Kuta, Legian, Seminyak Last Few Days

I arrived in Kuta at night, only having time for a dinner and dessert before I would crash after a long travel day, the two being a vegan burger and smoothie bowl. I had quite the journey here from Lombok, it entailed of a gruesome ferry ride, almost four hours in a boat that reeked of gasoline, of a temperature so high it would have broke the thermometer like you see in cartoons, and through the choppiest of water we were catching air at times. To say I was happy to be on the ground with some food in front of me is an understatement. I wasn't able to finish the smoothie bowl last night so when I woke up I finished the bowl, grateful that I got it for my dessert and didn’t finish it all the night before. I made plans to call my friend Klotz, and we were on the phone in the morning for me, night for him, for about a few hours. It has been so heartwarming getting back in touch with my friends, about the halfway point of my trip, and hearing about their life updates as well as sharing my recent adventures. I was grateful to have touched base with another close friend of mine, making me excited that once the time does come, I will be happy to be home and see everyone that I missed so dearly while being here. 

I hung up with Klotz mainly because I was getting hungry again and I was craving some vegan pancakes, on the hunt for them and thinking I found a restaurant that serves them. So, I took a grab scooter to the city Seminyak, which is just north of my hotel in Legian. When I got to the cafe though, they were out of the pancakes for the day so I ordered the next best looking item which was the oatmeal. The same thing happens to me at home is oatmeal fills me up quicker and much more than I’d ever expect. And also all the fiber probably isn’t the best on the still recovering stomach, so I only got through about half of the bowl. But I kept it at my side and after a few hours I nibbled at it some more and chipped away at another quarter, feeling much less guilty now for leaving it on the table unfinished. 

While scrolling social media, I saw that my friend Liv that I met in Ubud was in Seminyak! She posted a photo and I was beyond grateful that she is someone that posts in real time because I immediately reached out to confirm that she is in fact in the city for the day. I invited her to the cafe and about an hour later she sat across the table from me and we caught up on all things since Ubud! She was someone I met and got pretty close with, making it a hard goodbye in Ubud, not knowing when or if I would see her again. It was the biggest gift to hang out with her again, to spend time with someone I was already familiar with and so comfortable to be around. We could not stop chatting in the cafe, but eventually concluded our conversation for the sake that she invited me to a beach club and we had to go back and get ready for it. 

I was meeting her and a friend she made named Madison at a beach club in Seminyak called Potatohead. I went back to my hotel quickly and changed, refreshed my makeup, and then left to meet them there to watch the sunset with drink in hand and eat some yummy food after. 

This beach club had the perfect vibe. It was chill, but filled with activity and people, but not a party. They had some great mocktails as well that I got to try and enjoy. Because I still feel like I couldn’t and didn’t fully treat myself on my birthday, this was a bit of an overflow from that. I got the Vitamin Sea drink which I had while we sat by the pool with a beach view, watching the sunset and the rays glimmer on the waves rolling into shore. 

We started getting hungry and migrated up to the restaurant. They had tons of options but I went with a salad, needing something fresh and trusting this place to have safe food as now that was a constant worry of mine. 

We talked all of dinner, it was so fun chatting with these girls in a great environment, surrounded by activity and music but not an overwhelming amount. I was so happy Liv invited me here, this is my perfect definition of going out for the night, finding a place that has good vibes and lively around you, but you feel as though it’s just the conversation you are having with friends that are in front of you. My dinner with the girls deepened our friendship, establishing one with Madison, and solidifying the one with Liv. 

In our many different conversations, they mentioned Dang Cookies, a dessert shop that has the most amazing cookies and a must stop while in Bali. My best equivalent is MN State Fair Sweet Marthas quality of cookie, but store locations similar to Crumbl or Insomnia. Liv and Madison had an early morning, so we left dinner at 8pm, meeting back up at the nearby cookie place, and feasted on those in our last moments together. 

