Fiji-Ween

I set an alarm to wake up for the sunrise. Seeing as though this will be our last day, I thought I'd taken advantage of our locale and try to capture it on my camera.

I did eventually return and tried to fall back asleep, but no such luck. I'm not entirely sure what time zone my body is functioning on at this point, and it will be interesting to see how we adjust back to Pacific time.

After breakfast, we decided to take one of the kayaks around the island. We admired the blue waters and deftly maneuvered ourselves around an entire island. How 'bout them mangoes? As of yet, our arms are not protesting too much from this excursion. After coming back ashore, we decided to walk a bit around the island again and ended up sitting under on the beach for a spell.







After grabbing some lunch, we spent the rest of the afternoon just relaxing or vegging out, which incidentally is how you could describe Nicole's eating since we've arrived. For whatever reason, everything we order here contains lots of vegetables. Nicole ordered a quesadilla that only contained vegetables, and no cheese. Anyway, we had already arranged a late checkout and boat pickup around 6:00pm, but this did not seem to matter a whole lot as some workers were lingering outside our hut as if to hurry us along. I suppose it worked. We boarded a boat at 5:30.

In the end, this didn't really serve us well as we've now been told to wait more than an hour outside security at the airport until our tickets can be released. Standby travel is . . . complicated. Anyway, it has been quite a "honeymoon," one for the books. There have been so many different parts of this trip, it should make for an interesting analysis. We had very different experiences at each stop, each providing us with a new country to pin on the map. While it may seem like we've been hopping around a lot, it has actually felt very relaxed with not a lot of rushing around. I think it's fair to say, however, that this will be our last flight leg for this trip . . . I think.

Mischief Night

We woke up to the sun brightly shining into our small beachfront hut. After a late breakfast, we walked around the entire island, which was not the impossible task it may sound like. Even with the need to watch our footing over some rocks and driftwood, it probably only took us about 25 minutes to go all the way around. The water was a rich blue color and the sun felt very warm beating down on us as we walked. It was, however, not nearly as humid as it was on Bali, so it was comfortable-ish. We stayed hydrated with the Fiji water provided by the resort. I had this strange moment where I was looking at the bottle as if I'd only just realized that Fiji water comes from Fiji. It was just a bit surreal to be seeing something that's so ubiquitous (especially in Los Angeles) and then actually be sitting at a beach on the group of islands where Fiji water is sourced from.

We noticed that other people were acquiring snorkel gear or going out in sea kayaks. We assumed they had not transported these items on the plane, so we tracked down the guy who lets guests borrow various sea-related apparatus. We elected to do Stand Up Paddleboarding. This is actually only the second time Nicole and I have done such an activity -- the first time being on Turks & Caicos. We are just naturally skilled at such things. After paddling around for a while, we made our way back ashore and then hung out by our hut and relaxed in the hammock just outside our door.

Our "resort" is not big, so we keep seeing the same people around, or after a short walk, no people at all. As sunset approached, we walked a little ways toward the other side of the island, so we could watch sunset. There weren't a lot of clouds in the sky today, so the colors weren't very dramatic, but it was relaxing to watch anyway. Fiji is one of the best spontaneous decisions we've made in a while.

After sunset, we made our way to dinner where we were again entertained with music and enjoyed the relaxed outdoor atmosphere of the island's one and only restaurant. After dinner, we spent some time back in the hammock looking up at the stars.

Welcome "home?"

We arrived at the airport about 80 mins before our United flight was scheduled to depart for LAX. For reasons that remain unknown, United demoted our listing from business class to economy and without any action on our part, decided to put us in seats that were in completely different rows. There 60 open seats. We inquired as to why this occurred, and they said it was because our last names are different. This was never a problem before we were married, so it's interesting that this somehow threw United for a loop.



We did end up going to the gate (with seats adjusted to be together, although pretty far in the back) and were just shy of the secondary screening, when we stopped short. This is not how we wanted our honeymoon to end - angry at the airlines, angry at the efficiencies of Sydney's Kingsford Smith International, and poised to spend the next 14 hours in mediocre seats. Right then and there, we canceled our listing. There was a Delta flight leaving in an hour to LAX, but we were already resigned of that option. I went on my phone and booked us a hotel in Fiji and a standby listing to Nadi.

