-----> Sunset in Kuta BeachGoing by that ideology, the new year day (earth's 2009th birthday) should have been just another day to me. This time around, it felt different. It felt like a day to reflect on the past year, look forward to the year ahead and reason out to myself what is it I'm going to do differently to make this a year of progression overall.
-----> Balinese SunSetIt is my family tradition to spend the 31st night on sharing each other's New Year resolutions. Those days when I used to cuddle around with my parents and sister, trying to propose my own resolution as if I'm an adult are a distant memory now. Thanks to boarding school and a job that takes me around all corners of the world, it has been years since I spent new year with my family.
-----> Pool Volley Ball @ Hard Rock HotelThis time around, I made a concious effort to revive that tradition of resolutions for the new year after an honest retrospection of the passing year - which resulted in the following:
* Travel to a new country for every new year!
* Stay more organised at home and work
* Try not to be too lazy
* Eat healthy and work out regularly
* Stay in touch with all my friends and family
Realistic and achievable they are, I'd hope to do some justice to them.
-----> Steep Fall into the Ocean at a South Bali templeThis new year took me to Bali, Indonesia. With this I have technically travelled in 30 countries in my life. The following are those 30 countries from North America, Europe, Middle East and finally Asia.
1. USA
2. Canada
3. UK
4. Rep. of Ireland
5. France
6. The Netherlands
7. Belgium
8. Luxembourg
9. Switzerland
10. Spain
11. Italy & The Vatican
12. Austria
13. Hungary
14. Czech Republic
15. Slovakia
16. Slovenia
17. Croatia
18. Poland
19. Turkey
20. Russia
21. UAE
22. Oman
23. India
24. Malaysia
25. Singapore
26. Thailand
27. Cambodia
28. Laos
29. Myanmar
30. Indonesia
-----> Stroke of the NewYear @ Hard Rock!!Most to whom I've told about my travels think travel might not be so adventurous as it was the first time I went outside of my country. They can't be more wrong - from India, Britain (where I've spent considerable time of my life) to Myanmar (where I spent a total of 12 hours by accident without visa) I have distinct memories of all those 30 countries, all colourful with a flavour of its own. Indonesia, the country I went recently is no short of things that made me WOW! Following are a few glimpses of this beautiful country:
* 1 USD = 10,400 IDR (Indonesian Rupiah)
* Shopping Malls and High Streets have tons of D&G, Polo and the likes - all FAKE!
* You can buy an Indonesian/International driving license in a day
* You still have to bribe the corrupt traffic police
* Temple domes are called Pagodas
* Hinduism is the major religion of Bali Island
* The girl in a hair salon said, I look like an Indonesian cinema actor [LOL]
* Bintang = Star; Pintu = Door; Selamat Datang = Welcome; Apa Kaba = How're you
* 99% of tourists in Indonesia = Australians + Russians
* I bought 2 ice-creams at Haagen Das for 100,000 (ahem in IDRs)
* You can't go to temples in shorts; if you end up in a temple in shorts you will have to rent an Indonesian batik!!
* Monkeys are common in Indonesian temples
-----> Elephant Safari Park 
-----> Elephant Safari Park
-----> Pagodas of Balinese Hindu Temple
-----> Entrance of a Balinese Hindu Temple
-----> Volcano!! [the first one I saw in my life]
-----> Ocean View from Tanah Lot Temple
-----> Ocean View from Tanah Lot Temple
-----> Elephant Safari Park
2 comments:
Thanks for visiting Tanah Lot Bali...
Hope you will come back soon
Visit : http://www.tanahlot.net
Oh I wish I could go back again. Tanah Lot was awesome. I also have to mention something about Tanah Lot I learned while visiting the temple. In Indonesian,
Tanah = Land
Lot = Water
The temple has 2 stages, one on the shore and the other in the ocean - and hence the name Tanah Lot. Early Indonesians, had a belief that epidemics came from the Ocean and built this temple to keep the country free from them :)
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