They had two vegan cookie options, an all chocolate one, or a chocolate chip cookie one. Of course I went with the chocolate chip cookie. Liv was so exciting to watch me try this cookie for the first time she recorded my reaction. It was super tasty for sure, one of the best I’ve had in a while, but I will admit nothing will top Sweet Marthas. But, to get pretty close was a treat. I treasured my last few minutes with them, an unexpected joy to hang out with them tonight. I was really expecting to spend the next three days alone and recharging, also finish up calling friends and family while I had a hotel room to myself to take a call.  

I said goodbye to them around 9pm, Madison’s grab driver getting there early and then next was Liv’s. It was a hard goodbye saying my farewell to her, we got so close in Ubud, having our bunks next to each other, and although we didn’t spend every minute together in Ubud, we found ourselves catching up at nights and it was a similar feeling to coming home to your roommates and debriefing them on your day. I gave a big hug goodbye in Ubud thinking I would not see her again, but what a blessing that she was literally just five minutes from me this morning and we were able to reconnect. My heart was quite torn saying goodbye, giving her three quality hugs, and promising each other we would stay in touch and let the other know if we were in their country. She is from London so I could see myself there in the next few years and meeting back up again! To make friendships that develop that strong and quickly is a blessing I would discover on this trip, but it does make for a bittersweet goodbye out of fear I might never not see these people again. I hope that’s not the case, but you never know. 

August 9th, this was my first full day alone, and I didn’t mind taking the time to do just that. I went to Kynd Cafe early in the morning. I had plans to call Carter, and I didn’t want it to get to late for him, but I was hungry so I got ready quickly and hustled to the cafe so I could give him a call. I was craving pancakes yesterday and they had some here, and I ordered them up. I keep going back and forth about being a foodie and trying all the fun vegan things I find here, but then I also want to eat really healthy and clean here. Those two almost never line up. I am still trying to find a middle ground, and I think after my breakfast this morning I finally found some clarity in the method I hope to implement. Don’t get me wrong, the pancakes were delicious and I loved the first few bites, but that was all I needed until it got quite heavy in my stomach. They were topped with coconut ice cream, not something I necessarily needed on my breakfast plate, and that added to the density sitting in the bottom of my stomach. I just about finished them up by the time Carter was ready for the call. 

We chatted for about an hour, catching up on his summer classes and internship and me updating on how my trip has gone so far. He had to go after about an hour because he had a big presentation for his last day of work. I went to work at the cafe, enjoying my time cafe hopping around the beautiful Bali cafes, a hobby of mine I picked up in Madison and happy that I can do here as well. I wanted to eat lunch there as well but I was so full from the pancakes for so long, I had to stay until 1pm, and when I ordered the food I still wasn’t that hungry but got a meal in. I ordered the savory dish I probably should’ve gotten for breakfast instead, sourdough avocado toast with scrambled tofu, my absolute favorite.

I packed up early so I would make sure to be back for my spa appointment at 2:30pm, I kid you not when I say I ordered a grab ride at 1:30pm and barely made it there in time for my appointment. It was a bad time to order a grab as most drivers were taking a lunch break and my area was packed with traffic they took forever to get to me. Once I was on the back of a bike I felt a lot better, and he was really trying to navigate this traffic, but we were still greatly delayed by it. I absolutely hate being late to things, so I was having anxiety being on the back of this bike praying I would get back in time to drop my stuff off in my hotel room and still get to the appointment on time out of respect to them.

I have the sweetest supporters in my life, after a hard week in Lombok and having to make the difficult decision to cancel my exciting plans for a three day boat trip to Komodo Island, my mom and her friend Julia from work sent me some money to treat myself at the spa to make up for the past week and to celebrate my birthday. It was the sweetest gesture and I appreciated it more than words can say. I am not the best at treating myself, always in saver mode, but who knows when I will be back in Bali and be able to enjoy spa treatments like these, and at such an affordable price. Their gift urged me to pamper myself and ignore the cost, and it was so worth it. The spa I went to was right next door to my hotel and I read in the hotel reviews about so many people recommending the place so I knew this was one way that could make up for the missed boat trip. Although massages are everywhere in Bali for an amazing price $10, I had only gotten one so far, funny enough it was on my first day in Bali and now these were the last few days I was here. 

