My birthday this year coincided with our last day in Phuket. Since our flight was only at 10 pm that night), we decided to spend the day at the biggest mall in Phuket – Central Festival Phuket. Yes, I spent my 28th birthday hanging around a mall like an 18 year old. But hey at least it’s a world class mall!
One of the first things we came across as we started to explore the mall was these sushi doughnuts!
How could we resist. Of course we got them, and they were delicious.
And then we decided to have KFC for brunch! The KFC menu in Thailand is really interesting and the food didn’t taste like fast food (well except for the spicy drumlets).
This was my spicy roasted chicken rice:
We also tried the green curry chicken:
Everything was so yummy!
We decided to watch a movie at the SFX Cinema – a Thai movie at a Thai cinema, fancy that!
We got sofa seats at the price of a normal 3D ticket here in Singapore. Replica of our seat below, price excludes popcorn and drinks but still so reasonable!
We decided to watch this Thai movie called Summer Love. We’ve always loved Thai movies for its humour and because the poster looks promising, we had high expectations. But of course, we were disappointed. It was a plotless waste of time, but the sofa seats were really comfy. So I guess that balances everything out.
By the way, it was quite an experience watching a movie in Thailand. Somewhere in between trailers (and towards the start of the movie), everybody else in the theater suddenly stood up. We only knew that they stood up because our seats were right at the back. So we also stood not knowing what to expect. Shown on the screen was a video montage of the life of the Thai king. Very interesting experience, but I guess that how it is under a monarchy rule.
What’s a trip to the mall without a little bit of Starbucks? We had some cake and drinks in between window shopping and waiting for the movie to start (we got the tickets one and a half hour before the actual movie timing).
So I had some hot chocolate (not much else I can have at Starbucks since coffee is out of the question) and a strawberry shortcake (or was it cheesecake?) This cake was supposedly my birthday cake, lol.
Remember I mentioned that Steve Jobs died on the day we left for Phuket? Well this was what we saw at the Apple Store (can’t recall now if it’s an actual Apple Store or a reseller: tributes upon tributes upon tributes to the legend of a man.
Even little kids were writing tributes:
So I also took the chance to write one too.
So that’s our day at Central Festival Phuket. We couldn’t stay longer as our driver was coming to pick us up for the airport soon after the movie. I did enjoy my long birthday weekend in Phuket, I should travel out for my birthday every year!
One last photo before we were picked up. Check out the dark clouds looming again:
Apart from the beaches we encountered while island hopping, we also indulged in a few beaches (in the Kata area) during the 4 days we were in Phuket. So here are some photos to depict the relaxed mood of our vacation!
On our second day there, we took a very, very long walk after breakfast just to explore the place. And we discovered this beach. It was well-hidden and we had to go down this very steep flight of stairs to get to it.
But once we got to the end of the steps and jumped off the final step to the sand (I promise we were not trespassing though it sure sounds like it!), we found a small but nice beach with big waves.
Here you go:
Shoes came off and we went barefooted and just soaked up the view, the wind and the sand.
Because it was a really small beach, we didn’t spend too much time there. But before we left, I had this photo of myself taken:
It was the hardest thing ever for me to climb up the rocks. Almost gave up, but pushed on anyway. By the time I got off the rocks, I was wet from waves. I kinda like this photo – I look young and happy. While I know I typically look younger than I am, this one beats all odds. I look like I’m 16! And I look like.. genuinely happy and relaxed. That’s a rare combination, considering I’m such a grouch.
So the rest of the photos below are random snippets of beaches we chanced upon on day 1. Not really too sure of the names because we tend to just enter the beach instead of looking for a sign of the beach name.
Footprints on the beach:
The photo below was taken just before all the sand on my feet were shaken off.
This was taken late afternoon before we headed for dinner that first evening. Recliner chairs, abandoned for the day having done their job.
We went on tour of Phi Phi Islands on our third day in Phuket. Even though it was sort of a rainy reason in October, it didn’t rain much for the first two days. But of course Mother Nature decided to wait till we’re out in the open sea to shower us with the rains of rains. To make things more interesting FP and I were at the front of the boat with no shelter and hardly a poncho during the entire bumpy boat ride.
So the bus fetched us from our hotel at 9 in the morning and we proceeded picking up other couples/families from other hotels. When the headcount was complete, we were taken to the port where we were briefed. Our guide for the day is Nina, and she made all of us take a tablet each to curb seasickness at bay.
