Travel with us!
Beyond Voyage
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Destinations
  • Gallery
  • Pack
  • Tunes
  • About

Globally Inspired Home

4/23/2014

1 Comment

 
This spring, I'm making a few changes to my home and garden and I'd like to incorporate elements inspired by our recent trip around the world. Although I can't plant exotic tropical flowers in Boston, nor do I have the space for nest beds, I can look for a few pieces that remind me of some of my favorite places. So, in no particular order, here are a 15 things from around the world that would be fun to replicate at home. 

1. Bangkok, Thailand: Nest Beds
Nesting has taken on a whole new meaning in Bangkok. The shape of these human sized sanctuaries will make the most boring of outdoor spaces intriguing. Add a light inside and create glowing garden sculptures at night!
Picture
Photo by Eva Barbier from blog post: Chillin' Out In Bangkok

2. Hamburg, Germany: Modern Rococo
I'm typically not a fan of rococo and prefer balancing frills and flourishes with corners and crisp lines. However, I reveled in this little cafe in Hamburg, sipping my chai tea slowly while sinking into a cozy velvet couch.  I have no idea if they intentionally distressed the walls or if they just spruced up a derelict space with vintage couches from Oma and Opa's house. Whatever they did, it worked. 
Picture
Photo by Eva Barbier from blog post: Hamburg, Bremen & Bloemendaal

3. Cappadocia, Turkey: Canvas & Carpet Covered Terraces
While in Turkey, we spent two glorious mornings having breakfast here, overlooking the cave town of Goreme. I've been thinking about using canvas to provide shade on my deck during the hot summer since it's pretty easy to put up and take down. I also love the rug covered table for extra lounging.
Picture
Photo by Eva Barbier. To learn more about Turkey, visit our Turkey Destination Page. 

4. Cambodia: Colored Wooden Blinds
These colorful blinds would add cheer to any space such as a nursery, kitchen or my home office.
Picture
Photo by Eva Barbier from the blog post: Waterworld: The Floating Village of Kompong Phluk, Cambodia

5. Yangshuo, China: Wagon Wheel Benches
Check out these benches at our Inn in Yangshuo. They are made by attaching local wood planks to an axle and wagon wheels. This set-up is a charming alternative to a traditional picnic table. 
Picture
Photo by Eva Barbier from blog post: Days 167-170: Yangshuo, China - Hiking and Biking the Karst Mountains

6. Koh Lanta, Thailand: Bamboo Lounges & Pyramid Pillows
Koh Lanta is one of the places i miss most often because we found total relaxation here. Perhaps it's because bamboo lounges and beds are scattered along the beaches, waiting for a wanderer to plop down for a cold beer and a little shut eye. The colorful pyramid pillows are a nice touch, and help prop up one's head in order to enjoy the sea view.  I don't think bamboo would last in the harsh Boston weather, but if i ever live somewhere milder I plan on creating my own little slice of Lanta. 
Picture
Photo of The Indian bar in Koh Lanta by Eva Barbier from Our Guide to Koh Lanta, Thailand

7. Ubud, Bali: Stone & Wood Carvings
Bali is full of insanely talented artisans and artists that have been perfecting their craft for generations. We visited gardens, homes and temples full of intricately carved statues and furniture. Two of my favorite pieces were these Balinese women who seem full of happiness and peace. Generally, this is how I feel after a really good meal. They would look lovely in my garden and remind me of the warmth and hospitality we experienced in Bali. 
Picture
Read more about Bali here: Ubud, Bali - The Barong Dance, Stone Carving & The Awe-Inspiring Contact Lens 

8. Melbourne, Australia: Bold Tile
This tile covered the inside of a bench shelter in Melbourne. It was a pleasant surprise, since the structure was grey on the outside. I thought the pattern would make a nice outdoor table top. 
Picture
Photo by Eva Barbier from blog post: 3 Days In Melbourne

9. Kruger Park,  South Africa: Drapery Over Doors
The decor at safari camps is fantastic, but much of what you'd expect from the African bush - typical wood furniture, local animal fur rugs, and lots of neutrals.  One thing I really liked was the use of drapery, particularly over doors or entryways.  I'm not sure if this has a practical use in the summer (ie keeping bugs out of rooms) but they really made our accommodation, a tent, very homey. 
Picture
Photo by Eva Barbier in blog post: Tanda Tula Safari Camp

10. Paris, France: Black & White Tile
Black and white tile was everywhere in Paris so it always reminds me of my favorite city.  I don't know if it's the the tile that contributes to the glamour of Paris or if it's Paris that makes the tile so chic.  Let's just say it's a symbiotic relationship. If my bathroom wasn't so tiny, I'd tile it like the picture below. 
Picture
Photo by Eva Barbier from blog post: Our Favorite Room in Paris: Six Cent Deux 

11. Arrowtown, New Zealand: Recycled Container Garden
This is a neat idea for people who have a lot of outdoor space. Arrowtown is an old gold mining town in New Zealand. There was a lot of abandoned equipment from the mining days so local artists used them in their artwork and homes. Here is an old pipe transformed into a container garden. 
Picture
Photo by Eva Barbier. To learn more about New Zealand visit our New Zealand Destination Page. 

