tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-169399762024-03-17T02:53:02.493-04:00Rads in TransitPersonal blog of a traveloholic writer / editor / gluttonRadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03769964663755499808noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16939976.post-15705260751518279492015-05-07T05:24:00.001-04:002015-05-07T05:26:26.561-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Radshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03769964663755499808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16939976.post-8632376349390243912011-12-13T13:01:00.000-05:002013-12-29T23:18:09.521-05:00Bali Honeymoon, p3 - Pertiwi Resort & Spa, Ubud<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We arrived at Pertiwi Resort at Ubud. We originally had booked in Warwick Ibah, which we cancelled because Ubud itself was removed from our itinerary. Because of my toothache, we were forced to stay in Ubud and we chose Pertiwi over Cendana, mostly because of the location and the price. Pertiwi was fine, but not without faults.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Reception/foyer</td></tr>
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The reception seemed busy, as there were quite a few people waiting to be checked in. The waiting lounge had some tourist brochures, and we browsed there for nearly 15 minutes before some one was free to check us in. An assistant helped us with our luggage and we walked for a couple of minutes to the back of the resort to our room. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">The stairs that took us down to our cottage</td></tr>
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Our room turned out to be the ground floor of a cottage. It was a basic hotel-style layout - one room with an attached bathroom. Size was adequate but the window opened to the stairs in the above picture... everyone who had their rooms in this part of the resort will be walking by our window, and it was not soundproof! I would have been seriously annoyed if I was planning to stay inside the room but since I was in Ubud mainly for treating my toothache and, as a side, to find some artwork for hubby's work (he is an architect), I let it go.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Our cottage</td></tr>
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The room had all the necessary amenities like TV, airconditioned, a full equipped fridge etc etc., but it did not have a lock on the door! OMG... we were expected to trust the hotel and just close the door... a serious leap of faith! Luckily the costliest item in our luggage was my hubby's MacAir so we just carried it when we went outself... since we stayed in Ubud for only a night, we were not too bothered by this, but people staying longer at Pertiwi should make sure they don't get this room.<br />
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Also, the wifi did not work... or rather, the wifi from the main lounge was too far to be accessed by those staying in the back. I think most Balinese resorts have this problem.<br />
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All said, the view from the room was restfull... a chair in the front porch and a book in the hand is the way to go! </div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Before going out to find a dentist, we decided to have a short stroll around the resort. The whole resort has been beautifully landscaped. We found this pretty creek, down our cottage. </span></div>
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We then left the resort and strolled down the football field. We found Gayathri cafe just after the field, and decided to have our tea there. It was okay for the prices and the ambience was nice, but the dessert - banana and cocnut mousse - seriously spoiled the experience.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Cafe Gayathri</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Arak Attack!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Pizza for Mahendra</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Nasi Campur for me!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Ewwww, do not EVER order this!</td></tr>
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Our hunger killed, we walked past Cafe Gayathri and lo behold! I saw a board in english "SriLakshmini Dentistry - upstairs". God has answered my prayers! Up we went to find... a makeshift tent. Inside was the good doctor. I explained my toothache, all the while wondering about a ramshackle clinic on the open terrace. I looked at my my husband, asking for his opinion, and he who googles the credentials of a doctor before going to him, shrugged - it was clear we should just get help from this doctor, whom we found by providence. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The dentist made me recline on the chair, prodded around (thank god for the arak attack!) which made me emit muffled screams, and after a cursed minute, took out a chicken piece which was the culprit. I was the victim of the classic food particle-lodged-inside-the-cavity tooth poisoning. She wrote me some painkillers and charged me 350,000 rupiah. We thanked her and continued our walk in the opposite direction (towards Pertiwi)</span></div>
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Very near to our resort, we found this store called Ubud music which sold DVDs and gift items. I picked up several inexpensive gift for family and friends. For all my girlfriends, I picked up travel size soaps and mini-size spa baskets (30,000 rupiah each). And of course, lots of DVDs for hubby and his friends.<br />
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We then walked a bit more, generally soaking in the night-time mellowness of the town. Most shops were open but you can see that it is not a happening place after 10pm! Feeling tired, we returned back to the room.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">No lock!</td></tr>
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The next morning, we had breakfast at the hotel's restaurant (included in the room rate). The food was a buffet with lots of variety but not really that tasty. I guess my tastebuds are spoiled after the customized service at Villa Patal and the organic fare at Como Shambala :(. Still, it was okay.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">In-house restaurant</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">View to the pool</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Late arrival means fewer options!</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUI1-4RULtP8ZVLJw6IBnEe_r2OCbOyeQMWPvOvyzDbt1Anl1Brdb_zwuIvWN3fp1tFtZrrjxBtKZ7rSEShyo76oFpru4kpYi37pbyOtU0xJoCTd6KGIn8DoWzJP33BoXu2LK-QQ/s1600/21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUI1-4RULtP8ZVLJw6IBnEe_r2OCbOyeQMWPvOvyzDbt1Anl1Brdb_zwuIvWN3fp1tFtZrrjxBtKZ7rSEShyo76oFpru4kpYi37pbyOtU0xJoCTd6KGIn8DoWzJP33BoXu2LK-QQ/s640/21.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Fruits and juices</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Sausage station</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">My plate</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Eying my hubby's plate</td></tr>
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We then went for a walk around Ubud town, this time we took the direction opposite of the football field (towards the monkey forest). It was slightly drizzling, yet humid. We passed through many small cafes, shops and art galleries. I am scared of monkeys, so did not go inside Monkey Forest, but just hung around, looking at the paintings and artifacts on sale.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roads of Ubud</td></tr>
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I wanted to buy this Buddha painting but couldn't because we were travelling light on budget airways...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buddha</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKaEYuBHDaPAysASVzJzeWMsKmHZL25bLu9ZB0gnYenpOpzqNhxbqzmrEhFNm2y_qG6EApo612BrpR4neHTVZTfVXQVmALtd2UIKVlZQzYfwa53u-LGbEz8d37AmRyDRBMDBeMUg/s1600/DSCN2470.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKaEYuBHDaPAysASVzJzeWMsKmHZL25bLu9ZB0gnYenpOpzqNhxbqzmrEhFNm2y_qG6EApo612BrpR4neHTVZTfVXQVmALtd2UIKVlZQzYfwa53u-LGbEz8d37AmRyDRBMDBeMUg/s640/DSCN2470.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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We also took a look at a few guesthouses and villas on Monkey Forest, to see if we can stay one more day in Ubud. By now, we had realised that Ubud is special and we wanted to stay longer... There were so many things I wanted to do.... go for a cooking class... see a dance performance... do a walking tour... alas, none of them was possible in a single day, and also because our next day stay was already booked (our entire honeymoon was pre-planned with little flexibility) so ultimately we returned to Pertiwi to start packing. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWFQ0BgqAsUUy_VYcElGyfL6TwLQEWAVYrUxj47ds2ZsW03kgn-4gvsUb9Ko300gRh-9OL4h8XgZvuIpv9oRJL76xXA6_wgCSm3RCwp9ayA6hC6qmPQOCA5KZuAonyYfbgoVBRyQ/s1600/DSCN2483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWFQ0BgqAsUUy_VYcElGyfL6TwLQEWAVYrUxj47ds2ZsW03kgn-4gvsUb9Ko300gRh-9OL4h8XgZvuIpv9oRJL76xXA6_wgCSm3RCwp9ayA6hC6qmPQOCA5KZuAonyYfbgoVBRyQ/s640/DSCN2483.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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We packed and got ready to check out. Before that, we went around the resort once again and took some pictures. I did feel a bit sorry for myself. I had read so much about Ubud on the Bali TA forums that I knew I would not be satisfied with just a day - this is why I had planned to stay in Gianyar and never planned to visit Ubud. But my toothache forced me to visit Ubud and now I was feeling short-changed. My sweet husband assures me that we will stay longer in Ubud the next time when we visit Bali :)</div>
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Our next destination was Sanur, where we will duplicate a Safari experience!</div>
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Radshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03769964663755499808noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16939976.post-65486081253966735872011-12-12T12:27:00.000-05:002013-12-29T23:15:46.858-05:00Bali Honeymoon, p2: Como Shambala, Payangan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><b>JBR Part 2 - Como Shambala, Payangan</b></u><span style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Introducing ourselves - A newly-wed couple in their early 30s. Born and brought up in a coastal city in south India, but have travelled widely in the West. I am a writer and my husband is an architect.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">This is Part 2 of our 6-part blog on our Bali honeymoon.</span><br />
