Shelli and Papa Jimbo receive a gold star this week haven given me the best 25th birthday present I could have asked for, the chance to indulge in Bali’s resort scene. And oh how we’ve indulged! Steph and I have been gallivanting across this beautiful island on a moped, hopping from one beach town to the next and enjoying what I’ve come to refer to as our Balinese Honeymoon. I’ve perfected my skills as a passenger and Sherpa (as holder of our bags) leaving Stephanie free to drive like the wind.
We arrived in Kuta around 11:00 PM and it felt very, ‘bright lights, big city.‘ An enormous McDonalds sign read, “Welcome Home“ and I quickly realized that we were in the tourist capital of all of Indonesia. We hunted down backpacker accommodations (saving our indulgence for later in the week) and grabbed a quick bite before checking email and getting to bed. The next day we rented lounge chairs on Kuta’s main beach and enjoyed a lovely day of sun and surf. We ate at a beach-side stall for lunch and had the best Gado-Gado (boiled vegetables, tempe, and sticky rice in a peanut sauce) that we’ve had to date. The vendor prepared the peanut sauce right in front of us with a mortar and pestle and apparently, brown sugar, chilies, water, and peanuts= perfection.
That night we attempted to go out but fatigue from the sun made for a sad state of affairs. We were in bed by 9:45. Steph and I are worried that we might not be any fun anymore so we’ve vowed to party it up and maybe even go clubbing when we return to Kuta at the end of the week.
On to our honeymoon! Steph skillfully navigated our way out of Kuta and onto the main road that would bring us across the mountainous innards of Bali. The roads twisted and turned up into the hills as it got increasingly misty. We saw chubby roadside monkeys and enjoyed the greenery and Hindu temples along the way. We stopped to take photos at Danau Bayan (a pretty lake covered in mist) and were sold some delicious fresh strawberries. I was so excited to see the fresh fruit that I shoved them into my mouth with barely a rinse. They were bright red and simply scrumptious…and I didn’t get dysentery!
Our first stop was Lovina, a destination known for its black sandy beaches, snorkeling and dolphin spotting. We found a very nice resort with gorgeous landscaping, arbors of flowers over the stone pathways ,and outdoor showers. Our honeymoon suite came with air conditioning and though we slept in twin beds, I still felt like a newlywed!
The next morning we went on a sunrise dolphin watch. It was very romantic but we didn’t see a single dolphin 
Still, the sunrise was worth it and I enjoyed riding in the traditional Balinese boat with the arms that dramatically stretched over the water and gave the scarily narrow boat some balance.
From Lovina we drove to Amed and had a bungalow on the water. We were tormented by roosters but had a nice time. I’ve always had a love for animals but I had some violent thoughts involving BB guns and the demise of some vocal roosters. Riding into Lovina we had a minor incident involving our moped and met a nice man who had pulled over to offer his assistance. He invited us back to the restaurant he owned and we had dinner and we befriended his wife. She offered to cook us a traditional Balinese lunch off-menu the following day. We gleefully returned the next day to quite the spread, my favorite being a decadent black rice pudding. It was warm and sweet and topped with coconut milk. Yummmmm!
That evening we had a couples massage on the beach. Our beds were lying next to one another, so close that we could have held hands. I wasn’t really interested though because I had to focus on not drooling too much in my state of extreme relaxation. I got a bit self-conscious and downright annoyed when another tourist started taking photos of our intimate moment. We were lying, half nude and covered with oil and I didn’t really appreciate the audience. But I couldn’t stay mad long because I was so relaxed.
Now we’ve moved along to Candidasa. We’re at the fanciest hotel yet and we have a stunning infinite pool overlooking the water. I hope our honeymoon continues in our final days of island bliss.
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