Barcelona, day two

We got up relatively early and enjoyed a quiet breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Once we were on the street we made it to the nearest stop of the red line tourist bus. We decided to go the entire loop with commentary from the guide on board. During the tour we came along various points of interest that we wanted to visit in the afternoon. Both of them buildings by world renowned architect and artist Antoni Gaudí.

First impressions from the bus

Casa Mila

The first, an apartment building designed around an oval courtyard. Casa Milá was completed in 1912 and is now a world heritage site. The design included some very innovative features for its time, like underground parking and separate elevators for the owners and the servants. Also new to the era were en-suite bathrooms, an enormous kitchen with eating area, and separate maid's quarters. The roof is a marvel with beautifully sculpted chimney stacks, reminding me of star wars, the movie. The entrance fee is modest and worth it. The balconies have wrought iron railings that resemble kelp like seaweed.

Casa Mila

Casa Mila, courtyard

Casa Mila courtyard. looking up

Casa Mila, attic

Casa Mila roof terrace, those are chimneys

on the roof of Casa Mila

Another building by Antoni Gaudí is Casa Batlló. From the street it is a wonderful sight. The roof looks like a dragon's back and the exterior features include pillars in the shape of femurs and very biological designs all over. The entrance fee was too high for our budget, but we still found a lot to admire from the street. There seem to be no straight lines in the design, it's an amazing building and well worth a visit.

a glimpse of Casa Batllo

from across the street the roof is a marvel

The cathedral designed by Gaudí is called "La Sagrada Familia" or the sacred family. It too is a building so unique, you'll have a hard time finding something more spectacular. One side kind of reminded me of Salvador Dalí, pure art nouveau. However, the spires are pure Gaudí and nothing looks like it anywhere. Construction started about 100 years ago and is still underway. Most of the construction is funded by tourists so it is a good place to tour.

You have to see this to believe it

Spires, under construction

Detail

Stunning

Not too ornate now, is it!?

The other side looks like a Salvador Dali design

After visiting these places we were hungry and walked to the marina area to find a place to have some tapas near the water. With not too much effort we found a lovely tapas bar on a barge floating in the marina. We enjoyed a couple good local cervesas and some delicious tapas before heading back to the hotel for a freshen-up and a little break from the walking. Later in the evening, for some bizarre reason, we went for Chinese food, I don't know why, we're in Barcelona eating Chinese food?! When we are on the Mediterranean coast?! Just call us crazy!

Tapas and Cervasas

La vida es bella

We ended the day just relaxing in the warm Barcelona evening air strolling through the alleys. What a great city Barcelona is, so vibrant and alive with young folks backpacking. Street musicians and comedians entertaining the crowds in the many little plazas that are scattered through the down town core. We were so comfortable and relaxed, and felt like the town had embraced us completely.

Three days in Barcelona

Arriving at the airport you always seem to be a bit concerned about where to go next, which is the logical way to go. Not so in Barcelona, the bus terminal is right outside the airport's exit. When a bus pulled up, I asked in my best Spanish if this bus would go to downtown, or "ciudad centro". The bus took us straight into town and the bus stops were announced by a display visible to the passengers. We left the bus at Plaça de Catalunia and started walking. We had a reservation at a hotel just off "Las Ramblas", the main drag through the city. Hotel Moderno is a three star, very comfortable place and comes highly recommended. Our walk lasted only ten minutes and we had arrived at our home for the next four nights. Once settled into our room we wasted no time and got to exploring the city...

Along the Malecon

It becomes quite clear that the city's main drag "las Ramblas" divides it into a left and right, or yin and yang. The west side seems to be more seedy, where sailors look for entertainment, and the east side seems more touristy. We strolled along the narrow side streets, looking at everything with wide open gringo amazement. Graffiti all over the place, but it is beautiful graffiti. Not just simple tagging.

Damn good graffiti

A few hours of sauntering brought on an appetite and we soon found a place to rest our laurels and order some vino tinto and a pizza. The small plaza contained a random selection of visitors from all over the planet. Our pizza was delicious as was the wine. During our dinner we were entertained by a couple of quite talented musicians playing guitar and accordion. As time progressed the sides of the plaza became occupied by people waiting for a place to sit and order drinks and food, some people would leave and their seats would be filled immediately. It is a brisk business, this wining and dining in Barcelona.

Las Ramblas

We were immediately at home in this city, the cultural energy is enormous and you can't help but to be enveloped by it. Young artists and musicians are everywhere as well as travelers with backpacks loaded to the brim with stuff, pots and pans dangling from beneath, looking for the local hostel or just to sleep on the beach. Strolling along Las Ramblas you come upon "tableaux vivants" or living statues, people posing motionless, 'till someone drops a coin in their basket, then they come alive and take on a new frozen stance. Vendors selling anything from cheap kitchey tourist crap to budgies.


