Terus langkah pergi part 2....sebab percutian ni paling diingati & berlaku secara spontan...juga dipenuhi dgn berbagai-bagai surprise yang tak diduga....baru 4 bulan balik dari Bali Adventure 1...tiba-tiba, kawan baik call & beritahu cadangan spontannya...mula tu berbelah bagi jugak la...baru je joli gaji untuk 1st vacation...bila kenangkan kawan baik dah terlepas peluang pertama, gagah jugak nak bawak dia...dengan beraninya gamble pergi berdua...konon2 macam Frodo & Samwise la...buat journey Fellowship of the Ring...hee...

Berbekalkan budget paling minima...2juta rupiah seorang.., kami memulakan percutian pakej honeymoon...nak tahu kenapa dinamakan pakej honeymoon....??teruskan membaca..


Beberapa hari sebelum berlepas, aku demam ...mungkin sebab over excited dapat pergi lagi agaknya...macam-macam lah aku usahakan nak bagi hilang demam...minum air kelapa, air badak, air kurma cina sampailah ke tepek cool fever kat dahi ...tapi masih x kebah...petang 26 Julai 2008, aku bergerak ke rumah wir...sbb rumah wir dekat sangat dengan LCCT, takut terlambat nak check in esok..kami ni sama je ..apa-apa, semua suka buat last minute...malamnya dengan demam-demam tu, barulah kami terhegeh-hegeh nak beli stok makanan & tukar duit..malam tu aku minum berbotol-botol lagi air badak.

Day 1 - 27 Julai 2008

Marvellous..!!aku dah tak demam...7.30 kami dah bergerak ke LCCT..pukul 8.30 check in bagasi, pas tu gi breakfast kat cafeteria..27 Julai 2008, jam 10.55 pagi kami berlepas dari LCCT dengan penerbangan AK900..Wir staff , jadi merasalah aku xpress boarding, rasa macam VIP sekejap...Wir nampak cool je..cam tak excited langsung walaupun ni pertama kali dia ke sana..aku pulak dah mula bosan dengan penerbangan selama 2 ½ jam tu...nasib aku duduk tepi tingkap, kalau tak mesti aku bosan gile...

Ada 1 tabiat yang wajib, setiapkali terbang ke sana, mesti kena layan lagu "Akhir Rasa Ini"-Samson,"Fly Away"-Aerosmith & "Beautiful Day"-U2 atas flight...baru feel nak bercuti tu lebih sikit...tak tahu lah orang lain...tapi ni lah tabiat aku yang sukar dikikis...siap nyanyi lagi...perghhh...bila dah 20,000 kaki kat udara...hmmm....x dapat nak digambarkan kicknya lagu-lagu tu... kami sampai di airport Ngurah Rai, Denpansar seperti yang dijadualkan..aku mula menunjukan bakat aku sebagai jurupandu arah...maklumlah 2nd time untuk aku..

Oleh kerana pemergian kali ini bersifat gamble, terpaksalah kami bersidai kat tourist booth berjam-jam untuk mencari tempat penginapan yang bersesuaian dengan citarasa & budget kami...belek punya belek broucher, last2 short listed kan 2 tempat...Wir berkenan dengan 1 tempat tu..., tapi tengok gambar biliknya kat broucher, aku rasa seram semacam bila tengok ukiran2 dewa memenuhi siling bilik..aku berkeras dengan pilihan aku, Taman Ayu Legian yang terletak dekat Kuta town..Senang nak jalan-jalan ke town malam-malam...Wir mengalah dengan pilihan aku...hee...diktator betul aku...Kami turut menempah khidmat pengaangkutan & tourist guide untuk 2 hari berikutnya...

Jam 4 lebih kami tiba di tempat penginapan yang terletak di sebalik rumah-rumah kedai di tengah-tengah bandar Kuta..lepas menghabiskan welcome drink , kami dengan excitednya menuju ke bilik kami...Oppsss....Wir mesti rasa nak cekik-cekik aku masa tu jugak...guess what....Macamana aku boleh tak perasan yang bilik standard memang toiletnya hanya bertiraikan langsir betul-betul bersebelahan dengan katil kami...!!!Aku tengok muka Wir dah lain masa tu...alamaksss.....tapi nak buat camana...dah ter...Wir siap buat lawak lagi...’Along, camni jap lagi bila aku nak toot..kau kena duk kat luar la..., kalau tak terpaksa la kau tutup hidung..’



