Wines I Bought This Week

 

At a friend requested, I am going to start regularly posting what I have bought and drank from the grocery store or from various websites in an effort to help others navigate the enormous world of wine. 

This week I had a French Rose, a Sparkling Rose from California, a Sauv Blanc from New Zealand, a Chianti (Sangiovese) from Italy, and a couple Vivac wines that have not yet been released. From the photo you may recognize some of the labels and perhaps you are already purchasing these wines. As always, I am an advocate to drink what you like with what you want so ignore my opinion if it doesn't fit with your likes or dislikes. 

Let's start with the still Rose. If you aren't familiar with wine lingo, "still" means not sparkling, it is just a regular wine. I am particularly fond of French Rose wines, from the petal pink citrus ones to the darker lush fruity ones, they all have a place in my heart. And if you are at the grocery store and can get some on a wicked discount, even better! A quick reminder, ALWAYS buy 6 bottles so you get the deep discount. Buy 1 bottle of 6 different wines, if you really like it, take a photo of the label and go back and buy more. Remember that the tag hanging from the shelf shows the regular price at the top, then the sale price on the lower left and the really important one is the one in the lower right that is if you buy 6 bottles (mix and match). If the price difference from the top number and the one in the lower right are at least $5 different, I consider it. In this particular case it took this rose down to under $10. And it was about right at that price. I would not pay over $10 for this wine, but it was just fine for watching TV on the sofa. The fruit was a little thin, the acidity was a bit over the top and it lacked character on the nose. Honestly I would have been just as happy with a can of Underwood. 

Next was the Vivac Tempranillo 2021 which as I mentioned is not released yet, the 2020 is still for sale at the Tasting Room. The 2021 is less oaked which I prefer. Of course there are tons of Tempranillo fans out there that love the big smoky wines that are so popular, so please do buy the 2020. For those that like more integration and finesse, get ready to swoon with the 2021! Great mouth feel, nice rhythm of fruit over the palate all the way to the finish. $24 with discounts if you buy 6 or even more if you buy 12 and a big discount if you are a wine club member. I happen to be the best kind of member, an owner so I get mine for free and lets face it, no other wine tastes as good as a free one.

New Zealand Sauv Blanc is a standard in most homes. It has textbook flavors that hit the mark and are reliably constant. This one was on sale for under $10 and exactly what I thought it should be: fresh, fruity, aromatic and balanced. It was a little thin, but that is to be expected when shopping this price range. It is uncomplicated and tasty. We paired it with roast chicken and a warm New Mexican evening. 

One of my favorite grapes on the planet, Sangiovese, can be light and tangy or deep and intense. Chianti is arguably the most famous of the world's regions for Sangiovese and for good reason. Chianti, like other regions in old world countries, has legal specifications for their wines and label them as such so that the young fruity rustic ones can be sold cheaply while the ones aging and maturing fetch a bigger price. That is a ridiculously simplified explanation and the winemakers of Chianti would probably not allow me to drink their wines if they knew I had boiled it down to that simplification. But this isn't a class on Chianti, it is a personal review of the wine and I really loved this wine! Ripe cherry with aromas of salami and herbs, a perfect balance of tannin and acid and excellent depth with tons of umami. It smelled and tasted like Tuscany. I bought it on wine.com on sale for $14, and have already reordered. it is fabulous. Tip: join their shipping club so that you pay once and then shipping is free after that. Also order a case at a time (mix and match) to lock in discounts. 

The Sparkling Rose from California was on mega sale for $7 so I don't feel like I can really critique it, I mean it was $7! But if pushed, I'd say it was a little sweet for my preference. It is a Brut (dry) wine, but the fruit is overly ripe raspberry that felt cloying after the initial few sips. We sipped it while watching the "Trainwreck: Woodstock 99" documentary which was a nightmare of an event so maybe that colored my interpretation of the wine. 

And lastly, is another Vivac wine. This is another sneak peak at a wine that isn't released yet, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2020 (still available at our tasting room) is also impressive, in fact our Cabs have always been stunners and one of the more fun wines to pour for people. Everyone is a self proclaimed Cab expert and this wine always shocks. It is full bodied, but has character and charm with finesse, balance and an appropriate amount of alcohol so that you can enjoy it on its own or with a meal and not feel completely clobbered over the head. The 2021 vintage was so magical, I opened a 2nd bottle because I wasn't ready to relinquish that baked pie fruit and velvety tannin combination. $32 (and don't forget the discount options I mentioned earlier with the Tempranillo) and absolutely worth the money... which sounds silly since I do get it for free, but I swear, if I didn't, I would be buying it in bulk. It isn't an open every day wine at that price, but it is a perfect Friday night dinner date wine, or a gift wine, or a hard week I owe it to myself wine. 

Hopefully this helps give you some direction when you start shopping. My store happens to be a Smith's that I find myself at regularly, but they are all pretty similar when talking about these big wineries and they all structure their discounts the same way. Trader Joe's is another fun spot to shop, but I rarely find myself in the city that has one. And my favorite website is wine.com because I can shop from home, they have an excellent selection and you can make notes easily that you can reference later. Obviously Vivac is what I drink most of, but I am always trying other wineries, near and far. It would be easy to say Vivac is the best, but it is all relative... LOL I guess that pun is intended. I regularly analyse the wines, sometimes to my winemaker husband's chagrin, but I would not recommend a wine that I didn't fully stand behind. My personal favorites on our list right now are the Gruner Veltliner and the Chardonnay for the whites, and for the reds currently released, I am in love with the Abbott Merlot, the Montepulciano, the Malbec and the Divino. But honestly, my winemakers are killing it and the wines show a mature wise hand behind the crafting of them. 

Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue, I Can't Smell That... Can You?

With Bali in the rear view mirror of life and too many messages asking for an update to even count, I have finally made myself sit down and try to collect my thoughts. Since May so much has happened I almost don't know where to start! I had a complete meltdown after having a sensory overload of too much Bali and we had to pull the ripcord on that vacation. We opted for Amsterdam as an escape and breathed in the magnificent spring flowers there, the charming neighborhoods... and covid. Yep, after 2 years avoiding it, and 4 covid shots, we went down like a ton of bricks. 