It was an interesting journey to our resort, which is on its own island about 20 minutes from the main island. We met a driver after customs who drove us for about 25 mins to the wharf and then we bounced along in the boat to Serenity Island where we received a royal welcome with musicians, a welcome party with everyone saying "Bula!" and "Welcome Home!" It's like we were celebrities. Not bad for $145/night. We have a beachfront hut. Honestly, they all seem to be beachfront, as the island is maybe only a 1/2 mile around. Having arrived at night, we couldn't really confirm if our view was great.

We could hear the ocean, but for all we knew, we could be sitting on a pile of trash since it was so dark out. We fell asleep to the sounds of the waves crashing just 10 meters away as the rustling of the palm trees lulled us into a deep sleep. We haven't even seen daylight yet, but I think Fiji was a good choice...

Yes.

The Last Day

Whereas yesterday was an amazing sunny day with the perfect weather, today was a bit grey and cool. The weather is very fickle. Nicole said that next week it is supposed to reach 90, so who knows what the "average" weather is actually supposed to be this time of year. Anyway, rather than fight the hordes of tourists in downtown Sydney again, we elected to sit tight in our own little neighborhood by Balmoral Beach. It's a quaint little beach town, yet filled with very active people.

A cricket game was going on from the moment we woke up, and would continue until we got dinner...  The cafes were packed all day long and despite the cool weather, people still continued to enjoy a swim. Nicole and I went for a hike in the surrounding "bush." There were lots of stairs and hills, which I feel like nobody ever talks about when speaking of Sydney. There are hills here like San Francisco. During our hike we saw the lizard above, a wide view of downtown Sydney from afar, some old Army barracks from WWII era, and we stopped our hike at a place called Chowder Bay.

We took our time walking back before having greek food at one of the few outdoor cafes. We got in just before the crowds really took over. One needs a reservation at most restaurants here. They are very popular. We have pretty much eaten at every restaurant in Balmoral except for the super fancy ones that inexplicably closed at 3:00pm anyway. I had some fish and chips at another stand earlier in the day.

After our dinner we walked along the beach at dusk for some more photos and just to relax for our final hours of the trip. We are trying to get on a 10am flight on United tomorrow morning, hopefully business class, as it is a 13 and a half hour flight. Toodles.

The Zoo and Beyond

After breakfast out on our large balcony, we walked to the Taronga Zoo, which is on our peninsula, but evidently uphill the whole way. The sun was shining strong today so it felt considerably warmer. Nicole was very excited for the zoo because she admires marsupials, and surely Australia would not have any shortage of them. We paid a little extra to get the "Koala Experience," a sort of one-on-one time with koalas. While one is not allowed to touch them, we were able to get pretty close. This does not seem to disturb them since they can sleep on pretty much any position, a skill I could have used on the Qantas flight the other day.

They sleep around 18-20 hours a day, being most active between 11am and 2:45pm - a very suspicious and specific time if you ask me. We did see a little activity for about five minutes mostly because they were eating eucalyptus, getting high, and immediately falling back asleep. Curious creatures, the koalas. We later saw some kangaroos, emus, and platypuses (platypii?). We took the sky safari over the zoo and to the ferry dock where we took a boat to Circular Quay. I was quite hungry, so we had pancakes at a place called Pancakes on the Rocks underneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

The "Rocks," is an area of Sydney with a bit of old city charm and reminded us a bit of Brooklyn, kind of trendy, quaint, and a little less chaotic than the nearby quay and port area, where a massive cruise ship was docked. We then walked toward the Opera House, where we discussed how it is like the symbol of Sydney, whereas similar looking buildings (the Disney concert hall or the Guggenheim) are not emblematic of their respective cities. We decided that it must be the lack of other defining landmarks in Sydney, though the story behind its construction is upsetting. I'll sum up -- the designer never really got the credit they deserved thanks to dodgy government officials; and it was completed at a 1400% cost overrun and about 12 years late. Harrumph.