12. Winelands, South Africa: Chrome+Stone+Wood
The wineries in Franschhoek, South Africa are stunning both inside and out.  I particularly enjoyed the modern decor of the tasting room at the Gran Provence. The chrome bar and fixtures gave it a sleek modern look which was nicely offset by the rest of the room, comprised of natural elements from the region - stone, clay and wood. While it's void of color inside, the view was bursting with color outside the glass doors. 
Picture
Photo of the Gran Provence tasting room by Eva Barbier as featured in The Winelands Awards.

13. Seminyak, Bali: Colorful Shutters
These pretty shutters, spotted in Bali, would liven up a pool house or backyard shed. 
Picture
Photo by Eva Barbier in blog post: Bali, Indonesia - Laid Back Seminyak

14. Chiang Mai, Thailand: Copper Light Fixtures
Giant copper lights were suspended from tall tree trunks in our hotel lobby in Chiang Mai.  They were especially enchanting when twinkling at night. Perhaps they could be used on a much smaller scale in an entryway, over a dining room table or kitchen island. 
Picture
Photo of VC@Suanpaak lobby by Eva Barbier from Chiang Mai, Thailand - Hits & Misses

15. Caye Caulker, Belize: Weathered Wooden Signs
The tiny Caribbean island is comprised of small wooden structures that have been weathered by the salt and sand in the air.  Painted wooden signs were strewn about the island featuring island mantras (Go Slow) and store names. I think these would look great hanging in a bohemian urban garden. 
Picture
Photo by Eva Barbier from Caye Caulker - You Better Belize It.

1 Comment

Chris' Corner of Culinary Delights - Luwak Coffee

10/10/2013

0 Comments

 
We visited a coffee plantation whilst in Bali, and sampled a wide variety of interesting flavor-infused coffees and teas.  Some of our favorites were the coconut and ginger varieties.  However, the most interesting item on offer was the famous (infamous) Luwak Coffee, known far and wide for its high price tag and its unusual origins.

You see, it all starts with an animal called the Asian palm civet, or luwak, as the Balinese call it.   It's a ferret-like creature with a hankering for coffee beans.  But the crafty luwak eats only the finest fruit available, passing over any that do not pass his strenuous inspection.  The bean then makes its way through the luwak's digestive system, eventually re-emerging as eaten things often do.  It's then collected and brewed into the world's most expensive cup of joe.  

Picture
The lewak, making his magic coffee beans
Picture
Paradoxurus indeed. They make it sound so magical.
Of course, we needed to sample the resulting brew for ourselves to find out what all the fuss was about.
Picture
The verdict?  It was good.  It tasted exactly like coffee!  But there was definitely no discernible lewakiness to it.  Perhaps our coffee palates are not as refined as they need to be to detect the subtleties infused by the civet's digestive process, but for our money, we'll stick with the cheaper variety harvested the old fashioned way.

I will hand it to the marketing wizards who came up with this coffee however.  It is a rare talent that can convince lots of people to pay up mightily to imbibe liquid luwak poo.  Still, perhaps we need to talk to a real coffee connoisseur.  


Have you sampled this coffee and, if so, what were your thoughts?  The real deal or a real gimmick?  Let me know!
0 Comments

Days 151-152: Ubud -Biking Beautiful Bali & Drinking The World's Most Expensive Coffee

10/9/2013

0 Comments

 
On our fourth day in Ubud, we went into the mountains to bike through Bali's beautiful back country with Bali Bingtang Tour.  We started our ride amongst two of Bali's volcanoes, and rode approximately 40km downhill through back roads lined with picturesque rice fields and small villages. 