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<b style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Where did we stay?</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">At Como Shambala estate, Payangan, Bali - one of the best designer eco-resorts in the world.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.le-voyage.com/vip-luxury-travel/en/externalImage.svc?sp=zmtgallery_big%2Ci196918%2Ccnull%2Cmimage%2Fjpeg%2Cmimage%2Fjpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="448" src="http://www.le-voyage.com/vip-luxury-travel/en/externalImage.svc?sp=zmtgallery_big%2Ci196918%2Ccnull%2Cmimage%2Fjpeg%2Cmimage%2Fjpeg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Wanakasa residence, Como Shambala</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>How did I find it?</b>Random internet search for design hotels in Bali <br /><br /><b>How did I book the accommodation?</b>I booked directly with the hotel, and their responses were very prompt and helpful. The official website is </span><a class="" href="http://www.cse.como.bz/" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: blue !important; cursor: text !important; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" target="_blank">http://www.cse.como.bz/</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span><br />
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<b style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Why this hotel?</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">My hubby found about Como during the initial honeymoon research, only to moan how much we CANNOT afford it. But their 2-day package sounded like a perfect intro to the place, and after taking an online look at their gorgeous suites and estate grounds, I decided to stay in moderate places in all other hotels during our honeymoon just so that we can afford Como :). </span><br />
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<b style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Day 1 </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Juri and Dayu drove us from Villa Patal to Payangan. They had to pass through Ubud to get to Como. As the car drove through Monkey Forest Road, my husband and I looked at each other – we HAVE to come here tomorrow! Juri and Dayu dropped us off at Como and they sounded very impressed with the place. Well, we could only see a modest and minimal reception area, so we were looking forward to exploring more. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Check in was smooth, service non-intrusive and impeccable. We did have some disappointing information regarding our room preference - while booking the room, we had asked for a terrace suite in the Japanese-themed Tirta Ening residence. But apparently it was not available. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://assets.smithhotels.com/images/hotel_gallery716/349233-como-shambhala-estate-bali-indonesia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="435" src="http://assets.smithhotels.com/images/hotel_gallery716/349233-como-shambhala-estate-bali-indonesia.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Japanese-inspired Tirta Ening suite</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">On seeing our crestfallen faces, the receptionist told us that we have been upgraded to the estate suite at Tejasura ("Fire Residence"). We were initially disappointed, but then realised that each Residence at Como was uniquely designed and an experience treasure by itself, so settled down to enjoy our one day here.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.paradizo.com/albums/large/como-shambhala-estate/como-shambhala-estate-residences/como-shambhala-estate-in-bali-tejasura-residence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="507" src="http://static.paradizo.com/albums/large/como-shambhala-estate/como-shambhala-estate-residences/como-shambhala-estate-in-bali-tejasura-residence.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Instead, we got the Fire residence - Tejasura</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It is at this time that our personal butler Dhika was introduced to us. He was so very pleasant to talk to, it is a great concept to assign a personal butler to each guest. He lead us to our site - a good five minutes' walk from the reception, so good thing we went on a buggy! </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The route from reception to our residence</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">OUR ROOM: The Fire Residence was quite impressive. All the suites in Tejasura residence were set apart from each other by the common area, so there was adequate privacy. The common area had a massive lounge and dining space, and a common pool. The residence had 2 estate suites - we occupied the one on the left. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijExGRohr70KT2W7GHhoYan_n5y5_H9wAS-twIDreMBTjaFbADHoA_uYOFJBSozr4ZqQVLV2Pd-49gY4SuiqofslZ47WotGGM71nBAO15NeDcY6RUJRHRvzlbbTalqxcEkzaZonA/s1600/1.+entrance+to+the+fire+residence.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijExGRohr70KT2W7GHhoYan_n5y5_H9wAS-twIDreMBTjaFbADHoA_uYOFJBSozr4ZqQVLV2Pd-49gY4SuiqofslZ47WotGGM71nBAO15NeDcY6RUJRHRvzlbbTalqxcEkzaZonA/s640/1.+entrance+to+the+fire+residence.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Entrance to the fire residence</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8LUGW3pkh788ZWwv4XFCKMuFm18q42yyT-fqp8jc2-jELsM3MwvMlOpPD2CizU5PyKr6iSHI8VsiJuVGpWtJ1TYbvH6bLj3JnQqaYn-C_geLRrDq8Bm7jvnpAOESczIfh_dOiA/s1600/the+common+pool.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8LUGW3pkh788ZWwv4XFCKMuFm18q42yyT-fqp8jc2-jELsM3MwvMlOpPD2CizU5PyKr6iSHI8VsiJuVGpWtJ1TYbvH6bLj3JnQqaYn-C_geLRrDq8Bm7jvnpAOESczIfh_dOiA/s640/the+common+pool.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">yes that's where they lit the fire every evening</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Our suite was set like a luxury treetop hut and overlooked a ravine and Agung river. The interiors were all wood and glass and marble - very posh, like something out of A+D mag. It had three different rooms - a bedroom, a dressing room and the loo, with sunken bath. You exit the indoor loo to enter the open-air shower bale. The dressing room also had a side entry to the bale. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTtZWLK2r43p4eeSMykJbvcJ0KdjZ0Sh0jbZ-A-MzpoqEs8srx-Z1xAQnMXQ1PYbAqkKwzvtlyH3TJztKa90Edpssbp5-xZMt5bXZ9VufTIaDNIz-q9jUkBIlgZoLASvdIEr7jAw/s1600/2.+the+fire+residence+Tejasura.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTtZWLK2r43p4eeSMykJbvcJ0KdjZ0Sh0jbZ-A-MzpoqEs8srx-Z1xAQnMXQ1PYbAqkKwzvtlyH3TJztKa90Edpssbp5-xZMt5bXZ9VufTIaDNIz-q9jUkBIlgZoLASvdIEr7jAw/s640/2.+the+fire+residence+Tejasura.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The Fire residence pool</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgge6fefr8x-VqeSB7ZAAa53ilWh5HrTIYbaK7QnHue3t9o2jdGAxsS1qSyUGuPRoEE3Oy1eBxPjkYN_qpEVoXBJRyuAF5goAkS6gT6JAbA3KgSZcp_dNFMgUviyTJose_-2hPwqQ/s1600/3.+the+estate+suite+at+the+Fire+residence.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgge6fefr8x-VqeSB7ZAAa53ilWh5HrTIYbaK7QnHue3t9o2jdGAxsS1qSyUGuPRoEE3Oy1eBxPjkYN_qpEVoXBJRyuAF5goAkS6gT6JAbA3KgSZcp_dNFMgUviyTJose_-2hPwqQ/s640/3.+the+estate+suite+at+the+Fire+residence.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">our suite</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEhjoMdZgK79CRKJdwAzY3OjzEj4GfjApbjbK4TS0NB8QVQ0gMxmB8K9AROl9g03USDVFPmPrZCXw3ptkY4grivYK33ttLmqkBT6Ytf6Fq5e5Pieh_F8TC5IwczAOQPrT8a2TNnQ/s1600/6.+the+bale+in+the+back.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEhjoMdZgK79CRKJdwAzY3OjzEj4GfjApbjbK4TS0NB8QVQ0gMxmB8K9AROl9g03USDVFPmPrZCXw3ptkY4grivYK33ttLmqkBT6Ytf6Fq5e5Pieh_F8TC5IwczAOQPrT8a2TNnQ/s640/6.+the+bale+in+the+back.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">the bale at the back</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The main balcony was off the bedroom, and had a fascinating 180 degree view of the valley below. It was here that we sat for a while after settling in, admiring the view. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLnwcCBxD76G8UAW67cTWqOdYbjHiYw5Od2oNlCtYu25Hj7M0BfP9Y9bqzJr8KylzLk8m58ezVxVW0GklS_V7pVYsFwkaifbXfxyrcvB6E9OIU_olVrzA9pzGGtgFXeCwf2UyLlw/s1600/4.+our+suite+balcony+into+the+ravine.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLnwcCBxD76G8UAW67cTWqOdYbjHiYw5Od2oNlCtYu25Hj7M0BfP9Y9bqzJr8KylzLk8m58ezVxVW0GklS_V7pVYsFwkaifbXfxyrcvB6E9OIU_olVrzA9pzGGtgFXeCwf2UyLlw/s640/4.+our+suite+balcony+into+the+ravine.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">balcony view - left</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibuNomuNKfXmrHZpRi6aWWQF5UDlQ4oXb_e0c1Ahnmkddh36zEiHseoAmTw4cNt8mCfrwywKjgn8QHOg3Jnyi1K0xncdids3WfBUdb7j6-LJnySYsG0TDf2gUldxeev4lR0vPAxA/s1600/same+balcony.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibuNomuNKfXmrHZpRi6aWWQF5UDlQ4oXb_e0c1Ahnmkddh36zEiHseoAmTw4cNt8mCfrwywKjgn8QHOg3Jnyi1K0xncdids3WfBUdb7j6-LJnySYsG0TDf2gUldxeev4lR0vPAxA/s640/same+balcony.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">balcony view - right</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />The air smelled divine and the sounds of the river were very soothing. There were rice terraces view in a distance, but the immediate views from rooms are all of the jungle :). The wifi, TV, AC everything worked perfectly. Contrary to some reviews, we certainly didn't find any leeches or insects in our room!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We had a short nap because we were quite tired after the long drive from Karangasam. By this time, it was nearly 4pm and we were starving. We decided to eat in-house, as Como is literally in the middle of the woods, and we didn't want to make the trek to Ubud for dinner. Kudos is open only for breakfast, while Glow opened for lunch and dinner. Both had an extensive menu and prompt service. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.comohotels.com/comoshambhalaestate/sites/default/files/styles/background_image/public/images/background/cse_glow_restaurant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://www.comohotels.com/comoshambhalaestate/sites/default/files/styles/background_image/public/images/background/cse_glow_restaurant.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">We had a four-course lunch at Glow, which I personally found great, but my husband didn’t enjoy it that much – because the fare was all super-healthy, non-gluten stuff and his McDonalds-loving tummy wouldn’t have any of it! Jokes apart, it was a great meal. No alcohol, though. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjmr_Fkn6nOg6tdv9zeoHPsqc4eaeGzwwitWWsU8vRgQ9ncZD6vEnC3pR0xkhZEUrU1hexO_EZ7Kn7o-n30F5xw70u-2by9-wAO-8-mAE7z4-b1iot8k_r6_3-A_4KGlOiSgqxRg/s1600/DSCN2343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjmr_Fkn6nOg6tdv9zeoHPsqc4eaeGzwwitWWsU8vRgQ9ncZD6vEnC3pR0xkhZEUrU1hexO_EZ7Kn7o-n30F5xw70u-2by9-wAO-8-mAE7z4-b1iot8k_r6_3-A_4KGlOiSgqxRg/s640/DSCN2343.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Path from restaurant to our residence</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We then wandered around for some time. It was a pleasure walking through the grounds and admiring the architecture. We got back to our suite and stayed inside, just relaxing. We ordered room service for dinner and ended the day with a nice bath in the sunken bath :)<br /><br /><br /><br /><b>Day 2</b><br />Around 3am, I suddenly woke up with a killer toothache. My right cheek was throbbing and the next two hours was spent in pure pain. I was hesitant to wake up my husband, as I didn’t want to spoil his sleep. So I went online TA forum and posted a query about finding a dentist in/near Ubud. I then had something from the in-house bar and popped a painkiller – I waited this long because as a principle I avoided painkillers – and fell into sleep.