Ubud Trip 2011

Ever read the book Eat, Pray Love? Hate it. It was such a hype in Oprah's show, but when I read it, I actually skipped quite a bit of it. But the book wasn't the reason I went to Bali for my 2011 trip. Nope. I had two weeks off, and I wanted to go to a place that was quiet, and cheap, where I can do absolutely nothing but stare into the sky all day. And the book introduced me to this place call Ubud.....

And so, that was where I stayed, from 23-October till 5-November, a total of 14 days in Ubud!

Usually I start my trip blogging with an overview of how I plan my trip. But this trip was special. I only bought the ticket, and book my accommodation. And I planned it during their rainy season. I wanted to do nothing. And that was more or less what I did. But don't worry, it wasn't dull one bit! Heck, I even have pictures to share!

The trip was initially planned as a solo trip cause I always wanted to experience traveling alone. I have been traveling on my own since young, to state game trips, commuting between Penang and Singapore while I was studying,  visiting friends solo in Kuala Lumpur, exchange program in Japan, but I've never traveled alone to a place I know no one before, and I was kinda scared, kinda excited about it. But in the end, my husband tagged along, and stayed a week with me. I stayed the remaining last week on my own.

Oh, by the one, for those of you who don't know, Ubud is a village in the island of Bali, Indonesia. I could have said I spend 2 weeks in Bali, but that would be inaccurate, cause the only thing I actually saw about Bali was the airport, and Jimbaran which I was forced to go.

Anyway, here's where I stayed. More in the coming entry.

Ref:
Eat, Pray Love
Ubud
Jimbaran
Bali

Post Card from Paris

Making a detour to Paris was the best thing that happened on my trip to London in 2010. It was easily the most beautiful city to visit (although the smell of urine was almost everywhere!). The people were surprisingly very friendly to us, and except for restaurant food, I found Paris to be rather cheap as compared to London!

To Paris with Love. I would LOVE to go back there again! Hopefully with more cash to spend this time!

Post Card from London

Finally, my blog entry for my trip in 2010 is completed. My last words on London: Not the safest feeling place to visit, with not the best food, but the people are rather good nature, and it is full of history and has all the things I read about when I was a kid. If only I could have visited a forest with a Faraway Tree, my trip would be perfect! Will I go back? Maybe.

Ref:
Faraway Tree

London Food Information - Part 2

Although I didn't like the food at London, I did like the food market atmosphere! Here are 3 notable one which I like. First Covent Garden. I think I went there twice. Covent Garden is one of the oldest market in London, and most famous for this scene in My Fair Lady. The Paella there is cheap and good! I also like the Square Pie shop there.

2nd is Borough Market which I think we went twice as well. I fell in love with perry there. Lots of cheese there.Very interesting place to wonder around.

3rd is Portobella Market at Nottinghill. Had my first Falafel and Churros there!

Ref:
Covent Garden
Borough Market
Borough Market Official Site
Portobello Market
Portobello Road Market Official Site
Square Pie
Paella
Falafel
Churro

London Food Information - Part 1

As always, first few days of the trip is an adjustment to the exchange rate. We're talking about twice the price of SGD here since we're surviving on pounds in London. Thankfully the following things are really cheap at their supermarket: ham (1 pound for 10 slice!), cheese (1 pound each for assorted cheese), bread (1 pound), and milk (less than a pound). I love the Mark and Spencer there as well as they have prepacked salad which are just amazing! And soup from Sainsbury! They open till 11pm!

 During our land tour, we also had lunch at a traditional English pub where I ordered my first cow liver in mash. The pub's name was called Queen's Head somewhere at Stow-on-the-Wold.

 One of the place that I would really like to go back to is Sally Lunn's at Bath. We were in such a rush when we were there that we didn't manage to finish our lunch and had to pack it to go. I even left my postcards there :(

 We did try a few eating places in London, but I can't say I like the food in London much. Here's some pix of the kebab we had near where we stayed, and some underground cellar near Chinatown. I'll share more about London market food in Part 2.

Ref:
Mark and Spencer UK
Sainsbury
The Queen's Head
Sally Lunn's