09-NOV - Sat - "Let's get physical..."

After having a day of absolute bliss, we thought we needed to counter that with some physical activity. We took on the challenge by Lonely Planet and took the “ridge walk”. We put on our running shoes, shorts, singlets, caps, sun lotion, drank a glass of water and set off from Ubud’s Royal Palace towards the river. We crossed the tiny bridge and passed the most magnificent river temple, currently under restoration, with a brand new tower shining in the sunlight, black thatched roof, red and gold everywhere. We climbed up and up and up, till we reached the top of the ridge between the two rivers, with grass falling sharply away to our left and our right, the ridge just wide enough for a little paved path. The view spectacular! Palm trees everywhere on the slope, across the valley, old and modern villas on the opposite side. As we walked in the heat, drenched in our sweat, we could only admire the beauty and tranquillity surrounding us, nothing but the noise of water falls, birds and the wind through the foliage. We passed a little village, stopped for a drink and pressed on, only to come to an elevated platform of rice paddies, one after the other, cascading down the slopes of the valley ridge we were on. The cameras were going crazy, clicking away at every step. Invariably it is the law of hiking, when doing a closed loop: if you’re climbing up, you will be rewarded with a descent, but if you’re enjoying a steep descent, you’ll be paying with a worse climb up! And so we enjoyed the descents and cursed the climbs! What a walk! 3 hrs later we were back at Ubud’s Royal Palace, in the centre of town, looking like two backpackers that just walked the Himalayas in their shorts and tracking shoes, sweat pouring out of every inch in our skin. We kicked off all we had and jumped straight into our pool and made sure to order complimentary afternoon tea, to be delivered at the water’s edge! Ah, luxury! But we wanted more! Re-energized and refreshed, we made our way to dinner and straight to the front row seats of a Kecak and Fire Dance! What a spectacle! The choir of men singing and humming in rhythm, the most intricate costumes and dance movements, the fights, the love story to be finished off with a real fire dance, where the dancer goes into a trance and kicks and walks on the ambers of coconut shells! (Mind the burning shells as they come flying towards you, maybe an elevated back row seat is more suitable for the faint hearted)

08-NOV - Fri - Paradise found!

Pure bliss! Ubud is Paradise, Nirvana, Heaven all in one! Just the tranquillity versus all other previous destinations is enough to take these two travelling lads into a state of extatic calm. Add a private balcony overlooking our private tropical garden, with crystal clear private salt water pool and a super comfortable king size bed, hidden behind a white mosquito net, and one does have to ask himself why get up in the morning? Why get up when we can order breakfast delivered to our balcony at a time of our chosing? We have slept like little babies freshly delivered to this tranquil tropical paradise! When we finally managed to get out of bed at 3 in the afternoon, the only activity we could think of is to seek a massage! Following that we dined how only these two lads dine, to the amazement of waiters: order a bottle of wine of your chosing; and one starter; share this one dish whilst chatting away; when finished, the next person orders a starter; share this one dish whilst chatting away over more vino; when finished order again; and so on, till one does not feel hungry anymore and you enjoyed a whole selection of tastes, during a most magnificent evening in company of your lover! Bliss!

