Goodbye Vietnam!

After two relaxing days in Hanoi, we left for to Halong Bay which is another spectacle in Vietnam. It is a UNESCO world heritage listed natural wonder that  includes 1,600 islands forming a magnificent seascape of limestone pillars. We booked a two day tour through our hotel. Our junk boat from the White Dolphin Cruises turned out to be quite fancy. I would advise booking a tour with a reputable company as there has been incidents of sinking boats in the past. 

Ha Long Bay

After lunch on the boat, we visited a floating village by kayaks where the whole community leaves on water. They have their own floating school and market and live without any contact to the land.  It was incredible to see this kind of lifestyle. If you easily get seasick, this village is definitely not an option for you.

Kids from floating village

Kayaking around the limestone rock formations was a unique experience. You can easily lose track of time in these serene waters. When we got back to the boat, the food was almost ready. During dinner, we met our new friends, Marie from France who lives in Hong Kong and Ajit from India who lives in Singapore. They gave us excellent tips for the countries we will be visiting next. It is amazing to see many people leaving their homes behind to follow their dreams in different countries. I feel that we live in a global village where anywhere can be home. 

The sleep quality on the boat was better than expected. We managed to get a decent 8 hours of sleep. It was beautiful to wake up on the quiet waters of Halong Bay. After a guided tour of the Sung Sot Cave, it was time to head back to the mainland. Overall, the trip was very quick but spectacular. Although it is very touristy and crowded with many junk boats, Halong Bay is still a must do in Vietnam.

Dinner with Ngoc and Ha

Upon returning to Hanoi and picking up our luggage from the hotel, we went straight to the train station to catch an overnight train to Sapa. If you travel a long time, it becomes essential to consider opportunities such as overnight buses or trains that saves time and money. On the train, we met a nice couple from Hanoi, Ha and Ngoc who got married a couple of days ago. They were on a short honeymoon. Next evening, they invited us for dinner and prepared delicious authentic Vietnamese culinary. It was great to meet this lovely couple. We still keep in touch with them and recently, Ngoc happily told me that they are expecting their first baby. They were thrilled to share this wonderful news. I wish them all the very best for the future.

Sapa is located in the northwest of Vietnam and is famous for its’ stunning natural beauty. It is home of various ethnic minorities such as H’mong, Dao, Tay and Giay.

Children of Sapa

During one of our treks to a nearby village, we met Sam who became our tour guide for the next day. She was a young mother of a one year old baby. She carried her on her back all the time which is a tradition. To get extra i income, these ethnic women try to convince you to do a tour with them. Hiring them as guides really helps these minority groups and you get to find out about their lifestyle as they often take you to their villages. It is always a good idea to have some food with you, such as nuts if you visit these small villages around Sapa. You come across to many children and it makes their day when you offer them something to eat. Please keep in mind that there is no dentist in these villages, so natural food only! 

Trekking with our guide Sam started early. We walked through rice fields, hills, and visited 3 villages along the way. She was carrying her baby on her back all the time, amazing strength! She even cooked lunch for us at her home. Sam lives in a very basic hut with her husband. No toilet inside. They use open fire to cook. Seeing their simple life style helped me to put things in perspective and I felt very grateful with what I have in my life. When we finished the tour around 3:30pm, Alex and I were exhausted and took a moto-taxi back to our hotel.

Our guide Sam

Sapa looks similar to Dalat, as they were both set up by the French, but it is much smaller. If you like trekking, it will be your paradise. We spent 4 amazing days in Sapa and did some incredible hikes.

Another point of interest in this lovely town is the ethnic market, where different minorities dressed in traditional clothes sell handmade souvenirs. It is a good way of passing some hours in Sapa and learning about the ethnic cultures. Once again it was time for us to leave this magnificent nature behind to go back to Hanoi for our last day in Vietnam.

Sapa Ethnic Market

Our last day had a relaxing start but a hectic end. We spent most of our day in Hanoi markets, organised a taxi through the hotel and were ready to leave to the airport in the afternoon. A couple of minutes into the ride, Alex realised that she did not have her passport. It is common practice in Vietnam that hotels keep your ID until you check out. Immediately we returned to the Rising Dragon Hotel. Unfortunately, they did not have it as they took copies of our passports. Alex panicked. She opened her luggage in the middle of the sidewalk to find it. Then we realised that she forgot to pick it up when we left Sapa. Now, Sapa is a 9 hour train ride from Hanoi and there was no way we could have made it to our plane. On top of everything, the phone number of the hotel was not listed on the net, so we could not reach them. Meanwhile, Alex was thinking of catching a train back to Sapa while I would catch the plane to Hong Kong to avoid buying 2 more tickets.

