The Final Stop... Bali, Indonesia.
The time had come...my trip was ending, and as I left the beautiful country of Australia, I decided there was one more place I needed to see before heading back to U.S. soil. So, off to Bali I went. I spent 10 days in Indonesia, and all 10 of them were fabulous. I visited places unlike any other in the world, and had one of the most spectacular and extremely eye opening experiences of my life.
This is a traditional Balinese entrance. Each side is supposed to be identical, as if you could push the two together into one unified piece. These entrances were all over, especially in the temples.
The gorgeous beach. The waves were spectacular, and I have never seen such talented surfers, as I did in Bali.
Parasailing...
In the air over the Indian Ocean.
After parasailing I went snorkeling, and then headed to Turtle Island, where I saw countless turtles, and held many as well. The oldest turtle there was enormous, and was in his late 60's. It's amazing that these turtles live longer than humans do!
Feeding the turtles some seaweed.
After turtle time, I went and saw some other animals. Now, I am not a bird lover in the slightest...in fact, I think they are gross, dirty animals. However, the Balinese lady showing me around forced me to hold this bird. It was a very friendly birdy!
I did refuse to hold the bat!
Pretty Eagle.
I visited numerous beaches during my time in Bali. All were gorgeous in different ways. This is Geger Beach, in Nusa Dua. Nusa Dua is the part of Bali with 5 star hotels, where many wealthy people spend their time. I did not stay here, as I am a poor college student, but it was extremely nice to visit!
Dreamland Beach
Suluban Beach...
This beach was fantastic. It was different than any other beach I had ever seen. The water was extremely clear, but the beach was different in that it had a normal beach in the front, but as you can see, it was extremely shallow with a lot of plants at the bottom, before it lead out to the deep water.
Small village I walked through to get to Suluban Beach.
The first temple I visited was the Uluwatu Temple. A lot of temples in Bali have monkey's roaming around free and wild. The monkeys at Uluwatu were ones to be weary of. These monkeys would try and steal anything you were carrying, hats, sunglasses, wallets, water bottles, and even shoes!
Monkey
They were constantly cleaning each other, trying to find bugs and such in the others fur.
The Barong Dance is a traditional Balinese dance which tells the common story of Good vs. Evil.
While in Bali, the one thing that I wanted to do most, was ride an elephant! So, that is exactly what I did.
I was not strapped in, in any way, and we had to go down a few steep hills...this was one of them...
And this was how I felt about it.
At the Holy Spring Temple, the monkeys were a bit more friendly, but not to let your guard down...these monkey still tried to steel from people!
If anybody watches the food channel, this is a fruit that has been featured many times. Durian, known for its putrid smell and unique taste, is a fruit that is enjoyed by the Balinese people.
The inside of the Durian
And YES, of course I tried it!! I did not think it tasted as bad as some people make it out to be. However, the smell proved true to what everyone describes it as...one of the worst things ever!
I also tasted other fruit grown in Bali such as, passion fruit, rambutan, and manggis.
Bali is known for its spectacular coffee and tea. Being a coffee lover, I made sure to taste test the different coffee Bali had to offer. I tried ginger tea, lemon grass tea, cocoa, traditional Balinese coffee, and ginseng coffee.
Taste testing... It really was quite delicious!
Bali has two active volcanoes. This is one of them, and it is surrounded by a lake. Lake Batar and the Kintamani Volcano is a phenomenal site to see, and I recommend anyone who visits Bali to check it out!
Better view of Lake Batar.
Holy Spring Temple.
I visited quite a few temples while in Bali, all of which were Hindu. Bali is the only place in Indonesia where Hinduism is the main religion.
This water is supposedly lucky, and many people were bathing in it. I just washed my hands in it, as I did not have a spare change of clothes with me.
All of the decorations and worship areas in the temples are hand crafted. It really is quite amazing to see all the details!
The final temple I visited was the Elephant Cave Temple. Elephants represent good luck in Bali. But, a lot of things represent "good luck", so who really knows!
The last few days in Bali, my friends who I had met while studying in Melbourne met up with me. Jennie and Anna lived next door to me for 4 months, so it was nice to see some familiar faces! We spent most of our time catching up, drinking some Bintang beer, and soaking up the last bit of sun we would see for a while, before heading back to the cold climates of Sweden, where they are from, and the U.S. for me.
Happy to get my tan on!
Me, Jennie, and Anna our last night in Bali together!
This is what pretty much every street looked like where we stayed. Legian is right next to KutaVuitton hand bags.
Bali was a tragically poor country. The average salary a month is only about $100 or less. However, amidst all the sadness and poverty, Bali is such a gorgeous country, unlike any I had ever seen before. The Balinese people all value family and their religion. That is what keeps them going everyday. I think I learnt a lot about myself in Bali, and I try to never take for granted anything I have or have experienced. I spent about 2 months backpacking Australia and ending in Indonesia. I couldn't be more thankful for this experience. It is cheesy to say, but it truly was an experience of a lifetime. I saw so much, and will never forget this trip! I could not have done it without the help of my parents, and without the wonderful people who travelled with me. I met so many great people, who are now my friends, from all over the world!
I will take the friendships I have made, the experiences I have, and the lessons I learnt with me throughout my entire life. Life is beautiful, and I intend to live it that way.