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">When I awoke again, there was no toothache. Yay! We knew we had the whole day before us, so we were quite lazy today - we sat on the bale this time and admired the valley view, before leaving to breakfast. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKELgICJJ4OGIDc8SVJN3hq_eYXocL0Xvj5HuuYYfiuImK4N3C0xBuV0efIN_ziB3Ykg7-wDZ1UVy_QWel5Nizt3MXzEL09-1Cb17bbw3M3dFaCaGYqWw0XgeztuaybwEq8Ib5JA/s1600/7.+Walk+to+the+restaurant.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKELgICJJ4OGIDc8SVJN3hq_eYXocL0Xvj5HuuYYfiuImK4N3C0xBuV0efIN_ziB3Ykg7-wDZ1UVy_QWel5Nizt3MXzEL09-1Cb17bbw3M3dFaCaGYqWw0XgeztuaybwEq8Ib5JA/s640/7.+Walk+to+the+restaurant.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Walk from our residence to the restaurant</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcaOt6r0cWKECjbfNqG_yv44e8rzLVv-EseuX6jm9v7XIXefofeuTL1TrTmKMCysa-AVQC93yvRQTXnTbe0FDTML1SGnLi-H4rr7fj0EFeGGtF3E7fuU6HHTJE8gJPu0GP3zpTg/s1600/9.+Kudos+restauarant.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcaOt6r0cWKECjbfNqG_yv44e8rzLVv-EseuX6jm9v7XIXefofeuTL1TrTmKMCysa-AVQC93yvRQTXnTbe0FDTML1SGnLi-H4rr7fj0EFeGGtF3E7fuU6HHTJE8gJPu0GP3zpTg/s640/9.+Kudos+restauarant.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Kudos House</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Kudos house is a renovated Javanese structure, and it served yummy breakfast, from yoghurt crumbles to gourmet omelettes. Since breakfast was included in the room rate, we could order anything from the menu. My husband had the organic, non-gluten builder’s breakfast and I had a salmon omelette with fresh fruit juice. It was a great start to the day.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpxt86_heWp8dlRMFFulzyXSKCWVyunL-1kVmh-6rL9rqQuJ8sUEj-Lviwj4P_WrzRBIQHX-UyTLVEDe1Y3eJCPjNRx-J6t1e_R53PAkwA4qZIxn5Unyh1ZnTNqSgQU8jgLD06kg/s1600/DSCN2350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpxt86_heWp8dlRMFFulzyXSKCWVyunL-1kVmh-6rL9rqQuJ8sUEj-Lviwj4P_WrzRBIQHX-UyTLVEDe1Y3eJCPjNRx-J6t1e_R53PAkwA4qZIxn5Unyh1ZnTNqSgQU8jgLD06kg/s640/DSCN2350.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">big breakfast!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis6hctO-h7SzqPAfBGaZDbCYnqreLowtIvmWu4zrbcvw0FFRmJGnjIH__zfgXOcC8vLaGa_QcmEZBxCO9aYIHyZBoH3Op3u9etlpnzg2q7vscVOgryK2fwabJhf9Za6yFWAd29EQ/s1600/DSCN2351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis6hctO-h7SzqPAfBGaZDbCYnqreLowtIvmWu4zrbcvw0FFRmJGnjIH__zfgXOcC8vLaGa_QcmEZBxCO9aYIHyZBoH3Op3u9etlpnzg2q7vscVOgryK2fwabJhf9Za6yFWAd29EQ/s640/DSCN2351.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">preserves from the estate's farm</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">THE TREK: Since we were feeling so awesome after that breakfast, we decided to do the recommended trek. It was a terrific trek for 2 beginners like us (we had never trekked before and both of us were in bad form, thanks to all the rich food consumed before and during our marriage rituals!). </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">start of the trek</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The steps are all rough-cut and uneven, and not always in the right height - you have to be very careful when doing this trek as it trails up and down and sideways, and is slippery in places. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /><br />Still, I would not categorise it as dangerous - if you love nature and not averse to some sweat, you will enjoy it. In the next 2 hours, we discovered the many brooks and waterfalls in the estate, and walked by several resting points - there is even a mini-spa and a pool on the way for you to refresh yourself before proceeding. How thoughtful! <br />We were a sight though - huffing and puffing through the pathways when seasoned trekkers whizzed past us in a second... we reminded ourselves to hit the gym as soon as we got back home!</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />The trek is designed in such a way that you start and finish at the same line, but in different end points. Luckily the back entrance to our estate was near the finishing point, and that's where we are the end of our energy too. When walking ahead for a mere 5 more minutes would have taken us to the starting place, we gave up and cheated - we climbed over to the back door of our estate suite and officially quitted the trek. <br /><br />Ah the bliss to enter our air-conditioned room - thank you Dhika (our butler) for prepping the room with cool air just when we came back!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We started the trek at 11am and finished it by 1pm. Unfortunately my toothache returned - and it was worse than before. It became apparent that I needed medical help, as I could not even reply to my husband's questions. We initially thought of asking for the hotel to call in-house doctor, but what was the point - they would still call somebody from Ubud town and charge us the earth for that. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We decided that it is best to move to Ubud for this day and seek a dentist there, and may be also stay over in Ubud town one night. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The staff at Como Shambala were extremely understanding about this – we had originally booked the 2-day package, but when I said I had to check out in the first day itself, they didn’t charge a penalty, they just charged us for the one night. I love it when a hotel has such amazing customer service!<br /><br />So we packed and got a cab – thanks again to the TA Forum list of driver – from Ubud, who came to pick us up at 2pm (yep we got a late checkout :). By this time, the toothache was better – it came and went in flashes! Since I was feeling better, we made side trips to admire the interiors of Royal Pita Maha and Alila Ubud (both located on the way to Ubud town). Someday, we hoped to stay in both the places – they are super-gorgeous! Still, they are not in the same league as Como Shambala!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /><br />Final thoughts:<br /> <br />Hotel selection – We were quite happy that we got to stay at Como Shambala. The not-so-happy part was the monies - it cost us nearly US$800 a day, including all meals (stay and food for three days at our previous Karangasem villa cost us only half of that!). Still, we were glad we splurged at Como.<br /><br />Service – Very friendly and helpful staff. Our personal butler was especially great.<br /><br />Food – Very healthy, organic fare. You have to have an open mind to enjoy it, though. My husband, who was raised on junk food, found it very hard to enjoy, but by dinner time, he grudgingly admitted that he was feeling light and good eating the in-house meals. 2 more days and Como Shambala would have converted him – alas, our budget didn’t allow us to do that!<br /><br />Sightseeing – the hotel charges very high rates for sightseeing vehicles, so we just stay put – and really, Como Shambala is a place you come for R&R, if you want to sightsee, you are better off staying in Ubud town.<br /><br />Activities – Just walking around the estate is more than enough for us! But the estate does have some yoga and trekking activities, juts ask at the reception.<br /><br />Bottom line: If you decide to splurge for a single day (or ideally 2 nights, so that you can have one full day to explore the estate) in the Ubud countryside, Como Shambala is definitely the place to stay. We could not have afforded the estate suite we are currently staying in if not for the free upgrade. Thank you Como for making our honeymoon memorable!</span></div>
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Radshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03769964663755499808noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16939976.post-14072907578382092752011-12-08T07:23:00.000-05:002012-06-21T06:49:49.101-04:00Bali honeymoon, p1 - Villa Patal, Karangasem<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">JBR Part 1 - Villa Patal, Karangasem (3 nights)</b><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br /><i style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Introducing ourselves - A newly-wedded couple in their early 30s. Born and brought up in a coastal city in south India, but have travelled widely in the West. I am a writer and my husband is an architect. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /></i><span style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">This is Part 1 of our 6-part blog on our Bali honeymoon.</span><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><b style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Why Karangasem?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Our wedding was a typical 4-day affair filled with lots of tense moments, so we were so much looking forward to a relaxing honeymoon. We knew that we would just like to unwind for the first few days, so an idyllic location without much to do sounded divine. Initially Uluwatu and Lovina sounded perfect, but Karangasem won because I fell in love with Villa Patal.</span><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><b style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </b><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><b style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">How did I find the accommodation?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /></b><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Asiarooms.com listing by owner. The official website is </span><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><a class="" href="http://www.villapatalbali.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: blue !important; cursor: text !important; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" target="_blank">http://www.villapatalbali.com</a><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><b style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Why this villa?</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQDq3vpD3zHelCryP6-z-QS-mjnfFXq3U8cTYx4jm5RyjBOfuIchWNMVNA6Ud494vzplccWEwhU80_abrZSuSyVY243FAeh4xTsMebHz4l6le2jYQzTeuTV96fWrSDuAuub1ssA/s1600/0.+our+villa+in+Bali.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQDq3vpD3zHelCryP6-z-QS-mjnfFXq3U8cTYx4jm5RyjBOfuIchWNMVNA6Ud494vzplccWEwhU80_abrZSuSyVY243FAeh4xTsMebHz4l6le2jYQzTeuTV96fWrSDuAuub1ssA/s400/0.+our+villa+in+Bali.