The horror stories of covid had scared me since day one. My fear of being put on a ventilator was real as I take a high powered medication that lowers my autoimmune system to zero, but more than that was the fear that I would lose my sense of smell. They say that you attract what you put your attention toward, so I guess in some sick version of events, I brought it on myself? Needless to say, I went from sick as a dog, to slightly better, then slightly better after that, to a morning where I awoke to Jesse making coffee, but the air was clear of smells. Jesse and my daughter had also gotten covid with us each having different experiences of the virus. My husband had lost some amount of smell, but I was about to discover that he was doing far better than I was. 

For those of you whos lives are not centered around olfactory senses, you may not know that coffee is one of the most powerful smells on the planet. My inability to smell the coffee was a terrifying sign. 4 days of zero sense of smell sent me into the darkest of depressions. I had to come to terms that it may never come back or if it did, it may be damaged beyond the point of return. My career would be finished, but even more than that, which still gets me all choked up, is that I wouldn't be able to smell the smells that make my life so rich. While my intense "gift" has caused actual physical pain when the smells are too intense (like in Bali), I rely on it to inform me of things I hadn't really thought about; my husband smells different if he has been sweating in the sun working in the vineyard, sweating after a run verses a bike ride, or the smell of him when he is angry, I know exactly what has happened in his day based on these smells. The smell of great food (New Mexicans, is there anything better than roasting green chile???), trees and plants, sea air or desert rain on its way, and perhaps the most devastating for a mom, the smell of the top of my child's head. I was in a downward spiral and I didn't speak for days. Then, just as instantly as it left, a glimmer of hope appeared! I could sorta smell the coffee. We quickly ran out to the local cafe and ordered two different glasses of wine, it was a test, could I smell a difference? I could! It wasn't strong, but it was there. I rushed to the market and bought all the Somm 101 tools for training, fruits, herbs, and anything else I could grab fast. Back up to the room we ran, bursting out of the elevator and almost into the maid's cleaning cart, it wreaked of vinegar... it WREAKED! I tumbled into the room and pealed a banana. I could smell the banana. Tears of joy and deep relief soaked my face. 

This miracle happened just days before I had a huge, and very important, wine competition. I worked hard on retraining my receptors to identify and connect smells, it was a fast track approach and luckily worked. I took a seat at the competition table and prepared to excuse myself should I see that I was not back to judging level. The palate set wine came out and I judged it exactly the same as the very esteemed judges at my table and even had the exact same notes. I feverishly texted Jesse the news, he responded with a string of emojis in celebration. I think he was on pins and needles knowing his life would be greatly impacted if I came home destroyed by my incompetence. Especially since my daughter and I blame him for giving us covid in the first place. I think he feared for his life. 

After the competition, I had the honor to host a formal tasting class on New York wines with a teaser on New Mexico, followed by a full blown VIP event for New Mexico wines at the American Consular General's home. It was incredible and has led to conversations with other powerful people to invite me to create events for them. I was positively elated! 

Then we came home. Unlike my family, I did not miss home. I love my home, but I was not ready to BE home. I had been robbed of time with the weeks down battling covid and now had to return to a long list of work projects I had avoided while traveling. I also felt robbed of vacation time, which I am fully aware of is a load of shit coming from someone that was gone for 4 months. But hear me out. I had anticipated a Hawaii like experience of sitting on a pristine beach with lovely warm breezes and someone fetching me Mai Tais. Instead, Bali was hard. It was hard fought for food and respite from the intense heat and even more intense humidity. The smells were off the chart in a bad way and, as you all read in my previous blog posts, there were the damn monkeys that had given me PTSD. And maybe there is another component, my wine competition travels rock! Being treated like royalty suits me. The incredible dinners, the amazing wines, the tours of exquisite cities and elite wineries create a level of fan fair that is hard to compete with. Especially if you come home to cleaning your own house, heaps of laundry that never seem to end, grocery shopping and meal prep for picky eaters, doctor's visits, and tedious work projects.

I was trying to wrestle with the discrepancy of "home life" and "competition life" when I realized I can't make them equal. The 4 days of covid darkness I experienced had also given me time to contemplate my life without these glorious trips, gave me time to think about appreciating what is right in front of me. Now I felt the darkness trying to move back in and I fought to recall my insight. I focused on my glass of wine being enjoyed on my front porch. I fought to remember that this fancy life of flying off to iconic places to be wined and dined could all disappear, but what will remain is an amazing family, a home in a gorgeous place and the memories of what I have been lucky enough to experience. 

I also got a phone call from Italy with a personal invitation to participate in a new and very exciting competition in Aosta Valley! And just like that, the darkness slipped away. I know how lucky I am to have the life I do, both at home and on these trips. I know that we are beyond lucky to have not suffered real loss during these covid years and I know that you have to stop and smell the roses while you still can. 

Finding The Perfect Paradise

We have found a beautiful hotel, cliff side, at Ahmed. The infinity pool slips seemingly into the ocean which meets the blue sky; a monochromatic dreamscape. The flowering trees and lush gardens protect our little nook of a patio that we use to sleepily hide from the world. It has been a workout, Bali. Somehow expecting to be carried away immediately didn't prepare me for the work that would be necessary to fully appreciate this strange little Island. But as we slide into our 3rd month here, more adventures under our wings, we are finally clicking with Indonesia and its very unique charm. 

Leaving Ubud was exciting and a little sad. We had fallen into a nice rhythm in our perfectly located, glorious home. We slept in, spent the mornings at the wonderfully cool pool, sipped local coffee and ate crazy fresh fruit. We attended to work back at home on our computers while sitting in the exquisite gardens and we prepared dinner together, dancing to Spotify's top 80's music list. Other nights we would stroll a few meters to our favorite restaurants, watch the Balinese Dancers at the spectacular Royal Palace or wander the lively, colorful streets. The sun would set majestically out our glass front doors as we cheers with cocktails. Then we would usher in the night with enormous fireflies blinking and our friendly gecko comically "talking" to us. Who would ever want to leave this?

