Been wandering again, this time to Bali. And despite visiting both terrorist bomb sites I came back whole, and even only experienced a very mild form of “Bali Belly”.

It’s funny going there because it was the first time I visited the country where I was born in, oh, almost 20 years? So unlike Japan it wasn’t exactly foreign, since I knew enough of the language to get by (although I definitely have an accent) and most of the food was familiar. But Bali had a particular culture all of its own since unlike much of the country it is the only island that’s predominantly Hindu.

So aside from the usual tropical holiday activities such as swimming, day spas, shopping, parasailing and whitewater rafting, I also visited Hindu temples, saw traditional dance performances, and even went to a cooking lesson.

In my pursuits I was joined by my aunt, who knew how to haggle at the markets, that’s for sure! And were helped by my distant aunt and uncle and their intrepid driver. As you can see, Bali is a very pretty place once you get away from the city and the tourist beach.

But one thing I couldn’t get away from was the bad-ass monkeys. I ran into them twice – once in Ubud at the Monkey Forest, and the second time at Uluwatu at the temples.

Don’t be duped by their cuteness. Unlike the polite Japanese ones from my last holiday these guys aren’t afraid to snatch anything (food, bags, cameras, bottles). Or display everything.