The staff at the Rising Dragon Hotel were very helpful and managed to find the number of the hotel in a random website. When we called, the owner said that he had sent her passport to a travel agency in Hanoi, which luckily was close by. We managed to get it quickly and made our way to the airport. It was very stressful but we made it on time. A piece of advice if you ever go to Vietnam, try not to let hotels keep your passports to avoid unexpected surprises.

Vietnam is a beautiful country with warm hearted, friendly people. It is very diverse and has lots to offer to any traveller. Thank you Vietnam for the hospitality and the wonderful experiences. We loved it! 

Breakfast at Rising Dragon

Vietnam Part 3

Our next stop was Hue. We took a sleeping bus which was very comfortable and was worth the extra money. The driver did not speed which came as a surprise. After a 4 hour ride / sleep, we arrived in another ancient city of Vietnam. 

We checked in to Hotel Nino which felt more like a house than a hotel. Our room was pretty small but comfortable. The day continued with a wonderful lunch at the Confetti Restaurant. Our waitress was very friendly and provided great tips on places to visit in this historical town.

The Forbidden City

The Forbidden City was our first stop. Although half of it was destroyed during the war, it is still an incredible place where you can spend a couple of hours full of amazement.    

The following day, we rented some bicycles and visited the tombs of the emperor (Khai Dinh Tomb), some pagodas and the city centre. Biking is one of the best ways to visit Vietnam apart from the big cities. On that day we rode around 25 km under the heat and were exhausted at the end of the day.

Khai Dinh Tomb  

The breakfast at 6am next morning was followed by a 4 hour bus ride to the Paradise Cave. It was an organised excursion and there are many companies offering the same tour with different prices. Do not hesitate to talk to multiple agents to get the best price. It was the most impressive cave I have ever seen. The ceiling is about 80 metres high and inside temperature is between 18-20 °C. You can walk 3 km inside of the cave and see incredible limestone formations. It is stunning! Here is a link to some images.

After a 2 hour visit, our tour was heading back to Hue. We said goodbye to them and got off at Dong Hoi to visit the Phang Nha Cave the following day. It is a 45 km drive from Dong Hoi. We rented a scooter from our hotel and started our adventure in the early morning. I have to admit that it was my second time riding a scooter and I was fearful.

Fear is a very powerful emotion and sometimes it can be life saving. However, irrational fear can also hold us back from having experiences that can bring joy and growth in our lives. One of my goals in this trip was to face my fears.

Most of my fear and anxiety is related to self defeating beliefs of “I am not good enough” and “I can’t do it on my own”. These irrational beliefs were developed during my childhood and were ingrained deeply in my subconscious. My psychotherapy studies, individual and group therapy sessions helped me to become more aware of these patterns. This awareness enabled me to make conscious choices rather than having blind reactions. Many of us have these subconscious blockages that restricts our lives. Are you aware of yours? 

A smooth ride!

I rode that scooter for 45km to the Phang Nha Cave, and it was a lot of fun. Once we arrived, we rented a boat to visit the cave from inside with a French couple and an Australian traveller. The boat took us into the cave and we walked 10 minutes inside. It was not as impressive as the Paradise Cave, so if you need to choose one, definitely go for the Paradise Cave. 

Boat ride to Phang Nha Cave

The ride back to Dong Hoi was challenging. It rained the whole way till we got back but luckily everything worked out well. After a hot shower and a nice meal at the hotel, we drove to the station to catch our train to Hanoi.

The trains are quite comfortable in Vietnam, and if you book a sleeper you can easily doze off and wake up at your destination. Our trip to the capital took 9 hours. We arrived at 5am and took a taxi to the Rising Dragon Hotel. This was the best hotel we stayed in Vietnam. The staff was very helpful and friendly, the rooms were great and the rates were reasonable. They had the best breakfast buffet during our time in Vietnam. They also organised a good deal for our Halong Bay excursion.

Alex getting interviewed by students in Hanoi

Personally, I liked Hanoi more than Ho Chi Minh City. There is less traffic and pollution. The people are friendlier and the food is better. During our time there, we visited the Literature House, National History Museum, parks, pagodas and of course Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum. 

Amazing Vietnam (Quy Nhon and Hoi An)!

