Weird Cottage' 11

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Bali Trip - Day 3 (Part 2)

The following items were the souvenirs which I bought at Sukawati and Tegallalang Village. All were my favourite. Just too bad I not able to bring back all the things that I like in this time, so I going to buy more things when I go there next time.



























After we reached our hotel, we went to take a rest after the shopping. Then we went to Bamboo Corner to have our dinner again. Three days in the same restaurant, I think somebody might wondering how can we sticked to one restaurant and did not try other restaurant. I could said that first of all, there were variety foods provided in the restaurant and the price of foods were cheap. Secondly, we just lazy to walk around to find other restaurant to eat. Since this night will be our last night at Bali, so we ordered different foods to try out.After we finished the meal, it already 10.30pm, we left the restaurant and walk along Legian Road to enjoy our last night at Bali.


Nasi Goreng Super (Rp. 9,000)


Mango Juice (Rp. 5,000)


Mango Lassie (Rp. 7,000)


Lobster Set (Rp. 75,000)


Seafood Basket (Rp. 50,000)

Since it was Saturday night, a lot of foreigners and local people came out to enjoy the night, if compare with the night before, it was totally different. There were sexy ladies, western foreigners having party outside the bars or pubs, along the roadside. The workers of bars and pubs having performance beside the roadside to attract customers. Loud music all over the sky. It's really happy hours of the night. But we did not stay out long because we were too tired and we have flight to catch on the next morning and we still did not pack our baggage, so we went back to hotel to keep our things.


Happy Hours

So, this was the end of our third day in Bali.

Labels:

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Bali Trip - Day 3 (Part 1)

On third day - 2nd August 2008, our driver came to pick us up at 9am, then we straight headed to Sukawati located at Gianyar, one of place famous with its art market - Sukawati Art Market. You can buy wood handicraft and other souvenirs with cheapest price.

Sukawati Art Market open around 9am and close around 5pm. Most likely you can get the cheapest prices when they just opening the shop or near closing hours. Beside that, there was a morning market - Sukawati Morning Market which open around 6am until 11am, mainly wood stuff and semi finish wood craft as it is sell to the resellers. Because we went there early, so the price the seller start up was quite cheap. I think if there were a lots of tourist arrive there, the price of items will be different. So we bought a lots of wood crafts there. Because we still have other place to go, we just stayed at the market around 2 hours. Honours to say, 2 hours were not enough for those who like to shopped. So, next time I still want to come again.

Pasar Seni Sukawati (Sukawati Art Market)


Sukawati Morning Market

After we finished shopped at Sukawati Art Market, it was lunch time. We went to Bebek Bengil Dirty Duck Diner, one of the famous restaurant located in Ubud to have our lunch. When we stand in front of the restaurant and look inside, we thought the restaurant was very small and crowded with tourists. But when we went inside, we felt like stepping in other place. The place was very wide and have a very beautiful landscape which we could enjoy our meal with a very beautiful scene. We ordered their famous dish - Crispy Duck. They fried the duck until it became very dried and crispy. Then eat with sambal (chili paste) which is very spicy. Since my sister did not like to eat duck, she ordered Special Fried Rice which came with two sticks of satay, keropok and vegetable salad. The taste of crispy duck was delicious.


Bebek Bengil Dirty Duck Diner


(From Left) Ice Lemon Tea (Rp. 8,000), Orange Juice (Rp. 13,000) and Ice Tea (Rp. 6000)


Bebek Bengil (Crispy Duck with Rice) , Sambal, Chili Onion Sauce and side dish(Rp. 63,000)


Nasi Goreng Special (Rp. 31,000)

After lunch, it almost 2:30pm. Since my uncle and my brother-in-law have appointment with Verona Spa to enjoy the spa treatment - Javanese Lulur (Rp. 115,000), and my sister and I wanted to go to the shops along Tegallalang road to buy other handicrafts. So, we asked our driver dropped my uncle and my brother-in-law at Verona Spa, my sister and I went to Tegallalang. Then, we came back to Verona Spa to meet them again.

We saw Balinese cremation ceremony on the way to Tegallalang. When we reached the shops along Tegallalang Road, we found out a lot of shops did not open due to the ceremony. So, it was a very bad timing for me. <( ToT)> *CRY!!!*

So, my sister and I just walked along the road and see which shop was open and sell the handicraft that we want to buy. The shops there were different with Sukawati Art Market because at the market, we can find different handicraft in one shop, but in the shop at Tegallalang, they just focus on selling one type of handicraft such as wood crafts in one shop, stone craft in the other shop because their main business is wholesale business. So when we want to buy somethings, we have to spend more times to walk into different shops to look around. Luckily, we still able to buy some wood handicrafts from the shop with very cheap price because along the road, I think there was just two of us as tourist were walking on the road, others were local people. \(^o^)/ *Hahahahahaha.........* Next time, I still want to go buy stuff at Tegallalang. Beside that, we do plan to go Ubud Market, but we were running out of time. So we skipped this market. After we done with buying our stuff (actually because a lot of shops which we have marked as our interest shops did not open), we went back to Verona Spa to pick up my uncle and my brother-in-law.


