Arrived home today, pretty exhausted from our flight which left at 11pm and arrived in Melbourne around 8am. We were home by lunchtime but I feel like I have been awake for days. It is impossible to get any decent sleep on a plane; the stewardess' are always tapping you on the shoulder to get you to put your belt back on for every minor turbulence or to plonk down another disgusting offering of a mostly inedible variety, add that to the combined sounds of a few hundred people's snores, cries and farts; well you just don't rest well if at all.
But the holiday was absolutely fabulous! Bali is an interesting place to visit, they are so evidently reliant on tourism that they go above and beyond with all of their services. The first thing that hits you when you get there is the incredible heat, ten minutes of walking can see you literally dripping with sweat and searching for the nearest drink station. It's a clingy tropical heat, and since Indonesia is currently in it's wet season, it is a muggy sweltering type of heat that can really throw you if you're not expecting it. I was expecting it though, and I loved it! Just what I needed, a good dose of hot!
The food in Bali is cheap and it is delicious, we ate and drank like Kings all week and had some wonderful dining experiences, including lobster chosen fresh from the tank on the beach at sunset, and candlelight dinners in Balinese huts and tables overlooking the rice paddies. Beers only set you back a couple of dollars and cocktails are really reasonable too, needless to say I drank too much and ate a couple of courses most of the time, so I've returned a lot heavier than I left. Luckily they only weighed my luggage and not me at the airport when we departed.
My favourite part of Bali was definitely Ubud, a picturesque village set amid the rice terraces and lush green jungle terrains. We went to visit a bird and reptile park where Seth got to hold lots of birds and lizards, and I have to say this place was really impressive, I had no idea that birds could be so interesting! We also went to the sacred monkey forest to feed naughty little monkeys bananas by hand, some of them were pretty aggressive and if Seth didn't already know how babies were made, he would've worked it out by the end of that trip!
I even got to try the famous Luwak coffee, the one where the native cat-like animal eats the coffee beans, craps them out, and then they collect it, clean it (thoroughly I told myself) and then grind the beans for the smoothest and richest coffee flavour. I have no idea who the first person was to come up with this concept, some fricken wierdo; but anyway it is considered a delicacy. I thought it was a bit overrated, but I can officially say that I have now had a 'cat-poo-chino' as the locals call it.
So I have been completely shopped out, sunned out and weirded out by the sights, sounds, tastes and smells of Bali. I am happy to not have to barter for a bargain for a good long while, I no longer want to be refereed to as 'mum' by well meaning locals and I've been massaged and rubbed within an inch of my life. In a competition of Barb vs Bali, well....Bali won - I am no match for the mighty Indonesian Island - I give up- I am spent!!
But the holiday was absolutely fabulous! Bali is an interesting place to visit, they are so evidently reliant on tourism that they go above and beyond with all of their services. The first thing that hits you when you get there is the incredible heat, ten minutes of walking can see you literally dripping with sweat and searching for the nearest drink station. It's a clingy tropical heat, and since Indonesia is currently in it's wet season, it is a muggy sweltering type of heat that can really throw you if you're not expecting it. I was expecting it though, and I loved it! Just what I needed, a good dose of hot!
The food in Bali is cheap and it is delicious, we ate and drank like Kings all week and had some wonderful dining experiences, including lobster chosen fresh from the tank on the beach at sunset, and candlelight dinners in Balinese huts and tables overlooking the rice paddies. Beers only set you back a couple of dollars and cocktails are really reasonable too, needless to say I drank too much and ate a couple of courses most of the time, so I've returned a lot heavier than I left. Luckily they only weighed my luggage and not me at the airport when we departed.
My favourite part of Bali was definitely Ubud, a picturesque village set amid the rice terraces and lush green jungle terrains. We went to visit a bird and reptile park where Seth got to hold lots of birds and lizards, and I have to say this place was really impressive, I had no idea that birds could be so interesting! We also went to the sacred monkey forest to feed naughty little monkeys bananas by hand, some of them were pretty aggressive and if Seth didn't already know how babies were made, he would've worked it out by the end of that trip!
I even got to try the famous Luwak coffee, the one where the native cat-like animal eats the coffee beans, craps them out, and then they collect it, clean it (thoroughly I told myself) and then grind the beans for the smoothest and richest coffee flavour. I have no idea who the first person was to come up with this concept, some fricken wierdo; but anyway it is considered a delicacy. I thought it was a bit overrated, but I can officially say that I have now had a 'cat-poo-chino' as the locals call it.
So I have been completely shopped out, sunned out and weirded out by the sights, sounds, tastes and smells of Bali. I am happy to not have to barter for a bargain for a good long while, I no longer want to be refereed to as 'mum' by well meaning locals and I've been massaged and rubbed within an inch of my life. In a competition of Barb vs Bali, well....Bali won - I am no match for the mighty Indonesian Island - I give up- I am spent!!
HECTOR AND THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS
Release Date: 2014
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 114 mins
This is a perfect choice for a plane trip, a little bit of comedy, a little bit of adventure and a generally easy to watch, light piece of drama. Simon Pegg throws off his black humour cloak to play Hector, a psychiatrist that is feeling unmoved by his current and predictable lifestyle. Hector decides to travel the world searching for adventure and the true meaning of happiness.
A great support cast really allow Pegg to shine, with notable stints from Toni Collette, Rosamund Pike, Skellan Skarsgard and Jean Reno - whom I adore.
This is a pleasant watch, mostly cheerful and definitely relatible to most middle aged people that have ever felt like they have it all and yet at times feel unfulfilled. I think that many people will wanderlust after this watch if they aren't already.
FINAL SAY: For the searchers
3 Chili Peppers
Release Date: 2014
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 114 mins
This is a perfect choice for a plane trip, a little bit of comedy, a little bit of adventure and a generally easy to watch, light piece of drama. Simon Pegg throws off his black humour cloak to play Hector, a psychiatrist that is feeling unmoved by his current and predictable lifestyle. Hector decides to travel the world searching for adventure and the true meaning of happiness.
A great support cast really allow Pegg to shine, with notable stints from Toni Collette, Rosamund Pike, Skellan Skarsgard and Jean Reno - whom I adore.
This is a pleasant watch, mostly cheerful and definitely relatible to most middle aged people that have ever felt like they have it all and yet at times feel unfulfilled. I think that many people will wanderlust after this watch if they aren't already.
FINAL SAY: For the searchers
3 Chili Peppers
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