Bouncing about in Bali

Bali, Siem Reap, Bangkok.  Beaches, temples, Buddhas.  So, much, fun!

That was our last leg of our honeymoon.  We were married in November, went to Vegas for two days, to Europe for 7, and to Asia for 10!  This last trip was very unique, very far, and very fun.

The travel:  16 hours from Houston to Taipei, 5 hours from Taipei to Bali, 3 hours from Bali to Kuala Lumpur, 2 hours from Kuala Lumpur to Siem Reap, 1 hour from Siem Reap to Bangkok, 4 hours form Bangkok to Taipei, 13 hours from Taipei to Houston.  Phew!  Enough of that!

The people:  We were greeted at the Intercontinental Bali in the warmest of fashions.  A smile and the Orient bow with hands pressed together–it’s like an automatic way to make you smile.  A lei, similar to those in Hawaii, made of fresh flowers.  The smell–so good.  We were escorted to our private waiting area for elite IHG members.  We were given a cool cloth soaked in some sort of minty water–the most refreshing thing ever!  After check in, we were escorted to our room, n
ot just a point down the hallway with directions.  Bali (and IHG) does it right!  The people there; so nice, so peaceful, so welcoming.  I never encountered a frown, a “bad day”, or an unpleasantry.  The culture is so unique and peaceful.  I thought Australia had super nice people, and they do, but Bali…wow.  Thanks Bali!

The fun:  Treasure-hunting the island of Bali was the best!  We had a private car and driver cart us around one day.  We were on a mission:  mask and doorknob.  Doorknob?  Well, door handle.  You see, we have a sliding barn-style door to hang in our bedroom; but no handle!  We have been searching and searching, why not find something cool in Asia!  We did.  After three stops at metal shops, we found something!  A nifty little metal artifact.  I can’t wait to put it on!  Now for a mask.  Wow!  Wow wow wow!  You know that scene at the end of National Treasure.  Yeah, the one where Nicolas Cage lights the treasure room, the fire just runs down the kerosene and reveals a never-ending chamber of treasures?  We found that in Bali.  A wood shop.  Hand carved wooden crafts.  Forever, and ever, and ever the room went on and on and on.  There must have been over 500,000 wooden crafts in the most expansive shop I’ve ever seen!  It just kept going. We settled one one very unique wooden mask.  Too bad we didn’t have a shipping container to bring back the whole lot!

Along the treasure hunt, we had coffee.  Yes coffee.  Made by wild cats?  We call it (and so do they) catpoochino.  I’ve posted of this already, just click here for that story!  After coffee, we had lunch overlooking a rice plantation.  Beautiful.  Just, beautiful.  The food was superb for $12–two steaks and veggies!  A great view, a great day, with a great wife!  I loved our time in Bali.  Next journey–Siem Reap!  More of that later!