An adventure loomed in front of us and it beckoned us to see more of Bali. Mount Batur, an active volcano (one of the smaller ones on the island) was just over an hour's drive away and a major attraction for hikers. Seeing the sunrise from the top is said to be a once in a lifetime experience, clearly we HAD to do it! As we got closer to the impending date, I realized there was no way in hell, with my RA already having a rough go on walks through the rice terraces, that I could go with my family up to the top of this volcano. We decided my husband and our daughter would go and I would rest at a lovely hotel waiting for them. I pictured tropical drinks and beautiful views. 

The town that is in the crater of the original volcano (what you climb is the current steaming peak) and is surrounding the crater's lake, is a shit hole. This town seemed to be plagued with one star reviews and not much else. Surely that is wrong though...right? So many people hike the volcano, it has to be kinda cool... right? Wrong. It was objectively beautiful, but the flies and filth were inescapable. Our driver unloaded our bags and hovered, reluctant to leave. He knew before we did that we didn't want to stay there. After 4 hours trying our best to find food, comfort and enjoy this little fishing village, we decided we needed to pull the plug. We quickly shifted to a new plan that would take the family up the mountain at 2:45am and as soon as they got back down, we'd leave. The money we'd already paid on another night there was of no concern when weighed against the feeling of being trapped there. Our driver later told us that he laughed when he got my text, showing it to his family saying "you see?!? I knew they wouldn't want to stay there!", he also said he was concerned we'd have bedbugs and that he was glad we hadn't showered there because the water had obviously been stored for the last 2 years in a tank that had not been cleaned. Lovely. It wasn't the fun we had hoped we would have had and it did plant the seed that maybe we should just go back to Ubud, but knowing that Ahmed was many people's wow spot in Bali, we continued on. 

I do have to stop here and say that the trek up the volcano did not disappoint. It was a serious challenge, extremely steep up and back down, but my husband and daughter made it and the photos from the top were amazing! The stories they told were wondrous and funny and even included a shitty monkey stealing their bananas. I'm seriously over the monkeys. 

So here we are, finding our way in the northeast region of Bali. We jumped on a scooter and rode the hills through the micro towns that sprinkle the coastline, hair blowing in the wind (aka no helmet, cause 'it is too hot for helmets and we don't have any'). It was just my husband and I this time, but we have piled the 3 of us on one scooter in true local fashion. It scared the crap out of me when we first arrived, the erratic busy streets seemed to allow drivers to make their own unique path and driving on the opposite side of the street was stressful, but now I realize just how fantastic it is to see Bali this way. We found a wonderful store filled with exotic finds like peanut butter, and it had a selection of wine! I actually clapped my hands in glee at the sight of rows of glistening bottles. We returned to the hotel, swam in the perfectly warmed pool, air dried on the porch daybed and fell asleep together, my daughter's hand nestled in mine just like when she was little. 

I might have been too rough on Bali. I do think everyone should back off the perfect paradise talk and give a dose of reality to their descriptions because it is more difficult, and uncomfortable (unless you stay at the Four Seasons or some other similarly expensive spot), but I realize its a pretty interesting reflection of my current life. As my daughter pointed out, this trip has not taken place during some sort of family catastrophe. And she is right, my health scares have been insane (I do not consider RA to be the same level of concern or panic therefore not counting), my daughter is not on the precipice of self destruction and we are all living our best lives. We are by no means living perfect lives (I know it looks like that), but we are really really REALLY lucky. The last 6 years have thrown everything imaginable at us and we have weathered the storm together. Now that it's blue sailing in our day to day lives, the comparison to vacation bliss isn't nearly as dramatic and thus, we have the incredible gift of not being awestruck by Bali. Now that is perfect paradise.

Bali Advice

Travel recommendations for Bali based on the whiny musings of a very pillaged white girl.

Does Bali need another travel blog post from another white girl who over shares and takes all the same photos you've seen a million times because no one is actually original and especially not so in Bali? The answer is no, but being that I think I have a unique twist on the norm, the norm being how perfect Bali is, so here we go!

BUGS: It's a jungle island, of course there are bugs! But while you have probably packed your bug repellent in preparation for your trip, what you have not planned for are the GOOD BUGS! Butterflies the size of your hand flutter about with deep rich browns, eggplant purples and vibrant turquoise wings. Dragonflies, bigger than you've ever seen before look like toys shining metallic as they skim the water. Fire engine red, violet and electric blue, these strange little bugs come sit on your arm or leg for eons, friendly and engaging. Everything is big and bold and takes thinking about. Ants, big big ants, are everywhere and that means you need to be extra aware of spills and leaving any food or drink unattended. The cicadas are 'extra' here too. Their usual high pitched song is on steroids with just a single one reaching a piercing level. A group is so noisy that it sounds like an alarm siren. And that is something no one tells you is that the tranquil sound of Bali you are sold, a meditation bowl, or yoga breathing, is not reality, it is a drive-you-mad-cicada brill. And then there are the mosquitoes, yes those are big enough to bat out of the sky... and that leads me to my next section.

ANIMALS: Something has to eat the bugs right?!? Well that is bats. Big bats that fly right into your house. And speaking of things making your home theirs, lizards are everywhere! Geckos are my favorite, they are adorable and make the most friendly sounds, kind of like they are saying "uh ah" like a little kid saying no. They are in every size... from the tiny ones we find in our sink every morning to the giant one that lives in the rafters of our living space. There are also the large scary looking lizards that stretch long and look a bit like a snake. Speaking of snakes, there are all sorts of those, luckily I've only seen them squished in the road. Also squished in the road are lots of frogs. They seem to be varying sizes with the little likable ones seen the most. These curious little guys find their way into all kinds of odd places toppling over into the house, miss judging leaps and falling in the pool, or bouncing into an open bag. Rats, yes, big ugly brazen rats, and not fun at all. Dogs, while not really an issue themselves, their crap all over the sidewalk is annoying. And of course, the damn monkeys. Incredible, good looking Macaque monkeys, are exciting to see and cute as can be. But then you've probably read my previous blog where I tell the real story about the monkeys. There are tons of other animals I'm told, but those are what I've seen so far. What it translates to is that you are guaranteed at least one surprise scream a day.