Lepas susun barang2, mandi di sebalik tirai dan makan sikit, kami keluar berjalan-jalan ke kawasan berhampiran hotel kami...seperti biasa, peniaga- peniaga barangan seni & kraf ramah menyapa kami..seperti kata mereka..’kita kan serumpun...’harga yang ditawarkan kepada kami juga jauh lebih rendah berbanding dengan pelancong dari Eropah, Australia & Jepun..tambah-tambah lagi jika berbual & membuat penawaran dalam dialek bahasa Indonesia...Aku siap buat jadual berkala tukaran rupiah ke ringgit lagi untuk memudahkan penilaian harga barang-barang..


Beberapa kali langkah kami terhalang dengan lintasan anjing-anjing yang bebas berkeliaran di lorong & jalan-jalan sekitar..Wir maintain je cool expression dia tu walaupun beberapa kali anjing melintas sipi-sipi kat tepi dia...pelik betul aku dengan makcik sorang ni.. ingat dia tu halimunan ke apa...sekitar jam 8.30 malam, kami kembali semula ke lokasi penginapan kerana esok kami akan di bawa untuk tour ke beberapa lokasi pilihan kami..lagipun perut dah berkeroncong, nak makan sebarangan x berani...malam tu bubur segera , roti & youghurt bar menjadi hidangan kami..Yang susahnya, tiada electric cattle disediakan, pesanan air panas terpaksa dibuat melalui room service dan air paipnya sedikit payau...


Lepas rehat , masing-masing mandi...lapar punya pasal, x sempat nak mandi dulu tadi...sambil mandi aku sempat bergurau dengan Wir...’Wir, nasib baik aku pergi dengan kau, kalau orang lain ni, sah-sah gambar aku mandi kena masuk Youtube..., Wir , jangan skodeng aku tau....’ Wir gelak besar jee..sempat dia smash aku..’hmm...siapa punya pilihan nak stay kat sini...hee..’


Day 2 - 28 Julai 2008

Jam 5.30 aku dah terjaga, badan dah tune dengan waktu biasa aku bagun pergi office...Dari sliding door, dapat tengok hari dah cerah macam 7.30 pagi... Fuh...nasib baik...aku ingat kena Subuh gajah...Cepat betul matahari naik kat sini..Aku dan Wir bersiap-siap untuk memulakan aktiviti hari ini. Seperti yang dijadualkan , kami ada temujanji dengan Bapak tour guide kami ‘Pak Herman’ jam 9.00 pagi..Pukul 8, breakfast kami di hantar ke bilik..2 set , 2 keping roti bersama butter & jam strawberry, juga sepinggan buah-buahan , beserta teh , gula & krimer..


Tengah bersantai-santai minum depan bilik, kami dikejutkan dengan kehadiran pekerja front desk, katanya Pak Herman, tour guide kami sedang menunggu dikawasan luar berhampiran jalan besar..Kelam-kabutlah aku ngan wir packing barang nak gi tour, paling penting mestilah kamera dan bateri spare...Tiba diluar, seorang lelaki berusia sekitar 40an memperkenalkan dirinya sebagai Pak Herman menjemput kami ke kenderaannya ..kami pun dengan pantas menaiki van yang dipandu Pak Herman..


Berdasarkan lokasi pilihan kami semalam,Pak Herman telah menyusun jadual perjalanan yang dikiranya sesuai bagi setiap lokasi..Lokasi pertama kami adalah Kebun Raya Eka Karya..Sepanjang perjalanan ke sana Pak Herman ramah berbual...Menurutnya dia menawarkan diri untuk menjadi tour guide kami setelah mengetahui ada tempahan bagi khidmat pemandu pelancong dari pelancong Malaysia dari agennya, walaupun sebenarnya mengikut giliran, dia telah ditempah oleh pelancong dari Eropah..Katanya dia rasa lebih dekat seperti kawan atau keluarga dengan pelancong dari negara serumpun lantaran budaya yang tidak jauh bezanya..Bahasa juga tidak menjadi masalah, malah banyak yang boleh dibualkan berbanding dengan pelancong dari negara asing yang katanya komunikasi hanya terhad antara sebagai pemandu pelancong dengan pelancong...



