Surf life on Bali beach

Good afternoon pumpkins of mine, 

So, this was meant to be the last day at Bali, but, due to unforeseen circumstances, we actually had two 'last' days. They were both spent similarly - primarily on Kuta Beach pretending to be a surfer pro. So, I will combine the two beach days in one entry LIKE A BOSSSSSSS

So, Bali is known for its beaches. And especially for surfing. So what better place to try it out than here at the Surfer's Wet Dream!?

Since swimming is prohibited...

Through our hostel, we booked a '2½h beginner's course'. We were picked up in the morning from our hostel (well, we followed the lady by motorbike) and taken to Kuta Beach, a bit further on than where we went a few days back.

We were introduced to some of the surf 'gang', including our to-be teacher, Eric, who was the epitome of A Bali Surf Instructor, dark with long, wavy, flowing dark hair and a wide cheeky grin, shamelessly wearing a very, very thick white layer of suncream on his face – them surfers need to know how to handle that sun! Also a talented and witty musician who gained lots of points from us when he stated that he was now going to sing “a Finnish song”, whose chorus went like this: “Mitä kuuluu? Mitä kuuluu?" and the verse: "You want to go toilet? Nurkan takana, vasen!” and it was adorable, the random phrases people here know in Finnish :')

With our surf teacher!

It was just me and Nikki as 'students'. First we were on the beach, practising getting up on the board. Right foot 90 degrees, left foot 45 degrees, with some level of space in between your feet. Simple theory, simple on the ground, but obviously a whole different story in the water.

So, then we went to practise in the waves. Nikki was an instant pro – she kept upright for most of her first attempt. I kept upright for the most of my, probably, twentieth attempt. It must be admitted, I don't think I was born to be a Surfer Girl (despite what my awesome new bracelet may say...) I felt like a man, I just could not focus on more than one thing at a time. (Sexist jokes are still allowed, right??) When I remembered to distance my feet from each other, I forgot that I shouldn't look down. When I remembered not to look down, I was way too far to the left. When I was positioned centrally, I forgot to bend my knees. Most of the time, however, I forgot to do all of these.

Me not distancing my feet enough 

Nikki

It didn't feel this crowded....

Nikki shows everyone how it's done 

Luckily Eric was a very patient teacher and despite my frustration after every five attempts, I continued trying and, well, I did progress. I got gradually better, and it was wonderful to notice!

After our first sesh!

Nikki continued being pro – Bernie, the main surfer dude, said that she could become really good if she had the opportunity to practise!

My illustration of us surfing for my bro <3

We had had plans of going to this famous beach club, Potatohead, for sunset, but the surfer gang invited us to stay at the beach, and Nikki had hurt her foot, so we ended up hanging out on the beach, chatting with the guys, drinking traditional Bintang beer, taking pictures, getting covered by sand, learning Indonesian and teaching Finnish, aaaaaaand just general beach hanging about. It was awesome.

This pic took a lot of positioning believe it or not... also, see awesome matching bracelets!

Sunset was a bit cloudy, and, unfortunately, after that it was time for us to leave.

Still beautiful though!

 We popped by to the apple cider restaurant, Jokers, to say bye-bye, and got an awesome group pic of us, the musicians (who we got to chat to quite a bit throughout our stay) and some of the lovely waiters and waitresses, who were all such smiles. :)

Dude with Finnish gf is on the right (a.k.a Chester's doppelganger)

WHEN YOU GO TO BALI, REMEMBER TO POP BY JOKER'S <3 

Then comes the story which I've dedicated its own blog entry to.

Short version of the story (WARNING! SPOILER): We missed our flight.

Soooo the next morning we came back to the beach. :P 

Fancy seeing you here!

breakfast smoothie

We actually found (quite easily!) a place to swim as well! Well, 'swim' = play in the waves. So much fun. And the lifeguards spoke Finnish to us. Literally everyone knows Finnish. 

Same as yesterday without the surfing – we had lunch at this lovely hotelly thing near the beach, and just lounged about. It's surprising how time can fly and you can have so much fun doing nothing! And I wouldn't really describe myself as a beach person...

Oh, noteworthy incident: Nikki and I were walking on the beach, and of course loads and loads of other people desperate to get us to buy their surf courses came to talk to us. One of them was very clearly into Nikki, chatting to her, trying to get her to come surfing, while I waited patiently in the background. Then he turned to me. “Ah, is this your mum?”

HMMMMMMMMMM

Is this the age that it starts........

(Just to point out, I am two years older than Nikki.)

Note aeroplane!!! 

Well, I would like to think it was Nikki's youthfulness and slimness and cool neon-cappedness that made her seem younger than her age, than me seeming massively older than my age..... But since then we have happily established that I am her milf <3

Mother daughter beach selfie

A lovely afternoon, and the sunset was less cloudy this time round. 

Playing doggies

The musicians

Nikki and the matahari tarbanam

The above is possibly my favourite pic from the trip. So sad to leave, for a second time... 

All in all, a BRILLIANT trip. As I mentioned in earlier entries, my expectations for Bali were definitely not easily reachable. Did they fulfill the expectations? In all honesty, I don't know. World, Bali is not paradise. However, Bali has bits of paradise.

But saying that, I can say that out of all the places I've visited so far on my trips, I could actually see myself going back to Bali. Like, I loved Thailand, and especially Malaysia, I loved it so much, but you have to resign yourself to the fact that the world is big, and if you want to see many places, you can't really go see the same place multiple times.

Bali was just somewhere I could imagine happily hanging out at without a packed, set agenda. You have the beautiful beaches, and you have beautiful scenery (a lot of which we couldn't even see this time round, like the mountains in the north!!) close by, you have scrumptious food and, above all, you have WONDERFUL people. And that is the main thing. Everyone from our new friends to the random girl or guy at the corner shop, everyone was FRIENDLY. Smiling, apologetic if they weren't able to help. You just felt so... welcome.

Bali, as my towel, and my bracelet, and my top say, I love you.

Next entry is my airport story. And then, onwards to new, hopefully Vietnamese entries...

Terima kasih and CYAAAA,

Emzy

xxx