I’ve just realised that it has been exactly one year today that I made the big move to Australia + wrote my first entry in this journal! What a year it has been! I couldn’t be happier with myself for building up the courage a whole year ago after just graduating and completely lost, to actually get up and make my dream of seeing the world commence.
Since that day I stepped off that plane I have made so many fantastic memories, made friends who I will cherish throughout my lifetime and I have fallen for a hell of a guy. Slightly emosh.
Speaking of guys, it’s finally time for my reunion in Bali with my other half!
Reunion in Bali
For the past 2 weeks, T an I were in Bali. It was the first time I had seen him in 6 weeks so I couldn’t let go of him for a few days. We stayed in Seminyak for the first 2 nights and overindulged in the buffet breakfast that was included in our package. We went to do a few touristy things of visiting a temple and wandering down the different streets.
I met one of T’s mates from home for the first time too which was cool.
After Seminyak we went to Ubud and stayed in this really authentic hotel right next to the monkey forest. There were monkeys everywhere, all the time, but it was funny to see them staring at you through the glass window as you tried to enjoy your breakfast.
In Ubud the weather wasn’t great, in fact it rained (hard) for about 85% of our time there and we were there 4 nights, shit! I must say the weather in Bali was not in our favour for the majority of our trip!
We did however still manage to see everything on the list.
We visited the monkey forest, where funnily enough I was slapped around the face by a monkey.
Luckily for me they have seriously soft hands, so I wasn’t left with any scaring. I only lost my dignity.
Yeah, T got it on camera.
The rice fields we found were awesome. We avoided the main ones as it is a complete tourist trap and did a little bit more research on the where else to go. We borrowed an umbrella from the hotel every day which T managed to forget in every single place we went to and had to trek back to get it each time (don’t mention to T- sore subject LOL).
Climbing Mount Batur
I woke up one morning at 2am to go and hike up Mount Batur, a 1717 metre climb uphill. It was very hard work and a serious leg work out. Of course when I got to the top it was cloudy so we couldn’t see the sunrise in full spring but it was definitely worth the trek. The views form the top were amazing and I personally think the clouds added a nice effect to my photos (at the time I convinced myself this was 100% true or I would have looked back on the tremendously difficult climb I had just done and probably cried).
After Ubud we were supposed to make our way to Amed, a small town on the coast were to take the ferry over to Gilli T the following day. So just to recap, there was a ‘high alert’ in Bali prior to my arrival, during my time there and now still ongoing that the Angung Volcano is going to explode, they’re just unsure as to when exactly!
Amed just so happened to be in the evacuation zone, so we were forced to make a plan B.
It actually worked out in our favour as T got to take me over to the island where he had spent the last 6 weeks working and got to show me around.
After drama with our first hotel, we settled in to our new one and hired a scooter for the day. Of course it rained (first time in 6 weeks) but it cleared up for the afternoon and we had an amazing day!
Gili T was our next destination and as we arrived we had to take a horse and carriage to our ‘hut’ as there is no other form of transport. Our room was pretty far inland but we were given a pair of rusty bikes to get around on (free of charge may I add). We went on a snorkel trip and I finally got to snorkel with turtles in the most clear blue water. It was the best experience ever!
We are now in Vietnam making our way form Ho Chi Minh city up to Hanoi over the next 17 days, via both sleeper busses and aeroplanes. I already have an upset stomach as my body cant handle the change. I do however have access to unlimited amount of Cornetto Ice-creams so I should survive.
Click here to read my next post: Our Trip Through Vietnam – Part 1