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /></b><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Bali = rice terraces, isn't it? So I was cheesy enough to want a place with a view of cascading rice terraces. In the three months' research for the perfect villa, I never found any *in our budget*. One look at Villa Patal listing and I was sold. What a million dollar view (a volcano AND rice terraces – jackpot!), that too from a distinctly Balinese villa. We had never stayed in a villa before, so the privacy and personalised service added to the novelty. We knew we were not going to do much during the first few days, so staying in a remote location was ideal. </span><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> Another big reason was the 103" screen TV and PS3 consoles... it was the other major reason I selected the villa – I was sure my hubby the gamer would love it!</span><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><b style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Day 1</b><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">We landed around 8pm in Bali. Immigrations and VOA was a breeze, took us less than 2 minutes! Our flight was delayed by nearly an hour and we thought the driver would have left by then but to our pleasant surprise (and dismay that they had to wait so long) we found that the villa owners were waiting for us at the arrivals lounge.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.bjwtour.com/user/cimage/visa-on-arrival-counter-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://www.bjwtour.com/user/cimage/visa-on-arrival-counter-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">The ride took us nearly 2 hours to reach the villa. It was a comfortable air-conditioned car, and Dayu (one of the owners) gave us ice-cold towels. She was Balinese, while her husband Juri was Swedish. They stopped in a shop in Sanur so that we could buy local simcards. </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6470541183_e9f821b3f2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6470541183_e9f821b3f2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">And we also heard some disappointing news – the 103" projector screen was not working! You can imagine my dismay. My best surprise to my husband was ruined. I felt very annoyed for some time, and then slowly got over it – we were in Bali, on our honeymoon, and that’s what mattered!</span><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">The car sped through un-lit roads. My new husband sat very quiet next to me. He likes staying in well-known, luxury hotels; thanks to me, he was going to experience his first private villa stay and he was quite nervous... no doubt, scary thoughts were running through his mind – where is this strange car going in the middle of the night! I, on the other hand, had faith – and in a couple of hours, we reached Villa Patal. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWVIutcjhlSb_nWlR_l2qLTUTsxDqlzz5Bq7wSqfbnVtHBXQOd7AirmSzyg5Cwf7_VYJzPbfuwmrBy9b3P5RPGWlhS831Omp4J4BG5pUfG_yGLVbDkYpSuLeKgPFTusxev407wbg/s1600/1.+entrance+to+villa.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWVIutcjhlSb_nWlR_l2qLTUTsxDqlzz5Bq7wSqfbnVtHBXQOd7AirmSzyg5Cwf7_VYJzPbfuwmrBy9b3P5RPGWlhS831Omp4J4BG5pUfG_yGLVbDkYpSuLeKgPFTusxev407wbg/s400/1.+entrance+to+villa.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Entrance to the villa</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">As soon as we entered the lounge, we relaxed. The place looked fabulous in the soft-lit evening lights. The in-house staff were introduced and we realised for the first time that we had paid for the whole place, so they were our personal staff! We were given some red wine, ooh la la. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">We were starving, so we dared to disturb the resident manager Tantio for a simple dinner – and in less than an hour, we were served a feast of Indonesian chicken fried rice with side dishes and dessert. Yummy!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggNk7pj1iV7iDlMpMRYyOZwNm1dE7UTqV_F-NJC44tkRzZB1B3AUg_JJi6ldU6JTFyCgNtwy-IGvAyfwJ_t7XVr3lcKvpWlI8xIR25aRo3Zf9My2cS19vmIm1XAJjh16BgzOe7kQ/s1600/2.+dining.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggNk7pj1iV7iDlMpMRYyOZwNm1dE7UTqV_F-NJC44tkRzZB1B3AUg_JJi6ldU6JTFyCgNtwy-IGvAyfwJ_t7XVr3lcKvpWlI8xIR25aRo3Zf9My2cS19vmIm1XAJjh16BgzOe7kQ/s400/2.+dining.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Dining hall</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next came the brief tour of Villa Patal. It was a very comfy, elegant 2-bed villa with a great view of Mt Agung – though we couldn’t see anything in the dark. The master bedroom was super-spacious with an extra-king bed and tasteful interiors (no TV before the bed, much to my husband’s disappointment and my delight!). By this time, it was midnight and we went to bed, bone tired but happy to have selected such a nice villa. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPBMKiViWoaOIhellpOmfQJnKk8IpzZC3waoYE5nBI0lprpEPpBJBccop7JXPewoAeuLvnb5NLBB2mtvIdWyrYFxnOaXTa69IPA5d6oj-lSoir-L5K-AwgxbpMGcaUq5qrYviuw/s1600/view+from+the+master+bedroom.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPBMKiViWoaOIhellpOmfQJnKk8IpzZC3waoYE5nBI0lprpEPpBJBccop7JXPewoAeuLvnb5NLBB2mtvIdWyrYFxnOaXTa69IPA5d6oj-lSoir-L5K-AwgxbpMGcaUq5qrYviuw/s400/view+from+the+master+bedroom.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">View from the master bedroom</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><b style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Day 2</b><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6oHsRyeZSJcijX5Ac9p4wXfUnkECKiEDqa_XiyiYbaPfaHdZbNG4MoTlSDALJ10Xtmngc5awQSRvXe11u1EwVaIi_koB4jBBEjCoQ_DP9rKzzKOG9UevEFxdYHcwKeQfmFbiomA/s1600/it+is+the+volcano.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6oHsRyeZSJcijX5Ac9p4wXfUnkECKiEDqa_XiyiYbaPfaHdZbNG4MoTlSDALJ10Xtmngc5awQSRvXe11u1EwVaIi_koB4jBBEjCoQ_DP9rKzzKOG9UevEFxdYHcwKeQfmFbiomA/s400/it+is+the+volcano.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">View from dining hall lounge</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">I woke a little after half past 6 in the morning and was stunned to find the volcano’s presence outside my window. There are no words to describe it. It was the most beautiful sight I have ever seen in my entire life. I sat on the window sit for nearly an hour, simply looking at it.</span><br /><br /><span style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">I browsed the net till hubby woke up, and had a leisurely Indonesian breakfast (included in the room rate). We didn’t venture out today, just relaxed and my husband caught up with some work stuff. The wifi was patchy, but was alright for emailing. PS3 kept my hubby happy when he wanted to play, and I wrote quite a bit, inspired by the sight of Mt. Agung looming before us. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUFTF-opmdvf-BsslAaLXa8GeAbcwm6X9tnu78B3ATAOnalwaUf1mqBwom0G_eblxKbkGJxema9C3StUu2mc-hGCwbt0jvMW-pgesWSXNKdemYfB3KlG349GWJu4WClQGbMKtRhg/s1600/i+something+missing+in+this+pic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUFTF-opmdvf-BsslAaLXa8GeAbcwm6X9tnu78B3ATAOnalwaUf1mqBwom0G_eblxKbkGJxema9C3StUu2mc-hGCwbt0jvMW-pgesWSXNKdemYfB3KlG349GWJu4WClQGbMKtRhg/s400/i+something+missing+in+this+pic.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">the infinity pool</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">We ordered lunch and dinner from the in-house staff – there was a limited menu available, but since we stayed only for 3 days, we didn’t find it restrictive. It was a good day to spent time on the lounge, pool and living room, looking at the volcano. And I am glad we did that, because today was the last clear, sunny day in Karangasem, when the volcano would be visible throughout the day.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.bookonline2save.com/hotel_images/id/sidemen/villa-patal-id_5527047_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://www.bookonline2save.com/hotel_images/id/sidemen/villa-patal-id_5527047_500.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><b style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Day 3</b><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">After yet another late, leisurely breakfast – no volcano view today, as the clouds had thoroughly hidden it! – we went on a day trip to Tirtha Ganga and Candidasa. Tantio was our guide and the resident masseuse was the driver. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTz7QNrWtd1ViFFMe2RG-dz0LMBZmvigUQIiJWwm0iB791F-Uhe8LDwSzKBXzs2UOUCZAhMWC_9X5XGW06jxsz9tz-o5yCHQrJZZAKKgwhXKXH9mcEnk5lGLk5jC4PjT6LzeajlA/s1600/DSCN2373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTz7QNrWtd1ViFFMe2RG-dz0LMBZmvigUQIiJWwm0iB791F-Uhe8LDwSzKBXzs2UOUCZAhMWC_9X5XGW06jxsz9tz-o5yCHQrJZZAKKgwhXKXH9mcEnk5lGLk5jC4PjT6LzeajlA/s400/DSCN2373.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Balinese countryside</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">The large vehicle was comfortable and first, we went to a local temple and a clothing shop. We bought some souvenirs, and headed to have lunch at Surya Shanti restaurant. It was an expensive but good lunch, with 360 degree views of the Eastern Balinese countryside. </span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS61T30S1KOVVyxlKcHd5vWCxqiUuB-eD2tuQViSSSIOTva_EN1lzGRZrkb6QUGQT-Zo0Yfvf4DKdbxgcNrzSuYWOhbNoq9P7w0hHRkjN3oekBzXykP_T2UEp3-FGIJM0_eHWnKQ/s1600/DSCN2368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS61T30S1KOVVyxlKcHd5vWCxqiUuB-eD2tuQViSSSIOTva_EN1lzGRZrkb6QUGQT-Zo0Yfvf4DKdbxgcNrzSuYWOhbNoq9P7w0hHRkjN3oekBzXykP_T2UEp3-FGIJM0_eHWnKQ/s400/DSCN2368.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">View from Surya shanti restaurant</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Surya Shanti restaurant</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">After lunch, we went to Tirtha ganga, the water palace. it took us nearly 40 minutes to get from Surya Shanti to there. It was a pleasant drive and even better stroll around the water palace.</span><span style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Water Palace is nothing spectacular - or so I thought initially, but it kind of grew on you in minutes. It is very serene and, while being touristy, it gives you a nice look into the training of the balinese dancers... when we were there, a group of people, across all ages, were being trained and it was great watching them practice. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It should not take you more than an hour to see the water palace - it is more like a park with lots of water bodies in it - but if you have kids with you, they would want to spend more time playing hop! on the stones laid out beautifully over the water... like how my husband does here :)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">We drove back through Candidasa, and I shopped a bit on the "town centre” – just a single strip of road along the coast. Got some pretty tops for myself and housecoats for my mom. By the time we reached home, it was dinner and Tio served us another delicious dinner. It was our last night at Villa Patal! I felt a bit sad leaving this gorgeous villa, but I was also excited to see more of Bali.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><b style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Day 4</b><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">We checked out around noon, and Juri and Dayu drove us to our next hotel in Payangan. We left with the fondest memories of the villa. