There's No Place Like Home

She said: Back to reality. After an adventure full of culture and spirit and fun, there is no place like home, but we already miss Bali so much! We have posted some highlights of the photos but there is also a link to see more. Check it out!

He said: Man, had to go back to work today.... Monday's suck! Only these photos can bring me back to the peace that Bali brought.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31608731@N08/

Looks like fun, huh? What do you guys think, tell us which is your favorite pic?

Yesterday was, by far, our favorite day....

Agenda for the day:

7:30- Shuttle pick up, meet other tourists for bike ride

She said: A little early for me, but the early bird catches the worm? (or lizard...)

He said: Yea right... she was a morning grump, good thing there were other people there so she had to be on her best behavior!

9:00- Breakfast overlooking volcano and lakeside village
She said: What a spectacular view!
He said: Mmmmm, more fried rice for breakfast.

10:00- Tour by shuttle through rural village and lecture on Balinese culture
She said: So fascinating to hear all the amazing ceremonial traditions and beliefs
He said: Yea, they bury their dead for a short period of time and then dig up the bodies and creamate all the bodies together in a mass creamation and send the ashes out to sea. It was so interesting.

11:00- Bike tour begins
He said: I was ready to see the country side up close and personal
She said: Josh looks like such a dork in a helmet! hahaha

11:15- Meet Balinese family and tour through their community home
She said: Family life is so intricate and sacred here. In one community compound there are buildings with a few families, special homes of the elders, a pavilion where they hold special ceremonies like birth rituals and marriages, a pig pen, work area, laundry room and even a rural style fitness center (two rocks on a long stick for bench pressing!)
He said: Dude, no joke, there was an Iron Maiden poster hanging up in one of the rooms!

12:00- Plantation/Eco tour
He said: We got to see the natural plants growing in their habitat and were able to taste some of the fresh tropical fruits. the tamarillo (like a really sweet tomato) was AMAAAAAZZZZZING!
She said: Also, I got to help roast fresh picked coffee beas and tasted some of the rarest coffee in the world. Get this, it is made from beans that are eaten by a catlike fox and then picked from its excrement and made into coffee...
He said: Basically she drank poopy coffee. seriously, coffee made from beans nestled in poooooop!

1:00- Village Bike Ride
She said: We rode through each small village seeing their homes and temples and everyday life, and the children greeted us with cheerful hellos and high fives as we rode by!
He said: Some of those kids can smack pretty hard! :)

2:00- Uphill climb to lunch
She said: It was like spin class only the real thing! 45 minutes of hard physical challenges through lush greenery knowing the reward is not the loss of calories but a hot lunch at the top of the hill and cold beer!
He said: It was pretty easy for me, all I thought about was the food waiting for me at the top!

3:00- Lunch
She said: We ate and talked with friends from around the world about our amazing experiences
He said: Steamed rice, smoked duck, smoked chicken, soya bean cakes, fried noodles, gadu gadu (cabbage wrapped veggies), spicy sambal.... I truly think that was a climb to heaven
She said: Yea, his spiritual enlightenment definitely starts with his stomach...

4:30- Monkey Forest
He said: We walked through a forest infested with hundreds of monkeys! Great photo ops.
She said: Yea, it was cool until I tried to touch one and it almost attacked me! So scarey! I definitely learned to respect nature right then and there!

6:00- Relaxing swim in the pool
They said: Ahhhhhhhh.......

8:00- Dinner and live music
She said: So tired... can't keep eyes open... want sleep
He said: Not me man, keep the food coming. Rice noodles, Lemon chicken and pinapple skewers, and banana and chocolate quesadillas all to the sounds of balinese youngsters covering blues classic. Who needs sleep!?!

9:30- Bedtime
He said: Why won't this damn air conditioner work! sigh...
She said: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ........

Back to the kitchen, I smell somethin burnin

She said:

Woman, get back in the kitchen! You would not believe it, today, even while on vacay, I have slaved away in the kitchen all day. Josh and I rose in Ubud, the cultural center of Bali, ate a hearty breakfast and headed off to learn to cook traditional Balinese food for our own lunch.

We met Desak, a friendly restaurant owner and mother of three, who took us to the busy marketplace to teach us about the spices and traditional foods of Bali. We weaved through the various stands and saw exotic fruits, dried fish, heaps of herbs and spices. But that was the easy part, as we get deeper into the market, I tiptoe over muddy piles swirling with dead fish ooze and blood from the chickens being slaughtered around the corner. The stench seemed to cling to my nostrils as I stayed relatively positive while averting my eyes from anything that might make my tummy flipflop. After that true test of traveling heroism, we finally headed back to the restaurant to make the food.

