Beautiful Bali!

My (Pretty Awesome) 3 Year Anniversary Surprise to Blake

Prior to our anniversary, I was wracking my brain with what I could give Blake. I love surprises. I am the person who enjoys strangers at restaurants singing to her and all the free desserts that come with it! Blake however, is not that guy... he does not like surprises. Actually, he strongly dislikes surprises. So, I knew instantly what I should do... SURPRISE him with a trip to Bali! How could he argue that?!? :)

I booked the trip and did what everyone does when they make plans that their significant other does not know about... I called my mom and told everyone on Facebook (Blake is the last man on earth that will join Facebook, lol). I was just so excited I could not contain it!

I booked the trip about two weeks in advance, so luckily, I would not have to keep quiet for long. Blake was pretty good... he began to accept the fact that he was on a "need to know basis" and I was not spilling anything! I think he really began to take the surprise seriously when he discovered I changed the password to our online banking... so, he couldn't get any ideas! hahaha... Ladies, if you want to know how to drive your husband CRAZY, change the password on the online banking. 

Departing Singapore:

Did I mention Blake does not like flying either?! He normally starts to get nervous the day before any flight... so, I think by surprising him, I saved him from that agony, right?!? I told him only a few hours before that we would be headed to the airport- not the ferry, so that he could pack according to weight limits. He was a little pale faced for a while... lol.

At the airport, I gave him a sweet card full of romantic mushy stuff and also revealed where we were headed! Needless to say, he was extremely excited and pumped up! 

 When we arrived in Bali, we headed to our hotel and then out to a late dinner. The next morning, we had breakfast and then hired a driver for the day to show us all of the sights Bali has to offer! We were fortunate to get a great driver, named Mr. Egg, that was eager to take us to numerous beaches and all around the island. We liked Mr. Egg so much, we hired him for the remainder of the trip.

No need to go to the gas station!
Just stop here and buy your fuel in glass bottles. You see this everywhere in Bali.

"Dreamland" Beach

We rented beach chairs at Dreamland beach, soaked up the sun, and got one hour massages. I think the massages ended up costing about $10 for both of us... Craziness!

The restaurant overlooking Dreamland beach is Klapa, so we decided there couldn't be a better spot for a nice lunch. The food was delicious and the views were spectacular. 

After Dreamland beach, we headed on to several other beaches. One that we visited, which I cannot recall the name of, was quite unique. We had to climb down through rocks to get to the beach... it was pretty cool, because you did not know what to expect until you reached the bottom.

Blake sharing his beer... :)

When visiting other countries, we have been fortunate to see some amazing things...
and some NOT so amazing things. This man was "modeling" in his underwear. LOL

 

Great views at Blue Point Beach!

We ended our beach touring day with a visit to Blue Point Beach. The views from the bars here were breathtaking and perfect for a sunset cocktail. Finally, we finished the evening with dinner at Jimbaron Seafood. We had quite a feast of lobster, crab, fish, prawns, rice, soup, and salad. Yum!

Being in a tropical climate, you grow used to some rain everyday... Well, in Bali it is no different. But, what makes it different from Singapore is the lack of a proper drainage system. The streets were flooded very early.

Blake was craving fried shrimp... so, we lunched at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.! Sometimes a taste of HOME is all you want!

The remainder of the day, we decided to check out some temples and do a bit of shopping in the local markets. 

          

Blake bargaining with the shop ladies...
I think the "game" of bargaining was his favorite part!

We visited temples the following day... 

                               

My hubby strutting his stuff in his sarong!

And we went furniture shopping. :)

              

I fell in love with the beautiful teak furniture and handwoven outdoor furniture... so, Blake is taking me furniture shopping in Indonesia in late February. Did I mention I love my husband?!? 

Our driver took us up to Ubud to visit the Sacred Monkey Temple. This temple was pretty incredible and had hundreds of... monkeys running around! Who would have thought?!? ;)

Sweet baby monkey with it's mom.

Got monkeys?

I wanted to bring this teeny tiny baby monkey home. :)
Blake didn't think it was such a great idea... bummer.

Goofing around!

Rice fields

Our trip to Bali was a fabulous and memorable way to celebrate three years of marriage. 

I wonder where we will be on our fourth anniversary... ?! 

:)