Singapore, Republic of Singapore to Bali, Indonesia (day 29 - Feb. 4, 2023)
Quick trip to Chinatown and then off to Bali
Woke up early today to pack up and try make it to Chinatown for a quick visit before my flight around noon. After breakfast at one of the local cafes, I made my way to Chinatown, about 10 minutes walk from the hotel. Buildings in the area are very brightly colored. There are still many decorations up from the Chinese New Year, the year of the rabbit.
Making the 3 hour flight over from Singapore to Bali, it was on to the next adventure. I left the airport in Bali around 5pm, so traffic was extra crazy. So many scooters weaving in and out of traffic. Scooters seem like the best way to get around here, squeezing around cars and even driving on the narrow sidewalks to get places quicker. Reminded me of the stories Aunt Jo used to tell when she would visit us from Indonesia. I would call this the most exotic place on my travels so far. I wouldn’t consider this place to be a first world country, at least not Bali. Once again, it is mostly cloudy and rainy in the forecast for my time here, but warm, in the 70s. Very similar climate to Singapore, quite humid and just warm enough for my liking at this time of year. Lots of similar plants here to the ones in Singapore. Singapore was a lot more tidy though, there is lots of trash littering the streets here.
I am staying at Aloft Bali Seminyak, which from my initial impressions, I can highly recommend. The staff here are super friendly and helpful. There is a restaurant up on the rooftop (5th floor) and they serve breakfasts up there in the mornings. Had dinner up there, some mie goreng (an Indonesian noodle stir-fry dish), really tasty, 10/10 would eat again. Except for the side dish (acar) that I thought was just onions, carrots, and beans with vinegar :D Those beans turned out to be some super spicy pepper of some sort. An unexpected surprise to say the least :D One of those moments you know you done messed up, but there wasn’t much you could do about it, haha. From what I can tell, doing a bit of research after the fact, it was a green bird's eye chili pepper. I’d like to think I kept my composure pretty well, considering my lack of fondness for spicy foods :D