And OH WAS IT WORTH IT! Desak gave us knives to chop, slice and dice fresh ingredients and toss them together in a wok bubbling with coconut oil. We hand made the Saffron and Balinese sauces as we ground all the ingredients on mortar and pestal. Then onto chicken satay with coconut, pepas- tuna and seasonings wrapped in a banana leaf and grilled, long beans and even dessert which was a crepe filled with palm sugar caramel and coconut. (We had to grind all the coconut by hand on a board with spikes on it, no pre-packaged here, my arm still hurts!) When we finally all sat down to the delicious meal, the shock of the market place faded and all I could think of was the sensations in my mouth. (He said: that's what she said... haha)

With full bellies, the day could only be complete with more tradition. I got to sit down with Desak and help her make traditional Balinese offerings out of palm leaves for her and her family to offer to God. It was a day filled with hard work and humility.

He said:

Shannon forgot a couple things; one we were buying some peanut paste to take back to the states and we saw a rat run through some peppers which was definitly gag-inducing. AND we ate MANGOSTINE!!!! Which if you have no idea what it is, it's one of the worlds healthiest fruits and you can only get it in south east Asia. Since it is supposed to have medicial powers I rubbed it on my bugs bites and they haven't itched since, F U western medicine. And Shannon was right, there were def. moments that I couldn't believe what I was seeing, but then it was taken away by amazing smells of the ripe fruits and fragrant spices.

The cooking class was awesome. We got to learn how to cook the soup that we ate on the beach a day earlier. If you live in Chicago we will def. be having a Baliaense dinner party (sorry Cali. And Colby your taste buds couldn't handle the flavors, you would for sure cry).

We spent the rest of the day on our porch drawing and taking photos as it poured rain, then fell asleep to the croaking frogs and singing of crickets.

Oh yea, and food update, we just ate, I am sorry to say... pizza. Yes folks, she broke me. I ate pizza and it was good. But those of you following my eating challenges, don't worry, after this I am going to eat second dinner and have some Mie Jawa (Javanese style fried noodles) yummmmm. Ok peace out, or should I say Salama Dedat (good night)!

You know what I say? EAT IT!

HE SAID:
Today we woke up bright and early as we have done all week. It's hard to sleep in when the sounds of tropical birds wake you up at 6 am. I had fried rice and lumpia this morning and Shannon had eggs(boooooooooo). She thinks I won't last on my goal to only eat Asian food the whole trip and I laugh in her face when she tells me this ridiculous comment. We spent a couple hours in our meditation hut and then were off to Kuta beach for the day. Right when we got to Kuta I was soooo appreciative Shannon decided to have us stay in Sanur instead of the tourist trap of Kuta. Kutawas fun but, it's pretty much like any SoCal beach but lots of Aussies and Balianese surfers. We did some shopping at the surf shops and got some great deals for super cheap.

Lunch featured our new favorite drinks called Squashes. It's basically soda water and a flavor of sobert, so freaking good. We then made our way to the beach for the rest of the day. Shannon loves being at beaches with me because I act like a fool in the water, splashing around jumping into waves. Kuta was great but I was very happy to leave and go back to Sanur for dinner. Before we left Shannon wanted to grab something from one of the vendors on the beach. So we got probably the greatest soup ever. It was a chicken broth with lots of chilli peppers, noodles and chicken meat balls. Shannon is going to say that I have been a baby about trying food and that she was the one that made us get this amazing soup; that part is true but I have not been a baby I just want to make sure my lady doesn't get a upset belly and cries the whole night =).

Before I go, more on the delicious food. We went to a little beach place I saw the other day cooking clams with a spicy tomato sauce. So I got mix satay and the clams and Shan got Baba Kecap. The clams were good but alittle fishy for me luckly my satay was amazing to save the meal. Off to Ubud tomorrow we'll write soon.

She said:

Ok, one of the biggest surprises in Bali is not the friendly locals or unique culture or even bizarre traditions. It is what a pussy my husband is when it comes to eating! That's right folks, I kid you not. This scaredy cat acts like he is a human garbage disposal at home in the States, but let me dispell that rumor. I have been all up to the adventure of diving into the market place eats (disgusting as they may look), and he is the one who has to be coaxed into trying anything. I mean, I figure someone over here in Bali eats it, why can't I? But Josh on the other hand, shyly scoots away and leaves it up to me to decide whether to try some of these crazy new foods. So don't let his bravado fool you, his tastebuds are tame and he is definitely lame.