Cremation


Shops along the Road of Tegallalang


Wood Craft Shop

When we reached Verona Spa, they still not finish with their spa treatment. So we went to walk at the shops near there to spend our time. After 30 minutes, they were done and meet up with us. Then, we headed back to Kuta.

Verona Spa

To be continue......

Labels:

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Bali Trip - Day 2 (Part 2)

...... Continued from Part 1

After visited Volcano Mount Batur, the driver asked us whether we want to visit Bali Coffee Agrotourism to see Bali Coffee processing and farming. He told us it was optional choice and has free coffee to taste. Since we still have time and can drink free coffee, we sure agreed. Bali Coffee Agrotourism was located not far from the volcano mount.

At BAS, Bali Coffee Agrotourism, we saw coffee plants but too bad we did not see the fresh coffee berries on the tree. Beside that, we also saw Luwak (Asian Palm Civet or weasel) because Indonesia, one of the country have coffee called Coffee Luwak, Coffee Luwak is coffee made from coffee berries which have been eaten by the civet, then passed through its digestive tract without digested the berries. Their provided 5 different types of free drink - Bali Coffee, Hot Cocoa, Ginseng Coffee, Lemon Grass Tea and Ginger Tea. I liked Bali Coffee, Hot Cocoa and Lemon Grass Tea. The Ginger Tea has strong taste of ginger which I did not like it.

Beside that, they also sell Coffee Luwak (Rp. 30,000/ cup), which is the most expensive coffee in the world. Since we never tasted it before, my sister bought a cup of Coffee Luwak. The taste of Coffee Luwak really is different from the Bali Coffee. Its only have a light bitter taste; not like normal coffee have heavy bitter taste, it have a sweet taste which leave on your taste bud after you drink it, even though it did not add sugar in it. No wonder Coffee Luwak is the most expensive coffee in the world. At the BAS's shop have sell variety coffees, other products and Coffee Luwak, which priced in US Dollar (USD 95) for one small packet, which it too expensive for me. I bought a packet of Bali Coffee for my family members who like to drink coffee to taste.


BAS, Bali Coffee Agrotourism



The Worker Cooking the Coffee Beans



Menu of BAS


Bali Coffee Luwak (Rp 30,000/ cup)



Bali Coffee for Filter (Rp 35,000)

After visited Coffee Bali Agrotourism, the next stop should be visit Gunung Kawi Temple, but my uncle said he lazy to walk up and down from the stair, so we change our stop to Pura Tirta Empul (Temple of the Holy Water) located in Tampak Siring. The entrance fee was Rp. 6,000/ person. A lots of tourists were visiting the temple. At the same time, a lots of Balinese were bathing in the holy spring in the temple. The driver told us that the holy spring can wash away the bad luck and clean their body from bad spirits.

Outside the temple, there were a lots of small handicraft shop selling things. If you are good in bargains , then you can get a good price for the handicraft. If not, better void buy things from there. Besides, once you are out from the temple, there will be a lots of street seller showing you some goods which look very beautiful. (WARNING: Don't ever buy goods from these seller because all of them are cheated. They show you the good product, once you get it, it is not the one you want but the lousy one, even you look at them pack the good for you. This is the warning from the driver.)


The Prayers Bathing in Holy Spring


Holy Spring


The Prayers Heading to the Temple

After visited Pura Tirta Empul, we headed to Tegallalang Village to see the rice terraces. The rice terraces has a beautiful view with coconut trees and small river valley. But at the time we reached there, the sunlight was not direct hit on the spot; it was not the best hour to view the beauty of the rice terraces and there are no paddies in the field, just water in the field. I think the best hour to view the rice terraces was in the morning or noon when the sunlight was soft or on top of our head. The most terrible part were once we get out from the car, there were a lots of street seller surrounding our to sell their things, until we felt very uncomfortable to walk pass them. (WARNING: Don't ever buy goods from these seller because all of them are cheated. They show you the good product, once you get it, it is not the one you want but the lousy one, even you look at them pack the good for you.)