The trip to Quy Nhon was supposed to be 4-5 hours. What a ride! As the only passengers, we were sitting next to the driver because there was absolutely no leg space at the back. Our driver and his assistant decided to have lunch 15 minutes after the start. So here we were in one of the busy roads in Vietnam trying to pass the time. After half an hour, we were on our way again. Our driver was nice but he thought he was a Formula 1 pilot. 

There aren't many highways in Vietnam. A small road is used by cars, motorcycles and bicycles which requires extreme caution. Our driver was driving like a maniac while we were panicking next to him. His response to our screams was with laughter and statements like “no worry” "I good driver" which obviously did not help much. 

Thankfully 2 hours later, we stopped in a coffee plantation where they loaded around 50 bags of coffee beans which weighed, I guess, 50 kg each. By the way, did you know that Vietnam became number the second coffee producer in the world beating Colombia? Of course, Brazil is still number one. Vietnamese produce high quality coffee indeed!

With more than half of the minibus full of coffee beans, our driver could not speed any longer which made us extremely happy. Of course, it did not take very long to get a flat tire due to the heavy load. We had to wait another 45 minutes for them to change the tire and were able to continue our interesting trip. Along the way, we also picked up 8 more passengers (luckily no chickens), so there was absolutely no space at all. After 8 hours of excitement, shock and danger, we were very happy to arrive in Quy Nyon in one piece.

Quy Nyon is a beautiful coastal town. It is an ideal place to wind down for a day or two. It is not touristy at all and we were able to meet lots of remarkable people. Meeting locals adds a whole different flavour to the travel experience. You get to understand their culture much better and can establish beautiful connections.

Warm hearted nuns of Quy Nyon

After a good rest in our nice hotel, we walked around the city the whole day and met two old Vietnamese nuns who could not speak any English. Somehow we managed to communicate with them and found out that one of them was 84 years old. Their eyes were shining with light and compassion. They guided us through their pagoda and invited us for lunch. Some of the younger nuns joined us as well. 

During lunch, our new friends tried to teach us some Vietnamese which obviously did not work out very well. It is a difficult language, however our poor pronunciation made them laugh out loud. It was a unique experience to connect with these lovely people. After spending 2 hours we left the pagoda. I am amazed by the hospitality and friendliness of the Vietnamese people.

School kids in Quy Nyon

Every day on the road comes with infinite possibilities which makes life interesting. When we create a routine to feel secure, we tend to reject the synchronicities of life. I am not suggesting that each one of us needs to start travelling around the world (which is great by the way), but just be open to the flow of life. Maybe a person sitting next to you on the bus has a message that you need to hear. Trust the process of life and have faith that everything will work out perfectly. Let go of your fears and connect with people around you. 

On the streets of Quy Nhon

Just to give you an example of how I lived before: In Sydney, we lived in the same apartment complex of 25 flats for over 4 years and ironically we did not know many of our neighbours. When I saw them in the building, there was this awkward moment. The conversation was mostly limited to a “hi” or “nice day isn't it?” I think I was too afraid not to come across as a strange guy or maybe doubted myself thinking do I have anything interesting to say. When I reflect back on those days, I wish I was brave enough to make more connections. Human connection is the spice of life and who knows where each relation will that take you! 

      

After a beautiful day in Quy Nyon, we caught a private bus to Hoi An. This time the ride was a little better but our driver speeded insanely as well! Maybe it is a cultural thing for Vietnamese drivers. Luckily, we arrived safely at our destination (once again).

Beautiful lights in Hoi An

Hoi An became one of my favourite spots. It's world heritage listed by UNESCO and you easily understand why when you see the beautiful historical architecture. Old houses from many centuries ago are kept in their original style and the atmosphere brings you back in time. In addition, the old town turns into a magical light show with multicoloured lanterns at night. We were lucky to be there during the 60+ Earth Hour on the 23rd of March where people released colourful candles into the river when the lights were off. What a spectacle! You can easily spend 4-5 days in this amazing place.

Candles in the river

The next day, we joined a bike tour with one of the local companies. Our Vietnamese guides, who spoke good English and French, were informative and fun. Doing excursions gives you a deeper understanding of the history and culture. As a bonus, you get to meet lots of interesting people from all around the world, a perfect way of getting valuable information on places to visit. Everybody has a different story to share and most of the time they provide the best travel tips. So don’t be shy, get out there and talk to people.