And then we’re off! Our first stop was Maya Bay, a beautiful island that was used in Leonardo DiCarprio’s movie The Beach. It took us an hour to get to the island and most of that hour was accompanied by crazy heavy rain. The beach towels we brought along didn’t help much.
Check out the beautiful clear blue waters!
And this is me looking like what the cat drag in, after an hour out in the open storm. Rainbow dress looks pretty on beach, no?
We passed by Viking Cave, where birds nests thrive and are collected.
While we were supposed to stop by Monkey Beach on the itinerary, we simply passed it by due to “weather conditions”. Soon it’s time for lunch. We were absolutely starving by then!
Lunch was at another small island, can’t really recall the name right now, but the buffet food was just alright.
Anything would have seen alright to a freezing and stubborn person at that point.
Our view during lunch:
We all rested up after lunch before we head off to our next destination – a snorkeling area! I didn’t snorkel because I didnt have any swimsuit with me, but I really wish that I did! Next time! Anyway, here’s one of our tour mates snorkeling away so happily.
Then finally, it’s time to be off to our final island – Khai Island, where it’s just a rest and relax session. There was a small part of the beach where you can actually snorkel and/or feed fish with bread – we were looking forward to feeding fish, but bread was sold out on the entire island!
So we chilled instead.
Love the rainbow umbrellas sprawled across the beach!
We found grilled corn! I’m sure you know by now that if there’s a food I absolutely can’t resist, it’s corn – grilled, sweetened – it really doesn’t matter. It’s the absolute perfect snack for the beach!
(ignore the big, hairy russian guy in the photo below!)
The bliss didn’t last long, about an hour and a half later, dark clouds start to loom overhead and it was time to go. Check it out:
It was a really wet, exhausting day filled with pretty sights and clear water – despite all that rain. Thanks to our awesome guide, it wasn’t so bad after all!
We stayed at Metadee Resorts and Villas for the duration of our Phuket trip. And I must say it was a really lovely resort, with a gorgeous room boasting a princess bed (which I couldn’t and still can’t stop gushing over) and an open concept bathroom. The staff offered bright sincere smiles and the service is top-notch, but I will get to that later.
Let’s re-visit the room again!
Presenting the beautiful princess bed:
Absolutely love the ruffles.
Orchids on the bed, so sweet
A peek into the bathroom!
Moving on to the bathroom. I love the open concept of the it all, being the claustrophobic that I am.
A short while after we checked in, the staff sent us a platter of fruits!
There are beach towels in a tote bag all ready for us. These came particularly useful (in keeping me both dry and warm) during our island hopping experience – which was also accompanied by very heavy rain.
One of the perks of staying at Metadee was the buggy service. There’s a buggy station about 50 meters from the hotel entrance where you can request for someone to fetch you if you are lazy to walk all the way in or are carrying too many things.
We called for a buggy one too many times, but there was this once after an afternoon of shopping and we asked to be picked up – not only did they pick us up, but upon seeing our many carriers offered to send us directly to our room. Really a +1 moment.
What’s not to like about cute buggy drivers?
The staff really impressed us on our last day there. It was my birthday, and we checked out of the hotel late morning. We were planning to spend the day at Central Festival Mall as our flight back home was only at night. The only we worry we had was to have to lug my macbook air around. Yes it’s super thin, but it can still be a hassle when we are sight seeing.
First we asked if we can leave our luggage with them for the day, to be picked up later that evening. They accommodated to the request, naturally. Then we had second thoughts about leaving my macbook air with them. They reassured us with the widest of smiles that it will be perfectly safe with them. So we decided that it’ll be more convenient for us anyway. Still a natural and almost expected reaction on their part.
Wait for it -
As we were getting into the cab that will take us to the mall, the staff members on-upped their service by telling us that we don’t have to come back to the hotel in the evening. Instead, the driver will collect our luggage + macbook air for us, and fetch us from the mall, and from there take us to the airport.
How excellent is that service standard? Seriously! We were so awed.
So we gave last minute instructions (to re-confirm everything) to the driver to not forget the macbook and that it must be placed in the passenger seat, instead of being dumped with the rest of the luggage in the boot.
(LOL, we’re treating our macbook like it’s our kid!)
And so we spent a full day at the mall, and it was an awesome birthday (will blog about this). And the driver, came right on time, with farty my darling macbook air waiting for us at the passenger seat.