When I got there for my deep tissue massage appointment, I filled out a questionnaire that informed the masseuse about any preferences, conditions, etc. For example, I wanted the focus to be on the back and to avoid any stomach massaging as it was still sensitive from being sick. They also made sure I didn’t have a migraine for the day and could have the head massage. That was the premium I got from this spa compared to the others I have gone to in Asia. Also, I got to choose between three options for my body oil that would be used in the massage. They had a ginger lime, lavender, and mixed flower. The lavender was the softest and most refreshing, so that was an easy pick for me. I got a welcome cool tea and enjoyed the few sips in the tiny cup before being called for my treatment. 

Before the start of the massage, they washed your feet, filling a warm bowl of water with fresh flowers and fruit. It had marigold, pandan leaves, petals, and fruits. One of the fruits being pineapple which they used to scrub the bottom of your feet. It was really cool and a quick precursor to the main massage. With clean feet, it was a good start to the session. I was then brought to my room to change and lie on the table. I had to take off my many pieces of jewelry that I’ve collected so far, taking longer than I expected. But once I got under the sheet, I was so ready for this massage and for it to heal the damage my back has taken from hauling around my massive backpack. I chose a 90 minute massage because the extra thirty minutes was well worth the small price increase, but just how an hour flies by, so did the ninety minutes. There was a lot of focus on the back and she really dug into the muscles and loosened them up, I was ready when she completed the back and moved on to the other parts of the body, to give my back a rest, although that’s typically my favorite place for a massage. It resembled a balinese massage when she did the rest of the body, I was quite familiar with the traditions of the massage as this was my second. The first I wasn’t sure what to expect and didn’t have the most relaxing experience as I was in part trying to wrap my head around what techniques actually made up a “balinese massage”. But this I could really relax for as I could slightly anticipate what was coming and how far into the massage she was based on what limb she was working on.

It was a full body massage and experience, and once it was over I was wiped out, but in a good way. I got some warm tea while I filled out a review form in their transition chairs, getting my eyes reacquainted to the light, a nice offering the other spas didn’t have. It helped maintain the relaxed state I was in longer post massage.

I went back to my room to regroup and figure out what I wanted to do with the rest of my night. I really wanted to read, and thinking it would be like Canggu and they would have nice restaurants lined up on the beach, I headed to the water and thought I’d walk on the sand until I found a nice place to grab a drink and read. 

Well, this beach operates a bit differently and they only had laying out chairs run by an Indonesian local that was hard to place and likely only offered beer and coconuts for a beverage. Not the type of vibe I was going for as I didn’t want to pay for a chair with hopes of grabbing dinner soon and taking a call with a friend from Madrid I hadn’t spoken to for a full year. So I kept walking and walking on the beach, seeing a large monument and using that as a point in which would be the end point of my beach walk. As I now embarked on a mini exercise instead of a peaceful reading session, I did tons of people watching along with following the sun as it fell closer to the horizon and started to spray colors further and further out from the core. It was a beautiful night and sunset, and a gift to be next to the water, having it so accessible is a dream of mine. 

I walked to a dinner place, getting there right on time for our call. I quick put in an order so it would be good to go by the time I was chatting with Rowan. Our call was so sweet and went by too fast. We only could talk for an hour because of our schedules, and that was not nearly enough time for us to recap on the past year we went without a catch up call. Right now she is in Thailand, recently having moved to Chiang Mai for a job serving at a University. I missed her, long distance friendships are hard when you have no idea when the next time you will see them will be. But, at least we could call and our conversation was like our friendship never faltered and a good reminder of why we became friends in the first place, we connected so well and had so much value and perspective to exchange with each other. 

I went back that night and called it early, a quick stop at the pharmacy across the street from my hotel to replenish my pills and pick up some electrolytes as I was running low. I read some more in bed, getting into my new book (current read: My Brilliant Friend).

