I had one more week in Bali, so I decided to leave the comfort of Ubud and head towards the beaches.
I chose Amed because I had heard that it’s less touristy and you can do snorkeling just off the coast.
On the way to Amed, We drove through the beautiful rice paddy fields of Sideman.
I asked the driver to make two stops on the way.
First stop, Taman Tirtagangga – Water Palace
I enjoyed spending my time here admiring the beautiful water garden, feeding the fishes and walking over the stone path placed in the pond.
Second Stop, Pura Lempuyang Temple – Gates to Heaven
Well, Instagram craze has put this temple on every tourists must-visit places. I’ve to say that the “Gates to Heaven,” is very picturesque and serene.
I was given ticket number 378, when they were calling out number 270. I wandered around and checked the nearby temple. I came back in 30 mins and the number had only progressed to 290.
I took pictures with the Gates to Heaven in the background and decided to not wait for 3 hours, just for one “insta worthy” shoot.
Also, since the sun was shining bright, even if one waits to take a picture, all they can see is their silhouette. And I hate waiting in lines. Period.
I walked through the gates and descended the stairs, that’s when I realized that you can still get the best shot from this vantage point rather than under the Gates. Mission accomplished 🙂
Finally to Amed Beach –
I picked a place to stay near the beach with a nice pool and, thank god, the room was air conditioned. Ants and lizards are uninvited guests that will accompany you in your room. That’s what it means to live on an island, you just have to get used to crawlers all around you. After a week in Bali, I just let them coexist with me, so far as they are not on my bed. I have no desire of cuddling with them.
As I headed to Amed Beach, I realized that it was much hotter than Ubud. The lack of breeze during the day on this rocky black sandy beach made me super tired and exhausted. Apart from diving schools and restaurants, there is not much to do here. Well, the food at the restaurants is inexpensive but mediocre, and the menu is pretty much the same whichever restaurant you end up picking. The only upside was the view of the sea. A friend recommended “Green Leaf Cafe” and I’m glad I went there for a nice meal with a view.
Trying to let go Fear –
Inspite of not being a big fan of putting my face under water, I did end up snorkeling not too far from the shore. I did see lot of fishes, corals and even a submerged part of a temple. Couple of times water would get into my mask. Usually, I would panic but this time around I just relaxed and swam back to the shore to adjust the mask and remove water. After an hour or so in the sea, I was happy to have finally done snorkeling. I just need to swim more in the ocean and build up my resistance level. My next goal is to learn scuba diving and free diving. I was so close to signing up for the freediving course but I was sun burned from snorkeling inspite of bathing myself in sunscreen. That’s the reason I have love-hate relationship with being on the beach.
Sunset time is when I enjoy being on the beach without worrying about getting sun poisoned. Watching the sunset in Amed while having dinner was a wonderful experience.
Also, got to see a Diwali celebration procession on the beach with Volcanic Mountain in the backdrop as the sun was setting. The picture says it all.
And some dude and his band were making a music video.
I decided to leave Amed and checkout some other islands. May be they will surprise me and convince me to not give up on the beach lifestyle. Next stop, Gili Air…