But first, we stopped off at a coffee plantation to sample the famous Luwak coffee.  For those of you who are not aware, the Luwak is a rodent-like creature with a taste for only the finest coffee beans.  The Luwak, however, is not able to digest the entire bean, and what's left over is sifted out of the Luwak's droppings, roasted, and brewed into coffee that sells for upwards of $100 per pound.  And we got to sample some. Whatever else they might say about the Balinese, they are marketing geniuses.  For only a true salesman could convince the masses to drink liquid poo, and pay mightily for the privilege.
Picture
About to roast the beans (these were your standard coffee beans and had not passed through the digestive tract of a Luwak).
Picture
Beans roasting
Picture
The luwak, possibly in the process of making some coffee magic.
Picture
Brilliant.
Picture
About to drink the Luwak coffee. Stay tuned for a Culinary Delights on this one.
Picture
In addition to the Luwak, the plantation specialized in flavored coffees and teas, all of which we got to try out. Our favorite was easily the coconut coffee!
We next arrived at the bike launch point. We stopped at a local restaurant for some more energy - tea/coffee and fried bananas.  Yum!  After taking in the beautiful volcano-filled vista, our group was off on our downhill bike ride through the villages and countryside! 
Picture
Where we had tea and fried bananas before our bike trip.
Picture
Restaurant interior
Picture
Volcano
Picture
Nyoman and Chris taking a break
Hello Mrs. Barbier! Your son is crazy! 
At one point, we passed by an elementary school. Nyoman asked our guide if we could stop in to say hello to the kids.  The teacher agreed and a handful of our group introduced ourselves to the students.  They loved Paul & Nyoman because they kept calling each other crazy to make the kids laugh. 
Picture
Balinese elementary school
Picture
Paul sharing a joke with the class
Chris' mom teaches second grade back in Massachusetts and we thought it would be really cool for the Bali class to say hello to the Massachusetts class, especially because they were similar ages.  Nyoman explained this to the class, who agreed to send a video message back to Lunenburg, MA!  Here it is:
We were all laughing, especially Chris who was filming the whole thing. The kids were so cute! Nyoman left them some money (about $5) so the entire class could have an ice cream party.  This is a rare treat for these kids so they were surprised and ecstatic, smiling ear to ear!
Picture
Nyoman giving them some money (about $USD 5) for an ice cream party. The kids were shocked and SO HAPPY! Look at the expressions on their faces :)
We also learned a little more about school in these small Balinese villages. Kids attend school from 7am-11am every day. Afternoons are reserved for working and/or temple. They attend school from Monday-Saturday.  The kids spend Saturday doing chores around the school - cleaning, repairing furniture or fences, painting, gardening - whatever is needed.  Sadly, education is undervalued and many kids drop out of school around 13 or 14 because they don't see the point in staying in class when they could be earning money for their family. Also, many get married very young - 14 or 15 years old - and they start having children right away because children are very important in Balinese tradition. 

After the school, we stopped at a local village home to learn about how the typical villagers live.  When two people get married, the bride usually moves into her husband's family compound where the couple will live in their own home next to his siblings, parents and sometimes grandparents. The compound consists of several small houses, a family shrine and an open air pavilion where certain ceremonies take place. Behind the compound is a garden and where they keep livestock. 

Picture
The family shrine & the pavilion where special ceremonies take places (ie marriage, death).
Picture
The family's shrine
Picture
The family offered us these sweet rice crackers. They were really good!
Picture
The home's kitchen.
Happy Birthday Nyoman!
After our wonderful bike tour, our group had lunch at a local restaurant. It was Nyoman's birthday so Paul made an announcement and the entire group sang Happy Birthday at the lunch table.  The Balinese typically don't celebrate birthdays (many don't know the day of their birthday) so Nyoman was a little shy at first, but accepted the congratulations graciously.

That night, we headed back into town to eat at one of Nyoman's favorite spots in town, the Deli Cat, where we had great steaks with mushrooms and potatoes!

Last Day in Bali
The next day we had to catch a flight to Kuala Lumpur, Myanmar.  Before we left, Nyoman took us on a walk through his village to see a beautiful, remote, water temple and fancy yoga retreat. 
Picture
On our way to the water temple
Picture
We passed waterfalls on our way....
Picture
So beautiful!
Picture
Happy in the jungle!
Picture
Nearby yoga retreat. So peaceful.
We were so sad to leave Bali, but incredibly thankful for the wonderful experience we had and the friends we made on this trip. Paul and Nyoman were incredible, and we will be forever thankful for such a warm, thoughtful and eye-opening experience in Ubud. We were only there for five days, but thanks to them, it already felt like home.  
Picture
Team Barbier in Bali!
0 Comments

Day 150: Ubud, Bali - Storybook Temples

10/8/2013

0 Comments

 
Ganung Kawi Temple
On our next morning in Bali, Nyoman, Chris and I traveled to Ganung Kawi, an approximately 1,000-year-old Hindu temple complex about 45 minutes' drive from Ubud.  To reach the temple, we hiked down into a river valley, passing by some beautiful rice terraces and local villages:
Picture
Heading to the temple
Picture
A beautiful vista as we hiked down to the river valley
Picture
Passing through bright green rice terraces
Picture
Picture
Picture
Plumeria flowers & rice terraces
After walking downhill for about twenty minutes we reached the entrance to the temple complex.  You first encounter massive stone sculptures carved into the mountainside.  It is believed that these were carved in honor of King Anak Wungsu and his favorite wives.  A more popular piece of Balinese folklore holds that Kebo Iwa, a mythical giant, carved these in one night using his fingernails.  
Picture
Stone carvings in honor of King Anak Wangsu and his wives at Ganung Kawi temple.
Picture
Picture
Nyoman & me at Ganung Kawi
Next, we went downhill and into the heart of the temple complex.  The temple is still used for important ceremonies today, and we observed two lay priests preparing offerings.
Picture
Crossing the river into the heart of the temple complex
Picture
Entering the heart of the temple
Picture
Picture
Picture
Within the temple are even more of these massive sculptures
Picture
Picture
The inner-most core of the temple is reserved for the priests, who use it to meditate. It is the oldest and quietest part of the temple, consisting of a series of small rooms and caves. We had to remove our shoes before entering.
Picture
They used the natural flow of water through the area to build fountains and pools.
Picture
We passed by this small shrine built around the base of a tree. Nyoman explained that many people believe these large trees harbor mischievous spirits, and build these shrines to limit their powers.
Picture
View of the rice terraces on our way out of the temple
The Ganung Kawi temple was amazing and incredibly beautiful, and our pictures do not do justice to our experience there.  We would highly recommend a trip here if you are ever in Bali.

