Ubud // Lotus Temple

in central Ubud, tucked behind a Starbucks of all places, you can find the lotus temple. the ponds are calm and the area is quiet, shielded from the bustle of the main street.

Pura Saraswati is small but beautiful. I'm sure this place is beyond gorgeous when all the flowers are in bloom, and we were lucky to find one lone pink lotus in the pond.

on Thursday nights they do Balinese dance demonstrations, so if you look closely you can see where they are wired for lights and a sound system... but despite this temple being built to cater to tourists it was one of my favorite that we visited.

for one, there was no one there. Jackie and I had the place to ourselves, save a group of local boys who ran through. and secondly... I did mention it was behind Starbucks right?

I wouldn't dis the local Indonesian coffee by ordering that here, but they did offer a lemon iced tea that was fantastic for cooling off from the heat. there is also a small cafe opposite of Starbucks that [I assume] would offer a more local selection.

I suppose this is as good a place as any to tell you about these little offerings. walking around Bali you will see hundreds of these small arrangements. each one serves a specific purpose - everything from "for good business" to "for pool safety" depending on where the offering is placed and what it consists of. there are persons who have the designated task of setting these offerings in their place and lighting the incense. these ones are outside the temple, but they are placed everywhere - in doorways and next to the pool and by small shrines.

we really enjoyed out visit to the lotus temple... plenty of interesting things to photograph and no one elbowing you out of the way. it really is a hidden gem in the heart of Ubud. I would definitely recommend stopping by if you find yourself in town and in need of a quiet escape.

Read more

cats + creatures of Bali

if you've been reading for the past year or so, you know that I've posted three installations of "the cats of Thailand." Bali, it seems, does not have as many cats as they do monkeys running around. but there were still enough kittens and other creatures that I felt it necessary to write this post.

this little one was perhaps the most cooperative in having his picture taken. he had a friend which refused to come out of the bright light and let me focus on him. they were hanging out near the entrance to the water temple [which I'll show you later] which leads me to believe that yes, Bali does have temple cats.

further evidence. we didn't see any cats at Tanah Lot, but it was so crowded I assume they would be in hiding until night. there were also a few cats who frequented the small shrine and our hotel grounds, but they proved to be elusive [and only came out when I didn't have one of my three cameras on hand]

this bird was hanging out at the place where we had our mongoose poop coffee tasting. he was trained to sing and repeat phrases, which was neat but also kindof freaky. I've never really been a bird person.

which may be why this rooster freaked me out. he was chained up outside one of the small shops we walked past on our way to Mexican food. I was completely terrified he would fly at me and pluck my eyes out, but he didn't. luckily my eyes were safe behind the camera.

ok. I have the heebie jeebies just looking at this picture.

obviously when you travel to a tropical climate there will be bugs. I must be extra sweet because bugs tend to like me, as in like to bite me. I spent a few very itchy days after being chomped by ants. let's move on to something more cuddly because I'm getting itchy just thinking about it...

this poor cat - I followed him to take his picture and thought I lucked out when he just sat down. then Husband and our friends were laughing at me [I couldn't figure out why, maybe because I take so many cat pictures?] but no, they were cracking up because as I was taking its picture the cat was pooping. sorry to invade your privacy, cat.



and I leave you with this fluffy bunny that was also hopping round the coffee tasting place. I'm partial to kittens, but he was pretty darn cute.

no animals were harmed in the making of this post.

Read more

the writer's block: around the world in 8 minutes

this month I have a group of three American women on my sidebar - currently living all around the world. I thought it would be fun to have each of them give you a little information about their current homes, and take you on a quick trip around the globe. read on below to travel from America to Europe to Asia, then be sure to visit their blogs for more!

the basics: I'm a twenty something, living, loving, eating, cooking, reading, writing, dreaming, adventuring and enjoying every minute of it. On my blog you can find a variety of lifestyle posts but my favorites include recipe and style posts, with some essays mixed in there too.

what do you love about your city? The culture. Austin is definitely a rare breed. It's a little funky, a little off, but truly unique and always exciting. The combination of the bold people, the delicious food, off the wall "art", and awesome music is my favorite.

where is the one place you always take visitors? I take people down South Congress to get a good feel of the "weird-ness" of Austin and to get some good food and to places like Hamilton pool and Barton Springs during the summer when it's hot.

any fun or largely unknown facts about your city? Austin is home to North America's largest urban bat population. Some nights you can go watch them fly out from under the Congress bridge.

learn more about Sarah on her blog: A Girl Smitten

check out a few of her favorite posts:

Homemade Poptarts

DIY Gold Heart Mug

or follow along with:

twitter + instagram + bloglovin

the basics: My blog is the story of an American girl who picked up her life and moved to Wales all in the name of love. I write about adventures, expat mishaps and travels around the UK and Europe... all while fueled with plenty of coffee. Hop on by and say hello!

what is your favorite part about living in Wales? I love that there are beautiful green spaces all around. Country parks, fields, castles and estate homes. Plenty to see and explore!

what do you consider a must-see for tourists in your city? One of my favorite spots is called Erddig Country Home, just five minutes from where we live, it is a historically maintained estate home. {Think a mini-Downton Abbey!}

any fun or largely unknown facts about your city? The benefactor of Yale University is originally from Wrexham and is buried here.

learn more about Belinda on her blog: Found Love. Now What?

check out a few of her favorite posts:

The Randomness of Life & Love

Six Things You Should Know

or follow along with:

twitter + instagram + facebook

the basics: Sweet Smores is a travel lifestyle blog documenting my life as an expat and traveler in Japan. I'm currently teaching English and have found so many new passions while experiencing life as an expat. I love finding new adventures and learning about different cultures and enjoy sharing those loves through my blog.

what is your favorite part about living in Mie-ken? I love the community in my town. People are excited to show up for events, rain or shine, and are very nice and welcoming. I also love the view of the mountains that I have everyday while going to work. It's a sight I hardly saw while living in the US.

what do you consider a must-see for tourists in your city? I live in the inaka (Japanese for countryside), so there aren't many things to see or do in my town. However, my town has a rope way up our mountain and an onsen resort area. I would take tourists up the mountain to see the spectacular views and end the day relaxing at an onsen.

any fun or largely unknown facts about your city? I heard that my town won the title: happiest town in Japan, a few years back :)

learn more about Mallory on her blog: Sweet Smores

check out a few of her favorite posts:

Notes on a Long Distance Relationship

Fushimi Inari Shrine

or follow along with:

twitter + pinterest + bloglovin

ps- if you'd like to be a part of next month's writer's block post [and hang out on my sidebar] there are still sponsorships spaces available! I'd love to have you!

Read more

monday thoughts, etc.

I know I don't have a traditional job, but getting out of bed this morning was tough. Monday mornings I do tutoring. [or rather, I have conversations with one of the Chinese teachers who wants to improve her English. we read news articles, or we just talk.] Taiwan doesn't observe daylight savings time, but I feel like I lost some sleep this weekend. both Husband and I have been borderline sick. it's just that season for sinus crud. and so my brain is not functioning at 100% at the moment... it's a list kind of day. 

1. I'm ready for another vacation. the weather has been chilly and damp, and sorting through Bali photos makes me wish I was back there sweating my face off. [or maybe curled up in bed under the covers.] after talking about the disappointment of Tanah Lot, I wanted to show you something that actually exceeded our expectations: our stay at Kertiyasa Bungalow. I'm not going to write a full "review" post but I will show you some photos from the hotel and say this:

the rooms were clean, the bed softer than those we’ve paid twice as much for elsewhere, and the service was incredible. every morning they served free breakfast in the restaurant. eggs any way you like with bacon or sausage, fresh crepes or French toast, or traditional Balinese breakfast dishes like fried rice or noodles. cooked to order, not a buffet. and served with your choice of fresh juice, coffee or tea, and fruit salad or fruit platter.

did I mention I'm ready for another vacation?

2. Ubud was the perfect destination for us. when we said we were going to Bali, most people automatically assumed it was a beach vacation. Bali does have some fantastic beaches… but our main goal of vacation was to relax. after doing some research we discovered that the main beach area of Bali [Kuta] is to Australians what Cancun is to American college students. namely: a great place to party and catch some sun. [though on our flight out we met a pair of Americans who had flown all the way to Bali to party in Kuta for a month. yes, a month.] we were more than happy to chill by the pool or play cards on our balcony. no beaches or bars required.

3. there's a small black kitten living outside our Starbucks. he's been there for the past few months. every time I see him it makes me: A. want to scoop him up and take him home, B. miss my kittens back in the states, C. take a picture to send to my friend and try to convince her to adopt it. the good news is this kitten seems happy and well-fed. [possibly because Husband occasionally buys him a cup of warm milk.] and before you try to tell me I should take him home... please remember that we travel 4 months our of the year, and boarding a cat for that long just isn't right.

in related news, I mentioned this kitten to my parents while skyping last week. since then there has been a 200% increase in the number of pictures of my cat that my mother emails me.