It was a trip of many firsts. It was my first trip to Thailand, also my first time to travel out for my birthday and most importantly – it was the first time I’ve ever taken a budget flight. It is a big deal because I never thought I’d actually have to ever take a budget flight.
You see, I’m a self-proclaimed flight snob. I’ve never liked budget airlines because I simply do not trust budget airlines, but mainly because I believe flying should be a comfortable experience.
I love everything about flying. I even love airplane food, as crazy as that may sound to you. So I always try my hardest to get myself on a non-budget flight when I travel. I’m always game to try an airline I’ve not been on before, as long as it’s not budget. And I’ve always succeeded in finding a proper airline for my travels until… Phuket. We didn’t really have a choice, because of the mad prices of normal airlines – so reluctantly we booked our flights.
I felt really sad as I boarded the plane because after this trip, I’ll never get to say that I’ve never taken a budget flight ever again. It’s nostalgic to me OK? That being said, that was the very first time I’ve felt nervous about a flight.
(I was also sad because just before we boarded the plane, it was announced that Steve Jobs has died)
So here are some sights in the plane:
It was a really small plane. We were seated right at the back. This was how small the plane was:
We both had a 3-seat row to ourselves and the empty seat is all taped up! It’s really a sad looking chair isn’t it?
Because there’s no screen to show us how far along we were in our travels and for us to watch movies, we decided to make up a screen just to entertain ourselves.
It felt very weird not have any form of entertainment and (“free”, all inclusive meal) on board. These are the two things I always look forward to on flights. But then again, I’m not paying for overpriced hawker food on such a short flight to Phuket.
We self-entertained for the entire flight and before we know it, we were already in Phuket. Safe and sound but can’t say the same for my luggage! It got a slight but non-permanant dent during the flight.
Overall, the flight was alright I guess. A bit shakey when we took off – I’ve never been so scared at the start of a flight, but it was alright as we journeyed on. Will I ever get on a budget airline again? Perhaps not. I’ll try not to, if I had a choice.
Since we were staying in Ancol during our Jakarta trip, one of the places we wanted to visit was Seaworld. Now I understand that the most logical option would be DuFan (Dunia Fantasi) but there are two reasons why we didn’t go on that path:
1) FP isn’t really an amusement park ride person and
2) We’ve been warned that the rides are not very well-maintained and that cock-ups do happen.
While I do welcome the thrill of being on a roller coaster ride, I do not appreciate of the possibility of injury and/or death while having fun.
So we skipped DuFan and headed for Seaworld.
To be honest, we had really high expectations of Seaworld despite warnings from some Indonesian friends of ours that it was just mediocre and that even they have not been there since they were kids. (why are people always warning us?)
We pictured it to be on par with the Underwater World that we have at Sentosa, or at least bigger than that.
But alas, alas. It was nothing short of mediocre.
Outside the venue, there were banners boasting of a “giant octopus” and a “giant python snake”. Want to see the “giant octopus”?
Paul the Octopus would seriously be ashamed of this. Nothing against this creature. But for a “star attraction”. He sure is squeezed up in a mini tank next to two other similar sized tanks. And he is not “gigantic”, come on.
And the “giant python snake”? It’s just a regular sized python. I’ve seen bigger ones at the Singapore Zoo.
I didn’t take a photo of the banners promising these attractions because it will only increase my disappointment. It’s false advertising, you know?
Anyway they also have a travelator tunnel like our Underwater World.
Nothing out of the ordinary, however.
Apparently piranhas used to be stored in the cylinder above. But oh well.
There were several petting/touch pool there that has baby stingrays, sharks and other kinds of fish (I’m really bad with animal names ok?). The baby sharks were slippery at best but felt really smooth, but here’s me with a starfish.
One of the things I loved within Seaworld was this big aquarium filled with colourful small fish. It’s really a pretty sight, if I should say so myself.
An upclose view:
Apologies for the photo quality. It was pretty dark in most parts of Seaworld.
There was a section in Seaworld that was sort of like a museum of fossils. This giant stingray (okay this is honestly giant) was the most interesting exhibit.
Can’t really remember the facts right now but apparently this stingray died on my birthday some years back.
Sad but true.
So I guess that’s it. I guess Seaworld is really more suited for children and family outings. We just had high expectation which was why we were truly disappointed. They didn’t even have jellyfish.