Klungkung Palace
We next visited the remains of a former royal palace in East Bali, built during the 1700's. Sadly, most of the palace was destroyed when the Dutch invaded in 1908.   Many of the people who lived in this area were the last holdouts against Dutch conquest, and perished while making their final stand.  

What remains of the palace compound are the Taman Gili - a beautiful water garden - and the Kertha Gosa Pavilion, which features a beautifully painted ceiling depicting scenes from a famous Hindu epic, Bhima Swarga.

Picture
The 'floating' pavilion
Picture
Entering the pavilion
Picture
The ceiling is covered with paintings depicting scenes from a famous Hindu epic
Picture
Picture
Picture
Scenes from the great battle in the epic.
Another pavilion featured other Hindu teachings, including several of the penalties one might expect for various evil deeds done in life.
Picture
This is the fate that awaits those who gossip.
Picture
We think this one is the punishment for the unfaithful.
Picture
This one is a catch-all for any evil deeds that don't have specific penalties associated with them.
Picture
A temple that was part of the former palace.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Chris played a song for me on the wood xylophone.
Picture
The beautiful water garden
The Other Side of Bali
On the way home, we stopped off to visit Nyoman's former place of employment - he managed Bali's only recycling center.  This was a very unusual experience, but I think it's worth its own post, so stay tuned for more on this.

Cafe Lotus
That evening, we had dinner with Paul and Nyoman at Cafe Lotus, and met Paul's friend and tennis partner, Hans, an Austrian expat who manages the restaurant.  The setting of  Cafe Lotus, is very unique, as it's open to the outside and the back overlooks the Ubud palace, where you can see a nightly dancing show performed from across a large lotus pond.  It was a beautiful scene!
0 Comments

DAy 149: Ubud, Bali - Black Sand & The Bali Safari

10/7/2013

2 Comments

 
Our third day in Ubud began with a morning walk on a black sand beach.  Since Bali is a volcanic island, some of the beaches are made from black volcanic rock.  I thought I had seen a black sand beach beach before years ago in the Canary Islands but that beach was grey compared to this one! 
Picture
Bali's black sand beach
Picture
Picture
The guys strolling along the beach. Sandals are a must because this sand is hot!
Picture
Picture
Chris, me and Paul. I swear we didn't coordinate the colors of our outfits beforehand!
This is a very popular beach among the locals. But they don't come here to swim and soak up the sun. They come here pray and purify themselves. In my previous post, I mentioned how important being pure is to the Balinese Hindu people.  The beach is another way to wash away impurities. We passed by three men praying on the beach and Nyoman said they probably were down on their luck, so they came to the beach to wash away the bad luck. 
Picture
Purification ceremony
Picture
Purification ceremony
Picture
The Balinese often leave offerings in intersections in order to keep out evil spirits. This one was built where the beach meets the access road.
Morning Market
After a stroll on the black sand beach, we hit up the huge morning market in one of the nearby villages.  This is actually where the shops in town pick up their inventory at wholesale.  Here you can find endless carvings, crafts, jewelry, housewares and furniture at great prices.  You have to bargain, but even if you only get a rupiah or two off the original price it's still a deal. I had a hard time resisting shopping here!  If we had been going straight home after Bali, I would have purchased an extra bag and filled it with many treasures from this market! 
Picture
Morning Market
Picture
Endless amounts of carved sculptures at the morning market
Bali Safari
Next on the list was a visit to the Bali Safari to see their show and visit the zoo. This was one of the few touristy things we did in Ubud and for good reason. The one-hour show was really fantastic and looked like something you'd see in Las Vegas.  They didn't allow us to bring cameras so I don't have pictures of the show, but check out the website to get an idea.  The set is beautiful and colorful, the story is interesting and the music and dancing is really fun to watch. 

