My Seminyak retreat

Pearl 'boutique' hotel and spa Seminyak Bali.  An Idyllic hideaway  tucked away from the hustle and bustle, noise and crush of people and traffic that makes Bali...Bali.  The inviting pool is crystal clear and refreshingly cool after all the heat.  My Balinese style room with its high pitched, thatched roof, large balcony with views of the pool is so large! Very airy (with air con) and has the most amazing bed with draped netting, a dressing room, bathroom with a deep large bath.  I'm feeling this is total luxury, a decadent and well deserved reward for myself.  I spent 4 days here, the first 2 in the pool and lazing on the Bali style cabana day beds just doing nothing.  Oh I did go to the day spa for a foot massage and an ear wax candle treatment for a bit of cleansing and 'inner balancing'.  All the ladies here swear by their facials. There is also a French restaurant that serves modern French style fare, I had de-boned lamb shank with roasted eggplant that was accompanied by potted potato bake.  It was very yummy (expensive) and a nice change from the Balinese food.  Breakfast was included in the price and each morning I had perfectly poached eggs, fruit (cut into cute shapes) a fresh watermelon juice and Balinese tea.  Before going for my morning walk along the famous Jalan Double Six (street) before heading back to the pool and an afternoon lie down on my awesome comfy bed watching cable T.V....Ahhhhh what a life! 

Hand made paper lampshades...Mood lighting?

My veranda on the left.  My day bed below by the pool.

The Pearl hotels French restaurant, very popular here in Bali, maybe it's because of the fine dining (or the manager above)???

My delicious daily breakfast and view from my balcony, this is heaven!

Jimbaran Beach is an 'oh so stunning' beach treat experience in Southern Bali. A bay with soft white sand, rolling surf and there are a gazillion cafes, restaurants that offer a delicious array of seafood dinner platters (oh I am in heaven) with a breathtaking view of Indian Ocean. It is served right on the beach with beautiful tables set up running almost to the shore.  Watching the sun set into the ocean, eating crab, prawns and lobster (the dipping sauce came in a coconut!) Once again I forgot to take photos before I got stuck into it, but you can tell from the messy plates you just dive in!  Jimbaran beach sunset and seafood tour, another Bali must do! Seafood is one thing a Diabetic can eat that will not effect your blood sugar levels, (no I didn't eat the rice BJ!)  A chance to take off your shoes, paddle in the sea and eat with wild abandon!   

The beach stretches for what seems like miles and at night the candles on the tables are all lit, very romantic!   The sky at night here never seems to be black with stars, its more a muddy dark grey here.  And yes that is me above in the sunset.  At home in Queensland Australia the sun rises from the ocean, to see it set in the Indian ocean is a surreal experience!

Uluwatu temple, south end tip of Bali is another of the 'must do' trips. It's a hindu temple set on to the soaring cliff face. In the surrounding forest live loads of monkeys and tourists.  The name of Uluwatu comes from the word Ulu meaning the head and Watu meaning stone. It really is an amazing place.  
But knowing me, I found the tourists (and monkeys) more interesting than the view! I so love the perfect, beautiful faces of the Balinese!

Some women just love a big camera!

I have a monkey!  I have a monkey!

Balinese food is spicy, simple and delicious.  Not 'spicy' as in chilli, just flavoursome, but they will ask you if you want 'sambal' now that is really hot chilli!  Most of the dishes are vegetarian and yes you can get salads, I ask if the salad has been washed in 'local' water?....'No madam we use bottled aqua'.  Good as I cant live without salad.  There are some reservations as to eating the meat.  Ive seen where it comes from at the market, be a bit aware of it thos I wont recommend sitting down to a big plate of meat.  The chicken is the tastiest and can either be in a curry (my favourite) Ayun (spicy) or some that even tastes like Kentucky fried!

The dish above is like a pork mince satay on the stick, rolled omelette, pork rib (not recommended) some chicken, a slice of pork (not recommended) and veggie noodles.  Oh and I am totally addicted to the spicy tofu!  I always ask for extra!  Keep it simple, its very easy to get a bit of everything and it ends up a mess.

Take way comes wrapped in brown paper not our usual plastic tubs and your 'selected' comes with either white, black or even red rice. (try the red)

Warung is Balinese for cafe or restaurant or even take away.  

Do not let this girls innocent pretty looks fool you!  She runs this highly successful business with an Iron rod, Ive seen her in action she is a mega force at getting orders promptly to your table.  The food at Ocha Warung (cafe) Seminyak, just up from the Bitang supermarket is always fresh, they turn over so much of it the bay maries (trays)  are always being being replenished.   The kitchen is spotless (I peeked), the service is fast and efficient as 'Westerners' like (demand).  You can eat a good old fashioned hamburger here with a fresh wheat grass healthy fruit juice, or you can eat as I did and try the local  fare.  (experiment and dare to try the local delicacies).  You pay a bit extra here ($5) but if your a little bit wary of the 'Bali belly' then rest assured you wont get it from here.

 This dish is my favourite chicken and tofu curry, you buy it by the piece, so you just hold up 2 or 3 fingers for how many pieces you would like.  I was was wanting to show you what the red rice looks like, she had none on today (so will post on this later) To make up for it she gave me white and asked if Id like 'pickles' 'Ohhhhhh no's' I said thinking this would burn my 'other end' the next day. She enforced in on me as she knows Im always willing to try something different ( the pickled eggs, now I didn't like them!)  But to my surprise it was super tangy, of onion, capsicum, spice ect. and WOW it was just amazing that little bit soaking into the rice.  So simple but so delicious!

