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| Hypnotizing gaze |
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| Anna's first overseas trip with her B! |
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| Upon arrival at Ngurah Rai Airport |
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| Waiting for our bikes |
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| Finally met the darling, Nerica |
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| With the splendid Wisurya crew members |
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| Lunch stop |
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| With Cindy and Ketut |
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| With Yusron, Kadek and Sin Tai Lim |
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| With Kit and See Wan from Macau |
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| With the MAN himself, Kano! |
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| With Andrew |
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| With Iwan, Pang Wen, Hui Min, Siew Yung, Tuacee, Jenny, Anne and Mr Leong |
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| Getting ready for sunset ride; with June |
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| Getting ready for sunset ride; with Loh, Fee Jin and Edmund |
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| Getting ready for sunset ride; with Faiz |
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| Getting ready for sunset ride; with Mindy, David, Jenny, Kano and Tuacee |
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| Rolling out |
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| On the streets |
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| Narrow roads |
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| Even though traffic was heavy, vehicles respectfully gave a wide distance |
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| Tolerant motorists stopped to give way, some even giving cheers |
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| At Kuta beach |
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| Welcoming dinner |
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| Dinner party |
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| Dinner party |
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| Everyone wanted to take photos with Ms Bali !!! |
Exiting customs, Anna, VT and
Claudine were overwhelmed by the number of persons holding placards at the
arrival hall. Names of persons, hotels and even phone numbers were held by
bored looking drivers who must have been standing in wait for a long time!
Scanning the
placards with amusement, Claudine passed them without a thought until VT
pointed out the unmistakable bright blue “We Love Bali BWT” signage!
But....isn’t their pick up supposed to be at 12.30 pm? After a brief
introduction which included tagging the baggage and taking photos to claim
ownership; everyone were bundled into a roomy Toyota Kijang and whisked off to
Lippo Mall to sit out the time.
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| Personal invitation |
It seems, Wisurya the event
management company had thought of everything, extending an arm and a leg to
guarantee a smooth delivery. Beginning with a personal, one to one invitation,
it ensured everyone sailed through custom and immigration without any problem.
No doubt, Claudine’s team received some curious interests from custom officers
but the handy invite smoothed everything out quickly. Apparently, the officers
are constantly in the radar for “smuggled’ bicycles brought into the country
for sale, avoiding expensive duties and hurting local economies!
Their earlier than expected pick up
was a bonus, especially for Nerica! Arriving at Ngurah Rai airport close to
midnight, our young friend had wisely stayed the night inside, mimicking Tom
Hanks in the movie, The Terminal! As for Anna, Vt and Claudine who had set off
from home as early as 3 am, not having to haul their bike boxes around the
airport was God sent. Freed from their burden, they were able to roam the
streets around Lippo Mall, found a sumptuous lunch of nasi pecel and bebek
before returning to the cooler sanctuary of Lippo Mall. Boy, Bali was hot and
the air conditioning in the mall was struggling to keep things cool.
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| This photo sparked the fire of interest in everyone |
The Bali chatroom began to spice up
past 1 pm. The official meet and greet commenced successfully when a busload of
Brommies were whisked off to GWK (Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park). When
Claudine shared her group’s location with the chatroom, Richard responded;
affirming his team’s location at Lippo Mall as well!
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| We were such a contagious group, Starbuck's Baristas even came out to serve us free coffee ! |
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| Finally, Tommy joined us after returning from the bank! |
Arranging to meet up, the
“Lippopotamuses” hit it off instantaneously! Bound by common grounds….as Nerica
and Tommy shared common friends with Claudine, what actually brought them
together was fondly described by Tony as a gathering of strays!!!
Soon, their pick up arrived and
their actual initiation of Bali began! Snaking its way around the back streets
of Lippo mall, their 30 seater bus had a tough time turning on the narrow
street. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief when it successfully made a tight
corner. Once on the main road, traffic was a snarl and the bus could only
manage an average speed of not more than 30 kph; in total compliance with
school zones despite being in the city!
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| Peanut and a smaller version of Lord Vishnu at GWK |
After See Wan and Kit, both from
Macau were picked up from their hotel, they headed for GWK….and headed for
GWK…..and continued heading for GWK!!! They saw the giant monolith from
afar…..on their right, and then in front of them….and even on their left as
well!!! It felt as if they were given an extended tour of Bali with a
complimentary tour of Udayana University thrown in as well!
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| Kit helping to change the tube with Dwi and the rest looking on |
Arriving at GWK, the earlier group
played host to the latter group. Warm greetings were exchanged. Bikes were set
up for a sunset ride to the beach. Oops! Did someone forget to release air
pressure from her tyres??? The whole valve had popped out during flight!!!!
