I finally shed my fears of the bali disco-security situation and went out last night with some new friends who were all pretty much avid surfers. A couple Canadians (we have less of a language barrier), a Colombian, and of course with the ubiquitous Swedes in tow. Had dinner at this great "euro" outfit called "dog dragon" why it's called that I haven't a clue, but it's run by a brit and his uncle, who I'll post a photo of later. I had a steak, spaghetti and some decent mojitos for under $10 which is wildly expensive here. We then headed to esspresso, just a half block away from the 2002 bali-blast memorial. Great live balinese cover band doing current rock hits, mirroring my experience poolside at the hotel every day between 5-8PM when the pool is filled with people just chilling Vegas style.
Ok, enough gushing about backpacker party life in Kuta.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
Bali is Bizzaro World
I have so much more to write about since leaving cambodia last week and chilling with my cousins in Singapore the last couple days. Things like how awesome the food is in Singapore and checking out the Singapore Marathon yesterday. However, I'm in Bali right now and that means Bali take's precedence.
I've been hanging out in Kuta but made trips to Kuta-Legian (just north a few hundred meters) and Sanur (15 km north east of Kuta). Kuta is where some major bombings happened in 2002 and 2005. There have recently been fear of reprisals (read the state department bali warning for more details) upon the recent execution of a few of the terrorists involved.
That being said. Even though this is the "rainy" off season it's def picking up for the western holiday season and there are tons of dutch surfer bro-s and chicks, so much so I might go crazy. It's a really weird phenomenon, I guess I really don't even know if they're dutch, but they look like they're from LA, they surf, and they speak a different language - something Northern European. I had no idea there was even any surfing up there in the freezing cold.
Bali is unchecked sprawl that is nowhere near beautiful. The beaches in Kuta and even Sanur where I went snorkelling today are rather filthy and the sand is not picturesque. I've heard there are some other stretches of beach that look way better, let's see if I find them. The beach townships themselves are littered with touts, hawkers, and western shops like circle k quick-e-marts, MacDo's, and KFCs. Everything is a concrete nightmare.
On the bright side, my hotel rocks. for $15 which is just a wee bit expensive for backpackers is an oasis in this sea of third-world-resort-urban-disaster. The room as AC and hot water, is clean and overlooks the sweet-ass pool where people congregate for drinks and chillaxing. It's well designed with over the top asian architechtural highlights (think pagoda awnings galore).
On another positive note: Bintang rocks. Cans or bottles, I like this local pilsner, it's ubiquitous in Kuta.
So I'm taking a surfing lesson tomorrow at 8AM and will try to visit Seminyak, the classier newer nightlife later this week. Otherwise it'll be a pretty chill trip. I'd wanted to visit the Volcano up north, but tourist interest is very sparse and I'd have to pay for the whole vehicle so probably wont happen.
I've been hanging out in Kuta but made trips to Kuta-Legian (just north a few hundred meters) and Sanur (15 km north east of Kuta). Kuta is where some major bombings happened in 2002 and 2005. There have recently been fear of reprisals (read the state department bali warning for more details) upon the recent execution of a few of the terrorists involved.
That being said. Even though this is the "rainy" off season it's def picking up for the western holiday season and there are tons of dutch surfer bro-s and chicks, so much so I might go crazy. It's a really weird phenomenon, I guess I really don't even know if they're dutch, but they look like they're from LA, they surf, and they speak a different language - something Northern European. I had no idea there was even any surfing up there in the freezing cold.
Bali is unchecked sprawl that is nowhere near beautiful. The beaches in Kuta and even Sanur where I went snorkelling today are rather filthy and the sand is not picturesque. I've heard there are some other stretches of beach that look way better, let's see if I find them. The beach townships themselves are littered with touts, hawkers, and western shops like circle k quick-e-marts, MacDo's, and KFCs. Everything is a concrete nightmare.
On the bright side, my hotel rocks. for $15 which is just a wee bit expensive for backpackers is an oasis in this sea of third-world-resort-urban-disaster. The room as AC and hot water, is clean and overlooks the sweet-ass pool where people congregate for drinks and chillaxing. It's well designed with over the top asian architechtural highlights (think pagoda awnings galore).
On another positive note: Bintang rocks. Cans or bottles, I like this local pilsner, it's ubiquitous in Kuta.