Wood carving in Bali is another traditional craft which Bali is famous for.   My friend Wayan gave this piece to me as a parting gift for my dad. We went to the carvers family compound to see where it was carved and how it was carved for some photos for my dad to show its origins.  The carving I received is a 'monkey god mask' and takes the carver 1 whole day to make, its from a tree they call a  'crocodile tree' for all its spikes. The whole family, from the grandparents to the toddlers live together in these compounds, rooms with open veranda  like pagodas.  The family we visited all made these carvings.  The grandmother in the background (just loved her smiling face seeing the little ones getting their photo taken) and other family members work all day 7 days a week (ceremonies permitting). Photos of babies and puppies, palm trees and chickens running everywhere with trailing chicks, you just cant go wrong!

Bali, ornate, exotic and decorative!

Diabetic advice…. again as if there isn’t enough (yeps it never stops!)

Part 1.

Just a catch up on all that’s been happening the last week, my Diabetes is all good and am sitting on an average 8 (5 is perfect), which is good for me.  The local foods are not effecting my BSL’s and am really surprised at them  not being higher than I would think that they would be.  I am taking less ‘fast acting insulin’ than I usually do in Australia and am feeling bright, happy and healthy with loads of energy, thos am still waking up really early in the morning before sunrise and going to sleep at dusk.

I did have one problem thos, (oh ohhh’s) I forgot to pack my test strips (when leaving Seminyak) and was here in Ubud (1 ½ hours away) realising that I didn’t have enough strips to last me the few days that I was here, so I sent my ‘Wayan’ friend driver back to Seminyak (on his scooter took him 3 hours) to retrieve them with my keys and instructions where they were in my bathroom……So more rules for the Diabetic travelling….    Check and check and re check that you have your insulin your meds and your test strips, enough to last you the time you are away, or it will cost you.  It cost me a $25 driver fee to go back and retrieve them for me…..This was not a major issue thos, I am used to just sitting still, feeling how I feel, thinking of what I have eaten, counting up those carbohydrates and then thinking of what I will be doing for the next couple of hours.  So if I have eaten 45 grams of carbs then I know I have a couple of hours’ worth of activity before I need to eat again.  Do your math, eat sensibly and plan your outings/adventures times against how much energy/carbs expended.

Happy travelling fellow Diabetics

Voogs

Part 2

YES another ‘part’ to the Diabetes story.

I have noticed that when I am at the mercy of other peoples too' ing and fro 'ing of me in transit that I tend to get caught up, forgetful of my strict eating regime, other people (non diabetics) do not live such a 'structured' life as we do, do not live by an ‘exact’ time table for the day… for meals, and I mean 'meals' not snacks, rest and taking stock of ourselves, BSL’s meds ect.  That we tend to forget that (the non diabetics) are way more flexible and it’s hard to impose our rules we live by onto others, we stop harping on about them because we feel we come across as bossy and nagging constantly going on about ‘food’.    Ignore those feelings of embarrassment!  If you need food or rest, demand we find food!  Or this is the result! ……..

I had the hypo from ‘hell’ when I was at the Ubud villa, the one (hypo) where it just drops and drops so fast you just can’t seem to stop it, you are drinking juice and eating sweets to no avail…Your body goes into spasms and almost convulsing, there is no time to explain, there is no time to think, there is no time left but to gasp, mutter ‘sugar’ ‘sugar water’ ‘hot sugar water’ to those around you.  Believe me they see your body arching, they see your eyes are rolled back in your head; they see you are crying and gasping.  (I’m sorry to be so graphic but this is what it is like!  This is why we MUST tell everyone in and around our lives that we have Diabetes, we show them our hypo gluco pen and we tell how Diabetes works and how to deal with us in case of a ‘hypo’, to give us sweets/in my case sugar dissolved in water works best) We may come across as being pedantic but we MUST explain the procedures of having a Diabetic in your establishment or as a companion.  And my case this proves true.  As the owner and his staff, made me hot sugar water, made me sip holding me, and then drink, made me eat, then stayed with me till I recovered.  Yes I mortified and embarrassed, the owner was grateful….because he told me that now he understood and could aid Diabetics in future.

When I went touring the next day I had a driver all to myself I kept reminding him one hour before lunch that he had to think of a good place to take me for lunch, and that in half an hour we will be needing to go there.  BECAUSE I was not being distracted, that I could remember my plans my schedule that I have had drilled into me for years. I was in control.  When you’re not in control you lose your power over the Diabetes.

I don’t think people really think, or they may forget that Diabetes is a 24 hour a day 7 day a week disease, it never stops it has to be fed, fed food, fed insulin and if it doesn’t get its own way it starts to grumble then ROAR!

To all my friends and family, please do not be afraid for me, sorry to be so graphic!  I am well, I am in control and I am being so honest with what I am going through with the thought of maybe helping other Type 1 Diabetics who wish to travel safely in the future.

So please don’t be scared to travel fellow Diabetics!  Just stay in control and you will be fine.

Voogs

Balinese Batik made with plain white cotton, an image sketched and wax added in either an outline using a special tool (fine line) above, or painted or stamped (see the metal stamping blocks below) onto the fabric to highlight the picture and then dyed and more wax added and re dyed, ect. ect. and then hot washed removing the layered wax to reveal the stunning artwork underneath that has been painstakingly created, taking maybe days to create one sarong fabric length (2 meters).  I would of loved some photos of the finished artworks but cameras where prohibited inside the gallery. If you want a memorable piece of Bali to take home a real Batik sarong is just perfect!