We continued our stroll through the royal botanical gardens and to a place called Mrs MacQuarie's chair, a bench built by convicts for the former Governor's wife. Her view wasn't as good as it could have been. If only she had known about the opera house and harbour bridge in the opposite direction. . .  We then retraced our steps ant went back to the Rocks, where I had made a reservation at an Italian restaurant with outdoor seating. We both had a hearty filling of pasta. For being a long flight from LA, it sure feels a lot like home here.

To the Land of Oz

Our flight from Ngurah Rai International to Sydney may have been fairly uneventful once we were actually on the plane, but it was quite a big to-do to reach that point. First, the drive from Ubud to the airport is only like 35 km, but took 1 hour and 40 minutes. Then we began the check-in process which required waiting in line behind everyone checking bags. When we finally reached the counter, we were simply told that there were not a lot of seats, so they couldn't release them until 9:00pm. It was now 8:00. We finally had tickets in hand around 9:45pm, just 15 mins prior to door close. And we still had to go through customs, security, another bag check, and discover that there was a gate change, before finally getting into our very tight Qantas seats in the very back row of the plane.

We landed in Sydney around 7am. We got a few winks in on the flight, but due to the cramped seats, our various body parts also fell asleep and it took some time for me to regain blood flow to my right arm and leg. We took a train to Circular Quay where we took a ferry, then an Uber the rest of the way to our Air BnB in Mosman, a beach community that seems to consist of older wealthy folk. We have a nice view over the water from our elevated position in the hills.

 The situation is made slightly easier by an inclinator, that a lot of the homes in the area seem to have installed. Here you see Nicole slowly making her way up the hill. While it is a very nice place, it took a while for us to get in because we were so early. Jet-lagged and beaten, we had breakfast at a small cafe by the beach and ended up falling asleep for a bit on the steps leading up to our Air BnB before we were given a key. We enjoyed a few more winks before waking up again at 2pm do begin our day. We walked into downtown Mosman, a collection of shops, cafes, and small town charm. After walking up and down the length of the area a few times, we ended up getting burgers at a place called Burger Shed. I think we were both craving something that was a bit more familiar, or at least not chicken. After our burgers, we caught a ride to Cremorne Point, a spot I had calculated (based on google maps) would have decent views of downtown Sydney and the Opera House.

There was also a nearby trail that led to a lighthouse. We have noticed that Sydney is a very active city. There are runners everywhere and while Nicole and I perceived the weather as a bit chilly, there was no shortage of people swimming either. 0_0 

I shot some timelapse footage in the area as the sun went down and the lights began to illuminate the various buildings across the way.

As the sun went down, it got even cooler. In many ways, the weather here is similar to LA. Warm in the sun, cool in the shade, and impossible to dress for. After taking some more pictures, we went back to our area in Mosman and called it an early night. We had been through a lot with all the traveling and were eager for a full night's rest.

Night into Day

We ventured out in the evening for two reasons. One, I knew they lit up some of the temples and wanted to get some pictures, and Two, our hotel grounds were being smoked for mosquitoes. It was not yet dark enough for the lights to come on when we walked by, so we ended up getting dinner at the 3 Monkeys, the same restaurant as the previous night. One cannot go wrong with some pasta and pizza. After dinner, we worked our way through the chaotic crowds of central Ubud until reaching Saraswati Temple, the one next to the Starbucks.

The unfortunate thing about this town is that it doesn't really cater to photographers. The only reason the temples are illuminated at night is because many of them play host to a dancing show. Luckily I was able to sweet talk the people selling tickets into letting us snap a couple quick photos before going on our way. We later ended up back at the Pura Dalem Temple, where we had previously worn special attire so as to not offend. Now, however, these strict rules were no longer required as they too had a show. I took one picture from just outside the entrance and called it good enough. We walked back to our hotel a bit annoyed.