So I'm taking a surfing lesson tomorrow at 8AM and will try to visit Seminyak, the classier newer nightlife later this week. Otherwise it'll be a pretty chill trip. I'd wanted to visit the Volcano up north, but tourist interest is very sparse and I'd have to pay for the whole vehicle so probably wont happen.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Rural Cambodia: Interesting Observations
On Wednesday afternoon I visited two temples that were about 30-40km away from Siem Reap and I got to see a different side of Cambodian living. Many houses were on stilts to avoid the hazards of seasonal flooding and there was very little in the way of retail (food, stores, etc.) It was great fun feeling the wind in my hair riding on the back of my moto taxi at much higher speeds than we were used to around the main Angkor temple complex.
1. There was a lot of dust and roads were not paved/sealed for most of the trip. There was a ton of road work going on with "Caterpillar" rollers, dump trucks etc. Which was a good sign for the future.
2. Houses on stilts. Why did I not get a picture of this. So sad, it's very different from the houses on mounds in flood areas of California.
3. An old, gray, cannon under one of the stilt houses I saw. Nuff Said. Very odd.
4. Several kids playing pool on a perfect pool table, green felt and polished wood. Again wish I'd taken a pic of this. They call it snooker or pool. They were playing in front of a stilt house, it was super interesting to see that in the middle of nowhere on a dirt road, in cambodia.
5. Rural Gas stations are nothing more than johnny walker and 2 liter soda bottles on racks. They're filled with gasoline acquired from legitimate stations in town and supply motorbikes.
1. There was a lot of dust and roads were not paved/sealed for most of the trip. There was a ton of road work going on with "Caterpillar" rollers, dump trucks etc. Which was a good sign for the future.
2. Houses on stilts. Why did I not get a picture of this. So sad, it's very different from the houses on mounds in flood areas of California.
3. An old, gray, cannon under one of the stilt houses I saw. Nuff Said. Very odd.
4. Several kids playing pool on a perfect pool table, green felt and polished wood. Again wish I'd taken a pic of this. They call it snooker or pool. They were playing in front of a stilt house, it was super interesting to see that in the middle of nowhere on a dirt road, in cambodia.
5. Rural Gas stations are nothing more than johnny walker and 2 liter soda bottles on racks. They're filled with gasoline acquired from legitimate stations in town and supply motorbikes.
Day 8: Last full day in Cambodia
Today was filled with leisure! The last two days were packed with fast paced temple visits, so I opted to get up late have a nice pizza lunch at The Pizza Co in the only slick mall siem reap has. It's next to a Swenson's ice cream shop, and Revlon counter!
The pizza was quite good and with a large drink came out to a whoping $4.70. That's expensive in Cambodia to be sure! You'd never see food at a local stall retailing for 20,000 riel! I rented a bicycle again and decided to take it easy visiting my favorite temples of Bayon and Angkor Wat in the afternoon. My plans for a peaceful ride around the temple moat were initially thwarted when my bike chain derailed a couple kilometers before my destination. That really sucked. My hands were completely covered in grease and I failed to fix the chain until I reached Angkor Wat where a tiny boy came up to help me. We finally got the chain back on the gears and I was back in business. I must've washed my hands at the one formal restaurant in the area 20 times over.
At Bayon the afternoon light was shining at a novel angle on the sublime buddha/king faces which were great to just sit and stare at for a long while. I also climbed up the steep steps of another shiva temple pyramid named Baksei Chamkrong which apparantly translates into something like "shelter under birds wings".
My final temple visit in Angkor was back at the big temple really examining the details of various bas reliefs. There are 100s of meters of hindu storytelling on the outer walls. The battle of Kurukshetra from the Mahabharta, the story of Ramayana, and a particular creation myth called "churning the sea of milk". Before actual sunset, I biked back to town with the intention of partying on Bar St.
However, I was so exhausted I just had a quick vegetarian thali dinner at a local indian restaurant (not really superb, but cheap at $3) and even though I set an 11PM alarm to head out I just woke up briefly tossed and turned and went back to sleep. I had an early morning ahead of me, I had to be at the airport by 6AM to head back.
The pizza was quite good and with a large drink came out to a whoping $4.70. That's expensive in Cambodia to be sure! You'd never see food at a local stall retailing for 20,000 riel! I rented a bicycle again and decided to take it easy visiting my favorite temples of Bayon and Angkor Wat in the afternoon. My plans for a peaceful ride around the temple moat were initially thwarted when my bike chain derailed a couple kilometers before my destination. That really sucked. My hands were completely covered in grease and I failed to fix the chain until I reached Angkor Wat where a tiny boy came up to help me. We finally got the chain back on the gears and I was back in business. I must've washed my hands at the one formal restaurant in the area 20 times over.
