Elisia Brown takes us along on her trip to Bali. Pressed for time she makes the most of the experience. Take a peek at how her journey begins...
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Is there a single word in the English language which describes missing a place you’ve never been to? Portuguese has Saudade, a kind of melancholic yearning for an absent thing that may never return, but that’s not quite the same as this. I felt it for Havana, Marrakech, Shanghai and Bangkok. The feeling is palpable: nostalgia and a sense of urgency. Spiritual? Maybe.
My own Saudade resulted in me booking a plane ticket to Bali a couple of weeks later. You don’t wait for these things to pass; you act on it.
Ubud
Sunday 29th
After 6 hours from London to Qatar, then a further 8 hours to Bali, my friend and I landed in Ngurah Rai International Airport 5:40pm local time. Wayan (owner of our B&B) kindly greeted us with a sign and was gracious not to recoil at my 14 hour body odour. First time I’ve ever felt economy class was a bad decision [my mate trotted off to her surprise upgrade…]
Dinner that evening consisted of a Balinese speciality: crispy duck (pescetarian diet temporarily out the window) and toiletary shopping. Nothing sexy and exciting. Tired and ready to go to our place in Ubud. Traveller’s delirium couldn’t mask my deep sense of gratitude for being there, though. I was in Bali and I was determined to make the most of my short time here.
Monday 30th
Morning
Our first full day in Ubud. Continental breakfast eaten on a balcony overlooking the plush green fields facing the back of the property and a chance to see our new digs in the daylight…
Breathtaking. The property sits in a village called Mas: three properties in a compound, a gallery and a mini shrine.
We were dropped off to the centre of Ubud for shopping shortly after. We had no real idea of the value of market items, but we later discovered most things like necklaces and tops could be haggled to RP15,000–RP30,000 without offending the shop owner.
Boutiques, temples and the heavy aroma of incense. Strolling lead to peckishness (naturally), which lead us to Clear Cafe; a beautiful art décor restaurant with traditional floor seating, an impressive water feature on the ground floor, bamboo flooring and a fireman pole (as you do). Clear Cafe attracts a lot of expats/yogis and expat yogis with its extensive organic/raw food options and traditional/international cuisine. I opted for tuna satay with sambal (spicy mixed pepper sauce and veg), boiled rice and peanut sauce priced at RP60,000. Decent portion size. Absolutely delicious.
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Curioushow the remainder of her vacation went? Hop over to Elisia's site for the full Bali Post!. [Click Here]