After the show we took a spin on the safari, which consisted of an encolsed trolley that drove through various habitats featuring animals from Asia, Africa and local Indonesian animals. We saw a lot of new animals, including a pair of beautiful tigers!   
Picture
Tiger
Picture
Lesser Bird of Paradise (I am now on the hunt for the Greater Bird of Paradise)
Picture
Ankole Watusi
Monkeying Around
At one point, we had the chance to hold an orangutan. You had to buy tickets, so Chris bought 3 tickets - for me, Paul & Nyoman. Surprisingly, he didn't purchase one for himself because I think he was a little afraid of the monkey! Here are some shots Paul, Nyoman and I took with the silly orangutan. 
Picture
Nothing like an orangutan back scratch!
Picture
The orangutan never ran out of funny expressions.
Picture
The monkey was caught off guard by Nyoman's kiss!
Dinner at Wahyu
That night we went out to eat in Ubud at a little warung called Wahyu. Set just off Monkey Forest Road near the soccer field, this place is  a favorite of Paul and Nyoman's because it has tasty food at great prices. Here I had a great nasi gorem seafood and Chris had the seafood tempura salad. Delish! 

That night Ren escorted us to the guest house as usual, and we fell asleep to the sound of the jungle, excited for the next day's excursion - Ganung Kawi Temple & the Summer Palace! 
2 Comments

Day 148: Ubud, Bali - The Barong Dance, Stone Carving & The Awe-Inspiring Contact Lens 

10/4/2013

0 Comments

 
Our second day in Ubud began with a wonderful breakfast of omelettes, pancakes and fresh fruit prepared by Nyoman.  We then headed off for the 9:30 AM performance of the Barong Dance.

Celebrities for a Morning
As mentioned in our previous post, the Barong Dance is a traditional dance performed regularly throughout Bali.  The particular performance that we attended was held in a large covered outdoor theater not far from Ubud.  It's a popular attraction for people from throughout Bali as well as the neighboring islands, but rarely for tourists.  

Our performance was being attended by four massive tour groups of people from Java, plus the four of us.  It turns out that Java does not get many foreign tourists, so Paul, Chris and I became the show's opening attraction! Everyone wanted to have their picture taken with us and we posed with various groups of people for a good 15-20 minutes before the dance began.  It was a really odd feeling to have so many people smiling at us and patiently waiting for their turn to get a picture with us.   A few of the ladies rested their heads on my shoulder for the picture. One man asked me if I was from Hollywood.  At one point, Paul gave one woman a one-armed hug in the middle of their picture and all the ladies around them squealed in amusement.  We enjoyed the attention and we hope we gave them a good impression of foreigners!
Picture
Posing with a few Javanese tourists at the Barong dance
Barong Dance
According to custom, the Barong is a playful yet fearsome creature which represents good, and is used to chase off evil spirits.  The Barong can take one of many forms, but frequently, as in this case, it is represented by a sort of tiger/dog played by two dancers.  The evil spirit is represented by the witch Rhangda.  Typically the dance ends with no winner, symbolizing the ongoing struggle between good and evil.

We really enjoyed the Barong Dance and seeing the talented performers act out this epic battle.  The show started off with the Barong and a crafty monkey taking on a band of hunters in the woods.  We were very impressed that the people playing the Barong and the monkey captured the movements and behaviors of their respective animals uncannily well.
Picture
The Barong
Picture
The crazy monkey
Picture
Comic relief during the show. These guys interacted with the crowd, cracking jokes and making them laugh. Luckily, Nyoman translated what they were saying for us so we could be in on the joke!
Picture
The witch casting a spell on the queen (left) so she would turn on her son the prince (right). Women typically play the part of royal men in Balinese plays. The Balinese consider thin, light skinned, feminine men to be attractive. This likely stems from the days when royal/wealthy people didn't have to do heavy labor outside in the sun. Thus, they tended to be thinner and lighter than your average man.
Picture
The gamelan band
Temple Visit
After the Barong Dance, we headed off to see another one of the beautiful local temples. This was one of the older temples in the area:
Picture
When we arrived, the local people were preparing for an upcoming ceremony by preparing offerings. This is just one of several tables full of beautiful offerings prepared by each family in the village.
Picture
Many had elaborate hand-made palm decorations
Picture
Picture
A local woman carrying her offering to the temple
Picture
Offerings & motorbikes - just an average day in Bali!
Picture
In front of the temple
Picture
Behind the plywood are beautifully carved wooden doors. The cover is used to protect them from the sun and rain, and is removed for ceremonies.
Picture
Picture
Chris and Nyoman
Master Carvers
We later visited Nyoman's uncle, who is a master carver of objects from wood and stone.  He was the artist behind the beautiful teak furniture in Paul's guesthouse shown in the previous post.  Nyoman apprenticed at his uncle's shop for many years before heading to the US to study.  
Picture
Nyoman's uncle's shop - beautiful sandstone carvings
Picture
A couple of these were done by Nyoman!
Picture
We especially liked these incredibly intricate stone reliefs
Picture
Picture
One of the other carvers at the shop created this life-sized Kimodo dragon out of a slab of hard stone. It was destined for a garden of a home in England.
Picture
Chris trying his hand with the chisel
Picture
Better we leave it to the experts! The man in yellow is the artist behind the kimodo dragons.
Picture
On our walk through the neighborhood, we saw this entire family hanging out with their dad while we worked on his stone carvings. The people of this village learn this craft from a very young age!
Family Shrine
We were then invited to Nyoman's uncle's house to visit the family shrine and meet his family members!  In Bali, each home complex has a family shrine where people pray to their ancestors. Nyoman's uncle had a beautiful shrine which was adorned with his beautiful carvings, naturally!
Picture
Entrance to Nyoman's uncle's beautiful family shrine
Picture
Inside the shrine
Picture
One of the kids happily hanging out on the shrine.
Picture
His family had only seen a contact lens once before and it really freaked them out! Chris is explaining how the contact lens works.
Picture
In goes the contact lens. Mind blown!
Picture
With the whole family!
After saying goodbye, Chris and I spent the afternoon walking around downtown Ubud, and later met up with Paul and Nyoman to head back to town for dinner at one of Ubud's oldest and most interesting restaurants, Cafe Wayan, for an excellent meal.  The food was wonderful, but the most memorable thing about this restaurant is the setting.  It sits on the busy main drag of Ubud, but once you leave the street, you enter a vast courtyard that goes back deep past the backs of the neighboring buildings.  Tables are set in individual pagodas separated from each other by lots of distance, vegetation and string lights, so that you really feel like you have your own little warung.  Chris ordered Nasi Campur, a traditional Balinese dish, and I had bacon-wrapped shrimp.  Both were sensational!  We highly recommend Cafe Wayan if you ever visit Ubud, for both the food and the ambiance!
0 Comments