And Josh, the next time you want to try some wild and crazy new food, step aside, cuz your wife is going to have to be your official taste tester from now on...

As me and Andrew Zimmern, the host of "Bizarre Foods" say,

If it looks good, Eat it!

AHHH What was that?!?

She said:
Last night we escaped the resort and searched the local markets for some flavors known only to this region. As we gingerly wander into a busy market place, we suddenly don't feel as brave as we thought. Carts with hanging carcasses and pans filled with messy, sloppy who knows what. The locals all cruised up on their motorbikes, order up with their helmets still perched on their head, and zoom off into the heavy traffic circling the market place. Needless to say we were overwhelmed and quickly left to find a restaurant that might be a little less "authentic." Nestled on the highway was a big restaurant with romantic lighting and a menu that seemed a little easier to tackle. We order some Nasai Goreng and Lumpia Goreng, the national dishes of fried rice and spring rolls and enjoy a peaceful dinner.... Until. I look over my right shoulder to catch a glimpse of some kind of bird swirling through the restaurant, "Ahhhh, What was that?!?" Josh calmly looks up from his pile of fried noodles and goes, "A bir- oh no actually, that's a bat," and goes back to his mound of food. Needless to say, my appetite faded and I spent the rest of the meal ducking in fear of it swooping into my hair or sucking my blood or something....


He said:
Hey, they don't call it exotic for nothing... (shrug)

Day 2 Noodles and Monkeys

Josh's dinner

HE SAID:
Since we got plenty of sleep, we woke up at 7 am and went to have breakfast in our hotel restaurant. All I have to say is I eat noodles for breakfast. Our first meal was great and accompanying our meal was traditional Baliense musicians playing in the background. We then made our way to these meditation huts that were about 50 yrds into the ocean. We made our way through the broken coral and sea creatures (starfish, sea slugs and such) We sat in the hut for about 2 hours and it had to be the most peaceful 2 hours of my life. I have never felt so relaxed, it was def. the highlight of the day for me.

I'll skip the Uluwatu dance and temple because knowing Shannon she'll tell it in better detail then I would. I'll get down to what I know, the food. We ate lunch at a little place along the beach. I had the most amazing mixed satay that was cooked on a small charcoal grill that the satay was brought out on. Shannon had a delicious seafood synponi (symphony-that's how they spelled it) that was lobster, prawns and tuna fillet for 6 dollars. The beach is filled with these little places that are super cheap but look amazing. Now dinner, our driver told us he was taking us to a very romantic place. Which we thought was going to be a nice but expensive candle lit dinner. Boy were we wrong, we show up in a village that has 12 restaurants with the same menu and the same prices, ALL LIVE FRESH SEAFOOD. So he takes us to one at the very end called Segara (the ocean) Cafe. We walked down to our table which is 20 ft from the crashing ocean and sit at a light table lit by a small candle. Our server takes us to the front to pick our dinner from the tanks of live crab, fish, lobster and more. I chose a good size crab and Shan got some prawns. The crab was the best crab I have ever eaten. Every part of it had no fishy taste it was pure amazingness. Oh and the tom yum soup had giant pieces of lobster swimming around in the perfect broth. All in all one of the best meals of our lives as we sat by ocean. I heart Bali!

She said:

My ever-starving husband accurately described the food so I don't think there needs any more touch up of that! The day began with a perfect breakfast, relaxing meditation in our own pivate hut, and lunch by the sea. But that was only the beginning.

Our driver, Mattou, decided to take us on a tour of southern Bali, and head out the the famous southern temple called Bintar Segara. It overlooks the ocean on a 50 meter cliff and hosts a fantastic show of elaborate costumes and music like nothing I've ever heard before. It tells the story of Balianese religion with Ramayan rescuing his stolen bride with help of an army of monkeys. As the sun sets over the open amphitheater, tourists are bedazzled by the wonder of an entire soundtrack played only by the rhythms of noises made by the dances. There are absolutely no instruments. The dance ends with a spectacular fire dance where the dancer, dressed in a decorative monkey costume actually kicks balls of fire around the circle until only embers remain, and the angry gods have been chased away. By far, the most unique dance I have ever seen. We were so appreciative of the wonderful show that every sensation that followed was heightened. The feel of the warm, milky air, the taste of fresh fish caught that morning and the sound of powerful waves pounding the delicate sand. We have gotten a glimpse of what heaven is like, and the balianese call it "rumah" or home.