It is incredibly hypocritical to require specific attire during the daytime, when no ceremony is occurring, and simply not care in the evening because more money can be generated if they just let anyone in. We Herschers have a long history of being annoyed by nonsensical religious dress codes. 20 years ago, my sister had to buy special pants to get in to the Vatican because she was deemed too skanky in her nearly knee-length skirt. My mom had to put on some kind of shawl/dress over her pants while visiting a monastery in Greece because apparently women shouldn't wear pants. And at the Pura Dalem Temple, it is strictly forbidden for a woman to enter while menstruating. It's really tough being a woman. Though, at 7:30pm, all bets are off as long as you have 80,000 INR.

Perhaps it was all the walking we did throughout the day, or the heat, or a combination thereof that led me to fall asleep around 10pm. As a result, I woke up around 7am, and decided to take advantage of the situation by doing a bit of exploring before the crowds of tourists consumed the town. I first walked down the hill toward the ridge hike where we saw our first temple a few days ago. A pair of young women were laying out offerings in front of the temple. These types of offerings are all over town and it's hard not to accidentally step in one.

After my brief stop at temple #1, I thought I'd try and go back to Saraswati, the Starbucks Temple, as it will forever be remembered in my mind, and power-walked into town in hopes of grabbing a couple shots before the selfie takers started to arrive. I had the place to myself and was able to enjoy the solitude of it in spite of the constant drone of motorbikes in the street just meters away.

Today we must check out of our hotel, but our flight (or any flight going to Sydney for that matter), doesn't leave until 1030pm. This makes for one of those awkward days where we are kind of stranded in Ubud for about 6 hours. We've been told we can still use the hotel facilities, just not our room, so we my spend some time at the pool, and Nicole may get a massage as they are quite inexpensive here. I think we are both ready to leave Ubud. While our hotel is very relaxing, the town is a little wild for our tastes. On to the next adventure . . .

Cultured

After our breakfast, we walked into town to see if we could get closer access to some of the Hindu temples. The rules were a bit daunting as you can see by this sign, so we weren't entirely sure as to how all of this would work. Fortunately, the guy collecting money was able to provide us with some proper coverings so as to not upset anyone. The gentleman providing the scarfs and such could have a career in fashion. He color coordinated our scarves with what we already had on. Nicole got red to match her stripes. I received blue that matched my t-shirt and flip flops.

The best thing about the Pura Dalem temple in Ubud was its lack of visitors. For whatever reason, Nicole and I had pretty much full unobstructed access to the temple without ever having to worry about someone getting in our photos.

Pura Dalem Hindu temples are "death" temples, so the statues are pretty interesting to look at. Everything is a bit spooky and we were there during broad daylight. It would be interesting to return at night since there seem to be some small floodlights, but I don't think the public has access after a certain time.

Following our short exploration of the temple, we continued to another temple called Saraswati. It was somewhat difficult to locate and had kind of a hidden entrance, accessible next to, of all places, a Starbucks. This one did not have as much access, and you could really only see it from the outside, but the lotus flowers and pond leading up to the temple made for a decent view, at least before other tourists found it and started doing selfies again.

It was getting to be quite hot and oppressive, so we made our way back to our hotel, where we returned to see our room was being worked on. To kill time, we wandered around the complex where we discovered a pathway leading to an open door, which led to further pathways which we had never seen before. We weren't sure if this was part of the hotel, but decided to do a bit of exploring. Every time we thought we had reached the end of the path, there would be another gate, a bridge, or some stairs leading in yet another direction. It was very interesting to see this sort of hidden world right underneath our hotel. Our room was ready after we returned from our exploring, and we spent most of the afternoon just relaxing on our porch area with a beer in hand.

A Bit of Exploring Around Ubud

We had a good night's rest that was interrupted only by weird creaking noises that led me to believe a monkey had broken into our room and was dead set on robbing the place. This is the only possible explanation for such noises. After breakfast, we went for a hike along Campuhan Ridge, which is right next to where our hotel is located. The best part if the hike was actually before it even stqrted. There was a small temple adjacent to the trailhead that had some nice statues. Unfortunately it was closed, so we could only observe from the outside, but it was kind of neat to see a little bit of actual culture. Then we began the hike up the ridge. The views were ok, but it doesn't really warrant the title of most popular hike in Ubud.