BEACHES: What is it that you consider a great beach? For me, I like great sand, the kind that you want to bury your feet in, the kind kids can build castles in. The water I want to be a beautiful color and have playful waves, maybe to actually play in, but more than anything to watch and listen to. Bali really does not have that. Wait you may be asking yourself, isn't Bali known for beaches? Ya, I am also wondering who sold the world that BS. Yes there are a billion Instagramable places, many on a beach, but it is not a beach you want to hang out on. There are spots to see, maybe look out at from afar, or scroll through your camera roll and pat yourself on the back for capturing, but most of the photos are a trick of the eye. They are extremely hard fought finds requiring specialty boat rides, ladders and sometimes perilous hikes over sharp rocks. It reminds us a lot of Belize where the photos make you think "paradise" and reality is there is no beach, but there are fleas in the grasses at the water's edge, more garbage than you can avoid, and literal swarms of bugs all trying to get in your eyes, ears and up your nose. We quickly changed their mato of "You better Belize it!" to 'don't Belize it'. Unfortunately, we are starting to use it here in Bali... don't bali-ze it. Tip to those determined to beach it in Bali, don't ram your feet in the sand, trash is prevalent and you really can get hurt. If you really want to see the beach beach, pay the extravagant prices (aren't you in Bali because it is so affordable though???) of the fancy resort area of Nusa Dua. That doesn't mean there aren't great ways to get IN the water, the water is beautiful and they make sure there are any number of activities to help you play in it. It just isn't the frolicking waves of some of my favorite beaches.

FOOD: Ever heard people rave about Balinese food? I had not. I assumed it would be steamed rice in a banana leaf with veggies and tofu, and it is. But that is the simple daily snack, easy to travel with, readily available and cheap. What I did not prepare for was the incredible rich flavors of the BBQ ribs, the dense peanut sauce for the Satay (sceward meat), or the fantastically complex Mie Gorang (ramen with meat, veggies and magic). And that is just the beginning! Everything has been incredible, loads of wonderful spice and complexity. It leads us to wonder why there isn't a Balinese restaurant on every corner in the USA. Side note, they are also killing it with their hamburgers and wood fired pizzas. Why would you Julienne carrots and cucumbers and put them, raw, on top of a seasoned burger pattie with Spicy Thousand Island sauce and melted Gouda? Because it is amazing! 

WINE: I was sure I wouldn't be able to enjoy my usual fill of wine while in Bali unless I chartered by own cargo ship, but I quickly discovered that they have several, very good, local wineries! They also import a lot of wines from around the world (mostly Australia and South Africa) and boast a number of wine shops per square block. What is even better are the charming wine bars peppered through the shops and cafes! In addition, they have a beverage called Soju, a Korean distilled drink, similar to wine, that is very tasty. Now why don't the "Top Reasons To Visit Bali" list that as an asset? 

TEMPERATURE: We knew it would be hot, but holy hell it is HOT! The humidity is through the roof so the combination is brutal. Every step you take results in a siege of sweat plummeting down your face. Forget makeup, forget walking down the street and seeing because you are permanently blind from the sting of pungent sweat mixed with sunblock and bug repellent drowning your eyes. HOT TIP (I know, very punny) get a hand fan, increase your hotel star rating and spend more for a room with air conditioning and make sure there is a pool. The reason why all those 'paradise' photos have gorgeous pools is because you can not survive without cooling off in one. At least as a pudgy, white westerner, I can't. 

PEOPLE: It has long been talked about how the crowds of Bali make Bali a hard place to enjoy. Being that we arrived as it was opening up from a 2 year full on pandemic closure, we have had the blissful treat of being the only people. Locals and other Indonesian tourists are the only people we saw for over a month. The Balinese people are by far the most amazing peoples I have ever met. Their kindness, generosity and charm are undeniable. I simply can't say enough about the beauty of these people. The expats living here on the other hand, have been rough, rude and offer advice such as "don't tip very much, you'll ruin it for the rest of us!", so stay clear of those creeps and make sure to ask the locals where they like to eat, drink, and hang out. More tourists have started to flood in and it has already made a difference with trying to get around, perhaps a glimmer of what we are in for in another month. 

It has been hard to not be annoyed by the trash, by the bugs, by the heat, by the damn monkeys and recently as the Island has opened up, the ridiculous Instagram Influencers. A lot of these things make or break how comfortable you are in any given moment and if all of your senses are ablaze, well, it's easy to let it get the best of you. The Influencers have been interesting to see in person, and maybe the most fun animal you will find in Bali. They bring multiple cameras, different colors of the same hat, dresses that always reveal a lot of leg, boob, shoulder or back, and "helpers". Then they set up shop in the middle of where everyone needs to pass. Seriously, they take up the entire stairway/ path/ view of a popular spot with absolutely zero awareness. As if everyone is there to see them rather than acknowledging that we simply need to use the only entrance and exit to a place. I've started to take pictures of them. They are amazing spectacles to behold! An example is the big swing that sends the girl out over the rice terraces, silk fabric billowing behind her (if you haven't seen this, do a search of Bali on Insta), only in reality the swing, as swings do, rushes backward sending the fabric up over the woman's head, then as the swing rushes forward once again, it seals the fabric tightly to her face. Now THAT is an epic shot! Don't worry, she is fine, she has assistants and a photographer to pull the fabric free and to try for the shot another 10 times. I also love the Instagramers that are a little more subtle, like the woman wearing a respectfully long dress, posed in front of the large doors to a beautiful temple. While having worn the proper attire to enter, she is now hiking her dress up and out of the way to show her entire leg, even back a little to make sure the start of her butt cheek makes it into view. It is an 'I can still be sexy while visiting a holy temple' pose. Her husband or boyfriend meanwhile is kneeling out in the traffic to get the shot, yes IN the traffic. Perhaps this is the real reason for the annual tally of tourist and motorbike accidents here.