06-NOV & 07-NOV - Wed & Thu - 24hrs in Singapore

Wow! What a difference a quick trip away does! We were really at breaking point in Bali, exhausted from running around and arranging the purchase of furniture, decorations and all the rest for our bungalow. What usually takes a 30-minute round trip to the local store, in Bali can take all day, as one travels from shop to shop, only to get a little fragment of information at a time, with regards to finding the right store. We arrived in Singapore with a slight delay, checked in at our hotel and went straight out, for drinks at the New Asia Bar on level 71 of Swissotel Stamford with the most spectacular view! We just had to celebrate our being in Singapore with a glass of Moet-Chandon. The Italo-Aussie lad had the whole 24hrs in Singapore planned, so after our celebratory drinks we took a quick walk to the Raffles Hotel to admire its 1920s splendour and straight onto a rickshaw to go and see the Merlion. We felt sorry for the old Singaporean having to push us two around, but also felt good that we’re only 68kg, making it somewhat easier for the old man and keeping him fit, right!? Following the viewing of the water feline statue, we proceeded to a bit of window shopping on Orchard Road, what an endless supply of luxury items on this extravagant, abundant and never ending shopping mecca! Our feet were tired, our eyes sore and our brains overloaded: It was time for a bite to eat! What other place but Clark Quay to fill our stomachs? And what better way to finish off the evening, than with a visit to the Marina Bay Sands? Off to bed and straight to the airport the next morning, for our return to crazy in its own way: Bali!!! We had a fantastic time in Singapore, a well-deserved break from honking taxis, chaotic traffic, unruly scooters and dusty air! Thank you Singapore! Back to Bali but this time up into the peaceful jungle and tranquillity of Ubud!

05-NOV - Tue - End of chapter 3 – Our Balinese seaside adventure – The highlights

Our seaside stay in the areas of Seminyak, Legian and Kerobokan has come to an end. What are our highlights? Where to begin and where to stop? In summary we can say Bali is an amazing experience, where the real Bali can still be encounter, despite it disappearing quickly. We have seen rice paddies just by taking a different turn, meters from the main road, and we have seen rice paddies that were dried up and being filled in, ready for the next resort, shop or other construction. This trip is the memory of a lifetime! Because of our hiring of a scooter and just going places and stopping where-ever we felt like stopping; because of our trying to keep up with the locals, zooming through traffic, learning the local crazy road rules; because of having the guts to just venture into areas off the beaten track and being rewarded with breathtaking sights of family compounds, temples or finding eateries we never expected; because of our stopping at the local market and just venturing into the stalls, well aware that few would speak English but still walking off with a bag full of food and a smile on everyone’s faces; because of the unexpected and very pleasant visit by la mamma, allowing us to share with her all that we discovered; because of the crazy diversion to Lombok and the contrast we experienced; especially because we had the courage to take the bull by the horns and took on the opportunity to invest in a new business venture, with the added experience of doing business in a developing country; and finally because we have spent 24/7 together, not killed each other and now know each other like the back of our palms, laughing at the multiple times we come up with the exact same thought at the exact same time. Apart from this, culturally our highlights have been visiting the cliff temples of Tanah Lot and Ulu Watu, regrettably flooded by tourists but never-the-less breathtakingly beautiful and well worth a visit. Also, seeing the most miniscule to the most intricate and fabulous family temples, as one zooms the side alley ways, never stops to make us marvel. They are intricate and beautiful stone temples, cut out of black volcanic rock, some with the most ornate thatched rooves topped by little golden crowns, decorated with the most pretty yellow, white and chequered black and white umbrellas, and full of offerings with incense burning, just magical! We were also lucky enough of being here for Galungan and Kuningan, two very important days on the religious calendar of the Balinese, when all Gods descend on Earth. The streets decorated with the most amazing bamboo poles, curving onto the centre of the streets, with the most intricate ornaments and flags hanging from it. Sudden processions of Balinese all dressed in white, carrying offerings and assembling in front of the village or suburban temple, blocking off entire streets, sitting on the pavement whilst the priests are inside, music and chanting to be heard. An amazing spectacle for us, an obvious important occasion for the Balinese. Culinary highlights have most definitely been visits to local warungs with their traditional Balinese dishes, Warung Cobek and Nook, both with views over rice paddies being the top of the list. For a vegetarian experience and nice trip away from the hustle and bustle, a visit to Green Ginger in Canggu is well worth the trip or Thai Corner for a cheap meal. If one seeks more refined dining, Gado Gado overlooking the ocean and the beach of Seminyak is still a great destination, together with Ginger Moon on Jalan Laksmana or the Moroccan inspired Khaima next door. Of course there are many more to explore, and keep exploring we will. For a day in the sun, one cannot pass the experience at a beach club or day bed on the black sand. Seminyak beach being the best, as it is less crowded than its Legian and Kuta counterparts. Cocoon Beach Club, Potatoe Head Beach Club and Mozaic with their minimum spends have become too expensive for a daily re-occurrence. Ku De Ta and W Hotel reign supreme for a day in luxury under the sun. When it comes to shopping, Bali is full of little boutiques that wait to be discovered, with locally made, quality fashion and one will never grow tired of strolling the streets. The best areas would have to be Jalan Raya Seminyak/Jalan Legian, Jalan Laksmana and to some extent Jalan Petitenget. Of course a visit to Discovery Shopping Mall and Beachwalk, both in Kuta (yes, you heard right!!!) are a welcomed distraction and perfect destination to avoid the midday sun. Bali is and remains a destination for every taste, from the budget destination to the pure bliss of five-star pampering, one can find it all! It is completely up to you what you want to make out of your Balinese experience!

