One more time ... Ubud.

After enjoying student life with my friend Kati and her friends it was time to go back to mom and her cozy place. So I went back to Ubud and took with me my friend Elina who had travelled couple months before. She was really happy to go Sharon's and Made's place Tri Sandhya Villa as it was like palace after all the hostels. (Here: have a look on thei website ! http://www.triubud.com/)

Tri Sandhya Villa

I have to say I don't really like to stay in a fancy places where you usually stay alone and have all services - like hot shower, white sheets, air con, wifi, tv etc. But Sharon and Made's place is different (and not just because they are my friends). But because their hospitality makes you feel like home immediately and they really want to take good care of you. Their local knowledge is also helpful if you want to visit little bit unknown places or experience something different. Their place is also little out of Ubud which is great too because busy-Ubud isn't anymore like the place in Eat-Pray-Love. It's Eat-Organic-Gwyneth-Paltrow-Food-Pray-If-You-Have-Time-After-Shopping-Love-The-Traffic.

Local village nearby

Rice fields at the back yard - well almost .. little walk away !

 Me and Elina didn't visit Ubud too much but we rent the bikeand drove around the area to see rice fields and villages around.

Lisää kuvateksti

Do you think he has hot dogs? Fried corn? Or perhaps you don't want to know ..

 One day we also visited Sanur and my Balinese family. On the way we of course got caught by police and because we didn't have international driving license we got a fine. Or we would have but "luckily" the policeman was so kind and we just had to pay only small amount from the real fine - if we paid him immediately with cash. Hah. Corruption. Love it.

I have to say this time my Bali experience was very different than the first. I really enjoyed of it all - the people, food, culture, views, everything. I just had to be little bit more open minded and relax. And enjoy what the Bali had for me to give.

Student life in Bali

Now I won't put anymore dates to these posts as I can't remember anymore how long I stayed excatly in each place. But my there was other person too who I really wanted meet while I visited Bali and it was Kati (my other traveller half who went with me to South East Asia last time). She did exchange in Bali and I have to say .. You can also experience student life in Bali !

Veeery cheap food ! (but not with aid from Kela )

Living with roommates (except in Finland students don't usually have villas with pools .. )

Brake the law - of course

You just hang .. here on the beach.

And then you just eat more cheap food.

How about the partying? Essential part of student life. Well those stories and pictures are just for rare people this time. It's better for the readers too. Believe me.

Back in Bali

9/12/2013 - 12/12/2013

So I was back here again. Last time I enjoyed diving and the hospitality of a local family but I was really disappointed about the tourism which had spread around the island. I was unlucky to meet some bad people too so I had really  mixed feelings about Bali. I thought I should give it another chance !

And I was happy to go there again. My dear Aussie mommy Sharon and her husband Made came to pick me up from the airport and it was so great to meet her again ! I almost cried. We went from there to their place in Ubud, Tri Sandhya Villa, which is a nice villa where you can rent a room from a quiet area near Ubud centre. It was amazingly beautiful ! I loved the room and the delicious breakfast and the pool .. I jumped in immediately of course !

Tri Sandhya Villa

My bed - I had really bad troubles to fit

 In Ubud we had nice time with Sharon and Made - we went to eat these great little warungs ("restaurants" next to street where you can have local food with a cheap price), had a massage, pedicure and movie nights, dipped into a holy pool next to the river and danced in the rain .. And laughed a lot like always with my Aussie mommy !

"Welcome to my paradise .. "

Last time I came I was so sick of rice I didn't eat much local food but this time I will stuff myself full of Indonesian food. Nasi Goreng, Mee Goreng, Nasi Campur, Naci Pecel and Tempe ... YUM ! This time I will enjoy myself !

Quick pics from Singapore

5/12/2013-9/12/2013

When I stepped out from the airplane I felt the warm breeze and I smiled - back in Asia. The air has been on the both days warm and humid all the time but I don't mind. It's freezing at home and I can walk bare feet again - love it !

Besides warm weather also this made me happy !

So on the first day I think we did small Asia-tour - first we visited Chinatown to see all the fuss, then we left to Little India (<3) for lunch and in the end (after fifty shopping malls - where they all come from?!) to Marina Bay to see the modern Singapore. Interesting and lovely day !

Chinatown

Little India

Lunc place in Little India - and the Bollywood music on the background !

Come to mama !

Especially I had waited for the Indian food and to see the Marina Bay which I skipped the last time. We were supposed to visit there but in the end we stayed until the sun set and stayed for hours. We just layed on the wooden stairs and admired the city and the sky. I don't know what but big cities are by night something incredibly beautiful. The lights, the athmosphere, the secrets which the night hides .. Fascinating !

Day ...

Marina Bay

Lisää kuvateksti

 And evening ..

We visited also the Gardens by the Bay and went there again next day but it wasn't at all that interesting than by night. In the evening it was like you were in the middle of Jurassic Park movie but the daylight made the athmosphere vanish ..

Gardens by the Bay

Sometimes you need to have a nap

On the second day we went to Chinatown for lunch and rest of the day we visited shopping malls as it started to rain. Which probably the only option to do if it does rain. In Europe you go to museums or stuff but not here .. Here it's serious shopping ! Or watching Teletubbies show (secretly from the upper floor as you're scared to be too old).



And you never know what you will see or whom you will meet ...

 But this was just a quick visit - Bali is waiting next and who knows what tubbies comes ahead there ! But Singapore .. I like you.

Here we go again !

5/12/2013 In Singapore - writer is happy, tired and confused

This girl just can't stay too long in Finland. Again I needed to go and escape the hard Finnish winter somewhere warm. This time the plan is to visit old friends and at the same time see some new places too. Now I'm in Singapore and I'll stay here three days until I'll fly to Denpasar, Bali to meet my close friends from Finland, Australia and Bali. Where the adventure continues from there ? Let's see, even I don't know! And perhaps I don't even want to know. Let it be a mystery ! The adventure begins here - now

Old pic from Bali '12

Vi kommer alltid ha Paris - We will always have Paris !

27/5/2013 - 31/5/2013

Well what can I say. It's an amazing city. And I think 45 million tourists every year are a good proof of that. It's one of the most popular tourist destinations and I could recognise it. In Marseille I heard hardly English. But in Paris. Immediately when I arrived to the city I heard girls next to me speaking English with a strong American accent. Perhaps they were doing the famous "Euro-trip" and trying to find love from the most romantic city in the world. Which Paris truly is. There are bridges full of lovers' locks, lovers sitting in the park and flower shops in every corner. There is romance everywhere ! The city itself is beautiful: it is full of more and more beautiful buildings and tremendous monuments which are reminding from the history and the glorious days when there were still kings and queens. I'm not saying democracy is not good and the glorious days are over. I think it's good that the tax payers make sure that the money is not spent for making a statue of king's dog (probably there really isn't but I just want you get the point) but some monuments just makes me gasping. And I also think why we don't have those in Finland?

Salut Paris !

Lovers ..

Beautiful river Seine

.. and some more lovers

I don't unfortunately remember the walls name - but amazing !

Vive la revolution !

 I think what is great in the city is that you really don't need to worry where you will stay. I stayed in four different places and from allt hose places it was easy to go anywhere with the metro system. Places I can recommend are Aloha hostel and Le Montclair Hostel. Aloha is within walking distance of Eiffel Tower, Boulevard Montparnasse and many other sights. Le Montclair is situated in Montmartre which is bohemian and artistic subvision in Paris. There you can climb to see the city from Sacre-Coeur or go and see Moulin Rouge. (And then visit Aussie bar where the bartenders offer free drinks, be aware !) Actually Moulin Rouge was little disappointment from outside. The mill looked like a plastic cup. Or then I just were disappointed as Ewan McGregor wasn't there singing to me and promising to love me forever. Ha.

View from Sacre-Coeur

Moulin Rouge

Paris is full of things to do and I would love tell about them all but here are pictures of my favorites and places which are must-see.

Jardin de Luxembourg

Cathedral Notre Dame de Paris

Ponte des Arts

Eiffel tower

Champs Elysee

In the end I have to tell you what the other French people like Parisians. I don't have huge range of answers but here are some things which repeated every time I asked: Parisians are busy, arrogant, not helpful and they think they are better than others. When again the people from Marseille are thought laughing, relaxed and slow. People from North are laughing and little bit simple (I wonder what this means?). It was interesting to notice that at least the difference between the pace was true. In Paris people are running and they don't have time to chat but in Marseille .. People are walking and taking slow. Also the hospitality is way better in Marseille than in Paris. Of course there are always exceptions and I'm just generalizing. But I noticed the difference. Luckily tourist has all the time and I didn't need to rush. As still Paris is the best place just to wonder around and get lost in the city. Which you should definitely do - it's full of secrets and the best way to find them is to get lost.