KLIA> Denpasar, Bali, Indonisia!!

Sanur Beach

The lush, hilly, beautiful green landscape and rolling mountains view from the plane surely was a great introduction to what we would find here in Bali, Indonesia.  The Indian Ocean was wild and the wind shifted the plane quite a bit, but you could still see the coral through the aqua water from bird's view!  Our first mission in our new place: to find Oliver in the marina where he and his sailing crew were set up for the night.  I can hardly believe our paths are crossing halfway across the world, unplanned (Now the third Kenyon alum we will see abroad)!  It was pouring rain so we didn't see much beyond a few taxi drivers charging us twice what it should cost to take a 20 minute ride South.  Needless to say, we accomplished our mission!! Ollie delightfully greeted us at our taxi and we prepared to venture out for some dinner.  Gado-gado, a veggie dish served with peanut sauce and usually some tempe (soy bean), tofu, or eggs was a big hit.  The following day, the three of us explored Kuta Beach and Sanur Beach, each on opposite coasts of the Island.  Sanur can be considered the magical paradise of the two.  Bright blue sunny skies, purely white fluffy clouds hovering over the ocean, calm aqua colored water where we would find starfish, hermit crabs, and little minows right at our toes in knee deep water.  Many fisherman with their cone shaped straw hats were perched on rocks bordering each side of the beach strips.  Early evening sucked the water way out about a couple hundred yards or so, exposing several coral and green seaweed mounds, and pools of water with fish who missed the tide.  We watched one Balinese boy shout to his family for about 10 minutes for them to come save him from the currents pulling him out.  Luckily he wasn't really in danger because they watched and pointed at him for most of the time.  Two Europeans carried him back in, all of them laughing by the end.  We finished out the night nicely with a massage on the beach, Balinese dinner, and some Reggae music.  We have plans to see Ollie again in a couple of weeks hopefully for some diving as he's become a pro by now!

Gado-Gado