Screw Snorkeling, Go Biking Instead!

I woke up still not feeling well.  My stomach was aching, and there was no way I was going to risk having an accident during the snorkeling trip.  It was a decision I didn't want to make, and in fact I was very, very disappointed, but I had to say no to snorkeling and good-bye to the opportunity to visit Menjangan Island.  Why force it?  I told myself I will have to come back to Pemuteran in the near future.  It still sucked though to be so close to something and not get there.

Pak Taruna was very kind and understanding.  He suggested that I have toast and eggs for breakfast and that I spend the day taking it easy.  He also let us know that he rents out bikes for free for all guests if we were interested in riding out to some of the temples in the area.  That definitely piqued our interest.  

Toast & eggs

Fried rice topped with an egg

The most popular breakfast item in Bali: banana pancakes - we had to try it!

Fresh fruit

Love, love, love Taruna's tea sets -- super cute!

Cute elephant tea kettle!

Daily breakfast is included, and Taruna's breakfast menu is quite impressive.  They offer both Western and Balinese cuisine.  When we travel, we usually go with the country's specialties, but every now and then we miss home and go with the Western selection, of which Taruna does a good job.  

Before going biking, we decided to walk off our breakfast by going back to the beach we were at yesterday.  It was nice and sunny out.  

The road in front of our hotel -- in fact, the only road in Pemuteran

Another path to the beach, the one without the creepy cemetery

Getting closer to the beach!

My adorable sisters

Me enjoying the cool waters

My mom is so cute

There were only a few people at the beach.  We spent a couple hours walking the beach and picking up rocks and seashells of all shapes, colors, and sizes.  Then we returned to the hotel for some bike action where we rode up a long street till we reached a Balinese temple. 

 

 

 

 

We did not enter the temple as we were not appropriately dressed, and apparently there is another temple up in the hills that locals say is a great spot to watch the sunset.  Because we didn't want to leave our bikes behind, we didn't attempt to find it.  We simply enjoyed riding up and down the long street, watching kids on scooters play nearby, and taking photos of black pigs that scampered from one neighbor's yard to the next.  

R&R At Our Homestay in Pemuteran

We didn't sleep long, though it felt like a very long time.  When my mom and I awoke, it was close to 12 noon, just in time for lunch -- and we were hungry.  We waited for my sisters to wake up before we headed to the warung in front of the hotel.  The staff was happy to see us, and hoped we were able to rest well.  The warung was a beautiful spot to have lunch.  We had trouble picking which table to dine at, having moved three times.  

The menu ran the gamut of Balinese and Indonesian specialties, such as nasi goreng (fried rice), mie goreng (stir-fried noodles), satay ayam (grilled chicken skewers), seafood, ayam betutu (steamed chicken Balinese-style) and a number of vegetable dishes, like tumis kangkung (sauteed watercress in Balinese spices) and sambal lilit (green beans with grated coconut).  There was so much on offer, we had trouble deciding, but ultimately ordered the following:

Pesan be pasih, or grilled fish in banana leaves

Kare ikan laut, or mixed seafood curry

Mie goreng ikan laut, or stir-fried noodles with seafood

Chicken satay with peanut sauce

The food was delicious!  The portions were generous and the flavors were out of this world.  But despite the incredible food, I still wasn't feeling like myself.  I was still suffering from the pangs of food poisoning -- my stomach still hurt, and I couldn't finish my noodles, which I decided I would save for later.  

Embok Tia and Embok Erni quickly became our friends.  My mom has a special knack for engaging people wherever she may be.  We shared stories of our recent travels throughout Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, and the ladies regaled us with stories of their Balinese upbringing and way of life.  We learned that a Balinese girl grows up to be married off into another Balinese family, with whom she will remain the rest of her life.  She is obligated to live with her husband's family in their family compound whether she likes it or not, whereas the sons in the family stay with the family.  It is an interesting way of life, and quite restricted with very little privacy.  Fortunately for Embok Tia and Embok Erni, they both get along well with their in-laws.

After a round of refreshing beverages and watching children walk home from school ... 

A yummy pina colada

Fresh-squeezed orange juice, my new-found favorite drink in Bali!

Uniform-clad children walking home from school

We walked to Pemuteran Beach, which was only a 15-minute walk down a narrow strip of concrete road not too far from our hotel.  There was an old, unmaintained cemetery along this path, which was a little creepy.  We vowed to one another that we would next time take a different path to the beach.  But the staff at Taruna assured us that the black sand beach would be straight-ahead, which it was.  It is a peaceful beach, but not one you would consider sunbathing or surfing at.  It is the kind of beach you would take a leisurely stroll on.