Hampir 2 jam setengah perjalanan, kami tiba ke lokasi yang pertama






Bali Adventure 1

Meet Monty, my pet monkey, we're like twins...

Day 1 -16 March 2008

I
nearly missed my flight to Denpansar, didn’t bother to check the time that I was supposed to be in the departure gate…wheeew….3 hours flight was boring enough 4 me…I’d die of boredom if its 4 Spain …;p




Arrrive at Ngurah Rai Airport as schedule.. Was taken to the hotel ( Wina Holiday Villa ) by arranged pick- up service & to my surprise, the hotel Mgr. was so kind that he upgraded my room from Deluxe to Jr.Exec Suite…!!!Boy, am I lucky…- dragon born year person…;)




I try to boil some water from the tap for some coffee but really…,urrr…it taste slightly salty… took a shower & head down to Kuta street, the weather was soooooo hot that I wished they had a sprinkler along the road…I find that taking photos around Kuta ( 500m radius ) around my hotel proven to be challenging . A few shots & perfect angle was distracted by passers-by ( mostly surfers riding on a motorbike ) with surf board tied to their bike + dogs( pets) wandering around the area..



A bottle of mineral water cost only 0.35 cent at their convenient shop –K Mart. I was too bz checking around the area then realized that I’m lost….man…almost 2 km away from my hotel…had 2 walked back & end up sweating like hell…(but still smells Sweeet peaches ;)Hey, I’m impressed on how the hotel staff can converse in various languages like French & Japanese..even the ‘Mat Salleh’ can say ‘Selamat sore bapak ‘ to the hotel staff as they return from an evening walk…

After dinner, I head back to Kuta Beach which is right in front of my hotel ( about 2 minutes walk ) wearing my pyjama & sweat shirt ( sleep walking gear )-for a walk by the beach …yeah..too late to catch a sunset view,but stil the best way to enjoy a peaceful moment …moonlight , stars & waves crushing down the shore…. By 23.00 pm, I’m already too exhausted , the only thing I wanna do is hit the bed & ZZZzzzzz…….

Day 2 - 17 March 2008

Awake by a wake up call at 6.30 am ..By 8.00 , I’m already at the coffee house enjoying my Bali style Nasi Lemak –less coconut milk with salt free dried anchovy…Nyumnyumm… with a soothing Bali Gamelan music in the background…The island trip is schedule at 8.30,but I was informed that my group have re-schedule our trip to 11.00 am..Urggghhh..a waste of my quality zzzz time…I then went back to my room for a snooze .

At 11.00am , gathered with the rest of the group members at the lobby.1 of the guy already arranged a rental car +tour service which cost only Rph 250,000/car( 4x wheels ), about RM 87.00..cheap eyhh..its equal to the hotel tour service charge per person..!!!Our driver is a young guy in his early 20’s.It took us ½ hour to find a patrol station , not tht there’s only a few,but most of them were closed cause they hv run out of patrol stock…we were told ( by our driver ) that they have x been able to get the supply from mainland 4 a few days due to the sea condition.


Finally we arrived at this small patrol station with only 2 pumps ,not to tell the long ques….1 line 4 motorcycle & 1 for cars & trucks… Oh yupp..The roads in Bali, x for the faint-hearted driver…why? cause the drivers here ignored traffic rules( both locals & foreigners ) One can still handle roads in Kuta but, other than that, it takes a Karamjit Singh skills … heeeheee… -narrow roads, slope, 90 deg. corner .the locals here really make a full use of their lands even an empty lots between buildings is being planted with paddy..paddy terrace along the road.I fell in love with most of the wooden carves furniture that I saw along the roads..and every 500m you can see this sign “Babi Guling”, it’s the famous local dish in Bali..

After a 20 minutes ride, we arrived at our 1st location,the famous temple of Tanah Lot. Entrance, Rph 10,000 per person ( about RM 3.50 ). 30 minutes to spend ..take a few shots here, buy a cute black baby tee for myself with Bali written in gold & small patch of Bali’s batik +gold carving design , Rph 55,000 ( about RM 17.20 ), some necklaces ( souvenir for my workmates ) .