After the event was officially
launched over tea, followed by a short tour of the park, the ride began…
Interestingly, we started with a 1
km downhill cruise, all the way to the park’s entrance. Thereafter, we said
goodbye to Lord Vishnu, leaving him to tower over the land as he sat on top of
Garuda; a gigantic monolith that stood as tall as 120 m high! Placed on top of
a hill with an altitude of 263 m, the Hindu God casts a watchful eye at us as
we made our way to Kuta.
Leaving the park which was officially opened by President
Widodo as recent as September 2018, we weaved our way through Udayana
University’s campus grounds. Not long after, we were
subjected to a short climb, passing a small cattle farm as all the heaving
began ! Amusingly, we could smell the cow dungs long before we arrived and long
after we left! Despairingly, we were taking in the methane gas in long gasps
when the going was at its toughest!
Right after the pinnacle, a
wide sweeping view of the colonies below, set against a deep blue canvas of sky
and sea took our breath away. But the cherry on the cake was the 4 km downhill
trend, all the way to Jimbaran.
Thereafter, we were
given first hand experience on rush hour traffic in Bali. It was NOT good!
The roads were NOT good as
well! They were narrow and dotted with potholes.
All the rattling caused 2
water bottles to jump off their cage! One was deftly picked up by Nerica who
managed to return it to its rightful owner after a high speed chase!!!
Circling the perimeters of
the airport, traffic was at its peak. However, we were not the least bit
disturbed. Surrounded by a cocoon of traffic police, marshals and local riders
we felt safe.
Our pace slowed to a crawl
when we hit the beach. There was the sea ahead but the sea of people was
equally transfixing. Various degrees of uncovered skin… various shades of
brown…various standards of leather!!!
Despite all that “glares”,
with the evening sun included, a soothing sight of traditional attires
comprising lacy kebayas and batik sarongs in a private prayer ceremony brought
out the shutter bug in us. Such was the beauty of Balinese people. They
continue to hold on to their traditions and cultures despite outside
influences.
Coincidentally, tonight is malam purnama, meaning full moon and devotees of moon God Chandra had taken to the streets to offer prayers. Likewise at Pura Dalem Pesanggraham, the devouts were out in the temple gardens in preparation of religious ceremonies.
Following the waterfront, we inched our way to
the pitstop passing bars, hotel gardens and even Discovery Mall. Once
stationary, we were immediately handed
wet towels, water and packed food just as the banana fritters and biscuits
consumed at tea earlier successfully made its way to our smaller intestines!!!
Munching on the traditional sweets, we began to wonder if the organizers have a
hidden purpose to fatten us up?
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| Agus handing out wet towels |
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| Food always bring out the smiles in people |
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| One bite on the chili padi and another bite on the kueh |
As our shadows grew longer
and the sun tipped closer to the horizon, we made our way to our waiting bus.
Traffic on Jalan Pantai Kuta was total chaos but some of us still managed to
juggle cameras and selfie sticks! Lights faded quickly but just as quickly, we
arrived at the parking bay near the Giant supermarket.
Touching down, we quickly
repacked our bikes and loaded them into the covered box cars. Then, after a
full head count, we began our long bus journey to Sthala Ubud, our stay for the
next 2 nights. The journey could have taken longer but thanks to the police
outrider who parted the traffic like Moses would part the red sea, we got to
our hotel just on time for dinner…or rather just before the food turned cold!
Our welcoming dinner was an
outdoor event, held in the gardens, by the riverside. Beautifully lit by fairy
lights, we enjoyed an excellent buffet spread but it was our excellent hosts
that sealed the night. Calling on VVIP’s to grace the dinner party, we were
charmed by super lanky Ms Bali and her runner up. It was also an honour to have Mr Dedi Ahmad Kurnia, Deputy Minister from the Ministry of Tourism join us as well. Aptly put by
Kano, he’s the man who made the whole event possible.
That night, a simple traditional
folk dance discerned the soul of Bali to us. It is one of gentleness, grace and
spirituality. The only aggression is probably summed from the mesmerizing eye
contacts of the dancers. Drawn to their hypnotizing stares, they seemed to pull
and tug at our soul, winning us over with promises to return to the Island of Gods, again and again.
After a charged night of singing,
dancing and laughter, we returned to our rooms only to be pleasantly surprised
by what stood in waiting. A personal welcoming message from the resort manager
of Sthala Ubud and our much anticipated event t-shirt was strategically placed
on the bed for us. Topping it all was the large basket of fruits placed on the
table, a thoughtful gesture to tired travelers.
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| Enough said about Balinese hospitality! |
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| Enough said about Balinese hospitality! |
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| Enough said about Balinese hospitality! |
Official Sponsors to We Love Bali, Brompton World Traveller :
1. Bali, The Island of Gods
2. Badung, The Soul of Bali
3. Karangasem, The Spirit of Bali
4. GWK Cultural Park, Alam Sutera
5. Sthala Ubud Bali, Tribute Portfolio
6. Kaori Sandoz, Love Trust and Care
7. Wisurya, Event Management
8. BOB, Brompton/Owners Bali
9. Bali Tourism Board
10. Rodalink
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