Jimbaran

Jimbaran is known for fresh seafood.  If eating a fresh seafood meal on a table by the beach with the ocean right in front of you sounds like a dream, eating in Jimbaran is a must!  I went to Jimbaran for dinner one night, and I will never forget it.  Upon entering the restaurant, I was first seated, and then asked to come to the front of the restaurant to pick the items I wanted.  There were endless tanks of fish, shrimp, clams, lobster, crab, you name it, for me to choose from.  The food was priced by weight and weighed in kilograms.  Ordering was easy because I simply pointed to what I wanted.  After I ordered, I sat by my table by the beach enjoying the view until my food was cooked.  I ordered a whole fish (sorry, I forgot what kind), clams, and jumbo shrimp.  The meal came with vegetables, rice, peanuts, three kinds of sauces, and rice.  To quench my thirst, I ordered a young coconut.

Though all the items were tasty, the clams were my favorite!  The flavors were a rich complex mix of sweet, salty, spicy, citrus-y, and garlic-y.  I wish I could find a place closer to home that could replicate those clams.  I was so full after all was said and done.  To make my night sweeter, a group of musicians came by my table and asked me if I had any music requests.  I asked if they knew any Michael Jackson songs, and requested "Beat It."  They did not know "Beat It" but played me "Billy Jean" instead.  Fresh seafood, an oceanfront view, and live music...I could not have asked for more!

Fish at the left, vegetables at the top left, clams at the top in the middle, jumbo shrimp

at the top on the right, three sauces at the center, and peanuts below the sauces.

Young coconut.  It was the size of a basketball!  Can you see the straw
on the right and the spoon on the left?

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Pura Luhur Ulu Watu

Pura Luhur Ulu Watu is a holy temple perched atop cliffs located along the south coast of Bali.  After I paid the entrance fee, a purple sarong was tied around my waist.  If you love monkeys, you will enjoy a visit to Ulu Watu.  Just remember to not bring your valuables into the temple.  I kept my valuables in the rental car, as I was informed that the monkeys could and would snatch your belongings with lightning speed.  Aside from worrying about monkeys taking my belongings, the sights at Ulu Watu left me breathless.  Because Ulu Watu sits on top of cliffs, my eyes were delighted with unlimited views of the ocean and surrounding greenery.  

After walking around the temple grounds, I headed over to see the Kecak fire dance.  I heard that the dance was something for the tourists, but even so, I had a good time.  When you experience a cultural dance with the sunset as the backdrop, how can you not have a good time?  I do not know the exact number, but over forty performers formed a circle, wore a checkered cloth around their waists, and chanted as the story about the battle from the Ramayana unfolded.  To give a short synopsis,  the protagonist, Rama, must rescue his wife, Sita, who has been abducted by King Ravan.  Vanara, a monkey-like character, helps Rama along the way.  At the end of the story, Rama is reunited with Sita.

Here, the performers formed a circle and chanted as the story unfolded.  No instruments were used.  It was amazing watching the performers be so in tune with each other.  Every slight movement and sound seemed to have a part in the story.

Here is the beautiful Sita.  

The sunset.

Vanara, and a ring of fire.

Have you visited Pura Luhur Ulu Watu and/or watched the Kecak fire dance?  If so, I would love to hear about your experience!  As always, thank you so much for stopping by!  

Padang Padang Beach

Have you seen ocean water so clear?  Let me introduce you to Padang Padang Beach.  I walked down a narrow rock staircase to get there, and encountered a healthy dose of foot traffic along the way.  Despite that the beach was somewhat crowded on my visit, the experience of it all was worth it.  As soon as I reached the bottom of the rock staircase, I was rewarded with this view.  Afterwards, I kicked off my shoes, dipped my toes in the water, and had a ball appreciating what surrounded me.  

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Nusa Dua

For the first portion of my trip to Bali, I stayed in Nusa Dua, an enclosed area of mainly resorts, south of Denpasar.  After checking into my hotel, I was given a welcome iced lemon tea type of drink, and a cold face towel.  The gesture was warmly appreciated, as the drink quenched some of my thirst, and the cold towel did wonders to make me temporarily forget about the humidity.  My stay in Nusa Dua included walking along the beach promenade, trying the local foods, and swimming.

Nasi Goreng (Fried Rice)

I forgot the name of this (sorry!), but it was a shrimp curry type of dish.

My first meal in Nusa Dua was dinner.  I ordered this shrimp curry dish, which came with rice, and my husband ordered nasi goreng.  I was so excited to try both dishes!  What I enjoyed about Balinese cooking was the attention to detail; the proportions, fragrant aromas, vegetables that were cut to resemble flowers, leaves that decorated the plates, spices that were carefully blended into the dish, and how fresh the foods were.  You can bet my stomach was always happy in Bali.  I never had left-overs, as the proportions were just right.  

 On a pleasant stroll on my first full day in Nusa Dua, I found this lovely view.  I shared this view and the sounds of the ocean with a couple of fishermen.

I shared the view of these statues with other tourists.

 Babi Guling (Roasted Pig with Spices)

Babi Guling and Soup

My favorite part about food in Bali was eating at the warungs, or simple local cafes.  Here, I went to Warung Dobiel.  The warung itself was a bit difficult to find, but it was certainly worth it.  I saw mostly locals at this warung, and could not contain my excitement when my food arrived shortly after I was seated.  The soup consisted of multiple spices and meat scraps.  The babi guling consisted of pork meat, crispy pork skin, and vegetables over rice.  It was so delicious!  I could tell the food was made with much care.  The spices were a complex combination of sweet, salty, and spicy.  I still dream of this dish, and wonder if I can find anything like it at home.

Pura Gegar
After being fueled by babi guling and soup, I walked and walked until I reached the Pura Gegar temple.  Since the temple was perched upon a little hill, I was rewarded with beautiful views of the ocean.

Here is the view from Pura Gegar.

Young Coconut

Most of my loved ones know that I am a huge fan of coconuts.  This one here is a young coconut.  It was huge, like the size of a basketball!  On vacation, you do some things that you cannot do back at home.  I ordered this coconut while I was swimming in the hotel pool!

Mie Goreng

Mie goreng means fried noodles.  And that is what I had before I left Nusa Dua.  

More pictures will be up soon!  Thanks for stopping by!

A Beach Sunset

Hello dear readers!  I recently returned from a trip to Bali, Indonesia.  It was such an incredible trip.  New-to-me foods, beautiful temples, a cultural dance, massages, time at the beach, swimming, and pure relaxation were included.  The above picture was taken at Legian Beach.  Watching the sunset there was absolutely priceless.  I felt so connected to the beauty before my eyes, and dipping my toes in the ocean only furthered the whole experience.  

Stay tuned for more pictures.  I cannot wait to share them with you.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Fresh Fruit Tarte

On a spontaneous afternoon, my friend introduced me to La Farine Bakery.  What a cute little French bakery!  No need to have hopped on an airplane.  La Farine's food items and atmosphere made me feel like I was in France.  I ordered a fruit tarte to compliment the warm and sunny day.  The custard was exquisitely light and airy, and perfectly paired with the sweet berries and mango.  I will have to stop by another time to try the other goodies.

Thanks for stopping by!