Looking back, we could have gone to DuFan and had more of a thrill there. Even if it meant literally hanging on to our lives.
The room (actually it was a one room apartment) looked fantastic in photos. Because we booked it 3 months in advance, it became my motivation to work really hard so that when the time came, it would be a ‘reward’ for me.
And it was. In fact, it was the best thing of our laden-with-misadventures-trip to Jakarta.
It would have been a 30 minute drive from the airport (with possibly minimal jam), but we had to get the Paramore concert tickets from Kebun Jerok first and met with this traffic catasrophe:
We arrived at the hotel at about 10.30 am, and was disappointed when told that check-in time was actually at 2 pm. But seeing that we were already there, they promised to rush out a room for us. Fair enough. So we chilled at the lobby for an hour and a half.
We were really tired from the crazy early morning flight and the crazy traffic. By the time we sat down to rest at the lobby, we were pretty hungry. So we ordered food to pass the time and to minimize moodswings.
Believe it or not but this is gado-gado. It’s fancy and healthy version of the traditional dish. Pretty unique don’t you think?
This was some mix of seafood items with rice and sambal. Not too bad, if I recall correctly – especially in our exhausted state.
And of course we need to have our signature strawberry juice:
At noon, we finally checked in to our fabulous room/apartment. Here’s a tour of it:
The bed was honestly the best thing about this already faboosh room. It was so soft with pillows that were ever so fluffy. We could have just stayed indoors and watched tv in bed for the whole weekend. But we had things to do, places to see and people to meet.
Then there was also a living room area with a comfy couch and coffee table:
This was the kitchen area where I boiled water and made cup noodles for the mister when he got hungry in the middle of the night. Playing house to the max
They even had bowls, plates and cutlery in the cupboards – which I didn’t photograph.
This is the dining area (just across the kitchen area) – which we never utilized. We’re an eating-in-front-of-the-tv kind of couple.
Lastly, here’s the bathroom. Love the glass shower. It will totally match the glass sink area I saw at the Fairmont Hotel Singapore. *pictures how her future home will be*
We were staying on the 19th floor, so these were our view by day and by night:
Also, you can passively experience more crazy Jakarta traffic at this height:
Let’s move on to the rest of this condotel!
What you must understand is that some of the towers in Aston Marina are actually residential. So when we explored the vicinity, we found small eateries, convenience stores and services.
We actually tried the food at this Eat Together eatery for brunch on our second day. The food was obviously much cheaper than the room service dinner that we had the previous night.
Then there’s also a pool area:
Oh oh oh! I took this artsy photo of the towers bottom up. I call this “Sarcastically Artsy” but I think it’s awesome
So I guess that’s the end of the tour. If you are gonna be in the Ancol area in Jakarta and want a comfy room that feels a little like home – I’d recommend this hotel.
Hotel Address:
Marina Mediterania, Tower A Jl. Lodan Raya No. 2A
Jakarta Capital Region 14430, Indonesia
The downside was that the airport pickup would cost you US$35 per way per car, and they will not allow you to make any pitstops anywhere. Which was why we took a cab from the hotel in the first place.
I know I’m probably the last person to preach about cameras but what I can tell you for sure is that an Olympus Pen EPL-2 is NOT a DSLR.
So as most of you already know, I went to catch a Paramore concert in Jakarta two weeks back. I wish the concert is the main highlight of a happy blog post.
But circumstance played a cruel trick on me. So because of that, this blog post is going to be a bitch fest slash open letter to the concert organizers. Seriously, I was disappointed at what happened at the concert venue. You must have seen my angry tweets about what happened and my facebook status saying that the organizers made me cry but I didn’t elaborate on it.
So here goes:
When I bought was doing some research on the concert ticket prices and venue 3 months ago, I sent an email to Showmaxx Entertainment asking them if cameras are allowed in the concert venue.
They replied with, “Only pocket or handphone camera allowed, hi quality cam is forbid” (excuse the English).
So FP and I were like, ok so we certainly can’t bring a DSLR inside but my Olympus Pen 2 could certainly get in, as it is a digital camera and definitely not even close to a DSLR or a professional camera.
Even though some might say it is a level above an average pocket digital camera, but I digress.
(This is where the lines are somewhat blurred, but it is still no excuse of what happened at the venue).
So we flew to Jakarta early morning on the day of the concert.
