'Ah ping ah yi, why u walk funny like that one?'

And he proceeds to demonstrate. SO adorable eh? :D

My legs are still aching from the gruelling trek in Bali. It was a one-of-its-kind holiday for me. Satisfying in a weird sort of way. It felt great to be outdoors, trying my limits, picking up different skills, getting to know new friends. (Thanks for asking me along, Chiu!)

On Day 1 (27 Feb 06), we arrived in the evening, was picked up and sent to a rustic, beachfront-type place in Candidasa. After feeding ourselves, discussing itinerary for the holiday, we chit-chatted till late. I laid in bed that night, excited but also very slightly missing home. The smell of homemade bread baking in the oven wafted through the open windows as the sound of crashing waves slowly lulled me to sleep.

Where we stayed the 1st night

Trek started afternoon of Day 2.

There's a lot more to the trek than I can describe here. I shall try to summarise. We probably climbed, descended and walked for about 31 hours over 2 days and for most of the time we were soaked to the bone from the lightning and thunder storms. It goes without saying that the view at the summit (at 3142 m above sea) was absolutely breathtaking! We were a good distance above the clouds! It felt well worth the pain. (Along the way, a common thought a few of us had was why the hell did we pay $ to torture ourselves. haha.) But on the descend, I was unbelievably terrible. I slipped and fell countless times. Quite a few times I very nearly gave up mentally. And if not for the guide leading me and the rest helping me now and then, I would have. The lack of sleep, food (on the 2nd day, we only had breakfast, no lunch or dinner.) and water compounded the bleakness of our situation. I'm so glad all of us made it out safely. (The word 'Agung' -name of the volcano now strikes a sense of awe and fear in our hearts. haha.) I hope it has made me stronger. And when I've forgotten the agony of this trek, I'll go on another one. Ha. :)

Sunrise close to the summit

We went to Sanur the same morning (Day 4) we arrived at the foot of the volcano. Finally got to fill our stomachs (food, gorgeous food!), after which Chelsea and Xun went to bed while Chiu, Yan, Diwei and I went exploring the little town. Dinner was oil-drenched, msg-loaded mee goreng at a roadside stall. Day 5 was spent on an island nearby called Lembongan where we went snorkling. (My first time! I didn't know how to use the mouthpiece to breathe at first but after Chiu and Yan taught me how to, I was off! :p) It was so fun!!!! I couldn't get enough of the clear blue-green water and the colourful marine fish! Schools and schools of the graceful-looking creatures. It was amazing being able to swim so close to them. Like I jumped into a humongous aquarium!
I loved the place we stayed in. The beach was almost literally at our doorstep! We strolled along the beach in the evening and found a romantic-looking restaurant for dinner. Although we were eating in near darkness (the candles on the table were hardly sufficient), I thoroughly enjoyed it. I had grilled tuna which was lip-smackingly delicious! :D

Jaffles for tea

Lembongan on a misty morning

On the morning of Day 6, we left the island reluctantly on an overcrowded ferry. Headed to Kuta for some shopping before taking our flight home in the evening.

That was a memorable trip, it was. ^_^

A street in Kuta