After getting quite sweaty and sticky from the hike, we got some drinks at a mini-market and walked into town a little ways where I had seen a path that went through some rice paddies. The path was very unassuming at first, cutting in and out of alleyways, but eventually opened up into an expanse of rice paddies. We only encountered two other people during our walk, and in my opinion the trek through the rice paddies was 100x better than the ridge hike. Eventually the trail made a big loop and we found our way back into the chaos of central Ubud. By now we felt fairly expired, and we needed to get some food.

We ended up going to a place called Zest, which specializes in vegan fare. Normally I would scoff at such food blasphemy, but I have had chicken in pretty much every meal since I first landed in Singapore. I've even had chicken for breakfast and I was ready for a change. I ended up ordering Nasi Campur again (sans chicken), but I can't truly confirm what I was actually eating. What I can confirm is that the clientele was . . . different. First, everyone seemed to know each other, while at the same time not really know each other at all. Example conversation: "Oh my gosh, it's you! We need to catch up some time, I'm just up the road." "Yes it's so nice to meet you finally." Apparently the two were facebook friends, but not friends IRL (in real life). This was not the strangest thing observed. Everyone was dressed exactly the same. The women wore flowing sarongs. The men wore plain t-shirts and sported man buns as the hairstyle of choice. Now, I personally find such a hairstyle to be quite silly, but I won't judge someone solely on their haircut or clothing choice. What I will judge is the sheer hypocrisy of this whole culture of white people finding themselves in Ubud. The two people across from us at our couch table were busy taking selfies and keeping tabs on their social media accounts and saying things like, "Look how many likes this has already!" The pictures might have portrayed a care free lifestyle that might accompany a click-bait blog post that says something like, "5 Reasons You Need to Quit Your Job and Move to Bali (#3 gave me the runs)" But the people across from us were not the easygoing, fun-loving hippies they (and presumably everyone else in the restaurant) were pretending to be. They were terrible social media whores. And they weren't very nice to the server, either. They kept complaining that their pizza was taking too long. So next time you see a picture on social media of people looking like they're having the most blissful and peace-loving life abroad, just picture those same people complaining about a pizza.

Sigh. Lunch exhausted me. It only seemed fitting that we go to the pool to relax for a spell. Our hotel is like a protected retreat. Unlike someplace like Cancun, where all-inclusive resorts act as boundaries between tourists and the local population, I feel like our hotel is a way to escape the other tourists. It's quiet, unpretentious, and welcoming. It is what people on the outside pretend to be and then yell about their pizza taking too long. On that note, we ventured out to hire a taxi to drive us to Tegallalang Rice Terraces. Nicole and I both knew we were essentially venturing into some kind of tourist-trap hell, but the pictures we had seen online looked nice, so we gave it a shot.

We went later in the day, close to sunset, so we figured things would have calmed down. It is possible that it was worse earlier in the day, but there were still far too many people for my liking. And it's not just the numbers of people there, it was what they were doing. Bearing in mind that these are rice paddies and have potential for mud, slippery surfaces, and uneven pathways, there were women in fancy dresses putting on their best instagram poses. It all seemed criminal...and stupid. Nicole and I saw a small pulloff where we wanted to take some pictures of you know...the terraces, but we had to wait while a group of grammers took turns making sexy poses with the rice paddies (as one does). There are about 3 poses that the grammers like to do. 1) The back to the camera, arms spread wide as if to say, "I don't want to seem totally vain by showing my face, so I'll just turn around and obscure your view of this interesting thing in front of me." 2) The sideways, toe-pointed, hand on face, mouth slightly open as if to say, "I wore a dress to a hike because you never know when a photo-shoot will start, and phew I'm glad I did" pose. And finally 3) The hand behind the back, fake-walking away, while holding the camera phone user's hand is if to say, "Follow me to exciting adventures!" I imitated this yesterday in a picture I took of Nicole, but I don't think we executed it entirely right. Conclusion? All of our photos are crap.

Now I feel I must reiterate, my gripes are not with Bali or Ubud. My complaints are geared toward a large swath of people who are coming to Ubud. As a whole, we have found our time here very relaxing in spite of other people who are working really hard to show their followers that they are busy relaxing too.