04-NOV - Mon - The extension

When we originally planned our 2-month trip to Bali, it was going to be relaxation, absorbing local culture, and just getting a good break from many years of intense managerial work. As days transformed into weeks, and weeks into a relaxed routine where we are not sure what day of the week it is and Perth drifted far away over the horizon, we realised there is nothing stopping us from staying a little bit longer… so here we are, last 48hrs in Seminyak/Kerobokan, as we booked a quick trip to Singapore, with one overnight stay and the best flight back onto this amazing island, for a new visa and another 14 days, but this time up in the mountains, in Ubud. In hindsight it was the best move we could do, as it turns out we are now business owners and need the extra time here to finalise everything. Indeed it has also been a very wise move booking the mountains, as after 2 months down here by the ocean, beaches, clubs, shops and chaos, we need to detox and relax in a calmer setting and Ubud is going to be exactly that. We are looking forward to the village atmosphere, the little cafés, the quirky shops, the yoga people, and the “alternative” feel. We’ll try and fit into the groove… There will also be a lot of exploring, we are looking forward to travelling the windy roads, overlooking lush forests, green rice paddies, temples and what-ever else there is to discover! Here is to holidays that never end! Here is to adventures that need to be extended! It is rare in our hard working lives to have the opportunity of exploring another country for this amount of time, so if you can, maximise it! These two travelling lads are filling their memory book for the future, we are achieving what we set out at the start (see our first blog): “[…] It all started with us wanting to spend more time together, have adventures together, create strong and unique experiences and memories together […]” and we are doing exactly that! We are building a foundation of shared adventures, experiences, disasters, frustrations! We are sharing our life and having a ball!

03-NOV - Sun - The party

And so it arrived, the day of the black-tie party! First of all one has to physic himself up to wearing a suit with jacket and bow tie in a tropical climate. The only thinkable option is to get oneself ready by taking a cold shower with the intention of trying to bring one’s core body temperature down, set the air-conditioner on “arctic” and add one item of clothing at a time, with intervals. Easier said than done… The Swiss lad still ended up having sweat trickling down his back; glasses slowly meandering southwards on the nose’s slippery, sweaty surface; sweat beads forming on the upper lip; such a fantastic sensation to be having a private, intimate internal shower whilst fully clothed and in pleasant conversation with the other party guests! We arrived fashionably late, to make our grand entrance at the Carrington’s mansion, rainbow flags illuminated by spot lights, courtiers opening limousine doors (and our little taxi’s), music playing as we walked the red carpet to the main foyer and there he was, Mr Birthday Boy himself! We were given a glass of champagne and whisked ourselves up to congratulate him, cheering him and have our picture taken for what is going to be front page news in all of Bali! The night was a hoot! We mingled with the other party guests, were constantly introduced as “the boys just bought bungalow 109” or “I’m your new neighbour” and similar, quite funny, quite glamorous! For once we soaked in all the attention! We even got a mention by Mr Birthday Boy, during his speech… We are climbing the expat ladder fast! We settled in a corner with perfect 180 degree view over the party, with another couple of similarly aged guys and themselves owners of a property up here, to have a great old time, talking about our past experiences in setting up this venture. Moreover Bali being Bali, gays being gays, it was inevitable at a VIP party like this, not to bump into some old friends from the motherland, it is a small world after all! Should have known we would bump into Bali Bob, turns out he’s an old friend of Mr Birthday Boy and a regular guest at the hotel complex! We drank, we laughed, we danced, we gossiped, we bitched, we complained, we sang. We enjoyed performances by male gogo-dancers, and a most amazing and stunning male belly dancer! We had a special one-off performance by Whitney Houston - she’s back! - making her grand entrance to the stage, followed by a less grand performance by Dame Shirley Bassey and the night declined from there, with more and more random and obscure music. At some time in the early hours of the new morning, we bid our farewells and descended into a vodka and Bintang soaked sleep!