Our bike tour group riding a boat

The following day, we rented some bicycles and visited two different beaches around Hoi An. In one of the beaches, I rode a jet-ski for the first time in my life. YAY! I highly recommend to do it in Hoi An as the prices are very cheap. I paid $20 for 15 minutes. The same day, we tasted some great Vietnamese dishes at the Cargo Club. They also had the best deserts in town in case you have a sweet tooth. 

If you like tailor made clothes, this place will be your heaven. There are many shops where you can get any type of clothing, including shoes, done within a couple of days for a reasonable price. As travellers we neither had the budget nor the space in our luggage to get tailor made clothes, but it was definitely worth to visit these shops. 

Streets of Hoi An

On our last day, we visited My Son where the Cam Ruins are located. We travelled by an organised bus tour as the ruins are far away from the centre. The ruins were almost completely destroyed. We could understand only half of what our guide was saying due to his heavy accent. You can definitely live without seeing these ruins, so don’t waste your time!

Overall, Hoi An was fantastic. Lovely architecture, magnificent colours, friendly people, good beaches, great food, and chilled vibes. A must see in Vietnam.

Good Morning Vietnam!

We left Bali on the 12^th of March 2013 and flew to Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). We checked into a very friendly boutique hotel called Yellow House Saigon.

Dinner with friends in Ho Chi Minh

Ho Chi Minh was a shock after Bali. The traffic was absolutely crazy. There were millions of motorbikes and sometimes we had to wait a couple of minutes before we could cross the street. It was very polluted. Definitely not my favourite city in Vietnam.

Alex’s friends Anne and Florence from Paris, who were on holiday in Vietnam, were waiting for us at the hotel. It was nice to catch up with them again. On the same night, we met Paulette and her boyfriend, Daniel. Paulette is also a friend of Alex who lived in Cambodia before moving to Vietnam. She works in a travel agency and helped us to discover this huge city and the best restaurants in town. That night, we tried a traditional Vietnamese pho (soup) in a local restaurant.

Alex with her best friend

On our second day, we booked a 2 day trip to Can Tho and My Tho in the Mekong Delta, not far from Ho Chi Minh City. The trip was amazingly cheap. We paid around $35 USD per person including all the bus transfers, boat rides, guides, lunch, home stay and dinner. There are many travel agencies in the city, so ask around and bargain to get the best price. 

Tripadvisor is a wonderful website full of information about hotels, tours, agencies and restaurants to find out the best deals. It is a traveller’s community where people post their opinions about places they visited to help out fellow travellers. It helped us a lot in planning our trip.    

Child selling bananas on a floating market

During the tour, we visited a floating market, a bee farm, a noodle factory and some other historical sites. In the evening, we stayed with a local family and learned about the local cuisine. It was great to witness warm Vietnamese hospitality and try their delicious food.

Upon returning to Ho Chi Minh City, we said goodbye to Anne and Florence who were short of time and had to fly to Hoi Ann. We spent a couple of more days visiting many temples and catching up with Paulette and some of her friends. It was wonderful to have a friend to guide us in this busy city. 

After 5 days in Ho Chi Minh, we made our way to the next town. Dalat is a serene city in Vietnamese highlands which was set up by the French during colonial times. We were lucky enough to book a bike tour with two founding members of the Easy Rider Tours. You have to be careful as everybody claims that they are the original deal and it takes some effort to find an authentic guide. Our excursion included the Elephant Falls, a silk factory, a couple of pagodas, coffee plantations, the Crazy House and the Dalat Palace. Our guides, Joseph and his friend, were full of joy and information on Vietnamese history, culture and traditions.

Our guides from Easy Rider Tour

Vietnam has a very sad, war stricken history. After the French colonisation, Japan invaded the country during the 2^nd World War. Then between 1955 and 1975, the Vietnam War (Vietnamese call it the American War) claimed too many lives. You can certainly feel the pain of many conflicts when you talk to these brave people. It was wonderful to see this beautiful country reunited, and living in harmony. I wish them a peaceful future.

Before we left Dalat, we visited the Truc Lam Zen Monastery where we met a monk who was living there for over 15 years. He asked me if I could help him to improve his English by reading him parts from an English conversation book. I agreed, of course. He recorded my voice while I was reading. We were given tea and asked to stay for lunch which we kindly declined because we had a bus to catch. The friendly monk gave us 3 books as a present as we said goodbye. It was a touching experience.

At the Truc Lam Zen Monastery

After a 3 hour bus ride we were already in Nha Trang. We did not like this town from the beginning. First, the taxi driver tried to rip us off by bringing us to a different hotel than we mentioned. Then, he wanted more money than we agreed. Not a good start overall!