You may be thinking 'wow, this sounds like a really shitty place', I might have over sold that part. We are enjoying it! It has a charm of its own and it is hands down one of the most beautiful places on the planet, but expectation can seriously sway the experience one has. With everyone touting Bali as a place no one wants to ever leave, I have to say, I will love my time here, but Bali... I will leave.

Here Monkey Monkey Monkey...

Ubud is a jungle city full of intrigue... and Macaque monkeys. When we booked our rental house, we knew the jungle would be a part of our experience. They openly warn you that you will have lizards in the open concept house and various animals will cross the elaborate gardens, maybe even a monkey or two. But what you don't realize is that the monkeys will be walking down the street, like a stray dog, brushing past your leg as if they too were looking for a cute summer dress from one of the many charming stores. At one point a large male Macaque was sitting on the curb, as my family and I were approaching this smaller section of sidewalk, the monkey looks at us, takes in the situation and scoots on his butt further out toward the road allowing us more space to pass. As if to say "oh sorry guys, let me move". The interaction was small, but so human like it was shocking. 

My family is very into seeing monkeys. We were disappointed when we were on the Island of Nusa Penida and told that the monkeys were everywhere all the time and then didn't see any, anywhere. Finally on our last day there, we saw some monkeys climbing trees next to our hotel room. We were really excited! A few days later we drove into Ubud and saw monkeys running across the street, climbing poles and scattered in trees. We were shouting excitedly and pointing in every direction much to the dismay of our taxi driver. Now this was "everywhere"! We settled into our gorgeous, dream of a house, fed the koi in our private koi pond, watched little geckos play beside our private swimming pool and immediately left the oasis to seek out the Monkey Forest. I'm telling you, we really wanted to see monkeys!

The Ubud Monkey Forest is an easy walk from our rented house. It is actually an ancient temple site and jungle forest that is protected as a sanctuary and now monkey park. The monkeys are wild and run free, encouraged to be friendly from the treat giving guides and are used to people as Ubud is usually packed with many tourists. Our first experience at the Forest was ideal. The space is absolutely gorgeous, it takes your breath away. Massive trees form a canopy overhead and bright green moss covers everything. The detailed carvings of the temples are exquisite and regal, rich in history and storytelling. AND there are monkeys everywhere you look. In fact you need to be really careful you don't step on one! The blissful excitement of your first interaction with a monkey is exhilarating and the guides make sure to get the perfect photo op for you. Meandering the beautiful paths, you duck as babies jump over your head, not yet practiced enough to clear you with "safe space" for either of you. They lounge in the way, draped over anything they can hold onto and are always with an eager eye to pickpocket. We actually watched as a monkey swiped a packet of antiseptic wipes from a woman's pocket and ate them. Not sure that was good for the monkey, but there was no way anyone was going to tell it no with those giant fangs. 2 hours later, we emerged from the forest with hundreds of photos and delightful tales to tell family back at home. 2 days later we decided we MUST have more monkey experiences and traveled outside of Ubud to the Sangeh Monkey Forest. Another sacred site with some of the oldest temples on the island and a special forest of trees now only found in this protected area. The reviews and websites were limited in descriptions other than to say it would be a more "interactive" experience and that these monkeys, still Macaques, were wilder than those at the Ubud Monkey Forest that see tourists all the time. Boy was that an understatement.

The drive to Sangeh is a beautiful one and allows you to see the countryside. When we arrived at the site, our taxi driver, and new friend, told us the guides would take it from there, he stayed in the car. An odd choice I thought at the time. The place was completely empty except for myself, my husband and our teenage daughter. Being that we are quite literally the very first tourists to Bali (other than Indonesians traveling on vacation) we have encountered people overly eager to have work. The 2 year pandemic shutdown has been particularly cruel to Bali so we weren't surprised that for a party of 3, we had 2 guides. It seemed over kill, but then again, we really want to give money to as many locals as possible. Within minutes a large family of monkeys appeared at the entrance to the temple, a grand and elegant structure that echoed the grace of the mile high trees stretching up to the Gods it seemed. Seeing the monkeys, we all quickly readied our camera apps. As I looked up from my phone, as a very large male monkey came running, not sauntering quickly, CHARGING, at my husband! It reached him before anyone had a chance to contemplate what was about to happen, and within 2 hand grasps had scaled him and sat proudly on my husband, Jesse's shoulder. In typical Jesse fashion, he didn't even flinch. I snapped pictures in a nervous stream from my safe 6 foot distance. Then out of nowhere, this big 'ol monkey leapt from Jesse onto my head. On to my HEAD! Shocked, frightened and crushed by the new weight, I bent forward to which the monkey responded with grabbing my forehead with its, oddly soft, creepy hands!  The guides were by our side and working to keep only the one monkey "playing with us" and the others at a distance. Just as suddenly as I was attacked, the monkey jumped the 8 feet onto my daughter! Shrieks of surprise swirled with nervous laughter as we tried to lure this crazy monkey off of her. Realizing the "fun" was maybe too much for us, the guides stepped up their interference. Unfortunately not well enough. As soon as we were starting to catch our breath, another large male seemed to appear from out of thin air and ran up the back of my daughter and perched on her head. This time there were screams of terror. We can all laugh about it now, but at the time the surprise attack from behind was brutal. Then as quickly as the monkey had appeared on my daughter's head, it jumped onto mine, again holding onto my forehead. There is something extra icky about having dirty monkey hands on your face. The craziest part of this is the absolutely distinct feeling that the monkey is 100% in charge. You can not touch the monkey, the monkey can touch you though. You can not look the monkey in the eye and you for sure for sure can not pull a monkey off of someone. The guides did their best to lure the monkey off with treats and eventually the threat of a slingshot got it to dismount. Their strength and agility, their spontaneous reactions and fiercely long  sharp teeth all let you know that they are the ones in charge and really are only allowing you to be in their space for as long as they decide to. 

