Today was a perfect day and deserves to be documented in full. Have you ever just had one of those days where everything is wonderful, from your coffee in the morning to your encounters with people throughout the day and even your after dinner beverage is just right? Today was that day for me and I'm going to take you on a mystical journey throughout the hilarity and wonderfulness that it was.
I awoke around 8:15, hot and sweaty as per usual in our wonderful, one fan oasis guesthouse (Yulia 1 in Sanur). I snuck onto the already steamy patio to answer messages from potential challengers, check in with my coaches and get some "me time" before the other two hooligans were up. Brandon joined me shortly after and we were able to FaceTime his sisters, which is always nice.
We were served our complimentary fresh fruit and coffee on the patio and had a nice chit chat planning out our day while the fountains trickled water into the infinity pool, exotic birds sang out to each other and a small family of ants made their home in my discarded Pocari Sweat can from the night before.
I was able to crush an awesomely sweaty workout (T25) after breakfast and Justine joined me. I'm definitely enjoying having a female workout partner while on vacay. The accountability is so important and really makes it easier to stay fit. Brandon and I went to check out the Ganesh book store, bought waters and had a nice chat on the way home.
Feeling hot and accomplished, the 3 of us took our books to the pool and had a beautiful time soaking up rays and splashing around. There are wire cages of tropical birds everywhere at this home stay (and they're early risers...). They sing a variety of songs and fluff their chest feathers when you coo at them. The two marble muses pour water from their stone pots while you swim lazily in the bathtub like infinity pool. The overhead shrubbery and palms with not yet ripe coconuts and papayas sway while the hot sun beats down and kisses your skin, sometimes aggressively. What I'm trying to say here, is that this is paradise.
Around 1pm, we headed out to find a seafood fiesta at the beachside Warung Amphibia (Warung means café) that some Australian friends had suggested the day before. Hot, dripping sweat (we've been referring to is at percolating to sound less gross) and eager to eat, we followed directions by google maps (mistake) and then ended up relying on Brandon's hawk like intuition to find our lunch time spot.
Upon finding it, we were swarmed by friendly (although desperate) Balinese women urging us to visit their shops. We actually joked about this later in the day when we found a cocktail at the Little Bird Warung called "looking in my shop". It's better to laugh about it than to dwell on the desperation of poverty.
Our lunch was epic. Beachside table with a cool breeze lightly tickling our necks. We ordered the $20 "seafood platter", and were treated like royalty.
As we waited for our food to be grilled, we checked out the turtle conservation hut beside us. The little baby sea turtles appeared to be flying through the water of the dank, open air tank, while a larger, much older male swam lazily in another.
After lunch, Brandon went back to have a poolside Bintang and Justine and I set off for the Ayu Spa, which was also recommended to us by our Aussie friends. Luckily, we were able to get in for an appointment and we giggled as we climbed up on our side by side spa beds, ready for some relaxing.
The facial was interesting. Relaxing at times, but frightening at others. She scrubbed, massaged, plucked, tweezed, rubbed and finally slathered on a mask. As it was setting, she moved down to my feet and boy oh boy was I in for a treat. I received a 30 minute Balinese full leg massage, and was just in heaven. She started at my toes and worked her way up, expertly with oil. I was elated.
Justine was having her lady parts waxed beside me and when we asked what "vagina" was in Balinese, the women looked at each other and then replied, "pépé", which elicited hoots of laughter from everyone involved. The manager then added, "pépé gudang" and explained that it meant "big vagina" and the room erupted with laughter once again. It's funny, what a simple word can do to bring people together. Ahh, solidarity.
Our spa experience over, we paid the ladies and went on our merry way, avoiding the stalker shop women like the plague. "Marie! Marie! You look in my shop!"
Enjoying our girlie date, we decided to do a little gift purchasing and stopped in a few shops on the stretch of road near our home stay. Of course our final destination before home was the CircleK for waters, chocolate cashews and an ATM withdrawal.
Brandon was sleeping when we got back and we were pleasantly surprised to find the beds made up and place tidied. We giggled some more about our spa chat, had cold showers, put on a clean shirt and chugged a cider.
This next part of the day is less appropriate, but highly hilarious in my mind. Post chugging ciders, we set off for the Little Bird Warung, our absolute favourite spot for eats and drinkie poos.
We were greeted with smiles and cheers and happily took a seat at our favourite table by the wall. We ordered supper and non-alcoholic drinks first (you would too if you knew the deliciousness of these fruit smoothies). And then the fun began. Intoxicated by the potential of a very fun evening (and coming off of our happy day buzz), we laughed, ate, drank and started less than appropriate conversation with our new Balinese friends.
We told them about how we had learned a new word at the spa that day, "pépé gudang" and it was all downhill (or uphill) from there. They taught us a variety of inappropriate slang terms and we spent the evening guffawing at one another over jokes about big and small genitalia. It was mostly childish, but we had so much fun we didn't care.
Around 8:30, when the guitarists got up to do their acoustic set, the Arak came out to play. Arak is essentially fermented palm sugar that tastes slightly less intense than tequila (not by much). We did shots (how many, I really can't say) with our new friends, who were having equally as good a time as we were. It was all very fun, laid back and enjoyable.
The music was excellent. Really well done covers of Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith and others and the drinks were a flowin'. Brandon made a new friend and as they discussed motorcycles and how to make your own luck, Justin Bieber and I (newly named Merry Christmas) ventured off to the CircleK to get a breath of air, a water and to escape the never ending shots of Arak. We sang and danced our way around in the air conditioning and the girls working thought we were nuts, but were thoroughly entertained (as proven by their beaming smiles and laughs the next morning when we stopped over for some much needed Pocari Sweats).
Back at the Little Bird, we were high on life. I sang a couple songs with the band (classic Marie) which was quite fun. We slapped the tables to the beat, inhaled the good music, drinks and company, and constantly cracked jokes with our newfound vernacular and friends.
Overall, this was my favourite day of the whole trip and I'm so happy to have been able to snap a photo of our little family at the Little Bird Warung. Sanur is certainly a special place and I would come back to our friendly area in a heartbeat.
The next morning, only slightly hungover, I spent time swimming and reading by the pool. Hoping to soak as much Vitamin D up as possible before the A/C and dryness of the Denpasar airport, I was conscientious about just being present and enjoying myself.
Juicebomb and I had a cider around 10:30 and couldn't quite decide if it was alcoholistic of us or acceptable because, well, vacation. Poor Brandon wasn't doing as hot as us and went to soak up some more zzz's before it was time to check out.
Feeling tanned, happy and alive, we packed up our gear, checked out and went to have one last meal at the Little Bird.
It was like a reverse walk of shame, and we were greeted with smiles and instant jokes about the night prior.
Cap Cay with vegetables and a beautiful omelette made my tummy very happy. We cabbed to the airport for 100k Rp. (After being fought over by two different "taksis" in the street).
We ate kettle cooked chips,
rehydrated and prepared ourselves for our next adventure to Lombok, Indonesia, where we plan on surfing, eating and spending time on the beaches of Gili Air and Flores and visiting Komodo dragons in their natural habitat. It should be another fantastic addition to our adventure and I can't wait to see what awaits us there.
Until next time,
Xo Marie