In addition, the town was extremely touristy. The beach was nice but we did not like the vibes and decided to leave the next day. That’s the beauty of travelling. If you don’t like a place, you simply move on to the next one. The next morning, we were already on our way to Quy Nhon.

Gili Islands

If you are in Bali for a long time, it would be a shame not to visit the Gili Islands. There are different options to travel, and we chose to take a speed boat from Sanur. It is pretty easy to acquire information from any travel agent in Ubud. Make sure to bargain and talk to a couple of agents before buying your tickets. When you travel for a long time, each dollar becomes important and bargaining becomes a life style.

After a 2 hour journey, we arrived at Gili Trawangan and were greeted by our host Herman from Gili Smile Bungalow. Herman is a young man who goes the extra mile to make people happy. He helped us with our luggage and when I offered him a tip, he refused and stated that he does everything from his heart without expecting anything in return. 

Wow, wouldn't our world be amazing if we were all like that? It was a great lesson coming from this young man. I had tears in my eyes and started to question my motives behind my actions. How often do you do something without expecting anything in return?What are your motives when you deal with people? Is your actions based on love or do you have a hidden agenda?

Our little brother Herman

Herman became our little brother during our stay in Gili Trawangan. He showed us around the island, helped us to rent bicycles, snorkelling gear and arranged boats to visit the other islands. He brought us to some great snorkelling spots where we were able to swim with sea turtles and colourful fish, such a fantastic experience!

During our time in Gili, we visited two other islands by boat, Gili Meno and Gili Air. They are wilder than Gili Trawangan and offer amazing waters to swim and snorkel.   

Herman also organised a surprise birthday party for Alex and gave her a bracelet that he made himself. We were truly touched with the thoughtfulness of this young man.  At night, we made bon fires, sang songs and danced. There were also a couple of reggae bars with live music where you could experience the relaxed vibes of Gili Islands. 

6 days went quite fast and it was already time to return back to the Island of Gods. It was hard to say goodbye to our little brother and some other friends we met at Gili Trawangan, however we needed to move on.

Our friends in Gili Trawangan

After the Gili Islands, we returned to our oasis at the Swan Inn . I like this place because it is in the middle of Ubud but feels like being in the countryside. They have a beautiful garden with a large fish pond and coconut trees. There is a small rice field next to it. There were some talks about building a hotel in that rice field which made us really upset.  

It is disappointing to see Ubud changing so quickly. There have been many new restaurants, upmarket shops, and big hotel constructions since our visit last year, which slowly destroys the Balinese culture. This change however helped me to see my attachment towards Bali. Change is inevitable and any attachment in life creates nothing but misery. For me a good method of practicing non-attachment is through Vipassana meditation, which truly changed my life. I will talk about this later on.

Sunrise at Batur Volcano

Another highlight in Bali was climbing the active Batur Volcano. We were picked up by our driver, Yanden, at 2am in the morning and drove to the base of the volcano. We had to hire a guide to take us to the top. Under the Indonesian law, you are not allowed to climb the volcano without an official guide as it can be quite dangerous, especially in the dark. It was an intense 2 hour hike to the top. 

We reached the peak around 5am and were surprised to see a local lady selling tea and coffee. We couldn't resist a hot Balinese coffee with condensed milk on top of a windy volcano . All of our efforts paid off when we saw the sun rising slowly. We stayed another hour to explore the grounds, and then slowly made our way back to the car with sore legs. If you are fit enough, I would highly recommend a trip to the Batur Volcano.

We were very happy to discover the healing effects of breath work through a full day workshop run by LenaKristina Tuulse from Sweden. She is a loving lady who helps to heal past traumas or blockages stored in the body using natural breath. After our positive experience wit her, we joined more workshops run by Anthony Dunkley, the founder of the Alchemy of Breath. Another powerful breath worker I would recommend is Giten Tonkov from Biodynamic Breath. If you haven't tried breath work before, give it a go. You won't be disappointed. 

After a month of yoga, healing, massage, relaxation, breath work, detox, organic food, new friends and many beautiful memories, we were mentally and physically ready to travel the world. 

First stop Bali!

On the 12^th of February 2013, we took our first flight. On the way to the airport, I was feeling content, curious and joyful. I was ready to explore and see what this big world had to offer. After a 6 hours flight, we reached our first destination. BALI! We chose Bali as our first stop, not only because we love it (we have been here already 4 times) but also to unwind and recharge our batteries. Our routine life style surely depleted most of our life force and Bali was the perfect place to rejuvenate both physically and mentally.