We continued the tour of the Forest with the 2 guides (now we could see why you needed 2, one at the front and one at the back, both working overtime to keep the monkeys from attacking us), and I tried to enjoy it. At one point, the path twisted through the shadows of the immense trees. The moss shimmering over the stones made them almost glow, while the threat of evil flying monkeys still had my heart racing, it all combined to make me feel like I was in a live rendition of The Wizard of Oz. 

As we climbed into the true safety of the air conditioned car and I could stop my hands from shaking, the taxi driver explained that this was the reason he stayed in the car. Smart man. 

Another 2 days passed and my family was ready for another monkey adventure... just maybe not the kind on steroids. They planed for another entry into the Ubud Monkey Forest with the chill monkeys. Still racked with fear and accosted with monkey nightmares, I walked them to the gates, said goodbye and took my PTSD ass to a cafe. During my 1 hour coffee break, monkeys came from all sides attempting to enter the cafe, much to the annoyance of the owner. 2 managed to enter and walk past my table, looking for an easy item to snatch. I was really glad I'd skipped ordering food. At another point I watched as a group of young travelers stopped on the sidewalk and circled around a crying girl who had just been robbed by one of the monkeys, her shock and fear apparent from my seat across the street. All I could think to myself was 'these monkey f*cking suck'. Clearly I'd had a change of heart.

My daughter and husband emerged from the Forest hot and tired. I enthusiastically asked how it went, I am a mom after all, I am used to stuffing my own feelings in order to support my daughter's. She made an ambivalent moan and said it was a good thing I didn't go in. Turns out the monkey that came to sit on her lap, sat on her arm leaving not only poop, but also butt blood. Considering the amount of monkey rape you see while visiting the Monkey Forest, this isn't a surprise per se, but a most unpleasant gift to be left with. Luckily they have sinks easily accessible. Follow that with a juvenile approaching, putting its hand on my daughter's arm, to which she giggled at the cuteness of the situation and it responded with hissing and showing its horrible teeth only inches from her face. I'm grateful no one has been bit... yet.

ya, what I said 'these f*cking monkeys suck'.

Bali Blahs

 

This is what we call a scuba kiss

We have been gone for over a full month. Almost a week in Berlin, almost a week trying to get to Bali, and 3 weeks on the island. I know I can't begin to complain about this trip and be taken seriously, but it has taken some time to adjust. It does look like the Instagram photos... most of them. Did you know that the most famous ones that are reposted and used for every dreamscape of "paradise" are tricks? There is no water at most of the temple sites that you've seen perfectly reflecting themselves in glassy lakes, they use mirrors. The most sought after views have lines for selfies and no one is actually there to SEE the place. We are the very first tourists from outside of Indonesia, but there are some Indonesian tourists visiting Bali, thus the lines. There are mounds of garbage everywhere. It is ungodly hot and humid so 85 degrees feels like 102, and most of the time it is in the 90s so you can imagine what that feels like. Humidity is through the roof making the combination insane. All of that isn't in itself terrible, but there is a lack of authenticity from what I had expected to feel. You know what I mean? It's like someone took all the beautiful photos and projected them onto the walls of a room, and there you are, in a room looking at beauty, but feeling nothing. 

There are a lot of white people that live in Bali, expats love it here! The life is easy, chill, and the people of Bali are perhaps the most beautiful thing about Bali. Time to time you find yourself in the midst of a local ceremony, so colorful and expressive, its almost like striking a match in the pitch black of night in comparison to the whitewashed Bali of foreigners influence. Those moments are wonderful. Time to time you find yourself welcomed to sit with a local and taught how to order the stunningly delicious dishes that have left us wide eyed and drooling. And time to time you are in the presence of someone that exhibits such peace and patients, you are simply in awe. 

My daughter hates the over use of the word "awe" especially in its commonplace "awesome" use so I use it seldom and deliberately. I have met someone that I am in awe of. That person is my daughter's dive instructor. 

Bali Scuba is a dive center in Sanur Beach. It has a nice web-site and from my research seemed professional and worthy of me entrusting my daughter's care to. It was easy to communicate with them from the USA and they offered the book work online. We arrived and found a clean, professional store/ office and the staff all dressed in uniforms. This is not the norm in dive shops. Some of my favorite dives have been out of offices that looked like dirty closets and made you wonder if they'd remembered to put air in the tanks. This dive shop had their own dive pool visible from the office and friendly faces that made you immediately feel at ease. My husband, Jesse, and I hadn't been diving in 10 years so we took a refresher (you have to if you go that long in order to be allowed to dive again) with a delightful instructor named Yannick. He was so sweet and clearly very knowledgeable. He was also our guide on our dives which was great because he knew us well by then, this makes quirky things like the fact that I am oddly buoyant already addressed and the dive is far more successful right off the bat. But what was REALLY impressive was the instructor my daughter was paired up with, Sila. 

Sila is a petite person, compact and visibly strong, but lean and at least a head shorter than my 15 year old daughter. Everyone at the dive shop was well manicured with neat short hair and clean shaven. This is also very unusual in the dive world. Guides are usually long haired, a little grungy and wearing the tatters of a dive shirt from millennia ago. Sila had bright white teeth and sparkling eyes. He was genuine, personable and compassionate; a perfect choice for our daughter. As it turns out, we had no idea just how lucky we were to have him teaching her! Things were challenging and when things got bad, he kept his cool and helped us keep ours. 

Diving is great, if everything goes well. Divers talk about how amazing it is, but it's usually those of us that have been doing it for years and experienced a bunch of different types of dives all around the world. Watching my daughter go through the training reminded me of just how hard it is to get certified. Not hard per say, but challenging. My daughter has SPD (sensory processing disorder) which makes her highly sensitive to noise (i.e. crowds) or clothing (you think it is soft, she thinks it feels like sandpaper on her skin), and the fun one in this context is the feeling of drowning if you have water on your face. You may be asking yourself what the hell we were thinking having a kid with SPD get dive certified, but that requires a quick story...