02-NOV - Sat - Doing business in Bali…

… requires a lot of patience and a different mind-set, from what these two veterans from the customer service industry are used to. Our bungalow is now fully furnished, art work purchased and all nick-knacks too. But the road to it has been a testing one and adding another chapter to our “book of memories”. When visiting department stores (hardware and others) there is no lack of staff, actually there is an abundance of staff. Here you find aisles of similar products and employees attending each aisle, but they only service a particular brand and despite them standing in front of the product you need, if it is not their brand, you are out of luck, as a smile is all the answers you will get. Finding someone that has the answers can be a challenge, we found it is better to take a crash-course in product identification codes and find your own. Leaving phone numbers for the manufacturers to call you back is always a fun experience too, with delivery deadlines somewhat flexible. On one occasion we were advised Wednesday that delivery would be that Friday, confirmed! On Thursday we received a phone call advising us regrettably delivery would be Monday, which was absolutely fine with us. It was agreed we would arrive Monday to collect and pay for the goods. Surprisingly we received a phone call on Friday morning, advising us it was all ready for collection! Ok… guess deadlines are flexible! We had a similar experience with the furniture manufacturer, who was making it all based on a picture we took of a bed we saw somewhere else, therefore having us a bit on edge as to whether it would actually look as we would like it to look. Hence we made sure to “remind” the manufacturer to call us when we could come and see a piece or two, to make sure it is progressing in the expected direction. When we hadn’t heard for a couple of days, we made sure to “pop-in” on Tuesday, seeing if the product would be as expected and ready by Friday? Well, we were advised production had not yet started, making us only more nervous! We left it till Thursday morning, sending an email to ask if it would be ok to come past and see the furniture. We did not get an answer till late that evening, having close to no finger nails left, advising us to come past Friday to view the pieces. Hurray! We arranged a few other shop visits that Friday morning, and finally made our way to the factory Friday afternoon. On our arrival, eager to see our furniture, we were told: “Oh, delivered to hotel 2 hours ago!”… WHAAATTT!? The Swiss lad nearly lost it, being a control freak and wanting to be at the hotel to receive and supervise the transport into the upstairs, FRESHLY PAINTED, bungalow… We zoomed back to find our furniture all carefully delivered, not a scratch in sight! Ordering curtains, inclusive of installation, via translation by the food stall seller positioned in front of the shop, was a fun experience too. We managed to arrange a visit at the bungalow to take all the measurements, and indeed, it all happened as planned. A couple of days later, the food stall seller called us, advising it was all ready for installation. We waited at said time and indeed, the curtain man and the food stall seller arrived. Cutting a long story short, a cringing Swiss lad having to stand back as the holes were being drilled to what looked like drilling for gold, and screw’s tightening technique being somewhat unusual, the curtains are up and look fantastic! The lesson learnt is things may not happen the way we are used to, they might not arrive when we expect them, they may not be installed the way we would, but the end result is right! There are many roads to Rome, who are we to dictate it has to be one over another?