Beach time in Bali!

Hi there folks!

We have left the hill country and have fully embraced the beaches, coves, lagoons, bays, scuba and snorkel sites, and all the other realms of the aquatic. We bid adieu to Ubud and went straight to the surfer's Mecca of Bali, Balian Beach. It would seem that this place is incapable of making bad swells, and thus it is chalk full of surfers from dawn to dusk. The current here is really strong, and after a quick scare when we were swept out over 130 yards from shore in just a few minutes we decided that this was not the place for us to learn how to surf. Instead of surfing, we busied ourselves with running on the incredibly soft black sand beach, eating freshly caught red snapper, playing cards, and enjoying the sound, smell and feel of the coast.

After three days of chilling in Balian Beach we were ready to move on, and we took a bemo (small van packed full of people) across the island to Padangbai. Padangbai in and of itself is really nothing special, but we used it as our staging point for further exploration on a three day motorbike excursion. We headed north out of the city, and followed the beautiful coastal road to the region of Amed. This ride was amazing: tiny little road that twisted and turned over countless cliffs that dive down into the most deep blue ocean I've ever seen. Best ride ever.

Once we were in Amed we stopped in the village of Lipah, and promptly rented mask, fins, and snorkels for our first plunge. This only served to wet my appetite and I knew that I'd need to get some scuba time. So that is what I did.



Self portrait on first dive in Bali



Pool at a diving resort in Tulamben, Bali (where Shaina chilled while I was diving)


A fun look at my scuba experience in Tulamben

The diving was pretty amazing, but when I wasn't submerged in the sea, Shaina and I were able to entertain ourselves by sipping tea on our terrace, moseying around the village, or going sailing. The sailing was particularly fantastic. For a little over $20 we went out on a fishing boat at dawn and got to watch the sun rise while our captain busied himself with his fishing duties. It was a salty and wet joyride that we will not soon forget.



The morning view from our $17 per night hotel in Amed, Bali (tea at no extra charge)



Fishing boat from our boat at dawn with a great view of Mt. Rinjani



A snapshot of us on the dock in Padangbai, Bali

That, my friends, is our Bali whirlwind in a nut shell. We are so happy that we made it here. It was time truly well spent. Next stop will be on the next set of islands in Indonesia, the Gilis. See you then!

Cheers!

Maxell

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Location:Amed Coast, Bali