Day03 300907~ In pursuit of exciting water adventure

Headed down to the southern coastline of Nusa Dua (Tanjung Benoa to be exact) to see some water action…

Sandy white beaches stretching for as far as the eye can see & beautiful sunny weather; somehow did not feel as scorchingly hot like back home…

A couple hours of banana-boating, jet-skiing, para-sailing & diving fun later and after incurring some inevitable dents on our pockets (though rates here are hardly expansive)…

Comes the time for Bintang Bali!

Absolutely refreshing when taken chilled, especially after a bout of diving session =)

& getting your hair braided for a mere Rp20000. Cool ne!

Alicia Keys in the making…. minus the tan, & the voice lah

I have my eyes set on next….

It’s ironic how keen I am when it comes to doing water sports: snorkeling, kayak, rafting, jet skiing, wake-boarding & now diving… always being quick to jump in ~ & then realize that I can’t swim to save my own life =p

A pricey Rp50000 VCD of our underwater adventures… went 8m deep on our very 1^st dive

An activity filled day at the beach, calls for a lunch FEAST of

scrumptious Babi Guling. It’s a SIN to have come to Bali & not try out this unique local dish.

Capital of Denpasar in central Bali

One of the biggest market in town, colorful & bustling with people. The best bargains can be found here.

That’s what I call a practical tint job. If only it were legal back home.

Pura Tanah Lot on the eastern coast…

One of the most beautiful places I’ve been to ~ magnificent temples perched on cliff tops, ground breaking waves below & sunset on the horizon ~ word’s can’t describe; something you’ve got to come see & experience it yourself

Our private tour officially ends on the 3^rd night.

With our trusty guide, Ketut, which we always have problem pronouncing his name correctly (no pun intended) =p

Day02 290907 ~ Its cultural day for us; we set out early to sample finer points of the local unique Balinese culture. First up is the Barong Kris dance ~ play represents the eternal fight between good & evil spirit…

The Barong, a badass mythological creature (no pun intended) ~ essentially represents the good spirit, pitted against Rangda, an evil mythological monster (the part I’m trying to play… now if only I can get into my Rangda costume…)

Shrine at the back of the theater… not sure if I’m standing on the correct side; I’ve got plenty of room for another here ~ ^symbolical^

Drop-bys at a souvenir shop (woodcarving & sculting specialty) or two…

Passed plains of sawah padis…

We journeyed up north to the Kintamani highlands

~ to enjoy a scenic lunch overlooking the still volcanic?? Mt. Batur & Lake Batur. The highest point in Bali, Mt. Agung (3,142m) is visible to the east.

On the way down, more interestingly sculptured sawah padis spotted

Photo snapping break is also an excuse for another shopping stop. Bargain hunting becomes effortless when you have expert hagglers as your buddies. When shopping at bargain outlets always go for 1/2 $$ at the least; if you’re good enough you’ll get by paying only 1/3… & get lots of pitiful bankrut expressions from the traders…

Getting swarmed by a crowd of prospective young & old entrepreneurs

Our Bali bus arrives in Ubud…

With its art market, museums & galleries it’s arguably the cultural center of Bali

One of the most reputable restaurants in the whole of Bali. Bebek Bengil ~ literally translates to dirty duck. It’s a crime to have come to Ubud & not dine here…

A chic eatery in the middle of a sawah padi??

The house specialty…. I’ve never been a fan of duck dish, but this it the BEST EVER I’ve tasted.

Most of the islands’ 3.4 million population are of the Hindu faith (93%), the elements of religious influence is evident in every aspects of the Balinese way of life. We visited Pura Goa Gajah next; one of the more famous temple in central Bali.

Men in sarong = when in Roman, do as the Romans do

Sat in for another cultural fiesta before dinner. This time it’s the Kecak Sanghyang dance ~ which portrays the Ramayana stories from the Hindu epic.

A truly captivating unique dance capped with a dramatic closing scene of fire dancing

Unfortunately my trusty old W810i went out flat before the show ended.