4. I've been binge watching Sex and the City. we used to watch it so often in college that I could recite every episode by heart. and now, at nearly 29, I am discovering so many things about this show. mainly: these women are kindof nuts. no wonder I had such trouble dating in college... most of my "relationship knowledge" came from this show, and the women pretty much just complain to each other and expect the men to read their minds [rather than actually talking to the men they are dating.] I think it's worse in the early seasons, and you know, it's just a tv show not a life manual. but holy cow am I glad I grew up and started to use this crazy thing called communication in my relationships.

5. I sorted through my wardrobe the other day. and put a whole suitcase full of clothes in "time out." I have a lot of things that are worn out or stretched out or out of style or just plan never get worn, and they are taking up precious space in my tiny wardrobe. so these clothes are now packed in a suitcase in storage. anything that I don't remove from the bag to wear in the next three months will be tossed. that way I don't have to commit to losing them just yet, but they are out of the way of the things I actually wear.

the much-needed cup of coffee that fueled the writing of today’s post was sponsored by Annie. she drinks her coffee with vanilla creamer and blogs about faith + lifestyle over at What She Saw.

Read more

Bali // Tanah Lot + managing expectations

I'd love to give you a raving review of Tanah Lot, complete with gorgeous photos and fun travel tips. but I can't. instead, I want to talk about managing your expectations while traveling.

Tanah Lot is one of the most famous temples on Bali. the name means the place where land meets water [literally Tanah = land and Lot = water] and its quite an accurate description. this temple was built on a piece of rock which is only accessible during low tide. at high tide it appears to be an island.

when we decided to take a tour of the island and visit temples, this was one I was really excited to visit. but in reality, it was a huge disappointment.

here's how it goes: you see an image of a place an instantly fall in love. you think "I must go there, to this magical place." but you arrive and things are not as pictured. it's dirty and crowded.

I'd like to partially blame my disappointment on Pinterest. but the truth is, I forgot the cardinal rule: real life is not like Pinterest. it's true of recipes and crafts, and it's true of travel destinations.

by the way, SO many of the travel photos you see on Pinterest are photoshopped – to make the water more blue, remove trash + tourists, even change trees to be purple. seriously. look at the images listed when you search for Tanah Lot on Pinterest. half of these images have serious photoshop going, and some aren't even of Tanah Lot!

we arrived after a full day of driving around the island. having eaten a really terrible and overpriced lunch, then spending two hours on narrow winding roads, I was feeling pretty nauseous. even before we got out of the car we could see the place was packed. most of the set tours end at Tanah Lot for sunset, so everyone was just hanging out until then.

you have to hand over your tickets to enter, and they direct you into a maze of stalls all selling the same tshirts, carvings, and cheap souvenirs. there are no signs telling you which way the temple is, and in fact you start off heading in the complete opposite direction. if you can make your way out of the giant maze-like tourist trap, you will find the coast.

it was swarmed with people. we managed to find the cliff where you can get a shot of the temple [after getting lost in another area of shop stalls.] I don’t really like crowds. and I hate when I’m trying to take a picture and someone just walks right in front of me. I was hot and tired and frustrated… so after I took two shots I was ready to find a little more space.

but before I could escape, a group of teenage boys came up and asked to take a picture with me. this was the fifth time I had been asked to take a picture that day… it seems that tourists of various Asian and Pacific nationalities find blondes such a rarity that they warrant documentation. the first few times I found it cute, but by this point I felt like a walking freak show and didn’t want to end up being posted on some kid’s facebook as “look at this white girl we found!”

I was asked two more times to take pictures before we finally escaped Tanah Lot.

Tanah Lot is an interesting thing to see in and of itself, but my experience there was terrible. all four of us were too exhausted, hungry, and tired to enjoy it. so rather than force ourselves to stick around another 3 hours for sunset... we went back to Ubud for some Mexican food. [it's amazing how tacos + margaritas fix almost anything.]

I'm sure that you can go to Tanah Lot and have a wonderful time. go at sunset, or sunrise, go at low tide or in low season. go when you aren't mentally and physically and emotionally exhausted. go when you have a realistic idea of what to expect. I didn't, and I didn't really enjoy myself.

I'm not going to lie and tell you it was fantastic and magical. a lot of times we share only our positive experiences and pretty pictures about travel, but the pictures never tell the whole story. it can be easy to expect the "Pinterest perfect" idea we have of a place. and even easier to be crushed when the reality doesn't live up to the hype.

but I do hope that the next time you're planning a trip and searching for sights, you take things with a grain of salt. [and yes, this is totally me trying to disguise me giving myself advice as me giving you advice.] there are amazing things out there in this world to see - go see them with a mindset that will allow you to be amazed by what they actually are.

linking up with the Expat Diaries

Read more

searching for spring

I know that many of you are still stuck in the polar vortex... but here in Taiwan, spring is trying. we've had a few glorious days where it reached the mid-70s, though today we haven't broken 60F.

it seems that things bloom year-round here. there's no moment where you look out the window and know without a doubt that spring has arrived. it just sortof creeps in.

