Visiting Hannah and Greg, part 3: Bali (days 3 and 4)

Bali day 3: Snorkeling! 

A car from Blue Season Bali picked us up at our Villa bright and early and brought us to their head quarters where they gear up to take people scuba diving and snorkeling. We got sized for wet suits and headed out to the beach to ride a little tin boat out to the larger boat for the day. 

Waiting to board our transport boat

On our boat was a group of scuba divers along with the four of us snorkelers. Our first stop was Crystal Bay, so named for its crystal clear water. Snorkeling there was so fun. At first the water was cold, but really it wasn't bad, especially with a wet suit. Beneath the bay was a megalopolis of beautiful coral. Every color your eye can imagine was shining brightly up at us as we gazed through our snorkel masks and floated along back and forth with the waves and current.

They don't get sun like this in AK!

Crystal bay is in an island about a 45-minute ride off the Bali coast. We snorkeled two separate times in  this location, each for about an hour (before and after lunch). Meanwhile, the divers went down deep where it was so cold one of the ladies lost the use of a hand while down there and had trouble getting warm back up top even back on the deck of the boat in the intense equator heat. One of the divers was training for her certification for deep adventurous diving, or something like that.

A nice Bali view

At our second location, later that afternoon, while the divers went down deep once more, we did a "drift snorkel." For this, the boat dropped us off, then we let the current take us gently along the coast line as we eyed more gorgeous coral cities, and the boat met us down the beach to pick us up.

This is also a nice view.....(wink*)

They tried to rent us a water proof camera so we could take pictures of the snorkeling, but $45 was just too steep a price, and they didn't want to haggle. Too bad for them, and too bad for you, since you don't get to see any underwater pictures.

Soaking up vitamin D on top deck of the boat

We were out for the bulk of the day, I think about 7 or 8 hours total. 

This ship got stuck on the sand bar just a week earlier

This sand bar had two ships recently stuck. Our boat hand said they had to wait for the big tide to come back next season before they could get them free.

That night we decided to go out to dinner somewhere. Our first stop, recommended by our villa's info book, was a restaurant called Ku De Ta. It was probably the most "hip" most "sheik" most trendy and most "posh" place I've ever been. (Not really me scene.) It was all poorly lit, with loud obnoxious new-techno music and a modern look; but, it had a grassy area with cushions that looked out on the beach. We plopped down and watched the sunset while we enjoyed some over-priced drinks. 

The sunset was awesome, and better yet, we paid almost $30 for two drinks. It doesn't get better than that.

Our sunset view from Ku De Ta

We ended up heading down the street to Ultimo Italian Restaurant and eating some good old Bali-made italian (and well priced) food. Heather's and my entire meal ended up cheaper than two drinks at Ku De Ta.

Day 4 in Bali: Surfing and departing

On our last day in Bali, we finally went to the beach (the beach at which, the very next day there was an earthquake). So, actually, Greg didn't make it to the beach, he had to stay behind to take care of some work stuff. (Those suckers with those jobs. I pity them.)

There were lots of chairs and big umbrellas. But if you wanted to use them you had to deal with one of the guys trying to sell them to you. So, we haggled with the first guy, but he was trying to get too much money out of us. We walked away and got a better price from the next one down the sand.

The girls enjoyed some ice cream while enjoying the beach

After settling in, I went back to my same little haggling friend and did something I'd been wanting to try for a long time....I rented a surf board! I talked him down to $3. Not bad. Of course, I don't actually know the first thing about how to surf other than what I've seen on TV. However, I can do quite a few sports that involve a board on your feet (snow skiing, water skiing, snow boarding, wake boarding, knee boarding and probably something I'm forgetting), so I figure I had a good chance at figuring out the surfing thing.

My big ol' beginner board

It took me a little while to figure out the board, and the waves, and timing and balance and all that, but after not too long, I was up...at least for a matter of seconds. My first several attempts to stand resulted in a quick and dirty splash back into the waves.

One of my early attempts, not looking to good for me

HOWEVER, I eventually did figure it out, and got in some long and really fun rides. Below is video evidence, that my previous foot/board experience paid off, as I surf for over 13 seconds all the way to shore with no wipe out!

Go, Nathan, go!

I was surprised out how much work surfing was. I was sore all over after only 1.5 hours of surfing, and I was beat. For the next several days my back and neck were sore sore sore.

Back at the villa, Greg fought the mosquitoes by smoking them out with the super smoker

But, we had to get back to the villa, pack up, and get to the airport to catch our flight back to Singapore. So, we said goodbye to our beautiful villa, the low Bali prices, and the Southern hemisphere and checked out. We had a few hours before having to be at the airport. So, Hannah and Greg went back to Body Works and got another massage each, while Heather and did shopping and haggling in the markets.

But finally, it was time to go...(sniff). Waiting for our plane, we took in one last great Bali sunset.

 Back to Singapore for two more days with Hannah and Greg (and zombie killing!).