Day 1: The Arrival

She Said:
We are finally here! Our friendly driver, Mattou, picked us up from the airport (after freaking out that all our luggage was lost!) and dropped us off at the most beautiful resort I have ever seen. Lush gardens filled with tropical plants, decorative deities guarding the entrances to temples, and even a ping pong table! (Yes you heard me correctly, Josh can practice even halfway across the world). Our room is a pristine polynesian themed single with a giant bed, flat screen TV and bathroom window looking out onto a koi pond- in case we need a little extra "relaxation" after all this foreign food. And for only the equivalent of 69 US dollars a night!

We decided to take a walk along the main boardwalk and were confronted with pushy vendors asking us if we wanted a cheap massage. We must really look uptight! haha.

As evening fell we decided to check out the swim up bar. The water was so warm and the local beer, Bintang, was a delicious treat after so many weary hours of traveling. The thunderheads moved closer and guests of the hotel began retreating inside, but Josh and I found the pool too calming so we stayed a while soaking while the raindrops fell making tiny ripples all around us. Suddenly, the sky burst open and we ran for cover from the misty hot rain. We found ourselves snuggling under a private cabana surrounded by a curtain of rain and fell fast asleep dreaming of the wonders of Bali yet to discover.

HE SAID:
So glad to be here finalllllyyy. Man what I said earlier about flying being fine I got really sick of being in airports and just needed to get outside. Our Taxi drive was awesome, it was nice being able to ask questions about the surroundings and ask language questions and get well-spoken English responses. I got to try a little of my balianese Indonesian on some of the people at the hotel and they could understand what I was trying to say so I feel accomplished in my attempt to learn their language. I was pretty quiet the whole drive to Senur, trying to take in the beautiful statues and artwork that lined the streets. The patterns here are blowing my mind already. I think one of my favorite things about being a artist is seeing something that you can picture in your mind and how to take that inspiration and apply it. And by the way this is only the first day, so I am sure I will have artistic overload by the time we leave. We were so tired when we got to that hotel that after having a couple drinks and swimming in the pool we passed out at 530 and didn't wake up till 1030. That's right world I did not eat dinner (Shane and Mooney don't be pissed I promise to eat more than anyone on the island). We went back to sleep hoping that the jet lag would pass so we could start our day bright and early.

"Traveling is Swell" or "This is HELL"?

HE SAID:

Hello from Singapore Airport! We have been traveling now for about 24 hours I think. It's pretty nuts that we are here right now. The first flight to Korea was abou 12 hours then a 6 hour flight to Singapore. The flights were good, we were super excited for the first couple hours as we started discovering all amazing things that Singapore air had to offer us. After that we just got sick of the plane. I thought it was only a 12 hour flight but was sadly mistaken as we landed in Korea first. We leave for Bali in 2 hours and are looking forward to getting out of airports and on to the BEACH. Love you all and keep checking back. Oh and don't see KungFu Panda it was terrible.

SHE SAID:

You see my friends, this blog will demonstrate precisely why husbands and wives have had problems connecting since the first neanderthal grunted his ill-thought out "I do" (or 'uh duh' in caveman language). With 24 hours of nothing but a view of the pleasantries that airport travel provides I am not able to use the words my husband so willingly offers as "good" and "super excited." Which is precisely why my wonderful husband makes the ideal travel companion but not exactly the one who deserves to have his high spirits doused by a whining wife. So I turn to you, in telling you I am not just "sick of the plane" but feel I may be making a journey to what seems to be my personal Hell, filled with wheely suitcases, flimsy pillows, tiny cups of juice and soda doled out every 15 minutes from that damn rolly cart (just give me a whole soda can and be done with it!), stuffy cabins with with stale air conditioning, constant security announcements that interrupt sleep, weak coffee with non dairy creamer, benches that provide more of a permanent wedge in my spine than a comfortable slumber, and the only window to the outside is a tiny porthole no bigger than my head and a sleeping asian man blocking my view. In fact, I could almost swear our pilot annouced himself as Captain Say Tan, and reported to us that the weather in Hell is a "comfortable 103 degrees." As our evil captain further flies us to the depths of airport exhaustion, I can only hope that what lies at the end of this travel vortex is a paradise of salty ocean breeze, warm pillowy sand and refreshing spiritual renewal. Dear God, Please get me to BALI!

What do you think? Are you an easy going traveler like Josh or a whining brat like Shannon?