Husband and I went up to Taipei last weekend and spent some time wandering through one of our favorite parks. things were blooming.

the Hakka Cultural Park is an interesting place. we discovered it when a friend brought us there for a South African music festival. but because of it's proximity to our favorite middle eastern restaurant in Taiwan [Sababa Pita Bar] we often find ourselves taking a stroll in its direction.

I'm not sure if the decorations were left over from the lunar new year celebrations or something else, but the park was decked out in lanterns. I particularly loved the floral print ones.

we sat and watched the birds for a while, then found another form of entertainment. there was some kind of photoshoot going on. except there were a dozen photographers. maybe the girl was someone famous...

and yeah, that guy totally caught me taking a picture of all of them taking pictures.

we also found this lantern display of the "matchmaking god." to find your match and have the god bring you a good marriage, you had to... scan the QR code and download an app? we decided to pass. I think our marriage is pretty good already.

especially because Husband suggested we stop for macarons before taking the train home. these are one of the few "naturally" gluten-free treats I can have, and thankfully several of the big department stores are fancy enough to have a small shop or stand which offers them. I tried a raspberry, a vanilla with black pepper [amazing], and this yellow passionfruit which had a chocolate cream inside.

have you seen any signs of spring yet?

the cup of coffee that fueled the writing of today’s post was sponsored by Jenn. she drinks her coffee with Truvia + almond milk and blogs about lifestyle + home improvement over at Near and Far Montana.

Read more

march goals: get back on track

from a blogging standpoint, this year has been really productive for me. [my pageviews have increased by 40% since 2014 started... hi-five to myself!] I actually accomplished all of my January goals... and then didn't even set any for February. vacation was wonderful but it really threw me off my book-writing and workout mojo, and I let myself be wrapped up in keeping things up here.

I am sad to say that I went almost an entire month without working on my book. at all. I thought about it plenty. but when it came to the doing I always had something else that seemed to be more important easier to do and therefore was done instead.

does this sort of thing happen to you? you take a break from something. you keep telling yourself you need to start again. but it seems the longer you go without doing it, the more impossible it seems starting again will be. so you just put it off longer and longer because it feels like it will be more and more painful when you pick it back up.

finally - you start. and it sucks for the first five minutes or so. but then you stop and think "why on EARTH was I procrastinating this? it feels so good to do _____ again!"

yes? well, that was me with book writing. I picked it up again last week and ever since I have been bursting with ideas and energy. I'm cooking dinner, brushing my teeth, or running errands and words and phrases just start coming to me and I have to run to find pen and paper so I can write them down. I've been rethinking everything, but in a good way. I'm overflowing with good creative juice and I'm just pouring it all into this story. you guys, this is what I want writing my book to feel like.

and I think that the not-so-secret secret is: I just need keep writing.

we don't have any major plans for March, but towards the end of April things are going to get busy. people will be visiting, we will be traveling. and then in June we fly back to the states for summer and will be spending a solid seven weeks criss-crossing the country to see people... making time to write is going to get really difficult. so for March, I need to get as much in as I can.

it's really quite ironic. when I was looking ahead to what I wanted to do this year, I wrote under January "ENJOY vacation, but don't break new habits" referring to regular book writing sessions. well, oops. but there's time to get back on track. and it gets even more hilarious when I look at my notes for March: "write your face off, write your face off, write your face off." [seriously, I wrote it three times.]

so I flopped on February. in March, I will get back on track.

+ book writing +

I want to dedicate 4 or more writing sessions to working on the book each week. right now I'm around 20,000 words into my first draft. 21,233 to be exact. if I could be at 50,000 by the end of March, that would be amazing. I'm hoping for at least 35-40k. hopefully that isn't too crazy.

+ blogging +

tough I'm going to spend more time on the book, I want keep up with 3 posts per week, and make sure sponsors are getting enough love. [ps - have you checked out the ladies on my sidebar lately? you'll be hearing more from them soon!] I still have plenty of adventure from Bali to share, and hoping to show you a little more of Taiwan too.

+ balancing with exercise +

since my other two goals involve a lot of time sitting at my computer, I'd like to be sure I get off my butt and sweat a few times a week. there's a weekly yoga class that started up at the school which I plan to go to. I also want to start training for a race this summer [which I should sign up for.] and of course I want to spend some time with my buddy Jillian.

so here's hoping this month can get back on track. what are you hoping to accomplish in March?

linking up with Melyssa

Read more