Collected the tickets, survived crazy Jakarta traffic, arrived at the hotel too early for check-in, finally checked-in, took a long nap, had dinner, got ready for the concert (feeling super hyper and excited by this time), set off to the venue…
and then…
I WASN’T ALLOWED IN.
It was just after having this photo of me taken, so I hung my camera around my neck. Found out later it didn’t really make a difference if it was around my neck or in my bag.
Let me put a disclaimer first because the next portion of this blog post might turn out violent.
Disclaimer:
1) I am not one to purposely rebel against rules.
2) If things were handled nicely and tactfully by the people manning the entrance, I would not have been so so angry till today.
3) I do not get angry over just NOTHING – it takes a lot of energy to be angry so when I am, it better be worth something to be mad about.
4) I brought my camera along to the concert because I was told any camera that is not high quality / professional ie a DSLR is allowed, and also because I was a tourist and need to have it with me at all times. Also, it is not to specifically take videos/photos of the concert.
So guy 1 at the entrance stopped me from entering. I can’t recall what he said but it was in a dismissive tone telling me I can’t get in because of my camera. To which, I told him, “It is not a DSLR”.
He gave me a distrusting fucked up face and called Guy 2 over to take a look at my camera. Guy 2 mulled over it and passed my camera to Guy 3. It went on to 2-3 more people.
THIS I DO NOT LIKE.
It may be because I’m anal and posessive about my things or that I just did not like the sight of their faces. That’s my camera you’re passing around while I stood there. I told you that it is not a DSLR (which it is not), and yet you looked at me like I was the scum of the earth trying to sneak in.
And I had to keep repeating my sentence both in English and mixed-up Indonesian, with increasing aggravation – that it is not a fucking DLSR camera.
I do not like being treated that way.
So all 5 idiots came back with the same answer. Mainly because of the lens but that wasn’t a long lens. It could barely zoom, for god’s sake. And the point is, it is not a professional camera. Not even close to being semi-professional in my hands.
Ok so we tried another way. We told them that we travelled from Singapore just for this concert and there’s no way we can miss it over a camera issue, which is by right non-existent. And that we have emailed them even before we got the tickets.
You know there’s such a thing as a “case-to-case” basis? It doesn’t exist in these entrance people’s heads. They keep saying, “No you can’t enter” and “this camera cannot” – things like that. Without even giving a SOLUTION.
Oh wait they did. One of them told us, “give me your camera. I’ll keep it for you till the end of the concert” – ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME? I DO NOT TRUST YOUR FACES EVEN WHEN YOU ARE PASSING MY CAMERA AROUND LIKE A WORTHLESS STONE IN FRONT OF ME. WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I’LL LET YOU TAKE MY CAMERA OUT OF MY SIGHT?
The next “solution” they gave was: to put it back in the car. What the fuck. I wasn’t there with my Jakarta friends who have cars. In fact I was with one who doesn’t have her own transport. And the three of us took a cab from our hotel to the concert venue. So no, we don’t have a car to deposit the camera to. So we did not have a choice.
I pleaded once more with Guy 1, quite unbelieving what was happening. If I were to follow my instincts, I would have just made a dash through the entrance. But there were police all around.
And while I was pleading, I saw a guy with a NIKON DSLR camera breezing through the entrance checks. I LOST IT.
I SCREAMED, “THAT IS A DSLR. THIS IS *NOT* A DSLR”.
I mean, how fucking unfair was that. That camera was a clear DSLR and he breezed through, while I got stared down like a common criminal by brainless imbeciles who are also inflexible.
The guy got stopped and called out. But at least he had a car to put his camera in.
Sorry dude, fair’s fair and I was just really too pissed off.
So me, Sannia and FP were at quite a loss of what to do. I mean seriously. Then somehow there was a girl at the entrance. I think she was one of the people the camera got passed to earlier. I literally begged Sannia to speak to her and explained things one more time so that we can go in.
So Sannia did, and in Indonesian, she explained that I’ve travelled far just for this concert and could she just let us in. And that the camera is not a DSLR. And that we have emailed them months ago about this issue.
And the girl’s response (in Indonesian mind you. Perhaps she thought I wouldn’t understand):
“I do not care where she’s from. She’s not going in with that camera no matter what”.
Like seriously. SERIOUSLY.
I took a second to digest this. I felt so angry at the unfairness of it all. So frustrated because nobody was listening to me. So crushed that I might miss watching the concert I had travelled for. The crux of this whole trip. And I was just outside. So close yet so far.