Rice fields close to Ubud

Let me back up a little and tell you my main intention to do such a trip. For a long time, I struggled to find my purpose in life. I studied economics, even got a masters degree in this field but always ended up working in areas based on human connection such as tourism, recruitment, teaching and finally psychotherapy. I get a sense that many of us struggle to find our true calling which lies deep within our hearts. Our busy minds often interfere and we end up losing our path and have an unfulfilled life.

Of course, there are the lucky ones who know exactly what they want. I am certainly not one of them. Is this where the happiness lies? Finding out our heart's deepest desires and following our calling! How do we get there though? 

When I look back, I can say that life always guided me in the right direction although I was not aware of it at the time. In our first stop of this remarkable journey, I had some ideas of what I wanted in my life but I was still wishing for more clarity.    

Bali is called the Island of the Gods.  You can feel the incredible energy when you reach Ubud, the spiritual heart of Bali. It is a small town in the middle of the rice fields and it offers a variety of options to unwind. We personally love yoga and spent a lot of time at Ubud Bodyworks. It is owned by Ketut Arsana who created a unique style called Kundalini-tantra yoga. I have tried many different yoga modalities and this one suits me well. And no, it is not about tantric sex if that's what you had in mind!

There are a number of yoga studios where you can try a variety of different styles including ashtanga, hatha, vinyasa and many others. Some of the main studios are Yoga Barn and Radiantly Alive.

Our raw food diet

Ubud is a paradise for healthy eating. There are many cafes and restaurants that offer organic, raw or vegetarian options. We decided to do a 3 day raw food detox. It was hard. Our energy levels dropped each day and on day three we were feeling very low. 

As part of our detox program, we tried the colonic treatment at the Ubud Sari Health Resort. It was certainly a very unusual experience to watch what has been hiding in the colon for many years. I assume that this treatment is probably not for everyone but I felt better and lighter after it. Another good address for colonic treatments is the Smiling Buddha Clinic run by Lesley (+6281237871644).

Bali is the home of many healers and gurus. We tried a few of them as one of my goals is to raise my consciousness level. A powerful Balinese healer we have seen was Tjokorda Rai. He is truly an amazing man. His messages to me were “follow your 
passion”, “be more patient, wisdom will be given to you”. He advised me to smile in front of a mirror and imagine swallowing that smile into my solar plexus every day. Smiling is a great way to start the day! You can read more about him at this blog.

Spiritual Bali

One amazing woman we met is called Jero Pura. I recently had a treatment with her and it was absolutely amazing. She helps to raise the kundalini energy in the body and balances the chacras.  She is two hours away from Ubud and you need a driver who speaks good English if you don’t speak Indonesian. Yanden is an honest Balinese driver who is fluent in English. His number is + 62 817 9711 730 or wayankaden@hotmail.com. Another good healer is Esoteric Agung who does reiki and chakra alignments. You can contact him at +62 361 7961 517. Without a doubt there are many more healers who are worth seeing in Bali. Just go with the flow and your will be guided to the right treatment. This is how Bali works!

Ubud is an oasis for healing massages. You can get incredible treatments at Ubud Body Works for $20. A more affordable option is a local healer Kasna (kasnamd@yahoo.com or +6282146533137) who comes to your place and gives you a miraculous (could be also painful) massage for $9.

Daily offerings to Hindu Gods

Ubud is becoming the Mecca of spirituality in Bali, hence you can meet many like minded people. We attended a talk given by Rudolfo Young whose mission is to inspire 1,000,000+ people back to the "beginners’ heart" which from my understanding is the pure heart that we were born with. 

When we saw him, he was coming out of a 6 month silent practice and we were able to hear his first words. He told me that “you already know your purpose but you are too distracted to see it”, “authenticity is your biggest value” and “you don’t need to prove anything to anyone, you are already perfect”. I think Rudolfo is right that we are all perfect in our unique ways and we often get too distracted by our continuous mind chatter to see the guidance of our hearts clearly.

This trip actually gave me the opportunity to heal myself and recognise the direction I want to go. My humble advice is to take time off even 10 minutes per day, tune in, slow down, open your heart, spend time in nature and with your loved ones, do meditation, try yoga, quieten your mind so you can clearly hear your heart / higher self. To find out more about mindfulness, please follow the link.