Las Ramblas is a wide centre walkway with traffic on both sides. Restaurants have tables set up "al fresco" in the center and the waiters serve you while dodging traffic, playing "frogger", with your order from the main establishment across the street. The service is old fashioned European style, where the waiter will bring a dish from the kitchen and serve it onto your plate. We ordered a couple of Sangria and a large Paella to share. The food and wine were excellent although a bit pricey.

Delicious Paella

We were told by my brother Bart, and his wife Wilma, that there are two tourist bus systems operating in the city; the red line and the blue line. During our first day strolling through town we came upon a kiosk selling tickets to these busses. The tickets are valid for as many days as you purchase and are quite good value. One system stays closer to the coast, while the other goes more into the hills. You can hop on and off at any stop, and the route covers pretty much all of the things you would want to see in Barcelona. At some stops the red and blue lines converge and you can step over onto the other line.


Our first afternoon in town was amazing and once back at the hotel we crashed into bed with big plans for the next day...

Last thoughts on Bali, by Shelagh

Just a few things Peter didn't mention,

Our first impression was mixed, squalor amid beauty. Then our cottage was the last one on the property and was at the perimeter wall with a barbed wire fence. Why?
I wondered and feared, what had we gotten ourselves into. It was also so hot and humid. Fear and panic were in the back of my mind slowly clawing their way through. Just give it a try, to heck with the garbage piled up in places, try to turn a blind eye to the mangey dogs, just get past this.

By dawns early light...(song) things looked so differently. The staff at the resort were so kind, the food amazing, the pool!!!!!!! That was the first time in my life I thought I could be one of those resort people that lounge about all day. Never, never before this. After all how hard is it to wave at Maria and order two large or small Balinese beers and satay sticks while sitting in the shade between swims in the pool.

Also the fellow guests were ever so nice, not being a super fancy 5 star you get a good cross section of people. One friendship is now in its 15th year.

Quick things to mention; I almost had a really nasty fall, the hookers saved me. Just nice people. Look down while crossing the street, the road may have pieces missing. Check your merchant's calculator because it is rigged, 1+1= 649,000 rupiah.  Also enjoy those beautiful smiles from the locals that are everywhere. When they call out Mister Peter or Shelagh will you shop with us today, seriously set a date to do this. We did this on our last day. James Bond, his tourist name, was really my watch agent. Chairs appeared out of nowhere, all other vendors came close to see what we would buy. I selected six, knock off, good quality watches including a couple of Rolexes. We negotiated our price to both our satisfaction. A collective sigh was heard by all. James Bond didn't come to work again for two days.

The last pictures in my head are of loads of the locals wearing shower caps on their heads with bags of hotel shampoo and soaps and good used clothes from my new friend's husband. The girls with used makeup and nail polish so they can keep on doing manicures on the beach etc.

The thing I learned, is kindness is a two way street, and traveling is a good reason to clean out your closet.


PS by Peter:

When visiting places like Indonesia, where women do hair braiding and manicures on the beach, consider going to your local dollar store and buying some nail polish and such to give away to these ladies. They will be overjoyed.

Uluwatu

On a cliff at the south side of Bali sits the temple called Uluwatu, on the Nusa Dua peninsula. A more picturesque site could not have been chosen for this small temple. We left our hotel in the morning with Jan and Michelle as our companions in a taxi hailed from the entrance. The drive is not too long but it was hot and humid on this November day. When we arrived at the temple the taxi driver offered to wait for us to return us to our hotel, probably to avoid having to toil in the heat and take a welcome nap.

Friendly monkeys at Uluwatu

Note the Sarong and Sash

The Temple from the hiking trail

At the entrance there are the usual routines of having to rent a sarong (we already had several in our hotel room, but just could not remember to bring them along) and a sash and to buy some fruit for the monkeys. The monkey treats were soon devoured and we went for a walk along the cliff's edge. Placing the temple in the center you can walk along the cliff in either direction, viewing the Indian ocean below. The surf down there is one of the best for wave riders, and quite a few surfers hike down there for a day of fun.

Surf's up!

The Temple on the cliffside

We had a good look at the temple and decided to take a walk along the cliff's edge. Along the walk the heat and humidity really went to work on our unaccustomed bodies and we were properly soaked with sweat at the end of the trail. To our great surprise we found a couple of stalls selling refreshments and another selling costume jewelry. We bought a couple of bottles of water and Shelagh found some lovely eyeglass straps. When we returned to the starting point Shelagh poured the remainder of her water over her head to cool off. Back at the hotel we wasted no time and dove into the pool to loose the heat in our bodies. Dinner across the street was lovely, traditional Indonesian fare, followed by a night in the hotel lounge with new friends.

