AND SO IT BEGINS...
Midnight is the time, and the Grahams land at the Bali airport. Check out the long flights blog to hear more about our plane rides and tips and tricks for long travel!
We exited the airport and were bombarded by taxi drivers, locals and tourists. Rupa, our tour guide for the entire trip was leading and guiding us through the traffic. Once on the road to our hotel, our learning immediately began! We started to learn Balinese words, all about the culture, and all about the experience that was ahead. I was soaking up the already apparent Balinese hospitality.
A few quick facts about Bali that we learned:
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80% of Bali’s economy depends on tourism, this Indonesian island is a quick escape for Koreans, Australians, and many Europeans.
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Indonesia is the 4th most populous country with nearly 300 million across the 17,508 islands that make up Indonesia
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Although there are nearly 580 language dialects, the historical language spoken in Bali is Balinese or but the predominant language Bahasa
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The currency is an Indonesian Rupiah, and we were millionaires in Bali! One USD is equivalent to 15, 175 Indonesian Rupiahs.
This is just the beginning of our amazing adventure!
DAY ONE
As we landed at midnight the neight prior, our first day was spent at leisure. To all of the girls who know me, I slept in until 10:30am. Yes this is a record for me! Matthew truly found the best hotels, as the Samaya at Seminyak was a true luxury to relax and rejuvenate from 8 months of wedding planning. We enjoyed the massive complimentary breakfast filled with fresh Bali squeezed juice, special Bali bread, and variations of their cereal, omelets and pancakes. We quickly learned that breakfast for the Balinese is usually rice and meat, their culture naturally will eat the same meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
We enjoyed our private pool and villa for the morning of our first day. Boy, were we jet lagged! As we explored the hotel grounds, we experienced Bali acai bowls, the strength of the Bali sunshine with fresh sunburns and set out to plan our first massage.
Meditation, personal health, rest, and massages are staples to the Bali culture. We quickly learned that we may never experience a massage like this ever again. We had no shame in taking full advantage of these massages throughout the rest of our trip.
A breathtaking sunset dinner closed out our first day in Bali. Matthew was smart and did not let us go to bed until 8pm. Acclimating to a 12-hour time difference would absolutely take a few days.
DAY TWO
Our second day began with an early wake-up and our first transfer outside of the hotel grounds. We entered into the town of Seminyak at rush hour and I was in shock, the thousands of scooters, hundreds of people in the markets and the stores and store owners lined the streets. This area is known as the hub of the tourism district and our drive through it was truly an experience. We were headed to our first adventure… SURFING!
We arrived and my stomach turned. I had never surfed and admittedly am not the strongest swimmer. Matthew was assuring me that it would be so fun and there would be nothing to worry about – we walk into the shop and I see a man standing there with blood covering his face and a gash on his head.. Stomach turns again and I look at Matthew with wide eyes… “yeah Matthew this will be fine..”
We walked with our boards and our surf coaches to the put our feet in the Indian Ocean for the first time. Not too cold, but not warm – we can do this thing. Once in the water, the salt content shocked us, unlike anything we have experienced in the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans.
After a few moments of instructions on the beach into the water we go! Matthew was a natural, truly he did so well surfing! I on the other hand, was comical. I was able to get up but my longest wave lasted maybe 15 seconds. I also was not a fan of fighting the wildly strong current. My coach got a kick out of my “diva” surfing but it was a blast!
We enjoyed a relaxing afternoon, joining a yoga session and adventured the town that evening. Seminyak is a sight to see. As I mentioned, an experience but the most highly trafficked tourism district.