About 8 years ago, we took a trip to Belize. At that point our daughter wouldn't put her face in the water. We had only recently graduated from a dry washcloth over her face so I could wash her hair, to allowing some spray to gently sprinkle her bare face. I'm telling you, this has been a process! Anyway, the water in Belize was such a phenomenal clear aqua blue, she could see the fish from the surface and within days had full snorkel gear on and in the water, face down for hours at a time. That turned into a 3 dive snorkel trip out on a boat. Dive 1 she panicked and got back in the boat. Dive 2 they chummed the water (not cool, I know) and had the boat surrounded with huge nurse sharks and sting rays. That dive she wasn't going to miss and leapt in almost before my husband and I could get our flippers on! My point being, when this girl puts her mind to something, she does it. Jesse and I had no doubt that if she wanted to get scuba certified, she'd make it happen. That was before we remembered that a key exercise is to fully remove your mask while under water, then return it and clear the mask... all while breathing continuously through the regulator. It is probably everyone's least favorite part of the training, but this triggered the panic that she was for sure drowning. 

Back to the pool portion of the training at Bali Scuba and we have our daughter losing the ability to make this work while the ever calm and patient Sila gently moved her through the steps. He let her take breaks and assured her that she was doing well and it was all OK. The quick 1 day pool session turned into 2 extremely long days and a very unenthusiastic teenager. We returned to the dive shop expecting an eager to dive face and found a miserable pout instead. It seemed doomed. But Sila to the rescue, offered what is called a discovery dive which allows someone to try a shallow dive with an instructor in order to be inspired to WANT to dive. It was brilliant and worked like a charm. So back to the pool our daughter went for that long second day in the pool. By the end, I couldn't imagine how exhausted Sila must have been. I know my own limits for patience would have been long passed it, but he serenely sat, laughing and kindly supporting our depressed daughter. She wasn't hiding it, she hated diving. Shit. 

Full steam ahead, we planned the open water dives. Screw you daughter, we don't care what you like or don't like! LOL! Just kidding, she recognized she was now done with the shitty pool part and could now dive... and repeat those exercises in the ocean, yay so fun! She completed the 1st 2 dives well and was officially scuba certified, now 2 more and she'd have her open water. It was within grasp and even Sila had a bigger than usual smile! We celebrated and planned our family dive. Then, that night, out of nowhere, our daughter's ear started to hurt. It went from bad to worse and we had to call off the dive, contact our doctor and find prescription drops. We just couldn't catch a break.

We hit pause on my daughter's scuba experience while her ear healed and headed to Nusa Penida, an Island just off the mainland of Bali. There the spectacular cliffs and tight jungle gave us a peak at that "Bali feeling" we'd been looking for. We picked a place that offered us a room nestled in the tree tops and a pool with a sunset view that would have Instagram Influencers swooning. The food was amazing and the owners were wonderfully welcoming. But, there was still something amiss. 

Jesse and I did dive on Nusa Penida, 2 days worth. The dive sights are for advanced divers and offer the chance to see enormous manta rays, sharks and octopus. We saw none of those the first 2 dives. I had a BCD (the flotation vest) with a leak and ran out of air canceling half the dive for me. That was OK though because I also had an incredibly stupid weight belt issue that caused me to be on my back like a turtle on its shell. I'd been seeing the entire dive upside down. I started to really empathize with my daughter. We hired Sila's brother Gede to drive us around to the top sights on the Island and visited Amed Sunset for drinks, you know, all the stuff you are supposed to do. I think I have never sweat so much in my life as that day touring. The paths are rugged and my knees, having been hit the hardest with my RA, screamed at me. The drinks at Amed were insane and our "nest" seating was adorable. We drank wine at the pool as the sun dipped and the sky turned hot pink and orange. But there was STILL something missing. 

5 days later we returned to Sanur Beach in order to finish our daughter's Open Water dives. Returning to an area is always enjoyable. Our favorite spots were excited to see us again, we knew how to get around and where to stay. Artotel by the way gets my full endorsement! It is art and a hotel, interesting architecture, stunning rooms, fabulous breakfast and excellent service. But we found that we didn't want to hang out on the beach, never did, and it seemed no one really did. It took us forever to figure this out and started to think we simply weren't beach people... even though there are many beaches in the world we absolutely love. Objectively speaking, it is cute beachness... but it also isn't. It was creating a slow burn of worry, did we not like Bali?!? 

Needless to say, we wanted to get our daughter certified and move on to a new spot. I volunteered to go with her for encouragement on her dives and simply sit in the boat. The cost of the dive and the lack of excitement of these dives didn't make sense for me to actually join in. Saint Sila did everything he could to help our daughter through the first dive, but her ear wouldn't cooperate and pushing it could cause long term damage. It was a serious blow to a girl that has overcome so much to get this far and not be able to complete the journey. Being Scuba Certified, without the Open Water, simply means she can't do super deep dives. She can also attempt this increased certification down the road, but for now, we were done. It was a brutal moment as we tried to cheer my daughter up. With sadness clinging to the boat, Sila offered to snorkel with her so she could enjoy the plentiful fish and end on a high note. I could not have been happier than when I saw the giant smile on my daughter's face as she returned to the boat. It wasn't what we thought would happen that day, but it was definitely a success. And, best of all, we could officially close the book on Scuba Certifications and get the hell out of this area.

Since we were struggling to get into the rhythm of Bali, we had trepidation around our next stop. What if we weren't going to enjoy the world's most perfect vacation? The taxi ride was tense with the unsaid stress we all felt. But then, as we twisted into the streets of Ubud, its charming shops and cafes tucked into the juggle screamed "ADORABLE!!!" and within seconds we saw monkeys crossing streets, climbing poles and swinging from power lines, this magical little place was definitely a vast improvement. Ooohs and ahhhs echoed through the car, it was obvious our luck was about to change. 

Welcome to Bali!

