Thursday has arrived in beautiful Bali, and it’s time for TRAVEL PHOTO THURSDAY. To join in the fun simply post a photo on your blog. Return here and place your link in the Mr. Linky at the bottom of this post. Please remember to leave a comment after you link. Finally, if you have a few moments, visit the others who have linked. Perhaps you can give them a tweet, a stumble, or a comment on their TRAVEL PHOTO THURSDAY.

If you do tweet, please use the hashtag #TPThursday.

This week’s Travel Photo Thursday is a shot of this beautiful bird soaring over the rice fields in Ubud. I’m not sure what kind of bird it is, but they are funny to watch in the fields. Although, the farmers dislike them, and I can understand why, since they eat the rice. This one had been shooed off by a worker in the rice paddy.

Ubud is a busy little town, and part of its charm is the fact that within five minutes you can leave the hustle and bustle of town life and be immersed in the rice fields with the workers, the birds and other animals; a very special place, indeed.

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Twice since starting this trip I have had encounters with monitor lizards. The first time I was walking along the boardwalk in Malacca and glancing to my right I stopped dead in my tracks. I thought I was going to pee myself! At first I thought I was seeing an alligator charging down the road, then I decided it looked like a mini komodo dragon. I was looking for a place to run in case the thing saw me and decided to have me for lunch. All he really wanted was to get back in the water. I finally managed to get my camera up and got a shot of his tail as he slivered into the waterway.

A few feet further along there was this small one sunning himself. I figured this must be one of the kids.

Then, yesterday I was coming back from the rice fields here in Ubud when these three guys walked past me. Next thing I know I’m looking at the middle guy swinging this dead monitor lizard around like it was nothing. Notice the gun in the other guys hand. Again, I was totally taken aback, but I was able to get the camera and get this shot before they disappeared between two walls.

I did do a bit of research and it seems that there is a demand for monitor lizards from some of the local Balinese restaurants, and there is some demand from the local shops for their skins. I hope I don’t find either!

It’s encounters like these that make traveling so interesting, and add a bit of mystery. I’m still wondering exactly what they did with their trophy…sold him, ate him, or a bit of both. Only they know for sure…

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From the youngest to the oldest, the Balinese wear their very best when attending temple ceremonies. This little fella was dressed to the “nines” in his Udeng (hat), white shirt, and Kamden (cloth worn from the waist down.) However, that didn’t stop him from trying to have a bit of fun at the gamelon (a Balinese traditional instrument.)

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This is the type of event that all visitors to Bali can enjoy; budget traveler or someone with a bit more to spend. If you’re in Ubud go to the Tourist Information at the top of Monkey Forest Road, to find out when and where the ceremonies are being held. Ladies, you will need a sarong, scarf, and a shirt with sleeves. Men, you will need the same, plus the udeng. You can buy everything quite inexpensively at the the local shops. These days it’s quite common for the temples to “lend” sarongs, etc., for a small donation.

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Thursday has arrived in beautiful Bali, and it’s time for TRAVEL PHOTO THURSDAY. To join in the fun simply post a photo on your blog. Return here and place your link in the Mr. Linky at the bottom of this post. Please remember to leave a comment after you link. Finally, if you have a few moments, visit the others who have linked. Perhaps you can give them a tweet, a stumble, or a comment on their TRAVEL PHOTO THURSDAY. If you do tweet a shot, please use the hashtag #tpThursday.

For the past two days the Balinese have been celebrating Anggar Kasih Medangsia, a religious ceremony that is celebrated every six months. The English translation is “tree days”. Other than that, I have not been able to find out too much about this particular Hindu celebration. However, I went to the temple last night, and foreigners were permitted to watch the prayer ceremony (which is unusual). This is one of the worshipers that I was able to photograph…

(Click on the photograph to view a larger version.)

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Here we are for another week of Wanderfood Wednesday kindly hosted by Wanderlust and Lipstick.

I’m busy getting ready to head to China on Monday, so this has to be a bit of a quickie. I want to share with you another delicious recipe from the Bumi Bali Cooking School in Ubud. For a half day class the number of dishes we learned to make (and eat)was amazing. I highly recommend this class for all travelers on any budget.

This dish, Sambal Udang, featuring prawns was so delicious and easy to make. Here’s the recipe……

5 prawn
1.5 tbls bumbum bali …………………..Here’s the recipe.

1 tbls. palm sugar (you can substitute brown sugar)
2 chilies
1 slice green pepper
1 slice onion
2 kaffir lime leaf (sliced thinly)
1 cup coconut milk
2 tbls oil (palm or coconut)
salt/pepper to taste
1 lime

Marinate the shrimp with lime, salt/pepper for one hour in fridge. Fry in 2 tbls. oil. Turn shrimp when red on bottom.
Add chilies, green pepper, and onions
Add half of coconut milk
Add bumbum bali, kaffir leaves, sugar and cook for 2-3 minutes
Add remainder of coconut milk.
When the sauce is thickened it ready to serve.