Day 147: Bali - A Warm Welcome to Ubud

10/3/2013

0 Comments

 
After 3 wonderful days strolling around Seminyak, we planned to head up to Ubud, Bali  - a region known for its bright green rice terraces, paddy fields and rich culture. It was here that we met Chris’ dad’s long-time friend Paul, who has retired to Bali, and his friend Nyoman, who grew up in Bali and spent 11 years living in the US.  Paul graciously invited us to stay in his guest house while we were in Bali! 

Paul and Nyoman picked us up at our hotel in Seminyak and we drove about 45 minutes to the small village of Lodsema, located about 10 minutes south of Ubud.  This is where Nyoman and his family live, and where Paul built his villa almost 10 years ago. The place was stunning!  Paul has a two-story home with an extensive tropical garden (my favorite kind of garden), pool and guesthouse surrounded by jungle. It's a paradise you have to see to believe.  Here are a few pictures, which really don't do it justice:
Picture
Main house
Picture
Picture
Welcome to the guest house!
Picture
Guest house living area
Picture
Guesthouse bedroom furniture hand carved by Nyoman's uncle
Picture
Guesthouse deck looking over the jungle.
To our delight, we were welcomed by 3 adorable dogs – Jess, a yellow lab and Ren & Kim – both german shepards.  Ren would be become our bodyguard for the next 5 nights as he walked us to the guest house and slept outside our door every night.  It was so nice to be greeted by Ren first thing every morning! 
Picture
Ren, walking us home :)
Paul & Nyoman spoiled us rotten and we loved it.  They had asked us earlier about the kinds of things we liked to do. Based on our response, they drew up a list of recommended activities and places to go. We didn’t have to do any research, which was a treat after planning daily for the last 5 months!  So here is a recap of what we did on our first day in Ubud.

Temple Festival

We timed our visit perfectly, since the village was in the midst of a religious festival celebration that happens once very 50 years.  The 4 sub-villages in this area attend the Hindu temple called Pura Dalem Desa Mawang.  Religion is extremely important to the local people.  They pray several times a day and regularly contribute to the temple with offerings and services. 

Everyone who enters the temple must wear traditional attire – a sarong, sash/temple scarf around the waist and a head scarf for men.  
Picture
Chris, me & Paul at the entrance to the temple.
Being pure is very important to the Balinese.  For example, before you enter the temple, you are sprinkled with holy water.  Then there is a ceremony to rid the temple of evil spirits.  First, there is a meditative-like prayer where the lay priests come around and sprinkle holy water on the participants. 
Picture
Nyoman, sprinkling holy water on Paul before entering the temple.
Picture
Peering into the temple to observe the ceremony.
Picture
Everyone sits on their sandals.
Picture
One of the lay priests sprinkling holy water on the worshipers.
Picture
Prayer with plumeria petals.
Picture
The marketer in me appreciates this - brands transcend cultures!
Once this part is done, the gamelan players begin to make music and everyone dances, claps, sings and yells in an effort to scare away the evil spirits:
Picture
Scaring the evil spirits away!
Picture
Paul was keeping an eye on us:)
In this part of the temple are heaps of different types of offerings. Some are beautiful palm leaves, flowers and incense:
Picture
Offerings of palm and flowers.
Picture
More handmade offerings.
Other offerings are less pleasant to behold.  To be specific, they sacrifice animals – usually pigs, chickens and even small dogs.  While it was difficult for me to see this (and smell it), I could also see how important these sacrifices were to the people of the temple. These are people who don't have much, and a pig or chicken is one or several meals, so giving one up for this ceremony is a huge sacrifice to their gods. 
Picture
Sacrificial piglet
Picture
A chicken carcass among the offerings. There was also a dog.
They also have daily cockfights outside the temple called Tabuh Rah (spilling of blood).  One rooster kills another, and the spilling of the blood is a form of purification that will appease the evil spirits.  The men of the village also raise their own roosters to compete, and then bet on the matches.  The winner gets to take the loser's bird, which then comprises his family's dinner that evening.  Chris attended one of the cockfights, while I stayed back at the villa.  Definitely not my cup of tea!