At Bayon the afternoon light was shining at a novel angle on the sublime buddha/king faces which were great to just sit and stare at for a long while. I also climbed up the steep steps of another shiva temple pyramid named Baksei Chamkrong which apparantly translates into something like "shelter under birds wings".
My final temple visit in Angkor was back at the big temple really examining the details of various bas reliefs. There are 100s of meters of hindu storytelling on the outer walls. The battle of Kurukshetra from the Mahabharta, the story of Ramayana, and a particular creation myth called "churning the sea of milk". Before actual sunset, I biked back to town with the intention of partying on Bar St.
However, I was so exhausted I just had a quick vegetarian thali dinner at a local indian restaurant (not really superb, but cheap at $3) and even though I set an 11PM alarm to head out I just woke up briefly tossed and turned and went back to sleep. I had an early morning ahead of me, I had to be at the airport by 6AM to head back.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Day 7: Grand Tour Circuit & Further afield...
Today my moto-driver took me on the "Grand" tour of temples in the area, plus 2 out of the way spots, 1000 Lingas & Bantay Shrei. The former includes 100s of lingas carved into a small river bed that culminates into a fountain and is remote from the main temple site (30 km or so out of the way). The latter is the best example of intriciately detailed carvings done in Khymer Hindu temples. It's a Shiva temple with amazing attention to detail and Hindu storytelling on the shrine walls.
Pre Rup had to be my favorite temple on the circuit today. I spent a lot of time there, great elephant statues on the corners of each temple layer and commanding brick structure soaring into the sky. The Khymer were indeed masterful Hindu/Buddhist artisans.
I've decided to forgoe Roulos group tomorrow. It's a set of ruins pre-dating the Angkor constructions all Hindu built between 700-900 CE I believe, I'd rather just rent a $2 bike and hang out among my "favorite hits" in the main temple complex about 10 km from town.
Pre Rup had to be my favorite temple on the circuit today. I spent a lot of time there, great elephant statues on the corners of each temple layer and commanding brick structure soaring into the sky. The Khymer were indeed masterful Hindu/Buddhist artisans.
I've decided to forgoe Roulos group tomorrow. It's a set of ruins pre-dating the Angkor constructions all Hindu built between 700-900 CE I believe, I'd rather just rent a $2 bike and hang out among my "favorite hits" in the main temple complex about 10 km from town.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Finally, Some Photos!
Check out my flikr photostream here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/32624793@N00/
Day 5 & 6: Siem Reap & Angkor Temples
Check 2 of the new 7 wonders off my todo list. Angkor is awesome. I've been riding around on a moto-taxi for about $10 for a full 12 hour day of driving 30+ kilometers. Perhaps slightly on the more expensive side since I'm not in a covered tuk tuk, but whatever it's too cool here. Angkor Wat is what everyone has seen in pictures and it's breathtaking and serene. The sheer number of temples in this 15 mile radius is incredible.
I finally hit up an internet cafe in Siem Reap, the town adjacent to the ruins, I'm trying to get photo's on Flikr, but the connection is a bit slow. The last two nights I've enjoyed drinking/dining along Siem reaps, short "Bar St." "Angkor What?" fast became my favorite hangout. Pub atmosphere that serves burgers in addition to $3 pitchers of beer and $1.50 house cocktails! The place is owned by a young indian guy frin Mumbai, who's girlfriend is a british expat and the bartender as well! She was telling me she's been in Cambodia for 2 years ever since a world-trip that started in India over 3 years ago. Pretty nuts!
I really don't want to say much about the temples until photos go up. They're worth perhaps 10,000 words in Angkor's case...
I finally hit up an internet cafe in Siem Reap, the town adjacent to the ruins, I'm trying to get photo's on Flikr, but the connection is a bit slow. The last two nights I've enjoyed drinking/dining along Siem reaps, short "Bar St." "Angkor What?" fast became my favorite hangout. Pub atmosphere that serves burgers in addition to $3 pitchers of beer and $1.50 house cocktails! The place is owned by a young indian guy frin Mumbai, who's girlfriend is a british expat and the bartender as well! She was telling me she's been in Cambodia for 2 years ever since a world-trip that started in India over 3 years ago. Pretty nuts!
I really don't want to say much about the temples until photos go up. They're worth perhaps 10,000 words in Angkor's case...
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