The next day we said goodbye to Jan and Michelle, their holiday was over. We have stayed in contact with Jan and she and her husband Jim have since visited us in Vancouver.

Bali was once a place of many micro kingdoms. When the Dutch took control of Indonesia, they put an end to that and formed a single government. The kings still remain, albeit quietly. One evening we went for a walk to one of these king's home, just around the block from our hotel. He now runs a modest bed and breakfast. We chose a palapa on the beach and soon a waitress walked up to take our drink order. She brought us two beers and warned us that the rain was coming soon and to take shelter in the bar. We stubbornly remained where we were and soon the rain came down, then the wind piped up and the rain became nearly horizontal soaking us to the skin. "I'm soaked and I can't open my eyes" said Shelagh, "Mine have been closed for nearly 10 minutes" I replied. So there we went defeated by mother nature off to the bar where some locals and some Aussies greeted us with big smiles. We lingered for quite a while chatting with the people and sharing stories.

Something to watch for on this island are the money changers. Other than bonafide banks, who will give you the lowest exchange rate, money can be exchanged at private businesses all over the island. Some will use slight of hand trickery to short change you while other have rigged calculators that will show your how many rupiahs you will receive. Always do the math yourself and re-count the money you have been handed. If you catch someone cheating you, they just shrug and smile, and they expect you to move on. Everybody tries to make a buck.

Bali is a lovely place and I recommend a holiday there, you will not regret it.

Bali Private Tour

After our trip to Tannah Lot I got hit with the dreaded “Bali Belly”, much the same as “Montezuma’s Revenge” in Mexico. I was knocked down in our hotel room for two full days and nights, unable to keep anything down. Lesson learned, don’t drink the tap water! During those two days, plus one to recover, we missed two of our included tours on the island. But we were not going to let that get to us, so we hired a private driver to take us on a combination tour of the ones we missed. It took all day and was worth the effort and money.

We left the hotel destination Mas, where we were shown the traditional art of Balinese woodcarving. A few artists are showing their skills working on pieces in various stages of completion, a bit staged, I thought, but it brings the point across. The tools seem primitive but the final products in the showroom are stunning in detail. We came upon a nice piece that would be a good souvenir in our home, and the price was reasonable, but when we arrived at the sales desk we were told that the price tag was wrong and that it should be triple of the price shown, we decided not to buy the carving and returned it to the shelf where we found it, much to the dismay of the store owner. He followed us all the way back to the car trying to get us to buy the piece, but our minds were made up, something was fishy and we had been told to be aware of issues like that.

Traditional Balinese Painting

Then we went on to Ubud, famous for its painters. Traditional Balinese paintings are for sale as well as modern and impressionistic art. A large international community of artists lives here and the choices are huge. The set up was much the same as Mas; Balinese artists showing art in various stages of completion and you really get a feel for the technique used to create these pieces of intense detail. In the showroom we looked for a while at the pieces on display but although they were all beautiful, none of them would look right in our home décor. We thanked the storekeeper and with a friendly nod we returned to our car. Supposedly when you show no interest in buying something their sales effort is minimized.

On we went to Celuk, the town for silver and gold smiths. The stop over was pretty much limited to a large store with a huge display of silver and gold items from jewelry to spoons. We studied the silver spoon selection for quite a while and chose a couple of them depicting Balinese figurines. While the lady took them away for a final polish up we paid another for the purchase. Our, now wrapped and bagged, purchase was in Shelagh’s purse and when we were back in the car on our way to Mount Agung and the temple of Besakih she wanted to admire her new purchase. Sadly the spoons were not the ones we had chosen! The ones that we were given to us were rejects with the figurines mounted facing backwards. We were quite disappointed and decided to let it go, they did not warrant going back to the store for, but we vowed to be more on our toes where trust was concerned. It is frustrating to constantly be on alert for swindlers.