Pemuteran Black Sand Beach

Happy to be in Bali!

Mom & Sahara scouting for seashells, the popular Beach activity

One of many Balinese sunsets

We walked back to the hotel as the sun set just in time for dinner, which we enjoyed in the hotel warung.  This is where we got to finally meet Taruna Homestay's owner, Bapak Taruna himself, a very friendly man whose hospitality was inspiring.  He took the time to check in with each guest regarding their dining experience.  Pak Taruna and I corresponded via e-mail three months before we arrived in Bali while I was working out the logistics of this trip.  He was always so quick to return my messages and was extremely helpful in answering all my questions regarding overland travel to Bali.  It was finally nice to meet the man behind the e-mails and behind such a lovely family-owned establishment.  We loved everything about his homestay.  It was only our first day here, and already we felt like family.  That has always been Pak Taruna's goal in establishing a place for guests from all over the world to stay.  We also met Pak Taruna's shy but adorable 10-year-old son, Pandya, who entertained all dinner guests with his talented gamelan-playing skills. 

Tomorrow, the plan was for us to sail to Menjangan Island where we would snorkel.  This was already pre-arranged through the hotel months ago.  And I was able to snag a sweet deal at Rp. 250.000 (about $25 per person), which includes the boat transfer, guide, snorkel gear, lunch, drinks, and entrance fees.  But given my physical condition, I was not entirely certain it was going to happen.  Pak Taruna, however, was nice and said to just let him know at breakfast whether we would go or not.  Guess we shall see how I feel in the morning.

Pemuteran, Our 2-Day Home in Bali

The ferry ride was peaceful.  The soft breeze and smell of ocean water was a nice welcome after a full day of train travel.  After about an hour's ride on the ferry, we reached Gilimanuk, Bali.  While on board the ferry, we phoned Taruna Homestay, our home for the next two days, and asked the owner if it would be possible to check in early as we have traveled long and far to get here.  He graciously said not a problem, and that our room shall be ready upon arrival.  Thank God for kind-hearted people. 

Thanks to my mom and her strong negotiation skills, we chartered a private bemo for Rp. 150.000 (about $15 USD) for the 45-minute ride to our hotel.  The ride consisted of mostly countryside, a few homes, and not much else.  I was starting to doze off when we suddenly pulled off the side of the road.  Yay!  We have reached Taruna Homestay!  We were so tired, we were all ready to just lie down and sleep!  Two women dressed in traditional Balinese garb came out to greet us.  We would later learn their names as Embok Tia and Embok Erni, 'Embok' being the equivalent of 'Miss' in Balinese, two women who were the friendliest, most hospitable, and welcoming staff I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.  One of them guided us to the reception desk, which is located in their art gallery/gift shop.  I couldn't help but notice all sorts of beautiful arts, jewelry, and hand-made crafts in the store.  I told myself that I will have to come back later and have a better look.  For our two-night stay, we paid in cash a total of Rp. 1.070.000, or about $110 USD, taxes and daily breakfast included.  She then showed us to our room, which was behind the art gallery via a flower-patterned stone pathway through their neatly-manicured gardens past four other rooms, each with a patio facing the gardens.  

The lovely flower-patterned stone pathway on the hotel grounds

The short walk from the front of the hotel to the back of the property

Every room has its own patio

Our beautiful, cozy, room and private terrace

My family and I were quite impressed with the grounds -- traditional Balinese with so much beauty and character -- and our room, a Super Deluxe Garden View, was simply gorgeous.  I couldn't wait to just relax.  After all, this is why we came to Bali.  And Pemuteran is the perfect place to do just that.

There was a set of welcome drinks (freshly-squeezed watermelon juice) and flower-scented hot towels awaiting us on our patio table.  And as if that were not enough, we entered our room to find beautiful frangipanis beside a hand-written note on a frangipani leaf atop our bed.  Talk about a welcome!

Our welcome drinks

Frangipani, flowers you will find all over Bali

Nothing says welcome than a welcome note on a frangipani leaf!

It was 9 AM when we got settled into our room.  After thanking the ladies, we decided to get some sleep before waking to have lunch in the hotel warung, or restaurant.  Here are some more photos of Taruna Homestay.

Mom chillin' on the patio

One of our comfy beds

The natural skylight from our private, outdoor bathroom

The water would sprout from the Balinese goddess' bucket

Our outdoor shower, a true Asian experience

Entrance to Pandya Art Gallery

A romantic dinner for two in the garden

Our daily walk to our room

Hotel grounds