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><b style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Summary</b><br style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">We were very glad that we had picked Villa Patal to start our honeymoon. East Bali is a really nice intro into Balinese landscape and culture. We recommend Villa Patal as the ideal place for a honeymooning couple or a family who wants to stay indoors and relax. </span></span></div>Radshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03769964663755499808noreply@blogger.com0Karangasem, Indonesia-8.4391662 115.6091028-8.5648202000000015 115.4511743 -8.3135122 115.7670313tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16939976.post-17160132547457497072010-03-06T14:08:00.000-05:002010-08-23T14:58:37.436-04:00RACC - Week 1Today was the first class of WRITE A NOVEL IN A MONTH course at Richmond Adult Community College (RACC). When I was doing a routine search at Floodlight, I came across this course and promptly enrolled, as the course was quite inexpensive and Richmond was only a short bus ride away from Ealing.<div><br /></div><div>RACC is a nice little campus in central Richmond, a couple of minutes walk from the tube/rail station, and located directly opposite to Twickenham stadium. </div><div><br /></div><div>The course facilitator is Susan Lynes, a novelist and a successful NaNoWriMo achiever. She was a very gentle, very sweet person who knew what she was talking about. There were about 12 students. All except one were women; he was a graphic artist who had enrolled along with his mother.</div><div><br /></div><div>The first class went fairly well. Susie gave us an intro on the NaNoWriMo method, and debunked some myths about speedwriting. She was very encouraging, and dynamic in a quiet, unobtrusive way. As always I become happy being a part of learners, listening to the voice of wisdom. </div><div><br /></div><div>I am glad I joined this course, even though I have serious doubts about writing novels. My quick-fix mind veers towards short stories, which, any seasoned writer would tell you this, has no "money". But what to do - the heart wants what it wants :)</div><div><br /></div><div>Course Link - <a href="http://www.racc.ac.uk/course/L00101-101104">http://www.racc.ac.uk/course/L00101-101104</a></div>Radshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03769964663755499808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16939976.post-44816135409661899342010-02-28T12:46:00.001-05:002010-08-23T14:24:49.181-04:00Anger management<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:18px;"><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday, a group of young teens threw french fries at me when I was having lunch. I had shopped for some cheap boots - how stupid to buy them during the fag end of winter season - shopping always makes me hungry. I was sitting alone in a corner in a generic KFC, reading and munching on a burger, when I felt these soft thingies hitting my neck and hip. </span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Two years back, I'd have either confronted them or complained to the floor manager. But in this north London neighbourhood or Holloway Road, I was not able to get angry at these kids (who, by the way, all were at least 5 inches taller than me, and i'm 5'5"). Instead, I could only muster forgiving thoughts. They were clearly looking for trouble, and I wasn't going to give that to them. God knows how much trouble they have already faced in their lives. </span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I have finally understood that not everyone can be as privileged as I am, and that I should not feel guilty about it. Instead of feeling angry or trying to fix the problem, I have learnt to just let it be and move on.</span></p></span></div>Radshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03769964663755499808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16939976.post-39747747694387141592010-02-23T12:37:00.001-05:002010-08-23T14:25:04.922-04:00Changes<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:18px;"><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I critiqued a piece today. It was just a couple of 100 words, but the relief it brought me was enormous. I felt good. That is what is different about me now. I am able to FEEL more. Yes, I am doing less, writing less than EVER, but inside, I feel like I am expanding in a different direction. Moving, growing, spreading myself. </span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Living and travelling in UK has its ups and downs. More ups than downs, IMO, though others would beg to differ (their most powerful argument being that I am wasting my peak years doing nothing related to my career, which was kind of in super speed until I decided to resign and run to UK). </span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">While that's technically true, I don't think it's that bad. By putting myself out of my comfort zone, I have learnt many lessons. I have almost lost in touch with the world I knew and the work that I was familiar with. I do not write for a living any more. I do not see familiar faces from my country. I do not speak my mother tongue, I do not do what I used to be good at.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Instead I am learning stuff. I now have a new vocation, one I am learning every day. I have new dreams, new insights, new wisdom. I am not as arrogant or confident as before. While I still have personal and professional issues, I feel like a different person. I think, from time to time, you need to shed your old skin and feel fresh and new. It gives new meaning to your life, and spurs you enjoy every second of it. </span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; "><br /></p></span>Radshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03769964663755499808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16939976.post-15259927137150789922010-02-18T12:34:00.000-05:002010-08-23T12:37:11.694-04:00KaputSo I failed on the fifth day, when I had to go back to reality and do my normal chores. Temptation was too much to resist!<div><div><br /></div></div>Radshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03769964663755499808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16939976.post-79570076086980499032010-02-17T20:59:00.003-05:002010-02-17T21:16:53.846-05:00Dr. Joshi's Detox - Day 4It was almost a perfect day. <br /><br />I woke up with no appetite. Just had a handful of Food Doctor's Seed mix. <br /><br />Lunch was a bowl of steamed french beans and sweetcorn. I seasoned it with a few drops of olive oil, rock salt, pepper and lemon juice.<br /><br />I then went to the National Portrait Gallery with my friend. Wlaked around quite a bit, adding exercise to art appreciation.<br /><br />Evening snack was a bowl of boiled chickpeas. Dinner was my trademark curried one-egg omelette with spinach and ginger. <br /><br />Dessert? An ice cream bowl of cut banana mixed with yogurt, and flavoured with honey and cinnamon. I also added walnuts and some slivered almonds. <br /><br />You would think that such a good day would have a good ending. <br /><br />It did not. Because I just finished a mini tube of Smarties. <br /><br />Caved in on the 4th day of the detox. Of course, I bitterly regret it now, but I learned a good lesson. As I bit into the first Smartie, my mouth was filled with a bitter, metallic taste. I really didn't enjoy those chocolate buttons, because, I think, my body has learned to identify the junk that it actually is. <br /><br />And now that my tongue has told me how vile the artificial colouring on chocolate is, I will never go near them again. Even as I write this, my mouth is tasting so funny and bitter. I have to brush again!<br /><br />I had given myself 3 times (out of 3 weeks), to stray from the detox, if it is unavoidable or too overwhelming. The first time had happened today. I will try my best not to let it happen again. <br /><br />But I do know one thing. The next 2 times, if they happen, will NOT happen because of chocolate. After completing this detox, I may eat them now and then... may be at the movie hall or during a party - but I know I will never be addicted to chocolate again. <br /><br />So may be it IS a perfect day, after all!<br /><br />STRAYED? Yes :(. one small hexagonal tube of Nestle Smarties. 172 calores. Sigh. <br /><br />SURPRISED? - That I could spend a day on so little food. <br /><br />REPELLED? - Initial taste of chocolate was just plain horrible. <br /><br />MOOD? - Sheepish and guilty but wise and relieved...Radshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03769964663755499808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16939976.post-51275847051481517242010-02-17T03:00:00.002-05:002010-02-17T03:36:30.513-05:00Dr. Joshi's detox - Day 3Day 3 went okay, but I had my first craving today. It was not a nice feeling :(<br /><br />I always breakfast on a curried egg omelette and a tall glass of warm lemon water, so I will not mention it again from the next post... do not want to be a parrot!<br /><br />I had 3 feta rice cakes as a mid-morning snack and two more as an evening snack. This time I topped it with Food doctor's original seed mix, a savory mix of dry-roasted sunflower, sesame, pumpkin, hem and linseed seeds(this is a must if you are doing the detox, bcos on spoon of this will keep your sugar levels good between the meals and stop any cravings). It was okay, but I will go back to plain linseed topping. Seed mix is great only when munched on its own!