The Mother Temple of Besakih at Mount Agung

The footpath along the Temple Grounds

Typical Balinese roofs. They vent the warm air upwards

There is plenty to see for the Tourists

Shrines

Slightly more modern looking roofs

Mount Agung was shrouded in clouds and not visible at the time of our visit, but the Mother Temple of Besakih was amazing. The walk leading to the temple is lined with vendor stalls on the left side and empty on the right side. We chose to walk up to the temple on the right side so not to be accosted by the hawkers trying to sell you everything under the sun, from coasters to sex toys. The only people we dealt with were youngsters with mopeds trying to take us up the mountain for a few dollars, but we convinced them that we needed the exercise. The temple is actually a grouping of many temples, and with them all having festivals every 210 days there is usually something going on there all year round. It was quiet when we were there, and that gave us the chance to take a good look around. The sacred grounds are inaccessible to foreigners but there is plenty to admire from the other side of the short wall, just walking along the paths of this place is awesome, and on the slope of an active volcano, which claimed the lives of 1700 in 1963. On our way down the mountain an old Balinese man looked at me and said: “When walking, you must sometimes look behind you to see what you are missing”, I stopped and turned around just to see the top of Mount Agung become visible for a few seconds through the cloud cover and managed to steal a picture just before it was gone again. I smiled at the man and said: “You are wise”, and he returned my smile. When we returned to the car our driver was taking a nap in the back seat, but he was up and ready to go on right away and we were off to our next stop of the day, the floating Palace at Klungkung.

The Floating Palace at Klungkung

Inside the courthouse with its frescoed ceiling

Fresco detail

The floating palace of Klungkung is what remains of the most important kingdom on Bali; there were nine in total. Most of it was destroyed in a conflict with Dutch colonials in 1908. What remain now are the law courts of the time. In the court there is a detailed fresco on the ceiling depicting the chaste system, ultimately leading to nirvana. It also shows the punishments that one will receive for certain crimes. When we walked up to the court, an elderly man gave us a thorough explanation of the fresco and how the court operated before the intervention of the colonialists. It was a very interesting tour and only cost 20000.00 Rupiah, about $2.00.

Since we were on this tour privately, I think we got a very good lecture about the palace at Klungkung. Usually it would be a tour bus full of people trying to hear the old man speak. We were lucky. Back to the car and on to our last stop on the tour, the Monkey Forest.

Mother and child

They are quite gentle

Hanging on for more

Huge bats

At the monkey forest children take adults along the paths to meet the monkeys. Legend has it that only children can understand, and communicate with monkeys. At the start you can buy a baggy with cut up fruit to feed the beasties. Some of the larger male monkeys can get quite possessive of their tourist and will hang on to your pants or skirt to make sure that he will eat the entire baggy of fruit. Females, some with babies clinging to their bellies are also begging to be fed. Things like sunglasses and baseball caps should be closely guarded, so that a monkey will not steal it. The children can usually get the monkey to return the stolen item, for a fee. During the tour with our young guide I noticed enormous bats in the treetops. They can reach a wingspan of about 1.5 meters.

When you reach the end of the tour your guide will take you to a vendor stall where his or her parents sell souvenirs to help pay for the child’s education.

It was a wonderful day with many interesting stops along the way and also beautiful views or the rice paddies along the volcanic slopes. Back at the hotel we paid our driver and gave him a generous tip. The next day we were well known to all the drivers at the hotel.

Terraced rice paddies

The Balinese countryside

Tanah Lot

Tanah Lot (image courtesy of island-in-bali.blogspot.com)

Our holiday included several guided tours and this day we went on the first of these. We boarded a bus in the hotel parking lot and after a head count by the tour guide we were on the road to Tanah Lot, a masterpiece of temples on the coast of the Indian Ocean. It is built on a little island just off shore and is accessible only at low tide. Despite an overwhelming presence of street vendors and stalls selling tourist kitch, this is still an awe-inspiring site. On the day of our visit, the temple had one of its many festivals. People from all over were on their way to worship and bring their offerings. A gamelan ensemble was playing the loud and clanging sounds of Bali, this music makes little sense to me, but the musicians all knew exactly when to strike their bells and drums. To me it was mostly noise.

Worshippers at Tanah Lot

On the drive to the temple our tour guide told us that the sunsets at the temple were the nicest on earth, but since we were there in the rainy season he could guarantee that the sun would set, but not that we would be able to see it. Once at the site we were not allowed to enter the area set aside for the worshippers, because it was a festival day and on these days the sacred grounds are only for believers of the Hindu faith. The ceremony sends out wafts of incense and flower petals are all over the place.

At low tide the temple is accessible

After taking in the sights and sounds of the spectacle, Shelagh and I went up the hill and found a little pub to sit down, enjoy the views, drink a cold beer and wait for the sunset. It was a cloudy day with rain now and then, but the setting sun broke through under the cloud cover and gave a magnificent show with such intense color bouncing from the ocean’s surface to the cloud ceiling above, it made you squint. Tanah Lot became silhouetted against the brilliant color; it was a picture I’ll never forget.

From our perch on the hill

We promised to return to the bus by 7:30 PM and once again the head count went on ‘till everyone was accounted for. Once back at the hotel we had a quick freshen-up and headed out the back way of the hotel grounds to the local pizzeria. We enjoyed a wonderful Italian dinner with cold beer followed by drinks in the hotel lounge. Tomorrow will be a pool day with plenty of R&R.