Bali .. An Asian treat.

Day 1 in Bali:

Travelling to Bali from India was pretty smooth. I think it's one of the cheapest holidays that's totally worth it for anyone who really wants a break. Long strips of pretty beaches with white sands, beautiful painted sunsets, Balinese culture and Hindu temples at every corner.. Bali welcomes you in the moment you arrive at Denpasar airport.

Seen near Denpasar Airport.

The people are all ready to do anything for you, the country being one that's still developing, everyone is ready to work in order to make money some way or the other and since tourism is currently booming, everyone is into the hospitality business. Tour guides, drivers and other welcoming people greet you with a smile. 

Somehow the feeling that I have arrived in this beautiful faraway land which I'd always dreamt of visiting didn't hit me immediately. At first I felt like nothing was different. Like I was in an Asian version of Kerala.

Our holiday package included a pick and drop service to the Hotel, but since our flight was delayed by over an hour we missed out on our guide who waited for us and then left. So we were helped by Ketut, who we met at the airport and offered us his phone to make calls to our tour guide. Our calls didn't go through so we decided to take up Ketut's offer, who drove us to an Indian restaurant, waited for us while we had our first meal after a long day and then dropped us to the hotel.

The Garden at Grand Mirage Resort

Grand Mirage Resort and Thalasso, Bali was a beautiful and extravagant sight to take in. lush greenery all around and within the resort, cascading water falls, organically shaped swimming pools that were integrated into the landscapes.. I fell in love.

View from the Balcony of Garden View room in Grand Mirage Resort

We were gracefully escorted and shown to our rooms along with our luggage by the friendly staff. 

The only thing perhaps that I found lacking in all the countries that I visited in August and September (namely Indonesia, Singapore and China) were hand faucets in the bathrooms, but other than that everything was top notch. We took a stroll in the neighborhood and explored the hotel premises that evening. The beaches have white beds placed in cosy areas, as though to make one feel like they are in the midst of heaven. We took a break for a while, chatting, while the cool breeze and the spray of the ocean waves kissed our cheeks.

We walked back to the hotel and saw souvenir kiosks selling exquisite handmade wooden masks and other artifacts. The dining area had a buffet with Traditional Balinese dancers performing for the guests. The scent of barbecue and other delicious food floating in the air and the Balinese music playing in the background really made me realize I am indeed in another exotic country.

In the Lobby of Grand Mirage Resort

Grand Mirage Resort Swimming pools at night.

Yummylicious dinner from Padma's. 

Super tasty and super affordable. 

We retired for the night after a sumptuous meal of Homely Indonesian food at a restaurant owned by a nice lady called Padma. They had complimentary Salad and the ambiance was congenial. The people in Bali are mostly simple and unpretentious and they do their best to make you feel at home.

Bali.. a land of adventure, beauty and peace.

So my family and I finally decided to go on that vacation we'd always been planning since high-school ended. And I jumped in to suggest Bali in Indonesia.. My brother wanted to include Singapore, and dad wanted to visit the Great Wall of China. And we ended up having the most memorable trip ever. I will be posting some of the photographs that I took on the trip, part by part.

Pura Luhur Uluwatu is a Balinese sea temple in Bali.

Parasailing at  The Benoa Beach Front.

The view of the cliff at Uluwatu.

Traditional Kecak dance at Uluwatu.

Thinking, I sat
Lost within myself
Thoughts pull me in
Deeper and deeper
As I delve into
Complete ignorance
Of everything and
Everyone around me
Faces fade
Eyes grow tired
Of the same old scenes
And I wonder
How long will this last?
I wish to return
To my familiar places
Where I'll find
The ones that I love..
I want to fall asleep
Into eternal bliss
Of not knowing,
Not being aware.
I try to catch myself
Before it all disappears
But somehow I awaken
From my land of dreams.
(I wrote this many years ago.. Found a crumpled piece of paper in an old file today and this is what it contained.)

A day in the life of an Architect

These sharp lines
Start to get fuzzy..
The plans and elevations
Are all getting messy.

My mind drifts,
From thought to thought..
Concentration level
Has reached a naught.

All the targets
I hoped to achieve,
By the end of today
Yet again deceive..

Printed sheets
Pile up higher and higher,
Hopes to leave on time
Vaporize into thin air..

Surroundings have become
Nothing but a blur.
Quickly check the time
Wondering 'how much longer?'

Fifth cup of coffee
Fifteen drawings done;
I finally wrap up,
And decide to shut down.

Just as I close
Imagine my horror
As the words appear
'FATAL ERROR'.

I don't know how many times I will keep making and breaking this promise to myself to at least try and make an effort to contribute more often to my blog. What I do know is that I'm lazy. And that's one of the reasons why I don't:

a) bother picking up a pen to scribble down random thoughts in my diary.. or
b) get my bottom off of my bed (which I spend most of my time in these days during the hours that I'm not stuck to an office desk with my eyes glued to the screen) to take my laptop, switch it on and start typing.. or even
c) do nothing other than log on to my blog and start typing from my phone!

Ever since I've started working life has been so monotonous, the same old things everyday.. there are good times and then.. there's AutoCAD. What could I possibly even write about? The most blogging  I've done in the past nine (..or has it been ten?) months would've been the conversations I have. With myself. In my head.
I keep dreaming of the day when technology would be so far advanced that while I think my thoughts, they get typed automatically and stored in some tiny point-sized chip embedded in my brain, and I can revisit them as I please. Trust me, the world is missing out on so much right now.. how many such meaningful conversations have been lost. Sigh.

This isn't really anything. But its a start. And this time my mom was responsible for reminding me to write again. Love you mom. And also an unexpected reader. :) Well, I thought readers of this blog were virtually nonexistent because I'd managed to bury it pretty deep. Thanks for digging it up. Means a lot.

New year.. New beginnings..

I hope to begin this year not with a bunch of resolutions which I can never keep up to (hence the reason why I never bothered to make any new years resolutions whatsoever until now)..but with a heart full of hope, positivity and good thoughts to mark the end of one wonderful year and to freshly start another with renewed energy and enthusiasm.
Last year marked the end of not just 2013 but also my academic life. As of now I have decided to not take up studies for a long long time (the last semester in architecture contributed a LOT to that decision-making process) and now its time to move on to bigger and (hopefully) better things.
I wish to end this year with fond memories of all the wonderful bygone times and raise my glass for even better adventures ahead, God willing.

So cheers to 2014 and adieu 2013!