<br /><br />Lunch was a big bowl of roasted carrots and brussels sprouts, with home made hummus dip. There is pretty much no hope for brussels sprouts, but if you slice your carrots really thin (use a grater), add a few drops olive oil+rock salt+pepper and roast them for 30 minutes, they come out as these incredible chips. It is almost like cheating, lol. <br /><br />Dinner was a small bowl of lentils mixed with brown rice, accompanied by masala salmon. I took one slice of salmon, chopped it, and sauteed it in 1/2 a tsp of olive oil, with a generous sprinkling of garam masala and chilli powder. I find that I am very reluctant to cook for dinner... I have the energy to experiment in the kitchen during the day, but as soon as it becomes 8pm, I start getting sleepy, and by 9pm, I cannot wait go to bed, so I just heat up whatever is in the fridge as have it as dinner. Hmmm, must do something about this... brown rice may be healthy, but I won't be losing much weight if I am eating it everyday! <br /><br />Dessert was a banana, bcos for some reason, I did not want to have the cinnamon yoghurt. I have been pee'ing a lot during the day, which is tend to happen, I guess, if I drink 2 litres of water. I did wake up in the night today around 2am, but went back to sleep promptly. <br /><br />Strayed? - NO<br /><br />Surprised? - Carrot chips was yummy<br /><br />Repelled? - There is really no way to make brussels sprouts tasty. <br /><br />Cravings? - Had my first longing for hot chocolate today when I watched an ad on TV (this was during the 8pm-9pm FRIENDS telecast on E4). Then for about 30 seconds, I considered dropping the detox and stuffing myself with chicken biriyani and chocolate fondue. I immediately got up and had a banana, and the feeling reluctantly went away. <br /><br />Mood? - Calm but a little uneasyRadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03769964663755499808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16939976.post-20027509176165352092010-02-15T08:35:00.004-05:002010-02-17T03:22:34.123-05:00Dr. Joshi's detox - Day 2Something incredible – no no, three things incredible have happened and I HAD to blog in the middle of Day 2. <br /><br />Incredible thing no. 1:<br />----------------------<br />I woke up at 7am. I slept at 9pm last night and woke up at 7am today. In case, it doesn't strike as unusual, I am used to waking up AT LEAST 3 times during any night. No, not to go to the loo, but just wake up randomly, look at the ceiling for a few minutes, and then go back to sleep. I was not an insomniac, but I certainly was a disturbed sleeper. <br /><br />That I went to bed at 9am itself was a surprise, because I have never done that. I usually stay awake till 11pm, and even if I needed to go to bed early, it is always because of an fatigue-filled day or if I HAD to get up early the next morning. So when I slept at 9am and got up at 7am on Detox Day 1, without even waking up once... gosh, I do not know when that happened last. Years and years ago, I am sure! <br /><br />Incredible thing no. 2 <br />-----------------------<br />I made myself a one-egg omelette of breakfast. My recipe for omelette is a little detailed. Beat an egg in a bowl, and add a tablespoon of rice milk, along with a pinch of table salt and 2 pinches of Korma curry powder. Put a non-stick tava or flat pan on medium heat. Saute ½ an onion in ½ tsp of olive oil for 3 minutes, add green chilli, ginger and garlic , and saute for two more minutes. Now add ½ a cup of fresh spinach leaves, and saute for three more minutes. <br /><br />Now, pour the egg into the pan and twirl the pan around to distribute the egg evenly. Sprinkle fresh ground pepper according to your level of tolerance and let the egg set for a minute. Then flip the egg over (doesn't matter if it breaks!), turn off the stove, and remove the pan from stove top. Let the omelette remain in the pan for one more minute, and then transfer it to a plate. <br /><br />This omelette is incredibly light and tasty, but also incredibly inadequate to be a filling breakfast. But today, instead of half an onion and half cup of spinach, I added one onion and one cup of spinach. After finishing this, I didn't feel like I need another omelette! Aha! So that's the secret. Increase the amount of veggies.<br /><br />Later, around 11am, I spread some marinated feta on a rice cracker and bit a bit piece. As I started to munch, and felt as if someone kicked into my throat. I started coughing like mad and had to drink some water. Then I returned back to remaining rice cake, and took baby bites. Tiny nibblings, and this time, I didn't cough. God! Was that actually my own body telling me not to wolf down food and savour it slowly??? Phew!!!<br /><br /><br />Incredible thing no. 3<br />----------------------<br />So this is what happened – last night, I weighed myself in the new digital weighing machine. It showed 70.21 kgs!!! Eeeek! Then I remembered – clothes add to the weight (especially if you are living in wintry London and wear three layers!). So I weighed myself in my birthday dress. The scale 69.55 kilos. Bleh. <br /><br />So today morning, on walking up, I did my business in the loo and my eyes fell on the weighing machine. Again, stripped and got on it. Now I am 69.15.... hmmmm. <br /><br />So I did my breakfast and usual bits of writing and then it was 1pm... time for lunch. I had to pass the bathroom to go to kitchen... you know what I did not, yeah, weighed myself again. And the machine showed..... 68 kgs!!!!!!<br /><br />What the heck?? Is this even possible? I have not been eating any junk food for only 2 days, and I have already lost 1.5 kilos??? Either the machine is faulty... or this detox must really be magical!!!<br /><br />POST-SCRIPT:<br /><br />Lunch - A bowl of boiled green beans and carrots, with a peppery olive oil spray on them. I also had an incredibly supersweet corn on the cob<br /><br />Snack - Rice cakes with marinated feta and chopped onion, sprinkled with linseed<br /><br />Dinner - Salmon with dal and brown rice<br /><br />Desset - There was a bit of the yogurt+honey+walnut+slivered almonds gop left in the fridge, and I did not want to throw it away (I can never throw away food, I was once jobless in London and almost starved). I added a pinch of cinnamon in the yogurt and wow! what a transformation!!! Instantly, the mess became bearable, even enjoyable. I licked the cup clean :)<br /><br />Strayed? - NO<br /><br />Surprised? - A pinch of cinnamon did what a teaspoon of honey didn't<br /><br />Repelled? - Frozen green beans is definitely not similar to fresh green beans.<br /><br />Cravings? - None whatsoever<br /><br />Mood? - Feeling strong and empoweredRadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03769964663755499808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16939976.post-55575446607537024382010-02-14T14:03:00.007-05:002010-02-15T08:44:14.713-05:00Dr. Joshi's Detox - Day 1The day has begun!<br /><br />I did a dry run in the past 2 days and most of my craving and fears were spent on those two days, so I was surprisingly calm and tensionless today. Physically, I am not quite okay as I have a racking cough, a runny nose and a lethargic mood, due to sinus problems. I even had a temperature, and not much of an appetitie, which was a blessing in disguise, otherwise I would have never been able to resist my unending hunger for junk food. <br /><br />So here's Day 1 menu:<br /><br />On waking up, 7am – 1 tall glass of warm water with a tbsp of squeezed lemon. Supposed to cleanse your liver and stomach, after a night's fasting.<br /><br />Breakfast , 8:30am – 1 egg omelette, scrambled with onion and spinach. Added a small green chilli and a bit of Korma powder, for flavour. It was yummy, but I SO badly wanted to have another egg omelette I then took a deep breath and started eating a banana, and the craving passed. <br /><br />In about 10 minutes, I started getting ravenous. I then consumed two thin Kallo rice cakes. Surprisingly, I did not have any cravings after that. I was able to work on my writing quietly, till I went to the kitchen around 12:30pm to start cooking and my gaze fell on Food Doctor's original seed mix. Yummy! Had a couple of tbsp of it, and instantly felt energised. <br /><br />Lunch (1:30pm) – I cooked! I made ladies finger (okra) fry, brown basmati rice and boiled lentils. I am used to eating mild lentils, so I made the okra spicy. Funny, but I made enough for 3 days!<br /><br />After cooking I realised something... what Joshi was actually advertising was Indian brahmin cooking! That's not a tough thing at all... I have been missing Indian food so much, I have absolutely NO problem eating mild Indian food for the next 3 weeks!<br /><br />Evening snack – This is where I usually stuff myself with chocolate bars or cakes. I had been scourging the net for Joshi-friendly recipes and came upon a wonderful site called eCurry.com, which has many detox-friendly recipes. One was called Marinated Feta. As per the recipe, I cut the feta cheese into small blocks, put them in a glass bowl and added 1/4 teaspoons of coriander and turmeric, and one chopped green chilli. I poured one tablespoon of garlic-infused olive oil and one tablespoon of and chilli-infused olive oil. I then sprinkled 1/2 teaspoon each of oregano, thyme and rosemary. <br /><br />The mix was supposed to be marinated for at least a day, but greedy me couldn't wait and pounced on it at once. When I tossed the mix, the feta blocks broke and the whole thing kind of became gooey. Not a problem, I just spread them on my Kallo rice cake and topped with finely chopped onion. Yum-my!<br /><br />Dinner (8pm): Since I had rice in the afternoon, I thought I will keep it light and veggie-friendly for dinner. THOUGHT being the past tense. I rally wanted to have curried carrots, peas and sauteed Brussels sprouts, but I did NOT feel like cooking, after spending an hour today afternoon in the kitchen. So I just had another bowlful of lentils and brown rice with the okra fry. <br /><br />I am not sure if this constitutes "cheating", but I did not consume any forbidden food... in my defence, dinner was a very small bowl and I was full very soon - which is a miracle by itself.<br /><br />Dessert (9pm): A small cup of live yogurt, with a teaspoon of honey and a teaspoon of walnut pieces+almond slivers. Pretty much bleh, but at least I could keep the sugar cravings aside. <br /><br />It quarter past 9 now and I am feeling sleepy! Never happened before... am I going to get a good night's sleep? I hope so... I stil hav a blocked nose and phlemy cold, so I am looking forward to a peaceful trip to La-la land...<br /><br />Strayed? - No... (I think)<br /><br />Surprised? - Marinated feta on rice crackers... super!<br /><br />Repelled? - Plain yogurt with honey and apricots does NOT taste nice<br /><br />Mood? - Upbeat and hopefulRadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03769964663755499808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16939976.post-22038452918865111772010-02-12T08:44:00.000-05:002010-02-15T08:45:15.366-05:00Dr. Joshi's DETOX for 21 daysI am embarking on a diet from today. Yeah, yeah, I know this must be the millionth time I have said THAT, but I am very positive about this one. It is based on Dr. Nish Joshi's Ayurvedic principles. It is not based on starvation, rather we are encouraged to eat till we feel full... but what we eat is the key here. It is a detox diet, which means that the food is going to be so fresh and homemade and additive-free that the body pushes out the toxins stored inside, in order to welcome the new, healthy sustenance. <br /><br />We CANNOT eat - <br />Red meat<br />Seafood, except oily fish<br />Dairy produce<br />Fruits, except bananas<br />Wheat, gluten and yeast<br />Alcohol<br />Nuts<br />Veggies belonging to the nightshade family, i.e., mushrooms, augergines, tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes and green/red/yellow peppers<br />Jams and spreads<br />Coffee and tea, except herbal<br />Sugar, chocolate and sweets<br />Artificially produced flavourings, such as ketchup, vinegar and mustard<br /><br />I know, what is actually left, jeez!