Barong Dance
The Balinese fundamentally belive in the balance of power - dharma which is something like order and adharma which is its opposite - disorder.  They have a dance ritual where the Barong - a lion-like or pig-like creature representing dharma - battles Rhangda the witch, who represents adharma.  The dance often ends with neither side winning, because the point is to restore balance. The Balinese also believe that the Barong will protect them from things like disease and other impurities. We didn't see the Barong dance at this temple, but we did see one the next morning, which I'll write about in the next post. 
Picture
The Barong
Picture
I think this is Rhangda. Nyoman called it Tina Turner. I called it David Bowie:)
Storytelling at the Temple
Balinese Hindu have many religious stories involving their gods. During these festivals, they use various methods to tell these stories including dance, plays and shadow puppets. 
Picture
Fastening the mask on one of the actors
Picture
Storytelling with shadow puppets
Eating at the Warung
After the temple ceremony, Chris really wanted to sample some local cuisine. Nyoman told us about this little place near the house that sold local Balinese food.  A warung is a little family-owned neighborhood cafe or food stall.  Being of weak stomach, I decided to pass on lunch here.  Chris and Nyoman, on the other hand, enjoyed every last morsel! 
Picture
The local warung's offering of the day - a variety of meats cooked in spicy sauces.
Picture
Nyoman prepared a dish for Chris
Picture
Toilet paper napkins! Nyoman loves it!
Hand-Painted Kites
Kites are a big part of Balinese culture.  When we landed at the airport, we saw an array of kites in the air.  On our first afternoon in Ubud, Nyoman brought us next door to his brother's house where his sister-in-law was painting beautiful kites.  This was our first glimpse at the artistic talent prevalent throughout this area.
Picture
Painting kites
Picture
Welcome Dance
To officially welcome us to the village, Paul and Nyoman arranged for the local girls to perform a traditional Balinese dance for us at the house. They were gorgeous! They performed four dances:

1) Welcome Dance
2) Golden Deer
3) Scarecrow
4) Peacock

All the girls aspire to be the peacocks, but we enjoyed all four dances equally. These girls were beautiful, graceful and really embodied the persona of each dance. 
Picture
The girls preparing for the dance.
Picture
Nyoman's nephews are getting ready for the show!
Picture
The first set of girls (~7 years old) perform the Welcome Dance.
Picture
The boys are captivated!
Picture
Picture
End of the Welcome Dance.
Picture
Golden Deer dance. She was one of my favorites. Incredible talent!
Picture
Golden Deer dance
Picture
Scarecrow dance
Picture
Scarecrow dance
Picture
The finale...the Peacock dance!
Picture
Peacock dance
Picture
Peacocking
Picture
We got to pose with the beautiful dancers!
Trivia Night
We capped off our first day in Ubud at one of Paul's local haunts, the Fly Cafe in Ubud, where we joined his local team for weekly pub trivia night!  While we didn't end up winning trivia, we had a great time and a lot of laughs.  

It's hard to believe we saw so much in just our first afternoon with Paul and Nyoman.  Stay tuned for lots more adventures in our next few posts!
0 Comments

Days 144-146: Bali, Indonesia - Laid Back Seminyak

10/2/2013

0 Comments

 
After more than a month, we finally said farewell to Australia and traveled about three hours north from Perth to the island of Bali.  Bali is a popular vacation spot for Australians due to its tropical climate, low prices and close proximity.  Thus our plane was full of Aussie spring breakers (mostly Bogans) in varying stages of sobriety.  

Airport Chaos
While most of our trip to Bali was relaxing, our arrival was anything but. Our arrival coincided with several important events occurring on the island.  First, our planed landed at the same time as the Indonesian President, who was there to inaugurate a brand new highway that had just opened on the island.  As a result, upon landing we had to wait on the plane for a while while the president and his entourage made their way through the airport.  Later, while we were waiting in the immigration line, we saw hundreds of photographers, video cameras and news reporters following a group of important people.  We were right at the front of the line, and several cameras were  in our face so we probably ended up on the local Indonesian news.