 

Sanur Beach

A 75 hour trek finally got us to Bali... with a sour taste in our mouths. What was supposed to be an exhaustively long layover in Malaysia turned into a delay of 4 days. You see as Indonesia opened up to tourists, airlines canceled and rescheduled ALL of their flights into the country. Unfortunately this happened during our 15 hour flight from Berlin to Singapore so when we landed there with a short plane switch, we found out that we would be trapped in Kuala Lumpur. 

Normally with a long layover, we would make the most of where we were. We have actually enjoyed some layovers that gave us the opportunity to explore a place we might not have otherwise seen. BUT when it is covid times and there are strict country mandates for visas and paperwork, leaving the terminal is impossible. Airports do have "Transit Hotels", but far more clever travelers had already booked those. KLM airline would do nothing to help us. I am opening telling you what assholes they are. Could they have helped us get on a flight with another airline going back to Singapore that would then be able to take us to Bali even that same day? Yes. Could they have helped us when we were in Singapore skip the journey to Kuala Lumpur in the first place? Yes. Instead, we had to beg the people at security and Singapore Airlines to help us figure it out. Newly purchased tickets, 24 hours of sleepless, uncomfortable, closed down airport time later, we flew back to Singapore. Shout out to Singapore Airlines who had the sweetest people trying to help us, rescuing our baggage from oblivion and genuinely caring about us being stranded. This help included all new paperwork, paperwork I'd been working months on for the original journey. Covid tests had to be renewed, hotel arrangements showing new dates had to be booked, travel insurance with new dates, all of it registered and signed off on by the proper authorities. I really wanted to cry alongside my overly tired, sensory overloaded, sweet daughter.

Another overnight, this time in the Las Vegas of airports, Singapore, we finally arrived in Bali. There was relief that we had made it there, but unease at what would go wrong next. When we saw our bags dump out of the shoot, there was a moment of joy. The navigating of customs, especially for travelers that haven't slept much in 3 1/2 days, was straight up insane. But we managed, got through it, had the help of a guard contact the hotel for a ride that hadn't shown up and off we went through the weirdest little beach city ever to our quarantine hotel. Wait, hadn't I said Bali had opened up lifting restrictions?!? Yep, but we still had a mandatory 3 days as rules officially shifted. In fact I couldn't get us a flight unless I booked 5 days! At that point we really didn't care. We would have slept for 5 days if they wanted us to. Luckily the results of the airport covid test came back in the morning and we were allowed to use the resort in what is called a  "bubble quarantine". 

A great night's sleep in an actual bed does wonders for your attitude. We walked out into the lush gardens of the hotel and meandered the picture perfect pathways to a lagoon shaped large pool. The staff all stopped, wide eyed, and thanked us for coming to Bali. Cheers erupted around every corner as they praised us for being the first tourists! It was surreal. It was just what we needed, wrapped in the warmth of a perfectly warm pool, seated at the swim up bar, our frayed nerves began to settle. We even discovered there were local wines! Tentatively we ordered and to our dismay, they were great! Of course a hotel that hasn't seen a tourist in 2 years had some glitches, but each of the staff were glowing with glee to help. "You want more wine?!? I will go to the store! What kind do you want?", everyone was so eager to please we felt guilty asking for anything should they not have it and need to go out in search for our slightest want. The food was amazing, the pool was amazing, the wine was amazing and the world seemed to be saying the trouble was over. Welcome to Bali indeed. 

The rest of our stay at the Bali Dynasty Resort was a blur, maybe it was the jet lag (14 hours ahead of home), maybe it was the scorching sunburn, or maybe it was the nights at the onsite Irish Pub that had a live band playing just for us, but Bali seemed to whisper a haze over our eyes. It felt as if everything was a dream. There are exquisite, ornate gates and carvings that mingle with modern hotel decor and lounges propped up just so for the most Instagramable pose. Every dish is astounding to the foodie's sensibilities and there is a kindness of the people that is rarely ever seen. It is also Asia and with that brings the vastly different culture, driving on the opposite side of the road and a crowded feeling that is difficult to absorb for westerners; it leads to disorientation and near collisions with traffic constantly.

Another negative covid test (our 6th in only a few days) deemed us ready to be released to the Island! Kuta Beach is ... maybe suffering from the 2 years lack of tourism. Many places are shut down, boarded up and left in disrepair. We quickly learned that the plentiful offers for a $6 massage, were for one of THOSE massages. I put my husband in a timeout immediately. LOL! That wasn't necessary, but we did decide the refuge of our resort was all the exploration we needed into this area.

After our resort stay, we moved to the highly recommended Sanur Beach. Not knowing what we were doing we selected a charming looking little place and found ourselves in a less desirable area than we intended. It might be worth taking an aside here to explain our traveling needs at this time. When we were young we traveled on a dime and only really required that the room have its own bathroom. Now, older and with a bit more money in our pocket, we look to handle some of our quirky family needs. I have RA and need certain levels comfort should I have a flare up and need to spend my day in the room. Our daughter is traveling with us and is a teenager so we need a certain amount of space and an extra bed which usually means a bigger room in foreign countries. All this combined to have the first place be ideal for most travelers, but lacking for our needs. That being said, there was an amazing Japanese stand very close by that had a local following and phenomenal food. One night as we looked for dinner a local man who was dining there invited us to sit down, helped us order and welcomed us to Bali. It was an incredible experience. The staff at this little hotel were some of the sweetest people we had met and it was difficult to leave. On the other hand, our new hotel was jaw droppingly gorgeous, in the fun part of town with shops and restaurants and a clean beach steps from the front door. At 44 years old, having an autoimmune disease, a child with sensory processing disorder and a cranky husband if his girls aren't happy, really equals needing a nice place. And with the Bali prices being ridiculously inexpensive, you can live like a King on very little. So we moved into a large, modern, artistic room with a balcony view of the volcano in the distance and an epic rooftop pool. 

I will leave you there, hating me a little as you battle lame weather and going to work blues. Diving, wine tasting and the lowdown on Balinese food to come!

*Make sure to follow my Instagram @winefirstsomm for photos of our travels!