Also, I did not know if bringing Bean with us was doable because the itinerary we made did not really include anything for kids...save for trips to the mall (if ever there was a mall). The plane ride was something to worry about, too. The last time Bean rode a plane was a year ago when she talked less and demanded less. But this is a new adventure and we were willing to find out.
DAY 1
Our flight to Denpasar was very early in the morning, 4 AM. So we (plus Bean) have been up since 1:30 AM. I kind of gave Bean a pep talk about the take off. I told her it was just like riding Rocket in Little Einsteins. She just told me, "I'm good." So as the plane took off....she asked us to sing the theme song from the said show. I really found that cute. And what was better was she slept all throughout the flight!
We got to Kuta about 9AM, and we weren't allowed to check-in to the hotel yet. We had brunch and took a walk to pass the time. Bali really is for surfers...every block there would be shops like Ripcurl, Quiksilver, Roxy, Hurley, Volcom, Reef...and the likes! Bali weather is hotter than here in Manila so we chilled by the pool until we got the signal to check in.
A few minutes after these photos were taken, Bean had a meltdown. She'd ask for water, food or milk...then refused all of them. She cried and pushed us away. Adam and I knew how tired she was as both of us wanted to take a rest too. Good thing they let us check in an hour earlier so we let her take her nap. There was nothing to do this day as it was a holiday! We didn't know.
DAY 2
This was our first day of surfing. We went with Gede from Santai Surf. I am always nervous before going out in the water...but his calm demeanor assured me that even though we don't speak the same language...I'd be safe. I like the board he let us use! I did not have nice pictures this time because everything was unfamiliar, but I managed to snap a few of Adam surfing at Double 6. The afternoon, we went out to shop! Ugh....Roxy bikinis priced 700-1000 PHP....what a dream! I got two pairs and one for my girl. Adam got board shorts and a shirt.
DAY 3
This was supposed to be the day we were going to tour UBUD in the morning. Soody picked us up from the hotel and he added a few places to see. We went to see Tanah Lot temple first. It was a nice rocky temple where you can see the sea. I wasn't able to take much pictures again as the tourists were busy taking photos with Bean. have to admit, I feel touched whenever people appreciate my daughter. Proud mama here! I am also proud of my husband who organized everything and yet offered to carry all our things so I can go snap some photos for keeping. After our tour here, Adam was feeling under the weather; his stomach was acting up. We tried to to reach Ubud, but our driver was kind enough to prioritize Adam's health so we went back. He brought us to Seminyak for lunch, where we passed by Drifter Surf Shop and Deus. They were stores designed for surfers and surf fanatics...but nothing really surprising for us (well, the prices of the prodcucts maybe). In the late afternoon, Soody drove us to Padangpadang beach. Even though there were a lot of people sunbathing on the shore, swimming and surfing in the water...I was in awe of this beach! The giant rock formations, the waters that fall from them...the white sand and clear waters....it's indeed worth going to! We took a quick dip...and then we went to see the Uluwatu surf break! Uluwatu is such a challenge to go to with a toddler as there are thousands of steps, and the passages are steep and constricted...so we just stopped in a spot where we can see the surfers surf the break. I do not have words for how I felt watching them...you should just try and see for yourself. to cap the day off, we went back to the hotel to cool off in the pool and relax.
DAY 4
Our last day in Bali was for a morning surf...and some last minute shopping. We went with Adi and Irene from Baruna Surf Culture. They were very entertaining and good at explaining things we should know about the breaks in Bali. They were even kind enough to babysit Bean for a while. :) I learned something new from them--a different way of paddling which makes me paddle stronger and expend less energy. I'm happy about that. I am also so stoked to see Adam catch a big wave and get a long ride. I was so shocked I wasn't able to take a picture. Adam told them it was the longest ride he ever had in his life; to which Irene replied, "That's not a long ride, maybe next time we can take you to Canggu...there you will know what a long ride is!"
Honestly, the below average waves in Bali are the good waves we already have here. So yes, I got the best and biggest ride there, too. :) We sure will be coming back. Hopefully, Bean will have come to love surfing by then!
Now that we're home...people will ask me "What happened to you?" because my skin got very dark. Honestly, I find nothing wrong with dark skin. I enjoyed our vacation. I love the beach, the sun, the sand, surfing and swimming. We come from a country where being "white" isn't really the norm. So I wish people will stop telling me I got dark in a negative manner. What's important is I am happily doing what I love with the people I love.
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