Bali Birthday Bash

Singapore has quick and cheap flights to many different countries in the region, so why not just go to Bali for your birthday with your best-ies.  Two ladies in our community were coming up on milestone birthdays- 30 & 40 so they decided to do a celebratory Bali birthday trip.  For $400 you can go for 4 days and 3 nights staying in a private villa.

Birthday Girls

We had a 5 room villa with private pool and personal assistants to clean and cook.  What more can a girl ask for...

Hanging out in our private pool

Maybe shopping, a hike up a volcano, and massages?

Think I fell asleep during my foot massage.

A few scenic tourist stops were thrown in

We had an amazing diner at a place called Fins.  You walked down a cliff for 50 steps then ride an "inclinator" down the mountain, and finally finished another 50 steps to end at the beach for a great meal and s'mores making.

 

We had a terrific get away that included all sorts of fun and some of the best shopping bargains.  Some of the things we purchased for $5 we later found on ebay for $100.  Wow wished I had just brought a few empty suitcases.

Found a San Diego sign that will be perfect for our upcoming move.  Look at this loot!  Yikes how are we gonna fit it in our suitcases?

So glad I had the opportunity to get away with these ladies enjoy the highlight (albeit ending up sick) -- a sunrise hike up a volcano.  My vision for what I expected was not properly thought out because at 1AM, as we were getting ready I was putting on sun screen?- Hmmm I forgot it was a sunrise hike- that means hiking in the dark.  It was pitch black out as we scaled the the mountain and unfortunately spitting rain, so we ended up buying $5 ponchos (massive rip off- but what's a girl to do)?  Our guides were terrific and boiled us eggs in the volcano and made us banana sandwiches for breakfast.  As light finally began to fill the sky, rain and clouds kept us for seeing the spectacular sunrise, however it was still beautiful.  Once it was light enough we got to see the center of the crater and smell the steam slipping out through cracks.  After the night turned into morning and we began our decent back down, the sun poked out a bit, and I was glad I had put on that sunscreen 6 hours ago!

Waiting for sunrise

Having my cup of hot tea

Suns Up- but where.  With our guides.

At the crater edge

Official sign-- Made it to the top of Batur 1717KM high

Heading back down--now at least it was daylight

Back on level ground.

Driving Annoyances

After living here almost 2 years, I've come to accept some totally annoying issues with driving in Singapore.   I'd like to share with you a few of them so you can get a feel for driving here.

1) CONSTANT road construction.  This country is always growing, so hence the need to redo roads, build and stuff.  So routinely roads will suddenly swerve to avoid a new building going up.

2) Cars that park in a driving lane.-- You say WHAT?  Yes, they really just stop their car in the road and run into a store/restaurant or even attend church.  Near us we constantly were having cars park on the road outside a popular restaurant- so Friday and Saturday night the lane was blocked.  Finally, the government hung parking cameras, so now if you park on the road you'll get a ticket.

3) Number 2 leads me to a pet peeve #3- Parking garages.  EVERYWHERE you go you must park in a garage (unless you pull a #2).  Just to go to the bank, food store, fast food-- whatever they are all in malls with parking garages.  No quick errands.

4) Speeding and red light cameras everywhere.  The benefit is they at least let you know you are entering a speed camera zone.  One of my friends even has a GPS system that alerts her she's entering a speed zone, just in case she missed the sign.

5) Pet peeve #5 is when a main travel lane also be a turning lane.  So if you are behind a car that decides to turn from your lane you must wait until they get the arrow to turn before you can continue straight along in your lane.  Ugh-- this happens constantly so you have to be prepared and get out of that lane beforehand and if there is too much traffic to change lanes, your stuck!

 




6) Sticking your car butt out.  For some reason people here can't seem to get their entire car into the turning lane, so the rear end is sticking out into the lane that continues straight.  Once again causing a back up and people trying to get around them.

7) Annoying signs that brainwash people.  Speeding Kills!