Tahiti was a physically demanding experience. I walked more than usual, biked up and down hills, swam, dived, and snorkeled. To rest from all that, a week in Bali doing nothing was a good choice.
Prelude: Auckland
To go directly from Tahiti to Bali, it would have been a fourteen-hour trip with two stops on the way. So I decided to break that itinerary in two and spend a couple of days in Auckland.
My idea was to just stay in the apartment and relax, but on the first day, on an impulse, I took the ferry to Waiheke Island. It's just a thirty-minute trip across the Hauraki Gulf, and the island has some lovely views. I took a long walk along the beaches and cliffs, and saw seagulls, a small bird called pihoihoi, and a duck with a green beak. I also ate a delicious gourmet crepe with cheese, prosciutto, arugula, and capers.
Canggu
The first time I went to Bali, I stayed in Kuta, a bustling area full of tourists and commerce. This time I went to Canggu (pronounced "Changgu"), which is a more relaxed place (just a bit) and not as crowded.
My plan was to do next to nothing, and that's what I did. My daily routine: wake up, breakfast, walk on the beach, shower, lunch, swimming pool, shower, watch the sunset, dinner, movie on the computer. I didn't swim in the sea, because there are big waves and strong currents in Canggu. But, for those moments when I felt the urge to float in the water like a cork from a forgotten wine bottle, the building had a swimming pool.
So that was my one-week vacation. I know some people think I'm always on vacation, but that's far from the truth. Gandalf said: "Not all those who wander are lost." I say: "Not all those who travel are on vacation."
And the food?
I've seen Canggu described as "the foodie capital of Bali". There are many gastronomic options there. My menu for the week included Balinese chicken satay (small pieces of seasoned chicken skewered on sticks and grilled over charcoal, served with peanut sauce and white rice), seafood nasi goreng (fried rice, tuna, prawns, egg, cabbage, carrots, onion, leeks), Balinese poke (sashimi tuna marinated in lemon-shoyu sauce, sesame seed, cilantro, shallot, chive, cucumber), and a delicious grilled kerapu (which is the local name for the grouper). All paired with fresh fruit juice (mango and watermelon are my favorites) or a coconut full of fresh coconut water. They also have succulent dragon fruit, so I ate a lot of those too.
And after Bali?
I'm already living in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, Vietnam's most populous city. But that's a story for another time. Tam biet! (That's "goodbye" in Vietnamese.)