These thoughts ran through my mind and I just started to cry. I didn’t even think I’d shed a tear, but I was really frustrated by the situation and upset.
When the girl saw me cry, she turned to the other idiots saying something like, “Eh, she’s crying. Quite pitiful. How? How?” And then came back with still a NO.
FINE.
And it’s funny how only after I cried that they came up with solution #3 which actually makes sense: To deposit the camera at the ticket box.
Why couldn’t you have told us earlier? It would have saved so much time. We did ask you if there’s anywhere we can put our things other than the dodgey guy. But you said there wasn’t anywhere. Why must you put me through that ordeal? Why must you wait till I broke down?
WHY?
Best part was they didn’t even direct us to the “ticket box”. They just told us that it’s one of the white tents in the area. There were MANY white tents, assholes. The least you could do was show us the way to the ticket box. After such a horrendous welcome and making me cry.
WHAT THE FUCK, SERIOUSLY.
But anyway, we found the ticket box somehow and I was still crying during the walk there. Assholes, really. That’s all I can say about them.
We deposited the camera, with my camera bag (thank god we left all other valuables in the hotel room) only after getting the name and phone number of the girl taking care of it. The people at the ticket box asked what happened. I explained to them again what happened especially the fact that we had settled this issue over email long ago. But of course, no go is a no go.
Fine then. Looking back, I wouldn’t have used my camera during my concert anyway. It was too crowded and I just wanted to enjoy the show without distractions. What I wanted was just to have my camera with me. Though we did see some DSLR cameras amongst the audience once we got in.
By that time, I was too numb to feel anything.
When I got back, I looked up some fan cams / videos from the concert. Can you believe my shock when I saw some really, really high definition videos that can only be captured by a DSLR camera? Check these out:
I mean, really Showmaxx? REALLY? You gave me such a hard time over my non-DSLR camera, MADE ME CRY only for me to find these videos taken by PROFESSIONAL CAMERAS?
Is this the impression you want to leave with customers who travelled far to catch a concert that you organized? I really wish I have nice things to say about you so that my friends here in Singapore will know who to look for if they want to attend a concert in Jakarta.
But because you weren’t the least bit sorry about what happened and that you were not at all fair to me (and my situation), and the fact that other people did manage to go through with their professional cameras while I get probed like a criminal – I say FUCK YOU.
You probably didn’t see the big picture. I’m not an Indonesian and I can carry this story outside of Indonesia. And I have. So now everybody will know how fucked up you really are. The least you could do was be flexible. Really. Or if you can’t do that, give us proper solutions.
Would it have helped if we paid you off? Is that how things work in Jakarta? Was that how the other people managed to smuggle their cameras in?
And you know what, even when I was collecting my camera from the ticket box, I had to ask for a free poster (which was being given out). NO fucking initiative to appease me.
You have just really, just really seriously fucked up by messing me up. This will bring a bad name to all concert organizers in Indonesia to the people outside of Indonesia. And you know what? I’ll never attend a concert there ever again. Hope you are satisfied.
To everybody who’s reading this, please spread the word about how fucked up Showmaxx Entertainment is.
The one thing about travelling with a food lover is that you’ll try many different kinds of food. This time round, I’ve ventured out of my comfort zone and strayed to trying street food – at the risk of an upset tummy (which did not happen, surprisingly!)
So yes, this blog post is all about street food in Bali.
We marvelled at how many tourists travel all the way to Bali only to have sandwiches or pasta. We wanted traditional / local food all the way – well we caved in on the very last day and had pancakes and pasta at Flapjacks. But let’s just go on with the real stars of this post first.
Bali Street Food
It all started with FP asking me something about “peanut pancake” or “peanut martabak” and if they have it in Bali. I’ve seen this kueh (I suppose that’s what you call it) in Singapore and Malaysia, by a different name – but I’ve never encountered it in Indonesia.
We asked the cab driver if he knows about it and he brought us to one of the best street stalls that sell these “martabak kacang” or “terang bulan” as they call it.
Let’s just say that it is NOTHING like the other variations of this kueh that I’ve had, that I now swear are imitations.
Look at this photo:
Look at how thick it is! This one comes with cheese, and it was absolutely yummy and filling. At a dirt cheap price too! We could not finish the entire box, as yummy as it was!