If you really want to buy handicrafts, you can ask the driver stop at the shops along the road in Tegallalang Village because the shops there were famous for wholesale. There are variety choices and the prices were reasonable. But the shops will start closing around 5pm, so if you really want to go there, make sure go there early.


Tegallalang Village's Rice Terraces

After visited rice terraces, we headed back to Kuta. The driver dropped our back to hotel. We took a rest at hotel. Around 8pm, we went to Bamboo Corner again to have our dinner. We ordered different foods to taste.


Bamboo Corner


Bintang Beer (L) (Rp. 17,000) and Orange Juice (Rp. 4000)


Nasi Goreng Seafood (Rp. 9,000)


Chicken Chips (Rp. 15,000)


Sirloin Steak (Rp. 18,000)


Mie Goreng Special (Rp. 9,000)

After dinner, we went to walk around then back to hotel to rest.

Labels:

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Bali Trip - Day 2 (part 1)

In the morning of 2nd day, Jalan Legian looked very quiet, it was totally different from the night before. Our driver came to picked us up at 8am because we were heading to Ubud which took around 1 hour to reach. The first event in the day trip was watching Barong and Kris Dance (story telling dance), which is one of the famous dance in Bali at Sahadewa Barong and Kris Dance, Stage Chandra Budaya located in Batubulan, Gianyar. And I been waiting for chance to watch the dance. So, I did not want to miss it. Beside that, Kecak Dance also one of the famous dance, but I not able to watch it in this trip. So, I keep it for my next trip.


Jalan Legian in the Morning

On the way to Batubulan, we saw all the Balinese presenting offering to all the spirits, gods on the roadside or on the god statues. The Offering was very beautiful but they also have some simple one, just put rice and salt on the roadside.


Balinese Woman Presenting Offering in the Morning

At 9:15am, we reached Sahadewa Barong and Kris Dance, Stage Chandra Budaya. It was one of the dancing school in Bali. Before that, we went to buy entrance ticket - Rp. 50,000/ person. Since we reached there early (the performance start at 9:30pm), so we able to find a nice place to watch the performance. It was very good performance. It told a story about fighting between Barong (a mythological animal represents good spirit) and Rangda (a mythological monster represents evil spirit). The performers' costume was very beautiful too. So, for those who like to watch stage performance, this is one of the performance in Bali that you should not miss it.


Barong

After Barong Dance, we headed to to Pura Kehen, a beautiful Hindu temple located in Bangli. On the way, we saw some paddy field farmers were working in the paddy field to correct rice. The scene was very beautiful because we saw golden colour covering the paddy fields. Our driver stopped the car at the roadside for us to snap photos.


Farmers Working in Paddy Field

Then we reached Pura Kehen, the entrance fee is Rp. 2,500/ person plus Rp. 1,000 parking fee. Pura Kehen built in the hill side of Bangli Hill. It was the state temple of Bangli Kingdom. The stone carvings on the gate were very beautiful. We walked through the temple and enjoy the feeling of peaceful in the temple. The driver also told us that in each temple, all the god or goddess will build facing different direction according to the direction their are protecting.


Pura Kehen


Main Entrance of Pura Kehen

After left Pura Kehen, we headed to Pengelipuran Village (Balinese Traditional Village) located in Kubu, the entrance fee was Rp. 2,500/ person plus Rp. 1,000 parking fee. The village was built in one long road with houses at both side of the road. This was the village which maintained by Bangli Government to show others about their unique houses in Bali. The unique things were the main gate of each house built in the same style and the roof made from bamboo. If just judging from outside of the house gate, will think the house is very small, but when go into the courtyard, will find the view is different. The courtyard is very big and long. They grow coffee, bamboo plantation in their back of house. Beside that, in the end of the road, there was an old temple which built there to protect the village, at the other end of the village also have other temples built to protect the village.


Pengelipuran Village


One of the temples in Pengelipuran Village

After visited Pengelipuran Village, we headed to Penolekan Village located in Kintamani to view Batur Mount Volcano and Batur Lake. The entrance fee was Rp. 3,000/ person. Then, we had our buffet lunch at LakeView Restaurant which built high up on a hill so that the customers can have the best view of the volcano mount. The view of Batur Mount and Batur Lake was very fascinating, even though the foods in the restaurant were not really tasty, but the view was worth. The most important things was the weather was very good. If is raining day, we may not able to see the beauty of the volcano mount because of mist covering the top of the mount.


Buffet at LakeView Restaurant (Rp. 70,000/person, excluding taxes)


The beauty of Batur Mount Volcano and Batur Lake


The Beauty of Batur Lake


This is the end of 1st part of my Day 2 trip.

To be continue......

Labels: