Leg Two

Hello everyone! Happy New Year! We are in Sanur (again) after our few days in Jungutbatu. The island, unfortunately, was not what we expected. Although beautiful, the beaches were all used as a harbour, and the locals farmed seaweed. No big deal, right? WRONG. The smell of seaweed bleaching in the sun is the most gut wrenching smell Liza has ever encountered (Mark never noticed). Needless to say, a lot of Liza's time was spent trying to cover her nose without offending anyone.

Mark had a cake delivered to the island for Liza's birthday. So sweet. We celebrated with 12 other strangers in the restaurant. And by celebrated, we mean they ate the cake and that was it. New years, unfortunately, was not all that special for Liza. Liza had bee dealing with a rash that was intensely itchy for 3 weeks. She would spend her nights getting up every few hours to shower so she wouldn't scratch. It was spreading from her legs up to her nether regions, at which point she decided she better see the doctor. The doctor advised that she was having an allergic reaction to something (bug, beach, fungus, larvae) and gave her some pills and cream. She passed out that night around 830 pm, and Mark didn't even think about waking her up to ring in the new year. Mark sat outside drinking beer and talking to some psychologists from Denmark. They were a lovely couple, and now we have a place to stay in Denmark.

We left the island two days ago and decided to spend our last few days in Bali, in Sanur. Returning to the same guesthouse felt like coming home. It's a nice feeling when you are on the road. We are going to Malaysia tomorrow via Jakarta. We are super excited to get there and to try new food! Ha ha - this trip is all about the food. ALL about it.

Speaking of food, we forgot to mention something about the food in Bali. Whenever we go to a restaurant, the food is made to order. That means we often wait 45 minutes for our meal BUT, when we get it, it is amazing. Everything is made from scratch, even the sauces. We feel like a king and a queen at least once a day!

What will we miss most about Bali?
- our comfortableness here (we feel like we really know our way around here, and how to deal with the people)
- babi gooling (yup, food)
- the dog "billy" at our guesthouse

What will me not miss about Bali?
- the garbage on the beaches
- the constant hounding from scammers and salespeople (saying 'no' to the same person 10 times gets tiring)

Liza has mastered the art of haggling and negotiation. She is confident and fair and has fun with it. We have gotten a few deals that have also benefited the seller. Mark is getting more comfortable with it ..... although he is happy to let Liza have her fun.

So, the plan for Malaysia ---- got to Borneo and spend some time there diving, hanging with Orangutans, hiking (more like strolling by) Mt. Kinabalu, and soaking in the hot springs, before heading to Peninsular Malaysia. Once there we will explore Kuala Lumpur, tea plantations in Cameron Highlands, and trek through the jungle. Should be a pretty busy and pretty exciting time! We of course will keep you all posted!

Liza and Mark