The following day, we had our own driver. So once again, we asked if he knows any good stalls that sell these terang bulan. He brought us to the absolute best place in Denpasar. This time, we opted for a chocolate and cheese and it was heavenly!
Have I mentioned that in both varieties, they put a generous amount of condensed milk on top of all the other ingredients?
Normally the stalls selling terang bulan will also sell normal martabak (with chicken etc). So of course we tried them.
What we didn’t expect was how absolutely THICK and awesome the martabak in Indonesia was. You’d feel like you’ve been cheated and shortchanged by all the martabak sellers your whole life after having this life changing martabak. I am not exaggerating.
This was how THICK it was. Can you say awesome? I can. If you really want to know, it was already salivating as it was being made. Check this video out:
Another thing we tried from a random stall near Dreamland Beach was this rujak or rojak. This one is made up of various fruits, with gula bali (bali sugar) in the sauce. Costing us only 4000 rupiah, it was one of the yummiest rojak I ever had. Really spicy and it will leave you wanting more.
Of course one last street food, and perhaps my all-time favourite is grilled corn! The best grilled corn (with butter, chilli and a bit of salt) that I had in Bali was at Jimbaran Beach. All the ones I tried elsewhere while still in Bali were not as satisfactory. I get cravings for the corn just looking at this photo:
Actually we had one more kind of street food, Nasi Pedas (which translate to Spicy Rice) which I didnt take a photo of because we were already crazy starving and very tired that night. It’s basically nasi padang with dash of really spicy sambal. Interesting fact: it used to be called Nasi Setan (Devil Rice) because of the spiciness.
The next blog post will cover my other culinary adventures in Bali. Stay tuned for that!
Okay. Meeting Ketut Liyer (the medicine man in Eat Pray Love) was not part of the plan. I brought it up when we were planning for the trip as a joke, and just like all my silly ideas (the latest one being “let’s visit Ariel Peterpan in jail in Bandung!), this one got brushed aside with a blink of an eye by the mister.
So yes, it was by chance that I got to meet the great man himself.
In fact, little did I know that 2 hours, after seeing these Eat Pray Love souveniers – that I would be having my very own Eat Pray Love moment!
We’d been shopping at the Ubud Art Market and gallivanting with the monkeys in the Monkey Forest (it was an all-Ubud day). We were just about to head back to Seminyak and call it a day when something in my heart moved me to ask our driver (also named Ketut) whether he knows Ketut Liyer and where he lives.
It was not surprising that our driver has heard of Ketut Liyer but what was most pleasantly surprising was the fact that he happened to live in Ubud! I mean, what are the chances right? So I jumped at the chance and asked if he could take me there! Turns out, we were pretty nearby!
You have no idea how excited I was, mainly because my random “crazy idea” was then suddenly a reality.
So we finally arrived outside Ketut Liyer’s house.
As we walked in the compounds of his home, it was as if we were in the movie set. Hmm, could have sworn I had more photos of his home but here’s all I have for now (or perhaps I was too excited to meet the man himself – can’t remember now)
The compound was pretty huge with a build-in temple and a residence. The above photo is basically a rest area I think? So anyway, as we went deeper into the compounds, this was our first view of the legendary Ketut Liyer:
He was in the middle of doing a reading for this girl. It seems that we were not the only ones who came looking for him. I was just really psyched at this point, hahaha!
We were then told by his assistant that Ketut is actually very exhausted from a long, long day and will not be doing any more readings after seeing the remaining people in line. I asked if it was possible to just get a photo with him (I mean, I came all the way there, right?) and I was allowed to. Well, after he gave a reading to this other girl from Holland:
What I like about him while I was there was the fact that he tells these girls, “I am very happy to meet you” several times during the reading, with a very sincere, toothless grin.
Then it’s finally my turn. We snapped a photo together and after that he held on to one of my fingers and asked me where I’m from.
Wish I didn’t look like such an idiot, lol.
Well for those of you who are interested in meeting Ketut Liyer, his address is:
Pengosekan, Mas, Ubud – Bali Indonesia.
Phone number: (0361) 974092
Fee: 250,000 rupiah. Be sure to come early as you’d need to take a queue number to meet him!
Hope this has been helpful to somebody. Now my next target: Ariel Peterpan in jail. Wish me luck!
Taken with my IPHONE.
my fave photo from the concert. taken with my IPHONE.
Happier times earlier that evening. All set to go!
Confetti – taken by my IPHONE