<br /><br />Actually, plenty. In the next 21 days, I can consume reasonable quantity of:<br /><br />Goat's cheeses (like feta)<br />White meat – chicken and turkey<br />Brown basmati or long grain rice<br />Live yoghurt (unsweetened)<br />Dark green leaves and vegetables, except avocado<br />Eggs, no more than 3 to 4 a week<br />Fish, especially oily but NOT shellfish, tuna or swordfish<br />Gluten free/wheat free cereals, rice crackers and breads<br />Honey<br />Olive oil<br />Pulses, lentils, chick peas<br />Soya and tofu products<br /><br />I stocked my pantry with the following items (cost me £25 at Waitrose) – Live yogurt, Rice milk, Brown Basmati, Cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, spinach, carrots, red lentils, salmon (4 big pieces), onions, fresh garlic and ginger, mild green chillies, green tea, walnuts, fresh coriander. <br /><br />(I already had extra virgin olive oil, lemons, and all herbs and Indian spices at home... this is a staple if you want to do this diet, invest in the Indian spices to make your detox tasty... at the barest minimum, you should have: Ground coriander, cumin seeds, black mustard, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, korma powder, garam masala, rosemary, thyme, oregano)<br /><br />Wish me luck!Radshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03769964663755499808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16939976.post-53351484255526620422009-12-16T19:20:00.011-05:002009-12-16T20:20:17.533-05:00AVATAR<span style="font-size:130%;">A knee-jerk reaction review of the non-3d version</span><br /><br />I firmly believe that one cannot judge a movie on first viewing. I like to review a movie after watching it a second time, after a week of my first viewing, preferably a month later. So may be I should not write this review an hour after seeing AVATAR. A second viewing shows me things that I might have missed the first time. I like to form my opinion after several days, but but BUT... the initial opinion never changes.<br /><br />I can watch a movie any number of times, but the first impression is, my dear movie aficionados, ALWAYS the best impression. So here it is, the first impression. You know the feeling when watching a really great movie, that awesome realisation that you are watching a masterpiece, the near-teary feeling in your heart that you will be waching this movie again and again with your kids and grandkids?<br /><br />Well, I did NOT get that feeling after watching AVATAR.<br /><br />What I did get was that James Cameron has given the children of today and tomorrow a good damn movie. Seriously. Colourful woods and blue aliens and helicopter fights and oh my, even flying dragon-birds. Classic children’s movie, I tell you. Unfortunately, the theatre was filled with adults, adults who looked uncomfortable during the beginning of the movie, bored in the middle, and quite relieved when it ended.<br /><br />(I did not watch it in 3D because there was no 3d screen at the hammersmith cineworld, but in any case, I don't think it has anything to do with the real essence of a movie.)<br /><br />But let’s talk a bit about the story here. Humans discover a distant planet called Pandora which contains a valuable mineral. The planet is also inhabited by really tall and incredibly blue aliens (the N’avi) who resist the invasion. Grace (WEAVER), an environmental scientist, tries to stop the army into harming the aliens. Jake Sully (WORTHINGTON), a disabled veteran is given a body mask that makes him look exactly like the Na’vi. The humans introduce him and Grace into the world of Na’vi to know how they can be tricked into giving up their homeland. Will Jake and Grace succeed?<br /><br />Technically, the movie is cool. If you are a diehard Cameron fan and if you like epic movie plots with gorgeous landscape, you will love it. I too am speechless at the world Cameron created in the movie (but good special effects doth not make a good make!). If you watch this one with children (not teens, though, they will just snort and leave to watch TWILIGHT in the next hall), you will even shed a tear or two at the hardships faced by the aliens. The special effects is marvellous and sure to get an Oscar nod, the actors have done their jobs properly, and it is really good entertainment. But was it worth all the hype? No. And did we expect more from Cameron. YES.<br /><br />Given the 10-foot-tall aliens and the breathtaking world of Pandora, I can somewhat accept that Cameron was working on this movie for more than a decade (he must have spent most part of it at the 3g lab), but the screenplay left me puzzled. The plot was unoriginal and tired, especially to a scifi junkie like me. The epic good vs evil war theme and even the background music strongly resembled Narnia, and the chanting aliens and environmental theme kind of made it cheesy.<br /><br />My biggest gripe is that the movie itself is not telling us anything new. It is just another mindless scifi flick like a PLANET OF APES or THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL or WAR OF THE WORLDS. There is nothing wrong with mindless scifi flicks, by the way. I positively love them. I am actually the-love-them-and-leave-them type when it comes to mindless entertainment. You see it, roll your eyes, whoop at the war scenes, and forget about it. Heck, I got more goosebumps when I was watching TRANSFORMERS!!!<br /><br />That’s what is unacceptable. After 12 years, is this the best Cameron can give us? Where is the rollercoaster thrill of his ALIENS, the haunting beauty of his TITANIC, The suave sexiness of TRUE LIES, the sheer magic of T2? Why is this so generic and why didn’t this movie have any visible trademark that it was directed by a master expert? Why did I not leave the theatre hall feeling privileged to have seen a Cameron movie (should I have watched it in 3D)? Why, why, WHY, dammit?<br /><br />Now, if only it was advertised as a children’s movie...!!!<br /><br /><em>(If you want to read an in-depth review which analyses the technical aspects of the movie, please click </em><a href="http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/the941/2009/12/15/movie-review-avatar-immerses-audiences-in-an-alien-ecosystem/"><em>HERE</em></a><em>)</em>Radshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03769964663755499808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16939976.post-49885523683816250242009-08-22T03:50:00.000-04:002009-08-25T04:16:22.742-04:00Penniless in London<div>I think I am on the verge of another experiment in my life. One that might make or break me. </div><div><br /></div><div>I made an important discovery today. My wallet is empty. </div><div><br /></div><div>My next live-in job starts on Sep 1st and till then, I am broke. Completely, utterly broke. All my money has been spent on job-hunting and surviving, and I am at a position where I can rub shoulders with a discreet Zen beggar.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pluses: I have a roof over my head, food three times a day, a wifi laptop on loan, a library in walkable distance, and a phone that can take incoming calls.</div><div><br /></div><div>Minus: No money, not even a penny, in my wallet.</div><div><br /></div><div>One more week to go till I see cash notes in my life. Can I survive? Is it even possible to claim to enjoy life without money? </div><div><br /></div><div>As I said, this is going to be a most important week in my life. As I looked into my empty wallet, my whole life flashed before my eye. My passions, my hatreds, my previous jobs, my weaknesses, my strengths my vice, my virtues... almost each of them had involved money, directly or indirectly. Can I remain intact, physically and mentally, for a week without the green notes?</div><div><br /></div><div>Let's find out.</div>Radshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03769964663755499808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16939976.post-46561575414404913472009-07-15T18:45:00.001-04:002009-08-17T07:03:45.115-04:00Back in London<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This time, with my mother. One month of sightseeing and job-hunting. </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I don't think I will have much time to update this blog, let alone check mail frequently (I still don't have a laptop). Weekdays for jobhunting and weekends for sightseeing - a hectic schedule that is surely going to be exhauting.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">But I am happy I have got some one with me to share London with. VERY Happy. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Trust me, the more the see the world, the less you wish to see it alone. </span></div>Radshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03769964663755499808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16939976.post-82400964795418161072009-07-04T01:14:00.001-04:002009-08-17T07:01:53.516-04:00Leaving KanpurThe first ever science fiction writing workshop in India (Jun 15 - Jul 3, 2009) came to an end today, with a nice party on the front-yard of Suchithra Mathur's apartment.<div><br /></div><div>We sang, laughed, drank, ate, and exchanged ambitions, plans and email addresses. Full of hope and contentment, took a final midnight walk in the campus of IIT, Kanpur.</div><div><br /></div><div>Tomorrow, I leave in the early morning to Delhi, for a shopping weekend. I have a meagre budget of Rs. 2000, but I am sure I can buy a lot in Janpath market. </div><div><br /></div><div>We reached our hostel and waved at the guys, who are on their way to the men's hostel. It will be a long time before we could all meet again, but for now, we smile and say good night. </div>Radshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03769964663755499808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16939976.post-14690022569810127502009-07-01T12:23:00.002-04:002009-08-10T05:22:50.705-04:00I didn't go to class today :(.I am unwell. I feel dizzy when I stood up or moved fast, and spent the whole day in bed. Is it the heat or as my friends suggested, is something wrong with my blood pressure? Got to do something about this when I go back to Chennai.<br /><br />When I had my rest and woke up, I started thinking about my writing. If not for anything, I will forever remember this workshop for making me feel good about myself. I never thought I had it in me to write fiction, yet in the past 2 weeks, I have written three stories and all three were praised (even though only one of them is my personal favorite!). I am almost reluctant to submit them to magazines, because I want to keep them in my documents folder and savour their presence... they are the proof that I have "matured" from writing for children to writing for adults...<br /><br />Meanwhile, here are some well-reputed magazines that pay good money for good stories:<br /><br />Narrative magazine - <a href="http://narrativemagazine.com/shared/submit.php">http://narrativemagazine.com/shared/submit.php</a><br />Pays $350-$1000<br /><br />Glimmertrain (reading period starts frm July 1) Standard submission - <a href="http://www.glimmertrain.com/writguid1.html">http://www.glimmertrain.com/writguid1.html </a><br />Pays $700<br /><br />The Antigonish Review (reading period starts frm Sep 1) - <a href="http://www.antigonishreview.com/submissions.html">http://www.antigonishreview.com/submissions.html</a><br />Pays $100<br /><br />Malahat Review - <a href="http://malahatreview.ca/submission_guidelines.html">http://malahatreview.ca/submission_guidelines.html</a><br />Pays $40 per page<br /><br />The Pedestal magazine - <a href="http://www.thepedestalmagazine.com/submitguidelines.php">http://www.thepedestalmagazine.com/submitguidelines.php</a><br />Pays: $.08 per word<br /><br />More magazines here - <a href="http://www.pw.org/literary_magazines?apage=*">http://www.pw.org/literary_magazines?apage=*</a>Radshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03769964663755499808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16939976.post-78337607614887363462009-06-29T13:24:00.001-04:002009-07-07T05:42:23.176-04:00Introducing Vandana SinghToday, <a href="http://users.rcn.com/singhvan">Vandana Singh</a> joined us as the 3rd instructor of the workshop.