Adventures of Living Abroad

During the first week in May I had a long weekend and we decided to go up to Amed! Amed is on the northeastern coast of Bali taking about 3 hours to get there by car. Amed isn't a single town but a group of fishing villages along the coast. It was a beautiful change of scenery from Sanur and even though it was only a 3 hour drive, it felt like I was on a completely different island.  Since I don't have my diving certification (This is one of my new goals for term 1!) I decided to lounge by the hotel all day like it was my job.  Here's my view from the bale I lounged in:  I read my book, ate lunch, took a nap, and even got a massage without ever having to get up from that spot! :) Rough day I know! We stayed at a hotel called the Wawa Wewe II - yes, that's the real name of the place and here's the beautiful view overlooking the ocean. Not a bad spot!  Ted and I also hiked Mount Batur. Since my hip had started to feel better I was itching t...

Back at the beginning of March my friend Suzette came to visit. It's always a great feeling to have a good friend who knows you so well come visit for a few days.  During her visit, we got to experience the Balinese New Year known as Nyepi which stands for "Day of Silence." During this 24 hour period the island basically "shuts down." The airport is closed, stores and restaurants are closed, roads are closed-no driving or walking around, and people are quiet and remain at home where curtains must be drawn shut when using lights. It is seen as a day for self-reflection. The day of Nyepi is preceeded by an evening of an Ogoh Ogoh ceremony. What is an Ogoh Ogoh you ask? An Ogoh Ogoh is a giant puppet like creature typically made out of paper mache or styrafoam. They symbolize the evil spirits surrounding our environment that need to be gotten rid of in our lives. I think over the years it has become more "touristy" and "for profit." This yea...