“L”ORD’s OWN COUNTRY: BALI

Mumma! Actually I wanted to go to Bali with my friends.

Very good! Superb!

You understood “NO” or should I say it right into your face.

I’m still not sure how perfectly aligned Bintang was in the starry skies that night, I got a "YES" the very next morning!

So basically, Bintang is the beer that you can see as much as tourists, that means practically everywhere in Bali!

However, we got to know later from the locals that it is actually a reference to a specific star for them.

So a few days passed by planning, shopping and finally the D-Day that I had been waiting for so excitedly arrived finally!

The air travel that followed included tough 13 hours with a 2 hour layover in between. But I think that’s fine because in head, I was like: Wait for me BALI!!!!!!!!!

My mind was constantly racing across the names Kuta, Seminyak and Nusa Dua that we had majorly thought of exploring during our 3 days' stay in Bali. Pointless but couldn’t help it!

The journey started from Delhi to Denpasar with a much needed two hour stop at Kuala Lumpur.

I kept my enthusiasm in check till we got out of the never ending immigration queue.

What followed next was the currency exchange which made us feel like millionaires and the conquerors of the world till the time we stepped out in the Sun and actually had to resort to our “international” cards towards the fag end of our journey!

DAY 1: Kuta and Seminyak

In out taxi towards our hotel in Kuta, we tried to absorb the greens and blues around while our electronic devices got synced to the new time zone!

Another thing that completely blew off my mind was the hospitality. The people there are so pleasant, courteous and with a big smile that doesn’t fade away. I was surprised to see a flower tucked behind the ear of the staff at our hotel and later came to know that it was actually “Frangipani” flower, the signature flower of Bali used in religious offerings.

And we were off to explore the nearby places ourselves.

Our first stop was the Kuta Beach and we were overwhelmed to see the crowd!

The roads were lined with tattoo parlours, spas and yes, surf schools!

The beach was lined with dining places, coconut water stalls and what not.

We started off with walking along the shore and clicking pictures.

While some of us faced the mighty waters with a surfing board tied to their ankles; some of us were content with building castles along the beach with strong winds in our hair.

But the beauty of nature left us spellbound as we got the golden opportunity to behold a golden sunset. The sky turned deep shades of yellow, orange and red and I tried not to blink as if that moment would get lost somewhere.

Courtesy: my itchy fingers

That was not it, we were still captivated by the setting sun while the Moon started to rise in the backdrop.

I could see the golden streaks ahead and the dark behind. I was speechless!

After having finger food at a nearby place and relaxing at our hotel, the tiredness of the journey could not restrain us form exploring the streets of Seminyak.

Everywhere I looked, I could see shops selling things from surfing gear, fancy clothes to slippers and of course, spas, tattoo parlours and Money Exchanger counters.

We were left wondering at the Home of Tropical Modernism, Potato Head as it was simply astonishing! The amphitheatre like structure adorned with colourful shutters that seemed surreal. We walked through a dark corridor that opened into a perfect evening. Lights, soft music, Infinity Pool and a lawn overlooking the Indian Ocean! We sat there chatting, eating and walking around for hours! It was at that moment that I wanted the time to stand still!

DAY 2 & 3: Nusa Dua

Courtesy: my itchy fingers

The second day was majorly spent in driving around the place.We started off with the Tanah Lot Temple, an ancient Hindu shrine perched atop a rock amidst the lashing waves.

The crystal clear waters, the perfectly clear skies and the perfect shades of green that welcomed us there are beyond any description.

What followed next was a leisurely walk around a coffee plantation for the famous “Luwak” coffee. Our warm guide took us on a short tour while she tried to understand the culture of our homeland. She showed us the “Love Swing” which actually could swing you high in the skies with nothing but deep valley beneath and the greens extending till the horizon.

We sat there sipping our blissful blend of teas and coffees in the exquisite setting with the rain slightly knocking on the rooftop.

We drove through the Ubud market, had a decent vegetarian meal and viewed the Kintamani Volcano from a distance. The hazy skies and the splattering raindrops made it a bit of a task to catch a glimpse of the Volcano and the faraway lake.

Courtesy: my itchy fingers

And in no time, we were on the road again to our next destination, the Tegenungan Waterfalls. A short walk down the slope and the mighty waters falling off from a great height dazzled us!

The wild winds, the tiny droplets of water splattering all around made it worthwhile.

We could see tourists taking a dip in the waters, enjoying the rope swings and having exclusive photo shoots. Can you beat that!

Courtesy: my itchy fingers

We did not stop at that. From a downhill walk, we then climbed up an incline & stairs in the hope to reach closer to the source of the waterfall. Clicking pictures with our feet dangling into the water, splashing water around to creating ripples in the water with tiny pebbles, we did it all.

Reluctant, we left the place to check in our hotel in Nusa Dua where another amazing place awaited us with our table on the deck surrounded by water on three sides. We actually stood there agape with wonder as we saw the seating area built close to the pristine waters and the music station seemingly built like an island! Breathtaking indeed!

Perfect setting!

We welcomed the third day with enthusiasm as we were to indulge ourselves in water sports and relaxation.We relaxed at the beach for hours without caring for the sun rays hell bent to change our shades to deeper hues. Salty water, clear skies and white stand. We couldn’t ask for anything more. Minutes turned into hours and with empty stomachs and excitement, we headed ahead for the water sports.

Courtesy: Google Images

After intense discussion about which water sport package to take and a lot of bargaining, we were good to go for Banana Boat Ride, Adventure Parasailing and Flying Fish.

Amazing experience with the supercool instructors who danced all the way till our boats kept running!

And then followed an unprecedented expedition in the foreign land in the search of a Vegetarian Restaurant and we were welcomed by an Indian restaurant with a scrumptious meal and hot “chai”.

 And we were to leave the next day but not before buying souvenirs for our near and dear ones.

We already had tried to capture the magnificent beauty and our priceless moments together.

I rest my itchy fingers as they are now itching to go through the pictures of the trip again and again.

This article is 12th in the series of #AtoZChallenge.
This post is also for #BlogchatterA2Z-----> 'L'.