It's a Birthday Bali

Okay, so it wasn't the biggest birthday party I've ever had but it was certainly the most relaxed and stress free. I arrived in Bali after a quick one day stop in Singapore (more to come on that bizarre city). I only had 6 nights and didn't have much of a plan.

I imagined landing and instantly hearing Florence and the Machine the Dog Days are Over and feeling like this kid:

 

By the way, this is the ONLY Eat, Pray, Love reference you'll see in this blog and if you don't get it then you missed the best part of the film which is Florence and the Machine. Instead, I was met with a nutty amount of traffic and congestion. Huh? I thought I was going to ride bikes in the country side and meditate and shit. No frolicking in the rice fields, just motorbikes, motorbikes and motorbikes. I arranged to stay at a guest house which worked out fine except for the fact that I was trapped because the free motorbikes they provided scared the living hell out of me. (Again, I imagined leisurely drives through rural Bali not two, six or eight lane traffic). So after one night I pulled the "but it's my birthday" card and booked a swanky hotel with some points I racked up on my credit card. This was the first time I spent more than my budget on just a hotel but it was well worth it. 

I did manage to squeeze in a tour of Southern Bali my first full day that gave me a taste of the Balinese culture. We started going to turtle island (most turtle islands are tourist traps, this was no exception) and then hit the beach. Here are some pictures of the Indian Ocean and the monkeys that greeted us while walking back up from the beach to meet our driver. 

The highlight for me was Uluwatu Temple and seeing a traditional Balinese dance. Unlike some other dances, this one featured a chorus of 50 dudes chanting instead of having instruments. The story I had just learned from a museum 3 days before in Singapore in an exhibit. Here are the pictures of the temple and performance at sunset: 

After moving to my super nice resort I just spent time chillin in an air conditioned room and swimming in the two enormous pools. I finished some books and took naps and honestly wouldn't have remembered that it was my birthday until the staff brought me a cake. While I would prefer celebrating with my twin sis, it wasn't half bad being alone reading by the pool. 

My last day included a bike tour of rural Bali and it was a perfect way to end my visit. This is what I had heard of Bali being - peaceful and quiet. Our tour guide told us tons of information on the land of a thousand temples. 

So Bali wasn't exactly what I expected but what I will remember is how much I loved the Balinese people. They are absolutely hilarious and have a great sense of humor and are overwhelmingly welcoming. 

Tomorrow I head back to Singapore and then on to Kuala Lampur. More posts to come!

Ballin' in Sydney

After coming back from my trip to Melbourne I was offered a place to crash for the next week with my friends Brian and Dervilia, an Irish couple I met in Cartagena. They were so sweet to offer me a place to stay and I was excited about being able to spend some time with them. What they failed to mention is that their apartment was amazing. I opened the door and blurted out "Man, you guys are ballers!". Of course, they thought it was the most American term they had ever heard in context and I've been hearing about it since. Once again I feel overwhelmed with gratitude and am so thankful to have met them. Derv and Brian were incredibly kind to take care of me for the last week and I can't wait to return the favor once I settle back in NYC.

The past week I played the role of the typical tourist. I quickly moved into the Irish inner circle and hung out with some super nice people from all over Ireland who were interested in seeing the sights as well. I went to museums, the aquarium, wildlife center and did a couple great cliffwalks. Here are some shots from my tourist week.

Here are my top 5 observations about Sydney:

1. The weather is great and sunny a lot of the time

2. The shopping here is unreal and the women are babes and all nicely dressed.

3. There are beaches IN the city. It's one of the most "liveable" city in that sense.

4. Syndey is expensive (I know, I know, you've heard it from me before but I thought it was worth saying again).

5. Aussies are some of the most chill relaxed people I've ever met. Even in the city, the have the most laid back attitude.

I will definitely miss Syndey but I'm ready to move on once again. Thanks to everyone who hosted me in my 3 weeks in Australia!

Next stop: Singapore.

Spending Money Like I have it in Sydney

Again, I'm sorry for not posting for a while. I've been in Sydney and internet time here is almost 3 dollars an hour! Bah! So it's difficult to upload pictures and write a post but I'm doing my best. Thanks to all of you for the reminders, now I know some of you actually read my blog!

I was so excited to come to Sydney because one of my good friends from school lives here and is studying to get her phd. Carolyn and I were urban studies dorks in school and get along great so couldn't wait to see her life here and what she thinks of the city. Her cutie finance is from Australia and they've shown me around a ton.

The first week was spent hanging out with Carolyn and Brad and getting to know the city a bit more. It's a great place but I think it's incredibly expensive. I paid 4 dollars for a coke (I know I know, I shouldn't be drinking that crap anyway). The quality of life here is amazing and people are always out and enjoying the ridiculously nice weather. Unlike NYC and a few other American cities, at night (most nights) it cools down here and there's an awesome ocean breeze. I took advantage of the great weather and swam as much as possible in Carolyn's pool and the beaches here that are inside the city - nuts!

After the first week I took a trip to Melbourne. In total, the trip took 3 days and I met some great people. My tour guide was a Kiwi who lived in Australia but worked for a bunch of summers in New Hampshire. Small world. He doesn't know it yet but we'll get married one day for sure. We took a few good walks along the way, one of which lead to one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen. Check it out!

I also saw real kangaroos in the wild! I thought they were kind of scary at first but they seemed to just be chillin in the middle of nowhere.

The next post I'll write about my time back in Syndey with some great friends I met traveling in South America.

Much love,

Me