Bali was also hosting the APEC conference, a global economic summit, early the following week, and some of the delegates – who had their own section of the immigration area allotted to them – were already trickling in, which added further to the chaos.  After about an hour waiting in line for the passport check, we finally made our way out of the airport and met our ride to the hotel.  

D’Penjor Hotel
We got a great deal on a brand new hotel called D’Penjor located a 10-minute walk from the main drag in Seminyak and about a twenty-minute walk from the beach.  We were hugely impressed by this hotel and the wonderful staff there.  Here are some photos of our room and the hotel:
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
All this plus free full breakfast and wifi for about $60 per night!  Keep in mind that walking in Bali is not the safest since they don't really have sidewalks. We learned this on our first night there and thus decided to use taxis to get around town, which usually cost us no more than a dollar per ride. 

We spent the next few days wandering around Seminyak, sampling many of its restaurants and cafes, visiting the unique shops, and watching the sunset over the ocean. I even treated myself to a Thai massage at Bodyworks, which was wonderful (spa treatments are very inexpensive in Bali). 

Strolling through Seminyak:
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Pura Petitenget Temple
This temple is situated right by the beach in Seminyak. There has been a temple here since the 16th century and it is still used regularly today for ceremonies. This was our first of many temple visits in Bali.  In order to enter the temple both men and women must wear a traditional sarong and sash.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Seminyak Nightlife
Seminyak's nightlife was just right for us. The town is chock full of delicious restaurants and we were far away from the college/spring break crowd in Kuta.  Seminyak is really laid back and full of people who want to enjoy the local food and drinks in a more relaxed atmosphere. These are a few of the spots we tried:

Motel Mexicola - Fun, colorful atmosphere; cheap tacos
Chandi - Fancy for Seminyak; great place for sharing appetizers
Khaima - Good Nasi Goreng lunch & ginger lemon juice

Potato Head Beach Club - This club is quite a scene.  It's expensive (for Bali), and it gets really crowded at sunset.  We went for one cocktail at sunset, which was beautiful. It would have been more fun to rent a daybed for the afternoon & evening but you need to reserve one in advance and there is a minimum spend.  If you like a scene, then this is a great spot. I prefer to watch the sunset directly on the beach for free and then hit up one of the many restaurants in town. 
Picture
Petitenget Beach
Picture
Motel Mexicola
Picture
Picture
Potato Head
Picture
Sunset from Potato Head
Picture
Chandi's apps
Picture
Nasi Goreng at Khaima
Picture
Motel Mexicola
Picture
@ Potato Head
Picture
Potato Head Beach Club
Picture
Motel Mexicola
Picture
Shrine to ...Snoop Dogg??
Picture
Potato Head ceiling
Picture
Potato Head's shutter wall
Picture
Potato Head day beds
Seminyak is a beautiful, affordable and fun getaway. If you love the beach, dining out, shopping, spas and great service then you'll really enjoy this part of Bali. We were here just 3 nights and were very content staying in town and exploring the local area. We quickly learned that there is a lot to do in Bali and there never seems to be enough time to do it all. 

While we were really sad to say farewell to Seminyak, we had a bigger treat in store for us as we headed off to meet up with friends near Ubud...
0 Comments
    Picture

    Author

    Eva has been traveling for 15+ years, including an 8 month journey around the world.  

    Archives

    October 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013

    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Amalfi Coast
    Amazon Rainforest
    Amsterdam
    Argentina
    Art
    Aruba
    Asia
    Austin
    Australia
    Austria
    Award
    Baby
    Bali
    Barcelona
    Beijing
    Belize
    Berlin
    Bogota
    Boston
    Brazil
    BVI
    California
    Cambodia
    Cambridge
    Canada
    Cape Town
    Caribbean
    Cartagena
    Central America
    China
    Colombia
    Connecticut
    Costa Rica
    Cuba
    Culinary Delights
    Cusco
    Europe
    Family
    Family Travel
    Flights
    Florence
    Florida
    Food
    France
    Germany
    Hawaii
    Hong Kong
    Hotels/resorts
    Iceland
    Indonesia
    Ireland
    Italy
    Itineraries
    Lake Titicaca
    Live Like A Local
    Luxury
    Machu Picchu
    Maine
    Malaysia
    Massachusetts
    Mexico
    Nantucket
    New England
    New York
    New Zealand
    North Carolina
    Pacific Northwest
    Pack
    Paris
    Peru
    Pisa
    Planning
    Prague
    Provence
    Puerto Rico
    Puno
    Rhode Island
    Rincon
    Rome
    Rtw Trip
    Safar
    Safari
    Shanghai
    Sharks
    South Africa
    South America
    Spain
    Switzerland
    Thailand
    Travel Education
    Travel Tips
    Tunes
    Turkey
    Usa
    Vermont
    Washington
    Where To Stay

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.