This is a fantastic dish to serve over rice.

Next time you’re in Bali check out the Bumi Bali Cooking School in Ubud.

If you like this post, please leave a comment. Stumbles and tweets are also appreciated.

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Here we are for another week of Wanderfood Wednesday kindly hosted by Wanderlust and Lipstick.

I was very impressed with the availability of amazingly good organic food when I was in Bali this past winter. One restaurant that I was told not to miss was Sari Organik located in the midst of a scenic and serene Ubud rice paddy. I managed to get there on my next to last day in Ubud, and I was not disappointed.

The restaurant is very easy to find. I had a driver from my hotel drop me off at the rice field and enjoyed the peaceful ten minute walk to the restaurant. You can also opt for a motorcycle taxi. When I saw all the amazing choices available on the menu I was glad that I had walked.

Choosing a main course was not easy. I finally decided on the organic grilled tempe with roasted vegetables. OH MY, was it GOOD. The vegetables were a little crisp and bursting with flavor. I savored every morsel. Along with my dish I had an avocado juice, which I had written about previously here. I will say again, it was the best I had in Bali, and I sampled lots during the month I was there.

In addition to the fantastic, inexpensive food, you will be treated to stunning rice paddy views from the open air restaurant. The restaurant is popular, so it’s best to arrive early. You can also have a wander around the farm.

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Comments, tweets, and stumbles are much appreciated. I do reciprocate!

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Here we are for another week of Wanderfood Wednesday, kindly hosted by Wanderlust and Lipstick.

I’ve decided to leave Korea this week (not literally!) and wander back to the Bumi Bali Booking school. I spent a morning here in January learning to make and EAT! some amazing dishes. One of these was a snack food called Tempe Manis, and it was “to die for delicious”.

I don’t know a whole lot about Tempe other than it’s similar to tofu, but much firmer. If you want to know more about soy-based tempe you can check out this link……….tempe. The word “manis” means sweet.

Like tofu, tempe has very little taste on its own. However, when it’s cooked it absorbs the flavours of the other ingredients.
Fried over high eat, it’s a quick dish to serve as an appetizer or or a delicious snack. Here’s the recipe…………….

1/2 lb tempe (one block)
1 cup peanuts (optional)
2 cups small dried fish (optional)
2 TBs. dark brown sugar
3 cloves garlic
2 red chili peppers
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Cut the raw tempe into strips. Fry until it just starts to turn brown, set aside. Fry peanuts set aside. Fry fish, set aside. Fry chopped garlic and chilies. Mix in salt and pepper. Add tempe, peanuts, and fish. Mix in sugar. Stir completely and remove from heat.

(Tip: Use an oil that does not burn easily.)

Voila! You have a delicious snack or appetizer.

You might also like this post Cooking it Up Bali Style.

If you like this post, a tweet or a stumble would be most appreciated!

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Happy 40th anniversary Earth Day. Whether we are arm chair budget travelers or on the road, we all need to think about our planet. This may seem idealistic and naive to some, but I’m a firm believer that we can have a huge impact on improving our environment one person at a time.

I’m often appalled at some of the environmental abuse I see when traveling through South East Asia. As beautiful as these countries are there is also a staggering amount of environmental ugliness. I think some of this can be solved simply by some conscious thought on the part of travelers in these parts.

This past winter I discovered MacDonald’s coffee in Chiang Mai. I know, I know…………MacDonald’s….how could I? Well, their coffee is good and it is a heck of a lot cheaper than the neighboring Starbucks. However, I digress.

Everyday I would get my coffee, and everyday the server would give me creamer, sugar, and a stir stick. Everyday I would give the stuff back. I drink my coffee black, so I have no need for any of it. I’ve gotten to the point that whenever I get take-out, if I’m given something I won’t use I give it back. Do you?

I was also in Kuta Beach this winter. I will probably never go back. Standing taking a photograph of a beautiful sunset I realized I was surrounded by discarded plastic straws. Every where I went I noticed that restaurants and convenience stores were giving out plastic straws. Plastic breaks down so slowly, so these straws will be around for a long time to come. Why businesses don’t use paper straws is beyond me. I now refuse plastic straws whenever and wherever they are offered. Do you?

I was in Seoul last week at a wonderful traditional restaurant with their own garden. We should all be growing more whenever and wherever we can. Here’s a shot of that beautiful tiny oasis in the heart of Seoul.

Post a comment, and let me know what you do to help to save this planet we call home.

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