August 10th

My last day in Bali and that hurts to say. I wanted to still make the most of it so I woke up early and walked to a nearby coffee shop. I had the cutest smoothie and a vegan McMuffin. I read while at the cafe but it got a bit busy so I left because I needed to be back for the massage I had at 10am. I woke up so sore from the deep tissue massage the day before and was nervous about getting another massage today. But this spa is so nice that I filled out a questionnaire when I arrived and informed them of my state. They lightened up for my back which was so nice, and I got a Balinese one which is more on the softer side anyways. I had a one hour balinese massage and then a thirty minute facial, my first facial! It was such a lovely treat to go to the spa and get those treatments.

After I went to grab some lunch. I went to grab some avocado toast and at a cafe rec from Madison. I wanted to read so I went to a beach club, the view wasn't the best as I could only see a sliver of blue from my seat but the vibe of the place was nice. I sat there and had two juices while I read my book and also did a lot of catch up on photos.

The afternoon flew by and it was time I head back to the hotel to start getting ready for the flight. I wanted to nap a little bit knowing I had a red eye flight and I am a terrible sleeper on planes. I packed up so I could feel better about having that done and I lied on my big bed and enjoyed the space while I had it knowing I would be in hostels here on out. I really only rested because I couldn’t fall asleep that fast but it was nice to lie down horizontal because that was a luxury I wouldn’t have tonight. I got some dinner sent to my hotel, inhaled it, and chatted with my family while I got the finishing touches of my packing done. 

I wanted to time out the airport well so I wouldn’t be spending too much time there so I ordered my driver and he got there at the perfect time and dropped me off at the airport where I had a nice amount of time. I had to check in to get my boarding pass and lucky enough I got to check my bigger backpack and not have to worry about carrying it around the airport because it’s huge and annoying and has to go everywhere with me because I’m by myself and can’t just leave it at the gate while I roam. It’s the little things like this that I’ve learned makes traveling alone harder at times, more so inconvenient, but still those minor moments are worth the ability to be here right now and travel around. Also, randomly, I the same guy from the cafe that looked like Kyle from Nelk Boys and even wore a happy dad hat, it was insane. 

I tried to sleep for most of it, I don’t think I took a melatonin which is why I slept poorly no doubt. I think for the four hour flight, I might have gotten one, maybe two hours of sleep. We landed in Manila at 5am and my next flight would be around 10am so I had some time to kill. The customs line was very long so thankfully having a big layover didn’t make me nervous about that. I was standing for almost thirty minutes for that, a massive international flight landed right before us, plus I went to the bathroom first, thankfully, but that put me right at the back of the line. 

I got my final new country stamp in my passport, such a cool way to see those memories on paper and in a book that when I look back will show all the amazing adventures I was able to go on. 

I was thinking I should probably eat some food so I walked around looking for anything vegan, and one of the last places I went to had a big muffin. I had half of it there in the shop but then walked around to find a place to sit and wait, my gate was far from a lot of the restaurants so I stayed in a more main area until right when I had to leave. I found a TV playing old NBA games, and there was something so homey about it. Lining up in front of a tv to watch some sports. Although it wasn’t my team, it was a nice thing to do to pass the time. I was pretty awake at this point, but I did lay back across three seats, reclining into a comfy position to watch a rivals replay of the Brooklyn Nets against the New York Knicks. The game before was Bucks vs the Nuggets and I would’ve preferred to watch that one but I’ll take anything. Mid game I called Sean because he was also just lounging on his couch at home alone and we just chatted and caught up. He’s been one of the friends I feel like I can just call randomly and it works out where we talk about random stuff that it doesn’t really feel super formal like a proper catch up with other friends. We hung up and I walked to my gate to get ready for my flight to Siargao. It was 10:45am and we were off. I was set to land at 1:30pm. I slept for a majority of the flight which was much needed. I think I slept more on that flight than I did the prior. It was hard to pass up the views outside the window, that was the only bummer about sleeping was missing out on that. 

And that was the conclusion of my time in Indonesia and the beginning of my journey in the Philippines. I am so fortunate to feel the comfort and ease when traveling around Bali, it was just what my soul needed for this stop on my trip. It was hard to leave, but I was also so hopeful for the Philippines. Siargao, my first island in the Philippines that you will learn I would fall in love with and be the memory marker of my summer trip. More to come to share with you those adventures, stay tuned!