The Travel Bug 2- Bali

April- saw me in Bali with my good friend Lisa who was visiting from India. A 4D-3N package that included the flights on Garuda Airlines via Jakarta and stay in the Mercure -Kuta Beach Resort. Very close to the Bali bombings that happened in 2002. The recovery is amazing and there are no traces anymore.

The first day was spent in exploring a portion of the island of Bali. Bali is pre-dominantly Hindu, so the minute they know you are a Hindu they are quite curious to know more about how we practice the religion. So the day started with dance recital of an obscure incident from the Mahabharatha. The costumes were fantastic with elaborate head gears, masks and the like. The background music was provided by different types of percussion instruments that included hammers! Couldn’t really follow the story but it was quite entertaining in any case.

Bali is renowned for its handcrafts and they have villages dedicated to a particular craft. So we visited a village that has skilled craftsmen employed in creating handmade silver jewelry. We visited a showroom that sold these pieces of art. I am sure they wished we didn’t. Being Indians who frequent the Linking Roads of India, we halved most of the prices and they agreed reluctantly. Though I think they still made a good profit.

Ubud – is the area that these villages occupy. We went to a wood carving village as well that had these sublime Ram-Sita busts with the most beautiful serene expressions. If only I could afford it. The sculpture is firmly etched in my mind and it’s one of the best expressions of love that I have ever seen.

From here we went to Kintamani that are highlands near the volcanic region of Bali. You can even see the steam rising from the active volcano. In the pic, you can see the glassy lake surrounded by these peakless mountains. Nature does have a way of sweeping you of your feet!

On the return journey we went to Goa Gajah- a cave temple dedicated to the Hindu god-Lord Ganesha. There were also lingas denoting the trinity of Indian gods- Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. Before you enter you are supposed to cover your legs with a sarong provided by the temple and also wash you hands in the tank that is fed by a fresh water spring.

The next few days are a blur since we spent them all on the beach, in the beautiful blue green waters. Kuta is a surfer’s paradise and I was even willing to try it if only I knew how to even float! For lunch one afternoon, we sampled all the local fruits that the hawker had dipping them in fresh red chilly paste. The names were quite interesting too, snake-skin fruit, hog plums!

One place to avoid in Bali- the Hard Rock Cafe. They had an excuse of a band with the lead singers just screeching into the mike. The food sucked, the cocktails had a sprinkling of alcohol and as the night progressed it started turning into a pick-up jointe for lonely tourists!

Bali is THE tropical paradise it claims to be and has co much to offer besides its famed beaches though I just can’t get enough of these very beaches. Maybe another 10 visits for the beaches and an additional 10 visits to explore the rest of Bali. That should suffice for this lifetime!

The Travel Bug 1- Malacca

The past few months have been feeding my travel bug, making it all powerful. After a trip to India where I described my travels to the Konkan, (chronicles that are still in the making), the travel bug has ensured that I visited a new place every month. There is something claustrophobic about Singapore despite all the open spaces, trees and beaches. I get restless to get out of Singapore ever so often. Or it could just be the travel.

So in March, a week after I returned from India, I visited Malacca or Melaka in Malaysia (as it is known in Malay). It was a motley crew from the condo complex that I stay in. My friend and I were the only Indians. The rest were a mix of Singaporeans, Americans, Australians and Chinese. Retirees, hassled housewives, kids and bored young women like us. Malacca is a four-hour drive (245 km) from Singapore and is located on the southwestern coast of Malay Peninsula opposite Sumatra and commands a central position on the Straits of Malacca.
The precise origins of Malacca are disputed. It appears that Malacca was founded by Parameswara, a Srivijayan prince who fled Sumatra in 1377. He found his way to Malacca where he found a good port accessible in all seasons and on the strategically located narrowest point of the Malacca Straits. He established Malacca as major international port by compelling passing ships to call there, and establishing fair and reliable facilities for warehousing and trade. Mass settlement of Chinese, mostly from the imperial and merchant fleet occurred duringthis period.A cultural result of the vibrant trade was the expansion of the Peranakan people, who spread to other major settlements in the region.

In 1511, it became a strategic base for Portuguese expansion in the East Indies.Followed by the Dutch who ruled Malacca from 1641 to 1795 but they were not interested in developing it as a trading centre.Malacca was ceded to the Britishand from 1826 to 1946 and was governed, first by the British East India Company and then as a Crown Colony.

All these influences are visible in the culture of this quaint town. There is even an abandoned church on the hill which housed the remains of Francis Xavier until it was transported to Goa. The architecture reflects a mix of Portuguese and British influences. Th street markets, the town square reminded me so much of Goa, it was like being back home again.

Malacca is well-known for its food. Most notable of all is the Nyonya-Baba cuisine or Peranakan which is a mixture of Chinese and Malay cooking with most dishes being spicy. We were served Sambal Udon which is baby prawns in a spicy chilly gravy accompanied with steamed rice.. There were a couple of chicken and beef dishes along with a dish called Otak-Otak and is made by mixing fish paste (usually mackerel) with a mixture of spices including chillies, garlic, shallots, turmeric, lemon grass and coconut milk. The mixture is then wrapped in a pandan leaf, then or steamed. The meal ended with ice cold chendol. The dessert's basic ingredients consist of shaved ice, coconut milk, starch noodles with green food coloring (usually sourced from the pandan leaf) and palm sugar red beans and grass jelly. My favorites were the Sambal Undon, Otak-Otak and Chendol, of course. I normally don’t really enjoy sea food, but these were the exceptions. Skipping breakfast, waking up at 6 am, is my excuse.

Highlights of the trip-the drive to and back from Malacca-really beautiful with thick tropical jungles lining the highway. The food with out any doubts. The colonial, laid back atmostphere. Breath taking view of the beach from the broken down church on the hill. It’s a great getaway for a day trip!