We then make a move for our 2nd destination, Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural park.. The park was build with a private fund, therefore it has x been fully complete since 1995 due to financial problems. All the statue was built, hand carves phase by phase ( some from as far as Bandung )b4 being assembled . The final state would be Dewa Vishnu riding on a Garuda.. for now the only thing presence here : Dewa Vishnu himself,waist above, without both of his arm, The Garuda’s head and Dewa Vishnu’s right hand –arm length.. Cultural dance show is being performed here from time to time but since the dance will begin quite late, we decided skip the dance show and go for a lunch…We rely on Padang food for a halal food source..our driver took us to one of the restaurant ,guess what?? A rice , 3 choice of dishes + a glass of lemon ice tea only cost Rph 7,100, about RM 2.40 !!!

We were lucky to arrive in Bali a week after the celebration of ’ Hari Nyepi’( 7 th March )cause during Hari Nyepi no one is allowed to be on the street-infact one will have to inform & ask permission from the Police station to go out on that day..after 19.00pm, lights have to be turn off completely( except for hotel area ), they belief evil spirit were out to posses human. On this day, which is celebrate by the (Hindus in Bali only )they will do ‘soul cleansing activity like fasting & meditation.


There are some colourful statue of demons ( in Hindus legend )can be seen along the road, it was told that they are supposed to burn it after the celebration ends, that will kills the evil spirit that are trapped in it. But they left some as tourist attraction.


And they are in the middle of election campaign (for Bali province ),i can see all the flags & banners with PDI as a dominant party in Bali –with red bulls head symbol. There’s also a Carrefour in Bali..! and it’s a Durian’s season!!, was told that durian from Bedugul district is the best ,cause its an orchard on a hill ,a bit cold with haze…but we didn’t try it though…



Then ,after a 30 minutes ride , we arrived at this temple in the district of Badung, Pura Luhur Uluwatu is the name ( if I’m x mistaken -a Monkeys temple on a hill top by the sea…)We were told to take a good care of our belongings especially camera, as the strap will attract monkeys…( ohoooh..sounds like ‘my precious ‘is in jeopardy..my precious, precious camera ) Entrance Is Rph 3,000 per person ( about RM 1.00 )Visitors will be provided with a plain purple sarong if their clothing is anything knee length or less –they will have to ware the sarong b4 they can enter the temple area. And visitor will also be provided with an orange long piece of cloth which one will have to tie around their waist b4 entering the temple.. I think that is to give the illusion that we are regular there( to the monkeys ), so they won’t bother us.. or perhaps the orange colour itself state “WARNING!!”


Indeed, there’s lotssss of them..(monkeys )It’s a thrilling moments going up the stairs to the temple…like 60 steps, with monkeys everywhere, on the trees, hiding behind bushes ,or chasing one another..but somehow I still managed to act cool…I have to be xtra careful when taking photos here…can sometimes hear screaming from the background when the monkeys tries to be ‘friendly’ with the visitor.



This is where the view of Indian Ocean was shot from the cliff, lucky enough that we’re the 1 st group to arrive on the spot..so we don’t really have to ‘struggle ‘ waiting for the right time to click the camera..soon after that , groups of tourist already crowded the area… Then we split, some of my group members decided to stay for a Kecak dance performance, while others including me choose to take a walk at Kuta town..



Our driver dropped us at Hard Rock Mega store for some shopping..didn’t find anything that I fancy, except a thick soft cotton bathrobe but I ‘d be selfish if I decided to have it cause I’ve already bought a few things for myself…so i opt to the local shops for some souvenir with some bargins ,managed to get something for my family & friends.. & a take away dinner from McD. Fewwyhh ..By the times that I’m done, it’s already 22.15pm ,take a cab back to the hotel .After shower , I effortlessly ZZzzzzzzzz…

Day3 - 18 March 2008….



Don’t wanna wake up at all…Wake up means back to reality,leaving Bali, going home & …back to office…NOOO!!! At 11.55am, was send to the airport ,,,On the plane as I look outside the window…,I know somehow I’ll return…cause I haven’t finish touring the whole Island