanic sand, and the water is surprisingly a bit cool. The shoreline was filled with pebbles, black solid ones. When we arrived at Candidasa, it was already dark, and we checked in to Kelapa Mas Homestay. The place was very nice, consisting of several bungalows scattered in a nice tropical garden. We rented one for Rp85,000 per night, including breakfast. What I loved best about the place is its open-air bathroom!! With coral-reef decoration along the walls, imagine showering under the coconut trees and millions of sparkling stars! And topping all that was some kind of a private beach we found on its backyard. Well, there's actually a gate that leads to the beach at the back of the homestay complex. A flight of stairs then would lead to the sea. After a very refreshing welcome drink and a quick rest, we went out for a walk around and then dinner at the posh Kubu Bali restaurant. Apart from the terrific architecture and pleasant service, nothing much could be said about this place. Back at Kelapa Mas and went down to the beach. At night the sea is on its low-tide and we just sat there on the bench, enjoying the atmosphere. It was truly a relaxing moment, letting every aspects of our senses absorbing the magic of a Candidasa night. The breeze, the smell of the sea, the sound of the waves, and the sparkling stars above. They are truly a combination of magic! FastCounter by LinkExchange
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