<br /><br />Vandana is the "scientist" in the trio of Gurus who have been enlightening us in the past 3 weeks. Despite possessing a Ph.D. in theoretical particle physics and teaching at a small-town college in USA, she writers speculative fiction and has published a number of stories. She is also the author of the Younguncle series of children's books.<br /><br />Due to an unfortunate accident in the loo, I arrived late for the class. I couldn't take part in the exercise but I really enjoyed the rest of the class. Who knew learning about gravity could be so easy? I wish my teaches back in school were this gentle and patient!<br /><br />And oh, she had another interesting exercise - we had to take a proven scientific fact and retell it as a mythology story. I had a ball writing this one and my entry "The Monkey's Bargain" was praised as one of the best.<br /><br />I am happy!Radshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03769964663755499808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16939976.post-34161932644853615912009-06-27T02:22:00.001-04:002009-08-10T05:18:31.224-04:00Of Chaats and ChildrenTonight was the chaat party at the PBCEC building at IIT-K. Lots of pani puris and tikki chaats and gulab jamuns. And vanilla ice cream too!<br /><br />Be it a get-together or a conference, if they are not friends or family, I don't mingle with the crowd. I know - this totally kills the concept of networking, which is crucial to a writer, especially to a broke one. But that's the way I am, and I have tried a lot, but I could never, ever make small talk or inane talk or intelligent talk. I have just come to terms with it and stopped agonising about it.<br /><br />But this party at IIT-K was a slight exception. My classmates were such an outrageous lot (think ADHD kids on drugs) that it was impossible to hide from them. So while I successfully avoided mingling with the faculty (not by choice; there is something about me that makes members of academia run for cover), I spent quite some time "chaating" with Himanshu and Akshat.<br /><br />After an hour, it became apparent that 8pm is the limit for IIT parties, which elicited collective groans from the aforementioned hyper classmates. Just when we were about to leave, Himashu noticed a chubby boy, around 9, sitting alone in a corner of the lawn. I had noticed him earler, and Himanshu succeeded in what I wanted to do - he steered out little group towards the boy and sat near him.<br /><br />Like a typical IIT kid, he was relaxed and quietly confident. He answered our questions patiently and commented casually about the heat. He had a very adult-like way of nodding his head when speaking, and I felt the familiar rush of compassion and delight that I feel these days for kids. I wanted to hug him and sit with him and play a game of chess, take him to the zoo this weekend, and may be exchange email ids and years down the lane, advice him which country to go during his gap year.<br /><br />It is during times like these that I remember my age - very, very close to the big 3-oh. The clock is loudest when I see children sitting alone or being quietly brave. I never simper over babies - in fact, being the OB I am, I don't even like being responsible enough to care for babies - but older children always make me sad. In a hearbeat, they turn the corner to find Teensville and acquire precocious (even cynical) wisdom, but when they are still at middle school and believe in Famous Five, they are innocense personified, a rare feat and sight in the world.Radshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03769964663755499808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16939976.post-19075242634558852702009-06-16T10:21:00.000-04:002009-06-27T10:26:52.955-04:00Science Fiction workshop 2009, IIT KanpurSo far, great. <br /><br />The 1st batch is a mixture of late teens, young people, and above 30 category. We had a journalist, a lecturer, a copy editor, a moleculor biologist, few IIT students, and a newspaper columnist amidst us. <br /><br />The mornings (9am-1pm) are spent in critiquing each other's stories, and the afternoons (2:30pm-5:30pm) in theory and writing exercises. This is EXACTLY what I wished I had as a college experience when I was younger. Anil Menon is an awesome workshop facilitator and I am glad, GLAD to have taken the plunge and come here from London.Radshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03769964663755499808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16939976.post-82384352266975205162009-06-15T10:16:00.000-04:002009-06-27T10:21:06.529-04:00Finally at KanpurWe arrived at 7am in Kanpur but the train actually stopped at the station only at 8:15pm. It took us an hour to get from the station to IIT. On the way, the roadscape looked so dismal and dry that I closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep. <br /><br />IIT Kanpur is pretty much like the Chennai one, may be more roads and lesser area of woods. It certainly was hot. The Girls Hostel building was all squares and corridors, not one curve in sight. Our room was compact, with two single beds, as Suneetha and I were sharing the room. One plus was that it was right opposite to the restrooms (later proved to be a godsend... when the heat wouldn't allow us to sleep, we would wake up at all sorts of hours and stand under the shower...)<br /><br />I kind of crashed for some time, while Suneetha went ahead and attended the inaugrual function. I, as usual, went late and entered the AC hall to find Anil Menon doing a group writing exercise. (More about the workshop tomm)Radshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03769964663755499808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16939976.post-77499240501826747332009-06-14T15:29:00.000-04:002009-06-27T09:34:59.813-04:00StrandedNew Delhi Railway Station. AKA The Station from the Underbelly of Hell. <br /><br />The minute there were seats available in Lichavi Express in the last 48 hours, I should have suspected something foul. <br /><br />It was supposed to arrive at 3pm. It came at 1am the next day. <br /><br />10 hours in crowded, hot NDLS with luggage and a thousand people sitting on the platform. Sitting, sleeping, eating, and in some cases pissing and shitting too. Add to that a sandstorm in the night, where everything, including our bodies, shone yellow. <br /><br />Luckily, Suneetha and I parked our bums on a bench but you have NO idea how precarious our positions were. Eyes followed our every move, calculating when we would leave our bench. Scared witless about forsaking our bench and sitting amidst limbs and arms, we didn't even get up once in the 6 hours. Yep, no food or potty break. <br /><br />There must be a reason why were were put through this. If there is, I haven't found it yet. <br /><br />Though I have an entirely new appreciation for the people of DUNE.Radshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03769964663755499808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16939976.post-88971741786053614902009-06-03T02:11:00.000-04:002009-06-20T02:15:38.567-04:00I didn't have a camera with me...... when a 5-year old child leaned against my arm and whispered her wish to become a rock star, her face shining in trust that I would never betray her big secret. <br /> <br />... when she held a duck race in her pink bathtub every evening, willing her favourite duckie to win, and pouting when he didn't. <br /> <br />... when she lead me to the trampoline on sunny days, patiently teaching me to jump, and screaming delightfully when we played 'Crocodile grab me' in mid air. <br /> <br />The life of a nanny is filled with such moments. The child you wake up in the morning and tuck in at the night is not yours. You cannot kiss or hug her, since at a wrong moment, it can be percieved as perverse. There is no bond between you and her, save for the bond of employment, a crisp exchange of notes every Friday evening, in return for infinite care and affection during the week. <br /> <br />The real parents, often absent due to work and recreation, are such a jealous lot that you have to constantly check in your emotions and behave like a strict governess, instead of the indulgent nanny - otherwise, the child would love you more, which will render you jobless in a second.<br /> <br />It is impossible to take a picture of the child who has allowed you into her magical world and helped you rediscover innocence. You have to rely on your mind as the camera, and your memory as the storehouse for the pictures. <br /> <br />You can only hope that the pictures never get old.Radshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03769964663755499808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16939976.post-19751644846790416712009-05-28T04:32:00.002-04:002009-06-20T12:34:13.801-04:00What religion do I belong to?Some of my friends wonder - am I going to covert to Christianity?<br /><br />This is probably because I regularly go to Church these days. <br /><br />My answer: Just because I enjoy eating in restaurants, doesn't mean that I am going to stop cooking at home. Or buy deli food and eat it in a park. <br /><br />I am not an atheist - it cannot be all a big fat co-incidence. I do believe in a Higher Power. What I don't believe is giving it a name, restricting it to a certain colour and entering it in a race ("Who is the best of all?")<br /><br />I like the bits and pieces from each religion. <br /><br />I like to be in a Hindhu temple because of its serenity, but I do NOT like it the concept of a punishing God or when menstruating women are not allowed inside. I HATE it when saffron-clad swamijis live like Kings and own Benz cars, while middle class people donate their ancestral lands to religious organisations, in the name of donation. <br /><br />I like the sermons of a Church, but I do NOT like when it preaches that Man is a sinner and he has to repent all his life for his sins. I don't buy that. If Man sinned, why hasn't God just destroyed the whole world in a rage? If He can be angry enough to banish His children from Eden, why not just terminate it all and start afresh? <br /><br />I like Islam, because it is actually a peaceful religion. The Quran says "...whosoever killeth a human being... it shall be as if he had killed all mankind, and whoso saveth the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind... (5:32). But I do not like the burka, or the fact that it is the cradle of modern terrorism. <br /><br />Buddhism, Jewish principles, Native American Beliefs... I pick the good things from all religion and shape my spirituality. Only in this way, I can get as much as possible from all religions. <br /><br />This may sound blasphemous for some, but it is what works for me the best. I firmly believe that each person has to form his/her own manner of prayer and worship to his/her God.Radshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03769964663755499808noreply@blogger.com1