Bliss in Bali: Day 4 and 5

Before this solo trip to Bali I never really understood why people choose to travel alone. I just thought it would be tragic to be in such a beautiful place and not be able to share that with someone. But there is so much to gain from traveling solo.

Bali is truly a romantic destination for couples. There are couples everywhere! They're strolling hand in hand down the streets. They're sipping lattes and laughing in a cafe together. They're nestled in a corner having a candlelit dinner. I'm not jaded rather I think love is wonderful when its with the right person. A year ago this sight would have made me really sick but I am actually quite surprised that I feel content on being alone in Bali.

Traveling forces you to be more outgoing. I made a friend while having breakfast by the pool. Her name is Lisa and she was backpacking Bali on her own from Taiwan. We chatted a bit and she mentioned she was going to Lovina!

I asked if we could share a driver and a hotel room in Lovina which was three hours away from Ubud since I was going there anyway. She was fine with it and off we went to Lovina.

Our driver, Nyoman, was really nice. He only charged 300,000 Rupas ($30 usd) to take us from Ubud to Lovina. If I would have done it over again though I would advise backpackers to just take the perwista bus. Its only 70,000 rupas($7 usd)and it takes just about the same amount of time. We passed through the countryside and up the windy roads through the central mountains. It was still cloudy and rainy so there really wasn't much to see on the way there. We stopped at a great restaurant on the mountain called Ngiring Ngewedang. It serves great tasting Balinese food at a travelers fare. We did get to see the famous temple on the lake, Pura Ulun Danu and the Hot springs, Air Panas Banjar.





When we arrived in Lovina we checked and then walked around. Lovina is a beach town that people come to just chill out at. It's got black sand beaches and great little eateries along the beach. Mostly it was just a place to walk and relax. We had dinner at a restaurant that the Lonely Planet Bali Guide suggested called Waru Bali by the beach. I had Nasi Goreng (fried rice) and veggie spring rolls. Excellent service and prices were cheap.

The highlight of this trip was going out at 6 am the next morning in search for dolphins! I'll have to post pictures when I get home from my trip because the sunrise was spectacular. We saw tons of dolphins everywhere!
I just kept thinking how lucky I am to be here in Bali to experience this. Being out here is pure bliss. Next adventure is diving the shipwreck in Tulamben and the Gili Islands in Lombok! Oh, I'm so excited!

Sunrise Catchers & Dolphins

There are great rewards in being an early morning riser. One of them is catching a sunrise on Saipan. Funny how you'd think catching a sunrise is relaxing but sometimes racing down Middle Road at 5:30 am to make it in time is stressful! Sunrise usually is around 6 am. My favorite place to catch sunrise so far is Bonzai Cliff in the Northern part of the island. Its about a 15 minute drive from where I live.

It's true that no two sunrises are ever the same. Some of them are electrifying and some just peak through the clouds. Its rainy season and the clouds are out. If you're patient and willing to wait sometimes in the rain to see when the morning sun breaks through the clouds . . . it is a spectacular site. I don't know how anyone can live on this island and not experience a sunrise atleast once a week. If I could, I'd watch it everyday but I'm usually swimming or running that early.

Monday morning Greg and I spotted a pod of atleast 20 Spinner Dolphins making their way across bonzai and towards Bird Island!! How lucky were we. They looked really small but really playful. We were so excited since this was the first time we ever saw dolphins in Saipan! Sorry no pics of the dolphins. They were hard to capture since they blended in with the waves. We also saw two turtles below us just riding the waves.

There is this other spot near bonzai where the fishermen sit above the cliffs and fish. I really love this spot because it gives you a clear view of the sunrise, bonzai cliff, and suicide cliff. You also can dangle your feet while sitting on the cliff ledge which is about 100 ft from the waves crashing below. Such a sweet site.